Happy Third Birthday – Maud Tabron Blog

I have now been writing this blog for 3 years.  I have just been re-reading the posts that I have made during the last year and looked back at what I intended to knit and what I actually knitted.

I intended that 2016 would be the year that I finally finished off projects that were sitting around in bags – either almost finished or partially finished and at the end of the year I would either finish them or unravel them.  It was a good plan but unfortunately it didn’t happen and I now have even more unfinished projects than I did last year.

The problem is that I get bored easily and I tend to agree to knit things for other people when I have finished what I was knitting for myself.  Because of the piles of unfinished knitting – I tend to think that I didn’t do much during the year – but I managed to knit 4 large throws this year as well as several smaller projects from penguins to cardigans and not forgetting the 30 tea cosies that I have knitted.

The following are a few reminders of some of the things that I have done.

This last photo shows a throw I knitted for my friend in the autumn.   She only just received it at the end of January. 

Maybe this time next year I will be able to say – I have no unfinished projects apart from the one I am working on.  Unlikely – but you never know. 

Knit the Sky Scarf – February Update

I thought I would show you my progress so far on the Knit the Sky scarf which will take all year to knit.

You may be wondering why I have knitted 2 rows in red - I decided to include a dividing line between the months so it is more obvious what the sky was like during each month.  So far this year it has been very grey.  I don’t think I will be using the bright blue any time soon.  In fact I probably ought to buy some more grey.

This week I have had more time for knitting and have been working on designing and knitting tea cosies for All the Fun of the Fair.   They are going to be launched at the Knitting & Stitching Show at the beginning of March – so I have another busy weekend ahead of me to finish things off.

Resisting the Temptation to Knit Another Shawl

On Saturday I went to Oxford for the Knitting and Crochet Guild Oxford branch meeting.  I took some more yarn to Oxford Yarn Store – which is collecting yarn for the refugees in Northern Greece.  I sorted out 2 carrier bags of chunky yarn.  Some of it was quite old – about 30 years old – but it can still be knitted into something warm.

I took 2 bags into the Yarn Store and managed to leave with only one.  I bought some more of their sale yarn including some more Noro Silk Garden 4ply.   I also bought some more Noro Kureyon.  I tend to buy this regularly then I don’t notice how much it costs!

I have been knitting tea cosies for most of the week – but I have been thinking about knitting another shawl.  I have found 2 balls of Noro Silk Garden 4ply that I bought last year. 

I have been looking around for a pattern to use it for.  I think I have found one in an old Noro magazine.  I will say more on this when I have started it – and I mustn’t start it because I have several more tea cosies to knit.  

This month’s topic for the Knitting and Crochet Guild meeting was the 10 Stitch blanket by Frankie Brown.   As I have said before – I am not a very technical knitter – but I had a go.

I used some Kureyon and large needles.  When I took it out to photograph – I noticed I had gone wrong – so I unravelled a bit.  I would like to finish this – if I can master the technique – it could be useful for using up odd balls of yarn.  I will add it to the ever growing list of Things to Knit this year!

Cable Edge Garter Stitch Shawl from Knitting Magazine

This week I have been knitting another shawl – this time from the latest Knitting magazine (Issue 164 February 2017). 

It is a Stylecraft pattern and you are supposed to use Stylecraft Head Over Heels yarn.  I haven’t got any of that but I have got some Debbie Bliss Rialto luxury sock yarn – and so I have use that.   I think I may run out before I finish – but I don’t think that will matter – I will just stop. 

I quite like Knitting magazine – in fact I subscribe to it – but sometimes there is nothing in there that I would like to knit.  The latest issue is a good one.  There are several attractive patterns including 2 cardigans that I would knit if I had the time.  Even the shawl on the cover is growing on me.

Knitting magazine seems to have more serious patterns and less little quirky items.  This issue has the second part of an article about the technique of double knitting.  I have kept last month's issue and when I have got time I will have to study the technique (look at the pictures) - to see if I can get better at it than my attempts last September.

There is a "my yarn shop" feature - and this issue it is one of my local yarn stores - Oxford Yarn Store.  I am not the only one who likes it!

I seem to be into shawls at the moment – and I saw an advert in the magazine for Stephen West’s book.  I have ordered it and spent some time looking at the pictures.

I may knit one of the shawls one day – there are several that I like – but I must now spend some more time on tea cosies for my friend who owns All the Fun of the Fair.