Just in time

Tags

beanie, Beanies, cables, Hats, Johannesburg, knitting cables, knitting hats, Pompoms, winter

Just a quick update.  🙂

I finished the cabled beanie for myself on the weekend.  And just in time.

I woke this morning to a very wet and chilly Johannesburg.

Cabled Beanie 1

Cabled Beanie 1

Cabled Beanie 1

Happy crafting to all, and those down south, winter is here, keep warm.  🙂

Knitting is happening

Tags

autumn, beanie, cowl, daughter, handmade, Handmake, Knitting, mittens, on my needles, speckled yarn, speckledyarn, winter, yarns

Knitting is definitely happening.

Finished a quick pair of speckled mittens for my daughter and another beanie for my son in law.

Beanie and Mittens

Mittens

Beanie

 

I dropped by my local Yarn Shop, and I just could not resist these.  They are nice and soft and a bit on the bulky side.

On my Needles

On my Needles

Of course, they seemed to have already found their way onto my needles.  I will probably be knitting more summery goodies soon, as the days here are already getting warmer, but for now I am quickly doing a few last warm winter goodies.

Happy crafting all.

Winter Break update

Tags

alpaca, autumn, beanie, bear, bears, bunny, ceramic, ceramics, cross stitch, daughter, embroidery, fairies, handmade, handmade bear, Handmake, Knitting, lace, make-over, manos, miniature bear, mittens, paint, speckled yarn, speckledyarn, stellarfibreworks, tiles, winter, yarns

It has been my annual Winter Break and I have enjoyed the break so much.Getting away from the busy work and office is sometimes just what a person needs.

Miekie and I both enjoyed to lazy cold mornings, and spent the time having lazy, slow breakfasts before we started the day.

I got time to catch up on some reading, specially on some of my loved magazines.

The usual amount of knitting definitely took place.  My Alpaca Wrap is now already half way there.  I finished a Manos del Uruguay beanie for my son in law, and have another on the needles for him.  And my daughter is getting matching mittens to wear with her speckled wrap.

Grey Alpaca Wrap

Speckled Mittens

Green knitted beanie

Beanies

With me being home and able to work during the sunnier parts of the day, I could also work on more delicate projects.  One of these were these little fairies in cross stitch.  According to the instructions of the kit, you only stitch areas you want to highlight.  What a lot of fun they are.  Nearly done, and then I will frame them and find a special place for them.

Fairy Cross Stitch Work

Fairy Cross Stitch Work

Wilbur the Bear is now no longer a kit sitting on the table.  I cut the pattern pieces and am ready to start stitching him together.  I want to add a few things, and have gotten cute silk ribbon roses and antique looking buttons as well.  I suspect Wilbur will be a girl bear in the end and may need another name.

Wilmot Handmade Bear

Wilmot Handmade Bear

This wooden box had been around my home for a bit, being used on the odd occasion for this and that.  I finally decided to put it to proper use, give it a complete makeover and keep it around.  So with rather a lot of layers of paint, I was able to smooth it over, and stop it from showing up a nasty stain through each layer of paint.  Finished it off with a bit of pretty lace and a cute ceramic bunny.  Now I can keep it around for any little project or storage.  Sometimes these little wooden boxes are all you need.

Wooden Box Makeover

Wooden Box Makeover

Wooden Box Makeover

Wooden Box Makeover

Wooden Box Makeover

Wooden Box Makeover

While waiting for a friend the other day to arrive for a cup of coffee and a chat, I ended up browsing in a little shop.  I could not resist these cute tiles.  I think I will use the smaller ones as memo magnets and the bigger one will be just perfect for a mug cozy.

Little Ceramic Tiles

It’s Winter

Tags

alpaca, beanie, cowl, daughter, foggy, glitter, handmade, Handmake, Johannesburg, knitpro zing, Knitting, lace yarn, manos, manosdeluruguay, misty, rowan kidsilk, rowan yarn, sparkle, speckledyarn, winter, winterwrap, Wrap, yarns

Winter has now arrived and settled in good and properly.  We have even had a few very cold and eerily foggy misty days.  I loved it.  This is definitely the most favourite time of the year for me.

These are just a little view of how it looked, the photos of the roads was in the afternoon going home, and the others were taken in the mornings when I arrived at my place of work.  And yes, we drive on the “other side” of the road for those who may have wondered.  🙂

Winter June 2016

Winter June 2016

Winter June 2016

Winter June 2016

 

It did then also mean lots of knitting and crafting.  I finished the dark grey cowl for my daughter.  She really got cute yarn, and the speckles in this dark one is even prettier and brighter than the previous one.

Dark Grey Speckled Cowl

Dark Grey Speckled Cowl

 

Of course, new WIP’s are on the needles as well.  I started another beanie for my son in law, in lovely warm Manos del Uruguay.  It is knitting up so fast.  And I started a wrap for myself.  This is Alpaca yarn from Turkey and I am absolutely loving it.

Rare Earth Beanie

Grey Alpaca Wrap

Grey Alpaca Wrap

Grey Alpaca Wrap

 

When I dropped in at my LYS during last week, they had Rowan Kidsilk available at a discounted price.  How awesome. I simply could not resist getting these dark jewel colours, each with a bit of sparkle of its own.  Then I also spoiled myself with some new KnitPro Zing needles, in the smaller sizes, ideal for lace and sock knitting.  They were a bit extensive compared to others, however I just know they will be worth the price.

If you are using these needles already, let me know what you thought of them.  🙂

Rowan Kidsilk Yarns

New Lace / Sock needles

 

Happy crafting all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some finished projects, and of course, must have socks!

Tags

basket, beanie, cables, crochet, hat, inside out, make-over, pimpelliese, pixel stitch, Shawl, socks, travelling cables, yarn floats

After a rather slow start, and a restart, as I found a little error on my Pimpeliese shawl, I finished it .  It is a super great pattern, and knitted very quickly once I got the hang of it.  The weather was not to warm, and I had to wait for a bit of sunnier days before I could block it and make sure it dried.  But it is done!  And turned out pretty neat.

I also finished the Travelling Cable Hat beanie I was working on.  Super pattern, specially since I really love knitting cables.

I had given this old basket of mine a make-over some time ago, but could not find the right handles I was looking for.  But being persistent, I found these handles, and they seem pretty okay on the basket.  Now I can use it again, and carry my WIP’s around in it.

And of course, what is knitting without having a pair of socks on the needles.  This is my first “big” colourwork knit, and I am enjoying it tremendously.  I am knitting the socks inside out, which is pretty funny, but it is the only way I could figure out how to ensure the floats are even and not to tight.  They are for my daughter and she has tried them on a few times now to ensure the fit is still good.

On my Needles

Tags

beanie, hat, Knitting, manos, maxima, pimpelliese, Shawl, socks

I love the colder winter months here.  Winter has settled in.  So that means a little more knitting than normally as well, or at least, I think so.

My Pimpelliese Shawl is going pretty good now, and no more little mistakes, so no frogging.

Also on my needles are goodies not for me.  The one is the Travelling Cable Hat beanie for my son in law.  This is knitting up so fast and lovely.  I adore knitting cables, and this pattern is pure pleasure.  I hope to even finish it on the weekend for him.

And once you knit socks, you always seem to have a sock or a pair of socks on the needles somewhere.  This time its for my daughter.  She saw the pattern on my work table, and immediately asked for pairs in various colours.  I started on a blue pair first. The pattern is Pixel Stitch Socks from Purl Soho.