An Accidental Knitter

The Tiger that Came to Tea

2012-03-02T18:05:00.000Z

Today ladies & jellybeans, I have something very different to share with you. Today, I bring you Marmalade!!

I don't think I need words for this post. I'm going to let the pictures do the talking.

And I don't mean to boast... but it's deeeelicious!!! :D If you want to make your own, this is the recipe we used. Highly recommend it. It's cheaper than buying all that marmalade, is lots of fun, and really easy to make!

I've finished Daisy's cardigan, and can't wait to show you all. But, I'm afraid you'll have to wait until Sunday!

For now though, head on over to FO Friday at Tami's Amis & Other Creations, Fibre Arts Friday at Wisdom Begins in Wonder and Creative Friday at Natural Surburbia!

Have a fab weekend!! x

Thursday Book Challenge: Week 4

2012-03-01T14:08:00.001Z

I can't believe we're at week 4 already, the weeks have just flown by! Anyway, this week I've been busy knitting so my reading has received very little attention. So I'm afraid its a very short update from me today!

So this week I am reading H.I.V.E: The Overlord Protocol (book 2) by Mark Walden. I found this series last year while surfing Shelfari, a wonderful book website that you really should check out, you can make your own profile and keep track of what you've read so far this year (I'm Berri on the site), anyway, I really enjoyed the first book H.I.V.E and had to know what happened next to these wonderful characters.

H.I.V.E (The Higher Institute of Villainous Education) is a school dedicated to training and educating the villains and sidekicks of the future. The children that are ~~kidnapped~~ brought to the school are elite; they are the most athletic, the most technically advanced, the smartest and most cunning child villains in the world. The books follow Otto Malpense, an orphan who ran the orphanage where he lived and also managed to trick the Prime Minister of England. When brought to the island he teams up with althetic martial-arts expert Wing Fanchu, spunky computer expert Laura Brand and diamond thief Shelby Trinity.

In the second book, The Overlord Protocol, Otto and Wing are shipped off to Tokyo to attend Wing's father's funeral. Little to do they know that they have been tricked by super-villain and council member Cypher, who is planning to use Otto and Wing to retrieve the Overlord Protocol, a device that will help him take over the world.

I'm not very far into the book, but I am enjoying the storyline so far. Looking forward to seeing the story progress and seeing how Otto and Wing handle the situation they have been thrown into.

So, that is what I'm reading this week, now its over to you. To take part, write your own Thursday Book Challenge post, telling us what you're reading this week and how you're getting on. When you're finished, pop back over here and put the link to your post in the Mr. Linky below. We'd also love it if you'd visit the other participants posts and leave a comment or two.

Suffering from Glove Love!

2012-02-24T15:39:00.000Z

I finished the Irish Hiking Armwarmers yesterday, Mum was incredibly chuffed with them. And so was I, actually. Really pleased that I managed to conquer the DPNs, now I can move onto socks and monsters and other awesome things.

I do have one request, though. I've been looking at sock patterns on Raverly, and I'm really not sure which is the most beginner friendly. If any of you have a moment, would you have a look through them and possibly send me a message (or leave a comment on this post) telling me which one I should have a go at? I would be eternally grateful!

I uploaded a picture of the Emanelle gloves I did a while ago, onto FaceBook the other day and my older sister left this comment:

WANT ONE PLEASE SIS!! two would be better though! xxxmwahxxx

So, I set to work on her pair. I couldn't find a pattern I preferred over Emanelle, so I just stuck with the same pattern but in a different colour!

I chose James C. Brett Top Value DK in Turquoise, the same yarn I used for my By the Sea French Press cover. It is really good value for money, for two skeins (612 yards/559 metres) I paid £3.58 on Deramores. It knits really well and the colours are lovely. As you can tell, I can't sing its praises loud enough!!

Only took me a day to knit Tamsin's gloves up, I really liked how they turned out. I might even have to knit myself another pair in the same colour!

So as you can see, the glove love is bordering on obsessive. But, I'm enjoying it.

Right now I've cast on for Daisy's Tuck Stitch Helmet, hoping to get some work done on that over the weekend. More about that on Sunday, though!

©Wikipedia

So, I hope you all have a lovely weekend and that the weather picks up! Grey and cloudy here in the UK at the moment, but we have seen Snowdrops starting to open which means Spring is here - hooray!

Head on over to these wonderful blogs for more Friday Fun!

FO Friday at Tami's Amis and Other Creations
Fibre Arts Friday at Wisdom Begins in Wonder
Creative Friday at Natural Suburbia

Thursday Book Challenge: Week 3!

2012-02-23T12:53:00.000Z

If you were here last week, you probably remember the problems I was having with My Lady Ludlow by Elizabeth Gaskell. I've decided to heed Ruth's advice, and come back to the book some other time. So, I decided to pop it away and try something completely different. I had a route through the Kindle, and found a book called The Middle Passage by Julia Golding. I got it for free and to be honest I wasn't expecting much but, I found myself pleasantly surprised!

"Summer 1792. Our favourite adventurer, Cat Royal, is sailing home from the Caribbean in the company of Billy Shepherd. They stumble into a mystery in the Azores involving stargazers, thieves and far too many wasps." - Amazon.co.uk

One brilliant thing the author has done, is that she's made it easy for you to read the book despite it being halfway through the series. The language in the book is easy to understand, characters are easy to identify with, and as the author's descriptions are clear and simple you can easily imagine what characters look like etc. It is really, the perfect children's book. While reading it, I could very easily imagine it as a film...

So, my other book for this week is TimeRiders: The Gates of Rome (Book 5) by Alex Scarrow. At the end of the last book, The Eternal War, we are left with the loss of another team member and more secrets are brought to light. I've not read much of The Gates of Rome yet, but what I've read so far is fantastic. Full of humour, and the uncovering of secrets. Foster also manages to let slip a very big secret at the beginning of the book, which leaves Maddy, Liam & Sal upset, angry and confused.

