A love of double pointed needles....

About 18 months after I learnt to knit I decided to try socks. I had been given a ball of sock wool and that seemed as good a reason as any. What I found was that dpns can be really fiddly, and when knitting with 4ply each inch of knitting seems to take forever. I spent most of 2012 avoiding this pair of socks that, quite frankly had me beaten. Every now and again I'd pull them out, add a couple more rows, remember how adding just a couple of rows meant nothing and put them away again. Being someone who likes method and order I couldn't bring myself to start something new with these socks staring at me from the bottom of my knitting bag. I was going to win - except all that meant was I did no knitting.

Just before Christmas that year I finally finished sock number one, and then to my surprise finished sock number two only a couple of weeks later. I was hooked! Since then seven out of nine completed projects have used double pointed needles, from hats to socks to sleeves. Even Hoot was a dpn project (albeit with 5.5mm needles). 

I've just finished these stranded mitts, my first attempt at fair isle knitting. While the tension was definitely not perfect, you can't tell that at a distance and I'm really happy with the overall effect. I've been wearing them the last couple of weeks and the stranded knitting makes them nice and warm. 

And then I've started on a few new projects :

these baby socks (smaller than the last so hopefully they'll be a better fit for the next newborn)

and untangling this microfibre yarn ready to make a mobile phone sock, which I might make flat and seam... just for a change!

Finally back into a ball after a couple of years tying itself in knots in the bottom of our yarn box

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Sunshine and Christmas Traditions

A few weeks ago I was honoured to receive the sunshine award from Jo. As part of the award she wanted to know all about our Christmas traditions and that sounded like a great idea, so we decided to tell you all about ours - and ask you all about yours!

Still being relatively early in our married life we're still making up what Christmas looks like as we go along. Some things we like and repeat, others we decide were better as one off's. Traditions are being started left right and centre - and a few are being continued from our childhoods.

We've spent every Christmas together so far with different people in different places. No two have yet been alike - and that's just the way we like it. We've spent them alone, with friends and with family. Sometimes we've been at our house - sometimes we've visited others.

So when we're at ours, what do we always do?

We often have a real tree. A big one. This started the year we went to our local Homebase where they were all pre-wrapped. With no other way of choosing we went for the one that had the most bulk for its height and then spent the rest of Christmas trying to dodge it as it took over the whole living room. There's something special about the way pine needles get everywhere and can be found for months that we wouldn't miss.

We go to Church. As members of our local baptist church we love getting stuck into the Christmas services. Nativities and carols, contemplation's and celebrations - we'll be at the lot.

We always open our presents slowly. This one comes from both our families. There is definitely no free-for-all with what is under the tree - the presents are made to last as much of the day as possible. Everyone watches everyone else open their gifts and we all take it in turns. Neither of us can imagine this any other way, and so this is one tradition that has definitely stuck.

We start Christmas day with bagels, smoked salmon and cream cheese. This one I think is quite a unique tradition. It was a favourite of ours at a Bristol tea shop and we fancied recreating it at home as something special for our first Christmas together. It worked so well that it's become a fixture.

We spend quality time with family. Regardless of where we are for the main event we make sure that we get a few good days with each of our families over the holidays. Plenty of time for films, games and brisk winter walks.

We listen to the same Christmas music. The first of December comes around and out comes the Christmas music. This is always a complete mix of traditional carols and cheesy classics. Our favourite though, that is played to death for the whole month, is the Christmas album from Straight No Chaser; amazing versions of Christmas favourites - all a cappella. We would definitely recommend it.

We try and make our own cards. We set up a production line and get cracking on these. Its a very different skill to those we make for birthdays throughout the year and often takes some careful though and normally a template or two.

We mix and match our Christmas dinner. We take this very much as it comes. Last year we boned a chicken, and then rolled it up with as much stuffing as it could take. It was very tasty and this year we're thinking of doing the same again - but maybe with a turkey as there will be more of us! One year we had lamb and on another we had a traditional turkey - bones included.

And now we're feeling really nosy and would love to hear all about your Christmas traditions. What do you do? Where do you go? Who do you spend it with? What do you eat? We want to know it all!

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