Trying to find my inner designer

Well its september and where did the time go, have started to think about christmas presents, and have made a start. Anyway befrore I get to my WIPS, I have been very busy the last few weeks trying to find my inner designer. It has been so much fun, yet quite annoying as things havn't gone to plan as I thought. Either my patterns arn't quite right or I've knitted something wront either way my first attempt, the lilac mixed cardi pinned together doesn't work the fronts are far to small yet I counted the rows several times

















My second attempt was the jumper above, I love the way the colours have formed, after my cardi disaster I was thinking about giving it up as a bad job, but the result on this was worth it, just the sleeves to go hopefully they will work as well time will tell. NEed to get hunting for wool to finish it off, my little imp has kindly hidden it from me, like he always does when I need things. Also on the missing list this week are two patterns needed to finish of a jumper for DD and my scarf.

Back to christmas pressies - bellow are a few pictures of what I have started, the black and silver thing is a rio shawl I got from angel yarns, I'm making this up for MIL it's made with ladder yarn which is quite tricky to owrk with and not coping well with the huge needles either. DH has named them flag polls and asked if I could possibly find myself any larger ones.

The picture doesn't really do it justice I don't think, so will post a better onne up when its finished. THe second picture is a sock, knitted from a sirdar patter, kindly sent to me by a member of the AY knitting forum, it has knitted up really quickly on two needles, but think I have used needles a bit to large as it is very stretchy. The pattern asked for 3.25 and I only had 3.45 as the 3.25's I have are stuck on DD's jumper . It is made from opal self pattening sock yarn the ladybird one from the rainforest range. THink next time I try this pattern I will use a plain yarn, has been a bit tricky matching up the yarns round the heal. Should have really subbed the heal wool for a plain colour but my sock wool stash isn't that large (yet!)

Other things on the cards for christmas - the sorbet wrap for my friend also from AY and I am toying with 2 bags for my mu,m, both made from norow yarn I think. One is knitted and felted and another is crocheted but my skills are rather limited at the moment