turtleknits

 I do love pink!! Not all the time, but sometimes. Knitting recently through my stash for gifts. This tea cosy was a birthday gift, with a teapot for my sister. My own design, I was really pleased with it. Some stash down.  More pink yarn in stash, this time lovely Pingouin sock yarn bought a  very long time ago and these socks are really soft Again more stash yarn. Lovely colours in this sock yarn, I can't remember what yarn though, and I bought this at a knitting charity event.

I've just discovered a Very Large Hole in my handknitted sock and I've no yarn to darn! Oh I'm so sad and I'll have to knit myself some more. They were not on my list at the moment, but I'll have to put them there! Anyway even if I did have some yarn, I would not be able to darn a hole that size. When you've knitted yourself something it's really annoying when it wears out. You think you 'll have it forever.

Through the icicles a glimpse of trees lit by the morning sun. It's absolutely freezing. However the sun is shining and should be embraced maybe for a little while. From my front step these trees look really regal and stately, while the sun shines through the ice which Jack Frost left behind. This is the day before a very austere Budget here in Ireland, so this Monday morning I'm trying to concentrate on all things good and beautiful if possible. In the warmth of my house it's lovely to look outside. I'm having a really delicious Cappuccino which I made and it's real pleasure. No matter what this Budget my bring I'm not going to let it take away my Cappuccino. These are good times to knit and craft. I can even work through my stash without needing to spend on any more yarn. Then maybe after Christmas I could be persuaded to have a look in the yarn sales.

Almost forgot to post today.Then I'd miss out on my intention to blog each day till Christmas! Today I went to the city to try to get some Christmas shopping done. Got a couple of gifts, and so am pleased. It may be next weekend before I get out shopping again. Snow still on the ground and so I'm not willing to risk it on my own. It's really unfortunate to get this very cold spell just before Christmas, I'm sure the shops are truly losing out on business and then when the thaw arrives it'll be so busy!! On the knitting front, I've a few more FO's which I can't blog about for obvious reasons, neither have I taken photos, but will during the week. Have another project started tonight and am enjoying it, but lots of sewing up!!!

These are a few of my finished FO's. I mainly knit them in October and November last, but as they were for gifts, I could not post them here. However the recipients I think were happy. Short scarf and matching fingerless gloves for my sister. Knit in Rowan Cashsoft 4ply. Really soft and quite thick for 4ply yarn. Socks for my DH's birthday. Knit in Regia sock yarn. This really is great yarn for socks. Hard wearing and remains soft. This is Annis for myself. I love it and would love to knit another. Knitted in Manon silk. I've enough left to knit another maybe short scarf, but do you think I can find it?? It must have fallen out of my knitting bag, or rolled under a chair or couch. But I can't get down on my knees yet to really look. I'll have to ask someone to look for me!

Just a few weeks now till Christmas and here in Ireland we are almost 'snowed' in and I'm sure this is having a terrible effect on businesses this near to Christmas. Not sure how long this will last but it's very early for us to have this amount of snow. As it's December and I've not been blogging very much, I'll try to post each day now till the Big Day! I'm sure I'll find something to say. These are the pictures from inside my house just 10 mins ago! Back garden Bamboos in the garden, sprinkled with snow Bare snowy trees, really beautiful Through the front door glass From my kitchen window. Snow makes everything look clean and beautiful. Would love to go walking but alas my knee which I injured 6weeks ago, keeps me inside. Off to finish some knitting and have a coffee.

As promised, some of my recent FO's. I'm currently laid up with a damaged knee and so have time to upload some pictures, read some blogs and catch up on some blog posting. Short scarf and hand warmers for a gift. Just have to get a brooch fixing for the flower on the scarf so it can be closed over. Yarn used is Rowan Cashsoft 4ply. Comfy lounge socks for a gift, also knit with Rowan Cashsoft 4ply. Socks for the man in my life. Knitted two pairs but the other pair is being washed already, although only given as a birthday gift 2 days ago. Appreciation! And last up my Annis scarf/shawl. I knit this about 6 weeks ago and while it was difficult to get the pattern going, I'm really thrilled with the result. The pattern was from Knitty and the yarn I used is Manos Lace which is really soft and lovely to wear. Today I knit a couple of hats for the Innocent Big Knit. I have just over 20 little hats knit now and when I'm done I'll take a photo.

I knit these in April for a friend's first grandchild. I get great pleasure from knitting baby items, very quick results and so dainty. My friend always knit for her own children and so I knew these would be appreciated.

Well I won. R at www.sheknitupthatball.blogspot.com had a comment competition on her blog, after she had visited the US. And I won!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. I'm really really thrilled. Below are pictures of my prizes. First photos below are pictures from the crochet book for patterns. And the yarn! I love Sugar n Cream cotton. I've been knitting dishcloths and washcloths for about a year now, after I first got some of this cotton in a swap. I never imagined that knitting these would be so addictive and very useful. So I'm very pleased. Thank you very much R for your great prize. I'm looking forward to trying these patterns.

