Modelled, and needed, on the city walls, york.
Wednesday 29 December 2010
Monday 27 December 2010
Monday 13 December 2010
Guy's Scarf
Soon I will post a photo, but last night I finished a scarf for my husband, who has been feeling the cold here in DC (and also has a long history of losing scarves that I knit him!).
Shortly after he requested it, we found ourselves at a farmer's market in the small town of Smithfield, in southern Virginia and a local alpaca farmer and spinner had a stall there selling her wares. I bought two skeins (about 350 yards) of rust-red alpaca in what was probably a 4 ply weight, and some emergency needles as I had conveniently run out of knitting to do, had no small needles with me, and had a four hour train journey the next day!
On the train I cast on 48 stitches and set to work using a basket stitch-type pattern, and knit for many hours as our train was held on the line somewhere near Providence Fort for two hours, in addition to the normal time our journey required. The pattern was inspired by recently watching the 1980s series of The Balkan Trilogy - "Fortunes of War" I think it is called, with a very young Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson. It's a period piece and throughout Kenneth Branagh (who stars as Guy) wears a basket stitch scarf. I liked the look of it and filed the idea away as good for a men's scarf.
Last night I ran out of yarn, and so finished the scarf. It is light, soft and very warm - just the thing for the frigid DC temperatures last week and again this week.
Shortly after he requested it, we found ourselves at a farmer's market in the small town of Smithfield, in southern Virginia and a local alpaca farmer and spinner had a stall there selling her wares. I bought two skeins (about 350 yards) of rust-red alpaca in what was probably a 4 ply weight, and some emergency needles as I had conveniently run out of knitting to do, had no small needles with me, and had a four hour train journey the next day!
On the train I cast on 48 stitches and set to work using a basket stitch-type pattern, and knit for many hours as our train was held on the line somewhere near Providence Fort for two hours, in addition to the normal time our journey required. The pattern was inspired by recently watching the 1980s series of The Balkan Trilogy - "Fortunes of War" I think it is called, with a very young Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson. It's a period piece and throughout Kenneth Branagh (who stars as Guy) wears a basket stitch scarf. I liked the look of it and filed the idea away as good for a men's scarf.
Last night I ran out of yarn, and so finished the scarf. It is light, soft and very warm - just the thing for the frigid DC temperatures last week and again this week.
Saturday 11 December 2010
In my last post I reflected on my current transient status and how that was affecting my knitting, and lo and behold after that something seemed to shift. It's funny how talking about issues can result in some kind of movement.
To help this movement forward, "New England Knits" arrived in the post and I immediately cast on for the Bulky Lace Vest, using the recycled soft beige yarn I had bought from a "thrift store" and unravelled one afternoon while watching Pride and Prejudice (the newer version, sadly, not the classic with Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth, which is my favourite). It is now finished, blocked, and ready to wear next week on the plane journey back to London. I used nearly all of the yarn - a whole sweater's worth - to complete this long-line vest and promise a picture soon. A lovely pattern, it was well constructed and written with no errors that I could see. The only mods I made were to leave the back neck stitches live in order to knit them into the edging, rather than cast off and then pick up later; I also ended up with a slightly different number of edge stitches but decided that didn't really matter. This would have been my mistake and nothing to do with the pattern as counting bores me and I probably wasn't very specific about it when picking up! I compensated for my completely different yarn (a bulky aran/light chunky) and tension by going up the size guide and knitted a very large size; on reflection perhaps a bit overcompensated, but this kind of design can be wrapped and pinned and that is what I plan to do with this vest. I am very happy with the result indeed.
A creative burst has also overwhelmed me - during a visit to another "thrift store" with a new-found friend here in DC, I found a basket full of yarn for sale - lovely high-grade Egyptian cotton in white, blue and black from a Norwiegian yarn supplier. Excitedly I bought everything I could find, and the assistant at the store, seeing my interest, showed me two half completed projects that had been donated with the yarn. I bought them too, thinking I could recycle them. However when I got them home and looked carefully at them I noticed how beautifully they had been knitted and made, and also recognised the basic design they used - they had been knitted in the German/European style without a pattern, just to measurements the knitter knew would work for her (or him). One was a blue and white striped boat necked style sweater, and this only required the ends to be woven in and the seams sewn to be complete. One evening in front of the TV and this was complete - I wore the resulting sweater this week (a little out of season perhaps) to lunch with the friend who had been there when I bought it and we both agreed it was a lovely piece of work, to which I can't take much credit. The other piece has only the front completed, and is knitted in the same style and to the same measurements as the striped sweater. This one has intarsia night-sky blue stars scattered on a black background, which I will make the front. This afternoon I have swatched to complete a plain black back,and I will probably do some kind of short sleeves, depending on how much yarn I have left. I couldn't bear to rip out this sweater - the design reminds me of Van Gogh's Starry Night picture; it's beautiful. Both have kind of an 80s vibe (and the yarn dates from that time I would say), but that's ok as that look is quite in at the moment. These discoveries have led me to wonder why they were donated - did someone who knit beautifully in the 80s just lose interest in the craft? Or did they become unable to knit for some reason (this happened to my German aunt, whose work these designs remind me of)? Or did they move, or pass on, leaving their work unfinished? Somehow it feels right to be finishing, rather than ripping, these pieces. Again, pictures will follow at some stage.
