I bought Mason-Dixon Knitting from Loop on wednesday and I just haven’t stopped reading it. It is hands down the best knitting book i’ve read this year.  This year and last year. Seriously.

I love it. LOVE it.

It’s funny, and inspiring, and full of simple ideas and patterns, with enough information for you to make them as complicated as you might ever want. It makes this lace-loving knitter want to wallow it mile after mile of garterstitch, because I see there is a point to it.

Want more info? Let me pimp you some pictures:

See? I mean, I even want to knit with cotton!  But hey, a good book will do that to a girl.

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I promised socks.

Socks!

On the left are the honeymoon socks I finished as part of my Olympic UFO blast. They are made from this sort of stringy merino yarn we bought in Venice.

On the right I’m wearing some Hip Knits Cashmere that a made into a version of the Gentleman’s Fancy Sock from Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush. (I changed the heel and toe, because I like to do that. 🙂

Very soon I’m going to start playing with the Camel Yarn I bought in Florence. It cost THE EARTH but is pretty much the softest yarn I’ve ever owned. Originally I was going to make arm warmers for cycling, and have four balls, but I can’t bear the idea that I might crash and ruin them. So at the moment I’m thinking more socks.

And while we’re on socks…

These are sadly no more. 🙁

The colours were too close, so the pattern looked fine up close, but on the foot, just blurred into each other. Also because I had to go up a couple of needle sizes to get the right overall size, the stitches ended up too big and stretched. So they have been frogged and are becoming what there were always intended to be – another pair of lovely stripey socks. 

I’m half way through the second one at the moment so I’m hoping to show them off (along with my new shopping bag) in the next few days.

But never fear – I did learn a HUGE amount about argyle while attempting them, and I’m looking forward to starting the Deep V Argyle once I’ve finished secret jumper II.

In other news I am currently even more addicted to Top Gear than usual. And for no good reason, except that it is now shown every day on one of the satellite channels (at numerous times), and I think it’s a very entertaining piece of television.  The fact I can’t drive doesn’t matter one jot.

😀

Ok. So firstly I should wear necklaces more often. Generally I should probably accessorise more, because it tends to make you look more put together, and, theoretically it’s fun. Only problem is that i can’t find accessories that i like.

However…

Inspired by Craftlog’s post I clicked over to Art School Dropout’s site.  Her necklaces are incredible! You should stop reading this and go check them out.

Back? Ok. So long story short, I made one of my own, using wire i bought about 4 years ago, and beads and buttons I’ve been thrifting from the crafty-hospice shop for the last few months. There is also a bead from my Gifty3 stash, and wooden beads my sister gave me, as well as plastic beads from japanese pokemon jewelry, and a shell button I got at Liberty when I started knitting kids stuff for friends.  Oh and oval beads from a braclet I bought about six months before I finished my degree.  Also the chain is from the necklace my sister bought me for graduating. I’m intending to share it between this and the pendant she got me. 🙂

Point being, the final piece is full of lots of little memories – which is a very cool side of the Use What You Have challenge that I hadn’t considered before.

(Talking of memories – the tee is an old David Devant and His Spirit Wife teeshirt that I cut into a V-neck, and wore on my wedding day until I put on my dress. 🙂

Inspired by Simple Sparrow’s idea, I have signed up for the Use What You Have Month. Things have started to pile up in the workroom (now that it exists), and anyways my funds are limited until I get another job, so this seems like a good plan for the next few weeks.

I’m including all craft in this – knitting, sewing, and making in general.

I keep saving things for best or for later, and then months pass and there they still are. I’m sure I’m not alone in that. 🙂

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In other news, I have started a pair of argyle socks, based on the ones See Eunny Knit designed. As with most of my socks, I took the main pattern design (minus the seam up the back – though that may come back and bite me in the arse) and used my own choice of heel and toe (or rather I will when I get to them.)

I have been promising to myself that I will get more experience of colour work, (last year it was lace, this year it’s colour).  This project is a perfect way to start.

Later in the year I’m planning to knit the Deep Argyle Vest, and the argyle jumper in Handknit Holidays.  Mind you there will also be shawls (maybe in May once my stash-fast is over) and lace socks.