I can't believe that I haven't posted since January 11th while in the midst of the Big Snow. It's not that I've not been knitting or taking photos, but I just never get down to posting on my own blog. I love reading other's blogs and commenting but I just can't get down to it! I love to knit anything, but only last year discovered how useful knitted dishcloths are. They was wonderfully and you can boil them, no bother. Until that is, you meet a friend for lunch and on the way home 4 hours later, you get a phone call from your daughter, who is home early from college, to tell you that the house was full of smoke when she came home. It took her a while to discover the problem and she then phoned me. I was on my way home and worried what to expect, but luckily she was home ahead and had doors and windows open. Pictures below tell the tale. You can almost still see the knitted stitches! I think it very well may have gone on fire. Really really lucky that the whole p...

Monday morning and this is the third day now without water in our house. While I had been somewhat 'enjoying' the bright snowy weather, which at times looked magnificent, you get to realise how important the real basics. i.e basic water! Currently we are relying on our very good neighbour filling our containers and then poor DH is climbing the ladder, creeping across our attic floor and putting the contents of the containers in to the Water Tank! Also we are collecting the drips from our roof for our WCs and cleaning up. A workout in disguise. On another note, we took a tentative drive out yesterday near the Japanese gardens in Kildare where we walked and took a few photos - I'll post some next time. I've not been knitting very much in the last few weeks though, except for a hat for my daughter, which I've forgotten to take a photo of and it's now being worn happily. So I'll just have to get back to it, and maybe cheer myself up. Hope all is good with you!

I really really have been knitting, just did not get around to blogging or uploading the photos. Fingerless made from lovely soft sock yarn,bought at the Woolen Mills. More fingerless mitts, from yummy Wildefoot sock yarn left over from the next picture! Wildefoot socks. I got this lovely sock yarn in a swap over on Ravelry. Really lovely and soft, and I'm enjoying wearinig them in this cold weather we are currently having. This little 'doudou' I knitted from lovely Swedish cotton sock yarn, again from a swap and the pattern is French. (I used the graph in the pattern) This for a gift for a new baby in Australia. This scarf I knit as a birthday present for my niece. Lovely Baby Cashmerino yarn, and some velvet ribbon which I threaded through the lace.

Although I've not been blogging lately, I have been reading other blogs and I've been crafting. Below are just some of my FOs Some socks: From the lift; pink socks for my sister made from 'Fabel' sock yarn from Scandinavian Knitting Design. I really love this sock yarn and it's a very good price Next are the lovely blue socks, made from Koigu yarn which I received in a gift from my swap partner ages ago. It's such soft yarn and they should be really warm for the winter The brown socks are made from gorgeous alpaca/wool yarn bought at the Avoca sale. I gave these ones to another sister as a birthday gift. And last but not least are the two tone socks made with yarn left over from the first pair and a ball of navy Regia sock yarn. (a gift for my daughter) You can really get 2 pairs of socks from 150g of sock yarn! It was my daughter's birthday earlier this month and I made this cushion from various pieces of fabric in my stash. She really loved it and I was ...

These are the great gifts I got in my April package from cgamroth. These monthly swaps are just great fun, and I've had lovely partners. Great 'sugar 'n cream' yarn in gorgeous spring colours lovely blue merino/acrylic/cashmere blend yarn great notebooks, pens, and magnetic message pad, chocolates and coffee And a lovely handmade project bag in a great shade of green with sparkles

I started out this New Year with the intention of using up lots of my ever-growing stash.I really shouldn't purchase any more yarn until some of it is gone, that is unless I need some for a particular project!! Anyway so far so good. This is a pair of mittens for myself. I had none and the recent spell of really cold weather prompted me to knit them. Recognise the yarn? Well I bought 9 skeins of this Noro yarn to knit up a cardi for myself, but when I got half way in to it I realised I would not wear it and it would not be flattering, so I'm knitting lots out of it including 3 pairs of sofa slippers, 2 pairs of fingerless gloves and these mittens, and I still have a skein left!!! I'll think of something to use it for. Anyway these mitts are really warm. These two items are felted covers for portable hard-drives. My daughter needed a cover recently for her new and expensive hard drive and so I created one. However when her college friends saw it , they fell in love with it ...

I didn't get a lot of knitting done for Christmas gifts this year. I don't think I planned to really. Anyway these are a few that I did manage to do. A clapotis and matching mittens for my eldest daughter, and she was thrilled with them. I also knit a similar clapotis for my younger daughter in a different colour. The yarn used for both was Phildar Lambswool. It's 50% lambswool and 50% acrylic. It's really really soft. Hope it washes ok later! This is a gorgeous gorilla who came naked and needed a handknit cardi! I think he was very happy. Good way to use some more of my stash. Gorilla in another pose! Three pairs of 'sofa slippers' for my sisters, knitted in Noro 'Silver Thaw'. Hope they deep the toesies warm this cold weather. Must keep knitting from my stash!!!!!!!!!!!

My package for the Fave things swap on Ravelry arrived yesterday. A lovely red scarf, Knitting Rules book, yummy sock yarn, scented candles, dpns, some coffee, lovely stitch markers and some doggie treats for my dog. Thank you Kellie so much for my lovely parcel.

Hi there! Haven't had time to blog for the last week. Life's been so hectic with family member in hospital. However, I have been knitting lately, for my sanity, with the Big Knit involving teeny tiny hats for Innocent Smoothies/Topaz oil. These little hats will top Innocent Smoothie bottles sold in Topaz oil shops from November 4th next. www.innocentdrinks.ie/thebigknit . For every smoothie sold with a little hat, Innocent/Topaz will give 1 euro to Age Action Ireland. It is hoped that 20,000e will be raised by this venture. Good Luck to all involved.