Banjo-Helen - the blanket is done

and there is a new wip (work in progress) to report. Last weekend was the Annual Knitters study group camp, and as usual I didn't take a camera - but others did so you can catch up on a little detail here at Shoebox Sally's blog. I'm in the first photo, way down the end of the table - next to Pam, and Lorna our local knit guru is the one standing at the far left right next to Pam. All in all there were fifteen of us and we knit lace, narrow lace trimings. Some of us with more forethought than others, mine has been rethought.

 But first things first, the Banjo-Helen baby blanket is done, blocked out to 42" from side to side and relaxed to 39". I have come to expect that - some relaxation over the few days after the blocking is released, as the knitting finds its own shape and size. Here the blanket is in the last of today's daylight, at around 5pm ... it was either that or lug it to work and photograph it during the daylight hours. Given that we had snow on the hills forcast for today, which translated into sleet and rain on the lower parts of town and work - that seemed a tad extreme. Yo-yo as usual turned up to supervise. I'm rather pleased with this, its a large soft, squishy blanket with an interesting centre and a nice chunky lace edge. Details, handspun blanket knit on 5mm needles, edge on 4mm,  a modified version of KnitSpots Rosebuddie, knit without any roses between the corners, and omitting the lace band before the edging. I suspect I could knit this again and again -  the corner increases are rather lovely. I've knit this before, in pink handspun, and I suspect I'll knit this again before too long, just one of those patterns that is worth returning to.

 So Knit Camp, the project was lace edges, in linen or cotton, as used on fabric. There were several variations available to chose from, and this wee one with the leaves caught my fancy. We were presented with two options, to knit the lace, then to attach it to a circle of linen, or to finish the edge of the linen and then knit the lace onto the finished edge. Me being me, I decided to knit my lace onto the edge as I worked the lace. I was using 2mm needles, and liked it well enough, but now I'm home I think the lace is a tad open and I'd like to knit it on smaller needles, so I've switched to 1.75mm to see what effect that has. The last leaf is knit on the smaller needles - and I think I prefer that gauge. Its firmer,  less floppy and the pattern cleaner, sharper.

Here is a close up of the edge, first I thread marked my circle on the linen, then I marked a second line 4mm inside the circle - also with thread. I then worked blanket stitch over the two guide threads. Once I'd completely worked around the circle, I took my small sharp scissors and trimmed away the fabric outside the blanket stitch. I then used a teeny tiny crochet hook to single crochet around the blanket stitch. This crochet chain provides the loop that I pick up and knit(purl actually) together with the last stitch on the lace edging. My linen choice was limited to pink or green, what I had at hand, whilst the local shops had only white and shades of cream linen .... ideally I'd be working the edge in a yarn that was the same tone or shade as the fabric.

and no, I am not usually a lace doily kind of person, but I have got a linen lace basket liner that I use for serving baking. Knit from the same green yarn - these two projects together will make a nice set of cloths for the table. Imagine this under a plate of warm scones, or muffins.

Yum ... and I'd best go, its now nearly 7pm and I'm sure I could be useful in the kitchen as dinner is readied.

na Stella

There is almost always a bit that needs a little tidy up

I've realized that, over time, that there is invariably something that needs a little polish, a little tidy, a little tweak or something before it can be called finished and done. I've come to expect that with my projects, as I near the end I start looking more carefully at the whole, at how might appear to someone who hasn't been part of its making since the beginning. This post is all about those kinds of end of project expectations, how I now see something that I can improve, that I think I can make the change easily, and and the usual expectations around finishing and blocking.

Banjo-Helens baby blanket is no exception, there very first corner of the lace needs replacing. At the time I started the edge I decided to start just before the corner, and somehow that would be better when I finished. Now I realize that the corners work better if I have short rowed them so there are double the rows and the edge can stretch around the corner easily. Bother, but fixable. I will cut the yarn just after the corner, and frog across, then I should be able to unravel back to the start of the lace edge. Should is the term, I'll report back next post and let you know if what should have been possible was.

And this is the blanket in its near final finished form. I'm expecting it to grow by about one third when it is blocked, making this a cot sized blanket. A cot sized but that also be used as a play rug, or a car snuggle or folded into a thick pad to provide a warm barrier against the chilly winter winds in Central Otago. Most of the time those winds come straight off the snow of the mountains, or the glacial lakes - either way its  a cold wind most winter days. I'm also expecting this to be done tonight .... all going well and no dramas.

