Sunday, 15 January 2012

A wonderful weekend, (almost) a sock, and another finished YoP item!

To celebrate D's 40th birthday, I conspired to plan a surprise overnight trip to South Lodge Hotel. I hadn't left Little Miss overnight before, but on Friday mum made the 4 hour drive from Wales to stay here with the children so that we could head off ALONE yesterday morning. We have been very fortunate to have stayed in some luxurious hotels over the last decade - something we did regularly before we had children - and were not disappointed.

The room - a Junior Suite called Nymans after a famous local garden - was spacious, beautifully decorated (the colour scheme even matched the issue of Mollie Makes that arrived just before we left!) and had an enormous bathroom complete with a shower big enough for a party and a bathside TV. We also had our own garden area, but it was too cold to do more than look out at it. 

I was really hoping to order from the Midnight Munchies menu but the combination of 3 course dinner (superb locally farmed produce, expertly cooked), champagne, wine, a lavender pillow from the Pillow Menu and the chance to completely unwind, meant we didn't make it to midnight! We are both hoping for a return visit so I can try again! :)
And so onto my Sunday Year of Projects update! Yes, it's the second week in a row that I've posted and I actually have some real progress this week - the new year cull obviously worked in providing fresh motivation as I started my first sock as soon as the pattern book (Socks from the Toe Uparrived. (Edited here - there is an error on Amazon - the Kindle version is just one of the patterns, not the entire book! I somehow missed that it is also available as a Kindle download for 1/5 of the price and no delay - grrrr. )

Anyway, I can't believe I waited so long to make a sock - it's been easy! 

This week I've managed to knit whilst walking, so several inches were completed on the way up to the school. This attracted a little attention and a few questions and comments - mostly positive (I think!) not that this bothers me. Having tied my daughter onto my back rather than using a buggy over the last 32 months, I have become immune/accustomed to a few odd looks, and now there are loads of other people 'babywearing' in our village, so who knows - maybe knitting in public will catch on too. 

Had the weekend of spousal-confinement not gone so harmoniously, I'd have finished this one already. Now it'll be complete during (the final!) Sherlock tonight, and I'll get cracking on the second straightaway as I have the next sock yarn awaiting transformation. But the sock isn't my only YoP progress this week.

While everyone else was in bed on Friday night, I stayed up and practiced speed knitting to make a neckwarmer for My Boy - he struggles to manage a long scarf when he's at school and has no help getting dressed, and it's turned cold. It's actually a bit tight when going over his head, but once he'd tried it he wanted it right away without me making it bigger. If I were making another, I'd add another 10 stitches/one more cable. In fact, I may have to surreptitiously replace it.
PATTERN: modified version of Cherry Garcia (adult pattern) see notes
YARN: Sublime Chunky Merino Tweed - c 35g
NEEDLES: 7mm circulars
I'm so pleased that I sat up until the early hours making it, because it was -6C when we went out yesterday morning at 9am, which may not seem that cold to some of you, but considering it's been mild enough to go out without a coat recently, it felt really chilly. 

So that's it! Back to normality, kid's bedtimes and a night on the sofa. I'll be catching up with the other YoP posts tomorrow, when those across all the timezones have posted.

I hope you've all had a lovely weekend. 
xxxx

39 comments:

  1. So glad you had a lovely weekend. The Hotel looks amazing. It's always so important to remember your a couple as well as parents.
    Your sock is absolutely fantastic!!! It's just bloody brilliant. I will send you a link for a great stretchy cast off.
    Love
    Tickety-boo
    xxxxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much Gilly, your links have been great :) x

      Delete
  2. That looks like a lovely weekend you had yourselves! How romantic to do it as a surprise too.. Thanks for the link to the book.... I aspire to be a sock knitter:)x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was recommended the book by Tickety-boo (Gilly) and it's a great one! Simple and easy to follow. Once the socks are finished I'll do a proper Ta-dah post with the tutes I used to prep for the first sock too (also from Gilly) as they were great confidence boosters before the book arrived and demonstrated how easy all the techniques are for this sock :)

      Delete
  3. Great progress on the sock and I'll be checking out that book for my kindle, thanks for the heads up. Love the neck warmer and just perfect for little ones.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great progress on the sock and I'll be checking out that book for my kindle, thanks for the heads up. Love the neck warmer and just perfect for little ones.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Ruth. Please note the edited note on the post - the Kindle link by Amazon is actually incorrect.

      Delete
  5. Hooray for romantic weekends away. God on you for arranging it.
    I've been put off buying knitting and crochet books for the kindle because I was concerned about the clarity of the diagrams. Do you think I am wrong to worry about this? I'd be interested to hear what you think,

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi - I haven't bought any patterns for it yet, I usually download from Ravelry and save all my patterns to Evernote or Goodreader so I can access them everywhere (web, iPhone, iPad etc) but I have bought kids' books with illustrations before now and they look absolutely fine on the Kindle so I wouldn't envisage a problem for a knitting pattern or chart as long as it's actually formatted for the Kindle (ie an official download etc)

      Delete
  6. Wowee that hotel looks lovely, I've just made sure that my hubby knows what he is failing to get right in our marriage!!

    The sock looks good, and knitting while you walk is very impressive, I know I'd fall over, I see that your obviously looking at your feet and not your knitting, but I'd still end up on my bum I reckon.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. i did drop one stitch actually but luckily noticed it right away and managed to salvage it with only a few seconds of standing still :)

      Delete
  7. The hotel looks amazing! I love staying in hotels (actually my real love is log cabins, but hotels are a close second)

    The sock is great. I've added that book to my wishlist. I'm about 1/4 way through my second sock. I haven't had much time to work on it over the weekend, but I'm going to be doing some whilst watching Sherlock too.

