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!

The filet patch blouse continues

Scottish haul

Vintage mens socks

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.

Simple pleasures