What You Knitting Mummy?

Scarf time

2010-08-18T11:05:00.001-04:00

Niccy (one of my best friends now living in California) sent me some gorgeous yarn for my birthday. I'm turning it into a lacy scarf. I love wearing lightweight scarfs in the Autumn and this one is going to be super gorgeous!
Really simple pattern over 41st;
Knit 2 rows.
Sl,YO, K2together, *K1, YO, K2together, Repeat from * to end of row.
Repeat last row until required length.
Knit 2 rows.

SIMPLES!

Look at her all riding and stuff

2010-07-01T16:31:00.000-04:00

Just whipped up a Dora Skirt

2010-06-30T17:00:00.000-04:00

As you do on a boring summer afternoon...

Many thanks to this tutorial

2010-06-29T10:35:00.000-04:00

In answer to the question posed by my blog title the only thing I have knitted in weeks and weeks is a pair of socks for my Dad.

I. Am. A. Knitter Slacker.

In other news I popped home for the weekend last week, international jetsetter that I am! Popping home across the Atlantic for the weekend!
I saw my friends and family for the first time in 8 months and it was brilliant.

Except for the football, that was lame.

Huge get together and BBQ with my family and then drink filled boogying with my pals for my Bestie's 40th birthday.
Look at her gorgeousness, 40 pah!

Happy Birthday Joooooliahhhhhh

Jai's 7th birthday

2010-05-10T13:16:00.001-04:00

7 years ago out popped a 8lb 13oz baby boy 1 day past his due date. We screamed "it's a boy it's a boy, look he has a willy and everything"

7 years later and the boy wants a party to celebrate his birthday (and probably to get more presents) mummy is a tightwad (I should be the Scottish one in this relationship!) and refused to spend big $$ on a party at some jumping/bowling/robot place so we said we have the room let's have people over. You can invite a few friends from school, we'll invite the neighbours and you can have a Wii MarioKart party, with a racing tournament. I'll even get ickle trophies.

Note. Don't organise a Mario themed party unless you give yourself time to order supplies online. NO shops sell licensed Mario stuff. I had to buy fabric and make little drawstring party bags.

And make cake toppers. I did make a cake, but not this one. My cake sunk in the middle, stupid non-self raising flour.

The boys seemed to have a great time, playing the game, running around, wrestling, eating hotdogs and stuffing their faces with mini chocs. I think it was a success. I think Jai had a nice time, he certainly did well onthe gift and money front. (Note. remember thank you cards)

Then later when all the boys had gone home the neighbours stayed round and we cracked open the wine and had us a little poker session, you know to celebrate the stitches the boy gave me whilst shooting out after 2 hours of labour those 7 years ago!

I won the jackpot, both in poker chips and in having a lovely, lovely son.

Hope you had a Happy Birthday my Big Big Baby Boy!

Bea's eye view.

2010-04-27T16:27:00.001-04:00

So I'm uploading some pictures from the camera and find some interesting shots, all taken by little missy below and I though I would share.

It's an interesting insight into the 3 year old psyche, what she must see, dream and think of her pocket-sized world. (Alternatively titled, what Bea was randomly pointing the camera at when she pressed the button)

Davina Bailey

Dust bunnies.

I think she maybe trying to tell me something about the level of cleaniness in this house, but I can't think what because my brush doesn't fit under there, what would she have me do, move it? Who does that?

Eye-eye.

I think this is to let her Dad know that when he Santa and his elves built her Little Tykes Princess Car (which this is) he didn't quite line up the eyes properly so they are a little bit sticky out, still.

No room.

I want to sit Mum, but all this ~~crap~~ TV remote, knitting and Dora wrapping paper is in my way.

"Sometimes Eeyore thought sadly to himself 'Why?' and sometimes he thought, 'Wherefore?'"

Telesales.

Obviously she had had enough of being on hold.

Prize winning 'Fruit in a blue bowl'

See that perspective, that's talent that, years of photography school unnecessary now.

Pre-pizza

Although I think that may have been used that evening.

Little seen cereal in the bowl.

Captured for the first time, that moment before all the cereal in that bowl ends up on the floor after being kicked by the pink painted tootsies.

Fascinating, huh?

And I chose the best ones of the bunch.

Bea's Shorts

2010-04-20T14:26:00.000-04:00

So cute and so finished and so showing them off.

Craft, woman, craft!

2010-04-16T11:16:00.000-04:00

I finally dragged down the HUGE and HEAVY transformer that is needed to run any UK appliances here in the US, well any appliance other than the Coffee Machine. The Coffee Machine blows the fuse everytime. Gutted, it was a nice Coffee Machine. I digress.

I got it down (it runs the 5 point surround sound thingy we brought over with us) so that I could get my sewing machine out. I have made a SECRET gift for my sister's birthday (ssssh, she might be reading) and so needed to sew the inside of this SECRET gift. Which, if you are reading Natalie, will unfortunately be ~~a little~~ very late for your birthday as it's not quite finished and so not posted and your birthday is in 4 days and there are also no planes allowed over to the UK. It's worth the wait (I hope).

Anyways, in Five Below the other day they had these denim rectangular cushions, not bad quality, very plump and they were 2 for $1 (yes 50 cents each!) I told the cashier "I can so cover these babies, go get me more" She showed very minimal interest in my excitement of this monumental find. I wanted to grab her by the scruff of her neck and shout, "do you know how much cushion inserts are, not 50 cents that's for sure. Don't you know I'm a Martha Stewart wannabe. Craft woman, craft!"

Here are those there cushions:

And here's them there cushions covered. Envelope fold so I didn't have to faff with buttons or zips.

I have more to cover. My cushion addicted is officially resurrected.

When things go wrong and others go right

2010-04-05T09:40:00.000-04:00

So I got to knitting some socks for Kia, I wanted a challenge so chose a mosaic pattern from my Big Book Of Socks in purple and bluey Knitpicks Pallete.

This is how far I got (2 inches) before I realised that I had knitted the colour changes too tight and there was no way it would fit over my wee girls foot. And those 2 inches took ages of intense chart following, a furrowed brow and a few well chosen swear words.

It is now sitting in my knitting bag awaiting it's frogging fate.

#knittingfail

I started this pattern, a pair of trousers for Bea. Don't know how I stumbled upon this blog with these gorgeously cute free patterns, probably via Ravelry, but I'm very glad I did. The trousers were a impulse knit, I spotted them at about 11pm one night and cast on straight away, I had just the right yarn, 10ply cotton hand-dyed from Artezan. Bea is going to have herself a wicked pair of play pants, or shorts depending on how long the yarn lasts. And they fit. Yes they fit!

