A tiring Friday and Saturday

Friday was another long day at my new job with almost no knitting achieved. Possibly four lines, tops. Luckily for me today required a long boring train journey. Oh, poor me, whatever will I do?

Knit my sleeve? Correct! I have eight rows to knit and my sleeve will be completely finished and I can join my whole jumper up. Unfortunately, my right hand doesn't seem to like me, and my knuckles keep cramping up - old athritis problem rears it's ugly head again. I don't know if I should take a break tomorrow, or (bad pun approaching - take cover!) knuckle down and join my sleeves to my jumper? It's a tough decision, and - with your leave - I think I'll sleep on it.

An exhausting Wednesday and Thursday

I started my new job yesterday, so my breezy days of non-stop knitting are all over. Until the work runs out next May and I slack off for another three weeks.

Yesterday I managed a grand total of twenty rows (above left), and that was only due to the need to travel by tram to and from work.

Last night at the V.E. it was non-stop and I barely knitted 6 rows. So I was determined to manage a bit more today.

So far, I've managed fourteen - work was non-stop and the V.E. is always busy on a Thursday. This is hopeless! Luckily I have a two hour lunch break tomorrow, and I plan to spend a lot of it knitting. I need to finish this jumper - read the list; I need to keep going.

A knit-free Tuesday

Not a stitch today. Not a single solitary stitch was knitted. This was not only due to my extreme busyness (is that even a word?) but also because I wanted to rest my hand. Instead I cleaned.

This is my wool cupboard. It's an old 1920's oak and walnut armoire I bought years ago and I've been using it for my knitting supplies for the past few years. It was a mess up until a few weeks ago when I separated my stash into two groups - 1. projects to make, and 2. pure stash. This tidied up the worst of it and made it easier to control.

I put the divided stash into two large boxes I got from Ikea, and then set about cleaning up the rest. The top section contains an antique weaving shuttle and my knitting needle roll. The top drawer has a few knitting patterns I plan to knit up, the second drawer has my niece's projects that they are coming over to knit next holidays and the third drawer has a pile of old knitting patterns my mum gave me that make me laugh. Good ol' tacky 70's knits and crochet bikinis...

The bottom section has a bag with a project to be finished and my ball winder. Now here's hoping that this might make me a bit more efficient.

I'm crossing my fingers even now.

A lazy Monday

A lot of knitting but very little else achieved, unless you count nine episodes of "Bleak House" viewed. It really is awfully good to knit to, especially when the knitting is nothing but stocking stitch with the occasional increase.

As you can see, I have now finished the first sleeve and started my second. I would have been further along, but I mentioned to my boyfriend that my right hand felt a bit strained and he made me promise not to knit again until tomorrow. Actually, it's just past midnight - it might count... I think, however, he may have meant me to sleep on the idea and continue in the morning. Tuesday is to be very busy as I start my new job on Wednesday morning and my lax holiday will come to an end. So I must clean voraciously, because I can't be organised and juggle three jobs whilst living in chaos. Although I've somehow managed it before, albeit not all that well.

I was worried at how short my "cuff" was, as the stocking stitch curled straight away, but two rows of double crochet soon fixed it and it's beautifully flat. I think I'll do the same to the bottom of the jumper. I'll be finished it soon enough, I'm sure.

A very busy weekend

Non stop action in everything but knitting this weekend. Burlesque shows, electric eclectic string quartets and Father's Day x 2. It seemed as if the days were neverending.

But end they did. My da liked his doll, but didn't seem over enthused, which worries me greatly.


I think Bobby (short for Bobby Jones, a name still invoked by golfers with a hint of awe) looks quite spiffy, myself, but I shall let you be the judge.

As for myself, what next? I work now on my red cabled jumper, knitted in Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed in the rather scrummy colour of "Posie". The jumper is knitted in the round and I am up to the armholes, and now I need to knit the sleeves. Instead of knitting those in the round I plan to knit them on straight needles, and then join them up with the rest of the jumper to continue in the round, finishing with sewing down the sleeve seams. I know that sewing up seems to be a chore for other knitters, but I rather enjoy it, even though I delay as long as possible in the action of it. Not from dislike, but from a fear of making it look clunky and very much hand made.

This is how much sleeve may be knitted whilst watching three hours of "Bleak House" on dvd. It's all mine now, and is very wonderful, and a Victorian soapie as all Dicken's stories were. Great to knit to.

A balmy Friday

Today was minimal knitting. I finished working on the golf cap for my da's present and I think he looks quite spiffy in it. It's cashmere again, four strands this time, which makes it chunky but very flexible.

Technically it is a 6ply (4 x 1.5ply), but it felt closer to an 8ply, especially when I was knitting the brim.

Isn't he cute? Now to finish the rest of his outfit for the Sunday presentation.