2 UFOs

Unexpected Finished Objects :-)

By the time I'd finished the Red Leafy Scarf for my mother-in-law, I didn't think I'd be able to complete the scarf I'd been working on for Grandma as a Christmas present.  But I'd got far enough to be able to start the decrease section, so it grew surprisingly quickly.  I had a very late finish on the Saturday before we were due to head north and it was pinned out to block before I went to bed.  I was able to wrap it on Sunday and we left on Monday.  Hooray!

It's proved very difficult to get decent pictures of this project - I think maybe the colours haven't given enough contrast - but Grandma was wearing the scarf all Christmas Day.  Success!

So then my fingers were fidgeting but without a project, so I decided to make the Möbius Cowl that I'd considered for my other gran.  I cast this on while at my in-laws' for Sunday lunch and an early Christmas meal, then knit most of the way up to Scotland (with the car light on when it got too dark) and did the final few rows once we'd arrived.  I do like the Möbius construction and this original version gave a lovely lacy effect.  I hope she enjoys wearing it.

Oops!  I nearly forgot another finished project... It was made long before Christmas, but I couldn't post until it had reached its new owner.  I sent my friend a Zig-Zag Möbius which I hope she'll find comfortable and practical since it shouldn't be a fight to keep on in the wind...

It's another challenging make to get a decent photo of, but I liked how it looked in real life.

Back on the needles

I had a few days' break from knitting over Christmas while we were visiting family and friends, so I'm happy to have something new on the needles.

I'm knitting a 2nd Snuggly for a newborn (not sure who yet though)... the first was a lovely quick knit and I'm pleased to be able to use up some of my stash while making something which is fun.  I'm using a bright cotton yarn which was left over from a baby blanket.

It's put together as 2 separate triangles which I grafted together last time, and a head added in the middle with a couple of floppy ears.  The first one was a bit odd while I was making it, but really cute once it was finished:

And we've also had some good news!  Our friends' baby boy has finally arrived, on his big brother's 2nd birthday, so I can finally complete the Snug Baby Jacket I've been making.  It's a chunky duffle coat which been waiting until I knew if baby was a boy or a girl... now I just need to sew in the loose ends and add some toggles to fasten with.

The design is almost seamless (although sadly not invisibly joined since I got it slightly wrong... no-one else will spot that though!) and I chose it as an alternative to the BSJ.  I did enjoy the technique, but perhaps not the endless garter stitch at the beginning.

Ready for Christmas

The Red Leafy Scarf is finally finished!

As predicted, by the end I was getting to be quite frustrated with its neverendingness, but I'm pleased with the final result.  The unblocked version was nice, with a bit of a shell effect at the ends, while the blocked scarf is quite elegant.  I'm sure my mother-in-law will appreciate the effort and I hope she'll feel spoiled - it's been a long autumn for her.

And just to complete the scarf-set (excepting the one which will now be for my gran's birthday in January), the 2nd & 3rd crocodiles were finished last Saturday:

The green croc either looks as though he's half asleep, or maybe he's enjoyed a Christmas tipple or two.  I'm not sure!

It was a late finish last night...

Phew!  The Red Leafy Scarf is finally pinned out to block.  I grafted the two halves together last night, soaked it in water this evening and I've stretched it out to dry (after the picture was taken I've repinned it so the edges are less zig-zaggy).

I'd been a bit unsure how to arrange the join between the two halves, and should really have finished each half with a WS row to make it invisible, but at least it's fairly neat.  I had to unpick the first couple of inches to get the strips lined up too.  Only I will see the imperfections though...

It's not quite finished yet, so I'm joining the WIP Wednesday again:

Pinspiration

I discovered Pinterest a little while ago, and I'm kinda addicted.  I've found all sorts of lovely ideas there and I'm using one or two for Christmas presents.  Today I've finished some gingerbread biscuit kits for for my prayer triplet (which is now 4 of us).

So that gave me an excuse to play with A's camera to see if I can get some better pictures than I've managed before...

I followed the tips on the recipe website and used extra flour (about 250g).  The test biscuits I made beforehand were yummy!  I may well make another batch to take to work.