    I too have some more sock yarn waiting to be knitting up and I can't wait to do so (it's rainbow yarn :D)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What did you think of Sherlock???? I felt the ending was a bit disappointing to be honest. How on earth?!? We thought he'd jumped in that laundry/rubbish truck and throw JM's body over in his coat, but the face was definitely SH and I don't see how he could possibly have survived that!

      Delete
    2. I lost interest in the last episode about 3/4 of the way through, I couldn't say whether it was because I was more interested in my knitting or because it was too hard to follow, or because it just wasn't interesting enough to keep my attention but I lost track of what was going on. I saw the end and like you I thought it was a bit disappointing, I don't like endings that aren't explained, it bugs me.

      Delete
  8. Wow. I struggle to knit sitting down sometimes, I know I'd come to grief if I tried it walking too. I absolutely love those socks - so pretty! - and the neckwarmer too. Small Girl is asking for a pink sparkly scarf, but I think she'd be safer (and warmer) with a loop.

    Your night away sounds wonderful. Gotta love a great hotel!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I definitely think that a loop is the way forward for littlies. I am going to make one for Little Miss. Might make it to match her One Day Beret so it'll be a plain one in stocking stitch as the yarn is very colourful!

      Delete
  9. Your sock looks awesome, and he looks like he really likes his neckwarmer....let us know if you manage to sneakily replace it he he

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks - I will do! He managed it fine this morning, so fingers crossed it'll last him a little while.

      Delete
  10. What a perfect cowl for your son; he is gorgeous! Scarves can come off, get stomped on, and dragged about yeah? The tube is perfect to slip on and off and stuff into the backpack.
    Yeah, another sock knitter is born! Great yarn you've used.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! I love the yarn although I didn't realise there'd be so much brown when I bought it online :D

      Delete
  11. Looks like a fantastic night away!
    Love the colour of the socks.
    I think I'm going to have to make a cowl for my son. Looks really good!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A cowl is definitely the way forward for the kids, I think. x

      Delete
  12. Sounds like the night away went well - what a beautiful place to stay. Those socks are awesome and to think you can walk AND knit .. boy oh boy that's amazing. I think your little boy is so cute and the neckwarmer is ideal for a young child.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well I don't think I could knit anything complicated while walking but just going around and around a sock is fine :D

      Delete
  13. Wow, that hotelroom looks perfect! That neckwarmer is so cute, love the cables and the color. Socks are still something I need to learn, but I have other projects that I would love to do first. Your sock looks perfect.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am so glad I finally tried socks, but I also think they could be addictive (relatively quick, small & portable, not too expensive etc). Not the things to start when you have a list of other priority knits! :)

      Delete
  14. Fab sock! They're so much easier than people expect, don't you think? Love the neckwarmer, sounds like a perfect solution for any kid actually, scarves always seem to end up dragging on the floor!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Totally! I have been in awe of all the socks for so long, and I had no idea I'd be able to make one so easily. It is a SIMPLE pattern, but I figure the basics are the same - just with a pattern on it! I like the simple lacy ones in the book, so once I've made the kids the socks they have now ordered, I have the perfect yarn for those :)

      Delete
  15. Nice sock, lady! :)
    Have a great week.
    xo,
    wink

    ReplyDelete
  16. He's so cute in his neck warmer. Kids don't do well with scarves, plus there's the whole safety issue of getting the scarf caught in a play item on the playground. The neck warmer is a good solution. Love the color and the pretty cables. The socks looks awesome.

    ReplyDelete
  17. It looks so cute on him and I doubt he'll give you a moment to add any inches to it!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Your boy looks positively cozy with that neckwarmer pulled up over his chin! Good work. Also love the sock. Once you get the hang of it, sock knitting really is easy, isn't it? And there are so many gorgeous sock yarns and sock patterns to play with!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh I know!!! I'm lucky to have some gorgeous sock yarns here that I've stashed for hexipuffs/Beekeeper's Quilt but I'm trying to use some cheaper yarns at the moment while I get my sock groove :)

      Delete
  19. Hi Sarah,
    I love reading your blog & seeing all the beautiful crafts you do. I'm in awe of how quickly you get things done :) Your sock is lovely; would you share what the yarn is? Thanks, Jo x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Jo, lovely to get your comment - thanks for saying hello! :)

      The yarn is Regia Design Line, Kaffe Fasset. Once I've finished the pair, I'll post links and a bit of a review of the pattern and the yarn, hopefully that'll be on Friday x

      Delete
  20. A lovely weekend! I a dying for a little get-a-way with the husband as it has been about 4 years since the last time! It has been cold here too, and I am thinking one of those would be delightful for my granddaughter--I just ran over to Ravelry and put your mods in my favorite list!
    *smiles*

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking the time to comment, and being part of the Crafts from the Cwtch community

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
DISCLAIMER: Crafts from the Cwtch is part of the Deramores, Craftsy, Etsy, Creativebug and Amazon Affiliate programmes and works with a few carefully selected sponsors. Where posts or projects are sponsored, the opinions will always be entirely my own. You can find out more about affiliate links and blog sponsorship here.

Hello and welcome. If it's your first visit you may like to start with my most popular tips & tutorials, or the patterns. You can read more about me on the 'Hello' page and you may also like the CftC pages on Ravelry, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Etsy. I hope you enjoy your visit! Sarah
Follow

Never miss a post

Craftsy
Thank you for visiting these links. Further sponsor opportunities and details on affiliates are here.

................

As seen in...

Knit Now 50 Knit Now Cover 48 Let's Knit issue 80 Simply Knitting issue 115
Feel free to link to this blog, but please do not use any of my images without permission. Powered by Blogger.
Crafty Blogs
(based on today's UK hits only)

Archive