This book is my favourite in the series so far, and I can't wait to find out how the team are going to get back to 2001 and put history back as it should be.

So, now its over to you! To take part, head on over to your blog and write about your reading for this week. Then when you're finished, get the link to your post (not to your blog, just the post) and then pop it into the Mr.Linky below! All we ask is that you link back to us in your post, and read one or two of the other participants posts.

Well, Paint me Purple and Call me Barney!

2012-02-22T18:11:00.000Z

A couple of weeks ago the lovely Michelle was having a de-stash, and she very kindly sent me 4 skeins of Lion Brand Cashmere Blend, in Dusty Blue. My Mum was there as I was opening the packet, as soon as she saw the yarn she asked if I'd make her a pair of mittens. After a quick flick through the wonder that is Raverly, I found the Irish Hiking Scarf Armwarmers by Delia Rau Cholakian and set to work!

The yarn is 72% Merino wool, 15& Nylon and13% Cashmere, so the yarn is soooooo incredibly soft. I could sit and cuddle it all day. Such a shame that the yarn was discontinued, but Lion Brand do have another Merino & Cashmere mix yarn which I'm really hoping to have a go with in the near future.

The glove pattern is really fun and simple, and I have been really enjoying knitting it! It took me around 2 hours to knit the left hand glove, which is quite quick really. My Mum really loves the gloves, but as she has Arthritis she asked me to knit a thumb on them.

'Right...' I said. I've not knitted with DPNs on my own before so the panic set it. Thoughts rushed through my head:

'I'm gonna ruin them... they're going to be a mess... I have trouble knitting with two needles, never mind five... how am I meant to knit a thumb without a pattern??'

But I dug through my needle case and found some 5mm DPNs, cuddled up in my bed and just went for it. Using 4 DPNs I picked up and knitted about 20 stitches (really should have counted) and knitted away.

Well paint me purple and call me Barney, it actually worked!

Now I've had this little victory, I'm going to bite the bullet and start those socks again.

So, this evening I'm going to do the second glove and maybe even cast on for my pair of socks. How exciting!!

So now you've seen what I'm working on this week, head on over to Work in Progress Wednesday, where Tami is knitting a beautiful pair of socks. Once you've finished over at Tami's, get over to Ginny's for this weeks Yarn Along!

Twinkle Twinkle, Ball of Yarn... How I Wonder What You'll Be...

2012-02-17T18:48:00.000Z

After I made my Emanelle fingerless gloves, I had over half a skein of my Strawberry Yummy DK left over. I had no idea what to do with it, and then while I was on holiday I was flicking through the Hats & Mitts supplement from my latest magazine, and found a great pattern called A Hint of Sparkle by Kirstie McLeod. After looking at it, I thought they would be perfect for my best friend Abby.

So as soon as I got back home, I cast on. They only took me a few hours to knit up, and I really enjoyed making them! Included in the magazine were these gorgeous heart buttons, they only gave you 6 but I would love a whole jar full of them!!

As I was putting the parcel together (with a decoupage card I made too!) it didn't feel quite complete, so I flicked through my magazine collection and found the Faye Purse by Sian Brown, which was in Let's Knit Issue 43. Turned out to be perfect, as Abby has just gotten a new phone and iPod Touch, and was talking to me about wanting a new case just a couple of days before. As Abby's iPod is white, I decided to use the white and purple Peter Pan yarn. The yarn is lovely to work with, so incredibly soft and it has sparkly thread running through the yarn so it sparkles under the light. I'm actually using the purple for Daisy's cardigan and ballet pumps!

I was a complete donut and forgot to take a
picture of the case, but fortunately Abby was there to
save the day! Thank you!

The pattern was nice and easy, and knitted up pretty quickly. As I didn't put the yarn into bobbins, it did keep getting tangled, but I've learnt my lesson and will take the time to make it into bobbins next time I try any Fair Isle-type work!

The parcel arrived on her doorstep the next day, and I'm pleased to say that she loves them! *woohoo*

Hopefully on Sunday I'll be able to you Daisy's cardigan and ballet pumps all finished! The pumps just need sewing up, and I just have one more sleeve and the neckband left to do on the cardigan. I am knitting some more gloves too, but you'll have to wait until next week to see them ;)

For now though, head on over to Tami's for F.O Friday (oh, and while you're there, check out her new yarn colourways!), Fibre Arts Friday and Creative Friday for more Finished Object Fun!

Have a great weekend folks! x

Thursday Book Challenge: Week 2

2012-02-16T00:00:00.001Z

Welcome to the second week of the Thursday Book Challenge! To find out more about this meme, head over here.

So, this week I have chosen to read TimeRiders: The Eternal War (Book 4) by Alex Scarrow, My Lady Ludlow by Elizabeth Gaskell and Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne.

But, before I start telling you about this weeks books, here is a quick update on how I did last week.

Last week I set out to read Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell, TimeRiders: The Doomsday Code (Book 3) by Alex Scarrow and The Maze Runner by James Dashner. I managed to read Cranford and TimeRiders 3, both of which I really enjoyed. TimeRiders was full of surprises and secrets... which I hope I will find the answers too soon! Unfortunately, I have managed to lose my library card *facepalm*, so I haven't been able to pick up my reservations. Hopefully sometime next week they'll be able to sort me out with a new card...

So, onto this weeks. I desperately wanted to find out what happened next in the TimeRiders series, so The Eternal War was my first book of the week. It was very good, but it 'felt' a lot different to the previous books. In actual fact, it felt more like a film script than a book. The storyline was very good, though. It was nice to spend more time with Maddy, the leader of the TimeRiders. I enjoyed getting to know her character more, and learning what makes her tick. The ending was sad, (can't state the reason for fear of *spoiling*) and instead of answering questions, made me ask more! So, I'm really hoping in the 5th book, the Gates of Rome, we'll be able to find out some answers.

Lady Ludlow from the BBC TV Series,
Cranford.

