Knitting Pretty

Stripe Study Shawl progress

2012-03-08T13:32:00.001+11:00

It grows! Most of you (all of you?) follow me on the twitters so you will have seen progress shots already, but it is growing, I now have 6 CC stripes! WOOO! Numerically that is halfway through the stripes, in reality it is about 15% of the knitting, DAMN YOU STITCH MATH, so depressing.

frogged, switched up the CC and MC
now it looks like this, better no?

GROWING!

right now!

but I really enjoy this knit, so simple but keeps you interested because of watching the stitch counts etc and all the w&t bits.

I got stripes!

2012-03-02T13:05:00.001+11:00

sorry Johnny Cash, I'm pretty sure you never meant for those lyrics to be used for a knitting project ;)

so last year I got a little tiny bit carried away with the shawl knitting (*cough* 14 *cough*) and so I thought this year I'd go easy, maybe knit one or two over the year so I didn't feel deprived.

I knit my first shawl in January in 5 days. Um, whoops?

It's Fay, you can't find the pattern because it was a freebie with a much delayed knit-a-long and so the designer hasn't published it.

I really love it and I think it shows the Araucania sugar cane yarn off beautifully, I had been holding onto these 2 skeins for a LONG time, mainly because every project I started with them just felt wrong, I don't know why. But when this pattern appeared in my inbox I just knew it would be an excellent match. I've still got about .6 of a skein leftover, some will be puffs, and some might be something else. But I would encourage anyone to try knitting something up with sugarcane yarn, it doesn't cut up my fingers like other plant based yarns and it blocked out beautifully!

the next shawl is serious stripes, the Stripe Study Shawl

I started it last night, but after a bit of a twitter meeting I will frog and switch up the MC and CC,

It will look like this when it is finished

mine currently looks like this

but I really think the colours would really work better if I switch their placement. So to the pond it goes, and I will begin again!

sometimes projects get away from me...

2012-02-29T10:02:00.000+11:00

...like when I woke up this morning and realised I somehow have not 1, not 2, but 3 blanket WIPs and no end in sight.

how did this happen? I'm not a person who likes having piles of half-done things lying around, and yet, that's where I am.

The Beekeepers Quilt, I don't have a current photo, but I have approx 160 puffs now!

the Fattie Flattie version of the beekeepers quilt (in DB Cashmerino Aran)
I'm still not sure about the stripes?

the love of my life, a Valentine inspired blanket
so squishy, so fun, and 40% done! I hope to have it finished by the end of March

testing testing

2012-02-27T11:47:00.000+11:00

new year, new look, inspired by a lot of 'cleaner' looking blog layouts that I've been loving lately.

hope it doesn't look bizarro on your screen!!

YAY KNITTING!

p.s. I wonder, are you reading Worsted For Wear? It's HILARIOUS! I demand you read it now *waits* there are so many reasons to love it, she's on Rav, she makes strips about her knitting group, about spinning, about being a knitter, about explaining knitting to muggles! I only stumbled across the brilliance yesterday and now I want everyone to know about it!

i seriously wish this didn't happen to me *quite* so often

and so it's almost March...

2012-02-27T10:20:00.001+11:00

.. and I am just now realising that I haven't done a blog post since October last year. 5 months? Really?

Well A LOT has happened to me in that time, I had an overseas holiday to Thailand with the BFF, I went home to Perth, one of my closest friends got engaged, I knitted some things, lots of lovely friends have had some of the most adorable babies I've ever seen, one of those babies is my newest godbaby, I quit my job, I knitted stuff, I found a new job, I was unemployed for 3 months (3 MONTHS PEOPLE!), I knit quite a lot, I watched more tv on dvd than is humanly possible in that time, I knit some more, I spun some stuff on a spindle, I gave up spinning, then I started my new job. I've been here about 4 weeks now (plus a few weeks answering the phone from home) and it seems that I've lost my knitting mojo, things are moving really slowly (or maybe that's just an unfair comparison as I was powering through projects while unemployed). Anyway, regardless of the slow down, Finished Objects do keep appearing in my Projects on Rav :D

Since October I have knit up:

4 hats

3 baby/toddler jumpers

3 cowls

1 washcloth

1 shawl

1 pair of mittens

2 scarves

1 short sleeved sweater

1 colourwork patch

more than 90 hexipuffs

18 aran weight hexipuffs

40% of a colourwork lap blanket

So YAY!

I won't attempt to backtrack and show you everything, but the photo at the top of the post is my favourite shot from the FO 'photoshoot' that Sonia's lovely husband Damian did for me at their house earlier this year! Thanks Damo! My faux-Nonna said to tell you that they are the best photos anyone has ever taken of me, so there you go! And it's a scarfd that I knit up from Sonia's amazing handspun *squish*

stuff I've finished in the month (MONTH!) since my last FO post

2011-10-05T13:41:00.002+11:00

so it's been a bit of a busy time around these here parts, visits from out of towners, sickness, planning for my upcoming trip home/to Thailand, 1st birthday's and other things!

My favourite thing that I have finished in the last month or so (apart from individual hexipuffs of joy!) has to be the Orchids and Fairy Lights hat by Tiny Owl Knits (also the designer of the beekeepers quilt, coiincidence? I think not!)

how adorable is this hat?
I made mine non-slouch so removed one complete repeat of pattern
yarn: Cascade 220 in mustard

flat out awesome
it turns out that I LOVE NUPPS, especially in chunky monkey yarns!

annnnddddd the long awaited END OF THE CLAPOTIS!!! CELEBRATION!

there was much confetti throwing (imagined) cheering (real) and high fiving of self (sadly, also real) when this one came off the needles at Jules' house last week at our end of Kitman KAL dinner, and then Jane helped me dropped down the last million stitches and it was finished finished!! So thanks ladies :D

if I look pretty pleased with myself in this photo, it's because I AM!
also, rock on Harry Potter tshirt!

I had decided to finish this one off early (instead of 4 skeins of the Yummy I only ended up using about 2.2 skeins) because

a) I was bored of knitting the stupid thing

b) It was NEVER GOING TO BE FINISHED anyway

c) I'd decided I now hated the colourway and would just give it away so it didn't have to be made to my ridiculous version of 'perfect length'

d) it was time to get a wriggle on to other projects

blocking Clapotis
it goes up and over and down to the floor again around my double bed 'blocking' mattress

but as it turns out, I know nothing about myself or knitting. It blocked out to be the perfect length (super long), it turned out to be wide enough to work as a wrap yet light enough to be the perfect scarf, and the colourway and pooling, I LOVE THEM. So, I'm sorry intended recipient, but I'm knitting you something else that is WAY less labour intensive and probably a bit more your style. (see also; Katie is LAZY)

and last but not least, knitting stuff for people who aren't even born yet! But, since I know their parents I am totally sure they are knit-worthy and guaranteed to be super cute with tiny feets and squishy bellies for tickling!

Saartje's for the Rush'n (A + L's bubby)
the child of a tiny girl and giant basketball player
i made these bigger than normal because, well, bubs might be huge
Sorry Aimes!

terrible photo of Lovebug boot for Fruiby (E + S's bubby)
I swear there are two, I just am terrible at photographing them together
also the stripes are blue and green but YOU CANT TELL
I should not be allowed to use cameras

so that's it!

