It is getting bigger
So I was knitting away and it was all going swimmingly (I was also watching this) and I had that moment when I thought ‘how would I feel if I had to unravel all of this?’. Would there be tears? Well there probably wouldn’t be tears, but there would be grumpiness. So I decided to put in a life-line…
Filed under Knitting
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
and
Crag
I couldn’t really help myself …but they are beautiful.
Filed under Knitting, Sock Knitting, Yarn Stash
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.
Filed under Knitting, Yarn Stash
Embroidery for Journal Cover
I finished the embroidery for my journal cover – now I need to make it into the cover. This will, of course, involve a trip to the fabric store. I had a quick look in my stash, but nothing suited.
This was a relaxing piece to work – it is all one stitch (an elongated cushion stitch). Definitely fullfilled my need for something meditative to do while watching television – the congress cloth might be the finest form of canvas I can do. I noticed I struggled to see it ocassionally and even felt a bit cross-eyed at times.
Next up is this
Resting Birds Cushion – from Fine Cell Works
I bought it from Mosman Needlecraft, while in Sydney. The shop assistant was very helpful and I am hoping for another relaxing T.V watching project.
Filed under Canvas Work
Finished Gibson Mitts
I finished! As I mentioned before, I lost four rounds in the arm section of the right one, so the cable patterns don’t exactly match, but overall I’m pretty happy with them. Just a quick reminder – the pattern is Gibson Mitts by Kate Atherley, yarn is Malabrigo Sock Yarn in Dewberry – from the Wool Shack.
Now for my next challenge I thought I would knit Kate Davies Braid Hills. In an effort to use my stash I’m going to use this yarn – in the tease colour-way.
Sublime Cashmere Merino Silk DK – Tease
I have never knit a grown-up sized cardigan, but I have quite a few movies and TV series to watch (like this one), so I think I will manage.
Filed under Knitting
Working on the thumb on the second one – the end is in sight!
I finished the first mitt quite successfully. And then, I think I must have been a bit too confident because the second one has not gone smoothly. At all. I almost got to the point where you put the thumb stitches on waste yarn and it all went pear-shaped – unravel, start again. The second time around I started on the thumb gusset only to release I was four rounds short – needless to say I’m pretty sure my cables aren’t going to match.
Now I have to decide if it’s worth having another go (a whole new pair) or just cut my losses and move on. My plan is to wait and see if I wear them and if I do wear them, to make another pair.
I really want to knit something bigger – something like this
What Eilis is wearing – the one on the right
I have been making the effort to do a little bit each day – currently I am at 30 mins, but hoping to increase that (maybe more than one session?)
Craft for the Soul – Pip Lincolne
I went to a creativity workshop (run by Pip Lincolne) at the Perth Writers Festival.
I sat beside a lady wearing a spectacular green cardigan – did she make it herself? I should have asked.
There was another lady who brought along her crochet work in progress – not granny squares more like granny hexagons (it was that kind of morning).
We spent time discussing how to live a better, more creative life. There were questions to be answered – what are our strengths, skills, achievements, hurdles … we all found this difficult. As women (and Australians) we are not encourage to boast or even celebrate our successes. How often were we told ‘not to put tickets on ourselves’?
What did I take away from the day (apart from a purple pom pom and a half made pony)? You just have to get on with it – the stars are never going to align, the timing is never going to be perfect. So start now – just a little bit everyday, declare your creativity (whether loudly or quietly – this goes back to the tickets on your self thing – would I be getting ideas above my station if I called myself creative?) and reassess (check in with yourself) often. Are you happy with how things are? Yearning for a different life? To be in a different place? Then do something about it.
The other thing I noticed (about myself, but it might be helpful to others) was how I filled my time with busy work. For a few reasons – to legitimise my existence (look at me I’m hard working, I volunteer, I do maths tutoring, I keep my house clean …) and because I am afraid to put myself out there to be ridiculed and/or to fail.
But if not today, then when? Small steps …
Filed under miscellaneous
Progress
I have been working on my Gibson Mitts (by Kate Atherley). I got a little a bit confused with the instructions and made the arm/wrist part too long. I thought it said do 6 repeats of the cable chart, but it meant 6 repeats in each round and I only needed to do 3 whole repeats – oops!
I’m enjoying knitting this although I suspect it is going to have the same issue as socks – that is you need to knit a second one (and I need to make the same mistake with the second one!).
The yarn is Malabrigo Sock yarn in dewberry – it is a fabulous deep purple colour.
Filed under Knitting
Finished Hat
I finished the hat while we were on holiday in Albany …
Middleton Beach
We even made it to the top of here
Bluff Knoll
Sign at the Summit
It came together well and Miss A loves it (I don’t think she has taken it off!).
I really like the construction method – the way the decreases happen between the cables and that even the cables get smaller near the crown.
The yarn drove me a bit batty – the ball kept collapsing… Miss P has put in an order, but I have a few other things on the go – this and this
Filed under Knitting
Current work in progress
As Miss A won’t wear socks, I needed to knit her something different – she chose a hat. Together we searched Ravelry and found this hat (Azurite). She picked the yarn –Filatura Di Crosa Baby Zarina Print.
I haven’t knitted a hat before, but so far so good.
The instructions call for a LT (Left Twist) which involves dropping a stitch (carefully), moving the stitch behind it to the right needle, picking the stitch up again and the moving the stitch back – really just changing the stitch order of the first two stitches on the left needle. I was not prepared to drop a stitch – no matter how carefully – so I have been using a cable needle. A bit wussy I know, but I couldn’t deal with the drama of a laddering dropped stitch.
I’m finding knitting this to be quite compelling – it is a 9 stitch pattern that I can remember quite easily, so I can knit this while watching various British period dramas – like this one or this one.
Filed under Knitting, Television