I decided to carry on with the Elizabeth Gaskell novellas, and so this week I am reading My Lady Ludlow. It is about an aristocratic widow and the way she handles the social and political change of the country. The entire story is told through Miss Dawson, whom Lady Ludlow took into her care at the age of 16, after Margaret's father passed away.

I have to admit, I'm not loving it so far. But whether that is due to the story, or the fact that I'd much rather be knitting Daisy's new cardigan, I'm not quite sure.

So, that is how I'm getting on with my reading this week. Now its over to you! To take part, head on over to your blog and write about your reading for this week. Then when you're finished, get the link to your post (not to your blog, just the post) and then pop it into the Mr.Linky below! All we ask is that you link back to us in your post, and read one or two of the other participants posts.

Knitting, the Universe, and Everything!

2012-02-15T18:58:00.000Z

Having a new teacup-human in the family (fantastic turn of phrase by AndiSocial) means that you get to knit lots of cute, tiny things. This weeks teacup-human knitting is the Jacket with Moss Stitch Bands and Moss Stitch Shoes, both of which are from the book Baby Knits for Beginners by Debbie Bliss.

The Moss Stitch Shoes, are really pretty. And you'll probably remember me blogging about knitting them not too long ago. I forget why I ended up frogging them... but anyway! Now they're back, and I've really enjoyed knitting them!

Click to see it bigger!

They were really easy to knit, and very fast too! They're sat in my knitting bag now... waiting to be sewn up. So hopefully on Sunday you'll get to see the finished result!

Back Panel

Now, I am knitting the Jacket with Moss Stitch Bands. As it is my first time knitting a garment, I decided to pick something simple to get me going. I started it yesterday, and I'm amazed at how quick it is knitting up! Yesterday I managed to start and finish the back panel, and today I've almost finished the front left panel :)

Front Left Panel

It is basically stocking stitch with (you guessed it) moss stitch bands. As it is a 'mindless' knit, it has meant that I can read while knitting. Which is great news, because I'm really behind on my reading goal already this year. But, more on that tomorrow.

So now I've entered the world of 'proper knitting' (as my Mother calls it) I've lined up a few more cardigans to try my needle at in the next few weeks. They are: Simply Shrug by Ida Olniansky, Peggy Sue by Linda Wilgus and Dress with Eyelets by Debbie Bliss.The first two for myself, and the latter for my niece Daisy! (Who is going to be the recipient of the Moss Stitch Shoes & Cardi)

So, now its time for you to head on over to Tami's where WIP Wednesday has reached its 80th week - can you believe it??

Have a great week everyone, and don't forget to pop on by tomorrow for the 2nd week of the Thursday Book Challenge!

Thursday Book Challenge: Week 1

2012-02-09T00:00:00.006Z

Getting your knitting and reading balanced is always tricky. One minute your obsessed with finishing your shawl, and the next you can't seem to put that novella down. Abby (Virtual Stitch) and myself understand much to well the difficulty of this balancing act, and proposed to do something about it. And thus, the Thursday Book Challenge (TBC) was born.

You can find a full explanation of this new meme, here. (If I explained it and then did my post for the week, it would be a good mile long!)

Feel free to use the graphic in your post!

So, this week I chose to read Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell, Timeriders: The Doomsday Code (Book 3) by Alex Scarrow, and, if I can get to the library this Friday, The Maze Runner by James Dashner.

I've watched the BBC Adaptation of Cranford and Return to Cranford, many, many times. And thoroughly enjoyed it. (And may be a little in love with William Buxton) The series' are actually based on three novellas by Mrs. Gaskell: Cranford, My Lady Ludlow and Mr. Harrison's Confessions. And I hope to read them all over the coming weeks.

©BBC

It is set in the 1840s in the fictional town of Cranford in the north-west of England (although it is believed to be based on Knutsford in Cheshire). The occupants of the town are almost all women and they are all very set in their traditional ways. Miss Mary Smith (who, in my belief, is Elizabeth Gaskell herself) goes to stay with the Jenkyns sisters, Miss Deborah and Miss Matty. The book is really a very long letter written by Miss Smith about the adventures of the Cranford ladies.

The different stories move like a bullet train, and you don't get to enjoy one story for very long when another one pulls in and takes over. Which, I think is a shame. The book is also a little jumbled. She relates one experience in June for example, then goes back to the November before, and then takes you to another adventure set in the August of next year.

Despite all this, though, the book is fabulous. I really enjoyed reading it. Things are a lot different in the book to the series (for ex. Captain Brown dies in the book, but lives on in the adaptation) so you do get to enjoy new characters and stories which do not appear in the adaptation.

©BBC

My favorite character has to be Miss Pole. The free-thinking gossip of the town. She is full of wit, sarcasm and humor and the book would suffer greatly without her.

I managed to finish the book on Tuesday morning, so it was quite a quick read. I tried to think of Cranford inspired knits, and all I could think of were these lovely fingerless mittens which I could easily see Miss Matty wear.

I started the Doomsday Code by Alex Scarrow yesterday, and am really enjoying it. As I am not very far into the book I can't give much of an opinion other than I am really enjoying it. It's great to be back with the characters and am looking forward to seeing how they face the challenges that this book brings them.

So, now its your turn! To share you post with us, fill your information into the Mr. Linky below! (Make sure you give us the link to you post and not your home-page) All we ask is that you link back to us in your post so that we can get the word out about this meme, and perhaps read and comment on a few of the other participants posts. But mainly, have fun!!

EDIT:

Sorry about all the hassle with the Mr. Linky, it is working now, but it takes a minute or two to add your link. If you're still having trouble, please tell me by leaving a comment! Thank you, and sorry about all that!

What does a Blood Thirsty Vampire with a Cold, Knit?

2012-02-08T13:33:00.000Z

This past week, I haven't been feeling too good. On top of the normal things, I've had inner and outer ear infections in both ears, conjunctivitis in both eyes and a heavy cold. In all honest truth, I looked like I had staggered off the set of a horror film.