I'll  see.
Take care.
na Stella

Cleraing the decks

Today's post is all about clearing the decks, a sort of work basket tidy up. There are a few items that have been in the work basket for quite a while now, gloves and socks and a beret, gloves, not to mention the fish blanket. The beret and fish blanket seemed to be permanent residents of the work basket, and perhaps I need to mention that when I say work-basket, both of those projects no longer seem to be in possession of a work-permit. The easiest projects to deal with are always the most recently cast on, the enthusiasm for those is higher, especially if they are simple projects with few modifications and so are straightforward to work.

 Bears Ass-kicking hat is done, cast off in a flurry of haste on Wednesday night. I was seriously worried that I wouldn't have enough yarn to complete this. So worried that I had searched online for more, only to find that it was now only available in a thicker yarn. I posted on Ravelry to see if any one local had more .. and then in the words of Brenda Dayne knit like the wind. I know that yarn lasts as long as it lasts, and no change in speed, or duration, or location make any difference to the number of stitches and rounds that can be knit with a fixed amount of yarn on set needles, in a set pattern. Knowing that doesn't stop the agitated and slightly mad rush to finish that always occurs when there might not be enough yarn. Blocking occurred yesterday, over a cleaned (especially) ceramic pot plant pot, stuffed with plastic shopping bags tangled into a ball to hold the shape. We seem to be enjoying more sunny days that could be expected for this transitional time of late Autumn, and it was nice to have another sunny day to dry the hat. Some how I always think that when something is dried in the sun it retains a special kind of warm feeling, that the suns rays leave more warmth than if dried in a more artificial way. Silly - but there is something special about snuggling something that has dried outside in the sun.

The hat suits Bear, blocking relaxed it slightly, so it is a little looser than before, and longer, which provides a tiny turn up. Bear is old school in many things, so beanie hats have turn ups, they are not slouchy, even if other guys wear then a little slouchy. Still this hat provides Bear with options, even if he doesn't take advantage of them.

 
There was enough yarn, just, I finished with 6 grams remaining, which is not much. As directed by the pattern I wove the ends in very neatly. The inside is different to the outside, the chevron pattern slightly denser, and the ribs skinnier. The suggestion is that with the ends finished neatly the hat can be reversible - and I think I even prefer it this side out.

The other 'need' to finish soon project is Banjo-Helens baby blanket. Babies don't wait for knitters to finish before being born, and babies due in winter should have winter weight warm blankets - so there is a need, a clear need and I'm keen to finish.  I'm nearly half way around the edge with the lace bind off. I've switched to 4mm needles for the lace edge, after working the blanket on 5mm needles. One edge seems to take an evening, so there is two evenings knitting to go, at least. I've made a  modification in that I'm working short rows in the lace around the corners for two full repeats of the lace boarder ... just where it meets the lace corner increases. I've only worked the first corner so far, and am about to work the second but so far it looks fine. That only leaves a few projects in the wip-basket, a pair of wristers for a learn to knit class I'm teaching at Hand Made in June, the Beret which needs some decisions made, the fish blanket which is a slow-cook project so no hurry there,  a pair of socks which will be my relaxing knit at knit camp this weekend. And the Sanquhar gloves,  which may take a while.

Right now I seem to need a little control, to feel like I own my knitting rather than it owning me, and the easiest way I know to regain control is to finish wips.
ok - best go, the bread has done its second rise, and needs to be shaped ready for the oven, the elder cub wants transport, and the little cub has asked for some bike- time. Weekends are nice, I like having time to do these kinds of things.

take care
Stella

Where did that week go?

Ever have one of those weeks where some how, the week is gone and there isn't much to show for it? There are times that I think my whole life is a bit like that, and the older I get the more time seems to fly and the less time I seem to have. Today there is a new project, specially requested by Bear, and an old project comes closer to ending, and there are new toys.

Bears A-kicking hat in Stansborough grey

Bear has very little hair, he won't mind me saying that, I know as I asked. What hair he does have he keeps very short, military short, clipped. Its been like that for a while, a long while. Here in New Zealand we have two factors that combine and raise the risk of skin cancer, much of the population is genetically disposed towards fair skin, the kind that burns easily, and not just in the midday sun. Add to that here in New Zealand the light that we get seems richer in the kind of wavelengths that cause damage to the skin. Don't panic, its not cancer, but there are some little spots that won't heal that Bears doctor wants to remove. Years of exposure to the sun has created skin that is almost to thin to take standard wear and tear and the treatment is to remove the skin and let new thicker skin grow. Bear is a sensitive sort and dosn't want to expose his head to the view of the world while it heals so requested a hat that could be worn indoors. We had a shared Ravelry session, where quite a few patterns were viewed and considered, many were rejected and we both felt that Elliots Ass-kicking hat by Megan Ellinger was the one. Then I invited Bear to view the stash drawers that held suitable yarn - and this is what he picked. Stansbourgh Yarn, 4 ply in natural grey. I'd link to the yarn itself but it was bought a few years ago and they don't do this one any more, just a DK / light worsted weight.

