Someone in my house has a big birthday this year, so I thought a pair of socks might be in order (despite the large feet).
I am using a Waikiwi Print in shade 459 (it’s the brown mix). I bought three balls (because of the big feet).
I have done a twisted rib and then it’s going to be a plain vanilla sock.
Filed under Knitting, Sock Knitting
I do love a knitting history/essay book and was very keen to get this one. After much stuffing around by amazon, I bought it from the book depository.
Over the course of a year, Esther Rutter – who grew up on a sheep farm in Suffolk, and learned to spin, weave and knit as a child – travels the length of the British Isles, to tell the story of wool’s long history here. She unearths fascinating histories of communities whose lives were shaped by wool, from the mill workers of the Border countries, to the English market towns built on profits of the wool trade, and the Highland communities cleared for sheep farming; and finds tradition and innovation intermingling in today’s knitwear industries. Along the way, she explores wool’s rich culture by knitting and crafting culturally significant garments from our history – among them gloves, a scarf, a baby blanket, socks and a fisherman’s jumper – reminding us of the value of craft and our intimate relationship with wool. This Golden Fleece is at once a meditation on the craft and history of knitting, and a fascinating exploration of wool’s influence on our landscape, history and culture.
This was a fabulous book – I enjoyed the combination of knitting (she knit a bikini!, history and travel). It is a bit like ‘Julie and Julia’ we follow Esther’s journey we she learns about knitting in various places and attempts to knit the ‘signature’ garment of that place.
Fruity knitting have an interview with Esther and here is a review at The Guardian. And her is a blog review.
Filed under Book Review
I have started knitting the Heartgyle socks from Boost Your Knitting – the intarsia heart is going well, but the getting it to work in the round is not going so well (see below)
You can see where I have been doing the yarn overs and the turn. The instructions do say
You will see that the turn between right side and wrong side creates a small ridge in the work but it is not hugely obvious.
And they have an image and it’s true on their sock it isn’t very obvious. I can see that my later turns are better – more discreet if you like, but now I need to decide if I rip it back and start again. I am leaning towards ripping back.
There are some great tutorials on how to do this on You Tube – here.
I think the method is good it’s just my execution.
Filed under Colour Work, Sock Knitting
I have almost finished this year’s Christmas socks – I wanted to get going early to ensure they were finished in time.
The yarn is ‘Tinsel’ from Little Yellow Cat (on Etsy). It is a merino, bamboo and silk mix and feels fabulous. Strangely, when I made the skein into a ball it was in two pieces. One about 40g and the other about 60g, so the small one was not quite enough for one sock.
I have pretty much made up my own pattern, but I am using the SKYP stitch pattern from the SKYP socks.
Filed under Knitting, Sock Knitting
I oiled my machine (a Janome 500e). I had been putting it off because it seemed a complicated business, but in the end it was fine. Just read the instructions and do one step at a time. And I am sure next time it will be even easier.
I was keen to use it after that. I have been wanting to make embroidered fabric – that I could then use on another project, so I decided now was the time. I used one motif from Graceful Embroidery (Dainty Vines collection) and I copied it and rotated it until I was happy with the layout (I used Embird).
I am going to make a zipper pouch out of it – need to make fabric for the second side.
Filed under Digitizing, Embroidery, Machine Embroidery
I finished my hap! This felt like quite a marathon at the end.
Blocking made a difference all of the pointy lace bits look pointy.
I learnt a few things while doing this
Filed under Knitting
I finished another project bag – this one took a long time. I did the embroidery way back in May.
It is a bit bigger than my previous project bags – should comfortably fit a jumper under construction.
I have embroidery on both sides and I have quilted the bag.
Filed under Knitting, Machine Embroidery, Quilting
I finished! This project languished because I struggled to see the stitchers clearly. I got new glasses and while that helped it didn’t solve the problem. However, I bought this magnifier and it has made a huge difference.
The pattern is My Lady’s Quaker from Jardin Prive. I did it on a 32 count Belfast linen (from Zweigart). The black is standard DMC 310 and the red is a variegated DMC 115.
I started it in February 2018, so 18 months to finish it (although it’s about the process).
Filed under Cross Stitch, Cross Stitch
I finished one sock for June and one sock for July. I went away for a week (to here) and I wanted to see if I could complete a pair of socks, so I started the July pair (I had already finished the June sock). Clearly, I can’t get a pair of socks finished in a week.
The yarn for the June sock (right sock) is King Cole Zig Zag and the lace pattern is from the Knitting Vintage Socks book. It is the lace pattern from the Evening Stockings for a Young Lady Pattern. I just used the lace pattern and did the sock in my usual way.
The yarn for the July sock (left sock) is Old Roses by The Yarnkeeper and it is a plain vanilla sock (with such beautiful yarn why spoil it with a pattern?)
I have started the second sock of both and will probably focus on finishing the July sock first.
Filed under Knitting, miscellaneous, Sock Knitting
The Cat Haven (where we got our cat) has requested knitted blankets for the cats, so I thought ‘that’s something I can do’ and ‘it won’t take long’. I popped off to Spotlight and bought three 50g balls of Cleakheaton Country 8ply. Knitted one ball and realised I had totally under-estimated the amount of yarn and time needed to knit this blanket. I am currently about halfway through and I have used 4.5 balls.
It is a very easy knit and I have been watching Call the Midwife season 8 while working on it. This does mean my socks have taken a back seat (and the Hansel Wrap).
Filed under Knitting
