Rose Red

The Year of the Cardigan

2012-01-24T14:17:00.000+11:00

Looking back over my 2011 knits, I realised that I hadn't knit any cardigans! I had good intentions (as always!) but I didn't quite convert those intentions into actual cardigans. Or even started cardigans. So I have decided I am going to try to make at least 4 cardigans (for me!) this year. Although I suspect, even at this early date, that it might end up more like 3. But that's ok, because that will be 3 more than last year!

I made myself a short list...thinking about the patterns I've had in my queue (and my mental "must make" list) for some time, as well as yarns I want to use. Desperately want to use! Ha, my short list has 13 patterns... I am still deciding which of these will see the sticks in 2012, but I thought I might as well get your opinions too! I should add, I do have the yarn for all of these, except maybe 1 or 2 of them...

1. Faith by Kim Hargreaves using Berocco Ultra Alpaca Fine - this is a definite - both on the pattern and the yarn. I will be devastated if I don't get gauge with this yarn!

2. Sea Tangles by Kie Zuraw using Habu Silk Stainless. I bought the yarn for this ages ago - maybe 4 years ago...not long after the pattern came out, I suspect. Just love this pattern! Unique and interesting. Oh, and I know it isn't a cardigan...neither is the next possible! (There's nothing like breaking my own rules before I've even started, heh!)

3. Sahara by Wendy Bernard using Karabella Empire Silk - I bought this worsted weight silk, in a lovely khaki colour, on sale years ago. I think it will be lovely, and I'm keen to try Bernard's top down seamless method.

4. Amiga by Mags Kandis using Rowan Calmer - I think this will be a lovely versatile cardi, perfect weight for Sydney winter (or late autumn and early spring!).

5. Chevron Lace Cardi by Milobo - I don't have a yarn in mind for this - I may use my Christmas vouchers for the lys to buy yarn for this. But I think I will definitely make it this year - it's crochet and seamless, so I know it will be a quick one. It might be my Tour de France project! I'm hoping this will mean I can actually fit in 5 cardis this year (yes, I swing between optimism and pessimism on this cardigan goal!)

6. Olivia by Kim Hargreaves using Rowan Felted Tweed or Grignasco Tango. I think this is the pattern I will use but I am definitely going to make some type of cardi out of the Felted Tweed or Tango this year (which yarn I use will depend on the colour I want...Um, I have a few different colours of each to choose from...green and brown in FT, red, charcoal and purple in Tango)

7. Metro by Connie Chang Chinchio using Cascade 220 in mallard. I have the pattern, I have the yarn, I know it will be really wearable. This one is firming up as one of my definites.

8. Greenfield cardigan by Melissa LeBarre - I have a couple of possible yarns for this - one in red, one in navy. Or this one might be the recipient of the chrismtas voucher purchase. Or maybe it would work in Felted Tweed or Tango? Hmmm, will have to consider that.

9. Shapely Boyfriend cardigan by Stephanie Japel or New Concetta Cardigan by Elizabeth Smith, using BMFA Twisted in My Blue Heaven. I saw this yarn in the socks that rock and loved it, and heard great things about the Twisted, so it was a bit of an impulse buy. Now, I'm not so sure about how it will knit up and whether I can cope with that amount of variegation. Sometimes I think about destashing it. And other times I really want to knit it. Decisions decisions! As for the pattern, I think the Shapely Boyfriend will be better for my shape but I like the ease of the New Concetta.

10. Atelier by Heidi Kirmaier using (I think) South West Trading Company Yin in red. Lush yarn, lovely pattern. Or again, this might be good candiate for Felted Tweed/Tango (heh!)

11. Rocky Coast Cardigan by Hannah Fettig, using Karabella Aurora 8 in blue. This is the yarn which I would reclaim from my Must Have Cardigan long term WIP. If I get gauge. As it is an all over simple cable, I think it's an (easy) level of difficulty and concentration I could manage right now, unlike the Must Have cardigan.

12. Driven by Veera Valimaki in Malabrigo Worsted in charcoal grey (I can't recall the actual name!). I bought a cardigan's worth of Malabrigo a while back, intending to make a Liesl from it. I think now that is a bad idea, due to the pilling issues, but I think this pattern, knit at a tighter gauge, might be a good option. If I have enough yarn, heh!

So I've got two definites - Faith and something in Felted Tweed or Tango; Two strong maybes - Rocky Coast and Metro. And the crochet Chevron cardigan. Any thoughts? Any other pattern suggestions? What are your "must knits" this year?

Red stripes go faster

2012-01-13T15:09:00.000+11:00

My first FO of 2012! Towards the end of this project, I never thought it was going to be finished, but then, as if by magic, the very last fat stripe was done and I was casting off. Amazing!

Details:
Pattern: Stripe Study by Veera Valimaki. Yes, just about everyone has knit this. Something about the stripes, the garter stitch, and the clever, but easy pattern. Not to mention the great photography and yarn colour choice. You can't underestimate the power of good project photographs to sell patterns!

I really enjoyed knitting this. Yes, the last stripe seemed neverending - 4"/10cm of garter stitch on rows approaching 500 stitches each (I think - I couldn't bring myself to actually count!). But the short rows to provide the assymetrical shaping is a really cool feature, and fun to knit. And you don't have to pick up the wraps in garter stitch short rows either! I used a stitch marker where I wrapped the stitch, so on the next row I just had to remove it and count 20 stitches beyond it, before the next wrap. Made this even more of an autopilot knit.

Yarn: Wollmeise 100% Merino superwash in Clementine - 1 skein plus 20g, and Wollmeise 80/20 Twin in Vamp, just under 1 skein. I really like orange and red together, but omg this orange is BRIGHT! It really didn't look as flurescent in the skein. And nor does the colour really show true in the photos - it is much much brighter. I figure this will be just like a safety vest in poor visibility weather - like a beacon! It will certainly brighten up a dull winter's day!

Sticks: 4mm KnitPicks Options

Time: 30 August 2011 - 8 January 2012

Modifications: I did 13 orange stripes (the pattern has you knit 12). Mainly because I had enough yarn. As it turns out, I had to omit the very last 2 rows of orange, because I would have run out, but it is a very forgiving pattern, and so this isn't really noticeable. Otherwise, I knit the pattern as written. It ended up being 60"/153cm in length and 27"/68cm in depth (pre-blocked - I haven't actually blocked it yet!)/

I really enjoyed knitting this. I'm not entirely convinced how wearable it is - not because of the colour, but the shape. I will reserve my judgment on this, I think it is going to need a shawl pin to stay on, especially if I wear it more as a shawl (ie for warmth) rather than just a scarf. But I do know that I'll never get hit by a car when wearing it, heh!

Unless I happen to be lying down whilst wearing it ... a certain someone thinks it makes an excellent superhighway for all of his cars - it has already fulfilled this function a number of times, and I haven't even worn it yet!

WIPapalooza 2012 - frog or finish?

2012-01-10T20:23:00.000+11:00

You will recall I mentioned in my last post that I managed to finish 7 out of 17 pre-2011 WIPS last year. Sadly, I still had 15 WIPS in total at the start of this year. So this year presents another Binding Off Challenge!

Many of those old WIPS I didn't work on at all last year. So I thought it was time to review those ten pre-2011 WIPS and consider whether I plan to FROG or FINISH them all! So here we go - feel free to chime in with your opinions on any of them.

First up:

La Digitessa socks (2009 - week of wollmeise!)
I did some work on these last year - let me tell you they are slow going! Twisted rib and cable twists on almost every round. I'm dreaded the leg, as at least on the foot I get plain stocking stitch on the bottom! I am now at the point where I need to start the gusset increases.

Even though they are a slow knit, I do love the pattern and yarn and how they look, so these are a FINISH. Probably not this year though ... I am aiming for one sock this year and hopefully the other sock will only take another year.

Kusha Kusha scarf (2009)
As is often the case with projects for yourself, this one has taken a hit, put aside when other projects need to be knitted more urgently! I did some work on it last year and I still really like it and it is a FINISH.

I'm over halfway through the scarf, so I am aiming to get this one done this year.

Giraffe (2010)
This is for Connor - I have the biggest pieces knit, just a couple more legs and features to do, then to FINISH it.

This should be his birthday gift - so needs to be done by May.

Must Have Cardigan (2009)
I was lucky to be given this pattern booklet and still love this cardigan. But I made several errors when doing the first few cable rows, and I thought I could ignore them, but I cannot. And I don't have the mind space for a detailed cable pattern right now (especially since I am working from an upsized version of the pattern) and so this is going to be FROGGED.

I may keep the ribbing, since I will make this cardi some day, just not in the next few years. It depends on whether I decide to use this yarn for a different (easier!) cabled cardi in my queue.

My Tender Comfort (Solas Coamh) (2009)
This was intended to be a pram blanket for Connor but it's clearly too late for that! And it was too much work to frog. Nor do I really want to finish it - those crochet cable rows are S L O W going ... so I am planning to CONVERT it. Perhaps to a cushion cover. With a nice PLAIN back, heh!

Let me know if you have any other grand ideas for it!

Garbo (2009 - Week of Wollmeise)
Hmmm, I didn't get very far with this one, did I? I am undecided ... I do still like the pattern, so I think this is a FINISH.

Just not in 2012.

The Cap Shawl (2009 - Week of Wollmeise)
I love this pattern and it is actually very easy for a lace pattern - primarily a lot of (yo, k2togs) and every second round is a resting round.

But this one is actually a FROG because I've decided I would prefer a grey Nuvem using this yarn. I will probably make the Cap Shawl again, but in a different colour. Quite possibly red (who'd have thunk it?!)

Tantric Puzzle Top (2009 - Week of Wollmeise)
I love this unusual pattern and I think it will work well with the varigation of this yarn (let me tell you, it was quite the challenge choosing a pattern for the yarn in the first place!). But sadly I can't remember what row I am on (let this be a lesson to people who don't use row counters for their lace and rely on the magnetic board thingys - the magnets don't always stay in the same spot when you don't look at a project for 2 years!!). I should be able to work it out ... which I suspect makes this project a FINISH.

And if I can't work it out, then it will probably be a FROG AND REDO!

Laceweight Clapotis (2007 !!!)
In my mad passion for the clapotis pattern, I decided it would be the perfect pattern for this laceweight yarn. And of course, you guessed it. all that stocking stitch on 3.25mm sticks is quite the slog. The sticks I was using also had an impact on the knitability of this project - I bought a pair of Addi lace needles - it was just after they became available in Australia - but sadly they seemed to tarnish and the surface became rough and not really very pleasant to use. And like the Kusha Kusha scarf, since it is for me, it kept getting put to one side.

So much so, that I couldn't find it when I took the photos of the rest of the WIPS. I think I know where it is. If I ever find it, I will FINISH it!

Grrman Stockings (2008)
Knee high socks with an intricate cable down on side and across the foot - what a great idea! Not! Actually I do still love these and want to finish them. I just need to work out how to start the blasted cable. Oh, and find the WIP. I suspect if I find the laceweight clappy, I will also find the Grrrman Stockings!

I suspect four or more years in the naughty corner will make this project behave the next time I pick it up to FINISH it. Which may or may not be in 2012.

So out of 10 old (almost vintage in some cases, heh!) I plan to frog one completely, frog one partially (and possibly completely if I repurpose the yarn), convert one and finish the rest. And knit the ones I will frog in a different yarn and/or in a few years. Which I suppose means that while I don't always finish what I start in a timely manner, I do at least (mostly) choose to make things that I really like!

Hello TwentyTwelve!

2012-01-02T13:54:00.000+11:00

Can you believe it? I almost can't - but all the great knitting retrospectives I've been reading (and have waiting still in my blog reader) tell me otherwise!

I'm not organised enough to do a photo review of my knitting year, but thanks to the magic of Ravelry and my trusty moleskine knitting diary, I can tell you I started 34 projects, and I finished 34 projects. If only the new projects matched the finished projects, heh!

Some of my FO's were big - my Olive jumper and Big Woolly vest, plus 2 skirts - Lanesplitter (which I have still to blog properly - woops!) and my Super Special Birthday Skirt. Some were small - crochet snowflakes and a bunch of crochet dishcloths, plus a BALL!. There were things for the little guy - a cardigan, 3 vests and a pair of pantses; gifts for friends - a baby cardi, a shawl, a hat, a tea cosy and a crochet ball; and of course socks - Nutkin, Heritage socks and husby's Frankensocks. And a few other bits and pieces - two scarves, a hat, another shawl, some mitts and a bag.

Amongst those FOs I managed to finish 7 pre-2011 WIPS. And yet at the end of 2011, I still have 15 WIPS! So it will be a Binding Off 2012 year again...but more of that in another post. One thing that won't be bound off in 2012 - of course my Beekeeper Insanity!

As for stash honesty...well, I am sad (sort of!) to report that I have not broken even, let alone reduced the stash in 2011. But it hasn't grown much...heh heh.

In December, I just had to buy 2 bags of Rowan Calmer - a unique yarn, discontinued! And a great price, thanks to Jannette's Rare Yarns. I forgot to take a photo but I got a bag of garnet (a lovely red) and a bag of Tree, which is a fab green. I can't decide which to knit up first!

I also received some lovely gift yarn - a skein of Cascade Heritage Silk from Bells - which I think just might be too nice to knit sexypuffs with! It is so soft. Yummo.

And a couple of balls of red yarn from my friend MissJ, who wanted to be a part of my Beekeeper insanity! I must say, it is a lovely thing that so many of my friends are a part of my quilt, through their leftover yarn donations and gifts. It really is a bit of a group project in that way, which makes it even more special.

So let's not put off the final tallying any further:

In: 22 x 50g balls
Actual balls used: 6 x 50g balls
8ply equivalent: 9.5 x 50g balls
metres used: 1076m

For the year 2011
Actual balls used: -16.5 x 50g balls
8ply equivalent: 112 x 50g balls
metres used: 13,054m

I was surprised to find I'd used the equivalent of 112 balls of 8ply yarn this year - I didn't think it would be that much! And whilst I came out with a bit more yarn than I started with, it wasn't a crazy amount (and if I'd just ignored that Calmer, I would have been ahead!! Oh well, I can't ignore a discontinued yarn bargain, that's nothing new!

Christmas snowflake sexypuff!

I will keep up the stash honesty next year, I think I need the bit of discipline that it gives me - because trust me, if I wasn't writing it all down each month, I know I would have more yarn than I currently do!

I will leave you with my first sexypuff of 2012 - I spent the last few minutes of 2011 and the first few minutes of 2012 knitting this in lovely Wollmeise whilst watching the NYE fireworks (yes, my life is that exciting!). You know how they say you should start a new year the way you want it to continue - well, knitting with great yarn, donated by a lovely friend, on my crazy but great big 5 year plan project. Yes, that's how I'd like to continue TwentyTwelve.

Happy New Year!

Balls!

2011-12-23T13:57:00.001+11:00

Ever since I was in high school, I have always thought it would be a lovely thing to have a Christmas tree decorated entirely with handmade decorations. And have I done anything towards that idea since? No. No I have not!

I have bought some lovely decorations (yay for half price sales post-Christmas!) and I have made decorations for others (gifts and swaps with knitting groups) but none for myself.

Until now! I saw this book recently, on a blog maybe, or Ravelry, I can't recall now, and when it became available from an Australian seller, I bought it!

How could I not? Look how cute Arne & Carlos are! Love them! And they have the cutest video on their website, check it out!

There are so many great patterns to choose from, all using the same basic ball shape. Some are christmas related pictures, while there are also patterns as well. Most are simple two colour designs but there is one or two with three colours, and some use glitter/lurex yarns.

Details
Pattern: I've always loved rocking horses, so the choice for my first ball was (fairly) easy - #27, rocking horse.

Yarn: MillaMia Naturally Soft merino, in 160 Fawn and 140 Scarlet (about 10g in total). This is lovely yarn to knit with!

Sticks: 3mm KnitPicks Harmony dpns. Most of the designs are split into quarters (making it easy to divide over 4 dpns). I might consider using magic loop for the next one, see if that helps with my stranding. Because it is a bit bubbly, although steam blocking (over my electric kettle!) helped. As did stuffing the balls.

Modifications: I used Emily Ocker's cast on, to tighten up the cast on hole nicely, rather than doing this once the ball is finished, as the pattern suggests. It is a bit fiddly casting on 12 stitches using this method, but I managed it.

I also, accidently, did the decreases differently, as I was working off the chart for the design, rather than the basic pattern, but it doesn't really matter. I will try to do them as per the pattern next time to see what difference it makes in the look!

I also used the end of the yarn (once finished) to crochet the hanging loop, rather than doing it separately.

I know there's only one ball (Ball! just didn't sound as silly for the subject) but there will be more! It might take a while to get a whole Christmas tree of decorations, but I will get there, eventually.

Have a great holiday!

Garden makeover - baby steps!

2011-12-19T13:36:00.001+11:00

A couple of weeks ago, we had a horticulturalist in to look at our backyard and discuss ideas for using it better, both from a practical and an attractiveness perspective. It was really useful, because it confirmed some things we thought, and gave us some new ideas.

These shrubs are at the top of the retaining wall. They were here when we bought the house. We've trimmed them a bit but that's it really. Husby was most pleased when she recommended we get rid of them!

In fact, he was so pleased that he cut them out the very next day, first thing in the morning!

And despite my misgivings about losing some plants, she was right. We can now see our backyard from the outdoor dining area and from the loungeroom behind. It really does open up the space nicely.

To make it look a bit less spare (until we do the actual work in the yard) we've planted some petunias. Just writing that (not t0 mention actually doing it!) makes me feel so middle-aged, heh! I associate petunias so much with both my mother but especially my mother in law, who plants some every year.

Well, maybe they are a bit old-fashioned to me, but they do add some nice colour, which is appreciated right now given the grey old weather we've been having the past few weeks (I still can't believe it is summer and almost Christmas!)

Third time lucky

2011-12-15T15:17:00.003+11:00

I have this yarn - my very first Wollmeise, a lovely gift some years ago now (thanks again Michele!).

I have tried to make something out of it twice before. The first time, I just decided I didn't like the pattern I'd chosen. And I was glad to frog it.

The second time, I loved the pattern (still do) but the gauge wasn't right. So after some time, I frogged it too.

This time, I have hit the jackpot! I decided to use this very special yarn to make a special something for me for my birthday. So for about 6 weeks before my birthday, I was quietly working away on this, which I called my birthday suit!

Details:
Pattern: Charlotte Skirt by Doris Chan, Interweave Crochet Summer 2010. I know! A crochet skirt! And it's not even the (19)70s! heh heh!

(pre-blocking)

Yarn: 2 skeins of Wollmeise 100% Superwash merino in Rosenrot (yep, that's RoseRed in German!). Actually, it was less than 2 skeins, probably about 1.5 skeins in all. They are some big skeins, such good value! And of course you know what I did with the leftovers...yes, more sexypuffs!

Hook: 4.5mm hook

Time: 30 September 2011 - 9 November 2011. Crochet really does go so fast!

Modifications: I made the pattern as written, except to make it much longer (as written, it would be shorter than knee length on me - I don't think it's a great idea to flash my 40 yo knees to anyone much any more! So I did an extra 20 rows (repeated rows 13 and 14, I think - the last 2 rows before the increases), to the length desired. Which fortunately coincided with finishing the first skein of yarn - so I blocked it, to see how much it would grow with blocking. Lucky I did, because it grew quite a bit! Loose gauge will do that for you!

