Knitting at the end of the Year

::Looking back over 2015 it was an exciting one for me in terms of trying new yarns::

::I have to say that one of the stand out yarns was the Mabel & Ivy Coast::I believe it is wound up in smaller lots from the larger Holst Garn cakes that come from Denmark and you can buy Mabel & Ivy in the UK from Tangled Yarn::It is a 55% Merino/45% Cotton 3ply (light fingering) which is ideal for lightweight summer shawls, baby clothes and light tees:: 

::I knitted some shooting socks for my lovely daughter's boyfriend this Christmas::A first for me knitting for someone else but I did enjoy it even if they were so long and so was his foot length::He chose the bright orange and it is from Regia and they had shaped calves which was new to me and I made long garters too use under the cuffs to help them stay up::It did mean I could sit down and enjoy one of my favourite Christmas films "Young at Heart" whilst working on them::

::The highlight of my knitting year had to be my trip to the Shetland Islands for the Wool Week Holiday::I will never forget the trip to Mousa where we lay down at the foot of the Broch at Midnight to listen to the Storm Petrels returning to feed their young::I was wearing my Baa-ble Headband adapted from Donna Smith's Baa-ble Hat and it started a lovely conversation on the boat back with local knitting girls::An experience I will treasure for ever::

::Enjoying a drink outside the Shetland Textile Museum ::

::On that trip I met with three ladies from Jimmy Beans Wool and I was gifted the Sandy Goes to Scotland hat pattern by them and it was a delight to make in honour of these really wonderful knitters, Sandy, Jeannie and Laura::I met so many really exceptional people on that holiday and my knitting life was enriched beyond measure::

::The Sandy Hat::

::Another highlight has been my inspiring knitting friend Lisette of the Flitter Knitter blog which you can see here::We share a love of everything Louisa Harding, the colour teal as well as seasonal produce, cooking and tea drinking::

::"Chrysalis" cardi by Louisa Harding for a knit along::

::I have had a lot of knitting fun this Christmas too::I knitted some Simple House Slippers by Simone A. with some Gnome Acres worsted in "Mistletoe"::

::I joined in with Dani of the Little Bobbins Podcast's Christmas Eve Sock knit along::I used the delightful Desert Vista Dye Works sock yarn in the colourway "Zombody's been kissing Santa Claus" and they are so evocative of the season::

::And on Christmas Day my Husband and Mother, who both understand my knitting passion, bought me a sheep knitting bag by Quincepie Designs on Etsy and some Millifera 100% super wash merino singles sock in the "Rusty Gate" colour::

::So to round off the knitting year I am spending the morning working on a pair of mittens with some Jamieson & Smith aran I bought in their Shetland shop and reminiscing about my time there and making plans for my New Knitting Year ahead::

 

::Ending a good knitting year with some cabled mittens::

 ::Wherever you are I hope you have had a great crafting year and wish you a very Happy 2016::