New ends and old beginnings

I've been pondering about what to say today. On the one hand it's been a great year. I found a job and I really developed as a knitter. On the other hand, I've felt pretty lousy the first six months because no one seemed to want to employ me. My selfesteem is still pretty low and I constantly worry if I'm doing things the right way or not. 2007 wasn't all that great.

2008 will have to be the year of positive re-inforcement, a growing selfesteem and a little bit of weight loss (maybe).

On the knitty side of things: I've managed to complete the socks for BIL and they'll be given to him today. (I'll post pictures later) This means that I managed to give everyone in my close family a pair of socks this year. That's 13 out of a total of 31 pairs of socks for grown ups. Well, I got to go now. See you next year.

Time is on my side

I just did a little experiment. In one hour of pure knitting time (and some tv watching) I knitted up 5 grams of sock yarn. The first sock of my Last Pair for 2007 weighs 41 grams and I have about 15 grams knitted up on the second sock. So I need to knit up about 25 grams more... 5 hours. Piece of cake.

(yes it is)

Smells like...

I was at my parents' place last weekend and my mother, who's cleaning out the cluttered house of a 50-something creative person (herself), dumped a bag of "all sorts of old but perhaps still useable craft stuff". At the bottom of the bag there was a little treasure, but it sure smelled like... my parents' attick. Ugh.



So I washed it and treated it with some hair conditioner. A real treasure from the 70's or 80's emerged. What shall I make of it? Surely I could just make a scarf. Great colors, a little scratchy maybe... Or maybe pillow covers for my father's old campervan from the 70's. I just love fantasizing about all the possibilities of a yarn, a color, a texture. The girls of the Stash and Burn podcast (fabulous podcast!) talk about their fantasy knitting life. About the things they would like to make, or fantasize about making. It's not good for the stash, since it appears to be growing faster ;)

Geen sinecure (No sinecure?)

It was no piece of cake. I've had my share of humps on the way, but I've finished them! I master the waving lace socks. I've had to rip and knit no less than three times because silly old me didn't pay enough attention and forgot one or more pattern repeats...


Yarn: Lorna's laces in Cool (about 1.6 skeins)
Pattern: Waving Lace from IK favourite socks book

They look awsome and even better on feet. My SIL's feet are really slim (as slim as the rest of my 45 kilo's SIL) so these slim socks are going to be just perfect for her.

And this is pair.... 27 ! (Sorry, no pics of 26. Forgot to take them and they are allready given to their recepient)I'm past the half way point!

Still working on the second wave.

I wish...

... I could knit faster. I'm working on the foot of the second Waving Lace sock I'm making for my Second SIL and I just don't seem to make any progress at all. Just 1.5 more pattern repeats before I can start on the toe. And after finishing this second toe... I can start a new sock on my new Knitpicks needles! Yeah, they're here!

I have to focus and finish the Waving laces.

Now, Pron



This is one of the Rowan Tapestry skeins I bought last week. The colors are just amazing! Dark blue, light blue and a hint of beige. Just perfect.

Yarny goodness 1 & 2

Let's start out with a thank you. Thank you for commenting on my blog. I really appreciate the effort you taken. I get such lovely comments. They really lift up my spirits.

Now: Yarny Goodness nr. 1 & 2



Frabjous yarns Banana Silk. The green one's for me. It's an apple green that's just perfect for me. The lilac one (a lot more lilac than is shown on the photo. Winter daylight sucks) was chosen for my grandma. One of the reasons I picked up this yarn was because I'm really curious how this will turn out to be. It's really soft, but not very stretchy. I guess it'll be perfect for a nice shawly thing like a clapotis :) I might even start tonight...It would be a lovely Christmas gift for granny...

Oh, and I finished one of the four pairs. I'll probably have pictures this weekend. Can you imagine that I don't get to see the sun this season? It's still dark when I leave the house at 7.30 and it's getting dark when I go home at 17.00. A little depressing.

Coronet

So much knitting news, so little time. Where shall I start? Lets start with the knitting progress I've made, 'cause I've made a lot of it.
Pattern: Coronet with some adjustments for the particular yarn I chose
Yarn: Katia Nepal 5007 (?), about 65 grams
Needles 8mm

The hat is a little tight, but in my experience, hats tend to stretch after a couple of wears. Wednesday night I was really tired and well, my brain just jumped from one thing to another. I figured I could make a hat for my friend P. who's having his birthday last friday. I guess I was right.



Another showcase of my ADD lately. Four completed first socks. The second ones are all in various stages of completion. The second kid sock in DK Merino, is allmost finished. It will probably be done tonight, especially since I have the magic loop thing under controle. The second raspberry kneehigh, on the other hand, is barely even started.

Other news: I got some Yarn yesterday, but I'm not showing yet for I have no more time... Well, I'll have something to talk about this week.

I've been a bad bad girl

I must confess to something... But first things first. Sundag was just awsome. Carla M and Hilly really gave a splendid workshop. I learned how to cast on for a moebius scarf and a couple of interesting ways of casting on for socks and mittens. I had to rip out the moebius though. Dropped some stitches and could not repair the damage. Have to start again soon (and maybe with some not so sticky yarn). I casted on for a pair of kid's socks on the way home. Toe-up! I also bought a couple of really nice balls of rowan Tapestry in a blue colorway to good to be true. Perfect for a shawl for my mom.

Then, some other damage I have to confess to. I placed some yarny orders and I'm waiting anxiously to get them. First of all, there's an order from Storm op Zolder coming my way with some awsome new needles... Shall I tell? I ordered knit picks interchangeable needles and harmony double points! So exiting!

As if that wasn't enough... I also placed an order at Tommies Wol for some interesting yarn. You'll just have to wait and see what I've ordered. They'll be pretty, though :)

Next time I hope to have some photo's of knits in progress and new stash.

Remember...

Ariel's lost socks? They haven't been found again, but I did send her some new socks and they arrived this week. Check them out at Ariel's blog.

Pair nr. 25 is in the pocket!

Tomorrow I'm going to a workshop in De Afstap in Amsterdam again. This time I'm going to learn how to cast on for a moebius scarf and how to magic loop. And I'll grab some yarn :)

the mad hatter

Pair nr. 24



They are small, but they are a pair and will look so cute on a little baby. They only took like 15 grams of yarn.

Now another project I've been contemplating: Coronet



This Silke-Alpaca from Drops is just to die for. Www.hobbydoos.nl has it on sale... and I'm longing for another order. A blanket with this stuff would be soooo nice. BF will be happy with his hat. It's going to be knit quite tight around his ears so he won't loose it.