What I learnt: Three main things:
1. How hard it is to find a plain black straight skirt to wear underneath! If I'd had time, I would have sewed a skirt. In fact, I probably could have sewed one in the time it took me to find this one at the shops!

2. I made a "foundation chain" for the first time. It was a bit fiddly but I got the hang of it after about the first 10 chains! I'm not sure it is better than a regular chain. I suspect it is. I figured when making a skirt for the first time, I should just follow the experienced designer's instruction, as I suspect she had a good reason for doing it this way!

3. Best not to store your yarn out on the coffee table, no matter how attractive it looks...because when you go to wind it some years later, this is the outcome:

Woops! At least it was still usuable! The rest of the yarn that was on display is now quarantined in ziplock bags!

I do love my lovely rosered swingy birthday suit skirt! And because I frogged a pre-2011 project to make this, I figure this counts as another Binding off 2011 challenge project done! Woohoo!

StashDownUnder - November 2011

2011-12-05T18:12:00.001+11:00

Lots of knitting and crochet this month but I'm afraid I fell off the wagon when it comes to yarn purchases. A ball here, a holiday skein there, a couple of destash temptations over there, a "well, I'm going hopeless anyway so I might as well buy another ball" here.

And surprise surprise, its all red!! (shown with a bunch of donated leftovers for my Beekeeper Insanity).

But on the Beekeeper front, I am doing well! 35 puffs this month, ahead of schedule! Yay! What do you think of the chevron arrangement?

In: 14 x 50g balls (ulp!)
Actual balls used: 6 x 50g balls
8ply equivalent: 12 x 50g (LOTS of 4 ply work this month!)
metres used: 1395m

Year to date
Actual balls used: -4 x 50g balls.
8ply equivalent: 102.5 x 50g balls
metres used: 11978m

Last month I commented that I might come out stash negative or at worst stash neutral by the end of this year. I am predicting right now that that will not be the case!! Darn you Rowan for discontinuing Calmer! (not that I've bought any yet...but I'm prety sure I will be!)

I read a book (or three)!

2011-11-30T13:09:00.001+11:00

My Roald Dahl fest continues! Since my last update, I have "read" James and the Giant Peach, and The BFG.

I liked each of them very much, but did ponder what wonders would have fallen upon James if he just hadn't tripped under the tree!

I have also finished listening to another audiobook which I've had on the go for a while. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, by Winifred Watson, read by Frances McDormand (who starred as Miss P in a movie adaptation made in 2008). I wasn't too keen on the reading at first, but then McDormand grew on me, just as this book did. I found it delightful!

I suppose it would be considered a romantic comedy, a fish out of water tale, and not especially earthshattering or controversial. But I really enjoyed it and would recommend it over much of the "chick lit" out there at the moment (not that I've read much of that, but in comparison, this book doesn't make you feel like you are cheating on all the "good" books you should be reading instead!).

And in case you were wondering, the pictures are of the current books on my (not literally) bedside table - all birthday gifts! Thanks to Jody, Lyn and DrK. I do love a knitting book! So many possibilities!

I believe in Yesterday...

2011-11-11T19:51:00.001+11:00

So, here's the deal:

Yesterday, I Turned Forty.

Yep. 4-0

40

404040404040.

Perhaps if I say it often enough it will seem real? It's not that I have a problem with it. I don't at all. I am very happy with where my life is at. Of course, there are things that, if being totally honest, I would like to change. But these are all things beyond my control. And so I don't let those things bother me. It still feels a bit weird to be 40 though. It's an age that seemed positively ancient when you are a child. And yet when you reach it, you still feel a bit of a child yourself. But without a lot of the insecurities of childhood (especially teenager-hood!). One of the great benefits of aging!

I had a great day! My mum came to visit for a few days and husby took the day off work. The day started with baby snuggles and a gift, then a sleep-in (until 9am! unheard of!). After breakfast and shower etc, I had a pedicure and got sushi for lunch, followed by fancy cupcakes.

And then a trip to the Zoo! It was a warm day but our Zoo is in the perfect location for cooling sea breezes, so it was lovely. And not nearly as busy as going on a weekend. The perfect birthday expedition.

And finally dinner out with husby while Nanna looked after the little fella. A local restaurant, which meant we could (a) walk and (b) drink a bottle of champagne between us. Weeeeeeeeeee!

A perfect end to a great day!

I leave you with a sneak peek of my super special birthday suit - not a suit as such (and no, not no suit at all, heh!). A little project I have made with some special yarn (my very first wollmeise!).

I shall reveal all later this month!

StashDownUnder - October 2011

2011-11-01T17:14:00.001+11:00

Ooooh, I had a good month this month! Lots of knitting (and crochet!) and only a small amount of yarn in...well, it wouldn't be me if there was no yarn in, would it?!

I bought a skein of red alpacky sock yarn (for the Beekeeper, what else?!). I felt the need for some fuzzy alpacky sexypuffs. And I acquired some red leftovers from Zena and Donna:

And speaking of the Beekeeper, I had a really good month on the sexypuffs - 36! I wonder if I should do the blanket in diagonal stripes? A row of plain puffs and a row of variegated?

In: 3 x 50g balls
Actual balls used: 8.75 x 50g balls
8ply equivalent: 15.5 x 50g balls (yes, lots of 4ply action this month!)
metres used: 1582 (that crochet really does use up the yarn nice and quick!)

Year to date:
Actual balls used: -2 x 50g balls - I really think I have a good chance of coming out stash negative or at the worst, stash neutral this year! How novel!
8ply equivalent: 90.5 x 50g balls
metres used: 10583m

Woo hoo, I cracked the 10,000m mark! That's over 10km of yarn! Go knitting!

It's Fauxsoni, dahhhhling!

2011-10-30T17:02:00.002+11:00

Thank goodness for Ravelry. Otherwise I would have no idea when I even started this project. Except that it was sometime after I moved to my current home (so in the last 3 - or is it 4 - years!). It has been 95% finished for some time (I can't even remember that, either!). Just waiting for me to sew a lining and sew on the handles.

Which I have now done! So may I present the Fauxsoni Tote!

Details
Pattern: Felted Chevron Tote by Leslie Ann Bestor, from Interweave Crochet, Winter 2007. I do love a chevron. I do love Missoni. I do love a self-striping yarn. These three combined to make a match made in heaven! This is a very easy pattern - basically make a big piece of crochet chevron, sew it into a tube, crochet a base and sew it on (I think - I can't even remember whether it is sewn on or crocheted on!) and then felt it! Woo hoo!

And just in case you think to yourself, "but I have a front loader, I can't felt", well, take it from me, you can! I think I put a pair ofold jeans in with this to add a bit of friction, and did it on a full hot cycle, and it worked perfectly!

You can see in the before and after photos how much it shrank with the felting process. Just the right amount, fortunately. This is a very nice sized bag!

Yarn: The sadly discontinued Cleckheaton Vintage Hues. Sad because it is the perfect felting yarn. I used 7 x 50g balls of colour 1273 for the bag, but of course you could use fewer if you made the bag smaller, or used a different yarn for the base.

Hook: 7mm.

Time: 3 June 2009 - 25 October 2011. Really! I think I finished the bag and felted it sometime in late 2009 or early 2010. I really can't recall... And then I had a free afternoon last weekend so I dusted off the sewing machine (literally! Oh my was it covered in dust! Thank goodness it has a cover thingy), and sewed up a lining for it. With pockets even! Because I really dislike handbags without pockets for important things like your phone, purse and bus/train ticket! And pen, lip balm, keys and tissues. Um, I think I should have put in a few more pockets, heh!

Modifications: I think I made the pattern as written (I may have made it longer around), but I know I added a simple single crochet edging around the top of the bag. Just to ensure the edge was flat. I did plan to turn it over and make a seam, but that was an ill-thought out idea, as once it was felted it was too thick to even think about that! But not to worry, it is fine as is.

I am really happy with this bag! I love the colours and I love the way it has turned out! Finally! (Yes, another project for Binding Off 2011!)

Bah Humbug!

2011-10-28T22:04:00.004+11:00

A quickie that I knit up over a few days for a friend's birthday - something I have been meaning to make for a while but I finally got my butt into gear last week!

Details
Pattern: Red Comet by Loani Prior, from her Wild Tea Cosies. A nice simple knit - two garter squares from corner to corner and joined in relevant spots to make a cosy. So easy to knit to size, as you just make the square big enough to cover around your tea pot (from handle to spout), and then start the decreases! The pattern uses buttons as the "seams" to join the two squares, but I just sewed and crocheted in the relevant spots.

Yarn: Cleckheaton Country in black and white - just over 2 balls in total, for a medium sized teapot. The stripe pattern is completely random. I had more black than white so decided to make the black stripes wider, in general. It is meant to mimic the look of the old fashioned boiled lollies (humbugs, bullseyes etc).

Sticks: The yarn is held doubled, so I used 6mm sticks - KnitPicks Options. And a 4.5mm crochet hook to crochet around the edges of each square, to even out the lumpy garter edges.

Time: 21 - 24 October 2011. As I said, nice and quick! Happy birthday DrK!

Books! I've read some books!

2011-10-27T18:04:00.000+11:00

Sorry about the blog silence - although I was pleased to see that I have actually posted this month - until I logged in to post this, I had the impression that I hadn't posted at all this month. I had forgotten about the red vest! That's how bad my memory has gotten lately. Oh dear!

I have been on a bit of a Roald Dahl kick lately. About two months ago I bought a collection of Roald Dahl audiobooks (on CD) - they were on big sale at a bookstore, no doubt due to the impending obsolescence of CD's! I haven't read much Dahl until now, just both the Charlie books. I thought the CD's would be great for the car, and Connor will enjoy them too (eventually!)

So far, I have "read":
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (picturing of course Johnny Depp, who was so great in the movie!)
Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator
The Twits (Dahl is so good at creating such abhorrent people!)
Matilda (loved!)
George's Marvellous Medicine
The Fantastic Mr Fox (mmmm George Clooney), and
The Enormous Crocodile.

Loving the audiobooks in the car!

Knit for Connor month: Floyd Vest

2011-10-05T18:15:00.000+11:00

This is my third and final instalment of Knit for Connor month (which should more correctly be called Knit for Connor Two Months, since I made most of this in September rather than August!).

When I was planning the projects for KfCm, I found something very interesting - well, to me anyway. And perhaps those also knitting for small children. The sizes are SO INCONSISTENT! It shouldn't come as a surprise, really, given that this is also the case for women's clothing (I can't really speak for men!). But it is annoying, because it makes it very hard to knit in advance. I knit the 12-18mo size in the Pembroke vest, and it is a good fit with a bit of room for next year (and with any luck, the year after, since people who know tell me small kids tend to grow up more than out for the first couple of years!). This vest I knit the 3yo size, because I had enough yarn and I thought I might as well. And what do you know, it fits pretty perfectly now. With a little bit of room, maybe less than the Pembroke vest. Although to be fair, I haven't blocked it yet, and being cotton it might grow! And I even made it a wee bit longer than the pattern specified!!

Details
Pattern: Floyd vest, by Martin Storey, from Rowan Miniature Classics. This is a lovely book of baby and toddler patterns. Sizing issues aside, I will definitely be making more from this book. I hope!

As with almost all Rowan patterns, it is knit flat and seamed. It could be converted to knit in the round if you desire, although the shoulder and side seams are fairly short and don't take much seaming really!

Yarn: Rowan Handknit Cotton, 3 x 50g skeins in red (shade 215 lot 3883038). I liked knitting with this cotton, although it definitely is harder on the hands than wool. It knits up really nicely though, I am very happy with the way it looks.

Sticks: I started this when I was away, and even though I grabbed my set of KnitPicks Harmony Options, I found I didn't have the correct size for the ribbing (3.25mm) so I used 3.5mm instead, and I think it looks fine! I used 4mm for the main part of the vest, as specified by the pattern.

Time: 27 August 2011 - 28 September 2011 (it took me a little while to sew on the buttons!)

Modifications: I knit the vest as specified, except for the change in stick size noted above for the ribbing. However, I omitted the pocket, because it really is pointless. Not big enough to be useful, and for some reason which I cannot fathom, the pocket flap does not have a button hole, even though the pattern shows it with a button on it. The flap is knit separately and then joined to the front of the vest as you knit it (very clever!). But the pocket itself is seamed on afterwards. I figured it would just add bulk and drying time, and as the flap had a tendency to stick up, I thought I'd just sew it down when I added the button.

The button-hole-less pocket flap!

If you want a useable pocket and flap, I'd suggest adding a buttonhole to the flap when you knit it!

I think this is a very cute, easy and practical knit. I just wish that the size was a little bigger so it would fit for longer! Next time, I will pay more attention to the schematics and Connor's actual measurements!

StashDownUnder - September 2011

2011-09-30T12:25:00.000+10:00

I had a good month this month! I can't say no yarn came in, because I did receive two lots of red 4ply for my Beekeeper insanity, but nothing that I bought myself! So that's not too bad! And I somehow managed to have a HUGE knitting month, so go me! Heh!

This month:
In: 2 x 50g balls
Actual balls used: 10.5 x 50g balls
8ply equivalent: 15.5 x 50g balls (LOTS of 4ply knitting this month! plus a couple of balls donated to Guild)
metres used: 1,138m

Year to date:
Actual balls used: -7.75 x 50g balls (I might just come out neutral by the end of this year!)
8ply equivalent: 78 x 50g balls
metres used: 9001m

I thought I might as well do my Beekeeper update today too. This month was a good month, I managed to do 34 sexypuffs - yes, more than one per day! Hurrah!

I also tried out the crochet version, which is free on Ravelry. I had to modify it a bit, to ensure they match my knitted puffs in terms of size, but that is easily done.

And I like the bit of texture that the crochet puffs give to the quilt. Red and texture! I might have to try a moss/seed stitch puff sometime soon!

Knit for Connor month: Lillen Pantses

2011-09-20T17:05:00.001+10:00

Even though this is the second project I've posted in my Knit for Connor month, it was actually the first completed. It just took me a while to put in the elastic (as usual, it's the final touch that makes the garment useful and wearable that takes me forever!).

I recently bought the MillaMia book The Close Knit Gang. It's a fab little pattern book for toddlers, with really cute and stylish garments mostly sized up to about 5 yo. I chose the Lillen Pant(ses) pattern first, as I thought it would be a really good way to use this yarn - from stash - woo hoo!

Details:
Pattern: Lillen Bottoms 12-18 mo size, from The Close Knit Gang. These are really cute little pantses, knit flat in two identical pieces.

Yarn: The MillaMia yarn (which is lovely, by the way) is really a sport/5ply yarn. But since I am trying to knit from the stash, and my stock of sport weight yarn is fairly limited, I thought I'd use this skein of Wollmeise 100%, in one of the club colours, Saami. It's a colour that really screams out to be used for kids, I think, given the primary colours! I even swatched, to check whether I'd need to knit a size (or more) up to make up for gauge differences. I was surprised to find I got gauge with the suggested needles, even though the WM is really a fingering/4ply weight. I used about 115g of the 150+g skein.

What was really interesting was that even though the two pieces are knitted the same, one piece pooled and flashed substantially more than the other! (it is actually much more obvious in the photo than in real life, although once you have seen the photo, you can't unsee it in real life!)

I am also glad the WM is machine washable!

Sticks: 3mm and 3.25mm KnitPicks Options.
Time: 25 July 2011 - 12 August 2011.

Modifications: The pattern has a ribbed waistband. I didn't really think it would stay up very well, especially with a crawling baby (Connor hadn't yet started walking when I started these!). So I did a stocking stitch turned band (with provisional cast on) to act as a casing, so I could put elastic in.

I also did garter stitch on the "hem" of the pantses, rather than moss stitch - only because the moss stitch fights too much with the varigation of the yarn. If I was making these in a plain yarn, I would probably do the moss stitch. I would also make them a bit longer! I made these to the pattern length, but I think they could be a little bit longer. Just a wee bit, mind!

I'm quite happy with these! Gotta love a child who is too small to reject the handknits! (hopefully he will never reject the handknits, heh!)

August was Knit For Connor Month: Pembroke vest

2011-09-13T14:28:00.000+10:00

As winter was drawing to a close, I started to feel a little guilty about the amount of knitting (or, more accurately, the lack of knitting) for Connor. So I thought I'd better rectify that and set aside August as Knit for Connor Month!

I have managed to get 3 things done (well, the third is almost done, heh!) and each will be transitional pieces into spring and will also, I hope, fit him next year as well.

Details
Pattern: Pembroke vest by Kirsten Kapur. A lovely, classic and free pattern which goes from 6mo to 8yo (I made the size 2). I do love a good cable, and this vest has cables aplenty! I wish there was a better way of managing cables and decreases, as it can look a bit funny to just stop cabling, but I'm not sure whether there are better alternatives (please enlighten me, if you know!)

Yarn: I had 3 x50g balls of the blue yarn, Karabella Aurora 8 (col 1555) and 20g of the white in the same yarn. And I used it all, except for about 10g of the blue. I wasn't sure if I would have enough blue for the vest, so I decided to do the ribbing in the white. And I knit the front first, as I figured if the cables ate up lots of yarn, I could do the back plain. But as it turns out, it was the white I ran short of, so the neckband ribbing is blue and white stripes. Which I think is quite effective, if I do say so myself!

Oh, and can I just say, I love this yarn! So soft and lovely to knit with, and shows up a cable so beautifully. And makes such a beautiful sproingy fabric. Yum yum yum. One of the balls did have a couple of knots in it, quite close together, which I discovered when I was knitting the neckband. Grrr, more ends to sew in! I'd still use this yarn again though, just lovely.

Sticks: 3.75 and 4.5mm KnitPicks Harmony Options.

Time: 14 - 26 August 2011. I am amazed at how quick I knit this. Especially as I discovered when I'd finished the front that I had done the armhole decreases on the neck, and the neck decreases on the armholes. GAH! What an idiot! So I lost a day and a bit in unpulling and re-knitting these (yes, you heard right, I actually frogged and re-knit!)

Bottom one re-done ... much better!

Modifications: I used short rows on the shoulder shaping so I could do a 3 needle bind off but otherwise knit the pattern as written. If I was to knit it again, I would change the ribbing so that the pattern flows neatly out of the ribbing.

I wasn't sure I liked the middle cable (some people on ravelry have actually changed it for a different cable) but the more I look at it now, the more I like it. In particular, I like how it is designed to open out at the neckline, the designer has placed it really well on the front.

I'm very happy with this pattern, the yarn works so beautifully with the cables. In fact, I liked it so much I might just pull out my hibernating Must Have cardigan, which also uses this yarn, and get back into the cabley aurora 8-y goodness!

Um, yeah, I think I really must BEEE crazy!

2011-09-08T11:41:00.001+10:00

So the other day I was surfing Ravelry and decided to have a look at some of the other Beekeeper Quilt projects. One of them very helpfully linked to an online calculator to work out how many hexagons you need for a hexagon quilt (sewn). You plug in the size you want to make it - in my case, queen size bed size - and how big the side of your hexagon is, and it tells you how many you need.

So.

Yeah.

