Socks#6

Still quiet here. If I am honest I am being very lazy with my crafting. I have been reading more than I have been knitting. I did manage to finish this months socks though. It's just a basic sock pattern as I was using it to teach two friends how to knit socks (and they have almost finished their first one). I used Happy sock yarn by Wendy. They have some new colours out and I couldn't resist this green and blue. Plus I love how soft this yarn feels.

In between I am still working on my crochet project although it was set aside to finish these socks. I have also started work on the next baby shower project. I promise photo's when both of these are done.

My folksy shop got a mention on another blog. See if you can spot me on Finally Made It.

Last but not least my knitting group has had its five minutes of fame. At the start of the year I did an interview talking about it and it was published in this months edition of Knit Today.

National Knitting Day!

My knitting group are going to be at Hobbycraft Glasgow on Saturday from 12-3. They will be giving knitting demonstrations to celebrate National Knitting Day. Sadly I won't be there but if you are free or are thinking of joining a group then come along and say hello. They are a friendly bunch.

Baby Shower

The baby shower I have been knitting for was on Tuesday night and as always was good fun. I love knitting for baby showers. I always have fun picking out patterns. As you can see I did my usual and knitted a blanket and a pair of trainers.

The trainers were the first things I knitted. I was going through some old copies of Lets Knit magazine and reorganising them. When I saw these I knew instantly that I had to knit them. The pattern suggested pink and white or blue and white. As Annee doesn't want to know the sex of the baby until he/she is born I chose orange and white. I used Calico yarn by Sirdar which is a lovely cotton. The pattern was fairly easy to follow and knit up despite the dreaded colour changes.

The reversible baby blanket was done with an aron yarn which had a purple fleck through it. I got the pattern from one of those knit-a-day calendars from a few years ago. This is the second time I have knitted a blanket from one of these calendars and this time there were no mistakes in it (the last time the pattern missed out a line). I love the effect of the double moss stitch.

I have another baby shower to knit for in August. I think I might start that next week as I already have planned what I am doing.

Wee Weekend Away

My weekend away with my knitting group seems so long ago now and it's only been just over a week. Sadly we didn't get the weather for it so there was no long walks to go visit the cows (too muddy). We did venture out when the sun came out and I managed to snap a photo of one of the many bunnies that run around the grounds.

As I said it was lots of fun. I did teach one of the classes. Elaine and Dawn both wanted to learn adult sized socks. I think it went okay although I did seem to drive poor Dawn to madness.

On Tuesday there I managed to take a photo of Elaine's progress. She's now started on the heel. I'll post more photo's as they progress.

I sat in on a class too. Donna taught a granny square class last year. It proved so popular that we asked her to do another. She decided to mix it up a little and had several different patterns we could choose from. I decided to have a go at a granny hexagon (it's not supposed to be out of shape, honest) and the granny stripes. I love the effect of the granny stripe and have plans to do something with that pattern. It's certainly given me more confidence in following crochet patterns. Something that has felt like double dutch to me.

I also tried another pattern Donna brought along but I am only showing you a small section of it. Will show you the final thing when I have finished it.

I also finished a present for a baby shower which I will be able to show after tomorrow. This months socks are being used to help teach Dawn and Elaine so they are going to be basic ones. I love the yarn though which you will see when finished. And I am working on a blanket for myself. Just one or two projects then.

Lucky Me!

I will post something about Gartmore soon but wanted to give a quick update. My good friend Helen has recently taken up quilting. If you follow my knitting group blog you'll already know this. The quilted book bag cover is a particular favourite and has been much admired by the rest of us. In fact one or two people have been giving her commissions for them. Over the last month or so I have been loaning her books and as a thank you she made me one of my very own. You have no idea how excited I was about this. She even decorated it with some of the sewing machines fancier stitches.

My particular favourite though is the 'Read Me' stitched on the back. Can't wait to use it!

The Weekend Is Here!

This is where I am going today with my knitting group. I am extremely excited and can't believe the day is here already. Yesterday I went out and bought the sock yarn I needed for my class. Of course I forgot yarn for the crochet class my friend Donna is giving (learning to crochet Hexagons this year). This meant a trip up to Hobbycraft (what a shame). No doubt I will have lots of photo's for you next week.

If I get bored of knitting and chatting I can always visit with some friends we made last year.

Still Alive

I knew it had been a few weeks since my last update but I didn't actually realise it had been almost a month. I have been crafting away but mainly on a baby shower project. It's all finished but I can't show it as yet. It will be another two weeks before I can do that.

In the last month I have also given up on a pair of socks for the first time ever. I had decided that this months socks was going to be my first every toe-up in adult size. I wasn't really loving the pattern but that's not why I gave up. If it was just that I would have persevered with it. The yarn broke on me for the fifth and last time which resulted in a small hissy fit (tossing of knitting across the room). I was using the Regia Hand Dye effect. I've used it before and it's a little annoying to knit with. First off you have to rewind the yarn to prevent it from tangling. It also splits very easily. This didn't put me off as the colours made up for it. This one though split about five times. I have two other colours there and I am now reluctant to use it. Anyone else have this problem or do you think it's just a one off?

Anyway, as I said this will be the first time I haven't finished a pair of socks. A little disappointing. It also means that there will be no socks this month! As a friend pointed out though, I am a pair ahead in my challenge so I haven't given up on that.

This weekend I am away with my knitting group. Very excited about that and also nervous. I'm nervous because I am taking one of the classes. I am taking over the sock knitting class from my friend who can't make it. I've taught baby socks before but this time it's adult socks. Fingers crossed it all goes well.

I have had other projects on the go too. I finished the boy baby socks which are now posted on my folksy shop. I am now working on another set. After taking the huff with my socks I decided to start something different and so I'm knitting a blanket for myself.

Lastly, I have to show this off. My mum did this for my Christmas two years ago. I love the Lavender Lace designs plus I love my fairy tales which is why she did this one. I am ashamed to admit that this was me just hanging it up today.