All Fingers and Thumbs

Well it's no surprise to any of us that I didn't get straight on with the seaming and blocking of Moonlight is it?! It would be nice to pop her on for this cold, grey evening but I'm settling for a new pair of hand knit socks instead. It's the ultimate pair of grumpy socks - the Love Me Knots - the trials and tribulations of these socks are well documented and it's only the fact that the Honeybees needed to go into the naughty corner that meant the LMKs got pulled out and the last little bit finished off. I still don't love them but perhaps as the pain of the knitting fades I'll get less grumpy with them. Hope you can see the illusion affect in these photos, socks on the hoof are troubling enough to photo without the added complication of trying to get hearts to appear or disappear. Pattern: LoveMeKnot Yarn: Trekking ProNatura - 75% wool, 25% bamboo Needles: 2.5mm magic loop, dpns and two circs Started: October 2007 Finished: 24 May 2008 Notes: In summ...

This scarf is winning my award for the perfect summer knit at the moment. It's a pleasure to knit in warmer weather as the cotton/rayon blend of the Giotto is light on the hands and it's a great gift for the summer birthdays that abound in my clan. I've felt a bit odd when I've given even small woolly items in the warmer weather as I like to imagine the recipient to be able to use their gift straightway. Bags are the other good option but I haven't yet really embraced bag knitting after I got all hot and bothered over the felting of one last August. This scarf is Mama's but because it only took one skein (and I promise I wasn't a meanie ) I have another waiting in the wings. If it is half as big a hit as last year's offering I shall be stacking up the daughterly brownie points. I'm already feeling rather smug as it's not due to be gifted until the start of July; nice not to be late for once! Pattern: Morning Surf Scarf Yarn: Colinette Giotto - ...

My latest yarn purchases have tipped the balance for the year towards more bought in than knitted up. It's not where I wanted to be but just setting the goal of knitting up more than I buy has made me think much more about my purchases and slow things down a bit. I've got time to redress the balance if I can find a little more knitting gusto than I've managed of late. I'm sure I buy more yarn the less I knit as compensation! April and May are tough months at work with lots of client meetings and they've been taking their toll on this sickly child. It really is a question of balance here too (small voice mutters - as in kniting, as in life) but there is some reward on its way which will help to even things out. Two of the meetings are in Oslo next week. Two tough days but then I'm adding a three day break with the Mr. Bliss. Hmm more yarn stores to explore means I'd better get on and knit some of this latest haul I think. The Rowan Calmer I got from Jannette...

It's taken the return of grey skys to persuade the 1TB to don the wool socks for their blog photo shoot. Every cloud has a silver lining! We seemed to skip spring and jump into summer here for a few days there. Normal service has now been resumed and socks are once again desirable. Pattern: Primavera Yarn: Shibui Sock - 2 skeins - Seaweed Needles: 2.5mm Brittany Birch DPNs Started: 2 April 2008 Finished: 10 May 2008 Notes: Fab pattern - very easily memorised and a lovely effect. Also loved this yarn - Raina recommended it and I got a batch shipped from the States via Simply Socks Yarn Company who provided a very good service and good value even including shipping. I'm a big fan, in love with the feel - very like Jitterbug or Koigu - and by all accounts there should be no bleeding of the colours in the wash. The colourways they offer are fabulous and this rich semi-solid green is a joy in person, though not easy to capture on camera. Officially worth the delay these are the r...

Whilst admiring Bells beautiful steeked jacket the other day I found myself agreeing wholeheartedly with her suggestion of knitting as a metaphor for life and mentioned my little "as in knitting, as in life" mantra I'm often mumbling. You know how it goes - the pattern/recipe you modify without noting down the changes = a hard to replicate FO/dish. As in knitting, as in life. The one more row/I'll just finish this before I go to bed mentality = dropped stitches/botched job. As in knitting, as in life. The jump in head first without proper swatching/preparation = ill fitting knit/ill realised project. As in knitting, as in life. What it all boils down to is the big WIP of life - we knit, we make mistakes, we learn, we adapt, we pick up those dropped stitches, we live with the imperfections and we get better at it all. So for anyone who knows that it is all about the knitting take this blog button and display it proudly in your sidebar, link back to the blog you ge...

There's a lovely blog contest over at One Scheme of Happiness . In return for some recommendations of summer reading you can be entered for a lovely selection of prizes - including one of those lovely Schrodinger sock cubes. My summer reading? It's the Anne of Green Gables series - just finished the first :o)

A lovely time was had on my trip with my Mum, in fact we had too much fun for me to finish the socks. I think I'm just about forgiven though it was touch and go and I mustn't be online long as they must be finished this week! This is the view from the car as we left England for Wales. The struts on the bridge remind me of sails. The blue skies in this picture are much more representative of the weather than the greys captured below. We did spend some time dodging showers on the Saturday but a trip to the British seaside without rain just wouldn't be right. We stayed in a little town called Penarth just along from Cardiff which has a very pretty Victorian seafront, it almost seemed wrong to be promenading here without lace gloves and a parasol. It was a lovely time: lots of food, endless chatter and a great show in Cardiff. Quiet time was often spent with my nose in this book rather than in knitting and sadly I am as yet unable to combine both. I thought it would be a safe...