Absy's knitting

OMG! So much dust!

2012-01-15T17:58:00.003Z

Hello?! Anyone there?

I didn't realise I hadn't blogged since August! Why did nobody tell me?

Admittedly I'm not crafting as much as I'd like to. I work until 6pm everyday and when I come home I just flump on the sofa. Weekends are mostly devoted to household chores.

Work is good though. I've been promoted and as a result I'm following there move to a town 40km away. I had to buy a car which we got on Friday, on my birthday. The car acquisition went fine but I'm not yet allowed to drive it as I'm not insured with my French driving license. I've requested my Dutch one but it can take 2 to 3 weeks to arrive. I really hope it arrives sooner than 3 weeks. The work move is in 2 weeks!

On to the crafty side of life. The cotton scarf based on the Lacy Baktus is still on the needles and hasn't seen the life of day for a while.

I have a pair of Ampersand socks which I don't think I've showed you all. I'm on the gusset of the second sock.

The only other things on the needles is a Swallowtail shawl in Malabrigo Silky Merino in the Feather Teal colourway that I started just before Christmas. It'll be a gift for my mother-in-law whenever it's ready.

I have a new nephew arriving in February and I'm planning a quilt for him. I've never quilted. I'm not quite sure what I'm doing but I'll give it a go for sure. It's not going to be ready for when the baby arrives because I haven't started it. As a little present in the meantime I'm making a couple a tag blankets for him and his big brother. Here is the first one I made this afternoon.

I saw something similar in the shops for close to 20 euro so I decided to make my own. A couple of cheap towels, some fabric from the stash (this one is from Ikea) and some ribbons and done!

I will try to be better again at blogging. I wish all of you had a good start to the new year.

Holidays are over

2011-08-14T11:18:00.002Z

Today is the last day of my holidays. Tomorrow it's back to work. That said I had a great time on holidays. We went to London for a few days where we visited the Tower of London. It was quite fun and we managed to get there early enough so that we beat the crowds.

We also went to Tate Modern museum. I was a bit disappointed. Modern art can be a bit hit or miss with me and there was more of the miss kind that of the hit kind. The good thing about museums in London is that they are generally free. Oh, and I stumbled on some knitting art. That was a hit, obviously!

We also went for walk in Kensington gardens where we saw the Albert monument and got a good view of the Royal Albert Hall.

I had decided that I wanted to go to Loop. The yarn shops around here are quite disappointing and there were a couple of yarns that I wanted to fondle.

After a while of going back and forth I finally settled on 8 skeins of Quince & co Lark in the Twig colorway to make a cardigan for myself. It's a slightly rosy brown which is just gorgeous.

I also got some buttons to go with the yarn. I wished there was such a yarn shop nearby so I could go there and fondle yarn at my leisure.

While walking down Camden passage I found a petticoat. I was looking for one to go with the dress for the wedding I'm attending soon. I just saw it hanging from the outside of the shop. So I bought it. Here's the fabric I'm going to use for the dress.

While in London, I also went to Waterstones and was really reasonable. I only bought another New Covent Garden Soup Company recipe book, a recipe book of scones (my bf really wanted scones) and a knitting book. It's Knitalong. It's not only a pattern book but the stories in it are really good so I'm glad I got it.

After London we went for a few days to visit my parents and packed some more stuff to bring here. We couldn't bring much but my sewing machine finally made the trip. I'm just so happy to have it again. We couldn't bring the case though so I'll have to sew one myself.

I also found some of my knitting mojo back and started knitting a rectangular version on the Lacy Baktus using the second ball of Color Changing Cotton.

It's a Sinterklaas/Christmas present for my sister-in-law. It knits up nice and quickly and I still have a few months to go.

I'm hoping to be a better blogger now that I have my sewing machine back and that my knitting mojo seems to be back too.

I am a bad blogger!

2011-08-01T15:23:00.003Z

I'm going on holidays for a week from tomorrow and I realise what a terrible blogger I've been lately. My knitting mojo as disappeared a bit and I hope it will pick up again soon. I've taken two new projects with me: a rectangular version of the lacy baktus and some Ampersand socks.

The sewing of my friend's bridesmaid's dress as taken a lot of my time. It is well on track. The two skirts layers are built and the bodice is built. I just need to make the fiddly sleeves and finish assembling. My own dress for the wedding is not at all started but I'm not fretting.

Work still tires me a lot. It's not a difficult job per se (customer service by email) but it is draining mentally because, let's be honest, some people are stupid and some are pig-headed and some are even insulting. It's so nice when we get a nice email that we generally read it aloud to the whole team. My job will be moving locations in January and I'm not following them. The new location is about 50km away and that's a bit much for that kind of job. So I'll be job hunting again come September. I had hoped I'd get at least a year or two before starting again.

In good news I got a really nice package for the FoPASS swap. When I opened it, the first thing I saw was the bunny nugget!

The rest of the package was equally gorgeous.

I posted my next parcel this morning.

I'll see you all back after my holidays hopefully with more blogging!

Let's play catch up!

2011-06-20T07:18:00.002Z

I have been a really bag blogger lately. I'm finding it harder and harder to combine studying Dutch, working and taking care of the household. Luckily the studying is almost finished so then I'll only have work and home to juggle and that should me manageable.

I did finish some knitting recently and I'm counting then towards the Knit Girllls' Stash Dash. (You have to knit 5k until mid-August or so.) I'm well on my way for that.

The first project to count was a little Panda bear for a friend. I didn't have a panda pattern so I adapted Otto by Ysolda Teague. I'm still not convinced that it looks like a panda but my friend loves it and that's what counts>

The second project is the Commission Hidcote Garden Shawl. It is beautiful and ginormous! It's 200cm across and 123cm down the spine. I just need to pack it up and send it to its new owner. It was a real pleasure to knit it.

The final project I've completed is my Citron. That thing had been on my needles for 5 months and it was sucking the life out of me! I had intended to add more sections but I finally decided against it. I finished the edging (2 rows short) and barely started the second ball. It looks lovely but I don't want to even have to knit another one of those! It is not blocked and I don't intend to block it.

The next project that'll be on my needles is going to be a Crown Prince Square Shawl as a wedding present for a friend.

Is anyone still out there?

2011-05-08T13:24:00.002Z

I know, shame on me for not posting in over a month! One of the reasons is that I'm still finding it a bit difficult to adjust to the new work rhythm and when I get home from work my brain has generally turned to mush from answering emails from customers all day.

Knitting is still happening albeit slowly. I'm still working on the commission shawl. The rows are long and I started beading the last section, which doesn't help with the speed.

This thing is going to be huge once blocked. I think I'll need to buy a second set of foam tiles!

I just realised that I never showed you the little reversible toy that I knitted for Easter. It's a pattern by Susan B. Anderson and was a lot of fun to knit.

I made some modifications to the patternn, mainly to avoid seaming. So I knit the body in one piece and picked up stitches for the feet of the duck and ears of the bunny. The only things that I seamed were the heads. I'd really like to find a good video demonstrating whipstitching elements of a knitted toy as I'm completely clueless when it comes to that.

Finally, I finished my FoPASS square for this month but I can't show it to you all. It's a surprise. Plus, it's not blocked. I'm waiting for the kitchen floor to finish drying so that I can get it to soak.

This post contains good news!

2011-03-29T14:59:00.002Z

First off, yesterday I had a Dutch language test following the intermediate course to check that I could now follow the advanced course. I got the results by email today and I aced it! Top marks for all 4 areas of testing (reading, writing, listening and speaking).

The second good piece of news I got today is that I have a job! A few weeks back I went to a temp agency to see if they had anything that could be suitable for me. The lady said she'd enquire around and would let me know. The next day she called and said she had something and would send my CV to the company. Following that I had an interview 2 weeks ago and got a call today that I have the job!

It's a customer service representative job, in French and all by emails, so it's really good for me who don't like phones! I'll be doing 20 hours a week until my course is finished and will probably go full time after that.

My bf just went out again to buy some celebratory cake or snack. We'll see what he brings back.

A little update on the commission piece I'm knitting. I'm chart 5, the last of the wild flower part and have less than 10 rows to do on that and then I'll be on the more geometric part.

My commissioner wants some beading so I went and bought a few samples to try out. I knitted a swatch so that she could see the different beads in context.

From top to bottom: matte red beads (slightly too big), silver lined clear red beads, AB coated red beads and silver lined clear beads.

My favourites are the clear red beads and the AB coated ones. My bf's favourites are the clear red ones and those are the ones that my commissioner chose. They look really lovely. They are the smallest and most fiddly to bead on though! ;) I'll soon be doing some calculations to see how much I need to buy. I reckon that I still need about 1000 beads even though I'm only beading the last pattern.

LAMMIES!

2011-03-25T10:39:00.002Z

After reading in the newspaper that the local petting zoo had new born lambs, I just couldn't resist and had to pay them a visit.

They are so small and cute! I think I must be the only adult without a child in tow that visit petting zoos that often.

Of course I didn't only pay a visit to the lambs, I visited all the animals!

A craft cabinet and some knitting progress

2011-03-21T14:59:00.002Z

Last weekend we went to Ikea (for what I hope is the last time in a while) and we got the last big piece of furniture. I'm really happy because it's MY craft drawer cabinet. It's the Malm cabinet in the white stained oak colour.

Please excuse the mess on top right now. It's only temporary while my bf sorts out his papers. Eventually there will be my sewing machine there. I'm also hoping for shelves on the wall above to house pattern books or sewing patterns.

Here's the current content of my drawers. Only 4 are occupied, the rest will house sewing supplies and other crafts supplies:

From top left to bottom right: knitting and spinning notions; beautiful yarns; other yarns, leftovers and bits and bobs; what will be the sewing notion drawer now housing bits and bobs.

On the commission knitting front, we are seeing definite progress. I started last Monday (I think) on 4mm needles but I wasn't very happy with the fabric I was getting. It was too loose.

So I ripped it out and started again on 3.5mm needles. I am much more happy with the result so far. The fabric is denser but it will grow beautifully when blocked.

I'm on chart 4 out of 5 for the first pattern which looks like a bed of wild flowers. There are 10 charts in total.

Lace really looks like nothing until it's blocked!

Commission work

2011-03-14T16:46:00.003Z

I've taken up a commission work on Ravelry from the Will Work For Yarn Swap Group. Lucybeth posted that she wanted somebody to knit her a shawl out of Wollmeise and the yarn to be earned was some more Wollmeise.

I jumped on the occassion! Literally. I have never worked with Wollmeise so that was a chance for me to work with it AND to have some in my stash! Plus, I love knitting lace shawls but my bf kinda thinks that a girl can have enough shawls. We will brush over the fact that he is very wrong of course.

