Striped jumper

 

Ta-da! I'm very proud to present the striped jumper that I finished this week. I knitted a few jumpers way back when I was in high school, but that is a long time ago... I really enjoyed this project and am definitely planning another jumper. That one will be knit in the round though, as I did not enjoy sewing the parts together (I remembered that my grandmother used to do that for me when I was a teenager).

  

I also knitted some other things - another pair of Sail Away DK Socks as a present for a friend,

 the knitted pillow I mentioned in the previous post,

 and to check if I still remembered how to crochet I made a few dishcloths. Turned out I did remember ;-). I have bought a Scheepjes Whirl and am planning another Lotus and Blossom Mandala to hang on the wall in my apartment. I've also started another sock project (great for when I'm traveling), with sock yarn bought at a lovely yarn store in Deventer, where my middle son is now studying.

 He has a beautiful room near the city centre and it gives me great pleasure to see that the dragon and the owl I made for him still have a place in his life:

 My youngest son is currently living in Berlin. I visited him there last month and was equally pleased to see the Sea Colours Blanket on his bed :-).

 I am loving the Research master's programme I am doing at the moment. It is taking up a lot of my time, but there will always be time for needlework - such a great way to relax! I was very happy to discover that quite a few of my fellow students are also keen knitters. (My sewing machine and quite a bit of fabric have made the move to the Netherlands as well, but I have not felt the urge to do some sewing yet.)

More socks, and a bone

It's very quiet on this blog - I'm still spending most of my free time studying, rather than creating. I hope to complete my Bachelor of Arts in June next year! But I do still knit socks. I'm planning to have a pair for each of my three boys as a Christmas present - for we will be in Japan on Christmas Day, where warm socks will definitely be needed!

I'm knitting one sock of a pair at a time and then moving on to the next pair to keep myself entertained. The blue sock is the Rustling Reed pattern, which I am enjoying much more this time. The other two are both the trusty Sail Away pattern - I know it by heart now!

I made another pair of Sail Away socks in DK yarn earlier this year, as a birthday present for a friend. He really liked them and sent me this photo:

Last week I had to mend something, so got out the sewing machine for the first time since finishing Hugo's t-shirt quilt. When that was done, I decided to finally do what I had been wanting to do for a long time: make a toy for Shaggy!

He loves to chew on things (especially socks) and I knew it wouldn't be a good idea to crochet a bone for him, like I did for Barney - he would destroy it in seconds! But I thought a bone made from sturdy denim fabric would be okay. He immediately loved it when I gave it to him:

But sadly he managed to maul it within five minutes... He doesn't have many teeth left, but the ones he has are pretty sharp!

Oh well, back to the drawing table...

Socks... what else?

 Winter is here, and another pair of socks is finished. This pair is a birthday present for a dear friend, who chose this yarn (DK sock yarn from Heathermaid in the colourway 'Outback Storm'). 

And I've started another pair of Rustling Reed socks, using the yarn I bought in Tasmania last year. I didn't enjoy knitting the first pair, but really like the look of them, and thought I'd try it again. This time I don't mind it so much - after the lace socks this is peanuts!

I've also got two more balls of DK yarn from Heathermaid, so looking forward to lots more sock knitting!

Socks again

 The Rustling Reed Socks are finished! As mentioned in the previous blog posting, I didn't really enjoy knitting them, but I do like how they look. And the recipient, my youngest son, loves them too, so that's pleasing :-).

I have started knitting the second sock of the Florentine Lace Socks (see previous posting), but I had cataract surgery on my right eye in early November. Afterwards, I could see really well with that eye, but not yet with the other, so not a good time for lace knitting. Instead I made another pair of DK socks using the Sail Away pattern that I almost know by heart now:

These are for my BFF in the Netherlands, who I will see on Sunday, as we fly out there tomorrow!! She chose the yarn (Oceans, from Heathermaid of course), and I found free printable labels at Billy and Baa. I hope she will love them!

I'm currently knitting another DK pair for my middle son, whose first pair is now a chew toy for our dog, Shaggy...

He chose this yarn, called Turban Shell - I really like those colours! The first sock is finished, I will finish the second one in the Netherlands so he can wear them while we are there.

And I will bring this ball of yarn, so I can start another pair when they are finished! I don't know yet who they will be for, but I am sure I'll find someone ;-)

 (Last weekI had cataract surgery on the other eye and I now have perfect, 20/20 vision - but I will save the lace knitting for when we are back home)