I wasn't planning to do a round up of 2011, because to be honest I'm really glad to see the back of it! There were some rubbish bits about the year, but crafting wasn't one of them. After seeing so many collages and round ups on blogs, I decided to do my own, and to be honest, I was shocked at how much I got done this year!
My knitting FOs, according to Ravelry, this is 25 projects (and yes, I did count them twice).
My sewing FOs. There are 15 of these (although I am counting Noel, the Raccoon I made on Christmas '10, as he's very cute and hasn't featured on this blog yet). I think that's a pretty impressive collection, though I do say so myself. I had no idea I'd made so much this year.
So aims for 2012, which I'm sure will be a good year. I'm loving it so far anyway
Finish my dissertation This is more of a necessity, as it's due in January 19th, so you probably won't see me around the knitting blogosphere for a while
Lose weight I've been using myfitnesspal.com for a couple of months now, and I lost 11 pounds, but have gained some back over christmas. I've been putting £2 into a tub marked Emma for every pound I lose, and £2 into a tub marked Connor for every pound I gain. As you can see, there's a lot more in my tub than the boy's.
Go to the gym 3 times a week Really this is part of 2, but I enjoy going to the gym. Why don't I go more often?
Knit an adult sized garment I have one half finished jumper and 2 more garments on my Year of Projects List. I can do this
No buying yarn I don't need any, and if I get much more, I will have nowhere to store it. (Sock yarn doesn't count, it comes in small singular skeins...)
Learn to spin I have the kit, I have the challenge, let's do it!
Write more blog posts I love writing, and I want to get better at it, and I want to learn to take better pictures. This blog helps me do that. And of course, I love all you wonderful people who read it. The knitting/crocheting (and other crafting) community is amazing and (warning, slushy geeky picture here)
I've been doing lots of charity knitting recently, again making more sets of Preemie clothes for the local NICU. I think it's great stash busting for the little bits of baby yarn I have left from various projects (though some of the yarn does come from the charity donations to Knit-a-soc). You need such small amounts to make the things!
I did intend the second set to match exactly, but unfortunately I ran out of the pink fair isle effect yarn. But since the pink of the bonnet is identical to the buttons on the cardigan, I would say that they match exactly. And they are so adorable! I'm using the very cute buttons I won earlier this year, as I think it's a great use for them.
I still have a bag full of yarn left to knit up into baby clothes though!
I also found this in my yarn bag...
It's the first thing I ever knitted when I took up knitting again! One rather large baby hat with twisted purl stitches, as I didn't know I was purling the wrong way!
I also has an FO which is a gift for my mum from Santa, although his elves were very busy over the Christmas period, so he asked me to make it!
Meet Claude, the newest addition to the sock monkey family. My Mum was very pleased to find him in the stocking on Christmas morning, though I was re-sewing his eyes late on Christmas eve, when the boy commented that he looked evil...
We spent Christmas at home with my parents and, grandparents, uncle as well as V who couldn't make it home due to work and her hamster Pat. It was a lovely day work family I don't get to see very often and everyone got presents under the tree (including the dogs and hamster of course).
The poor littlest dog Siouxsie still has a bandage on her leg, but the vet did her best to make it christmassy. She still looks miserable though...
I got some amazing goodies, including a Samsung galaxy tablet, which I'm writing this post on now so excuse any spelling and formatting errors please!
But I'm sure you're most interested in the yarny goodness.
My parents took a trip to New York earlier this year, and I know they visited Knitty City whilst there, as my mum told me I would love it. Whilst there they bought me some gorgeous sock yarn (Baa! La Jolla ) and a project bag, though I think the Knitty City bag can also be a project bag.
Here's a yarny close up
I also got a project bag from the boy's parents. It's Cath Kidston, who I'm sure everyone knows I love.
Speaking of the boy, he got me exactly what I wanted. Starborn sparkle sock yarn in Vampire Kisses from Solstice Yarns, which I adore, and is also dyed by an indie dyer who lives close to me!
A close up.
And a learn to spin kit from Hilltop Cloud, which was recommended on Ravelry. It contains a drop spindle, 2 types or roving and some batt. It comes in different colours, and I got exactly the one I wanted.
I got home from university on Friday to find a wonderful parcel waiting for me from Renee over at Confessions of a Yarn Addict. I was not expecting her generosity! It is a beautiful collection of sock yarn and other goodies.
I really can't thank her enough. It was far more than I was expecting and everything in it is totally beautiful.
Malabrigo sock yarn. I really can't wait to try this and it's beautifully soft and a gorgeous colour.
