Two Patterns in Let's Knit

I can now reveal two of the "teasers" from an earlier post.

The first is a pair of gloves with the top of the first finger and thumb missing. I call them "commuter gloves" with the idea being that the wearer can keep their hands warm while reading a book or operating an MP3 player while on a draughty train. It was actually my Dad's suggestion, so he should take the credit for the idea - it's just that he doesn't knit.

I have a pair of these in dark colours, sombre for work.

In the same issue, there's a circular yoke crochet cardigan with a swirl pattern. My initial suggestion was for a plain yarn with a variegated swirl. The good folks at the magazine came up with this colour option instead. The yarn is a teal colour, but looks more blue in the mag. Happy with the way it's been styled, though (so much better than simply being laid out on the top of my chest freezer!

Crochet Entrelac

Well, there's been another slight flurry of activity as "Cleo" a little bag made from crochet entrelac is published this month.

Quite proud of it. I have since perfected the technique (kinda), but the method given in the pattern is absolutely fine for this yarn.

Hoping to see another pattern using the stitch, but in a different way. Fingers crossed and watch this space.

While I'm waiting in the car.....

....and I often am, I've started making crochet hexagon medallions out of the DK acrylic that's creating a fire hazard in the cupboard.

I've done quite a few, so it was time to start sewing them up.

I have a feeling that it will turn into a blanket without end, but at least it's busting a little stash. Each hexagon takes approx 30m (which in acrylic is about 10g). If anyone would like the pattern, it's here.

Love and peace to all.

Felicitations and limitations

Happy New Year to one and all. May 2009 bring us all peace, health and prosperity.

The turkey has all been eaten (or frozen), the decorations have come down and tomorrow I'm back at work, so normal life is being resumed but with the hope and optimism that only comes on 1st January.

It was quiet new year in the Lah Lah household (apart from my snoring, that is). As time wore on and the heating switched itself off, I pulled out an old granny square blanket that I made many years ago.

Most of the yarn for the blanket came from my paternal grandmother. I remember she offered me the contents of her yarn stash. My Nan used to make a lot of toys and novelties for church sales and village fetes. The yarns in the bag were all tangled with each other, and I remember spending an afternoon with my Grandad. He was watching television while I untangled these balls and made myself a collection. Nan and Grandad are both long dead now, but as I sat there under the blanket last night, a thought occurred to me - all her stash in a bin bag? Amateur.

I'm not one for new year's resolutions - life's depressing enough without promising yourself something that you're bound to fail. However, I am planning to leave my job this year, so I've decided that the money I would spend on yarn will go onto my "escape fund", thus building up the kitty and reducing my stash. We have now gone beyond the scope of the cupboard. Enough is enough.

Knitting for cash.

I've decided to try my hand at being a pattern writer. I'm beginning to regret the decision. The stitch pattern I'm being asked to work out has some origins in brioche stitch and on attempt no 7 or 8 I'm very nearly there. I've got one more thing to try, but if I don't improve the version I've got, I'll simply email them a picture and ask them if they want their stuff back. I realise that sounds defeatist, and I don't like to be beaten, but I also don't like to waste my time, and I've spent a lot of hours on this already. Not that it's necessarily worth it. Is it a good hourly rate? No, not at the speed I knit. Does it devalue the craft? Possibly. Will it be money to go straight into the escape fund? You betcha.

Writing.

Oh yeah, that's really funny. But hope springs eternal.

Big projects and a sign of the times.

Knitting


Yet again, I've been trying to sort out my queue.





I've finished the crochet gloves,

but now must move on to other things (mainly gloves, tea cosies and socks), so it looks as though all of my projects are small.





However, I have completed one large project - mega in fact as it was using size 20mm needles. Inspired by all of the giant knitting at Ally Pally, I've made a monster bathmat, the pattern for which will appear in another post.



Writing
Precious little activity, although I am taking a long time to be rejected, following my latest submission. Is this a sign that my work is being pondered over, laughed at (in a good way) and generally heralded as the next big thing? Or is it that the slush pile is huge. Or is it that it got lost in the post. Ah well, no news is.....well, it's no news, to be honest.

Life

I witnessed a sign of the current economic climate yesterday - a Bentley in Lidl's carpark. Made me smile.