Edging Banjo-Helen's baby blanket.

Most of this week I've been knitting on the hat, seemed only fair that it be completed quickly. Bear wants to book a session with his doctor soon. Before I was distracted by the hat, I begun the edge on Banjo-Helen's baby blanket. I hope to have this done by the end of next week. Next weekend is the local Knit Camp - and I'm wanting to take something smaller with me to work on outside of class. The sanquhar mitts perhaps? Start a cardigan for me, start one for little cub ... start something for my secret swap partner, finish the socks on the needles? I've no idea what will be next but just thinking about what it could be is fun.

New toys, a pair being two makes it toys plural  doesn't it?

And here is my new toy, so new that I've not even brushed fibre past them. A pair of Howard Hand Cards, fine 120 TPI, standard sized, from The Woolery.com, shipping was almost the same cost as the carders themselves.  I've been looking at carder prices and shipping for three or so years now and with the current favorable New Zealand exchange rate I was able to by the carders with shipping for a little less than the cost that the carders alone would have been three years ago. I had to take a bit of a leap and risk, not being able to discuss hand carders much here, most locals have Ashford ones, and few spin woolen, and not being able to try different brands and styles before I bought. The Howard ones seemed good value for money without going for a student model, and a nice compromise between curved and straight. The more I looked the more there seemed to be a clear preference amongst those who use hand carders for either straight or curved. I'm waiting for a dvd to arrive to guide me, How to Card Wool: Four Spinners, Four Techniques before I start of and learn bad habits. Some times I just like to let the excitement rest while I look forward and plan to use new things rather than jump in and get all muddled. I thought since I was enjoying playing with spinning worsted that a pair of hand carders and a little tuition might be a good thing. The carders arrived within 4 days, the DVD was order first and I'm still waiting on it, I can wait - there is plenty to do.


This week looks like another busy week, lots to get through at work, there is another big hand in for students,  and so a pile of marking for me, and student presentations this Monday. Plus I'm nearly done on the next article for Entangled ... this one is on workbooking and keeping records of ones crafting. I'd best head off and finish that before Little cubs friends descend for a play date this afternoon and distract me.

Take care
na Stella

The Take-2 post

Another quick post, seems I have run out of hours again this weekend. I've just returned from a a bit of a rush around town for things. Standard stuff like a new floor mop and handle, guiding the cubs towards something that Bear would actually like for his birthday, and that they can afford. Doing the same for me, except I have a slightly higher budget and have known him a little longer. Finishing by attending a fantastic talk by Douglas Lloyd Jenkins titled Inside the Victorian Gentleman's Wardrobe. All in all a fast and fun day, but leaving little time to sit and blog. Expecially when I have a new book on the New Zealand penchant for the colour black to read.

So -- quickly, there is yarn, or part yarn, I've been spinning a little more and now have two different yarns on two different bobbins to ply. There is also knitting progress, on the Sanquhar glove, which was frogged some weeks ago and sent to the back of the knit basket to languish while I worked on more fun things. So this is the take-2 post, my second go at woolen spinning, my second go at the Sanquhar mitts.

 This is yarn spun Woolen style, as opposed to worsted style. I was quite taken by the Faux Rolags that were presented in a recent spin off so used that technique to prepare this multi-coloured fibre for spinning. Then finding I had rolags I thought it best to maybe spin them Woolen, so I dug out my Abby Franquemont video and tried to do as Abby does, spin all relaxed and easy but for now there is a whole lot of trust in the process. I am trusting that Abby is right when she says that worsted yarn is made in the singles. That the character of the singles set the character of worsted yarn, but that woolen yarn's character comes from the plying. I hope so - because this is thick and thin and variable and I'm trusting plying will even it out. The variation aside I did relax into the spinning and loved the difference way in which woolen spinning is done, more relaxing - more flow, less micromanaging. I can see that I will be looking out for more yarn to turn into mini faux rolags so I can practice woolen  little more. I'm almost sad that I have a basket of pale blue diz'd roving ready and waiting for the wheel.

Saturday was KSG - Knitters Study Group, part two of the Sanquhar mitts. Mine had been banished to the frog pond and abandoned since soon after the last meeting. Friday I dug mine out and worked the gusset increases for the thumb, on Saturday I finished the gusset and once home worked the first wee section of the hand. This time my gauge is perfect, 26 stitches in 2" !

