2nd Blogiversary Giveaway!

Today, the 3rd August is my second blogiversary! I can't believe I've been blogging about my making and knitting for that long! Over the last two years, I've moved about from felting, collage, embroidery to dyeing yarn and knitting. I've also had a few health problems which have affected how much - or little - I have been able to do, which is just a tad frustrating when you like to be a busy beaver;-) So this last year has been challenging but it has also made me consider new directions in my work and possibly a new career - all from my creative passions.

I've met lots of new lovely friends here along the way so to celebrate, I've decided to hold a month of giveaways starting today! Every monday I will be offering something new to give away. I've worked out there are 5 mondays in August so that's 5 chances of winning:-))

So today I have for you a lovely skein of sock yarn especially hand dyed in the colourway 'Tootiefruitie'. As well as being my name on ravelry, it just looks full of fruit colours and is a little bit colour mad! The skein is 100gms, enough to knit a pair of socks or a small shawl.

So to enter, all you need to do is tell me what you have made/created that you are most proud of and why. It could be something you have made recently or something you made when you were seven! Just leave a comment and you will be automatically entered for the draw. If you can't think of anything, then maybe there is something you would love to try someday.

I'll announce the winner next monday morning so you'll need to comment at the latest sunday night. The winner will be chosen at random and I am happy to post worldwide so everyone is invited:-)

This is my favourite dyed yarn to date so I can't wait to see what the winner will make with it! Good luck and I look forward to reading your posts - elaine x

Rose Red

This lovely hat designed and made by Ysolda is Rose Red, my knitting project of the moment. I am including the original picture as mine is nowhere near finished yet but it gives you an idea of the complexity and balance of this pattern. If you want to look at it in more detail or try knitting it you can buy it here. I would highly recommend this as an elegant, considered design that looks complex and gives you a feeling of achievement - and a damn good looking hat when you've finished. (People think you have awesome knitting skills!)

Anyway, this has also shown me just how rusty my hand knitting skills are! Using the knitting machine enables me to see structure and form more easily but I'm having to remember abbreviations in hand knit that I took for granted before. It's like you still understand the structure and what it should look like but the sequence with the needles isn't flowing quite as smoothly as it once did. So, these hat patterns by Ysolda are gently breaking me back into hand knitting.

I'm checking everything - YO for instance. I thought I knew this one at least but since I mucked up SSK and had to look online for a video, I began to question myself and decided to check how much of my knowledge was a bit faulty. So I discoverd that YO is done differently if you follow with a Knit stitch or a purl. Thank you Knitwitch for your online videos! Now my hats are looking more like the pictures!

Progress so far.....

See? Now we have perfect crisp YO's and in the next section we will have lovely SSK's! They will be beautiful! I also went out and treated myself to some Debbie Bliss yarn to knit this in - A darker red Cashmerino DK. It is so soft to the touch and makes you value your knitting that little bit more. If this one works out then I will use this or Ysolda's verity pattern for the next pressie on my list. I also got some Alpaca silk - again debbie Bliss - in a green/blue shade. Aaahh.... such lovely colours and so soft! So keep a look out in the next week for that one too. Maybe Ysolda will have written another hat pattern by then?!

I am also beginning to use Ravelry more now, so you can also check any progress there too if you are already a Ravelry member - registered as tootiefruitie!

Until then, happy knitting!