Forgot to post the finished secret plan...

It was a rainbow coloured cardi for a neice! Although I think the pattern would have worked better in a plain coloured yarn.

A couple of berets later...

I did get distracted again. The Brambles Beret from Knitty Fall 2010 was just too cute to go by. A couple of balls of inherited stash later and hey presto! A cute beret for me. And another one on the needles in the leftover jacaranda Biggan yarn. It's nice to have a smaller, more portable project to lug about - and stash being used up instead of more purchased - even better!

The summer top is coming along. The front is finished and the armhole decreases on the back are done. Hopefully only a week or three more before it's done.

3 frocks cut out, 1 bodice and 1 skirt sewn - now both need handwork before stitching them together. Definitely need some gold brocade as contrast for the purple frock, the pink will have black velveteen - just need to find enough in the stash (there'll be enough in there somewhere). One dressing gown all done bar the hand sewing, another cut out.

In my procrastination about what I was going to make with the Desert Aran cotton, I failed to notice until last week that there is a lovely lace jumper in the Jo Sharp book using that yarn. I had it in my head that it used the lighter weight yarn, nooooo - but lo and behold - the answer to what to knit as a navy jumper!

So I have a stack of stuff to keep me going for a bit...

Round and round we go...

So the jeans were mended, the blah, blah secret plan finished and a new project started (and yes there are a whole bunch of wips that still need finishing... back onto the black cloud list for them...).

The new project is a top for me. In dark red cotton from stash, I'm hoping I have enough - it's a sleeveless top, I should just make it, though the back up plan is leaving out the ribbing around the armholes (though I might do this anyway and just crochet the edge) and using 1 strand for the ruffle (I'm working the top with 2 strands to get the feel & tension correct).

It's the Chaise top from Jo Sharp's Summer holiday book and I'm knitting it in the round to avoid seaming up to the armholes. There are only 2 disadvantages to that:
1. working the new thread in is a cow, especially as the cotton seems to have a number of knots in it
2. You start off with 228 stitches, and though it decreases a bit, it still takes quite a bit of time to make it around 1 round of stitches. I probably should have used the 80cm long circular needle rather than the 60cm one too.

It's coming along though, fingers crossed it gets finished in time for summer!

So knitting still to finish:
purple garter stitch scarf
green throw rug
cotton jumper
sew up mittens

Sewing still to finish:
Blue & white cotton top
Teal shirt
Quilt

Stuff not yet started:
another work skirt for me
SCA frocks

I'm sure that there is more on the list... I can't remember - I'll have to add it in later.

A quick sunbeam

In amongst all the stuff on the to-do list (which is still ongoing, though the mending is down to taking up a pair of jeans) I wanted a quick & easy knitting project to finish.
The Jo Sharp Tweed Beret fit the bill perfectly... and used up stashed yarn! Now to find some others that are quick & easy knitting.

Spring knitting

Socks finished and given away - see photo for completed pair.

The book week costume was sorted on time, still need to make dancing skirts, did more of the blah blah secret plan knitting which is now way overdue. The rug has a few more rows completed and I think it's time to start on the next pair of socks. Really should get some mending done this week as well... Then need to get my head around SCA sewing.

Snug as a bug

knitting a rug. Sock still needs turning, the mending pile is becoming ridiculous and a book week costume needs details finalised...

I may not purchase any more stash until significant usage of current stocks has occurred. Need to think about further projects for when I'm not happy to knit under a rug of an evening.

More woolly socks

Well the last pair was finished, and nabbed to wear almost hot off the needles! And the next pair has one sock finished and the other up to turning the heel. The Jitterbug yarn is nicer to work with than the Noir and just seems to have more elasticity. The Noir is much more affordable though... I also love the wooden needles - even easier to work with than the bamboo.

My knitting in the round has definitely improved - no more ugly ladders, seem to have the knack of it now. The socks have been progressing as they are so much easier to transport about. The rug is simply huge, but I may get back to it after this pair of socks simply to get it off the to-do list.

Everything else has been on hold for a while....