I have, like many of you, a stash that fills a whole room. More yarn than I will ever use, but obviously need in my life, after all, a life without yarn is a life without purpose, and as my all-time favourite designer, William Morris said: “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”
With that, I decided to make quick beanie hat using Hayfield Spirit DK yarn. It took no time at all to make, I managed to watch two episodes of “The Leftovers” and two of “The Cabin with Bert Kreischer”. Who said that men cannot multi-task has no idea. The only thing that pissed me off was the join ladder that appeared, which never has in the past, and I have knitted many many hats on DPN’s. But it was a quick knit and I cannot expect perfection whilst watching TV too LOL
As requested by some of my readers, here are the three “A Bit of Ireland” afghans. The middle one in blues was the first, the green on the right was the second and the final one on the left is the latest one. I have other circular blankets I have made and will show them too.
This is the third blanket of this design I have made. I made us one a good few years ago, then M’s mum which we got back a few weeks ago after her death, and this final one is for the bedroom. One thing I was not happy about is a line that has appeared within the knitting where the rounds meet, and this is not on any of the other blankets, and I have made it exactly the same way and with the same needles. It will be placed over the headboard, so the line will be hidden, but again, not a happy bunny.
Pattern: A Bit of Iceland Designer: Stephen West Yarn: Women’s Institute
Summer is long over and quite frankly totally forgotten about. It was a fleeting thing that we all loved for the few weeks, alas memories are fading along with the dropping temperatures. Today it was really cold, 8c outside, which is so far away from the other month when we had 32c. The weather forcasters say that this winter will be the worst in 30 years, which will be interesting as near 10 years ago it was -17c at night and a few feet of snow, so god help us. The joys of living so far north.
Anyway, less of the weather and more of this…
So it begins; knitting
Now the weather has turned my knitting is out and off we go again. I am doing a circular blanket which will be in three colours, cream, brown and grey. Cream being the major colour and grey will be mostly edging.
I love knitting in the round/circular knitting. My mum, who has been knitting longer than I have been on the planet thinks knitting in the round is some sort of witchcraft. I have tried to show her that it is just standard knitting with 5 needles until the circular can be used, but she just does not get it. Although I did freak her out with 9 needles just to prove it does not matter if it is one needle or nine, it works just the same.
The pattern I am using is Stephen West’s “A Bit of Iceland”. The yarn I am using is the Womens Institute Aran (Cream) and Hayfield Aran (Grey & Brown), all knitted on 5.5mm needles. This is the third “Iceland” blanket I have knitted. The first is on the headboard of our bed and is in the original Iceland colours. The second is in Ireland as I made it for M’s mum, and done in creams and greens with the edgework in a sage green hank of merino that was rediculously expensive, but was lovely when finished. This new one will be used in the bedroom too. When we decorated the bedroom I did it in suble greys and browns, so this should look really nice when finished.
I have an idea for a hat I want to make for winter after seeing it on a film. I have checked and it is not a commercially available pattern or hat, and was made just for this film and sold at auction for £240. Once I have worked the pattern out and got to making it I will share it with you all. Just have to work it all out as it is not just a standard hat.
I love to knit large project, and if complicated then all the better. So my latest project, although not really complicated, it will be large. My Mum had given me tonnes of her yarn stash, stuff she decided she would not need or use. Among the stash was lots of packs of yarn of the same type, so with a pack of 8 balls of Robin Chunky, I decided a blanket was in order.
I love to work in the round, and the first time I did this was back in late 2012 with Stephen West’s Old Forge which is truly beautiful creation. I have also completed his “Bit of Iceland”, and made a green version I called “A Bit of Ireland”. The growth of anything like this so quick to start, then after about 50 rounds it seems to slow right down, and in anything other than this I would get fed up with it and shove it in a bag and leave it, as I have with an oblong blanket I started (also Stephen West design). But there is something about circular knitting I find truly addictive.
For this some of my friends think I need psychological testing….
Stuck in Sydney posting old photos taken with various camera phones on my world travels. Posting in arty Black and White and includes witty commentary 🇦🇺
Stuck in Sydney posting old photos taken with various camera phones on my world travels. Posting in arty Black and White and includes witty commentary 🇦🇺
This is my version of 
Mr Knitter 