FO Catch Up

Oh dear - it's been a very long between posts!  It will be easier if I start with my most recent knits and work backwards I think.

My most recent FO was a pair of ribbed men's socks, finished last week for my dad.  These used my old faithful top down Vogue Basic Sock Recipe and used nearly a full Schoppel Wolle Zauberball in the olive, green and grey colourway. My father loves handknitted socks and models them from his armchair here:

On the long journey home from my folks I used the remainder of the Zauberball to start a Kindle cover:

Further back, I completed the 3 Hour Sweater with no real mods except going down a needle size and knitting longer sleeves in Wensleydale Sheepshop Longwool Aran:

This is my second 3 Hour Sweater and this vintage pattern is a great standby - quick and a nice end result. It does take longer than 3 hours though, and the instructions like most vintage patterns assume knowledge and are not overly detailed.

I also started a dove grey zippered cardigan but quickly abandoned it - the cables made it too complex to knit without chart reading and I didn't like them anyway. 

My knitting time at present is all travelling or evening TV watching - so I need simple, repetitive patterns which I can quickly build up a motor memory for.

And another FO - this vest was actually meant for my dad (hence the emergency sock knit prior to visiting him!) but came out too small. However it fits me, and looks rather nice, in a librarian-ish way. This is the Everyday Vest from Mel Clark's book Knitting Everyday Finery, and I used Louisa Harding Kashmir in DK. I guess my gauge was off, but I am glad it was easily repurpose-able.

I've squeezed in a few hats as well:

Sugar and Snap by Jane Burns

and this Mushroom Hat:

Well, that about catches up on my FOs - time to get on with some actual knitting!

3 hour sweater - the front

So far has taken more than 3 hours (I have completed the back) - but is a quick knit.

Wearing my knits

Some time ago, I decided to always try to wear something handknit as a main clothing item (ie not socks or a shawl) at the weekend:

The Averill vest (Knitscene)

A few weeks ago, I was organising and tidying my closet and drawers, and relegating some things to the charity shop pile, when I realised how much of a habit wearing handknits had become and how it had altered my weekend wardrobe.  Most of my handknit sweaters and tunics are now on heavy rotation - and some are wearing out!  I have no need of shop bought sweaters, but instead always need layering pieces like vests and long sleeved tees.

As in the photo above, my weekend uniform is dark denim jeans or leggings, boots, and a handknit sweater or tunic. For casual, or even dressier going out, it's a handknit sweater over a dress with tights and boots:

Garter Stitch Tunic (Creative Knitting Australia Magazine) with Handspun Handwarmers.

My handspun Rocky Coast Cardigan has been a huge success in both types of outfit since Christmas:

Rocky Coast Cardigan (out for a meal in Durham) by Hannah Fettig.

It was the feeling that I needed more cosy weekend slouchy sweaters (and a resolve to stash bust) that led me to cast on what was first going to be a poncho-style wrap:

But I reconsidered the poncho idea, and am now knitting this as a hoodie, following a Susan B Anderson recipe.

The stripes end at the yoke, and the main   colour is lavender Rowan Scottish Tweed.  I worked on this last night, in front of the TV, taking a break from my obligation knitting.

Now I don't really feel its the weekend unless I am pulling on a handknit, and I am considering extending the challenge to work (tricky, but I have a few lightweight knits which I have started wearing at work) and travel - for which I plan to cast on a 4 ply dove grey zippered cardigan....

On knitting for others

So it is now March and what have I been doing?  Despite my silence on the blog, there are FOs and projects to share.

Although I started 2014 with a little project for me (Mel Clark's Strawberry Beret from Knitting Everyday Finery), and resurrected the Darlington Cowl to go with it, since then I have been knitting for other people.

Linda received a belated Christmas present in the shape of Debbie Bliss's Party Angel Shrug:

Done in Rowan Kidsilk Aura, with Debbie Bliss Angel held double for the edgings, this is much heavier weight than the pattern version - but it is warm, cosy and very vintage. I thought the pattern made rather heavy weather of shrug design; which usually just needs a very simple seamed and edged rectangle. As a result I abandoned the pattern half way through and wish I had just started from scratch myself.

