Pick-a-boo Shawl KAL

So here it is....progress so far on my Quite Continental BooKnits shawl  which I am doing as a Knit-a-long.  I am about two thirds through the second lace section and starting to find things a little less stop and start, and a bit more natural.

After this section the final lace section is a little shorter again and then the bind off, which I am still unsure about, having read some more experienced knitters' questions.

I decided to bead this, despite the fact I am not terrible 'blingy' but I was up for the challenge, and the beads are indeed very subtle.

I am using tiny beads (I think smaller than intended) and a 0.6 crochet hook to put them on with....it makes me realise what painstaking work those crochet edges on old family tablecloths must have been.

Despite the very steep learning curve, and on occasion dropping stitches and not having a clue how to 'read' the stitches and rectify it, I am enjoying the knit and hoping that my blocking will work miracles!  Please tell me it will!!

I thankfully got the answers I needed to my unbalanced increases and am forever grateful to the blogging/ravelry community and to Annie who solved the issue in one sentence.

Soooo....what d'ya reckon....finished by next update.....;-)

To catch up with all the other intrepid knitters....call on over to Sarah's blog, Crafts from the Cwtch for the weekly link-up.

Year of projects - 07.07.13

I have to say I was more than a little disappointed at my lack of things to show for my efforts last year, I think there was a brioche hat extra, that I remembered after placing the pics together...but still, not much eh?  Then I remembered the Little Woollie blanket, the two Veera shawls, the toe-up socks, the Jared Flood blanket, the various other 'I couldn't resist' projects....so really not so bad after all.

So what I take from last year and not completing everything, is that I end up doing lots of extras.....so where does that leave this year's list?

New Things

I want to make some crocheted bags...probably similar to the Attic 24 stripey bags.

I would like to make myself another knitted jumper, but as of yet, have not decided which.

A pair of knitted socks....when I totally forget how boring they are to make!

Some washcloths (I do keep banging on that I am going to, but have still not got to it!)

A temperature blanket

I would like to join in some CALs and KALs as I find I get so much from them, something challenging!

Re-visiting!

Ten stitch twist as shown above only partly done.

Little Woollie mixed stripe blanket

Crocheted star blankets

Fingerless gloves

So there we have it.....vague eh?!  But I'm guessing that may keep me from feeling tied down too much.

So....while I have you attention, I wanted to pick your brains....I've just this week started making a Quite Continental shawl by Boo Knits as part of a KAL with Sarah from Crafts from the Cwtch I keep looking at the sides and wondering where I'm going wrong and should I rip it out?  But without knowing how to rectify things, I think what's the point?

Can you see the increases on the left in the picture are far more 'gappy' than on the right....am I missing something....will it just block out and not worry about it....I admit, I'm not sure I am the only one, so is it a common problem to have the tension different and what makes it like that on one side and not the other????   I am distorting it in the picture by pulling it, to make it more obvious. 

Any advice very gladly taken...the rows begin and end with...

K2, kyok....kyok,K2

K2, yo....yo,K2

Righty-hoh!  If you'd like to catch up with any fellow YOP-pers, check out the ravelry page.

Pick a Boo - week one

Those of you who pop by every now and then, will know that previously I have joined in with three of Crafts from the Cwtch's knit-a-longs...two Veera shawls and a pair of toe up socks.....the decision for the next project, hung in the balance for a while, (I was really not sure I wanted to do socks again so soon!)

Thankfully (for me) it was decided to have another shawl knit-a-long picking one of the many shawls from a whole range by Boo Knits this was a task in itself as they are all so lovely...but I settled on Quite Continental.

Next task was to pick out some suitable yarn, which was cause for hours of yarn browsing....which was becoming a little stressful in the end...but someone had to do it!

Finally, after spotting another person in the Crafts from the Cwtch group's suggestion, I took a look at six skeins which proved to be a very happy discovery.  A few clicks, a day's wait and a lovely squishy parcel arrived in my post box.

So here it is, 75% Extra Fine Merino, 20% Silk and 5% Silver Stellina Sparkle -  in Ember Glow

Wound and ready to go....it's beautifully soft, you can just see the glisten....perfect.

And small beginnings.....the first hour of attempting to begin was fraught...lots of breath holding....but I got there once I had realised I was being totally blonde....hopefully onward and upward from here!

If you would like to see how other people from the Pick a Boo KAL are getting on, pop on over to  Crafts from the Cwtch

Three in one Thursday

Well, at some point, when I was looking the other way, a couple of wednesday walks passed me by, without being written about, and wanting to re-live every gruelling step document my progress, I thought I'd have a quick catch-up.

This  first panorama was taken on the walk that I did two weeks ago, a beautiful sunny day, but lacking motivation I ended up with the rather odd plan to one way for four miles and then retrace my steps.  Oddly the first four miles took almost double the time of the second four miles....maybe it was the thought of the cup of tea waiting!  I have walked this part of the coast lots of times, but never in the 'other' direction and there was something inspiring about it...if I was feeling very philosophical, I would say that gaining a different perspective on a task in front of you is refreshing, rewarding and reviving.

So that was two weeks ago, eight miles clocked up.

Last Wednesday, was a grey-er start, (but I still foolishly managed to burn my nose!)

Here's Chester, as always coaxing me on, he normally goes on the lead, as some of the paths are right on the cliffedge, but here it is quite safe, and he can do as dogs do.

I'm heading for the white blob...can you see it?

A little zoom in......can you see it now?  At the top of the hill?

A bit further a long the path and the clouds are starting to clear (and my nose is starting to burn no doubt!)  The white watch tower is just visible to the left of centre.

Zoomed-in....

And here, behind me....from this point, I know I have five more miles before I'm home

These paths are pretty busy during the summer....but even when there are no walkers, you still get the feeling someone is watching you!

This Charolais cow was in a field with lots of other sucklers with their calves....Chester didn't know what to think, I do wonder if he thought they were just big versions of him!

So that was last Wednesday.....ten miles more clocked.

Which leads me on to today's walk (I know its Thursday, how rebellious eh!)  This was a totally new part of the path that I hadn't walked before....a grim rainy start which soon turned into a beautiful morning.  I could show you stacks of pics, but this last panorama sums it up I think....and I'm too tired to argue with blogger when the pics take such a looo-oooo-ooonnngg time to upload.

So there we have it....today's walk was nine miles, but it was so enjoyable that you wouldn't know, well apart from the fact that my yawns are coming thick and fast.

So on that note, I bid you all goodnight and God bless....