Shruggy Thing

This was a super fast knit project - don't you just lurve big needles and thickish yarn? It's my take on Shrug This by Toni Kayser Weiner from the book One Skein Wonders.

It's a birthday present for a friend and I modified it quite heavily as my friend is larger than it seemed to be. I also had a check out on Ravely and there were several larger people there who had adapted it as the sizing was coming up on the smaller size. So the first thing I did was to change the needles from 6.5mm to 10mm. Not a fan of large needles usually but hey do have their place. Then I used some of the random yarn that I have in my stash. It was a lovely rich red boucle that I have no idea what it is. That was held double and probably came up to something like an aran/worsted weight.

I kept the same number of cast on stitches but instead of the ribbing I did moss/seed stitch. The top part was knitted as per the instructions and I cast off the sleeves as directed but then I added 5 stitches under each arm to add some fullness there. The top was then continued until it was 15" and not the 11" in the book.

I think it turned out quite well but perhaps a little too floppy so if I were to do it next time (which I probably won't) I would drop a couple of needle sizes and increase the number of cast on stitches.

Day of the Dead Round 2

I finally managed to collect my mail from the sorting office and I now have the yarn for the next round of the Day of the Dead. The yarn came from knit-frog-knit and is a lovely bright rainbow of colours. It's Shepherd Sock by Lorna's Laces and is lovely.

The competition is on hold until December 1st as many of the competitors are in the US and it's Thanksgiving next weekend and it seems that there are loads of people travelling and so it was easier to stop the competition. It's a bit frustrating as the socks were only knitted to the cuffs and a couple of centimeters beyond and I can't touch them for over a week. But I rewound the balls as they were a bit tangled and now the yarn is sitting there - expectantly.

I also got a lovely wee bag with smellies and pretty pink glittery notebook from one of the members of the UK RAK (Random Act of Kindness). I'm back to Gloucester for 3 weeks on Monday so I shall take the smellies along and pamper myself a tad and the notebook will be used to for my stories.

Winter Warmer Swap

When I first got back into knitting earlier this year I got really excited about the various swaps that were on and around Ravelry. I was in some very successful ones and some not so great ones but I hadn't realised how much of a drain it would be financially. It wasn't necessarily that swap items were expensive but sometimes the postage was a bit GULP! Anyway so I have not done any for a while but I have found this - a UK Swap - through the power of Ravelry.

Sounds like fun and I am really looking forward to it. Wander over and join up too if you fancy an after Christmas surprise

WOW . . .

. . . it looks like I am going to finally finish the Smackdown Stole that I have been plugging away at for the past few months. Poor Woolyewe must have almost died of the cold by now but soon she will be out of her misery and wrapped in greenness. I am up to the last repeat and then tonight I hope to finish it off and might even gat it blocked. As soon as I can work out how to block it.

I wonder what has happened to mine. Perhaps my assasin had the same lack of ooommpp that I had for it and it still trying to get it done. So come on! Smack me with a stole and put me out of my misery, my mystery assasin ;o)

Gloucester

The Rotherham of the South (with profound apologies to Rotherham and it's inhabitants)

Okay Gloucester isn't that bad but I am stuck for another week here without my usual entertainments. It's odd though, because I have Internet access and I have brought knitting but it still doesn't feel right. Things aren't that much different than I'd be doing at home but there is something that is missing.

Oh well.

I now have the confirmation that I was looking for that I can start a new pair of socks of the yarn smackdown advanced sock. I wonder if there are any yarn shops in Gloucester or even Cheltenham that might have something suitable. I know that there is a place in the market that does Zig Zag by King Cole and that makes a god pair but as it is variegated I think that it wouldn't necessarily suit a lace pattern. Well I'm going to be busy with work for the next couple of days but will see if I can hunt down yarn based product.

Although I don't know the size that I am knitting to I can at least get them underway.

Day of the dead

I have gotten rid of the blue and purpleness that was my Day of the Dead socks for knit-frog-knit.

It was odd not knitting the whole foot to the toes but there had been issues with people concerned that they might have to unpick socks if the socks were sent to someone other than the original target. So the new rule was that we were to o knit 5 inches oof the foot and then lifeline them, making sure that we included enough yarn for the target to finish their own socks.

Personally I think that it's a bit odd not finishing socks - there are knitters who take part in these knitting competition who can't wear wool but they usually seem content to at least have a pair of socks. I realise that socks can sometimes go through several people (so speak) before getting to their target but is it really that difficult to unpick few rows if the person has smaller feet and possibly use a contrasting yarn if they need to be much bigger?

Anyway the socks have been finished as much as I could - at least I remembered to weave in the cast on yarn. They just caught the last post out and are hopefully winging their way across the Atlantic.

Grumpy

That's what I am. Really really grumpy.

I am still waiting on some SIPs for the advanced sock smackdown. These were meant to be posted on October 1st and they are still not with me. I know that they are coming from Canada but I would have thought that they could have taken a ride on a passing whale and then walked and still have gotten to me quicker. I have never had anything take this long from either the US or Canada and I've not had any contact from the sock deaded person either so have no idea what's going on. I have contacted the organiser but what can she do in all reality?

I'm not sure how long SIPs have to be missing before they are declared lost and I can start again but it's going to make me really grumpy if I have to splash out and buy more yarn. So far I have not had any SIPs - the first yarn, that came only after I asked where the yarn was, was so nasty that it posed a definite health hazard - death by electrocution would follow because the the build up of static electricity. So I started my second pair with my own yarn and now it looks like it is going to happen again.

And I'm also grumpy because I can't log onto the NaNoWriMo website - it take sooooooo long to do anything on that site. I have completely given up and will not bother updating my word count. Which is a shame as I really wanted to see the little bar on my progress thingy go up.

Oh and I'm grumpy about work as I am standing in the cold and can't knit because my fingers start to freeze.

But one good thing that is happening is that I have managed to crack on with the socks for the Day of the Dead competition. Should have the finished either tonight or tomorrow (probably tomorrow) so at least one thing seems to be going well.