So I made a selection of shawls that I'd be happy to knit for her and she chose Hidcote Garden by Miriam Felton (I love her designs). I will add some beads to the last chart. She sent me a skein of Wollmeise lace in the Rosenrot colourway and it's just gorgeous. Deep and lighter reds. It's going to be a really pretty shawl. Please excuse the pictures, they don't do the colour justice. Reds are really tricky to photograph.

Now, you have to know that that skein is 300g! That in itself is huge. It is more than 1500m. The yarn is called a laceweight but to me it looks more like a light or very light fingering weight. For comparison, here's a picture of the Wollmeise next to some J. Knits lace-a-licious. The J. Knits is 100g and 1000m. See what I mean about the weight of the Wollmeise?

After squeeshing the skein for a while I had to wind it. Remember my move? Yes, both swift and ballwinder are still in France. The ballwinder wouldn't have been much use as it can only take 100g of yarn or so and I wanted to keep the skein intact. The swift would have been really nice though as I settle to handwind the yarn. Yes, you heard me! I handwound that huge skein. I think it took me shy of 2 hours in 2 sessions. Luckily, the legs of an upturned chair are the good size to hold the yarn.

It was tiring but it was far from an unpleasant experience to wind all that yarn. There wasn't a single knot in the skein and no tangle.

The result of the winding is a giant ball of yarn that is almost as big as my head and now I'll have the pleasure to knit with it.

FO: Norwegian Rose Socks

2011-03-06T17:30:00.003Z

They're done! I'm so happy with how they turned out. The second one went more slowly but only because I devoted less time to it!

Proof is that they can go really fast if you work on them is that this morning I powered through most of the leg. I was just a few rounds pas the heel when I picked it up.

Next I need to finish the Citron. After that I think I'll start my bf's sweater that I promised him years ago and for which I have the yarn and I'll have a commission work too for a Hidcote Garden in Wollmeise. I'll talk about that more when all the details are finalised.

Special mention

2011-02-27T16:26:00.002Z

Kate mentioned to me yesterday that I was blog of the week over on the Simply Knitting website. So I rushed over and indeed I was!

I was really chuffed when I read the article. I make that my claim to fame! ;)

So I'd like to welcome all the new readers who come here through the article! Don't be a stranger and say hi!

Kiddies!

2011-02-24T15:31:00.002Z

Well my kiddies are only soft toys but still, they can get into awkward situations. You all know Sam my little gay giraffe. Here's where I found him when I got back from my Dutch class.

And Atlas got comfy on my spinning fiber!

I was in danger of losing my knitting mojo with the Citron so I put it aside and picked up the Norwegian Rose Socks again. I knitted the toe in no time and I've almost finished the first repeat of the rose chart. Colourwork can be so addictive! I have trouble putting it down.

Crazy trip!

2011-02-20T12:03:00.003Z

I think with my bf we're slightly crazy people. On Friday we crossed the country by train to go to another Ikea because they had stuff in stock that the closer one didn't have.

View Larger Map

We did get most of what we wanted so that's good. It means the house gets closer to being finished.

Before we went to Ikea we walked through the city centre of Haarlem and hit a yarn shop! I had noted that there was a shop with a really good selection of yarns there. The shop is called Wol!. It's all small and cute and I got to pet yarns that I had seen online but never got a chance to see in real life before.

I'm not really supposed to buy yarns but I couldn't resist. The decision of what to get was hard. Really hard with so many beauties.

I finally settle on a skein of Natural Dye Studio Dazzle HT in pink and lime green. I'm not sure what it will become but I just loved the colours together.

The second skein I got is some Manos del Uruguay Silk Blend in a gorgeous coppery colour. I would have loved to buy more to make something bigger but I couldn't justify the price. I think I'll make an Ishbel with it.

Spring is on its way

2011-02-17T15:50:00.002Z

There is definitely a feeling of spring in the air. Granted it's still chilly and it's only mid-February, but the days are getting longer and the sun is shining again. So this afternoon I decided to cycle to the park nearby and pay a visit to the petting zoo. I love petting zoos, they are so much fun!

The light was superb to take pictures but still the animals move a bit too much sometimes! I think my favourite picture of the day is the following one. The sheep seems to say: "What do you want!" But he was such a pretty colour, I couldn't resist!

I couldn't resist the fuzzy donkey ears! I love donkeys, they always look so sweet.

I do have some knitting progress! It's on the citron. I have 6 rows left before I finish the 5th section.

I plan on adding a 6th section because I have enough yarn I think. In any case I have a second ball of this yarn so all should be fine. It's just my patience which is tested.

Before I knit the 6th section and the border I'll go back to the Norwegian Rose socks and knit the second one. Maybe I'll find some of my mojo back then!

FO: Ene's Scarf

2011-02-14T18:13:00.002Z

There is one project that I finished in January but didn't share with you. It's an Ene's Scarf.

I couldn't share it with you all yet because it was a gift for Kate and I know she reads the blog!

The yarn used is KnitPicks Shadow in the colourway Sunset. The yarn was really nice to use. The knitting itself was quite long as you start from the bottom edge so have to cast on a mere 375 stitches!

The centre panel is a little bit boring to knit but you have the pleasure of having shorter and shorter rows all the time. The result is quite effective though so I'm happy I did it.

The size after blocking was 31.5" x 57.5". It probably could have been blocked a little larger but my blocking board wasn't big enough.

I'm happy to say that she received the shawl today and is already fully enjoying it!

This and that

2011-02-10T17:51:00.003Z

First off, the Citron is progressing. I forgot to take pics but I'm in the 5th section and hoping to add a 6th. I'm also starting to see some pink in the yarn.

I picked up my spindle! After months of not touching it I took it out for a spin and it feels good.
Last weekend we went by my bf's late grandparents' house as his father wanted to get some stuff and as we rummaged through the kitchen cupboards we found a cute little vase so I got it. I decided that it would hold my current spinning project. I put it in plain view across from the couch so that I don't forget it. Plus, it looks pretty!

In other spinning news, I might be getting a wheel. My bf's grandfather had made some wheels. We saw one in the shed last weekend. It's dark wood and quite big and would need a lot of work before anyone can use it. Another one is at my bf's parents' house. Apparently it's lighter wood and smaller and in better condition. So I'll have a look at that one.

I've never spun on a wheel or even seen anybody spin on a wheel so that's going to be a challenge. Fortunately, my bf's other grandmother, who is still alive, is very crafty and knows how to spin! So I'll take advantage of that and hopefully learn a bit from her. I'll keep you updated on how that goes.

I find it very interesting and moving to get craft passed down to me from other generations! My own grandmother was very crafty and I think that rubbed on me a little (my sister got our grandfather's science-mindedness) and I'm very proud of that.

Yesterday, I finally checked out the arts and crafts store in town and it's actually quite good. It's definitely more oriented towards arts (painting, sculpting...) but they have a more than decent bead section and a quite decent yarn section. The yarn section is nothing fancy but good for basic yarns.

I got myself 3 balls of fingering weight yarn (75% superwash wool, 25% nylon if I remember correctly) to make Fiddleheads mittens. I know the pattern calls for heavier yarn, but I'll just make it work. ;)

They also had some acrylic, 100% superwash wool in DK and Aran weight (good for those afghan squares as a replacement for Cascade 220), some angora mix I think, quite a bit of cotton and some bouclé yarns. So all in all not too bad for basics.

On a final side note, I'm playing around with the blog layout again (I can be restless with that sometimes). You may notice at the top under the image some pages appeared. There you can keep track of my WIPs, FOs and a special page for my patterns (I'm hoping to do a little bit more of designing this year). I'm still figuring out links and stuff so bear with me!

If you have any ideas, suggestions, requests on how you'd like the blog laid out, just let me know! I'm definitely open to suggestions.

Norwegian Rose Socks

2011-01-30T12:01:00.002Z

Those are going so fast! I finished the first one in less than a week.

I decided to do a full gusset heel instead of the short row + mini flap from the pattern because it just didn't fit me. I'm very happy with the heel now. I could have done 1 or 2 less increase rounds in retrospect but it's not too bad.

I haven't started the second one because these socks were going to be a relieving project while I'm working on the cotton Citron but if I finish the pair then I have no relief! So I picked up the citron again. I'm more than midway through section 4 and I expect to do 1, hopefully 2 more sections than the prescribed 5. We'll see about that after I finished section 5.

The one with some knitting content

2011-01-20T15:09:00.002Z

I'm still knitting. In fact I have finished 2 things since the new year began. The Holidazed socks are done and have been for a couple of weeks now. I don't have a photo of both socks together though.

I also finished a lace shawl but I can't show it to you as a) it's unblocked and we all know unblocked lace looks crap and b) it's a gift for someone who may be reading my blog and we don't want to spoil a surprise, do we? ;)

I do have something I can show you. A few days ago I cast on a Citron using some Color Changing Cotton.

The yarn is nice enough to work with even though it's an unplyed yarn. It's just 4 strands of cotton next to each other. But it's cotton so it's tiring to work with. At first I thought I could do 1 section a day but it's not going to happen.

So to take my hands off the cotton, I've decided to cast on for the Norwegian Rose Socks using some Clan yarn.

The problem? My swift and ball winder are still in France so I have to hand wind the yarn.

In other news I turned 30 a week ago. I didn't have a party or anything. I just baked a cake (chocolate and ginger) and ate it all! Well almost, we put some in the freezer.

And here's the bouquet my MIL gave me when I saw her a few days later. It complements our red curtains really well! ;)

First 1/2 FO of the year

2011-01-04T15:51:00.002Z

I think it's a good start for the year as I finished my first sock. Not a pair, just one sock. It's still a good start.

The pattern is Holidazed by Anne Hanson. The yarn is Rico Design Superba Santa Fé in the very imaginative 001 colourway.

The pattern goes really fast and is more interesting than plain vanilla socks.

Of course the year would start even better if I didn't have a cold. Yesterday was the worse and my bf brought me a bunch of flowers. That was so sweet!

Happy New Year for 2011!

2011-01-02T14:10:00.003Z

Happy New Year everybody!

Let's have a little look back at 2010. I completed 24 projects, some quite large as I completed 2 blankets.

All this amount to 9003.2 yards. I'm quite happy with that result. I still have a couple of leftover WIPs to complete but I managed to significantly reduce that amount.

I can't wait to see what 2011 has in stock for me!

Fresh news!

2010-12-21T15:42:00.002Z

And by fresh I mean cold, really cold!

We finally have the internet in the flat and it's nice to be able to connect with the outside world again!

Here are a few pictures of the new house. We are still lacking some furniture and the office is still called the 'disaster room' but we're slowly getting there and it feels more and more like home.

The weather here has been cold and snowy as proven by the pictures below:

I'm taking the intermediate Dutch language course at university in January. I took a test because the lady who did my intake wasn't sure I could do intermediate and I scored ace grades, even in speaking and writing!

Sam is getting really comfortable in the new house!

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year!

Still no Internet!