When one is attired like a blood-thirsty vampire with a cold, one must knit like a blood-thirsty vampire with a cold. And what does a hungry vampire knit?

It would probably knit this.

Near the end of September my Nan gave me two child-size skeins of Aran yarn. I decided to knit myself a big, squishy, garter stitch blanket. Something I could knit when I was having a bad day with my M.E (as when I have a bad day, I can't knit. I just mess it all up!), and also something to work at while watching TV.

Just over 4 months later, and here we are. I've managed to knit my way through a whole child-size skein (875yds/800m) and am onto my second skein. It is measuring 90cm width wise (but I do believe it will be longer when taken off the needles, as it is all squished on there as of present) and 95cm length wise.

I'm planning on making it big. Something to keep us toasty and warm in the winter. Hopefully I'll finish it before summer, because I don't think I'll be able to cope with knitting it, I'll get far too hot!!

Sorry about the rubbish iPod Camera shots, my normal camera is broken :(

So, now I no longer look and feel like a blood thirsty vampire with a cold, I can move onto bigger and better knits. Perhaps Reversible Beanie Hat II may appear this time next week... who knows!

For the meantime, head on over to Tami's where she is knitting some beautiful socks!

Do Mi So Do, Do So Mi Do....

2012-02-07T15:37:00.000Z

When she finished teaching her art class, Mum very kindly bought me a cross stitch kit! She brought home with her Marie from the Aristocats! As it is a Soluble Canvas Kit in did not include fabric, but fortunately we had a small piece floating around the house.

I did start it last week, but it went terribly wrong so I decided to rip it back and start again on Sunday afternoon.

It all worked much better the second time around. Once I got into the swing of it I really enjoyed it, and on a few occasions had to force myself to put it down!

I'm really pleased with how it turned out... I know the colours aren't quite what they should be (I got confused, the shades of grey all looked the same!) but I'm pleased with it nonetheless.

This afternoon I am going to cut it out and put it onto a card. I'll show you my efforts next week! I do also have another cross stitch planned for my younger sister. Mum bought the fabric yesterday and I'm waiting to get the correct colours :) So, hopefully they'll be something to show you next Tuesday!

Whenever I think Aristocats, I think of Scales and Arpeggios!

By the Sea

2012-01-27T20:01:00.000Z

Living near the coast, you can't not be inspired by the beautiful colours and landscapes. After my eldest sister claimed the first French Press cozy I designed, Candy Bobble, it left my Mum without a cozy. So, I decided to design her another one with the seaside theme in mind!

So, I give to you, friends and readers, By the Sea!

It is a quick, easy, fun and most importantly, cheap! knit. The pattern is available for free as a PDF download on Ravelry.

For the show knit, I used James C. Brett Top Value Double Knit in Turquoise. Which is cheap yarn, but really good quality and I will definitely use them again. My Mum found the Seashell buttons by chance, and they work perfectly with the pattern.

For now, head on over to Tami's for more Fab Friday Finishes!! Have a great weekend everyone!

A Big Mac Just Fell Out of the Sky!

2012-01-25T16:56:00.000Z

As I sit here, in my jogging pants and sweatshirt trying to keep an eye on my 3 year old niece as she dances around the room with empty biscuit boxes and orange juice cartons while attempting to write about my lace hat as the fluffy monster that is my dog Lilo, sits on my lap and part of the laptop.

It isn't going well.

And neither is my hat.

I'm making the Reversible Lace Beanie Hat (no picture on Ravelry as of yet!) from Issue 88 of Simply Knitting (just found this magazine, and I am in love with it. Best magazine I've found so far!) for my little sister Katy. She looks great in hats, which makes me very jealous as I tend to look like Goofy from the Disney channel when I try and wear one.

I'm using Albero by Louisa Harding, that I bought back in September from The Cornwall Yarn Shop down in Launceston. So soft it's unbelievable, unfortunately it did split when I ripped back a row which meant that I knitted the split stitches, thinking they were actual stitches. Which meant the pattern went wrong and I had to rip back another round. But of course that made the stitches split, and then the cycle went round again and again until I got so annoyed I stuffed the it away into the Yarn Box for a time out. I then decided I don't like knitting in the round and will never do it again.

The hat is knitted in the round, and other than my socks (which I messed up as well. But it really wasn't my fault, the pattern is written wrong, honest!) I haven't had much experience with knitting in this way. While I was knitting my socks I decided I didn't like DPNs and much prefer circular needles. So when I decided to cast on this project I headed over to YouTube and learnt how to do Magic Loop.

Once you know how, Magic Loop is really easy and you don't need to worry about losing a DPN (which I did on several occasions) as you have both your needles there all the time. I'm hoping you can knit socks with magic loop, because if you can I will definitely start knitting them again.

Anyway, back to the hat. Another additional factor to the meltdown and time out was because stitches started disappearing, and no matter how many rounds I rip back, I cannot find them. I've looked at each stitch very carefully (a magnifying glass almost came out at one point!) but to no avail.

So, to finally get to my point, I am thinking of frogging the entire thing and starting again. I know that it is a very drastic thing to do but I think in the long run it'll all be worth it. I'm off to say my farewells. It was nice knowing you, Reversible Beanie Hat I. May your successor, Reversible Beanie Hat II, live long and prosper.

I'm off to look for that Big Mac, perhaps it'll be at the end of the rainbow with that massive pot of gold I see in the distance... meanwhile, head on over Tami's where she is hosting some WIP Wednesday fun!

An Accidental Cross Stitcher

2012-01-24T15:06:00.000Z

My cousin's piece of handi-work.

My Great Aunt, Aunt and Cousin are all cross-stitchers. And they're all very, very good. This tradition has sat heavily on my shoulders while I waited for the right moment to learn. That moment was today, at 7am.

After hunting for the thread and fabric, I sat myself down in front of this video by videojugartscrafts, which was really helpful and made certain things such as reading a chart much clearer to understand.