I need to make 1829 sexypuffs! 1829!!!! (just in case you thought I'd typed it wrong the first time!). I put the numbers in the calculator 3 times just to check I hadn't done it wrong the first two times!

I was thinking I needed to make about 800. And figured it would probably take me two years to do that. So I had to do a little rethink. Now I'm aiming to make a sexypuff a day. And even then it will take me more than 5 years to finish this thing. Heh heh. Let's see how we go!

I'm going to keep a running tally in my sidebar, as to how I'm going each month. In August, I managed 28 of the little fellas. Not bad, considering I started on the 8th of August. I've been thinking about how I'm going to put them together (design wise). The original quilt is randomly put together (as far as I can tell) but what do you think of this?

They sort of look like flowers, right? I've got lots of the plain red (about 1kg) so I thought I'd surround a variegated flower (with a plain red centre) with plain red flowers, which have a variegated centre. Any other suggestions?

You can never have too many

2011-09-04T12:03:00.000+10:00

You can never have too many pairs of red socks, right?

I needed a nice easy portable project a while back (um, in February...) and what better choice is there than stocking stitch socks with a pretty yarn? (let's not mention that I actually wound this yarn in May last year to take to hospital with me. Yeah, it never left the project bag!)

I finally finished them, and seem to have taken almost as long to get around to posting them as I did knitting them!

Details
Pattern: Just my basic cuff down plain vanilla socks! Although I did add some calf shaping into these. I think I started with 72 stitches and steadily decreased down to 64, as I moved down the leg. I did a tubular cast-on and twisted rib, and my favourite eye of partridge heel flap, and wedge toe.

Oh, I did do something different, I did a dutch heel, from Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks. Thought I'd try it out, as others have commented on how they like it. I don't mind knitting it, but I don't think it fits my foot as well as a regular heel. Good to know!

Yarn: A new yarn for me, Cascade Heritage Handpaints, a lovely blog prize from GeekKnitter. I like this yarn, it feels nice but still sturdy, and I like how the colours behaved, with a subtle blue and purple stripe effect. I would use this yarn again for sure.

Sticks: 2.5mm KnitPicks fixed circular, for magic looping - my favourite method for plain socks.

Time: 2 February 2011 - 1 August 2011.

And a nice little bit of leftovers which go straight to the Beekeeper Quilt yarn fund, heh!

StashDownUnder - August 2011

2011-09-02T08:47:00.001+10:00

Yet another month goes by ... with a little yarn in, and a little bit more yarn out.

First, the ins. I had some yarn leftover from my Lanesplitter Skirt. So I did the honourable thing, and returned it to the shop. I exchanged it, of course!! Heh heh. And I decided I'd get enough yarn for a cute little stripey cardi for Connor, which meant I had to buy a couple of extra balls as well, to ensure I'd have enough.

Sorry about crappy flash photo! Red, charcoal grey and silvery grey

And while I was there I might have picked up a nice ball of red heathered yarn for my Beekeeper Quilt (yes, I must bee crazy, buying yarn for it when I have so much already!). And some of my lovely knitting buddies also donated some leftover red yarn to me already, so I've counted that too.

This month:
In: 5 x 50g balls
Actual balls used: 8.5 x 50g balls
8ply equivalent: 12 x 50g balls (lots of 4ply knitting this month!)
Total metres used: 1070m

Year to date:
Actual balls used: -16.25 x 50g balls (gah, still behind!!)
8ply equivalent: 72.5 x 50g balls
metres used: 7863m

I left you last month with a flash of two yarns I was planning on using in a new project. Well, here it is!

(again with small hand for scale! This is partly why I am posting less! so much harder to do photo shoots now!)

I think I shall be able to wear this as a fluro safety shawl, heh!

Bumpity bump bump bump

2011-08-24T13:25:00.000+10:00

I have a bit of a backlog of projects to post about. I don't quite know how this happened, but I'd best get some up here on the blog for posterity!

First up is a new vesty cardigany type thing...

Details
Pattern: A heavily modified version of Bump by Gina Bonomo.
Yarn: 4.25 x 100g balls of Rowan Big Wool in Cassis (col 24). A funny (sort of) story about this yarn. I bought it a few years ago, maybe 5 years, on sale at a yarn shop in Mittagong (which no longer stocks Rowan yarns). I had always thought I had 6 balls of it, and so while I was planning what to knit from it, I based my planning on the fact that I had a certain amount of yardage. And that it's really too hot in Sydney, even in winter, for a long sleeved garment using a super bulky yarn such as this. So I always figured it would be some sort of vest.

Anyway, I bought this pattern on a bit of a whim, and when I got the yarn out of the depths of the stash cupboard (ok, one of the stash cupboards), I found I had 8 balls of it. GAAAHHHHH! It really could have changed my planning entirely. But by that stage, I was over planning, had bought the pattern, and just wanted to cast on. So I did.

50g ball of worsted/10ply yarn on left for scale!

And I ended up only using just over half the yarn anyway!! Now I am trying to decide whether to destash the remainder or keep it for some other project at some time in the future...heh!

Sticks: 12mm and 10mm KnitPicks Options. It's funny, people think it's really quick to knit garments with superbulky yarn and huge crowbar needles. But really, it's not that fast! I mean, the knitting grows quickly, of course, but I find I knit so much slower with such huge sticks. Nevertheless, I did get a completed vest in a pretty short time!

Hello small hand!

Time: 20 June 2011 - 30 June 2011 (ok, a vest in 10 days, when I was working on other things as well, is pretty quick, isn't it!)

Modifications: The pattern only gives two sizing options. I did some extra raglan increases for the armholes (it is knit top down, seamlessly - good for superbulky yarn, to avoid even more super super bulky seams!). And I did the raglan increases as yarnovers, to give it a bit of a lacey look and also allow some air in (as I was still a bit unsure about whether a vest in this yarn would be too hot for Sydney!).

I did not do the reverse stocking stitch section on the pattern, which starts just under the bust. It just didn't really appeal to me. Instead, I kept increasing on the front edges, and then added a stepped garter edging down the fronts, and around the bottom. I thought a smoother line would be more flattering in a vest which already adds enough bulk through the yarn.

And I have worn it a few times and have been pleasantly surprised at how cosy but not hot it is to wear. Yay! I'm not sure it is the most flattering of garments, but it's red and it's cosy and I like it anyway!

I read a book (or two!)

2011-08-19T21:36:00.000+10:00

I have been slowly and steadily reading these past few months. Every train trip (which are rare) allows me the opportunity for audiobook listening, and after my marathon Tour de France knitting, I felt the need to knit a bit less each day and spend some time reading an actual book!

And I managed to finish two books in quick succession, one on audio and the other on paper. It helped that the latter was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - anyone who's read a Harry Potter book knows they are a fairly quick read! I have read it before, but with the last movie coming out, and all the advertising for it, I felt the need to revisit it. And enjoyed it just as much as the first time, perhaps more, because I wasn't reading it in such a hurry to find out what happened!

The audiobook was most enjoyable! Nella Last's War, a wonderful collection of the wartime diaries of Nella Last, an "ordinary" British woman who participated in the UK's Mass Observation Project (where the diaries are held). It was recently adapted for TV, called "Housewife, 49", which is how she headed up her first entry. The book gives an amazing insight into the experiences of women in the UK during WWII, the impact of rationing, and of course the impact of deaths and injuries to so many, not just those in the field of war, but also at home. Nella also displays amazing insights into the impact of war on women (not always approvingly) and has a real eye for detail and a way with words. The audiobook was read wonderfully by Carole Boyd. I found this book a real delight, and enjoyed it very much. I highly recommend it!

I must be(e) crazy!

2011-08-10T18:15:00.000+10:00

I first saw the Beekeeper's Quilt early last week on Ravelry. As some designs tend to do, it kept popping up in my friend's activity tab, being favourited and/or queued by lots of people. And I thought it was cute, but that was it.

But then something happened, and I'm not even entirely sure how. But I couldn't stop thinking about it. And how nice it would be all done in shades of red (how unusual for me! Heh heh!). But I didn't buy the pattern straight away. I figured if I still couldn't stop thinking about it after a week, then maybe I should buy it.

And yesterday, I did! And I went stash diving and gathered up my red sock yarn leftovers (reds and red-purples and red-oranges and a few red-pinks). I also just might have bought a ball of heathered red yarn last weekend at Morris & Sons, and I have quite a bit of solid red 4ply/fingering yarn which MissFee picked up for me at the Wang mill last year. But funnily enough, I don't actually have that much variegated and semi-solid red yarn leftovers.

And I made my first hexapuff. And my second, and third, and fourth, and fifth (and I'm knitting my sixth right now!). Each one uses somewhere between 11-15m (according to others on Rav who have knitted and then frogged one - I can't bring myself to do that, heh!). So I'm going to have to accumulate some more red leftovers (or use whole skeins of sock yarn, which is perhaps a good idea - I mean how many pairs of red socks do I really need, heh!!)

I figure if I can make 5 each week then it will only take me, oh, nearly 2 years, to make one to cover a queen size bed. See, I told you I must be(e) crazy! Is anyone else going to join me?

Dashing through the snow!

2011-08-05T11:52:00.000+10:00

Even though the weather is saying it is spring (or even summer - we've had temps in the mid 20s - that's I think mid 70s for our US friends- for the last few days) it is still strictly speaking winter. And so I should be able to still get some wear from a recently completed project. And I know that another small project, a gift for a friend, will get some wear later this year when it accompanies the new owner on a trip to Europe!

This second project actually came first, a warm black hat for a European winter visit, by request for a birthday gift. I bought some Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran, and found myself with a ball and a bit leftover, so decided to make myself some mitts with it!

Details
Pattern: Autumn in Garrison by Kate Gagnon Osborn. A nice quick free pattern! It didn't turn out quite as slouchy as I had expected, but it's got a bit of slouch and I know the Cashmerino Aran is reputed to stretch, so I erred on the side of less slouch rather than more!

It's so hard to photograph black knitting!

Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran, 1.5 balls in black (col 300300)

Sticks: 4mm for ribbing, 4.5mm for main part of hat.

Time: 6 June 2011 - 12 June 2011

Can't beat that! A hat in a week! That's pretty good for me! Especially as I was working on another couple of things during that period!

Mitts
Pattern: Dashing by Cheryl Niamath, another freebie, from Knitty Spring 2007. This is the "male" version of the very popular Fetching mitts by the same designer, but fortunately comes in a small size as well as man-sized. I chose this pattern because I really like the extra length on the arms - I wear a lot of 3/4 sleeve garments in winter, so the longer line mitts are really good for covering that bit of wrist and arm that otherwise would be exposed!

See, I told you it was hard to photograph black!

I really like the way the thumb is added. I'm sure this is very common, but it's kinda fun to undo those stitches and pick them up to knit the thumb!

Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran as above, 1.5 balls!

Sticks: 4mm dpns

Time: 13 June 2011 - 20 June 2011 - again, another quick project! Love that these can be knitted so quickly, and I am very happy with these, the fit is really good and the black is so versatile!

StashDownUnder - July 2011

2011-08-02T20:51:00.000+10:00

Quick post - because this month, I bought no yarn! I think my blowout last month really did have an impact on my stash acquisition methods, heh! I went to a lovely yarn store (Sew and Tell, at Berry) on Sunday and I Did Not Buy Any Yarn! I didn't even buy any knitting books, which is my usual fix in a yarn store if I don't buy yarn.

And I had a really good knitting month. Yay for the Tour de France KAL! I learnt this month just how much knitting you can get done when you actually knit in all your spare time, and not faff about on the internet! Amazing!

This month:
Actual balls used: 10 x 50g balls
8ply equivalent: 11 x 50g balls
Total metres used: 1,106m

Year to date:
Actual balls used: -19.75 balls
8ply equivalent: 60.5 balls
metres used: 6793m

And since a blog post with no photos is too boring, I'll leave you with a flash of the two yarns I'm very excited to be using in a project which will be started shortly.

Can you guess what pattern this yarn will become?

What a race! What a victory!

2011-07-27T12:22:00.000+10:00

I've been having withdrawal symptoms the last few days. No more Tour de France! I've had to console myself with watching recaps and stages I have taped, just for a little while each day, so I don't have to go completely cold turkey, heh! You'll have to indulge me a little with this post, I promise there is some knitting content at the end!

You would just about have to be living under a rock, in Australia at least, if you didn't know that Cadel Evans became the first Australian to win the yellow jersey overall. He looked in great form the whole race, and had fantastic team support (something he has mostly lacked, especially in the years when he came second overall), although I have to admit I wasn't 100% sure he could do it, until he did it! Not that I doubted him but moreso I worried about things outside his control - an accident - since there were so many this Tour, it was almost amazing he wasn't involved in one. It was a relief every morning when I got up and checked the TdF app to see the placings from the overnight stage, and to always see his name up there.

It wasn't just a grand Tour because of Cadel's achievement. There were so many other inspiring and amazing rides. Johnny Hoogerland cartwheeled into a barbed wire fence as a result of a media car deciding it was preferable to hit a cyclist than hit a tree. Despite deep cuts all over his body (including completely torn from hem to waist bike shorts!!) he got back on his bike, finished the stage, took the King of the Mountains jersey (crying on the podium), kept it and tried his best to defend it. And finished the race with 33 stitches. That's determination.

And Thomas Voeckler, the Frenchman who took the yellow jersey on that same stage and kept it for 9 stages, even though he was expected to loose it through the mountain stages. He clung on and rode his legs off, and kept that jersey despite his own almost daily predictions that he'd lose it. Even when his legs finally gave out chasing Andy Schleck and Alberto Contador, he still gave it his all when he crossed the line. To quote our favourite commenters Phil and Paul, the man has a huge suitcase of courage.

Andy Schleck, who didn't look to be in his best form, really showed everyone in the Alps, with two great days. He lost it in the time trial, but if he can improve there, then I've no doubt he will wear yellow in Paris in the future. He's lucky, he's young, he's got 8 years on Cadel Evans!

And even Alberto Contador, the man everyone seemed to love to hate this year. Like Andy, he didn't seem to be in his best form, and was caught up in an early crash. But he tried his heart out too, and never gave up, just like you'd expect from a winner of six grand tours. Even if you don't like him, you've got to respect that (although I really really hope he isn't a drug cheat).

Speaking of which, only one rider this year withdrew due to a positive test. Hopefully it will stay that way. Another great outcome for a sport which is really trying hard to hold a clean race.

If you can't tell already, I really loved this year's race. So much so that I've already pre-ordered the DVD, heh! (And I am not usually one to watch and rewatch classic sporting events - until now!!). I think Connor's early vocabulary will surely include the words "tourdefrance" and "gocadel"!

As for me, and my yellow jersey aspirations, well, I made it! I'll do a proper FO post when I have some modelled shots of me in the skirt, so until then, I'll leave you with a sneak peek:

Only 11 months to go until the next Tour de France!

It's all downhill from here (hopefully...)

2011-07-20T15:14:00.000+10:00

Thought I should give you a quick update on my Tour de France project, since le Tour finishes this Sunday night (or really, early Monday morning our time!).

Just to prove that I have been knitting on it in every spare moment (mostly Connor's nap times!):

It's been enjoyable - I have been having a dream run, much like Cadel Evans (fingers crossed his continues to the end and the yellow jersey!), although I must admit that I am hankering to start something new right now. But I shall not, as I'm so close to the end - I think - this is one of those knits that does not seem to grow at all for days, no matter how much you knit on it, then all of a sudden it is half way done, then three quarters done etc.

So I'm hoping that on Sunday I will wake up and find it has magically kitchener grafted itself together overnight!! I am not looking forward to 136 stitches of grafting!

Zippedy do dah!

2011-07-14T19:28:00.000+10:00

Some time ago (almost a year!) I went on a journey to the Land of Cardigan. I might have told you that my journey was ended, but really, I had yet to scale the highest peak of Mt Putting-in-a-Zipper. It was a daunting daunting journey, hence my need to have a good long think about it over the summer. Who needs a thick cardi in summer anyway, right?

Well, summer came and went. And so did autumn. And when winter hit, husby's plaintive question "have you put the zipper in my cardi yet?" got to me and I decided it was time to put on my protective gear, get out the ropes and crampons (all that is scaling mountain talk, right?) and tackle that peak.

I had husby take Connor out for the day, because I knew it was going to be an all day task. At the very least. And I needed some space to spread things out, and some time to percolate the various tutorials I'd read about putting zippers into garments. And make sure I could find the cardi, and the zip and the thread (both the zip and thread I'd purchased some time ago. Maybe during that summer of thinking...)

I started by pinning the zip into the opening. I put the pins in wrong, I know. I realised that about half way through. But my back was already sore from the kneeling and bending, so I figured it'd be ok.

And then I started sewing - by hand! I was maybe 1/3 of the way done on the first side when I realised I was doing my backstitch wrong. There was no way I was going to unpull what I'd already done (sewing in zippers is slow going!!) so I just did it the right way after that. And you know what, you can't tell anyway! (But I did feel better doing it correctly, I must say!!)

It took AGES! AGES I tell you. At least 4 hours I think. Possibly more, I think I have blocked it out of my head. I was a bit worried it would bubble when the zipper was done up on the body. But I was most pleased when husby put it on and (a) the zipper worked and (b) it didn't bubble!

If I were to do it again, I'd put the edge of the garment over the zipper closure (it is knit with an edging for this purpose). I was worried I'd get the edging caught in the zipper and wouldn't do it evenly, so I just lined it up with the outside edge of the zip.

But apart from that, I'm quite pleased with how it went. And let's face it, there is unlikely to be an again. If I'm faced with another visit to Mt Putting-in-a-Zipper, I'm pretty sure I'm going to pay someone else to do it!

StashDownUnder - June 2011

2011-07-06T16:19:00.000+10:00

A bit late this month. You'd think, if you didn't know me better, that maybe there's a reason for my lateness, like, say for example, not wanting to admit to my acquisitions for June...ha! As if I'd be embarrassed about stash acquisitions!!

(although, to be perfectly honest, when I did add it all up this month, I did go "gulp" at the final totals. Those darn big Wollmeise skeins, they really do add up when you break them down into 50g lots!)

So I did some damage at the Craft and Quilt Fair. After not going for a year (or possibly 2, I can't recall!) I bought a bag of Colinette Iona, in Velvet Plum. In my defence, it's lovely yarn, discontinued, and was almost half price!

And then Ingrid, darn her, had to go and offer me matched skeins of Wollmeise 100% in a red I don't already have (Zimtapfel). And there were 4 of those, and it seemed a shame not to... AND she happened to have a skein of Schwartz lace, which I was only daydreaming about that morning (not her skein, black WM laceweight in general!). It was really meant to be.

Like the next purchse, a destash via Ravelry. Rosenrot laceweight. It's RoseRed! Wollmeise! Lace! A colour and weight I don't have! Also a foregone conclusion. Yep, I am a sucker for a yarn with my name! heh heh.

I also bought some yarn for a gift (already knitted and gifted, just have to post about it!) and picked up some yarn in the Morris and Sons sale, using a Christmas gift voucher - so this yarn doesn't count, heh! Love making my own rules for stash honesty!!