The Beekeepers Quilt update

2011-10-05T10:37:00.000+11:00

a quick update on my growing quilt...

a sea of puffs!

First of all, people are so darn generous! Every person that I know who has done or is doing some kind of sock yarn blanket has experienced it and now I have the priviledge of experiencing it too, you lovely knitters are handing me your yarn leftovers without asking for anything in return and it is AMAZING!!

My quilt is going to be so full of love, and friendship and little hexagons of wonderful people, I CANNOT WAIT to snuggle under it and feel all cozy and wrapped up in all that loveliness!

At last count I had 59 puffs, there's a bit less than that in this photo, but you get the general idea


puffy goodness!

I think, if I remember correctly, that I will need either 860 or 998 to make a quilt that covers the top of my bed (with no drop on any side) the 860 is if I don't have it cover the pillows at the head. This means I'm officially AT LEAST 5% complete (what a milestone moving the ticker on Ravelry was!) and at this rate I might have it ready for winter 2013. Not overly ambitious, but not slacking either!

Tell me, are any of you going the puff gang? I've enjoyed sending off the adorable mini-skeins for puffing to some gals and guys in the US and China and even here in Oz, so if you are puffing, let me know and maybe we can swap some minis? I am keeping to a certain palette so I'm looking to destash my non-matching yarns :D

Happy Puffing!!

Damn Enablers!

2011-09-05T11:35:00.001+10:00

... so I spindle now

is that even the right term?

from rolags to spuer twisted yarn
isn't it pretty? DAMN YOU MELANIE AND SHARON!

it's like real yarn
MAGIC

thus proving, once again, that under peer pressure, I have no will of my own.

look out 2011, I'm coming for you

2011-08-25T16:30:00.000+10:00

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!

2011-08-25T14:57:00.000+10:00

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...

2011-08-15T17:43:00.001+10:00

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...

2011-08-08T17:40:00.001+10:00

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

2011-08-03T15:41:00.001+10:00

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...

2011-08-01T11:32:00.002+10:00

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.

someone needs to remind me to blog.

2011-07-26T15:07:00.000+10:00

so despite earlier claims here that i would knit myself a Noro Stripey Scarf next year, I broke (again) the golden rule of no doubling up on patterns and knit one for myself. I blame the Gaptastic Cowl, it just wasn't right for the Noro Kureyon and so in the middle of a performance by the incomparable Ali McGregor at the Recital Centre, I cracked the shits and frogged the cowl and began the striping. Immediately the yarn was like OH THANK YOU! so I guess that's a sign.

It is so smooshy and yummy and warm (and sheddy, but we don't talk about that) and delicious that I can't believe I was going to wait a year to make one. I haven't washed/blocked it yet because a) it doesn't really seem to need it and b) i have the lazy, and it's too cold to easily dry something that fat and squishy.

so here it is, from this disaster:


moss stitch, not always a good decision very, very sad and ugly project

grew up to become this! delicious (if slightly washed out photo would do it justice)

other than this scarf I've been working on that super secret project *waves at recipient* but that's nearly finished so i've also got a couple of other things on the go (what happened to me being a monogamous knitter?)

and also, another scarf is on the go, FINALLY knitting myself a Clapotis. but um, that's going to be a LOOOOOONNNGGGG term project as am using 400gms of Fibra Natura Yummy in Grilled Chillies

probably a good time to mention that I'm pretty much in love with the Instagram iPhone app and most of my WIP photos from here on out will be on that. Because, fun! Filters!

This is from last night at knitnight, after getting home I kept knitting until I could drop a stitch THAT IS FUN, I might like this project a bit more now, it was getting a little bit boring for a bit there.

so if the Clapotis is my easy peasy on the train/bus/walking/talking knitting, then the Kitman KAL shawl I picked out, Frangipani (KAL is on the SnB Melbourne forum) is my DO NOT TALK TO ME WHILE I AM DOING THIS CRAZINESS IN KIDSILK HAZE. But my gosh it is so pretty and light and halo-ed and delicious. It looked like this (about 4 days ago)

I've done an additional 11 rows since this photo.

when you do it in the right yarn and correct gauge it looks more like this

but i thought this time I might try again with lace knitting that is actually lacy.

I also just had my Skein skeins arrive in the mail yesterday (HOOORAYYYY!) and they are so pretty and lovely, destined to be another Kitman shawl, the Cobble.

so that's it for me right now. Happy knitting xo

my last post was only 16 days ago...

2011-07-06T15:49:00.000+10:00

... and since then I've knit or finished knitting three hats and one shawl, and have designed (kinda), knit and dyed another shawl. I think I suddenly know why my back/shoulders/wrists/fingers have been aching!

and so, without further ado:


from this icky brown

to this deep teal (if not quite perfectly dyed, it's still better! IMHO)


Official Kittyville Hat, in two colours of Panda Woolbale 8ply as requested, a kitty hat, for a delightful friend in the US of A I believe these are her alma mata's team colours


Autumn in Garrison, knit for Elise (in random acrylic, IT NEVER ENDS) (this is by the girl who designed my much loved Springtime Bandit)


Pleasance, the latest pattern from Victorian Writers Club In Serenity Lace (Merino, Cashmere, Silk)

Star Crossed Slouchy Beret in Rowan Cocoon...
hi, i'm Katie, I love knitted hats and taking photos of myself
with no makeup on while in my pajamas in my poorly lit bathroom.

I expect there to be a massive dropoff in FOs as for one thing, I'm going to be knitting on a secret project for a few weeks and also I've just GOT ME AN IPHONE! so you know, I'll be obsessed with that for at least a few weeks, i mean hello, RAVELY WHILE I WALK AROUND? that is so awesome, why actually knit when you can look at other people's projects instead? LOVE.

Lately I've really been missing my Richmond SnB girls a lot and so I've really been trying to make an effort to get over to Kojo's fo r SnB and it's so lovely. I just love them to bits and the laughs and eats and company are just too good. love them! Plus, need to get in as much Nicola time as I can before she toddles back to England!

So happy knitting all xo

Scott's Stripey Scarf

2011-06-23T17:25:00.001+10:00

based loosely on the ever popular Noro Striped Scarf (rav'd by Jared Flood)

Scott picked the colours, he even paid for the Noro (and bought me some 'thanks for knitting for me', Silkroad Tweed - my fave!) and I covered the Araucania because i wanted to stripe with a solid (which turned out to be WAY semi-solid).

this scarf is 48 stitches wide, it's a 2x2 rib because well, it's sock yarn and it didn't need to be 1x1 to lie flat.

when i blocked, post luke warm bath in frizz free conditioned (heheh), i pulled it out slightly to give it a bit of extra width and relax the very squishy rib a bit.

blocking, in 4 parts

post blocking it has relaxed back into a fairly uniform fabric and looks nicer than it did pre-blocking.

I really like how this turned out, and after 2011 when I'm allowed to repeat patterns I'll knit up a stripey noro scarf for me!

for whatever reason this photo refuses to turn. Blogger, i hate you

Creamy Baby Blanket

2011-06-21T14:53:00.000+10:00

When I first moved to Melbourne way (ha!) back in 2008, I picked up knitting again. I hadn't done much other than the occasional baby blanket or garter stitch square blankets for charity and so increasing and decreasing were a bit scary looking and what the heck did yo and psso mean? But I thought, hey, new city, bloody freezing cold hands and feet and a bit of time up my sleeve, I should pick it up again! Needless to say I've come a bit of a distance since then (although I've still got miles to go! there's so much to learn!) and am loving knitting garments and more complicated stitch patterns and what have you.

