1 More Sleep to GO

That's right I got a lovely email this morning reminding me #KnitOm starts tomorrow (not that I've forgotten). Today I had a break from the knitting needles (I have only done two rows), even though I had a full day off work, what have I done today? Chores and I had volunteered (at two different places) & had an appointment. It's been a busy day and I am tuckered out. I still have 4 hours before bedtime (hopefully) in which more chores need to be done and dinner needs to be made (boo!)

                                        2 Hours Later

Update on the dinner and chores (2 hours have passed since I started this entry) chores are done, dinner is being made by complete strangers at a pizza place :) and I have currently got my feet up as the stinging from the two, yes that's right, two Queen WASP stings hurt. (Long story) I am going to knit soon I think. Or I might just power nap until the pizza gets home.

                                     Plans after Pizza??

I will probably knit a baby prem hat because they are just so darn cute :)

                                                      ~~ HAPPY KNITTING ~~

Finished Scarf & Cowl

Me Sporting the lovely cowl before the ends were weaved in (I know very lazy) but my friend wanted a picture of it, and I was babysitting another friend's 4-month-old baby with my 1-year-old. Very busy household today! Not that I minded one bit (another baby in the house is very nice)

 Before Cowl was sewed up and scarf was weaved in :) 

After Scarf was weaved in.

Turns out my friend loves the cowl and wants a matching one for her daughter rather than a scarf so I've started on that!

Also, I made this! (I think my knitting mojo is slowly coming back..)


Thinking I might block it & obviously need to weave in the ends. Honestly, this photo doesn't do the colours justice. In fact, it looks like it washes it out... I loved the colour in the store. Hopefully, I didn't make a terrible mistake in the shop :/ It's only a dishcloth anyway so not too horrible. 

2 MORE SLEEPS

2 more sleeps to go until #KnitOm :) A 1 month commit to knit challenge. I already have my wool lined up and my personal goal set. Bring on July.

Although so saying that I have hit a slow patch on my knitting. I've weaved in the ends of the scarf & sewed up the cowl (I will upload pictures tomorrow just don't have the abilities to do it on this current computer [not iPhone capable]). I've started dishcloths, booties, more dishcloths & they've all been unpicked and restarted multiple times. So for a couple of days I am putting down the needles (add shocked noise here) just to give myself a rest before July begins!


The friend who has "commissioned" mummy and me gloves has spied her eye upon the mummy and me scarf I've knitted. So who know's maybe she will take those instead of the gloves yet to be knitted. Now I can hear you from here, I know what you are saying "if she wants to knit why doesn't she knit those gloves?"
Well, dear reader, I don't want to knit them when my needles aren't focused. I'd rather have the inspiration and love what I am knitting for my friend because when I knit something for someone else I want to know in my heart that this project has had the love and care that person deserves. She is Knit-Worthy not any-old-thing-I've-knitted-worthy. 

For those of you keen to sign up here's the challenge link
Find me on Instagram and see how my projects progress: Jasminet284

                                         ~~Hope your knitting is more fruitful than mine! ~~ 

Garter Stitch ~ So Underated

 Do you know what I love about the Garter stitch, it's the first you learn when you begin because it's super easy. But as you learn more about your tension, wool and the knitting needles you can actually grasp how amazing Garter stitch is. I think it's not as highly revered in the knitting world as Lace or Cable (which between you and me I haven't even attempted yet.)

I am beginning to love the simplicity of Garter, I have done a Cowl and I have started a Children's Scarf. I am currently sick right now which isn't fun but the Children's Scarf is keeping my sanity.
I am using the rest of the Cherry Cake from Lincraft as the Cowl is done. (Well when I say Done I mean cast off not quite sewn up...) 

The Pattern Used I used you can find here.

                                                   ~~~~~~HAPPY KNITTING~~~~~~

Yarn Acquisition's & More Challenges!

Yarn Acquisition's

In the weekend as I've posted before I was going to the yarn store and made a few acquisition's on the weekend. I was super lucky I stayed two nights in the Hutt, and I got given a $10 voucher from Lincraft to spend the next day so I did! 

I made some purchases from both Lincraft and my closing LYS. 

