and for that matter, a Merry Christmas.
You may, (or may not!) have noticed that I’ve been missing over the past few weeks. Partly because I’ve been busy, as we all have been, with Christmassy things etc. and partly because I’ve been sitting thinking a lot about this blog and blog reading in general, my knitting and spinning and how it seems to take up so much of my time.
This was all made perhaps more poignant as the beginning of the year is also my Blogiversary. January 3rd 2007 was my first entry I think, and as the second anniversary was looming, one which when I started I had no visions of ever reaching, it made me think, as I presume many of us do, what’s it all about and why do I do this?
I spend quite a good deal of time sitting at the computer, for one reason or another, and probably far too much time reading blogs, writing mine and trying to keep up with Ravelry (which I do badly). We all know how the internet seems to eat time, we sit down with a cup of tea and a promise to just spend a few minutes surfing and before we know it the natives are staging a revolution because nobody has been fed, well, perhaps that’s just here, but I’m sure you have done something similar!
So, over the holidays I had a kind of self imposed ban on all things internet related and I kept away. Some days the computer sat quiet, not even switched on to check the news or weather (the boys each have their own). By the way, if you contacted me and I haven’t replied, I’m sorry. Anyway, the days passed and I didn’t seem to miss it at all. My mind was almost made up not to blog any more myself and just read a few favourites at lunch time, after all it would free up so much more time for other things.
BUT. Then I finished a pair of fingerless mittens and when I showed them around the house to everyone, who were all similarly unimpressed, after all, what’s another pair of mittens! I remembered why we read and write blogs and spend time on Ravelry. I had forgotten how important the community is. How much fun it is to read about what everyone else is doing, whatever that may be. I read the email with my blog stats. on and felt a little twinge of guilt at being away for so long. I realised that, however short of time I may be, these things are an important part of my life, not frivolous, but time well spent. The friends I have online that I talk to via email are just as important to me than all my other friends, perhaps more as we have far more in common and I realised I wasn’t prepared to give all that up.
So, for the time being, you’re stuck with me!
I have some catching up to do, so bear please with me. I know it’s past, but here are a few more things that I managed to get done over the last month.
First up. The Cable jacket for my Mum, finished a couple of days before Christmas. I didn’t have time to wash and block it before wrapping it up and the photo is pretty poor, but well I was pressed for time!
It fits well too, so that was a bonus! Knitted in Sirdar Click chunky with wool on 5mm needles. I went down a size on the needles to get a much tighter knit. This yarn was very soft and I had visions of it stretching madly with the weight of this if knitted on anything larger. This jacket took about 15 balls.
This blob turned into a hat for my brother. It’s the Seaman’s Cap by Brenda Zuk, pattern available for free on Ravelry. The yarn is Wendy Velvet Touch, another stash buster, which knits into a fleece fabric, just right for someone who wears very little else!
It was a bit of nightmare to knit with to be honest. Black and fluffy didn’t make it easy to see the stitches.
And finally…
A pair of Main Morning Mitts for my eldest who leaves home early in the morning and is suffering in this very cold (for us) winter. I used two strands of merino held together on fairly small needles to make them thick and virtually wind proof. As you can see, they’ve had a bit of use already.
Well, I think that just about rounds up the rest of the gift knitting for this year.
The pair of mitts in the corner of the photo are the same pattern on smaller needles, knitted with Noro again from the stash. I knitted the first one before realising that they were a bit too girlie for my eldest, so put it to one side and finished the pair just last night.
The Cable Jacket is beautiful – your mom must be thrilled!
yay! Im glad you are back. and I agree the cable jacket is lovely.
its jsut a matter of finding a balance with the computer eh?… easier said than done….
anyway, happy new year!
Gorgeous cable jacket – I bet your mum loves it! The fleecy hat looks really warm too – must try that yarn for my daughters. Happy New Year!