Its been a while......

Gosh it has been ages since I last logged on here - where does the time go? Its also been a while since I picked up my needles! A lot has happened since I last posted but life seems to be getting back onto an even keel - well for now!

Well this post is short but sweet - I'll make a concious effort to get back into the swing of posting and reconnecting with my fellow knitters - its also been ages since I last logged into Ravelry!

Finally a finished project!

At last, I’ve finished the hat and scarf set I was knitting for my Mother-in-law for Christmas! By the way, that is Christmas 2009, I thought I would get myself organised and start my Christmas knitting early this year. Well that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

I have however discovered that I am suffering from a common condition shared by knitters born in the month of April! I joined a Ravelry group for knitters who were born in the month of April and it seems that the majority of us are suffering from knitting ADD! We all seem to have numerous projects on the go, all unfinished – it’s nice to know I’m not the only one and I would guess it doesn’t only affect April knitters!

So what did I do once I’d finished my hat and scarf? Well I uses I should have started working to finish another one of my UFO’s, but that would be too easy and uncharacteristic for a knitting ADD sufferer! No, I looked longingly at my stash and decided to start knitting a super chunky tunic to slouch round in! So there you go, one project off the needles and another straight back on so I am no further off finishing my UFOs!

Its a hatrick.....

Well the headline should read hat hell! I have been aimlessly flicking through patterns deciding what to knit next and really can't decide. So in the meantime I have decided to knit a hat for baldy! The thing is I haven't found a pattern I like so have decided to design my own for a beanie hat. So far so good, although I did attempt on circular needles at first but as I've never used them before I made a real mess of it. Oh well onwards and upwards! Its looking good so far but I might change my mind when it comes to calculating the shaping for the crown! I'll post the finished result on here when I eventually get it done and might even submit the pattern to Ravelry if people have a burning desire to knit it up!

On a general note, it’s been a funny week. Dear Henry has had a nasty ear infection and at one point I thought we weren't going to be able to fly, but with a course of anti-biotics he seems fine now, fingers crossed for Monday when hopefully he will get a clean bill of health and the go ahead to fly! That just leave Hollie and her list of ailments - bless her! Her knee and ankle are really hurting her now because she can't walk properly just yet with her broken toe! Oh well we’ll get there in the end (I hope!)

Had some good news today though, my friend who really hates her job managed to get the job she applied for in our office! I’m really looking forward to working with her again but I’m not sure that our boss knows what she has let herself in for!

Oh well back to the knitting, I’ll have to get this hat finished soon otherwise it will be Spring and not cold enough for baldy to wear it!

Counting down to Christmas.....

While our American cousins are enjoying Thanksgiving this weekend I'm on my countdown to Christmas (and me holiday!) Made a start on the packing but still have a few bits and pieces to get and then I’ll need to “spring” clean the house ready for my friends who are staying here while we are away!

I finally finished putting up the decorations yesterday, although I'm skipping the big tree this year. Good old Santa has now taken pride of place on my dining room wall! He is made from a needlepoint kit I bought some years ago when the kids were small, I took me hours to complete it but well worth the effort!

I’m in a knitting void at the moment, after finishing my throw I’m not sure what to do next! A colleague has asked me to knit her a scarf so I am on with that and another colleague gave me a pattern for a beanie hat which I think I’ll do next. I think I’ll have to get myself on Ravelry and look through the patterns to see what I can do with my ever growing stash! Since I found the wool shops in the town where I work the stash grows at an alarming rate!

Christmas knitting commences...

Well thought it was about time I started on my Christmas knitting now halloween is over and there is only 6 weeks left till we leave the country!

I found Jean Greenhowe's mini Christmas Stocking pattern on Ravelry and thought they would be a good place to start! I've knit 4 up today and they look great, I am going to use them as toppers for the Christmas cards I make this year - they are perfect!

My copy of Simply Knitting magazine arrived today and this month they have mini christmas ornament patterns in this month so will look at knitting some of them up. The plan is to make a garland with knitted ornaments on, not sure though whether I'll get that done as I am still dermined to finish my epic throw before Christmas and although I only have the edging left to do it still seems to be a slow process! Watch this space!

Knitty dilema......

Well despite the clock going back an hour making today an hour longer then normal, there still aren't enough hours in the day!!

I had my day all planned out, I was going to devote it to my epic throw project determined to get it finished before Christmas. Alas I am getting itchy fingers, there are soooo many lovely projects out there I want to get on with my mind started to wonder and I am now planning my next epic throw distracting me from my current project!

On top of that my long awaited Ravelry invite appeared in my inbox! Woo hoo! I couldn't wait to get started so I ended up spending more time attached to my laptop then intended! I've only scratched the surface but I think I'm going to like it on there.

I have also had the trials and tribulations of running round after teenagers who seem quite incapable of doing the simplest thing for themselves. The only phrases they seem to know are "food"; "money"; and "lift" and go completely deaf when you ask them to take their dirty pots away, tidy their room or even put the dirty washing in the wash basket! Bless 'em - good job I love 'em to pieces or I think I'd be completely insane!

Needles to say I didn't quite get as much done on my current project as I wanted to what with planning my next project, Ravelry and the kids still I might just get it finished in time for Christmas - Christmas 2009 that is!