WIP Crack Away KAL

Way back in March, I put up a picture of my nearly finished front half of the hooded tunic. I said at the time I was probably jinxing myself and lo and behold I did as the front now looks like this:

I cast off the shoulders not long after that post and then laid out the pieces to to start seaming the shoulders. It was at that point I discovered the front was 20cm longer than the back, and to make matters worse, Mum pointed out that the shoulders were different heights as well. There was some wailing and gnashing of teeth then as I realised there really as no option but to rip back.

After that, it sat in the naughty corner.

Then there was Zuzu's Petals, which after ripping out the first version I made some progress on the new version in the Debbie Bliss yarn but quickly stalled. It's looked like this for the last couple of months:

All in all, it's perfect timing for the WIP Crack Away KAL to come along. It's co-hosted by Yarns From the Plain and Knit British and runs until the 15th of November, with the only rule being that you must have cast on your projects before the 1st of September. If you want to join in, you'll find the first week chat thread on the Yarns from the Plain ravelry board.

It's my first KAL, and it really couldn't come at a better time for me. I've got some time off before classes start, and once finished, both of these would be ideal for keeping warm on my commute. I'm also looking forward to chatting and getting to know some new knitters in the process.

Progress update!

One of my goals for the year was to learn how to crochet properly (my granny taught me to crochet when I was wee, so I had a gist of the basics, but I really couldn’t remember much so I was essentially starting from scratch). I’m really chuffed to say that I’ve managed to meet at least that goal!

 
The cloth on the left was my first attempt getting back at it, and I deliberately chose a cotton DK because the cloth was something I would use regardless of how badly it turned out. In the end I don’t think it turned out too badly, though I did keep losing stitches at the end of the rows, but on the plus side at least some of the ridges are intentional!

The motif on the right was several relatively plain cloths later (both square and circular I’m pleased to say), and I am really pleased with how well I’ve come on in such a quick time. I changed over to a merino 4-ply as these motifs are part of the secret project I’m helping out with.

Since then my confidence and speed have definitely picked up as well as this pile of motifs will attest. Plus I’m managing to stay consistent in my stitches, and I can now crochet this motif whilst chatting away at knitting group. Definitely a sign of progress I think.

And I’m even feeling confident enough to follow a pattern that hasn’t been thoroughly explained by the master crocheter herself (AKA Mum). This is the start of a puff stitch hexy from Kat Goldin’s pattern on her blog. I’m using a some left over acrylic wool mix in a heavy DK, and the eventual plan will to be to use up various bits and bobs for a cosy blanket.

I think learning any new skill is always a big achievement, but I think this feels even bigger for me. My mental health the last year or so really hasn’t been great, and picking up the crochet hook and keeping on going has felt like climbing a mountain. I honestly think it’s helped me get further down the road to recovery and helped me make life changing decisions that will further help. Obviously it’s not the only reason I’m getting better (my awesome family and GP for the main part), but I really can’t put into words how great it feels to show myself that I can still learn something new, and that I’m not totally useless and stuck for the rest of my life.

WIP: Oodles and oodles and a bit of hooking

Let's just pretend it's Wednesday.

I've been doing oodles and oodles of lovely, brain-free garter stitch lately as the log cabin blanket has been my mainstay project. It's also lovely and cosy for curling up to knit with (usually in the evening when it gets quite cool) so that's a definite plus.

There is a super-secret project going on in our family just now that means I'm crocheting again. I'm still fairly new at it, and these motifs are taking more brain power than I have at times so my progress here is a lot slower. I am really pleased with the one I've finished though so it is proving something of a mood boost!

WIP Wednesday

I'm in one of those hardly knitting periods, but I have managed to make some visible progress on my sock.

I've put the marker in for the afterthought heel! Once again I'm really chuffed with how it's progressing, and the novelty certainly hasn't worn off yet.

WIP Wednesday

My mindless knitting (therefore the one getting a lot of work done on it at the moment) is my log cabin blanket, and I'm pleased with how its coming on (so delightfully dense and squishy!). I'm reached the end of the leftover yarn I had from the previous one blanket so I went stash diving and found two shades of purple that will match brilliantly.

I don't think I've mentioned this one on the blog yet, but I followed the herd and started Zuzu's petals a while back. It's definitely thinking knitting for me, but I've managed to get a few rounds done over the last couple of weeks. I love the pattern, and I'm finding it very clear to follow when I have a brain. Alas, whilst I also liked the yarn (King Cole Riot Chunky), I don't like the pattern/yarn combo. It just doesn't show the pattern off, so I'm about to rip it back and use some Debbie Bliss yarn from my stash instead. 

I've also managed a couple of rounds on my sock, but it looks almost exactly the same as the last time, so there doesn't seem like any point in taking another photo of it. 

WIP Wednesday

Socks!

After finishing my first project on DPN’s (a baby hat, the FO post will be coming soon), I was looking forward to trying my first sock.

I thought I would start with something fairly straight forward so I went for Laura Linneman’s Afterthought heel sock pattern. It’s free on ravelry, and I’m finding it very clear and straight forward (though I did shorten the rib a little. It’s just a matter of personal preference, and I’ll just wait and see how that affects it).

I love it! I’m at that stage where I keep waving it in my Mum’s face (it’s all right; she does the same to me with her projects) because I love it so much. I’m using KnitGlobal sock yarn in the colourway cranberries, and it’s a nice wool/nylon mix that is knitting up lovely. I can already tell it’s going to be very cosy.

As predicted, my other big project at the minute, the hooded tunic, has stalled. I finished the front, and then pushed it to one side as I wasn’t in to mood to sew the shoulders together to knit the rest of the sleeves. Maybe when it’s a bit colder outside it’ll give me a bit of motivation to get it finished!