This burst of creativity re-sparked my interest in sweater design, and so I began to sketch out some sweaters I would like to make. This snowballed, and I have a pile of sketches to work from now! Between completing these, and the City and Guilds Distance Knitting course, I think I will be very busy indeed these next 6 months.
It's good to feel less transient and more grounded.
To help this movement forward, "New England Knits" arrived in the post and I immediately cast on for the Bulky Lace Vest, using the recycled soft beige yarn I had bought from a "thrift store" and unravelled one afternoon while watching Pride and Prejudice (the newer version, sadly, not the classic with Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth, which is my favourite). It is now finished, blocked, and ready to wear next week on the plane journey back to London. I used nearly all of the yarn - a whole sweater's worth - to complete this long-line vest and promise a picture soon. A lovely pattern, it was well constructed and written with no errors that I could see. The only mods I made were to leave the back neck stitches live in order to knit them into the edging, rather than cast off and then pick up later; I also ended up with a slightly different number of edge stitches but decided that didn't really matter. This would have been my mistake and nothing to do with the pattern as counting bores me and I probably wasn't very specific about it when picking up! I compensated for my completely different yarn (a bulky aran/light chunky) and tension by going up the size guide and knitted a very large size; on reflection perhaps a bit overcompensated, but this kind of design can be wrapped and pinned and that is what I plan to do with this vest. I am very happy with the result indeed.
A creative burst has also overwhelmed me - during a visit to another "thrift store" with a new-found friend here in DC, I found a basket full of yarn for sale - lovely high-grade Egyptian cotton in white, blue and black from a Norwiegian yarn supplier. Excitedly I bought everything I could find, and the assistant at the store, seeing my interest, showed me two half completed projects that had been donated with the yarn. I bought them too, thinking I could recycle them. However when I got them home and looked carefully at them I noticed how beautifully they had been knitted and made, and also recognised the basic design they used - they had been knitted in the German/European style without a pattern, just to measurements the knitter knew would work for her (or him). One was a blue and white striped boat necked style sweater, and this only required the ends to be woven in and the seams sewn to be complete. One evening in front of the TV and this was complete - I wore the resulting sweater this week (a little out of season perhaps) to lunch with the friend who had been there when I bought it and we both agreed it was a lovely piece of work, to which I can't take much credit. The other piece has only the front completed, and is knitted in the same style and to the same measurements as the striped sweater. This one has intarsia night-sky blue stars scattered on a black background, which I will make the front. This afternoon I have swatched to complete a plain black back,and I will probably do some kind of short sleeves, depending on how much yarn I have left. I couldn't bear to rip out this sweater - the design reminds me of Van Gogh's Starry Night picture; it's beautiful. Both have kind of an 80s vibe (and the yarn dates from that time I would say), but that's ok as that look is quite in at the moment. These discoveries have led me to wonder why they were donated - did someone who knit beautifully in the 80s just lose interest in the craft? Or did they become unable to knit for some reason (this happened to my German aunt, whose work these designs remind me of)? Or did they move, or pass on, leaving their work unfinished? Somehow it feels right to be finishing, rather than ripping, these pieces. Again, pictures will follow at some stage.
This burst of creativity re-sparked my interest in sweater design, and so I began to sketch out some sweaters I would like to make. This snowballed, and I have a pile of sketches to work from now! Between completing these, and the City and Guilds Distance Knitting course, I think I will be very busy indeed these next 6 months.
It's good to feel less transient and more grounded.
Tuesday 30 November 2010
Thursday 11 November 2010
On transience and knitting
Although we will be living in DC for a year, and that is a significant amount of time, I feel very transient here (although not in a bad way - more in a constantly-on-holiday way) and my recent projects reflect that. I have just finished the Battleboro Hat, from the New England Knits book (which I have just ordered - thanks to Charmayne for the amazon gift voucher!) - this pattern was published in the Fall Interweave Knits. I used Malabrigio worsted, as recommended and am looking forward to some colder weather here so I can wear it. I have also finished the Lotus Leaf Scarf in Frog Tree Merino Melange (so soft! And such a cute pattern!), and a Feather and Fan Cowl from Tracey Ullman and Mel Clark's book Knit 2 Together. The cowl was knit in some long lost Louisa Harding yarn which I picked up in a yarn swap some years ago and for some reason stowed in my luggage about 10 minutes before we left home. See below for a photo of these three small projects.