I've enjoyed the idea of making a present for someone which they can then use to make something nice.  These 3 friends are all good in the kitchen and I think they'll appreciate something they can just throw together quite easily. And it means they can choose when to make and eat these treats - perhaps in January when they're ready for something nice in the long nights.

Endless scarves...

The scarves continue to take up most of my time...  The Red Leafy Scarf feels as though it's getting close to completion at last, which is good since I could do with blocking it in the next few days if it's to be ready for Christmas.  I'm managing about 10-20 rows in a sitting at the moment, and there are 50 to go...

I took a break from the 4-ply to do some of Crocodile No. 3 at the weekend and while we were visiting A's parents (the red scarf is for my mother-in-law, so can't be worked on when I'm there!)  I'm making it the same length as the others by adding 32 rows in the straight section compared to the pattern.  When I made the first I ripped it back when I saw how it was turning out length-wise so that I could extend it.  They're still not over-long but hopefully a bit more cosy.

The Any Yarn Scarf is on hold at the moment - if I don't manage to complete it for Christmas it can be for my gran's birthday in January instead.  Or perhaps I'll finish it on the journey north...

Finished

I've finally finished a project!  I made this crocodile scarf some time ago, but only attached the eyes and nostrils in the last few days.  It was going to be a Christmas present for one of our godsons, but his birthday present didn't arrive in time so we've done a swap.  He'll get his scarecrow puppet for Christmas now instead.

I'm really pleased with the way it's turned out. The pattern was in Let's Knit magazine a couple of months ago, although I modified it slightly to make it longer (I added about 32 rows of the straight section).  The eyes were quite tricky but I think they look good in the end.

I need to redo the eyes on the blue scarf (they're too close together and too far forward... he just looks scary!) so I can't call that one finished yet.  Crocodile no. 3 was cast on last Saturday.

I'm still working hard to finish the grown-up scarves, so I'll post about this next Wednesday...

Capturing the creativity (or not!)

Still knitting the scarves...

and pleased that I'm making some progress.  I've started on the 2nd half of the Red Leafy Scarf, which means I'm on the lace part again (concentration required!) and I think I'm over half-way on the Any Yarn Scarf.  I'm not sure how long to make it yet, but I guess the straight part will be somewhere between a third and half of the total length.  So far so good anyway.

But my musing this week is around how to get good pictures of my projects...  I took this photo with an iPhone4, which has sometimes given me spectacular photos and sometimes just doesn't know how to focus. And on other projects it's worked well, but for these two I don't think I've managed a sharp image yet.  I've tried different backdrops and different flash conditions or focal points, but I can't get a clear picture to show the stitch pattern.  It's a shame, because the enjoyment of these scarves is partly in the detail of the patterns.

I don't have a "proper" camera to play with (maybe I should ask Santa!) but I've had success with my phone before.  So I've got some ideas to try...

- wait for daylight (weekends only at the moment, and sometimes not even then!)

- try creating a plain backdrop with a sheet of material to give a clear contrast

- wait until the scarves are finished and blocked so the definition is more obvious

- borrow my husband's camera so I can put it on a small tripod (I'm not always confident I've kept the phone steady)

- spend more time browsing other blogs to see what clever tricks other people have used

- I'd like to be able to get a good close-up as well... 

I'll just have to keep practising.

What's the attraction?

I'm still knitting the scarves and enjoying their growth:

I've been alternating between them, partly so that one of the recipients doesn't see her present before Christmas, and partly for the change in texture and pattern.  I think the Red Leafy Scarf's getting towards the half-way point now, which means I get to start on the lace part again, and I've decided to do a straight section on the Any Yarn Scarf so that it won't be triangular after all - more of a trapezium.
So there's beginning to be a sense of achievement.

I took a short break on Saturday for a quick knit in the car that I'll post about after Christmas, which got me thinking... how do I choose my projects?

