Slow progress

I'm back at work and as expected my knitting time has dropped dramatically. But I'm slowly getting there. I have been working on my owls sweater, and have completed the first set of waist decreases. I know the calculations for the shaping, according to my body and gauge. I also have plans for a new way of shaping the sweater to my bust. I have found all my sweaters and cardigans have too much fabric at the back, but fit fine in the front. So after reading up on shaping, in particular "fit to flatter" I am going to increase up to the size underneath my bust, then do dome short row shaping to fit my bust. That's the plan anyway.

My second monkey has just finished the cuff, and that's it. Very slow progress, a row here and there, but that's all. I have been enjoying knitting my sweater on larger needles for now.

On a sad note, another pair of handknit socks have died. I really hope that my new socks on 64 stitches will last longer.

Not a stitch in sight

I moved house yesterday, and it was the first day I can remember that I did not knit a single stitch. Or spin.

The move took 3 truckloads, over a dozen carloads, but now it is almost over. The other house still needs a massive clean and there is a lot of stuff to go to the tip. All this will have to be done by others because I go back to work tomorrow.

I was up til 2am setting things up. And a bottle and a half of Shiraz. Today I'm in agony. My body is aching.

I also feel a bit nostalgic about the other house, so much happened there and I'm kind of sad to leave, even though a fresh start is exciting.

Today I have the second monkey sock and my owls sweater to work on. And of course my spinning. Hoping I get plenty of time for knitting and spinning today.

Still a little small

I finished my first variegated monkey and I'm not so sure it's fitting right. This is really disappointing as the last pair of socks I knit with 64 stitches on 2.25mm needles fit perfectly.

But the monkey seems a bit tight, particularly when trying to get it over the heel. I'm not sure if it's the lace stitches reducing the stretch ( which I assume it is) or if it's that the needles I used are too small. I know the pattern suggests 2.5mm needles but this size is not as readily available here in Australia. Not impossible, but not as easy to find.

I have located some addi turbo 40cm circulars in 2.5mm on eBay, which I might order, or I'll have to go for a drive to sunspun, which is a yarn store that sells knit pro and addi's I believe.

I'm still loving the color, but I think it'll be the last pair of monkeys I knit. But I think I will look at more cookie a patterns to knit, I have enjoyed them.

I am married

A little off topic, especially since I have barely knit a stitch in the last few days, but as of Saturday, I am a married woman! We have been together for almost 11 years and have 2 kids, yet it was still a nerve-wracking experience. But now it is over, I had a wonderful time and am very happy.

Variegated Monkeys

I have started a new pair of monkey socks by Cookie A. My last pair popped in the ball of the foot. Hoping these ones last longer. They are a nylon blend this time. I'm knitting them with King Cole Zig Zag sock yarn in purple. Was lucky enough to buy this skein and 2 others on sale.

Unfortunately I don't own a pair of 2.5mm needles and couldn't find any at the shops. So I'm using 2.25mm needles. This is what I used last time as well. I briefly considered going up to 2.75mm but thought they would probably be too big.

Either way they are so pretty and soft!

64stitch socks

I completed a new pair of socks, using 64 stitches instead of my usual 56. I was finding that on a few pairs the socks were getting tighter and one pair in particular was unwearable. I also found a few pairs popping in the ball of the foot. So I threw them away.

But this got me thinking that perhaps I was making my socks too small, with too much negative ease. So I knit a pair with more stitches, and I am pleased to say they fit really well. Snug but not constricting.

We will see how they go over time, but I am hoping they are more durable, long wearing and comfortable.

As a side note, they are knit from Moda Vera Noir sock yarn from Spotlight. Colorway is unknown, but a mix of pink, purple, orange and green. Very happy with the results.

Food dye blanket

I have completed, washed and blocked my log cabin blanket. This blanket has been made from wool that I dyed back in January, using vinegar and food dyes. The blanket is colorful and my kids love it.

The wool I used is not the softest, but ideal for a blanket, and it is lovely and warm.

This photo does not do the blanket justice, the colors are deep, vibrant and so happy! I have some wool left which I considered making as tassels, but for now I can't be bothered.

I am very happy to be finished with it though, the garter stitch was getting s bit numbing, and the blanket was getting very awkward to knit on due to it's size.

Now to focus on socks, an adapted version of the owls sweater and probably a lace shawl as well. No garter stitch for a while!

