Adding to the knitting list

I realise I already have an enormous list of things I would like to knit this year but I would really like to knit a blanket. Mr.Monkey would also like this and it’s his most frequently requested knitted item. Last night I got out my Debbie Abrahams book Blankets and Throws to Knit to have a flick and see if there was anything that caught my eye. There was an awful lot that caught my eye, there always is as her blankets are absolutely gorgeous. Just out of curiosity I thought I’d price up one of the blankets I liked the look of, it’s a baby blanket but I thought I could knit double the number of squares or maybe more than that and make a larger blanket, I could take my time and do a square or two every week until it’s done. Anyway I decided to price it up at the pattern size in the book using the suggested yarn (Rowan Wool Cotton) and well…it would have cost in the region of £210!! I know that Debbie Abrahams works for Rowan so of course all her patterns have that as the yarn to use but good grief! I do intend to knit the blanket but will be substituting for another, less expensive, DK yarn. Probably some sort of wool/man made fibre blend so it’s easy to wash. If I had £210 I’d happily knit it using the Rowan yarn though because that stuff is gorgeous! I am thinking of a sock yarn blanket from my leftovers but I don’t have lots of leftovers yet so that will take years and years!

Speaking of socks…

I am on the heel flap of my circle socks, this photo shows the finished cuff but I didn’t take one of the in progress heel flap:

I am also a couple of rows from the heel flap on my German stripe socks:

Both of these socks use Regia yarn, I do love it so. It comes in such a variety of colours and it washes so well and softens up beautifully once it has been washed once. I have put a temporary ban on buying myself Regia since ordering another 3 pairs of socks worth from Kemps, this is unless I see some in a particularly gorgeous colourway of course. I have loads of it in my stash (at least it vastly outnumbers other brands) and I want to focus on buying more yarn from indie dyers and particularly more yarn from Laughing Yaffie. I also need to do a bit of sock yarn stashbusting before buying more!! I’m banned from yarn purchases until next month at least.

I did make a little purchase yesterday, knitting related but not yarn (or more needles…may have slipped and bought more sock needles) I bought myself a knitting notebook. It has squared paper for if I think of some design ideas (not entirely likely but my mum did get me a book on designing my own knits for Christmas so a possibility) and it’s got 300 pages to keep notes on all my knitting on paper ready to be transferred to the blog or Ravelry but also just reminders to me like how many rounds for the foot of a sock so they both match and such. I’m very happy with it.

I am very happy that it’s Wednesday as I have choir practice on a Wednesday and I love to go and sing. I can’t wait for singing time to come round. I am also happy that it’s Wednesday as I am not working Friday meaning that tomorrow is my last working day and I’m over halfway through my week!

I have big plans for Thursday night and Friday daytime. My husband is away overnight with his work so I’ll have the house to myself and I foresee a night of glorious knitting without interruptions. I have the same again Monday evening when he’s away for another night (he’s home over the weekend) but I’m in work Monday and Tuesday so it wont be quite so luxurious as I am hoping Friday will be.