So the totals (drumroll please!):
This month:
Actual balls used: 13.5 x 50g (thanks to a bulky knit, also yet to be blogged!)
8ply equivalent: 8 x 50g
In this month: 47 x 50g (ulp!)
metres used: 840m

Year to Date
Actual balls used: 3.75 + 13.5 - 47 = -29.75
8ply equivalent: 49.5 x 50g balls
metres used: 5687m

Ok, so I've added almost 30 x 50g balls of yarn to the stash over and above what I've used. I think that really means I have to declare a total and utter ban on further yarn purchases for the rest of 2011. Can I do it??

Who's up for a bike ride?

2011-07-02T13:05:00.000+10:00

It's that time of year again - the Tour de France starts tonight, and with it, my participation in the Tour de France KAL on Ravelry. This is my fourth TdF KAL (I think - or maybe my fifth? I think fourth!). I love this time of year - so much good sport on the tv. French Open, Wimbledon, TdF and then the US Open. Weeeeeee!

This year, I have decided to go for the yellow jersey and indulge my desire for a knitted skirt! I am very excited! I'm going to attempt a Lanesplitter, using the construction method of the Swirl Skirt (provisional cast on and smaller sticks/tighter gauge), to avoid the bulky seam and hopefully avoid the dreaded bum sag that plague many a knitted skirt!

I used a Christmas voucher for Morris & Sons to buy my yarn - Noro Kureyon in col 188 and Morris & Sons Pure in "Sooty". Just looked at the yarn requirements for the swirl skirt and am worried I won't have enough...but I should be able to get more if I need to!

I spent the last two days swatching - firstly on 3.75mm sticks, as per the Swirl Skirt pattern (the olive green stripes above). This creates a nice firm fabric but is very hard on my hands with the worsted/10ply yarn. I don't know that I can knit constantly for 3 weeks at this gauge without killing my hands. So then I tried 4.5mm sticks (purple stripes, below) (noting that the Lanesplitter pattern suggests 6mm sticks!!). This is a nice fabric, but possibly a bit too open (even though I am likely to wear a slip under the skirt anyway).

I think I will end up using 4mm sticks. That should still give me a firm gauge but will be just that bit easier on my hands. I can't wait to cast on!! Just hope I can knit the whole thing in the alloted time period! Wish me luck!

Oh, and if you want to join the fun of the KAL, it's not too late! What could be better than watching well built men in lycra cycling across the beautiful French countryside, while knitting. It's a feast for the eyes, I tell you!

Thank you Baby Cardigan

2011-06-29T15:25:00.000+10:00

You might recall a few months ago I was the lucky recipient of another knitter's (thankfully small but good) stash (the mother-in-law of one of the mums in my my mothers group). I promised you (and myself) that I would make a little something out of some of the yarn I received for this knitter's granddaughter. I hoped that this is what the knitter would have wanted.

Last week, I handed over this:

I used some of the Heirloom Merino Magic from the gifted stash. I didn't have enough of one colour for a whole garment, so thought this was a good pattern for colour-blocking while still being pretty (I didn't want to do stripes as I figured I'd be doing enough stripes for Connor over the next few years!). I used the cream (2 balls) for the fronts and bands, a whole ball of lilac for the back, and almost a whole ball of green for the sleeves. I had a ball of blue as well, I initially thought I'd do one sleeve green and one blue, but after finishing one sleeve, I knew I'd have enough for the second sleeve.

Details
Pattern: Provence Baby Cardigan by Cecily Glowik MacDonald. This is an easy pattern, mostly stocking stitch with a moss-stitch edging and pretty lace leaf motif on the front. I did make some modifications to the pattern (see the mods section below).

Yarn: Heirloom Merino Magic, 3.5 x 50g balls

Sticks: 4mm KnitPicks Harmony Options (3.75mm for the neckband).

Time: 9 May 2011 - 3 June 2011

Modifications: I knit the body of the cardigan in one piece - which meant I had to do INTARSIA!!! I swore never to do intarsia, ever! Although really, just changing colour twice in each row, in a straight line up the side "seam", probably doesn't count as real intarsia. But I still did it, and it worked! Although getting the two balls of cream and one of purple tangled every so often was annoying. But hey, no seaming!

I also knit the button band at the same time as the body of the cardigan. This resulted in a bit of a puckered button band (may have also had to do with my not-so-great buttonhole skills!), which probably wouldn't have happened if I'd knit it separate and seamed it on. Thankfully blocking evened it out, mostly...

And I knit the sleeves in the round, from the top down! They were basic drop sleeve style sleeves, so it was easy to pick up stitches from the armhole and knit downwards, decreasing at the same rate as the pattern specified increases. It was a bit messy under the arms, but I stumbled through and fixed it up when I darned in the ends (there were small holes where I'd joined to knit in the round.

I also added neck shaping on the back (so it would come down a bit lower on the back, not right up against the neck). This was partly because I was worried I'd run out of the lilac yarn with a row or two to spare! as it was, I only just squeaked it in!

And finally a three needle bind off for the shoulder seams. And thus no seaming at all in this garment, woo hoo!

And best of all, the mum was very touched by the gesture. It really is a lovely thing to knit for others.

JustintimeforWinter Bandit

2011-06-21T12:05:00.000+10:00

The magic of blocking lace never gets old. Unlike my back, which feels it after a sustained period of bending over pinning lace onto a blocking mat. Even when that blocking mat is up reasonably high, on my kitchen bench. Heaven forbid if I ever have to block something huge on the floor!!

So this is the result of my most recent pain in the back!

Details
Pattern: Springtime Bandit by Kate Gagnon Osborne. A very nice, easy lace shawl (and also free!). Originally done in worsted weight yarn, but as I used fingering/4ply, I did extra repeats - it is very easy to add extra repeats, no need to do any recalculations for the edging or anything, just add the repeats until you are done, and start the edging. A very good feature of shawl patterns I think, is the ease of adding extra repeats. In this case, the pattern calls for 4 repeats of the body charts, while I did 7. And ended up with a shawl about the size of the original, heh!

Blobby pre-blocking lace

Yarn: Wollmeise 100% Merino, in Admiral. Yes, another Week of Wollmeise project done! (hmm, that makes 2 out of 7 complete. Not really that much cause to celebrate, heh!). I tried to use as much of the skein as possible, but found I had 32g left after binding off. But not to worry, I don't think I could have gotten an extra repeat out of that much anyway. Maybe it'll be enough for a wee pair of socks...

This is a gorgeous navy/black colour, it works so well for lace because it is so dark, but you still get a gorgeous depth of colour. It's just hard to photograph well!

Sticks: 4mm KnitPicks Options. I'm glad I chocse the nickel sticks for this yarn, it made it much easier to knit at night!

Time: 1 September 2009 (heh!) - 9 June 2011. Despite this, it's actually a lovely quick knit!

Modifications: Only the extra repeats, noted above.

Inspired by Al, I took some lovely "Victorian Lace Today" style photos at the WWKIP on Saturday. Love how the sun shines through the lace. Nothing like it to make you feel like a clever knitter!

And that's another long-term wip I can cross off the list! I started the year with 17 WIPS, and of those, I have 12 left - so that's nearly 1 per month done. Let's hope I can keep it up for the rest of the year!

WWKIP 2011

2011-06-19T12:32:00.000+10:00

After two weeks of rain and miserable weather (I suppose it is winter after all!) Sydney really turned on the sunshine for this year's WWKIP. After a smallish group braving it out in the open for a couple years, and suffering horrible weather for their troubles, the past few years have involved us gathering at an indoors venue. Not as public as we'd like, but much more weather proof!

This year we were lucky to have a lovely indoor venue with a balcony as well! Not to mention a bar downstairs where we could decamp after the "official" festivities were over!

So there was a bit of this:

And then some of this:

(How fantastic to be able to sit outside, in the late afternoon, in winter, and have a lovely cold glass of bubbles! Oh, and to knit as well, of course!)

And I took the opportunity to take a few photos of my latest FO, which I'll give you a sneak peek of now, and full details later!

A lovely day, thanks so much to the efforts of the volunteer organisers and the sponsors, including Australian Country Spinners (owners of Patons and Cleckheaton yarns), Jo Sharp, Biggan yarns, Morris & Sons, Ashford yarns, Calico and Ivy and others.

For the maths geeks

2011-06-05T09:42:00.000+10:00

Last weekend our parents group held a combined first birthday party for our babies (are they still babies once they are one? I guess so, since he isn't a toddler yet, but he's just so much bigger than a newborn!). I volunteered to make the cake:

and we also did a gift exchange, so I thought I'd make one of these:

And it was fun - mostly!

Details
Pattern: Celestine Crochet ball by Betsy Myles - a free pattern, yay! A few people complain on Ravelry that this is a bit of a confusing pattern, or not well written. I think it's written fine - you start off with a chain loop and steadily decrease to the point, then add another point building on the last one (got to love a join-as-you-go project!), but I did have trouble starting off each new point, more because I kept forgetting how I got it started the last time. I think I managed to get it right after I'd made about 8 or 9 of the points! Oh dear!

Half done!

So I took some pictures, so hopefully I will remember next time, because I would like to make another one, they are pretty fun, and unusual looking - it's a 12 pointed star, a sort-of dodecahedron! I just like saying dodecahedron, really!

Foundation row for new point

Yarn: Opal 4ply sock yarn col 1232. Only 32g, so you can easily get 3 of these from a ball of sock yarn. Or possibly from leftovers, if you'd already made socks! You can use any size yarn, it will just affect the size of the end product.

Hook: 3mm

Time: 20 May 2011 - 27 May 2011 - a week, not bad! I think it took me around an hour for each point, with all the unpulling every time I started a new point and forgot how to join the darn thing so it didn't twist and was facing the right direction!

Modifications: I made the pattern as written, but rather than doing the chain first and then the crochet into the previous point(s), I did the crochet into the previous points first, then the chain. For some reason, this was easier to work out the joining.

There's also a small error in the pattern when starting the 11th point, you only do 7 chain, the rest are all crochet into previous points.

The last point was very fiddly, but I managed it ok. When stuffing the ball, I also put in a cat toy to give the ball a "rattle". I was worried the stuffing might muffle the noise, but it comes out nice and clear, without being annoying loud like some (many?!) kids toys!

StashDownUnder 2011 - May

2011-06-02T13:36:00.000+10:00

I have to confess, May was my fall-off-the-wagon month in terms of the StashingDown...more like StashingUp, I'm afraid! I've already shown off my purchases from the Canberra Woolfest, and I also succombed to the annual WEBS sale - who could resist Cascade220 at $US4.95 when our exchange rate is so good!

So I bought a jumpers worth, in the lovely Mallard colour which Bells picked last year (in our previous annual WEBS splurge, heh!). I'm thinking this will be the lovely Metro cardigan.

And since it was also on sale, and I've wanted to try it for ages, I bought enough Louet Euroflax sportweight linen (in a lovely purpley eggplant ) for Jordan.

Hmmmm, which to knit first...

Fortunately, I also managed to destash a bit of yarn this month (a very rare occurrence for me!) and thanks to Del, I remembered that crochet dish/washcloths are a fabulous stashbuster! I may have crocheted 5 in just a matter of 2 weeks (yay me!).

This month:
Actual balls used: 9.25 x 50g balls used plus 6 destashed
In this month: 33 x 50g balls
8 ply equivalent: 10.5 plus 6 destashed
metres used: 992m

YTD:
Actual balls used: 36.75 - 33 = 3.75 balls used (yay, still in the black, so to speak!)
8 ply equivalent: 41.5 x 50g
metres used: 4847m

Totally Terrific Three Tsock Pattern Club #1 Nutkins!

2011-05-25T13:37:00.000+10:00

I've had this pattern in my queue for such a long time, and so was very excited when it was voted one of the patterns for the Super Special Six Pattern Sock Club (or in my case, the Totally Terrific Three Tsock Pattern Club!)

And I had the perfect yarn - the yarn called for in the pattern, in the exact colour used by the designer! It was, in fact, this pattern, which made me covet the Wollmeise Spice Market so much. Which is odd to me, since I hardly ever wear brown shades. But this colour, I just love it. The depth of colours, the way it works in this pattern.

I'm really sorry that I can't capture it accurately in the photos!

Details

Pattern: Nutkin, by Beth LaPensee. I made a few modifications to this pattern - just to accommodate my personal preferences. Lots of people in the group on Ravelry were determined to do the pattern as written, to try the short row heel and toe, but I suppose I wasn't knitting them to learn something new, I just wanted a nice pair of socks that I knew would fit me - and short row heels are not friends with my feet!

Yarn: Wollmeise Twin (80/20) in Spice Market (dark). Cannot tell you how much I love knitting with Wollmeise and how happy I am with the way this colour knitted up! I used about 105gm of the 150 gm skein. What a nice bunch of leftovers!

Sticks: I used 2.75mm dpns for the cuff and first 3 pattern repeats, then changed to 2.5mm dpns for the rest of the leg and foot.

Modifications: Instead of the folded cuff, I did a tubular cast on with a twisted 1x1 rib. Instead of the short row heel I did my favourite eye of partridge heel flap and gussets. And finally, instead of the short row toe I did a standard wedge toe.

Time: We had two months to knit this pattern, and I made it, hurrah! 1 March 2011 - 29 April 2011.

It's interesting, there is a lot of talk about how this pattern biases - which it does, for many people! The designer suggests it is due to how you pick up the stitches when knitting down the turned cuff, but I think it is the pattern itself, as mine biased and I did a different cuff entirely. But the biasing doesn't bother me, I just make sure the sock is twisted around correctly when I put it on!

I love my lovely new wollmeise socks (my first pair for myself - it won't be the last!)

Big balls and hot nuts

2011-05-17T17:44:00.000+10:00

Yes, because I am really a 12 yo boy...

On Sunday I made the 3 hour drive to Our Nation's Capital, with 3 lovely lady companions (well, when I said I made the drive, I sat comfortably in the back knitting the whole time!), for the purpose of visiting the Old Bus Depot Markets for the Celebration of Wool day. The markets are a regular event, but the wool day is once (or is it twice?) a year. It was my first visit, and it was a very good market, I thought, not just for wool (and other yarns) but just generally. A really nice selection of other stalls (very little crap, like you can find at some markets) and some great food stalls.

So in case you can't guess, the Big Balls refers to all the huge hanks (some formed into balls) of natural coloured merino, and the Hot Nuts is of course the freshly cooked caramel macadamias. I scoffed at the others when they said they were going to get some nuts, but when the nut man offered me a sample, I was sold like the most gullible person ever.

I think between us we'd eaten half the bag before we even left the market (ok, it was mostly me!) And I only bought them as we were walking out, heh! (this photo was taken after I'd arrived back home and had a few more...)

But like the bad photographer I am, I did not get any photos at all at the market, so you'll just have to imagine the Big Balls for yourself. According to those who'd been before, it wasn't as good as in previous years - fewer yarns and possibly fewer attendees as well, but I still had a good time and of course made some purchases...

Merino Twist x 2, MCN sock and Merino Silk

All of these from Fibrewebs - because we all know I have a terrible shortage of red sock yarn and sock yarn in general...

Lang Jawoll Magic

And this lovely from Rex and Evelyn Reynolds Yarn Supplies. I could have bought one in every colour, but restrained myself...although I did encourage others to partake, because buying vicariously is almost as good as buying for myself!

After tiring ourselves out shopping, we were in need of fortification, so headed to a great Malaysian/Chinese restaurant called Sammy's, with some other Sydney knitting pals. And had a huge and amazingly inexpensive feast. With maybe just room for a hot chocolate (ok, and a chocolate sample plate) afterwards at nearby Koko Black.

After that we were ready for the trip back. It was a really lovely way to spend my Sunday, and Canberra turned on beautiful weather for us - my overcoat and huge shawl were not even required! Thanks to Ingrid and Linda for chauffering me!

Connor's birthday vest

2011-05-12T10:12:00.000+10:00

Now what sort of knitter would I be if I didn't make the little fella a new handknit item to wear for his birthday (I guess I'm lucky his birthday falls in mid-autumn and not mid-summer, heh!).

As it can still be quite warm around this time of year (just not yesterday, brrrrr), I thought a vest would be best. And I had this lovely handspun from my clever knitting and now spinning friend Ms Funky. Perfect!

Details

Pattern: Argyle Slipover from Special Knits by Debbie Bliss. Of course, I omitted the argyle, and I converted the pattern to be knit in the round up to the armholes and then flat. I also did a three needle bind off for the shoulder seams and knit the armhole bands in the round. Of course, even with that, I still had 20 ends to sew in once the knitting was done - gah!!

I wasn't sure I'd have enough of the red for the body, so I added in a couple of stripes across the chest, just to be safe. I was knitting pretty close to the wire, deadline wise, so I didn't want to have to rip back in case I ran out.

As it turns out, I would have had enough, but I still like the stripes!

Yarn: 150g of Fruit Salad handspun from Ms Funky, plus some of the turquoise colour for the contrast edging. And about 5g of Rowan True Botany 4ply in a similar-ish turquoise (shade 552 Frost) for the stripes.

Sticks: 3mm and 3.25mm KnitPicks Harmony Options.

Time: 17 April 2011 - 6 May 2011. Just squeaked it in, with time for a wash and block the day before his birthday (thank goodness it was sunny that day!)

Paired with his new jeans (from Gap! Yay for having Gap in Australia finally, although booo for how expensive it is), I think he looks pretty darn cool!

They say time flies...

2011-05-08T21:49:00.000+10:00

and they'd be right!

It's a cupcake-erpillar!

Yes, it was the little fella's first birthday today.

I can hardly believe it! Since it was also mothers day, we had a family bbq to celebrate. And to top it off, we had a perfect sunny autumn day for it. I didn't quite get a sleep in (well, not for as long as I would have liked, heh!) or breakfast in bed, and I spent the morning baking cupcakes and other prep work, but the good thing about bbqs is the leftovers, which meant no cooking for dinner, huzzah!

And it was a lovely lovely day. Hope you all had a lovely Sunday too.

Strength in every stitch

2011-05-06T21:24:00.000+10:00

At around the same time as we were all devastated by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, one of my friends lost her mother unexpectedly. So I did what knitters in these circumstances so often do. I got out my sticks and a special yarn and, using a pattern sold to benefit the earthquake relief funds, I made a shawl for my friend.

Details
Pattern: eiki, by Janel Laidman. This pattern was designed and released just after the devastation in Japan, and the profits are donated by the designer to various disaster relief funds. According to the designer, eiki means "strength" in Japanese, and I thought that was exactly what my friend would need in the times ahead of her.

The pattern itself is a small shawl, the main portion done in garter stitch and the edging in stocking stitch with a lacy leaf pattern. It will use a largish skein of sock yarn, although I used a laceweight.

Yarn: Habu Tsumugi Silk! In red #52, from the stash. Japanese yarn, for a friend who loves this yarn, for a pattern to aid Japan. Couldn't have been more perfect, really. And it had the specified yardage as required by the pattern - although surprisingly, I had about 100 yards left over. This is an interesting yarn - a bit rough to knit with, but not uncomfortably so, but yet soft in the knitted fabric.

Sticks: 3.5mm KnitPicks harmony options. I perhaps could have gone up a size or two, but being garter stitch, I didn't want it to be too open and stretchy.

Time: 18 March 2011 - 11 April 2011. Not bed for me and lace knitting, thanks in part to working on it while we were on our holiday!

I was interested to see how it would grow on blocking, and discovered not a lot! It didn't really grow at all across the top (about 1m/40") across, but did grow down the spine, from 43cm/17" to 52.5cm/21". So a small shawl indeed, or a large neckerchief! But one with thoughts of strength, love, life and hope knitted into each stitch.