                                        This was my purchases from the weekend (as you can see I did start using      one of the balls of pink then stopped because I didn't like what I was doing with it.)

I got a little bit of everything, needles, thread, cotton wool, 8ply, 4ply, DK. I am very excited to get cracking with these though. Most of these are for the July project. I have been emailing back and forth with the challenge director, and I am super excited. 

I've got something up my sleeve for those threads with knitting that I can't wait to try!

                             My FO Luna's Lullaby

There's still some major editing to do on it before I upload the pattern, I have to figure out how to keep the edges from tilting like that. I've already got a few ideas written down plus this isn't quite big enough for a baby blanket although it is for a prem baby so I maybe I will do an edging for it. Who know's, but it's a part of the creative process so anything could happen!

                                             Current WIP                                        

So you know how I said I was going to do a Cowl in July?? Hmmmm..... Maybe I will have to change that to something else or knit a second cowl???  I am terrible.... I swear I get so excited about something new and just jump straight in. This is the first ever cowl I have ever knitted, and the pattern called for a gauge swatch, but I didn't do that.... Which means this cowl could possibly, maybe be a failure.  But I don't think so... I like it :) 

I love how the cake knits up, may have to purchase more on my next YA trip. 

                            I Joined Another Knitting Challenge!

Also, I can't believe it! But I joined another challenge! Like I don't know how I am going to find the time to do TWO challenges in July, to be fair I thought it said 24th June, so I was like sweet that will keep me going until July as it's a 5 day challenge, but no I read it wrong and now I've signed up for TWO challenges.

5-Day-Sock-Challenge I am super excited. Dana Gervais has created this FREE challenge in which there will be tutorials on how to knit a sock from the toe-up. Which if you are a #SockVirgin like me then you will be pleased to know about this challenge. I am looking forward to starting this challenge, I've never knitted socks before so I thought this would be just perfect! There is also a facebook page you can join as well called #SockVirgin. 


Find me on Instagram for more up to date photo's of my knitting Jasminet284

End Of An Era

Goodbye to New Zealand Craft Products 

My LYS closed it's doors today. I was sad to see it go I did get a few last minute purchases in and I am disappointed I know will have to either travel 2 hours away or order online in order to get more yarn. I supported my LYS as much as I could unfortunately the few of us regulars buying from it weren't enough to keep it's doors from closing. If you have a LYS, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE support them! Don't let the small businesses get drowned out by the big corporations. 

I loved visiting my LYS, if it weren't for them I wouldn't have the love for the process of knitting I would today. I appreciate the wisdom and the kind words you have both given me over this past year. 

On a more positive note:

Today was Yarn Acquisition day, I can't wait until I get home to show you all my beautiful purchases. I have gone to two yarn stores and was blessed with a $10 voucher valid from tomorrow for three months. I plan on going back again tomorrow.

I don't get to treat myself often, as much as I'd like. I am looking forward to sharing photos of my acquisition and my soon to be new set up. (As well as wool I'd purchased some new shelving units for my wool).


Hope you are all having a good day/night and I will write again soon. 

Luna's Lullaby Blanky

I've given this precious baby blanket a name, in honour of my first GodDaughter Luna. She is 9months old, so I've decided that I will do this as a test size. Then adapt the pattern as I work it.
I've never had so much passion for a baby blanket before. It has grown in length in the three day's I've been knitting it. It's also miraculously the FIRST project I've worked on exclusively.

I have a few projects in my UFO bin (UnFinsihedObeject), although I am not too enthusiastic about them at the moment. I won't even share the horror contained within, I'll save you from that.

I have my first ever commissioned pieces to start on the weekend after buying the wool. I am super excited. I won't be paid in $, however, I will be paid in a hand-sewn jersey for my daughter! Which she is in need of a nice sturdy polar fleece. The commissioned pieces are 2 matching mummy-daughter pairs of hand gloves. So my plans are to knit something that can be worn all year round and to make up for the equal dollar amount for the polar fleece I will be knitting her son a pair of booties. So I am looking forward to starting those! - My boss pointed out to me that's it's not really a commissioned piece but rather a 'thing-you-have-to-slave-over-and-your-daughter-gets-the-payout'. - He just doesn't understand knitting, he thinks it's boring. BORING? I don't get that.

