“For last year's words belong to last year's language..."

"...And next year's words await another voice.” 

Welcome to 2018 everyone!

Before I go into reviewing the past year, let's get the usual guff over with -

RESOLUTIONS

Now I haven't really got any good ones, but let's give it a go.

1. Read 26 books (one every fortnight).
2. Knit myself a jumper.
3. Knit CB a jumper.
4. Knit myself a pair of socks.
5. Knit CB a pair of socks.
6. Remain the right size to fit into my wedding dress.
7. Moisturise after showering.
8. Some other stuff?

Yeah, this self-improvement malarkey is rubbish.

Let's instead look back on what I achieved in 2017:

• I read 23 books (just cannot get into Catch 22)
• I watched 67 films (not all good films unfortunately)
• I knitted 33 items (and began two others I later frogged)

I'm disappointed with my book score. I know I had some big ones in there (Wheel of Time novels and a Lord of the Rings re-read) but I read 43 in 2016 and a whopping 75 in 2015!

Films are much of a muchness. 67 is down from the 81 watched in 2016, but on par with 2015's total of 65.

Knitting is a new hobby and I suspect it's the reason for the decrease in the other two. I took up knitting in the summer of 2016 and knitted 15 items. That has approximately doubled for a full-year of knitting in 2017 so is about right.

I would prefer to read more in 2018 and knit fewer but larger items (jumpers rather than mittens). Films can chug along as usual. To be honest I have a pretty good life - as long as everyone I love remains healthy and happy I don't really mind if I'm not the perfect version of myself. I reckon she'd be annoying anyway.


*Quote from T.S. Eliot

“‘If you’re not in Gryffindor, we’ll disinherit you,’ said Ron,”

“But no pressure.”

When I haven’t been knitting mittens, I have managed to find time to knit other things. And other mittens. Ahem.

So my studious Ravenclaw friend will get these snuggly blue mittens:

Yes it’s an owl rather than a raven, but I honestly don’t care.

And my adventurous Gryffindor friend will get this:

It’s a bookmark. It is a bit thick, as I used Aran wool and because I knit it flat and seamed (as I really hate magic loop and DPNs) but I figure that’s okay as Gryffindors aren’t known for their copious reading!

Hahahahaha!

I can say that as I’m a Ravenclaw.


Ravenclaws rule.



*Quote from J.K. Rowling

“Even damnation…”

“…is poisoned with rainbows”

You might be aware that it’s Christmas very soon. You will have planned who you want to buy presents for, how much you want to spend, and thought about what you might get them. Actually, by this point you’ve undoubtedly bought the presents and wrapped them.

Some of you may have remained blissfully unaware of the slow approach of Christmas and left all your gift planning, buying and wrapping to the last minute. This was unwise.

Wherever you are on the Christmas planning spectrum, please heed my advice – don’t decide to give several friends knitted items only a week before you see them. You will not want to knit the same pair of mittens again and again, every day for two weeks. You will not like feeling unable to take day off from knitting knowing the deadline is looming over you in an ominously jolly way.

It was rather worth it though:

The worst part is that you’ll like the mittens so much you will want a pair of your own, but won’t be able to facing YET ANOTHER pair!


*Quote from Leonard Cohen

“Wise man looking in a blade of grass…”

“…Young man looking in the shadows that pass.”

As you know I’ve finished quite a few little bits and pieces for various babies over the past couple of months. Now not all of those things have been given (two are waiting for December birthdays) but the majority have. And the responses I have received in return have been…mixed.

Now I realise this is a bit of a touchy subject. One gives gifts freely, with no expectations on the recipient and no strings attached. I believe this, I honestly do. If someone didn’t like something I had given – even if I made it – I would hope they could quietly re-gift, recycle or (in a pinch) chuck whatever it was. I don’t want to foist unwanted goods onto people and guilt them into keeping them. It really is the thought that counts.

HOWEVER

When someone has spent a considerable number of hours crafting a present for someone, picking the right pattern, the right yarn, the right colours, then painstakingly hand knitting the piece, customising it to fit body shapes and personalities…well…it feels thoroughly rotten to never hear back about it.
To be fair, I am being overly sensitive. I have technically received thanks for all gifts.

HOWEVER

Some thanks were… belated. And some have been more effusive than others.

I really don’t want to be someone that expects grovelling thanks in return for knitted items, but it would be nice if my efforts (read, considerable efforts) were acknowledged. I suppose it’s about respect rather than reverence.

I think the crux of my problem is that some people on my recipient list do not understand the effort and time and love that is involved in hand knitting clothes - even baby clothes. And so they don’t place any value on those items. This breaks my heart a little.

