I have decided to do a KAS blog.  The diary of a KAS knitter, warts and all.  It will contain, I think, my journey as a KAS knitter.  I'm sure there will be 'red herrings' aplenty and I'm not sure how regular the entries will be.  I have to learn how to put photos of my KAS work into my blog and maybe even one of myself since no-one at KAS has any idea what I look like. There will be highs and lows [the times when I cease working for KAS for a while, for instance].  It will tell of the KASers who have inspired me and of the KAS things which have excited or upset me [the photo of ragged children pressed up close to a chain link fence, looking at the children in a crèche getting their blankets and presents, for instance.  I think they got snacks and left over beanies poked through the fence].  Heart breaking I know but it's Forum entries like that, that lead me to renewed vigour in my KAS knitting.

 I've just checked over the squares lists for my contributions to Knit-a-Square [patchy to say the least].

During 2011 KAS received from me a whole 17 squares!

2012 I sent 25 squares, 3 tops and 4 hats.  If I remember rightly 2 of the hats were fair isle and the tops were knitted  from an old Oxfam  pattern.  They were similar to Zanny T tops, but the sleeve parts were garter stitch instead of 2/2 rib [which made the sleeves longer].  One of these tops was navy blue and yellow, but I have no recollection of the others.  I still have that Oxfam pattern and since I'm very fond of it [I knitted dozens of them before they were no longer considered acceptable by that organisation], I may have to knit a couple for KAS.  The 4 KAScuddles I knitted in 2012 are not recorded, although my name is mentioned in April 2013 list but nothing is recorded as having been received. So this must have been when they arrived.

2013 was a bumper year for me.  I noticed from the Forum that the number of hats received greatly exceeded the number of blankets, so I made a pledge to knit 10 blankets worth of squares in that year.  This I did, adding 2 tops, mittens and scarves to my tally [oh and another  KAScuddle].

Production has tailed off somewhat during 2014.  5 tops have been sent, most of these  being made as a result of Ronda's January winter challenge.  I think I noticed that less than 400 tops were received by KAS in 2013, so I've decided to make this my year  of jumpers/sweaters/go overs/vests etc.  It would be nice to be able to post photos of another 6 this year.  This would rescue my 2014 tally from the doldrums.

I just had a look at my KAS photo albums, only 2 years worth as I wasn't photographing my KAS knitting before then, in fact it was ages before I discovered the Forum.  The first thing that happened when I accidentally found myself on the Forum was seeing a photo of a new BIGGER KAScuddle.  WOW, AMAZING!  I'd never seen anything like it, how very practical, I thought.  Nothing would do but I MUST make cuddles.  I spent ages winding fine yarns together to make lovely soft thick multi-coloured yarns to work with.  I thoroughly enjoyed making cuddles; in fact I enjoy all my KAS knitting [and crochet].  This probably accounts for my sporadic tallies.  | go at it like a bull at a gate, then have a rest from it for a while.  Then I have a session catching up on Forum news and find out that something is particularly needed or that there is a monthly challenge that inspires me and I'm off knitting again.  Or I see a photo of someone else's work and I think, that's gorgeous, I want to make one.  I'll never win any prizes for consistency, but I really do enjoy knitting for KAS. 

30th October 2014

I haven't cracked the adding photos thing yet.  In fact merely choosing a photo of myself was traumatic enough.  I never realized before how vain I am.  I always thought that either I just plain look like an old clown, or that cameras just don't like me.  Terry and myself had a photo session the other night to get an acceptable photo of me for KAS.  Disaster!  Terry eventually said I don't photograph well in artificial light [that was nice of him!] and he showed me some sort of ok photos he'd taken of  me outside when I wasn't aware of having a camera pointed at me. 

The other thing I have to work out is where to put my blog.  But that's for another day.

I seem to have decided that this is my year of tops for KAS.  So far I've done:-

Kathy's Cozy Jumper....................2                 the other Cozy Jumpers were knitted last year

Heather's Winter Warmer..............1

Zanny T Slipover...........................1

Wendy's slipover...........................1

At the moment I'm working on a Wendy's slipover type of no sew crochet slipover [just for a change from knitting]

I want to try a Grace Vest this year as well.  Then, if I have time I'll have another look at the Book.

It would be nice to manage 10 tops this year.  That's what I'll aim for I think............

P.S.  I just had a peep at the pattern book and on the crochet go-over page,  there's a picture of a go over in crochet trebles [American doubles].  I fancy having a go at that as well, only doing crochet rectangles instead of squares to add extra length.

