More Presents

I got some new presents yesterday and today. Yesterday I bought my own presents, but I am very pleased with them.

The fabric is a 1/4" gingham fabric which I plan to use for blocking purposes. I actually wrapped a cut open cardboard box in cling film yesterday so I could use my new blocking technique. However I discovered I don't have a spray bottle to damp the scarf down. I will get the bottle today and then show pictures of my brand new blocking techniques.

The tin is from Gutterman and celebrates the 75th anniversary of the company.

Inside the tin are 4 threads, black, white, red and navy. The threads alone cost more than the tin and I just couldn't resist such a lovely thing in which to store notions.

Plus if I am going to do more sewing in the future, I will need the thread.....won't I?

The other presents I got were in the post this morning and were from my Kitty Swap group on Ravelry. June (Queenholly) sent me a marvellous box of wonderful things and I loved opening up all the little parcels in the box.

The kitty is called Smartie and is different from all the other cats I have received. I don't know what yarn she is knit in, but it is lovely, smooth and silky.

I think my favourite thing in the box was a fridge magnet. It sounds silly, but it is beautiful.

This was also pretty cute.

Oh and yes, the heart shaped tin is full of chocolates. Yum! I will empty that out in no time and then I will start using it to store buttons or beads, because my collection of both is growing.

In knitting news this week, I have finally finished my Porom Inspired Scarf. I think it needs a new name as it has become something much more than a Porom stitch rip off, as my pattern has progressed. I shall have to ponder a while and all suggestions for a new name are welcomed.

After finishing 12 repeats of the stitch pattern, I cast off and then using a 4mm crochet hook I did a round of 1 treble, 1 chain into every stitch along the edges and tried to follow the same spacing along the sides. The second round was simply to crochet 1 treble into each stitch and then cast off. I also did some extras at the corners to keep the frill going.

I have the stitch pattern for the scarf if anyone is interested let me know and I'll post it here for anyone to download. If I do that I will also finish writing the pattern up properly.

I plan to block the scarf to open up the stitch pattern, but that won't be until tomorrow. Expect more photos once that is done.

For now I am going to go back to knitting another of my long standing WIPs (Work In Progress). I am determined to reduce them down to only a couple at a time. I can't stand all the bags of projects knocking around, I simply can't find ANYTHING!!!

Quick Update

This is just a few short words, mainly about my post from the other day. I'm pleased to say that Little Cotton Rabbits has finally had her mail acknowledged. Apparently there was a bit of a stir in internet land, I wonder if that is what got things moving?

I have also finally finished my Bacall. It needs pressing, because it has a rather curled up hem, but once that is done, I will post pictures. I will also post details of my next large project, which is gazing up at me, expectantly.

High Street Rip Off

I have just read one of my favourite blogs and I am disgusted. Little Cotton Rabbits, produces some beautiful little knit designs, which are often, very generously, offered for free. However, this generous attitude seems to have bitten her on the bum. Please take a look at her posting, and leave a message of support, if you agree with me, that the high street is a very ruthless place.

Presents Received and Requested.

It feels like I haven't posted a blog in ages. That is partly down to me having had the cold from hell, which is now thankfully on the wane. The other reason is that I haven't had much finished to share with the blog. I feel like I have been trundling along making progress in my larger more complicated projects, which is satisfying but not particularly interesting.

I was at college on Tuesday (box of tissues on the desk) and we were given a project which involved taking a plain beret pattern and tweaking it to add texture. This took several attempts and the finished article is not something I am particularly proud of. To be honest, I think this would have been easier if I had started from scratch and hadn't had to take into account another person's pattern because I don't think the shaping worked with the textured shapes I added. Anyway here is the resulting hat.



It looks better on the photo than in real life. I will probably donate it to the college display cabinet as I am unlikely to wear it.



It also really needs blocking. I will do that before Tuesday and maybe that will improve things.

I got my kitty swap this week after my OH went to the post office to pick up the parcel. LucyJ sent me a fab kitty called Lavendar knitted from her own handspun yarn. She spun it on a spindle and I am even more tempted to give this a go. Lottie from the Borders group has offered to lend me a spindle and show me how to use it. I am getting more and more tempted to take up her offer. Anyway here is the kitty, isn't it fab?



Not to mention all the goodies that were added to the box the kitty came in.



This was such a lovely parcel to open the other day, whilst feeling rubbish from my cold. Thanks LucyJ for a lovely swap. I am going to take this month off from my kitty swapping because basically, if I don't slow down, I am going to be buried under a mountain of kitties!

I went to my UFO group at Mary Clare yesterday with my friend. Neither of us actually worked on any UFOs but the intention was there. I also bought the yarn for my friend's birthday present. She has requested a felted bag to take out in the evenings, to go with a specific scarf. We chose the yarn and the handles and I bought them and hoped that the yarn would felt. I have just checked on Ravelry and found out it does felt, but it takes a lot of hard work. Ah well, at least it actually felts, and she did say she wanted it to be highly textured.



When we went to my friend's house after the group we matched it up with the scarf and the colours are perfect (phew). I only have a few weeks to get this project done, so you should see progress fairly soon.

Ridiculous Slippers & Presents in the Post

I have finally finished my ridiculously large slippers. What do you think?



The pen is to show scale. But can you imagine what they look like on my feet....



