June round up

I am very late with this one this time! My main excuse is the sunshine though so I'm not going to feel guilty.

Projects started:

Basic socks - not blogged yet but pictures to follow soon

Projects finished:

Basic socks

Projects in  the WIP pile:

Colourful Crochet Squares Blanket

Diva Tunic

High speed knitting - I think this is going the very opposite of high speed

15 stitch blanket:








Yarn in this year:

10450g - I had to buy another pack of 17 colours of stylecraft for my current blanket, which adds a massive amount of yarn into the equation. That said I've already knitted up the last pack so its not like its just sitting around looking pretty (like the rest of my stash)

This converts into 33472 meters or 20.79 miles

Yarn knitted or crocheted this year:

4175g

13167 meters or 8.17 miles

Books reviewed:

Week 22: Maggie Rowan

Week 23: A sisters promise

Week 24: Hornblower and the Atropos

Week 25: The Happy Return


You may notice that June looks somewhat similar to May and I still haven't finished my two blankets. They are starting to frustrate me now but other things seem to get in the way of finishing them. Plus the coloured crochet one is a mass of ends needing to be sewn in at the moment and its amazing how when it gets to that stage how much it slows down. I think overall its been a bit of a boring month, maybe July will be more interesting.

May round up

Projects started:

I haven't actually started any new projects this month, unusually for me. I don't really feel like I've got much done at all this month, but then it is May and that means gardening time, so I suppose there will be a natural decrease in the amount of time I have to spend crafting.

Projects finished:

Monochrome squares blanket









Projects in  the WIP pile:

Colourful Crochet Squares Blanket

Diva Tunic

High speed knitting - I think this is going the very opposite of high speed

15 stitch blanket:








Yarn in this year:

10250g - I had to buy another pack of 17 colours of stylecraft for my current blanket, which adds a massive amount of yarn into the equation. That said I've already knitted up the last pack so its not like its just sitting around looking pretty (like the rest of my stash)

This converts into 32692 meters or 20.2 miles

Yarn knitted or crocheted this year:

4175g

13167 meters or 8.17 miles


Books reviewed:

Week 18: Mary Barton

Week 19: To kill a mockingbird

Week 20: Twopence to cross the mersey

Week 21: The upstart

Well its not been the most productive month in some ways, but if you could see everything we've done to the garden... Plus we've seen more of friends and family this month than some, which is nice.

I've got two blankets nearing completion and I'm already planning the next two (well technically the next six or so...) so I've got plenty to keep me busy. My smaller projects are suffering whilst I do these big ones but as they are keeping me happy at the moment I'm just going to keep going.

April Round Up

I think I'm going to give up trying to blog about recipes and just be glad the Husbeast likes to cook!

Projects started:

Intrepid spirit

Diva Tunic

Projects finished:

Bird Mobile

Steampunk box










Projects in  the WIP pile:

Crochet Squares Blanket

Colourful Crochet Squares Blanket











High Speed knitting number two - no post on this yet but it is the same pattern as the one here

15 stitch blanket: this is still in the WIP pile I will finish it eventually honest....








Yarn in this year:

8450g

This converts into 27309 meters or 16.9 miles

Yarn knitted or crocheted this year:

2875g

9124 meters or 5.67 miles


Books reviewed:

Week 14: The Grand Sophy

Week 15: Frederica

Week 16: Persuader


Week 17: One shot

This feels like quite an unproductive month, but its been busy in other ways which has distracted my crafts. Its not as bad as it seems, I've 95% finished my grey blanket and 50% finished my coloured blanket. So there should be a couple of bigger FO's next month to show.

I have knit more than the total shown, but I only add it on once a project is finished, so it is looking a little glum. I have also bought a fair bit this month, and as I've run out of stylecraft coloured yarn that figure is going to keep going up. I think I need to work out a plan of what to do with some of the stuff I've bought and not yet used this year. Maybe some socks are on my horizon.

Its been a bit quiet around here in April, there's been a lot going on and I've been pretty tired. Too tired even to crochet for quite a few nights this month. I'm feeling better today though so hopefully things are on the way up again.

March round up

Recipes blogged this month:

If I could get the Husbeast out of the kitchen long enough I might give something a try. His baking is excellent though and he's converted me to carrot cake after years of thinking I don't like it.

Projects started:

Crochet Squares Blanket

Colourful Crochet Squares Blanket

Penguin











High Speed knitting number two - not post on this yet but it is the same pattern as the one here

Crochet Cowl 1

Crochet Cowl 2








Projects finished:

Penguin

Crochet Cowl 1

Crochet Cowl 2

Colourful Stripy Blanket

Projects frogged/ in the WIP Pile:

15 stitch blanket: this is still in the WIP pile I will finish it eventually honest....








