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Monday 25 January 2010

A knitty art project

What a fab idea is this? Take a social networking site (like Twitter) and take some talented artists (like us) and take knitting (or your interpretation of knitting) as a medium. Let people issue instructions as tweets (so limited to 140 characters) and see what happens. Well that it the latest project from Platea.

If you want to join in then contact either @InnyM or @Platea and say you are on board. Hashtag #plateaknit so they can be added to the archieve and knit away.

The project runs for the next week and you can either start a new project or incoporate it into an existing one.

Since my existing projects are either a pair of socks and my sock blanket, I'm going to start a scarf with some chenille stuff that my sister has hanging around and see where I get with the limited amount.

Saturday 16 January 2010

Sock Blanket update

Here's the weekly update on my Scraps Sock Yarn Blanket. I know that I only posted about this a couple of days ago but am trying to get back on track with posting about my progress up to a Friday.

The blanket now has 46 squares. Most of the yarns I used this week I have used previously but the oddments I have now includes the remains of Martyn's socks so it's a bit more reddy.

Here the colours I used this week


On my other sock project, I have been a bit lax and only added another couple of rows to them, but this week has been busy as it was my birthday on Wednesday, I was out Thursday and Friday and I am now trying to catch up on just about everything.

Tuesday 12 January 2010

Go with the Flow Socks

So a quick update on what my current project is. It's the Go with the Flow socks by Caroline Dlugy-Hegwer.

I had some multi coloured variegated sport weight sock yarn that I have tried for a variety of different patterns and it just never quite worked but it seems to be working fine with this.
The yarn is Gjestal Silja Sock Yarn and these are being started on 3mm needles but I'm about to change down a size to make them more snug around the ankle and foot. I know that this will throw the pattern of the yarn off but I think that it will still be okay. If not I can always frog them and find another project for them.

I'm also giving them a go as 2 at a time. I've tried before but have chickened out when it comes to the heels but this time I shall persevere and see if I can sort it out once and for all. Might have to get a slightly longer needle though and I have an 80cm but think that it's a bit tight.

Sunday 10 January 2010

Scrappy blanket

See I said that I was a bad blogger. I meant to do this a few days ago but completely forgot and then yesterday my heating packed in and I was distracted by waiting for the bod to come out and fix it. He did eventually come out (he's a mate of my landlord) but did nothing other then break some ice from the pipe so I spent a coldish evening in the living room snug under a blanket and duvet with a hot water bottle tucked in for good measure.He might be back today and it might not be fixed until when ever. However I'm a hardy type so hopefully will not freeze while we have this cold spell.

Right then on with the task in hand and that is the report of how my scrappy sock blanket is coming along. I said that I would try and add a square a day for the year and then see what size it has grown to. I know that I could work out the size but it's more fun to see how it grows and then be surprised at the end of the year that it (a) didn't get as big as I thought, or (b) is a good size but needs more work, or (c) now covers Sheffield and the surrounding areas. I think that it's going to be (b) but I suppose it depends on how many socks I knit so that I can get the scraps.

Since I am still unemployed I have said that I will try as hard as I can to knit from my stash and since my stash has at least 16 lots of sock yarn I think that I'll probably be able to see the year out, but all donations will be gratefully received!

Well this week was a bit of a whizz for the blanket as I started on the 4th and it's now the 10th and I have added 12 different coloured blocks so I have 2 days in hand so to speak. I have a collection of about 24 different yarns at my disposal, most is from socks I have knitted but some has been given to me by someone from Ravelry. So until I crack out a few more socks the colours are going to get pretty repetitive but I also like the way that it will change over time with the newer yarns taking the place of the older ones.

Here a snap of the colours used this week

At the end of the month I'll take a picture of the blanket on the bed so we can see the progress over the course of the year.

Thursday 7 January 2010

Masonic Lodge Socks

I have actually finished a pair of socks and may even start another before the end of the month. Here they are in their finished glory

This pair are for my lovely man who wanted a pair of socks that weren't too loose and baggy and held their shape. The ribbing and cable detail on these look as though they'll do the job.

They are made from trekking XXL and I found it rather tough to use. The finished fabric feels a bit hard but I am going to wash them to see if it blooms slightly. It's still comfy enough for socks though even if is only softens a little.

As well as the socks I have also been cracking on with my sock blanket - now I realise how addictive it can be. 3 days ago I had 24 squares to it and now I have 35. It's still tiny compared to what it is going to be but I can see progress and that makes me smile.

Monday 4 January 2010

Scrappy sock blanket

I started a sock blanket, well THE sock blanket, last year but never really got that far with it. By the end of the year I had 24 small squares that formed the smallest corner of the king size blanket that I wanted.

This year I am going to try and knit a square for each day. Since it is already the 4th (how did that happen?) I should have added 4 blocks by now but due to this and that - I seem to have a lot of this and that moments - I have only added 1. By the end of today though, that will have been rectified and I shall have 4 new and sparkling blocks.

I'm using my stash of sock yarn and any colour repeats have to be at least 2 blocks away from each other. Since I am also planning on knitting a pair of socks every month I should have plenty to be going on with.

Friday 1 January 2010

Time flies

Where has the past few months gone? It zipped along and all of a sudden it was December and now the New Year has broken and I have not yet caught up.

I am going to try and be a more faithful blogger this year. My lazy habits might be difficult to break so I promise nothing and offer no resolutions but I shall to keep this bit of my world a little more up to date than last year.

As this is the first day of the new year (just, it's almost the second) I present my first post and with it my current work in progress.
Ta Da!!!
From finished things

This is the Masonic Lodge sock pattern by Emma Haigh aka Erqsome knits and it's available as either a free Ravelry download or on her website.

The yarn is Trekking XXL in colour way 177 which I think looks a bit like a messed up German flag. This is the first time I've used Trekking and by the small gods is it hard on the hands. It feels like iron and I'm just hoping that it softens a bit once washed. So far I've done a complete sock and am now just before the heel flap on the second so I'm getting there.

I had a mad idea that I was going to knit a sock a week but I think that could be a bit ambitious so might limit it to a pair of socks every month but we shall see, I never know when my interest will be piqued and I'm off on a bout of knitting.