Yup, pretty silly. I really, really hope that these shrink enough, because the yarn really seems to suit the pattern, and I think the different colours blending together through felting will give real interest on such a basic shape as these.

I seem to have got into a bit of a crochet habit, what with the slippers and also my notions bag. I decided that as I only had around 2/3rds of a ball left of the yarn I used to crochet my notions bag I would make a cord, either to use as a handle or to use to wrap around the bag instead of buttons, I still have not decided which. Instead of doing an I-Cord, or a crocheted cord, I dug out my little impulse buy from a few weeks ago.



It is a French knitting dolly. I used these when I was a child, at a friend's house. I haven't used one since and I saw it a couple of weeks ago and bought it on impulse, for pure nostalgia's sake. It was tricky to start with, but once I got going I think it is much quicker than an I-Cord, plus its just a little bit different. Let's face it, different is quite often fun.

I had a bit of a tidy up last night. When I was ill over the weekend I ended up getting all teary because I couldn't find something that I wanted. You know how it is when you feel so weak and wobbly and only one thing will do to cheer you up, and when you can't find it you feel even worse than before you started looking? You don't know? Well I do! I promised myself when I got better I would sort out the chaos that surrounds my sofa. So last night I was feeling a bit brighter and decided that I would make space in my "ongoing projects box" for all my ongoing projects. So I emptied out the box, oh and found the thing I was looking for, and took a good hard look at my stuff. I decided that I was going to be ruthless and cast aside the things I knew I didn't want to finish, to make room for all the things I did want to finish.

Last night I finally frogged my hideous Fair Isle Tank Top. It was such a relief to finally acknowledge that there was no way in hell I was ever going to finish it. I put the yarn in with the Fair Isle bag I am still working on, and whatever is left over will probably be used for a project I am starting in January. I will tell you more about that project in a future blog. The next thing I frogged was the plarn bag I started months ago. It really hurt my hands knitting this and I have come to the conclusion that I used needles that were too small. I will try knitting with plarn again in the future, but at the moment I have too many other projects ongoing to go back to this one.

So now I can finally see the floor around the sofa again and all is right with the world. Oh and the thing I was looking for, it was this...



I made it months ago and I finally got a pin to attach it something with. So at last I can add this pretty flower to my coat lapel as was intended at it's conception.

Now this would normally be the end of my ramblings, but I have got to tell you about my presents before I go. I got two things in the post today, that were knitting related and designed to make me smile. The first was a box, in which was lots of little gifts, as well as my kitty, from craftybunny, from Ravelry's group Knitted Kitty Swap. I love this group! I sent off my Pumpkin Puss today as my part of the exchange and I received the truly cuddly CookieCat.



Not only did I get this box of goodies, but my yarn from Jamieson's finally turned up. I purchased this at the Harrogate show and I have been waiting for it with baited breath ever since. Isn't it yummy!



Now I can start my Porom Hat. Oh such a toasty warm head I shall have. Yippeee! Phew I think I am giddy from the relief of not being the illest girl in the world any more. I most go have a quick lie down before I pick up my needles again, or I might do myself a mischief.

Successful Kitty Swap

I went to (one of) my knitting group(s) last night. I had a blast. There were so many of us there. At least knitters and crocheters turned up. We took up over half the coffee shop and we garnered many a strange look. It must have been a sight to behold. A range of women in all ages, shapes and sizes, cackling like witches, shrieking with laughter and yelling down the length of the tables about wips, stashes and cables. If you didn't see the knitting you might have thought it was a convention of drug taking bondage experts.

Part of the reason there were so many of us there, was a large number of folk came for the first time. These new attendees came after speaking to a couple of us, who already go, on the Ravelry forum for Leicestershire Knitters. It really makes a difference to gaining new members when you can talk to them before they attend. It encourages shy people who might normally not get the courage to walk into a strange place on their own.

I love the way Ravelry has opened doors into a whole universe of knitterliness (my word for neighbourliness between knitters). Patterns, yarns, needles and anecdotes from people who understand my weakness in the face of my yarn supplier. How can I not love such a place? What makes it even better, is meeting some of these lovely people in the flesh. There is something so unifying about knitting in public together. It feels brazen, somehow, to join together in a public place and knit or crochet without care. I just wish I had more bottle about knitting in public when I am on my own, I still feel a little reluctant, I know I shouldn't but for some reason I feel that I will be ridiculed for being a young woman who knits. I don't know why I would think that way when most of the knitters I know, are around my age. I will knit in public more often and will be part of the knitting in public vanguard that is making knitting fashionable again.

Oh yes before I forget, the title of this entry was about my successful kitty swap. You saw my kitty in the previous entry, but here is a pic of my received kitty. His name is Skittle and he came from the lovely Liz along with a little knitted bag of handmade stitch markers, a basket, a diary, a pen, buttons, key ring and pattern to make the lovely Skittle. The swap was carried out at the knitting group last night and it was lovely to exchange gifts in person. It is a fabulous feeling to receive presents from strangers, which is obviously why the swap was set up and is successful.



This little package put me to shame. My only excuse is that I have spent the last few days sewing up my knitting bag. I still have plenty to do on it, but I think I have all the materials now. Hopefully by my next entry I will have some photos for you to look at. I am quite pleased with it as it stands, I hope I don't ruin it over the next stages.