Did you know...

...I can knit. I can! I couldn't but now I can!

There have been snippets of bits of knitting here and there through this blog but I now finally feel ready to say I can actually knit. Now I'm not going to pretend I picked up the needles and started knitting with no problems at all. The reality was that I have, over the past 10 months picked up my needles, knitted a bit, swore a lot (really bad words too) and unravelled/frogged the lot only to take a few deep breathes and start all over again. I mastered the stitches pretty well, I learnt how to read easy patterns and follow simple charts. My difficulty was fixing a mistake. That was why I had to frog stuff right back. But the other day I had my EUREKA moment. I'd made a mistake with Ssk2tog and so the stitches were all going the wrong way. I just dropped the relevant ones off my needle, let them run down the knitting and then I pulled them back up with a crochet hook till they were right. I shocked even myself. Then on Saturday at Knit Club I trod on my shawl and about 15 stitches slid off the needle mid row and all unravelled down about 4 rows. It took me a while but I rescued them. I cannot tell you how proud I was that I did't ask one of the many very quick and experienced knitters to do it for me.

♡

So here are the fruits of my labour. This is what I have produced doing the odd row here and there whenever I got a moment. Sacrificing a read in the bath for half an hours knitting. Going to bed too late...

Debbie Bliss Rialto 018 Rowan Kid Silk Haze Ghost 642
If you look closely you can see I have discovered blemish correct in iPhoto.

Pattern by Suzie Johnson and found here

Here is Mr C's scarf I knitted for his Christmas present (I did get him other stuff. He didn't just get a scarf which I sweated blood and tears over and made with HUGE love!)

Ahh but he loves it though. Look at that happy little face.

I made it a bit too long really. It could do with being unravelled by a good few inches as it pokes out of the bottom of his coat even when it is wrapped around a few times. It is so warm. Warm and soft. A really nice Man Scarf, even though I do say so myself. Well, the feedback has been good at least.

I didn't manage to get a really good photo of it before it was worn and had gone a bit fluffly. My man is often a stubbly dude. Little Cuckoo thinks he has prickle seeds because his prickles keep growing.

Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran Colour 300029 on 5mm needles. I did it in simple brioche stitch which I got from Jane Brocket's Gentle Knitting book. She makes the faberge egg cosies out of it. The stitch pattern is worked over multiples of 4 plus 2.

Then I had ago at making these little booties from a pattern Sandi sent me. She sent me the yarn too, lucky girl that I am. I wanted to make these for Mini as he had grown out of the ones Sandi had made him when he was born. Those ones were so sweet and perfect and I missed seeing them on his little feet.

With a furrowed brow and some peace and quiet while we were in New York way back in November I made these booties.

Bloody things didn't fit though. In order to try to increase the size the pattern went up to I used a larger needle and they just don't fit properly anywhere. If anyone ever comes across a pattern for booties/slippers for a 1-2 yr old then could you let me know? All the ones I see only go up to 12 months and I'd like Mini to have some soft slippers. I'll be unravelling these and making Mini something else at some point. Maybe a cool bandana thingy.

One of the first things I knitted and completed was this huge snood. It's made with a fluffy alpaca yarn by Gedifra. The pattern is Suzie's (it's not on her Ravelry or website but it's called The Kendal Mint Cake) and is knitted on comical jumbo needles. I looked like a total buffoon trying to wield them. I enjoyed the fact that it knitted up quickly but I didn't enjoy knitting with achey arms. Seriously it was like working out. Not my thing at all, working out that is. Yuk.

Spot the sheet drying on the stairs.

There's a bit of crochet sneaking in now. In August last year Mr C and went to London for the day and I started crocheting this hat.

 It uses a twisted granny stitch which is quite easy to do once you get the hang of it. Can't for the life of me remember how you do it now though. Typical as I'd like to make another one as I have given this set away as a gift.

I think it looks quite nice on. This style of hat doesn't usually suit me. Usually I look like a Pip Head in a beanie hat.

See? Looks ok. Doesn't it? Or not?
No, I still look like a pip head.

These wrist warmers are from the book Wendy sent me when I first started whining that I was struggling with knitting. The pattern doesn't turn out like the photo's suggest but they are nice and I learnt some new skills. I learnt how to do eyelets, how to increase and do stripes. Can someone explain to me when I should use 'learnt' and when to use 'learned', please, I get twoddled up.

I also learnt how to stitch them up using the mattress stitch technique. 

The one on the left was my own method of sewing up. I made a total pigs ear of it. The one on the right was done after much huffing and puffing and squinting at the stitches. So glad I persevered though. Seriously NONE os this has come easily to me.

✥

Anyone else want to learn to knit? Tell me in the comments section below and I'll pass on the book Wendy sent me. You can see it in this post. I'll post it anywhere in the world. The one condition is that when you are done you have to pass it on to a fellow blogger. You'll have to write your blog details in the front page. It's a pass it forward of sorts.

✥

Also last year I made these wrist warmers for my Belle Soeur (sis in law).

She is a photographer in her spare time and she likes a cigerooni so I made these smoking-shooting wrist warmers for her. 

I can even bake knitting!!!!!!

Princess and I made a dozen each for Suzie's 40th birthday. Mine were Mojito flavour and were like rubber. Sarah's were coconut flavour and perfect. Not that I'm bitter or anything ;oD

xxx


ps This lot isn't the completed Wip I mentioned at the end of my last post. These are old ones completed a while ago. The wip I finally finished on Sunday is the shawl at the top of this post and I'm going to have to wait for some help with photographing it...unless I stick it on Diana. That's an idea.

pps. I can keep quiet no more. SOCKS!!!!!!! Yeah I have knitted socks. Oooooh scratch my big head. They are really rough and too baggy but I love them. I can't bring myself to wear them as I like to have them on the arm of the sofa near me in the evening. Oh help, I am so puggled in the head. That's just not normal!

ppps. Want to see some photo outtakes? Keep scrolling!

The snood got stuck on my head when I was trying to take it off with one hand while the other held the camera. I look like Princess Leia!

Little Cuckoo asked to take some pictures of me pulling funny faces. 

Oh and one last thing (promise) Minnie is great now. Fully restored though still a bit sore and emotionally fragile. It's amazing how many of you duck in now and again to see how she is doing. You kind hearted lot.