I've been listening to a lot of muse

well it took me long enough but I finally finished the beret. I think I started it 3 times overall and in the end I used 117 stitches but I'm really pleased with the result.

Obviously I took the above photo while I was blocking the hat. Once I have a better photo of it in use I'll post it, but you get the general idea. I'm thrilled at how the wool has turned out. And the cabling isn't bad especially as this was my first cable project.

I do a lot of my knitting on my commute to work in the morning (the mystical creature called "red jet") and also at lunch time in the staffroom. I'm now on holiday for a week and with a bit of luck I'll finish the other wrist warmer and maybe the other hat made of Alpaca wool.

I have a lot of requests as well which is great - people appreciating the items I produce. I already have a request for a camper van, a dalek and now a colleague would like me to make her one of the berets.

I find that I seek solace in my knitting right now. My grandma is terminally ill and every day seems to bring more sad news. When she came to visit recently I showed her some of my projects and she was really impressed. It is something we all used to do as children; show grandma what we had been up to. I'm going to miss that. She has been (and continues to be) a very supportive and positive influence on my life.

This year I did the Race for Life which is something I thought I would never be able to do. Just goes to show what you can achieve if you really put your mind to it.

the hat saga

I started the hat on 5th July and ostensibly its a very easy knit with some cabling involved (which is not as scary as everyone says)
I got the pattern from here and the wool is the same that I used on the wrist warmers - the idea being that they match...


however it quickly became apparent that 72 stitches just wasn't going to cut the mustard. This was totally my fault - I just couldn't find DPNs any bigger than 6mm so of course if you don't follow the pattern exactly don't expect the same results! so I started again with 81 stitches and hopefully, with a bit of blocking, that should be fine. If not, I can make another one in next to no time.

quick update

great news! I'm going to knit another dalek! well, not right now. but a friend of mine really wants one and has asked me to knit them one. a yellow and black one this time. the thought of all those bobbles makes me wobble a bit but it should be fine, as its for someone else.

the hat is coming along nicely, even if i have had to undo a load of it which was complicated because of the cabling.. but its going to be great when done.

other than that, its business as usual.

learn something new every day

today i did my first long tail cast on. i think i overestimated how much was needed for 72 stitches but i guess that's a good thing - don't want to run out of yarn!
the socks are coming along. i gave up on 2.5mm in the end, it was just too small. went back to my trusty 3mm and i'm so glad i did! 2.5mm would not have gone round my foot.

unfortunately you can't see the pattern so well there but it came out really nicely. After a while i really got the hang of it so i didn't have to keep referring back to the pattern. now i just have to do the other one.


what i've just started today is a beret (hence the long-tailed cast on). for the first time i'm using wooden needles. i'm quite excited to see how it works out.