2010-12-05T10:43:00.001Z

I successfully moved to the Netherlands. Well, most of my stuff is still in France but that's ok. I'm settling in and now we even have some furniture. When I arrived we only had a couch, a bed, a desk that served as a table, two chairs and the kitchen had just been installed.

Now we have a real table, 4 chairs, some cupboards have been built and I have a comfy chair to read and knit in!

The weather here is currently cold and snowy and I'm very glad I managed to pack my Malabrigo blanket with me!

As I said in the title we still don't have Internet and I don't expect that we'll have it before the end of the year (we're having some technical difficulties). I'm taking advantage that we are at my bf's parents to post this post, download some videocasts (I'm behind with the Knit Girllls and Round the Twist!). I hope I'll be able to catch up with all of you soon!

Happy Sinterklaas to you all!

Big move

2010-11-18T17:59:00.003Z

I am moving to the Netherlands on Saturday by train and I'm mostly packed. Well for what I can take anyway. I've packed some knitting but I can't remember what so it'll be a surprise. The rest of my stuff will move little by little.

If you don't see me around anywhere for a little while it's because we don't have the internet yet at home. Feel free to comment on the blog, send me an email and I'll read everything eventually.

Have fun knitting, sewing, reading, eating...

FO: Socktober socks

2010-11-11T14:05:00.003Z

Wow, I'm really on a roll! 2 posts today and 2 FOs. You see weeks without finishing anything and BAM! Suddenly you're finishing everything. The only 'active' WIPs I have left on the needles are the February Lady Sweater, Featherweight cardi and Clapotis. Funnily, all three out of Malabrigo.

Anyway, back to the socks. The pattern was the mystery KAL from Through the Loops.

I knit it out of Zauberball in the Tropical Fish colourway. The yarn is quite nice if a bit splitty. It's a single ply so I think they'll be house socks. I'd fear to wear through them too quickly otherwise.

I did a horrible job on the second sock. First when I picked up the gusset something went wrong and it doesn't look pretty. Secondly after I decreased for the gusset I realised too late that I had decreased too much. The sock is 64 stitches and I forgot that so I decreased to 30 instead of 32. When I realised I quickly added a couple of stitches on each side to make up for it before thinking that it didn't really matter, that I would just have to remember that for the toe decrease and only decrease on the top of the foot on the first round. Oh well, you live and learn.

It's also a good thing I don't care if my socks match or not because I wouldn't have been able to make them match, even if I had wanted to. As you can see the left sock, which is the second I knitted, is completely lacking the thick bright red stripe.

FO: Mum's Christmas present

2010-11-11T11:48:00.002Z

I finished knitting my mum's Christmas present. It's a simple 2x2 ribbed scarf using some bouclé yarn that was in my stash. The yarn is called Alpaga from Filatures du Valgaudemar. It's an alpaca/wool/nylon blend. It would have been a more enjoyable knit if it hadn't been bouclé!

The colour is a deep caribbean blue that is why I called the scarf Christmas in the Caribbeans. I'll add to the present a shawl pin from the same seller I got mine.

Results of the public consultation

2010-11-10T16:28:00.002Z

Here are the results of the public vote for what I take with me! It was really fun to see them coming in through the google form.

7 Veyla
7 Firebird
7 Featherweight Cardigan
6 Brilliance Pullover
6 Kai-Mei
5 Holding Hands Feeding Ducks
5 Swallowtail
5 Laminaria
5 Transition gloves
5 Manly Maze
5 February Lady Sweater
4 Clothilde
4 Citron
3 Japanese Feather and Fan shawl
3 Marina
3 Norwegian Rose Socks
3 Lace Tam
3 Ene's Scarf
3 Cotton Reel Mittens
2 Crown Prince Square Shawl
2 Bonsaï
2 Clapotis
1 Subtle Twist Hat
1 Little Valentine
1 Piper
1 Conwy
1 Miralda's Triangular Shawl

However, I probably won't take the first 10 in the listing as I have some knitting priorities. I'll let you know when I've come to that part of the packing.

FO: Mittens and a bag

2010-11-09T15:24:00.003Z

I finally finished my pair of Cotton Reel Mittens made with some Yarn Yard Clan that were part of the club.

I love the pattern and I love the colours. They were a quick knit. That's when you actually work on them because the first one was done in January!

This leads us to a cautionary tale. Don't leave 10 months between knitting 2 stranded mittens. Or, like me you'll end up with a mitten noticeably bigger than the other! Both in width and length.

Several things can have occured. My gauge or the way I'm knitting might have changed over time. Or I switched which yarn was in which hand. All of that can have an impact on gauge. Oh well. I still love them. I did block the second (left) mittens twice because after the first blocking it was huge around the fingers! I still like the fit of the right mitten best but it's ok. They are my first stranded mittens and that'll teach me for not finishing the second one straight away.

Also, thank god for Ravelry because I knew I had made modifications on the first mitten and luckily I had noted them on my Ravelry project page! I lengthened the fingers (10 rows) because I have really long fingers but a narrow hand and I also cast on more stitches (17 instead of 13) for the thumbs otherwise I was running the risk of losing them!

My other FO of the week is a sewing project. It's a drawstring bag for my dance club so that they can store and transport their music thingy in it.

I used some heavy home dec fabric and interfaced it with heavy interfacing but not too heavy. I was pleasantly surprised by how well my sewing machine acted with very thick fabric. I think at one point I had up to 7 layers and it went a charm. I think I could have used slightly lighter weight fabric for the inside and if I had wanted to make it even more sturdy I would have cut some cardboard and placed it at the bottom.

There are things I could have done better but it's still a fine bag. And I just love the fabrics.

I used this tutorial for a bagsket as a reference. And I also used this other tutorial. The internet is a wonderful place!

And the winner of the 2nd competition is...

2010-11-08T09:52:00.004Z

And number 4 is Tinneke! Congratulations! I'll contact you for your address and your copy of Brave New Knits will be in the post this week.

And because I like winners I decided to allocate the copy of Yarn Forward magazine to a second winner.

And number 8 is AisforAmy! Congratulations to you too!

I loved reading your answers and I'll make a separate blogpost about that.

2 days left!

2010-11-06T12:03:00.002Z

Just a little reminder that you have until Sunday evening to take part in my competition to get a chance to win a copy of Brave New Knits!

ARRGGGHHH!

2010-11-02T16:16:00.002Z

Yesterday I picked up the Cotton Reel Mittens because there really was no reason why I didn't finish them 10 months ago. The first one was done in a day or two.

Today I was on the finger decreases and noticed something wasn't adding up. Yup. I didn't put the side stitch in the right place on one side. RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING. There is nothing else but frog it.

FO: Lenina hat

2010-11-01T16:16:00.004Z

After going back and forth between it's going to be too small or too big, it finally came out perfect!

It's knitted in Yarn Love Anne Shirley in the Ancient Forest colourway. I couldn't be any happier about the match between colour and pattern. The pattern suggest a little crochet border to finish off the bottom but I decided against it. Mainly because I'm too lazy.

Blocking did all the difference. Yesterday I was still wondering if I would put plan B into action as I was finding it a bit short. Plan B was to pick up stitches all around the bottom and knit some ribbing that could then be turned over. I might still do that for a later hat because I like the idea. I used a lightly blown up balloon so that it wouldn't stretch width-wise and could dangle down and lenthen. Blocking also did a great difference for the crown and evened out the seams. The picture on the right is pre-blocking and on the left is post-blocking.

Forgot to say

2010-10-31T16:26:00.001Z

The competition will run until Sunday November, 7!

2nd competition - Choose what I take with me!

2010-10-31T12:20:00.011Z

Thank you to all who took part in my 1st competition. Here's the second. The prize is a copy of Brave New Knits and a copy of issue 27 of Yarn Forward magazine.

In my Ravelry queue I have a category of projects for which I have planned the yarn and I also have a number of WIPs. I am moving to the Netherlands in less than a month by train so I can't take everything with me at once, meaning I can't have all my stash and books with me. To win, you'll have to fill this little questionnaire telling me which 10 projects you'd take with you if you were moving and couldn't take all your stash at once. The competition is open to everyone, I will post the prize worldwide.

To help you, here's a recap of the yarns and projects (links to patterns are to Ravelry), they are also on my rav page.

Subtle Twist Hat made with some pink handspun.
Veyla made with Indiecita Baby Alpaca in green
Firebird made with Koigu KPPPM in grey and red
Little Valentine made with Malabrigo Lace in Amaroso
Holding Hands Feeding Ducks made with Malabrigo Worsted in Feliz Navidad
Clothilde made with Malabrigo Silky in Teal Feather
Swallowtail made with Malabrigo Silky Merino in Ankara Green
Laminaria made with Baruffa Cashwool in Olive
Transition gloves made with Shibui Knits in Dragonfly and Bark
Japanese Feather and Fan shawl made with Colourmart Extra Fine Merino in Peacock
Manly Maze made with Hempton in Pewter and Garnet
Brilliance Pullover made with Malabrigo Worsted in Lettuce
Piper made with Cascade 220 in orange and some other leftover Cascade 220
Citron made with Wolle's Yarn Creations Colour Changing Cotton in Sorbet
Marina made with the Yarn Yarn Cairn in blue
Norwegian Rose Socks made with the Yarn Yard Clan in Dog Rose and Lamb's Ear
Lace Tam made with Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Solid in a greenish grey
Crown Prince Square Shawl made with Colourmart Extra Fine Merino in Greengage
Ene's Scarf made with J. Knits Lace-a-Licious in Indiana
Bonsaï made with Lotus Yarns Nirvana in Hydroponic
Kai-Mei made with Malabrigo Sock in Tiziano Red
Selkie made with Schoppel-Wolle Zauberball in Stone Washed
Conwy made with Lotus Yarns Nirvana in Miss World
Hearts & Flowers Socks made with Dream in Color Smooshy in Cloud Jungle
Miralda's Triangular Shawl made in Knit Picks Shadow in Sunset
Featherweight Cardigan made with Malabrigo Lace in Cognac (WIP)
Cotton Reel Mittens made with the Yarn Yarn Clan in Conkers inside and outside (WIP)
February Lady Sweater made with Malabrigo Worsted in Burgundy (WIP)
Clapotis made with Malabrigo Lace in Cuarenta (WIP)

Favourite things

2010-10-30T13:38:00.006Z

First of all, I had packages for some of you to post. They're not posted yet but they're ready to go on Tuesday. I couldn't go to the PO this week. Then, I know I said the next competition would be posted later this week, it'll probably be posted tomorrow. Again, I didn't find the time this week.

Today I want to share with you some favourite things.

I have recently discovered the joys of watching videocasts while knitting. The first one I started to watch is The Knit Girllls with Leslie and Laura. Those two are really funny and I like the fact that they knit during the podcast. It makes me feel like I have my own personal knit group right here in my bedroom. I'm working my way backwards and I'll probably work my way upwards afterwards.

