Things I am Working On

I've managed to have six knitterly items on the needles at the moment - including three pairs of socks. These are:

Ishbel shawl. I started this ages ago using some 100% 4-ply silk from The Knitting Goddess which is in very pretty variegated plummy shades. The yarn has little give and splits easily, so it's slow going and I'm only doing a few rows every so often. It'll get finished - just not sure when.

Miss Honeychurch tunic top. I bought enough Rowan Damask for this in a Kemps sale and I'm about two-thirds of the way down the body. It's a top-down design, but I've been kicking myself as - with the yarn being variegated - I didn't see the point in doing the cables that run down the side. Except....... I started the body part when it was late and I was tired and just started blindly following the pattern, so I'm doing cables that won't really show in the finished garment. Oh well!

Burridge Lake Aran Afghan. I'm using Patons Diploma Aran for this in beige. It was half price at Franklins needlework shop in Colchester (I also bought enough of this yarn in a pewter grey colour to make a Girasole circular blanket/throw). I like working on this, but the weather's been too hot. The afghan/blanket's made in three panels which are then sewn together and a top and bottom edge knitted and sewn on. Only I've done a provisional cast on with the intention of knitting on the borders. If it doesn't work out, I'll just cast off at either end, make the borders and then sew them on.

Socks. Three pairs OTN. I joined up to the Wendy Johnson toe-up KAL group on Ravelry which is a 'celebration' of Wendy's patterns, especially those from her new book (which I recommend - her instructions are crystal clear - yay for her!). I wasn't sure at first when I saw that the KAL had several rules, but decided to give it a whirl. Each month one pattern from the Socks from the Toe Up book is chosen, plus one of Wendy's freebie patterns. This month, I decided to do both socks - On-Hold from the book and Nanners, which is the freebie. You can't start the socks until the first day of the month and have to finish by the last day of the month. Having finished last month's socks with several days to spare, I had no socks on the go. So, rather than working on either of the first three projects I listed above, I cast on a pair of socks for my Dad. I've made my Mum three or four pairs, but none for Dad and it's his birthday next month. I'm making these from some Regia 4-ply silk-mix in charcoal, brown and cream colourway and using the Mash-Up Magic Toe-Up sock 'recipe', but with a slight modification of the heel turn.

I've also got a mitred square sock-yarn blanket on the go to use up leftovers and a crocheted bag, but they're 'upstairs' projects which I work on when DD2 is in the bath!

So - that's in truth eight projects on the go. And.... the postman's just delivered the yarn for the test-knitting I signed up for from The Natural Dye Studio. Just waiting for the e.mail from Amanda containing the pattern and instructions and then I can get started on that.

Hmm - Whoops! might be appropriate.

PS. I know that I haven't put in links - I haven't worked out that technical bit yet!

Thought of the day: Why didn't I check the weather forecast before I watered the plants yesterday evening?

Getting started

So, I've finally folded and created this blog, which will be about knitterly stuff - with maybe a few other bits and bobs thrown in from time to time.

As the blog title would suggest, my name is Christine. I live in a small town in Essex, am mostly a stay-at-home Mum, except for a few hours a week when I work in a local shop. I learned to knit when I was six and have been making things ever since then really, with the occasional hiatus for such things as having two babies!

I'm a member of Phoenix Knitting Forums and Ravelry (same on there as this blog) and I currently have six WIPs - three pairs of socks, one afghan, a tunic-type top and a shawl.