But I have struggled to commit myself to anything larger than these little, finish-in-an-evening type projects. Partly this is because I have also re-registered for the City and Guilds Hand Knitting course and spend a lot of my spare time (of which I have much more of at the moment than I accustommed to) knitting samples, partly it is because I have agreed to knit some gifts for friends this Christmas and this takes up other moments of spare time, but really it is because my head isn't in the right place for a longer term project. These pick up and put down quick knits feel right for now; even though I have time to knit longer, larger, and more complicated projects at present. I had thought time available was a huge factor in my knitting progress - but it seems it's also sense of place and permanance too, and in fact it seems that this might be more important - who knew (as they say over here)?
But I have struggled to commit myself to anything larger than these little, finish-in-an-evening type projects. Partly this is because I have also re-registered for the City and Guilds Hand Knitting course and spend a lot of my spare time (of which I have much more of at the moment than I accustommed to) knitting samples, partly it is because I have agreed to knit some gifts for friends this Christmas and this takes up other moments of spare time, but really it is because my head isn't in the right place for a longer term project. These pick up and put down quick knits feel right for now; even though I have time to knit longer, larger, and more complicated projects at present. I had thought time available was a huge factor in my knitting progress - but it seems it's also sense of place and permanance too, and in fact it seems that this might be more important - who knew (as they say over here)?
Monday 18 October 2010
Bromley knits - in DC!
After two weeks in my new home-for-a-year, DC, I thought I would post about my observations of knitting here so far. I have found two yarn shops in DC so far - the well established and known Stitch DC in Eastern Market, which is a fantastic, eclectic space with classes as a particular strength, and the fairly newly opened A Looped Yarn in Dupont Circle, which has a fantastic range of stock and a great knitting circle on Thursday nights. I also discovered the Serenity farm stall at Dupont Circle Farmers Market (weekends only) where hand spun and dyed wool from specialist breeds is sold.
There are more yarn stores in the suburbs of Maryland and Virgina, I believe, but I have yet to venture that far - all in the weeks to come!
I didn't, in the end, pack much in the way of yarn and am kind of glad I didn't as the climate here is different; much, much warmer at the moment than London would be so actually I feel like knitting lighter, summery things still. I had some laceweight alpaca silk with me in deep red, and as I was also feeling short of cardigans and things to throw on during cooler evenings, I have started a feather and fan shrug, pattern from a free Ravelry link. A pic will follow. Thanks to A Looped Yarn for the bamboo circular which I am loving!
I am also in knitting magazine heaven here - at almost every bookstore and outlet I can buy any of a selection of 10-15 or so magazines! Having picked up the latest Piecework and Interweave Knits, I am poring over them with plans for what to knit over the coming winter, when I will definately need warm things, and I am looking forward to sampling some of the American yarns I can't get easily in the UK (eg cascade, berroco etc).
There are more yarn stores in the suburbs of Maryland and Virgina, I believe, but I have yet to venture that far - all in the weeks to come!
I didn't, in the end, pack much in the way of yarn and am kind of glad I didn't as the climate here is different; much, much warmer at the moment than London would be so actually I feel like knitting lighter, summery things still. I had some laceweight alpaca silk with me in deep red, and as I was also feeling short of cardigans and things to throw on during cooler evenings, I have started a feather and fan shrug, pattern from a free Ravelry link. A pic will follow. Thanks to A Looped Yarn for the bamboo circular which I am loving!
I am also in knitting magazine heaven here - at almost every bookstore and outlet I can buy any of a selection of 10-15 or so magazines! Having picked up the latest Piecework and Interweave Knits, I am poring over them with plans for what to knit over the coming winter, when I will definately need warm things, and I am looking forward to sampling some of the American yarns I can't get easily in the UK (eg cascade, berroco etc).
Thursday 23 September 2010
On self-made September, oddness in knitting patterns, and the Rowan Project.
Self made September has had a 5 day hiatus, in part because I am trying to work out what I will need for 9 months in DC and have been “test-wearing” some things (only to be advised by an American friend today that nothing I own will be warm enough for the DC winter come January!), but also because I only have a couple of light, summer weight knitted things – it’s been mild here in London – and I was getting sick of them. Most of my knits are wool and just way too warm at the moment. It’s made me realise that I need to knit more:
a) Fine weight clothing, as that’s what I like to wear
b) Cotton, silks and bamboos, as these items are more versatile and, with central heating, can be worn through all seasons here in the UK anyway.
Self made September has also made me go through my knitted items and decide what to keep and what to chuck (along with everything else in my wardrobe – nothing like a massive change of lifestyle and an international move to make you reassess your wardrobe!). Sadly, several items are for the charity shop – the filet patch blouse (I hated it), the Carie Cropped Cardigan (not my colours, and I never wore it as it was too warm, but not long enough!), the Thick and Thin Cardigan Coat (didn’t fit well) and the fitted tee (one Noro sweater in a wardrobe is enough! And due to a washing incident it’s felted and so unfroggable). It was however strangely liberating to get rid of these knits, which used to look accusingly at me every time I opened my wardrobe door (why aren’t you wearing us?).
