A Break in Cumbria

 We've just returned from a very relaxing few days in Cumbria with my family. Here follows my random (but scenic) holiday snaps... 

The only knitting I managed was in the car on the way up. 

From the 1900ft summit of a pass we could just about see Scotland.

Hidden away in the village we were staying we found this miniature village all made by one may over 25 years and now raising money for the Great North Air Ambulance. 

The final full day was dedicated to waterfalls... 

Low and High Force

And a rather gnarly Juniper tree (probably)... 

Knitting Pile

 Showing off WIPs either artistically staged or one be one seems to be a thing. Due to some TV watching last night I had dug around in my knitting back for some suitable projects and when I looked next to me on the sofa* I saw the following...

Almost all my current knitting WIPs in a pile with the exception of two that are NSFTV**. There are the TAAT socks, a Musselburgh hat, my Tree Tram Tro slipover and to at the top left is a previously unmentioned project. 

This is the start of a scrappy blanket based on the Cosy Memories Blanket pattern. No definite plan for this but I think I'll use leftovers from 4 ply projects as I finish them, I've also got some other plans for 4 ply/fingerings weight leftovers but more about that another day. 

*couch or settee 

** Not Suitable For TV

FNSI - Best Laid Plans

 Actually despite the title I didn't deviate too much from my planned FNSI.

I had Friday afternoon off work so amongst running a couple of errands I manged to start crafting early in the day.

I got totally sucked in by a cross stitch which hadn't received much love recently.

I probably need a larger frame for it, as I'm having to move my round one frequently as can be seen from the creases. I think its called Mini Christmas Patchwork and there's a chance it might be complete by Xmas. 

I finally got round to seeing in the threads on a t shirt I have recently seen. 

Then I moved onto cutting up strips for my low volume scrappy trip around the world quilt. 

I think I need to cut 38 far quarters into 2.5 inch strips to have enough to make blocks for a king size bed. I'm a few fat quarters short, but I have enough to keep me busy. 

And this is the point my plans changed.  I had intended to have dinner and then continue pressing and cutting fabric, maybe sew in the threads on a pair of trousers and then knit. 

What actually happened was an impromptu trip to a couple of bars in Cheltenham.  A very enjoyable distraction, but we were back early enough (and sober enough) for a few rows of knitting for me and a bit of X Box for my partner.

All in all I think I had a bumper FNSI. 

If you want to see what everyone else got up to pop over to Wendy's blog Sugarlane Designs

Snaps From The Weekend (13/14 Aug)

 

A Satisfying Heel Turn

 I'm currently working on a pair of Geek Socks (Knitty link) two at a time (TAAT) as an Xmas present. The pattern directs you to use an afterthought heel so as not to break the stripe pattern. I've done afterthought heels previously but to date I have a 33% failure rate (socks ending up too small despite following measurements that work for other pairs). The other thing is that the point of doing TAAT was in an attempt to make the sock knitting process feel quicker, which afterthought heels feel the opposite of - two socks almost finished and then having to work two individual heels. Anyway I decided to go freestyle and use short row heels instead.

At this time I can't quite figure out how to do these heels TAAT but it was possible to do them in tandem and then continue the sock feet TAAT.

To me these heels seem to be working out perfectly, I love the slightly offset stripes. These heels do break the continuity of the wibbly stripes (they don't seem to work out in the intended zig zags with this WYS yarn) but with the little extra knitting I've done I think I can live with it although maybe boomerang heels would've been a little less disruptive. Now on with the feet.