My plan for #knitom in JULY is to knit some items for a charity.
My GOAL is to make 3 Children's hats, 3 Matching Children's Mittens, 2 Pairs of Adult sized gloves, 1 Adult scarf/cowl and 1 Adult Sized Hat.

My first pattern and wool have already been selected. I will be using a Cake of 80%Acrylic 20% wool in Cherry. I absolutely love it and I can't wait until it has been knitted up. 

The pattern that was chosen for this glorious cake is this Cozy Cowl.

This will be the pattern I knit for the Children's Mittens I have more pinks and purples in my wool stash then I would like to admit but I would love to do a boy specific hat & mitten, a gender neutral & a girl specific.

The Children's Hat chosen.

The Gloves and Adult's Hat have yet to be chosen, if there are any recommendations from fellow knitters please feel free to comment on the blog below. 

Honourable MentionsIf it weren't for the following designers and all their hard works I wouldn't be able to knit the patterns available.
Mariana from her blog, where I have sourced the Hat & Mittens Pattern from.
The Patons Design Team for the free cowl made available on allfreeknitting.com.

The Knitting Language

I have been knitting properly for a year and today I found out I don't know as much about the Knitting Language as I thought I did.

It started off with a Facebook Page comment, basically this person wants to give up knitting because she's sick of the extra lingo; things like 'WIP's & UFO's' etc etc... Anyway there was a lovely little comment from another member in the group with a little internet poster:

I knew the basics such as "Cake, DPN, FROG, WIP" but I didn't know most of the others on this list. So I thought I would bring this up on my blog and share the wisdom. Plus it'd be really good to come back to when my brain fogs up.

I really did find this interesting,

If you would like to read the full article and get your knitting brains in the know-how here is the link for knitting slang.It also contains a link to a magical site all free knitting. If you haven't come across it before it's a site that contains all free knitting patterns of all kinds of varieties.

Anyway my current WIP is calling me good night x

C'mon 1st July

So on the first of July, I will be starting the 30 day knit challenge #knitom, I was originally going to knit a baby blanket for the challenge. But whoops I could not resist it. The wool was calling out my name and I just had the urge to knit it up.

It's just knitting up so nicely, I've only spent 2 hours on this and I am surprised how quick it's going for me. Especially with my frozen fingers. I am not following a pattern on this blanket. Just a simple couple of rows, what I will do when it's finished is I will upload the pattern for this blanket when it's complete, I'll upload it here for free. This is the first time I've ever not knitted someone else's pattern so I am pretty happy with how it's going.  

So I do have other projects on the go at the moment: A deconstructed sweater for my daughter that I really must get a move on with. A blanket for her pram which is almost finished I just have to sew two of the squares to it but that will be done on stitch-it-up-Sunday.  

Although since I got a head start on my baby blanket I will stay true to the challenge and start a new project. I am unsure of what I will knit. I have a checklist of items I would like to knit over the year so I may start something off of that. Who knows.

I know that I will be going over the hill to Lower Hutt on the weekend so I will definitely be stopping off at Lincraft in order to buy some much-needed wool, well much needed colours, for a Premature Baby I am knitting hats for, maybe I will get some inspiration at the wool shop.

Is there anyone reading this that is doing the challenge in July as well, if so what do you plan on knitting. Give me some #knitspiration 💖

Hello

Hi,

A little about me is I am a knitter (obviously). I've been knitting properly for almost a full year now. My mum taught me when I was 8, then I lost interest. Then I kept picking it up and dropping it again throughout my high school years. It wasn't until I found out I was pregnant December 2016 that I picked it up again and now it feels like all I do is knit. Although I am only a beginner and have yet to create any of my own patterns. My blog here is just for my own personal journaling of my knitting, although if I get any readers that's a plus.

I am also a mum to a beautiful almost 1-year-old daughter, Violet-Anne. I work part-time at a local video store/post office and I am a writer.

The reason I have started this blog today is that I have just signed up for the #knitom30days this is a 30 day commit to knit challenge.


I am very excited to do this and now that I have full internet access I am looking forward to jumping straight into this challenge.

Just in case there are any readers of this blog here is the link to the challenge!
http://knitom.com/commit-to-knit/