I was typing something about being back, not sure where to go with it etc. but then I realized I’m a bit of a broken record about this. It’s not the first time this happened and I don’t think it will be the last time either. Maybe it’s time for me to just accept that I sometimes don’t feel like blogging for a while, without making excuses? Yes, I think it is. So I’ll skip explanations and just pick up where I left off.

Joining Nicole’s Crafting On today. Here’s what I’m working on:

:: a granny stripe blanket. But I already know it won’t be just stripes, since I simply don’t have enough of that yarn. This was a bag of scraps (mostly angora) that I found at the thrift shop. I have some lilac mohair that I plan to add, hoping it will be enough to make this at least a baby blanket.

:: a summer sweater. Knitting has been hard for me lately (arthritis), but right now it seems to be less painful. I hope to keep it that way. I have so many plans…

:: during my blogging hiatus there wasn’t much crafting (yes, there is a connection- no crafting, no blogging, or maybe ‘not feeling like crafting’ is the same thing as ‘not feeling like blogging’. I don’t know, but I always come back to both). A few weeks ago though, I itched to just make something, so I made some granny squares for KAS.

It’s good to be back 😉

I still wasn’t done with the yarn the girls got me for Sinterklaas, so I finished the pillowcase I started last December and then I made another one. For the backs I made two white squares, one knit diagonally, one a big granny square.

The rest of the yarn was made into squares for KAS.

Total count: 1 hat, 1 scarf, 2 pillowcases and 6 squares, all made from my lovely gift of five skeins of yarn (well, seven if you count the white). Not bad!

It wasn’t just my sewing that came to a hold these past months, my knitting basket was left untouched too. I was working on things, but not much.
That was my own fault. I wanted to knit a cardigan for my husband. The first was too small, so I frogged it. My own fault, I don’t like gauching and usually just guestimate and start knitting. That usually works out fine, but not this time. The second version should have been right though. I counted, did the match and compared to one of his best fitting cardigans. But it turned out huge. At first I was in denial about that, but after knitting the whole body and a sleeve I made him fit the thing. Hmn. Okay, frogged it again.

After a while I realized that this project might be the reason I just didn’t feel like knitting anymore. So I opened my new Elizabeth Zimmermann book and started a Tomten Jacket.

Finished in just a few days. I’m not sure how small this is, I think a nine months old baby fits into it, but I’m not sure, there are no babies in my life (and the ones I had were tiny). There are no plans for new babies or grandbabies either, so I’m not sure what to do with this. It was fun to knit though and that’s what counts.

Oh, those buttons. The yarn was thrifted, so it could have been a cheap project. But although I have jars of thrifted buttons too, I couldn’t find what I had in mind, so I bought new ones. Silly. But I love them on the cardigan.

And now… I’m back at it and started all kinds of things.
Want to look inside my basket?

It’s loaded. With:

:: a hat

:: a cardigan (for me)

::squares for a blanket

:: another hat (actually two, there’s another one one beneath the one I’m working on)

:: and the needlepoint I’m working on. My grandmother started it and I’m trying to finish it. It’s going slow. I like knitting better.

Oh, and maybe someone remembers the giant granny square I started six months ago. That’s still there too, but it didn’t fit into the basket anymore, so it got it’s own basket.

Upstairs I’ve got another big basket full of yarn. I won’t be done knitting soon…

This used to be my knitting basket, but the cat decided it’s his place to sleep and he’s not amused (understatement) when I try to get to my knitting.
So I decided it was time to find myself a new basket. Not an easy task, since I needed something with a lid to prevent the cat from moving his naps into my knitting.

I found the perfect one and it’s already quite full, since I had a case of startitis.

 

The purple cardigan I started last december. It’s coming to an end, but I wanted to work on something else too (I heard that helps with the pain in my hands).

Soulemama released a new hat pattern. And since I loved the other one so much, I had to try this one asap.

I found this real wool at the thriftstore, two colors of the same brand. I want to make a sweater from it. For me. Again. I know, so selfish.

But this one will be for my husband. I am planning to make a sweater for every one, but I’m not sure that will really happen.

I also am into crochet again. I’m not very good at it, but I like making granny squares. And I loved these colors together, so I decided to make a giant granny to make a spread for our bed. I have my work cut out for me for a while…

Also in the basket: a zippered pouch a dear internet friend send me, that I use to hold my notions.

I did a lot of knitting and crochet during my break.

This blanket was not really my idea of fun. I still don’t like the colors. But it is nice and warm and a great stashbuster.

When that was finished I moved on to something fun. I tried knittig a hat on two needles.

 

And when that worked out allright I decided to try soulemama’s pattern.

 

And then I made it again. I like to knit that pattern, not too complicated, but not boring either..

I made a matching neck warmer. I panicked first because I forgot to make button holes (it was going to be a scarf and then I changed my mind) but um… holes? Yes, we have those. Duh!

The last scarf was a stashbuster too. The light yarn I already used when I knit all those scarves for Sinterklaas, the dark blue was in my stash for years. It’s funny stuff, but the result is really soft.