It's my birthday! I've left the teens behind me at last! I baked my birthday cake using a sponge cake recipe from Delia Smith and used Morrisons frosting because I can never get frosting to go right! And I've wanted some of those chocolate pieces since I first saw them, again Morrisons own brand. Nom! I'll let you know how it turned out when we've tried a piece (I'm all pigged out on cherry bakewells and double chocolate cookies!).
Dom surprised me with two knitting books, Toe up socks for every body by Wendy Johnson and Brave new knits by Julie Turjoma. He'd checked out my Amazon wishlist and picked the things he thought Id want most right now :) Which right now is knitting related books (my sewing mojo is still MIA). So we went to Spins and Needles and I picked out some yarn and needles. I've started the Rosebud socks from Toe up socks for every body :) I'm knitting them using two circular needles which I've never done before. The patterns also use charts, which I've also never used before. The book gives a really good explanation of how to follow a chart and I can actually do it! The yarn I picked is Ranco solid by Araucania, and the needles are Knit Pro. So 4 ply yarn with 2mm needles. . . .These might take a while! lol Here's a couple of photos with my progress so far.
Can you see the first rosebud in the middle? I'm really enjoying doing the lacework, it's something I've never done before and its nice to have a challenging knitting project on the go. I feel like I've come on in leaps and bounds with my knitting in the last couple of months and I'm really proud of myself. I still don't feel like I could knit a cardigan, but I've looked through a couple of the patterns in Brave new knits and understand most of it! :D
Not forgetting of course my big present from Dom that he let me have super early:
I'm going 'home home' on Monday for the evening and can't wait to see everybody. My aunty is also coming over and I haven't seen her in ages :) And mum is cooking one of my favourite meals and getting in some of my favourite party food, so it should be lovely.
Have a lovely weekend!
Ashley x
Happy Birthday!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThose socks look fantastic!! I'd love to give lace a try, is it really tricky?
S x
Happy Birthday!!
ReplyDeleteSo youre cancerian? Me too, it was my birthday on Wednesday but im well beyond my teens now. Just entered the late twenties, which frankly- are awesom! Each year life gets better so I wish the same for you.
I'm tempted by the toe-up book. It's on my wishlist too and I've just bought the circular needles so I'm going to be really interested in your progress. I only learnt to knit last Xmas and I immediately decided I prefer crochet BUT I really really really want to learn how to knit socks because crocheted socks look awful. So even though all I've ever knitted is tester squares I'm willing to dive head first in and drag myself through it... Even when I cried when I learnt to knit. It can't be that bad, right? :s
Happy Birthday!! And great present :)
ReplyDeleteHAPPY BIRTHDAY! looks like a fantastic cake!
ReplyDeleteThat looks like a very yummy cake, i hope you enjoy it - you can't go wrong with Delia!I hope you've had a great day. Your knitting looks fantastic, i love the colour of the wool - and you are so speedy! Have fun at home with your family :)
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday!
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday! And what amazing presents! Love that red sock - I must look at that pattern again, I hadn't noticed it and it is lovely!
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone! :) I had a lovely relaxed birthday thanks to Dom, he wouldn't let me lift a finger! :)
ReplyDeleteSarah, the pattern I'm doing at the mo isn't, the stitches used are: knit, knit through back loop, purl, yarn over, knit 2 together and slip slip knit. All really easy and are all explained the beginning of the lace patterns chapter in the book! Its the easiest pattern in the book, so it does get harder. As long as you follow the chart carefully, you'll be fine! :)
Lianne, thank you! Happy belated birthday for wednesday :) It's a good book, it explains all the techniques used. The trickiest bit is the cast on, but there are youtube videos that make it easy to do if you can't visualise the instructions (like me) Once you've got the basics, you can do any pattern! :)
Thanks Suzy :) And it certainly was Mimi, it was gobbled up super quick! lol
Thanks Kat, I discovered I'm actually a slow knitter when I went to the toe up knitting class! And unfortunately its all been frogged as the gauge was wrong!
Thanks Nicki :) You should Roobeedoo, it's really simple and I'm sure it could be memorised by someone with a better memory than I've got! lol
Thanks again everyone :) Hugs to you all!
Ashley x