A loose end

Yesterday I finished both a sock and a baby blanket. Woohoo! Free needles! Time to cast on something new.

Ends? Must mean a finished blanket! I'll share the finished pictures soon.

But I can't decide what to cast on.

The things I want to cast on (two jumpers to match the blanket I've just finished and a cardigan for a friend's new baby) require (1) yarn to be ordered and delivered, (2) the patterns to be written (or at least the maths to be done and charts drawn). The sock I finished needs its mate to be knitted, but I just don't fancy it at the minute and I need to make sure I've finished adding the corrections to the pattern before I cast on.

I worked on my Antler cardigan/jumper at the weekend, but the gauge on the sleeve doesn't match that of the tension square (I'll wash it and see; worst case scenario is that I have to mess about with the maths for the rest of the jumper, which I was going to have to do anyway to do the cardigan-jumper conversion; actual worst case is that I have to start again. I'm not going to think about that).

I considered casting on a shawl in the Malabrigo Worsted I got for Christmas, but I haven't had time to wind it yet. Maybe that's a job for this evening. Or another day.

 It would appear I am at a loose end. Maybe the best idea is just to sit on the sofa and work on my sock yarn blanket for a day or two: I think I got to day eleven on the advent squares...

But a big tick in the box for positivity: the sun shine today, all day! For the first time in months. Spring might be on its way!

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The Knitters' Gift Guide 2016

Christmas is fast approaching, and if you are a knitter who wants to add a few more things to their Christmas list, or someone who needs to buy a gift for a knitter, look no further. Here is a selection of knitting-related items that I would love to find under the Christmas tree.

Background image from PublicDomainPictures on Pixabay

An animal head: I had heard about Sincerely Louise's animal heads through social media and very nearly came home from Yarndale with her unicorn head. Louise has a large selection of kits in her Etsy shop. Knitted in super chunky weight yarn, these are definitely a talking point.

Sincerely Louise's Unicorn head

Some woolly jewellery: Another shop I discovered while at Yarndale, Max's World sells jewellery with a yarny-theme, from acrylic necklaces that shout 'KNITTER' to earrings made from tiny balls of wool. I love them all.

A selection of the gifts available from Max's World. Images copyright Max's World

Funky stitch markers: Can't remember what type of decrease to do when? Yarnistry's laser cut stitch markers are there to help. Brightly, coloured and hard to ignore, these stitch markers feature common knitting abbreviations to make it easier to keep track of what you're doing. Yarnsitry also make fab needle gauges that have a slot you slide the needle tip into to work out the size, rather than having to guess which hole your needle will fit in.

Something for the home: If you feel your love of yarn should spread beyond the yarn basket, this mug from Debbie Bliss might fit the bill - it has garter stitch on the outside and knitting instructions on the inside.

Some pretty yarn: plenty of recommendations on this front:

Anything by Mothy and the Squid. Mothy and the Squid's yarns are hand-dyed in Glasgow and come in a huge variety of bright colours, with rainbows, stripes and mini skeins a speciality. I have never managed to look at her shop without adding something to my wishlist.

Beautiful yarns from Mothy and the Squid. Images copyright Mothy and the Squid

Malabrigo Worsted is wonderful to work with, it's soft and comes in amazing colours. One skein would comfortably make a hat, two will make a good-sized crescent shawl (Susan Ashcroft has lots of designs that can be made in any weight with around 400 m of yarn). I am coveting the Purple Mystery.

Fyberspates Vivacious 4ply; made by a British company, Fyberspates yarn has a beautiful shimmer to it, and comes in intense jewel-like colours. I have a skein that I bought a couple of years ago that I have been known to pet; it might be too beautiful to actually make into anything! One skein will make a pair of socks, or a crescent shawl; I made Helen Stewart's Spindrift shawl in the summer, and this yarn would be perfect for it.

Spindrift shawl, which would look great in Fyberspates Vivacious 4ply

Hope this gift guide has given you a few ideas; do you have any other suggestions of must-have items that I should be adding to my list?

*This post conatins affiliate links, see the Disclaimers and policies page for more information. All items are subjecvt to availability.*