A Year of Projects Update - week 8

The summer here is whizzing past in a blur of camping and knitting - definitely not complaining.  We went to the New Forest here in England last week that was absolutely gorgeous.  We stayed in a campsite right next to a steam railway and subsequently caught the train on the days we were there.

So that was the camping and this is the knitting - I have FO's!
FO's
I have finished a second pair of shortie socks.  These are knit in Mellifera yarn in bluebell.

I also finished my Bon Bon mitts from Pom Pom magazine.  These are knit from Malabrigo Arroyo in the Archangel colourway.  I love these and will omit the pom poms as I think they will get in the way.

WIP's
I, as always, have several.  I am making my way down the first sleeve of Breathing Space.
I have cast on my August socks in Up, Up and Away from Little French Meadow.  These are a splendid colour and I am going to be using the Spattergroit pattern by Knotty Gnome.  I will be taking these with me this next week (as we head off for our last holiday to Cornwall).

My triangle socks and Sevilla are still ongoing.
And finally, I have cast on my Christmas jumper.  I shall be following the tender heart pattern from Heart on My Sleeve.  They suggest you use the sleeve as a swatch and given that I don't like to swatch this is a great idea.  I shall adjust the sleeve as I go and then take my gauge from that to knit the body.
I am using John Arbon Textiles Knit by Numbers DK which is gorgeous and was going to insert a photo here but then my computer broke so it is not to be!
Acquisitions
I received the third instalment of the surprise club this week, but here is a sneak peak at parcel two.

I also signed up for their advent club so that I can knit some scrappy advent socks.  And that is that.  Next week we have our last holiday but I will try to post when we return - it will probably be late again!  Have a lovely week.

A Year of Projects Update - week 6

Ok, so I'm late again!  This week I was at my mum's at the weekend, and it's just easier to update at home.
I thought I might evaluate the list this week, since we are now into August.

Sewing
Skirts:

• Gathered skirt - one done
• Delphine skirt - one done
• button through skirt
• yoked skirt

Tops:

• Tunic top
• t-shirt style top

I have made progress on this section, two skirts made, the fabric cut for both the button through skirt and top.  I hope to make the top today.

Knitting

Sweaters:

• Breathing Space - in progress 
• Epistrophy - Coldharbour Mill yarn
• Tell it Slant - Eden Cottage Yarn
• Christmas Jumper - Tenderheart - John Arbon Textiles knit by numbers
• Cropped sweater for winter - using my De rerum Natura  Gilliatt - Finished July 2017
• Chuck sweater - Coldharbour Mill yarn 

Accessories:

• Bonbon mitts - in progress
• Socks - I am not going to specify a pattern as new ones come up and I always want to do them
• Shortie socks - to use up stash
• Knees up

Again I have made progress on this section.  Cropped sweater is just waiting for the appropriate weather to wear it in!  I bought the yarn for a second cropped sweater over the weekend.  A lot of the others are now in progress - the Christmas sweater is just about to be cast on, Bonbon mitts are still going and socks are progressing nicely.  Breathing space is at this stage

I now just need to do the ribbing and bind off and I am on the sleeves.

The test knit socks are ready for the pattern part, so far, as always, the pattern has been lovely to follow and I have done my first gusset toe up with ease.  The pattern is by Knitterarium.

I have also started a new pair of shortie socks - seen in the picture. 

Other items

Gifts:

• Socks - dad, Luke and a second pair for mum to do
• Scarf - Sevilla - in progress for a friend
• Bath bombs - for pressies and myself
• Christmas jumper for Thomas - follow tenderheart as for me but add colorwork from Anders

Craft fair/other crafts:

• Embroidery - develop to make myself some bags
• Dog coats - knit some more
• Hot water bottle covers
• PE bags and pencil cases for the boys

I am hoping to do the pencil cases today and I have finished a gift knit for dad, so more to do in this section.

Finished items:

• Cropped sweater
• July socks
• gathered skirt
• Delphine skirt

And that is it for this week.  I am linking with Frontier Dreams as well as a year of projects this week.