But, as a bit of a leftover from that period I have been storing a bag of various sized knitted white and cream squares. They have mocked me with their unfinishedness. This past weekend they came together, they are the beginnings of a baby blanket for the not-yet-born younger sibling of my darling goddaughter. This second baby is a much wished for and somewhat delayed baby, a few things have happened along the way to get to this full term pregnancy and so I wanted to make something a bit more substantial and put all my hopes into piecing this together.

this is what it looks like right now

blanket for baby Hyland

by the end of next week I would like it to have been quilted into it's finished form, I'll be shopping for some cream woodland animal themed flannelette for the back and some appropriately matchymatchy ribbon binding for the edge. This blanket will be big enough to be a playmat, and small enough to be tucked into a full sized cot as a quilt. I already have the wadding for the middle section and I'm hoping it'll all work out.

How much do I wish my sewing machine was in Melbourne and not Perth, because hoooboy that is a lot of handsewing coming my way. Wish me luck!

Knit Camp 2011

2011-06-15T17:21:00.001+10:00

so it's taken me a little while to get on to writing about camp, mainly because i've been tired post-camp and also because i've been busy. not busy knitting really, just busy in general.

it actually feels a bit like i haven't been knitting at all as i'm going to have nothing to show for it as my current WIP is being given away, a well earned trade but still given away.

Knit Camp was the love child of quite a few people, mainly strong armed into existence by the lovely Jules and Amy, they got together a team of us, myself, Nandi, Kylie, and Jackie to work on putting this shindig together.

The Organisers!
L-R: Me, Jackie, Jules, Amy, Chelsea, Nandi (and Kylie is invisible!)
photo by Jules (well her camera!)

i was lucky enough to have a boss with a soft spot for knitters who was willing to donate/sponsor a few things, Kylie had the yarny-ins with the wonderful Ixchel and Skein, Jules and Amy organising machines and have years of experience with yarn in and around the industry as does Jackie who designed our amazing Knit Camp KAL pattern and Nandi was the keeper of the cash and general owner of much knowledge about things! That's boiling things down to the least effective description but hey, this is my blog, and i think we've covered before that i am lazy! so basically we all brought our special skills to the table and helped to bring the camp to life.

Heatpack Cover - made from Jackie's Knit Camp Armwarmers KAL chart

Amy's sister Chelsea, or as i now think of her 'she with the magic food making skills' was responsible for all the catering, and my god, she and her company did such a wonderful job for us. between the organised catering and the various bits and pieces all of us and the attendees came with, we had more than enough food to keep us full to the brim and overflowing with energy for all the knitting, chatting, shopping, walking, talking, learning, teaching and shivering that we did over the 3 days. Sadly (or happily) I was always too busy shovelling it into my face to remember to get photos of it at all, but trust me, it was all delicious.

Sue's amazing colourwork examples
Photo by Jules

We were lucky enough to have some wonderful attendees volunteer/offer/encouraged to give classes/tutorials on their special skill or area of expertise. This for me was definitely something that lifted knit camp to another level, it really was such a good way to see the amazing talent we have here in Australia, in our own little SnBs and hidden in people we knit with all the time. Sue's colourwork class (and the notes, oh the notes!) are something I'll keep forever. She answered so many of the little silly questions that i've always thought weren't worth asking and muddled through on my own, now i have such a handy reference to look at any time i feel a bit unsure about how to carry yarn for colourwork or where to put that slipped stitch to stop a colour jog etc. On the last afternoon Sue also gave a bit of a tutorial/talk on what to expect or prepare for when starting to write and publish patterns, so many great things to think about! Audrey also graced us with a lace class, including a lace cowl knit-a-long that seemed to be going great guns at camp and quite a few FO have popped up on Rav so it must have been a hit. We also had some great demonstrations and classes from our organisers and i did a bit of a show and tell class with shawls, so many wonderful shawls i'd never seen came out and people had such great questions, it was fun to be there and feel so many people sharing the love of shawls, my current obsession! i did a knitting trivia thing on the Saturday night but i don't know if that was such a success, but c'est la vie, just means i don't have to do it again next time!

just a few patterns for the shawl discussion, and a very small pile of shawls
i was nervous for a bit when i couldn't find them all, but there was a bit of dressing up happening!

duck pod, mum, dad and not-so-baby ducklings
when we first visited the venue they were brand new fluff balls so was great to see them all grown up

Our venue was the gorgeous, kitschy and amazing Tasma House in Daylesford. Complete with duck pond, tree covered archways, sweet little cabins and two kitchens, with a gorgeous meadow out the back, a barn with pot belly stove, multiple loungerooms and room to sleep approx 20 it was basically perfect. Our other venue was Halina House, offsite accomodation for our extra special campers, i didn't visit but i hear it was just as nice. the main house was also just a short walk from town, and the Mill Markets (junk, collectables, antiques, retro bits and pieces, books, second hand clothes, basically you name, it's there!), I wish i had visited the mill markets earlier in the weekend because by the time i got there i had well and truly overspent my 'buying useless stuff on holiday' budget!

home sweet home
the cabins at Tasma House

We were lucky enough to coincidentally schedule knit camp on the same weekend as the Daylesford Craft Weekend, total bonus! This sadly meant that i felt i had to spend some money in town, a real drag that was. Not. I got my grubby hands on some hand made bracelets, soap, hair clips, a project bag, YARN, a vintage looking 3 tier cake tin, and a bunch of other things that I love! The Makers Market was the standout for me, but i had a lot of fun with Kate waling around and checking out stores in town.

just a small sample of the skeins i made knittable at camp!

I spent a lot of time caking my skeins up, Kris ever so kindly let me use (and be completely uncoordinated with!) her swift and ball winder and i went to town with it! such fun! i really do need to get those two items, specially since i hand wind the most ridiculous looking balls of yarn. I had a bit of a knitting fail at camp, GAUGE LIES! started knitting a beautiful slouchy hat pattern in the recommended yarn weight, on the smaller of the recommended needles, got gauge, kept going, suddenly had the body of a not-so-small child's jumper! i could fint my entire head in it at the halfway point! it became a bit of a running joke that i was STILL not up to the decreases and it was HUGE. needless to say it is not a hat for me, but is now a super cute project bag, i've woven some ribbon through the increases where the ribbing meets the body and it's become useful. so i probably shouldn't call i a fail so much as an unexpected outcome!

