I think the slump is over

I’ve finished another project this week – the alpaca lace shrug from knitonthenet.com(pattern available here)

…and I’ve very nearly finished the blueberry waffle socks. My mum tried the first one on, and it was a little bit short, so I am making the second one longer, and will need to lengthen the first.

I’ve also picked up the lace weight version of Carmen’s shawl.

 I wasn’t sure whether or not I liked it in lace weight, and I was about to frog it, but changed my mind. I’m quite interested to see what the finished product will look like.

I changed the eyelet row instructions on Eva’s shawl yet again to make it a bit clearer. I’ve also added a photo of the first few rows, so hopefully the pattern is now easier to follow. One day I will get round to putting it in pdf format, but for now, I am putting a link to the pattern in the sidebar to make it easier to find

Eva’s Shawl for me

I’m still in a bit of a knitting and crochet slump. I’ve yet to finish the 2 overdue presents although I have now completed one of the blueberry waffle socks. I did manage to finish me navy alpaca shawl though. I’m really pleased with it – the alpaca blocked really well. Sorry about the poor quality photos, I have literally just removed the blocking pins and haven’t yet had any caffeine this morning! I love the subtle colour variations in the yarn and think this will be a really nice shawl to wear on summer evenings with jeans and a little top.

Unusual Yarns

Unsusal Yarns are closing down their ebay store on 15th March and are having a final close down sale. All yarns are half price or less, and they are also selling selection packs of odd balls (see photo) starting at £1.99

Errors

I am very much an amateur pattern designer. I usually design something because it is something I would like to make, and I can’t find a suitable pattern.  I like to share my patterns but must admit I don’t usually get them tested so I can not guarantee that they are error free. I am however more than happy to respond to any questions about my patterns, and I try to correct any errors as soon as I am notified. If you notice a mistake, please let me know by posting a comment on my blog.

I have recently been notified of errors in the Eva’s Shawl pattern and the Retro Style knitting bag pattern. The error in the Eva’s Shawl was in the eyelet row – it wasn’t clear that you had to skip a stitch after the Ch 1. With the Retro Style Knitting Bag, the error was in the butterfly blocks instructions – the pattern repeat is the last 12 (not 13) rows. I have now made corrections to these patterns.

I know I should really get the patterns tested before posting, but if I did that, I would probably never get round to posting them! Please be assured that if you find an error, or have a query, I will get back to you ASAP.

A bit of a slump

I’m in a bit of a knitting and crochet slump at the moment – I just seem to have lost enthusiasm over the past couple of weeks. I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve decided not to buy any new yarn for the next few months (we’re currently saving up to buy a camper van for this summer) or if it’s because I’ve been (trying) to knit to (failed!) deadlines. I suspect it’s a bit of both.

It blueberry waffle socks are turning out nicely……..

…..but they will not be finished in time for mother’s day (tomorrow), and I didn’t get the alpaca wrap finished in time for my sister’s birthday, but both my mother and sister say that they are very happy  to be getting them, and don’t mind waiting. I still feel that I need to complete them before working on anything else. I think that, for me, most of the enjoyment in crochet and knitting comes from planning a new project, buying the yarn etc, and I often loose interest fairly quickly once the project is underway, which is why I usually have so may projects on the go at any one time.

Maybe I just need to take a break for a while, or start something else from yarn in my stash. Any comments?