A Year of Projects Update - week 5

I'm late this week for A Year of Projects  but thought I would post anyway and combine it with Craft Along.
We have been camping - hence the late post.  We went to watch the Touring Car championship at Snetterton and again had a brilliant time.  Here are the boys with one of the drivers

FO's
I have an FO!  I finished my July socks.  These are My Dearest Loveliest Elizabeth socks by Ruth at Knitterarium.  Yarn was Life in the Long Grass in arcade.

WIP's
I have not worked on a lot of my WIP's as we have been away, but I did make some progress on my test knit.

These are again by Ruth at Knitterarium - yarn is Little French meadow in the every flavour beans colourway.  I have just started the gusset increases.  This is the first time I have done this type of heel toe up so I'm interested to see how this fits.
I have also cast on another pair of shortie socks.  I took them camping but there was a lot of rain so these did not get much attention.

These are the Rose City rollers toe up and the yarn is West Yorkshire Spinners at the moment and then some Knitting Goddess.

Acquisitions
I subscribed to a surprise club from Little French Meadow a few weeks ago and have not been disappointed yet.  The first installment was Up, up and away which is pictured here.  It came with yarn, a notions pouch, sachet of tea and stitch markers.  I love it all.  I love the second installment as well but won't post yet just in case some people don't have it and read this (unlikely but you never know!)

The big skein I am going to use for my August socks and is already caked up ready to go - the contrast mini skein I think I will use as contrast to some Christmas socks.

 Other crafts/reading
I have not done any other crafts or read a word, so I am still on A Handmaids Tale by Margaret Attwood and waiting to watch the finale of the series recorded while we were away.

We are going to my mum's this week so more knitting will be done and we will have to see how the blogging fits in with that!

Craft Along

It has been a very long time since I did a mid week post, life has just been in the way!  Anyway, now I have got to the summer break I thought I might make an effort.
So what am I up to?  I did a little audit for my Year of Projects post a couple of weeks ago here.  So that was all of my knitting projects.  Recently I have been making great progress on my cropped sweater for winter by Andi Satterlund.

I was not into cropped sweaters, but in my quest to start a handmade wardrobe, I have been converted to skirts.  And as a consequence of that cropped sweaters are more the thing rather than tunic style ones that were more my thing.  I am already planning my next one as I love this one and it has knit up so quickly.  Yarn is De rerum natura - Gilliatt.

The other project I have worked on and finished this week, is another skirt.  This is the Clemence pattern by Tilly and the Buttons. 

I have worked on other projects but these are the ones with the most progress.  

Reading wise, I am making my way through the Handmaids Tale by Margaret Attwood.  

I am also watching the series, we are up to episode 9 - can't wait for the finale.  I hope over the next couple of weeks to finish this.

So there we go - I am off to the Touring car racing at the weekend and camping at the circuit, so as long as the weather is ok, I hope to knit lots of socks.

Linking with Nicole

A Year of Projects Update - week 4

We made it!  I have survived another year and reached the summer holidays.  I am hoping to fit in a fair bit of knitting time in the next few weeks.
For now I have some progress.
FO's
I have one and lots that are nearly...

These are some socks for my dad for Christmas.  The yarn is a sport weight by Lana Grassa, which is lovely and soft.

WIP's
I have made progress on Breathing Space but haven't taken a photo.  It is nearly at the solid bottom part and hopefully I should have that finished by the end of the week and have cast on the sleeves.
Of course, I would have had that finished if I hadn't been distracted by my cropped sweater for winter by Andi Satterlund.  I have the body finished and am now doing the sleeves.  It is a worsted yarn so is knitting up quickly.  The yarn is stash yarn - De rerum natura and is gorgeous.

I am nearly done with my July socks - these are knit in Life in the Long grass sock yarn in arcade. The pattern is My Dearest Loveliest Elizabeth by Knitterarium.

I have also started another test knit, again for Ruth (Knitterarium), so I can't show you those but the yarn is here.

Finally, the last WIP I have made noticable progress on is the Bon Bon mitts by Joji Locatelli from the latest Pom Pom magazine.  These are knit in Malabrigo Arroyo and I have just started the thumb gusset.

I think that is all the progress this week.  I am making cakes today and hopefully getting to some sewing later.  I hope you all have a great week.