The Skeleton Key Slouchie Tam/Bag
for size reference, that is 4/5ths of a skein of 100gm worsted weight yarn

Overall i have to say, i'd just have to say i had the best time, i met some people i'd only ever heard about or even only ever seen post on Ravelry and learnt a few things, ate till i couldn't eat no more, shopped and knitted my heart out. I loved it. Bring on Knit Camp 2012! thank you to everyone involved for making it a weekend i'll never forget.

the whole crew, such a wonderful bunch!
Photo by Jules

Block Party

2011-05-24T17:30:00.001+10:00

over the last weekend, i was struck with a sudden and strong case of finishitis, I pulled out a bunch of never quite finished projects and finished them off.

mainly this came down to a bit of weaving in of ends (a bit, um over 100 strands sigh), some button sewing on and lots and lots and lots of blocking! yay for blocking!

first up was the eyelet cowl

a thing that I have not exactly been in love with, knit from Noro silk garden chunky

uh, it turns out i just needed to block the darn thing! now it's drapey and open and it doesn't crush my wind pipe when I double wrap it. SUCCESS!

hanging out in the lemon tree

next up is the Peacock Waltz, gigantamo shawl I've been wearing this one since i finished part 1 of the finishing (attaching the lace) but hadn't actually sewn in over half the ends or blocked out the lace edging. it was definitely time.

before blocking out the edging

during blocking, ignore the terrible pinning at the top, that bit wasn't wet so it didn't matter!

also, the Summer Flies shawl had a reblock as I might have spilt tomato sauce and pie all down it while watching footy and it needed a bit wash. that would only happen BECAUSE i was wearing a white ruffled shawl *sigh*

blocking, can you see the butterflies?

all done!

and lasty with the older projects, the Baktus i did in silk garden lite (in November!) finally had a block, it did not straighten out the edges as I had hoped, but it did seriously increase the length!


does anyone know what the red berries/fruit are?

I also finished and blocked my first Ishbel shawl, and made a hat and am almost finished another hat. but that's for another post.

gifted

2011-05-17T15:43:00.000+10:00

so I made what was requested, I knit with horrible yarn (and some quite nice yarn), I striped, I snipped, I cabled and this is what I got

Bastardised Bella's Scarf

I wove in eleventy million ends (I carried nothing! FOOL!) and I washed, blocked (actually a lot straighter than the photo would have you believe), trimmed ends and folded this up for gifting.

What did I get? "Thanks, that should probably match my hat I have at home" *tries quickly on around neck and then shoves scarf in bag*

I just about died. I know it's not about that, I know I hated both this yarn and the project, but THAT IS NOT THE POINT! I just felt a bit like, if you didn't care about getting it, why have you bugged me for over a year to knit you the damn thing? At least pretend to greatful, gush about my neat stitches for longer than 2.5 seconds. I need the praise dammit! I am a needy knitter.

Meanwhile I knitted up this gorgeous hat in Jo Sharp SilkRoad DK, and Essie loved it so I sent it straight to her, it washed the bad gifting away and was lovely! People like her can have whatever they want!

Grace Lace Beret

and I have knitted it again, for me! That's how nice a pattern it was!

I think maybe that's the trick, I have no problem giving knitted things away, it seems I really only get my knickers in a twist when it's been requested and then not appreciated. So yeh, steal from me, just don't ask for it? Totally sensible.

2011 is the year of the stripe

2011-05-05T15:59:00.000+10:00

...or so it would seem by viewing my Rav notebook

so may stripey things have appeared without me even noticing, maybe it's got something to do with the 11 part of 2011 looking like stripes already? no? hmmmm

planning for Knit Camp 2011 is rolling along, it's all VERY exciting now with less than a month to go! Schedules are being decided and timing worked out, transport coordinated and food confirmed, I missed the last meeting but with so many great minds at work I hardly think i was missed :D i can't wait for some of the classes and the visits we'll be doing. knitting for 3 days straight in a beautiful house with lovely people sounds like the best way to shake off the mid year blues to me!

the scarf that will not end is growing, slooowwwwwly, I had hopes that it would be done tonight so I could gift it tomorrow on Nic's actual birthday but she will have to wait until Monday, somehow i think the Chandon and cute little compact mirror with vintage baby animals on it will tide her over until then

my plan is start and finish two more shawls before Knit Camp, i've bumped Narnia and Citron to the top of the list and can't wait to get started. i think Citron might be perfect for train knitting too, so bonus! wish me luck!

hope you're all enjoying this AMAZING cold weather we're having, snuggly into your handknits and enjoy the smells of woodsmoke and coffee floating on the freezing wind. I LOVE WINTER (and all of you)

kicked to the curb!

2011-05-02T16:52:00.000+10:00

so last night i well and truly cracked the shits with [parts of] my stash

i have been so good of late, trading a lovely project with an acrylic project, forcing myself to knit through the trash in my stash from back in my "but i thought only Spotlight and Lincraft sell wool" phase at the start of my knitting life reboot, and it's been a bit depressing. so last night after staring down the barrel of at least 4 more weeks knitting a blanket from Magnum 8ply acrylic in a particularly insipid purple colour, i cracked.

i pulled out all the yarn bins and systematically went through and ditched every bit of yarn that is either horridious (thank you Wild Child for reminding me I love that made up word) or 100% acrylic or just fugly.

i then unravelled the 1/4 knitted blanket and balled that "yarn" back up and added it to the pile. there might have been a tiny bit of triumphant yelling as the yarns were chucked into bags.

so now those two garbage bags are off to the co-op bins down the road and i feel SO MUCH BETTER!

now I only have yarn that i at least LIKE enough to want to knit, and that i think is fair. also, makes it much easier to 'shop the stash' when it's not filled with trashy crappy much hated yarn.

so maybe it's not the most frugal decision, but so what, i don't need to be sensible all the time right? right! and i really can't be arsed selling it all on ebay so it's done. it also inspired a mad clearout of other things that aren't useful, like books i won't read and pantry stuff that's out of date. my house is now only full of useful things!

now on my needles is my official last project knitted from 100% acrylic yarn, and it's because the recipient picked the yarn, so it can't be helped. i think wanting it off my needles will help with a speedy knit!

special delivery...

2011-04-29T18:32:00.000+10:00

...the next installment of Woolgirl's Victorian Writers Yarn Club has arrived! and I am IN LOVE

you just don't know how crappy a day has been until a box of yarn appears on your doorstep and makes everything eleventy billion times better. Plus, there was cake in there!

This month was Little Women and mainly Jo themed (the pattern and the yarn colour) but oh my, it's precious!

all the goodies

the yarn! oh such a PRETTY deep deep tealy turquoise

um I meant to take a photo before I ate it but something happened
it was DELISH - cake, marzipan, something else sweet and delicious and CHOCOLATE

stitchy marker

the pretty pretty drawstring notions pouch


yarn with beads! this is a terrible likeness for the yarn but pretty close for the beads

This club was the best decision I made this year. It's the nicest little surprise in the mail every two months, LOVE LOVE LOVE it!

unselfish knitting is a little bit shit...

2011-04-28T11:27:00.001+10:00

... so lately I've been on a bit of a selfish knitting spree, for years I knit for other people, for charity, for babies (oh, the babies!) and now I'm a bit like, no, my turn!