Making the grade are: Bridie, the Back to School U-Necked vest, Juliet, the Bed jacket, the Anthropolgie cropped cardigan, and the Garter Stitch Tunic. These are all well desgined, knit in colours I like, and usually in good quality yarns, except Juliet, knitted earlier on in my return to knitting, before I’d given myself over to luxury in quite the same way. Sadly, she is looking a little the worse for wear.
Which brings me to reflect on why knitting patterns are often so odd? The Filet patch blouse, for example, required one to seam up the sides, but then leave the rest, including the arms – i.e. no sleeve seams. Why??? Why would you have no sleeve seams? When I tried this, the blouse promptly slipped off the top of my body – not ideal if you’re walking down the high street – and just looked unfinished. In the photo for the pattern, it is not immediately obvious that there are no sleeve seams, and of course the model is standing still. I know designers are trying to be cutting edge and different, but please – design things that can be worn.
I have, on the suggestion of a friend/fellow knitting group member, decided to start on the Rowan Project, as seen on Ravelry – knit something from every Rowan mag. I don’t own every Rowan mag, but I do have some older ones, and so I will knit something from every Rowan mag I own; not necessarily in order, but possibly. I am starting with Bella, a lace scarf by Kim Hargreaves. This was the first Rowan mag I bought (on my first trip to Liberty), and also the first pattern I did, in 1996, not long after I first arrived in the UK from Australia. At the time I knitted it in Fine Chenille, as the pattern calls for. This yarn is long out of production, but I do have some hand painted Aracunia chenille in my stash, and have substituted this. It’s heavier, but in true Jared Flood style I like the effect it’s giving on 5.5 mm needles, rather than fine weight yarn on 3 ¼. I remember struggling with that scarf, and the chenille originally, and it is long lost now, but this time around the scarf has knitted up easily in a couple of days.
Photos coming soon.
a) Fine weight clothing, as that’s what I like to wear
b) Cotton, silks and bamboos, as these items are more versatile and, with central heating, can be worn through all seasons here in the UK anyway.
Self made September has also made me go through my knitted items and decide what to keep and what to chuck (along with everything else in my wardrobe – nothing like a massive change of lifestyle and an international move to make you reassess your wardrobe!). Sadly, several items are for the charity shop – the filet patch blouse (I hated it), the Carie Cropped Cardigan (not my colours, and I never wore it as it was too warm, but not long enough!), the Thick and Thin Cardigan Coat (didn’t fit well) and the fitted tee (one Noro sweater in a wardrobe is enough! And due to a washing incident it’s felted and so unfroggable). It was however strangely liberating to get rid of these knits, which used to look accusingly at me every time I opened my wardrobe door (why aren’t you wearing us?).
Making the grade are: Bridie, the Back to School U-Necked vest, Juliet, the Bed jacket, the Anthropolgie cropped cardigan, and the Garter Stitch Tunic. These are all well desgined, knit in colours I like, and usually in good quality yarns, except Juliet, knitted earlier on in my return to knitting, before I’d given myself over to luxury in quite the same way. Sadly, she is looking a little the worse for wear.
Which brings me to reflect on why knitting patterns are often so odd? The Filet patch blouse, for example, required one to seam up the sides, but then leave the rest, including the arms – i.e. no sleeve seams. Why??? Why would you have no sleeve seams? When I tried this, the blouse promptly slipped off the top of my body – not ideal if you’re walking down the high street – and just looked unfinished. In the photo for the pattern, it is not immediately obvious that there are no sleeve seams, and of course the model is standing still. I know designers are trying to be cutting edge and different, but please – design things that can be worn.
I have, on the suggestion of a friend/fellow knitting group member, decided to start on the Rowan Project, as seen on Ravelry – knit something from every Rowan mag. I don’t own every Rowan mag, but I do have some older ones, and so I will knit something from every Rowan mag I own; not necessarily in order, but possibly. I am starting with Bella, a lace scarf by Kim Hargreaves. This was the first Rowan mag I bought (on my first trip to Liberty), and also the first pattern I did, in 1996, not long after I first arrived in the UK from Australia. At the time I knitted it in Fine Chenille, as the pattern calls for. This yarn is long out of production, but I do have some hand painted Aracunia chenille in my stash, and have substituted this. It’s heavier, but in true Jared Flood style I like the effect it’s giving on 5.5 mm needles, rather than fine weight yarn on 3 ¼. I remember struggling with that scarf, and the chenille originally, and it is long lost now, but this time around the scarf has knitted up easily in a couple of days.
Photos coming soon.
Monday 20 September 2010
Monday 13 September 2010
Monday 6 September 2010
Self Made September
So far, I have been managing to wear or use something I have made every day in September (thanks Green Apples for the idea) - it's been a good way to get more wear out of things I have made, which languish in the wardrobe far too much. Today I am wearing a skirt I made out of some Liberty fabric I bought on sale there in January; I've only worn this skirt once before, and in fact it had been scrunched up in the cupboard for so long I had to wash and iron it last week!
