Bow-knot Scarves

Do you remember the i-spy game we played a few weeks ago, where you had to spot my knitting bag in the photo of our chalet at Center Parcs?  I couldn’t show/tell you what was inside it then, because it was a little secret. 

I was knitting my first ever thing that was NOT just a rectangle of some sort!  It was pretty exciting – and I really enjoyed the challenge.  Of course, there were a few lots and lots of swear words along the way, and a couple of a great many ripping-back sessions.  BUT, the finished project – a cute bow-knot scarf for my mom (for Mother’s Day) - worked out pretty well.  In fact, I liked it so much that I made myself one too!!!  Here they are - a brown one for Mom and a red one for me.....

I found the pattern on Ravelry.  It’s a free download from Katherine Burgess.  I’d really recommend the pattern – it was easy to follow (even for a real beginner like me), it didn’t get boring, and it only uses about 50g of yarn.  When I got to anything new, I just had a sneaky peek at some YouTube videos.  My favourite bit of the pattern (I apologise for my lack of technical vocab here) was making the little hole to shove the end through (to make the bow-knot bit).  I had to use one of those giant nappy-pin-type-things and felt like I was doing something really fancy!  ;-)

By the way, if you’re on Ravelry, let me know so we can ‘make friends’ on there.....

I hope you’re enjoying some sunshine wherever you are right now.  Look out for me in the Guiness Book of Records.  I think I have a claim to a ‘world’s first’ – I am slightly sunburnt.....  visiting ENGLAND..... in MARCH!!!  Feels funny writing about sunburn and scarves in the same post, but that's how quickly it seems to have gone from winter to summer.  

Hugs,

Carly

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Problems Getting Started

I’ve been invited to my first ever ‘Stitch & Bitch’ session next Saturday – yippeeee!!!  A friend of mine (Saffron, who taught me to knit) has organised it as a chance for us girls to get together to craft, chat and eat cake!  Sounds like fun, doesn’t it???

BUT I haven’t done any knitting since before Christmas, I’m not doing any hand-sewing at the moment, I’m not having much luck with learning to crochet, AND I didn’t think the other ladies would appreciate the noise of my sewing machine interfering with their ‘bitching’.  So, a dilemma!  What to take to work on.....

I really want to do some more knitting, and increase my arsenal of skills.  So far, I’ve only knitted things that use knits and purls in different combos.  So, I decided to look on Ravely for a hat, scarf or cowl pattern (it’s COLD here!!!) that would force me to try out something new.  Then, if I came across any difficulties, I could get some help on Saturday.  Good plan!  I found a super-cute pixie hood hat, and a gorgeous spiral-patterned cowl.  I wrote out a shopping list yesterday morning, and eagerly dragged poor S to my favourite department store’s crafty department. 

That was where the problems began!  It turns out that German yarn labels don’t have the same information on them as ours.  They have a little gauge diagram, and NO equivalent of things like ‘DK’ or ‘chunky’.  So, I had no idea what to get for the patterns I wanted to work on, and everything I found that I thought MIGHT be okay was really itchy (I am terrible for this – things that other people think are wonderfully soft feel like barbed wire to me!).  So, I left the shop with nothing, feeling like we’d had a wasted afternoon.

 

Then, when we got home, I looked online for some yarns.  I found a GORGEOUS bulky turquoise cotton one (which I hope won't be itchy), and ordered a few skeins.  I think it'll be great for the pixie hood.  I hope it’ll arrive before next weekend – fingers crossed!!!

[Rico Big Cotton Super Chunky - Turquoise]

BUT, that didn’t solve my most pressing issue.  S was going out to meet his man-friends (I couldn't complain after the afternoon's shopping trauma), and I would be home-alone.  I wanted to amuse myself with some knitting and start on something to take on Saturday (just in case my new yarn doesn’t come in time).  The pattern for the cowl required 4mm circular needles, which I had (my ONLY pair).  And I had some red yarn that I wanted to use for the project.  I spent a two hours watching YouTube videos before I started, looking up how to use circular needles, researching what ‘knitting 2 together’ means, learning now to do a picot edge..... So, I was ready to go!  I cast on my 128 stitches..... 

THEN realised that the needles were much too long (60cm, when I needed 40cm) – AAARGH!!!  I might have said a naughty word or two and stamped my foot!  So, everything got shoved back into my knitting bag, and I did some more internet shopping (this time for some new needles)!

So, I can’t get started on anything knitty yet!  I’m just waiting for the postie to come.....

If my gear doesn’t come in time, I’ll just have to make some more of my little knot brooches – they’re quick and easy and I KNOW I have everything I need!!!

Does anyone else ever have days like this where you try SO hard to be productive, but end up just chasing your own tail and getting NOTHING done???

I’ll keep you up-to-date with progress on these two projects when I manage to get started on them.....

Carly

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