I am a completer/finisher

Just look at the various projects I have completed. Aren't I efficient? Haven't I finished lots of projects, yes! Do I still have lots of projects to finish - yes!

Anyway, let's have a look at what is now done and out of the way. First up, a slipover for Joe's friend. Pattern: a King Cole sports top, stripes: my own, colours: Steve's (the recipient). Modelled reluctantly by son, Joe. He made lots of comments 'It's ok but I don't want one, thanks', was only varied by 'It's ok, but I'm allergic to wool'. OK Joe, I can take a hint.

Next up is the scarf for Mother's Day. I am pleased to say the recipient of this, (Mum) was much more grateful and gracious. I enjoyed knitting this, as it wasn't too taxing and I found I could count small numbers if I concentrated hard.

I like it so much, I thought you should see a close up.

I know, it wasn't a very difficult pattern was it? And my husband took a photo of the wrong side ....

I have also finished two jumpers..... Both for children, the blue Jaeger pattern together with a tiny green one with cables - pictures below:



That's it so far. Still working on the green jacket for daughter and then I might allow myself to start a new project.

By the way, the title of this post reminds me of taking some sort of Belbin test when I worked at a college some years ago. It was considered highly desirable for staff to be completer/finishers, sadly, I wasn't one of them, I think the test was in two parts, but I only managed to do the first!

At last, Christmas has arrived ....

...in the form of lovely Christmas stockings. You may remember me mentioning I had made some needlepoint stockings and had sent them away to be made up. Well, great excitement! I received an email yesterday from the company saying they would arrive today. They didn't mention they would arrive at 7.27 am this morning, but then, that would have taken the shine off the arrival as I am not a morning person, more of a lunchtime person. Anyway, couldn't wait to share them, so here we go, in the order in which they were made:

This is Joe's stocking. He is 18. These are so expensive it has taken me all this time to be able to afford them. A very colourful alphabet, mostly chosen because of the musical symbols. Joe is studying music at uni.

Next up is Lucy's. She is 21 and also at uni, this time dentistry. This also uses bright colours, but, of course, there is lots of navy. Lucy really liked this, in fact it was her favourite, which was a real relief! These two stockings are very different indeed, rather like the children. Still it all adds for interesting debate or is it argument?

Now Ian's (husband). Won't tell you his age as it is immense. This is a smaller stocking which annoyed me as I like symmetry on the mantlepiece.
The colours are muted on this one, it is lovely though. Jolly Red, who makes the kits didn't have another large one at the time, so I was going to make this one, and then perhaps another small one to match. Jolly Red, then produced this:Well, it is fantastic and of course mine. Unfortunately I cannot disclose my age suffice to say I am over 35. I just love the rocket and the robot head on this, it reminds me of toys my brothers owned when we were young. I also like the dog on wheels, I had one of these, it was already past its prime when I got it, and the straw and sawdust stuffing trail was a great indicator of where I had been throughout the house. Strangely, I had it for years, and never once did the health and safety inspector visit and close the house down. How neglectful!

Mother's Day is upon us

I know I shouldn't have, but it was too hard to resist. Mother's Day entered my awareness and so did the thought of knitting something for my mum. Ever one to take up a challenge, not that anyone set one, I decided to knit a lace scarf. Now, I am ok at lace knitting, but not brilliant. Sometimes the counting becomes too much for me. Anyway, after trying several patterns, decided on this. I cannot find the link at this particular moment but will put it up when I do. The yarn is some Handmaiden Silk, colour Vintage which I bought a year or two ago. Unfortunately the photo does not do the fabulous colours justice, but it is much more rose and subtle blues than shown here. As soon as the light is better I will take another photo. Or rather, I'll take a photo as my husband took this one........

I can resist anything except....

.... starting a new project, or two. This week an exciting parcel arrived from Amazon.com. In it was this:

My mother-in-law has one of Charlene Schurch's books and I was impressed with the clear instructions and table format instructions for three difference techniques!! I ordered from Amazon.com because it was cheaper to order the three books I wanted and have them shipped than to get them from Amazon.co.uk. This only tends to work with American published books though.
Anyway, I had to start a sock straight away. Having never knitted a sock before - yes that's right, in over 30 years of knitting, I have not attempted a sock. I think this is because my gran, who taught me to knit, hated knitting socks as did my mum - apparently caused by an overdose of sock knitting for economy in the 1940s. In fact, when I mentioned to my mum I was going to knit a sock, she asked if I needed a pair and could she purchase them for me. She couldn't understand anyone knitting one for pleasure.
This is my first attempt.
I chose an 'easy' lace pattern and here is a close-up of it.

Unfortunately I appear to be suffering from second sock syndrome already.
Whilst out and about this week, we came across a yarn shop in Kingsbridge. Naturally a visit was necessary and once inside, a purchase became compulsory. Not, I hasten to add, because the assistant was aggressive or threatening, but because it is utterly impossible to visit a yarn shop without purchasing. Which reminds me, we were also out and about in Dartmouth this week, but I kept my purchase in the LYS there to a necessary extra ball or 4 of the green Sidar Luxury Cotton for finishing my daughter's jacket.
Back to the Kingsbridge store. I bought some Regia sock yarn, but you will have to wait for a photo of that. What really took my eye was this:

It is by Elle and has a lovely fleck in it. I really am a sucker for anything 'flecked', probably because it reminds me of my childhood. I remember both my brothers and myself had flecked jumpers (and cardigans, and vests and swimsuits we really did knit for economy in my family). Some garments were blue and some were red. No other colours possible or necessary. Strangely I think fondly of them and so couldn't resist this stuff. Again, knitting for an unspecified child - there's a lot of them about. Anyway, I like the colours together. Pattern, my own. I don't say this with any great pride, anyone can think up a 2 x 2 rib, followed by repeated stripes. Still, I hope you like it.

