FO: Hot pink hoodie

Colour hasn't come out brilliantly in this shot, but then it was taken with my mobile phone (ie without flash). Just need to pick up some buttons tonight, and it's done!

WIPs and FOs

Whoops. I didn't mean to send that last post, I thought I'd saved it as draft, I was going to add the photos I hadn't at that point taken, in with it. Friday night got away from me, with having to fix a minor PC problem, and then I started a new MK project.


I'm making this hooded jacket, with the el-cheapo magenta acrylic I picked up in Busy Fingers. I'm omitting the pockets (although I might add side pockets into the seam, depends how much yarn I have left). The original pattern was knitted in 2 ends of 2ply knitted with card 1 in fair-isle, but I'm knitting it in DK on the chunky machine using the knitleader. It's also knitted with parts in mock rib - I think two thicknesses of DK will be too much, so I shall use a proper rib. Done the back and one front so far.


Sock for G. Note, it is inside out, it will be turned on completion. The SK840 only knits circular in one direction.


Reversible hat - side one


Reversible hat - side two

Today I ran a sock knitting workshop at the Crafty Cottage. I think I may have baffled everyone with the short-row wrapping technique, but they all got the hang of knitting in the round eventually which is an excellent start.

Another reversible hat

I just love these - a piece of straight knitting, gathered at both ends, seamed into a kind of lozenge shape and then turned into a hat. The latest one was made using up oddments of self-patterning sock yarn, and some white acrylic. The SK840 dropped stitches a bit on the left-hand edge for some reason, possibly I should have moved the pattern cams in slightly. I think this is a bit too girly for BISS. Ok, I want it for myself!

Maybe when money is less tight I should look for a model head on Ebay. Photographing's one head is a pain in the bum!

Teaching a sock knitting class tomorrow. I hope they are well-behaved because there are at least 7 of them and I may well be hoarse by the end of it otherwise!

FOs - felted bag, hat

Another felted bag. Not sewn together brilliantly - the felt is so thick it was really hard to pierce. Might trim the edges with something. Cut the corners with sharp scissors, undecided whether to edge them.


A quick reversible hat for BISS. Dead cosy!

FO: Felted bag

Finally sewn up, a bag made from Noro Kureyon oddments left over from the LR afghan and felted. In hindsight, it would have been better to narrow it for the handles - I was just messing about really and had no idea how far the oddments would stretch.

I have another blank ready to be sewn, but I have tapered the edges with a sharp pair of scissors and will have to hand-sew it - it's just too thick to go on the Hague linker (and don't think I didn't try, 'cause I did, haha!).

I have started an MK sock for the Cog, aka 'im indoors, out of a sample skein someone gave me. It snapped whilst I was doing the toe, so I restarted, and then it snapped again and I unpicked 6 rows to rescue it. But otherwise, it's looking good, and actually fits him too! And boy, was it nice to get back onto a knitting machine - it's been too long!

Taught someone to knit at the Crafty Cottage yesterday and she was a whiz, she even got the yarn wrapping bit right (I can't knit like that, I'm crap!). Got another lady onto increasing and decreasing - she wanted to knit a tanktop but we couldn't find a pattern she liked. Then I got someone else started on hand-knitting a lizard ridge square - the Kureyon was a dark shade, so a little tricky to spot the wrapped stitches, but I think she got the idea.

Jo made her first garment on the knitting machine - a long knitted strip. She was also talking about making I-cord with DPNs until I showed her how easy it is to make one on the machine. Why spend time on something if you've the means to speed it up?!

Onwards and upwards!

Blogstalking week 7 - Oldest picture of yourself that you can find.

This picture was taken at playschool, so I think I was probably about 3 or 4 and not at school yet. Have cropped my sister out of the picture because I don't know how she'd feel about being online (although, to be honest, she does have her own website with recent pictures on it). Anyroad, I think I blinked at the flash, which explains the stupid expression. Not sure who made the cardigan I am wearing - either mum or grandma.

Blogstalker 08 wk 3 - Colour

My favourite colours are jewel tones - magenta, red, cobalt blue, jade green. But I also like every colour together - I've always been fascinated by rainbows. Something about balance - if every colour's not there, it's not balanced. Either that, or I was colour-blind in a previous life!