Yet after my housewarming a week or so ago was mostly over. there was a request to pull out the box o' knitted items and have a bit of show and tell. It basically turned into people picking their favourites and me clearing out some older and not-so-loved-by-me stuff! win-win I say! Of course I wasn't completley unselfish, I still held fast to my faves but still!

so Tatlie got the brown scarf with pocketmittens on the end, Natalie B grabbed the green moebius cowl, and a couple other things went too that i can't remember exactly (yes, I have ~~too many~~ lots of knitted things).

that's Tatlie enjoying a warm neck and a yummy cupcake

and on a similar note, way back last year when Tracey was preggers and we were SO SURE she was having a girl, I knitted her a cardy and matching hat for bub-to-be


Lola the Monkey not included

turns out that bub was very much a boy, a super cute boy at that, meet Ryder John! the only Essendon supported i can ever love...

perpetually surprised, seriously, he's always shocked by the camera

anyhow, it turns out he's not such a fan of being dressed up in 'girly' coral cardigans with stupid ice cream cones on the front so he's generously donating his cardy and hat to his brand new baby cousin Lexi. I love that Tracey wanted to give it to her sister (who apparently has been asking about it!), yay for people who appreciate handknits and actually WANT THEM TO BE WORN! I don not understand putting away handknits for special occasions, if it's cold, it's special enough, they grow too fast for special occasions! So yay, that'll be winging it's way to SA tomorrow and finally getting some use, and Trace did say she wants it back when she has a girl, so it should get plenty of love, yay!

my very bestest friend Aga has been requesting (semi-patiently) a pair of mary-jane style slippers for a present for quite a while now, and when she was here in Melbourne back in January we took a bit of a mini-yarn-tour (WoolBaa, Clegs, M&S, Onabee, Dairing) and she bought some boring Freedom super chunky 100% wool in grey, handed it to me and asked for slippers. We also got her started on her own knitting project that she brought along to SnB in Richmond and she has now finished that and gifted it to her dad, it's a circle of giving. I'm now half way through the first slipper and NEARLY OUT OF THAT YARN, again, I have no luck with yarn sometimes, and this isn't even for me so I'm pouting about having to go to Clegs, when you are on a yarn diet, buying yarn for OTHER people is super un-fun. but never mind, they are knitting up VERY quickly and so squishy it's unbelievable. Although I'm still not sure how the pattern writer got 4.5 sts to 2 inches. i'm close enough. But, pattern writers, please help a girl out, don't just say what yarn to use, give an estimated yardage, it's seriously helpful.

i love when hand knits get used and appreciated. whether it's something that took 80 hours or a 1/2 hour, everything is made with love and effort and it's nice to see it loved in return.

the cherry on top...

2011-04-27T16:18:00.000+10:00

so apparently, i have started a trend because the, yes THE Yarn Harlot, is now going to knit a Damask with her Jacob fleece. read about it here

although i have to tell you, i think mine is the prettiest thing ever, so she better BRING IT with hers :) see, look!

hanging over the back of the couch, the OCD in me wishes it was more of a perfectly perfect pattern
but it's too pretty to fuss over!

this yarn, Araucania Solid is just darling, and i'm so excited that the ever lovely Sonia bought me a skein in the deepest of blues as a housewarming gift as well (yarn is totally for the house, my confused cousin understands nothing about yarny people).

it's squishy, it's light and airy and drapey and it's around my neck at work, which is nice, my colleagues have finally slipped over into accepting the knitterly things i love, i no longer get weird glances when i knit at lunchtime or wear shawls/sharves/cardigans all day and ask them to pet the fibres of what i'm knitting. they're a good bunch!


halfway through blocking, R is finished, L is getting there A nice reminder that I need blocking wires for the top!


bit of up close and personal, i changed the nupps from N7 to N5 as i could not for the life of me get all 7 sts back on to my needle for the nuppage

and on me, perhaps next time I could stand in an even LESS flattering way?

Damask

2011-04-20T16:48:00.001+10:00

doing another shawl, i just love them, something about the way the triangle appears out of nothing, so satisfying

this one is expecially pretty and is probably the most complicated shawl i've ever tackled (17 pages of pattern anyone?) but it is done VERY clearly line by line and with charts so yay I haven't hit any snags (yet)

i had put it on the backburner for a little while as I finished the Mock Moch Cardi and now I'm back into it, picking up from halfway through a row last night at Tatlie's house where Kellie, Tatlie and I sat knitting and watching terrible shows on Foxtel until 1am, WHOOPS, knitters rock hard on the weeknights

i'm really going to try hard - between now and Knit Camp (June 3rd) - to make shawls with as many different construciton techniques as possible. a) to find the one I like the best and b) to just see how they work!

it's being worked up in this delicious cherry red colour, semi-solid (although quite heavily on the solid side) 4ply and I want to eat it!!

I know you wish you were as good a photographer as i am....

2011-04-19T12:12:00.000+10:00

... but alas, underexposed, shadowy, vaguely blurry photos are really just my expertise. You'll all have to stick to focussed, light filled lovely photographs :/

'tis finished! all knitted and ends sewn in and slightly-too-big-in-the-neck cropped Mock Moch Cardi is finito!

photo shoots in the work bathroom are super edgy don't you think? also super quick so that the entire office doesn't think you're a big weirdo who takes photos in the bathroom (i am) oh well!

The Mock 'Moch Cardi'

2011-04-07T11:15:00.000+10:00

so last weekend i started knitting a cardigan. No plan really other than, bottom up, a bit swingy, not tight anywhere and probably a round seamless yoke, but i'd figure that out when I needed to.

it turns out i like having a pattern to follow, i need more of a plan than that above. so now i'm making a bit of a hybrid of my original plan and the Moch Cardi by Gudrun Johnson. i'll continue with my turned hem on the body and the sleeves but use the yoke and shaping from the Moch. I think this'll work out. I'm using old school vintage Patons 'Tweedly' yarn, a yarn that has no yardage listed so it's interesting. Also has no recommended needle size and I can find exactly NOTHING about it on the internet, so I guessed at it's weight and went with a 4.5mm needle and I'm getting a nice fabric, so I'm going with it. using 4mm for the inside of the turned hem on the sleeves as well so they fit nicely inside.

managed to make it to Richmond SnB this week, gosh I miss those girls. so lovely, and always feels like home when you walk in! Got a fair bit of knitting done and showed off the latest FO (which STILL hasn't had all it's ends sewn it, sew what?) and had the first appropriate responses to a 79 x 34 " shawl knit completely in Linen Stitch, non knitters just do not appreciate the dedication heehe

trying to organise myself for Albert Park SnB this weekend, as well as a planning meeting/dinner for Knit Camp this Friday night, Kensington SnB tonight and gearing up for my housewarming (who decided it was a good idea to knit bunting?) knitting projects are a go. and yet, guess i thought it was a good idea to leave the house without any knitting today. FAIL. will go and use the last of my voucher at M&S this arvo on the way to SnB

seriously, how would i even have time for a boyfriend? i barely see my non-knitting friends as it is! think it's time to really cut back on the eating out at knit nights though, trying to save for a house of my own (dedicated knitting room anyone?) for next year and $50 here and there adds up. \

so that's it for now, pictures next time of the finished shawl, and maybe a WIP photo of the Cardi.

winter! winner!

