After a Gap

Well after a short gap i am back. Been really busy past few weeks, Christmas shopping, working and also this week we have had a down pour of snow which is causing us all a nightmare.

An update on my knitting then. Well I have started the only bit of Christmas knitting i am doing this year. My sister is getting some socks. I'm half way through, one sock is finished just waiting its partner and they will be done. Shouldn't take me too long to get them finished and sent to Santa ready for the big day. Apart from that there is nothing else to report at the moment. I do still have a few things on the needles but like most knitters i got bored and but them down. But they will get finished soon in their own time hehe

I am apart of a knitting forum on the Internet which i have linked to my blog. As i look through i have noticed that most people are members of a site called Ravelry. Now this is a site for all the knitters out there. I have been introduced to the rav world and love it. I must spend more time on there updating my projects, stash etc it looks so much fun. If you are on there and reading this blog then please get in touch would be great to make new friends.

Well for the time being that is all i have to say so for now its byebye and I'll be back soon.

Stay warm people.
Take care x

Winter is here!!!

Well i think the time has finally come. Winter is defiantly here. I was walking to work the other morning and it was freezing. I had to DE-ice the car and everything...(i no i said i was walking to work but i park at my mums house and walk in from there).

So out came my trusty hand knitted hat that i made last year. I really like it. Its made from double knitting Crofter by Sirdar. The pattern is a 4x4 rib all the way round and personally i hate doing rib...can't seem to do it quick at the moment. Unlike straight knitting you can just go at it, with ribbing i seem to have to stop between each stitch to yarn forward etc. Maybe that's just my technique of knitting but I'll get there.

So what else do i have to tell you. Well i finished my project yesterday. I was knitting some fingerless gloves....again in crofter by sirdar and they are really nice. I'm going to be posting a slide show of pictures soon just need to decide how to do it.

For you followers out there it would be great to hear some comments from you and i don't mind answering any questions you might have.

Well for tonight that's all i have to say but I'll be back soon with more knitting experiences from me.

Take care xx

My First Projects

So i suppose its time to tell you about my finished and current projects. There are a few both finished and current which we will get to in a minuet.

When i had the urge to pick my needles up again i had no idea what to make. Also i had a fear that i had forgotten the most basic techniques. My grandma never taught me to cast on, she always did it for me and off i went, so it was time to learn the most basic and first technique of them all.

At the time i didn't live close to home so it wasn't just easy to nip and see her. So i turned to the Internet. YouTube is the most brilliant invention in my view. It helped me to learn the basic long tail cast on and refresh my memory of the knit and purl stitch. In later projects it would also prove useful in making socks and other stitches i haven heard of before.

After refreshing my memory of the basics it was time to decide what to make. Now, as i have learnt, the best thing and most basic item a new knitter can make it the beautiful scarf. So easy, no pattern needed really and you can go on for as long as you like!!!! So that was it sorted, i went and dug out my 4mm needles and went a raided grandma's spare yarn cupboard.

As time went on with the first project i decided to experiment with different colours and joining a ball of yarn. So again i turned to YouTube and hey presto a finished first item.

After that i was away making different item here there and everywhere. I went on to creating phone covers which i sold on eBay. As time went on i got a little bit more adventurous and started thinking about my first garment. I went through all the patterns in mums shop and found a very basic cardigan. Choose the wool and i was off. Within a month i had a finished chunky cardigan.

Over the past year i have made many things. Phone covers, toys, jumper (yet to be finished) cable scarf (again yet to be finished) and even socks. I love sock knitting. I may even do a separate post just on my socks as i love them.

Currently on the needles and will more than likely be finished tonight is some wrist warmers. The cold winter nights are drawing in now and need to keep nice and toasty warm.

I'll add as many pictures as i can to my blog so you can all see my items. For the moment people take care and ill be back soon.

Jay x

The First Post

Well this is the first ever blog i have done. Not 100% sure what to write from time to time but i shall try and keep you up to date with all my knitting projects and my general day to day stuff.

So in the first post i suppose i better introduce myself. Well i am Jay (or Jason if you want to be formal), i am 21 years old and live in Wakefield West Yorkshire. I currently work for M+S but that is only during the winter months. In the summer i work as airline cabin crew.

The main reason for this blog is for me to share my knitting. When i was younger i use to see my grandma sat in her chair knitting away and wonder what she was doing. One day, can't quite remember when, she taught me how to knit. It's a skill I've always known how to do but never really got into it properly. Don't suppose it's 'cool' to be at school knitting away, especially if your a boy.
It's only in recent years I've picked it back up again. Cutting a long story short my mum bought a wool shop in Horbury. She was interested in it for a while, she use to work in offices above it. When i use to visit her i went into the shop and saw all the yarns on offer. That was it i was hooked again. I had many different projects running through my head i wanted to do. So i use to buy cheap yarns to start off with and make simple things. Phone covers, scarfs things like that. Nowadays I'm knitting socks, cardigans, toys the list goes on.
Anyway I'm going off the point here. Mum bought the shop last year (2009) and i help out in there from time to time. It feeds my habit in a way, all the yarns and there are experts who come into the shop who can help me if i get stuck. She also runs a knit and knatter class every week which is brilliant. We all show off our latest projects and share experiences but I'll post more on that another time.

Well i hope i didn't ramble on too much or bore you. I will be posting all my latest knits and projects for your opinions so just let me know.

For now take care

Jay x