#knittingsuccess #sofar

The Dunlop's trip to DC

2010-04-04T11:31:00.000-04:00

We all went on a road trip to Washington DC on Wednesday to Friday and here's how we rolled.

It's only a 3 and a bit hour trip, regardless I think I packed enough snacks to last around 5 days. We still had to stop at the first Starbucks though as a latte itch had to be scratched and the "are we there yets" started before we hit the I95. Got a lot of knitting of these troosers for Bea done though on the way, no driving for me!

Our hotel, The Helix (part of the Kimpton group) was lovely. Bright funky rooms with bunkbeds for the kids and a King for us. The bottom bunk was a double so room for both the girls.

On Wednesday we saw all the landmarks in DC, The White House, Capitol, Washington and Lincoln Memorials. We walked down every street twice. Got sunburnt, again.

Barack begged us to stay for tea, but we had to decline,

things to do you know.

Cherry Blossom obscured Capitol Building

Mr Lincoln, sir.

We carried the buggy up them steps.

All I could think about was Forrest Gump.

On Thursday we went to the Natural History, Air and Space and the American History Museums. We would have done all the museums (I wanted to) but it takes 3 kids eons to get around one.

This rock is really old, Bea is suspicious of this fact.

On Friday we really wanted to go to the Zoo, but with a really hot day predicted and it being Cherry Blossom week and Spring Break everyone else decided that was their plan too, parking was full in the lots and on the streets and having checked out of the Hotel we had the car and no where to put it. We had to give it a miss. Such a shame. So we drove home to ~~beat~~ hit the Easter traffic!

Lovely family break, lovely weather, lovely sites.

Jai's Jumper Photoshoot

2010-03-29T16:44:00.000-04:00

This post was going to completely different. I had a wicked title and a poll all sorted because I really thought Jai's jumper (sweater) was going to be too small.

Well it is a little on the snug side and could do with being a little longer, but it is no where near as small as I thought it was going to end up.

So I'm chuffed, he's chuffed and we both chuffed (we didn't really, well maybe a little parp) during the ceremonial trying on.

Things to note:

He asked for the skull emblem.
He also insisted on the pictures where he rocks out.
He's a handsome wee devil though, isn't he, my boy?
He wants you all to know he will be 7 in 6 weeks. (and that makes me want to weep.)

Warning exercise can break you

2010-03-26T10:51:00.000-04:00

I have broken my body.

To lose a few pounds that's all, maybe to tone up a bit, get a bit fitter.

That's all I want.

Back in the UK, for a brief time I did Body Jam, a class with my friend Julia. We went most Friday mornings for an hour. It was the first organised exercise class that either of us had set foot in since school. We enjoyed it. It was fun. Probably more so because neither of us was particularly good and there was a lot of giggling involved. We did sweat a little though.

Then we stopped going.

Then I moved here.

America has been a little harsh on my belly, so I started doing some Youtube cardio vids and some strength exercises, watching what I eat, calorie counting but not excessively. Personally I believe that running around after a 3 year old, trying to get 2 kids to the bus stop on time, cleaning a house = enough exercise, also knitting is exercise right, because you move your arms and fingers... but a little more doesn't hurt...BUT IT DOES.

I can't walk.

I have broken my calves from doing step ups, which I ~~ingeniously~~ stupidly thought would be a great idea. Sweat a bucket and tone your legs at the same time.

Exercise Fail.

What isn't a fail however is my friend Zan's new Yarn Store http://www.artezan.com.au

♫Heaven♫

2010-03-23T12:10:00.001-04:00

♫Heaven, I'm in heaven, I'm in yarn delivery and organisation of yarn into neat little drawers that replace the pink basket mess of wool, heaven♫

Thea from That Yarn Store gave me a Sunshine award this morning. How utterly sweet, and totally replaced the lack of sunshine here in NJ today

With this shine comes great responsibility so here goes:

Here are the rules for accepting the Sunshine award:

1. Place the logo within your blog or post. (√)

2. Pass the award on to 12 bloggers. (cheating and doing 7 just now, but they are from all over he world)

Firing one straight back at http://thatyarnstore.blogspot.com/
Across the Hudson to http://www.knittingknoobie.com/
To my lovely knitter twitter in England Tiggerjen http://withneedlesinherhand.blogspot.com/
All the way to Aussie http://zanzthingz.blogspot.com/
Over to Finland http://its-about-amoena.blogspot.com/
Doing a fling over to Scotland http://kitschycoo.blogspot.com/

3. Link the nominees within the post. (√)

4. Let the nominees know they have received the award by commenting on their blogs. (give me a sec...)

5. Share the love and link to the person from whom you received the award. (√)

Smiles all around...

It's me, slackermum

2010-03-19T21:37:00.002-04:00

I'm affectionally known as slackermum.

Alright, well I named myself slackermum and it's perfectly apt.

My involvement in all things 'school' is usually limited to walking the kids to the bustop and cursing if I have to pick them up if they are ill. Last week or so Kia comes home with a letter about 'Immigration Day' where they will celebrate the trip our ancestors made on the boat over to Ellis Island (or in our case the 7.5hr flight on a Virgin Plane to Newark). The letter has the words 'volunteers needed' and I immediately switched off. If I wanted to be surrounded by 30 children I would have become a teacher or Trigint-mum (hah you Duggars beat that!)

There was also a wee bit about sending in a traditional dish from the country your ancestors came from for the classes to sample. In true slackermum style I ignored that bit too. My cooking skills aren't exactly top notch. I am not her ------->

Then Kia has a playdate and the friend's Mum, who if we were in a comic would be my arch nemisis in her very nonslacker "I'm in daily email contact with the teacher" way, raised her eyebrows in true shock and horror when I mentioned that I wasn't lovingly preparing a gourmet meal of epic proportions for this major 2nd Grade event that they will remember for the rest of their lives (rest of the week maybe) and that they were pretty short on main course dishes as many were sending in desserts.

Well the gaunlet was thrown.

I won't say I'm competitive because that would be too weak a word!

Trouble is what on earth could I cook that's

a) British

b) within my limited repertoire

c) portable to school without needing warming

but mostly b)

Thanks to Twitter suggestions, Yorkshire puds won out considering they have, like, 3 ingredients and are pretty much idiot proof, or should I say Cara proof.

