Blah, Blah, Blah...

So regular blogging isn't my strong point. In typical fashion I'm just dropping in for a monthly update.

Actually January went well and I cleared the deck of UFOs and a couple of projects I just knew I wasn't going to finish, were frogged. My Wicked, which was never ever allowed to have seen the light of day (and which I stupidly wove in the ends of) was the first victim. Comprising 14 balls of Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran in Hemlock it was too luxurious a yarn to leave knitted into a big green sack.

Besides I have also begun a change in my life that will hopefully have the wonderful effect of being able to knit a pullover using half as much yarn! I have already lost well over 5 kilograms and have quite a year ahead of me to lose the remainder. The change is all good, things are on the up, I have more energy and feel more positive. Heck someone even told me yesterday they could see from behind I'd lost weight - bring it on!

I've made a few stash acquisitions, mainly sock yarn and I've had the sewing machine out. So here's a summary in pictures.

The Knittery Merino Cashmere Sock in Warm Pinks with $5 from the sale donated to Breast cancer organisations

Jolly Jumbuck "Splish Splash" Hercules sock yarn

Hand Maiden Casbah sock yarn in Sangria bought from here

This is the Needle Roll I made to to store my DPNs in, and some purple Cherry Tree Hill Sock Yarn from here



Cascade 128 for a felting project and stunning fabric from Purl's Palace in Daylesford

Three down, 15 days to go

These have just taken me so long to finish. I knit the first sock in January 2007 and the second in January 2008!

Both socks are done and I have the zigzag rib vest to finish and two weeks left of my January FO month.

I'm so tired at the moment and fueled up on caffeine, I am incapable of blogging more than three sentences.

Two down, 20 days to go...

Socks1.jpg, originally uploaded by tawha.

I cast these on several months ago, finished the first, and then swap and gift knitting toward the end of the year and over Christmas seemed to get in the way. Once I finally got the second sock cast on, I finished them off very quickly.

Good thing really the rate at which my daughter and her feet seem to be growing I hope they still fit her for winter.

The 50 grams of yarn was dyed by knitter friend and as the socks came to life they really kept reminding me of Australia Day, because of the greens and golds. There was also really vivid red and pink tones, and it reminded me of the sunset. So I have dubbed these simply Sunset on Australia Day Socks. It's nearly Australia Day, January 26, and that also happens to be my daughters third birthday.

I have three wips remaining to try to finish by the end of January.

Oh and check the amount of yarn I had left over at the end of these socks. It was a pretty hairy ride towards the end considering they were top-down!

One down ... 27 days to go

I have dedicated January to Finishing Month.

I am aiming to clear my UFOs, before I cast on anything new. With the invention of Ravelry, I can no longer stuff my UFOs to the back of a dusty shelf somewhere and pretend for all intents and purposes that the stalled ones, the disappointing ones, the boring ones, the lost all enthusiasm for them ones no longer exist.

They are now there, documented, on show for all Ravellers to see. Everytime I log in to my profile and look at my projects page I am reminded of those I have started on, stumbled and fell.

Some I started over 12 months ago. So far, Day 4 of January, strike one off the list.

Clapotis is finished!


Not sure of the dimensions, as I used a sub-yarn, Louisa Harding Grace (50/50 wool, silk) in a DK weight. It is lovely and soft and has a gorgeous drape, just need to get through this Australian summer heatwave to wear it.

More Christmas Cheer and a Happy New Year!

I received a wonderful knitting present from the very talented Jacki just before Christmas.



It's a very handy, and fashionable, project pouch. The DPNs are not part of the present, I just happened to be using bamboo DPNs for my last project. I finished a pair of Thuja for a Christmas gift just two days before December 25.


The project pouch is a fantastic construction and has all the features I would want in a small bag to carry around my current wip. It has snap closure and also a drawstring and is the perfect size for a pair of socks. Thanks Jacki!

Other Christmas related knitting included these mini-stockings and mittens I knit as part of an ornament swap. Eight stockings and eight pairs of mittens in all.


The Thuja socks were for my Dad, hence I have had family visiting, and have been busy occupying them and no time to blog. So all of a sudden I find myself in a New Year.

It has been very hot these last few days so I haven't been knitting much. I have however decided to dedicate January to clearing the wip pile.

It's not too out of control, I have Clapotis to finish, one Jaywalker, the Zig Zag rib vest, a second childs sock for my daughter and a wrap. I am going to try to clear the deck through January and hope to have some FOs to blog about very soon.

Allons-y!

Lucky, lucky me!

I received the most wonderful Christmas gift yesterday from my dear friend Sam.



Allow me a moment to indulge a little and thank my friend Sam. Really I'm not too sure if I'd stay sane and get through a week without such a great knitting buddy. Who else would understand when I call up say I'm bored and then they'd suggest how about a trip to the LYS ... I thought you'd NEVER ask.

Or just be there for a coffee and gossip, and wow the amount of coffee we have consumed together most definitely amounts to several litres.

I just love this blanket out of the squishiest softest Jo Sharp Ultra in the most gorgeous colour. It really is special - lucky, lucky me!

One last picture...

Before they go in the post.