left sleeve begins, and tamagotchi takes over

I finished the hem on the back of Blue shimmer! that last little bit seemed to take forever, but now I am happily onto the left sleeve. It was on the instructions for the left sleeve i discovered that the instructions include specific details for increasing 3 stitches in from each edge. These should have applied to the back, and while I read the pattern thru before starting I did not remember this bit was there. On the back i increased at the edge, thinking it would then be part of the seam. So the sleeve has fully fashioned shaping, and the back hasn't. Argghhh. when seamed - the row of fully fashioned shaping should run between the back and front, I am not re knitting the back, no way. Current dilema is do I fully fashion the front to match the sleeve, I think I do, or do I make it match the back, could be the best option. Will keep you posted. Any way photos of progress, the hem is 4 cm deep, with the stitches parked on a waste yarn, waiting for the garment to be sewn up, then I will kitchener the stitches down loosely so no ridge on the right side.

The sleeve progresses well, up to the first decreases after the underarm. this should go quicker having much fewer stitches, and i am wondering about a hem or a ribb cuff? The pattern is for ribb, 8 cm, but I like hems, as you may have noticed. I dont mind ribbing, but wonder if it will go with the other hem.

I am trying a new sock, this is my pool project, the one I take to the pool and knit while wee ones have swimming lessons. This term my oldest is in at 9 am saturday, so I lane swim while he learns then we have a play swim.
My poppy-girl is in at 12:15 - Yes you would think with the same surname some one would put them in classes closer in time. This is the first term I have not had the energy to complain. Any way I change quickly and knit while she learns - so less knitting but more exercise this term. an way new sock, based on one in knitty summer 2006 by Brooke Chenoweth Creel. Being me and liking a firmer gauge, I have had to modify the pattern somewhat, maybe not the best idea when knitting a new structure. This is a toe up sock but with a gusset, and short row under-heel and slip stitch heel pad, all new for me. I had to make it bigger by one cable repeat so image one show the resultant pattern, knitting for 66 stitches not 54, a little maths as I go to work the adjustments for the larger number of stitches.






and the tamagotchi, this craze is back, and my boy who turned 7 really, really, rally wanted one for his birthday, so after much teasing and then a sale advertised on T.V which resulted in 2 of the three stockests in Dunedin selling out the week before the said birthday, after much searching we bought one - full price. Then his school pal Bebe gave him one, so now we house two of the critters. Well the longest one has lasted is around 7 days, but they beep, they require attention, and they get in the way of family life. but he loves them and yet dosn't care if they die. Weird.

bohus, back nearly done, nearly, nearly nearly

Ok, so knitting back and forth in stocking stitch for night after night is not any where as much fun as the colour work. Last night I put in a place marker and in a little over one hour, drank one cup of tea and knit just over 1 cm. Bohus blue shimmer goes sooo slow when the colour work is done. Any way progress shot, the one of the whole garment lying on the floor was not in focus, so here is a close up of where I am up to. The zero of the tape is sitting on the shoulder neck rib section. I plan to only do a few more centimetres. I wish now I had measured the row count of my swatch before I washed it, as I am a little worried about loosing length in the first block/wash. I really don't want this to be a midriff baring number, but more of a just under the hip bone classic length. Then a 5 cm faced hem I think, very loosely sewn down so the ridge on the right side is minimal. Pinocchio here is my cute tape measure, which i have to keep hidden from roaming 3 year olds and 7 year olds (no they are great, and don't touch my stuff - unlike visiting kids) but isn't such a great idea?