The second podcast I'm watching is Round the Twist. The format is much shorter with 10 minute episodes. She's moving from youtube to Blip tv and itunes so maybe the episodes will be longer as she doesn't have to time herself so tightly. For that one I'm working my way upwards so I haven't caught up with the most recent episodes.

If you have videocasts that you like, knitting or not knitting, don't hesitate to tell me. They're a fun way to watch something while knitting.

Two other favourite things. First I received a pattern I had ordered from Blue Moon Fiber Arts. It's the Holidazed pattern. I bought this pattern because of Carin from the Round the Twist podcast. She was knitting this pattern and I had to have it! I was very impressed with the service from Blue Moon Fiber Arts. The pattern arrived in 5 days! The only thing I'd like is that they offer digital versions. It's nice to have printed versions but I like digital versions. Especially if like me you are moving to a whole other country and can't move everything at once. With digital, I have it right here in my computer. But it's only a minor complaint. I'll definitely be ordering from them again and try their yarns.

The other favourite thing is my new shawl pin!

It's from the Nicholas and Felice Etsy shop and I just love their designs. Again, it's Carin's fault as she was wearing one on one of the videocasts and I was admiring it too much. I also had great service from them. It was posted on Monday and it arrived this morning. I'll definitely use them again as well.

Finally I have some FOs or semi FOs to share with you!

I knitted a Scroll Lace Scarf by Ysolda Teague using some Rowan Tapestry that Melissa sent me as part of my FoPASS package. The pattern was easy and quick. The yarn was nice. I changed the top edging a little. I did 6 rows of garter stitch instead of the picot edge the pattern called for. After blocking it definitely helps with the scarf laying flat.

The other FO, rather semi FO is my TTL Mystery sock 2010. The final clue was released yesterday and I finished the first sock. I still have one sock to go.

I made some minor modifications but only to fit my feet better. I used some Schoppel-Wolle Zauberball in a rainbow colourway. Part of the pattern is obscured by the dark blue but it might show better on the second sock.

What I like about the Kirsten Kapur's mystery sock patterns is that they are interesting yet not too difficult. I think on the whole I prefered last year's sock better. Not because of the results, I like them both, but as a mystery sock process. I liked both cuffs and legs but this year's foot was straight off the same pattern as for the leg whereas last year it twisted round the foot. I know that it's difficult to come up with patterns that would work for mystery knitting and as I said I like the end result, only the process was a tiny little bit less fun that last year. That won't prevent me in joining again next year because I'll want to find out what Kirsten has in store for us!

Random yarn in the mail

2010-10-25T19:41:00.002Z

Today I received what I thought was a random yarn of ball. It's just a standard ball of sock yarn, like Opal or Regia by some random German yarn company. The parcel also included an easy sock pattern and a set of 2.5mm DPNs. I finally realised it was the gift for renewing my subscription to Yarn Forward. That was quite nice!

Adventure of a skirt

2010-10-24T15:46:00.005Z

Yesterday I bought some new clothes and among the new clothes came home with me a skirt.

It's lovely and fits me great. However I didn't like the waistband.

It's one of those high waistbands with a thick belt in the middle. I love the thick belt. I didn't like the fact that the waistband was coming higher than the belt. It just didn't sit right on my body. So I decided to change that. It wasn't an expensive skirt and it was on sale so I had no problems making changes.

I took my seam ripper and a pair of scissors and unpicked the waist facing and the zipper.

I shortened a new zipper as I didn't have one the right length (I was lucky to actually have a black one!).

I hemmed the top of the waistband as it was poorly finished to start with.

I inserted the new zipper and I'm quite happy about how it turned out. The original one was an invisible one and the new one isn't so I wasn't sure how well it would work.

I tacked everything done and I now have a skirt that fits me and that I like better than before!

I even went as far as to sew in the brand and size label!

Lenina hat

2010-10-19T20:34:00.004Z

So I started a new project. What with the cold arriving I decided I needed a new hat and the Lenina hat has been calling my name since I received my copy of Brave New Knits!

The pattern was one of the ones I was asking people to pick up yarns for for the 1 per Book challenge. Ilina mentioned using some Yarn Love Anne Shirley in the Ancient Forest colourway I had in my stash. The yarn has been sitting there for a while. It was a single skein and very beautiful but I didn't know what to do with it. As soon as I saw Ilina mention it I knew it'd be perfect. And it is!

So I started it. I measured my head and it would fit the size M. I didn't swatch because it's a hat! If it doesn't fit I'll just rip back. I started the size M. Knit most of one wedge and tried it on against my head. I feared it'd be a bit long. (I don't like my hats too long because they just have a tendency to pop up my head.) So I ripped it and cast on the small size. I knit 1 wedge and tried it against my head and I fear this one would be a bit short!

What I think I'll do is rip back again. Cast on the M size again but with smaller needles. I'm currently using 4.5mm so I'll use 4mm and see how that goes. Do you think it's a good idea?

And the winner is ...

2010-10-18T07:26:00.004Z

And number 2 is Karen/Rohanknitter! Congratulations! I'll contact you shortly for you details. Thank you all for taking part.

The next competition will be up later this week and it's for a chance to win a copy of Brave New Knits!

Extending the deadline

2010-10-10T13:20:00.003Z

I have decided to extend the deadline for my competition to Tuesday 6pm (French time). That leaves you all a little more time to ponder on those answers. Don't hesitate to spread the word either!

1st Competition - 1 per Book Challenge

2010-10-03T19:37:00.004Z

*DEADLINE EXTENDED TO TUESDAY 6pm (FRENCH TIME)*

As I said in a previous posts, I have some knitting books in duplicate so I'm giving you a chance to win them.

Today's prize is a copy of Reversible Knitting. The competition is open to anyone, anywhere in the world and will run until ~~Sunday October, 10~~ Tuesday October, 12. I will use a random generator to draw a name.

Before I explain how to enter, let me give you some background to the title of the competition, 1 per Book Challenge.

I have accumulated a number of knitting books and realised I haven't knitted from many of them. To justify having them I decided to select 1 pattern from each book that I would add to my Ravelry queue.

Here's the list with Ravelry links (not necessarily in the order I want to knit them):

And now, here's how you can help me. I've created a google questionnaire for you to fill. Help me match the projects with a yarn and a colour. You can choose the yarn from my Ravelry stash or choose any other yarn.

Good luck to everybody!

Oh I forgot

2010-09-20T20:29:00.002Z

If anybody fancy driving to France and then driving to the Netherlands with a car full of my junk, they can get all the prizes and my eternal gratitude! ;)

Yes, I'm still at a loss on how to move my stuff from France to the Netherlands

Competitions a-plenty

2010-09-20T08:51:00.003Z

Hello everyone!

I seem to be the queen of duplicates! Seriously I have duplicate DVDs and duplicate books, it's just not funny anymore.

As you may know I am moving abroad in a couple of months and I can't afford to drag behind me duplicates. So I'll be hosting some competitions right here on my blog. There won't be any location restriction, you can live anywhere in the world, but there might be some other restrictions namely the DVDs are region 2 encoded so you need to be able to read them on your DVD player.

Here are the prizes so far (I might find more while I pack): 1 copy of Reversible Knitting, 1 copy of Brave New Knits, 1 issue of Yarn Forward magazine, 1 copy of Sweet Sixteen (DVD) and 1 copy of Little Miss Sunshine (DVD).

Stay tuned for the competitions and spread the word!

Dreamcatcher blanket

2010-09-11T11:50:00.005Z

A while ago I started knitting this blanket from the Dreamcatcher pattern. I decided to choose 8 colours and knit 7 patterns in each colour (I picked up another pattern for number 7). I slogged and slogged hoping to have it done before my nephew was born. That didn't work out but the other day I finally cast off the last square!

Yesterday I laid out all the squares and started working out the arrangement. The blanket will be a monster! It's about 42"x45" unsewn, unblocked and without a border. It's taking up most of my floorspace in my bedroom. This morning I came up with something I liked.

Now I just have to sew everything together!

In other news, my tangled handspun single has been untangled. There's a group on Ravelry with people willing to tackle other people's mess. A kind Dutch girl did mine for me! Thank you very much.

It went from this:

To this:

It's like a miracle, she didn't even have to cut any!

Finally, last weekend I tackle my stash for some reorganization. So I'm presenting you my stash!

A rainbow of laceweight yarns:

A rainbow of Clan yarn from the Yarn Yard club (aren't they so pretty all together?):

A rainbow of sock yarn (not all are destined to be socks) and the multicolour sock yarns;

I'm still alive (somewhat)

2010-09-03T15:56:00.004Z

Following my return to work, life has been pretty busy. Working in a school the beginning of the new year is always really busy, no change there. But this year the school hired a new girl to replace one who left in Spring and even though she had worked in a school before she still has plenty to learn. She's really nice and we get on really well so it's all good if a bit tiring to train her.

Lately, I've also felt quite overwhelmed by the prospect of moving to the Netherlands. I'm thrilled to finally move in with my bf but the actual moving part is quite daunting.

So adding the busy work and the moving stress, knitting hasn't happened much (or spinning or reading). I'd like to finish the baby blanket before I move so that I can send it to the recipient.

I hope to be able to come back soon and share with you some knitting and some packing progress.

Back home

2010-08-14T17:09:00.005Z

I arrived back home earlier today. I'm a bit sad because I had to leave my bf but the next time I go to the Netherlands it'll be for good! After we got the keys to the house we made a start on the work. We starting removing the wallpaper. There was up to 5 layers of different wallpapers on the walls! It was madness. While we were doing that my father-in-law removed unwanted cupboards, built a new wall and made a start at putting the sockets and light switches IN the walls and not ON the walls. (The flat is from the 50s and no major upgrade has been made since then, apart from adding layers of wallpaper and paint over the wallpaper.)

We also spent a considerable amount of time choosing colours for the walls, furniture, new kitchen, new sockets; browsing furniture stores, home decoration stores, DIY stores; discussing new colours, new floors, new this and that. I'm not dissatisfied to be away from this for a while. It's our first home and we don't have much so we need to buy everything, plus the house was empty so it's really starting from scratch.

Knitting had to take a step back the last 2 weeks as I was quite tired from DIY but we still managed to take a day off on Thursday and go to the zoo. It was really quite nice.

The only upbeat from today (apart from getting my comfortable bed back) was the mail that accumulated over the last four weeks. I got my hard copy of Twist & Knit, my copy of Interweave Knits (I already bookmarked quite a few patterns), a new pink Turkish spindle, my yarncation Niagara Falls kit (it's gorgeous) and my FoPASS package from Melissa! It is so spot on it's really perfect.

Apart from the gorgeous square she also included a big bag of smarties (I love those), a tin of Burt Bee's lip balm (I love these), a little notebook, animal rubber bands (how cool are those) and some Rowan Tapestry yarn (I'll freely admit I had been wanting some of this for quite a while). Thank you again Melissa!

