Wednesday 30 May 2012

It's Not Right, But It's Okay//WIP Wednesday

I thought really hard about this post before deciding on a title.... so I went with Whitney. This past week I've gotten really unwell; I have a life-long illness - it's hardwork, it's tiring and right now it just sucks. I didn't know whether to share this on my knitting blog but I've made some lovely friends through this blog and through Ravelry - so I figured I should be honest.

I have blogged or barely knitted in about a week, sometimes life gets in the way so please don't think that I'm ignoring you - I love having this blog and knowing that there are so many likeminded people out there. I will get well but I'm on medication change #5 of the year and it's HARD but I keep going and I will be back to my normal self soon. I shall be scheduling posts for the next little while - I can do that when I'm feeling well enough - and you guys are all so important to me.

So my knitting hasn't really moved, but my owl-cho is a few rows longer AND I have learned how to do a crochet chain; so a little progress is something.

Thank you for bearing with me through all of this, I will be back and I will have some photos to share really soon.
V xo

Tuesday 29 May 2012

Winner//Knit Nerds

Apologies for the lack of posts over the week, I'll explain more in another knit life post later in the week. Knit nerds will be back next week and hopefully normal blogging will resume then also. In the meantime I thought I better get a winner drawn for the lovely sweater pattern by Rita Taylor:
 I used random.org to help choose a winner, and so the winner is........................
...............EVELYN OF PROJECT: STASH. Congratulations Evelyn, I shall be in contact with you.

Have a knitty day, V xx

Wednesday 23 May 2012

Not So//WIP Wednesday

This is a not-so work in progress Wednesday - I have worked some of my OWL-cho, it still wants to be owlie so, following the advice of my lovely commenters, I am going to do the cabled owls - I'm sure I'll have alot more progress by next Wednesday (maybe near to casting off!!!!). My lace scarf hasn't moved but it has decided it wants to be a teacher-gift. My son's primary 1 teacher has been amazing with him - Robbie is autistic and has needed extra support so I wanted to give a little something special. Nothing else has grown - we are in decorating mode here this week so our living room (lounge) is getting a makeover.

In other news there is a wee giveaway and interview on my blog right now, by Rita Taylor. Go check it out - you could win a children's sweater pattern.

It's super cute, and would look great using some pretty colourwork - I like unisex sweaters that you can work up however you want!!!

I'm not guaranteeing another post this week, but we'll see how it goes. Hope you are all well and HAVE A KNITTY WEDNESDAY!!!
V xxx

Monday 21 May 2012

Rita Taylor//Knit Nerds

Today's knit nerd is Rita Taylor, designer of various lace shawls, scarfs and other knits - she's also had her designs in several magazines and works alongside Artesano yarns. Here she is:

How long have you been knitting and who taught you?
I’ve been knitting since I was 7, and I’m a lot more than that now! We were taught at school and the first things we made were a pair of socks using 3ply on 2.75mm needles. I was hopeless at turning the heel and Miss Moir said I would never be any good at knitting so I might as well sit at the back and read a book!
What is your favourite thing to knit?
I don’t have any real favourites – I just love whatever I am going to do next.
Who is your biggest knitting inspiration?
I suppose Kaffe Fassett was my biggest inspiration as he taught me not to be afraid of using lots of colour, and never mind about sewing in the ends.
What is your favourite finished object of your own?
It is actually a crochet top made with Colinette mohair and silk
What has been your favourite thing to design so far?
I loved doing the man’s Fair Isle pullover.
What led you to start designing your own pieces?
I used to knit jumpers for the students at Birmingham University and they always wanted something different, so I started designing things specially for them
If you could give 3 pieces of knitting advice, what would they be?
Take accurate measurements of whoever you are knitting for; do your tension square in the pattern you are using; don’t be afraid to experiment.

Rita has offered up a giveaway of a pattern for a child's add your own yoke gansey, shown here:
Rita's patterns are really lovely, easy to read and nice to knit from. To enter the giveaway just leave a wee comment showing Rita some love - I will draw a name using random.org next Sunday (27th May) evening.

