Hello again!

It's been awhile since I wrote my last blog post. Life sometimes seems to get in the way, and when I get stressed about trying to keep up my blog alongside everything else I let it slide for a bit. Funnily enough this always seems to happen around winter, I think I'm a fair weather blogger.

Still its about time I got myself on her more often. Last year was the year of the blankets, I crocheted 8 full sized ones in the end. This year I've decided is going to be the year of the socks, and not just any socks either, I'm writing my own patterns for these. The first is nearly ready, the second is halfway there, the third is roughly in my head and the fourth is a glimmering of an idea.

I want to play with colour and texture this year, try out some new techniques and create some great patterns along the way. So keep any eye out and hopefully my first pattern in awhile will be announced soon.

FO - Swap knits

I've finished my knitted item for the Alice in Wonderland swap:

My swap partner likes purple and wristwarmers so these should be just right for her. I'm supposed to be the March Hare, so a yarn in the colourway Jam Session seemed perfect for someone who is  at a perpetual tea party. The little leaf buttons from my Crafty Creatives box seemed perfect to finish them off, straight from a woodland scene.

I've ordered a few more items for the swap over the weekend, one of which is some purple yarn called March Hare, I couldn't get better than that for the box.

I love doing swaps and finding the right things for people. Sometimes its quite difficult, I've seen people who have not given much information and say they are happy with anything go off and complain in other groups that what they received wasn't good enough.

Its hard for knitters of different ability and experience to swap unless everyone accepts that a handmade item is always going to have had a certain amount of time, effort and care put into it and so even if the knitting isn't as good as your own, its still something someone has worked hard over.

My knitting is certainly not as good as some of the things I've seen people knit on Ravelry, but, as I am not a quick knitter, I would hope that anyone receiving a hand knit off me would realise its taken me a lot of time and effort to make. Sadly that's not always been the case but hopefully this time my swap partner will appreciate and love the things I have made her.

Knitting - Simple scarf

The Husbeast can actually knit. Well he can let me cast on, knit in garter stitch, pass to me whenever he makes a mistake and let me bind off, but still considering its years since I stepped in a kayak (his hobby) I appreciate the effort on his part.

He doesn't really wear much that I can knit for him. I have knit him a pair of socks he wears loads in the winter and has requested more pairs, but I lost my sock needles for ages (I only have one pair to try to discourage my WIP pile from growing any bigger), so there are no socks on my list for him any time soon.

He doesn't wear hats particularly and the one hat I knit him was way to big, went on the frog pile and "disappeared".

So when he asked me to knit him a scarf over Christmas I decided it was time I made him something. Especially as he asked for it in Moss Stitch which is apparently his favourite stitch pattern. Which basically means he's been paying attention which makes me love him all the more.

So I cast on 60 stitches on 4.0mm needles in Posh Yarn Martha Sock and knit in moss stitch until I ran out of yarn which took forever (or at least that's what it felt like). It was the perfect project for over Christmas though. I could knit it without concentrating too much over Christmas when the family was round. Then after they'd gone it was also perfect to knit whilst watching the Husbeast's Christmas present to me, the last season of House MD which we love.

So here is the simple scarf:

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