here again,

I'm back, 5 days away and not a lot of knitting to show for it, we were a party of six, at an Design Educators conference, which despite the title is quite heavy going at times. The others wanted to relax in cafes at night, with bubbles and nibbles, and chat. Then there was the conference dinner, at a yummy middle eastern restaurant. We actually ate there the night before unaware we would be back the very next day - finger food, and bubbles and white knitting and dim eastern lighting, and well lets just say knitting didn't get done. Saturday I flew to Wellington and spent the afternoon and evening with my long time high school friend, G, and her cute as a button family of 3 under 5, then I flew home to my own cute as a button but older cubs.

I did knit while at G's place, but not on any of these projects. G had a Lopi (yes real Icelandic Lopi) sweater she had knit for Mr G, but it was to big. G's last job before coming home to NZ was with Save the Children and she had attended an annual StC meeting in Iceland, and bought the Lopi as a souvenir. I was impressed, both with G and with the Lopi. G follows my blog a little and asked if steeking would be an easier method to make the sweater a better fit than re-knitting. G has reoccurring carpel tunnel in her hands which right now makes knitting tapu (forbidden). I wasn't sure, but she had lots of Bulky Lopi left, so I knit a small swatch and we prepared it for steeking, the whip-stitch method, so all by hand. It worked, but we needed a guideline as our steek meandered a bit, so swatch number two was knit, 30 cm square, flat - thats a lot of swatch to knit for a friend. That steeked well. G - isn't quite convince on the whip-stitch thing, so did two rows either side of the steek line. I knit a 3rd swatch, even bigger so G could continue without me and practice a seam, before cutting the actual sweater. But its looking good. Sorry no photos, feels odd to borrow some one elses work for my blog.


I did knit a little on the Thank you for having me hat, for G, and had this much done when I got home. Its my 3rd Odessa, white felted merino and angora, and teeny tiny pink beads. I'm still not sure if its pretty-pretty, or just mutton-dressed-as lamb-white skinny jeans-territory. G tried on my Odessa and it seemed a little skimpy on her, truth be told its a little skimpy on me, so I added the extra inch the pattern suggests to hers, and finished tonight. I cast off, threaded in the ends and look ....


One slightly generous hat, perfect me-thinks. I have pulled it forward for the 'silly-hat photo', I can wear it and still see the world, honest. I've gently washed it, and have it drying. I'll wrap it nicely and ship it off tomorrow with some little things that should fit one of her 3 cubs. G did ask for more of Cloche than a Beret, so I'm hoping it will suit - if not she can felt it or stuff it in a drawer and never wear it, I don't mind, clothes are personal and something I like might not be to her taste at all.


And lastly, some progress was made on the baby blanket, I'm up to lace panel number 4, and just started the 2nd and last skein of hand-spun yarn. I think I've got the lace holes more net-like in this panel, in the previous panels they were more diagonally lined up. Not sure what is going on there, either I misread the instructions in the first 3 panels or misread them this time. I like panel four better, I won't be frogging the blanket back, but I will be repeating the panel in future panels. The blanket is 7.5 inches from the middle to the center of the side, so 15" across, and should get larger, I hope large enough to use as a warm throw over a smallish baby. We are knitting for summer babies this time around, so small and light is good.

I'm off to join the family around the Olympics on tv, truth is I'm not much into sporting events, but there is a certain excitment about real honest competition. And swim heats are always fast and furious.

Take care, knit lots, back in touch next weekend. This week has a lot on in the evenings - so it will be the weekend before the next post.
Stella