Funnily enough, on their own I can't stand brown, orange or kelly green.

Blogstalker 08 wk 2 - All of my knitting needles in one place

If you think I'm rounding up all my WIPs then there's no chance of that I'm afraid - they are scattered liberally around the house. Here are the ones not currently MIA:



Tunisian crochet hooks, crochet hooks, DPNs, Denise needles and a motley selection of straight needles. Oh, and two circular needles.

Blogstalker 08 wk 1 - worst habit

My worst habit is probably getting all fired up about making something, and then making it, and then getting bored with it. Some things don't get sewn up for aaaages. I guess I'm a process knitter, not a product knitter.

Unfortunately it's the same in my career too - I'm an ideas/concept person, but I forget all the little tiny details. I don't mean to be sloppy - in fact I'm a perfectionist - but it's just how I am - mind always racing away onto the next thing. My boss and I have recently fallen out over this to such an extent that I am seriously considering my future career options. Time will tell.

I think I take after my dad, bless his soul, in this respect. He nearly always had his flies undone and would regularly miss belt loops on his trousers; he'd also tuck his shirt into his underpants so that they showed over his trouser tops. A fashionable look now, but not back then! :)

Never fear, Steely-B is (still) here!

Just had a message from Mandy asking if I am still alive, yes indeedy I am.

Been real busy with a major project at work, a new evening gym regime and sorting out materials for fortnightly workshops at Crafty Cottage.. So I've been a bit too shattered to face a metal bed with 200 sharp needles in it - plus the chunky machine is still packed away from last Saturday and will be until after next Wed as it's accompanying me to Wonderwool for a mini-demo to the knitters there. Haven't actually done any machine knitting this year, excepting Saturday's workshop. Blimey!

Hand-knitting and crochet is continuing - on Tori and on the catherine wheel baby blanket respectively - but nothing is finished so nothing much to photograph, I'm afraid.

Finally sewed up some jumpers made during National Knitting Week last Oct - they will be going to Romania next week.

Ran an "Intro to machine knitting" workshop on Saturday for K (Knit the knits) at the Crafty Cottage - I think I got her inspired to get going on her machine and eschew the crappy cast-on comb that the manual foolishly recommends. Scaring MK newbies with metallic grinding noises is not the way to encourage people!

Right, gotta go, stuff to do!

Blogstalking week 5 - An Interesting Statue

Completely out of synch now but never mind...

This popped up in Rugby a few months ago, just outside Caldecott Park. It's to commemorate Sir Frank Whittle, inventor of the jet engine. Thought I might find a pic of it online, it being quite recent, but had no luck, and today's the first time I remembered to take my camera into town and the sun was shining!

FO: crochet blanket and local wildlife

First project to be finished in 2008 - a granny square blanket for Romania


Immediately started a crochet baby blanket, in "catherine wheel" stitch, also for Romania. Yes, I know the colours are a bit ick but I don't have lots of DK yarn to hand!

I'm on a real crochet kick at the moment - it's not quite as easy to do whilst watching telly as knitting is, but it grows so much faster! Plus I am onto the complicated neck bit of Tori so I need to tackle that when I can watch what I am doing.


We met this little guy (definitely an entire tom!) on a walk through Caldecott park (park in centre of Rugby). He was very friendly, but dashed off like a lunatic when he spotted a squirrel. Didn't catch him though!


This little fellow was very brave and came quite close. Later on his whole family came down the tree, all as plump as this one!


Squirrel action shot!

Current mood: loved

Blogstalker Week 12 - Year-End Reflection

Ok, so I am a bit late with this one, it being the 4th January, but what the hell?!

2007 in review:

Not a bad year, really. A low point was getting a nasty bout of food poisoning in March. High points were tackling new techniques (felting, lace), teaching at Crafty Cottage, finishing the LR afghan and getting my new car.

Proudest Accomplishment of 2007:

Finishing my OCNCE in machine knitting, despite not being able to attend the course anymore and having to work from home on Saturdays. Thanks, Mr Blair!

Something You Would Like to Accomplish in 2008:

Getting down to a more sensible weight.