Happy Crafting

As I think I have said previously, I am not normally a Christmas knitter - occasionally I will do one or two things, but this year everything I'm giving seems to be home-made.

I have made Christmas decorations to give away (from Simply Knitting's December issue):

These have now had their little silver hangers attached, and are ready to go - I used scraps of Louisa Harding Coquette in green, and Debbie Bliss Cathay in purple with silver lurex as the accent.  A great way to use up odds and ends, and they look great - better than in this rather naff photo!  And so much fun to do - instant gratification as they take about an hour, tops, each.

I have also been frugal and foraging - and made apple and rosehip jelly from windfall apples and rosehips, both from my autumn garden:

This was phase one - I had to reboil it to set it but it has come out beautifully now, and at least one friend will be getting a jar of this in a few weeks time!  I used a recipe from the River Cottage Community site.

Next to the jars in the photo are two home-made soaps, which I made from a kit bought in a charity shop.  I am a little anxious about soap making as I know how quickly it can catch fire, so I started slowly, and did these two bars as testers:

The kit came with moulds, fragrance and dye - these are fraganced, but not dyed and I used a fish and seashell mould.  They are ok, but not good enough for gifts - yet.

I have also (hallelujah!) completed Linda's sweater and stole, and will add in a shawl pin for her present - a pic will follow soon.

OTK: The annual husband sweater - this year in Jacob chunky pure wool, in a design of my own based on a rather nice sweater seen online, and Julia's hat trio, for her and her two girls.  Nothing for me!  But strangely ok with that at the moment.

Bella

An ancient Rowan pattern by Kim Hargreaves, knitted in an Arucania chenille, last autumn.

Another knit - Surface

A favourite knit from last autumn.  This has got tons of wear.

Today's knits

I have continued my efforts to wear handknits at weekends, and here is today's effort:

This is the Garter Stitch Tunic from an old edition of Creative Knitting Australia, and the Handspun Handwarmers from my beginner's spinning booklet.  I was attempting a Rowan vibe in this photo, but not sure it really works!

Knitting wise I have not achieved much this week, but am having a better go at my obligations now the weekend is here. Note to self - make sure a commuting knitting project is packed up ready to go on Sunday night!

Is this the beginning of Holiday Knitting??

As the autumn has arrived I have been reviewing my closet and resolving to wear my handknits more. Yesterday saw A Cardigan for Scotland/Apple Strudel being worn with dark denims and a long sleeved black t-shirt with a red necklace for colour; but today's dismal start of thick fog made me not want to wear grey, so I dug out Kristi Porter's Intoxicating, from No Sheep For You, and layered it up for the cold weather:

I did this in the colours suggested by the pattern, but used bits of yarn I had in stash - the green is Rowan Hand Knit Cotton, the purple Debbie Bliss Cathay, and (not able to be seen in this self-portrait) the orange on the back is Debbie Bliss Pure Silk.  The silks add a luxurious feel and the fit of this sweater is particularly good; I don't know why I don't wear it more. 

I was planning, when I saw the weather, to spend most of the day knitting today and I have a great deal of obligation knitting to get through at the moment, so the first thing I did was make a list, and try to make a start.  In the end, however, I have spent a lot of the day hanging new curtains in 3 of my downstairs rooms, and as a watery sun came out in the afternoon, giving the garden an autumn tidy-up, but I did get a chance to address the first two items on my list - Linda's Spring Cloud and stole. 

Here is Spring Cloud, complete:

It is pretty, and fits fairly well now.  I am not sure I like the sleeve length (although I am taller than Linda), or the eyelet increases, but I have fiddled with this so much now I think I just need to show it to Linda and see what she thinks.

So I cast on a stole for her as well, from the other yarn that came with this Gedifra Samina:

This is kind of a bobbled, popcorn type yarn that is shades of brown, orange and green.  I am planning a simple stole - garter stitch, 30 stitches, work until no more yarn is left.  I don't mind no-brain knitting, but this is VERY basic... but as the yarn is so textured, there is no point putting in any pattern.

Next - and long overdue - a hat for Julia and her girls.  I am planning to surf for an old Steph Japel pattern that I have used for families before.  I'll do a grey one for Julia and pink ones for the girls, with co-ordinating buttons (perhaps a pink button on the grey hat, and grey buttons on the pink ones!)

Linda has also ordered hats, and I am planning a button up vest for my dad, as well as christmas baubles and a meerkat for another friend, a scarf for another relative, and a few other things besides what I already have on the needles (two sweaters and an ongoing spinning project, plus my sewing and crochet experiments).  I don't generally holiday knit - but it seems I am this year!

The Purslane Beret, and Progress on the Women's Sweater

Dear readers, other pesky life things have been occupying me over recent weeks so I have not blogged much at all, but I have managed to squeeze a little knitting in.  This is the Purslane Beret, from the latest Knitscene (Fall, 2012):

It was a fun knit, and although I made tons of errors in it it blocked out well - almost too well as it ended up a bit of a tea cosy:

But once I reknitted the band in a smaller needle size, it fitted it's recipient well:

I have also continued with the Women's Sweater, made in the wonderful, beatiful rare comfort of Jo Sharp Mohair...

I've also cast on another sweater for the husband, but more about that some other time.