Variety - I like to change the routine a bit while I'm knitting, so I often have more than one active project which use different types of yarn or stitch so that I can switch when I get bored with the project in hand.
Challenge - I enjoy learning new techniques, so I'm attracted to projects which use methods I've not tried before.  The (as yet unfinished) Snug was a good example of this - an almost seamless design for a baby jacket, knit for a baby expected just after Christmas (it'll be finished once I know if Baby is a he or a she...)
Mindlessness - if I'm travelling then I quite like to knit to keep my hands occupied while I'm looking out at the passing countryside.  So a project which doesn't need me to watch every stitch is great to have with me.  The Any Yarn Scarf is almost one of these, in that the increase section is garter stitch.  Anything fiddly just won't do though.
Design - I'm drawn to elegant designs, such as the Baby Surprise Jacket or Clapotis scarf, where I can marvel at the designer's skill in creating something beautiful in a clever way.  This is a big part of my addiction to Möbius cowls too.

Most of my projects have been gifts, although this year I've made slightly more for myself.  While I'll always look for something which suits the recipient, I'll also be sure to choose something that I'll enjoy making.  Then  hopefully the gift can give pleasure twice - as it's made and once it's been given.

Switch it off!

After posting last week about the frustration of never-ending scarves, this week I've been enjoying some of their repetitiveness.

I cast on for an Any Yarn Scarf for Grandma, using 4-ply sock-yarn, and spent some time on that this evening.  I've reached the stage where I don't need the pattern any more, which feels good: I like being able to read the rows to know where I am and what comes next.

I've also picked the red leafy scarf back up and made some progress last night while chatting with friends.  It doesn't need to be long enough to wrap around a neck, so it shouldn't be too long until I can start on the second half.

In both cases I've been enjoying the repetitive nature of their fairly short rows and simple lace stitches combined with plain knitting. This is something I've often read about but not experienced so much myself; normally I look for the challenge of a new technique, or I'm knitting to a gift deadline.  And knowing that I can switch between projects when one becomes too repetitive lifts the sense of there being no end in sight.

But perhaps the real difference has been knitting while chatting rather than with the tv on for "entertainment".  So maybe the moral of the story is... Switch it off!


I'm a little late for WIP Wednesday, but there you go... too busy knitting I guess ;o)

Against my better judgement...

I have 3 active projects at the moment, and one which I ripped out yesterday.  All of them are scarves.  Looking back at my recent makes I've also made 4 circular moebius scarves and a Clapotis wrap since the start of the year.

So my question is... why do I keep making scarves?  When I first cast on for a new scarf I'm full of enthusiasm, but I know that long before the end I'll have grown to resent the thing: its nagging, unfinished presence and the repetitive rows which are the same as the previous 100 and the 100 still to come.  I know that I'll put it down "just while I do this quick knit" only to find it abandoned months later, when I realise I've left it too late for the gift deadline I had in mind.

Even the Teddy's Scarf I knitted for our young godson's birthday was tiring by the end.  (Surely it's long enough by now!)

And yet, I love the finished result.  And I press on with the thought that a gifted scarf might keep the recipient feeling warm and cosy - a lasting hug.


So here are my current projects:

• Two crocodile scarves for our godsons

These were wonderfully quick to knit up, thanks to chunky yarn and a pattern that can be knitted without having to watch every stitch.  I even made the crocs a bit longer than the design.

They're both nearly finished now - only the eyes and nostrils to add.  I think they're going to be so cute!

• A red leafy scarf for my mother-in-law

I started this back in June and made great progress until I put it down for a short while... I've restarted it within the last week or so.  It won't be finished in time for a November birthday, but maybe Christmas; just don't ask which year... it was originally planned for 2011!

This is my first entry for WIP Wednesday.  There are loads more projects to see at Tami's Amis

Past presents and future

Christmas is on the way, and I enjoy making as many gifts as possible.  Partly because I think most of my friends and family have as many "things" as they want or need, and partly because I like the personal touch if I can get it right.

About 7 years ago I rediscovered knitting, which meant that 6 years ago I gave a few scarves as Christmas presents.  Since then I've experimented with baby/toddler jumpers, fingerless mitts, hats and more scarves... not to mention a few blankets for new babies, a house-warming and a wedding.

Two years ago I discovered making chutney, which seemed to go down well so I made more next year (and for one or two birthdays in between).  We made little boxes of edible treats, with things we hoped were a little unusual and that might be an alternative to more clutter around the house.

So my question now, as Christmas approaches, is what to plan for this year?  I'm looking for ideas which can be interesting (and quick!) to make, and fun to receive...  I'll keep you posted.