Making Progress

The last few weeks have not been the best for knitting, with life being busy, I just wanted something to knit that required no thought at all, so I worked on a pair of vanilla socks in a really nice blue colorway from Patonyle. This became my only knitting as I was enjoying it all over again. Now they are done. And sorry, no pics yet as I had to wear them immediately after the final ends were woven in, so I will take a picture after they have been washed. But now I have cast on another vanilla sock:

 You'll have to excuse the blurs, I didn't realise at the time! As you can see I have begun the cuff of the first sock and it's being knit out of Moda Vera Noir, Pink Mix. Not my favourite sock yarn, but I have it in my sash so I'm using it. I think I'm ready for the leg now, I usually only knit the ribbing for an inch or so, until it bores me.

 I have also cast on the one row scarf from the Yarn Harlot. On the weekend at my S'n'B, I was given 2 skeins of handspun alpaca in lovely teales and blues. I had originally cast it on as a Saroyan, but the stitch definition was terrible. So I chose the simpler "one row scarf " and it is working up lovely. Pattern is memorised, I love the texture, and I like the idea that I knit until there is no more!

 Lastly, I finally made some progress on my Handspun Seneca. I have finished the body to the armholes, and had to begin a sleeve, but I wasn't in the mood to do the horizontal cables, and last night I finally had the desire to work on it.......and I'm so glad I did. It was nice working on something that required some concentration, but also so much fun watching the cable develop.

I'm looking forward to being able to wear the Seneca soon, I think it will be a really warm and comfy knit. For now though, I'm just happy that my joy for knitting is back.

These socks make me Happy :)

After my unhappy ending for the Leyburn Socks, and the boring finishing of the Classic Black Cardigan, and Nathan's jacket being too big.....I needed to knit something for me, something pretty and something soft. So I chose socks. Basic, predictable pattern, at least that way there can be no surprises and I know what to expect.

So I chose this yarn, Patonyle shade 1111 (very exciting name isn't it?) and am knitting the Knitmore Girls Vanilla Sock pattern which you can find here. And I am loving it. The yarn is so soft and smooshy and feels so nice being knit, and the self-striping shades of blue are fun and pretty too! The pattern, now that I've memorised it, is easy especially for times when you need something to knit and don't want to learn anything new.....or think too much.

So with these socks I know that they will fit and fit well, and this project should be free from frustration, disappointment and boredom. And I know that as soon as these are done, another pair will be on the needles, I think I also need the quick satisfaction that a pair of vanilla socks provide.

In conclusion......these socks make me Happy, very Happy!

Lost Needle Gauge........Again

Although I suspect that the gauge has either decided to play an impromptu game of hide and seek or has run away for good. I don't like to think of how many needle gauges I have lost ( or ran away) from me. It is very frustrating. I do not want to go to Spotlight to buy another, yet I have searched everywhere and I cannot find it. I'm sure that it will make itself known once I have ownership of another, because, that's what always happens.

And doesn't these things always happen when you NEED them? I NEED the needle gauge to locate my 4.5mm circulars, of which I need two, so that I can begin the sleeves for my Handspun Seneca. And so instead of being able to quickly stick the needles into holes and them keeping or rejecting them, I have been holding the needles together with the existing 4.5mm that has the Seneca body on it........and attempting to assess if they are the same size or not. Very tedious and filled with self-doubt.

But in the end I think I have located the needles, and really hope that I am right. I have finally finished off my other projects (coming soon) and have begun a pair of gorgeous blue self-striping socks from Patonyle, which are my travel knitting (or knitting while on lunch, on the exercise bike or while cooking dinner). And I NEED the Seneca to make some more progress, it has been left to the side for too long and for no good reason.

So, here's hoping my nimble fingers can accurately gauge my needles, and that the sleeve I cast on tonight will be the right size. It would be just too sad if it wasn't.

FO - Leyburn Socks :(

So I finished the Leyburn Socks. Not so happy. Not even sure if they will live out the week.

They look ok, and the pattern was alright, but I just don't like them. I had one of those moments back at the beginning of sock 1 that I ignored, and I shouldn't have. I did learn from these socks, I learned the provisional cast-on, and got the general idea of how a toe up sock works. Unfortunately the pattern assumes you know how to knit a toe-up sock, and suggests you "use your favourite toe and heel". Not much help for me there. But I found the Generic Toe-Up Sock Pattern by Wendy Johnson which was very helpful.

Now the first problem I have with these socks is that I do not like the way they fit my feet. I do not believe I did anything wrong, I just think that the shaping of the foot of this type of toe-up sock is not for me. I know that so many people prefer knitting toe-up socks, and prefer the way they fit, but for me, I much prefer cuff-down. Not only for the fit, which I find is really excellent for my feet, but also for the construction. I founf the toe-up method a lot more fiddly and less enjoyable. I will admit I cast on a cuff down vanilla sock within minutes of weaving in the final ends of the Leyburn socks!

