Knitting and nattering

I've been going to Knit and Natter for just over a year now. I have always loved knitting, needlecraft, cross stitch etc but over the past year or so I have increased my knitting. The main reason for this seems to be the fact that so many people I know seem to be reproducing, and everyone loves a newborn baby in a knitted item!!
I started knitting as a child, I have a lasting memory of my paternal grandmother sitting in a rocking chair, knitting, needles clacking away as she created something. I never remember what it was she knitted but I know she was fast!
My maternal grandmother always knitted too and she knitted squares to be made into blankets right up until she died.
A few years later I started on the epic adventure of kntting my own jumper out of remnants although I was fairly organised in that front and back were the same and the sleeves were the same as each other. It must have taken me at least 18 months to knit this jumper and eventually the day came when I could sew it up and try it on.
With my mums guidance I sewed it up and then jumped up, all excited about the prospect of trying on this long awaited garment. I ran into the kitchen with it and pulled it over my head and looked in the mirror. My mum was waiting in the lounge and says that all she heard was my voice, "Oh God, its awful".
Sadly it was one of those rare moments when something really does look better on the hanger than it does on! I think I only wore it about 10 times and then it went on a journey to the charity shop.

About three Christmases ago, my parents bought me wool, bamboo needles and a pattern to knit a cardigan. It was gorgeous wool, a pale purple colour and I enjoyed knitting it so much it was finished by the end of January. And so began my new found interest in knitting.

I was sat in the hairdressers last February and started reading a newsletter from a local town and Knit and Natter was advertised in there. I took the email address of the lady who organised it and a few days later I was sat in a local coffee shop knitting with a bunch of other ladies.  Not all old, grey haired ladies, I hasten to add. One girl is younger than me and a very talented and dedicated knitter with plans to open her own knitting shop sometime in the near future.
We meet once a week on a Tuesday between 5-7pm and there is also a group on a Thursday morning which I go to if I am not working. I have made some new friends and also learnt new skills and swapped patterms and ideas.

I have been mainly knitting smaller items, bootees, mittens and hats but have advanced to small baby jackets and even a cuddly toy. My favourite so far is a baby  jacket I have knitted using a pattern book from 1943 - still in fashion I think. I also fundraise for the RNLI so have knitted about 4 lifeboatmen so far all raffled for funds.

Cuddly bunny

Wrist warmers

Bunny Bootees

I made this lifeboatman to be raffled in aid of the RNLI

This last few months have been busy with two family babies arriving by Christmas, I was busy knitting a lot. I also decided that my friends childen would get novelty egg cosies as a present along with an egg cup so I knitted four different cosies and then bought 4 plain white porcelain egg cups and some special paints. I had a great time decorating them each individually and parcelling them up for each child. I was really pleased to received thank you notes from them all expressing how much they loved them.
I wonder if the same could be said if I had bought them a computer game or something similar.

My best friend had a baby girl yesterday so I finally finished her little parcel of knitting and will post it tomorrow,

The next baby is due in July so before I start on their knitted gifts I have decided to knit something for me! I'm on a waistcoat at the mo and when I finish it I shall post a photo.