Immediately after finishing this, I found myself knitting a mohair tunic for someone else to a picture they had seen. I used Stefanie Japel's Lace Panel Tunic from Glam Knits for my base pattern for this, omitting the lace and adding in a vent at the back by knitting the back in two halves, and seaming them half way down.  This pattern ran a bit larger than I expected, possibly due to omitting the lace, and so I followed a Vogue Knitting tip of taking in  3/4 of an inch of ease either side when seaming - which worked.  The sheer mohair and back vent also called for a lining - a first for me.  I must say I cheated a bit and used a ready-made slip which I cut and hemmed after sewing the straps to the inside shoulder seams!  This also worked.  Here is the finished product - the yarn is Ice Yarns Kid Mohair Glitz and has been very nice to work with indeed.

Also on the needles is a baby set for another person, of which the hat is complete:

The low lighting in the pic makes it hard to realise this is actually cream yarn and despite being 100% acrylic is quite nice to the touch. It's King Cole ABC Baby DK, and a pretty cardigan pattern from the UK Hand Knitting Association will match the hat and should be off the needles by the end of the weekend.

The same person has asked me to crochet a matching baby blanket - so an opportunity to revisit and extend my crochet skills awaits!

After we watched The Bletchley Circle together, Karina has requested a 3 hour sweater and the back is done, in some ancient stashed Wensleydale Aran.

And for me? All this knitting for others has made me desperate to return to my WPIs - the Stash Blanket (no progress to report):

And a Scottish and Donegal Tweed hoodie which is loosely based on the Easy Top Down Raglan Knitalong by Susan B Anderson:

A little more has been done since I took this photo.

And my queue grows ever longer!

Taking Stock at Christmas

Blogging has slipped by the wayside recently, as my life has been filled with work, study, friends and future plans - no bad things, but just no time for anything else!

Some knitting has been done though:

Buttoned-up Curtain Tiebacks.

Bergere de France Jaspee Childs Sweater - Sample done for my LYS.

Bergere de France Barisienne Childs Aran Sweater - sample done for my LYS.

And now, in this quiet period, some will be finished:

The Everyday Vest - for my dad

The Rocky Coast Cardigan - knitted out of my own drop-spindle spun wool handspun, I will finish it with bands in commercial yarn.

Stash blanket - more on this one when I complete it, as it has many travelling memories attached.

I still have a little obligation knitting to do, but tomorrow - Christmas Day - will treat myself by winding and casting on a pair of socks from my precious Mountain Colours sock yarn, in the colourway Northern Lights.

The mojo appears to be back...

Clearing, finishing and wearing.

Readers, I cleared out my knitting and crafting possessions last week, making piles for donation, selling and keeping and it seems to have worked, for I have finished a project - the Weavers Wool Shawl, out of my own alpaca handspun:

This isn't the greatest photo, but here it is:

This was only my second ever handspun project. I bought the alpaca pre-prepared a very long time ago and tried spinning it on my drop spindle last year, after doing a half day course in spindling.  I loved spinning the alpaca, but it has taken me a while to decide what to do with it. Now that I am on a strict use-it-or-lose-it policy with stash, it had to be something, and that something was the Weavers Wool Shawl.  I love it with that little extra that I love all my handspun projects.

In other finishing news, I completed Julia's Larissa cardigan, with mods due to a yarn shortage:

I made it sleeveless and did not ruffle the edging - making a plain wrap vest, but one that still suits the aesthetic of this ballet-inspired pattern.

The Rustling Leaves Beret I finished a while ago is getting tons of wear:

I wear it so much I really need to do a matching set of scarf, handwarmers and maybe even socks!  Too matchy-matchy? Well, it will probably look better than matching it with a pink scarf which is what I did in the photo (although I was out on a hike).

The clearing bug has also hit my wardrobe now, as the season turns, and I filled 3 large carrier bags yesterday. Now I can actually see my handknits, I am wearing/using 3 today: Frost Flowers (as a layer under a cardigan):

With the beret, and a handknitted satchel style handbag.

Masham Sheep Fair

So I attended the wonderful Masham Sheep Fair today in the Dales:

After coffee and cake, a walk around admiring the rare breeds, and a look at the shearing demonstration I treated myself to a lightweight Ashford spindle, some roving, and a cushion pattern:

I am in a bit of a knitting funk though, and have been struggling a bit to find a project I love at the moment. Everything is just a bit - bleh.  So I have been knitting then ripping and have very little to show for my efforts recently - I think I have (gasp) too much stuff and need a clear out and a plan! Today's the day, perhaps...