#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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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.

Hessian Shawl | Shortrounds Knitwear Continue reading

Rowan Fine Silk

Before I write any more, can we just take a moment to appreciate this perfect cobalt blue shade?! When I unwrapped this little beauty I took a full minute turning the ball of Rowan Fine Silk over and over in my hands just watching it change colour with the light. Like most silks this new Rowan yarn has a delicate sheen, but is combined with wool to give it a greater tensile strength than most silks I’ve worked with previously. Laughing Hens very kindly sent me a ball of this lovely yarn in its stunning ‘Peacock’ colourway to get creative with!

Cable braided necklaces in Rowan Fine Silk | Shortrounds Knitwear Continue reading

What I’ve been knitting lately…

It’s Christmas Eve!!!!! And after a few weeks of flying low under the radar, I’ve had some time to finish off a lot of knitting projects that were niggling at me to be completed (you know the ones, projects that keep you awake at night or torment you when you should be concentrating on life admin).

Knitted Christmas presents have been gifted, Etsy orders have been all tied up and commissions are complete. Since I started this little endeavour, I don’t think I’ve ever had a moment when I’ve not had something that I should be knitting for someone else. So now, I have all this free time over the holidays to knit for me – what a novelty! And one I’m not taking at all for granted. As much as I love knitting things for other people, I’m really looking forward to casting off on some knitwear that I’ve been working on for myself.

Mellow Sweater in Pickles Angora | Shortrounds Knitwear Continue reading

Ravelry Faves – part 1

After starting my ‘Knitwear Faves’ series, I’ve been inspired to branch out into a new series exclusively on my ‘Ravelry Faves’. I thought I’d share my stash of ‘to knit’ projects, because let’s face it, after four years of full-on knitting I’ve developed quite the list – on an epic scale! Each month, I’ll run through a selection of both free and paid for projects I have on my Ravelry ‘Favourites’ page, starting with these five absolute beauties for this installment.

Gaptastic Cowl – Jen Geigley

GAP-tastic cowl Jen Geigley - Shortrounds Knitwear Continue reading

Ridgeway scarf wrap – free knitting pattern

I made something for myself!!! This is a momentous occasion. Not that I don’t love making things for anyone else, but it’s lovely to make something and know I’m going to be the one wrapping up in it. So I really treated myself this time. I invested in two massive skeins of amazingly soft, super chunky Cascade Magnum in my favourite colour Camel, which I picked up online from Loveknitting.com

Ridgeway scarf free knitting pattern - Shortrounds Knitwear Continue reading