Not knitting?

You will be pleased to hear that I have been working away finishing off my projects and have achieved the following:
Finished a sleeve for the green spotty jumper
Finished the back and started a sleeve for the fair isle jumper
Started a sleeve for the blue patterned jumper.

Not bad considering I haven't had much time for knitting this week. As the weather has been much nicer here in Devon - sorry if it hasn't been where you are - we have been out on some long walks with the dogs. I thought you might appreciate a photo or two, so here goes:

This is one of our favourite walks on Dartmoor at Newbridge. We like it because it is has tracks, river, trees and an ice cream van in the car park. The dogs really love it here and if we walk both sides of the car park it is an easy 3 miles, so good to do when you don't have much time.

This picture shows my favourite thing on Dartmoor - moss covered bolders. Don't ask me why they are my favourite - they just are. A bit Disneyish I think. If you look very closely at the rather poor photo, you will be able to see the rear half of my Jack Russell, Rex. He seems to get his rear into most photos.

This exciting 'action shot' is of both dogs, Snuff, the black labrador and Rex, the Jack Russell. When we used to own our holiday cottage agency, customers would ring up and ask if they could bring their 'very well behaved' dog. This always made me feel very inadequate as I knew that in a similar situation I would have to ask if we could bring our 'very badly behaved' dogs and that the answer would probably be no.

WIP or rather Not WIP ....

Well, it has been a hectic start to 2008. We finally sold our business on 2 January - hurrah! and then took the (almost) grown up children to visit their grandparents in Suffolk. I would have taken lots of photos etc, but unfortunately had flu and couldn't be bothered. Anyway, back home a few days later to tidy up the house and engage more estate agents in a desperate bid to sell the house and move back to Bath from whence we came. At last we have some time to ourselves and to think about the new business and relax a little. I decided to do lots of knitting after some mammoth tapestry evenings where I made four Christmas stockings. Not, unfortunately in time to have them for Christmas, but then, there's always another around the corner. When I receive them back from the company that turns them from rough, fraying canvas into, I hope, beautiful works of art, I will take pictures and show you.

So, what to knit next ...... I finished off a sleeveless sweater for my son's friend. I was going to call it a tank top but this would probably give my age and social status away, so I won't. Probably the words 'sleeveless sweater' are just as revealing, but there you go. However, being far too idle to get the ironing board out and block the thing, it is just sitting there waiting. As is a tiny green cable jumper for a baby that I found at the bottom of a knitting bag. I don't know any babies, but someday a baby will like it, I feel sure.

In my knitting basket, I found the following...... more than I expected and so now feel morally obliged to finish them. After feeling very guilty, immediately my thoughts strayed to convincing myself I should start something else. Happily, I then pulled myself together and decided to take photos, put them on the blog and guilt trip myself into finishing all the WIP. So, here we go: Jumper No 1. Again for an unspecified child. This pattern is taken from a Jaeger handknit book and the yarn is a Sirdar Pure Cotton (unfortunately no longer made). The cotton is rather silky in appearance and knits very well. I have done two backs (guess who wasn't concentrating), and one sleeve, so this shouldn't take too long to finish.

Next up is another child's jumper. It started off as a birthday present for my nephew, but that was last year and I am not sure it will still fit. A Zoe Mellor pattern with Rowan handknit cotton. It is very tedious to knit and I can't wait to finish this one. Progress so far, one sleeve, half of the front.

Yet another jumper for a child here. A green spotty one. From the same Jaeger knitting book ... value for money, my friends .... did the front, and found it quick to knit but slightly boring. Also sick of this particular green yarn as I bought a large stash of it.

Last child's jumper coming up. As you can see the fair isle pattern is very clever. Again from the Jaeger knitting book. This is very, very slow to knit and as sewing/tying in ends is not my favourite pastime, this is going to take a long time to finish. However, I have included a close up of the pattern for you to admire.

Next a glove. I was given (under orders) a glove making kit from GetKnitted for Christmas, together with a set of KnitPicks Harmony DP needles (fabulous). Obviously it would have been rude not to start one. This is my first attempt at knitting a glove and it is ok. Suffering a bit on the second finger but hey, I can't imagine anyone is actually going to wear them in any case.

Finally, a green jacket for daughter. She often requests knitted garments. Sometimes she wears them and sometimes she doesn't. I often think, but no doubt am wrong, that there is a correlation between the number of times worn and the size chosen. This can vary tremendously. However, just in case daughter reads this blog, I will say no more. Except that she has very long arms ..... a trait from her father's side of the family of course .... which makes sleeve knitting very tiresome. Anyway, this is a Sirdar pattern originally for Click DK, but made in their new Luxury Cotton. Nowhere near as nice to knit with as the old pure cotton as it tends to split. The yardage is very poor as well as I reckon this is going to take around 14 balls instead of the 10 suggested.

Right, I've had enough of my failure to finish anything, as I am sure you have. Should you visit again, I hope you will see some progress.

New stash

Well, despite what the strapline says, this has hardly been a day to day story of yarns. We have been really busy since July trying to sell our family business in order for my DH and I to do other, more interesting things. We should be clear of this in January - hurrah! Once we have had a few weeks off we will then get down to our new business.

I am so excited as we hope to have a new yarn business running by the end of January !!!!! Keep looking at the blog and as soon as we have something to announce, I will post it.

Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!