2nd November 2014

The Wendy's slipover type of no sew crochet slipover just didn't work out, so I pulled it back. I'm now doing the crochet go over and am on my 4th rectangle.  Photos to follow.  I've noticed that since I started my blog  I'm doing more KAS knitting and crochet.  So that's a plus.......

7th November 2014

Have finished my first Go-Over in crochet.  My word, what a lot of sewing up......!  Am now on my first Grace vest.  A smaller, quicker and more enjoyable project altogether.  I might make more of these until Ronda's probable January request for long sleeved [probably bigger] tops.  I seem to be driven to knit biggest sizes, this may account for the 'ups and downs' of my KAS production.  8" blanket squares seem to have gone out of the window for the moment.  oh well, I daresay they will come around again.........

11th Nov 2014

No photos yet, but I have been shopping in the KAS shop [pension day last Friday].  This time I bought the heritage blanket pattern book with my blanket support for a gogo [ I like to put a tiny bit of my brass into the S. A. economy].  The heritage blanket book is amazing. why have I never bought it before now?

As well as collecting yarns for my own heritage blanket [greys and yellows with touches of black and white, I think],  I may do an 8" square version of 35 squares in varied bright colours and textures of yarn for KAS.  I'm sure Team S. A. will take care that they stay together if I tie them together in a bundle.  

So last year was the year of blankets for KAS.

This is the year of tops.

Next year can be the year of the heritage blanket[s].

31st December 2014

Well, my 2014 tally of tops for KAS fizzled out at 8.  That's due to knitting [and crocheting] double knit yarn, it takes such a long time, very discouraging.  I also wasn't altogether happy doing tops without sleeves.  I like to make larger, long sleeve tops, which is probably why Kathy Platt's jumper appeals to me so much, nice and thick with plenty of growing room and warm even for a child without another jumper  I think any tops I make in future will be chunky [or two strands of double knit] which is quick to knit and long sleeved.  2014 has been my year of trying out different patterns in the pattern book.  I've tried out 6 different top patterns, which I've enjoyed doing, but I'm right back where I started, with Kathy's Cozy Jumper.  I have a lovely rust coloured chunky yarn awaiting a ball or two of contrast to make it more acceptable to a child.  

BUT 2015, as well as belonging to Kathy's cozy jumpers, will be the year of the heritage blanket.  I'm collecting double knit yarn in bright colours [and contrasts and different textures].

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  • Oh boy have I something to share this morning!  I was at my Calder Quilters group yesterday and there were twelve small squares of fabric up for grab.  Six of them were amazingly colourful patterning and six were of very modern 'cool dudes' WITH BROWN FACES.  They are like a gift from God for my cloth book project, so inspiring.  Unfortunately the lady who's fabric they had been couldn't remember where she got it from, But maybe a forum member has info.? 

    If I've remembered the attaching photos procedure, here they are...........

    african dudes 001.JPG

    african dudes 002.JPG

    • What a find, Roz!  Here are your photos

      download?id=3276523%3AUploadedFile%3A652021

    • Wow Roz they are brilliant squares .They will look great in your books :-)

      • Sharon,  I think my favourite is the dude in the red shades with the ghetto blaster.

  • I just have to share this........  Something called Little Libraries appeared on my facebook.  It's a South African organization which raises money and gives books and book cases to little schools who don't have them.  Can you imagine a school without books? Some had a couple of old tattered magazines and that was it!  If anyone wants to access their website, I can promise you a video, face achy smiling and floods of tears.  There are children in S.A. who start primary school not being able to hold a book or a pen as they've never seen them before.  Books and stationary equipment are apparently difficult to acquire for a small school/creche.  As a retired library assistant, I wanted to help with a donation. 

    Then I thought," Hey, KAS Team S.A. does this, providing books and stationary equipment to small creches".

    So I did the sensible thing and bought 3 bundles of books in the KAS shop.

    It only costs $5 or £3.30 [ish] a bundle, so get shopping ladies and make yourselves feel good..............    Roz xx

    • What a wonderful message, Roz!  You got my day offf to a smiling start.  Thanks for the reminder about books in the KAS Shop!

      • Thanks Roz,  I just popped into the shop and bought some too !

  • It's now 13th April.........

    After a break from navy blue yarn, [very necessary for me, I have to pace myself since I'm going to be knitting scarves for years], I just cast on 40 stitches and knitted 3 rows of scarf number 3.  I have tea with my chums in a local cafe on  Mondays at 10-11 am and I like to do some knitting while putting the world to rights.  Who knows, I may get offered some unwanted navy blue yarn!  There must be plenty out there.    Roz    x

    • I managed a few inches of the scarf and my friend Stella promised to look in her work room for navy yarn for me.  Result.......!       Roz   x

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