Hessian Shawl – a mono version

It’s been six months since the release of my Hessian Shawl. (Woah, I blinked and half a year went by!) I’d always planned this pattern as a two colour project, with a feature panel to really play with hand dyed, speckled yarns. So I’d never considered I’d make a single colour version. But second time around, when it came to the point where I should switch yarns and begin the contrasting section…I just kept knitting. And I couldn’t be happier with the results.

Hessian Shawl Shortrounds Knitwear

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#2018makenine

Happy 2018 everyone!

If you haven’t already discovered this amazing #2018makenine doing the rounds on Instagram, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?

I think this is a great alternative to setting resolutions for the new year. When do we ever really stick to them?

So I’m 100% jumping on this bang wagon and setting myself nine ‘makes’ for 2018. With the benefit of experience from last year’s reading challenge, I know my goals/projects change and adapt throughout the course of a year, so expect this list of nine to mould and transform across the next 12 months. But for now, here are the nine I’m hoping to tackle and complete this year!

Which nine projects are you hoping to tick off your list in 2018?

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Turning the back page on 2017

It’s unbelievable to me that it is December 2017. This year has delivered the highest highs and the lowest lows for me in all of my 30 years. I turned 30 this year, and rather than shy away and fear the big 3-0, I’ve welcomed it, I mean…I knit, live most of my life in my pyjamas and prefer nights in to nights out. I’m 30 going on 80. Continue reading

I would normally have given up by now…

I’m almost at the end of my Popsugar Reading Challenge 2017, and I’m already thinking of what books I’ll be reading after it ends. So my little experiment has worked! I now read so much more, I listen to audiobooks when I knit, so my other time-consuming past-time hasn’t suffered as a result.

It’s helping me to power through quite a few WIPs, and I’ve even cast off a couple of projects. A moss stitch tie for Papa Shortrounds, the beautiful Speckled Scarf by Purl Soho, We Are Knitters Slushies Top and my Find Your Fade Shawl by Andrea Mowry. All finished! (Updated images to follow soon!)

Let’s hope that when I round off this series of blog posts in December, I’ve been as productive in my reading as in my knitting!

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Latest yarn haul

It’s been a while since I shared a yarn haul on Shortrounds. And following a jaunty trip to Fibre East, and me finally giving in to gazing longingly at Eden Cottage Yarn’s latest additions, it’s a bumper haul to be sure!

Let’s start with beautiful Yorkshire hand dyers – Eden Cottage Yarns. Earlier this year, I chose their Bowland 4ply yarn in colourway Misty Woods to create my Hessian Shawl, and loved the quality and outcome of my shawl so much I treated myself to a few skeins of Hayton 4ply – cashmere and merino gorgeousness! This time in Misty Woods and the ever-so-complementary Apricot Tulip. I’m planning to turn this into another original Shortrounds design – so watch this space!

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Popsugar Reading Challenge 2017 update – halfway there

In between knitting for my latest pattern release – Hessian Shawl, I’ve been reading reading reading. Audiobooks are a knitter’s best friend and I’ve really enjoyed broadening my reading horizons, whilst being able to thoroughly ‘crack on’ with my various knitting projects.

I’m halfway through my journey to read at least 40 books this year, with the help of a little reading challenge by Popsugar. You can check out my progress on my shawl and reading list below!

What have you been reading lately? How do you balance reading and knitting in your spare time?

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What’s on my knit list?

When I first started knitting I focused on one project, and one project alone until it was cast off, ends woven in, blocked, finished. It was methodical, serene, focused – productive.

Since then and over the years I’ve developed a habit of half-starting several projects, to a point where I can now have five WIPs on the go! Developed from wanting to knit for myself, friends, family, work… It’s certainly a more frantic approach to knitting, and one I’m definitely not wanting to encourage. It’s led to a nasty habit of indecision and procrastination. Not a great combination.

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