Honestly?

See this bag....rather empty hey?  Well....I decided to be honest with myself and pull out all my unfinished projects....hhhhmmmm......dangerous ground.

So first one out is this ten-stitch twist....reason it's in the bag is that I've forgotten how to do it....simple problem easily solved I guess...

Second one....a pair of two at a time socks, put down and not picked up again.....

Last Dance on the Beach CAL.....I have done over half of this ....possibly even 2/3s

This is a re-entry....you may be able to just spot the issue....its a beautiful blanket, but the side has unravelled and I need to remember how to do the stitch so I can fix it again.....so simple, but again, enough to stop me getting on with it.  (Actually, I see that there a lot of areas along the side that look dangerously like they will unravel in time, so I'm actually wondering about sewing a border onto it and catching it all up with the machine, I think the yarn is quite smooth and therefore is slipping out where its been sewn in....ggggrrrrrr!)

This hat has never been near my head, as I could probably fit three heads in it...I was so gutted I just put it away...but brave I must be and unravel....maybe I should choose a different hat pattern altogether now....

Dream Stripes shawl...put down, never picked up again....

Another crocheted shawl which is just s-l-o-w, I like it, but I can see me putting it in the bag as it needs to be about ten times longer!

Another light weight wrap thing....I found the joining method on this so difficult to understand that although I got it right twice with some help, I can't remember how....(notice a theme here?)

A 'made-up as I went along' shawl which is really pretty, but it's a bit small and I need to add some more on to make it more wearable.

A started baby blanket, which stopped when I ran out of the multi-coloured yarn and couldn't find it again...so frustrating...

A Christmas table runner....no idea where the pattern is....

A shawl which I gave up on because the pattern was difficult to follow, although I wonder on looking at it now why exactly as there seems so little detail for so much effort....no idea where the pattern was from.....ooooopppppsss!

My first ever crochet project, stopped as I ran out of one of the reds....if I hadn't already sewn so much together I would add another colour in....rookie mistake...no idea what to do with this....its fairly wide so far, but pretty narrow.

Oooohhh....I had totally forgotten about this one, my temperature blanket with a square for each day showing the lows and highs of  temperature....I think I've done two months....

A last minute whim Christmas pattern which I just could not get my head around....

The cable beginning of wrist warmers....this really was the most fiddly part of the pattern, all they need is the sides putting on and sewing up.....

So that is all the projects neatly folded and sorted back into my big bag.

I've seen a few people referring to unfinished projects and I've always been slightly in fear over what was actually in my big bag....it isn't as bad as I thought somehow...in fact, I wouldn't even feel guilty if I started something new ;-)

But seriously, first port of call is the CAL blanket, as it is pretty close to finish, then I need to bite the bullet and unravel some of the things which I put down as I really didn't like them and then oooohhh, I can start planning some more unfinished projects :-)

Year of projects - 12.08.12

Well, it is Sunday again, so time for the week's update on my YOP work.  This week has been full of all sorts of activities, but maybe not so much knitting.  I am keeping on with my ten stitch twist, although this week admittedly, maybe not a complete rotation.

I am nearing the end of the first ball of King Cole Riot, so ordered a couple more..... incidentally, this website I've used a few times, has an offer on Riot at the moment....very handy, and quick delivery too.

Other knitting this week, has been a new project from my list, which has taught me a brand new skill.....I can now (kind of) cope with DPNs....

This is the main body for the Big Snowy Owl...my version will be a Not Quite So Big Snowy Owl as I'm using aran weight not the super bulky called for.  I am pleased as punch with my new found skill....I would never have guessed that DPNs were used like that......thank goodness for google.....who knew you had to.....stand on your head before you could do it......actually, I did think that all four needles held the stitches and you went round from needle to needle....I've got to say to all you sock knitters, I'm not sure how you do it, I was definitely all fingers and thumbs!  Do you ever find that one of the needles you are not holding, ever falls out?  That would be reason for a small meltdown in my mind!

Well, that's about it for this week....my hubby and kids are drumming their fingers waiting for me to finish so we can get out walking, so I must tarry no longer.

Just one quick pic of the fruit I put into another summer pud yesterday........doesn't that just scream summer?!

Looking forward to sitting down later and reading about all your  progress too.....thanks for being such a great group to be part of!  Hope you all have a great crafting week.x

Year of projects - 29.07.12

Well, I'm being a (tired) early bird this morning, getting my update done before the start of a busy day.  We are out to a family lunch, and with church first, time is limited  to sit in front of the computer.....however, I will be sat with cup of tea in hand, reading everyone elses progress this evening.

This is my ten-stitch twist which I took to the beach yesterday,  while the children played......I think I'm getting very brave, as I do have a little bit of a 'thing' about sand getting near my yarn.....but yesterday I couldn't pass up the window to knit.

This is it again this morning, a little further along.  I have to say, I'm not sure I will have the patience to make a blanket, as although easy, I'm finding it a bit slow......I am kept going with the changing colours, which always make things more interesting, but unlike crochet, it isn't instantly gratifying.  The pattern is simple and clever, the way I like it....... maybe it's just my technique isn't as slick as it should be.

This is really all I've been working on this week, a little dabbling of my toes into some simple crochet, but I've definitely had my 'knit head' on, in the main.

We've had beautiful sunshine these past few days and have loved it......farming and sunshine brings on the mad dash to get the crops in, so yesterday the combine harvester turned up to cut our winter barley.

This is a photo after a small break down (this too, is typical and is all part of the fun of harvesting time!) which with a drill, some hammering and a bit of blue air, was  soon fixed .

As the combine was on stop, it was very difficult to dissuade two small boys to leap into the cab....it was brief and highly supervised though as my hubby and our neighbour had their fixing-fingers in the header  at the time.

Well.....as ever, thank you for all your lovely comments from last week....I'm looking forward to catching up this evening, when boys are tucked up and all the days events are done....probably with a bit of the Olympics in the background.....who knew it would be such addictive viewing!

Have a great week.x

Year of projects 22.07.12

Well the past couple of weeks of 'busy' must have taken their toll, as for the past two nights, I have not knitted or crocheted......hubby was about to get the thermometer out.  Waking up this morning was a bit like hitting the wall I reckon, and I'm afraid I've whined more than once today!

The picture above is a quick start on Ten Stitch Twist, unfortunately not in the Noro suggested, but in King Cole Riot, first time I've used it, and so far pretty impressed.

Disappointingly that's really it for YOP work this week, but I have still been busy.  A couple of weeks ago I borrowed a book from the library with lots of patterns for knitted and crocheted flowers, I can't say I've found the patterns very easy to follow, as the terms are slightly different to those I am used to, but let's say it has been a challenge!

(rose, scabious, daisy, dianthus, pansy)

We have been treated to a couple of days of sunshine, and definitely not taking it for granted with the recent unseasonal weather, we had a family BBQ yesterday.  It was relaxed and fun with great food and even better company.  I baked a cheesecake, a bakewell tart, a summer pudding and a batch of malteser squares which all seemed to go down well.

By request of Ruth, here are three of the puds, the summer pudding stayed in its bowl for transporting and once up-ended, was quickly consumed...yom, yom, yom!

This afternoon I got my way and we walked in the big woods.



There was some whining (not from me for a change!) and tired small people were bribed with the promise of homemade strawberry milkshake.

It is always so satisfying to get out in the woods on a warm day, even though we were all tired, it felt good when we were among the trees.  Both dogs are now snoring and I won't be far behind them.

Looking forward to catching up with all you fellow YOP-ers.  Thanks for all your lovely comments last week. Hope you all have another good crafting week.x