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!
