What I did in July

It occurs to me that when I started these posts to keep a record of what I've been knitting or whatever I should really have called them What I finished in ....., because I don't post pictures or write about things that I work on but don't finish. In July for example I spent a lot of time knitting a jumper for my grandson. It's not quite finished so I can't post a picture but it did account for a lot of my crafting time. It's got stripes. I often fall for patterns with stripes and really every time I browse patterns I should have a little note that comes up automatically and screams 'STRIPES - END WEAVING - DO NOT GO NEAR WITH PROVERBIAL BARGEPOLE'.

 

In this instance the warning was nowhere to be heard, or at least not until I had bought the (very expensive) pure Nordic wool. Irritatingly there is rather a lot of this very expensive pure Nordic wool left over and the jumper itself looks a tad on the small side despite my doing the age 3 size, using the needle size specified in the pattern and, as our friends across the pond would say, 'getting gauge'.

 

It's a great pattern though and if you come back at the end of this month you'll be rewarded with a picture.

 

Meanwhile I spent a lot of time stash busting, knitting stuff for a friend who through her local Quaker meeting helps organise a party and gifts for asylum seekers at Christmas. They like warm stuff, which is understandable if they have come from hot places and face winters in the North of England. So in July I produced

 

 

With the exception of the scarf at the top, which would certainly brighten up a dreich day in February I am aware that these are not stunningly exciting pieces. It appears that young men tend to prefer items without pattern or colour so there's no point in doing anything too fancy for them. Which actually is fine because you're not wanting to be challenging yourself with your knitting all the time. And the stripey jumper for the grandson was challenge enough.