Knittarella

Another Thank You to my Secret Pal

2006-08-31T13:13:00.000-07:00

Wow!! My secret pal knitted me the most gorgeous fingerless gloves for the final leg of One Skein Secret Pal!

The colour is gorgeous and I cannot wait until the weather gets cold LOL!!! I can wear them then!

My secret pal is Katie and her blog is:
http://knitdaisies.blogspot.com

She has been such a lovely secret pal! I however, am a late Secret Pal - time constraints have led me to be late with my last item that needs to be sent. I am knitting a cable muffler to send to my spoilee - in Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk - and I have been trying my hardest to get it done.

I've recently joined Flylady and bought a book on time management in the hope I can maintain some order to my life. It also doesn't help that my mum has been diagnosed with breast cancer and I am awake some nights worrying...even knitting isn't taking it off my mind.

Anyway...I must go...time..pah!!!

Secret Pal a Thank You

2006-08-06T10:53:00.000-07:00

My Secret Pal sent me this for the July! Some Opal yarn to dye! Isn't it great?! I'm hopefully going to dye it this week and will post the results soon.So Thank You to my Secret Pal!

I am feeling a bit of a bad Secret Pal myself. I feel awful because the package I have to send to my recipient has been sat in my husbands boot for a week and I totally forgot to post it! I shall do so tomorrow sharpish and then get on with knitting the item to send too.

It has been quite a hectic week. My daughter turned 3yrs old and we went to a family wedding this week! It has been great but I am glad that things can start going back to normal.

Thats all for now! Will post properly soon!

Knittarella! x

2006-07-13T12:30:00.000-07:00

So little time, so little time!! I have been meaning to update my blog and have regretfully had to neglect it for the past month as I have so much going on in my life at present. A close friend of mine is going through a horrendous time - not going to publish details on the web because it is *bad*, something I would never wish to have to go through. On top of that, it is nearly the end of term for my classes so I've had a huge amount of admin to get through!! Arrggh total nightmare!! My books are up to date though..so that is something I suppose!

Knitting wise - I did thank my Secret Pal by email for my first skein, because I hadn't had time to update the blog...I had a slap on the wrist from the One Skein organisers for apparently not keeping in touch..when I *had* and for not updating my blog. Hello guys...I do have a life and somethings crop up in life which are MORE important than yarn...believe it or not!

I can't post a pic to my first skein yet but have to say that it truly is FAB!! It is a scarf skein and has lots of different colours, textures, beads spun in and I really can' wait to get the time to sit and knit with it! I also had a chocolate covered Kendal MintCake bar...haven't eaten it yet because I am on a diet at present. It is in my knitting bag, should the occasion arise for any knitterly frustrations!! I will put a pic on as soon as possible.

So *kiss* Thank you my Secret Pal!! :)

I am currently in the process of getting some lovely yarn for my spoilee for the One Skein. Some naturally dyed, organic sock yarn, in beautiful rose colours. It is made from Leicestershire sheep so, its nice to keep it local, so to speak!

Anyway...I haven't much time as I am (again) in the middle of admin! I break up on Saturday but am running a summer club for 5 weeks of the summer hols...I am my own worst enemy, I swear!!!

Knittarella x

Clapotis dies a death!!!

2006-06-10T23:49:00.000-07:00

OMFG!!!! I am so angry!!

(sorry for the lack of updates anyhoo)

Well, the title speaks for itself really!!! Clapotis was doing really well, until the decreasing rows. For some inane reason I misread the instructions and it all went horribly wrong. It was looking so good - Silk Garden #84 - but looked soooooooo bad in the end.

I was VERY gutted that I had got so far but ballsed it up! So I completely frogged it, there was no saving it at all. I couldn't even put a lifeline in to sort it out because the drop stitches would have been affected too. So, Silk Garden is now all in a bag ready to be made into something else.

I don't think Clapotis will be attempted again for a long while...I think I will leave it for a year or two!

In the meanwhile, I have been working on a multidirectional scarf (pic above!!!). I've been using lots of odds and ends to do a patchwork effect, and I'm really pleased with the end result. So much so, I have just cast on to do another which will be my World Cup Knitting project. The new multidirectional scarf is in reds, oranges, and greens..really bright!! Great stash buster!!

The next thing to get started on is my One Skein project to send to my assigned spoilee for August. I' d like to get this done and dusted because I am awful for leaving things too late!

I am in the process of picking 2 skeins for my spoilee, its fun shopping for another person!!

Thats all for now. I'll try to post some more soon!!

Oh and I have another pic, of two preemie hats I did for a friend's baby, also pictured above!

Bye for now!!!

Knittarella!!!

Clapotis takes a break....only a little one.

2006-05-07T12:14:00.000-07:00

I'm really enjoying Clapotis now and it is coming along lovely! However, on one of the baby forums I visit, a plea has been made for anyone who can knit, to make some Preemie Hats for a 1lb baby :(:(.

I've never done one before, so we'll see how it goes! I'll post a pic when it is done.

Dying to get back to Clapotis though...just want it finished!!!!

Knittarella!

Clapotis Strikes Back

2006-04-30T10:28:00.000-07:00

Well!! I haven't had much time lately to update this blog because my business is *very* much taking up my time at present. I am expanding my classes into another area in September, taking over an existing franchise alongside my own - so things are chaotic!!!