As I didn't have a pattern to follow I did a bit of freestyle. Here is how I got on.

I had a lot of fun doing it, and I can see myself getting seriously obsessed with it... you never know, Tuesdays just might become Stitchin' Tuesdays!

Tune in tomorrow to see the lace hat I'm trying to knit at the moment. All I'm going to say is, it isn't going well!

Pirates of Penzance

2012-01-23T15:43:00.000Z

©Planet Whale

We've had a crazy couple of weeks as a family, so we decided to let our hair down for a bit and go away for the weekend. We decided to spend it in Penzance, I visited Penzance when I was a little girl and loved it. The one thing I really remember was sitting on the harbour wall, eating fish n' chips while we watched the (wild) dolphins play with the boats in the harbour.

We stayed in Cape Cornwall Golf & Leisure Resort in St. Just. A lovely little place, the staff were really nice and helpful and we had a great time.

Saturday was when the holiday really kicked off, we got up and ready and headed into town. While on our way we spotted this gorgeous thatched cottage, and I just had to hop out of the car and take a picture.

Mum dropped us off into town while she went and parked the car. So Katy and I just wandered about, popped into Mimi's boutique, which was a really cute little place. Then we wandered over to Knit Wits, we sat at the little table she had there and looked through pattern books and magazines. Saw some really nice stuff, especially the Debbie Bliss books 'A Fine Romance' and 'Baby Cashermino 3'.

After an hour or so off window shopping we met up with Mum and had cake. Bakewell tart to be precise. Which was delicious. While we were wandering the high street we stumbled upon a cinema. So, Katy and I went to see the absolutely brilliant War Horse while Mum went and looked in galleries.

In the evening we grabbed some fish and chips and ate them while looking out onto St. Michael's Mount. We got some lovely shots of the beach while we were there.

We then drove to St.Ives, which is only about 15 minutes away, and got ourselves some desert from Peppers. I had the Chocolate Marquis which is dark chocolate and orange mousse. It was divine. It tasted like a melted Terry's chocolate orange. Yum.

Sunday afternoon we got ourselves a Big Mac and headed on home. We saw plenty of windmills (I might have a slight obsession with them :brow) and sung along to plenty of Coldplay songs.

So it was a great success and we're all really pleased we did it. Cheered us all up no end!

Now, I'm sure you're wondering about my holiday knitting... well, I assure you I did manage to do some knitting. I even learned a new technique while I was there, but that is another post for another day. So stay tuned this week!

Knitting the Town Red

2012-01-15T20:46:00.003Z

Yesterday afternoon was the ultimate lazy day. I stayed in my pyjamas, watched films and knitted 'til my hands hurt.

I logged onto the computer in the morning and read the Yarn Harlot's latest post. She was knitting mittens and it inspired me to get out my beautiful Strawberry DK from Candy Skein that I bought back in July from the lovely Tami and start knitting the Emanelle fingerless mittens I had queued for Year of Projects.

For some reason I thought I was doing Moss Stitch (seed stitch) so it took several attempts to get 6 rows of 1x1 rib. Finally I got the 'base' of the mitten down and I could get my teeth into the pattern.

I loved, loved, loved knitting these gloves. The Yummy DK is soft to touch, glides across the needles and the strawberry colour just looks delicious. I cannot recommend this yarn enough. Just buy it, and you'll know what I mean.

Anyway, back to the gloves. Well, everything went swimmingly. The 8 row pattern was easy to remember, and I was soon able to knit without consulting the pattern. When I knitted my Bright and Bold cable bag, I found it a little boring despite the constant colour change. With this cable pattern however, I was knitting with only one colour and had only one cable to combat, yet it was a lot more interesting. I'm not sure whether this is because I was infatuated with this skein of yarn, or that I genuinely liked the pattern.

I finished the first glove just before dinner, and the moment it was finished it was slipped on my hand and shown off to the family. I waved at my Mum as if I was the Queen while saying, 'Helloooo, hellooooo' in my most regal manner (trying to show my glove off as much as possible). She got the hint and said, 'What a lovely glove, did you knit that yourself?'

I didn't fall asleep until 4am last night (... or should I say this morning?) so I got to work on the second glove. I knitted while wearing the first glove for as long as possible, until I got too hot and had to lay my handy work by my side. I finished it in an hour and a half, and became a happy owner of my first hand-knit gloves.

I'm really pleased with how they turned out, and can't wait to wear them out tomorrow afternoon. Fortunately I have enough yarn for another pair of gloves, so I thought I'd make a pair for my best friend. Not sure if I'll use the same pattern, I'll have to look through Ravelry and see if I can find another pattern to tackle.

So, that is my first completed Year of Projects project this year completed, woohoo! I'm casting on for my Abysall Shawl as we speak, which is the next YOP project I'm going to attempt. So, if you fancy reading some more Year of Project posts head on over to When Did I Become a Knitter where the creator, Kerri, is holding a Mr. Linky. Or, you can pop on over to the Year of Projects group on Ravelry, while I go and help myself to a Galaxy Promise. Yummers.

100 Days 100 Words: Yarn

2012-01-07T07:00:00.010Z

This post was meant to have been published yesterday morning as a scheduled post. But, Blogger decided to throw a temper tantrum and not publish it. I told it 'I wasn't impressed and hoped this behaviour did not happen again', hopefully it'll think about what it has done while it sits with a numb bum on the naughty step. Enjoy!

Over the past few months, I have received a lot of yarn. Even with all the organizing, my yarn box is almost filled to the brim. I've been giving everything from sock yarn, to recycled silk. And I have no idea what to do with most of it!

Way back in September my Nan sent me a big, squishy package. In there were two child-size skeins of Robin Aran Wool, I had no idea what to do with them when suddenly inspiration struck and I decided to make myself a soft and squishy garter stitch blanket. She also bought me 6 skeins of Wendy Peter Pan Double Knit in purple, and another 6 in white. I'm planning on using them to make cardigans for my nieces.

