skein

NaKniSweMoDo catch up

The knitting part of Hey Teach is done. This is number 7 of 12.  Just buttons and seaming and it's finished!  I'll probably do that next weekend.  It's been more knitting than anticipated,  the back has been knitted twice (i.e. frogged and reknitted) and the sleeves were partially frogged too.  I thought I'd knit 3/4 sleeves, had a change of heart and went for elbow length instead, had another change of heart and went shorter, about 2.5" longer than the short sleeves in the pattern.

The colour is purple!  Not as blue as in this photo. Blame it on the evening light.

Now onto number 8. It's cast on and it's Tide, by Louise Harding, knitted in her Glisten yarn which is a type of ribbon yarn, not my favourite to knit with.  It unravels madly, it's slow knitting and my tension is to pot!  I could of course put it in a bag, or in a pop sock, but I can't be bothered.

 

One more thing about this yarn ... ... ... it's sparkly!  I don't know if it's that obvious in this close up.

It's been on my list for ages, so I'm pleased that it's finally on the needles.  At the moment I'm liking the knitting, but this may change, once the novelty has worn off, and I'm on the boring stocking stitch bit! 

June round up and July knitting plans

Where does the time go? Another month already!

I had a very successful June.

1) June Mystery Blanket squares. Done!

and two strips!

2) Finish Dawn, my NaKniSweMoDo #6. Done!

3) Start garment #7 for NaKniSweMoDo.  Done! (Started, not finished).  It's Hey Teach.  This is the only photo I have, of a half knitted back.  Both fronts and back are knitted, and the first sleeve started. These will be 3/4 sleeves, so will take a bit longer than the very short sleeves in the pattern.

4)Finish Ishbel.  Done!

5) Start some plain socks for carrying around.  Done!  But they're probably going to be around for months, I don't like knitting with this alpaca yarn.  I've even tried knitting in bed, doesn't work (I want to lie down, my arms ache, I fall asleep, Chris would kill me if he found needles int he bed!)

6) Knit a Nancy Bush sock for SKA's June socks. SolidSocks is natural or white, and I may or may not combine the two. Done and Done!  I decided to do both! 

SKA's New England socks :

 

SolidSocks' Taking Turns socks:

7) just because I like having seven things - start another project, small, maybe lacy.Done!  A small child's top, with lacy short sleeves.

 

Such a great knitting month! 

July's goals
1) Finish Hey Teach cardigan for NaKniSweMoDo #7.  Just two 3/4 length sleeves to do.

2) Start NaKniSweMoDo #8.  I think it's going to be Louisa Harding's Tide, in Glimmer. (Ravelry link). I'll be knitting the longer version. Yarn in stash!

3) Debbie Abraham's Mystery Blanket July squares.  And seam strips 1 and 2.

4) SolidSocks knitalong - blue socks.

5) (more socks, shhh) Socktapus socks - this month I love the yarn and pattern so will have to knit these, quick.  I won't say anymore for a few weeks in case anyone reading is still waiting for the package. Let's just say that the supplier is a firm favourite, and I lurve this colour.

6) Knit some dishcloths. Not fancy ones, I find that (in the kitchen) I prefer either garter stitch or that ballband pattern, looks like a brick wall.  I think it's the bumpy texture I like.

7) the little extra.  I can't make up my mind - mindless knitting / lace knitting / baby knitting?  Time will tell.

Another busy month!  Notice those alpaca socks started in June are left in the UFO pile ...

New England Socks

This is a pattern which has long been on my wishlist, and I've only just gotten around to knitting it, purely down to SKA and the June theme - Nancy Bush patterns.

Pattern: New England Socks by Nancy Bush
Started: June 6th
Finished: June 25th
Needles: 2mm
Yarn: Regia silk, pale blue.

Love the pattern!  I think I avoided knitting these because of the smaller needles and longer leg, but really, the pattern means that time flies.  I've been knitting on other things in between, but the second sock, for example, took only four evenings.

I keep thinking that I'll have a break from sock knitting, but it's addictive, and there's soooo many patterns I want to knit and haven't yet.  I'm not going to participate in SOS (summer of socks, ravelry) this summer, due to NaKniSweMoDo, but with SolidSocks and SKA I think I have my hands full anyway.

Hey Teach! is going well.  Back and two fronts are done, just sleeves to go - but as I've only used three of five skeins of Cotton Fleece for the body I'm going to knit longer sleeves, so it's Sleeve Island time.  I now know why I need many wips (or maybe just two or three) - my hand is aching from spending knitting time on just this garment since Friday.  I'm resisting casting on, but a ball of Zephry laceweight, in marine blue  has jumped out of box #3 and is sitting next to me now....

Spring Garden Tee

A very cute, very quick knit!

Pattern: Spring Garden Tee (ravelry pattern here)
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Wool Cotton
Started: 21st June
Finished: 24th June
Needles: 3mm (I think!)

This is the 12 month size.
Modifications: decided to just crochet a row of dc around the neckline. My loose cast off (so the baby can get her head in it!) looked a bit messy.   OK, the photo of the top looks a bit messy too, but it's not, this is probably down to me having 30 seconds to take a photo this morning before work, and not rearranging it nicely on the grass!

The armhole is roomy, and the pretty sleeve cap is very girly.

I also finished my New England socks last night (no time for a photo this morning though!) so that means I've managed to reach all of my June goals!  I'm going to carry on with Hey Teach!, which hs been largely ignored this week, if I can resist the lure of knitting baby garments, just love them, they're so quick.

Taking Turns socks

Pattern: Taking Turns by Evelyn Clark
Yarn: Louet Gems Pearl
Started 9th June
Finished: 20th June
Needles: 2.25mm

These were knitted for June's SolidSocks theme on ravelry, which was white or natural (undyed).   Last summer I put relevent coloured yarn into monthly sock bags, for SolidSocks and SKA on ravelry, so I had a little surprise at the beginning of the month.  I thought I had no white/natural sock yarn, but when I opened June's sock bag there it was, some white yarn!  It's the first time I've knitted white socks. Can't say I wear them much, but it was far easier on these middle aged eyes than dark sock yarn.

It's a lovely pattern, very easy to memorise. 

Finishing these means that I only had the New England socks on the needles last night (Saturday) plus Hey Teach!, so of course I've cast on a 'quick' baby top today!