StashDownUnder 2011 - April

2011-05-02T15:38:00.000+10:00

I feel like I didn't get a lot knitted this month, although my totals aren't doing too badly, now that I've sat down and worked it all out. I do have a couple of FO's to flash, which I'll do in the next week or two (promise!).

I did come into some yarn this month - I'm in two minds about whether to count it as part of my incomings, since I didn't buy it - I kind of inherited it. I sort of think I won't count it...I do plan to knit up some of it as a gift back to the person who gave it to me, in the next month, so that makes me feel less guilty about not officially counting it, heh!

It wasn't a huge amount, and it was all good stuff (I had visions of being the recipient of a vast amount of yarn of questionable quality, but I got lucky!).

First up was 16 balls (well, 15.5, as one ball was quite damaged - like it had been accidentally cut by scissors or something...well, that's what I'm hoping anyway, rather than moth damage!) of a navy 8ply/dk merino crepe yarn - which I'm thinking will make a nice Greenfield cardi.

Next was 5 balls of Heirloom Merino Magic in a range of colours - nice yarn (this will be the gift).

And I saved the best for last! 4 balls of Zara in tomato red! woo hoo!

I also received a bunch of needles, mostly straights, including a couple of KnitPicks harmony straights - which I suspect have never been used - I'm thinking of selling these - anyone interested? (I'm not sure many people I know knit with straights any more, especially the really long ones!)

This month:

Actual balls used: 3.5 x 50g balls

8ply equivalent: 7.5 x 50g balls (lots of 4ply and laceweight this month!)

metres used: 702m

YTD:

Actual balls used: 21.5 x 50g balls

8ply equivalent: 31.5 x 50g balls

metres used: 3855m

Fit for a (royal) wedding?

2011-04-28T09:44:00.000+10:00

I do love to wear a hat to a wedding. It's a dying tradition in Australia (perhaps everywhere) but I have done my bit to keep it alive. There's just something about a hat that makes an outfit special. I suppose it's partly because it's so rare to see them at weddings any more, that's what makes you stand out!

I'm seriously considering wearing a hat on Friday as I watch the royal wedding on tv ... I watched Charles and Diana, and Andrew and Sarah, and Edward and Sophie, and even Charles and Camilla. I will totally be watching William and Kate! I'm not a monarchist by any means, but there's just something about a royal wedding which totally appeals. It's probably the frocks. And the hats. I'm sure it's the hats!

I made this one a while back, but didn't get a photo shoot for ages, and then I sort of forgot to blog it, until now! Thanks to my friend Miss J for modelling so fetchingly for me!

Details

Pattern: Modest Cloche by Jennifer Hansen. I have long admired this pattern, I do love a cloche hat, and there was just something about this one, perhaps it's the flower, perhaps it's the angle of the project photograph, I don't know. But I was glad to be able to finally make it!

Yarn: Silky Merino by Malabrigo, 2 skeins in grey green (a lovely birthday gift from Bells). This was actually not quite enough - I didn't have enough to do a full flower, so only managed a small one (which also curls somewhat annoyingly), but I think it's ok. If you did the flower in a different yarn or colour, 2 skeins would definitely be enough! This is a gorgeous yarn, especially nice to crochet with.

Hook: 2.25mm hook - the pattern suggests a 2.75mm hook - I didn't have one, so tried 3mm (too big), 2.5mm (still too big) and then 2.25mm (just right!). I'm not actually sure I've ever seen a 2.75mm hook before, I shall have to keep an eye out for one in future.

Time: 30 January 2011 - 21 February 2011. I actually finished the hat itself on 7 February (crochet is SO QUICK!) but tried to get some extra yarn to ensure I had enough for the full flower (via the ISO thread on the Australian Knitters board on Rav). None was forthcoming (I knew it'd be a long shot) so I just went ahead with what I had.

And I'm pretty darn happy with it, really! The cool texture is done by front post stitches, and the "gathered" part on the top of the head is done by varying the stitches on each row (treble at back, then transitioning through half treble to double crochet - I'm using english terminology here!). Very clever pattern!

Now what hat to wear on Friday...I think it should have some feathers...

I read a book!

2011-04-22T14:03:00.000+10:00

I read a book! I even read two! Or, more accurately, I listened to two books. I have become a fan of the audiobook. So good for listening while knitting. Or on public transport. Or doing the dishes. Or holding a sleeping baby. I buy my audiobooks from Audible - I have a monthly membership, which is good value right now that the dollar is so good.

The first is Bill Bryson's At Home: A Short History of Private Life, read by himself. I love his travel books and I thought this sounded interesting - a history of private life, themed around each room in the 19th century rectory house in which he lived in the UK. It's an interesting book, crammed full of facts and anecdotes, but I found it a bit of a slog. I'm not sure if it suffered by being an audiobook - it might be better read in the traditional way, because it would allow you to skip around to find whatever next takes your fancy. It also doesn't display nearly as much of the humour Bryson has in his travel books.

But if you are the sort of person who goes on wikipedia (or whatever) to look up, say, when the first house was built, and end up going on a journey including skara brae, whale hunting, the poorhouse, manufacture of bricks, the history of medical discoveries and treatment in particular as it pertains to women and so on, then you will love this book! And if you are me, you will come away with a sense of gratitude that you are a woman now and not in the past when you might have had a breast removed due to cancer, without the use of anaesthetic. Urk.

The second was a refreshing change (which is kind of weird, since the story itself is almost a horror story!). Coraline, by Neil Gaiman, read so delightfully by Dawn French. I just loved this, and the narration was perfect. I found it really difficult to "put down", and had this one read within a few days (whereas At Home took me a few months to finish). It is a kid's story, but doesn't overly read like one, and had just enough suspense without leaving me totally freaked out, if that makes sense. I highly recommend it!

Advance Australia Fair!

2011-04-16T21:17:00.000+10:00

I picked up a little something something in a shop on our way to the country for the family reunion - one of those shops country towns have where the locals sell their handmade goods and produce - jams, chutneys, relishes, quilts, knitwear, crochet, sewing, woodwork etc. And this particular shop had a small op-shop/thrift store at the back.

On the shelves was this book. For $1. I couldn't leave it behind!

Published in 1984, when oversized shapeless bright knits were totally IN! Not that I think I'll ever knit one of these garments - but I might one day incorporate one or more of the uniquely Australian motifs into something I knit - maybe a version of Bellyphant with kangaroos instead of elephants, or something like that...

It would be cruel of me not to share more of the patterns (there is one for each state and territory as well as a few more general patterns).

This one is for the Canberrans:

And my Tasmanian friends:

And this one is just perfect for Sydney:

Brash and loud!

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside!

2011-04-15T08:09:00.000+10:00

I promised you a holiday post, so here's a few shots - not many, as we had a quiet few days on the coast. Mostly, we sat on our front verandah and enjoyed the view!

Including the sunrise - yes, I think I saw the sun rise every day we were there - I say that in a slightly sad way - I'd much rather be still asleep when the sun rises! Although it is gorgeous to watch the light come in and the colours change, and see the increase in activity on and around the beach. One brave soul went for a dawn swim every day in the ocean. To that I say brrrrrrrrrr and no thanks!

We made the obligatory trip to Berry (the source of the yarn which I showed in the last post), and of course the famous donut van - mmmmm hot donuts!

There was car knitting galore - my nutkins, although you can't tell from this photo!

And most excitingly, Connor's first time at the beach! It looks like a miserable day but it was actually quite warm and almost as soon as we left the beach, the sun came out (but of course!).

Well, he wasn't so keen on the water - really did NOT want to have his feet, or any part of him, put in the shallows - but he did quite like the sand. And only tried to eat it twice. I call that a win!

StashDownUnder 2011 - March

2011-04-10T08:05:00.007+10:00

Sorry for the blog silence - we went away the last week in March and I've only just caught up with my blogreading (not to mention uploading photos etc). Sorry also for the weird paragraph spacing in this post, I tried to fix it and only made it worse. First off we went to my home town for the weekend for a family reunion of the descendents of my mother's parents (both of whom died before I was born). They had 10 children, and now have over 300 descendents, the youngest of whom was born about 5 days before the reunion! Then we had almost a week on the south coast - this was the view from the front of our cabin. Not bad, hey. Made the early morning wakeups you get with a small child so much more bearable!

And of course, there is an excellent yarn store down that way, which was a "must see". And maybe I bought some yarn...

Not much, really! I was very very restrained. But you see, to celebrate 3 months of no yarn purchasing, I bought myself 3 new books - I figured a book a month was a suitable reward! And one of the books has these socks: I LOVE Missoni - the way they use colours, and how they have made the chevron pattern iconic, I just love it. So I had to have that sock yarn in that exact colourway, so I can make these for my very own!

I was also lucky enough to win a prize from MissFee: I cannot tell you how many times I have almost bought this yarn in this exact colourway! Weeeeee, now it is mine without even needing to purchase it, and since it is gift/prize yarn, it doesn't count, heh! And now that I come to think of it, it would look pretty good as Missoni style socks too...

I'll tell you more about our holiday in another post, but for now, here's my March StashDownUnder totals:

In: 2 x 50g (or 4 x 50g if 8ply equivalent)

Actual balls used: 5 x 50g - but 3 x 50g if the "in" yarn is taken off

8ply equivalent: 9.5 x 50g (lots of 4ply and laceweight knitting this month!) - but 5.5 x 50g Metres used: 1030m (I'm not going to take the "in" yarn off this, I'd like to use it as an actual record of what I've knit for the year)

YTD

Actual balls used: 18 x 50g

8ply equivalent: 24 x 50g

Metres used: 3203m (woohoo, over 3km!)

Up, down, round and round

2011-03-23T22:07:00.004+11:00

I love me some crochet, I do, I do. It's so quick. And for the right project, so effective.

Just over two weeks after I started the Circles Scarf, it is done!

Details

Pattern: Circles Scarf by Linda Permann, from Inside Crochet, issue 11, November 2010. At first glance, the pattern appears to be a series of round motifs attached to each other. I am not a fan of making a bunch of small motifs and joining them (either as you go or after the fact, although joining as you go is preferable, if it has to be done!) But no! You cleverly work a long row of half circles and then work back again, joining to the previous row as you go.

Yarn: The repurposed Wendy Happy bamboo/nylon sock yarn - because of the bamboo, this makes a lovely drapey scarf. I used just over 1 x 100g ball.

Hook: 3.5mm

Time: 2 March 2011 - 18 March 2011. And even though it's a project I completed entirely this year, I'm still counting it as part of my "binding off" commitment, given I frogged a pre-2011 WIP and re-used the yarn!

Modifications: My circles were smaller than the pattern specifications, so I made my rows longer by adding extra circles. And I did an extra row of circles - 5 rather than 4 - because I think an odd number of something looks more "right" than an even number.

The pattern was designed specifically for self-striping sock yarn, but I could see it working really nicely in a solid or semi-solid colour too. And it's also given me some ideas about thread crochet accessories too - I could see this method working well for a bracelet or cuff, or a necklace. Hmmm, watch this space!

It's Shag-adelic, baby!

2011-03-20T10:43:00.006+11:00

For my birthday last year, the lovely Ingrid gave me some of the latest "it" yarn, Brooklyn Tweed Shelter, in the deep shade of red called Long Johns (not that I've ever seen red long johns for real, only on tv in American westerns ... they pretty much only come in white or black here, as far as I can tell, not being a regular long john wearer).

I was very keen to try this out - these two skeins were burning a hole in my stash. I spent a while on Ravelry, surfing the patterns, as you do. I wanted something that would use up all the yarn (a generous 140yds/50g skein) and that didn't require too much thought on my part. A scarf or shawl seemed the best option, preferably something still interesting to knit.

When I found this pattern, I knew it had to be. The name helped - my inner 15 yo giggled with glee at all the stupid puns I could make as I knit this scarf. Which of course I will share with you...

Details

Pattern: Shag by Lynne Barr, from her excellent book Knitting New Scarves, a wonderful collection of amazing and unusual designs. This is one of the simplest patterns from the book, but creates a wonderful 3D design which is still very wearable, because it is flat on the other (equally attractive) side.

Yarn: Brooklyn Tweed Shelter in Long Johns, 2 x 50g skeins. As I mentioned, these are very generous skeins, and the yarn itself is so light and lofty - the skeins look huge, more like 100g skeins, because of the nature of the yarn. It contains a fair amount of vegetable matter, and is not the softest yarn out there. It softens up a bit on washing, but if you are at all sensitive to scratchy yarns, you might not want to wear this next to your skin.

Sticks: 5.5mm sticks - I used dpns, just because they were nice and short, given that the scarf is narrow (7.5cm/3"). Two skeins of yarn gave me a scarf about 160cm/63" long.

Time: I shagged away for just over 2 weeks - started on 18 February 2011 and finished on 7 March 2011.

Modifications: As my gauge was smaller than the pattern, I added a couple of extra stitches and did a few extra rows for each rectangle, but that's all.

I'm really happy with this scarf and am looking forward to wearing it. It was a real pleasure to knit. And it's a knit that keeps on giving, since it lets you tell people that you shagged all day yesterday. Or you had a quick shag in the morning. And then a long shag session in the afternoon. Or that you shagged all the way through the Knitters Guild AGM (one of my favourite shagging sessions!)

Important Things

2011-03-17T13:30:00.005+11:00

On the weekend, I came by one of these:

A folca box! Prized possession of knitters (and no doubt other crafters who need to carry around a multitude of little bits and pieces).

It's a neat little fold-out plastic container with a storage spot for everything - stitch markers, folding scissors, beaded row counter, darning needles, safety pins, cable needles, locking stitch markers, cable ends and pin and point protectors.

And what makes it even more charming is the note on the outside, which you is a bit difficult to read in the photo above:

If it always has folca

an important thing

will not forget

But of course this isn't important at all - it's a cheap luxury (is that an oxymoron?!) that I'm lucky to have. The news at the moment is all about the horrific earthquake, tsunami and now nuclear disaster in Japan. The horror of it all ... words fail me.

As always, knitters do what the best of them do best - try to help by donating items, time, money and profits. If you are minded, there are lots of ways to help, the Red Cross being an excellent one. With winter coming along, you might need a new hot water bottle cover (like me) or a little hat or other gift - my blog friend Linda is donating all profits from sales in her etsy shop to the Red Cross. Or you might like a new knitting pattern - I found this one on Ravelry yesterday and have in mind to knit it for a friend going through a difficult time right now.

I'm sure there are lots of others doing similar fundraising efforts. Because helping and supporting others, especially those in need, really is one of the important things.

O is for Olive

2011-03-11T17:17:00.007+11:00

You know how it is when you see a pattern and you fall in love with it and you simply must knit it, even down to using the actual yarn specified in the pattern? Except the pattern is hard to come by (not sold at all in Australia) and ditto for the yarn. So you file it away but never forget about it, hoping that one day you'll manage to find both and stump up for the postage from overseas.

Well, the fates aligned for me on this one - you know it, Olive, I've posted about it before. Ms Funky found the pattern book in the US (hurrah #1). And then Pru destashed the exact yarn in the colour I would have chosen if I was buying it myself (hurrah #2). Which also provided me with the perfect opportunity to meet her in person so I could collect the yarn (hurrah #3!). So of course it was meant to be. (Fortunately for you all, at some point after I got my hot little hands on the pattern book, it became available as an individual download...)

And it has been perfect knitting for me - stocking stitch, in the round, with a little easy shaping and then some colour on the striped garter edges. Oh yeah, and a heap of research and maths before and during the process, as I had to modify the pattern to fit me (upsizing) and to add waist shaping and remove the blouson effect of the original - which is lovely on the willowy stick-thin model, but not so much on stumpy log-large me.

But it was all worth it, I think:

Details

Pattern: Olive by Helga Isager from Amimomo Knit Collection Autumn/Winter 2008 (and now individually). I don't know why exactly I fell in love with this, but I did. I suppose it was the simplicity of it as well as the gathering at neckline and the pouffy sleeves (I am a sucker for a slightly pouffed sleeve!) and the dash of colour provided by the stripes at each edge.

Yarn: Isager Strik Alpaca 2, a lovely fingering/4ply, 50/50 alpaca/merino, in a gorgeous blue/grey (011), approximately 4.5 skeins - the 50g skeins are a generous 250m each! And Noro Silk Garden Sock in S252 - a great colourway I must say - has black, grey, blues and a vivid lime green. I did have to butcher the Noro quite a bit - I cut out a lot of the black and grey, as well as the other colours, so that I'd get a variation of colours on each of the bands. Thank goodness it spit splices beautifully!

Sticks: 3mm KnitPicks Harmony Options for the garter bands, 4mm for the body and sleeves. The smaller needles are great for ensuring the garter doesn't ripple like it can with stocking stitch, and the larger needles make a beautiful drapey fabric.

Time: 1 October 2010 - 18 February 2011. Another of my pre-2011 projects bites the dust!

Modifications: I made extensive notes on my Rav project page, so you can have a looky there if you so desire! But I will say here that my modifications were helped immensely by the notes other Ravellers made on their own project pages for this pattern - so I encourage you all to add notes to your projects if you can - even if just about yarn substitution or needle size used - it really is very helpful and makes Ravelry an even better resource than it already is!

(one of the obvious modifications was to knit the garter bands flat and then close them with a button and crochet loop - no way am I doing garter stitch in the round unless I absolutely have to!)

I also couldn't have made such a good job of the fit if I hadn't done a big swatch and done the maths before I started knitting, and then keep measuring and trying it on as I knitted (a huge benefit of the seamless top down garment!). The maths alone wasn't enough, as I'd failed to include in my calculations various fit factors, so it was only by trying it on that I knew I'd (for example) reached my waist and so needed to stop decreasing, and start increasing!

I'm very happy with this project! I'm looking forward to some cooler weather now so I can wear it! I think the lightweight alpaca blend will be lovely for our climate - warm without being suffocating!

You don't see that too often

2011-03-09T13:38:00.006+11:00

Last week I did something which is a very rare occurrence in RoseRedville.

I frogged a WIP. Entirely. Right back to balls of yarn.

Yep, you heard right, I, RoseRed, who will Always Fudge Rather Than Frog, frogged.

Last year I started a Baktus scarf, with the remainer of the first ball, and the second ball of the Wendy Happy bamboo sock yarn (that I used for these socks). I had seen projects done using self-striping yarn, alternating the balls to get narrow one row stripes, and they looked really good. I thought this yarn would work well for this type of project.

But I just wasn't feeling the love. I ended up having a big wad of grey (even though I was still alternating the balls), and I also ended up cutting the yarn to avoid another big wad of orange. And I think the really small sticks (2.75mm) for a scarf was another reason I was less than enamoured.

And I also found another pattern (designed for self-striping sock yarn) which I thought would work better with this yarn. And so one night last week I just Did It (hence the crappy flash photos).

And in less than a week, I'm already 3/5 of the way through the new scarf (further along than this photo shows).

I think it is an improvement on the Baktus, although I do still like that pattern, just not my initial yarn choice for it. If I get around to making it again, I will still stripe it, but with plain colours instead! Yay for frogging (on the rare occasion that it is absolutely necessary!)