She also bought me two skeins of Bergere fe France Toison in Hermine and Blason. I have no idea what I could make with either of them, so if you had any suggestions they would be extremely appreciated!

Now, the following couple of skeins are the most interesting, and puzzling. When in Laxey, Isle of Man she found this Recycled Silk. She had a go with it, but decided it wasn't for her. So she thought I might like to have a go with it. Now, I would love to make something with it, as it is lovely, but I have no idea what to do with it. It feels like an Aran weight, but it has strands of it which almost feel Chunky. I'm thinking that a simple stocking stitch scarf might be in its future, as I think you wouldn't be able to see any other stitches because of the colour.

In September, I decided to make my sister a blanket that would match the colour-scheme of her bedroom. So I ordered 2 skeins each of King Cole Big Value DK in Ocean and Kingfisher. Two skeins each of James C. Brett Top Value DK in Royal Blue and Turquoise. And finally another two skeins of Stylecraft Special Double Knit in White.

My Mum took me to the Cornwall Yarn Shop

Then in October I took part in a swap with my lovely friend Myriah. She sent me two skeins of Rauma Finnullga, which is a Norwegian Fingering Wool. I'm planning on making myself the Abysall shawl by Karen & Karyn. She also bought me a skein of Dale of Norway.

November was the month of sock yarn. I was given Rico Design Superba Chinee which I'm using to make my first ever pair of socks. I was also given Rico Design Superba Mexico and Sirdar Town & Country.

Click here if you'd like to read my previous 100 Days 100 Words posts, or find out how it all started by clicking here.

Have a great weekend! :)

À La Mode

2012-01-04T17:11:00.000Z

Yesterday I was trying to keep calm and carry on knitting. I decided to make some changes to my Year of Projects list, and I am really pleased I did. Goodpurlgonebad managed to sum it up in just one sentence, she said: "I agree too that changing one's mind is generally a good thing and the range of projects will mean that you'll always have something that appeals to cast on."

After writing that post I dived straight for my Yarn Box and pulled out a skein of Peter Pan DK by Wendy that I was given a few months ago by my Nan (come back on Saturday to see my yarn I've procured over the past couple of months, and what I plan to do with it). It's lovely and sparkly, and just the right shade of purple for my gorgeous niece, Daisy.

I'm knitting Moss Stitch Shoes by Debbie Bliss, the pattern is from the book Baby Knits for Beginners, by Debbie Bliss. I am planning on making the Jacket with Moss Stitch Bands in the same yarn as the booties, as soon as I can.

The yarn is nice to work with, very soft and it just glides across the needles. I had to unravel it once or twice due to increasing the wrong way, and it the yarn became very fuzzy, and the sparkly thread ( I think it is) came away from the yarn and kept getting in the way when I was knitting. But other than that, the yarn has been good. I will definitely use it again, and good job really as I have another 5 skeins in purple, and 6 skeins of white!

The pattern is pretty simple to do, had a bit of trouble of increasing 'in pattern' but after a couple of tries I've got the hang of it now. I was meant to use 2.75mm needles for the booties, but as our dear Daisy is growing very fast (as baby's seem to do) by the time I'm finished with these and the cardi (hopefully give them at the same time) she'll be able to wear the pair I am making with 3.5mm needles.

Unfortunately it lacks in instructions for sewing up the shoe, so I am going to beg for help from my Mum and all you lovely Ravelers. Hopefully on Sunday you'll find something that slightly resembles a shoe!

Well, thats all for now. I'm going to try and get my TV Aerial working as I wait for Super Mario Galaxy to arrive. Woohoo!

For more crafty posts, head over to Tami's WIP Wednesday!

Keep Calm and Carry On Knitting

2012-01-03T13:27:00.003Z

While on my blogging break I was mulling over my Year of Projects choices. I had initially decided to knit my way through the book Mug Hugs by Alison Howard.

I've been thinking about this for a little while now, and I have decided to scrap my first list and start afresh. I am not in any way saying that Alison's book is a disappointment, it is very good and I'm pleased I bought it. The reason for changing my mind is that I'd like a bit of variety, and a smaller list. You may think, Mug Hugs oh pish posh. I could knit them in my sleep. And I'm sure you could, but I have found some of them too difficult and beyond my skill level for the moment.

In the future I would like to work my way through the book, but for now I would like to have a go at something a little easier.

For my new list, I have a few easier knits but I also have some that will demand not only my full attention but some new skills as well. I want to not only come out of this... 'experience' with some lovely projects, but I would like to come away with new skills that I can use in the future.

So, here is my shiny new list. It isn't particularly long, but that is due to the fact that it is January and I have only 6 months to go until the end of the project. I may add some more projects if I feel I can manage it, but for now I think this list will do me just fine. I will talk more about the patterns when I start knitting them, as I don't want this post to be too long and boring for you all.

In no particular order, here are my Year of Projects! (Or 6 Months of Projects, should I say?)

Moss Stitch Shoes by Debbie Bliss

Jacket with Moss Stitch Bands by Debbie Bliss

Emanelle by Nancy Ricci (completed - see here)

Lazy Days by Val Pierce (Not yet on the Ravelry Database)

Tuck Stitch Helmet by Sirdar (Not yet on the Ravelry Database)

Beanie Hat by Kirstie McLeod

Monarch Shawl by Denise

Abyssal by Karen and Karyn

Honey Bear by Norma Cambell (read all about my history with my bear Henry, here)

I am excited about this new list, I I'm going to cast on the swatch for the Moss Stitch Shoes this afternoon. I hope they look half as good as Helsbels3 pair!

If you would like to see more Year of Project posts, type YOP11-12 into Google, or head over to the Come-Blog-a-Long group on Ravelry.

My First Knitting Pupil!

