and the knitting...

Ok, so I think some time should be committed to knitting on this blog (you will need to get used to this kind of content because my first ever mortgage payment came out last week and there isn't going to be anymore silly skylarking like skydiving and backpacking!). 2008 I am determined to be more sensible about my knitting and have a few aspirations for the year:

1. To knit CH something eg. hat or jersey

2. Knit myself a vest or jersey in chunky wool

3. Only knit for specific events eg birth of baby instead of random knitting

4. To learn cables

5. Learn to knit st or garter without looking at the needles

6. Plan products ahead of winter stalls - focus on time-efficient products to ensure aspirations 1-6 are met throughout the year.

Most of these require one thing from me - casting on WITHOUT trouble: the result must be the same as first envisaged ie no more troublesome, hybrids of the original knitted idea.

First project off the needles this year was for a little girlie called Lily, born in Nov 07. This is the Raglan Sleeve Sweater from Debbie Bliss's Baby Knits for Beginners. I really love this pattern and have knitted quite of these up now. I've used some of the wool I got in Wanaka earlier this year - it's smelly and brown like the Romney sheep it came from (dad is from the south island so it seemed the right wool). I also attempted to add Lily's name in red (mum's favourite colour) which ended up ok although it "bubbled" a bit - I think I was holding the wool too tight. I've made it quite large and hope she will get 2 winters out of it. I also did a matching hat - will post photos when winter gets here and she starts wearing it.

And this little number is the vest from Debbie Bliss's Baby Knits for Beginners. This is for Joe Joe who will be 1 yr in March. I'm using a nice pure NZ wool (002 Navy) from The Wool Company which is based in Utiki, south of Taihape. I've spent a lot of time knitting, ripping, re-knitting to get the gauge right for the pattern - changing needles, change pattern size - it's actually be very good for building my knowledge on yarn-usage in general. I've just got the arm/neck ribbing and front to do but am having some problems with trying to add the name JOE in garter stitch. It's all coming out in garter stitch lines so I might do a bit of re-working and perhaps do it in moss stitch.

So the last project I have on the needles is one for my sister who is due mid-Feb (her first baby). Now I don't think she's one for appreciating the fine art of knitting so I'm going to make her a patchwork basinet cover as inspired in Erika Knight's "New Knits". It's a really good idea if, like me, you have a magpie's eye for lovely coloured single balls in the bottom of sale bins! I've collected all my pink, purple and cream colours and am halfway through knitting up a stack of "patches". This weekend I'll go through my fabric collection to complete the cover.

There you go - said I'd blog about knitting :) . Am off to do finish some work and start my mad & nutty weekend.