So I told Kia's teacher at Parent's Conference that I will bring in a dish of these yummies, oh and I'll throw in some Marmite sandwiches for good measure, because then that's two dishes, two separate 'British' things, all be them far, far from gourmet, and even though I was screaming to take in a Haggis with a side dish of Black Pudding. Yumm-a-licious!

Problem is, I'm ashamed to admit, even after spending 5 years of my life in Yorkshire (admittedly in a Stella haze) I've never made Yorkshires before, Aunt Bessie did that for me, because they are perfect every time.

We scoot to today and I deliver the delights of the creme-de-la-creme of British cuisine, the Yorkshires came out mighty fine (if I do say so myself, and I do) complete with little notecards explaining what they were made from and what on earth Marmite was, and Kia informs me after school that only her and her teacher tried the Yorkshires and noone cared for the Marmite Sandwiches.

Next time I'm keeping my slackermum pants on.

Friends in all the right places

2010-03-10T15:03:00.000-05:00

Those of us that are Twitter, Facebook, and Blog happy people probably started off on the odd forum or two. That's certainly where I started as once upon a time I found myself 21, six weeks pregnant and in need of people in the same situation, I stumbled across a pregnancy forum, nine years later I still talk to the ladies I first found there.

Some of us met in person, some of us meet regularly, some of us fell out, some of us don't get on, some of us disappeared, some of us returned, some of us experienced loss, illness, heartache, and some of us are going through bad, bad times. We were kicked off our original board because we weren't mothers of babies anymore so we made our own little chatting and sharing haven, we've been there for each other for the past 9 years and I truly hope that will continue.

The internet and my friends that live on it have been a lifeline for me since moving here. It's been a steady constant in my changing world. People I talk to on Twitter, Facebook and my forum friends didn't go anywhere. They stayed right where I needed them and I for them. Those people I don't, didn't or never saw on a face to face basis were still right there day and night. This contact with people, whether it be from my old magnolia painted, beige carpeted living room in the UK is no different from this, also magnolia painted, but tiled living room in the US.

Of course my 'real life' friends didn't go anywhere either, it was me that did, but most of those friends were never into the social media scene, these two worlds I had were and still are totally separate so communication with them is old school; phone and email. I dearly, dearly miss my friends I did see on a regular face to face basis, I miss going for coffees, all round mine for wine, the school run and the long chats in the playground, hugs and smiles like nothing else and I am counting down the days until I go see them for a weekend in June.

Now one of my bestest friends whom I met online all those years ago is very soon about to undertake what I just did, although unfortunately she will only be a little bit closer to me, given that she is off to California and I'm here in New Jersey, the flight time between isn't much shorter than to get back to London! But I am planning a trip there as soon as she gives me the nod that she's settled and I can come! I hope that she feels this steady constant too and that her new found twittering and, I hope, blogging helps her and I wish her, her husband and three beautiful children all the luck in the world on their new journey.

I'm no Fox

2010-03-05T15:38:00.002-05:00

I'm currently working on a jumper for Jai from a book I called Easy Kids Knits and so far it's living up to to the book's name. We'll see though because it has independent sleeves which will involve sewing. I reserve the right to change my mind about it's easiness. Also I have a horrible feeling I didn't buy enough yarn. Jai is a skinny runt, but he's got a long body so the yardage may even itself out or I'll have to buy another skein from Kitpicks.com and lets face it, you can't just buy one and that'll mean blowing my 'Cara's Entertainment fund' for this month after berating MrD for going over his by $3 in Feb which, I'm sure you'll agree, is just scandalous, I mean $3 is almost a gallon of milk. Selfishness.

I also finished my poncho, come cowl, come thing I put over my head and round my neck. It was too big as a poncho itself (the word poncho just screams Ugly Betty at me) so I folded it around itself and got this.

I asked my son (currently home ill from school and so needing to be put to good use) to take a full shot and this happened:

I knew I should have taken one yesterday when I looked like this:

Pretty Awesome

2010-03-01T22:00:00.000-05:00

You know the one thing that moving to America has allowed me to do?
Use the word 'Awesome'
And that in itself is pretty awesome. It's not a word that gets used back home unless you're a gnarly skateboarder dude or you say it sarcastically in a really bad fake US accent. Now I can say it all the time and even my 3 year old has adopted it as word of the week.

We Brits take the piss, it's what we do and by 'take the piss' I mean 'take the mick', 'take the mickey', 'take the Michael' 'rip the piss out of'...
You see this is where two countries that speak the same language don't speak the same language. Some people just haven't got a fecking clue what I am saying! And bejesus does it work both ways!

For example. The other day I'm at this lady's house (my son playing with her son) and I say come on Jai we need to go home for tea. She then politely asks if I take milk in it. Well yes I do in tea, but I'm mean tea, you know as in tea, tea. Penny drops, I mean dinner!
Now I know this is a regional thing in the UK and we use the word dinner and tea interchangeably but to me dinner is posher and I would only really say it if it was just me and MrD going to a restaurant.
Now I use it just to see the confused faces. I'm a meanie.

Equally there are many words that I am coming across now that I have to think about, like pocketbook means wallet, right? Here I live in a Town House that only has two levels, it would have three in the UK (excluding the attic or basement) and there I lived in a semi-detached house, that would be a Duplex here, god knows what a Condo is! I thought I was getting some really fancy self-cleaning/bird poo repellant glass when I read 'window treatments' in the house brochure, to say I was underwhelmed by the resulting papery pleated blinds is an understatement. I also got very confused when the back of the food packet told me to broil, that will be to grill then.

Because there is ~~too~~ so much US tele (see, we say tele/telly, it would seem it's purely TV here) on the tele in the UK that us Brits kinda know that when you say garbage/trash can you mean rubbish/dust bin. When you say yard you mean garden, faucet/tap, diaper/nappy, pacifier/dummy, fall/autumn, ass/arse, and when a guy mentions his fanny, well we know that that doesn't mean he is transgender, but we do have to pick ourselves off the floor after the laughter. We also get that when you say Britain you usually mean England (not the same thing Mrs 2nd grade teacher of my daughter)

I'm not going to go into pronounciation, because well, I'm just not going there (but 'erbs!!, really 'erbs?, like nails down a blackboard *shudder*)

Today the ~~postman~~ mailman delivered my ~~parcel~~ package of ~~wool~~ yarn from the ~~shop~~ store, I said ~~cheers~~ thank you, I won't be buying anymore for a ~~fortnight~~ two weeks unless the ~~jumper~~ sweater I'm knitting goes ~~pearshaped~~ wrong.