2011-04-01T09:56:00.001+11:00

wowowwwwhhoooooooo! as i write this it's 9.15am and it's NINE DEGREES C outside! how awesome is that?

i'm officially calling it almost wintry around here, which always makes me knit a bit more and hug my yarn a bit tighter. i love winter, i love how dapper all the men look in their coats and jackets and how lovely my face feels when it's squished up into a big scarf made from Pear Tree. it's the best season, without a doubt.

so since the last post, I was going to do a WIP post but since one of the WIPS is now a FO it seems silly. These are the Ysolda Teague Grown Up Booties (slight mods, 2.5" seam along top edge to secure them and bulkier yarn). Made with gorgeous handspun that Jen spun! They are so squishy and delicious and 3 million times better than socks.

and ok, so they aren't going to win any beauty pageants if you don't have the mad love for garter stitch that i have, but i think they're pretty spunky!

so many finished objects, so little desire to blog about them

2011-03-29T16:16:00.000+11:00

so i moved house, which meant moving the stash, which meant assessing the stash. UGH

It's not a huge stash by any means, I would say less than 100 different yarns, nothing more than a sweaters worth of each (ok, two things might have a blankets worth, but then it takes a blanket to go round me, so I'm sticking to a sweaters' worth quantities!) mostly between 1 and 4 skeins. But seriously I only ever used to collect books and dvds and now having this third collection to take into consideration is a bit overwhelming. but in a good way. does that make any sense?

so yes, now I'm way more aware of what i've got, i've also been inspired about what to make with a bunch of it, and also i took the opportunity to bag it all up in zip locks. so haha moths, nothing for you, move it along! so now it's doable, this stashbusting of 2011, this crazy plan, this money and space saving knitted-good-making plan is in the works. And to show for it, i have

startitis stashbusting sblanket on the bed


blanket all folded up

Damson being blocked

Damson, up close and personal

me, wearing Springtime Bandit in the springtime

Springtime blocking

made up broken rib hat

made up garter stitch stripey scarf
(because you don't need a pattern for the world's easiest scarf)

the actual colours of the stripey garter scarf

next post up, works in progress.

i really thought i always needed to buy more yarn to make me start a project, but this is just not the case, it's a bit of an eye opener to be honest. it's quite amazing what you can find even in as small a stash as mine.

maybe you could shop your stash tonight? it's fun, and the yarn feels loved, and that's really what it's all about - mutual appreciation and the perfect pattern match x

another one bites the dust

2011-02-04T15:18:00.000+11:00

FINALLY made myself a Dandy Neckerchief!

This is the first thing I ever queued on Rav and I cannot believe it's been on there for so long

the second my Spud and Colour Sweater in Rootbeer arrived, i knew i had to get those two together and make a squishy chocolately and deliciously lovely baby

she's unblocked, but i love her already

also in need of buttons, but eh, that'll happen.

so here she was on Monday night after casting on at SnB


and here she is all finished and looking slightly fallopian shaped

this colour is particularly hard to capture at 2am under harsh flash (the time that both photos were taken) but it really is such a warm and lush chocolatey brown.

i just have to say again, i freaking LOVE Spud and Chloe yarns.

finish first lace shawl, CHECK

2011-01-30T18:49:00.000+11:00

that's right, she's allllll done, and blocked and now sitting in my 'knitwear box' waiting for the right time.

why did i put it away so quickly you might be asking? oh, because i've already managed to pull threads in it THREE TIMES already, it's true, i'm just not meant to have delicate pretty things!

but as it's finished, and since i took such terrible photos of it, here it is. My swallowtail (minus the tail part)


fresh off the needles

a very gentle blocking

so floaty and flirty :) AND FINISHED hehee

now back to the startistic stashbusting blanket, which is now 17" tall, yay!

hope you're all surviving the heat, and have lovely airconditioning to keep you cool and out of trouble.

work in progress update!

2011-01-28T14:39:00.001+11:00

so many things on the go, the result of an attack of startitis is that you then have lingering 'lots-to-work-on-with-not-much-getting-finished' symptoms

but that's ok, because i have come to realise that i will finish everything no matter what, so if it takes a bit longer than i expected, so what (so what, so i'm being so unproductive, NO ONE WILL LOVE ME IF I DONT FINISH THINGS)

patience is a virtue right? (and a virtue is a grace, and grace is a little girl who didn't wash her face - i had a sudden attack of naughty sunday school rhymes, sorry *ahem* )

but back to the point of the post, the works in progress

first up is the Startitus Stashbusting Blanket (is there an 'S' work for blanket?)

it's made from leftover stashed Smoothie DK, an acrylic yes, but a really nice and 'smooth' so aptly named yarn. i'm not sure the colours work together quite as well as i'd originally thought/hoped, but it's a stash blanket, I AM NOT BUYING YARN FOR THIS TO MAKE IT WORK

these are the 3 colours (not my photos)

this is about 13" high and about 1/4 or so through the yarn

my TERRIBLE photog skills strike again

also that's about 1/3 of the width (or more like 1/4 probably) so apparently I've accidentally knit up the world's most oversized 'lap blanket', my skills, let me show them

i strung it on to 3 cables to see how wide it was and it stretches out comfortably over my queen size bed. why do i do this to myself? a row takes one episode of FRIENDS to get through, so about 20 minutes per row. should only be 3.45 years until i'm finished then

my other WIP is the January KAL, the Swallowtail shawl (a free Knitty pattern)

now as some of you may know, i'm not the biggest fan of pointy edged shawls. as someone who has a hard enough time getting through the day without catching my clothes on a sharp edge/doorknob/back of chair/drawer/other people, the idea of adding little pointy wispy catching devices to the edge of clothing is just INSANE, so i have decided instead to just knit the main body lace part to double the size in the pattern, then forgo the edging/border lace and just end with a simple 2 rows of st st and a row of yo's and then 2 more rows of st st and bound off super loosely.

that'll work right?

although i was looking forward to the nupps, i haven't ever done them in lace weight (with DK yarn had made me a fan of them as they pop up like magic!)

so yes, here's the in-progress shots from last night

doesn't look like much yet!

up close and personal

i'm up to the 22nd repeat of the lace pattern which is a 283 stitch row, which normally isn't that daunting since if i'm knitting in the round, that's normally around how many stitches i am! but with 2ply it seems way more, slippery and hard to control, i fail at 2ply

Susanne oh-so-helpfully posted a list of the end of row stitch counts for the first 14 sections and so i just extended past that to the 26th section which will be 339 stitches. I was going to stop there but looking at how much yarn i have left, i think i might go to more like 36 repeats

that way i'll have almost no leftover yarn, and honestly that's a good thing as i think i might be staying away from 2 ply for a little while, it's lovely, but time consuming (unless you are magic like sharon and can finish entire shawls in 5 days or less!)

ok so that's it for now, i'm feeling confident that the rest of the swallowtail will fly by since i can knit it in public/around people now, which is integral to the success of any project for me as i'm a knit it all the time or never knit it kind of girl

finished objects make me happy

2011-01-17T16:52:00.000+11:00

so in 2011, I am determined to have no unloved projects sitting around.

here's my theory - if i started it, i must have wanted to finish it. so therefore, i should finish it.

simple right? wrong.

when it's 6 months later and you haven't even looked at it in weeks and the yarn is scratching your fingers and it's too hot to even look at a scarf it can be kind of hard to keep things on track

but haha! have people over for a knitting/bra day and much can be accomplished. i decided then and there that I would finish my much ignored Saroyan that night, but at 5am I accepted defeat and attempted to sleep

Sunday dawned WAY too early and I raced around doing a few things then got down to knitting the last 3 leaves and bind off. left the house for a 90's themed 30th birthday, came home and oh-so-lightly blocked this out

it is finally finished and i no longer have to hide my face in shame every time i see the bag it was living in as a WIP woohoo!