Week 2 - A Year of Projects - an audit

I thought this week I would do an audit of all the projects I have on my needles, to hopefully spur myself into action.

Whilst planning for the new list posted here, I cast on as many objects as possible.
So here we go.
Firstly, I cast on my July socks.  This is My Dearest Loveliest Elizabeth socks by Knitterarium.  I test knit this pattern and love it and think it is perfect for summer socks.  I am knitting them in Life in the long grass sock yarn in the arcade colourway - I defy anyone to tell me that isn't summer in yarn form!  These are being knit with my new needles - Addi lace 2.25mm.

 Secondly, while I was waiting for July to come, I cast on a pair of socks for dad for Christmas.  This is a sport weight yarn that is knitting up nice and quickly, I am up to the heel now.

 Next having planned that I wanted to have a cropped sweater, I got overexcited, found a pattern and cast on.  This is A cropped sweater for winter by Andi Satterlund. This is a free pattern and I had yarn in stash, so I went for it.  The yarn is de rerum natura - gilliatt - the yarn is gorgeous and the colour is to die for - in fact I may get more and knit a chuck sweater....

 Fourthly, my breathing space (yes I have 2 sweaters on the go!) which is coming along nicely.  I think I am going to do about 3 more inches of stripe then finish with the blue.  These are knit out of Travel Knitter yarn and my own dyed and using my Hiya Hiya interchangeable needles.

 Another new cast on is my Bon Bon mitts by Joji Locatelli from the latest Pom Pom magazine.  I am knitting these from Malabrigo Arroyo - can't remember the colourway at the moment.

 This is a long term WIP that I am determined to finish up.  These are my triangle socks.  I have one finished sock and now 1 and a half strips.  In all honesty, I now have no real desire to finish these, but I am not a frogger if I can help it, and anyway it is just lots of little bits of yarn, and I am not likely to every wear them as the fit is strange, but... I do not give up and I will not let them beat me - I will finish these this summer!

 Pen-ultimately, this is a new cast on.  This is a scarf/wrap called Sevilla from the latest Pom Pom.  I fancied knitting it and had some yarn in stash. This will probably be a gift in the end, but hopefully, will be a good stashbuster.  This is a bit slow going as the rows are so long as it is knit lengthways.

I do have one other long term WIP that I didn't take a photo of as I couldn't find it!  It is the Donder and Blitzen hat that is too small, so I was going to knit it for Daniel, but to be honest, is likely to be too small for him at this rate.  It is in a bag behind my seat and will drag it out soon!

So there we go - there is the audit.  Hopefully I will have made inroads next week!
Hope you all have a great week.

Week 1 - the new list!

2017/2018

This year, I have decided, is the year of the handmade wardrobe.  I have spent several years dabbling, and really want to make inroads to a me-made wardrobe.

Sewing
Skirts:

• Gathered skirt 
• Delphine skirt
• button through skirt
• yoked skirt

Tops:

• Tunic top
• t-shirt style top

Knitting

Sweaters:

• Breathing Space - in progress 
• Epistrophy - Coldharbour Mill yarn
• Tell it Slant - Eden Cottage Yarn
• Christmas Jumper - Tenderheart - John Arbon Textiles knit by numbers
• Cropped sweater for winter - using my De rerum Natura  Gilliatt - in progress

Accessories:

• Bonbon mitts - progress
• Socks - I am not going to specify a pattern as new ones come up and I always want to do them
• Shortie socks - to use up stash
• Knees up

Other items

Gifts:

• Socks - dad, Luke and a second pair for mum to do
• Scarf - Sevilla - in progress for a friend
• Bath bombs - for pressies and myself
• Christmas jumper for Thomas - follow tenderheart as for me but add colorwork from Anders

Craft fair/other crafts:

• Embroidery - develop to make myself some bags
• Dog coats - knit some more
• Hot water bottle covers

So there it is - the new list.  I am so excited about this year.  You might be able to tell that I have had a bit of a problem with castonitis this week - next week I shall show you all the projects and progress I have made!  If you fancy joining us, please head over to the group on Ravelry here.