WIP Wednesday.

Eugh!
I just do NOT have the time I need to blog as much as I'd like, how do the rest of you manage it??
 :( Taking the photos and uploading them to my laptop takes an insane amount of time (am I doing it right? have I missed something??)
And a certain little man is taking up an inordinate amount of   all my time at the moment.

But he goes to bed well so I am getting some knitting done. I have a FO post for Friday but at the moment, this is what I'm working on.

 

I've made the gorgeous jumper in the blue and am now making the hat to go with it, I just hope it fits his rather huge head!

I'm linking with Tami's WIP Wednesday post. Thanks for popping by
xxx

WIP Wednesday

Gosh, where have I been??

Working on the world's best WIP that's where. My little man is 4 and a half months now.

But in the absence of anything else to say, this is what I'm working on at the moment........

It's just a basket stitch blanket. He's teething at the moment so it will probably just end up in his mouth like everything else within reach.



I'm hooking up with Tami again so pop over for some more WIPs.  And I promise I'll be back soon.

WIP Wednesday #34

As usual I've got a few WIPs at the moment. (mainly clearing out the spare room but more about that tomorrow!)  I'm still working on my pram blanket for the baby (well, when I say working on, I mean that it's here, on the needles still, waiting patiently for me to pick it up and feel sorry for it, know what I mean?)

But the baby carry bag that I'm knitting is making progress. (more info here)

And I've got another WIP in my head (does that count???)

I've adored a few granny square blankets from a distance for a while now but not managed to find a pattern that starts with a circle that I've felt was easy enough to follow....... Until the WONDERFUL Victoria from Yarnroundhook replied to a question i posted on her blog about the beautiful Spring Blanket she has been working on.

So now I have a pattern I just need to finalise the colours I'm going to use. I bought one of the Stylecraft colour packs a while back so am contemplating using all the colours in as random a way as possible, or just a few of them. I also bought a set of colours very similar to Victoria's Spring blanket and Cocorosetextiles Evening sun blanket BUT........ in the clearing out process we've been working on this week (come back tomorrow for a 52 Weeks of Happy post about it) I think that hubby has put it in the loft and I darent ask him to hunt it out and get it down for me! hmmmmm decisions decisions.

Am linking up with the usual Wednesday parties. Pop over to have a look at some other WIPs.

WIP Wednesday #33

I've mentioned these in other posts but not really explained them.

I bought this book with a Christmas voucher from one of the children in my class. There are LOADS of scrummy baby patterns in there that I've ear marked for making this year (and a few I've palmed off on my mum)

 

 

This was one of my favourites. It's a pretty simple pattern that is just stocking stitch but it looks so scrummy and cuddly.

I decided to use the Sirdar Snuggly DK I've used before for baby blankets (having been stung by using Tiny tots that was listed as a baby yarn but was horrid). I'd hoped to make it in cream but there wasnt the stock available so I'm using Pearly Green (304)

And this is the progress so far.

Slow basically.

But I'm also working on this:

It's a plain basket stitch blanket made from Stylecraft Baby DK in Baby Cream (1245).

I'm hoping to whip it up pretty quickly to be used as a pram blanket. I've made it a little wider than those I've made in the past and will just make it as long as the 200g ball will allow me.


That's it for now. But you know, like I say, this ISNT going to turn into a baby blog. Honest. Any other projects I'm half way thro have taken a MASSIVE back seat tho.

Thanks for popping by but dont forget to pop over to Tamis, Ginny's and Kristine's to see what other fab things everyone is whipping up.

Have a good week. I'll be posting my 5th Week of Happy tomorrow so please drop by.
Nicky
x

 

 

New Year, New Knitting, New News

Welcome to 2013. Happy New Year!!!!

Did you all have crazy parties and late nights? Ours was a rather sober affair mainly because.........


I'm 17 weeks pregnant!!!!

