Capelet love
I stashed up on some lovely
Debbie Bliss Maya some time ago, and its been sitting there ever since, wondering what I will be making it into.
So, I found the
most perfect pattern for it, wound up 2 skeins, and off I went.
Presenting, my version of the
Anthropologie inspired capelet
I didn't make any changes as such, just knit the body a slight bit longer before I went into the rib and cast off.
This was a very very easy knit, for anyone out there who wants to try knitting something larger than a hat its a very good one to start with.
I had planned on wearing this at a function I was at on Friday last but it didn't happen. I did wear it over the weekend however, with a long sleeve top underneath, and a red flower pin to close the top.
It needs proper blocking, I only dry blocked it, as in I didn't wash it first.
I was in a hurry at the time.
I even had some Maya left from the second skein!
Labels: Inspiration, Knitting, Yum
A diet perhaps?
Remember this?
Well the doggy coat was for Baby, who has perhaps doubled in size since the last time I saw her?!
She wasn't too impressed I think!
My friend loved it.
Her other dog Eskie was also having a private snigger
Tee hee
Labels: Friends, Knitting, Weird and Wonderful
Secret Socks, not a secret no more
This is a tale of two socks.
In a moment of madness some days ago, I decided that it would be a good idea to knit a pair of socks
IN SECRET for my boyfriend for Valentines Day. Yeah, very romantic I know.
So as if that wasn't madness enough, I decided to knit them both at once, on one circular needle at the same time, doing the magic loop method, toe up.
I also had to tackle a short row heel which I'd never done before.
I worked out the amount of knitting time I would have, going on the fact that my boyfriend is at my place most of the time, and generally if he's not at mine, I'm at his.
It helped that he had to go to the UK for work on the Friday before Valentines day, it didn't help that I got itchy fingers and decided that I really needed to cast on for
this project, in order to wear it to a do this Friday coming.
It didn't help that I had plans that I'd forgotten about for Monday evening, which involved a group of friends playing
Balderdash at a friends house (excellent game!!)
It also didn't help that I was counting on having Tuesday evening to myself in order to finish off the socks, and my boyfriend felt he really needed to see me so came over (I'm not complaining
that much!)
So where did that leave me?
It left me arriving first at my friends house, and being brave enough to take out my knitting while waiting for the others arrive (mostly non-knitters, with one who does a tiny bit but doesnt have the bug).
It left me knitting in my lunchbreak at work 3 days in a row, including Valentines day
On Valentines Day, I thought I would have an hour, just to finish off that last inch at the cuff. My boyfriend decided that he couldn't do without me, and got an earlier train. I had about 10 minutes to pack up the unfinished socks before he arrived.
The verdict?
He loved them.
"Oh great...... socks!!" was his comment, and not in a sarcastic way!
Phew! *wipes sweat off her brow*
Specs:
Jaegar Matchmaker 4 ply yarn which is 100%merino and 3.25 circular needle.
Now, off to finish my capelet....whilst balancing pancakes and maple syrup....hmm, maybe not such a good idea....
Labels: Knitting, Socks
Mason Dixon Washcloth
I didn't post about this yesterday because its actually a finished object. I finished it last week and have been meaning to post about it.
Unlike
Sharon, I haven't blocked it, because I reasoned that it would be used straight away almost.
I would have blocked it if it was going as a present however, honest!
Oh...and guess what?
Its SNOWING outside yyaaaaaaaayyyyyyy
doubt if it will stick though, its been sleeting beforehand and is too wet.... booooooo
Labels: Knitting
WIP Wednesday
I'm trying to get things in order in my head lately.
This is a very lengthy process, let me tell you!
One of the things I have done is create a spreadsheet with all the items that I'm planning on doing in the next year, including baby items for friends (which are a bit vague in detail, but at least I have them marked down).
I also keep a note of the items I'm working on in a notebook that I bring around with me all the time, and sometimes other things that I want to make, which don't get to the spreadsheet on the PC.