Looks good and fits well.
Must go .. I hear a pot lid trembling, the vegy soup must need attention.

na Stella

Decison made

I finally made a decision about completing or frogging the edge of Rosebuddie. In doing so I discovered that I really can't follow instructions sometimes, first I completely got the yarn requirements mucked up (I'm not sure how I did that), and second I made a chart reading error that changed the way the lace worked. Let me explain.
A few days ago I dug out the blanket and thought that I'd better finish knitting the edge up to the next corner. I had weighed the yarn remaining at the last corner, and by knitting to the next corner and weighing the yarn again I would be able to work out how much yarn the edging would consume. I'd been avoiding this project for at least a week, so the chart had become a distant memory. I looked at it with fresh eyes.

The little dot in the lower right corner of the K2tog square

As I looked at the chart I wondered why there was a little dot in the lower corner of the box with the k2tog symbol. As soon as I realised the dot was there I realised what the dot meant, the stitch was to be purled, not knit .... So I knit the next pattern repeat following the chart exactly, purling those two stitches together - just to see what would happen. I liked what happened, the connecting stitches between the blanket body and the blanket edge formed wee eyelets. When I p2tog rather than k2tog both sides of the eyelets were edged with little chains.
Bother, I liked the pairs of chains, so finally the decision was made. I was going to frog and completely reknit the boarder as charted, so undo the one and a half sides of border I had already knit.

P2tog = Chain, K2tog = bumpy mess.

At first I carefully slipped   row at a time off the needle and frogged carefully back to the stitch that was edge stitch of the blanket body. That took forever, so I got brave and slipped 5 or 6 rows off the needle and pulled the border stitches free of the blanket body as I slipped the stitches on the needle.

Frogging the slow way

Then I realized that I could just pick up all the stitches along the edge, mostly as I had knit then rather than purled them so they sat at an odd angle and were easy to see. Then it was just a matter of raveling, frogging the lace border back to the second corner, at which point I weighed the yarn, then I frogged back to the first corner and weighed the yarn again. For this size blanket it takes 9 grams of yarn to knit the boarder on one edge, there are four edges, so 36gram required. And yes I know that the blanket will be larger if I knit more body repeats, so I will need more yarn to knit the edge - its all a guesstimate at the moment. 

Frogging the quicker way

Here I am all ready to go, and at this point I checked the yarn requirements and discovered that I had read 1000-1650 yards as if it was meters. I didn't need 1000 meters, I only needed 914meters, I had 850m, so in effect had plenty of yarn, enough that dropping a needle size should save me the 65m I was missing.

Ready to go again.

So here I am, frogged and ready to go, the yarn broke so I now have two balls of yarn rather than one. No worries as chart D is a fairly dense lace so plenty of scope to weave in ends there.

Dilemma

As I'm knitting my way around the border of the Rosebuddie blanket I'm increasingly faced with a dilemma. I started knitting with the understanding that the pattern calls for 1000 - 1650 yards (914 - 1509 m) and I have 160g of 2 ply hand spun Perendale that is some where around 850m. So I selected needles one size smaller and knit the smallest size. There are a few places where this pattern can be increased, working some of the charts once, or twice, and in each case I chose to knit the charts once.

Rosebuddie corner

Now I find myself having knit the lace edge border along one edge  with 71g of the original 160g left. I've started to knit the second side with plans to weigh the remaining yarn and see how much yarn a side takes. My feeling is that the border won't use over half the yarn, especially as it around 8 stitches wide. My Dilemma is do I finish or do I frog back to just before the border and add a second repeat of the last chart before the border. I suspect the yardage required has been rounded up to match that typical of skeins of yarn ... sometimes it would be nice to know how much yarn would remain once the item was knit - but then given I'm already modifiying this without first knitting it I really can't ask too much of the designer can I?

One side of edge done and 71g left

Once I realized that I may have grossly erred on the side of caution and might have considerable yarn left, and missed the chance to make a larger blanket ... well my enthusiasm for the project waned. Well not waned, but I began to get more enthusiastic about other things and less so about the knitting.

Procrastination via tidying up

One of my favorite procrastination tasks is to tidy up. Bear has been tidying up all week, the cubs rooms, the hall cupboards, both living spaces ... the garage ... all in preparation for painting the bathroom. I completely understand that, some jobs require the kind of commitment that one can only make when one has got ready, and for Bear and I that often results in a cleaning and tidy spree. This rather large chest of drawers is a Wellington. So called after Field Marshall Wellington, who had a chest like this made to carry all his 'stuff' when out on campaigns. There are two flaps that lock into place down each side and stop the drawers from opening when you move the chest around. Not that I could even think of moving this with drawers in it, it s made of Rimu, old Rimu so hard and solid and heavy, and is 1400mm wide, 700mm deep and chest high. This beautiful plain and serviceable chest which dates from the early twentieth century holds much of my craft 'stuff'. I avoided my knit-dilemma by sorting the contents of the drawers. I now have two drawers of bookbinding 'stuff', and a drawer of drawing 'stuff', and a drawer of stamping 'stuff', and the rest are devoted to materials for spinning and sewing and knitting. Before I had drawers of mixed 'stuff'. I've even added labels to the fronts so I can find particular  'stuff' without opening up each and every drawer to look for it. The tall wooden stand is my skein stand, where skeins are hung to dry.