My other problem, and this is probably because I have wide feet, is that the socks feel too tight, and there is no give in them. They were just not very comfortable. In fact, it felt like my feet were actually bandaged up. I know I got gauge so that is not the issue, I think it is just a combination of the inflexibility of the lattice pattern and that my feet are wide. So unfortunately, I think I may frog these socks and make another pair from a different pattern. Ordinarily I wouldn't be fussed, but I do not know of anyone else who may benefit from these socks either.

But in the end, I made them, and although they were a bit fiddly I learned a lot and still enjoyed the knitting. And that's what's important........right?

FO - Chunky Cabled Beret

Last week I spent an entire day knitting this:

A nice, thick and very warm beret for the days I am outside all day in the freezing cold.......which is every day at work lately. We are setting up a new store and my days are spent checking stock as it comes out of the shipping containers. The building is not finished yet either, so no office, no seats, and no heating. I have never been so grateful for my warm woollen handknits!

This hat seriously only took 1 day. 1 day of knitting it exclusively all day. But in the end so worth it. And I really loved the pattern and I knit it out of some left over 10ply I had from making my father-in-laws vest and my dad's christmas beanie and fingerless mitts, which I am very pleased to say are being worn.

I plan to knit this hat again, but there are so many in my queue, that phase 2 may be a long way away.

This weekend is about finishing for me, so hopefully I will have a few more FO's to post about, and if I can actually get on rav, then hopefully i can update my project pages. For some reason unknown to me, my laptop will not let me on rav, which is very frustrating!

New Project Bags

So I was shopping on the weekend, not looking for anything in particular, and I find this:

A new project bag! Only $2! At the Reject Shop! But I love it anyway. I love the little phrases "When I learnt to knit, I forgot how to cook" or "Shhhh........I'm counting", "It takes balls to knit" and "Knit fast die warm!" So adorable! And then I found this one:

And this one:

I like them all for different reasons, the first for the phrases, the second because it is all shades of green, and the final one because it is so bright and vibrant. Unfortunately the bags are not high quality, they are fabric but they aren't lined and do not have any zips, buttons etc. But they are so cute, perfect for projects and they have knitting and yarn!

FO - Hermione's Cable Eyelet Hat (AKA My Half Blood Prince Hat)

Either way, this hat is a copy of the hat that Hermione wore in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.

This hat has been knitted out of a mohair, wool blend I purchased from Bendigo Woollen Mills. It is the leftovers from the Que Sera cardigan I knit for my mum. And there is still plenty left. So what must a girl do???? Make matching mitts! As you can see below, there is a close up of the hat..... 

And I must admit I love it! It is very warm, super soft and such a pretty purple. I'm not really a hat wearing person, so it is taking a bit to get used to. But I need it for work, being outside all day with it being so cold just screams for knit wear....... and the more the merrier!

I really enjoyed this pattern, however I would make a few modifications for next time. Pretty much the only problem is the length, for me it came out a bit long, so next time I will do about 4 less rows of ribbing and also do a cable twist at the very beginning. I don't like how the pattern seems to start so high on the hat.

But overall a fabulous pattern, simple and easy to follow, yet the finished producst looks fabulous and fit wonderfully. And nothing beats the combination of eyelets and cables for interest!

I Do Not Like Wool Village!

I needed a pick me up yesterday, and spending the morning at an snb made it pretty obvious I wanted some new yarn. Not alot, one skein would do, something pretty and soft and is all. So I went to the Wool Village in Brandon Park and lets just say I will not go there again.

Firstly, the shop is an absolute disaster. There is no sense of organisation, nothing is presented well, it's just a jumble of yarn in bags all thrown together. Almost like a truck has just dumped it all into the store and it is left like that.

Secondly, the store is also heavily overstocked, there is barely enough room to move let alone to look for something properly, or find anything, and with almost everything in bags, you can't even touch the little lovelies.

Thirdly, there are no prices anywhere. I live on a pretty tight budget and while shopping I like to know how much things are and I don't like asking. Makes very uncomfortable conversation when you cannot afford something. Or when you get to the register and realised you could have bought more. I just like knowing the costs.

And Lastly, she was rude to my kids. I don't tolerate that from anyone, let alone a little old lady with nothing better to do. My kids are well behaved and were just standing in the shop, advised not to move or touch anything. She wandered over and started telling them that as children they need to make sure they keep their hands to themselves and she would prefer it if they waited outside. Not happy at all. She also enquired if I knew what I was doing can i even knit? Well duh.....I'm wearing my tangled yoke......

Next time I will defintately go back to Knit'n'Purl in Dandenong, Freda is lovely, friendly, her stock is well organised, everything is easy to see and touch, prices are marked and she was really nice to my son. Obviously, customer service and presentation do matter. A lot.

