Starting Somethin'

Ok that title was meant to be about an obsession I've started but now I have the song in my head and I love it. I love the old Michael Jackson stuff, it's my favourite stuff to dance round the kitchen and sing into wooden spoons to while I'm cooking.

Yeah yeah! 

Anyway. I talked in the last podcast about my current love of simple gift knitting, stashing down and productivity. Well, it's becoming out of control. As I packed up my stash ready to move house (there were tears, I won't lie), I decided to keep a basket full of knitting so see me through the next month. I pulled out odd skeins, remnants, scraps and a few treats. 

Here's what it all looked like when I'm done. All are destined for gift knitting of some description, I just don't know what yet.

Let's delve in

A bag full of sock/ 4ply remnants. I have no idea what these want to be but they will be something of this I can be certain.

A small selection of sportweight that I'm hoping to combine into a design of... something....

A clutch of DK and Worsted weights destined to grow up into hats/ mitts etc for holiday knits. Actually, there's already some missing from that bag as I wound it so it's looking quite sparse here. Honestly, I can't keep my hands of yarn for two seconds....

A skein of awesome from Candy Skein that will be MY gift: dancing socks. 

4 skeins of an aran weight that will be my first hand knit gift for playful baby. I'm looking forward to this moment. 

Oh and let's not forget an old friend who is beginning for another arm. 

I have no idea how long this will last or whether I will stashdown everything but for now I'm pretty committed to some productivity and getting ahead for the holidays. You might be too after Ravellenics or just because. If you are, we decided to have a join in along over on the Ravelry group and there's prizes! Come play!

New Starts

I've been this flurry of knitting. I finished another pair of Toastys and cranked right on to make a matching hat. The pattern is by the lovely Jared Flood who I swear is one of the best pattern writers out there. His style is not too chatty but it's informative and you get what you need in order to best execute the pattern.

Like jogless stripes - Check those bad boys out!

It was so much simpler than any instructions I'd read before. You basically work your new round of colour as normal (catching the old yarn with the working yarn to prevent holes). When you are ready to start the second round you take your right hands needle and lift a loop from the old round and old colour below. You then knit this as if K2tog with what would have been the next stitch. The pattern is Turn a Square and it's so fast and fun. I love these intuitive patterns and once again the Malabrigo was like knitting with buttered kittens. YUM

I did finish something else but again I'm wondering into spoiler territory for friends who read this blog so as soon as they know, you'll know. The general theme has been very unselfish though hasn't it? I mean, 3 FOs and none are for me.See this moutain of new possibilities? Only one is for me: the ongoing Cedar Leaf Shawlette (Alana we love you!). I've got milestone birthdays and pregnancies coming out of my ears! I'm normally more selfish but I've been so grateful to friends and family this last year I feel I just have to give something super special and generous.

The beady eyed amongst you undoubtedly noticed this little bag. Isn't that fabric adorable? It's made by a girl from my knit group from the Lollipop Stop. Go check her out, just save me a robot tote ok? There's always room for more robots....