Blue

I am feeling slightly odd at the moment, a deflated feeling which has everything to do with the manic two weeks I have just had.  Just over three weeks ago I realised that I didn't have very much time to make and finish off some Christmas presents that I was going to hand deliver to save on postage.  At that point one of the projects was only a thought in my mind I had no pattern or yarn lined up, admittedly it was a baby cardigan I needed to make which are usually quick, but I am not the worlds fastest knitter.  So, in what has felt like record time, I have chosen, cast on, off and finished a delightful little cardigan.  The other little cardigan which I cast off ages ago and needed finishing, it had stalled due to the 36 ends that needed weaving in, has been finished off and wrapped up also ready for delivery.  Ravelry notes are here and here.  They were both lovely knits to make up, well perhaps with the exception of all the ends that needed weaving in on the garter stripes cardigan, but if you are looking for baby knits for boys these are both good patterns and you don't have to knit the garter cardigan in stripes.

My house has been largely ignored so consequently is resembling a pig sty and I still have a few Christmas knits to make, slippers, only slippers.  It seemed like a good idea at the time, back in July, but now I am fed up with them I have made so many that once I know how many stitches to cast on I can knit them without looking at the pattern.  I have a few other projects I would love to cast on especially as they would give me some variety but for now I am holding off and will do so for as long as my sanity allows.  Got to knit the slippers, got to knit the slippers, got to knit the slippers, I don't think it will be long before I cave in.......

Knitting

It is more of the same on the knitting and reading front this week.  The Garter Stitch Cardigan is growing I have completed the back and am now working on the right front.  The body of this cardigan is worked in one to the armholes at which point you divide the work and each section (fronts, back and sleeves) are worked separately.   I always forget, as I don't knit them that often, how quickly baby knits knit up.  When I read on blogs, folks who have knitted a baby garment in a week I wondered how they do it but if it is all you are knitting I can see now how easy it would be to do that.  

I have also been working on Slippers I have cast on the first of pair number four, the sole and heel are complete, the cuff is now growing.  I have finally got round to sharing my finished off Antler Cardigan in this post.

I am still reading The Elephant Keepers' Children and I am struggling to put this down now.  The story thus far has been building each of the characters weaving them into the narrative.  There are many characters in this book and they have such wonderful names, such as Professor Thorkild Thorlacius-Claptrap, a builder Svend Sewerman, a computer scientist Leonora Ticklepalate, a detective with a weakness for food and drink Albert Winehappy, I have found it easy to remember them!  Now all these characters are enmeshed into the narrative the pace is picking up to the point that it has become more of a page turner, I am intrigued as to where it will go next and have no idea how it will end.

Joining in with Tami and Ginny.