Totally awesome.

Not extinct, just dormant.

2010-02-27T12:03:00.011-05:00

Don't you just hate blogs that lay dormant for months.

Yeah, me too.

Good job this one hasn't then hey?

We've been across the pond for 4 months now. I am still and always will be MUM regardless of the fact my 8 year old daughter is sounding more and more like a native Jersey kid by the day. It grates slightly on the elocution nerve that runs through my Received Pronunciation psyche, but at least she still pronounces her Ts. Water will never be Wadder and thank god will never be Wahher.

Homesickness comes like waves of pregnancy nausea. Eating helps that too. Thank god Cadbury's Creme eggs are in season, available and almost as tasty because quite frankly Hershey's tastes like the regurgitated sour sick. Chocolate always helps. So does wine.

Now I feel a little more settled as less like I'm on holiday and the feeling of temporary suspension is lifting I feel like writing stuff down again. I should write stuff down again. I will write stuff down again.

So prepare for more inane posts about what my needles are clicking (atm a lacy poncho for moi) about my three english kids who are slowly turing american, and life as an expat, staunchly english wifey and how I cope in the U omitting, S replacing, Adverb losing USA.

What bloody fun!

On a very side note, as this blog was intended to be about knitting, I have since created:

4 Cozy Coupe wheel covers

3 pairs of socks

3 hats

2 dishcloths

1 pair of gloves

1 teddy bear in a bag

1 poncho

1 vest

1 cardigan

1 bolero

1 Tic Tac Toe game

1 swiffer duster cover

Knit on!

Passing the time

2009-09-17T07:59:00.007-04:00

To stop me obsessively checking the status of our Visa I've knitted a few
Hats for Innocent smoothies.

Now I just need to remember to post them.

I hope that the Lawyers don't monitor the amount of refresh clicks their pages get, because seriously I'm expecting a STOP CHECKING message the next time I look...(just checked, no further update) I mean come on already I just want to go, but don't want to go, but just want to go, oh you know what I mean.

Ahem..

A friend's sister wants one of those Kimono Sweaters I like to make, so have just been and bought some Cotton DK for that, brown was the colour required, so brown she will have. Well, it's not as if I have anything else to do, I'm not moving country or anything! So I am welcoming the distraction of knitting that, packing up stuff and being obsessively tidy as the house is on the market is not my idea of fun, fun, fun.

MrD is in the States as we speak, actually he is probably somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean on a Virgin plane, but this week he has been away and I really think I have got more done because of it, including painting the Living Room and Kitchen. But I have a list of jobs, man do I have a list of jobs, just for him!

For insurance purposes I also needed to count up my stash, needles and accessories. I enjoyed that, even if it did consist of some major untangling to get the below amount of odds and sods.

NO MOVING DATE YET! geez.

I have excuses, honest gov...

2009-09-07T09:10:00.002-04:00

Ummmm,

School holidays
Trip to New Jersey house-hunting
Family holiday to France
Sorting out of our worldly goods

Very little knitting done at all since I last blogged save for a little stuffed horse as a 1st birthday pressie which I failed to take a picture of before wrapping. I need to do some though just to unstress a little. If they say moving house is one of the most stressful things you can do how does moving country compare?

No, no date as of yet, but hopefully by mid October we will be all settled in the States, and about time too!!

Public apology to my friend Niccy

2009-07-17T04:34:00.002-04:00

I used to point and laugh at her, I'm a nice friend like that. I used to say, "Niccy, why do you sew so many bags, are you mad in the head? hahahaha"
I'm very, very sorry Niccy and here is why...

And there will be more as a bug has been caught...

Looky what I got

2009-07-14T05:08:00.006-04:00

Me and my friends did a mid year swap and look what I got. Pure Lush!

200g Summer Flower DK Organic Merino, 100g Rose Petal Handspun Merino and gorgeous stitch markers. I am one lucky lady.

My friend, Zan, sells her wares here

No news is no news

2009-07-07T06:09:00.002-04:00

Still no further forward in our giant leap than the last time I blogged.
MrD's company seem to be a little too relaxed when it comes to communication, any communication. I was hoping to pop over to NJ and scout out some lovely places to live this weekend, but alas, the non communication kicked in and so it was too late to arrange.
So far all I have is lists and endless internet searches and also lots of people asking if I have any news yet. With the tight schedule we have I didn't think things would come to this screeching halt. Frustrating is not the word.
So anyhoo to relax and calm my overworked second-guessing mind I did some knitting but can't post pictures yet because I don't want to spoil surprises. The pieces are as yet unfinished as there is sewing involved, cutting and sewing of fabric and I tend to put that off until I think 'damn' this needs to be posted/wrapped/given to person like now, it's then I tend to do that bit!
Have I mentioned it's my birthday this month? No, well I had better do so then!
It's my birthday at the end of the month!
Whispers in the trees say I'm gonna be old.

Hot Fudge...

2009-06-24T05:26:00.002-04:00

...here comes the Judge there's a Green Card in the way,
The Holy Ghost and the whole ~~East Coast~~ Dunlop Family are moving to LA NJ

I think those Robbie Wiliams' lyrics just about cover it!

But for further clarification, yes we are moving to New Jersey in the big USofA
There is every chance this blog will contain more posts about our journey from confirmation of transfer for my husband (herein referred to as MrD) to getting Visa in hand to the big ship, than it will knitting as there is just far too much to do!

I won't deny that I'm slightly bricking it. I'm very excited, very scared and very aware of the enormity of shipping two adults and three children several thousand miles across the pond. We have a lovely lady in MrD's HR department that is now my guardian angel and will help me do stuff like find a house and school, basics, you know (!!)

I'm thanking my stars I don't have a house to sell/rent out because I think I would loose it, it's bad enough knowing that I'm going to have to sell the last 7 years worth of large purchases, no point taking anything electrical as I'm sure the Americans purposely decided against a 240volt system, just to annoy me in the future.

So as of 23/6 (which I will soon have to write 6/23) MrD's company are filing the forms for an L1 Visa for him and an L2 Visa for me, which will allow me to work should I want to (you can now disregard the below post about proper job, I won't be working anytime soon!)

Now we wait for those to be approved before we can take anymore steps...

Recent work..

2009-06-18T08:27:00.002-04:00

A short-sleeved kimono top for my friend's new bubba.

A bag with some gems on it for my friend's birthday.

Have some big news to share... Watch this space...

Last week...

