2012

Knitting continues even while blogging doesn't... It's been so long, Blogger has changed its whole set-up, completely confusing me, and I am having to work out what I haven't blogged about...

Christmas 2011:

I had a lot of fun making all my Christmas tree baubles, and I did finish off the Star Wars scarf for my brother-in-law, although I can't currently find where I saved the pictures of that, so I'll have to add those another time.














2012: After the apparent success of my first ever knitting commission (me vs the moths), I was asked by another woman at work to attempt a knitting kit which she'd been unable to complete for many years. I can safely say I may have been a little too cocky in saying yes.
I'm currently struggling no end with this one. It's a Jaeger cardigan with a fruits and flowers pattern around the base of the back, front and sleeves. The problem is not necessarily the pattern - I can follow charts without too many issues - it's the fact that, not only am I dealing with more than a dozen different coloured yarns, but they're also different plys! Some of the colours are only supplied in small amounts, so although, now on my third attempt of knitting this up (the pictures are of my second attempt!), I am doubling the yarn over to try and make the knit more even, I'm concerned I may end up running out of yarn long before the cardigan is finished! Luckily, the lovely woman who asked me to complete this is completely empathetic of the problems - she gave up because she found it too difficult to concentrate on the pattern, so she doesn't mind if I give up; she actually asked around some professional knitters, none of whom would touch it! My current attempt is a backward knit - I'm starting at the top of a sleeve at the moment, in order to work down to the more complicated pattern at the base, just to try and make myself feel a little more successful! I was doing really well until I dropped a stitch in the middle of a pattern and had to put it away before I cried... I am determined though, I have to at least finish the one sleeve to see if I can do it. I've had it since the start of the year though, so I'm still not wholly convinced...


A couple of things I have been able to complete just recently though are linked to some recent family news: at my birthday meal, my sister told me she is going to have a baby - I'm going to be an Aunty! A perfect excuse to use up all those odd balls of wall and 2ply mistakes I've acquired over the past few years! So far, I've knitted a hat and booties set in pale blue (it's a bit difficult to knit too much yet, as we don't know the sex), and a baby pouch, which I'm particularly proud of and am just waiting for some buttons to arrive in order to complete it... :)