At the moment Rita's website is having work done on it but you can find her on ravelry as berrycat. A huge thank you to Rita for her lovely interview, and indeed to all of my upcoming knit nerds - it's been fun interviewing you. If you would like to be a knit nerd, feel free to contact me.

V xo

Sunday 20 May 2012

Needle Cases//Pinterest Sunday

Pinterest Sunday is a theme I start on my other blog, it's a good place to start which is a lifestyle blog. I thought it might be something that would work over here too. So here we go:


This Namaste bag for circular needles is just perfect, I might need to get me one of these:


A little kit for girls for knitting, this is beyond cute and would make the perfect storage for shorter needles:

I love both the vase and the vintage case in this photo, they would be lovely in any home:
I might not be the biggest fan of fabric needle pouches but this one for interchangeable is fabulous, I really love the fabric and the look of it:

If you're on pinterest and you decide to do a pinterest sunday of your own make sure to link the original sources. You can find me on pinterest HERE and my knits board HERE. I'm back tomorrow with a lovely little interview and giveaway.
V xxx

Saturday 19 May 2012

Today//Knit Life

I should probably be knitting on my lace scarf or my owl-cho but I'm not..... today I am doing a very special project.....
The recepient of the project knows I'm knitting these, they will be cute little slippers for her to wear the night before her wedding in July - I'm her maid of honour and I can't wait to present these to her. I bought this yarn a few months ago with no specific project in mind but then when I started thinking about special somethings for my sister and this yarn is just so soft and so pretty - it's sirdar softspun DK. I just wanted to share what I'm upto today, go check out my other blog to see what I've been doing this week. What are you up to today? What will your next special project be?
V xx

Friday 18 May 2012

Needle Storage//Knit Stuff

I love needle storage, I want more and more of it but for the moment these are the 2 main places I keep my needles (except my circulars).

This needle box was my mum's, she gave me it several years ago with some needles that were hers and my gran's. I love it so much, just knowing that it's been passed down and it's been so loved. It is slightly worn, it's not in the best shape but I love that charm:
 And all the needles that are too long for the needle box? They go in a whisky pot, I always had plans to alter this box BUT I kind of like it in it's natural state - it works well as a knitting box and I like the almost vintage quirk:
What do you keep your needles in? If you share on your blog please link back and let me know. I want some more needle storage, but I like something a little different - nothing plain and I'm not sure I want a fabric case either..... I like vintage looking, nice old things, it's fab.
V xx

Wednesday 16 May 2012

A Little, Not Alot//WIP Wednesday

I have to start this by saying thank you, I feel so overwhelmed with all the comments I've had on this blog and all the support people have given on Ravelry. I had a good number of people fill in my survey, and I've started making some changes on the blog. For example, you'll notice my new look and I've got lots of fun posts lined up - some more knit stuff posts and I've got some lovely knit nerds to share in the coming weeks too. I feel really happy right now with the direction my blog is going in, AND I've already started planning my 30th birthday giveaway, which will be in about 6 weeks time. Anyway I thought I'd share some WIPs this week - only 2 of my current projects have grown as on Thursday last week I was struck down with a cold/flu virus and didn't knit for 4 days. Here we go:


My sylph scarf has probably doubled in size, it's starting to look really good and take shape. I'm still so excited to get it finished and see how it looks blocked:
 Owl-Cho
My owl-cho has more than doubled in size, the neckline is done and I've started on the shoulder increases - I'm using lots of stitch markers and the rows are giant - but because it's knit in the round, you just knit as garter stitch so it's potato chip knitting:
My plan with the owl-cho is to cable in some owls around the bottom but I'm a little concerned that the yarn might be a little bit too chunky - so at the moment I'm having a bit of a rethink - it might just be a 'cho next week.