CotLin washcloth in Garn

Another favorite procrastination trick is to knit on something else, knowing that I dug around in my knit project basket and found a washcloth to finish. This only took a 15 minutes and now its done and not longer a procrastination project.

Dark and twisty number two

So I dug around again and found another languishing project, the second of a pair of dark cabled wristers. I sometimes wonder if Knitters purposely have projects that are standing by just for when the main project is in need of a little separation time? I figure I have another night or two procrastination knitting, and maybe even some procrastination spinning or plying before I have to start a new procrastination project or deal with the second edge of lace and make a decision about frogging or having yarn left over.

So .... how has your week gone? Any procrastination in your life right now?
Na Stella

Owls!

Boxing day here, the day after Christmas day. I was always told that boxing day was the day that wealthy Victorians went about passing on the food and other left overs to those less fortunate than themselves. I've also heard tell of Boxing day sales, particularly in the UK, where shoppers almost lost all reason in their haste to purchase heavily discounted items, particularly clothing and accessories. Here Boxing day is usually quiet, often is is an invite somewhere, and there are left overs, and of course the cubs (and adult bears) want to play with their new toys. In short mostly Boxing day is a mop up from Christmas day, eating the left overs, and finishing up Christmas things. Today - the washing machine threw us a curve ball .... yesterday after Christmas dinner I popped the table cloth which Bears Mum had embroidered into the washing machine  .... thinking it best to clean it before any food had a chance to settle and stain. Last night I pulled the damp table cloth out of the machine and hung it over the side of the machine ready to hang up this morning. This morning Bear went out to hang the table cloth on the washing line while I made breakfast coffee. Bear returned reporting that the table cloth was covered in brown 'mud' and that the washing machine had more 'mud' all over the inside. Long story - short, appears this washing machine has a filter, deep inside the agitator that we were unaware of .. and the filter was completely filled with years of wet lint. Filled the the point it was washing out of the filter and back into the wash, and it was mud coloured and  ... ewwwh! So our boxing day went in a mess of cleaning up the mess, including dropping a cloth between the agitator and the wall of the machine and fears of needing a repair visit to retrieve it. Luckily Bear is the sort of person who just works away quietly at things and he hauled the washing machine out and cleaned in behind and under and in the process the cloth fell out the bottom ...... What was boxing day like for you? Was it better than mine?

1950's style petticoat

The last two days of the 'before' Christmas week littlest cub and I sewed another dress and a petticoat. With each of the dresses she has asked if the skirt could 'pouff out', and inspired by rumors of a 1950's petticoat for sale at a local second hand shop (we went but it was sold), I searched out instructions and made one. I bought the bridal tulle and the bias binding, and already had the material for the top and the elastic. So far little cub has worn it every day and with every skirt and dress she has. I suspect that she will ask for another one, as I let slip that I'd read that girls in the 1950's sometimes wore more than one to make their skirts extra full. The dress is just like the pink one, but in blue plaid ....

Unravelled by Carrik, of Central Otago, NZ

Did you know that there is wine made for knitters? This is one that Bear brought home for us, Unravelled by Carrick, one of the Central Otago wineries. I've not tried it but Bear is good at reading and remembering wine reviews .. so it should be tasty. Carrick say  'The name is a play on our Carrick Bend Knot and represents a marketing decision to produce a very reasonably priced uncomplicated, upfront ("unravelled!"), enjoyable wine, with recognizable black cherry fruit and ready to drink now'... I like to think that its fibre rlated and  I'm happy to connect the two together in my own mind.

Owls, tatted and silver

Christmas brought other fibre things, these amazingly cute tatted owl earrings, from Suzanne, who is making the most amazing snowflakes right now. the larger sterling, Garnet and marcasite Owl was from Bear and is delightful, officially a broach I've temporarily hung it on a chain so I can wear it in warm weather.  With temperatures in the tee-shirt, light dress and sandal range I'm just not wearing things which will support a heavy broach right now - and I'm not prepared to wait until winter.

