"To succeed, planning alone is insufficient..."

"...One must improvise as well."

As I alluded to in my previous post, I was expecting a delivery of wool. I love getting wool. It's very exciting. I hate choosing wool (too many possibilities!) and I hate buying wool (so very expensive!) but boy, do I love receiving wool!

I have this very cheap and very soft Baby DK from Paintbox Yarns:

Which will join forces with some cream Sirdar Snuggly DK to make Peloponnese by Sandi Rosner (Ravelry link here):

Sandi Rosner

I have this rich navy fingering weight Heritage Solids wool from Cascade Yarns:

Which will ultimately become Navigate by Annie Lupton (Ravelry Link here):

Annie Lupton

I have some silky Bamboo Cotton by King Cole:

Which I'll use for Confetti by Rain Knitwear Designs (Ravelry Link here):

Rain Knitwear Designs

And finally I have some funky Paintbox Yarns sock wool to make socks of some description:

YUM.

*Quote from Isaac Asimov

"It's like, how much more black could this be?"

 "...and the answer is none. None more black."

This was actually completed right at the very end of last year so has already been included in 2017's wrap up, but it's a bit early to be able to flaunt 2018's FOs.

This is a Tegan Baby Hat (Ravelry link here) by Julie Taylor.

This was really difficult to photograph, but the stitches are lovely and defined in real life I promise!

The wool is MilliaMia Merino wool in black and is super soft and drape-y.

It's for my friend's baby due in June. She asked for any baby things to be black, white or grey (gender neutral as well as chic) and as I had the wool I thought I'd whip this out.

You might think it looks a bit big for a newborn baby, and you'd be right. I thought no baby will want to wear a BLACK hat in JUNE, so I've knitted a 3-6 months size to be worn when autumn/winter kicks in 3-6 months later.

I've probably jumped the gun with this a bit and done it all too soon, but I was a bit excited (and I was still awaiting my delivery of new wool).

*Quote from This Is Spinal Tap.

“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