Blissed out

Lois Daykin Love Part Two

This was one of the last things I completed before having Maya (I can't believe it's almost 8 months ago now - scary!) It's from the gorgeous Lois Daykin Baby Knits book which is one of my favourite baby knitting books of recent years.  It was a challenge to get my head around the cables but I actually really enjoyed knitting it in the end - it was nice to be able to concentrate on something but not too challenging to cause tears and cursing!

It's knitted in Sirdar Baby Bamboo which I really like - very soft and drapey. It's still a bit big for Maya but it's going to look lovely with a summer dress if the weather ever improves.

Stash Building Splurges

I've had a knitting splurge of late - I just couldn't resist two new Kim Hargreaves pattern books.

Misty is just gorgeous - full of really wearable designs in beautiful muted colours.  I'm totally smitten by Sage - which I thought would be a stretch of my knitting brain - all those cables and fanciness.  But I've started it and it's actually more or less a 4 row pattern repeat - not too taxing at all.  I'm feeling rather smug with myself - at least for now!  Definitely not one to do with a glass of wine on a Friday evening though!

So for those nights when I'm feeling in the mood for something requiring concentration I'm also tackling Ruby from Kim's other new book - Breeze. 

 

This book is totally gorgeous too.  Lots of relaxed cotton knits - perfect for spring and summer.

 

I recently seriously increased my stash.  I've never really gone for the coveting yarn before - it seemed far too extravagant, plus I've been sticking to baby knits for so long that I didn't really need many more than a ball or 3 for most patterns. Listening to my knitting group friends they all talked about their stashes and any visit to Ravelry tended to make me feel a bit inadequate in the stash department. 

But that was before I discovered Black Sheep Wools in Culcheth which has a fantastic warehouse selling yarn at ridiculously cheap prices (online prices are pretty good too.) I managed to get 16 balls of Rowan Luxury Cotton DK for £1.50 per ball and some Louisa Harding Kashmir Dk for around £2.00 per ball.  

Plus some lovely soft Mirasol naturally dyed cotton for the Sage pattern in a nice soft green which was also £1.50 per ball (knits beautifully too.)

So my stash pile has grown immensely already - I've got it all in a basket by where I sit and it makes me so happy seeing all the colours mingling together in there.  Yarn as art and home decoration - lovely.