There are also always things that I want to do in my head that never get written down or done. Not forgotten though, I have a special chamber in my brain for knitting you know!
So, here is a little catalogue of all my current WIPs.
Ahem.
First up is a little something Im working on, which I can't quite talk about at the moment.
All you need to know is that I am also doing 3 new to me methods whilst doing it, and have a very short timeframe in which to get it done.
All I'll mention are these words: toe up, 2 on one, whilst doing magic. Ive done magic before, just not in this manor.
Here's a sneek preview -->
Onto other WIP's, this is a tea cosy for my sister, as requested....oh was it last summer.....and may have been promised for her birthday in August.....oops....
This is using a combination of luxery aran tweed by Tivoli and RYC Cashcotton 4ply, and the combination of both of them is producing a really yummy soft but thick stitch.
Then I am working on a pot holder for myself, its a test one, as I had had it in my head that I wanted to test out some stitches into knitted squares and then put some material on the back of them and use them as pot holders, then I discovered that Magknits in December had the very things I was thinking of! (unfortunately magknits archive is down for maintenance, but you can check back there later for the pattern)
So I'm using the honeycomb stitch from that, and its very nice indeed. The only thing is, I should have gone up a needle size as its a very tight fit with the cable and its leaving my fingers sore, so I can only do a few rows at a time.
Next time I'll go up a needle size, we learn from our mistakes dont we?
Depending on how my sewing turns out (yikes) I'm planning on making a few more of these.
Then there are the alpaca wristwarmers that I spoke about previously. These have been languishing somewhat due to the completion of my fetchings, as I'm wearing them constantly. Sorry about the poor lit photo, I grabbed it this morning to take pictures and didn't have the time to search for some light!
I have been asked by a friend of mine to make a dog coat for her small little dog that she thought was a Jack Russell but isn't. I thought she would forget about it....but she didn't...and has asked me a couple of times not to forget that I'm going to make her a coat.
So I've given in.
I am using recycled yarn for the majority of this, apart from the orangy neck part, and I plan to use the orange to highlight the legs also, when I do them. My friend asked for bright colours.
I'm using the pattern from the stitch and bitch nation book, but to tell you the truth, its not very good so Im winging it. It doesn't really explain things so you are left wondering what you should be doing with this bit and that bit. So its a makey upy pattern based on the one in the book really.
The good thing is that this can be thrown into the machine when it gets dirty, as it will inevitably do, with it being worn by a dog and all.
And last but not least is my Bridie cardigan.
This is my large project. I'm working on this mainly when I'm at Micheals and am progressing slowly with it.
I love the yarn and loving the way its turning out (so far....) and it knits really nicely on the bamboo needles.
Here's a close up of the stitch pattern
I am actually working on a lace scarf pattern using cotton, but at the moment it just looks like a jumble of stitches and wouldn't look like anything, which is why I haven't shown you!
So there you go. What are you knitting?
Labels: Knitting, WIPs
Fulled Lopi Tote
Finally I can show you my fulled lopi tote from
hello yarn pattern.
I had finished this waaaay back in oh, was it October? Decided to keep it hidden to give as a present at Christmas, and then decided to keep for myself.
I hadn't blogged about it because I couldn't find the before felting pictures.
Then I did.
So...Ta Da, here we are.
Before pictures, measuring a lovely 12 1/2 inches at the waist, and reaching 17 inches in height, we have Miss Lopi, from Ireland.
I really like the bottom of this bag, the way the shaping turned out.
Once felted, once through the washing machine cycle (front loader, as are all our washing machines here in Ireland), Miss Lopi now measures 8 inches at her waist and 9 inches in height.
I love the stitch definition that you can still see, even though it has been felted, and it really is a sturdy bag!
The shaping on the bottom of the bag has turned out perfectly, with the bag looking quite "round" at the bottom. No offense, Miss Lopi.
Although its called a Lopi Tote, the only Lopi involved is the lighter stripe of green above the handles, I used lopi Light for this. The rest of the wool was a purchase from ebay that I got months and months ago, I think it was a Wendy label, but can't quite remember!
