Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Bunting progressing

After my seven white pieces of bunting thought I'd have a go at a union jack. Found a chart in one of my Debbie Bliss books. However moss stitch doesn't lend itself well to single rows of intarsia. It was pretty fiddly and had to darn the holes and give the white stripes a little mire definition. My daughter was amazed. Think I'll leave it at that for Knitting Natter this Sunday - well I'll have to iron flat the curling stocking stitch ones!

Returned to my tartan waistcoat. It actually seems almost long and wide enough this time round! Only one armhole rib and making up to finish. Will manage to finish it for sure over the next three evenings. And then onto another project. Something from my latest book?


Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Gift from lovely friend

My lovely school mummy friend Mel a big fan and recipient of two of my mochimochi animal zoo has just given me a new adorable knitting book: "All you knit is love" by Debbie Harrold. (Made her a brown tweed hamster in penance for leading her astray with one too many glasses of pink fizz when she had a christening to go to the next day - she thought my pair of hamsters were guinea pigs and fondly told me about her childhood brown guinea pig. I didn't want to disenchant.) She hinted massively about the two You're Tweet chicks so I'm going to have to order some self-striping fluffy yarn and make them for her.  I can see my romantic sister-in-law loving the anniversary swans. More projects in the queue....  perhaps I should be disciplined and enter them as projects on my sparse Ravelry profile... perhaps not.

Have been listening to more archived Cast On podcasts. Love them, love them. Brenda had such a lovely voice and the interviewees are just fascinating. There just aren't enough hours in the day to fit everything knitting in there! My DH has renamed me the "knitting nutter". Not best pleased and wondering if this is preferable to "old grumpy".

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Waistcoat resize

Just can't figure out why the size 12 pieces seemed so small so on Thursday unravelled the whole lot, just ripped it back. And started with the size 14. My tension was spot on. Perhaps I am not size 12 or blocking would increase the size? Hmmm. Stick to items where tension is less crucial I reckon. Am much happier with the yarn though. Tartan looks great when I held it up. Bright and cheerful for chilly west country springtime.


Saturday, February 11, 2012

To choose yarn or pattern first?

Bought my on sale yarn a few weeks back and thinking maybe I purchased yarn and pattern the wrong way round. Should have fallen in love with the pattern first. My maternal grandmother, a talented dress-maker, looked at me aghast when I asked her recently which she chose first. Pattern of course. Now I'm knitting a waistcoat that I'm not exactly enamored with.... don't think the yarn suits the pattern. I have Sublime Merino Chunky Tweed and the pattern is for Sirdar Tweed Chunky which does sound quite similar I admit but there is an unsatisfactory mismatch. The pattern is more rustic than my yarn. The two Sublime pattern books are $8 each plus shipping and can't see anything I fancy anyway. Have searched on Ravelry for a pattern to suit but I think the yarn just doesn't have a satisfactory pattern. I just don't like the yarn full stop. My problem is that I fell for a sale yarn. Never again.Anyway I am persevering.... just hope the finished garment is far better than my imagined outcome. Completed back and 2 sides. Onto the cable border which is knitted horizontally and is joined below the waist. The cable is admittedly rather pleasing. It's almost a different pattern row each time and I'm on row 19. It's fun actually. My fear with this pattern is that although its nipped at the waist, a "good" part of my body, the border is chunky just below the waist corresponding with a "bad" part of my body (muffin-top extra bit you acquire after kids). It's going to be a "wear at home only item". My poor long-suffering husband.... I may greet him with a date night rib eye steak but my knitwear disappointments are hardly the slinky kimono he would probably prefer!

Friday, February 10, 2012

7 pieces of white bunting done!

It was Knitting Natter at the Victoria on Sunday. Almost didn't go... was in a grumpy mood. But my friend Sharon & I exchanged texts and persuaded each other. Had a fun evening. Same group of nine ladies. Sarah was knitting breasts for a breastfeeding support group - made me laugh! We were shown the required jubilee bunting and given wool and a pattern. I took 100g of white acrylic dk, Sharon and Sarah the blue and red balls. After two pieces of stocking stitch with further edge on 3.25mm needles I doubled up the yarn and switched to chunky needles. Finished with two moss stitch pieces - moss stitch doesn't roll so won't need to be ironed flat and texture is pleasing.


Tote for mum

Was about time I knitted a gift. My dear mum has been sending so many parcels to us (jumpers, dressing gowns, sweet treats, homemade books and puzzles to help F's reading along....) she deserved a thank you. Continued with the fluffy two stranded garter stitch until it was bag length. Attached a shiny black handle and a knitted bow in the lighter tone. Marvellous and rather professional result!! The bow reflected when I took a photo so attach the plain side.