Christmas Goodies

This gorgeous chunk of BFL came from Natalie of the The Yarn Yard and is called "Christmas 2007" autumn reds and oranges with a bit of mossy green thrown in.... not sure what it's going to be yet but for now I'm quite happy to pet it!!!

Next up is a selection of embroidery books including "Embellish & Stitch" by Maggie Grey and the late Val Campbell Harding. Two pamphet books by Jan Beaney & Jean Littlejohn, otherwise known as "Double Trouble" "Red" & "Embellish & Enrich". The final book as you can see is "Silk Shading" by Clare Hanham. I do like Silk shading and have had a few classes with tutors trained at the Royal School of Needlework and one of my promises to myself is to do more in 2008.... so thought this would help blow the cobwebs away...

From my friends Anita & Kath a pair of lacy socks and "Fan & Feather" scarf and a Knitty calendar

Two more fibres, this time from The Yarn Wench "Twilight" & "Whirlpool" colourways

and finally a reference book on spinning...

Just made it....

my last knitted gift for Christmas, which was finished last night in readiness for the recipient tomorrow :o)

I now 'officially' have nothing on the needles at this point in time.... but that will be remedied very shortly by casting on some Lornas Laces "Black Purl" Shepherd sock (which was part of last years Christmas present from DH) for me!!!! I have deicded the next 3 pairs of socks at least are for me!!!

I will also be casting on the Heartland Shawl by Evelyn Clark with my Buffalo yarn which was a birthday gift from my friend back in April.... It looks so soft and warm and think it will be a quick knit as the yarn is quite thick... but I want to re-type the charts before I start with more familiar symbols.

I had some lovely knitted/fibrey gifts yesterday including hand-dyed roving, a lovely lacey scarf and some lacey socks as well as Knitty calendar and 2 stitch markers. I'll take some photos in the next few days...

I hope you all had a lovely day yesterday and the festive season is still with you, I certainly did...

Happy Christmas

to you and yours...

These were the Christmas cards I made (DH helped with Antler bending) and sent out so for those of you who are 'internet friends' here's your card...

and here are DH's completed socks, no they weren't just finished just now, they got finished on Saturday and DF's pair has had the heel turned on the 2nd sock.... so they should be finished for Thursday... phew!!!



Again let me wish everyone a Happy Christmas

Proudly presenting...

... the Honeybee Stole by Knitspot

It was completed last Sunday (16th) after 5 weeks of knitting but it took until last night to block it, what with one thing another...

It's been a very enjoyable knit and one I would do again in the future most definitely. I would however not do the little 'nobbles' at the ends and perhaps just add 3 stitches either end and make a garter stitch edge.... The other thing I would do is change the pattern in the top & bottom edges; it seems very random to me and after the 'regularity' of the other patterns it was a little disappointing, but those are just my personal views....

My version is still knit on 3.75mm needles (Addi Lace) but I have used just over 2.5 hanks of Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud in colourway "Tide Pool Heather". I wasn't struck by the yarn at first, well I didn't not like it but I didn't love it, as most of you regular readers will know I'm not a fluffy or hairy yarn sort of girl.... I felt like I was picking what I thought to be dog hairs off all the time, but after awhile I got used to it and realised they weren't dog hairs and by the time I'd finished I quite enjoyed using the yarn... but there does feel like there's more than 400m on a skein it goes a long, long, long way!!!!

I cast on the stitches for the petit version but knit the pattern repeats as for the large version, simply just to use the yarn up (think I have about 24g left) it has come out at 22" wide and 8' 9" in length...

Anyway here the photo's
Beehive

Bee Swarm

Bee & Honeycomb

The finished article

I'm very pleased with it and the colour is beautiful.... definitely recommend this as a 'nice' knit, despite having a deadline to knit to I had no problems what so ever picking it up each day and knitting the alloted repeats in fact most times I knitted more were time permitted hence finishing it a week ahead of schedule!!!

The only 'glitch' I had was with the bee pattern was without reading through the written pattern instructions to drop yarn overs from previous rows, I wouldn't have guessed that from the charts alone, hence it took me awhile to get the first couple of rows sorted.... if all else fails read the instructions!!!

On the other Christmas knitting front, I have less than a pair of socks to do, just from two pairs!!! DH's Trekking are about to have the heel turned on the 2nd sock and DF's Lana Grossa pair have just had the 2nd sock cast on.... but he's not back until Thursday the 27th so I have a little extra time!!! I will post photos of them when they are complete....

One down...

One and half pairs of socks to go....

I managed to complete another pair of socks yesterday and will cast DH's pair on sometime later today (another size 10)... the other sock already on the needles is progressingly nicely along the foot too.....

I'm also halfway through the pattern repeats of the Bee swarm section too. It really is a nice knit and despite having to get it finished for a deadline, I'm still enjoying picking it up and knitting it, it will definitely be done again in the future....

OK just to keep a few readers happy a photo (you know who you are).... These are Lana Grossa Fantasy 4834; nice pattern but not my favourite of colour combinations, but I didn't choose them, as they're for a friend to give to her father....

Update: the comments are now working again... I'd been 'playing'.....

I've managed to finish the Bee swarm section this afternoon, so just the last pattern and edging to go, but I didn't cast DH's socks on....

Nearly there...

I completed the 10 repeats of the beehive pattern on the 2nd half of the stole last night... so I think I can say I'm winning with SIL's Christmas present.

So before I get to the end I thought I'd ask if anyone has any tips for blocking it; firstly it's Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud and I've heard people say with Alpaca you should stretch it dry and spritz it, rather than soak, squeeze and stretch.... Secondly looking at the photos on the pattern do the blocking wires go through the 'nubs' at the edges to block or what other method has anyone found to block this?

On other knitting fronts I'm over 1/3 along the foot of the 2nd Lana Grossa Fantasy sock and have turned the heel on the first Lana Grossa Muliteffekt sock, after this I have another pair to start for DH for Christmas....

Sorry Fleegle & Soo no photos today... patience ;o)

Honeybee

Sorry it's taken a bit longer to get the photo up and that it's not brilliant but things are busy round here, and since I finished the 1st half on Monday I haven't managed to get near it to start the 2nd half and hopefully 3 weeks today this will being unwrapped!!! DH has already asked if we will be blocking this Christmas Eve....

Top to bottom it shows the 3 patterns.... Bee & Honeycomb, Bee Swarm & Beehive

This is using Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud "Tide Pool Heather" on 3.75mm circular. I am doing the smaller size as my SIL in only 5' but as I have 3 hanks of this and didn't really want any over I have actually done 10 repeats rather than 7 of the Beehive pattern; weighing the remaining yarn I probably could have got 12 repeats for each half out or done extra repeats in the other two patterns but I'm cutting it close as it is without stressing myself if I'll run out of yarn or not....

Anyway am going to go and try and knit some more on this.... I promise better and more detailed photos when it's finished....

A quick post

...just to say I've finished the first half of the Honeybee Stole... and I'll try and pop some photos up tomorrow... I'v enjoyed knitting this, so it has grown quite quickly but I'm aware of how little time I have left before Christmas to finish the 2nd half....

I've also nearly finished the first sock of the Lana Grossa Fantasy pattern so I have not been idle while I have not been blogging...


I did finish this pair of socks last week too...




These are Trekking 171