2009-06-15T05:46:00.003-04:00

Last week I:

Finished a bag by lining it and adding some beads
Knitted two wee-ish shoulder bags as presents complete with initials in crochet and wrap stitch
Finished two sides of a stripy 30x30cm cushion
Started and almost completed a baby's Kimono Sweater
Participated in WWKIP weekend by knitting the above sweater outside Gap in Festival Place, Basingstoke.

That's quite a bit isn't it?

Life plan musings

2009-06-04T06:34:00.004-04:00

I keep thinking on and off about what to do with my life, I'm sure it's a cycle thing because for a large chunk of the month I'm perfectly happy.
I'm 30 very, very soon and that to me seems like a pinnacle age, when my Hubby turned 30 (8 years ago, had to get that dig in) we had only just got together and he was distraught at the prospect of leaving his 20s. However he was already successful in his career by then, had risen to top management and although the last 3 years has seen him soar he put that groundwork in during his 20s.
I never really knew what I wanted to do work wise, my parents would say I was the last person they would expect to have had kids and be a SAHM, they thought I would be career focused. I did my degree in History & Media, got a good 2:1, thought I would end up in marketing like all my Uni friends, but I got a job in retail to tide me over until I found a 'proper job', met Hubby, who was my boss and moved with him to London (from Leeds) after about 3 months so that he could work at the Head Office. I fell pregnant almost straight away and so I never got that 'proper job'. I did some temping for a charity whilst pregnant which I enjoyed and then we moved from to the suburbs and had more children. Still no 'proper job' unless you count Little Milestones, which a lot of people, including my parents, didn't.
My friend and I started Little Milestones (online retail) and ran it for over 3 years before we sold it. We worked very hard in that time, the business took off, we had to get an office and a member of staff and everything. In that time we each had another child and in the end I think we just lost the enthusiasm, we were at a crossroads where if we wanted to take it further we had to invest more time and money that neither of us had. Then my friend's hubby got a job in the States and I didn't want to carry it on on my own, nor work with someone new so we sold it.
That was almost a year ago. My friend has still not made it to the States and I still don't have a 'proper job'.
That said, I'm very lucky in that I don't need to work, infact the Childcare wouldn't make it worth my while, but that doesn't stop me pondering on what I should do with my life. I've been out of the work place, if I was actually in it at all, for a long time, coupled with the fact that working for someone else after running your own business would be hard in itself. Adding to that the fact that for the most part I love being at home, having the time to do stuff I like, being there for the kids. But I can't shake the feeling that I need to be challenged more, although what can be more challenging than 7 year old girl thinking she's 15, a 6 year old boy with an attitude to match the length of his gangly legs and a 2 year old tantruming little girl who seems to have one medical drama after another!
No doubt I'll muse away for a wee while yet on this before I actually do anything about all my musings, so there may be more musings on my non-life plan to come...

Goodbye oh so lovely bag

2009-05-28T03:59:00.004-04:00

Be good to your new owner, she really deserves you,
Carry her wears without fuss or strain,
Adorn her arm with lustre and wows of "where did you buy that",
Let her eyes gaze with wonderment upon your beautiful lining and seams that are magical.
But let her brow not furrow at your maker's poor sewing skills,
Let her eyes brush over those sewing flaws,
Be sure her mobile phone fits the wee pocket you have inside you,
But most of all bring her joy and birthday wishes.

Happy Hooker

2009-05-25T05:13:00.003-04:00

I've become well into crochet this week!
I've just been mucking about really, trying different stitches, getting them wrong, unraveling a whole night's worth of hat because I double crocheted wrong. I want to practice to use the crochet cotton from my Great Grandma to it's full potential.
I did a little bag just to see if I could, I can, just.

Then on Saturday I crocheted this Fast & Easy Crocheted Summer Hat with Brim and it was both fast & easy, it was a summer hat and it did have a brim, unfortunately after ripping it out once due to double crochet confusion, it turned into Giant Fast & Easy Summer Hat with a Brim, fit for the head of Gulliver if crocheted by the Lilliputians for the Lilliputians.
I had a thought, I'll shrink it, the yarn said no tumble dry, so what if I tumble-dried it? Umm fail, apparently that trick only works on clothes bought from NEXT.
It's unwearable unless you are Stewie Griffin or one of those martians from Mars Attacks so I'm going to be brave, frog it and start anew.
I really must go get some fabric to finish those bags from my last post, I can't believe they have rested unfinished in my knitting bag, well I can actually. I'm on a deadline now though as the intended recipient's birthday is at the end of the week and seeing as it will need posting I had better pull my finger out!

That's where I'm at

2009-05-18T04:45:00.004-04:00

Lots of things in the mixing pot at the moment.
Two different Bags of Choice, taken from Simply Knitting Mag, one apple green with butterflies and a flower and the other coffee coloured and lacy. I want to get some silky green fabric with butterflies on it for the green bag and I'm thinking burnt orange for the coffee coloured bag to add contrast, what do you think?
Both are for gifts so keep stum about them ok?

An I-cord tied cabled and bobbled cushion cover
(it's gonna take foooooooooooorever)

I also cast on for Ivy because I've had the wool for ages and want to get started on it but need to finish other stuff first!

That's where I'm at!

On a completely non knitting front, wasn't the finale of LOST brilliant! Although it does mean no Sawyer until 2010. I will have to console myself in Season 5 of House (when did it become 'Season', I'm sure we used to say 'Series' have UK progammes adopted the US 'Season' aswell?) But before I can watch it on Sky1 I need to see Season 4. The DVD on its way from Amazon, should be here tomorrow, that gives me 13 days to watch it. Completely do able. Will mean 13 straight days of Hugh Laurie. Shame.
Bea's pleased! Or should that be Russell Brand.

In memory of my Great-Grandma

2009-05-09T13:35:00.003-04:00

My Great-Grandma was a lovely woman, she lived with my Grandparents but had her own little living room and kitchen and when we went to visit I would go to her first and we would spend hours playing cards. She taught me many, many card games, but we played Rummy the most, we had long, long, score sheets that we added to every weekend we went there.
I kind of remember her knitting and have vague memories of her showing me how, and I do remember a cream Aran cardigan she made me with brown toggle buttons. I don't remember her crocheting though, I'm trying to but I can't. Maybe it's because when I did see her it was all about the cards, unless the Snooker was on, she was a big fan of Snooker!
I told my Grandparents a few months go about me knitting now and they dug out all her old needles and my Mum mentioned recently that I had started to teach myself crochet, so they have dug out all of her crochet stuff too. All old crochet threads and some hooks.
This is what I came away with today:

In amongst the thread were some samples of my Great-Grandma's work. It's so beautiful.

