Knitting Crazy

Okay, so I finished Ethan's sockie wockies, and started planning my next project ... I found these two great patterns online at Knitting Daily - you have to sign up to their newsletter, but you get access to loads of lovely free patterns. So, off I went in search of the right materials for both. When we had the shop, I used to buy all our fibres from Texere Yarns in Bradford, and so I headed off over there to see what I could find. The bag pattern calls for Manos del Uruguay wool, and I couldn't find any, so I chose a Twilley's 100% wool (Freedom) instead, in a colour called Heather. For the hat, I should have got Louisa Harding Kashmir Aran, but couldn't get it, so I got Sublime Cashmere Merino Silk DK in Beetroot. They both arrived yesterday, so last night I got started on the hat.
Wow! Talk about fast and easy! It's just soooo simple - less than 50 rows to make the complete hat, so by late this afternoon I was sewing it up. I still need to go out and buy some buttons (I don't think pom poms are really me somehow), but hopefully I will be all finished with it by the end of the weekend (and yes, I will post pics).

I started on the bag tonight, I thought I'd make a small start on the bottom of it ... but I've done the bottom, picked up stitches for the sides and done four rows - I'm now at the shaping bit. Unfortunately, I don't think I've bought quite enough wool - I got two balls, and I'm already nearly finished the first ball. Looks like I will have to place another order with Texere for some more - what a shame, I'll *have* to buy some more wool to make it worthwhile paying the postage charge - what a hard life!

The good news is, I love the hat so much (it does kinda suit me - and I generally look really pants in hats) that I am going to get another couple of balls of the Sublime so I can make a couple more. One ball was more than enough, and I can't complain that at just £3.95 I've got a fabulously funky little hat - you couldn't buy it in the shops at that price! My only gripe is that I don't like the seam lines from sewing it up - I'm wondering whether I could just knit it on a circular needle next time and dispense with the sewing? Anyone know?

So, it looks like knitting is my new passion for now. Funnily enough, my inbox has filled with many digiscrapping sales recently, and I just don't have the interest in it any more to even open and read the e-mails. That is quite sad, don't you think? But hopefully my interest will return in the near future - after all, I have $$$$$$ worth of stash sitting unused on my hard drive, so it would be a real shame to waste it.

I'm more and more convinced that my knitting adventures should be of the small, quick to make type ... I don't think I have the motivation for big things, which isn't a problem. If this bag turns out okay (when it's finished I have to put it on a hot wash in the washing machine so that it turns to felt) then I may well start making some for Christmas presents - or even to sell on Ebay (though I doubt I will make any 'profit' from it - what price do you put on the time it takes to knit?). At least it's keeping me out of mischief, which can't be bad.

Now, before I am tempted to pick up the needles and do some more, I am going to take myself off to bed.