Big Day Out

2011-03-06T17:24:00.004+11:00

For Christmas, I bought husby a ZooFriends membership (and I bought one for me too) - I got a two for one deal that was too good to pass up.

We had to validate it before the end of this month, and last night we decided that today would be the day, as it was going to be a relatively cool. When we got to the Zoo, we found a bunch of other people had the same idea. Not to worry, I managed almost a whole repeat of this while waiting in the queue (yay!)

I remember going to the Zoo as a child (and I think the last time I went was at least 10 or 15 years ago) and feeling somewhat conflicted - "wild" animals in small enclosures, that sort of thing. I still feel that to some extent, but there have been a lot of advances in the management of animals in the Zoo, including much better enclosures, and the Zoo is doing a lot of work in conservation and education as well, and I think that work needs to be supported. Our membership also includes free entry to the Western Plains Zoo, which is an open range zoo about 5 hours out of Sydney. We'll have to do a weekend away for that one!

I'm not sure Connor quite knew what to make of it, but I'm sure he'll enjoy it more each time we return over the next 12 months.

I know I will! (check out that harbour and city skyline view the giraffes have!)

StashDownUnder 2010 - February

2011-03-01T08:45:00.006+11:00

Another excellent month on the StashingDown front - no new yarn!! That's two whole months I've gone without buying yarn!

February totals:
Actual balls used: 5 x 50g balls (so met my monthly goal!)
8ply equivalent: 6.5 x 50g balls
Metres used: 774m

YTD:
balls used: 15 x 50g
8ply equivalent: 18.5 x 50g
Metres used: 2173m (or just over 2km!)

This month, I picked up another longstanding WIP, the La Digitessa socks (another Week of Wollmeise project). This is a gorgeous but highly detailed pattern - multiples cables on every row and all knits through the back loop - so very s-l-o-w - but so beautiful. I don't know when I'll get these finished, but will just keep plugging away until they are done.

I read a book!

2011-02-24T10:42:00.006+11:00

I read a book this month! Yes, that makes 2 whole books for 2011 (so far!). Heh!

(I am in the process of reading others though...)

It was this one:

Yes, a knitting book. But not just any knitting book, this one (a lovely christmas gift from Bells) is more like a ramble through Elizabeth Zimmerman's crazy amazing knitting mind, her fishing and other adventures with her "Old Man" and a bunch of pithy patterns for various knitterly goodness.

I already had the little green paperback edition of the Knitter's Almanac, but had never really read it, apart from bits of the February chapter, with the famed February Baby Sweater. But this edition, the commemorative edition, is a hardback with lovely colour photos of the patterns, along with the also-famous February Lady Sweater, and a lovely introduction from Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, who found a knitting soul-mate in EZ and this book in particular.

I'm really glad I've now read it all, not least because it's really entertaining. I can only aspire to the level of creativity (or unventing) of EZ, but at least I can knit her patterns. I especially like the blanket in the April chapter - it looks great knitted up in Noro (I assume) - and has such a clever construction.

I think it's a book every knitter should own, and I'd recommend the fancy version, even if you've already got the paperback!

F-f-f-f-frankensocks!

2011-02-19T14:41:00.005+11:00

Remember my Week of Wollmeise? Way way back in September 2009? Well, I've finally finished one of those projects! (and I have been knitting on a few of the others too). Yay for Binding Off 2011!

Meet husby's Frankensocks:

So called because they are a hodge-podge of patterns and because, well, they are a bit ugly. Not quite what I had in my head when I was planning them. But husby likes them, which is all that matters in the end. And I learnt a few new things too, which is always a good thing.

Pattern(s): I used the Latvian twist cast on for the top of the sock, from Nancy Bush's Canada sock from Knitting on the Road. Very easy! The downside - makes a bunch of extra ends to weave in!

Then a standard ribbed cuff. Next I used the chart from the Christmas in Tallinn stocking, from the same book. It worked over 72 stitches, and was a nice simple snowflake pattern. It wasn't very clear on the first sock, so I reversed the colours on the second one (top sock in photo below), and you can see the snowflakes much better.

The rest of the sock is regular stocking stitch, with a slip stitch heel flap and a wedge toe.

Yarn: Wollmeise of course! Wollmeise Twin, in Birkenrinde and Dunkle Kirsch for the contrast toe, twist cuff and fair isle section. I really really enjoyed knitting with this yarn and hope it wears well. Since husby is the first in our family to have Wollmeise socks!

Sticks: I used 2.75mm dpns for the cuff, 2.5mm dpns for the fair isle chart and the next few rows, and then 2.25mm dpns for the rest of the sock. You can see that the yarn flashes on the larger needles, but once I switched to the smallest sticks, the yarn started to behave quite nicely, and striped. I decided to use the needle changes to add shaping, rather than mess around with decreases as well as the fair isle band.

Time: 7 September 2009 - 31 January 2011. Although they were in hibernation from the end of 2009 until around December 2010. And with a bit of attention, the second sock took less than a month, weeeeeeee!

What I learnt: Latvian twist cast on! That highly variegated yarns don't really work in fair isle! How changing stick size affects tension and the way variegated yarns behave! (well, I did pretty much know that already, but this is a really good demonstration).

I'm so pleased to have these off the sticks!

I miss my Dad

2011-02-08T15:48:00.004+11:00

Today is the fifth anniversary of my Dad's death. And Connor's 9 mo "birthday".

A couple of Christmases ago, my mum gave us a photo album filled with photos of my Dad, along with some of my (very embarrassing) childhood Father's Day art and other memorabilia. She did one for each of my brothers and herself as well, a big undertaking given none of the photos were in digital form. Some of these, like his baby and childhood photos, I'd never seen before.

I got the album out today and lit a candle and picked some rosemary for my Dad. And I showed Connor the pictures and told him how much his Pa would have loved him, does love him.

I'm going to make this an annual event. And will do it for Husby's father too, who died 12 years ago this January gone. I grew up without most of my grandparents and know little about them. I want to ensure that even though Connor won't ever have a Pa or a Poppy that he will feel like he knows them anyway.

I miss my Dad.

Anniversary Socks

2011-02-04T15:42:00.004+11:00

Now that it has been received, I can finally post about a little something something I made for the winner of my 2009 (!!) blogthday competition! (I know, I know, but I explained all to the recipient Sarah in advance!)

Details

Pattern: Anniversary Socks by Nancy Bush, from Interweave's 25 Favourite Socks book. I'm a big fan of socks with patterning on only the front or back (especially for magic looping) and of course being a prize for my blog anniversary, I thought this pattern especially fitting.

I really like how the small cable flows from the ribbing all the way down the leg and foot of the sock. I also like the combination of the cable and lace patterning. And the eye of partridge heel. Looks so good in this yarn (hmmm, better than in the picture!)

Yarn: Wollemeise Twin (80/20) in Dunkle Kirsch, about 85gm I think. I forgot to weigh the socks! These are the first socks I've knit (and finished) in the Wollemeise and gosh it is lovely stuff. Love knitting with it, love the stitch definition, love the finished product. It is a tad splitty, but I've found one of the benefits of being a slow knitter is that this isn't so much of an issue!

Sticks: 2.5mm KnitPicks Harmony fixed circulars.

Time: 31 August 2009 (yes, the day before my Week of Wollmeise!) - 11 December 2010 (um, it took me a while to block and post them to Sarah - my excuse was I wanted to avoid posting during the christmas rush!). I had a bit of a break in the middle there due to my pregnancy induced Wollmeise aversion - luckily for me, Sarah was very understanding of the delays!

StashDownUnder - January Total

2011-02-01T21:36:00.003+11:00

So I signed up for StashDownUnder this year, with the aim of using 5 balls of yarn each month this year. And not buy any. Or at the very least, come out stash negative for the entire year. I'm not sure I can actually go a whole year without buying any yarn at all ... so I'm not going to make a promise I'm pretty sure I can't keep.

But I am pleased to report that I did not buy any yarn this month! So going well so far!

I'm going to run my StashDown totals in 3 ways - just because I kinda like details which are meaningless but interesting. Interesting to me, anyway! First off, I'll do it how I always have, just by number of actual balls used. Then I'll do it by converting to 8ply equivalent (4ply is double, laceweight is quadruple, worsted/aran is 0.75 etc) (but I'll only do that for the yarn knit, not the yarn given away/destashed). And finally, by metres used! (Got to keep my maths brain working somehow...)

January 2010

Actual balls used (including yarn given away): 10 x 50g (5 knit, 5 gifted)

8ply equivalent: 12 x 50g (7 balls knit, 5 gifted)

Metres used: 1399m (709m knit, 690m gifted)

Yay, on track!

************************************

In other news, I wanted to acknowledge a lovely gift I received last week. One of my blog buddies, Michele, has knit a fab-o cardigan for Connor. Not only knit it, but she indigo dyed the yarn herself as well.

It's a Norah Gaughan pattern, and it's so very cool. I can't wait until it fits Connor (I kind of wish I was a lot smaller and skinnier so I could wear it in the meantime! heh!)

Thanks so much Michele!

What could be more Australian?

2011-01-26T21:08:00.003+11:00

What could be more Australian than this:

(hope you can tell what it is...!!)

I had a bunch of the best knitters over this afternoon, and as it also happens to be Australia Day today, I thought a pavlova was in order. And fairy bread. And lamingtons. And tim tams. Iced vo-vos. Passiona (almost everyone had some passiona!). Scones with jam and cream. And because Australia is a multicultural country, portuguese tarts. And PB&J sandwiches. Rice crispy treats. And snickerdoodles! Oh, and chocolate tart, just because we can.

I do often think about how glad I am to be Australian. I'm not going to bang on about it, as I'm not particularly overtly patriotic, but I'm so very glad I am a citizen of a country which has universal health care, generous (albeit unpaid) parental leave, paid parental leave as well (finally!), an actual legally enforced minimum wage which a person can (just) live on, a female Prime Minister and female Premiers in 3 of the 6 states as well as a female Governor-General, not to mention great weather, beautiful beaches and countryside and a general laid back attitude. I'm sure I've missed a lot of other worthy stuff, so feel free to add anything else you love about Australia in the comments, my Australian friends!

We're not perfect, as a people or a country, but I really am so very glad that I was born here. And not just because pavlova is one of our national dishes (never mind it's probably from New Zealand...)

I shall call him Mini-me

2011-01-20T10:16:00.006+11:00

I promised to make a mini version of husby's cardi and I always keep my promises (well mostly...). When the opportunity arose to test knit a pattern for Celia which was a pretty close match, I thought well why not! And even better, it is top down and seamless!

Details

Pattern: Alex Jacket by Celia Ng - this is a great kids pattern - not only top down and seamless but has a range of options for you to mix and match - I did the collared version with ribbing at the sides and on the cuffs and bands, but you can do no collar, or a hood, or cables (where the raglan "seams" are), or garter edging or moss stitch edging. And it comes in sizes from 12mo to 8yo. I will be sure to knit this one again, probably every year until it no longer fits Connor!

I really like the raglan increases - the pattern has you do a yo increase and then purl it through the back loop on the way back, to close the hole. I wasn't sure it would work, but it did! I'm really glad I trusted the pattern, because I learnt something! Yay for testing knitting and GAAK!

And, even better, if you buy this pattern before the end of January, Celia is donating half of the price to the Queensland Premier's Flood Appeal - nice! (you can buy the pattern separately or with the companion pattern Lee which is for a jumper with the same sorts of options). A good deal I think!

Yarn: The leftover Cascade220 from husby's cardi - 1.5 skeins of the Olive Heathers (9448) and just under 50g of the Cordovan (brown). I only just scraped it in with the green - I literally ran out of yarn just as I finished the last row of the second sleeve!

Sticks: 4mm KnitPicks Harmony options for the cuffs and bands, 4.5mm KP Harmony options for the body of the cardigan.

Time: 20 December 2010 - 7 January 2011 (my first FO for 2011, weeeeee!). Thanks to a couple of long drives and general sitting around time over Christmas, I managed to finish this quite quickly.

Modifications: I made the collar a bit shorter than the pattern suggests, and I ensured the ribbing down the sides flowed neatly into the ribbing along the bottom edge (which just meant starting my ribbing with a p1 instead of a k1). And I did the buttonbands all the way up along the collar, as I wasn't convinced it would look ok if I stopped at the bottom of the collar - although once I saw the other test knits I realised it would have been fine! But I'm happy with it the way it is (as long as it fits Connor when winter arrives - which I'm sure it will!)

What I learnt: The pattern suggests a stretchy bind off for the bottom band and sleeve cuffs. I decided I'd try Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off. Yes, it is very stretchy! I'm not sure I love how it looks though, it's kind of lumpy-ish. I think it'd be fine on a sock, but if I was doing this again, I'd probably do a tubular bind off on this garment - I'm not sure why it didn't occur to me in the first place, since I used a 1x1 rib! Next time!

I also learnt that when changing colours between a ribbed band and the main part of the body, it's a good idea to do the first plain row after (or before, whichever is the case) of the ribbing in the same colour as the ribbing - I did this on the collar but forgot on the bottom band - and it means that the first row of the bottom band ribbing is actually in the green. It's not hugely noticeable, but I think it's much neater - a nice finishing touch.

Now, the big question is - what buttons?? As you will have noticed, there are none. These are the options:

I like the brown patterned ones, but as they are coconut shell, I think I'll go for the green ones - not a perfect match, but more practical and I think a nice pop on the brown button bands - the green has a yellowish undertone, as does the green C220. What do you think?

Today I read a book!

2011-01-12T21:41:00.005+11:00

I have always loved reading. And been a voracious reader. It's funny though, I don't remember my parents reading to me, all I can remember is always reading. If I had nothing else, then I'd read the cereal box as I ate breakfast. Backwards (I mean, I'd read the words backwards - either each word or each paragraph - not eat breakfast backwards. Because that would be weird).

As a child, one of my favourite things to do was to go to the local library every other Saturday morning with my dad, where we'd return a stack of books each and then borrow another stack of books. And of course at school English was one of my favourite subjects and I continued the reading through university with a major in English Literature.

And then I started knitting. And since then, I've all but stopped reading (but haven't quite stopped buying books!). I do sometimes listen to audiobooks, and I use audible.com. But true to myself, I've managed to buy a lot more audiobooks than I've actually listened to. So I've got a lot of unread books on my physical and internetty shelves, just waiting for that "one day". I've decided it's time to make that "one day" be every day, or at least every other day.

One of my new favourite places to read is in the backyard, when the yard is in shade towards the end of the day. I lug out a quilt, a book, the baby, and some baby toys and if I'm really lucky, I get a few pages in while Connor plays and watches the trees and the birds fly overhead (only the birds fly, not the trees, they don't fly. Because that would be weird).

Today I finished reading a book. Not the one in the photo, I'm still going on that. No, today I finished reading a trashy novel - one of my (not so) secret indulgences is the occasional trashy novel. Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris, the 10th book in the Sookie Stackhouse (aka True Blood) series. Easy to read, relatively well-written (for trashy novels) and entertaining! I recommend the series if you like that sort of thing!

I'm going to keep a booklist in the sidebar, just out of interest. I'll be pretty happy if I can get a book, or maybe two, read each month. Not a lot, I know, but it will be more than I read last year!

Happy New Year, and all that

2011-01-05T08:30:00.006+11:00

Happy New Year!

(Happy new jar of peanut butter face!)

Let's get the Stash Honesty out of the way first, shall we?

I was a good girl in December and didn't buy any yarn. Sort of. DrK gave me some lovely lovely red Berocco Ultra Alpaca Lite for Christmas (all the way from Americky!) and since she was buying some more of it, I decided I might just buy enough for a garment. It hasn't arrived yet, but I'm counting this as a 2010 purchase, since that's when I paid for it!

And I also received a birthday gift from Ingrid:

Brooklyn Tweed Shelter! Squeeee! Such a light lofty yarn! Am very excited about using this!

In: 6 x 50g (not counting the gift yarns, of course!)

Out: 3 x 50g

YTD - end of year total: +39.5 x 50g balls - or just over 3 balls per month added to the stash. That's not too bad, considering in 2009 I added over 200 balls to the stash. Go me! Heh!

But for 2011, I have decided it's time to make a dent in the stash, rather than add to it. So I've signed up for StashDownUnder on Ravelry, a group of (mostly) Australians dedicated to reducing stash in 2011. Ravelry makes these sorts of endeavours so much easier, when there's a good group support system going on! I've been trying to decide whether to make a list of projects I'd like to make this year from stash, but I think that's too organised (read: restrictive!) but I do plan on doing some more crochet projects - not just because they are quicker, but they also use a bit more yarn!

I've decided I'm going to try to aim to use 5 x 50g balls (or equivalent) each month - one of the participants uses an 8ply (DK) 50g ball as the base unit, and 50g of 4ply (fingering) yarn counts for double (ie 2 balls), 50g of laceweight I guess counts as quadruple (4 balls), while worsted/aran/10ply would count as less - I suppose .075 of a ball. I quite like this method, as it does take longer to knit up finer yarns. And I've also added the KnitMeter to the sidebar to help as well. That will be an interesting experiment!

I've also signed up for Binding Off 2011, an initiative started by blogger Cozy's Place. Because I really need to get my WIPS under control. My WIP-along is making a dent, but an external commitment never hurts! Feel free to join me by signing up! I would like to reduce my WIPS by at least 8-10 projects this year!

(new knitting diary! weeeeeeeeeeeeee! No idea why it's sideways though!)

No other "resolutions" for me. I know some things about myself I'd like to work on over 2011, but growing up is a constant evolutionary process, not confined to a year, so I think resolutions aren't the right way of looking at what I want to achieve in respect of personal growth.

I hope you achieve all you set out to for 2011, and that it is a good, kind year for all!

So accomplished

2010-12-18T21:36:00.004+11:00

There's nothing like cooking a perfect turkey to make you feel like an accomplished cook! Even better when it's the first time you've done it!

(Although maybe it was just beginner's luck...) (also, please ignore the rack on which the turkey is sitting - I couldn't work out how to get the turkey off it and onto the plate - so we just moved the whole thing!)

We had friends over for christmas lunch today and we decided to try doing a turkey. I've never really been a huge fan of turkey, as pretty much every turkey I've had in the past has suffered from dry turkey syndrome. Not my turkey! So moist and juicy and tender. It really was the best turkey I've ever had, and I'm not just saying that because I cooked it! I did make sure I got a nice crispy bit of skin too.

I've got two christmas specific recipe books (Nigella and Donna Hay) so I read up on their turkey recommendations. Nigella soaks hers in "brine" for two days beforehand, which wasn't going to work for me for various logistical reasons. So I went with Donna Hay, but following Nigella's timings for my 6kg bird.

What's the secret? Well, I don't know why my turkey turned out so well, but I followed the recipe pretty much exactly, so I guess that's the secret. Lots of butter between the breast skin and meat (tell you what, carefully separating the skin from the meat with your fingers is a very odd business, only beaten really by then stuffing dobs of butter back in there!). Sit the turkey on a rack in the baking tray, and fill the bottom of the tray with chicken stock, and baste every hour or so with the stock/juices mixture (would have done half hour, but couldn't fit that in with the other prep jobs I had to do!).

And there wasn't much left, always a good sign! We should have enough pickings for turkey bubble and squeak for lunch tomorrow I think! Thanks to Fiona for doing the veg, Sue for the dessert and Jack for the champagne - truly a great joint effort christmas lunch.