She died in her early 90's when I was about 17 and I miss her terribly still.
I hope she doesn't mind me using her things, I'm sure she wouldn't, I will put them to good use. I feel like having a game or two of Rummy tonight in her memory.

Well that perked me up

2009-05-07T06:24:00.002-04:00

I was feeling quite grumpy this morning, kids were being annoying, PMT kicked in, miserable day of grey skies ahead and then this lot arrives:

New edition of my Knitting mag and the half a ton of wool that I ordered on Tuesday!
Look at all that lovely woolage/yarnage however you prefer to call your balls/skeins!
I love those sorbet colours, they are going to work so well in a bag I'm doing as a present. But not only are the colours and textures delicious but, and this is usually the thing that pricks my ears, is the cost of that lot. Less then £25 (incP&P) for all that above (minus mag) and more not in the picture! 2 lots of bag handles and a monster crochet hook (for that aforementioned t-shirt yarn down there, just below, see?) I thought that was extremely barginous!

So I've cheered up a bit now. Well until tomorrow when my baby boy turns 6 and I ponder all day on where the time has gone, and it's only been 5 mins since I did that pregnancy test, let alone gave birth to him.

Mucking about and trying out

2009-05-01T12:24:00.005-04:00

The same lovely lady I mentioned in my last post (@knittingnews) tweeted a site that gave tutorials on recycling household things for re-crafting. This site actually: craftstylish.com
I had to give the recycled t-shirt yarn a go straight away.
I have yet to actually make it into anything, but the thought is there.

Then I came across this... adventures-with-old-jeans.html
Now I want to cut up jeans.

Following knitting peeps on Twitter is such a great way of coming across patterns and tips that you would never find yourself. There are some great knitter-twitters out there.

On the needles front...
Although I'm not good at having too many projects on the go, I have started another cushion before finishing the last one. Well the last one (big softie brown one) is finished in terms of the knitting side it just needs to be sewn up. If I do the other cushions I want to do for the sofa first then I can sew them en mass, can't I? Well that's the excuse I literally just thought of.

I'm really pushing the limits of my skills with this new cushion though.
Cables, and bobbles and it's bigger at 40x40cm
Will I survive?? Will it take weeks?? Will I get bored and put it away and start something else?
(More than likely, I have such a limited concentration span)

This is getting a bit silly

2009-04-30T05:02:00.008-04:00

I've cast on for another cushion.
When I got married (a year ago on the 10th May) I had this thing about cushions. It started off with me wanting chair covers and gawping at the cost of them. I then got fixated with cushions as an alternative, I suppose there were worse things to get all Bridezilla about! So, me and a friend went to Ikea bought 50ish 59p 30cmx30cm cushions, unpicked them, removed fluff, dyed them red, re stuffed, sewed them up again and sewed on ickle red roses. Small job.
Here was the result.

So a year on and I still have all these cushions. Most were vacuum packed in the garage, until the bag exploded and now a few have made their way into the lounge and other areas of the house.
So far I have covered three of them (as per blog posts)one for each child. Now I think my sofa deserves some, probably more than the kids. My sofa is chocolate coloured leather (mmm chocolate), so it needs cream or brown cushions, and would you believe it, I have two balls of Sirdar Big Softie in brown just waiting to be turned into a cushion for my sofa. Half a ball is so far (so far, sofa, lol, ahhh)

Some lovely lady tweeted this pattern the other day Hugs and Kisses cable washcloth It's an easy beginners cable pattern, one which I thought would look nice as one side of my cushion, I'll probably fabric back it like the others. It was handy in that it require 35 stitches, which is how many wide my cushion is.
So that's where I'm at, a year later still obsessed with cushions!
I have used the word cushion 11 times in this post!

This weekend I mostly...

2009-04-26T17:12:00.001-04:00

Made cushions.

Oh my, it's so beautiful

2009-04-24T08:02:00.005-04:00

I think this is one of my best knits ever.
Disregarding a few mistakes and rip backs, purely due to knitting whilst watching The Apprentice and shouting at that stupid "Pantsman" idea, this worked out wonderfully. This bamboo yarn is great to work with and so soft.
I'm not going to talk about the sleeves...I hate sleeves, don't know why but me and sleeves don't get on. I made them short so as not to prolong the sleeve agony, although considering we are coming up to Summer (though if it's anything like last year Autumn 3 months early) it was probably a good call as this is 3-6months, also I had a wee panic about running out of wool as only had 2 balls.
Poo, I did end up talking about the sleeves!

All packaged up now and winging its way to its new little owner.
All credit to Jacki Kelly for the wonderful pattern.

Must practise sewing, cos I'm rubbish!

2009-04-22T07:55:00.004-04:00

I've been kind to myself and have only uploaded the pictures of this finished cushion which hide the pure amateurishness of my sewing abilities.

It was going well to begin with, I cut my backing fabric and hemmed the edges which made a slightly skewiff square, pinned the furry side down and sewed 3 edges... ha ha ha ha I made that sound so simple. Sewing furry fabric is not easy, for me sewing any fabric isn't easy.
After stuffing the cushion pad in sewing up the open edge proved almost as difficult as getting my 5 year old to learn his spellings, in fact getting my 5 year old to sew this probably would have yielded neater results.
Oh well it's not that bad and I'm sure my girls will like it in their room.
They will like it in their room.

Finished, wrapped and well received

2009-04-20T13:00:00.003-04:00

Saw my sister today, as it was her birthday, and she seemed to like the socks that I FINALLY finished. It seemed to be a long slog in the end and I hope I blummin' see her wear them after what seemed like a lot of effort! It was such hard work finishing them yesterday whilst sitting in our sun drenched back garden watching DH weed and mow, hard life.

I enjoy knitting socks, to a certain extent, but also find them a little tedious, I don't know why. I do know that's the reason I do them two at once as I know I would find it hard to have the motivation to do the second one! I will admit to these being the first ones I've done with a stitch pattern, which helped, and I love the effect, so who knows I may do another pair soonish. Funny how yesterday I was saying I would never knit another pair!
But for now I have a new ickle baby cousin to knit for so I'm doing her a Seamless Kimono Sweater in Sirdar Snuggly Baby Bamboo.

I've knitted another one of this fabulous knitter's designs before, her Seamless Kimono for a friend's little boy, which was lovely. I expect this one with be just as delicious and I hope to get it finished in a couple of days.
Last night, whilst watching LOST, I finished the cushion cover front which now needs sewing.
It's all go!