If I got the chance again to buy some of the wool though, I definately would, its lovely to knit with and as you can see, felts like a dream.
I brought this bag along to a friends house for New Years eve and her sister drooled over it big time. Ive had a few comments about it since then too. Currently, its being used as my lunch bag at work, as there is enough room for sandwiches, a bottle of water and even a book, plus my keys, purse, mobile phone
and sometimes chocolate
Labels: Knitting
Lets design a camera case
So my Mum asked me to knit a holder for their new camera, to protect it from scrapes and such like.
I started with some Lambs Pride and felted it, but decided that it would be better on my mini disc:
Oh okay, the folks preferred the other cover I knit instead. And who wouldn't?
Its knit using the remnants of the artyarns yarn that I used for
Le Slouch....... and I
still have some left over!
I actually started out trying to knit up a toy from it, but it didnt want to be a toy, it wanted to be a cover for my folks camera.
They like it, phew!
Talking of toys, I have just updated
my shopCheck it out and let me know what you think!
Here's a sneak preview
Labels: Etsy, Inspiration, Knitting
Fetch
Okay, this is the 4th pair of wristlets that I've made in the last year and hear this folks, these are MINE
all mine.
Fetching from Knitty, using Debbie Bliss cashmerino DK, size 4 circular needles using magic loop method, I knit one extra row of cableing on the wrist and did an i-cord bind off, thanks to Cheryl's great tutoring at the SnB on Saturday, cos I forgot how to do it oops! Thanks Cheryl!
Love the pattern, but wearing them for the first time this morning into work, I thought that I should probably have done one full cable round at the top before binding off, the pattern asks you to do a cable round, then knit 45 rows then bind off.
I think I should have done 2 cable rounds, knit a couple of rows before binding off, this would have brought the top of the wristlet in a little tighter.
Ah well, maybe next time.....
Labels: Knitting
Its a wrap
calorimetry- do you ever see a pattern and can't rest until you have knit it and got it out of your head?
This was one of them.
I have been carrying a ball of Rowan Yorkshire Tweed Aran around with me for ages, in my knitting bag (One of my many knitting bags!)just waiting until I got the Christmas knitting out of the way.
I've come to the conclusion that I'm a slow knitter.
Yes, I know that many of my knitting friends think I'm a fast knitter as I get a lot of projects done, Elaina thinks that I have a new project with me every time I meet her at our knitting group,but I'm not a fast knitter.
I knit small items that are fairly easy to finish quickly enough.
In saying that, I estimate that
calorimetry took me about 4 hours in total to finish, knit over 2 days.
Thats not fast knitting, is it? Its a very small item.
It is not without its problems, its very wide, probably too wide for me, although I love it.
My head isn't exactly the smallest heads either, so I think if I reknit this I would have to juggle with some maths and decrease my stitches and reduce the amount of rows I knit etc etc.
Idid reduce needle size as was advised by posts I read in Craftster, but I was eager to get it knit so didn't pay toooooo much attention..oops.
In anticipation of a challenge, cast on for
Bridie Sunday night.
This is the first cardigan that I will have knit since I was.. oooh, about 19 maybe?
So I'm a little nervous that I can actually do it, really.
I think the last large item I did was a shapeless jumper that I never wore after I finished it.
Oh, I did a cardigan for my Dad also.
Think he never wore it either.
So, Bridie will be a marker for me, a start (I hope) into knitting larger items.
I'm hoping not to bore you with the details as I knit it, not too much anyway, as I will be knitting other things also.
I may however, flash a bit of it if I'm feeling happy with the way its turning out ;-)
Here's hoping.
Labels: General Ramblings, Knitting
One Year today!
It is a milestone.
It is a marking of the passage of time.
It was a year ago today that I stumbled into the blog world, taking ever decreasing faltering steps, and finding new ways to express myself, through my knitting, photo's and the web.
During that year I have had 356 comments, and since I started counting my traffic, I have had 7,928 visitors.
