Some years ago during my dormant knitting period I disposed of all my knitting paraphernalia. I'd tried to rekindle my youthful enthusiasm when my grand children were born but to no avail. I just couldn't manage those needles or concentrate on a pattern. The needles, patterns and anything else connected to knitting were eventually consigned to a Charity shop.
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| Just a part of my new needle collection. |
It all began with a knitted bear project from the Knitting and Stitching show in The Alexander Palace in 2004. Then followed a big project, a jacket for me. A knitted hat requested from my grown up granddaughter. Baby jackets followed for great nieces and nephews. Then came socks scarfs, hand warmers and gloves.
The knitting bug had definitely taken over and once more. I began to accrue knitting accoutrement's again. I found the style of needles had changed. Circular needles were much easier to manage than the old straight ones. Yarns were so much improved and the choice of yarn was vast, especially over in North America. Knitting was becoming a fashionable pastime once more. Enthusiastic young fashion designers were rewriting the pattern books.My stash of Canadian wool grew each time we came home. Membership of Ravelery came next. The online Knitting community started in America and spread worldwide.
Every now and again the needles are pushed into hibernation. But another trip to Canada soon resurrects the habit once more. An afternoon in Urban Yarns in Kitsalo and I came away with a pattern and wool for a head band with knitted flower
A trip to the well stocked yarn shop in Victoria on Vancouver Island found me purchasing this quite complicated pattern and the lovely soft alpaca wool. We're away once more.
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| a pair of hand warmers |
Before we pack to return home from our extended summer break Nancylee decided she needed to downsize her yarn stash. I finished up with a hugh bag of various yarns that had to be compressed into our reduced luggage allowance.
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| the ever increasing yarn stash |
The boxes on my office shelf are bursting with yarns. All packed in sealed ziploc bags to protect from dust and moths! (mainly dust though!!!) I get knitting. A pair of beanies emerge from my original stash.
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| a pair of contrasting 'Jared Flood' beanies |
One keeps number three sons head warm while on a smoke break in the garden! Grand daughter Grace takes home a chunky mobius scarf, a slant eyed lace scarf and a pair of hand warmers. Some organic dyed wool knits up into a jacket for youngest great grand son. Not so pleased though after a trip into town to purchase a zip only to find that John Lewis has the very colour and style of zip I need but not the right length.
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| Warm zip up jacket for master Nathan ( minus zip!) |
The cast on for yet another mobius scarf proved challenging I used Cat Bohordini's UTube method, but had no pattern for this thickness wool. I was winging it! After two attempts I hope I've cracked it. I decided to use a moss stitch or seed stitch as it's called in North America. I'll update later on how it turns out. This is a trial run for a silk and wool yarn I want to use later so I hope it knits up as I want it to.
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| another mobius scarf. |
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