Knitting the weeks away

Seems the year has flown by in a flurry of knitting needles, everything else having taken a back seat to sorting, packing and downsizing our Cardiff home in readiness for the move to Nova Scotia - one way tickets booked for December 1st!  Ridiculously excited and can't wait to purchase a new sewing machine and get back to crafting.  Although I have a rather a lot of curtains to make first, not my favourite pastime but I have a stash of rather lovely fabric and no irritating necessity to spend 8+ hours a day in an office. Bliss!  Anyway, here's a cosy little jumper I knitted from this pattern for Daughter No. 1. Made a few mistakes as usual, but I quite like the finished article.  Currently trying to finish a cardigan for my Mum, which am desperate to get done before we move - not sure I'm going to make it but am sure gonna try.  See you on the other side (of the Atlantic) folks!

Le Voyageur

And here it is - Voyageur Hat version 1!  I think he wears it rather well, don't you?  Perfect for future canoe adventures through Keji. Or keeping his ears warm through those Nova Scotian winters. But I think he was expecting something a little more dramatic, so I'm now furiously knitting version 2 with an extra row between decreases to make a longer pointy bit (now finished - see 2nd pic!) There's not too many patterns out there for Voyageur hats, but this one did the job and was dead easy (once I had unravelled the mysteries of 'SSK' - thank heavens for the internet) and pretty quick to knit up.  I wonder if there's any other Nova Scotians out there who'd like one...  it's a family tradition now for everything I make now: 'You know what you could do with those?'  'What?'  'Sell 'em at the Farmers' Market!'

Quick knits

After several months of frantic activity to complete The Cardigan in time for Christmas, it's nice to chill out with a bit of chunky wool and big fat needles and whip up a cosy scarf - very satisfying. Also pictured are the knits I kicked off with back in the spring, one of which I tried to turn into a cushion with a velvet back; nice idea but due to my slapdash method it didn't turn out too well. It's now awaiting a big fat cushion to shove inside which I'm hoping will go some way towards hiding the wobbly stitching around the edge. Next on my list: a red woolly voyageur hat for my lovely husband - he promises me he'll wear it.

Well hello 2016 you beautiful new year!

Here we are at the start of another year, one full of promise for me and my lovely husband - in just a few short months we will be packing up the house and moving to a tiny flat for a while (to save a few ££s) and then relocating to Nova Scotia for good - yippee! Our kids are grown, our plans are laid, and a whole new era begins. Meanwhile I'm hoping for a bit of snow to celebrate the season - somehow 'I'm dreaming of a warm wet winter' doesn't have quite the right ring to it, but it's all we've had so far! So here's a little snowflake to bring in the New Year.