2 skeins of Spud and Chloe fine sock which is luscious and too good for socks. With the silk content, I think it might have to be lace knitting
Blackberry Ridge Mer-made, which I think is a local yarn to Renee, as the company that makes it is in Wisconsin. Very soft and squishy! I was squishing this one all afternoon
Berroco Sox. I think this one will make great socks for the boy, as it's not as brightly coloured, so he'll be happy
Sox Appeal. This is super squishy and soft as well, and it has a really nice texture.
And finally (for yarn), Sun Valley Fibres in Heartbreaker. This is gorgeous colours, and I can't wait to see how it knits up.
There was also a very nice notebook and knitting notions case, which will come in very useful. Plus it's sparkly!
So basically, I have been spoilt, and Renee is super generous, and I just can't thank her enough!
Ok, so there hasn't been a lot of update recently, as most of my Year of Projects things have been hibernating (see earlier posts about dissertations taking over my life). But I do have one finished project to show you
I was trying to decide what to make V for her birthday, when I remembered how much she loved the sock monkeys I made earlier this year. So I decided to make her one. But since time has been limited, I ended up being in a massive rush to finish. It got so bad that I finished the monkey's right eye in the taxi on the way to the restaurant to celebrate (can you tell?). So excuse the mobile phone pictures!
But she loved it! It was worth sacrificing my favourite pair of socks. (And yes, I did tell her the socks were pre-worn). She spent the evening like this
So yes, not much to show for 3 weeks, but at least I have one finish. For more posts check here or the ravelry group here
I've been really lucky in the past couple of weeks and won 2 giveaways, so I just wanted to say a big thank you to the people who kindly hosted them
Firstly Danielle from A Stash Addict who I have been an avid reader of for a while. I love her blog, which is really stylish, and she also dyes yummy looking yarn (guess what I've asked for for Christmas?)
Anyway, she held a giveaway for all the items needed to make a yarn wreath (any a lot more besides) which I won =)
Full credit to Danielle for the picture, I couldn't take one this well. It's a amazing collection of things, including 3 gorgeous multicoloured crochet hooks (the world is telling me to learn to crochet, and I'm trying not to listen until after my dissertation deadline), felt in rainbow colours, vintage yarn and in the corner, a packet of bead and 4 little heart shaped buttons! Plus this stitch marker, which doesn't seem to appear in the above photograph!
Then I got an email telling me that I had won the complete Knitcircus Issue 16 pattern collection from a giveaway on Lindsey's blog Poetry in Yarn. Which means I get to make gorgeous patterns like these:
Full credit to the magazine for these pictures. Also, the mittens at the top were designed by Odessa, another person whose blog is a good read!
I'm sorry I've been so absent, both from posting and from commenting over the last couple of weeks. Uni work has taken over my life, and it will probably stay that way until January 19th when I finally hand my dissertation in. I have been doing some crafting though, on my down time, but since I leave the house when it's dark and get home after dark most days, I've not managed to take any pictures, until now!
This is a little preemie cardigan and matching bonnet for the NICU at QMC (both patterns available here along with several others). It's so tiny, literally dolls clothes size, and I can't believe it'll fit a real baby. I love making these things, as I hope it brings some comfort to the parents to know that someone they don't know cares enough to hand make clothes for their child. There are a lot of girly outfits in the collection box, so I thought I'd make one that was more unisex. They were so quick to knit up, and used tiny amounts of yarn as well.
These were started at a preemie baby knitting workshop, which I ran at the students union. Unfortunately, only 2 people turned up, but we had a lovely time, and were kept in hysterics by the Chinese students' talent show next door! I used some yarn that I got from the Knit-a-soc donation box (my University knitting society), so I have no idea what it is.
Then the boy started complaining that his hands were cold, and he couldn't grip his bike properly, so I made him a quick pair of gloves
And yes, I am having my usual problems photographing black. They're FAB DK, which is cheap and cheerful acrylic, but quite soft and very hard wearing. Plus they grip well, which is perfect for bike riding in the rain. The pattern called for 4ply yarn, but knitting them with DK makes them thicker, and the gauge is still fine (though the cuff seems to be a bit big, I think he has small wrists!). It did cause a couple of holes by the fingers though, but I just sewed them up (*gasp* I hear you say, that's knitting blasphemy).
Still not a very good picture of black, but it gives you an idea what the cuffs look like. I would definitely start with less stitches next time and increase, though I didn't have this problem last time I made this pattern out of DK weight.
Finally, birthday season is upon me! I've made a couple of birthday presents, one of which will appear in my year of projects update next time I manage to find the time to write one, but this is a very silly one I made for D, who's been my best friend since we were 4.
It's a dugong in a top hat! Pattern is here and my pattern notes for the top hat are here. It's inspired by this video (warning, very catchy!) which we loved at school (and I think we both still do...)
