Tuesday, June 19, 2007

One Year Old Today!!

And boy has that year flown by quickly!

I did start a few months earlier on e-tribes (link in the side bar) but it is officially a year today that I started with blogger! I've not got the energy or brain power to recap all the projects that have been started and completed (and still waiting to be finished - which would be interesting - the more I think about it the more that come to mind!) over the year as Emily woke me up before 6am this morning and has been running round like a hoolie all day, and watching her makes me feel all the more tired!

Anyway back to the knitting. I suppose I ought to tell you now that I plan to have a little draw to celebrate my 1st blogiversary - nothing big - just a silly little thing as a thank you for all the comments and support over the last 12 months. And a big thank you to knit-tigger for being the first person other than my Mum to post a comment! If you fancy trying your hand at the draw simply leave a comment and I'll pick a name at random from a hat next week!
And that includes all of you who don't comment - tut, tut - what's stopping you?!


Right - lets' get down to business. I still have a bad case of Cast-on Fever and have started a new project but first of all I should introduce some new additions to the stash:

Notice how I've moved away from my green phase - I stopped myself just before I bought the loveliest green cotton DK which of course I now wish I had anyway. There's 300g of Sirdar Nova Chunky for a project (definitely a cold weather one so look out later in the year!); 350g of Rowan Linen Drape for a summery top and 350g of Patons Laguna 100% cotton to become Green Gable which brings us back to the new project, again more on that later.

And with the designs in 'Sensational Knitted Socks' still whizzing through my mind I got some plain sock and 4ply yarns to be played with at some point soon in time for Autumn.

And then I found some old Rowan pattern books (numbers 30 and 33) and decided I should rehouse them and conveniently found a pattern there using Linen Drape and I had the right number of balls for it - I can't quite remember the name of it right now but it's from Rowan 33 and involves casting on far too many stitches for first glance! Oh and if you think I must have won the lottery to have bought all this little lot, think again. All these items were priced 50p each which is fantastic but it does come at a price with the closure of one of our LYS - a real little treasure trove of a shop with shelves full of long forgotten favorites.

Now there is a reason why I've started a new project and it's simply because I think I ought to knit something a little more light weight for summer time and I've put aside my dislike for cotton yarns as well as this Patons Laguna feels so lovely and soft and is not at all splitty which has always been my problem with cotton. So far so good - it's a really quick knit. The lace panel has a mistake in it - I can see it now in this photo but I can't really be bothered to rip it back as I've done a load more since this photo was taken and it's not too bad a mistake if you try not to see it. I've not been entirely bad - I did complete the back of the 'Lacey Waves' jumper before I started this one so at least when I come back to the jumper it won't be a case of trying to remember where I was up to!!

Of course you realise we won't have a nice summer now that I'm making the effort to knit for warm weather (and when I typed effort initially I mistyped it as 'error' - which is right?!).

I will leave you for now with a quote from Mary Thomas's Book of Knitting Patterns:

"There is no work in the world more ingenious than Knitting, and this is why it's appeal has lasted over so many centuries"

See we're all really ingenious!! And if you haven't seen it already I suggest you take a look at this little gem of a book from 1943 and her Knitting Book - so many ideas there we think of as 'modern' which have been around for generations.



24 comments:

artyfartykat said...

What bargains! And you've moved from the green, though I must say it is a colour I love.
Congratulations on your 1st blogaversary! I love reading your blog, seeing what you and your mum are up to! So keep up the good work! Happy knitting!

Seahorse said...

50p!!!??? It's always sad to hear of a LYS closing but what bargains!

Big congrats on your blogiversary! :)

ra said...

there you are, you should follow your instincts and have got the green (as well as the rest of course).
One of my customers this week was eaing yoghurt with linseeds on top and I told her linseed was good for the menopause. She didn't know and had wondered why she was compulsively eating them!!

Wonderful thing instinct!

ra said...

oh yeah, happy haps on your blogiversary.

Anonymous said...

Happy Blogiversary, and yay for many more great entries! Now, that's certainly been some awesome bargains - I totally love the new yarn you've got! Beautiful color choices too!

Sarah said...

Happy anniversary. Great yarns you got celebrate :)

Can you please stop with the summer knits as I am bored of the showers!