Yarn in this year:

7250g As this includes my monster haul in January there's not much I can do to make this figure better this year. I've bought less than half what I bought last month, possibly even only a quarter.

This converts into 22,845 meters or 14.4 miles

Yarn knitted or crocheted this year:

2875g

9124 meters or 5.67 miles

My yarn knitted is certainly getting closer to my yarn bought, although my purchases for April are stacking up already and its only the third!


Books reviewed:

Week 10: Dr Faustus

Week 11: Mariel of Redwall

Week 12: Loamhedge


Week 13: Kafka on the Shore

I've finished quite a few projects this month which has been quite satisfying. I'm excited to start new blankets although I feel slightly guilty about working on two of them at once, I was trying so hard to finish one before I start the next in the hope of not leaving half finished blankets lying around the house.

I am trying to be good and only work on the grey one unless I need cheering up in which case I am allowed to do a bit on the coloured one. My plans for blankets are growing, my ideas for places to use them are not!

February round up

I'm a couple of days late posting this but that's the way this whole week seems to have gone. The first day of the month coinciding with the end of the week meant lots to do at work yesterday and to be honest, the sunshine the rest of the week has tempted me outside in the spare times I've had; but here we go:

Recipes blogged this month:

None this month which isn't very good. I must try harder next month.

Projects started:

Colourful stripy crochet blanket - there's no post about making this yet but the link does take you to the yarn I'm using

This doesn't seem like much for me, but the thing about blankets is that they are addictive which means I'm not starting lots of projects and then putting them to one side like I can end up doing.One the other hand they are time consuming, so I don't feel like I've finished much recently.

Projects finished:

High Speed knitting

Stripy crochet blanket






Projects frogged/ in the WIP Pile:

15 stitch blanket: this is still in the WIP pile but I finally have the yarn to finish it so once my colourful blanket is finished this is next on my list.






Yarn in this year:

7150g As this includes my monster haul in January there's not much I can do to make this figure better this year. I've bought less than half what I bought last month, possibly even only a quarter.

This converts into 22,445 meters or 13.9 miles

Yarn knitted or crocheted this year:

1675g

5723 meters or 3.55 miles

I've still got a way to go on trying to balance my yarn in and my yarn out for the year. In fact it might never actually happen, but still its interesting to compare what comes in and what goes out. 

Books reviewed:

Week 6: William - An Englishman

Week 7: Mariana

Week 8: Cranford

Week 9: The Help

Well, I didn't quite meet my aim to post two or three times a week, but I still think its been a busy month. I'm really enjoying making my blankets and I'm hoping that I get my colourful one finished in March. I have plans in my head for about six or seven but I have a feeling some of them will remain as plans.

Still a red one for the living room would be nice.....

January round up

Its the last day of January, how did that happen so quickly? I've barely got used to it being 2013 and already we are one month into it.

So here is my round up for the month:

Recipes tried and blogged:

Home made deodorant - I have been using this consistently since I blogged. I sometimes have to apply twice a day if I'm having a more energetic day but it works well and doesn't stain my clothes or leave white marks like commercial deodorant. My underarms also feel silky soft which is a nice side effect.

Home made sugar free chocolate - these are beautiful, five to ten minutes to make and worth every second. Even my DH makes them. I've eaten hardly any proper chocolate since making these and they cure my cravings for sweet things.





Projects started:

15 stitch blanket 

Ombre Acrylic Blanket

Posh Purple Wristwarmers & Neckwarmer









Striped Crochet Blanket - a post to come on this soon

May rose wreath










High Speed Knitted Shawl - a post to come on this soon

Projects frogged/put into the WIP Pile:

15 stitch blanket

Ombre Acrylic Blanket

Projects finished:

Posh Purple Wristwarmers and neckwarmer

May rose wreath











Yarn in:

5950g ! I don't think I've ever bought that much in one go before! In fact that's probably as much as I'd bought ever before all in one go. Good job most of it was acrylic and therefore cheap, plus I don't think I'll be buying much yarn for a few months so this should keep me going for awhile.

This converts into 17,620 meters or 10.9 miles

Yarn kitted/crocheted:

692g

2484 meters or 1.5 miles




So I have quite a bit of catching up to do,maybe I should stop buying yarn...

I did also give away 200g of yarn, which was 2200 meters or 1.4 miles which does help a little bit as that is now out of my stash.

Books reviewed:

Week 1: Alice in Wonderland

Week 2: Alice through the looking glass

Week 3: A country housewife's book

Week 4: Sense and Sensibility

Week 5:Someone at a distance

Quite a busy month I think. I hope you've enjoyed reading about my activities and continue to read my posts. I think they will probably slow down a little in February but I still hope to post at least 3 - 4 times per week.