2012-01-02T16:12:00.001Z

I had a couple of friends over yesterday, which was really nice. While Emily and Katy hid in the kitchen and painted their nails, Amy and I decided to get crafty. She noticed my Scrunchable Scarf I'm knitting in the corner of the room, and said "Wow, you're really good at knitting. I can only do the one thing - knit." I got a sudden urge of excitement. "Aw thank you, well... I can teach you if you like..." "Oh, yes please!"

I did a quick fist pump, ran up the stairs (which I shouldn't do. And Mum if you're reading this, I'm sorry.) and did a knee slide across the floor to my yarn box (or, the rectangularcubething for any of you who were reading on Friday). In all the excitement of having my own ~~victim~~ pupil, I pulled out some white cotton (which says it is Aran weight but it is really DK) and a pair of 7mm plastic needles. Which really didn't work, as the needles were far too big for the yarn. Meaning it looked holey (is that even a word?!), when it should have been nice and neat.

I decided to teach her Purl, which when teamed with Knit meant that she could do stocking stitch! She just absorbed everything I said and showed her, which was great! She learnt to purl incredibly quickly and was soon asking to learn something else.

We then plodded downstairs, popped Gnomeo and Juliet on in the DVD Player (which was a gift from my Nan when she was clearing out. So much easier to use than an old PS2, thank you Nan!) and I taught her to cast on.

As with Purl, she learnt how to cast on very quickly. She saw me knitting my scarf and said, "Hey, can I learn to do that stitch you're using for the scarf?" "Of course, I should have thought of it earlier. It is very easy. Simply knit 2, purl 1. Then repeat."

I showed her a row of the k2, p1 and then she had a go herself. For this she used a pair of 4mm bamboo needles (which she found a lot easier to use, stitches don't slip around so easily) and some cheap acrylic. Stylecraft DK in Yellow, to be exact.

She got a little stuck every now and again, but in the whole she did really well. During the rest of the day, wherever she went, so did her knitting. So we may see another knitter coming into the world! :e

I gave her the 4mm needles and DK yarn for her to practice with, as all she had at home was some split-prone cotton, which isn't very good to learn with. In the end, our knitty day looked a little something like this! Minus the chocolate wrappers and nail polish.

Click to enlarge.

It was a lovely day and I hope we can do it again soon. I can't leave without showing you Katy's nails. She borrowed Emily's cracked nail polish (unsure of the brand, sorry) and I just think the end result is fab!

Check out other crafty posts over at Make Something Mondays, Craft-O-Maniac Mondays, More the Merrier Mondays and Made by You Monday.

2011 Reading List

2011-12-31T19:53:00.000Z

I've always been an avid reader, but when I developed M.E a couple of years ago I found reading incredibly difficult. This year though, I started feeling well enough to read again! :h So this year, my best friend and I decided to challenge ourselves to read 50 books in a year.

And We Both Did It!

You can see what she read in 2011 over here, and below is my 2011 reading list! ^_^

February

1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

2. The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket

3. The Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket

4. The Wide Window by Lemony Snicket

5. Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild

6. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Mans Cheast

March

7. Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome

8. The Invisible Man by H.G Wells

9. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

10. Song for Summer by Eva Ibbotson

11. Doggie Day Care Murder by Laurien Berenson

I had to stop reading for a couple of months because my M.E got worse

August

12. P.S I Love You by Cecilia Ahern

13. A Place Called Here by Cecilia Ahern

October

14. The Foundling by Georgette Heyer

15. Matched by Ally Condie

16. The Declaration by Gemma Malley

17. Sylvester by Georgette Heyer

18. The Miserable Mill by Lemony Snicket

19. The Austere Academy by Lemony Snicket

20. The Resistance by Gemma Malley

21. Holes by Louis Sachar

22. The Eratz Elevator by Lemony Snicket

23. Room by Emma Donoghue

24. The Vile Village by Lemony Snicket

25. The Hostile Hospital by Lemony Snicket

26. The Carnivirous Carnival by Lemony Snicket

27. The Slippery Slow by Lemony Snicket

28. The Grim Grotto by Lemony Snicket

29. The Penultimate Peril by Lemony Snicket

30. The Legacy by Gemma Malley

31. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

November

32. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

33. TimeRiders by Alex Scarrow

34. Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

35. Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder

36. Delirium by Lauren Oliver

37. 39 Clues by Rick Riordan

38. Surviving Antarctica by Andrea White

December

39. Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

40. The End by Lemony Snicket

41. Crossed by Ally Condie

42. Warriors: The New Prophecy 'Midnight' by Erin Hunter

43. My Man Jeeves by P.G Wodehouse

44. I am Number 4 by Pittacus Lore

45. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams

46. The Famous Five Run Away Together by Enid Blyton

47. The Famous Five on Finniston Farm by Enid Blyton

48. H.I.V.E by Mark Walden

49. Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

50. No Wind of Blame

Book of the Year: TimeRiders by Alex Scarrow

Worst Book of the Year: Song for Summer by Eva Ibbotson

Next year I plan to read 100 books (gasp)! So please leave me some book suggestions, as I am slowly running out of ideas.

2012 Here We Come!!

Charlotte, Can You Beat the Cube?!

2011-12-30T19:45:00.000Z

For any of you who haven't seen the ITV Gameshow the Cube, I'll give you a quick summary. Contestants are put inside a giant cube and asked to preform deceivingly simple tasks in return for big wads of cash.

No one has ever beaten the Cube, so I thought it was time that I gave it a bash.

Now, the Cube I am attempting to conquer isn't glass panelled and fitted with slow-motion cameras. I haven't got Philip Schofield to explain things to me, and I don't have large amounts of cash to act as an incentive for me to finish.

The Cube I am attempting to beat isn't even a Cube, it's a rectangle. A small wooden rectangle, filled with colourful squishy yarn.

I sat and watched, green with envy, Kerri over at When Did I Become a Knitter, defeat her amazing stash and get it into a lovely organised fashion. So, I decided to take on the rectangularcubething and join the ranks of knitters who have defeated the enemy that is the un-tidy, IAlwaysSeemToTripOverIt, stash.