Why don't I wear the clothes I make more? Sometimes it's fit, sometimes it's colour, sometimes it's that it was something interesting to do, but not something I actually want to wear; that happens most often with knitting, so yes I think I am a process knitter.
The photos below show how I have been going so far; we were away at the weekend so I wore Clapotis both days - needed in the chilly mornings and evenings of County Durham! I will keep posting on my progress.
Why don't I wear the clothes I make more? Sometimes it's fit, sometimes it's colour, sometimes it's that it was something interesting to do, but not something I actually want to wear; that happens most often with knitting, so yes I think I am a process knitter.
The photos below show how I have been going so far; we were away at the weekend so I wore Clapotis both days - needed in the chilly mornings and evenings of County Durham! I will keep posting on my progress.
Friday 3 September 2010
Thursday 2 September 2010
Wednesday 1 September 2010
Friday 27 August 2010
Holiday Knitting Adventures
Well they weren't really adventures - more along the lines of "stop the car - there's a knitting shop!" During the first two weeks of August, we undertook a driving holiday in the UK, visiting Scotland, the north of England, Wales and Devon/Cornwall (all briefly). I managed a few visits to yarn stores, but more than that I needed plain knitting to do in the car - so at the wonderful MCA McAree Brothers store in Edinburgh I bought some budget friendly and good quality navy and cream Paton's cotton in order to make a summer hoodie, all in stocking stitch, and loosely based on a Bergere de France child's pattern (sized up and worked seamlessly to give me a bit of challenge). Onto the back burner went dad's vintage socks and the Filet Patch Blouse as both required me to look at them as I worked - something I can't do in the car!
Back home I have picked both up and dad's vintage socks are nearly there, knitted on two needles (as my grandmother always used to do) in some ancient Sirdar Country Style 4 ply in a russetty orange shade. My husband laughed at them, then tried one on and said "oh actually these are really good - really comfortable!" The pattern shapes the leg using a decreasing rib pattern which comes out a bit like a checkerboard across the ankle; I quite like the effect and it gives them a good fit. I omitted a top band as my dad has diabetes and doesn't like his socks too tight at the top - I am hoping to send them off in time for Fathers Day in Australia.
I've finished the two yokes for the Filet Patch Blouse - using a wildly different set of coloured yarns in cottons, silks and bamboo, although I found sewing the patches together a bit of a faff. I have been playing around with gauge and needles for the body, for which I am using Felted Tweed and have decided on held double using 7mm. I am a little wary of substituting on Teva Durham patterns as she, in my experience, writes for her own yarns and their gauge is not easily replicable. But so far, so good.
Below you will see some photos of these projects, my haul from the Edinburgh yarn stores (which also included Knit 1), and a scenic piccy of one of the walks we took - and really needed to take after eating afternoon tea with cakes every day!
Back home I have picked both up and dad's vintage socks are nearly there, knitted on two needles (as my grandmother always used to do) in some ancient Sirdar Country Style 4 ply in a russetty orange shade. My husband laughed at them, then tried one on and said "oh actually these are really good - really comfortable!" The pattern shapes the leg using a decreasing rib pattern which comes out a bit like a checkerboard across the ankle; I quite like the effect and it gives them a good fit. I omitted a top band as my dad has diabetes and doesn't like his socks too tight at the top - I am hoping to send them off in time for Fathers Day in Australia.
I've finished the two yokes for the Filet Patch Blouse - using a wildly different set of coloured yarns in cottons, silks and bamboo, although I found sewing the patches together a bit of a faff. I have been playing around with gauge and needles for the body, for which I am using Felted Tweed and have decided on held double using 7mm. I am a little wary of substituting on Teva Durham patterns as she, in my experience, writes for her own yarns and their gauge is not easily replicable. But so far, so good.
Below you will see some photos of these projects, my haul from the Edinburgh yarn stores (which also included Knit 1), and a scenic piccy of one of the walks we took - and really needed to take after eating afternoon tea with cakes every day!
Saturday 21 August 2010
Friday 30 July 2010
Changes coming
Taking a little time out over lunch to blog - I have posted up some pics of one recently finished piece (the Lace Kerchief, from a back issue of Yarn Magazine in Fyberspates silk), and the Simple Pleasures Hat (free pattern from the Purl Bee) in cashmere and Kidsilk Haze (thanks Susan for the KSH!).
We leave for a much needed two week break tomorrow, to Scotland as is usual for us in summer, but this time we are also taking in Wales and Devon/Cornwall. I am hoping to slip in some visits to yarn shops along the way - googling found me k1 and of course the McAree Bros in Edinburgh, and a couple of potential possiblities in Glasgow.
