Learning to knit

My knitting is progressing slowly...but surely :)

I first bought a book with the intention of learning to knit in October, at the Knitting and Stitching Show.  Quadrille had 15% off everything on their stand, and they had this gorgeous 'Learn to Knit, Love to Knit' book.  I loved it, bought it...and then ignored it for a few months!

However, at Christmas (always a good opportunity to learn new things), I asked my mum for knitting needles, and set myself down to learn on the 1st of January.  The Learn to Knit book, as it turns out, is excellent - Kimberlee, at the Knitting Mama, recommends it for learners, and I have found the instructions and the associated pictures really easy to follow - although it was handy to have my mum around as well, for some additional clarification if required.

At the moment, I'm part way through two patterns:

• A simple baby blanket, from a pattern mum gave me along with my new knitting needles.  I'm knitting it in yellow, as Baby T's gender is a surprise until he/she arrives with us.  This has been a good first pattern, as it's giving me the chance to hone my basic skills on a big block of knitting!  I have made a few faux pas so far, but I'm also hopeful that as it's a blanket, it'll not be too noticeable!
  
  The one thing I am noticing about knitting, rather than crocheting, is that it does take a lot longer to produce something - there's is a lot more empty space in crocheting, particularly when you're doing treble crochets!  So let's hope the blanket is finished in the four months that I have left before Baby T makes their appearance!
  
  
  
  
  
• Wrist warmers, from the Learn to Knit book.  I got a few of these teal coloured hanks of wool at the Knitting and Stitching show, and thought they would be perfect for the wrist warmers in the book.  This is a simple pattern, and also a much smaller project that the baby blanket, so hopefully will be something I can make up fairly quickly!

I'm really enjoying knitting so far, and I'm looking forward to keeping you updated with my progress!

2015 Craft Resolutions

Happy New Year to you all!

It's a bit of a shock to realise that it's already the 6th of January - our Christmas visit to Wrexham and the following trip over new year to Belfast meant the holiday absolutely flew in.  Back to porridge this week unfortunately - dragging myself out of bed yesterday and today was a massive struggle!

A quick recap on my 2014 resolutions before I have a think about my plans for 2015.

Sewing room

• Success on the sewing room - I made our spare room into my little sewing haven, and it's been a fantastic space for sewing this year.  However, as you know, a bit of a change in our circumstances mean that sewing room is soon to become baby room, and so it's likely that the sewing room will have to be retired fairly soon.  I'll probably try to move the desk, and the faithful Matilda the mannequin into the other spare room, so we'll have to see how things go this coming year

Dresses

• One dress made in 2014, instead of the two I had planned for - I know, not impressive!  I was so pleased with the one I did make, but then illness, and of course, a bit of a changing shape now, mean that making dresses has been a bit low on the priority list!  I do have plenty of patterns, so I might get a maternity dress made (we'll see!) - otherwise, it might provide a bit of motivation for losing baby weight once Baby T arrives!

Craft classes

• I got two classes last year - one on linings, and one on making your own designer jeans! I've done part of the jeans one, and part of the linings one - they're both on hold, as making jeans would be a bit daft at this stage - and I'm not making any lined garments at the moment either, for a similar reason!

2015 resolutions

Learn to knit

With the fact that we're having a baby, comes an irresistible desire to knit tiny cute clothes!  I got the most gorgeous book for my secret santa present at work, and decided that I definitely need to learn to knit - I love crocheting, but knitting will bit good to broaden the spectrum and somehow use up my extra yarn!

The reason for learning to knit!

For Christmas, my mum got my a knitting bag, and a whole set of bamboo knitting needles - as well as a simple pattern and some wool (oops, already accumulating more...!).  I've started making a simple blanket, and can now cast on, and do the knit and purl stitches.  Not very impressive thus far...still, I have stitches on needles, so that's got to be a good thing!

Make a quilt

Quilting initially seemed a bit old fashioned to me, when I first started sewing.  But as I've explored the sewing world some more, I've seen some of the really brilliant quilts done with modern patterns, and anyway, vintage is in :)!  I'd love to make a quilt for the baby - a first step is some very cute material which I picked up in Bath a while ago - these little owls are just adorable.  That's my key project for before Baby T is born.

I'm only going to make these two resolutions for now - I'm not sure how much I'm going to be able to do on the sewing front pre baby, and I'm sure it'll be even less once Baby T arrives, so I'm not being too ambitious!  But I hope that 2015 will be great - for lots of reasons, not just the crafting that's up ahead...!