skein

Not much knitting done at all this week

I've not accomplished much at all this week.  Last night I was fuming at the lack of wifi and how frustrating it is trying to call helplines, or grapple with a mountain of twisted leads. 

I have a sock in progress though. Just a plain ribbed, top down sock for Mr C.   That's yellow, not orange by the way!

Audrey's second sleeve is nearly done. Just 12 more cuff rows to go. This weekend I'll tackle the borders.  Dare I hope that I'll finish the knitting this weekend???

I quite fancy casting on another gament but can't make up my mind whether to opt for a yellowy summery cardigan or a woolly one.  I plan, at some stage this year, to knit a So Not Me garment.  The style isn't one I would normally choose (sleeveless) and the colours are certainly Not Me - creams and mustard!  But I really liked the pattern photo, in that colour, so went and bought the the samel colours.  I really ought to be knitting from stash..

A few weeks ago I was on ravelry searching for a project I'd knitted a few years ago, and have decided to do a weekly post on projects revisited. Not necessarily those which are much-loved, or difficult, or time consuming, but whatever takes my fancy. I've been a member of ravelry since 2007, so have lots of projects there, and possibly more elsewhere, It seems a shame to knit then blog and then forget about them all.  Some I can't even remember knitting!  So I'll be thinking of that over the next week, see what happens and how I'll sift through the ravelry projects. I just hope I have tagged things! 

Audrey in Unst progess

I've had a pretty productive weekend.   I finished the mitts I was working on, and tried to take some photos yesterday, but they were out of focus and looked a bit big on my hands. I think that's down to wearing them when they were still wet!  Stretchy wool!  I'll try to get some more this week, when they're dry!  Meanwhile we have a photo of the first mitt off the needles as a teaser.

Yesterday I had more Audrey progress.  I've finished the first sleeve and started the second. They're narrow and shortish, so they don't take much time once I get on with it.   Hopinv to finish the second sleeve this week, ready for just the bands at the weekend. Getting there...

I tried it on last night and it's a bit worrying, it seems to be all the wrong shape and was ridign up at the back. I hope it's down to no bands!  Still resisting the urge to cast on the next cardigan.

Apart from Audrey I have only plain socks on the go!  Time to scout around for a baby cardigna for a quick mid year gift to someone.

 

 

 

Audrey progress (or lack of!)

I had plans. Which would have meant comfortably finishing Audrey in May.

Plans involved using the weekends, when there was natural light, for the bits of knitting which involved picking up stitches.

So, last weekend went well.  I picked up the stitches for the sleeve and started the short rowing sleeve cap shaping (which is dead easy).  I intended to knit this first sleeve during the week, ready to pick up stitches for the second sleeve this weekend.

I've done hardly any sleeve knitting though!

Actually, at this stage I have another 29 rows of stocking stitch, and 36 rows of twisted ribbing to go (if my row tension is ok). 

However, at midnight last night I took a good look at the knitting and made one of those middle of the night decisions. I wasn't taken by the fake seam purl stitch on the sleeve. Before frogging back to the start of the sleeve I thought I'd try dropping the stitch down and crocheting the stitch as a knit stitch. A tiny trial showed it looked better than the purl stitch (especially when stretched out) and I'm sure after a few washes it will even out.  So I dropped the stitch,  Not just down the sleeve, but continued down the fake side seams too!

 

In hindsight I could have done a ptbl, which would have been tighter than a purl,, but I'm not going to do that now!

Let's see how much I can knit tonight! I won't start another cardigan until it's done!

The Troubadour's Gauntlets

I've had a bad weekend.  I awoke on Thursday feeling grotty, then went and fell down (on a hill, so I fell and slithered) on the way to work. Skinned knee and hand, but the ribs!  Having a cold and sore ribs is NOT FUN.  Sneezing is the worst. Who knew how quickly  your lungs have to fill  efore you let out a sneeze! There were even a few times when the instinct to sneeze disappeared as the ribs hurt too much!  And I've not had a cold in years, just the odd start of one. This one lasted four days!  It meant no knitting until Saturday.  Cold is pretty much gone now and the ribs are still hurting but not as much.

I did a big knit on Saturday, and finished the second gauntlet by Sunday.  I haven't blocked them yet but wanted to get photos whilst we had fairer weather. 

Pattern: The Troubadour's Gauntlets

Yarn: Renaissance Dyeing Organic Poll Dorset, in a kit. 

Needles: 2.50 and 2.25mm, smaller than in the pattern, but I knit looser.  

Mods: Started off with 4 sts less and only ended up with the correct stitch count when I reached a pattern not divisible by four.  Used the smaller needles on all the 2x2 ribbing. 

A fun, easy knit!

 

April knitting and May knitting goals

A fairly successful April knitting, though I didn't finish everything and had a frogged ((but goal met!) project.  

Blog:

1) Groovyghan  Done!

2) Chivalry Mitts Done!

3) Present Cowl Done!

4) Trekking socks Done!

Start and finish:

5) Ravelry KAL #4.  Not sure yet which one to do, nothing is grabbing me. I think it may possibly be a Mystery kal!  Done!  But sadly in the frog corner. Too wide and too short.

6) Socks for me. I pulled out some Lorna's Laces sock yarn in Envy at the b eginning of the year, and it's still untouched.  Done!

7) Troubadour gauntlets. Fail! But started.. 

Start 

8) Start some socks for Mr C. Done!  No photos yes as I really haven't done much knitting on these. 

9) A biggie, this one. Start a garment. Done!  Body finished, just sleeves and border to go. 

 

So overall very pleased.  Not so great on the stash front though!
In 1819 yards (oops), out 436 yards, balance for the year is a whopping out 49yards!

 

Now for May goals.

Starting with the three wips on the needels,

Finish:

1) Audrey in Unst cardigan. Two sleeves and a border,

2) The Troubadour's gauntlets.

3) Mr C's socks. He ha PLENTY of socks, but still wears his favourites and therefore they are wearing thin. One pair wore out (at the side of the heel) last week,

Start:

4) Garment #2. Not sure what it will be, but I have this Butter cotton wool 4ply....

5) A baby cardigan for a one year old. Think it will be a summery, lightweight cardigan.

6) More mitts for the Christmas list. I think I may use the frogged Mystery cowl yarn.

7) Something from my sigma13 list for the home - probably a dishcloth! Should be able to finish one of those, surely!