It’s been a funny one today. I am progressing well with my friends present and went for my compulsory ten minute walk. I only have about ten percent left to do. This is one project I really hope she likes. I have until next Thursday to finish it. The christmas tree was put up today and for once it is all matching. I’m not sure if I like it. You can tell I didn’t do it. I like an eclectic mix of old decorations with an odd new one. I bought some lovely fabric in Liberty to make some Christmas decorations but these will probably be made in the new year. I also found another UFO today. Debbie Abrahams teatime blanket. I have on strip out of seven done. Another project I really need to finish. I’ll add it to the list.
Author Archives: Jenny Stilwell
Eighth Day
As you all know I had all these plans for what I was going to do in my recuperation. I had also planned before I had the surgery to make stockings for my family for when boxing day. I have already made them their main stockings for Christmas day but wanted small ones for the years when we celebrate Christmas on boxing day because the grandchildren go to their other grandparents, with their parents of course! Yes I have the fabric but am unable to make them beforehand. With this in mind I asked my daughter to get me some small stockings from Poundland. I was thinking that if I’m up to it I could use them as a template and lining and if not will use them this year and as lining next.
As you can see the ones she got me are felt and I am rather impressed with them. They only cost one pound each but each comes with a small packet of adhesive felt letters which is worth the pound on its own. Out of one pack of the letters I managed to get all four names apart from 3 letters. So in this instance I am going to forget about even attempting a stocking until next year. I will report back once they are filled by Santa and let you know if they stand up to the job.
Day seven
Amazingly I have managed to update this blog for a whole seven days in a row. Hopefully it will bbe a whole 14 days at least. In yesterdays post I commented about it being the time of the month when all my subscription come through the door. I was right as today saw the delivery of the latest Knit Now. I subscribed to this magazine because it always has a good number of accessories and small projects I can knit from stash. Lately thought there has been more garments in it. I still likethe magazine although I do not like the American format of a picture of the garment and then the pattern a few pages late. I prefer to have my picture and pattern in one place. This issue came with 2 free extra patterns anda pocket book of baby knits which of course I am itching to start.
This issue didn’t have as many patterns for me as usual. I liked most of the designs in the pocketbook but in the magazine only a baby blanket and a shawl.just as well as I can’t keep up with the patterns I do want to knit.
I am still finishing my friends birthday present which is tomorrow. I only have about ten percent left todo. Unfortunately I am unable to do as much crafting as I thought I would be as for some reason it makes me uncomfortable where I had my op. Oh well onwards and upwards.
On the sixth day .
It’s that time of the month where I realise how many magazines I subscribe to as they all come tumbling through the door with a day of each other.
The first through the door was The Knitter, I’ve subscribed from the start before it was released as I had faith in the editor.
It is a lovely magazine and one that sits on the shelf nicely with its numbered spine. However I am running out of room so I am trying to be ruthless and destash the ones I’m never going to knit from.I managed to condense some by buying The Knitter Baby and Children collection.
I buy The Knitter for it’s garments and articles even if I haven’t made many of the projects. I am thinking of a digital subscription but when it costs more than a paper one and you don’t get the extra patterns I think its a bit of a con. I know one has to pay VAT on digital books but it irks me that a magazine or book in digital form yet the paper one whih you can feel and has actual components is often a lot cheaper than their digital version and it just doesn’t make sense to me.
Day Five
Today not much has been done.
My lovely friend Zoe came to visit me yesterday with the adorable Zahra. I was very good and didn’t lift anything I wasn’t supposed to but this morning I was exhausted and in pain. With the help of the pain killers the pain has eased but I am still exhausted despite spending most of today sleeping and resting.
Yesterday I did manage to make a list of everyone I would like to make a christmas present for in ……..2014. I wrote it in my project notebook and beside the children’s name I put their age that they will be.
I also went through my Ravelry queue and deleted a few items where I would need to buy the pattern or didn’t think I would make it. I then wrote in my trusty project book some of the items in my queue and the yarn I need to make them. Hopefully between these two lists I should get some done. One thing I am thinking is that as I go through the stash if I come across any of the yarns to make one of the projects I can tackle that project first. I am still finishing my friends presnt which should be done by her birthday. I am really enjoying making it even if progress isn’t as quick as I would like
Day 4
Day 3
So far so good. I decided to write my list and put the projects in order. There are only four I really need to worry about. The first is to get my friends birthday present finished. Next is the mystery blanket as I am in the zone with that, there are two hats I need to make and a sweater to sew up before December 25th.
