All of what's been going on

I feel a bit like I've lost my blogging-mojo and I want to find it.  I've been really busy when it comes to making things but when I look at my photos I'm not feeling inspired...  I'm just going to give it a go.

I've finished my Solstice cardigan but I haven't managed to take any photos of it yet, although it's been in almost constant wear since casting off.  I think these were the last photos I took but it shows you something I guess...

I had to do the sleeve again because my needles were a size smaller than the pattern said so it was too tight, but I'm really glad I did and I'm very happy with the fit.

I made some rather cute baby mittens for a friend and I forgot to photograph them.  I'm one hand into making some mittens of my own and I've only got a WIP photo to post ,but lets have it anyway

Lets see...  Oh yeah, my Uncle wanted a rag-doll style Dr Who so this is something else I've been hooking

He is meant to be the Eleventh Dr Who, although obviously he shouldn't be bald and hopefully at some point he'll have a mouth and a fez.

Christmas decorating began in earnest on the 1st, I've heard a lot of people say the start of December is still too early to think about Christmas but I want to make the most of it, so there ♥

I also wanted to see whether the cats would destroy the tree so for the first week I only put a few Ikea baubles on, but low and behold we have ANOTHER cat success story and that is they're not remotely interesting in destroying my tree.  Huzzah!

I've even managed to bake some mince pies (and I remember to do them in cases instead of straight into the tin...)

And I've been enjoying hot chocolate in my varying festive mugs.

And as with most years since discovering them I've been enjoying the Christmas Markets in town, made even better by the fact that I only work down the road now...

And a couple of weeks ago I got reaquainted with my sewing machine and made a cushion from an lovely off cut of fabric I found in John Lewis.

I realise that's a bit of an info overload but I think I needed it!

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Catching up, I knitted a jumper!

I thought I might have posted about a jumper I was knitting but it appears not!  We do our weekly food shop in Aldi now, which suits me because it's a lot cheaper, smaller (I hate big supermarkets) and they have different deals twice a week where I buy loads of unnecessary tat, like oven gloves and bike panniers (because 3 wasn't enough already?).

Sometime earlier in the year they were selling big 3/400g balls of Aran wool so I bought two pink.  In hind sight I wish I'd gone for grey, but J convinced me I already had loads of grey jumpers, and he was right, but that's because I wear & like them whereas this pink might just be a little 'lets leave it in the wardrobe'.

This was my only WIP shot.  So far through I decided one ball was plenty and swapped it for cream (no grey left!).  Right at the end I was convinced I wasn't going to have enough left, to the point of making one arm a few rounds shorter (you can't tell) but guess what?  I had this left...

I found a simple pattern on Ravelry called Brick, which was free and really easy to follow.  Because I've never knitted anything to wear so size and gauge hasn't mattered before I wanted something easy but I could definitely have followed something more complicated, so I've now cast on the Solstice cardigan which in contrast is probably the most complicated pattern I've ever laid eyes on, but I am loving the challenge.

Anywho this is my version of the Brick jumper, not bad eh?

It's called Raglan which I think just means it's knitted in one piece, although you knit the arms and collar after by picking up stitches.  This style definitely suits me, no sewing seams!

I've got a nice stretchy waistband and cuffs (use larger needles for this)

And the collar isn't bad too...

I probably should have knitted the smallest size.  It's funny because non-knitters tell me "oh it will shrink" but as it's acrylic my crafty friends know better!  So far I've not washed it, but if it ends up enormous then maybe it can become my festival jumper.

Is there anything new on your needles* you've never tried before?

*or anything ♥

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