Check out Tami's blog and Yarn Along to see what everyone else is working on.
V xo

Sunday 13 May 2012

Winner//Knit Nerds

I had a lovely response to the giveaway by Tiny Owl Knits, so I headed over to Random Number Generator to choose a winner:
 And that winner is......... Truly Myrtle who chose the very beautiful forest and frill as her prize from the lovely Miss Stephanie:
I truly had a great time doing the interview and the giveaway has been fun; I've got several people already lined up for interviews and I've got a few more giveaways on the cards too. If you would like to be interviewed feel free to contact me over on ravelry as knittingv.
Vicki x
PS - what do you think of my new look? I'm doing a web design OU course at the moment and I felt that my blog needed to reflect me a bit more!!!

Saturday 12 May 2012

Shawl Lusts//Knit Life

This spring I am in love with Shawls, I can't help myself - they are so beautiful and there are so many different options!!! I had to stop in and share some of my favourites from Ravelry:

Boneyard Shawl by Stephen West
A shawl made for both men and women? It's perfect right? I love the little details of this shawl, I really want to knit it up in a mustard coloured yarn I have in storage!!!
This shawl is part knit, part lace which makes it pretty perfect, you can knit it in a variety of different sizes depending on the yarn you want to use - I love it!!!

I would have to use a variagated yarn for this shawl, it's so beautiful and it works so well in stripes!! I love the pretty shaping - it's just another perfect shawl!!



I had this pretty shawl on my Ravelry wishlist for ages, and somebody kindly gifted me it - the pattern is beautiful and it's going to knit up perfectly for the summer. I love the angles of the lace, and then it's all finished by the pretty ruffling around the edge.

What are you lusting after right now?
Thanks for stopping by, V x

...... and just a quick PS - thank you and HI to all of my lovely new followers and commenters, but especially to Lynn of Fidlstix who very kindly shared one of her lovely knitting bags after reading my last post.

Thursday 10 May 2012

Bags//Knit Stuff

I have to say I LOVE bags, I always have done so when I was searching for bags to keep my knitting in I wanted something that was a little bit of a bargain but pretty too. These are my knitting bags:


I got this one from poundland just last week, it's the perfect size for just one project, it's super cute and it was a bargain:
 I found this cutie in a charity shop last week for just £3, it's a great size to pack in a knit or 2 for knit night - and it's got a wee pocket in the inside for my knitting pencil case:
 This bag is great for a big project, or for big yarn. I picked it up in WHSmith a few weeks back and it's lovely - it's also got a nice sized handle:
 This bag is my all time favourite, I got this in a charity shop in London for about £3, it's got 3 big sections and can hold tons. I sometimes take it to knit night with me, especially if I want to take several projects:
 And lastly this is another project bag, it's been in my handbag storage for ages and I haven't used it - because it's so pretty. It's a lace bag from Malta, so I've had it since my holiday there in 2007, it's about time it got used:
So those are my knitting/project bags, I love them all and I can't wait to get some more. How many project bags do you have? Feel free to share this post on your blog and post about your own knit bags.
V xx

Wednesday 9 May 2012

Progress//Work in Progress Wednesday

I was hoping this week to have alot to show you, that I would have done loads of knitting and made lots of progress but in actual fact I've only knit on 2 items but I've made a fair amount of progress on both (just not as much as I would have liked)!!!

I'm taking part in the Harry Potter Knitting/Crochet House Cup over on Ravelry, it's loads of fun and there are lots of challenges. I decided to try out writing another pattern, and then knitting it - I made a few little mistakes but it's going well. Here is the beginning of the Queen of Hearts:
 I've also nearly doubled my lace shawl, I'm really loving knitting this - it's actually very satisfying seeing it come together, here is Sylph:
In other news, I have an interview and giveaway by Stephanie of TinyOwlKnits going on right on, and I have a knitting survey happening now also - I want to know your thoughts on knitting blogs.

