All Fingers and Thumbs

That was the noise of the last week whistling past me!  This time last week I was having a lovely time in Bath. The skies were grey but we had fun in the spa, got our caffeine fix drinking the nicest coffee I've ever had in the UK - trained in Melbourne apparently - thank you Australia. Sightseeing and shopping.  I'm not sure whether you can make them out for all the reflections but this is the amazing All Saints shop window display - masses of Singer sewing machines - stunning.  Though I saved my purchases for another kind of shop . Doesn't it look cosy and welcoming? It certainly is. I'd love to shop here regularly. A gem. I was quite restrained, just another idea for a Christmas gift!

This little creation makes it to four years old tomorrow, I swear it hasn't been a year since last time and four since the first post - amazing! Nothing dramatically changes here now year on year, and that's part of the charm for me. The little ordinary details that get captured. The increased connection with the rhythm and cycles of the year. The space to obsess over things that the average work colleague or even my closest friend just doesn't quite feel the same about. Ceramic buttons - squeal!  I'd definitely say to anyone learning to knit that they should keep a blog about it along the way. (So any new knitter without a blog if you're reading this and fancy it - do it! It's fab.)   It's so easy to forget what it was you didn't know (everything) and take your skills for granted as there still feels like a whole lot of everything you don't know. There have been dramatic changes since those first days, changes that creep up on you.  I'm tickle

...inside is the perfect antidote .

...inside there are plumptious new leaves. Cosy leaves of wool.

The list I made back in August when I had just ordered the yarn for the Vogue cowl seemed so modest. I thought I'd refined the strategy to perfection last year , ie plan only a realistic number of things and make sure they are patterns that I actually fancy knitting. I got very focused and came up with a one page list of very few hand knits for only those who have made requests or who I think would really like a hand knit gift and was impressed at how ahead of the game I was. Things looked so promising with that first gift ticked off at the start of September. Now with just the cowl and a sock and a bit complete I'm feeling much less smug, it's looking somewhat more daunting and yet I still want to add more to it! I'd say I'm not sure why I do it. I am of course. I do it because I love to knit, I want to give handmade, meaningful gifts and in most cases the best way I can think to do that is with something knitted.  The first year I learnt to knit it was just bef

When the horror of the tangle pushed me into starting the knee highs I felt I was diving in on something that needed a little more planning.  My auntie requested some knee high socks for her Christmas gift socks back in the spring, so the idea  has been percolating in my mind for a long while but I was holding off until I had some time to work out the details. Then the socks need for planning became less than my need for some calming sock knitting so I thought I'd just get going and adapt as I went along. I wasn't sure of sizing, calf-shaping, heel type, anything in fact bar the yarn and that I wanted to rib the leg so it would have the best chance of fitting - but I knew all the rest could be figured out along the way and it has been. I've been enjoying the lovely Kaffe Fassett colourway. I had some fun playing with the way it echoes the strength of the colours in my anemones. Thanks to Dr K for reminding me that this is the self same yarn Bells used for her knee highs .

Does writing something at the end of your blog post like " More to see of this at the weekend I feel sure." constitute some black magic spell that means you're bound to stuff up your knitting? Hmmm beware is all I can say! Last time I was here I was feeling all confident I'd have most of a beautiful Wollmeise sock to show you and instead (much delayed by the various toings and froings of the real life which do get in the way terribly of knitting and blogging don't they?) here is the tangle that ensued shortly after that post. It's a good job that wool and pattern are so beautiful and meant for each other as this was the second attempt - first time around things were looking good but were coming out too tight - this time too loose so that everything has got tangled up -   in this pic with the pattern you can see what I'm aiming for - cool hey? -  so there will be a third attempt! Not for a while though, I put them aside and reached for a simple socky alte