A new week and a new WIP

Thursday last week saw me finishing the body of my Aisling shawl which just leaves the rather extensive border to knit.  I swore after finishing Biellese and Pop Spots last year that I wasn't making another shawl with a knitted on border for a while but obviously forgot!

I've got 79g of the charcoal sparkle yarn (Five Moons Yarns Artemis in Anthra) left which I'm hoping will be enough but am also dropping down a needle size just in case.

After completely messing up the first repeat of the border on Friday though, I've tinked what I knitted and put the WIP in time out for a little bit!

This prompted me to cast on a couple of smaller, quicker WIP's that require a little bit less concentration when socialising!

The left is Easy Knits Deeply Wicked in Pinky which I picked up at Yarndale as it matches my hair!  This one is going to be another Woolly Wormhead Rosalind.  The right is a self striping sparkle yarn from British Bea Knits which was a custom colour way called Nyree Dawn.  I cast this on last night - another pair of my long elbow length fingerless gloves - and not only is the colour way perfection but the yarn base is fantastically soft too.

I'm also attempting to get back into my journalling - or at least some form of organisation/planning.  I still use one of my fauxdori's for knitting planning and notes so have invested in some more of my favourite Moleskine notebooks and Stabilo Point 88 pens.

 

Hello to 2016!

Another year is here - 2015 most certainly flew by!  I'm trying my hardest not to reflect on any of the negatives of the last year (indeed, the last few years!) and whilst I don't make New Year resolutions as such, I am determined that I will be happier this year. 

I didn't seem to finish a huge amount of projects last year in comparison to previous years and definitely didn't achieve half of my planned project list!  I've stashed a lot more yarn though and popped my Yarndale cherry.  My #bestnineof2015 from Instagram was a rainbow of yarn, that's for sure!

I was very lucky over Christmas to receive several skeins of Wollmeise as gifts (well, funds to purchase Wollmeise!) and managed to get the skeins I'd been lusting after in the last update of the year.

There's a skein of 82 Pb, Fuchsia, 2 x Xaverl und Rosi and a skein of Xaverl.  I've been tempted out of my semi solid yarn shell just lately and after seeing a fabulous picture from Woolly Wormhead of the Xaverl on a FO, had to stash some! 

I also broke out one of my favourite skeins of Wollmeise Pure in Wasabi to make the December Woolly Wormhead release, Rosalind.  I absolutely love fingering weight hats and this is the perfect combination of lace and slouch.  I'm already planning another in hot pink but also eagerly awaiting the new release this week!

I was also gifted the most uh-mazing pair of long fingerless gloves from Carla for Crimbos - sparkly, lime green and black!

I still have loads of WIP's to finish and have, as always, added a few more to my list.  I'm determined to finish my Aisling first though and am just working my way through the last raindrops section before starting the border - I've estimated a should have 10g or so of the Truly Hooked OMFG grad left (below shows it last week as I'd just started the 5th section, that bottom yarn cake is MUCH smaller now!) 

Instagram Get Your Yarn Wishes Granted

Whilst my social media presence has declined to practically none existent over the last few years (I really should attempt a blog post of mental illness) I find that Instagram is by far the easiest to keep up with.   My feed is generally knitting and yarn related and it's much easier to snap a photo of a new skein of yarn or a WIP with my iPhone than worry about posting yet another miserable Facebook status.   

The Instagram #getyouryarnwishes hash tag was endearing to watch last year as knitters granted wishes of skeins, patterns or notions to, quite often, complete strangers.  This year I decided I'd participate and sent out several skeins, needles and Ravelry patterns from Wish Lists.  It was completely heart warming and uplifting - one of those truly warm, fuzzy moments!  As well as granting wishes I was also extremely lucky as I had several wishes granted myself.  

First up I received this fabulous speckled skein of sock yarn "Monsters Ball"  from the lovely Tracy at Norah George.  It's beautifully soft and I'm already browsing for the perfect project as well as lusting over lots of her yarn!

Secondly was my request for grey fingering/sock weight yarn - I realised whilst stash diving for yarn for a hat that I really don't have much grey in my stash despite it being a colour I am really drawn to at the moment, especially for accessories.  I most certainly didn't expect to receive such a luscious skein of DyeForYarn Merino/Silk in a perfect shade "Dolphin in my Bath Tub"

Next up (yes, I am a lucky, lucky girl!) is a skein that flew insanely quickly over from Canada!  I sadly miss out on many none UK indie dyers as I get charged customs on all parcels (the joy of once running a WAHM business that imported goods from the US!) so I was extra excited to get a skein of stunning Satchel from Mrs Crosby in Scarlet Ibis.

Last but by no means least, I was gifted the skein of custom self striping I had on order with British Bea Knits.  Even more perfect that it's called Nyree Dawn hehe!  Sparkle Sock in a self striping black - hot pink - black - lime green!  What's not to completely LOVE!

Procrastination and Castonitis!

The last couple of months have flown by in such a blur of noise and...well noise!  Despite not actually doing much of note I also don't seem to have achieved much and I think this year has very much been my year of procrastination! 

Procrastination and castonitis - I just can't help myself - I have SO many planned projects and SO much gorgeous yarn that I keep casting on new things :-/

As it's definitely become hat weather again, I whipped up a new beanie for Vaughan.  I've had this VERY bright SMC Merino in the stash just for him (with some equally colourful orange for Oliver) and at his request added some black stripes.

I have a matching pair of fingerless gloves on the needles for him too - the first just needs the thumb reworking (too small) and then I need to remember what I've knitted to make the second! 

In a moment of weakness I cast on the Aisling Shawl I'd planned in a gorgeous Truly Hooked OMFG Sparkle Blank and a skein of Five Moons Artemis 4Ply in Anthra.  I haven't got far but it's a fabulous combination.

I was lucky enough to test knit a gorgeous design hat last month which was promptly stolen by Rachael - currently no further news on the release but it's a fabulous cable pattern knit in Baby Alpaca DK.

Last month also marked another MKAL hosted by the fabulous Woolly Wormhead.  This time the pattern was revealed as Skelter and it was a hugely enjoyable, quick knit.  I chose a skein of Malabrigo Worsted in the Frank Ochre colourway and was really pleased that I didn't lose too much stitch definition using a singles yarn.

I've already cast on another Woolly Wormhead hat - this time the newly released and insanely gorgeous Rosalind which I'm making with Wollmeise Pure in Wasabi.

Other than hats I have knitted a couple more of the doomed Raspberry mitts!  Considering they were originally planned for the Fun Club (Home Ed group) sale last November and I still have 3 of the 10 gloves to knit...gloves which only take me a day each...I think we can safely say it's a project I'm putting off!  Rather like the huge green blanket which sits at the side of the sofa by my WIP basket, mocking me LOL! 

Of course, I have even more new projects planned - namely The Doodler by the awesome Stephen West!  All the WIP and FO pictures have changed my opinion on speckle/sprinkle dyed yarns and I have increasingly found myself drooling over skeins I would never have considered before.  I have a couple of skeins of neon Madelinetosh which I'm debating teaming with either a solid black or a speckle skein with lots of black and neon...I just haven't found the perfect skein yet but I definitely need no encouragement when it comes to spending far too much time window shopping for yarn instead of knitting. 

On that note...I'm off back to my needles!