All about the beanies...

I used this picture and

used this yarn (4 seasons 8 ply wool from Spotlight) to knit up a couple of beanies...

Using an alternate modular construction, which means the beanie can do double duty as a tea cosy if required.

And, as one just wasn't enough I added some other colours and knit another with a similar top piece but a more conventionally constructed hat. This one includes a friendly native who likes to hang out in the tree.

It seems I have knit a number of hats in the past year so tagging was easy.

This lot got boxed up and sent off to take their part in the Alice Springs Beanie Festival. Just this once the Post people co-operated and they have already landed at their destination.

I wonder if any of them will find new homes?

It appears winter may finally be on its way to these parts, so lucky I've worked up a few more just for family and friends.

Oh, and the beanie making isn't over yet...

Just this week I cast on a few more.

A lovely soft number in this beautiful blue/green Knitpicks Preciosa,  that refuses to show its true colours in pictures.

The knitting is actually all done on this one.

A little one for a special little person that joined the extended family recently, perfect for using up a little leftover Bendigo Woollen Mills Luxury 4 ply in Denim.

Ready for the band to be added.

And a, just because I still have more of this Cleckheaton Country 8 ply peachy pink colour, and I wanted to try this design, (the cream is the same brand yarn).

I've progressed past here and finished the colourwork, only the band to go.

It's been a good knitting week all round.

Wishing you a weekend of fun in your creative space.

Saturday...

Taking things easy and getting in a few rows done on my latest scarf project, because surely winter will come again one day...

I may have taken a little trip to the Spotty store to stock up on yarn while it was still a bargain, even though the cashier tried to charge me full price! What is up with that?

Her excuse was that yarn wasn't her department, seriously what is that computer thing for that she uses?

Nice jewel tones to go with some brights I may have collected in the last month.

There are plans for all this yarn, but my hands apparently don't work as fast as my grand ideas think they do?

Hope your weekend is off to a good start and there's sunshine in your creative space.

It may be a disease...

There was a lot of hat knitting going on last month, when we just happened to have the hottest October in forever! 

So there's a couple of red hats - one with cables and one with lace in some vintage Cleckheaton crepe from the oppy. The yarn is lovely to work with and a good strong red colour. The pumpkin orange hat was to rescue me when I left home for an entire day without my knitting! I went past Lincraft and picked up yarn and needles to cast on immediately. Emergency averted. 

The last week of October was all about playing with all the colours. Lots of brights paired with some darks to make the very colourful hat. And for a completely different look reds and browns together with varying degrees of contrast.

The odd couple were also completed in October. Socks are good for all the seasons. 

I now have three almost finished mittens, just thumbs to go. 

I don't need reminding that we're expecting a long hot summer!

I'll be ready for the cool mornings (if they ever return).

Hope you're enjoying your week so far.

Friday night In

Last night was all about the knitting... 

Almost to the heel of the sock and made a start on a new hat in the reclaimed red yarn.

The mitts are still waiting for their finishing touches and the blanket is still awaiting the final colour stripe.

 Today is close to perfect- sunshine, blue sky and a gentle breeze so I took my knitting and went for a walk to the beach.

Good for keeping hands busy while having a little sit down in the sunshine and the shade.

Thanks to Wendy for hosting FNSI. 

Wishing you sunshine on your Saturday. 

So what exactly does 5 kilometres of yarn look like...

when worked up into fun (or not so fun) projects?

Stashdash is a fun challenge organised by the KnitGirlllspodcast.

Red cowl/scarf in Bendigo woollen mills vintage

Just like any fun challenge there are various goals – this year the choices included, 3k, 5k and for the organised dashers there was a 10k. The challenge includes WIP's so those in the know line up a whole lot of almost done projects for finishing during the 7 week challenge. 

As a new comer this year I was very unprepared with only a couple of small projects on the needles at the beginning of the challenge, but a little crochet project put me in the running for the 5k so I just knitted through all the hours to make the goal a reality.

I know you've seen this before - Pastel star blanket in Patons Big baby 4ply

The rules are simple, there are no restrictions on using old yarn or finishing old projects, any yarn in your possession is considered stash, no matter that it came into your possession during the challenge.

The white collar - fluffly like a bunny - Bella baby angora mix - beautiful

I was pleased with my finish including finishing The Father's socks which pushed me over the finish line on the last day.

Diamonds on a sock for The Father - Bendigo woollen mills Luxury 4ply Denim colour

 Everybody has their own strategy for keeping up the momentum over the challenge period.

Red Vest - in Moda Vera Faith

I could have made the challenge a whole lot easier by working on tried and tested patterns instead of playing around with new designs.

Next year I may even be ready with several WIP's lined up at the starting line.

Diamonds for Helen in Bendigo Woollen mills Luxury 4ply - Lake colour

13 - Projects completed – Diamonds were a huge part of it – Dad's Diamond socks, Diamonds for Helen shawl, Diamonds in a Hat, there were diamonds on a headband (or four), Moon beams, Holiday Affection, Pastel star blanket, Fluffy like a bunny collar, a red cable cowl, my new red vest, my socks with hearts, the second sand tracks scarf, and a headband featuring the cable design.

All together here - lots of squishy yarn fun and no serious dent in the stash

Love me some yarny fun.

