It's Been A While...

Since I last made a post ( or at least it feels that way).Yesterday I finished another hat, Star Crossed Slouchy Beret by Natalie Larson. Really quick and satisfying knit, although I did decide to use smaller needles as I didn't want it to be too big on my head.I used King Cole Fashion Aran in colour 162 Heather and 4.5mm & 5.5mm circular needles.

I've also been working on the Renee Leverington Winter Mystery Shawl 2008, I'm now on clue two. It's a bit slow going due to the beads (my first beaded project) but I'm enjoying the process and don't feel the need to rush it.
I also started another jumper (this one for me) using Ann Budd's book, I'm using the same mohair yarn I used for the Kiri shawl as I've shed loads of it :-) I've finished the body and have started on the first sleeve, it's not going to be overly fitted but will hopefully be flattering. I may even try to work in some interest around the yoke, but that will depend on if I can find anything that captures my interest.I've also been working on a pattern for a matching hat for the Twisted Seedling: Fingerless Mitts, hope to have the pattern ready by next week.

WOW!

What can I say? I finished one of the shawls I've on the go last night. Renee Leverington's Persephone (also known as MS10), wow! This shawl is beautiful but like all lace didn't reveal just how beautiful until it was blocked and WOW! I love it. Yes, yes I mucked up the blocking as I really didn't give myself enough time for it to dry before I needed to actually go to bed (the only place big enough to block it) but I can re-do it another time now I know it's true beauty.

Renee is a master of the lace shawl and I bow to her excellence, I've 2 more of her shawls OTN and another 2 in the queue, I can't wait to discover how beautiful they are.

I used 4mm needles and a silvery blue 4ply yarn called Soft Seasons, Soft Mix (wool/acrylic blend) that I'd bought from Ebay and stashed quite a while ago. The pattern isn't available on Renee's website just yet but will be soon, so be sure to bookmark her.

To Pick or to Throw?

Nobody ever really taught me to knit, although I do vaugly remember my Nana knitting Aran jumpers. I remember being interested but not enough to actually ask her to show me what it was she was doing.

Why I eventually picked up the needles I'll never know but I'm so glad I did. Of course my first effort didn't work out so well, it was supposed to be a baby cardigan but resembled more of a doily in a triangle shape with the amount of stitches I dropped and then picked up. So it got shoved in a bag in the back of a cupboard in my first home and has never been seen since, think it got left when I moved.

Then in 2006 I saw a knitting magazine and thought 'what the heck, I'll give it another go'. I bought cheap acrylic and some needles and me and my purchases went home happy.

The magazine had a how to guide in the back and was a revelation, I didn't even realise that needles came in different shapes and sizes, let alone the multitude of yarn choices, I was entranced.

The internet is a marvellous thing, my next knitting efforts actually worked, anything I didn't understand and the magazine didn't show how to do, I looked it up on the net and had many a eureka moment.

My confidence and abilities grew as did my stash, my ability to talk to other knitters was non existent as nobody I knew knitted (by this time my Nana was no longer around) so my only source of knitting knowledge was my magazines and the internet.

Then towards the end of 2007 somebody on a wedding forum was gushing about a knitting website called 'Ravery'. I signed up not really thinking much of it, epecially as I had to wait for my invitation.

Mooching in my email one day, there it was my invitation to join Ravelry. When I first looked at it I thought, okay this is neat, I can list my projects, my yarn, my needles and I can even get a load of free patterns.

Then, then I stumbled across the groups and howly cow, my knitting world exploded. There were all these knitters, talking and sharing information. Some of them were actually doing the same project as me and we could discuss it, we could share our highs and our lows, we could share our successes 'look, look what I made isn't it great?' We could also share our not so greats, 'what did I do wrong?'.

My knitting world expanded, I realised I wasn't this lonely knitter, there was actually thousands of people who 'got' it, this urge to pick up yarn and needles or even hooks. Yup, I got the crochet bug as well. I can still remember how amazed and chuffed I was the first time I made a granny square.

