And this is Block 3, which I did just before lunch today. Didn’t quite get the points of the sails to meet exactly, but it’s near enough for me. I don’t think my cutting out is always very accurate either – something I need to improve.

It was quite straight forward to do.  One thing that the instructions didn’t make clear was how to pin the green and red squares together so that you get them the right way round. But I was on the ball..!

The thing I’m chuffed about is that the points all meet exactly!

The Cosimo scarf pattern is a free pattern which you can download as a PDF here.  The instructions give the yarn requirements to knit the scarf in either Louisa Harding’s Simonetta, Grace Handbeaded or Nerissa.  I was tempted to do it in Grace Hand Beaded, but thought that the Simonetta would make the scarf feel more floaty and delicate and it only took 1 ball.

I don’t knit a lot of lace patterns, and at first I had to really concentrate on what I was doing, to make sure that I didn’t wrong. Trying to rip back lace knitting is not fun. I get confused with the yarn overs etc! But once I got into it, the 16 row pattern repeat became quite easy.

And look.. I even wet blocked it properly with blocking wires and my new blocking mat (which I will tell you about in another post)! Well you have to with lace knitting, don’t you.

You may remember that I received a book on Entrelac knitting for Christmas. Well I was keen to try out the technique, so I decided to try the cowl pattern from the book, using Rico Galaxy Chunky yarn – a yarn I’ve been eager to use.

And this is how it turned out…

I absolutely love the entrelac technique. I even got the hang of knitting backwards (as taught in the book) which saves you from keep turn the work around every few stitches.

The pattern in the book uses a DK yarn, whereas I wanted to use a chunky, so I based the cowl on 4 base triangles, rather than the 6 given in the pattern.

I loved the yarn too. It’s a single ply, so you have to be careful not to split the stitches, but I loved the variegated colours and the sequins add a bit of sparkle.

I want to knit an entrelac cushion I think, perhaps with a different stitch pattern, rather than just plain old stocking stitch.

The pattern called for the hat to be knitted flat and seamed at the back. However as this yarn is self-striping I decided to knit it in the round instead to avoid problems with the stripes not lining up.

The pattern was easy and the yarn is great!

A couple of years later the publishers started a series called The Art of Crochet. I bought a few issues, but I’ve never really been taken with doing crochet very much.

However yesterday, Mum picked up a copy of the Art of Quilting, another new title from the publishers. Each week you get some fabric and instructions to sew a block, which will form part of a lovely looking quilt.

I’m hoping that by starting to collect this magazine for a while, that it will give me the motivation I need to get sewing…

2011 has been an interesting year for me both personally and professionally. Personally I’ve made some lovely new friends and professionally I’ve been able to drop all the website development work finally and just concentrate on Hulu, full-time. I now have a woolly brain, as I told my Mum last week.

I was looking back at the things I’d listed, which I hoped to achieve in 2011, and unfortunately I didn’t achieve many of them. Running a wool shop has just taken over everything really!

I didn’t do more crochet, I didn’t do much sewing, I didn’t write any of my own patterns, I didn’t complete all that many projects…  Oh well!  It gives me things to put on this year’s list!

Speaking of which… here’s what I’m hoping to achieve in 2012 in the way of crafts…

• Sew a quilt
• Learn entrelac and complete an entrelac project
• Finish some of the projects that are languishing in my knitting bag and have been for months
• Do lots more weaving, both on my rigid heddle loom and inkle loom
• Keep knitting and use up some yarn from my stash!

What are your plans for 2012?

Did you get any knitting related gifts?  I got a couple of books:

Entrelac

Handweaver’s Pattern Book: An Illustrated Reference to Over 600 Fabric Weaves

plus…

An inkel loom!

The loom is from Lakeside Crafts, a husband and wife team who make some beautiful knitting/weaving/crochet tools and equipment.  My inkle loom is just as good as an Ashford one.  We saw them at a craft show in Exeter and I did ponder at the time, about getting an inkle loom from them. Mum kept their card and arranged it for my Christmas present.

The band I’ve started is being woven with some Rico Essentials Cotton DK yarn, a mercerised cotton and I’m really pleased with how it is turning out for a first attempt.  My edges are getting neater as I am progressing with it.  I’ve yet to try a pick up technique to get some sort of pattern in the band.  I’ll do that with the next one!

I’ve just spent the last half an hour trying to knit a bauble from the 55 Christmas balls to knit book that I bought recently.  However I keep going wrong on the increase rows and ending up with the wrong number of stitches.  How hard can it be?  Apparently too hard for my little brain on Christmas Eve.  So I’ve pulled it all out and am leaving it now.  I might try again next week.

Merry Christmas!

Edit: Here’s a photo of the gloves!

It’s meant to have a fringe on it, made with the left over yarn, but I decided not to bother with that.  I enjoyed knitting it, the stitch pattern was easy, but I didn’t like knitting with some of the yarns.  The mohair in particular was horrible.  However the overall effect of the mohair with the various ribbon and tape yarns and other yarns is really, really nice and I’m delighted with how it has turned out.