And I’m freeeeee…. freeSTYLING

After my emotional crappiness in the early hours of the morning, I wanted to share something positive, something that made me feel good about myself, that made me feel not-crap.

I spent the morning knitting.  Literally 8.20am-1pm I was knitting like a… well, something that knits really intensely.  The end result was a Milo for my cousin’s baby due in February.  More specifically, it is a Milo that included a little freestyling!  Yeap.  Me.  The person who must follow a pattern, who must follow a recipe, who must do something exactly how she is told to… I freestyled.

Okay, so I didn’t freestyle a hell of a lot, in fact, it was only one row that was different from the pattern… but I love that it worked!  I did a row of eyelets so I could lace through some ribbon to be tied in a bow at the front.  Being that I haven’t had babies for a long time now, it may turn out that ribbon is a pure and simple pain in the ass with a baby, in which case I am sure my cousin will use her brain and remove the ribbon!

Was nice to do something that left me feeling accomplished today.

My latest knitting accomplishments

Just wanted to share some of my latest (finished) knitting projects!
click on the links to be taken to the patterns on Ravelry

Cheer Up (Kelly Brooker/Pekapeka)

Asterism (Janina Kallio)

That Cheeky Kea (Kelly Brooker/Pekapeka)

Quaintly (Kelly Brooker/Pekapeka)

Rainbow Trout (Kelly Brooker/Pekapeka)

Orbit (Janina Kallio)

Milo (with quilted lattice stitch body) (Georgie Hallam)

Another Milo, this time in the Wanganui rugby team colours, for Gabrielle’s teacher’s baby!

#MiloMay final report

First things first – I’m already looking forward to Milo May 2016!!!

Milo May gave me the perfect excuse to stop making, well, excuses,  and finally attempt a Milo, something I’d been wanting to do ever since I saw the pattern months ago.  Mission accomplished!  Not only did I make my very first Milo, I ended up making eight of them and in the process developed my knitting skills and got over my fear of working with circular needles!

I know the Milo is an easy pattern and some people could do them in their sleep, but for me, it was a major milestone-esque accomplishment to successfully complete the pattern – and eight times over!  Over the month of May I realised that I doubt myself far too much and that I can do something if I set my mind to it and refuse to give up… it’s a pretty nice feeling, really.

On top of the personal high-fiving, I was lucky enough to win one of the Milo May prizes, my very own Zippy Wippies WIP (that’s ‘work in progress’ to those of you not in the know) bag!  I cannot wait to see the finished product and to finally have an awesome bag to take my WIPs in when I take knitting out with me!

Lastly, I was lucky enough to see one of the Milos in use by its recipient, Miss Lillian.  Was a pretty cool feeling to see her wearing it and to know it was something I’d created…

Milo #1

Milo #2

Milo #3

Milo #4

Milo #5

Milo #6

Milo #7

Milo #8

Miss Lillian in her Milo

#MiloMay2015 progress report

May, as well as being the month of my daddy’s birthday, is the month of the Milo!

No, I am not referring to the hot drink, I am referring to the utterly gorgeous 0m-4y size knitted vest, designed by TikkiKnits.  I have been wanting to knit it since I began knitting, but always looked at the pattern and thought it’d be too hard.  Well, I decided to bite the bullet and knit one.  It went surprisingly well… so well that I began a second almost as soon as I’d finished the first!  Number two is finished and after a break of a couple of days, I am thinking it might be time to start number three!

I have probably spent more time knitting than I should have – and less time on my school work – but it’s been a form of mental health break for me.  The sense of accomplishment when I finish one, or when I successfully do one of the skills that has scared me off doing it before, it’s amazing.  I don’t feel quite so useless when I look at my completed Milo, and it felt great today to gift the second one to Gabrielle’s teacher, to give to her newborn nephew!

I am yet to do a version with a cable pattern on it, but will definitely be doing one… perhaps for number four, because I think number three is going to have a variegated wool body, and the cable just gets lost in busy wool!

Here are my two completed Milos

If you are interested in the pattern you can get it here on Ravelry!