knitting – University & Unicorns

25 January 2009

5 Projects (+1)

Thanks Wendishness, I’ll try and do this. Not sure if I can generate 5 projects, might have to cheat an include ones already started.

1. Knit a scarf (that I can actually wear outside, in front of people!).
2. Continue on my diet which started as a NYR.
3. Start an exercise regime (help!).
4. Plan a Spring of day trips utilising the free regional bus travel we won late last year.
5. Take a day trip to London in the spring and do something different to the normal scene while there.

(+1) Live happier and healthier.

My five tags (if I can come up with 5 – maybe one of my projects should be “make more friends”?)…

Kelly
Em Squared
Cheryl (aka Hussey)
Barbs (Bec)

Erm…struggling for a fifth. I might have to pike out on four. Should there not be a time-frame for these things? Well, anyway, number 2 on my list I have to do for some time to come anyway. If it is AT ALL possible in the next 18 months to 2 years, I want to get back to being in a healthy weight range. Or at least just be overweight rather than MORBIDLY OBESE!!

24 January 2009

Let’s Get Knitting!

My knitting supplies arrived yesterday and I started off straight away. I got a bit lost at first, then made a hash job at starting with the chenille (which is going to be a little flaky to deal with me thinks – a bit ambitious of me), so switched to starting the cotton yarn.

This is what I’ve done so far…just yesterday.

I didn’t really take in an aspect of what would happen until I thought about it after I’d ordered the supplies. Knitting + cat = curiosity and potential chaos!

This is the shot I took when Chris became over-curious with my knitting…

That was the result of her leaping onto the sofa as I took the photo and obscuring the lens! Thanks Chris!

It took me a while to get the hang of casting on. That was playing with my brain a bit. Then I realised I was doing it wrong! Once I managed a successful cast on, I started a stokinette stitch (1 row of knit, 1 row of purl), just to get me used to knitting again. About 14 rows in, I forgot what stitch to start the next row. I WAS on a purl row, but I was convinced I’d just finished a purl row, so I started another knit row and bodged it a bit, so decided to just change the side of the pattern and continue with knit/purl as I had done.

I’m going to try and make a scarf. Not even sure if I have enough yarn. It might end up being a cravat more than a scarf, we’ll see. I’m just pleased I got the hang of it relatively quickly again 🙂

20 January 2009

Click Click…

I’ve decided to try and take up knitting. I used to do it years ago with my mum. Obviously, I wasn’t the best. I was only about 9 or 10, but I feel brave enough to try it again.

I’ve been wanting to for the past few years now, but didn’t think I could without anyone showing me the ropes again. But thanks to the wonders of the Internet and YouTube, I need worry no longer. There are good little instruction videos on YouTube and I feel like I could get back into it.

Knit and Purl? No probs! lol

I’m just going to start basic. I’ve bought 2 pairs of straight knitting needles and 4 balls of yarn, 2 of chenille and 2 of cotton – I actually can’t wear wool much so I deliberately avoided wool blends.

I’m just going to try and do two scarves initially and see how I get on. I’m getting a little reservedly excited at the idea of trying knitting again. It might stop me biting my nails after all these years too! Doubt it, but at least I’ll be doing something else with my hands while I’m watching TV at night.

I’m getting this coloured chenille…

And this coloured cotton…