FO Friday: Weaving with Waffles

When I started my attempt at Year of Projects, I made the Waffle Weave hug (that is the photo from the book, hear the story on Sunday!), I enjoyed knitting it so much I decided to make myself another. When half way through, I came up with the idea that instead of making it a Mug Hug, why don't I just sew up the sides and call it a phone cover? 

The pattern is made by slipping stitches, and once you get the hang of it, it is oodles of fun! Does get a little messy because you are knitting with two balls of yarn, but as long as you don't get the yarn caught around your feet and fall flat on your face like I did, everything is fine! 

My second FO for this week, is a bit of surprise actually. To both me and you. I started this project waaaaay back, like two days ago. That's right, I finished my Bright and Bold Cable Bag!! 

I loved, loved, loved making this bag. I used Sugar 'N Cream Stripes: Modern, and it was an absolute dream to work with. It was lovely to have soft cotton running through my fingers, rather than the rough acrylic I'm used to. It pooled beautifully, not completely perfect but almost. Even the handles looked great, despite being in different colours (although in my opinion it adds some handmade charm). It knitted up really quickly, was easy to sew up (and that is by my standards, so for you it would be a breeze) and looks great! (Again, in my opinion!)

I am definitely going to make a mini one for my niece in Sugar N Cream Stripes: Pinky, another item to add to her ever growing goodie bag! (Which I really must get a start on, I only have a month now to get that all done!)

In other, not so big yet incredibly boring, news I had my 50th post yesterday! I'm also 3 followers away from hitting the big 60! Chuffed? I think so.

So now, while I go and take the Pizza out of the oven and completely stuff my face, head on over to Tami's place for some Linky Party fun! 

WIP Wednesday: Bright and Bold

Waaaaaay back in April, which in actual fact doesn't seem that far away, I started a Cable Bag from the book Knitty Gritty: Knitting For The Absolute Beginner. With a mixture of wrong yarn weight and colour, I ended up frogging it. Then a couple of weeks ago, I was told about the on-line yarn superstore Deramores, or as I call it, heaven, and found myself Patons Morocco Aran. A beautiful multi-textured, self-striping yarn. Perfect I thought, so I went ahead and ordered myself 3 skeins in the Jade/Smaragd mix, with the intent of using it for my second attempt at the Cable Bag.

As I sat down to watch the lovely Rafael Nadal take on another victim opponent, I got out my needles and knitted the afternoon away.

The first thing that struck me while knitting it, was that the yarn wasn't thick enough to be Aran. Sure the dark blue aspect of the yarn was Aran, but the rest of the yarn, to me anyway, felt even thinner than DK. I carried on regardless and as I did I realised that yarn weight wasn't my only problem.

The colours pooled just the way I'd like, but despite this it just doesn't look right. At first I thought it might have been because of my knitting skills, so I frogged it and started again. It looked exactly the same. So sadly I had to frog it, and come to the realisation that I'm never to have this rather lovely cable bag.

When all hope was lost, the American's arrived. I scored myself some Sugar n' Cream yarn in several colour-ways (all about that here) and the Modern stripe skeins were perfect for this bag. Aran? Check! Beautiful colours? Check! Dream to work with? Check!

So this afternoon I set to work, two hours later here is the results:

I am very happy. It was definitely worth the wait!

So I bet you're on the edge of your seat wondering what I used the Morocco yarn for?!

Well, it took a while but very, very early on Sunday morning, about 2am, I decided to make the Lacy Shawl from the book Knitty Gritty: Knitting For The Absolute Beginner. I thought it would be perfect as the yarn is silky soft, and has the same thickness as Double Knit yarn. And in actual fact, it has turned out quite well!

I'm planning on using the Shawl and Bag next weekend, so I only have a week to finish them both! Fortunately they are both really quick knits, I've only been knitting the Shawl for about 4 hours and I'm already on the 17th pattern repeat!

So that is my WIPs for this week, head on over to Tami's blog for more Work-In-Progress posts!

J is for... Joy!

I find joy in a lot of things, but this week it comes in the form of good 'ol American/Canadian yarn that they call Sugar n' Cream.

I spotted this yarn on Ravelry when I first joined, and let me tell you, it was love at first sight. I searched and searched the web for a UK stockist, but couldn't find anyone. Then last week I got Let's Knit August Issue, and included was a Create & Craft brochure, and you never guess what they had on offer!

I went straight to the website, and spent the £20 I had just been given on 12 skeins of this Cotton Treat. I purchased Pinky Stripes, Lime Stripes and Modern Stripes, which are all Aran (Worsted) self-striping yarn.

Modern

I have only given them a cuddle thus far, but I already know that I love this brand. Its bright and colourful, soft to touch, and it even has a nice smell to it.

I bought the Modern colour way hoping to make myself a bag to match the shawl I'm making for next weekend, I was a bit dubious as first but after seeing it I know that it will work perfectly. I reckon the bag will only need 2, or at the most, 3 skeins, so I'll have an extra to play with.

Pinky 

I bought Pinky just because I loved the colour. I have no idea what I will make with it, all I know is that I love it. This is certainly the start of me buying yarn just because I love it, its just going to go downhill from here. Candy Skein here I come! If you have any suggestions what I could use it for, drop a comment!

Unfortunately the Lime hasn't arrived yet, and like the Pinky I bought it just because I fell in love with it. I think though it might work as a Blanket, although it would have to be a Baby Blanket or a small blanket as I only have 4 skeins. Again, any suggestions highly appreciated!!

So now I turn over to my wonderful ABC Writers, click on the links below to see what J represents to them!