Jumper progress...

Well, I'm pretty bad at one of my new years resolutions so far, the one where I stated I would update on here once a month. I have however, made better progress with some of the others! I've been out walking more, read more, covered myself in tattoos a little more, got a gym routine going and I'm (finally) almost done knitting a jumper! Perhaps it's cheating a little to call this a jumper I knitted this year, but I will have knitted most of it this year and certainly sewed it up (my absolute least favourite part about knitting), hurray! Last time I posted about it was in August! I had just finished the back. I think I sometimes get into 'knit fear'. I've made 'knit fear' up as an expression but it's the feeling I get when I think about picking up my knitting but then freak out and think it's too hard. Recently with this particularly item I've gotten over it, in fact I'm now like 'easy knit' when I pick it up. Does anyone else create their own knitting terms? I started the final sleeve this week so I'm optimistic that I shall probably finish this just in time for some kind of summer heat wave just to ensure that I can't wear it for ages of something terrible like that. I've got a cape and a jumper lined up ready to start once I'm finished... I can't decide which to go with but the cape is in the round so it'll probably induce severe 'knit fear'. 

Have you been to see the Kaffe Fassett exhibition? I went last week - it was brilliant! So much colour and pattern and knit! I adored it. You can read some more about it and see some photos over at I Heart Teaching Art. 

new year

I always feel optimistic in January. There's a whole year ahead that has the potential to be filled with exciting new stuff, which I think is the reason I like setting new years resolutions. That said I don't think I'm particularly brilliant at keeping them. Last year I set myself a whole host of vague to specific ones, including my blog once a week which I randomly stopped doing at week forty-four. I'm not disheartened though I've set out to complete some more this year! I think it's always good to set yourself goals, even if somewhere along the way you realise those goals might need to be adjusted a bit. I've pinned this years ones above my bed...

So I've started well. (from left to right) hand knitted jumper number one in progress, hand knitted jumper number two disassembled and my knitting machine put together! At the very top is my typography sketchbook/scrapbook. I've started sticking down the beautiful type I've found in magazines and I'm blogging! Small steps. Happy new year all! 

week forty-four: apple pie

It was half term this week and it was lovely. It meant I had some free time to do some baking and so I made my first ever attempt at apple pie! I was pretty surprised/impressed that it actually worked I've never tried pastry before, it's made me feel confident about my baking plans for the upcoming festive season! 

week forty-three: pumpkins

I love pumpkins! My attempts at growing them this year were abysmal, I felt slightly better when I discovered for once this may not be down to my not so green fingers, apparently it has been bad year for pumpkin growers everywhere. Anyway I spent this weekend with my best friend whom I was very happy to see as she has been travelling the world for the last year - I've missed her like crazy! We decided to get our halloween on and carve pumpkins, although I must admit I feel a little embarrassed of my blerrghhh sad face pumpkin in comparison to her completely epic detailed one! The weekend was lovely, it was wonderful to catch up, do crafty things and explore the north. Yep! I ventured to  'The North'! I went to Manchester, Preston, Leyland and Liverpool, Liverpool was particularly brilliant as it was the biennial so there was lots of art to see!

week forty-two: quick knits

Matt got a new phone this week so I made him a little phone sock to keep it wrapped up! I like quick knits like this, might be time to start thinking of some quick little knits I can do for Christmas! 

week forty-one: pumpkins

I love autumn! I think it's my favourite time of year, today was particularly lovely as it was sunny but nice and cold! I think that's my idea of perfect weather. I took advantage of the good weather and visited Fanny's Farm to admire their pumpkins, I'm very envious my pumpkin growing antics this year were particularly dismal, no pumpkins for me. Oh well there's always next year...

week forty: more knitting plans

Well I made a rather ambitious new years resolution back on January 1st that said something along the lines of wanting to create my own knitwear collection. As you may have gathered if you've been following my weekly posts, I haven't got very far. It's been an odd combination of time/other things/feeling like I'm having a year of just potting about and brewing ideas rather than actually getting on with it. But yesterday morning I decided to start sketching out some ideas. I decided after knitting some kids pieces (and some adult ones) that a kids wear collection would be perfect in terms of time/cost but that it also probably suits my colour palette and ideas for patterns. I like the idea of 'splashes of fair isle' I'm excited to try and work out a pattern for it!