Instant gratification is not soon enough!

Once again I am without my usual camera, I have not seen it since we returned from our holiday last week, bad times. I fear I may have left it at the in-laws where we went on our way home from Wales but I am not certain, if I have then it’s not an enormous issue as we’re visiting them again this weekend and I can retrieve it. If it’s not there I’m not sure where it might be and am a little worried. I must apologise that my photos are of the camera phone variety today but I didn’t want to go another week with no pictures of my knitting.

I don’t have any finished objects to show. The shawl is still in the naughty corner and I don’t know how long it will be there but I don’t feel like picking it up again at the moment. I am slowly plodding along with my circle socks, the first was finished whilst I was on holiday and I’m working my way down the second though mostly this is bus knitting and is knit at a slow pace of a few rounds as and when I can fit them in.



I was getting bored of my circle socks, angry with my shawl and fed up of always knitting with fine yarn on tiny needles where progress just crawls. I needed to change things up a bit. I decided on Saturday to start a new project, something completely different to give me a boost and make me feel more enthusiastic about my knitting, something on slightly bigger needles with slightly thicker yarn (I’m also ignoring the cardigan for me I’ve been working on which is still two unfinished sleeves and nothing more!) so I went to my stash and my knitting pattern collection.

My cousin is having a little boy (so the scans say) which is due in September though the midwife has said it’s measuring big at the moment so may come sooner. I got some DK baby yarn out, just an inexpensive acrylic which I believe is by James C. Brett but I have lost the ball band. My cousin already has two children as it is never mind a new baby, she needs something that can be thrown in the washing machine with everything else! I got out one of my baby cardigan/jacket patterns from Sirdar, I LOVE Sirdar patterns, particularly the ones that go with the “Snuggly” yarn for babies. They are clearly written, the garments are so cute and I find the designs are classic ones that can be knit over and over, they just don’t go out of style. The booklet is 1569 and includes a pattern for a jacket with a hood, a jacket with a little collar and a hat with the cable pattern from the jackets running up the front. I’m knitting the collared jacket and if I have yarn leftover may make the hat to match. I do think the colours are rather lovely for this little boy but would suit just as well if the ultrasound was wrong and it’s a little girl. The yarn is also just perfect for the baby’s Grandad, Great-Uncle and Great-Aunt who are all determined that the baby will be a Leeds United fan! I love knitting baby things because it’s just so quick, the back was knit in a couple of hours and now I’m on the left front and it’s storming along. It makes such a change from the endless tiny stitches of sock knitting which I do love but sometimes you just need some instant gratification knitting!



I do need to have a look at my knitting notebook and remind myself of my knitting plans as I fear I am way off track. I am sort of on track for the 12 pairs of socks in 2010 plan, I’ve knit 6 pairs, have one and a bit circle socks and one of a pair for Mr.Northernmonkey so getting there, I do think I can achieve this goal. I’m not entirely sure what else I was supposed to be doing without looking. I must check!

The yarn has arrived to knit gifts for my mum and mother in law (for that evil December event) so I must get that wound and get started as they both want lace…eek! The colour for my mother in law looked rather more red on the website I ordered from but arrived a dusky rose colour, not quite what she had asked for (dark red) but I can’t send it back or afford to replace it so she’ll have to have a dusky rose pink scarf and not a red one. I hope she still likes it! It is a colour I’ve seen her wear a lot and it will suit her colouring (more than red in my opinion) so here’s hoping it’s OK!

If you’ve made it this far through a long and rambling post I’d like to say hello to the new followers I have gained recently, I hope my blog doesn’t bore you to tears and thank you for joining me here!