So my biggest WIP project for the year involves baking a baby.
(no it's not twins, we just dont know what it is so I thought I'd have a pink one and a blue one)

It's our first so we're starting from scratch. We have nothing and very little space for a baby so the Christmas holidays have involved attempting to clear out the spare room (who knew I had so much yarn!), buying a 'travel system' (Apparently they aren't called buggies or pushchairs anymore) and generally a lot of taking it easy and moaning about all my aches and pains.

So that's what all those knitting books were about. I figured it was time I stopped with my pointless xmas knitting and started making something I would actually use or need. I've been through the books and picked out a few things I fancy. It's quite exciting to think that I'm finally knitting something for my own baby not someone else's. 

I ordered a tonne of baby wool from Deramores yesterday (they have 15% off baby yarn until the 4th!!) and when the wool arrives I'll post about my plans for it but in the mean time I've started on this.........

 

 

 

I started on it last night - I told you it was a sober affair. We went to good friends of ours and just chilled out in front of the telly. Don't you just love those friends whose house you can turn up at with your knitting and they wont be offended!

I've got this far.......

It's a front and back, a base and 2 hind legs - of course ;) - and I'm just starting on a fore leg. I can't wait to get this little beastie finished and ready for our baby.


And of course, this will come in handy at some point too. You can read more about it here

That's it for now, UP is on tv and I've never seen it so I'm trying to take it in a blog at the same time - I'm not a great multi tasker.

I'm hooking up with the usual Wednesday link parties (tomorrow when they go live) so pop over to Tami's , Kristine's, Ginny's or Sue's . I have some FO's to post about on Friday so please pop back at the end of the week and if the wool arrives sooner than that I'll update you on my baby knitting plans.

Happy New Year lovely peeps. xxx

WIP Wednesday #32

So Christmas is in full flow now. Life is crazy.

Cupcake decorating with the Guides, Carol service rehearsals, Christmas bazaars, ordering presents, time off work ill, decorating trees, School discos, staff nights out, (I'm due my 3rd Christmas dinner next week) etc etc etc

And as usual, I've managed to find myself half way through SEVERAL projects. Only a few of which face any realistic chances of actually getting finished anywhere near this side of Christmas.

But I'm enjoying them so does it really matter? Who will even notice? I know him indoors would rather I didnt finish some of my decoration projects. He'd be glad if there were no more woolen or felt decorations. But that doesn't stop me. :)

The stocking advent calendar is making SLOW progress:

I've been distracted by this AMAZING tutorial for gorgeous itsy bitsy snowflakes. They are SO quick and easy to put together. I've decided that our front window needs a garland of them all the way across it with the snowflakes hanging down at different lengths from the garland.

But these are the cupcakes I made with my guide unit on Monday at Stanley's Store. I've mentioned this aladin's cave of wonder before as Sarah has stocked some of my bracelets and earrings. Arent they fab? The Guides LOVED it. It was their Christmas treat.

 

 

 

 

 

I've been busy busy. But pop over to Tami's ,  Kristine's or Ginny's to see some other WIPs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

WIP Wednesday #31

So, after last week's little reflection on the bounty of WIPs I seemed to have amassed, I've made quite a bit of progress this week on one of them.

 

The photo of it last week was upside down so it's not really easy to compare but I've worked from the thick yellow up. I'm quite impressed with myself. It's Sublime Bamboo & Pearls DK which feels amazing. But it's very strandy (is that a word?!?!) so if I dont hold the hook at exactly the right angle it snags lots and drives me slightly insane but I need to keep trying to remember that it will be worth it in the end because the blanket feels amazing.

 

I think that it will end up being about double this size so should be quite a nice size for a child's blanket.

 

I'm linking up with Tami, Ginny and Kristine again this week, pop over to see some other WIPs.

 

As part of Ginny's linky party, she also shares what she's reading at the moment. As my course is finished I'm free to do a bit of reading for fun again now so really should get Jubilee finished. It's written by a mum from school and every time I see her I feel bad that I haven't finished it and can't make intelligent conversation about her amazing first novel.