sadly as a result of all this not-sleeping, i'm now feeling ill, total cold/flu meltdown with sore throat, coughing, funny coloured skin and hot/cold flushes. so will be missing my fave night of the week, the Richmond SnB and instead crawling home to bed and kitty snuggles

in other FO news, though these have been finished for 2weeks and 1 week respectively, the Ripley for me and matching garter stitch mitts have finally been (badly) photographed!

so that's it on the actual knitting front (and omg, i STILL haven't sewn the zip to my dad's sweater and his b'day is in 5 days)

thanks to the lovely knitters for coming to my/Jen's Intimo party on saturday arvo. much knitting and boobtalk and cake eating was enjoyed and I thank you for bringing your monies and getting me free stuff! have a party, everyone love free stuff ;)

help the clueless blogger

2011-01-05T17:20:00.001+11:00

ok what is the dealio, I have been trying to reply to comments and I cannot figure it out

how do i do it

livejournal is so much easier to tink with than this place!

/end rant

Happy New Yarn, ahem, YEAR!

2011-01-05T14:59:00.001+11:00

seriously amazing knitted art

so the knitting mojo is back for 2011, which has kind of inspired (along with the Ravelry thread of the same vein) a number of knitting/yarn related resolutions

- I WILL DEPLETE MY STASH (seriously, it mocks me with it's unhandleableness)

- aforementioned stash will be put on Rav so i actually plan projects without guestimating

- i will make extra things for backup presents with yarn that i'm maybe not so fond of

- there will be no more yarn purchasing until Bendigo (except for the already committed to yarn club and gifts for other people)

- i will wind all my skeins into useable cakes/balls

- colourwork will happen, at least once, even if it's fair isle only and not intarsia, i MUST conquer my fear (all the ends! all the tension issues! all the effort for a possible FAIL)

- i will knit more stuff for me!

- learn to take better photos of yarn and FO, mine SUCK BIG TIME

- knit lots of lace

- knit each project only once in 2011, no double ups (oh god, a whole year without doing a pair of Bella's Mittens, HOW will i cope?)

- start writing up patterns for things I 'make up'

- knit more, sleep is for wusses

part of the main point for getting serious about my stash is that i absolutely, positively MUST knit the yarn I've owned for longer than 3 years, if I love it, I should use it, IS THAT NOT THE POINT? oh the insanity of 'saving' delicious yarn under my bed, all hidden away and feeling unloved i'm sure and gathering dust and dander and other less-than-delicious alliterative dirty things

somewhere in all this lot i'm also going to try and pick up my cross stitch/embroidery hoops again, although most of them are on the living room wall in my apartment right now! I really miss the simple beauty of a well designed and executed sampler. i need something for the walls in my room. As great as wearable 'art' is, I like the (relative) permanence of cloth and thread, it's like painting, only not messy (hooray!) and since i already have in my possession one of the lovely sets done up by the incomparably talented stitcher Miss Penelope Waits, i have the perfect back on the wagon project just waiting for me!

next entry will have pictures I swear! I've finished Dad's Avast sweater (except the zipper) so there will be pics of that, I've completed another Ripley (this one for me!) and i'm almost done with the semi-matching garter stitch mitts. Might also try and get Aga to send me a photo of her WIP scarf, she sadly had to rip it back as she realised that as much as she loved the idea of a super wide scarf the reality is that that is like $100 of yarn and SO FRIGGGING HEAVY so she's made it thinner and i gave her some slightly bigger than recommended needles and she's flying through. big thanks to Sharon for suggesting teaching her yarn overs so she could work in some eyelet rows, they helped keep the boredom down on her mammoth first scarf effort - no holes! hopefully when she comes to visit in a few weeks we'll be able to cast off and block it :)

so that's all for now, back to pretending i'm working. xox

whoops, time flies!

2010-12-28T03:00:00.001+11:00

so it has been pointed out to me that i'm an absolutely atrocious blogger and that i should immediately get my act together and start blogging more frequently, but in the meantime a little catch up post!

i feel like i've been knitting heaps, but I don't seem to have all that many completed projects to show for it, but here's what i've done over the last 2 months or so...

1 head, 3 ways

left: santa hat! a pattern of my own making, using up stash white yarn held triple (yum, acrylics) and some luxury BWM Hibiscus

centre: Hermione Hearts Ron (pattern on Rav) in Morris Empire 8ply

right: Ripley by Ysolda Teague in Noro Silk Garden Chunky (a gift for a friend moving to Nepal for a year)

as I always love knitting for a theme, or a good cause, or you know, because it's a day ending in 'y', i thought it would be fun to do the Hermione Hearts Ron for the Harry Potter 7 pt 1 movie, although it was like 35 degrees that day so I wore it for like 5 minutes! but still, the thought was there. This hat has grown SIGNIFICANTLY, it went from fitting perfectly to now being like 4 inches too large around the band, thinking it needs either elastic or something like a frogging and knitting the band again on teeny needles

in a similar vein, the santa hat was for the SnB Melbourne Botanical Gardens Christmas Pic-knit, a lovely day in the sun (and coincidentally the same day I went to the HP7pt1 movie!) with great ladies, and a puppy!! look, i actually remembered to take my camera to a knitting function! woo! thanks to the delicious weather we've been having, I've been able to wear it quite a bit - last day of work, secret santa at SnB Richmond and Christmas Day! Have a little lookit at the 'tan day

i snuck in a quick cowl for Norovember, knit in the round and an eyelet row every 7 rows in stockinette

not sure that I like this one, might frog it or I might not because I'm lazy?

the Hap Blanket for Bekki and Serena, a wedding present. Another Ysolda knit, so quick and lovely, though I made it around 30% bigger than the pattern, turned out a perfect lap blanket side, or a nice portable floor rug for their little baby boy Mannix. Their house is all in neutrals with dark wood accents, so this turned out perfectly :)

so as I write this, I have 2 rows left on the front bands of my Dad's Avast sweater (Knitty pattern) and then I just need to wash, block and sew it up and add the zip (ha! so much still to do!) and i'm still plugging away on my Saroyan shawlette, I've stopped hating that again so that's a hip hip hooray moment, it's going to be quite nice and light so I need to get that finished as soon as I can so i can wear it, what with this delicious cool weather we've been having. as a summer-hater i'm like HURRAH! more coldness!

hope all your knitting is going better than mine, every project is taking forever *sigh*

hey Sonia, look I updated!! :)

fingers in pies...

