look out 2011, I'm coming for you

This year I had some big plans, some have come through, some have fallen a bit by the wayside and some I don't even remember thinking about until I find a reference to them and sit and think back HARD about it. Mostly I'm talking about knitting goals here, 2011 is the year that shit got real in terms of knitting for me, speed picked up, confidence picked up and then skills picked up from a combination of the first two!

What I planned - 11 hats in 2011. I've done 8 so far

What I planned - 11 sweaters/cardigans/pullovers in 2011. So far I've knit ONE. Just one. and it's August, AND we're heading into summer. I don't even care. I WILL DO THIS. Let's ignore the Giftmas knitting I have to do, the baby knitting, and the 3 week holiday in the land of too hot to knit.

What I planned - 11 shawls in 2011. I DID 12!! exceeding expectations woooo!

to get started on the rest....

I cast on the Rosamund's Cardigan and I LOVE IT, it had a bit of a false start, the Rowan Cocoon (12ply/bulky) that I purchased specifically for it was a big giant fail for the pattern, I could not get a gauge even close to what the pattern wanted without making a completely icky dense fabric, no thank you!

I think the Cocoon will now live life as either Owls or Stockport. But I'll decide when it's time.

The other cardigans I plan to knit this year are Bianca's Jacket, Featherweight, some kind of wide striped open cardy with some coral and grey Amy Butler for Rowan yarn (I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS STUFF) and something with a hood, and then about eleventy billion baby jumpers/tops/vests.

I think it's doable, IT IS I TELL YOU!

Cobble Complete!

I'm really sad this project is finished for a few reasons

- it's got to be my last TRIANGULAR shawl for 2011 (I've knit 12 shawls in 2011, of which EIGHT are triangular and an additional one is close enough to triangular and the other three are semi circle or rounded)

- the yarn was SO delicious to knit with I was actually upset on the last 20 or so rows that it was all ending too soon

- it means I'm officially out of the super fun Kitman KAL that some lovely Melbourne ladies organised, it was great having our small group get togethers - and I'm out before I could host :( I was planning to make a slow cooked roast and veggies and a surprise somethig special for our veggie friend, but oh well, next time!

never mind though, it's still always lovely to have a new FO and this is no exception

from this unblocked oddly shaped creation...

 

blocking, made it all triangular, SKILLS!

and a little closeup on the cable action

however on the happier side of things, now that I have reached a this crazy number of shawls completed this year I can happily move back to more of the other goals I had in mind for 2011, but more on that in the next post.

nearly there...

my second shawl in the Kitman KAL is coming to an end, rows are super speedy now, about 8 - 12 mins each (the cable rows are the 12 mins, the 8 min rows are the purely k/p rows)

sure, turn yourself around and be all stupid photo, that's totally fine
WIP, almost there! midnight last night

I love the way the colours are coming together, to join the second ball (which started out at the same dark place the first started at way back on the cast on edge (and then was never seen again in the skein) I did 2 x 2 row stripes for about 16 rows, I can't tell (except in one patch) where that is, so I'm calling it a successful blending!

a couple of closeups so far 

I don't really know what's going on and why it looks so green?
but you can see the cabley bits

I really love the centre spine, I think she incorporated the pattern decreases really well with this one

I sort of don't want to block this one, it's SO DAMN SQUISHY right now and I know I'll lose a fair bit of that in the blocking, but it needs the blocking to make the cables pop, grrr I want everything to be my way!

anyway, as soon as this is off the needles it's time for the Beekeeper to begin!!

Thank you all SO MUCH for the offers of 4 ply/sock yarn/fingering weight bits and pieces, you're all so generous I can barely believe it! THANK YOU! xo

the starting point of an epic project...

so last week I decided that what I really needed in my life was a super fiddly, multi-part year long project....

*cue tumbleweeds*

no, i didn't!

what I did do is see The Beekeepers Quilt pattern on Rav (by Tiny Owl Knits, I dare you to check her page and NOT queue at least one thing) and fall instantly, and madly in love

it's puffy, it's got no seaming, it's hexapuffs! It's going to be amazing.

It's knit out of a bajillion puffy (stuffed) hexagons in 4ply.

so dear readers, here's the part where I get on my knees and beg. I need small amounts of sock yarn, I'm looking to do mine is soft colours (so no brights, neons, primary colours) and am willing to trade you baked goods, money or services!

I think I'm going to get a few colours of full skeins to 'anchor' the blanket and then intersperse those with pops of other colours (plus that way I figure the puffy quilt of win will always match my decor) and hope it all melds together.

so if you (or anyone you know) has a pile of unwanted sock yarn bits and pieces, help! I'll give them a good home and you'll have a spot under the quilt any time you want!

thank you xox

Frangipani

another blog post, another shawl

addiction is just a word for something you do all the time and love right? right?

This one is another by the awesome Kitman, Frangipani over on Rav and I really think hers might be my favourite shawl patterns (and surprise, I already have another on the needles)

blocking, very unhappy with the super tight cast on

so floaty! all finished (hi stove!)

I had some difficulty with this one, the edge is meant to be a big lovely scallop-ish edge, but despite casting on with 5.5mm needles, the Kidsilk Haze + pattern combo has given me a WAY too tight cast on edge that wouldn't block out as required. This project was always sort of a fight of yarn vs needles vs pattern so I guess I should be happy that this is the only fallout! I also should note I did the medium but stopped at the small size lace ending position, this let me end at a full pattern repeat and it makes me happy.

I do like it as is, but I'm sad that it's not perfect. Does anyone know if I could cut off the cast on edge and then do a sewn cast off from the live stiches? Would that work?

Anyhow, it's done! And I've cast on Cobble and am up to row 4. I'm using Skeins Top Drawer Sock and LOVING it with the pattern, so hey, win some, lose some, I still get a shawl either way!

happy knitting x

it's a sickness...

can someone please remind that I don't personally need to knit all the shawls ever?
I seem to have forgotten this.

that's all.