Pick-a-boo shawl knit-a-long

 

 So here it is...finally off the needles, my Quite Continental shawl by Boo Knits

A first in a few respects for me...lace work and beading....who knew there was a 0.6mm crochet hook?

 

I bought my hand-dyed yarn on Etsy from Perran Yarns and I can't recommend Steph's yarn enough, it is beautiful, reasonably priced and is soooo luxurious.

The pattern, even for a beginner at something as fine as this, was easy to follow and any swear words that occurred were purely down to my rubbish-ness!  I was undecided as to whether I was going to use the beads, but I was glad I did, as I found them useful as a marker for where I was in the pattern.  In the beginning, I found I lost my place in the pattern repeat and couldn't 'read' the stitches quickly enough, but as I got into the swing of things, I soon got into a rhythm, and I even did some knitting and beading at the beach while watching three boys swimming and sandcastle building.....get me!

The shawl is perfect, blocking was my saving grace and it is a good size, although not so big as others (maybe I started out on too smaller needle?)  the mistakes which I'm sure I did, are not visible ....so I'll just keep quiet about them.

Thing is now....I am on a roll....I think I will be casting on another in the next day or so.  

In four days (whhoooppppeeeee!) we are off on our first 'abroad' holiday to Austria and I'm thinking another Boo Knits shawl would be a nice small project to take for the evenings.  Anyone who has any ideas how to stop three boys slapping each other in a 16 hour car-journey, don't hold back, I'm all ears!

Anyway....if you would like to catch up with any fellow Knit-a-long-ers  hop on over to Sarah's blog Crafts from the Cwtch with this week's link-up being hosted by the pattern designer herself....Mrs. Boo Knits.

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.... 

FO Friday

So remember this?  The blanket I made for a friend who was getting married in July....well, here it is in all its huggable glory!

This pattern is Wool Leaves by Jared Flood..... it was a breeze, and it is just as I wanted it....you know me Blanket Girl....always looking for the next big project...and this one didn't disappoint.

The yarn is Sirdar Big Softie Super Chunky  I'm not sure I really want to think about how many balls I used, but probably around 15.  I would recommend the yarn, really soft and chunky....in fact....it did exactly what it said on the tin.

The picture above was the blanket, unblocked and the one below, blocked.  After blocking it was far more drapey and grew a bit too, which was nice as the chunky yarn in this was swallowed up like candyfloss.

So there you have it...one more blanket...my love still not satisfied.....

For the first time I am joining up with Tami's Amis

Wednesday walk - 12.06.13

What a difference a week makes hey?  Last week, blue skies and sunshine, this week, grey and damp.  This is where I started this week's walk, just up past these two white buildings and then on up the side of the cliff. 

When you get to the top, it looks a bit like this....that's what I like about coast path walking, it's a real pat on the back to look back and see how far you've come.  At this stage of the walk I was full of enthusiasm and energy..........

One sticky-outy (Yes, Marigold, there I go again) bit further on

Through some woods.........thinking to myself....this really is lovely, peaceful, I'm getting fitter and I have some thinking time.........

It wasn't long after this bit when I came across a bit of the path which hadn't been cut, so I plough on in, thinking, 'ah well, nothing else for it'  Waist high grass and bracken, holding all the rainwater from yesterdays downpours.....jaw clenched....head down.....marching....Chester leaping up while he walked to see above the long grass. 

I was beginning to think I had made an awful mistake...no visible path, close to the cliff edge.  Then I hear the distant rumbling of a lawnmower and there in the distance are two men from the council cutting the grass....Stopping to talk to them, they tell me that its the only part of the 133 mile path that hasn't been cut....just this part, about a mile...how I wish I'd known!  As I headed on (on the newly cut, clear path) I can hear my feet squelching (as if someone has emptied a glass of water in each boot)  I wondered if the council men were smirking at the sight of me, soaked through (even to my underwear) with squelchy feet!

So things started looking remarkably brighter....but I had a impending dread starting to formulate in my head....

You see my socks...my long worked on, two at a time, toe-up socks....had been sitting in my drawer waiting for their first outing.....can you see where this is going?

So with every step and every squelch I am thinking about my socks....I'm thinking about the lovely colours, the stitch definition.....

Edge of the cliff....and rocks out to sea, but look a bit closer.......

Doesn't the tail end of it look like a sea monster?

So this is where I decided enough was enough...oh that was after a tripped over a large stone in the path and landed like a sack of spuds in a star-fish pose.....the people who were only about 15 metres ahead must have been deep in conversation, as they didn't turn when I hit the deck and made a large grunt....maybe it was a good thing, as I struggled back up covered in mud, and felt a little sorry for myself. 

Looking on, I could see there was still a good way to go, so I did the sensible thing and phoned home, arranged a pick up time and place and stepped up the pace.

By the time I got to the car, I was hot and bothered and a little disappointed that I hadn't completed my intended walk...but hey.......ten miles done....

My socks........felted........