Ah, but what to take as holiday knitting - I have nearly finished all of my finishing, so just dad's vintage socks to take, but with half a sock to do that won't take long, so two knits that could do with reworking are coming along - the Central Park Hoodie (knitted rather niaively in a silk/linen blend - it stretched) for a bit of surgery on the cuffs, and the Thick and Thin cardigan coat, again, for a reworking of the cuffs. If I can't make them work this time, then they are for the textile recycling bin!
On my one current and recently started project (Teva Durham's Filet Patch Blouse, thanks to Stash and Burn for the suggestion) - both yokes are now done, and I am swatching for the body.
We leave for a much needed two week break tomorrow, to Scotland as is usual for us in summer, but this time we are also taking in Wales and Devon/Cornwall. I am hoping to slip in some visits to yarn shops along the way - googling found me k1 and of course the McAree Bros in Edinburgh, and a couple of potential possiblities in Glasgow.
Ah, but what to take as holiday knitting - I have nearly finished all of my finishing, so just dad's vintage socks to take, but with half a sock to do that won't take long, so two knits that could do with reworking are coming along - the Central Park Hoodie (knitted rather niaively in a silk/linen blend - it stretched) for a bit of surgery on the cuffs, and the Thick and Thin cardigan coat, again, for a reworking of the cuffs. If I can't make them work this time, then they are for the textile recycling bin!
On my one current and recently started project (Teva Durham's Filet Patch Blouse, thanks to Stash and Burn for the suggestion) - both yokes are now done, and I am swatching for the body.
Wednesday 7 July 2010
Thursday 20 May 2010
Things I Need to Finish
If I have been quiet on the blogging front lately, it's because I have been Finishing. I do this a lot - there are always lots of things for me to finish! Currently being finished:
Intoxicating - only needs sewing up, and the neckline doing. I used stash to knit this colourful, mosaic summer sweater from the wonderful book "No Sheep for You". It is knit in a mixture of Rowan Hand Knit Cotton, and Debbie Bliss Cathay and Pure Silk. It was a great knit, with lots going on all the time, but not too much (except for one set of 7 rows which required me to do stranded fairisle, short rows and decreases all at the same time...I broke into a sweat!). The pattern writing is exemplary.
The Versailles Shawl - just 7 rows from the lace border, but as I now have over 200 stitches per row the going is slow. This is probably going to end up as a gift.
The Panelled Baby Blanket - just 1 more panel to do! (Can you spot a pattern here?)
And I must confess I CAST ON this week, in a desperate attempt for some light relief from all this finishing. I started the Snug handwarmers from Emma King's book Fun and Funky Knitting. These are intended to be a birthday present for my sister (who, living in Australia, is about to go into winter) although they are rather bright and sparkly for her - I am using some self-striping mohair in stash, with Jaeger Luxury Tweed in orange, and Louisa Harding Coquette in green (this yarn provides the sparkle).
I have just been cruising ravelry for ideas for the 10 skeins of Rownan Purelife British Breeds Blue Faced Leicester I recently bought; and made some progress, when I stumbled across a Knitty pattern in Habu stainless steel silk (called something like Tangled Seaweed) which I just fell in love with. Oh dear - I am supposed to be using up the stash!
Intoxicating - only needs sewing up, and the neckline doing. I used stash to knit this colourful, mosaic summer sweater from the wonderful book "No Sheep for You". It is knit in a mixture of Rowan Hand Knit Cotton, and Debbie Bliss Cathay and Pure Silk. It was a great knit, with lots going on all the time, but not too much (except for one set of 7 rows which required me to do stranded fairisle, short rows and decreases all at the same time...I broke into a sweat!). The pattern writing is exemplary.
The Versailles Shawl - just 7 rows from the lace border, but as I now have over 200 stitches per row the going is slow. This is probably going to end up as a gift.
The Panelled Baby Blanket - just 1 more panel to do! (Can you spot a pattern here?)
And I must confess I CAST ON this week, in a desperate attempt for some light relief from all this finishing. I started the Snug handwarmers from Emma King's book Fun and Funky Knitting. These are intended to be a birthday present for my sister (who, living in Australia, is about to go into winter) although they are rather bright and sparkly for her - I am using some self-striping mohair in stash, with Jaeger Luxury Tweed in orange, and Louisa Harding Coquette in green (this yarn provides the sparkle).
I have just been cruising ravelry for ideas for the 10 skeins of Rownan Purelife British Breeds Blue Faced Leicester I recently bought; and made some progress, when I stumbled across a Knitty pattern in Habu stainless steel silk (called something like Tangled Seaweed) which I just fell in love with. Oh dear - I am supposed to be using up the stash!
Thursday 29 April 2010
Some FOs, and some finishing off!
Below is a (slightly fuzzy) photo of the Cozy Campfire socks I have been using a travel project lately - they have been to Belfast, Dublin, Milan, the Lakes, and on a few journeys around London and the south-east as well. This Dream In Colour yarn is just beautiful - even Simon wanted a pair, until he saw the glitter in them and thought it was too girly.
