Here's some I made earlier

Some people like making socks for presents - but I think my favourite thing for gifts is fingerless mittens. These I made for Christmas presents - I like both the red and pink versions. In fact I think I could make them in lots of different colourways....

Something completely different

Never turn down a chance to do a screenprint workshop - especially one at the Art School because they have all the necessary gear.
It was pretty fast and furious - but enough to churn out an image ....

 I chose the airplane image and Sam (the tutor) did a little manipulation in Photoshop - which was very handy as my Photoshop skills are very miniscule. The one above is red under print and black over top

 This one is a print I made on the scrap paper when I needed to clear the screen of the ink. I rather like it except the paper is very thin - will try and figure out how I can use it

 Tried black paper - this one was underprinted in red. My registration was a bit 'off' in a lot of prints but we were doing these pretty quickly - well that's my excuse

The one above is not underprinted - just a black image.
It was really fun - I could spend hours playing with these - except we didn't have that long

Just like Cinderella

It's taken a while - I'm onto my third Nightingale sock - but finally it looks as if I will be able to get it on and it will fit.

I could, just, get the second sock over my heel but it was an incredibly tight fit and I decided that, in the long run, it was not going to work.

My other project, the Vivian cardigan/jacket, has reached the armholes and I now need to make the sleeves. For that I need some big size DPN's (Double Pointed Needles) which I've had to order in - so that is on the back burner for a bit. 

Now I'll have no excuse for not making some decent progress on the socks.

Love, love, love

Well - the Nightingale socks are proving to be a real test of me. I have now started on my 3rd sock - as, although the 2nd did go over my foot, it was very, very tight and I finally decided that it would drive me nuts. So I've gone up another needle size....

Meantime some wool that I ordered back in August finally arrived. It had been on backorder and apparently is only made in fairly small lots ... it is Madelinetosh Chunky in this gorgeous shade of Georgia O'Keefe. Not cheap but, as my sister says, if you are going to put a lot of work into something and it will last a long time you should get the best you can. And Webs do generous discounts if you order over certain price limits.  I am making a hoodie called Vivian. I am seriously in love with the colour.

One of these socks is not like the other

Well things were going well with the Nightingale Socks until I turned the heel - and then it didn't fit. Actually it had been a tight fit all along - even with adding stitches.

So - there was only one thing to do - start again using a bigger needle.

I kept the first one to compare - when I'm happy with the second I'll frog the first.

I think the second one will fit - if it doesn't I may have to surgically reshape my foot

Another wip is done

The baby hoodie is finished. Even though it is intended for next winter it can be so changeable here I may as well give it to her now.
Still plugging away, slowly, on the Nightingale Socks - am negotiating the heel - will post a photo next week when hopefully there is something more to be seen

One wip is finished

 'Glad' is finished. In the pattern they have it tied around the breast area - which I think looks dumb.
The front pieces are quite wide - so they don't easily tie. I will probably wear it more like one of the photos below.

 Anyway  - the Rowan Kidsilk Haze is gorgeous and it is soft and warm. Perfect.

Not too much progress on the socks - about a centimetre I would guess. Still I have now started on the heel.

Wips, wips, wips

 I usually try not to have more than one project on the go because I fear I won't finish any. However I now have 3 on the go - mainly because some are easier to knit when watching TV and others need more concentration - so for those I do them when listening to the radio.
The one above is obviously one of the TV ones - it's a hooded jacket for a baby for my niece's second born. I made one for her first born and it has been a success so it seemed fair to do another.

Below is the final stages of my Glad cardigan. I have kind of blocked it - I think. I really have no idea. But anyway next is to sew some seams and do a little edge.

 And lastly is my 'needs concentration' project - the Nightingale socks.  Well you can now see a nightingale!

 The Glad cardigan is progressing - back and one sleeve completed.

