Pooling disaster

In July, I cast on Summit for my mum because (a) I'd seen the pattern in Knitty earlier this year and decided that I wanted to knit it and (b) I'd just got a job lot of lovely sock yarn in her colours (she's a summer). I haven't picked it up since mid-August and have knitted various other things in the meantime. You see, I'd put a lot of effort into this scarf and had come to realise that I pretty much hated the way it looked with the yarn I'd chosen. Tonight, I'm biting the bullet and frogging it. Am going to use the yarn for the Coquille shawl instead; from the pattern, it looks like it's designed for a variegated yarn.

over a year??

I knew I hadn't blogged in a while but it's a surprise that it's been over a year. What's happened in that year? quite a few knitting projects including some for the Winter Ravelympics 2010. I've also submitted my phd dissertation and continued to spend most of my time being the devoted servant of Prince Benji. He's been poorly recently ... which has caused me a lot of anxiety but has obviously been worse for him as he's had to have several IVs, an operation and lots of medication.

Currently on the needles is... a jumper for Prince Benji. Obviously.

In other news, I'm incredibly overexcited about the new series of Strictly Come Dancing. Having started ballroom lessons in February, I now feel, probably erroneously, that I have a greater understanding of how the judging works.

10 rows to go!

Photo 162
Originally uploaded by LindyB28

will I stay awake long enough to complete it tonight?

Knit a poem

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Originally uploaded by LindyB28

The Poetry Society is celebrating its centenary with a knitted poem and I was one of many knitters who responded to a call for participants. My letter is a W and is well underway. We've got an active group over on Ravelry and the whole thing is proving to be very enjoyable...

... apart, that is, from my letter. I don't do intarsia. I don't like having all the dangling bits of yarn behind the work; I seem to spend more time detangling the yarn than actually knitting. Plus I managed to decide I'd misread the chart, frog several rows and redo it backwards, realise I was right the first time and have to do it all over again. Then just in case enough things hadn't already happened to this project, my new Knitpicks needle snapped. The lovely customer service person at Getknitted is going to send me a new needle when they have 3.5mm tips back in stock. Meanwhile, I've been carrying on with the letter using the remaining half of the Knitpicks needle with one 3.25mm straight needle and one 4 mm circular. Hopefully this means that the gauge will work out.

But goodness me, this W has been a saga! considering the number of years I've been knitting, I'd have imagined that I could have managed a 12 inch square without this much drama.

For more information about the project, including photos of completed letters from knitters with less numpty-ish tendencies than me, visit the poetry society website.

Hoodie

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Originally uploaded by LindyB28

It's so nearly finished.... but there seem to be about a zillion yarn ends to weave in and I HATE weaving in yarn ends.

Baby hoodie

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Originally uploaded by LindyB28

I haven't posted for months. But I have been knitting. A friend had a baby at the beginning of May so I made him a baby Yoda cardigan and am now on the hood part of the striped hooded top from Debbie Bliss's Baby Cashmerino book. I'm using ordinary DK baby yarns (i.e. ones I can afford rather than the cashmerino) and it seems to be working out really nicely.

Fingers crossed xx

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

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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

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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.