Red red reddy red Rudy

2010-12-16T16:59:00.004+11:00

I decided I wouldn't torture myself (or my friends/relations) this year by doing any Christmas knitting - with one small exception - I'm not sure why I made this exception, maybe subconsciously I'm trying to demonstrate to non-knitters that knitting is (a) cool and (b) useful. Although I suppose "cool" and "useful" are all relative!

Anyway, I made this for my parents group secret santa (we had a Christmas get-together on the weekend - nice - because we got to meet the dads - well, except of course for the couple of dads that come to group every week!)

Details
Pattern: Rudy by Elaine Fitzpatrick - an easy knit/purl bib with Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer. The pattern is free but is written - so I spent a little bit of time charting it before I knit it - so much easier to follow. I particularly like the short row shaping at the bottom edge, to give it that nice curved edge.

Instead of doing i-cord ties for the bib, I knit a neck strap with buttonhole in garter stitch and sewed a button on the other side - I think buttons are (slightly) easier than trying to tie a bib on a wriggling baby.

Yarn: Peaches and Cream worsted cotton - in red (but of course!) - about 50g

Sticks: 4mm bamboo straights (old skool!). Bit tight knitted worsted cotton on 4mm sticks, but it does make a good thirsty fabric, which is what you want in a bib. And it won't really stretch either, also good for a gift for a non-knitter!

Time: 25 November - 4 December 2010

Little Sophie was the lucky (?) baby who received this gift (which I wrapped with a couple of books - can never have too many books for babies and kids, I think). Her mum seemed to really like it, and told me at group the week after that she was going to make it into a little Christmas lolly bag once it's use as a bib was done, by sewing a piece of fabric on the back. Which I thought was an excellent idea!

It's called procrastination...

2010-12-11T21:01:00.004+11:00

So back in July (omg, was it really July??) I asked for opinions on a hat I'd made.

It took me until mid-November to put into action my decision - which was to keep it - I turned the brim up and stitched it in place with a few small stitches. I thought about adding a big button for trim, but decided I could use a brooch (and change it as my mood takes me).

I think it's ok...

Details

Pattern: A Better Bucket Hat by Amy Swenson, with modifications by raveller Solaris.

Yarn: Colinette Iona in Ginger Cinnabar - about 70g and because I didn't think I'd have enough of the Iona, Malabrigo Worsted in Sealing Wax - about 25g. I used the Malabrigo for the turned under part of the brim (which is knit first). I think, as it turns out, I would have had enough of the Iona, but I quite like the contrast of the orangey red Malabrigo with the ginger Iona.

Sticks: 4.5mm bamboo 40cm circular and bamboo dpns for the top of the hat decreases. I forgot to change needle sizes for the body of the hat, which would have made it a bit less slouchy. Oh well...

Time: 10 July 2010 - 16 July 2010 (for the knitting) - then another, oh, 10 minutes on 14 November to sew in ends and stitch up the brim! Yep, it's called procrastination, and I am an expert at it!

Modifications: the popular mods by Solaris are designed to make the brim stand out a bit more than the original pattern - I'm sure it would have worked for me if I'd only read them properly and changed needle sizes! I also did a provisional cast on to make the fixing down of the turn under brim easier (knit it as you go, rather than seaming it at the end).

And it only took me a month after finishing it to actually blog it! At least I can wear it next winter! And it's one WIP down in my WIP-athon, weeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Keeping Track - November 2010

2010-12-02T21:42:00.005+11:00

A day late, sorry! I took advantage of a break in the rain we've been having since (it seems like) forever, to take some photos for this post, because there have been a few in's this month. Fortunately, most of them were gifts, and gift yarn doesn't count, right!

This lot was my birthday present to myself:
I accidentally (heh!) hit a wollmeise update a month or two ago, and managed to score a couple of colours I've been wanting for some time - Sabrina and Ruby Thursday. And a couple of Vamp (a newer red, which I couldn't leave behind) and to make up my order to 5 skeins (most economical for postage!) I got a skein of My Old Blue Jeans as well. Why not!

And this lovely group comprise gifts from some lovely friends:

The large ball on the left is Cashmere laceweight, a bloggy prize from Jen. Across the top is handdyed laceweight from The Granny Square in Newtown, a gift from JP. Underneath that is alpacky laceweight from MissFee, and the small blue skein and larger skein below it is Margarita's handspun! How clever is she!

And this lot I bought - so it does count - but you know, it's a discontinued red 8ply cotton from Bendigo - I just missed buying some before they discontinued the colour (darn them!!) and I happened to mention this to JP and she came through with the goods!! She had a spare few balls and was happy to destash them to me, weeeeeeeeeeeee!

And since they are big balls (heh! Why yes I am a juvenile at heart) - 200g each - that makes a lot of 50g equivalents in the "in" column. Not that I regret it at all!

In: 12 x 50g
Out: 5 x 50g
YTD: +36.5 x 50g balls (or 3.5 balls per month!)

Even though we don't do Thanksgiving here...

2010-11-25T12:26:00.003+11:00

So within five minutes of getting up from our nap this morning, I had changed a poo nappy and had baby vomit all down my top (and when I say "all down my top", I don't mean the front of my top, I mean INSIDE my top ...)

Despite the poo-and-spew start to the morning, I am thankful for the following:

1. Connor managed to miss his clean clothes entirely (of course he did!)

2. I had not yet had a shower

3. My mum is staying this week so after I fed the little horrorhead I could have a nice long shower and even wash my hair

4. Shoes, and yarn. When all else fails, I can always be thankful for shoes and yarn!

Speaking of shoes, since so many asked, this is the source of my recent acquisition (which are Liz Claiborne, by the way). The shoes on the site are probably last seasons (or even the season before - I have no idea!), but since "the season" is no longer an issue for me (and never really was, heh) I don't mind!

SHOESday: Parity Party!

2010-11-23T19:36:00.003+11:00

So for the last month or so, Australians who like to buy stuff on the internet from the US have been having a bit of a parity party, because our dollar has been close to, at or even over the US dollar! I don't know if this has ever happened since our dollar was floated! (It definitely wasn't when husby and I were in the US a few years ago - I think our dollar bought about US0.75 - bummer!)

I thought about buying lots of yarn but I refrained. I am so strong! (heh!!)

But I did buy a pair of shoes - they really were a bargain! And have a return shipping address in Australia in the event they don't fit. Lucky I don't need it!

I normally don't go for shoes with a lot of white on them - except for sneakers.

But I reckon these qualify as sneakers - wedge heeled sneakers! Ha! I love them! So comfortable! Just like sneakers but a teeny bit more dressy - and can be worn with a skirt, weeeeee!

Happy half-birthday to the little dude

2010-11-08T22:11:00.004+11:00

Today is Connor's half-birthday. Unbelieveable! Six months has gone by in a flash with so many changes in such a short time:

-he's in his third set of clothes (0000 lasted for 4 weeks, 000 for 2 months, and the 00 have now lasted 4 months and still seem to be ok). Thanks to the friends who gave us hand-me-down clothes, I've only had to buy him about 4 things (plus bibs and singlets). Hand-me-downs are the best!

-he's got 2 teeth - both bottom teeth, which came through 6 weeks ago, with a minimum of fuss - I didn't even know they were coming until he chomped down on my finger one day (and I just need to say - owwww! those things are SHARP!)

-he's grabbing things (like my fingers!) and stuffing them straight into his mouth. Especially his clothes.

-and for the last few weeks, his feet! He was pretty happy when he discovered his feet. And that he could put them in his mouth. Oh to be that flexible...

-In fact, I could probably do away with all his toys and just give him little socks and facecloths to play with.

-he's lost and regrown the hair off the top of his head

-he's started eating food! apple, pear, banana, avocado (he didn't like that much!), blueberries, yoghurt, potato, pumpkin, sweet potato, corn, peas, zucchini and broccoli. I'm having fun cooking things up and pureeing them, even though the sound of the blender thingy makes him cry!

-the vacuum also makes him cry. That's my excuse anyway!

-he's rolled over twice from his front to his back (I think the weight of his HUGE head pulled him over) and once from his back to his front (which of course I missed, as I was in the shower!)

-he giggles and laughs at the strangest things, and babbles away to us quite seriously (often when he is supposed to be sleeping - like tonight!)

I converted the pram from the basinette to the seat a week or so ago, and put him in it to adjust the seat straps - he LOVED it! I couldn't get a non-blurry picture, he was so excited to sit up and look around, he really is quite a social little fella. (Especially when he's meant to be sleeping ... hmmm, I think there's a pattern there)

Happy half-birthday my lovely little dude.

Oh, Dick!

2010-11-02T17:46:00.006+11:00

This is really my keeping track post for October, but I couldn't resist the alternate title for this post, because looky what I received for my birthday (it's an early present) from DrK:

Lovely lovely dpn holder and interchangeable needle bag made by the talented seamstress (and knitter!) RandomKnits.

I had a lot of fun stuffing them too:

And well stuffed they are! Of course, many of my interchangeable needles are in use (heh heh) so it would otherwise be even fuller of needles. And you can't see it in the photos, but there is a handy dandy zipper section behind the needle slots, for the cables, keys, needle sizer etc. So very clever and neat and much nicer than the placky cases you get with the needle sets!

All this is a way of making up for there being no photos of new yarn this month. Why? Because there was no new yarn this month! weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

So my totals are a little more healthy:

In: No new yarn! (for a change!)

Out: 6 x 50g balls of yarn (half of those were given to my mum for her charity knitting,lest you think I've somehow becoming a knitting speedster this month)

YTD: +29.5 x 50g balls (or almost 3 balls in per month, on average)

WIP-athon 2010-2011

2010-10-25T18:29:00.006+11:00

I'm not sure if many of you look at my WIP list there is the sidebar (I kinda hope not many!) but it is embarrassingly long. So a little while ago I decided to do something about it. Nothing radical, mind, like only knitting on WIPs until they are all done. Because that's clearly doomed to failure - if I had that kind of focus and stick-to-it-ness, I wouldn't have so many WIPs in the first place!

So what I'm going to do is formalise my commitment to a WIP-athon for 2010-2011 (and possibly 2012, if it takes that long!) by openly promising on this here blog to "WIP one, start one". In other words, finish a WIP, start a new project. Finish the new project, then finish a WIP. Repeat until WIPs are done. And don't allow any of the new projects to become a WIP! Of course if I'm feeling particularly virtuous, I may even finish two WIPs in a row!

Is anyone with me?

I started my WIP-athon with the Shaped Lace Tee. Once I got that out of the way, I was allowed to cast on for my Olive (you'll recall I swatched for her back in August). I needed to modify the pattern and do some maths, so I spent a couple of days researching other projects on Ravelry and crunching the numbers, and then I started. Using the Noro Silk Garden sock for the contrast in the yoke.

And this project is perfect for my knitting life right now - miles and miles of stocking stitch in the round that I can pick up and put down so easily. And I do love this pattern and yarn.

I just hope it fits me ... and doesn't take forever to knit! Have you seen the size of my queue in Ravelry lately??!!

It's been a long time coming

2010-10-15T14:40:00.008+11:00

Remember RoseRedia Jones' excavation about a month ago? The main reason (apart from the pressing need to actually tidy it up) for that expedition was to find one of my most long-standing WIPS - the Shaped Lace Tee, which I started in January 2008 (!!). With summer looming, I decided it was time to get it off the sticks and off my WIP list.

Especially since all I needed to do was knit the pathetically small cap sleeves and then block and seam it!

Which I have now done, weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Details

Pattern: Shaped Lace Tee by Joan McGowan Michael, from Knitting Lingerie Style. I believe this is the same pattern as her Krista Tee, which is sold separately on her website. A really nice pattern in a wide range of sizes.

Yarn: Rowan Calmer in Khaki (sh 474), just a smidge over 4 balls (!!). I had 5 balls of this lovely yarn, and I really thought I'd be pushing it to make this pattern. I swatched (twice!), couldn't get gauge and so did the maths to work out I needed to make the next size up to get the right size for me. With hindsight, I wish I'd gone two sizes up, as I would have had enough yarn and it would have given me a bit more wiggle room.

This yarn really stretches! Great for anything fitted like this pattern, because you don't really need any shaping, the yarn does that work for you.

Sticks: 5mm KnitPicks Harmony Options

Time: January 2008 - 1 October 2010. And it even fits me!

Modifications: Vey little - I did a 3-needle bind-off for the shoulder seams and that's it. Although if I were to make this again, I would make the sleeve caps wider - they are riculously narrow. They do work, but I'd just give myself a bit more room up there. I'd also possibly do a ridge of garter stitch (or three) around the bottom, as I think it will curl (even more) with wear.

I really like the square neckline finished with a round of crochet, very flattering for my body shape. If only my bust was as perky and my hips as narrow as Dolores the Dummy, my stunt double ... lucky this yarn s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-s (did I mention that already?)!

Get the good scissors out!

2010-10-11T11:35:00.009+11:00

Get the good scissors out:

It's time to sssssssssttttttttttteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!

The tutorial at our monthly guild meeting this month was on steeking, lead by members M-H and Sandra. I've never done it, and quite frankly the thought of cutting my knitting scared the crap out of me! Cutting something that I'd spent hours and hours knitting - in fairisle - gaaaaaahhhhh!

I know others have done it - and I admired their bravery - but I never really thought I could do it.

Until now!

We all did our homework (knitting a tube in a fairly easy fairisle pattern), ready to learn how to reinforce the knitting before bringing out the good scissors. I was the only stupid person to use 4ply/fingering yarn - I don't know why I didn't use 8ply/DK, which would have made for a bigger tube and less knitting required. I suppose I always think of finer yarn when I think of fairisle (it would be too too hot to wear a double strand 8ply garment here) and I had this yarn left over from my endpaper mitts, so that's as far as my thinking went when choosing yarn!

Anyway, I had a bit of an experiment with my fairisle - reversed the colours for the middle section, and for the top section I reversed the yarn carried over the top (at bottom, I carried the brown over the green, at top I carried the green over brown) - I think the top looks better. Yarn dominance in action!

The tutorial was excellent! M-H and Sandra have come up with an alternate way to reinforce the steeked section using crochet - the method most commonly used has you crochet on either side of the area you will cut (the double width brown strip in the centre of my sample), while their method (the WestWard method!) has you crochet on either side of the entire steeked area, thus creating a kind of selvege edge and reducing bulk on the very edge. (The red stitches are the crocheted reinforcement).

I initially grumbled about this method, as I found it the way of crocheting very awkward, but once M-H showed me how to do it more easily, I saw the light! And soon I was going for the scissors and it only took a few seconds and my tube was now a flat piece of knitting! Weeeeeeeeeeee!

I thought I'd chosen a relatively sticky yarn, but I discovered after cutting that it was not really sticky at all! So I think if I was to use a non-Shetland yarn for fairisle, I'd either crochet right on the steek area, to ensure it can't unravel, or I'd use the WestWard method but also machine sew closer to the steek edge, for double security!

Thanks to M-H and Sandra, I now have the confidence to actually try this out on a full-size garment! Yay for Growth As A Knitter!

Keeping Track - September 2010

2010-10-03T18:35:00.003+11:00

I was doing ok this month...until I was handed the chance to have a personal shopper, of sorts, at the Wollmeise shop in Germany, thanks to AuntyToots, who made a special trip there on her honeymoon. I've long admired the colourwork done by many talented knitters using Wollmeise, and in particular the undyed yarn paired with any of the vibrant coloured yarns - I don't know how often the undyed yarn comes up in the shop updates, so I took the opportunity so kindly offered and now am the proud owner of two undyedskeins of Wollmeise. Weeee! Thanks Helen!

And my other purchase this month was a single ball of Noro Silk garden sock yarn, which was bought for a project I'm very excited to be starting in October.

And even though prize yarn doesn't count, I can't not show off this lovely stuff - 8ply/DK Patonyle (it's more of a deep tealy/jade green than this picture shows)! Thanks Leonie!

On the outs I didn't do so well -socks take a long time to knit and don't use much yarn! Hopefully I'll do better on the outs next month!

In: 8 x 50g balls

Out: 1.5 x 50g balls

YTD: 35.5 x 50g balls - woops, my monthly average has gone up...almost 4 balls per month.

And for a change...

2010-09-26T14:58:00.006+10:00

And for a change, here's another FO!

A while ago (November last year!), I was visiting with my buddy D, who, in a fit of optimism, had bought the yarn and pattern to crochet a scarf for her daughter. In a similarly inspired fit of optimism, I offered to do it for her, because we all know crochet is quick, and the scarf only used 2 balls of 8ply/DK weight yarn.

Yeah, you already know how that turned out, just by the date of this post! But now it's done, huzzah!

Details

Pattern: Aroma by Donna Yacino, published by Berroco. A crochet scarf using a pretty motif and bands of filet or basic shell crochet between the motifs.

The pattern is relatively easy, but has that annoying "at the same time" business which tripped me up more than once. It's also completely written, and could have benefitted by using charts. I also think it could have been written to avoid some of the cutting and rejoining of the yarn (and thus minimising the number of ends to be sewed in). And finally, if I was to make it again, I'd also make it symmetrical - ie work from both ends into the middle. That's a relatively minor quibble though.

Yarn: 2 x 50g balls of Berroco Latitude, a very interesting cotton/rayon yarn comprised of many plies of slightly variegated yarn all wrapped with a fine strand of a darker colour. It's a mite stiff to crochet with but I think will wear nicely. It is slightly difficult to sew the ends in however! I imagine if you were knitting with it, especially stocking stitch, you'd probably have to separate the plies to sew them in in a way that avoids bulk.

Hook: 4mm

Time: 2 December 2009 - 30 August 2010. But really, this is a project which could be completed in a few days - I finished one ball of yarn some time ago (probably January) then got sidetracked, until mid-August, when I finally got it out again, after a timely prompt from D!!

Note on pattern: Interestingly, the pattern specifies 3 balls of yarn are required. I had some left from the 2 balls I used (not enough for additional motifs though). And I made the pattern exactly as specified, getting a length of 136cm/53".

You can see from the pattern picture however that the filet/shell sections between the motifs are much longer than the pattern calls for (with a specified total length of 158cm/62"). Clearly that's where the extra yarn went! Bit of a fail though on the part of someone at Berroco! Good way to add length though, if you want to, without making extra motifs.

The Adventures of RoseRedia Jones

2010-09-18T13:17:00.005+10:00

In which our intrepid archeologist, RoseRedia Jones, undertakes a dig in the region of KnittingBasket...

It was the Spring of 2010, when RoseRedia Jones decided it was time to explore KnittingBasket, in the corner of LoungeRoom, right beside Knitter'sChair. Armed with only a few rudimentary but useful tools (hands, camera), this is the sight that faced RoseRedia:

Taking a slow and methodical approach, RoseRedia cleared away the first layer of debris, consisting mainly of the most recent items belonging to the Knitter which she discovered were termed WIPS. Also the Notions Pouch, which appeared to see a great deal of use.

More WIPS were discovered on the next layer, these appeared not to have seen any action for some few months.

The next layer revealed even older WIPS, and Sock Blockers, which clearly had not been used for at least 4 months. Also apparent on this layer were partial used balls of yarn, clearly discarded in the Knitter's eagerness to move onto the next project.