And now I've started on another project - the Nightingale Socks - pattern and yarns form Vintage Purls
I'm hoping the link below will show the pattern - but not sure because it is Ravelry and you may need to be a member. Anyway - you will be able to see the nightingales as I progress. It takes a bit of concentration so it is good to have the cardigan for more mindless knitting (and TV watching)

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/nightingale-2

Moving on

 Socks finished! These ones had a flatter line at the toe whereas the first pair had a pointy toe.
I think the flatter line works better for me.

The good thing about finishing a project is that you get to start on another one! And the next is
Glad by Sarah Hatton. It was in the Rowan 39 magazine. It is a short wrap cardigan and made using Rowan Kidsilk Haze - which is a little slow to knit but is soooooo soft I can't wait to wear it..

Update

 Well I have been away for a few weeks - mostly for a photog. workshop in Montana but also managed to get to Vancouver, Seattle, Portland and Yosemite. I took the socks with me but didn't get too much done - I've made more progress since getting back and catching up on my TV viewing.

The letters below I made as part of a "Pay it Forward" craft challenge - they started out as white and I painted, decoupaged and varnished (around 25 coats) them. The varnish has been curing in my absence and now they are ready to post. Going to Auckland, Washington DC and Mali !

Hey presto - socks finished

Well my first socks went pretty smoothly. It was a toe-up pattern with a pointy toe.
Second socks will be with a flatter toe using a Turkish cast-on - something new.

And using another Schoppel Wolle (Admiral Ombre) from Vintage Purls

between socks

I had started on the next child's sweater and thought I had better finish that before the big socks or it might never happen and just clutter up my already cluttered-up living space.

So there it goes - same as the first one - but for someone in Australia so not likely they will end up in the same place in the same sweater.

And then onto the socks - these are knitted 'toe-up' and on a circular needle - using the Magic Loop method. The wool is Schoppel Wolle - Admiral Tweed Bunt bought from the very handy, local Vintage Purls

And now for something completely different!

Yes - it's a sock. A mini sock to be precise. I went to a workshop yesterday and learnt the basics of sock knitting by making this one. Now for something bigger....

Hey presto

Here is the finished "Sake and Soba" sweater.
As we have had a good lot of snow the last few days it seems like a good time to have it finished. Actually it was all that staying at home by the fire that helped to get it finished.

Comfort Blanket

The Granny Square blanket is now finished and ready to be delivered. We joined the squares and made the border from tutorials on

http://attic24.typepad.com - thanks to Lucy

Round and round

I've almost completed 2 pattern repeats. With the circular needle it is hard to stop!

And now for something old...

I started this, the Sake and Soba sweater from the book "Japanese Inspired Knits" almost a year ago. I didn't get very far, as you can see, because I couldn't make sense of the pattern. I contacted the publisher and it took quite a while to get a response and I moved on to other projects. It turned out there was an error in the charts.

Anyway - it's winter here now, and time to get on with it.

I'm trying to restrain myself from buying more wool for my next planned project until this is complete....or almost complete.

Now that I've picked it up again, and worked out where I was up to, I am enjoying it - the cable and patterns have me keen to finish each row to see it develop.

A case for my uke

I've been going to ukulele classes - and carrying my ukulele in it's cardboard box didn't seem very cool - so I raided my stash and came up with some quilted fabric and ...

...now it can be cosy

But wait...there's more

5 down - 3 to go. I'm getting the feeling it's time to move on to something else....

Mitts, mitts and more mitts

Well I made 4 pairs of the above mitts but gave some away before I could photograph them altogether.

Now I'm making more out of a TouchYarns yarn - it is 60% Merino, 30% Possum and 10% Nylon. The possum should make them really cosy for the colder times of winter - which is almost here - so I'm making them as fast as I can

...and next

I've made these mitts before - but this time I am using the Lion Brand Magic Stripes in Jellybean. It is the same yarn that Dotty used in the original pattern "A Mittful of Jellybeans" on Ravelry. The yarn had been discontinued but I managed to get it from someone's stash. The plan is to make 4 pairs for gifts for friends - very handy now that we are heading into winter

Rosie models her new pullover

Finito

The pullover for Rosie is finished. I'll try to get it modelled by her to see how it looks.