Extravagant colour

At the beginning of the year I committed to knitting 6 pairs of socks this year when I joined the Super Special Six Pattern Sock Club 2011 on Ravelry. Six patterns were chosen at the start of the year but fortunately we don't have to stick to them. Although I have just completed my third pair of socks, I have so far only knitted one of the selected patterns. Good thing there is no such thing as the knitting police!

So here is pair number three, Gluttony Socks.  Although I used a gradient yarn I didn't attempt to mix the colours according to the pattern. I also modified the pattern a little to suit my foot. Instead of casting on 72 sts I only cast on 68 and decreased to 66 sts once I had completed the ribbing. Oh, and I didn't follow the gauge in the pattern either but I knew that with 2.25mm needles and a gauge of 8sts = 1" I should be fine. And, I am happy to say, the result is a perfect fitting sock.

Two shawls

I finally feel that life is returning to normarl. And having completed two shawls has helped to enhance that feeling. I really missed not knitting lace while I was away (the little bit of knitting I did on the Hypernova scarf didn't really count).

The first completed shawl is Windsbraut Bertha which was a Klabauter KAL. There were only 2 clues and thus this was a quick and very gratifying knit. The yarn is Garnstudio DROPS Fabel and I used 4.0mm needles.

The second shawl is the Celeste shawl. This shawl was meant to be knit with one skein of Tofutsies but I ran out of yarn by the time I reached the final chart so I simply omitted it. I don't think it has made much difference to the shawl. I find the shape very interesting. The shawl sits well on the shoulders without any fear of it slipping off.

Bertha is destined for a fellow Raveller. I started knitting Celeste for her but then decided to give her a choice and she decided on Bertha instead. So Celeste will join the new gift pile.

Strictly knitting

I've got lots of show and tell today. I'll start with the shawl that I finished knitting before I went on holiday but didn't have the time to block until I returned. The shawl is yet another Birgit Freyer design called Lazy Lilly and the yarn is Kauni Wool 8/1 Lace . The shawl was knitted on 4.0mm needles.

Disaster struck while I was blocking the shawl. The yarn snapped! As you can see below I tried to repair the damage. Fortunately the repair isn't noticeable when I wear the shawl.

While on holiday I completed a pair of Anastasia socks. The yarn is Ripples Crafts Hand Dyed Yarns Sock in colourway Stormy.I really like this yarn. I now have several pairs of Ripples Crafts socks and I find them comfortable to wear as well as hard wearing.

My only other holiday knitting was to start a Hypernova scarf. The yarn is Wollmeise 100% Merino Superwash in Rabarbar. This was my train knitting and I haven't got very far. This scarf is also a reminder why I knit scarves so seldom - they do seem to go on forever!

And now to the projects I have started since being at home again. First off, a peir of top-down fingerless mitts I whipped up one evening. The cold weather we have been experiencing of late was the incentive. The yarn is some lusciously soft handspun and hand-dyed lambswool I received from HappyKnittingMum in a Magical Red Shoes swap.

Next up is another KAL, Windsbraut "Bertha". I'm using Garnstudio DROPS Fabel and 4.0mm needles for this shawl. There are only 2 clues for this shawl. This is a photo of the first clue.

And finally I have cast on Celeste from Sock Yarn One-Skein Wonders. The yarn is South West Trading Company TOFUtsies and I'm using 4.5mm needles.

Well, that should keep me busy for a while although I'm still itching to cast on more! I'm looking forward to BadCatDesign's Back to the Garden KAL which starts soon. Treat yourself and go and check this out. A lot of fun awaits.

It's been a while

In fact I have been away for two months and it is a little unreal being back home again. I had hoped to be able to blog along the way but it never worked out. So I decided to give you a quick photographic summary of my trip in this post

Our trip started in South Africa. We spent most of our time in Cape Town and surrounding areas. The Cape is a beautiful part of the world.


Here is one of the many examples of the beautiful Cape Dutch architecture.


Hout Bay is a lovely fishing village and where you can find the best fish and chips!

On to Holland where we had hoped to see the tulip fields. Unfortunately for us the summer came early to Holland and the tulips were over. We did still manage to see some magnificent tulips when we went to Keukenhof.








We went for many walks in beautiful woods like this one. And where I managed to pick up a tick!

Then we had a brief visit to Germany. Here we went to the magnificent Rhododendron Park in Bremen.



And finally we had a few days in Denmark where we saw quaint villages



and loved picturesque Copenhagen.



Along the way I also managed to acquire some yarn. Most of my acquisitions were thanks to Weaverannie. She and her husband treated us to a wonderful day. They showed us that they live in one of the most beautiful parts of Holland. And here you can see where she provided us with an opportunity to indulge ourselves. I found gorgeous yarn and Bruce found some lovely embroideries. Thank you again Annie!

Some knitting did take place but more of that next time.