RoseRedia also discovered next to KnittingBasket a separate box, which appeared to contain even older WIPS, many of which had not seen action for about a year. RoseRedia assumed this Knitter had a problem termed Startitis (and also, Messiness).

The lowest sub-stratum of the KnittingBasket revealed a hodgepodge of used and unused patterns, yarn labels, further partial balls of yarn, and various cords and knitting sticks.

RoseRedia felt a certain sense of achievement when she finally reached the bottom of KnittingBasket and WIPBox. She may have also had to confront her fear of spiders, even though of only the DaddyLongLegs variety, but fortunately, there was no evidence of her greatest fear, the moth.

She sat back to carefully note the discoveries and treasures revealed by the dig:

Yarn: 7 partial balls, 2 full cones, 8 full balls

Project bags: 7 empty

Ziplock bags: 14 plus 3 which were damaged or dirty beyond repair

Patterns: 9 used, 1 in use, 2 unused

Computer cables: 3 with a known use, 2 with an unknown use or origin

1 double adapter

1 finished dishcloth just requiring ends to be sewn in

1 booklight, apparently used for knitting in the car in the dark

1 Knitter's Guild newsletter

WIPS: 14

1 Vogue Knitting Reference book

Many pairs of knitting needles and dpns

1 Samurai Sudoku puzzle book

1 2008 taxpack (!!)

RoseRedia carefully sorted and replaced all that was salvagable and required for use within KnittingBasket and WIPBox, in the hope that the Knitter would both appreciate these efforts and recommit to finishing some of those WIPS.

Tune in next time for an update on the Knitter's progress...

Bellybellybellyphant!

2010-09-06T09:30:00.000+10:00

I realised a while ago I had failed to knit a red garment for Connor! I had to rectify this immediately (it certainly wasn't due to a lack of red yarn in the stash!). I wanted a quick and easy pattern and so searched Ravelry for seamless raglan type cardigans - and found this pattern and couldn't resist the elephants marching around the belly!

Details

Pattern: Bellyphant by Jennifer Little - a bottom up seamless raglan cardigan, available in 3 sizes. It actually has stripes all the way up the body and sleeves (above the elephants) but I decided to keep it plain, so I didn't have to fuss about matching the stripes on the sleeves to the body (not that it would have been too difficult, but I'm all about the easy-ness at the moment, pretty much). Also I had enough of the red yarn for the whole garment. As I was using 4ply/fingering yarn, rather than 5ply/sport, I made the 6-9 mo size, to try to ensure a 3-6 mo size outcome.

This was my first time working fair isle flat. It wasn't too bad, but I did only have to do it for 11 rows. I'm not sure I'd like to do it for a whole garment. Some of the floats were quite long (longer than for "traditional" fair isle) so I had to catch them as I was knitting.

Yarn: Patons Patonyle in red (from the Mill Shop, via MissFee - thanks!) - about 80g, and Patons Patonyle in grey (col 0068) - only about 5g. This is a staple sock yarn, sturdy and machine washable - and long used for baby garments in Australia too. And both from the stash! And the buttons from stash too! (I do have to sew another 2 buttons on, but I was desperate for Connor to wear this cardigan on Saturday when we were catching up with friends, and I only had time to sew on 4 buttons during our car ride there).

Sticks: 3.25mm KnitPicks Harmony Options - a good idea for this garment, because once you add the sleeves to the body, it helps to use a long cable and kind of magic loop the next few rounds, because the sleeve joining method is a bit tight - which the pattern very nicely warns you about. I also magic looped the sleeves, two at a time. Not my favourite method of working sleeves - it always seems to take longer when working two at once - but it does ensure the increases are in the same place and the sleeves are the same length!

Time: 28 July 2010 - 28 August 2010. Not bad! I really wanted to get this done so it would see Connor out through the end of winter and into spring. Because of course it won't fit him for that long. I can definitely see myself making it again for him next year.

Modifications: None really, except as noted, but if (when) I do make this again, I think I would do it top down rather than bottom up (unless anyone can tell me why that would be a bad idea?). I didn't really like the method for joining the sleeves to the body - using a three needle bindoff for 4 stitches, on each sleeve at the underarm. It leaves big holes on either side of the bind off, which you sew up using the yarn end, which is not a big deal, but it just seemed messy. Not to mention it was difficult to work the first few rounds after that, as the pattern warns. I also confused myself and I think I bound off an extra stitch or two on at least one of the sleeves, because my stitch count was off after attaching the sleeves. I just missed two of the raglan decreases to make up for it.

I'd also knit the sleeves first, thus avoiding having to the cut the yarn at the end of the body so I can use it to do the sleeves, then rejoin it. For a seamless project, I ended up having to weave in 14 ends!!

I am, however, inordinately pleased with how the neck ribbing matched up with the raglan decreases. I don't know if that's an outcome of the pattern writing or just pure luck!

Even though he sicked up on it about 20 minutes after I first put it on him (well, I hadn't blocked it before that first wear anyway, so lucky!), I think Connor approves (must have been the blocking that made the difference!)

Keeping Track - August 2010

2010-09-03T15:30:00.000+10:00

Even though I do have an FO or two to show you as a result of my August efforts, I'm afraid more yarn came into the stash than out of it.

Not to worry... since sock club yarn doesn't really count (much)

And gift/prize yarn, beautifully wrapped:

doesn't count at all:

Thanks so much Lyn!

I feel I should also make an exclusion rule for lovely organic cotton bought from a new yarn store (on the basis that supporting a new yarn store/cafe venture should give me a leave pass) but I guess that would really be pushing it! I'm going to make a stripey something for Connor out of this.

In: 6 x 50g balls

Out: 2 x 50g balls

YTD: 29 x 50g balls - 3.5 balls per month, woo hoo!

Spring has sprung!

2010-09-01T10:28:00.003+10:00

The grass has riz, etc...

All week the weatherperson has told us today would be 25C (77F). The first day of Spring, 25C!

I was so excited, expecting to wake up this morning and see a lovely sunshiney day, and maybe only wear a t-shirt, for the first time since early May. But no, it's overcast. Not cold, but not the expected lovely sunny spring day (although as I'm writing this, the sun is poking through the cloud cover, so there is still hope!).

But we can look at some flowers at least...

First blooms on my little magnolia tree.

Violets spreading through my side garden bed (where I had originally planned, when we moved in, to have a vege patch...heh! I can't dig up the lovely violets, now can I?!)

White violets! Who'da thunk it! I did not even know there was such a thing until I spotted this one in my garden.

I also noticed yesterday that the leaves on my jacaranda are turning yellow - they'll be close to falling off, ready for it to burst into bloom later this spring. And so the cycle continues.

The Magic Sleeping Jacket

2010-08-30T12:38:00.005+10:00

Six years ago, my friend H was pregnant with twins. Husby and I were in the UK for a holiday and we picked up a whole suite of baby clothes for the twins from Baby Gap. (Love Baby Gap, can't wait until we get one here!) All matching fabric but different pieces, because personally I think it's tooo much for twins to wear the exact same clothes, but sweet when they match but not, if that makes sense.

In a most appreciated touch, six years down the track, H presented me with these two jackets (plus a pair of trousers) remaining from the original suite:

The really cool thing about them is that they are reversible, with wild animal fabric on one side and plain contrast fabric on the other side. And like all baby clothes which are worn for such a short period of time, they look as good as new!

About a month or so ago, Connor started sleeping for 5 or 6 hours (one night, it was even 7 hours!) through the night, from his last feed at about 10.30-11pm. Weeeeeeeeeee! That night, in addition to his usual all-in-one jumpsuit, he was wearing one of these jackets. We decided, as you do, that the jacket simply must be responsible for this excellent sleep development, and so he has worn it every night since (thank goodness we've got two of them) ... I don't know what we'll do when he no longer fits into the Magic Sleeping Jackets!

Road Trip

2010-08-26T10:27:00.005+10:00

Last weekend, we had to travel to my home town for the funeral of a much loved aunt (my mum's brother's wife) who died suddenly and unexpectedly. She was, as they say, a pillar of the community, in the way you can be in a small country town. We think around 500 people attended her funeral, which is pretty amazing given the population of the town is around 3500-4000 people.

While it was terribly sad, there were some upsides to the trip - we were able to see how Connor would handle a 6 hour drive (very well!), and more importantly, we were able to introduce him to all of his uncles and aunts on my side, as well as many of his great uncles and aunts, some of whom are in their late 80s and early 90s. And of course he charmed them all!

Another thing I always enjoy about travelling "home" (it'll always be "home" to me even though I'll never live there again) is the trip itself, driving the familiar roads, seeing what has changed and what hasn't. For example, the last time I went home, I'm pretty sure these wind turbines weren't a feature of the trip:

And there wasn't nearly this much water alongside the road (my home town is in a very dry area of country NSW):

But the fields of canola:

And the wattle in flower:

And the grain silos alongside the railway line which runs parallel to the road:

are all things I'm very familiar with, and look out for along the way.

And I thought you'd like to see some sheep too, of course! Not sure what type these are, ours is a wheat/sheep district, it's too dry for dairy. It's lambing season already, and I spotted many of the little dudes with their mothers along the way.

The other thing I love about a country town is the way people are supported in times of crisis. My aunt's family had casseroles and cakes and biscuits and slices coming out their ears, and even my mum had friends bringing her food because they knew she'd have all her family at home for the funeral. Have you ever seen a sponge cake this yellow?

That's what you get with fresh eggs straight out of the chooks! Amazing! While I don't think I'd want to live at home again (there are a lot of downsides to the small town), the community aspect is a huge positive they have to offer. Not to mention being able to walk everywhere!

Up here for thinking

2010-08-16T17:31:00.007+10:00

On Saturday, I attended a knitting workshop by Liz Gemmell, put on my my branch of the Knitters Guild of NSW. It was, I suppose, an introduction to designing your own knitwear - or adapting existing patterns, either in size or construction method or technique. Liz also told us a bit about her career as a knitwear designer and showed off some of her garments and other designs, including the most amazing knitted floor rug - knit in the round from the centre out, in traditional fair isle, into a square, using 12ply (bulky) wool and 4mm needles. Just amazing!

For homework, we were asked to knit a 25cm swatch - that's a big darn swatch, especially when you don't have as much time to knit as you used to, but it was worth it in this case. I decided to swatch for Olive, because I am so keen to knit and wear this! I used the Isager Strik Alpaca 2 yarn the pattern specifies (thanks Pru for destashing!!), which is a fingering weight 50/50 Alpaca/wool.

The newspaper is the pre-blocked size, the post-blocked swatch is underneath. I was surprised that the swatch didn't grow more in length on blocking, as alpaca usually will do that. I think I will reblock it, and hang it while damp - that will be a better measure of true gauge I think. I will not, however, shake and thwack it while dripping wet, as Liz advised. I just can't!

Liz suggests measuring gauge in 3 different spots on the swatch, and averaging. An interesting exercise, as my gauge did differ a little bit over the swatch (by 1 stitch or 1 row).

I've decided I'm going to alter the pattern a bit - I love the gathered neckline and striped garter edging, but I think the blouson style body will just make me look pregnant. I could just not decrease before the garter edge on the bottom, but as there is no shaping in the body, I think that will also look like a maternity top. So I'm planning on putting in waist shaping. I'm glad the pattern is knit all in one piece from the top down, as that will make it a lot easier for me to try on as I go, but I will also, as Liz taught, draw out the pattern in its entirety before knitting it, and ensure my gauge and measurements will all match up (that's the "up here for thinking" reference).

Yeah, maths. Not my favourite way to spend an afternoon, but it will be worth it I hope, to ensure the fit of this garment is what I want it to be. Because really, my hatred of frogging is far greater than my dislike of a few sums!

Journey's end

2010-08-08T19:29:00.005+10:00

Over the last couple of months, I've been experiencing something a bit foreign to me. A few things, actually. Firstly, I've been off journeying in the otherworld of cardigan. I've shared with you my time in Sleeveland, Backville and East and West Frontdales. Since my last report, I've been to Seaming Heights and Collar Ridge too (can you believe it?!).

The other thing foreign to me is that I've been experiencing (relative) project monogamy. I have never, by any means, been a monogamous knitter. You just need to look at my WIP list in the sidebar to see that I can't resist having a bunch of projects on the sticks. And having so many WIPS is no barrier to starting something else new. But I've discovered that, with a baby in the house, if I'm going to get any projects finished, I pretty much just need to work on that one thing until it's done. And then start on the next one ... (although I do still have a couple of other projects at hand in case I need a portable project or, you know, I get bored, or whatever).

And guess what happens when you practice project monogamy? You get an FO! Who'da thunk it!!

Details

Pattern: Retrofit by Jesse Loesberg, from Knitty Fall 2008. A simple raglan cardigan, knit in pieces, with a zipper up the front. I know I could have avoided seaming by knitting this all in one piece, but when I started it a week before Connor arrived, I really wasn't up to converting the pattern, especially as I've never converted a pattern in this way before (although I reckon I could do it now if I was to knit another raglan cardigan!). I also don't mind knitting a garment in pieces, because even though in the end it's the same amount of knitting, it somehow seems to be quicker when you just work on a piece at a time - shorter rows and faster growth - not to mention more portable.

Yarn: Good old Cascade 220 - just under 6 x 100g skeins in Olive Heathers (9448), and about 50g in 9408 Cordovan (brown). Love lovely Cascade. Knits up quickly, wears well, looks great. And is very economical! I've said it before, but if I had to, I think I'd be quite happy to only knit with c220 forever!

Sticks: I used 4.5mm KnitPicks Harmony Options for the main parts, and 4mm for the cuffs, collar and turned hem on the body.

Time: 1 May 2010 - 6 August 2010 (well, I have to confess...I haven't sewn in the zipper yet...but I'm still counting this as an FO!!)

Modifications: The original pattern uses the contrast yarn for the sleeves and collar, and the turned hem. Husby wasn't so keen on this look, so I just used the contrast yarn on the sleeve cuff edges, the turned hem, and the edges of the collar - I like the original but I'm also very happy with the way this has turned out too. I also did a provisional cast on for the body pieces, so I could turn the hem as I knit, rather than seaming it at the end, as specified by the pattern.

If I was to make it again, I would probably convert it to be seamless and knit from the top down, but you know, I am pretty proud of my seaming!!

Since it was a lovely sunny winter's day today, we walked up to the park today for the photo shoot - here's an action shot on the way home (you'll have to believe me about the sun, it was getting a bit later in the day by the time I took this photo).

And here's my boys in their knitwear:

(I have enough of the c220 leftover to make a matching version for the little guy, which I'll do for next year I think, much to husby's horror, heh heh!)

Keeping Track - July 2010

2010-08-02T14:30:00.003+10:00

And so another month rolls around. It doesn't seem that long ago that I did the last Keeping Track post. I suppose that's what happens when you only do a few posts each month, rather than a post or two each week like I used to do!

It's been a big month for the stash ins and outs - but fortunately, despite bringing this:

and this:

in to the stash, I managed to actually come out ahead (or behind, depending on your perspective) this month, through gifting some yarn to others more deserving! And a bit of knitting on my own part too!

I couldn't resist the Isager when it came up for destash (thanks Pru!) - the right amount for me to make Olive, a pattern I've long loved and wanted to make (it will be next on the sticks after I've done with Retrofit and something else which I'll reveal later this month!). And when Ailsa did a red in her fiftyfifty, well, I couldn't resist. And the Yarntini is more of the self-striping club yarn, which really shouldn't count, should it! But it does, yes it does.

In: 12 x 50g balls

Out: 13.5 x 50g balls (woo-hoo!)

YTD: +25 x 50g balls - or an average of just over 4 balls per month! My average/month is getting better and better as the year goes on!

Almost there!

2010-07-29T17:08:00.003+10:00

As you know, I've been on a journey in the World of Cardigan.

I started off in Sleeveland:

Then the miles of Backville:

And the twin villages of East and West Frontdale:

Now I have to make my way through Seaming Heights. My least favourite part of this adventure. But to top it off, I'll take a quick jaunt to Collar Ridge.

I've quite enjoyed this journey actually. It hasn't taken me as long as I thought it might, thanks to the worsted weight yarn and simple stocking stitch pattern with minimal shaping! A lot of people get bored with stocking stitch but I'm loving it right now. It is exactly the sort of knitting I can manage!

So I took a de-Tour

2010-07-21T12:43:00.004+10:00

I mentioned in my last post that I had signed up for the Tour de France KAL again - I am loving watching the race every day - so much controversy this year! Huge crashes, broken collarbones and arms, headbutting, tyre-throwing, bitchslapping (ok, I made that up, but it was close enough!), fabulous scenery and of course absolutely epic bike-riding. They are simply amazing, those competitors.

Me, not so much. I took a detour from my adventures in the World of Cardigan - having finished my journey through East Frontdale, I decided I deserved a little holiday in Hatland. I spent a week in Hatland, a long time I know for a simple stocking stitch hat knit in the round with aran/10ply yarn. I used popular modifications to the pattern which are designed to make the brim a bit more flare-y than the original pattern (and whoops, I just realised I didn't change needles for the brim - I should have used a size larger for the brim - no wonder this turned out to be an EPIC FAIL!)

So yeah, my holiday in Hatland wasn't so much fun.

The questions, dear reader, are:

1. Should I see if blocking makes a difference?

2. Should I frog back and redo entirely?

3. Should I frog and just make a different pattern already?

4. Should I wear it with the brim turned up at the front (it doesn't look too bad that way I think)?

Right now, the hat is in the naughty corner and I'm sulking. And I've returned to the World of Cardigan and am about a third of the way through West Frontdale. At least that is going well (touch wood...)

Keeping Track - June 2010 - and a KAL...

2010-07-02T12:44:00.007+10:00

Another month has rolled around, can you believe it??

I was doing well this month, managing to fit in some knitting and not purchasing any yarn (I didn't even go to the Stitches and Craft Fair in Sydney this year, although I thought long and hard about it and tried to work out how best to manage it with the little guy and transport etc). But then I had to go and be virtuous and walk the 30 minute up-and-down-small-hills walk up to the next suburb on Tuesday this week (yes, the suburb with the yarn store), and since I was there, well, it would be a crime not to call in just to see what they've got.
And this yarn just fell into the pram. Well, it's red, the pram is red, it was meant to be. It helped that it was on sale too...

Luckily they only had 4 balls. And I've managed to knit 4.5 balls this month so I come out ahead, weeeeeeeeeeeee!

In: 4x50g balls
Out: 4.5x50g balls
YTD: +26.5x50g balls - or a monthly average of about 4.5 x 50g balls - not bad at all! Heh!

In completely unrelated KAL news, it's almost Tour de France time again - huzzah! I'm following Cadel Evans again, and have signed up as a Domestique on Team BMC for the TdF KAL on Rav - hopefully it will be 3rd time lucky for me following Cadel, and this year he'll have a win! I'm kind of sad that I'm not going for the yellow jersey, but I just can't commit to a big project in such a short period of time! But I might go for a little green jersey sprint with this hat...we'll see!

Bye Bye Backville

2010-06-29T20:40:00.003+10:00

On Sunday, I waved bye bye to Backville and quickly said hello to East Frontdale.

You'll have to believe me about Backville, because I don't have photographic evidence, but I can tell you there was a huge sigh of relief when I "tried it on" husby - the size was perfect!

But can't stay and chat, I have to go and turn this hem and continue on my journey through the land of Retrofit!