In my perrifferal I remember reading about people who were pickers or throwers (huh? thought I) if you knit you knit...right?

Wrong, there are all sorts of ways to knit and everybody either does it the way they were taught or the way that feels right. I'm a thrower as I didn't even know there was any other way. But now I want to learn continental, why? Because I want to speed up my knitting and not be put off by ribbing.

I've seen many a design that I thought, 'eek, all that ribbing or stocking stitch' and so never cast on for the project. Circular needles have gotten rid of my avoidance of stocking stitch (so long as the project is worked in the round), now I hope learning to knit continental will get rid of my avoidance of ribbing/purling.

I've some links for those that also would like to join my jouney and learn Continental knitting:

http://www.knittinghelp.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuRLFl36tDY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9XImtoQmZ8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kybhNmLWHhA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVxnSpFJl6s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNfG05FeLsE

Back to school Vest

My Back To School Vest is complete, I've even sewn in the ends.

I was really pleased with this pattern it was so simple to follow and quick to knit, there are a couple of printing errors in the book, they were easy to figure out though or you could check here.

This is the first time I've knit something slightly smaller and actually increased for my bust, it's worked really well. Rather than being swamped you can actually see my figure, although with just having got over Christmas this may not be a good thing LOL.Now I just need to finish my other sock, my goodness I'll have two finished projects in the same week...go me!

Resolution, hmmm.

I've just been on the Selfish Knitters group on Ravelry and seen a discussion called 'Jan KAL: Resolution knitting'. You've got it, resolutions about your knitting.

A wonderful person said her resolution was to complete two WIPs before casting a new project on. Now I like that idea, I've so many WIPs at the moement I really must do something to spur me on.

So my resolution is to complete the required two, then I can indulge and cast on something new. Of course now that I've wrote that down I'm trying to find loop holes in the rule so that I can cast something (anything) on LOL.

But I'll endeavour to complete my two, starting today with my modified Paris. Wish me luck, I've a feeling I'm going to need it :-)

Breeding Hats!

I seem to be experiencing a bit of a hat obsession at the moment and spent last night knitting another tam/beret.

At the age of 35 I've suddenly come to the conclusion that hats are great and they keep you feeling so much warmer, not to mention if you're having a bad hair day you can just plonk a hat on your head and you've got instant chic.

Anyway, I was in Lidl yesterday and they had 600g of bulky yarn for £6.99. Okay, it's only 20% superwash wool but the pack did come with free 8mm circular needles and 4 free patterns and the yarn does feel very soft and fluffy.

I used Sarah-Hope Parmeter's bulky tam pattern and size 6.5mm circulars. This was such a quick and simple knit, only took 5 hours and that was with interruptions.

I did find the ribbing on the brim to not be quite tight enough so had to run an elastic round so that it wasn’t so big and would fit my head. Perhaps using a smaller needle or a 2x2 rib would be better.

I was surprised that it took only one ball of wool, I even managed to make a small pom pom.

Lace Beret

Woolly Wormhead posted a mystery beret on Ravelry, I've now completed it. It was a quick and satisfying knit with easy to follow instructions.I originally made this beret for my daughter as one of her birthday gifts, it's turned out so nice I'm not sure if I can give it away :-)
I used James C Brett Ripple in H1 and 4.5mm needles. The ball of yarn is a true representation of the colour.

Christmas Gift Knits

Okay, it's that time of year to start the gift knits and everything else has been put on hold. I've decided on sweaters this year and have them picked out and started already (yay, go me for once on being organised-ish).

Dad was easy to think of a pattern, I've gone for the Cobblestone by Jared Flood, I'm using New Lanark Donegal Silk Tweed Aran in the colourway dark graphite, it's a wool silk mix that feels a little scratchy to begin with but when washed really sofens up (at least that's what others have said, I've not got to the washing stage yet.)
So far so good, it seems to be working up real fast and as of yet I've not encountered any problems although that could all change when I get to the short rows as I've never done short rows before (eek!).