The first task was to take all the yarn out of the metaphorical cube, and lay it on my floor in a big heap. Like so.

After getting it all out (which wasn't as easy as it looked, mark one of the Cube, deceivingly simple tasks) I put all the yarns knotted together into a pile, to try and sort it out. After looking at it, I honestly didn't want to carry on. I simply wanted to pop it all back in the rectangularcubething, and be done with it.

But I carried on anyway.

Like Kerri, I wanted to have all my yarn logged and photographed into Ravelry, but I' still waiting for that to happen. I did though, after a day or so, manage to get my yarns untangled, sorted and popped into zip-lock bags!

I managed to un-earth the yarn vomit from months past. Even now, it still sends shivers down my spine.

I started my battle against the Cube a few months ago, and am still yet to defeat it. But, I have managed to get my stash a little tidier, and when we finish doing-up my room I'll be able to resume the fight against a tidier stash.

So even though this technically isn't a FO, go check out what other knitters and crocheters (with clean & tidy stashes) from around the world managed to finish this week.

And We're Back...

2011-12-22T16:15:00.000Z

Ah, its nice to be back home. Sorry I have been away for so long, I've been quite poorly with my M.E & we've been rather busy helping out family etc :D

But, just because I haven't been blogging doesn't mean I stopped on the knitting front, oh no! While my Nan was staying with me, she taught me to knit in the round! I admit I felt like bit of a knitting rockstar as I was going round, and round, and round.

I'm on the toe section of the first sock at the moment, as my Nan is round to help at the moment, I'm really worried that I'm going to muck it all up. So I am knitting reaaaaally slowly, just encase.

The pattern I'm attempting to follow, if you were wondering, is the 2nd design from King Cole's Sox Again. I'm using Rico Design Surperba Chinee in purple, which is lovely to work with ^_^

So thats all for now, thanks for having me back :) Over the next couple of weeks I'll catch you up on all my knitty adventures and hopefully introduce some more FOs into the world ;)

U is for... Unable

2011-09-26T20:07:00.000+01:00

Due to my M.E, I'm unable to get out and about as much as I'd like. This afternoon though, I felt well enough to go out for a couple of hours. So, my very lovely Mother took my sister and I to Launceston, a nice little town in Cornwall. It took 20 minutes to get there, and as we were driving into Launceston I swear I saw a young man knitting as he was walking down the road!! It looked like he was knitting something green on circular needles, possibly a sock...

After parking the car, we wandered down the street on the hunt for a Cornish Pasty. As we headed down the street my Mum suddenly pulled me towards a shop. 'We're here', she said to me. I looked up to find a small, beautiful, yarn filled shop. My face lit up with excitement as I made my way in.

The shop was, is, beautiful. This wool emporium is something to behold. From the moment you walk in all you see is yarn, yarn and more yarn. And when I say yarn, I'm not talking about 100% acrylic, £1, rubbish. I'm talking about gorgeous, 100% wool, silk blends, alpaca blends, cotton blends and all that jazz. Some are hand-dyed, in gorgeous colourways. Unfortunately they are a little out of my price range at £10-15 a skein, but a few months ago when I was quite poorly my Mum bought me a skein of Colinette Jitterbug - Florentina as a present.

The shop feels so cozy and comfortable. Despite being a small shop, you could easily spend a few hours in there looking around. I spent about 15 minutes in there, but I would have easily spent longer if I was on my own.

Rebecca, the owner of the shop, is very lovely indeed. I managed to have a chat with her while I was there, we talked about knitting in the round (she was knitting a beautiful cowl while I was there), lace, crochet and everything else. She talked about the different workshops they hold at the shop, so in November I am going to the Beginners Crochet workshop, which I am very excited about.

It took me forever to choose, but I finally got myself two skeins of Albero, a Louisa Harding yarn. I am going to make Summer Flies by Donna Griffin, I'm going to need another two skeins though to make it. So that is going on my shopping list for next time I visit, as well as a pair of beautiful wooden circular needles.

So, as you can see I had a fabulous time! After the yarn shop we walked around town, I managed to get myself a dress for the wedding this Friday, some nail varnish, sweeties and a Spicy Chicken Pasty.

As we walked around town I did notice a bit of yarn bombing!

So now it's time for you to add your links! What does your U stand for?

Branching Out - Literally!

2011-09-21T16:40:00.000+01:00

My beloved Nana and Grandad are coming to stay for a few weeks in October, which I am very much looking forward to. As my Nan is a lace lover, I decided to make her the Branching Out scarf I have been dying to make for weeks on end.

The yarn I have chosen for this project is King Cole Galaxy DK, in the Mars colourway. The colour is gorgeous, and the yarn itself is incredibly soft. It has sequins sown into the yarn, they are distributed quite evenly and unlike other sequin yarns I've tried, it isn't difficult to knit with. You have to be careful when frogging this yarn though, if a sequin gets stuck and then you tug, the yarn snaps. Leaving you with a long bit, a little bit and the skein of yarn.

It does turn a little fuzzy if you re-knit with it, but I've frogged it 6 times so far, and the yarn has coped reasonably well.

Learning to knit lace has been a dream of mine, before I even picked up the needles. I picked Branching Out as I thought it was a easy pattern for a beginner. What gave me that idea, only heaven knows. I've managed to stick with it though, and I'm very pleased I did.

I kept getting lost when I was following the pattern on paper (which resulted in it being ripped several times), so I decided to use the iPhone/iPod Touch App, JKnit. It took about 10 minutes to put the entire pattern into the system, but it was time well spent. Since using the app, I've only had the occasional, easy to fix, mishap!

I've managed to spend little periods of time here and there to knit the scarf, and so far I am on the 20th pattern repeat. It is 83cm long. But not quite long enough, yet. It has used almost 1 skein of yarn so far, I think another half - 3/4 of a skein later, I'll be finished. If you want to see more pictures of the scarf, click here!

For now though, I'm off to check out other WIPs over at Tami's, care to join me? :)