My food colour dye make them up as I go mittens are now finished, to the left very happy Poppy, full detailed report latter in blog, but first the Fish Update, followed by the Frog report. Fish count is now 83, but ... I'm really not sure about the accuracy , another stock take is required. Its about now that I confess that even though my job requires good math understanding, all my jobs ever have required good math - I have a serious numbers issue. I 'loose' count. I can count the fish, and 5 minutes latter wonder if the total was 78 or 81, or 83? I can't remember if I added in that 4 over there or not. Personally I think they move around when I'm not looking, just to confuse me, I have noted some one else's fish do the very same thing. Some times I can count the number of stitches on a needle 4 times in 4 minutes and still not know how many stitches I have. Strangely I have not learned to write it down, not yet. But at only just 40, I have plenty of time to develop new and essential skills, right? Anyway I now think of the fish as 'better than a frog pond', after reading Valeries comment on tani's blog.
Last night I did a little set out of the fish on the sofa, the 4 which are stitched plus estimated coverage for a fish blanket 10 fish by 10. Well looks like it would cover a baby seat, the kind that go in cars, maybe even a newborn tucked in a buggy. Sardines is right - what was I thinking?
I'm nearly out of my 'left over sock yarn supply'. And half the fish are from specially purchased yarn. I 'needed' to do that, it was essential to link together the variegated and varied sock yarns. My current Plan is to knit 100 fish, then a boarder of alternating black and white fish, making it 12 fish by 12 fish, so 144 fish in total.
Can I do this before August? I don't know?
Why august? This is a possible baby gift, and babies come when they come, earlier sometimes! They most absolutely don't wait for me to finish knitting. There are two babies on the horizon of my life, both due to arrive mid year. My other option for these babes is the traditional EZ baby surprise jacket, and that is looking good - but its all garter stitch and I do so feel the need for a challenge.
Mittens, now I have 2, or rather Poppy has 2. These have been washed and blocked and held their colour, Boring technical details now...Please look away if this is of no interest,
Knit on 2.5mm dpns,
Gauge turned out to be 9 stitches per inch (36 stitches per 4"/10 cm),
finished length is 7.5 inches, (or 19 cm). Finished width is 14 cm, cuff is 3 cm of 2x2 rib on 2mm, then 1 cm plain on the 2.5mm needles, and cast off with I-cord.
New section : The Frog Report, as I do frog each and every week. and generally in the proportion of Knit Knit Frog.
The first cast off on the mittens was much to narrow, so I finished the second mitten differently. Putting an extra row in the i-cord every 5th row, which made for a nice amount of flair, but not when worn. this necessitated the first mitten being Frogged back to the ribbing and re-knit.
Critical evaluation of resulting mittens, I do like this method of casting on and shaping the tip. I don't really like the invisable thumb, and feel mittens need a increased gusset below the thumb. I do like the thumb being grafted closed, much neater than drawing up the stitches with yarn. I want to play more with dying baby yarn so I can make more fine yarn fair isle mittens.
Today, we have students presenting, but I am hoping to get to town to seek yarn before the shops close. I have a hankering to knit me a sweater in fair isle, fine fair isle, not heavy, not bulky, fine and light. I know I can get a merino that knits up at 9 stitches to the inch, in 'soft' colours. But merino pills, it fluffs, I want fine, and I want soft, but I also want something that stays looking good. I can get Rowan soft, and a cashmere merino mix - but the cost. Any way off to look, but not holding my breath. I plan to get swatching yarn, and maybe some of the rowan for a hat, that way I can test if it pills. I do have a bohus in my stash, or rather my stash is the bohus kit (rose collar to be knit as a cardigan), and last night at knit group we discussed knitting the bohus flat or in the round and steeking the front. Whatever I do i will lower the neckline, not so high, which will work better over tee shirts. So maybe I just commit to the bohus and knit ... I can always frog - can't I? I might use my left over yarn from blue shimmer to practice a steek ......
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