Another doggy jumper

Photo 44
Originally uploaded by LindyB28

The arrival of Benji B. Barack has curtailed my knitting activities, as has the new university term and all sorts of other things.
But I'm persevering with a stripy jumper for Ben; I'm on the very last stage now but the instructions on how to finish off are incredibly confusing: picking up 91 stitches from around the sides of the back piece and knitting several rows of rib; doing something similar with the front piece; then knitting across the two sets of stitches left on stitch holders (front and back pieces) to make a little polo collar.

Hmmmmm. If I ever work out how to do it, I'll post a pic.

Off topic but a crucial blogging plea

I'm publicizing one of the candidates for Best UK Blog in the Weblog Awards, partly because the blog is doing an excellent service for creative types in Birmingham, partly because it's run by a friend of a friend, and partly because the main competitor in this category is a woman whose views (as aired on Radio 4's Moral Maze and in her journalism for papers including the Daily Mail and the Spectator) are anathema to me. All support would be welcome before voting closes on Tuesday.

Your help is needed! Created in Birmingham has been nominated for Best UK Blog 2008 in the 2008 Weblog Awards (http://2008.weblogawards.org/polls/best-uk-blog/). Your support would mean that a truly worthy blog gets the recognition it deserves for its work to promote the fantastic creative talent and related activities in Birmingham.

Voting takes just a couple of seconds – visithttp://2008.weblogawards.org/polls/best-uk-blog/and vote for Created in Birmingham. You can vote once every 24 hours per computer. Voting closes at 10pm GMT on Tuesday 13th January.

Please forward this email to any friends, colleagues or contacts! Thank you - your support is very much appreciated.

dog sweater

P1010038
Originally uploaded by LindyB28

With the help of Ravelry, I've found an easy dog sweater pattern and cast on, but using very large needles, double strands of aran and adapting the pattern accordingly. Ben is coming to live with me soon and he's a little thing, so will need to be kept warm.

I don't have much knitting information to blog about, since I'm in the middle of a multi-work-in-progress slough. So, instead, here is a photo taken by Tekla that she has kindly allowed me to share with you because it's so gorgeous :-)

Finally an FO

Photo 145
Originally uploaded by LindyB28

This is the first thing I've finished in a while, partly because it's taken me a long time to knit. It's looooooooooooong.
It took up a whole 500g skein of aran.
Now I'm trying to make an angel for my great aunt for next Thursday. Wish me luck.

ribbed shrug

ribbed shrug
Originally uploaded by LindyB28

I've been knitting Erika Knight's Ribbed Shrug for what seems like ages. However, the end is in sight. It's nearly reached the point where I'll change to the different ribbing for the second cuff.
It's quite a fun knit and requires no mental energy!

baby shrug

baby shrug
Originally uploaded by LindyB28

The baby shrug is finished at last. It doesn't really fit Pudsey bear but that's irrelevant because he won't be the one who has to wear it! The shrug will shortly be united with its new owner, a baby named Georgina.

wrist warmers gone wrong

wrist warmers gone wrong
Originally uploaded by LindyB28

I'd based this pattern on one from the new Vogue Holiday knits for 2008. My tension/gauge was correct. But I think these fingerless gloves were designed for people with bigger bones than me. I think I'll have to frog back. again. sigh.

Wol

Photo 124
Originally uploaded by LindyB28

This funny looking Owl (whose name, of course, is Wol) was my second attempt at a crocheted animal/bird, and a bit of a disaster. However, MummyB was very happy to receive it yesterday when she called in on the way to Norwich.

Finished!

Photo 122
Originally uploaded by LindyB28

I've even worn it twice as a shrug. The ribbon version is beyond me at the moment. I need some brain power first.

Blocking versatility

PA180037
Originally uploaded by LindyB28

As a fully paid-up member of the lazy knitters club, I'm a stranger to blocking. For some reason I decided that I should have a go with my versatility: the effort spent on those cables needed to be rewarded with some extra care. The trouble is... that the versatility is taller than me, and I don't have a piece of towel long enough to pin it onto, and nor do I have sufficient pins to get it properly rectangular. It also made my house smell of wet wool. Ughety ugh.