Here's the Yarncation Kit. I can't wait to start those socks. Oh and the little fish? It's a bag! It's so super cute and practical!

Finally here's the spindle! I can't wait to try it!

And now, I have to unpack as I'm back to work on Monday. I don't wanna though. I want to go live with my bf instead.

Holiday update

2010-07-28T13:17:00.004Z

Hello all. I hope you're enjoying the summer months. A week and a half ago I relocated to the Netherlands for 4 weeks.

Last week we spent a few days in Maastricht and it's a really lovely city. This week, my bf is working so I'm alone but that's ok because I can catch up on daytime TV (mostly the BBC, my Dutch is not good enough to follow TV yet), knit, spin and read.

Speaking of knitting, while in Maastricht I made a start on the second Tour de France sock. This week I'm trying to knit as many squares as possible for the baby blanket. After all the baby is due in a bit over a week or so. I've just finished knitting colour 5 out of 8 and then I still have to assemble and knit a border.

Spinning wise, let's just say that I haven't mentally recovered from the drama from last week. So I didn't complete my Tour de Fleece challenge. I will get somebody to try to untangle my mess and finish this fiber at my pace. Hopefully it won't take me until Tour de Fleece 2011.

Reading is good too. I'm finishing a Jo Nesbo thriller novel and it's really enjoyable. Next lined up is a Haruki Murakami book which I'm really looking forward to. I'm also reading a book in Dutch. It's called Koning van Katoren (King of Katoren). It's a children book and so far so good.

Last piece of news for today, we're getting the keys to the house on Friday and from then on it's going to be paint work, wood work and building furniture for 2 weeks. We'll see what we can do in those two weeks. It's all getting exciting!

Creative Sunday

2010-07-11T16:45:00.003Z

Despite the heat, I managed to be quite creative today. I took advantage of the relative cool air this morning to do a tote bag for my sister-in-sin who's pregnant. The fabrics are from Ikea.

I now have 2 items for this baby boy as he will receive the Elijah I knitted a little while ago.

The following picture is a cautionary tale on why you shouldn't cut fabric on carpet with bare knees. Ouch!

Unfortunately the other creative things I did this weekend I can't show you as they are part of the FoPASS swap. I finished my square which was quite hard to get square and flat, even after a good blocking. My parents said that it looked like a Peruvian hat! I also did a couple of extras to include.

Now I'm knitting again. I'm working on my Tour de France socks.

Tour de Fleece and other yarny things

2010-07-10T15:09:00.005Z

The first week of the Tour de Fleece/France is finished and I managed to spin 6 or of the 7 days. I didn't spin yesterday as I was visiting a friend and her two babies.

I'll probably spin on Monday during the rest day as I already had mine yesterday. It all depends on the weather conditions. It's currently way too hot to do anything.

In other yarny news, I received a wonderful parcel from Kate from Haunted Yarns. She had a contest last week to win a skein of the ever elusive Wollmeise in a bright orange colour. I didn't win the contest but she still sent me a tiny little bit of left over Wollmeise for me to pet!

She also included a skein of Cascade 220, this time in bright orange and I love it!

And because she's such a nice lady she gifted me a copy of her latest pattern!

Finally, I received my June shipment from the Yarn Yard. Because the mill Natalie works with had delays supplying Clan, she made this month using her new yarn Cairn. It's really squishy and a bright electric blue. I might use it to make Marina, the pattern Kate sent me!

Tour de Fleece, Tour de France

2010-07-03T17:02:00.003Z

So I'm taking part in the Tour de Fleece again this year. My project is to keep working on the same fiber as last year. It's some Finn top in the lovely Golden Gate colourway and I'm using my zebrawood spindle. It was litteraly starving for some spinning as I had already reached the floor and it was still spinning fast! I had to stop quite quickly as my hands were too sticky.

The first picture shows what I had spun last year, the second what I have left to spin and the third my spindle after today's effort.

And as if I didn't have already enough to knit, I decided to knit some Tour de France socks. I haven't chosen the yarn yet but I'll do that very shortly. I'll work on those and the baby blanket. The Featherweight cardigan will have to take a rest for now as I don't like working with the Malabrigo lace when it's too hot. I get fustrated.

Royal fuck up

2010-06-27T18:01:00.003Z

How to badly end a nice sewing day. Take an almost finished dress, only the hem remaining to do. Decide to trim the seams. Realise you have actually cut through the front of the dress as well. *serious headdesk*

I might have found a rescue solution. I'll try it anyway. I don't have anything to lose. I'm going to cut a triangle starting from almost the top and replace it with a triangle of white cotton fabric I have.

Moo!

2010-06-25T17:18:00.003Z

Last week, I'm not quite sure how, my dad concluded that a cow shaped cake shape couldn't be found. The other day I was in town, looking for something else, when I stumbled upon one. Yes! I had found one! I couldn't not buy it. So I bought it and today I tested it with some chocolate cake. The shape is quite small and it takes a little time to find the right cooking time as it's not all on the same level. So the first cake wasn't baked enough so it collapsed. The second one seems better baked.

Happy Fathers' Day!

2010-06-20T17:29:00.004Z

Today I baked my dad his favourite cake. I already don't have many ideas for Christmas and his birthday so his favourite cake is a safe option. I also made some ginger cookies.

Knitting wise, I'm still knitting the Featherweight cardigan. Yesterday I separated the sleeves and it's going surprisingly fast considering the thinness of the yarn.

Today I also decided to make myself a needle book. The other day I had bought some felt sheets and felt forms. I took one sheet, on butterfly and applied the butterfly to the sheet (apparently I can't even do that straight). I also embroidered my initial using a stem stitch. It's the only stitch I know. I'm quite proud.

I have a new toy

2010-06-16T17:29:00.003Z

Today, I received a tiny Turkish spindle from ThreadThruTime. It has an Ebony shaft and Spalted Tamarin whorl. I LOVE IT! It's really tiny and spins really well. A very generous fiber sample was included so I got to play with it straight away. I already want a bigger one.

Planning quilts

2010-06-15T16:43:00.003Z

First of all I have to say that I have never made a quilt before so it's a little scary and very exciting at the same time. I already have 2 quilts planned! Crazy? Me? Hell, yes!

First up is a 1st Quilt Ever quilt. It seems easy enough and I can arrange the squares whichever way I like.

For this quilt I'll be using fabric from the Woodland Delight collection.

I also have some plain blue fabric that I'll also be using in the other quilt. Speaking of which, the next quilt will be a paper pieced hand stitched quilt (eep! what am I getting into!). The plan is to prepare the pieces and then take them with me on holidays. That's the plan. Yes. I don't know how far it'll got. The fabrics will be from the California Dreamin' collection.

Knitting wise, I'm going from tiny yarn to big yarn via medium yarn. On the needles I have the baby blanket, which you've seen, a FoPASS square, which I can't show you, and my Featherweight cardigan, which you can see below.

Some more spinning

2010-06-12T15:16:00.003Z

Yesterday I finished spinning the Baby Camel top. It weighs 25g and I have 165 yards.

By the way, do you like the new look of the blog? I felt like a little do over was needed.

Permanent Spookiness socks and other things

2010-06-03T14:37:00.004Z

Pattern: Permanent Residency socks
Yarn: Knitterly Thing Vesper sock yarn in Spooky
Modifications: For the elongated stitches I did k2tog through the back loop instead of k2tog. In retrospect I'm not sure it was a good move. I also substituted the heel for a gusset heel. They are my favourite toe up heels.
Would I do that pattern again? I don't know. They're nice and they went quickly but I'm not sure I really like them. I think the pattern would work much better with shorter colour repeats.

After finishing the log cabin blanket I started a Dream Catcher blanket. I'm using some Phildar Oxygène yarn and it's quite nice. I have 8 colours and I'm doing 7 square in each colour. I have substituted one of the squares with a diamond pattern.

Finally some spinning. I started some baby camel top. It is really soft but a little tricky to spin. The staples are really short so I have to draft really fast if I don't want the spindle to start going the other way.

Finished blanket and some spinning

2010-05-27T15:27:00.003Z

I finished knitting the blanket. It still needs a backing which will be added this weekend. I love the colour blocks.

I also finished some spinning. It's a 1oz sample of 25/50/25 Alpaca/Merino/Silk Licorice blend from Paradise Fibers. I spun it on my Red Cedar mini and it was really lovely. I managed to get 228 yards and I'm a little stunned that I managed this much. I think when I've reduced my fiber stash a bit more I'll order some more of this blend and plan a lace shawl.

I have started the next baby blanket. My plan at first was to do little squares using the double ten stitch pattern but it wasn't working for me so I changed my plan. Instead I'm doing a Dream Catcher blanket. I'm using Phildar Oxygène yarn. I'm going to knit each square pattern with each of the 8 colours I got. I can get almost 4 squares out of 1 ball of yarn. So it's all good. I think I'll skip the blueberry square though as it's a pain to do and I might look for another pattern instead. I'll keep you posted on that one.

Welcome back, nice weather!

2010-05-22T14:45:00.004Z

After three weeks of cold and rainy weather and of freezing inside, the sun is appearing again meaning that I don't have to wrap myself in numerous blankets anymore. As a result I picked up my needles again and made a sizeable dent in the log cabin blanket I'm knitting. Which is a good thing because the baby is due in the next couple of weeks.

In the last few days I did three bands and I'm on the fourth one. I think 2 or 3 more and then I'll crochet a border and add a fabric backing.

I'm also planning the next blanket which is for my nephew to be born. I've bought the yarn yesterday and has played with Gimp to make a plan. We'll see how it goes. As it is squares I can knit them in between other things.

Just a few minutes ago I tried spinning again and it seems that I still know how to. As a result I'll make myself a little challenge. The Roland Garros tennis tournament starts tomorrow so just like for the Tour de Fleece I'll try to spin a little each day. Maybe I can finish that little bundle of merino and silk I'm currently spinning.

I'll leave you with a random picture I snapped a few days back and the scent of chocolate muffins and choc chip mint muffins wafting from the kitchen.

Sorry about the hiatus

2010-05-17T20:49:00.003Z

It's entirely unintentional. The weather has decided to impair my crafting. Back at the end of April, they decided to turn off the heating in my building just before a sudden (announced) drop in temperatures. For two weeks now it's been as cold inside as outside (between 14 and 17°C at any time inside). Let's just say that I didn't feel any inclination to take my hands out from under a pile of blankets. I've never been so happy to knit my Malabrigo blanket this winter!

I hope to be back soon, as soon as the weather warms up a little.

A little bit of jewellery

2010-05-04T16:51:00.004Z

I got home today and decided to play with beads and pliers. A while back (a long one) I bought a bag of random beads so today I dug through it and found some pretty beads. Here are the results.

After four months

2010-05-02T20:31:00.004Z

I'm still pleased with the number of projects I'm achieving this year. In the last 2 months I've finished seven projects. Of course some of them are small but some of them are bigger and that's something I'm especially proud of.

