Always read the pattern before packing for travel

Today I tell you about the mistake I made packing for my recent travel to Australia, show off my new mini-project, and tell you what I'm doing tomorrow with the baby blanket (hint - it involves scissors!). And that paper presentation - well it went fine, and people actually came into the room to add to the small crowd and listen - which is much better than people leaving.

When knitting Pomatomus, If you just shove your current knit kit into your luggage you may find yourself knitting Pomatomus, on the four needles as instructed, and in deep trouble with no fifth needle when needed. I missed the sentence that said " Though 5 needles are required" and remembered only the bit that said "only 4 of them will be used for most of the sock". Being a tidy soul, I had only read the beginning of the pattern, and carefully stored the 5th needle away in my needle case.

In Sydney I completed the leg section using the four needles as in the pattern, then knit the heel flap, on 3 needles (2 in use and 1 holding stitches), then I got to the written instructions to use all 5 needles - and silently, quietly inside my hotel room I screamed, knowing, that there was no hope of finding any 2.25 mm sharp pointy object to substitute anywhere in the room or in my bags.

Yes - yes I know a clever resourceful knitter would work out how to continue to knit on the 4 needles she had, but after a full day of conference presentations, my wee brain was all worn out from absorbing lots of new ideas. And I was using little needles, 5" ones, so there really was not room to fit all the gusset stitches to be picked up. And really I just wanted to knit, brain dead, simple follow instructions type knitting. So I parked sock one on a loop of yarn - at the heel flap stage and began sock II. I'm amazed it took several weeks to knit the leg of sock one - and only 2 nights to knit the leg of sock two.



Which brings me to image 1, showing how far I got with no t.v. t distract me and lots of evening time to knit. And the second image, with the twisted rib of the heel flap. There was some frogging of sock one while away - wouldn't really be me knitting if there wasn't would it? I had stopped and started the third lace repeat so often I lost my way, several time - but got there in the end.

And this is my miniature gansey sample. I flew back on Thursday, went to work on friday only to be rung by an administrator at around 3, who aplogised for bothering me on my break. Yes thats right, I was actually on annual leave on Friday - but went to work - well I guess it all evens out in the end. And on Saturday - well it was another of the local spinners and weavers knitting workshops. This one was on making a miniature gansey - for a teddy bear. We knit and talked from 11-2 ish, and fitted lunch in there somewhere. This 'class' is very informal, we meet in a church hall, and pay $2 for our share of heating and hot water for tea and coffee. Nothing more - How can i ignore such an opportunity to learn more about knitting?

The 'class' is over two sessions, the next in a month. So today we cast on the front and back bands, joined them, and knit a plain band with an initial. Most of the group knit their own initial, but knowing the sweater was destined for Curley bear - mine has a C. We are to get to the end of the underarm gusset before the next class - I have just started so should be ready. The initial was initially in garter stitch, but the uprights of the letter folded clear away from sight. So I tinked them down and picked them up as garter - but in hindsight moss or seed stitch would be better - and was I think recommended. The yarn is the naturally coloured yarn, the same I knit the clogs in. The Gansey is knit on 3.75mm dpns.

And the blanket? Tonight I whipped the legs of the steek stitches together, tomorrow I plan to machine stitch and cut. Don't worry - there will be photos, lots of photos. Then I will pick up the edge stitches and knit the facing. I am tending towards a single rib, but with a base of double knitting sandwiching and hiding the steek and end edges inside.

Snow day !

Thursday morning we had snow warnings, forcasts of snow down to 300 metres (we live around 95 metres above sea level), which just means bitterly cold winds and sleet or rain. Friday morning the forcast changed to snow to sea level and Queenstown and Wanaka in central Otago a few hours up the road were land locked by icy snow roads. Last night before bed we peeked out of the window and saw a light dusting of snow - so we we banked up the fire, checked the kids, made sure the car was down the side of the house not on the street, finished our wine and toddled off to bed.

Today, Saturday, we woke to 7-8 cm of powder snow, a thick white blanket over everything. Now for some of you this is part of winter, but for us here - we get a dusting of snow once or twice a year on the hills, and slush on the flat of dunedin. We get a decent snow fall that lasts once every 2-3 years, and today was it.



It has been snowing and sunning off an on today, but is not warm - so we have a good fire going. I think one or more of us might just need something like the hats Jussi knits. I've only just discovered Jussi's blog where she hand and machine knits, but those hats ...with the ears, I know they have been done before, but those are cute with a save the forests take out the possums good feeling really soft eco yarn cuteness. I've got little ones that would look so cute and warm in those.


This morning we unilaterally decided not to take the kids to swimming lessons, after all the Police had a request out on the local radio for all dunedin travel to be limited to essential only.


Poppy was amazed to find her swing thickly coated by snow, Toby couldn't wait to play in the snow - so much so, I almost thought he would run out there in his boxers and a tee shirt and naked feet had I not stopped him.


I could not believe the cat spent so much time outside in the cold.









and because this is in fact a knit blog - here is some of today's effort, Pomotomos, just starting the 3rd lace repeat before the heel flap. I am liking this Trekking bamboo mix very much, very very much.


I've also knitted one more repeat on the fair isle baby blanket. One repeat is about 10.2 cm, so I'm thinking it will be around about 6 repeats long. With a 5 cm border all around - the blanket will near 70 cm long, and fit nicely on a 90 cm long baby bed. That plan may change depending on how much yarn the blanket eats up. I am using up the pale blue faster than the other yarn colours - so will need to get more of that on monday, and will also pick up my much awaited copy of interweave knits. That was todays treat - but with the snow, no go. Don't get exited, its just the issue you all have had for months (or is that four months?). Thats international surface shipping for you. Really I should just take out a subscription. And I've got a copy of the adult fibre trends felted clog pattern to pick up, it was strangely cheaper at my LYS than on line - odd. I have been thinking of knitting some of those - for me, for family - just how many projects do I dare start when I have work and conferences and a baby blanket to finish before a baby arrives?