Wrap pencil skirt

Shorts for lounging and sleeping in

Surface, Unpacking, and Sewing Goals for 2012

A few weeks on and I am near half way through Surface - hours of stocking stitch, with occasional waist shaping are perfect for no-brain-required post-work knitting. I have just unpacked three boxes of yarn and knitting books (which has made me realise I need no more yarn and no more books on knitting!). Only a little more has been done on the Afghan (entrelac with cables at the moment - not as demanding as it sounds, but certainly not for weeknights), and I ashamed to say, no more samples either. BUT I plan to post a couple of sewing pics from my time in DC - shorts, and a wrap pencil-style skirt, both made from thrift store material and sewed by hand in my DC apartment, during the spring and summer of 2010. The shorts are great for lounge and sleepwear, and the skirt has been worn to work, but it does have closure issues which makes me anxious when I wear it (ie that it will fall off!). I also unpacked a bunch of sewing patterns I have stashed over the years today, most are vintage, circa 80s and 90s and either picked up from thrift stores or given to me by friends having clearouts, but I do have a couple of Amy Butler bag patterns as well. My goal for 2012? Sew all of these patterns! Let's see if I can do it...

Knitting for Every Mood

While the Yoga Wrap sits unworn on the cane armchair in my bedroom, waiting for an edging, I have been working on the Great American Afghan. Last night I started my ninth square - three squares completed this month, a record. Of course this is only because as the decorators have moved in, ALL my yarn has been boxed up and is hard to get to. But boredom is setting in, and I did manage to climb over some boxes yesterday, and, in desperation place my hands on the RYC cashsoft I had planned on doing something with. First I had thought another 3 hour sweater. Then I thought the Glengarrie and Yorkshire 2 hour sweater. (You can see where I'm going here can't you?)

BUT then I did a Ravelry search and found two Norah Gaughan patterns - Surface (from Knitty Winter 2008 - top picture below), and a free Berrocco pattern, Wishbone (lower picture below). Surface will be perfect for the cashsoft.
So my plan is to have the GAA on the go, plus Surface for times went I want to knit clothing, rather than a blanket, AND of course my samples for Module 3 of the City and Guilds in Textile Design (train knitting). 3 things OTN - something for every mood.

Working from Deep Stash

One of the (few) benefits to an international move is that all of my new American yarn is currently securely boxed up, thanks to the US postal service, but my old stash yarn is in an open box, waiting for a place in our new house to live. So, despite being behind my target of one square a month on the Great American Afghan (should be about to start my 10th sqaure, instead I'm starting my 6th), I have been dipping into Deep Stash to knit useful things for my new commute and job.

First up - some ancient black Cygnet DK 100% merino I bought years ago at John Lewis Oxford St, with plans to knit a sleeveless vest. I then promptly bought exactly such a vest from Laura Ashley and so never felt the need to knit one up. The amount of yarn wasn't quite enough to be useful for anything else, and so it languished. However - mornings and evenings are cold in North Yorkshire, so I feel the need for cardigans and wraps to pull over the lighter clothes I wear at work (where the buildings are usually too warm). Black is a useful, argueably neutral, colour, so I pulled the yarn out and started Lisa Gentry's Yoga Wrap Sweater (making good use of Sobahime's alterations on Ravelry). I knitted top down, and have now completed it, except for edging. What to do about edging? I have no yarn left, so could edge in a contrast colour (makes it harder to work as a throw-over-anything wrap though), OR I could leave it unedged, which doesn't look too bad, kind of Japanese in style, and use a shawl pin to secure it if wanted. I am planning to give this a go - I can always go back and edge it if I feel I want to later.

Further projects planned from Deep Stash: either the 3 hour, or 2 hour Yorkshire and Glengarry Sweater using the old dark burgandy RYC Cashsoft I've had in stash seemingly forever. As its short sleeved this would make a good work sweater I think, to be worn with flowing black trousers (my basic work "uniform" - soft black trousers and pretty tops). Also, another go at the Central Park Hoodie in some rather glam gold aran wool/acrylic blend by Patons I picked up on ebay years ago, for some unknown reason. It's escaped several stash clearouts, because I rather like it - I also like the thought of using the gold yarn for a casual sweater.

The longer I can keep my new yarn boxed up the better maybe...

Great american afghan

Now on block 6 - more pics soon!

2 needle socks in progress

A fathers day gift for my dad. Yarn is jarol sweet briar.