Christmas wanderings

After catching up with everyone at the Web Services morning tea (including doing a tweet for their Christmas tree) Jon and I headed over to check out the Christmas Shop at Kirkcaldies. We weren't that inspired by the Christmas Shop itself but - as ever- the Kirk windows were wonderful. We particularly loved this one which featured the bears knitting and weaving!

I must be on a bit of roll

Because I have already finished two more things and started another couple of knit projects. I had a bit of a hiccup with my sewing as well but first things first -
The photo on the left is some handwarmers I knitted for a friend who was turning 60. They ended up being bulkier than I wanted (Tash's were a lot finer) but she still loved them! They only took a couple of evenings and I now have "orders" from three other friends.
The second picture is of my socks which again once I got going on were only a few evenings work plus a couple of sessions in the car during rugby practice. I reckon that another pair would only take me about 12 - 14 hours based on the second one (the first one had a few back tracks on it)
I've also been sewing - finished Jon a sweatshirt - he is now nagging for me to do a hoodie. I had almost finished a hoodie for Toby but when he tried it on while the length was OK it was way too wide so I need to take it in. I had added length to a meduim but he is really an extra small width wise and a large body length wise.
Now if only I could find some of the same kind of energy for the garden and the final de-clutter of the spa room and garage!

A touch of failure...

Well after trumpeting about my new discipline I promptly stopped posting on any of my blogs... maybe I could argue I gave up blogging (inflicting my bright ideas on the world) for Lent.

Anyway in the meantime life has been moving on... I have a small contract facilitating an online community, am working 10 hours or so a week in a local yarn store and am gradually recovering from the last few years of being a public servant!

One of my amazing acheivements has been to complete this cardigan which I started about June last year. What is so incredible about this? Only that I think the last time I actually completed a knitting project for myself was in about 1988 - if not before. The last thing I remember clearly was a mohair jersey I started during our OE in the UK which I don't think I finished until we got home. It is also the first knitted thing I have finished (if you dont count the six month old baby jersey I haven't sewn up yet i.e. not finished) since... possible since we moved to Wellington (15 years) and I went back to full time work. I have a number of UFO's but I can't recall a completing anything - partially because my MIL has been there to meet the kids urgent requests.

As well as the cardigan I have also been working on a pair of socks - largely due to the degree of hassle I've been getting from my mother and elder daughter about my wimpiness with double pointed needles and this photo is proof for both of them that I have successfully turned the heel. I must admit as my stitch a day calendar suggests they are a nice portable project that despite the fineness of wool does grow quite quickly. I think I am also getting slightly inspired by the new colourways that we unpacked at the shop last week!
And then last but not least my next cardigan project which started with me making the effort to remember the one needle cast on - I do believe I am turning into a knitter again. Of course the ultimate irony in completing the cardigan and starting on the second one (which was actually an older stash of wool from two years ago) is that the cardigan concept was so I'd have something cuddly and warm to put on when I got home and took off my suit jacket from work! Ah well, never mind...

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