Puzzle [Started 20th June]

This is Puzzle another cardigan from Louisa harding's book, the Alice in Wonderland themed, Queen of Hearts. The yarn is Sirdar Peru [50g; 99yd/90m], colour 305, wonderfully named Blanket Blue, 50% wool, 40% acrylic, 10% alpaca . It knits to a chunky tension of about 14sts to 4 inches. Sirdar Peru is discontinued - I picked up a pack at Ally Pally in 2009; my ambition is to complete this before the show comes round again!

Sport Socks [Started 3rd June May: :Completed 10th June]

In celebration of World Cup month - not exactly football socks but - red and white - which are sort of England colours!
The pattern is available in Pattern of the Month for June 2010 (from June 10th - opening ceremonies!).

Anais [Started 4th May: :Completed 3rd June]

This is Anais another cardigan from Louisa harding's book Nouveau. If there were a prize for the most time spent reknitting a cardigan, I surely would have won it for this one. No reflection on the pattern - I just kept trying to adapt it. In the end I simply made the sleeves a bit longer - to suit me - and I knitted it in a single colour. The yarn is Phildar Canasta [50g; 108yd/100m], colour 15, Café, 21% acrylic, 79% viscose - I love the rich brown colour and slight sheen. It knits to a double knitting tension of about 22sts to 4 inches.

William's Reefer [Started 24th April: :Completed 1st May]

A gift for Toria's new baby William. The pattern is a sweet little "Raglan Reefer" knitted in Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino.
The pattern is available in Pattern of the Month for April 2010. William is not small and also a summer baby, so I have knitted a the larger size hopefully to be OK for him to wear in the autumn.

Home-spun socks (for Terry) [Started 20th April: :Completed 22nd June]

From Socks from the Toe Up in my own handspun from my sister's brown sheep (Celendine). The pattern is a mock cable. I have used 2¼ mm needles and the knitting is quite dense; however, I suspect it will wear through pretty quickly. My spinning is very woolly so with that and the dark colour the cables are not shown to their best advantage.

Baby Surprise [Started 20th March: :Completed 2nd April]

Elizabeth Zimmermann's Baby Surprise Jacket in Wendy Happy, colour 2503 Pisces - colours seem to be named after signs of the zodiac and planets - (75% bamboo, 25% nylon: 420m/455yds per 100g).
This yarn is slippery and does split - but that can be an issue with all bamboo yarns. The jacket has turned out quite tiny (in line with the yarn) and no photo of FO as I have sent it right away to Toria - baby William has arrived already and is not so small....

Guernsey pattern socks (for Terry) [Started 11th March: :Completed 16th April]

From Socks from the Toe Up in Regia Color, colour 1932 Jeans Blue, (75% wool, 25% polyamide: 210m/227yds per 50g). The many sock books in my possession have interesting stitch patterns which are masked if knitted in highly ornate hand-painted yarns, so I bought this yarn on a whim in Canterbury - knowing that Terry will need yet another pair judging by the number of socks being returned for repairs!

Stockport [Started 2nd February: :Completed 28th February]

I loved this design from Rowan book 46 in Cocoon, colour 812 Bilberry, (80% merino, 20% kid mohair: 115m/126yds per 100g) . I have wanted to knit something in this yarn for a long time and it does not disappoint - it's lovely and silky/soft in texture as well as available in a great colour range. (Narvik is in this yarn and I am tempted to abandon my handspun attempts and go straight for the real thing!).

Boudoir Clock [Started 5th January: :Completed 26th February]

An amusing whimsy which occurred to me when my French kitchen clock stopped working one day. The original idea evolved considerably and this is the result of my first project, during which I learned a lot about mechanics - and cheap plastic clocks.
Yarn used is a vintage acrylic of unkown origin.....
See how I did it in POM for March 2010.