So I saw this opal in the window of Elna Jans Patch, Dunedin, the most well equipped quilting and embroidery shop in Dunedin, and I fell for it. It is nothing fancy, just Patons patonyle, 4 ply , colour 4314 lot 743220. 80% wool and 20% nylon. Last night I swatched on 2.75 and 2.25 mm dpns, the wool band recommend using 3.25 mm but I do like a firm gauge to my sock. Strangely I usually like my sock gauge really tight, and habitually knit on 2mm and 2.25 mm, in this weight, but I think I like the 2.5 mm this time. This image was after washing and overnight drying in front of the fire embers - lucky sock swatch, it shared the residual heat with our cat Yo-yo. The colours are soo pretty but are they me? I have been tending towards the intellectual fashion look, so my socks are mostly black, white, and grey - classics really. Where will this wee pretty number fit in I wonder? I am sort of thinking that those really frosty mornings when the busses run late and the hill streets where I live are treacherous, a good pair of sturdy light weight tramping shoes are in order, and these socks would fit in those fine. Of course this needs the tramping shoes and the change into shoes at work. I do seem to have a colour problem right now, every time I buy a pretty colour top or such from somewhere I instantly see many old women in the same top, and I start to doubt my choice. And I mean old in the kind of wear bumpy shoes, roll when they walk, don't use lipstick and don't get hair cuts old.

I was listening to lisa on maths for knitters, who does a fantastic job of explaining without diagrams or illustrations to help how knitting maths works. I am a learner who learns by doing, and understanding, and i do get maths and knitting, but find it really great to hear how she uses maths in her own work and why.

Reading some posts on knitters review and realise that i need to knit a v neck something, or square neck, maybe this or this or maybe both? The reason, that round necks are fun, but not very flattering, especially when high round necks. there was thread discussing why something that was fun to knit and a challenge technically often didn't work out to be flattering. I realised as much as i love the knit all in one, and the EZ no seams techniques they really don't suit many gals. we need chest skin on show, not clevage, not boobs, but some skin or the waist to neck area is just one big blob. There was some discussion of raglans, but I think the real problem is the neckline. Something that says see I have collar bones, and see my shoulders are not one dark width. So Rose Bohus will be attempted as a cardie after my next one. What to knit with, Rowan I think, which is stocked locally but mightly expensive, so some saving to do.

Its been a while.... and I have more mail

...and for lots of little reasons, but no one really good reason. Whats been keeping me from updating the blog?
Well ... Study, or lack of study, in that a whopping big assignment was due, and i had not done anything, at, all, for it. So a week of heart pounding panic, damp palms, lying in bed wondering if I should be pulling alll nighters, and then deciding that I was to mature - read old enough to know that all nighters are not effective.
What else, well... I was really nice and lent my camera to a collegue who needed to put together a digital portfolio for her masters proposal. And so camera-less for a weekend, I felt unable to blog. Whats a blog without photos, I would ask myself.
And I have been feeling blah, not all out sick, not feverish, not off my food, but just tired of an evening blah. Just down and not even feel like knitting blah.

I do in some ways blame the Bohus, or rather my knitting of the Bohus. Around 3 weeks ago I found a dropped stitch, only I found it 10 cm or 4 inches past the drop point. So I did what any clued up modern knitter would do, I picked up a fine crochet needle and 'knitted' up the stitch as I have done before. But I have never done this in fine wool over such a long distance. What I discovered is that adding an extra stitch between two over that distance pulls a ridge of distortion into the fabric. So I halted, i should have contacted knitters review and asked the gurus there ... but I was afraid that they would give two answers. The first to frog, the second to block. I find flat knitting tedious, and more difficult than in the round or colour work, I really didn't want to frog 10 cm so I knit on. I am still undecided, and as I am knitting a small size may even frog once blocked and re knit that panel. But anyway - here is the progress shot. If you look carefully you can see the tight ridge down along the lower right hand edge. I just keep thinking, 2 weeks of knitting, on 2.5mm pins, and flat - I really don't want to redo it if i can avoid it, and yet I know I am a perfectionist. anyway around 5 cm off the hem fold, as I have decided to have a turned faced hem not ribbing. Then on to the sleeves, and finally the front, before maybe reknitting the lower back with no dropped stitches.

My 40th birthday prezzie arrived last week, rose collar, another bohus. The colours are beautiful. I think I will find an intermediate project to knit and then Rose collar. I want to make her flat, as a cardie, not as a 'sweater'. I think that would add more to my wardrobe than
another sweater.


Toby's socks were done, with 2 days to spare, and he opened them 2nd in the line up of family presents. A birthday seven year old who says 'wow - socks, did you make them for me mum?' gets extra pancakes for breafast in my book!