Ambermoggie, a fragrant soul said...

happy blogaversary:)

RoxyK said...

What a nice stash to start you off in your pink phase ;)

Linen Drape knits up lovely and is fabulously cool in the heat too. I'm sure you'll love it.

SueJ said...

The problem with such interesting stash is deciding exactly what to knit next! Which sensational socks? Book 1 or 2? Is there something in 'favorite socks'?...... I think you will have fun working through such brain teasers!Sock wool isn't real stash..... is it?

Anonymous said...

Love to see who's having an anniversary.
I've just realised that my 1st year is coming up on the weekend.
Time does fly when your having fun.
Congratulations

Joanna said...

Well done on your blogiversary Kath, and what treasures and gems you've picked up, it's a shame about your lys, though but they must be doing a swift trade at those prices!

Linda said...

It is a shame the LYS shut down but you got some great bargains. I like the look of the Linen Drape. And a very happy blogi-birthday to you as well! I enjoy reading your blog. x

florencemary said...

Well, I'm really not leaving a comment because of your draw, more that I've just come across your blog via your mum's! What a lovely photo of you and your mum, with mum teaching daughter some knitting! Wish I'd been so lucky with my recalcitrant offspring!

The bargains look great, esp the Rowan Linen Drape... that yarn hasn't registered on my radar as yet - lovely colour.

Well done on your 1-year blogiversary!

florencemary said...

Kath, that's so sweet of you to leave such a nice comment on my blog!

And yes, I would love to buy Look, and loads else of my brother's art, if I have a bit more dosh! I've bought some and have been gifted some. I'd love to buy more but despite him being my brother, he's got to make his living.

Fiberjoy said...

I love the color of your summer cotton. Snatch up those bargains while you can.

Working at the store must be like working at the library used to be: So many books, so little time.

Can you believe a year of blogging has flown by!

Ang said...

Congratulations on your blogversary and well done on all the bargains, it is a shame to lose LYS'.

I love all the old knitting books and patterns, I have tons of them, probably even a Mary Thomas. The one I always go back to is Rae (Crompton I think!)for basic knitting techniques and ideas.

Looking forward, as usual, to seeing your new knits (and thanks for all the comments on my blog...No, I very rarely stop, although yesterday I did!)

Hellbelle said...

Congrats on the blogiversary!

Shame about the LYS though, it's a pity some places can't seem to cash in on how popular knitting is at the moment; due to the popularity of internet sellers I suppose.

belaybunny said...

Congrats on your blog anniversary!! I love the colour of the rowan linen drape you got, and all the other nice stuff too. If it's any consolation, my DS was up at 5.50am this morning ;)

I? said...

Ingenious is just spot on! Don't give up on a lovely summer - the weather will get better sooner or later :)

KnitYoga said...

Happy Blogiversary, Kath! I tend to go through phases with colours too and am trying to move away from it. Your new colourway predilection looks very yummy! Sorry to hear about your LYS closing but what fantastic bargains - some wonderful stash additions there! Green Gable is on my list, too, and I like how your Paton's Laguna top is looking! I have both of Mary Thomas's books and it always amazes me the amount of little gems of information I can glean from then just on a quick flick!

Frankie said...

Happy birthday Kath's blog. Not surprised to hear about the cast-on fever with that all that lovely new yarn.

Linda said...

Kath, in reply to your comment on my blog, the book is great as it is a good read about the crafters and has simple things to make in it. I bought it to read really rather than as a sewing book.The sewing projects veer a lot towards childrens or very colourful stuff but are adaptable! x

Nicola said...

Hi Kath, Thanks for your comment over on my blog :) Many hearty congrats on your blogiversary. What better way to celebrate than with an abundance of yarn and a headful of ideas?! Enjoy all your yarn bounty.

Unknown said...

Hi, I work for www.shopyarn.com. Part of my job is to search blogs to find the latest books and shops throughout the U.S.

On shopyarn.com we are going to add patterns and other knitting related books and would like reviews about them. I saw your blog and would like to ask permission to feature the following quote on our site.

"And if you haven't seen it already I suggest you take a look at this little gem of a book from 1943 and her Knitting Book - so many ideas there we think of as 'modern' which have been around for generations."


Thank You,
Margaret
Shopyarn.com
Margaret@directionpress.com