I started looking back to see how many items of knitting I had blogged about (there have been several unblogged items), and when I got to 7 Hats, 1 cafetiere cozy, 2 curly wurleys, 2 bags, 2 tea-cozy's, 1 winter muff, 4 scarves, 1 wrist warmers, 1 pair gloves, 2 facecloths, 1 pair socks, 1 pair fuzzy feet, 1 pair bootees, 2 pairs of baby socks, and 1 shackle cuff...... .......I stopped.
I had only reached April 06 at this stage, from January 06.
That's 29 items in 4 months.
Wow.
I must take some time to really go through and see what Ive done in the full year.
This year, I'm going to be a bit more selective in what I knit.
I'm going to knit for ME, that's my goal this year.
There are several patterns in the offing that I'm just dying to cast on for.
Some of them are larger items, like the Bridie cardigan from
Anna Bell that I have
swatched for and have sitting waiting for me to start with.
I probably should swatch for that again to make sure my tension is still the same.
(The pattern is not available at the moment on her site, but I have heard that it will be added at some stage soon.)
Some of them are smaller items, from books like Mason Dixon Knitting, Knit 2 Together, and many magazines that I have earmarked patterns as to do's.
Of course, there are always the baby knits, which I will be doing this year again....2 more coming up...and there are items also that I've wanted to knit for people that I will be doing, but I will be focusing on challenging myself a bit more.
If you look at the items I've listed above, they are almost all fast knits, almost instant gratification. I need to start something that I know I'm not going to get finished in a week, or less, that I know that I'll be a bit more challenged to commit myself to.
Of course, this will lead to more boring posts...like- look here's the start of a sleeve...a week later- look here's another part of a sleeve, or if I'm getting it- here's a complete sleeve!
I'm sure that I won't fall back on just having one item on the needles at the one time though, I probably will have that quick knit(s) ongoing at the same time.
Can't see one item only on the needles now, can you?!
Oh, can't forget that I've also learned to spin in that year, bought my spinning wheel and have sold some of my homespun on ebay!
Woohoo!
To celebrate, I'm now going to have a cup of rooibus cirtus tea, from
Suki Tea and then tonight I'm going to join
Holly at her knitting group. See a bit of the world!
Labels: General Ramblings, Knitting, Spinning, Weird and Wonderful
Hat for me Da
This hat was made for my father.
Request came from him, colour also.
Its made in Alpaca and is wonderfully soft yet light and warm.
Fits him like a dream.
I'm also making him some fingerless gloves at the moment, have had a few false starts with them, but currently running as planned.
Labels: Christmas knitting, Knitting
The end of the journey for Budd and mate
Wooohooooo
Managed to get the socks finally finally done, only about 7 months too late eh?
Problems included running out of yarn and not being able to obtain more without actually having to get it ordered in (and yes, springwools had no problem in ordering me in ONE ball of yarn!), and castonitis.
Em, yeah, castonitis, where I get such a thrill of casting on for new projects that everything else is put aside.
Until I find another project to cast on for.
OOps.
well, its done now, and FITS and has been worn, that very day
Labels: Christmas knitting, Knitting
Slouching
A hurried photo taken of the present I made for myself whilst on a flying visit to Clare.
Can you tell that I used the yarn that my secret pal sent me from
Artyarns.?
Its 100% superwash merino wool, 50g=104yards and I probably used about 75g.
Size 6mm and 5.5mm circular needles using magic loop all the way.
No wearing photos, but I love it.
Photographed on a wall beside a very stormy sea in Doonbeg, Co. Clare
Micheal has started calling me the mad hatter....
Labels: Christmas knitting, Knitting
So, I found the most perfect pattern for it, wound up 2 skeins, and off I went.
Presenting, my version of the Anthropologie inspired capelet
I didn't make any changes as such, just knit the body a slight bit longer before I went into the rib and cast off.
This was a very very easy knit, for anyone out there who wants to try knitting something larger than a hat its a very good one to start with.