Mum was a little harder to think of until I got my new book The Knitter's Handy Book Of Sweater Patterns by Ann Budd, I'm in love with this book and just want to give everything a go :-)

I don't want to give too much away as mum reads this blog on occasion but I’ve a gauge of 7 stitches and 10 rows = 2 inch in stocking stitch in the round using 6mm circs and Paton's Washed Haze Aran, so I cast on 140 (instead of the recommended 160) stitches to achieve a 40 inch chest. Just hope my math is correct :-)

I’d finished binding all the neck stitches off and had also finished all my decreases. I should have had 31 stitches but I had 62, so a real mess up somehow. I’ve frogged back and will re-attach the sleeves today and hope that I don’t mess up this time. It seems I didn't do enough decreases and should be able to get back on track in no time as this jumper is so fast to knit it practically flies of the needles.

I'm getting a little worried that I may run out of yarn so will order a couple of extra balls this week to be on the safe side.

Fingerless Mitts

I used the last of the Wendy Fusion (probably still have 30-50yrds left) for a pair of fingerless mitts for my youngest daughter, Mary.

I'm quite impressed that I managed to get two hats and a pair of mitts from the three balls of yarn I bought (yarn was on sale as well) seems I've saved a pretty penny or two there and the girls are pleased with my efforts. So everybodies happy :-)

Ribbed Hat

I wanted to work on something pretty mindless today and this pattern filled the bill.

Worked on 6.5mm circs, I made another hat from the Wendy Fusion for my eldest daughter.
A simple 2x2 rib that took next to no time to knit up. There is still most of one ball of the yarn left, just have to figure out what to do with it.

Super Droop Jellyfish tam.

My eldest daughter asked for one of those hats that droop, but she wanted it quite large. Hmm, the jellyfish tam v2.0 (the super droop) must be what she's after says I.

Boy I couldn't have been more wrong, the thing was huge. You could fit two whole heads in this thing. Would have been great on a Rastafarian with crap loads of dreds, but looked, well, ridiculous on my daughter.

So I ripped it back to the point where the v2.0 pattern deviates from the original pattern and carried on from there.

Much better and bonus, she likes it. I'll believe her when I actually see her wearing it hehe.

I used Wendy Fusion in Bouquet Garni and size 4.5mm and 10mm DPNs, think I'll definitly be using the Fusion again as I really like how soft and quite it is to knit up, also has a nice drape.

Victorian Lace Today Scarf

As usual life got in the way and I ended up having to do a rush job on this, although I still really like it, it’s not what I originally planned.

I did do the Stripes and Torchon lace on page 158 for the center panel, just didn’t use the border from that pattern. I only cast on 41 stitches as I did two of the stripes and repeated the pattern 12 times. After blocking the scarf turned out 10.5 inches wide by 60 inches long.

Instead I chose the wide Clarence border on page 82.

I used a superwash sock yarn that I hand dyed in the slow cooker. Also, as I didn't have anywhere to block the scarf I doubled it over and blocked on the ironing board seemed to work fine.

It’s mum’s birthday today and I’m meeting her at lunchtime for a coffee and will give her the scarf then. I'll try and get some pictures of her wearing the scarf and upload them later.

Eek, a wedding.

Okay my sister in law is getting married on the 24th of October, I only found out on Thursday. I knew she was getting married but for some reason I thought is was next summer, that's why I couldn't figure out why she was having her hen night this month LOL.

So of course there being three females in this house (two of whom are teenagers) the major question was, 'what am I going to wear?'

I've dibs on one of my eldest daughter's dresses, she hasn't worn it yet and it's a floaty chiffon number in black. Wearing black to a wedding isn't the problem, the fact it's strapless is. My solution is to knit a cropped cardigan/shrug type of thing so my bra straps don't show. Also the yarn matches a pair of heals I've got so hopefully will look nice on the day.