Early Starts

Well it's 5.30 am and I have been awake since 5, why you ask? My employer has given me a job position with hours that are better suited to me, as I have kids. So before I was working 9-6 and with work being at least a 30 minute drive (with good weather and no road accidents) I was not spending much time with the kids. My new hours will be 7-3.30pm, which means waking up very early, but home in time to spend some time with the kids after school, go back to cooking dinner and helping with homework. So for now I need to wake at 5am to make sure I get to work on time.

The really good news is they are opening another store about 5-10mins drive from my house, and I'll be located there as of the start of June. So not only will I be able to wake up a little later (5.30am) but I should be home for the kids by 4pm, which will be wonderful and I'm really looking forward to it.

The only downside is that we - my partner and I - are more the night owl as opposed to the early riser kind of people, so we may not be spending as much time together as I will be going to sleep earlier, but we'll see. Either way I still see this as a fabulous opportunity, and with moving closer to home, I should have more knitting time and less driving!

FO - Chloe's Posidon

So today I finished Chloe's Posidon and it fits her beautifully as you can see here:

Today I spent the morning sewing in the zipper, and I am really pleased with how it looks. The zipper and the cardigan. The zipper has been installed so that it cannot be seen while the cardigan is closed, as the fabric cover it. I really like this look. 

The cardigan fits her perfectly, plenty of room for it to be comfortable and for her to grow. As you can see the back cable pattern has not been blocked, but there was no opportunity, she barely allowed me time to tie a knot in the sewing thread before she had it on, and it hasn't come off since. So happy she loves it and so happy it fits her well.

Now I am getting hassled for little man's "button jacket". I'd better get back to work!

Another Repeat?

The Holden Shawlette has been flying off the needles, and I'm loving every minute of it. The only problem is, I have finished the last repeat and have a significant amount of wool left......what to do? The sensible part of me says "finish up before I get into trouble", the risktaking part of me says "go for it! one more repeat, no worries!" So what to do?

My gut instinct is telling me to go for one more repeat and I think I'll listen to her, she is almost never wrong. For example when knitting Nathan's Skye Tweed sweater, the whole time I thought it was going to be too small, but kept convincing myself it would block out. And it kinda did, but not enough. Instinct 1 Me 0. The sweater is too small.

Or my Smoky Raven sweater for myself, I thought the stripes were too narrow, did I listen? No. Am I loving it? No. There are more examples, but suffice it to say, Instinct is usually dead on, and I think I trust her. So what will I do? One more repeat of course and pray that I won't run out of wool!

Swatching For Seneca

Today I decided to swatch for Seneca, swatching being something I don't usually do. However as I'm knitting this sweater out of handspun, I thought I'd better do a swatch as I have had no experience with this wool.

I also decided that as this whole project is in the round, that I will use this as an opportunity to practice my continental knitting, hopefully to acheive a faster and more efficient knitting skill. I also knit this in the round as the pattern suggests, to minimise any errors.

I was very pleased with how well I picked up the continental method again, although it was always the purling I had trouble with. I probably didn't knit as much as I should've, but oh well. I was pleased to notice that my stitches were a bit looser, which is a relief as lately my stitches strangle the needles, and I struggles sometimes to pull them back off the cable and onto the needle.

After casting off, I washed the swatch in a warm bath of Softly wool wash. Then let it air dry. I was pleased to see the wool blossom up a bit, something which I had not really noticed before. Where I thought the holes were perhaps too big, they filled out nicely. The imperfections in my spinning also seemed to balance out after washing too. I have made gauge using 4.5mm needles, so I am looking forward to casting on for my Handspun Seneca very soon.

Monkey Socks!!

I have finally cast on for the famous "Monkey Socks" by Cookie A, and so far I love them! I will admit I have only done a couple of repeats down one leg, but so far I really enjoy the pattern and have almost memorised the repeat. I can tell these will be gorgeous socks, and in the hot pink Cleckheaton Merino I'm using, I am hoping they will be nice to wear and not itchy or scratchy at all. I love the warmth and the extra cushioning knit socks provide, and knitting them is a lot of fun too. But they lose their appeal when they are too itchy to wear.

I have not seen a pair of Monkey socks in person before, so seeing the pattern developing is very addictive. I would love nothing more than to work on these exclusively, but I really need to work on my cardigan for work. The weather is getting cooler and I don't like being cold, especially when it is preventable.....with a nice hand knit cardigan.

I have looked at other sock patterns by Cookie A, and I can tell many more of them will be making their way onto my needles. I will just need to buy more sock yarn!