New Year, New Projects

Yay! I managed to finish two projects before the end of 2006, and here they are fresh off the needles. I finished the milk chocolate merino cardigan for my Mum and the Opal Magic socks for my Dad. Both projects need to be blocked and the cardigan needs to be pressed before handing them over to the recipients:

I'll be trying my best to knit twelve pairs of socks in 2007 for the Crafty Threads ‘n' Yarns Sockamonth Challenge, as detailed here: crafty threads 'n' yarns forum
This is what I want to start tomorrow for the January knit-off, a pair of socks for my oldest son in Four Seasons Hot Socks on two circular needles. I've only knitted socks on DPNs before, so I'm knitting smaller than average socks to try out a new technique. There are prizes to be won each month; Natalie of the The Yarn Yard and Terri, the moderator on the Crafty Yarns 'n' Threads forum, are donating prizes each month and at the end of the Sockamonth Challenge next December

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

Merry Christmas and a Happy and Peaceful New Year to You All

Diamond Wristwarmers

Yay! My diamond wristwarmers are complete:






I've really enjoyed knitting these ~ quick and easy on DPNs and very little finishing to do; I'd like to knit them again using Artesano Alpaca sometime in the New Year, maybe in a rich plum colour.

A quick current WIPs count reveals that I have finished three out of ten WIPs this week, those being the Big Wave scarf, a hat for Dan and my wristwarmers. The next two WIPs to finish have got to be the dreaded millstone socks for Dad and the bands of the merino cardigan for Mum.
I had to completely re-knit the back of the cardigan as I decided to undo the ribbing at the bottom and knit it downwards instead to counteract the flipping outwards. It was only after I'd started to unpick the welt that I remembered (too late) that ribbing can't be undone from the bottom up :-?

Six Weird Things About Me....

Terri tagged me good and proper, so here we have six weird things about me; some of them are not that weird to be honest, but here goes:

1 ~ at a children’s party, I’m more likely to be found with the kids than with the grown-ups

2 ~ I have a Bsc Special honours degree in Genetics and Microbiology from the University of Sheffield (yes, really!)

3 ~ I’m actually quite supple and can sit cross-legged on the floor with the kids at pre-school, although I don’t have double-joined elbows!!

4 ~ not really that weird, but I usually wear contact lenses and refuse to wear my specs

5 ~ I prefer to write with a sleek fountain pen and ink than a biro, not that I get to do that very often in my job

6 ~ I can’t read a map to save my life

Now then, six people to tag with the same question... who shall I choose? I'll get back to you on that one when I've finished my brekkie.....

Stash Reduction Time!

Okay, I have things to sell, so I might as well see if anyone-who-reads-my-blog wants any of these knitterly items fresh from my yarn stash:

11 x 50g balls of Rowan all Seasons Cotton in shade Slick. Ten balls in an unopened pack and the other ball loose but unused. £20.00 for the pack including First Class postage to the UK:



10 x 50g balls of Sirdar Country Style 4 ply. Unopened packs of cream, denim blue, and navy up for grabs, one full pack of each. £9.00 per pack including First Class postage to the UK:






All my yarns are stored in a pet free environemt and we are a non-smoking household. You are welcome to drop me an email at melody.yarns@tesco.net if you're interested in any of the above yarns, or want to ask any questions *big smile*

I am also offering these yarns for sale in the Craft Market section on the Crafty Threads ‘n' Yarns forum (<-------- link to the right on my sidebar) so it's a first come first served basis for the yarns and the first person to say they want the yarn has first choice on it.

Busy and Browsing

I was browsing through the Jaeger cotton booklets the other day and was thinking how lovely it would be to knit a few of the designs in Trinity DK. Then lo and behold, through the Crafty Threads ‘n' Yarns forum I find that Janette's Rare Yarns has Trinity DK on special offer in her eBay shop. How's a girl to resist when fate plays a part?

If it's possible I've been even busier this week than I was last week having gone to several evening meetings, children's paties, just generally been out of the house or just plain busy with work admin. I have managed to cast on for the first sleeve of my Grace project, and it seems to be knitting up beautifully again. I have made adjustments to the frequency of increases due to my difference in tension (albeit slight), but at least I will get all the increases in before I get to the sleeve head shaping this way.

I've been so tempted to start knitting a project in Patons Cotton DK thanks to the Jaeger cotton booklets, so I chose four designs that I wanted to knit and asked the boys for their votes on which one they prefer. So far, no-one has voted for the same one, but then there are only three boys :? I'll just pick a colour and start one I think.

Eta: I cast on for the V neck version of the fitted sweater from Louisa Harding's Modern classics book last night. I'm knitting it in variegated lilac Wendy Supreme Cotton DK and it's working up a treat. I must get some of my old WIPs finished though. Maybe I should make that a New Year resolution... hmmmm.