FO!!!

Something amazing has happened - since my unravelling of the neverending sock I have started and completed another project.

The evening after the sock was gone I cast on for a horizontal stripes scarf. This was a little project of the Bean, who's been stealing my scarf for a few weeks now because he likes to 'wrap up warm' and hide away from the wind (he hates wind). I used three strands of yarn and big needles so this was a very quick knit. Even with Tick's evening feeding and cuddling routine it was done in two evenings. The yarn is some leftover merino that I still had lying around (even after Bean's baby blanket AND a stripey raglan sweater I made for him ages ago). There is still quite a bit let but the stash is finally diminishing.


The rag rug effect was unintentional but I quite like the chaotic hippy look of the scarf and Bean certainly hasn't complained and walked off to nursery (he goes there occasionally so I get some time with Tick) rather proudly this morning.

Photos are rather rushed (Bean refused to sit still for even a second this morning) and the scarf is unblocked).

Now on to the next project...

Sometimes...

... drastic measures are required.

R.I.P. never-ending sock!

Yesterday evening I decided that the sock needed to go. I love the yarn, I love the pattern, and the first sock was nearly finished, but I was just not happy with it. It was too tight, despite the fact that I had already tried to fix this problem by unravelling the sock partly and re-knitting the heel in a larger needle size, but the instep was still too narrow. I was also not particularly happy with the toe, which, should I knit this pattern again, I would make longer. It's something about the weird shape of my feet that makes them look all wrong when the toe is too short.

That said, I LOVE the heel design on this sock. To the extent that I think this will become MY heel. I'd be quite happy to substitute any heel on any sock pattern with this one - it's neat, it's sturdy, and it's not too fiddly. And I do love the whole idea of this sock - it's simple and pretty, and cables are so satisfying to knit.

But despite all this the sock needed to go. It's always a bit heartbreaking to unravel a project, in particular one that you've been working on for so long, but it's also quite liberating. And it means that I am now free to pick one of the projects on my list to make a fresh start. :-)

I'm longing to...

... knit.

These days I find myself daydreaming about knitting... planning elaborate knitting projects in the wee hours of the morning when Tick wants to feed yet again. .. snatching minutes to finger yarn earmarked for projects that may or may not come to fruition in the foreseeable future... and furtively knitting the odd half-row on my never-ending sock - the one started before Tick was born (and no, I'm nowhere near starting sock #2) - when the Bean is watching The Night Garden before going up for his bath and bed.

I have two projects on the needles right now.: The never-ending sock, which, to my defense, I had to unravel partly because it was far too tight for my fat ankles, and a heavily altered version of Knitty's Satchel Bag, intended to become a knitted (and lined) nappy bag big enough to fit all of Beans and Ticks STUFF. But I have so many plans - especially at night, when it's quiet and Tick is sleepily feeding, I sit in the half-light of my dimmed bedside lamp and think of all those projects.

I want to knit a belted cardigan like this one HERE.

And I want to knit a funky scarf for The Bean (he keeps on "borrowing" mine), possibly made from left-over yarn and using two strands at the same time so I can blend colours. I might knit it sideways.

I'd like to make Tick another couple of cardigans.

I want to knit a few cardigans for myself. Like THIS ONE or THIS ONE here.

I want to design a jumper using some light blue mohair yarn that I bought ages ago. I know exactly how it should look but obviously haven't got round to working on it.


The reality of the situation is that in the next few months I probably won't get around to much knitting because during the day I'm more likely to be involved in activities that feature the items in the picture above and in the evening when The Bean is snoozing peacefully Tick seems to wake up and want a lot of holding. I'm guessing he is catching up on all those cuddles that he is missing out on during the day when his big brother demands most of my attention. Maybe there will be more time once we get Tick into some kind of bed-time routine but right now he goes to bed when we do - which isn't very late either. ;-)

I guess for now I need to console myself with fondling yarn, looking through my pattern collection, snatching the odd minute to work on the sock, and dreaming of all those projects that may or may not happen...

Just a heads up...

... to say that I have more yarn listed on Ebay here: http://shop.ebay.co.uk/merchant/cov-kipper in case anyone is looking to expand their stash. I'm getting through my unused yarns and it actually feels quite good to let go of some of it. There is still plenty, no danger of my stash approaching anything that looks reasonable, but if I at least have a project in mind for it, no matter if that is 10 years away, I don't mind holding on to yarn.

Anyway, sorry for the lazy update - I promise that there is more to come but I have The Bean at home all day for the rest of the week and he's decided that sleep during the day is for the weak. This translates into no time to update the blog (or eat, or do the laundry, or hoover, or tidy up, or... you get the picture! ;-) )