Hope your Wednesday is wonderful.

What a different view today!

This was my view when out walking this afternoon, makes me want to play with some pretty pastel colours.

Lucky my new project is a pretty green with a little blue.

And very soft, squishy alpaca yarn.

Wishing you all the pretty colours in your world.

Blues...

The socks I was working on remind me of the colours the water turns when skies are grey.

A beautiful blue grey colour in lovely soft yarn.

Seems I have a diamond fixation at present. 

Then there were two.

Bendigo Woollen Mills Luxury in denim colour. 

Little needles and lots of stitches.

Ready for gifting to the Father this weekend. 

Hope you have time for stitches this weekend.

Three

Finishes in July.

Two of those were big!

I have enjoyed wrapping up in my Color Affection already, I love the colours and the generous size of this one.

The top one is a design I am playing with. This version is off to a friend who lives in a cool place so should be useful for a few more months.

My moon beam was just a fun knit and used up leftover yarns. Bonus! 

There are more projects on the needles creeping towards the finish line, you can see some of them keeping the moon company. 

A new month with all the possibilities ahead. 

May your needles be busy.

Ooh, fluffy!

I stayed with the long rows project from the previous post- I admired the shapes as they appeared and took a break cooking up yummy's in the kitchen. Walking the neighbourhood looking for hardy blooms.

While I picked the needles up, put them down again and carried them everywhere for a week, all the stitches started adding up. Before I knew, it was time to start something new to drag around.

Did you see that... I cast off the thing of many stitches. Yay.

Then I cast on something white and fluffy, just like a bunny!

A beautiful, if cheap, wool/bamboo/Angora mix from Spotty, it was a dream to knit. So soft! Unfortunately this yarn is discontinued. Yes, that past tense is correct I cast off this afternoon.

It has been a very good knitting week.

Hope your needles have been busy, too.

New...

Yarn and needles you can't see.

I haven't decided what the yarn will become yet, but I am using my new needles and they are lovely to work with.

 Another headband, because the first one has been in almost continuous use since I finished it.

And new socks all finished and ready for wearing.

A perfect knitting day today, in good company. 

Hope there's something new in your creating space.

Starting over...

Well a new month started and apparently that is as good an excuse as any to start a new project of Four!

There was a hat out of some liberated yarn that the Mother shared with me last weekend.

Cleckheaton Country 8 ply in white and mauve make a pretty hat.

A little diamond pattern that has been following me on my travels this week and is now finished, though there is no evidence of that. The sun is supposed to visit tomorrow so I may be able to remedy that situation.

An old 25g ball of baby wool that is a taupe brown colour and didn't match any of the other colours in the bag, became a headband this week. Perfect really considering I was looking for a way to keep my hair under control while out walking in the wind.

Heirloom baby and the current cable fixation. A perfect quick project for a short train journey.

I've cast on a couple more things too - they're small so I'm hoping they'll be done by the end of the long weekend. I'll let you know how I get on with that.

Enjoy some stitches on your weekend. 

Winter Woollies

A collection of woolly items completed in May...

Cables and texture hat in mystery 5 ply wool/acrylic mix

Dreamy sandtracks scarf in Shepherd 4 ply baby wool - two strands held together - one pale grey the other a blue multi.
If anyone is interested this pattern is currently testing here.

Heart a hat in two colour ways with hearts aligned at the top and bottom, both knit in Cleckheaton Country 8 ply.

Chocolate and cream variation of the Makallie Hat knit in Cleckheaton Country 8 ply.

Sandtracks 2 in one strand Shepherd 4ply baby wool and one strand Bendigo Athena 4 ply (at back)
and Watery Cables knit in 10 ply Cascade baby alpaca, a variation of the Sandtracks design.

Another heart a hat, this time with the hearts centred and knit in Cleckheaton Country 8 ply.

May OPAM thanks to Kris and Peg for coordinating this wonderfully motivating party.

May your woollies keep you warm this winter.

It's a Hat (or 4)

The needles have been clicking on some small projects recently and these hats made it to the finished box.

A simple hat with stripes is the perfect way to use some of the odd balls of yarn which have accumulated in my space while I've been playing with bigger projects recently.

A pink and white one with varying stripes and a blue and lilac (looks very grey here) one with even stripes.

I had fun knitting these from the top so that I could use the knit on cable band which is appearing on everything I knit lately.

Then there are the helmet shaped hats that will keep ears toasty warm and stay out of eyes.

The cream and lilac one is knit to the pattern Mopsy found in a book which came from the same place as the yarn. Intrigued by the unusual shaping which does not require separate ear flaps be knit first I just had to give the pattern a try.

The blue one is made with my own adaptation including knitting from the crown to the brim so I could yet again add the simple cable band.

The shaping I used formed a diamond on the top of the hat and while it looks a bit weird laid flat it sits nicely on the head.

The Mopsy pattern has a line from brim to crown on top of the head creating a little 'v' shape on the forehead, perfect for those with less hair in this region (not something I have any experience with!)

They're promising the last day of summer tomorrow will be a warm one here, so the hats will be tucked away until the season changes to cool. I'm guessing that won't be too far away.

Wishing you all a creative weekend in the sunshine.