It is all do able now I have lowered my expectations! When I knew I was going to be incapacitated for 3 months I bought every colour of felt to make all the projects in the book super cute pin cushions.
I had every intention of making these as presents but of course it hasn’t happened. If I finish the above items I may attempt one or two although I still have a number of unfinished projects . These are a few of the projects I am in the middle of.
As well as this Glorafillia tapestry I have another smaller glasses case and a Felicity Hall cushion tapestry to finish. Some of my mystery blanket I have ripped back the red as I wasn’t happy with the way it was knitting. The blue sweater only needs sewing up, the blue and green is a skirt and the fabric in the back is a tunic that just needs hemming and the sleeves sewn in. I also have a few baby garments all cut out ready to sew as well as two summer tops and 2 pair of socks on the needle. There’s probably a lot more sewing projects cut out but I don’t want to think about that!
Day 2
This may be considered cheating slightly but here is my second daily post. I am not the most domesticated person but now that I can’t lift anything havier than a kettle for three months I have developed a sudden need to tidy up. It is so frustrating not being able to do the things I want yet knowing that if Icould I probably wouldn’t. Instead I am concentrating on finishing some of my knitted projects and getting to grips with using a tablet instead of a laptop. I’m not sure if I can fully make the transition but I am trying to learn the word processing programs.
Watching Craft wars today Tori Spelling said some thing along the lines of a good crafter always finishes a project properly first before moving on to something else. She obviously doesn’t know many knitters. Of all the crafters I know only 2 stick to one project at a time. I do sometimes think I would achieve more if I did one project at a time. That could work , as long as I stay offline , dont buy any magazines and don’t visit the library or any book stores.
I want to knit a baby girls cardigan as a christmas present but am sticking to my guns and concentrating on finishing the mystery blanket. When I’ve finished this post I aim to write a list of all the projects I want or need to complete and try to finish them one at time. One thing that is good at the moment is that I can only knit my un finished projects or knit with the yarn I have easy access to as I can’t raid the stash. The funny thing is though that my house is reminding me of the old childrens programme Playschool. Do you remembernow they used to say which window shall we go through today, or what will we find behind the x window? Well every time I open a drawer or a cupboard I seem to find some fabric or yarn. It doesn’t bother me too much apart from the fact that I get all inspired and itching to do something new.
Oh wellanother night of sleeplessness beckons at least I’ll get another square finished only 13 more to go.
The 12 Days of Christmas
At the moment there is very little I can do other than a little knitting and lots of reading. There’s only so much television a person can watch.
At the beginning of the year had all the best intentions. I was going to make all my Christmas presents throughout the year so December would be a nice quiet month. Well we know how that went. I managed to make one pair of socks and have fallen way behind on my friends present for her fortieth as well as the mystery blanket. I had also planned to regularly update this blog but time got in the way. There have been times when I could have updated it but it would have been gobblygook.
I have managed to make lots of items in 2013 but not as many as I would have liked. Why do we do this to ourselves? We have a long list of things we would like to make, mainly for other people but keep adding to it. No one expects us to do it all, well not everyone, but we still do it year after year.
I have bought a few bits and have decided that the ones I don’t manage to make will get gift tokens with a picture of their item to be made.
As it’s the first day of advent I am going to try and blog a bit each day even if its only a couple of sentences. Just in the run up to Christmas. This will hopefully encourage me to continue this in the new year.
Shopping from the stash
After sorting through my knitting books to see which ones I should keep I decided to reorganise my children and baby knitting books. As my grandson is 16 months old I have put them in age order so that I can knit patterns from the books with the smaller sizes first. I really want to knit two sweaters from Zoe Mellors Nursery Knits but as this goes up to age three I am starting with the patterns in Little Rowan. All of these patterns are knitted in 4ply so I went to the stash cupboard and found some gorgeous RYC Cashcotton. I had red and a lovely royal blue. I gave the balls to my grandson who decided on the blue.
I am still working on Jo Stories Ash in Rowan British Sheep Breeds chunky. this should have been a really quick knit because it is all knitted in garter stitch on large needles. I however get bored knitting garter stitch so this has been delegated to be my knitting group project, as truth be told I can’t do much more than garter stitch when at knitting group. I only have the front to do now so it may be finished by the end of the year
Jen Sews and Knits 