Thursday 7 August 2008

Shrug

My son is getting married on September 6th. We are travelling down to Guildford on our narrowboat (a three week trip) so we will have a very relaxing few weeks while chaos reigns in Guildford! We will arrive very chilled and ready for a fab time. I have a lovely floaty dress which needs a shrug, I'm halfway through crocheting one - a very basic rectangle based on trebles - and am just waiting for some more wool to finish it off. It's a good project to have on the boat as it's so easy to do while I'm waiting in locks or even steering on easy stretches. The colour of the wool is just right - a fuschia pink which picks out one of the colours in the dress and I have tried on the half that I have finished and am really pleased with it. Will post a picture once it's finished. I have nearly finished the scarf I started in Shetland with 2ply shetland and lambswool laceweight yarn. I have really enjoyed knitting with something so fine and will definitely do some more with this weight or even cobweb (1ply). I'm not sure I'll tackle a shawl but you never know. There are some beautiful patterns around (see latest issue of Yarn Forward magazine www.yarnforwardmagazine.co.uk/) and I am very tempted but I am better with projects I can pick up and work with while travelling. Confession time, at the moment I have on the go:
  • A 4ply ribbed sweater for a friend that I've gone off (the sweater not the friend!) because I just don't think it will suit her, it's a 1940's pattern that she chose and while I love it I just can't see her wearing it - it's too much of a skinny rib. I must finish it and if she doesn't like it she can pass it on to someone really skinny.
  • An arran jacket which I am knitting from wool from local sheep - Hebridean, naturally black/brown which is amazing to knit with. Not sure quite why I've not carried on with this, I've almost completed the back but have moved on to other things.
  • A baby's hat - have knitted the hat and just need to sew it up, make two bobbles and sew them on. The baby's born now so need to finish it while it still fits!
  • A baby's jacket - this is for the same baby as the hat and I've done the back and both fronts. Need to do the sleeves and sew up.
  • Squares ad nauseum - enough to sew up into a reasonable size blanket. The main reason for not completing this is I don't like the yarn. This was one of the first things I started a few years ago and bought a stash of very cheap arran weight yarn which isn't that nice. I persevered but much prefer natural fibres now. Still, I really should complete this project and give it away to someone who will like it. All the squares are different stitches so it really is quite good. I just wish I'd used better yarn given all the time that went into the knitting.
  • My shrug which WILL get finished as I need it for the wedding!

That's not too bad is it? And here's the list of the things that I have finished in the last year:

  • Ten pairs of socks
  • One blanket
  • Two shrugs
  • Several scarves

There's a moral here I feel - I'm good at starting large projects but better at finishing small ones - especially socks! I have also learnt to spend money on good yarn as it's a better investment. So here's to narrowboating and knitting, or crochet, and here's to me finishing some of those projects while I'm cruising down to guildford.

uk knitters
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