Icelandic Shawl [Started 2nd January: :Completed 1st March]

A planned gift for Toria who is shortly expecting a baby. It will not be a really soft baby blanket as it is made with 100% my own handspun from Felicity the sheep (who belongs to Toria). I have used natural colour plus some fleece dyed using our own walnut husks, and a commercial reactive dye for the blue grey.
Shawl pattern adapted by Carol Rasmussen Noble for Knitting Daily - originally published in Piecework magazine.

Dashing Father George [Started 30th December2009: :Completed 18th January 2010]

George's Father complaned about his fingers being cold when working in the garage. A perfect excuse for another pair of "Dashing" mittens - pattern from Knitty.com - brother to the famous "Fetching".

I used some vintage wool from my stock room... Pingouin Star+ (50% Wool/ 50% Acrylic: 85m/93yds per 50g: 18sts x 24rows to 4 ins on 4½mm needles) in a practical working shade of grey.

Vent d'est vent d'ouest [Started 30th November 2009: :Completed 11th March 2010]

I have finally found a lovely scarf pattern in the right gauge to use the beautiful cashmere yarn that Alison bought me as a gift (some time ago now). It always seemed just too special to start anything with. Anyway - here it is - a smoke ring cowl in 100% cashmere yarn from Nash Farm Alaska.

"Sylvia's jacket" for Sheila [Started 25th November 2009: :Completed 1st February 2010]

An excellent opportunity for me to make a Fiona Morris jacket using her special techniques; lucky I had recently been on her workshop. Sheila met Fiona at Ally Pally and chose this cardigan. We then went to great lengths to find the exact same colour as Fiona had on display - in the discontinued Wendy Fusion yarn (50% Wool/ 50% Acrylic: 16sts x 20rows to 4 ins on 5½mm needles). This loose fitting style and random colours would be great for handspun (albeit a bit thick).

Socks that Rock [Started 4th Ocober 2009: :Completed 18th April 2010]

This is a skein of yarn that Alison gave me - I think from Stitches West. It's a wonderful colour combination - but I was a bit taken aback that when G said he was very keen to have socks from it. It is so bright I thought he might be joking. Anyway - here they are finally, and he is very smitten by the fact that the pattern forms a spiral - not simply stripes.

Anouk Cardigan [Started 30th April 2009: :Completed 20th March 2010]

This is Anouk (longer version) from Louisa harding's book Nouveau. I took some trouble selecting a neutral shade that might suit me, and go well with my summer clothes. This is shade 100 Old Cream in RYC Bamboo Soft, 100% bamboo [50g; 112yd/102m]; I like the slight sheen, and soft texture of this yarn. It knits to a tension of 25sts x 30rows to 4 inches.

Arty Fibre Scarf [Started 18th January 2009]

Alison gave me this exquisite fibre for Christmas along with a pattern for a beautiful scarf. She saw the finished item knitted up but there is no photo included, which adds to the pleasure, because the surprise continues as you knit. The yarn is Artfiber's Tsuki , 60% Kid Mohair, 40%Silk, [40g skein; 515yds], and the pattern is Artfibers Vertical Drop Stitch Scarf.

Jasmine silk top [Started 2nd January 2009]

Another pretty top from Kim Hargreaves' book Nectar. Intended to be knitted in Rowan 4 ply cotton, I am using some "Seriously Gorgeous" yarn, 35% Baby Camel, 35%Silk, [100g skein; 400m], that I purchased from Knit Witches at the Ally Pally show last year.
It seems to be working out to the right size so far, but I never quite know until the item is finished. I seem to have problems with things for myself that are intended to be tight fitting, in that I knit them in too large a size.

Sally [Started 7th April 2008:]

This is an original design by "Amelia Raitte" (Anna Bell). She offers some great patterns - some even for free. I am using Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino, as suggested in the pattern, in colours 3, and 101. I really love this mixed fibre yarn, which is 55% merino wool, 12% cashmere, and 33% microfibre, [50g; 136yd/125m]
Sally was published on Magknits - but unfortunately this site is no more and the patterns have disappeared with it; hopefully Anna will post the pattern again on her own site.