All of them apart from the Pretty Thing counted towards my yarn diet totalling to 1536.4 yards.

Speaking of Pretty Thing, I finished it yesterday (I know it was not in April anymore but I'm ok with that). It was a custom request from a colleague after she saw mine. Her request was for bordeaux coloured non wool yarn. It wasn't an easy quest but I finally settled on Crystal Palace Panda Soy in the Tibetan Red colourway. As I stated in the previous post, the yarn is nice, shiny and bouncy but it splits as hell.

What a yarn

2010-05-02T11:57:00.004Z

There’s one love that we all share: yarn. Blog about a particular yarn you have used in the past or own in your stash, or perhaps one that you covet from afar. If it is a yarn you have used you could show the project that you used it for, perhaps writing a mini ‘review’. Perhaps, instead, you pine for the feel of the almost mythical qiviut? You could explore and research the raw material and manufacturing process if you were feeling investigative.

Yarn is really the base element of knitting (or crochet). Without it our needles would be empty and useless.

I don't think I'm a yarn snob. I'm happy to knit with acrylic as long as it doesn't make me cringe. I think there's a place for everything.

My preference goes to natural fibers, either animal or from plants. I like them with a high twist for stitch definition and I'm not a big fan of 'hairy' yarns.

Yesterday I just finished a Pretty Thing cowl for a colleague using Crystal Palace Panda Soy (pictures to follow in another post). Her requirements were that she didn't want wool as it makes her itch. So I had to hunt for a yarn with no wool content, in a weight suitable for Pretty Thing (light fingering) and in a colour she liked. So after trawling Ravelry I decided on Panda Soy, a bamboo, soy and elastic nylon blend. The fabric it produces is shiny and bouncy which is great for a non wool yarn. However it was really splity! At each stitch I had to make sure I had caught the whole strand of yarn. That really is the only downside of this yarn.

Revisiting a past FO

2010-05-01T17:04:00.004Z

Bring the fortune and life of a past finished project up to the present. Document the current state and use of an object you have knitted or crocheted, whether it is the hat your sister wears to school almost every day, or a pair of socks you wore until they were full of hole. Or maybe that jumper that your did just didn’t like that much…

Today, I've decided to bring from the darkness of my cupboard my first FO which was a sweater.

It was knit with thick and thin yarn on big needles. The knitting went fast and I don't remember any problems. Looking back at it now I still like the colour and yet... Yet I've never worn it. Why you might ask and you'd be right to ask. Because of the huge ugly seams that I can feel everywhere when I put it on. I even tried it a couple of days ago when I took the pictures and really the only problem is the seams.

Maybe I should take the courage and unknit it and do something I actually will wear with it. One day. Maybe.

On a more positive note I bring you my second FO. It's a bulky cardigan also knit with big needles.

This one on the other hand I wear it all the time at home when it's cold. It's soft and snuggly and a real comfort knit. I remember the cuffs took a ball of yarn each! I should probably re-seam the pockets as my fingers poke through them all the time but then, the only thing I put in them are my tissues when I have a cold.

Location, location, location

2010-04-30T17:22:00.004Z

Where do you like to indulge in your craft? Is your favourite arm chair your little knitting cubby area, or do you prefer to ‘knit in public’? Do you liek to crochet in the great outdoors, perhaps, or knit in the bath, or at the pub?

I need to be comfortable to knit. That's why I mostly do it on my bed with comfy cushions and my computer either to listen to music of watch TV.

The few times I've tried knitting either at work or on transportation, I found that I couldn't do it for long. At work during lunch breaks I'm not comfortable enough. On trains or planes I fall asleep really quickly so it's no use.

A new skill

2010-04-29T16:06:00.004Z

Is there a skill related to your hobby that you hope to learn one day? maybe you’re a crocheter who’d also like to knit? Maybe you’d like to learn to knit continental, knit backwards, try cables or attempt stranded colourwork.

My next skill to acquire is steeking. I already have a first pattern lined up for that. It's the Pod of Cetacean cardigan. I'd also like to do the Liberty blanket from Mason-Dixon Knitting.

I think it's such a cool technique to master but it's a tiny little bit tiny scary to take scissors to all those stitches!

I'd also like to be able to crochet more and be able to read crochet charts. I'm sure I can do it if I set my mind it.

I'm fairly happy to try any new technique needed for a pattern. Worst case scenario, I have to frog and start over, maybe after seeking clarification on Ravelry or from elsewhere on the web.

One great knitter

2010-04-28T16:44:00.005Z

Write about a knitter whose work (whether because of project choice, photography, styling, scale of projects, stash, etc) you enjoy. If they have an enjoyable blog, you might find it a good opportunity to send a smile their way.

Only ONE? How can choose only one great knitter? There are a lot of great knitters out there whose work inspire me.

The Yarn Harlot of course is one of them. She's funny and intelligent and just a really inspiring person.

Grumperina is another. She always choose the cutest patterns.

There is also Ysolda Teague. She is cute and has a fantastic eye for clothes. Her patterns are very well written and I've never been disappointed with them. In fact I'm always thrilled when a new pattern comes out.

There is also Kate, Susan, Talie and plenty of others. You can look at my blogroll for other great knitters.

An inspirational pattern

2010-04-27T15:56:00.004Z

Blog about a pattern or project which you aspire to. Whether it happens to be because the skills needed are ones which you have not yet acquired, or just because it seems like a huge undertaking of time and dedication, most people feel they still have something to aspire to in their craft. If you don’t feel like you have any left of the mountain of learning yet to climb, say so!

The pattern that I really aspire to is the Crown Prince Shawl from Knitted Lace of Estonia by Nancy Bush.

I think I have the skills and if I don't have them, then I'll acquire them as I go along. I have done nupps before and they don't scare me.

The only thing that is holding me back is really the sheer undertaking that it is going to be. It's big and knitted with tiny yarn. I will get to it one day though. So watch this space! ;) (But not too closely, it's not on the map for anytime soon.)

Starting Out

2010-04-26T16:30:00.004Z

How and when did you begin knitting/crocheting? was it a skill passed down through generations of your family, or something you learned from Knitting For Dummies? What or who made you pick up the needles/hook for the first time? Was it the celebrity knitting ‘trend’ or your great aunt Hilda?

My grandmother was a great knitter and so is my mum. Unfortunately I didn't have time to learn from my grandmother but when I was a teenager my mother taught me. But I then gave up.

A few years later I decided to start knitting again so my mum had to teach me again. Which she did. I knitted a couple of pieces and then I encountered online yarn shops all over the world and a worldwide knitting community. So if I was far from my mum I could always find my answers.

Nowadays I rely a lot on the internet and my books to learn or to improve on new techniques.

Quite a creative weekend

2010-04-25T15:44:00.003Z

This weekend I have been quite productive and creative. I did some sewing first. I did a little drawstring bag to add to the necklace as a gift for my friend. I used this tutorial and it was nice and easy.

I also made another tote bag, this time for me. I used some grey and orange corduroy and I love it.

I also did some baking. I did some brownie rool-out cookies. I used my Ikea cookie cutters. How could I not, they are so cute! They are really nice. I added some to the gift for my friend too.

Finally, I did some knitting as well and finished my Elijah. I called him Ellie the Phant and it's going to be a gift for my future nephew. I loved knitting it and the yarn I used, Phildar Cotton Microfibres, is nice and squishy. I just love how the paws look like.

Some jewellery

2010-04-22T16:41:00.003Z

I realised Saturday is a friend's birthday and I'm actually going to see her that day so I made her a necklace. I'll sew a little bag in which she can carry dance shoes (she's dance friend) and add some cookies as well. I'm also writing a dance but I won't have a chance to test it. So far I have the middle part.

In knitting news, I'm knitting an Elijah for my future nephew. Once again with Ysolda, the pattern is really clearly written and the no sewing at the end part is really good. I'm knitting it out of some Phildar Cotton Microfibres that was hiding in my stash. I had made a hat for my bf with the rest. So the elephant will be light blue for the body and the legs, arms and ears will be dark blue.

I also just see that Eskimimi Knits is organising a knitting and crochet blog week with set topics for each day so I think I'll take part. The subject inspire me so why not.

A Tshirt and a bag

2010-04-18T16:51:00.005Z

My Rusted Root is finished and I love it! I can't wait to wear it! The details are really lovely: the lace panel, the slightly balloon sleeves and just the general look of it.

This weekend I also sewed a tote bag for my friend who is expecting a little girl in June. It'll be great to carry nappies, bibs and all the baby paraphernalia, there are pockets outside and inside. Sophie is already happy cruising in it. I only have the blanket to finish. The backing will be in one of those fabrics either.

Rusted Pumpkin Root

2010-04-15T14:59:00.003Z

My next personnal knitting club project is Rusted Root. I'm knitting it with The Unique Sheep Pima Petite in the Pumpkin colourwary.

I'm totally loving this pattern and yarn combination. The pattern isn't complicated but it's interesting enough to keep me entertained. The yarn is really soft and creates a really drapey fabric. I can see myself wearing this tshirt all summer, if warmer weather ever makes an appearance.

It looks like I'll be wearing orange tops this summer. Remember my Callie Tee? It's orange too, in a colourway called Pumpkin too!

Sexy heel

2010-04-09T16:56:00.003Z

I just finished my Sleepy Hollow socks! They were my second project from my personnal knitting club and I loved them. The leaf pattern is quite simple but the beauty of those socks lies in its heel. The Yarn Harlot called them sexy and I wholeheartedly agree with her.

I think those heels will become my favourites for top down socks. There's a heel flap, a gusset but NO picking up of stitches. What's not to like about it.

Wonderful weekend in Budapest

2010-04-08T15:20:00.003Z

Last weekend I was in Budapest for the wedding of my friend Zsuzsa. I'm so happy I got to go because it was truly a beautiful weekend. The dress got finished in time and fitted perfectly. I'm thinking of doing a summery one in a nice print. So first a couple of pictures from the wedding (you can see the rest here but unfortunately I don't have many decent ones).

I didn't get a good picture of the topper but it was really clever and represented them both so well.

Then on the Sunday we went on a walk through the city. It's a beautiful city and I'd like to go back at some point to explore a bit more. (You can see the rest of the pictures here.)

I love this one, it's one of my favourites.

Finally a couple of pictures I snapped last week and didn't share. I promise I'll come back with some knitting really soon.

Flower Necklace

2010-03-28T16:20:00.004Z

I crocketed myself a necklace by combining several patterns: 1 for the chain, 1 for the leaves and 1 for the flower. I went for a grey and red colour scheme to go with the dress for the wedding. I don't know if I'll use it or not (I have several alternatives) but I really like it. The flower was really easy and it's just beautiful.

The dress is progressing. I just hope I can do the sleeves. Otherwise, it'll turn into a sleeveless dress.

