Category Archives: Yarn Stash

August 7, 2018 · 8:44 am

Braid Hill’s Cardigan

Braid Hills Progress

This is the progress on my Braid Hills cardigan by Kate Davies. I am using Buachaille (I bought it as a kit) – in the Macallum shade. It is beautiful – the colour, but it also feels lovely.

I bought the kit two years ago (and have stashed it under the bed), so I can’t remember what size I was planning on making. I have 9 skeins, so I could knit size 1, 2, 3 or 4 and I have decided on 3, which officially only requires 8 skeins, so I have a bit of wriggle room.

The pattern is super-easy to follow – I am in the middle of the waist shaping at the moment – the sleeve caps might be tricky, but I am up for a challenge.

 

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July 24, 2018 · 4:23 pm

Nighthawk Socks 2

Nighthawk socks finished

I finished my socks – these have the best gusset and toes of any I have made.

I used the suggestions (for both toes and gusset) in Custom Socks.

I think for my next pair of socks I will try something toe up, but before that I am going to knit the Braid Hills Cardigan – I bought this as a kit two years ago and now I am going to finish it. I have swatched and I seemed to have achieved gauge (I know swatches can lie, so we will see what happens – it is all about the process).

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July 2, 2018 · 2:31 pm

Stash Overload

Sample of the Stash

There are many talented independent yarn dyers (like Saltwater Yarns, Dingo Dye Works and Fiber Lily – just to list the Australian ones I know) and I am a sucker for a pretty sock yarn. Consequently my stash is large – 23 skeins. I know we all have different levels of tolerance for the size of our stashes, but I am starting to feel over-whelmed. I realise that socks are my first love – and I am going to spend July concentrating on knitting socks from my stash (this might mean avoiding the fabulous Calico and Ivy – they have a magnificent yarn collection and I never leave empty-handed.

I also like to buy souvenir sock yarn (three of the above skeins I bought on holiday) and I am not going to stop doing that, so I do need to stop buying pretty the rest of the time.

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October 5, 2017 · 5:57 pm

Sock Yarn Blanket

Blanket Progress

This is a fabulous project for when you want to knit, but don’t want to knit anything that requires too much focus – watching TV, etc. All I have to remember is to K2Tog either side of the marker on the right side rows. And I get to use all of the fabulous sock yarn I’ve bought over the years – it is my one weakness (as Dorcas Lane says in Larkrise to Candleford). I am just randomly selecting a ball and then knitting a square. Once I have made 13 squares (I have 13 balls), I will start again. My plan is to make a 16 by 16 blanket, so I have a long way to go.

I did just buy a set of Addi Sock Wonders, so I might have to make at least one more pair of socks – perhaps the Antirrhinum Socks from A Year of Techniques.

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January 4, 2017 · 1:25 pm

Blank Canvas

Swatch for my Blank Canvas

I have lost track of the number of times I have started to knit this yarn! It is Sublime Cashmere Merino Silk Dk in Tease. My latest effort is here – I just seem to lose concentration and it all goes pear-shaped.

I decided to knit something without a pattern/texture/stitch design to see if I could get the basic jumper shaping thing sorted.

I did what I am calling a cheat’s swatch in the round (instructions were here) – I managed to get gauge (both stitch and number of rounds – miraculous! I am sure my swatch is lying to me) with the second set of needles I tried, so now I just need to get on with it.

One further concern is the volume of yarn required – I stashed 1394m and the pattern tells me I need 870m, but I have lost a bit of yarn in all of my previous attempts.

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July 1, 2016 · 8:05 am

Easy Knitting Project?

Start of my 'Favourite Scarf Ever'

Start of my ‘Favourite Scarf Ever’

I wanted an easy project – something that was portable and that doesn’t require concentration. Favourite Scarf Ever from Lisa Bruce (sunshinewalks) seemed perfect.

Here’s the pattern page in ravelry

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/favorite-scarf-ever

It uses one ball of (extremely beautiful) misti alpaca sock yarn – perfect (I have quite a few of those on my stash). This one is colourway 46.

What you see above is my third attempt (maybe fourth – I am losing track). It is an easy project, but I get to the end of a row and realise I haven’t done the double decrease properly and my attempts to undo one row always end in disaster. Or I forget to P2Tog at the end and get half-way through the next row before I realise everything is slightly out of alignment. I need to learn how to fix mistakes – is there any course on that?

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March 17, 2016 · 2:58 pm

It’s a Marathon not a Sprint

Progress ...

Progress …

This is definitely a slow process… although that means I get to watch more War and Peace  and my guilty secret viewing Nashville (this is so trashy and melodramatic – love it).

I successfully completed the waist decreases and I am just onto the bust increases – I’m thinking of putting a life line in for when everything goes pear shaped.

There is a nice rhythm to this and (so far) the yarn has been angelic (except for the first ball which fell apart). I haven’t quite got to the point where I could do this out and about and keep track of the lace pattern.

The other day I succumbed to the lure of the yarn shop and bought two new sock yarns

Force

Force

and

Crag

Crag

I couldn’t really help myself …but they are beautiful.

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March 14, 2016 · 3:50 pm

Change of Plans

February Fitted Pullover

February Fitted Pullover

So I know in the last post I said I wanted to make this ( and I still do) I decided I should finish what was already on my needles. I am working on the February Fitted Pullover by Amy Herzog. I have made it to the waist shaping and so far so good.

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February 10, 2015 · 3:27 pm

Knitting Again!

Swatches and the start of new projects

Swatches and the start of new projects

I’ve been able to get some knitting done while watching television (this series).

I have swatched and started working on the February Fitted Pullover (again – you might remember I have tried this once before). The yarn is Sublime Cashmere Merino Silk DK in colour Tease.

I have also swatched and started knitting Hermione’s Everyday Socks. This is yarn I bought from the Melbourne Art Gallery markets (Hawthorn Cottage Yarns).

I suspect progress will be slow.

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December 18, 2014 · 2:14 pm

Visiting

Bits and Pieces

Bits and Pieces

I went away for the weekend to Melbourne –  very decadent. While there, I visited my favourite shop L’uccello. The fat quarters in the above pictures are from there – I had to include the bag in the photo because it is such fun.

The yarn is from Hawthorn Cottage Yarns – they had a stall at the markets at the art gallery.

I have quite a few ideas – now I just have to get on and make something.

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