My husband is easy to dress, he can just wear a suit, eldest is panicking and has decided she needs to go shopping (this girl can't even fit all her clothes in her robe as it is) so the plan is eldest and I go shopping on Thursday, she can pick something for herself and help me choose something for the youngest.

Youngest has requested that the dress have two colours and one of them must be blue (sigh), if I can't find anything like that I may just pick up some fabric and cobble something together for her myself.

I was looking at patterns for the cropped cardigan and fell in love with this one, unfortunately the whole pattern isn't available yet so have plumbed for this one (with a few alterations).

I'm using a Dk weight yarn with 4.5mm needles so have cast on 80 stitches instead of the recommended 50, I've split like this 14/13/26/13/14. Think I'll make it slightly longer but only by a few rows, just hope my alterations work out as I'm not a designer and am winging it LOL. I'm not adding the pointy edge as I'm not too keen on it.

The VLT gift I'm knitting for my mum is coming along nicely and should be completed next week sometime (hopefully).

Feather and Fan scarf.

I started this quite a while ago but kept being distracted by other knits :-)

It's just a simple feather and fan pattern that I got from an afghan book I have.
I've also done a small amount of spinning with the purple merino roving I got a while ago. I love this roving, it's so soft and fluid, just hoping I can do it justice hance the fact I'm taking my time with it.

Shhh, another mystery shawl.

Renee at Goddess Knits is doing another mystery shawl, this time mytery shawl #10.

I stash dived for the yarn and chose a silver blue that looks like a blue heather, it's just a 4ply wool acrylic mix and I'm using 4mm circs.

I thought I was going to finish clue 1 yesterday but noticed a major mistake and had to unravel the lot (62 rows) but I got caught up and completed it today. Just have to wait for clue 2 on Saturday now :-)

Can't believe I only just realised that if you click on the picture you're directed to a much larger and clearer image of the project, fancy not knowing that LOL.

Matching Russula Cap

Hmm, I think I may have gone a bit too far with the eye popping yarn. I've knit a beret to match my daughter's fingerless gloves. Because of the colours I'm not sure if she'll ever be able to wear both together, will just have to see what she thinks when she gets in.

It's the Russula Cap by Sally at Wicked Woollens, it's a great and simple pattern that looks much better in the yarn she chose LOL.

Birthday Scarf

My gran's birthday scarf is complete. I used the Path of the Heart pattern by Ria Bridges. A nice simple knit with lovely results.

I wanted something that was going to be soft and delicate against my gran's skin as she's just had facial surgery for skin cancer, so I chose James C. Brett Pure Merino in shade PM8. It's a lovely rich plummy/wine colour (first picture) and is so soft and smoochy it's perfect for scarves.

It's currently pined to my bed to block and I'll deliver it on Wednesday (her birthday), just hope she likes it.

kroy Socks, done.

Yay, I've finished my first pair of real, able to wear, socks. I love the feel of them on my feet and am spurred on to knit more.

I used the Kroy sock pattern with Regia Jacquard yarn in 5296 Brussels and 2.5mm DPNs. The stripes don't quite match up, I thought I'd gotten the beginning colours right but obviously I didn't, oh well, just adds to that hand knit quality :-)

Even though I knit the smallest size they are still a little large so next time I'll use Violet Green's sock calculator pattern and hopefully they'll fit much better (that's what I get for having a Uk size 3 foot) I'm looking forward to my next pair.

My Ravelympic Medals.

Well, the Ravelympics are now over and I managed six medals and six finished projects during the Beijing Olympics.

My first finished item was for Hand Spun Heptathlon and Hand Dyed Hurdles:

My next medal was for WIP Wrestling:


Next came the Hat Dash:

Shawl Relay:


Scarf Stroke:

Finally, to late for the finish line but still get a medal Cowl Jump:I had so much fun whilst doing this and look forward to the next time, hopefully I'll get all my projects over the finish line in time for medals.