So near and yet so far

2009-04-18T05:30:00.002-04:00

I have until Sunday to finish these socks, that's tomorrow, and I've lost all motivation!
I have half the feet and then the toes to do.
I really must get on...

I had a little problem turning the heels in that I forgot to do two at once, like a jibber, so had a hard time repositioning them, got there in the end after blood and tears and a sore thumb that needed a plaster (bitten in frustration)
I realy must get on...
I also did two rows of the pattern wrong due to a wonky stitch count after repositioning nightmare and I had no choice but to swallow it and carry on, lucky that I'm not going to be wearing them as I would notice that constantly, even though it's not noticeable to an untrained hubby's eye, I can see it in the photo above, left sock.
I have sock woe sympathisers (esp tiggerjen at http://withneedlesinherhand.blogspot.com)
So to all the naughty socks out there, behave!
I really must get on...
If I get these finished I can start something new, after I've finished the cushion I started before the socks.
I REALLY must get on...

Easter Knitting

2009-04-13T11:21:00.006-04:00

Loooong weekend, hubby off from Thursday and doesn't go back until Wednesday! I've haven't had lot of time to knit, to managed to squeeze in a bit amongst doing a mega clear out of the kids rooms, we have swapped them all over so that the girls are in together and boyoh gets his own room. This meant a new cabin bed for him so that needed picking up and assembling without instructions (that was challenging to say the least!) Also decided that if Bea's old bed was to go in the garage then to make room that needed to be cleared out, so that got done. Then when clearing the rooms we needed even more storage space so it was decided (by DH) to clear out my wardrobe of excess clothes to make room. The charity shops are getting a nice delivery tomorrow!

In amongst this mammoth, almost impromptu spring clean my sister declared that for her birthday she would really like a pair of socks. So whilst I went with big girl in tow to the wool shop, DH decided he would let Bea clean our MacBook with a babywipe that she had previously been sucking, bye bye nice LCD screen and working keyboard. It's off to the Genius Bar at the Apple Store for a seeing to tomorrow. I'm no psychic but I foresee much expenditure on the horizon...

Back to the socks, I suppose in some roundabout way I could blame my sister for the wipe incident, if I hadn't have had to buy wool for her socks then I would have been here to prevent sucked babywipe incident, think I can bill her? Anyway again, back to the socks...decided to keep doing two at once magic loop style cuff down, but couldn't face round and round knit so opted for a very simple rib variation found a pattern called Chardade which uses Herringbone rib, which I'm following loosely.

You can't see the pattern very well with this yarn (Regia 4ply) but it's keeping me from going mad with knit knit knit. Need them finished by next Monday as that's her birthday.

Inbetween the socks I'm doing a little cushion cover for the girls' bedroom from some Sirdar Funky I got ages ago from a sale for 70p a ball. Only have a enough for one side of the cushion, but I have some nice fabric to back it with.

I nearly forgot!! Pictures of Bea's dress...

Ahhh School Holidays (more like Argggh!)

2009-04-06T06:14:00.003-04:00

Kids!
Create mess faster than you can tidy it away, play rough games with their siblings then cry and whinge they get hurt despite several warnings that the game will end in tears and "don't come running to me if you break your leg", tell tales constantly that you wish you had never named them those names because, quite frankly, their names warbled at emense decibles are started to grate, are entranced so much by the telly that they forget their own warbled names and their memories are only jogged by screaming their name for the forth or fifth time in their ear that "dinner's ready", then refuse to eat it cos "it's disgusting" (even though they liked it last week)
Give you hugs, tell you they love you and you are the best Mummy in the world for letting them have an Easter cake (given simply because they went on and on and on and on about wanting one, that you ended up screaming "OK, WHATEVER!")
Breathe and knit...

Onto the next, just quickly...

2009-04-03T07:21:00.004-04:00

Here's me in my vest.

And this is Bea's dress on the needles.

It's coming along quickly, shouldn't take much longer, although with the Easter Holidays for the next two weeks I'm not sure how much I'm knitting I'm going to get done.
The wool I'm using for this, RY Luxury Cotton DK, is awful, nice and soft but so splity that I keep knitting half a stitch.
Going to get on with it now, whilst I can.

I have created...

2009-04-01T06:56:00.007-04:00

Well it is finished, my first Mummy sized garment, I have yet to block it as I keep forgetting to do it before I go to bed, so I will post some piccies of it being worn when I sort that out.
Here it is though, Voila...

I haven't anything on the needles at the moment, to be rectified later today/tonight when I cast on for Bea's dress. I had such a sweet comment from the pattern's desinger on my post lower down. Unbelievably her daughter is also called Bea, and is also 2! So it really will be a perfect "Bea" dress. How spooky huh? It had me shaking my head in amazement, I mean it's not exactly a common name is it? We often get asked if it's short for Beatrice or Beatrix but it's not, it's just Bea. We wanted short names for all our kids and they have 3 letters each.

I've turned my hand to crochet over the last few days with hooks from the Charity shop at 30p each, trying to desperately understand the basics, have done a few circles and flowers. It's really enjoyable actually. I'm now going to go OTT with embellishments, Zan you have inspired me. (My friend Zan at Zanzthingz)

Not bad for a first attempt, you should have seen my first knitted square!!

Whilst writing this I am listening to Just Jack, I've had his albums for a while but revisiting and loving! I suggest you do the same, now, go on...

2009-03-30T07:02:00.003-04:00

I am so close to finishing my vest top it's scandalous!
Here it is just after I shaped the arm holes.

And here is me knitting, thrilling picture I know but I love it cos it makes me look like a busty lady, I am not a bust lady!

That's my lovely iPhone beside me, I've found the StitchMinder app extremely useful for counting rows, before I used pen and paper, those now little known tools, but I'm a modern techy girl and knitting has gone all digital! Actually a man I know once said to me knitting is very much like Binary Code, all 1s and 0s, my knowledge limits actually understanding that one iota!!
A closer look at that app and my shiney toy.

By my next blog I will have finished and be wearing that vest. Actually sod next blog, by tonight I will have finished it!!

2009-03-25T07:19:00.004-04:00

The Postie delivered my new batch of wool yesterday, ordered after my horrific discovery of a low stash level. Here's a snippet of each ball, a varied selection, most of which was on sale. Thinking of a cushion cover with the Big Softie, Bag with the Bigga (yes, another one, and??), some kind of wrap cardie with the Patons wool and the dress I've been harping on about for Bea with the RK luxury (ooh err, lucky her) cotton. Obviously I have more than one ball of each, cos that would be stoopid!

