PRIDE FOR EVERYONE

Hi everyone

So my knitting life has been very colourful again.  Is it anything other then colourful??  I don't think so.

I have been knitting socks, shopping bags and blankets.

I'll start by telling you about the socks that I finished.  2 pairs to be exact.  They weren't for myself this time.  They were for my lovely step sister and my niece (her beautiful daughter).  I did try and get them to match just a little bit.  I thought it would be cute to have a mummy daughter sock set.

I knitted my nieces socks first.  I used multi-coloured sock yarn I had, plus I had lots of green sock wool that I knew I could use to knit the 2 sets of socks.

I wanted to try a different heel technique that I hadn't knitted before.  I decided to knit an after thought heel.  It was much easier then I thought (lol) it would be.  The only thing is I wish I had done was make the heel a tad bigger.  Never mind.  

They fitted her snugly,  I don't think she will get too much wear out of them (kids feet grow so fast).  But I was very pleased with them.  I would definitely knit an after thought heel again.  It is a great way to add a contracting coloured heel.

Robyn's (mum) socks have not yet been tried on.  They will be delivered to her tomorrow (the day after I write this blog page).

I decided to knit the body of the socks in the same green sock wool but change the colour of the cuff and toe.

I also decided to do a traditional heel turn.  I did though decided to make her socks ribbed.  I find hand knitted ribbed socks tend to stay up better.

Next I knitted a lacey shopping bag.  I had seen so many people on YouTube and other blogs knitting with beautifully coloured yarn that I just had to get myself some.  I went to my local wool shop and asked if they had any double knit cotton.  They didn't have any in stock at that time. But luckily I found something which was a similar feel but made out of acrylic.  They had quite a lot of colour combinations, I picked the rainbow colour way (well my hubby was with me at the time and I asked him what colour way he liked and of course I said no to his choice because i thought it was to boring and went for an even more colourful yarn).

You knit the bag on straight needles and sew the 2 sides together.  

Thanks hubby for modelling this for me.  

The bottom of the bag was then sewn together to make it flat.  As you can see I haven't done this.  I did initially do this but didn't end up liking it, so I removed it and just kept it straight.

I found the pattern from a book I got from the library. Of course the book will have to be returned, but I might just write down the pattern or photocopy it before I leave the book back, just in case I ever want to knit it again.

The amazing thing that I didn't plan but am very happy about is that I finished it on 27th July.  This is the 50th anniversary of the legalisation of being gay.  I then decided to call my shopping bag "The pride for everyone bag".  I now wear my rainbow bag with a big smile on face and feel like I am representing love for all the LGBT's out there.

So I said I was knitting on a blanket too. As far as I can remember I have spoken about this blanket on my blog before.  

I usually knit on it in between projects and try to use up small bit of yarn which wouldn't be big enough for anything else.

Lol Colour overload for some maybe.

As you can see there is no pattern or method or colour scheme to it.  I just pick any colour or any yarn and knit 2 rows.  I have no idea how long it will get but I will try and make it to fit our double bed.

I just love it.

At the moment the blanket is back in it's bag and I have cast on another pair of socks.

I have some exciting news too.  I was down visiting my mum today. She lives in Carrickfergus.  Of course we visited the wool shops there. There on the counter of both shops was a flyer advertising a yarn festival in Whitehead (a beautiful sea side town - where in fact my step sister lives). 

Whitehead

It is a very small town but they seem to have lots going on.  It is only 15 minutes away from where my mum lives and about 45 minutes away from where I live.

Me and mum looked at each other and said 'WE HAVE TO GO'.  

I will do my best to take photos and write up a wee post on it all for you.

Here's a link to the website so you can go and take a closer look at what it's all about and who will be there.

Yarnfolk woolfest.

Happy knitting folks.

Cheerio till next time.