Rosebuddie starts

The little cubs with a bit of guidance from Bear gifted me chocolate and some patterns, Rosebuddie by Anne Hanson, Deciduous and Icelandic Poppy by Evelyn Clark. I finished the KAL socks Christmas eve so was all set to start something new  ... and Rosebuddie is now on the needles. I'm using fingering weight hand spun Perendale, and I love how the colour changes in handspun are so different to the colour changes in mill or hand dyed yarns.


and this is Yoyo doing her new 'thing', Cat-in-a-bowl'. Most days we come across her either curled up in the bowl or sitting and surveying her domain. She curls up in the larger bowl, and sits in the smaller of the two .. we have no idea why.  Bear suggest that maybe she has no idea why either. This behavior is new as far as we know, traditionally Yoyo relaxed on the front stairs or under the foliage around the garden .. the use of terracotta bowls is new. I suspect that these warm up in the sun and she has discovered they are soft, slightly elevated so dry and warm as toast. This has the whole family calling out 'Cat-in-a-bowl' whenever we spot her ... and stopping to look.

Cat in a bowl?

So - boxing day continues, the washing machine is back and washing, its Spin night tonight, and we are off to the Waimate Rodeo tomorrow so an early start.

take care
Stella

Done so something new or two

Toad is finished, yesterday, amidst sunny warm and balmy weather - yes finished a long sleeved sturdy warm hand spun hand knit jersey with lined collar and cuffs for double warmth on the day we finally get summer. Just as well we live in Dunedin, for today we are back to colder days, with rain and overcast and not a lot of sunshine to warm us up. With any project ending - comes the time to start a new project (or two) - so I've done that and now have two socks on the needles, different ones.

So - twelve year old sons are not good at standing still, they dance, they jigger, they move - and on an overcast day for a while it looked like this was the best photo of Tobe wearing Toad that I would be able to show you. For interest sake, I used up every single gram and part gram of the Sock yarn I was using to line the collar and cuffs, ending with about 20cm left - so this was an excellent stash buster. I have a skein of the Blue left, which might become a hat, sometime. And I have to remind myself this is my first finished hand knit sweater .......something I am keen to do again even if it means spinning fibre in larger than 100g batches.

Front on, Toad gives Tobe Shoulders, well he has shoulders of his own but they are lean, lanky, skinny boy shoulders.I think all saddle shoulder designs do that to some degree - add in a linear and boxy shape at the shoulder. Having said that I think it will soften with wear, and use .... next winter if it still fits.

Side on gives some idea of Tobe's dimensions, front to back he is a proverbial bean pole .... over all I'm quite pleased with how it Toad (and Tobe) turned out.

The new project is a secret Christmas present, knitted toe up to keep the design kind of hidden for now. I am making Tardis socks. So far reverse engineering the pattern has been fine, cast on  two lots of 8 stitches using Judy's magic cast on, honestly the best seamless toe cast on ever IMO, increase at either end of each side for the next five rounds, then every second round until there are 34 stitches. Condensing the increases in the first few rounds gives a more rounded toe which I like.

There might be a second new project as well, for some reason I felt the need to cast on a washcloth this morning, worked in 2x2 rib with smocked details - sorry no photo yet but there will be next time.

Take care
Stella

Addictive

I knew that this fibre lark was addictive, really I did, but sometimes it takes a particular project to remind me just how addictive working out how to do something can be. Today I have significant progress on Toad, one sock is done and the other languishes. I've also managed to manipulate littlest cub into knitting a top down raglan for Curley Bear.

Addictive, defined at the FreeDictionary as

ad·dict (-dkt)

tr.v. ad·dict·ed, ad·dict·ing, ad·dicts

1. To cause to become physiologically or psychologically dependent on a habit-forming substance: The thief was addicted to cocaine.

2. To occupy (oneself) with or involve (oneself) in something habitually or compulsively: The child was addicted to video games.

I think that the second meaning is the one that is most applicable here, that I found myself both occupied and involved in something that was compulsive. With the hem of Toad completed I found myself ready to finish the neck edge. Originally I had planned to knit a plain band in 2x rib, then I wondered about a cable worked around the neck ... and then I started to think about a Henley style neck with a zip. That seemed the best for this jersey, a thicker and more robust yarn seemed to be a good match for a zippered and collared finish. I could see this was heading towards a warm outdoorsy sweater. First stop was the local big box craft supply store for a nice zip.I found one, it could have been longer but then again maybe shorter is better.

Then I steeked the front, and considering I had not planned to steek the front that was probably a brave move. But sometimes I'm not the kind of knitter to let a lack of planning get in the way. Having steeked I picked up and worked a short facing either size of the cut edge - this would be the outside facing for the zip. Once I got this far I had to keep going, unable to work on anything else in-case I lost the plot and didn't remember what I was doing (don't laugh - it has happened when I've parked a project and returned to it) .