Started on my Vest top and it's coming along quickly and looking gooooood despite a few little errors and YO issue!
The lace pattern is looking sweet, but requires concentration, which in my world isn't easily achieved without shushing kids, squinting, furrowing my brow and sticking out my tongue. Oh that reminds me, Hubby's recent observation says I move my mouth up and down when knitting, he sniggered, thanks, now I'm going to be all self conscious and will be concentrating on non-mouth movements rather than tricky lace patterns!

One more x20 rounds of lace to go before some k1 p1 rib.

Next Project

2009-03-23T05:07:00.005-04:00

Had a lovely Mother's Day yesterday, thanks to my lovely hubby and beautiful children. Flowers, cards, a book, chocs and a gorgeous teddy bear. I was bought the new Jodi Pilcot one, looking forward to starting that now that I've finished P.S I Love You.
I practised some cable knitting at the weekend by doing this dishcloth.
I'm not sure I completely understood the instructions. The T5B line reads:
T5B is worked over the next 5 stitches and is done as follows:
1. Slip 4 stitches onto CN and hold in back.
2. Knit 1 (from left needle).
3. Move the Knit stitch (it's on the far right) from CN to the left needle.
4. Purl 3 from CN.
5. Knit 1 (from left needle).
Note: In Step #3, you might find it easier to move that Knit stitch from CN to your right needle, and then transfer that stitch to your left needle.

But to me that leaves a stitch on the Cable Needle and after much frustration and unpicking the row again and again I decided to try different ways of using the 5 stitches and the CN to see how it worked. Here is the very messy result:

I'll keep at it, cable knitting isn't as scary as I imagined.

I won some fabulous pink cotton on eBay yesterday and the seller is over this way today and so is dropping it off! Result double-fold! 9 balls for only £5 and I get it today!
I have a definite project in mind for it, a nice vest top for moi which will be my first attempt at an adult sized garment.
Also ordered various bits and pieces online so awaiting that (nasty 7 day delivery, boo hiss) and have decided on this little dress for Bea.

It's Finished!

2009-03-19T06:45:00.002-04:00

I did it, I love it, here it is:

To reiterate, sewing NOT my forte, stitches are a bit wonky as you can see.

Now I need another project to keep in it. I haven't got anymore lined up, but quite fancy doing a summer dress for Bea, my youngest daughter, she's 2. Please leave me some pattern ideas if you know any.

2009-03-17T14:17:00.005-04:00

A few weeks ago I bought Let's Knit magazine, they were giving away free wool, not particularly nice wool, but free none-the-less. They had some cute patterns inside and a lovely little purse with bobbles. I knitted it up the day I bought the mag, lined it and thought "I'll get a zip next time I'm in town". However my ickle purse needed a size 10cm zip (although the pattern asked for 15cm, but my gauge was smaller) and the shops around here only started at 15cm (the pattern writer may have been aware of zip availability!)

So eBay came good, although it did mean I ended up with 10 zips for the price I would have paid for 1 in a shop. Anyhoo, so I finally sewed in the zip today. I was always planning on this being a Mother's Day present, but over the last few days I had an urge to make my own pattern for a little coin purse and do that instead, but we are now on Tuesday and Mother's Day is Sunday, I have no suitable wool in my stash (shock horror, need to rectify that!) so I have reverted to plan A, the already done purse.

I admit it was the first time I have EVER sewn in a zip, and I know it should probably be the other way round. Sewing is not my forte although I want to get better, practice...perfect and all that. Here it is btw:

While I'm on it the Knitting Bag is so very, very nearly finished, I'm just finishing the handles then I have to line it and sew it all up and glue the remaining stitched to the needles. I can't wait to see the finished article.

It's been 13 degrees and sunny in these parts over the last few days, so Hubby's scarf is hibernating! Just like this wee ickle tiny Dormouse!

Just a quickie...

2009-03-12T08:13:00.000-04:00

I've come to a halt with Hubby's scarf, need to go to town for more wool, but it does mean I can keep on with the bag. Clickety Click.

I finished my friend's gloves yesterday and they were greatly received and now have another commission for a pair! I will make sure I take pictures of the stages this time, of two at once magic loop, because it really it so fast and not as fiddly as you might expect.

I have definitely decided that the Knitting Needle bag is mine, all mine! So I need a quick bag pattern to do in time for Mother's Day. I did do this one for myself recently and use it daily:

I could just do the same again, but I always like to try something different, we'll see how time treats me, because that bag knitted up in two hours, the lining, however, took longer as a whizz with the sewing machine I am not!

Off to trawl Ravelry and other knitting sites/blogs for inspiration...

On the needles...

2009-03-10T09:17:00.005-04:00

Some pictures of what's in progress at the moment.

Hubby's two tone scarf and the Berry Pattern Knitting Bag. Look at that berry pattern, it's so cool and so simple. I'm doing that bag on my lovely KnitPicks Interchangeables, I love them muchly. Going from using big wooden needles to those is weird.

2009-03-09T17:56:00.000-04:00

So recently I've been having a moan about lack of time, regardless of the fact that I'm a SAHM I can't fit in all the things I want to do. So what do I do? I start a blog!

I spend a fair amount of time on the puter anyway so I thought I may aswell show off my latest masterpieces/disasters and share techniques and hopefully in time patterns too.
I've only just started knitting again after years of abstinence, but I've gone back to it with a vengence and have become slightly obsessed. I'm far from an expert but I love discovering new (to me) stitch patterns, yarns and can spend hours trailing through patterns on Ravelry.

I have three projects on the go at the moment, Hubby wanted a scarf, Spring is hopefully just around the corner and now he wants a scarf, a chunky scarf. So scarf I am making as I'm nice like that. Double stranding two shades of brown, I cast on 35 stitches on 8mm needles. Slipping the first stitch and working in k3, p3 rib knitting the last stitch. It's working up quickly, going to need two more balls though if it's to be long enough.

I also have a pair of fingerless gloves on the go for my friend. I knit myself a pair of these recently and she would like some too. I'm doing these two at once magic loop styley. I lurve magic loop, I have banished DPNs to the bottom of the needle pile.

And I'm also knitting Knitting Needle Bag. Only just started this, I adore the berry pattern. I was intending for this to be a present, but um, I may not go through with that!

Pictures to follow...