I hope that the result in the morning will be worth all this effort!

In the meantime, I've started a baby shrug for a family friend's new arrival.

Versatility again!

Photo 107
Originally uploaded by LindyB28

all it needs now is the buttons and ribbons but having spent several weeks on this, I must admit to being simultaneously delighted with the finished project and with the prospect of casting on a new, different pattern!

Two and a half repeats in

Two and a half repeats in
Originally uploaded by LindyB28

and I think it's still looking nice :-)

LeTonBeau (the Ravelry name of the pattern's designer) has invited me to join the Versatility KAL on Rav. There are about 4 shared projects on there, including one which is not only complete but completed in crochet!

blobs

Versatility
Originally uploaded by LindyB28

Versatility update: I had to pull a few rows back because the original pattern omitted the bobbles in the written instructions for row 23. But I've redone it and completed row 10 of the repeat.
My worries about this pattern being too complicated for my concentration span have been mostly unfounded; I'm enjoying it.

versatility

P9160038
Originally uploaded by LindyB28

It's growing. And I've even been ploughing on with the cable section. So far, no disasters.
fingers crossed....

Proving my versatility?

P9130037
Originally uploaded by LindyB28

Someone on Ravelry posted to say that the new Knitty has been launched for "fall 2008". Unable to resist the lure of free patterns but very conscious of my limited budget, I decided to see if there was something I could knit using existing stash. MummyB recently bought me some huge skeins (400g) of Aran and even though the pattern 'versatility' calls for 'bulky' (the equivalent of chunky in English), my tension square worked out perfectly with aran and 7mm needles.

It's not a tricky pattern in terms of technique but it does require concentration because each line is different. I'm using the written instructions rather than the chart because writing makes far more sense to me than diagrams.

Who knows whether I'll have the perseverance to keep going when I reach the cable stage?

Crocheting

Photo 56
Originally uploaded by LindyB28

My first crochet animal is nearly finished (all done apart from one or two loose threads that need to be tucked away). I used Monica Rodriguez' Small Bob pattern but with different yarn, different eyes, and many many attempts at the sewing up because it took a long time before I was happy with him. He looked like an Alsatian to start with, then a Jack Russell and only now do I think that he is starting to resemble a Boston :-)

Bit of post-Ravelympics silliness

post-felting
Originally uploaded by LindyB28

I improvised a bag in crochet... quite cool for me to do because a) I don't crochet and b) I don't improvise!

Well my Junie B project also involved some impro so maybe my horizons are expanding :-)
With the scrap of the Anchor Filz It wool, I made a little felted headband for Junie B. It's in a nice floppy bow on her head now.

Junie B having a sleep

Junie B having a sleep
Originally uploaded by LindyB28

Junie B definitely needed a nap after the exertions to get the blanket finished for the Ravelympic deadline of the Beijing closing ceremony. We managed it (actually, I managed it; she sat nearby, looking helpful).

The blanket really pushed me to the edge of my knitting tolerance because there was such a lot of it. And it seemed to go on forever and ever.

Today, as a complete change, I've been freeform creating a crochet bag, which I hope to felt eventually.

Hmmm. I'm going to have to post Junie B off to her new Mommy soon. Or I'll be too attached to say goodbye!

Junie B Jones...

P8200031_2
Originally uploaded by LindyB28

... needs a beauty shop guy. I think that before I post her to her new Mommy, I'll have to get the scissors out to try to curb the wild excesses of her mane. I'm fairly pleased with the way she looks overall and am glad that I had a go at experimenting with creating her clothes to be taken on and off.

That's my first Ravelympics project completed (for Team Cambridge). The blanket for Team Bob is going OK but I had to admit to finding it rather dull because it's a lot of the same, round and round, just making it big enough to be blanket shaped.