All Fingers and Thumbs

I really enjoy the moments before and when I have first started a new project in large part because of the potential of the knit. It's the anticipation of something wonderful, as yet untainted by human frailty! Francis Revisited has so much promise, I hope the simplicity of it means that I can live up to my own expectations. As you may remember this smug overachiever swatched aeons ago for this (which has been the next project for far too long), though my halo slipped a little as I didn't recalculate the maths to allow for my different row gauge ahead of time. There is only one place in the pattern that seems to be dependant on the number of rows knit rather than just measurements so it was really not the most onerous task to adjust it, but I still owe thanks to the beloved and Mrs Lurker for their assistance. Now it should just be onwards with simple stocking stitch in the round, dreaming of its potential.

...it was finished and worn to the wedding but I've been holding back on letting it make it's blog debut as I have been engaged in an internal debate about whether I'm really happy with it or not. Well I say internal, I have pinned some of the near and dear down and discussed it with them but their interest in how many rows of ribbing would be optimal and which precise bind off technique I should have employed and why has been lacklustre to say the least. The wise just kept telling me they liked it. In the end it's going in the winner pot. If I made it over I would add some extra ribbing as I didn't love the way it looked when I tried to fold it back. To my mind this would also help prevent it's tendency to migrate backwards as there would be some more weight around the front. I know I could undo the bind off and add some more rows (and replacing the bind off with a sewn bind off which would also be preferable, as the edge is just a smidge tighter than would be...

One of my non-resolutions for the new year was to keep a check on yarn acquisition v usage with the aim that I use more than I stash this year. It seems fitting to do my first batch of stash accounting on the first of the quarter days of the year, and I'm feeling just a little like a smug over achiever as I have knit notably more than I have bought so far this year. In: KnitGlobal - 300m RYC Cashsoft - 174m Mam a Mi -430m - a stowaway from 2008 which didn't get counted in the final reckoning as it was hidden away to become a surprise pair of Christmas socks for the beloved. Surprise was that the elves never knit it. Until they do I shall stare happily at the amazing colours and pet the soft Shetland wool. This is from Anne and Kath's shop , talented ladies that they are. So I make that 904 metres in. Out: Monkey Socks - 420 metres Owl Mittens - 174 metres Urchin - 100 metres an Hourglass sock - 175 metres the Half-Poms - 335 metres Wedding Cushions - 700 metres a...

This "it" being the cushion deadline - made it comfortably in time for the Saturday wedding - and not so comfortably, literally just before my sewing machine broke! I was just contemplating a very wonky seam which sucked in most of a moss stitch border and debating whether if I unpicked it I could get it any better when the needle on the machine started zipping up and down as if a phantom machinist was sat with her foot firmly on the pedal. Having first blamed the cats (who looked up innocently from the sofa) for stepping on the pedal the only way I could stop it was to pull the plug from the wall. To be honest the timing of the breakage saved me from fussing around any further, the seam was well off but not so that I couldn't bear to gift it like it. A little bit of handmade wonkiness doesn't hurt sometimes. Let's call it character. Pattern: My own :o) Yarn: Rowanspun - varying amounts of Snowball, Thorn, Thor, Cloud and Sugar Almond Needles: 4mm Harmony Circs...

Deadline one has been met. The Half-Poms are finished and my Mum shall have toasty toes on Mothering Sunday. Pattern: Pomatomus Yarn: Angels & Elephants, 4 Ply British Wool - 100g - Sea Spray Needles: 2.5mm Metal DPNs Started: 2 October 2008 Finished: 19 March 2009 Modifications: Plain feet. I was terribly slow at this pattern and would avoid anything based around a 1x1 rib in future for a sock, life is too short. However it is a beautiful, textured pattern and I'm pleased that I stuck with it by limiting the patterning just to the legs. This completes my three pairs of bandwagon socks started as part of Socktoberfest 2008. These were definitely my least favourite pattern to knit as is apparent by the slow drag to completion, I imagine there will be more Monkeys in my future and can see why that is the most popular of the three. So satisfying to knit and a beautiful stretchy sock at the end of it. I loved knitting the Jaywalkers too but I don't like the lack of stretch in ...

Sock roulette was just the most fun gamble ever - especially if the knitter knitting for you finished on time and you have your sock already - ta da! Isn't it fabulous? Look at that cute pixie pointy toe. Beautiful yarn I've never knit with (Socks that Rock) and I've never done a star toe before. Perfect! I hoped that I would get something different to try from this exchange so the gamble definitely paid off for me. Thanks again Pam. The sock I knit finally went in the post today, bad player that I am, photos of that when it has been received. Sorry again Sarah ! So after missing that deadline I've now realised that I have three more deadline knits all for the same weekend in March - the wedding gift cushions, shrug (part of my wedding outfit) and the Poms which have been adopted as a Mother's Day gift. "Why do I do this to myself?" she shrieks and runs off to get knitting.

L is for love which is indeed something I love - thank you to Clarabelle for the inspiration and letter (and the very true words on how you think and think about things you love and then you think - yes- wool, wool I love wool, oh but that begins with a w). Ten things on the letter L proved to be a real challenge as the more I think about the letter the less I can think of words beginning with it (though letters are great both in the alphabet sense and those that arrive in the mail so I think that makes three things already). So 1) or in fact 4) L is for lemons - the smell of fresh lemon is one of my all time favourite scents - it's just so clean and refreshing, summery and full of light and so 5)L is for light - oh how I love that the days are finally getting longer again here. The darkness is the hardest thing about winter for me 6)L is for lilacs and 7) lavendar and 8) lilies, three wonderful flowers with glorious scents - though I think I could find you a flower I love under...