 

There's some other stuff I'm reading too at the moment but it's pretty dull and I'll fill you in soon.

 

Have a good week. I'm determined to get more blogging done. Watch this space.......

 

 

 

 

WIP Wednesday #30

I was thinking about my WIPs. and I seemed to keep thinking..... and keep thinking.

I realised there are quite a few of them.

There's this.......

 

And this......

And also this......

 

 

Notice a pattern???

I think it can be classed as an obsession.

But there is also this......

 

 

And I hate to think about all the other little projects buried away in boxes and bags.........socks, mug hugs, tea cozies......oh well.

In fairness, theres been a little work on the Wingspan but not so much on the ripples. Work is crazy busy at the moment so progress is rather slow.

But I love the ripple blankets. I need to get at least one of them finished so I can use it and admire it.


I'm linking up with Tami and Kristine, pop over to have a look at all the other WIPs.
xxx


  

WIP Wednesday

Eugh. It's September

So term has started.
I've been back at work a week and guides started on Monday.

I know teachers get a lot of holiday so I'm not going to moan about going back to work, but it's such a culture shock in September. I sometimes think that teachers get that January depressed feeling in September. I feel like it's an uphill slog all the way til Christmas from now. As much as I love my job, I HATE the Autumn term.

Anyway.

There has been some WIP progress. Here's the pink baby blanket.

 

Sorry the photos are so dark, I forgot it was Wednesday til just now.

Oh, and on other news.......

I PASSED MY COURSE!!!!!!! :)

I am so relieved that I dont have to resubmit any of it and that I havent failed.

Now I need to work out my next steps.....


I hope everyone has had a productive week.
Pop over to tamis and ambassador crochet to see some other WIPs.

Chilled right out. (and some WIPs)

I finished my course!!!!!!

All done. One 5000 word and two 3000 word essays, three 4000 word reports on individual children and 30 1 hr lessons planned, taught and evaluated.

Printed and handed in!!! Hurrah!

So to celebrate that and our 1st wedding anniversary we booked an impromptu trip to Canada to visit a very good friend of mine from my gap year many years ago.

And boy was it just what we needed.

Lots of relaxing, eating, drinking and sitting in the sun. It was fantastic.

I'll post some photos another time, I wanted to get a WIP post while it was still Wednesday.

My ripple blanket has progressed relatively well considering the small amount of time I've had to work on it.

Here's the before shot:

And here it is now:



It's just over 1m20cm (about 4ft) wide so wont fit in the shot but you get the idea. I LOVE it. I can see it being a WIP for a long time but there's no rush. I did warn the mother of the intended recipient that she might be 21 before she gets it.

I have another WIP too. As I was flying to Canada I wanted a project I could take with me, that was easy and that would fit in my handluggage - that ruled out the ripple blanket clearly as I'm working from 6 different balls of wool.

So I started another baby blanket. The friend we went to see has a 4 month old so she's not too big for one of my little lap blankets. I'd read up on the internet about taking knitting on planes and nothing was particularly decisive.

The best advice I did find was to take wooden or plastic needles (they wont show up on a scanner), dont mention 'needles' of any kind in the airport, take your project pre-cast on so that it's clear what the sharp wooden pointy things are for and take a self addressed envelope incase you arent allowed to take your project through.

So I rushed down to my local craft store and bought some Sirdar Snuggly Kisses. I've used Sirdar Snuggly for all the other baby blankets I've made but the kisses has a stripe in it and I fancied something different.

And this is how far I've got. I didnt get much done while I was away, it was too hot and I tried to sleep on the flight back so what I've done was pretty much all done on the flight there.

 

 

 

 

The stripes seem to be fitting into the pattern really well - this is purely by fluke but I like it.

 

 

So that's what I've been up to.

 

Oh and I'm reading Jubilee by Shelley Harris. So far so good.

 

I'm off to Tami's and Ginny's to see what everyone's been up to.