Funky fabric

2010-03-26T16:02:00.003Z

This afternoon I went into town to get a hair cut. Opposite my hairdresser is a fabric shop. I needed a small peice of red fabric for the facings on my dress (because the red is too heavy). I found some which suited me and while looking around I saw a gorgeously funky fabric. I couldn't resist and got some. It was pretty cheap.

What will I do with it? I'm thinking of a quilt, cutting squares with horses and interspacing them with colourful plain squares. I'm not sure how well it'll work because some horses are pretty close together. I might do some appliqué ones as well.

The dress is back on track!

2010-03-25T17:40:00.003Z

Not working on Thursday and Friday afternoons has its advantages and Thursdays are for sewing (and other days too if I'm late on a project). So this afternoon I worked well on the dress and it's really getting there.

I need to add the red godes at the bottom which will be quick; adjust and add the sleeves (which might take a little time); and add the facings (which I need fabric for).

The back is a little crooked but I don't see it so I don't mind. The fit is otherwise really good. I could have raised the waist a tiny little bit more but it's perfectly fine like that.

Tomorrow I'm going to the hairdresser because I can't go to a wedding with hair looking that bad. I'll take the opportunity to try to find appropriate fabric for the facings.

It's going to be a boy!

2010-03-23T20:08:00.004Z

No, I'm not pregnant! It's my bf's brother's girlfriend who is pregnant and the other day my bf told me it's going to be a boy. So my blue Pod of Cetacean cardigan will be lovely on him. And I received the yarn today. I just need to swatch and I'm set!.

Regarding all the other projects. I didn't work on any this weekend because of sickness. Spending much time in the loo made progress on my book but not my knitting or my dress sewing. So the dress is a little behind the schedule but I should be fine. Hopefully it'll be finished by the weekend.

Still around

2010-03-18T16:27:00.003Z

It seems like ages since I have updated this blog.

I am still working on the dress for the wedding (2 weeks, eek!).

I also finished my Temperance socks. They came out great and are so comfy.

And I started my new personnal knitting club project. I picked up the Sleepy Hollow socks in purple yarn. The pattern is genius! Top down socks with a heel flap but no picking up of stitches for the gusset! Why didn't anybody think of that earlier!

Preparing for a wedding

2010-03-07T17:51:00.003Z

The first weekend of April (eek almost there) I am attending a wedding in Budapest. Today I just finished the shrug I'm going to wear. The pattern is the Dream in Colour Shrug and I knitted it in Malabrigo Silky Merino. The pattern is easy to follow and to memorise so it went quickly;

I made a few modifications. The pattern has turned over cuffs but I didn't fancy them so I just did 20 rows of ribbing. The second modification is that I sewed the sleeves for 10" instead of 7.5" to fit my back better. For the border I picked up every stitch and did 20 rounds of ribbing to match the cuffs. I really like the end result.

I like shrugs. They are easy to knit and a really effective way to warm your shoulders and arms.

As for what I'm going to wear with my shrug. I'm sewing a dress. This weekend I sewed a mock dress because the pattern only came in one size. The first go went wrong because I had printed the pattern wrong. So this morning I unpicked the whole dress and printed the pattern again. And I'm back on track. After the second fitting the only modification needed is to move the waist line up by a couple of centimeters and I'm good to go with the good fabric.

The fabric I chose is black with a tartan like pattern of grey and sparkly lines which I'll complement with some red fabric.

OK, so it's back to the grind for me!

Random thoughts and answers to questions

2010-03-03T11:01:00.003Z

I've been asked what is the yarn I used for Sophie Wabbit. It's some Phildar yarn called Pégase+ in the colour Indien. Unfortunately, it seems the yarn is discontinued. It was a nice yarn to work with and gave me a nice dense fabric.

I've also been asked what is the book Sophie Wabbit is reading to Sam. It is Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving. It's a really good book and was a Christmas present from my sister. I just finished it moments ago. I'm not sure Sophie and Sam understood any of it as she just opened it at a random page.

About the sweater I want to recreate. After looking again through my stitch dictionaries I found the stitch pattern so now I have to decide on the yarn and swatch and work out the transition between chevron and ribs. I have several contenders for the yarn including Clan by the Yarn Yard. After calculating the gauge it's clearly knit from fingering weight yarn.

I loved reading the comments you all made for my post about techniques and one technique popped up that I haven't tried yet. It was Kate who mentioned steeking. She just made a gorgeous steeked sweater for her gorgeous little girl (go visit her blog to see it) and I decided that I'm going to attempt steeking for a baby sweater too.

My bf's brother's girlfriend is pregnant and I think expecting for July or August. We don't know the colour of the baby yet but I decided to make a Pod of Cetacean Cardigan for it. I first noticed it on Grumperina's blog and really liked it. I'm opting for similar colours as Grumperina's but using Cascade 220. I think it's fairly gender neutral and I can always opt for more girly buttons if we know what the baby is before I give the cardigan to the parents.

As I mentioned before, I have never done steeking so I'll have to have a practice round. Luckily, the pattern mention practicing steeking, as well as measuring gauge by doing a few repeats of the whales in the round. So that's what I'll do. I have plenty of Cascade 220 leftovers to swatch, even if it's different colours. I'm also thinking that I might incorporate the swatch either in a baby blanket or on a sewed bag for the baby too.

Knitting wise. I picked up the Temperance socks again yesterday and managed to do the toe and one repeat while invigilating a mock exam. I'm also knitting a Dream in Color Shrug with some Malabrigo Silky in a gorgeous grey colour for a wedding I'm attending in April in Budapest. It is to be noted I haven't started sewing my dress for the wedding yet. I'm doing the toile tomorrow. The pattern seems pretty straightforward so I should be able to finish it quickly.

After two months

2010-03-01T18:55:00.004Z

Those are my finished projects since the beginning of the year. I'm actually quite proud as I didn't think it was that much! That's 6 projects finished, that means 3 per months and the only one that was started before January, 1st were the swirl socks. I hope I can keep going like that for the rest of the year.

And here is my Ravelympics medal.

Sophie wabbit

2010-02-28T14:10:00.003Z

I just finished knitting my Sophie a few moments ago. The pattern is really clear and well written (as always with Ysolda) and the fact that there is no seaming at all is a big bonus for me.

She is really cute with her big floppy ears.

As soon as I put her down I saw Sam inching towards her.

He's always so curious and wants to make new friends. They were friends at once!

After a little while I even surprised Sophie reading Sam a story. You can't see Sam in the picture but he was listening intently.

Recreating an old sweater

2010-02-27T16:05:00.004Z

I have this old sweater my grandmother made for my sister and that I have worn to death. The elbows and cuffs are worn out and it's coming apart at the seams.

It's a simple shape so that much shouldn't be too difficult.

My main problem is the stitch pattern. I can't read it and I can't seem to be able to find anything similar in my stitch dictionaries.

What I can tell you is that the ribbing at the top reads something like k1, p2, k2, p1, k1, p1, k2, p2 but I don't know where it starts and I don't know how it transitions from the chevron to ribbing.

If anybody has any idea I'd gladly appreciate your input.

Finished PAIR of socks!

2010-02-25T15:07:00.003Z

Just a few moments ago I finished my pair of Everything's Connected as my Ravelympics project. I'm really happy to have done it in time. At the beginning of the week I was really doubting that I could do it but the second sock just flew off the needles. I didn't even have to look at the pattern anymore, except for checking the number of rows I had done for the heel flap and the number of stitches I had picked up for the gusset.

They are really comfy socks and the pattern is really good looking. I don't think I'd knit them again though as all the ktbl, p1 really made my right hand suffer.

Let's talk about techniques

2010-02-23T17:51:00.003Z

I would like to know if there are any knitting techniques that are favourites or that you are very proud to be able to master.

For me, I like that I'm able to pick up new techniques quite easily. I am very pleased to be able to cable without a cable needle. Seriously, this is one of the best things out there because it means you can't lose your cable needle anywhere and once you've mastered the technique it really goes fast. If you have never tried before, do. I learned following Grumperina's tutorials.

I'm also very pleased to be able to do colourwork with both hands. I really wouldn't imagine doing it otherwise. I still have troubles purling with my left hand and I wouldn't knit all the time with it either but it's a useful trick to know.

So now it's your turn. Which techniques do you like and do you find useful?

Finished sock!

2010-02-22T17:58:00.003Z

Shortly after yesterday's post I finished the sock!

My messing up before the heel did have consequences for the toe, but not serious ones. Let me explain. For the leg, the pattern is 10 rows and on the 10th row you shift some stitches around so that the cables are staggered. I think on the last repeat I shouldn't have shifted the stitches. That explains why I didn't start the foot chart in the right spot. If I had started in the right place then the cables would have gone further on the toes. I would have like that. That said, I do like the finished sock and it fits great.

This afternoon I went shopping for fabric. My dance club is organising a fancy dress evening and I didn't have a costume. So I bought lots of tulle to make a makeshift wedding costume. I also got some tartan fabric for attempting a mini kilt.

And I found some cutie fabrics to make blanket backings and bags for the numerous babies arriving this summer.

Ravelympics week 2

2010-02-21T17:14:00.003Z

My Ravelympics knitting closely ressemble the French results at the Olympics in Vancouver. After a speedy start it stalled a little from mid week. My bf came to visit so my socks didn't get worked on.

But today I picked them on again and really made progress. I finished the heel flap, turned the heel and am well under way for the foot.

I think I messed up before the heel flap because I didn't start at the right point in the chart (but that's ok I just started mid way). I just hope it'll be fine for the toe.

I also messed up after I had picked up the gusset stitches because of my unability to count. I didn't want to face to have to tink several rows to get it right so I just unpicked the problematic stitches with the help of 3 DPNs. It was a bit painful because the pattern is ktbl and cables. But all is rescued and you can't see a thing. I'm quite proud of my rescue mission.

So, where am I?

2010-02-18T10:51:00.003Z

Last weekend I had my Scottish Country Dancing competition in Newcastle. My team, the International Team, competed in the Ladies', the mixed (2 teams) and the display. We all danced really well and I'm really proud of us. The Ladies' team finished 2nd. Both mixed danced really well but didn't get in the top 3. I really enjoyed dancing the display but we didn't win. If anybody is interested, you can see videos on youtube (just search for Newcastle Festival 2010 and anything with International Team in the title is us).

Knitting wise. Last week I cast on my first project from my personnal knitting club. I'm therefore knitting a Sophie in some bright pink Phildar yarn. It's going to be beautiful.

The technique used is really clever and I might adapt it for future toys. What you do is knit the head, stuff it and then you pick up the stitches for the body directly on the bottom of the head. It can be a little fiddly but then at the end you don't have any sewing to do and no end to weave in. It's so clever. I love cleverness and Ysolda is very clever.

After coming back from the competition, I cast on for my Ravelympics project. It's a pair of Everything's Connected socks in Dream in Color Smooshy. I think they'll turn out gorgeous but they are really slow going. They are k1tbl, p1 all over with some cabling thrown in.

