Here, again

Just before this past weekend, Bear asked me when I was home, I said Sunday. Then he asked when was I away again. The answer is late August, and it wasn't always this way. Not so long ago Bear was the one who tripped around the world and I was the one who stayed home. This past weekend was a quick trip up to Nelson, some nine plus hours drive, two days of the NZ Costume and Textiles Association Symposium, and then nine hours drive home. Luckily - the wonderful C from work did the driving so I could knit.

Before we went I did the usual knitters thing, where I dug out all my current projects and rejected all of them as not quite right for knitting whilst away. I cast on two new projects, after much time deliberating and selecting of patterns and yarn ... and then tossed them both aside and took the plain grey cardigan with me. I suspect that the process of selecting, planning, rejecting and then retreating to something known is one I share with many others. Todays post is late, and replaces the wednesday and Saturday posts that did not happen, one because I was searching for something to knit, and the other because I was away ... and have not yet mastered mixing blogger with an iPad.

 First up the finished hat, with tassels. Smallest cub requested pom-poms, but I felt like making tassels so convinced her to at least see what I had in mind. She can still have pom-poms if she likes, but she has to make them. The hat fits well, and the tassels are fun, the decreases worked out just fine.

 Each tassel was 20 wraps of yarn around a wee piece of card, with a twisted rope of yarn threaded through and then bound tightly. The twisted yarn rope was threaded to the inside of the hat and tied neatly.

 This was the project I thought I would knit on the way, Green socks, the pattern Pirate Danger by Jeannie Cartmel. Most of the projects on Ravelry that use this pattern are knit from a varigated yarn, but I succumbed when I saw Jeanniefanihi's version (here if you are a Rav user) with a plain yarn, the travelling stitches hint at a scull and crossbones, which appeals to the not-sugar-sweet side of my project nature.  The yarn is Vintage Purls sock, a colour way from the 2009 sock yarn club, Daphne for the sock of the same name, a very good sock pattern, and one I plan to knit soon .... but maybe in some thing darker.

 Whist the instep and leg are all in reverse stocking stitch, the sole is in stocking stitch. Quite a neat touch ... I can't wait for the gusset and heel to grow out of this. I happily worked the toe, and then started the pattern before deciding that a twisted traveling stitch pattern that was heavily charted might not be the best project for a road trip and conference ... where the lights were dimmed. So I promptly started a new Ravelry queue search and a stash dive before starting Icelandic Poppy shawl in a fingering Merino, Possum, silk blend on a cone. Fortunately I came to my senses rather quickly, around 6 rows in, realizing that fine yarn, pointy needles and charts were the reason I abandoned the Pirate Danger sock and were the same drawcards for Icelandic Poppy.

 The Thursday rive up was fine, long but fine, nine plus hours, and we arrived Friday to this welcome and a full day of talks and chats about all things costume and textile.

 On the drive up I finished the 1x1 rib on the plain grey cardigan, and even worked two complete rows of k1s1 to set up for a tubular hem bind off. I have the stitches threaded on self yarn so I can work this at my leisure. I decided the lace around the collar will be the feature and the 1x1 ribbing was a perfect extension of the plain stocking stitch fabric. I also decided that twisted rib was to much to attempt flat in a car at speed.

  Early on day one of the conference I set aside the hem and picked up for the sleeve. I had stitches on a holder and some cast on at the underarm to pick up. I had worked a wee gusset decreasing away the extra underarm stitches, as a form of dart or shaping, and did the same on the sleeve. Seemed appropriate to construct a vintage pattern-making feature, the underarm gusset at a symposium filled with people who not only know what such things are but are interested enough to write papers on them.

On the way back there were three of us, so I sat in the back - all the better to knit and knit. By home time I had this much sleeve done ....

This was the view much of the way, spectacular green, gold, and yellow tree  lined farmland and rolling hills, with a slight cloud cover. The speedo is in km ... and 93 is under the speed limit, just in cast you were wondering.

My backset companion was this lovely fragrant bunch of teeny mini daffodils and sweetly scented blossom in bud, heavenly. We were all surprised so see and smell these in what is only a few weeks past the shorted day, but this winter has been mild. The flowers were not mine, but I enjoyed them for nine and a bit hours.

And now I am back, all enthused for the next symposium and with ideas already of what I could present. I've already written a contact - please may we letter.
Aso enthused by the progress on the grey cardigan ... imagine that!

take care
na Stella