Then I picked up and knit a collar around the neck edge in 2x2 rib. When the collar seemed long enough to fit the zip I switched to a softer yarn and knit the inside of the collar. I worked a knit transition row at the colour change. For the inside collar I used Vintage Purls Vintage Sock, the left overs from Double+1. I worked a mock i-cord edge at both ends of the collar, slipping the first 3 stitches of each row, and purling the last three.


I Grafted the centre section of the collar down to the neck edge, working from the centre out and using pins to keep the ribs lined up. I was quite pleased with how it turned out.

I left the last inch or so of the collar not grafted, and picked these up and worked a narrow band in rib that could cover the inside of the zip tape. At this stage the project looked very messy and I hoped that my loose plan would turn into something that worked and looked presentable.

Last night was family movie night, mostly as one of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies was screening on TV, and we all like Johnny Depp at his most outrageous. So I finished the collar and stitched in the zip. I was secretly quite surprised that something that had looked so messy finished up looking quite planned and almost 'like a bought one' as my Nana would say. She was a child of the early 20th Century and completely converted to making life easier by buying rather than making. If I had five kids and my washing machine had a mangle roller maybe I would love the convenience of modernity as well.

This is where I am at now, with a finished zippered collar, faced with soft sock yarn, and the first sleeve is well on its way to the elbow.


The Bubble socks are now done. All done, and I'm pleased with them. This was my first completed hand spun sock and I was pleasantly surprised at how even it knit up. Next time I would try and make the yarn a little firmer in the twist - this seemed very low twist compared to commercial yarns. Then again unlike commercial yarns the stripe pattern is one that would only occur in a hand dyed skein of pencil roving.

And the littlest cub is working her first seamless garment, a top down raglan for her teddy. She was very good and followed instructions to cast on and work the raglan increases without really understanding how it would all work. Until now she has planed and executed a variety of bags and pillows with seams all on her own but I was keen to get her understanding the advantages of seamless. Once she got to the sleeves she saw how it would all work - and I was quietly impressed that she recognized the need for casting on stitches at the underarm to make the body fit nicely. Right now we have just transferred over to circulars - she has her own, and she is working out if she needs to increase as the body gets longer. Bears have quite cute shapes - this one is pear shaped, a pear shaped bear, so some increases might be judicious.

Take care
stella

I might have started another pair of socks ...

just might have. Usually I like to have only one pair on the needles at any one time, but sometimes a new sock is just the right answer. We have just been away, visiting a few Air Museums around the south island, Wigram and Ashburton, both homes for flight training bases during World War Two. Like most knitters I made sure I packed enough knitting to keep me busy for three times longer than we were away - you know just in case. I'm not sure in case of what, in case we got held up and didn't get home, in case the weather meant that I was stuck inside knitting (not a bad thing in the scheme of things), in case I got bored with what I was knitting and wanted a change. That last one is probably the best reason, and in fact I found that knitting continuously on the same size needles did tire my hands out and switching to a different size needle and project did my hands good.

So I wanted to take the Bubble sock but two reasons stopped me, first it is a chart and so not good travel knitting and second it was nearly finished so wouldn't have provided enough knitting. This is where Bubbles is at, and if tonight turns out to be a tv night (between the two extremes of Big Bang Theory, and The Borgias) I should be done today.

I did take Toad, my handspun Texel sweater that is in progress, and made lots of progress. I am nearly about to start the lower hem, 2x2 rib I think, with maybe a garter band above and below. Elder cub is 12, and taller than me, say 5ft8", so I'm happy to make this long just in case he has not stopped growing. I think it will be body band/hem, then neck band then sleeves, that way I won't have to worry that the neck will draw up the shoulders and shorten the sleeves. I am almost tempted to work something fancier at the hem, say a cable or such but then again .... perhaps I should keep it simple. Whatever I do I will have to match the cuffs to the hem so I am keeping that in mind as the cuffs are significantly smaller so I'd need to find a pattern with a repeat size that would fit around cuff and hem neatly.

One of the best reasons to keep projects simple is that at least one of the projects needs to be a pick up and go project. While I was away I wanted to start Toads Christmas prezzie, a Tardis Sock on the road. I had the pattern, the project bag, the needles and the yarn (Vintage Purls of course). Then just before we left I discovered that the sock was knit top down, and not only that but the words Police Box were formed first - I wasn't going to be able to knit that in secrecy in a motel room for very long was I? So I grabbed a lovely icy blue Vintage Purls sock yarn and a nostepinne to wind it with and decided I would knit something for younger cub. This is the first attempt, a quadrant toe and a cable that I had charted in my workbook. The cable in a slightly different form was part of Bears Paws 3, but this time I'm working it continuously. As things go I realized that the cable would work better if it was more woven and symmetrical around the center ... so I frogged.