It is bank holiday weekend now and I thought I would try and get on with some of my projects. 'The Dog' is nearly done...well it has been knitted up and the head has been assembled but, then I got cross with the crap instructions and it has gone away!! I honestly don't mind sewing up projects but this takes the biscuit! Which is ironic as it is 'The Dog's' name - Biscuit - that's what it says on the front of the bag it came in.

So, Clapotis has made a return!! Yikes!!!

I swapped some Regia sock yarn with a lady on the Angel Yarns forum for two balls of Noro Silk Garden #84. OMG the anticipation waiting for this yarn was unbelieveable. I've never had Noro before and have meant to get some at some point so you must excuse me for my excitement! When it arrived my excitement was warranted. I just LOVE this yarn! The colourway is *gorgeous!!!*. I wanted more however, and looked on Ebay to see if I could get some in #84. Luckily there was a lady selling about 30 balls - oh how I wish I could have bought them all but think my husband would have went mental LOL! - I bought 6 balls. It isn't the same dyelot as the 2 I received in the swap but...it's Noro, and being random as it is, I am sure it will work out.

I sat clutching my 8 balls of Silk Garden and wondered what to do with it. Clapotis popped in my head...I tried to swat it away...it wouldn't go. I printed the pattern out again and decided to cast on with the proviso that this project will be the *only* one I can work on until it is finished. So far I am doing fine! It is looking fabulous colourway wise!! I haven't reached the straight-row section as yet but I am very positive that this will come off!! Wish me luck!!

I have signed up to the One Skein Secret Pal Exchange this evening - never done a Secret Pal thing before, so I am very looking forward to it! Can't wait to get the book!!

Thats it for today. I am going to try and post each week from now on.

Knittarella x

Fricking Clapotis!

2006-02-25T16:52:00.001-08:00

Frogged it! Say no more! Had eeeeeeeeeeeeeeenough! I dropped a stitch without realising and discovered it a while later. Boy was I mad! It was un- salvagable as it laddered in totally the wrong place.I am not a happy bunny. I'm not going to attempt to try it again until I feel in a more zen frame of mind! Pass me some Kalms!

The moral of the story is; don't knit while trying to watch Lost Season 2 - espcially if you are quite into it!

I usually knit and watch the TV half-heartedly but thought I was being *clever* by sitting there engrossed in Lost (I blame Sayid!) and not keeping a proper eye on my knitting. Tssssssk!!!!

And breathe..........

Extreme Knitting

2006-02-21T03:51:00.000-08:00

I've just come back from France skiing! Had a great time in Tignes and took my knitting with me *of course*!! I packed 3 projects; Clapotis, My So Called Scarf and a knitting kit of a dog that I am taking my time doing for my daughter (think I mentioned this in my last entry). Anyhoo...each day on the slopes I took Clapotis with me for any Vin Choux or hot chocolate breaks half way up the mountains. I also took it out while waiting to be served each day at lunch. Had lots of funny looks, people thought I must have been some mad woman or something...surely they knit in France...in public?!

I must say, knitting was my saving grace many times throughout the holiday. Fact is we went with my inlaws and some of their friends. At times it got tres' fraught!!! My MIL is one of these people who is *the authority* on children and health. It can be very trying at times I can assure you. Most evenings I declined joining the group meal down in the chalet dining room in favour of bread, cheese, Cast On (thank the lord I downloaded a few episodes before leaving the UK!) and my knitting. It was bliss I tell you!!

There were times I did threaten on taking out Clapotis while skiing. My husband and son thought this was hilarious. I reasoned that I could start a new Olympic Sport - Extreme Knitting - skiing being my forte. I was going to take a pic but of me skiing and knitting...but to be honest...I forgot!! LOL!! Extreme Knitting could join Extreme Ironing...I've seen programmes about this believe me! It's crazy!

So I suppose its nose back to the grindstone now. My daughter is nagging me for some cheese on toast, the needs of a toddler come first.

Au Revoir!

An intro and waffling of other things..

2006-02-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome to my very first blog! Yes, I am a blog virgin!!

Inspired by the Angel Yarns knitting forum, I thought I would get something up and running to display my projects, tears and triumphs in the knitting world!!

At the moment I have 2 WIP; one doggy type knitting kit which my mum bought me for Christmas...to knit for my daughter..this is just a pick up and put down whenever project. We have a plethora of stuffed animals in my house..as well as live ones..and I am sure the doggy can wait a while.

My *real* WIP is actually a dummy run for a clapotis 'clapoteeeeeeeee' LOL!

Having been desperate to knit one, I thought I would do one in a cheapo yarn first to see how it goes. I'm using Diploma Gold DK in a teal colour and it is knitting up fairly well. If this goes OK...then I will splash out on some gorgeous lavish silk from HipKnits! So, wish me luck! ;)

Anyhoo, thats if for today. I have 2 sick children off school...one is napping the other is in bed playing on his PSP and I have to take them to the doctors at 5 p.m. as they have both been unwell since last Wednesday. Poor things.

It is *just* typical that they are ill on the run up to our holiday - we are going skiing this weekend to Tignes...I can't wait. I just hope it isn't a re-run of last year when we went to Courcheval. Grim, Grim, Grim! It was a mix of illness - sick baby on anti-bionics as well as D&V for my husband and I - my son ducked the illness thankfully. Oh and we were staying in a large hotel/chalet which had the noisiest families ajacent to us which kept us awake.

This time, our party have a chalet to ourselves - Bliss!! With a SAUNA!!! Double bliss!!

Bye for now!

Knittarella!!