These socks used my favourite basic Vogue socks pattern, no stitch pattern as the yarn speaks for itself.
It is now rather too warm in London for me to want to wear them, but a cool change is expected this weekend and I expect to be padding around my draughty floorboards in them.
These socks used my favourite basic Vogue socks pattern, no stitch pattern as the yarn speaks for itself.
It is now rather too warm in London for me to want to wear them, but a cool change is expected this weekend and I expect to be padding around my draughty floorboards in them.
Friday 16 April 2010
The Knitting Blues
Today I have come to the end of 2 weeks leave from work, and I haven't done as much knitting as I thought I would. I thought this would be a great time to complete random WIPs, but somehow this didn't happen - in fact I probably knitted less than I do during working weeks!
I finished the Central Park Hoodie - or should I say Central Park DRESS! That might give some idea of what happened when I washed and blocked this linen/silk blend yarn - yep, it has no memory and has ended up a long line cardigan, with very long sleeves. I think it might end up in the frog pond, along with a number of other projects which are languishing there at present... or it might make a good mothers day present for my mum!
I am close to finishing the plain Dream in Colour socks, (Cozy Campfire - bought, I must admit, partly for the name alone); these have been accompanying me on trips out during my annual leave.
I am undecided about whether I will finish the Versailles Shawl, partly because I am living to regret my choice of yarn; a very soft cotton/wool/acrylic blend (King Cole Inspire) in bright green - perhaps a bit too bright? Perhaps a bit too cheap? I am not a yarn snob, and it's not the feel which is surprisingly luxurious, but it's the colour. I thought it would work for a shawl, but maybe not. It is hibernating in a corner of my knitting room - again.
I did another panel of the Panelled Baby Blanket; only one to go now - this might be a good project for knitting group on Sunday.
I need a project that's going to work now. And something I feel inspired to knit - I have hit a blank. I went back to my stash list, and started to wind the Adriafil Merino Laceweight I have had sitting in stash for ages, with thoughts of doing either something vintage, or the tank top from One Skein; but it did not want to wind easily and I got frustrated and stuffed it in a bag! Oh dear...
Next on the stash list is the Argentinian Alpaca, which needs to be ripped from an ill-thought-out project and re-knit into, probably, a shawl. But April does not feel like the right time to knit an aplaca shawl, so probably not.
Next is 4 skeins of Kidsilk Haze which I had planned to do Grace with; I knitted Grace about 5 years ago but it came out too short and I gifted it to a friend; she wears it a lot and I would still like one for myself - modified to have a longer body!
Decisions, decisions. I have bought some yarn too - this is what having time does; I get to visit yarn shops! I will post pictures of these purchases soon.
I finished the Central Park Hoodie - or should I say Central Park DRESS! That might give some idea of what happened when I washed and blocked this linen/silk blend yarn - yep, it has no memory and has ended up a long line cardigan, with very long sleeves. I think it might end up in the frog pond, along with a number of other projects which are languishing there at present... or it might make a good mothers day present for my mum!
I am close to finishing the plain Dream in Colour socks, (Cozy Campfire - bought, I must admit, partly for the name alone); these have been accompanying me on trips out during my annual leave.
I am undecided about whether I will finish the Versailles Shawl, partly because I am living to regret my choice of yarn; a very soft cotton/wool/acrylic blend (King Cole Inspire) in bright green - perhaps a bit too bright? Perhaps a bit too cheap? I am not a yarn snob, and it's not the feel which is surprisingly luxurious, but it's the colour. I thought it would work for a shawl, but maybe not. It is hibernating in a corner of my knitting room - again.
I did another panel of the Panelled Baby Blanket; only one to go now - this might be a good project for knitting group on Sunday.
I need a project that's going to work now. And something I feel inspired to knit - I have hit a blank. I went back to my stash list, and started to wind the Adriafil Merino Laceweight I have had sitting in stash for ages, with thoughts of doing either something vintage, or the tank top from One Skein; but it did not want to wind easily and I got frustrated and stuffed it in a bag! Oh dear...
Next on the stash list is the Argentinian Alpaca, which needs to be ripped from an ill-thought-out project and re-knit into, probably, a shawl. But April does not feel like the right time to knit an aplaca shawl, so probably not.
Next is 4 skeins of Kidsilk Haze which I had planned to do Grace with; I knitted Grace about 5 years ago but it came out too short and I gifted it to a friend; she wears it a lot and I would still like one for myself - modified to have a longer body!
Decisions, decisions. I have bought some yarn too - this is what having time does; I get to visit yarn shops! I will post pictures of these purchases soon.
Tuesday 23 March 2010
On of the nicest things I do in the mornings when getting my bag ready for work is to plan what knitting I will take to do on my commute - my commute can be up to 1 1/2 hours each way, so theoretically I can get a lot of knitting done (my projects don't seem to grow that quickly though!).
