Still Knitting!

I'm beginning to think I'm being a bit addicted to knitting. Normally I can just stop to do a bit of housework but at the moment I just can't put the knitting down.

The pair above are part of a series of sets we're knitting for a school who want knitted toys for their Story Book Bags. No it's not the Teddy Bears' Picnic, it's for Goldilocks and the Three Bears. I've made the Mam & Dad bears who are sitting in our garden on a little blanket I made for the neo natal unit.  I opted out of making a pink skirt for the Mammy bear in case I was accused of being sexist!

They are just waiting for little baby bear who a friend is knitting. She has already made Goldilocks & someone else is making the bag to hold them along with the story book.

I've also just knitted a couple of blankets, baby cardigans & hats for our priest to take to a village in Zambia which the parish support. I always thought they wouldn't need knitted clothes but apparently it can be quite cool. I enjoy knitting these as it doesn't take long. The things I don't like knitting are the brown V neck tank tops for the orphanage in India. Brown was never my favourite colour! 

The gansy is coming on nicely I usually knit this for an hour or two in the morning when I'm in as I need good light. The light is getting poor now by about 7pm so it's going to be a few months before I finish.

However I do need to be a bit more active as I've noticed my ankles are swelling with all this sitting! What a lazy cat I am! I'm off to Italy next Saturday taking a tour to Lake Garda so plenty of walking there to be done. Hopefully we'll get decent weather but I won't get any knitting done. You can't take knitting when you're working! I'm getting withdrawal symptoms at the thought of no knitting for a couple of weeks. 

Look at that grass in the photo, it's meant to be a lawn, neither of us are keen gardeners but it's too big for me to cut. Well that's my excuse!

I've Been Knitting & Crocheting Like Mad!

 

 

 

Once I retired I started to knit again. I managed to keep my wool buying to a minimum for a while but I got really hooked on knitting lacey shawls. I have about five lots of wool waiting for shawls but I'll do those in winter. However I have bought quite a lot of wool in sales in recent months. I've done quite a lot over the last few weeks but I need to slow down with it but most of all the wool buying!

 

I thought I had got over the habit of starting new things & then leaving them but obviously I haven't.

 

I started to crochet the blanket above & I really like it. I changed the colours to blues, beige & cream as I just don't do pink. I'm making it in pure wool & I've got quite a lot done. Would have had it finished but it was too heavy & bulky to take on holiday so it's standing in the corner of the dining room. I'm not putting it away in case I forget about it!

 

One of the 45 squares (I've done 35)

I did manage to crochet a little summer bolero last week from some cotton that's been lying around for over a year now. The pattern below was very quick & easy to do. I made it in white & it's lovely. However it's quite heavy so may not make it into the case for the next holiday! 

 

My next tour is to the Orkney & Shetland Islands in September. I'm not expecting warm weather in fact I assume it will be pretty windy, cool & possibly wet. I don't wear hats as I don't think I suit them probably because I wear glasses. However I know I really need one for that trip. On our last tour in the Hebrides it was very chilly & some ladies bought pom pom hats on the Isle of Mull. They were very nice but cost them nearly £30! So I decided to knit one a couple of weeks ago. I liked the one below.

 

 

The Baby Alpaca Silk  was lovely & soft to knit with, however after I finished it I decided the pom poms were a tad twee so I crocheted a flower.

 

This is the finished product below.



 



  

I'll probably never wear it again after the tour but I don't want to have to spend a mint on buying one in Scotland. 

 

I also made an Estonian shawl for a friend. It's the Triangular Summer Shawl from Nancy Bush's book Knitted Shawls of Estonia. I've made it four times now & I love the pattern despite all the nupps! She hasn't got it yet so hope she likes it.

 

 

I'm more than half way through making this jumper below in blue cotton but I've stopped. I know the reasons why I usually stop, either I'm not sure I like what it's looking like or I've altered the pattern! Yes, I've altered the pattern. However I need to keep going, I can't have more stuff lying about.

 

 

I also have the cotton for this back fastening jumper!!!!!!! Don't bother watching this space, I have no idea when I'll get it done as I've decided I want to make a quilt, not a huge one though!