2010-10-05T17:52:00.000+11:00

so I've finished some stuff, and frogged some stuff (where's my prince dammit?!), and started some stuff! i'm completely stuffed just thinking about it

it's a busy time of a year for me because i'm getting the itchy fingers i get when i start getting nervous about summer approaching and killing my knitting mojo because OH MY GOD THE HEAT is not cool at all and makes me cranky, and cranky knitting is tight knitting

so i have ideas, I'm thinking fandom-centric blanket made from small squares knit one at a time (hot weather friendly), socks (of which my FIRST ever pair have been cast on and am a pitiful halfway through the first leg), and um maybe the Decimal cardigan (ok, that's a definite) and the swallowtail, oh and yeh, ALL THE CHRISTMAS KNITTING *sigh*

but i have also finished stuff like the version i worked up of some fingerless Bella's Mittens (woo! they worked, even if i was on the special bus and knit one on 4.5mm and one on 5.5mm needles, Jet (by Patons) is very forgiving and they are totally wearable).

also knitted up a quick hat for Tracey's new bubba Ryder John (and then promptly forgot to take a photo) in various blues, in the same blues, i have knitted up 4 squares for a swap and about to do 2 more for October

i forgot to do the photo taking thing of the hat, but i do have the cowl and the mittens (and my fun bunny ring from the Rose St Artisans Market outing with the Richmond SnB girls)

now when you look at it, imagine me saying hippity-hop and making my hand jump like a bunny...

... did you picture it? yes, I'm 3 years old.

Baktus is done and dustus

2010-09-22T16:01:00.000+10:00

a whole scarf in 7 days? doable apparently, LOVE THAT. Turns out the Norwegians know what they're on about when it comes to knitting (all those centuries of knitting history apparently wasn't a tipoff to me).

it's light, bright and spring-ish. an absolute dream to wear and has been quite popular around the office!

i've said it once and i'll say it again, i really am very sad that they are discontinuing the Silk Garden Lite because it's probably my favourite Noro (having not knit with Kochoran (sp?) yet, so that may change). i'm thinking about buying up all the Lite that i can find, but my bank account would SO not thank me for that i'm sure!

a photo of me wearing it for a change, i seriously have to stop photographing knitwear at my desk at work, it's THE WORST possible lighting in the world fluros everywhere and downlights and no windows woe is me, first world problems!

if you want to make one of your own, it's on Rav, and i am ~~too lazy to link~~ sure you'll find it there!

now back to working on my second hand of Bella's Mittens, the fingerless version that i'm winging my way through, note to self, if doing cabling without a cable needle, quit flinging your knitting around or you'll drop stitches (but it's ok, i can fix things now yay).

once the mitt is finished (maybe tonight?) I'll finish the rest of the 2nd September Swap Square that I started last night in the Blue Denim Luxury 10ply from Bendigo Woollen Mills that I just recieved for Dad's Avast jacket/cardigan. it knits up beautifully! (and i'm totally counting that as a swatch, it counts right?)

Mara Mara quite contrary, how does your ruffle grow...

2010-09-20T11:45:00.000+10:00

she's finished! after much frogging and umming and ahhing over what to do, the last bit of ribbon was pulled through on the train to work this morning and i'm in love.

squishy, soft, fluffy without being sheddy, drapey yet solid shaped, mmmmm so yummy.

my ode to pear tree, i've waited so long to knit with my much loved skeins (still have one left yippee!) and it was well worth it, i think i'll love this forever!

this is Mara, and she's mine! [Rav'd: here]

this grew quite a lot, which really surprised me since it's just stockinette and no lace or anything, I wish i'd measured it before i got it wet, but i'd say it grew at least 4" across the top even after it bounced back once it was dry. people told me the pear tree 4ply would felt badly, but i barely noticed any felting (except in one spot where i must have rubbed the joining thread spot too much, but eh) so if that's worried anyone enough to make them not knit with it, don't even think about it.

in other news, i finished my first square for the Over The Fence September Square Swap, 1 down, 1 to go. it's quite pretty and i even blocked it (will wonders never cease?!) turns out if it's for someone else, then i care enough to block properly [Rav'd: here]

i used some pale/baby blue alpaca from my stash, and for the other square i'll use some of the Blue Denim Bendy Woollen Mills yarn that has arrived in the post for Dad's Avast sweater, so no purchasing yarn, yay!

just realised i've forgotten to take my Buttony cardigan out of the washing machine, so let's hope that my housemate of win takes pity on me and agrees to lay it out for me! why do i have to work? i could do far more fun yanry things if money just magically appeared in my account for nothing and i could knit all day. sounds good to me!

yesterday was lovely, the Botanical Gardens SnB was on and Jen and I met up (slightly late) with a whole bunch of knitters (which is where I finished the Mara!) and had yummy lunch and good catchups. i love that SnB because it's such a hodgepodge of women from around all the other SnB's, but I usually forget that it's even on because well, Sundays are for SLEEPING IN people, and even knitting can't put up much of a fight against the power of a lazy morning in bed.

and the baktus goes on...

2010-09-17T13:22:00.000+10:00

the baktus is back in my good books again after a successful reknit at the kensington SnB last night, yay!

the noro is the colourway 2048 if anyone is interested, although i'm sad to know that the silk garden lite is a discontinued yarn, i'm loving using it, so pick so up now if it's your cup of tea too!

to fix what i wasn't loving about the project, i ripped it all back and then wound a fairly hefty amount of the purple section out first so there's not eleventy-hundred rows of purple in the first corner now and i'm knitting at a much tighter gauge magically this time (not sure what that's about?) so it's a denser fabric yay, didn't even have to change needles to fix what i didn't like about it

this is how it looks at the moment, i'm itching to get to the aqua bit!

i have two skeins, so i'll go until i run out and then i'll start decreasing, and try and remember not to keep increasing (no, i've never done that ever before *face palm*)

by the way, have i mentioned yet how very much i'm in love with my knit picks needles? they are sooooo pretty and lovely and the cables don't make me HATE them like my previous needles of choice the Birch circulars (metals) did. i love the pointy point on these interchangables, i love that i can change on the fly for casting off and i super love that they are multicoloured and plastic or acrylic and a little bendy so my hands don't hurt like they used to. get thee to your LYS and see if you can justify the cost of metals/wood/acrylic, TOTALLY worth it!

for some unknown reason my blog isn't showing up on my rav page so i doubt i'll have any visitors here, but it's still fun to write about knitting just for me !

a day in the life

2010-09-16T16:52:00.002+10:00

so it's probably not an auspicious start to the first post of my shiny new knitting specific blog if i've just totally frogged the baktus [Rav link: Baktus ] that i had started in noro silk garden lite, right? but off we go anyway, a new blogging adventure, and a blog that actually seems relevant to being linked to on ravelry.com, unlike my other blog that's full of fangirl woes and tv drama (not that i'll ever learn not to swoon over vampires and broody boys, or that cheerleaders having bitch fights will ever not entertain me).

so tonight at knitting, (at tonik in kensington) i'll attempt to cast on again, but really, it's noro, it's not cheap and i want to actually like what i'm knitting with it, and not just do it "because i said i would", who knows, maybe it's destined to be entrelac?

also the mara [rav link: mara the second ] that i'm doing up in pear tree yarn in the turkey colourway is in it's second try at the ruffle, i had toooo many increases after doing two kfb rows, one before and after the 1x1 rib and the ruffle became ridiculous and was too short and i finished it and it was blah! so ripped that back to the rib and started it up again, so hopefully, it's nearly there now that i'm about 7 rows in again

oh, two things you might like to know

i'm an admin manager by day, so my pinkies just don't care about the Shift key enough to make capitalisation of letters for nouns and pronouns a part of our lives by night, sorry! however, CAPS ARE MY SHOUTY FRIENDS and can display happiness, extreme excitedness and dismay!

and number two, i frequently forget to post the pictures with my blog posts, i will try and get better with that!