Wednesday 25 November 2009

Another Finished Project!


I can hardly believe it myself, but I proudly present the second in the Alice Starmore hat trick kit. This one is called Snowdrop. I have shown you a photo of the crown, but the sides are also beautiful. I am really pleased with this, but I found it more difficult than the beret to knit. The joining in of new colours didn't go as smoothly on this and there is a slight line which will annoy me.
The third hat, which I might start today, is the same shape, but has a different pattern. Keep a look out for this, I hope to finish it in a week. This hat and the beret are going to be given to Lucy, the third hat, is going to my sister as the colours will suit her. (I also hope it will be perfectly knitted!)
Work on the scarf is progressing and I hope to finish that next week. The gloves, I have to confess, I lied about in a recent post. Two pairs of gloves were reported to be nearly finished. There is in fact only one pair - but it is nearly done. I'll get the pair finished soon and show a photo. Joe will be the lucky recipient of these. As for all the other projects on my Christmas List, they are not going to be started. I have got the fair isle bug and want to do more!
How is your Christmas knitting getting on?

Thursday 19 November 2009

Another WIP


I have many, many works in progress, and very few that are finished. Today, I thought I'd show you a photo of a scarf that I'm knitting in Scottish Tweed Aran, which is now sadly discontinued. The photo doesn't really show you the brilliance of the pink, or indeed the fantastic knitting, (I took it on my iphone) but there you go.
The pattern has been taken from A Fine Fleece by Lisa Lloyd. I love this book, the patterns are gorgeous and two versions of each pattern are shown, one in a commercial yarn and the other in a handspun. Lovely!
In fact I have enjoyed using this pattern so much, this is, in fact, my second scarf. The first was made in Rowan Soft Tweed (again, sadly discontinued) and is in a chunky weight. I'll show you a photo of that in a day or two. The chunky yarn makes it more of a wrap size. This one, is a proper scarf width and I am going to make it as long as I have patience for - so will probably stop in the next inch or two. This one is going to be for a friend's birthday and luckily I have a few weeks before it needs to be finished. Hope she likes it. If not, she has a teenage daughter who really loves handknitted stuff, so I'm sure it will be used by someone.

Sunday 15 November 2009

I can't believe that .........



I have made this lovely beret! This is the first hat from the hat trick set I bought from Virtual yarns (Alice Starmore) earlier in the year. It took around two weeks of not very much knitting time and I am absolutely thrilled with it. I have always wanted to be able to do 'real' Fair Isle knitting but the workship I attended with Alice Starmore at IKnit really gave me the push to get on with it. I cannot believe how lovely the colours are - extremely subtle in place with an overall effect that is just gorgeous.



This will be a Christmas present for someone, but I haven't decided who the lucky recipient might be. Strong contenders are my sister and Lucy. I think it would probably suit my sister more, but would Lucy be offended? At the moment, it is still stretched across a dinner plate - it might just stay there!

I have also completed a scarf and almost two pairs of gloves. The second hat from the hat trick has also be started. Pics of these tomorrow.