This is take two, and as I started the pattern row I realized that I could work a cute baby cable up the middle just to complicate things even more so I allowed two center stitches which spaced the cable out a little more. I love the pretty pale blue of this sock, I'm thinking an eye of partridge heel and maybe even some sort of lace cuff or cast off.

Another day of knitting and the sock is looking like it might work. Part of me wonders if I should have a baby cable along either side and part of me thinks that it is just fine as it is.

That is progress so far, I'm still on leave for a few more days but I'm in the midst of finalizing another column for Entangled so I'm keeping this post short. I thought the article was to be on Scale but as I write my way towards the importance of scale in crafting I find I'm defining craft first and have yet to get to the scale. And I have some great images to use so I'm going to have to fit the scale in somewhere. Writing is a bit like knitting, sometimes the direction that is best isn't quite the direction that you imagined you would be going in.

Take care
na Stella

You would think that with

two full weeks leave from work I'd be relaxing, and maybe even knitting. Well I've been relaxing but to those around me I seem to be far from relaxing. Since Friday at 4is when my leave officially began I've slept in until 8am on a Saturday and Sunday, cut and sewn two dresses and initiated littlest cub into use of a sewing machine and iron, finished binding my diary for next year, made two boxes to store assignments in, blocked my yarn and knit some. And it is only Monday, not only that but lunchtime on Monday!

So the vintage pattern worked out well, appears my little contemporary 9 year old cub is pretty much a vintage size 12. She is tall, and the dress has 'growing-room', which I am loath to remove as if I do she will certainly grow overnight. This is the second dress, the first is sleeveless in a white, tan and taupe plaid. The best thing is that the sun is warming up our part of the world and she can wear these without freezing.

This one we even went so far as to construct the little decorative bow trim, and attached it to the center front waist. When I say 'we' I mean little cub as she sewed the bow herself and most of the seams on both dresses. I stepped in on the more tricky curved seams where errors would matter, like the neckline and setting in the sleeves. I cheated and resorted to a hand-prick-stitched zip, I can and do machine zips in but love the vintage look and the process of hand prick-stitching in a zip. I do machine the tapes to the seam allowance for security but like the custom hand made touch of working the zip this way. What you can't see is the shocking pink bias banding inside the neck, waist and hem that neaten up those edges of the dress. Little cub wants a petticoat that makes the skirt go out more, so that is on the cards for latter this week, as will be a few more of these pretty dresses. I have a notion to return to the opp-shop and source a few nice vintage plastic buckles and buttons as trim for the next few.

One of the last things I had to do before the end of last week was tidy up and file away all the admin side of marking. As I worked thru the Year one Essays and the Year 2 Lit Reviews I kept them in two photocopier box lids. You know those ubiquitous shallow cardboard boxes that are put to use in most offices. I like my desk to be a nice place to work and worn ripped photocopier paper box lids just were just not contributing a nice ambiance. I'm not sure a pile of written assignments to mark could ever contribute a pleasant ambiance, but I'd like to think it could be nicer than it was. Today I sat down and constructed two shallow boxes, that easily hold A4 sized paper. The left over wallpaper from the cubs bedrooms covers the outside(Designers Guild) and the wallpaper from the hallway(Liberty) above the wood paneling lines the inside. There was a lot of learning going on in making these, and the second is neater than the first, but both are 100% nicer than a photocopier paper box lid.


I have been knitting (and frogging) on the new project, a top down set in sleeve sweater for elder cub. This was the state of play last Friday and you may notice that there are no needles in this work. I removed them having realized that frogging was required. Yo-yo, currently stealth cat as she has lost both bells, waited with me as I arranged for the photo.


I had to frog as it became abundantly clear that the sleeve cap I was knitting was suitable for someone with very defined biceps, perhaps even ones enhanced with steroids. Elder cub tends towards the slighter end of the range of shoulder and upper arm development ... so this would never look like it belonged to him. Currently state is that this is back on the needles and I've worked beyond this point and am nearing division for the sleeves and body.



And yarn, finally I have blocked the Wabi Sabi River Stones fibre, Merino, alpaca, silk and angora 50g and 272m, or thereabouts. As usual no plans yet to knit this one into, but I really enjoyed spinning it and love the colour ( or lack thereoff).

So I'd better go, younger cub has plans to invite a whole host of friends around tomorrow afternoon and that can only happen if her room is tidy. Her version of tidy and mine differ, in that things under the bed, and toys on the floor and washing not out in the laundry bin, and stuff like pencils and hair ties on every surface are things I'd like tidied away. I'm nearly as unreasonable as I remember my own mother was about keeping my bedroom tidy.

Oh well best go and see what progress has been made.

cheers - stella