I don’t want to stop knitting for those people. I love those people, this is a way I express that love. But maybe I should lower my expectation levels and knit for them less.

Some people in receipt of my hand knits have used them in gorgeous arty Instagram posts, or have said it’s their favourite outfit for their child. I know it probably doesn’t count, but CB wears his knits to bits!

That is the greatest compliment; use. But when in doubt, thanks and picture of the item in use never goes amiss. 

*Quote from Bob Dylan

"If you're going to try, go all the way…”

“…Otherwise, don't even start."

Oh Philly Fans. You find me in a knitting funk. The worst kind of funk. Worse than reading funks. I don’t know why, it just is. Probably because it’s what I’m currently feeling.

I decided that I would use up some of my stash before buying lovely new yarn for lovely new things. And foolishly I began with the wool I most dislike.

This stuff:

It is nylon. It is a stupid pastel that doesn’t lend itself to anything apart from really girly things (and I don’t know anyone really girly). It is quite thin, so you have to do more stitches and knit with it for longer to actually produce anything of any size. Plus it feels yucky in my hands when I work with it.

“Throw it away then!” I hear you say.

Well I can’t. I’m too reticent to throw anything away that could still be useful. And it’s wool, of course it’s useful!

So I don’t want to knit with it, but I have to use it up before I can knit things I actually want to. Hence the funk.

Maybe I should have started by using up some of the nicer wool. Well maybe I should have, but I’m a couple of inches into a stranded chequerboard pattern (which will eventually become a horrific Battenberg hot water bottle cover) and I don’t want to frog it.

Will I even use this when I’m done? Probably but I doubt I’ll like it.

This is a feat of endurance. I might take breaks and knit some other things in between, but I feel like I have to complete this. Just to prove I can. I told myself I would so I will.

Except…I still don’t want to. And so it just sits there and makes me feel bad for procrastinating.

Sigh! What a lot of fuss over nothing.

*Quote from Charles Bukowski

“So comes snow after fire…”

“…and even dragons have their endings.” 

I mean he’s no Smaug, but my dragon is finished:

This is Griff the Dragon (Ravelry link to pattern here) by Amanda Berry. Admittedly her version looks cuter and less…creepy than mine, but at least he is recognisably a dragon.

I’m not sure why mine looks so dodgy. I (mostly) used the recommended yarn (Hayfield Bonus DK) in the recommended shades (Green and Light Green – very imaginative names). I did deviate with the white as you need so little of it and I have a couple of balls of cheap acrylic lying around. But that can’t be the only reason. I guess I’m not great at the finessing and finishing, but honestly I tried really hard on this!

At least he’s not a weird little worm anymore:

I really like Amanda Berry’s patterns. She writes them out line by line, which makes for a really long pack of instructions, but is pretty foolproof. I was sensible enough to read them through before beginning this time, and as her short rows are different to those of my Carnaby skirt (blogged about here) as you don’t wrap and turn, you just turn. The short rows are on the toes and fingers, and you sew up the other side anyway so I guess it doesn’t need to be wrapped.

I’m not sure what to do with him now. There are a few babies in my life he could go to, but I don’t know if he’s nice enough to be a present. Poor thing. But I really don’t need another toy in my home. I never could bring myself to give Parsnip away so he’s still with us!

If anyone knows of anyone who needs a creepy yet well-meaning dragon, please let me know.

*Quote from J.R.R. Tolkien

“A good speech should be like a woman's skirt…”

“…long enough to cover the subject and short enough to create interest.”

Another finished object to show off – my second Carnaby skirt!

My first one, in black, gets a lot of wear. It’s in my regular work rotation, so probably gets worn two or three times a month. So I thought it would definitely be worth making another in a different colour.

I used to wear a white skirt to work quite often, but that one (a shop bought one) had started to come apart a bit, it had lots of threads sticking out all over, so it had been formally retired. This lovely new Carnaby can replace it.

I’m also pleased that I already had some suitable buttons in my collection:

I inherited these and I wonder if they have some sister-buttons out there on another garment…
Even though I’ve knit the pattern before, it’s still quite fun to do. It’s simple enough that you can get into a bit of a rhythm, but interesting enough that your brain doesn’t glaze over. I used the same type of wool (Cascade 220) and the same sized needle (4.5mm circular) and to be honest if I needed more skirts I would happily have more of these.

I’ve yet to buy grosgrain ribbon to reinforce the waist band, but I will do. It would be a shame for them to stretch, and I don’t want to risk my skirt falling down at work!

Yeah, maybe I’ll buy that ribbon sooner rather than later…

*Quote by Winston Churchill