I'll post pictures of everything when there is anything worthwhile to photograph.

Entrechat is done!

2010-02-08T20:09:00.003Z

Truly and completly. I still think it's a little tight and that I'll do one in a slightly bigger size and with the sleeves knitted in the round. Please excuse the crappy pictures but there is still a distinct lack of daylight available when I need it.

So since I finished two FOs this weekend I picked up the first knitting club parcel and it's Sophie. It's knitting so fast! I only started yesterday afternoon and I have already finished the head and body and I'm onto the first leg. The construction is really quite clever and good for people (like me) who dislike sewing up. You knit one piece and then you pick up stitches for the next piece. Hopefully I'll finish it this week and then I'll continue knitting the blanket and when I come back from the dance competition this weekend I'll cast on for the Ravelympics project.

Personal Knitting Club

2010-02-05T20:57:00.008Z

The Knitting Club is ready. I just picked up the yarn that already had patterns attached to them and gathered them with the pattern. I have 12 bags (13 if you count the sweater I promised my bf a long while ago, so that one doesn't really count).

Here's a list (in no particular order, all links Ravelry)

Handspun by Lani (pink) for a Subtle Twist Hat
Indiecita Baby Alpaca (green) for Veyla
~~Knitterly Things Vesper sock (Spooky) for Permanent Residency~~
KPPPM (grey and red) for Firebird (I don't know if this one will succeed as I think I don't have enough yarn)
Malabrigo Lace (Amaroso) for Little Valentine
~~Malabrigo Lace (Applewood) for Featherweight~~
Malabrigo Worsted (Navidad) for Holding Hands Feeding Ducks neckwarmer
Malabrigo Silky (Ankara Green) for Clothilde
Malabrigo Silky (Teal Feather) for Swallowtail
~~Middlearthknitter (Sloe Gin) for Sleepy Hollow~~
~~Phildar Pegase (pink) for Sophie~~
~~The Unique Sheep Pima Petite (Pumpkin) for Rusted Root~~

The total potential yardage (the sum of all the yarn listed above) is 5582 yards so it should make a nice dent into my yarn diet.

Finishing up is hard to do

2010-02-05T15:52:00.003Z

I always have a problem finishing things up. Remember the Entrechat? It's still not finished because I keep wondering on the best way to sew the sleeves. By the way, I think I'll do another one but with further mods. I think I'll knit the sleeves in the round (thus avoiding the sewing up question) and make them a little wider as I fear it'll be a little too tight.

Now remember the little baby top? There has been progress.

You might thing that it's finished but you're wrong. The knitting is done but I still need to sew the back. It's only 15cm and yet I still haven't done it. Nor have I woven the ends in. I have until June to do that. ;)

I have picked up a WIP though. It's the log cabin baby blanket that I started back in the autumn. It's going well because I can just knit a few rows and then put it back.

I have decided to make myself a personal knitting club. The Yarn Harlot has a sock club going on right now on the same principle. You just pack up yarn along with a pattern and then each month you pick up a parcel and knit it.

Mine will be slightly different. I'm still going to pack up yarn and pattern together. I won't restrict myself to socks. And I don't promise I'll do one a month but then I can just pick a parcel at random and not think about what I want to knit next. Whatever is in the parcel, I knit it. I'll only be allowed to pick the first parcel once I finished a current WIP though, otherwise it just accumulates.

So the personal club is still in preparations. I'll show you the parcels when they're ready.

Three cakes, one chair and one hat

2010-01-30T18:55:00.002Z

What a day! I spent the afternoon baking.

First I did some marshmallows and rice krispies squares. They are really easy and really yummy, if a bit sticky.

Then I couldn't decide between two cakes from the Red Velvet & Chocolate Heartache recipe book. So I made both. The first one is the Pistachio Chocolate cake.

The second cake is the Coffee and Walnut Courage Cake. If the cake is as yummy as the icing then it's going to be a gorgeous cake. I don't like coffee or walnuts but both together in a cake is beautiful.

Yesterday I went to Ikea and bought a new chair for the craft space and some boxes. I wanted the seat with the tractor seat but it's not available anymore. I still found a suitable chair.

Finally, I recently finished a new hat for my bf. Actually I had to frog the Gaussian I made him before Christmas but it didn't fit him. So I made him a Subtle Twist hat. It's mostly a ribbed hat with some twisting cabling at the top. This one has better fit otherwise I steal it!

Preparing for the Ravelympics

2010-01-28T15:44:00.003Z

For the Ravelympics I'll be part of the Eat.Sleep.Knit team and will take part in the Sock event. I have two projects lined up and hope to finish at least one. The second is just lined up in case I go really really fast with the first pair.

The first pattern is Everything's Connected and the yarn is Dream in Color Smooshy in Shiny Moss (purchased at ESK).

The second pattern is Summer Sliding and the yarn is again Dream in Color Smooshy but in Go Go Grassy this time.

I still have plucked the courage to sew up my Entrechat and I haven't finished my mittens. Yet I started another project. Admittedly it's only a tiny thing and should go quickly. It's Katja and I'm knitting it in SWTC Oasis in the colour Candy. How cute is it going to be.

With all the babies who are going to arrive this summer I also decided to raid my stash and knit toys so expect to see a few pop up on the blog.

And now I have to go through my closet and get rid of things I don't wear anymore or don't suit me anymore.

Entrechat

2010-01-22T14:32:00.002Z

In the last post I hinted at my Entrechat knitting. I did manage to finish knitting the second sleeve and it's now blocking. Hopefully it'll be dry by Sunday when I come back. All it needs is sewing the sleeve seams, pick up and knit the ribbing border and weaving the ends in.

One mitten done

2010-01-20T11:26:00.002Z

I seem to have failed to show you the mitten I completed after blocking it. The second one is in progress but I put it aside awhile (because I started a new project).

As for the new project, it's the Entrechat pattern. I'm knitting it in Malabrigo chunky in the colour Paris Night which is a deep blue. It's knitting fast but I'm getting cramps from knitting with big needles (it's also a reason why my February Lady Sweater is in time out). I'm hoping to have the main part finished by Friday so that I can block it then and it can dry over the weekend while I'm away.

I slightly modified the cable pattern when I started the second sleeve. The pattern has you start the first chart again from the beginning but then it's not the same set of lines which is on top. So I just carried on, keeping the lines where they were. Actually, what I would have prefered, had I realised that earlier, is some twisting happening at each end of the entrechat chart. I'll try to show you on pictures when I have some.

Still eating cake

2010-01-15T17:20:00.002Z

I had 3 cakes for my actual birthday: the one I went to buy at the bakery, the Birthday log my mum made me (which was big and which we are still eating, it's delicious for breakfast) and the one I made for the dance class that evening.

Today there were more cakes because there are a bunch of Capricorns at work so we all celebrated our birthdays today in the teachers' room. Then we did it again with the administrative staff. I had made two cakes: Nigella's clementine cake (always delicious, always a hit and always so easy to make) and a chocolate lemon drizzle cake. Both were really delicious and thoroughly appreciated.

I did get a couple of presents. My mum gave me a book I wanted. My bf bought me mugs and saucers that I had to go buy.

They are from Villeroy & Boch, the New Wave collection. I had been lusting after them for ages.

My boss gave me a bouquet of flowers. Those aren't easy to transport on a bike without destroying them so I went to pick it up after having to pick up my new sewing machine.

Did you see that? I WENT TO PICK UP MY NEW SEWING MACHINE! It's gorgeous and really easy to use. All it needs is some use. And a name, but that'll come after using it.

How birthdays should be like

2010-01-13T08:50:00.003Z

I have some ideas about what birthdays should be like.

First you should get an automatic day off so that you can sleep in (which nearly happened this morning because my alarm didn't go off).

Secondly, you should be allowed to shop free at all your favourite shops. For example, I'd do a little shopping at Eat.Sleep.Knit and buy 2 skeins of Madelinetosh Pashmina in the Gilded colourway (if it wasn't out of stock, of couse).

I'd also go to the Bookdepository, peruse my wishlist and probably buy a cookbook, a knitting book, and a novel.

Finally, I'd make a stop at Amazon for a couple of DVDs, Friends for example.

Of course, none of these are going to happen as I'm on a yarn and book diet (and my bf put me on a DVD diet as well) and I'm stuck at work until 5.30pm. I might go to the bakery for early birthday cake though because I don't think I can wait until tonight.

Maybe you'd like to see some actual knitting...

2010-01-11T09:49:00.002Z

OK, then. I'll show you some.

Before the holidays I made another Gaussian hat. This time for my bf.

Unfortunately, it's too big for him and really makes him look like an elf. Which isn't such a good look on him. So the hat came back with me and will be frogged and turned into another hat for him.

Sock wise, I have been knitting a storm. I finished my Swirly socks at the very beginning of January.

And after them I promptly started a pair of Temperance socks after seeing the ones my friend made. Before I saw them, I had been contemplating improvising a similar pattern so it saved me the bother.

I only did one of those but after receiving my December package from the Yarn Yard I couldn't resist casting on a pair of Cotton Reel Mittens by Ysolda Teague. I had intended to do some as soon as I saw the pattern and in the recommended yarn as it's a lovely yarn. However, being on a yarn diet I couldn't buy the yarn.

Anyway, here's the first one. I did some modifications. I decided not to do the icord cast on and did a 3x1 ribbing instead. I had to frog part of the mitten as it turned out they would be too short. So I added an extra 10 rows before the decrease (which correspond to two more rows of 'buttons'). I have freakishly long fingers. I also had to modify the thumb as it was coming out too tight. So I cast on an extra 4 stitches.

The pictures below were taken before the frogging happened. The first mitten is now complete.

It's in dire need of a good bath and blocking to even out the tension (hopefully). Tonight, I cast on the second one.

What I did on my holidays

2010-01-09T12:04:00.003Z

I didn't knit as much as I would have liked. We had train journeys though but they didn't help due to my great ability to fall asleep on trains/planes so I didn't even try.

So I went to the Netherlands to visit my bf and spend quality time with him and woke up on Christmas morning to snow falling. That's what I call a perfect Christmas. Apparently at home it wasn't a Christmassy weather at all.

We then went to Heidelberg, Germany, for the International Team training were I had a great time dancing and meeting up with my friends.

Then we went back to the Netherlands to have a quiet New Year just the two of us.

During the holidays I got addicted to Arrested Development; watched a couple of episodes of Flight of the Concord and can't decide what to think of it and watched several great movies, among which Up (hilarious) and the Boat that Rocked.

The following mosaic was made with pictures taken on the train taking me to the airport for the flight back home.

And then it was time to go back to work on Monday morning. And it's definitely not easy to find motivation to do so when you wake up to 15cm of fresh snow when there was nothing the previous night. I'm very thankful for the hiking shoes I bought last year in the sales!