Yesterday I packed the Central Park Hoodie, of which I only have the rest of the second sleeve to do before blocking it, sewing it, and finishing it with the hood and button bands. I really want to get to the blocking/sewing stage by the end of this weekend coming (I am BORED with this project now - dangerous, as startitis beckons).
But when I came to pull it out, I realised I had left the pattern notes and cable needle back at home. Luckily I could pretty much remember the pattern, up to the point at which I would need to shape the sleeve caps and I was a little way off that, but I did need the cable needle. However, inspired by my mother who manages to turn out beautiful, complex knits without stitch markers or holders, or cable needles, or indeed any of the fancy notions I use all the time, I rummaged in my bag and found a large paperclip, and so it had to do, bent into a kind of cable needle shape. And it worked fine, so fine that I didn't even bother bringing my cable needle today.
On another note, Spring/Summer Knitty is up, and I want to do two patterns from it - Buttonheads, and the Torreyana shoulderette; I will just have to be strong and hold off starting until I finish the Central Park Hoodie's second sleeve...
Yesterday I packed the Central Park Hoodie, of which I only have the rest of the second sleeve to do before blocking it, sewing it, and finishing it with the hood and button bands. I really want to get to the blocking/sewing stage by the end of this weekend coming (I am BORED with this project now - dangerous, as startitis beckons).
But when I came to pull it out, I realised I had left the pattern notes and cable needle back at home. Luckily I could pretty much remember the pattern, up to the point at which I would need to shape the sleeve caps and I was a little way off that, but I did need the cable needle. However, inspired by my mother who manages to turn out beautiful, complex knits without stitch markers or holders, or cable needles, or indeed any of the fancy notions I use all the time, I rummaged in my bag and found a large paperclip, and so it had to do, bent into a kind of cable needle shape. And it worked fine, so fine that I didn't even bother bringing my cable needle today.
On another note, Spring/Summer Knitty is up, and I want to do two patterns from it - Buttonheads, and the Torreyana shoulderette; I will just have to be strong and hold off starting until I finish the Central Park Hoodie's second sleeve...
Friday 19 March 2010
I am a far too infrequent blogger, mostly due to the demands of work and life in general, but every now and then I resolve to turn over a new leaf, and today is one of those times.
This weekend just gone, hubbie and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary by flying to Milan, with a quick trip to Zegna fitted in before taking a train to Verenna on Lake Como. Verenna has special significance for us, as it was there, at the end of a walking holiday in the Swiss Alps, that hubbie proposed. Dear reader, of course I married him, and spending our anniversary weekend there was a lovely prospect, even though I am recovering from a cough/cold and spent the weekend virtually coughing up my lungs.
Although always on the lookout for yarn shops I didn't find any - although did find much fine cashmere and merino already made into things. I took some knitting with me, which you can see a photo of below; it's Catherine Tough's Panelled Baby Blanket from her book Hip Knits. As the great EZ says - unless you are a great stay-at-home, always knit blankets in squares or strips, and this is a strip knit blanket which I am doing in contemporary shades of creams, beiges and browns (from stash, I am proud to say), with flashes of leaf green and red. It will be a gift, and I don't know the sex of the baby - hence the neutral colour scheme!
I also wore a knitted item while on the rather cool Lake - the vintage style beret featured below is from one of the Rowan Winter magazines, and was knitted in, now discontinued, Jaeger Luxury Tweed (an alpaca/lambswool blend), in a soft berry colour.
After returning from Lake Como I have been attempting to relax after busy days at work with the second sleeve from the Central Park Hoodie - a pattern which is generally enjoyable if a bit fiddly at times.
More posting soon...
This weekend just gone, hubbie and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary by flying to Milan, with a quick trip to Zegna fitted in before taking a train to Verenna on Lake Como. Verenna has special significance for us, as it was there, at the end of a walking holiday in the Swiss Alps, that hubbie proposed. Dear reader, of course I married him, and spending our anniversary weekend there was a lovely prospect, even though I am recovering from a cough/cold and spent the weekend virtually coughing up my lungs.
Although always on the lookout for yarn shops I didn't find any - although did find much fine cashmere and merino already made into things. I took some knitting with me, which you can see a photo of below; it's Catherine Tough's Panelled Baby Blanket from her book Hip Knits. As the great EZ says - unless you are a great stay-at-home, always knit blankets in squares or strips, and this is a strip knit blanket which I am doing in contemporary shades of creams, beiges and browns (from stash, I am proud to say), with flashes of leaf green and red. It will be a gift, and I don't know the sex of the baby - hence the neutral colour scheme!
I also wore a knitted item while on the rather cool Lake - the vintage style beret featured below is from one of the Rowan Winter magazines, and was knitted in, now discontinued, Jaeger Luxury Tweed (an alpaca/lambswool blend), in a soft berry colour.
After returning from Lake Como I have been attempting to relax after busy days at work with the second sleeve from the Central Park Hoodie - a pattern which is generally enjoyable if a bit fiddly at times.
More posting soon...
Tuesday 16 March 2010
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