Scrap Happy

I love 4ply yarn. I'm very much a process knitter, always enjoying the making more than the finished object, and the yardage on thinner yarn means more knitting time for the cash; or bang for your buck if you prefer. I knit quite a few socks. And am hoping to knit more shawls. Which inevitably means lots of leftovers. Skeins are generally sold in 100g lots, and I only have little feet. So what to do with all those little balls of colourful loveliness? A couple of years back, I knitted my mitred square blanket, and got a few pfers on the case too! Well, now the scraps are piling up again........... I've been searching for mini skein projects again and have found the perfect thing. Not another blanket (I'm not mad!) but a scarf. It uses linen stitch to give the effect of a woven fabric. Lovely to look at but very slow going. I anticipate this will be a long term project. Ideal for commute knitting as no pattern is needed, but it's not as mindless as you might think. I've already made loads of mistakes, but luckily it's quite forgiving. What do you think?

Sex Bo-bomb*

OH loves the film Scott Pilgrim but I hated it. I thought it was full of completely unsympathetic wankery characters, he said I was missing the point. Anyway, he wanted a hat. And with the snow falling fast, I thought I'd better get my knit on. He's a conservative chap my fella, but I felt he should try something different to his usual beanies. I found an online pattern for the hat worn by the eponymous Pilgrim, and even though the droopy nightcap style would normally send my OH running screaming into Marks and Spencer, the character endorsement meant he was much more enthusiastic. A bit like Stanley with Scooby Doo underpants. Bless my men. Nothing much to report on the knit. Straightforward, garter stripes. I used Rowan Pure Wool which I enjoyed despite it's strange cotton-y hand, and teamed it with a random blue 4ply I'd been gifted, held double. I think he liked it. On it's first outing, he was cornered by two coy Japanese schoolgirls, who pointed at his head and giggled 'Scott Pilgrim!!'. Made his day. * Scott Pilgrim's 'band'. Yes, the quotation marks are deliberate.

Literary KAL

In addition to my official knitting 'queue' this year, I have also joined a KAL (knit a long). Hosted by the Knitting Goddess forum on Ravelry, this involves knitting one item per month to fit in with a literary theme. Each month has an author's name, and the FO (finished object) must have a link to that author. It can have a pertinent pattern name, yarn name, or a link to the designer. Anything really; the best thing about KAL is how open to interpretation they are. We are only given the three months ahead. So January is Dickens, February is Shakespeare and March is Agatha Christie. I've been looking for accessory patterns, mainly so I can fit them in! I'm also hoping some things can double up for gifts I have planned throughout the year. For Dickens month, I have opted for Pip Squeak socks, tenuously inspired by the hero of Great Expectations. I was hoping for a lacy Miss Haversham pattern, but it seems there is a lack. Designers, take note! The socks are ankle length, so a nice quick knit. And, as always, perfect for my never ending bus commutes. The yarn is Trekking XL, a German brand I have had in stash for years. I can't even remember how I came by it. The colour warms me up just looking at it!