yarnalong wednesday

At the moment I'm thinking the wonderful world of blog link-ups, hops, memes, or whatever you like to call them, are just perfect for getting through Blogtober.  It is totally feasible that you could join a different one for every day of October.

Today's is one of my favourites that combines two loves of mine; yarn and reading.

Pre-children and knitwear designing, I worked as a high school English teacher. I am still not-so-gainfully employed by the Education Department and am on long-term family leave. Bliss! So yes, I do like to read but I have to admit the years of baby-rearing did put quite a dint in the pace at which I used to digest books. Quite a dint.

At the moment I've just started reading 'The Help'.

I'm a bit slow to the party on this one, I must admit.  I don't generally "do" popular fiction. The last popular fiction book I attempted to read was 'Eat, Pray, Love' which I really did not like. I thought it really should have been titled 'Eat, Moan, Whinge'.  That experience was enough to make me a bit apprehensive about the hype surrounding 'The Help'.  But then I watched the movie, and knew I just had to read the book.

I have a knitting confession to make.  Prior to yesterday, I had not knit for four days. Four days!  The moving back into our house has been quite time consuming and taxing, particularly as I've taken the opportunity for a real big Spring clean and have rearranged most of our furniture and belongings.  

I am between designs so really was not in the right mindset to cast on a new design, and had somehow managed to pack most of my WIPs away.  I think I was beginning to show the angst so last night I sat down after Book Club and whipped up a new dishcloth; quick and easy no-brain knitting. I'm not sure how it happens but we're running low on these yet again and they are sooo awesome for cleaning the TMX. I gave one to my TMX demonstrator and she loved it too!

The pattern is Grandmother's Favourite.

It is knit in Lily Sugar'n'Cream on Knit Picks 4.5mm Symphony short tips.

Today in my house re-organising I managed to unearth my basket of WIPs so tonight I'm going to try and put a dent in one before beginning something new. I still need some mindless knitting time, and to get a couple of other patterns in the testing process sorted before my brain is ready for something new.  

I think I'll work on this:

The pattern is Cria by Ysolda Teague. This has been quite a long-termish project. I started it about May as part of a Knit-A-Long with a good friend, who didn't quite have the confidence to knit it by herself so I knit along with her to help her out. She has finished hers but mine is still languishing. It probably only needs a couple of sessions of good knitting and it will be done, and I know it will be an awesome cardie. It's been a really great experience to knit someone else's pattern along with a fairly newbie knitter, there's so much that she taught me about what newbie knitters like to see in a pattern.  Once I've finished my Cria I think I will blog about our whole process and the experience.

My Cria is knit in Quince and Co. Chickadee. 

This yarn doesn't have the drape of the yarn the pattern sample is knit in and it won't drop quite as much as the sample yarn either, so I'm going to knit mine a smidgeon longer. I'm also going to do my pockets a bit different to the pattern, but more on that later. 

And one last photo of a WIP today.

This is a little mitt that is just about finished. It is knit on a 30cm circular needle and this shot is just to demonstrate to a lovely reader how I knit on the 30cm.  

I really should finish these mitts....