Make sure you check in over at Tami's blog and over at Small Things to see what everyone else is progressing on.
I'll be back tomorrow with a bit of a fun post,
V xx

Sunday 6 May 2012

Tiny Owl Knits//Knit Nerds

So I have decided to do some fun little interviews (similar to the one with Miss Green Triangle Girl) over here; and we're starting with Stephanie of Tiny Owl Knits. Stephanie is one of my favourite designers right now, her patterns are majorly inspiring and I want to knit most of them. She let me have free reign over which photos to put in this interview - I have to say it was HARD but you can find all of her patterns over on Ravelry.
 How long have you been knitting and who taught you?
i got a job at a knitting shop as a crochet teacher. i scrambled together to try to get a knit stitch going and my stitches were twisted! i was knitting for about 2 days when i had to help the first customer put a sweater together. so the learning curve was super sharp and i had to just go with it and be brave! thankfully there were lots of amazing women working at the store. i call them the "mother owls" and they taught me so much every single day. im so thankful for them!
 What is your favourite thing to knit?
i LOVE to knit socks. i love to wear them and knit them and i can turn a heel in my sleep. :) it's weird that i dont have many patterns for socks so i think ill remedy that in the future! i also love knitting toys. im knitting hazel the humpback whale right now and having such fun with it. im going to hang her from the ceiling just like the life-sized whale in the british history museum. so excited for that! maybe a ceiling full of whales is in order? little ones, big ones. big white ones! oooooh oceany.
 Who is your biggest knitting inspiration?
i see someone that inspires me pretty much every time i peek into ravelry! i love to see everyones creations so much. each project always has a little twist to it and i love to see the personalities of each project. of course im long time inspired by so many amazing knitters. when i saw cat bordhi's books for the first time years ago something resonated with me so strongly. i used to carry her books around the store and just stare at them. i couldnt afford to buy them at the time, but i have them now! she is a major inspiration because she thinks so far outside the box and she is so deeply inspired and fun! im sure anyone can see her influence in my work, as a lake has many streams. :)
What is your favourite finished object of your own?
meow mitts! :D 
 
What is your favourite design from Tiny Owl Knits?
meow mitts! :D
 
What led you to start designing your own pieces?
i think it was just natural to see a ball of wool and imagine what it could become. i wanted clothes that i didnt see in stores so i started knitting them. you can knit anything!
 If you could give 3 pieces of knitting advice, what would they be?
1. dont be afraid of knitting. be afraid of bears and jumping out of airplanes.. but dont be afraid of your wool!
2. when you get stuck, realize you are not the first person to get stuck, get on youtube and be patient and kind with yourself. you can do it!
3. love your wool when you knit it, keep yourself relaxed and your projects will reflect it!
Super inspiring interview huh? And also Miss Stephanie is doing a little giveaway, the winner gets to choose a pattern of THEIR choice, so what do you have to do? Pop over to Ravelry or the Tiny Owl Knits website and let me know which pattern is your favourite, and remember to leave a little love for Stephanie too - you can also find her on Twitter, Facebook and Etsy.
You have until next Sunday night to enter,
V xxx

Friday 4 May 2012

Green Grass of Spring//Finished Object Friday



It's come around to Friday so quickly this week, I can't believe it. In the coming weeks I have some lovely new features coming to the blog, so look out for that. But in the meantime it is FOF, and if you look above you'll see my finished object. This is the first thing I've designed, it's pretty basic but I love it and you can find the pattern on Ravelry and here on my blog if you fancy knitting it too. It's made up of knits and purls and some slip stitches. Let me know what you think. I'm very excited because I've started working on my next pattern.
Make sure you stop by Tami's blog to see what everyone else has finished this week,
V xxx

Wednesday 2 May 2012

Scarf and Shawl//Work in Progress Wednesday

I think over the past few weeks I've had a little case of startitis - I have started a shawl and now a lace scarf - and I was to start other things too!!! I'm trying not to as I have 6 WIP's and a hibernating project, so I really have enough to get on with. Anyway as only 2 of my WIP's have done anything I thought I'd just share them:


I'm knitting this lovely shawl for a friend of mine, she chose the colour and I chose the pattern - it's so pretty and I can't wait to get it finished:



This is my very first lace project, and I'm already in love - it doesn't look like much but apparently blocking will be my best friend in this project:
So those are my WIP's for this week, I wanted to say a quick thank you to all of those who commented on my posts last week, I really appreciated it - and HI to all my lovely new followers. Be sure to pop over to Tami's blog to see what everyone else is working on.
V xx