skein

Knitting? What knitting?

It's just horrible living in London in a heatwave.  I can't sleep. I'm up at least an hour earlier each morning in a vain attempt to beat the heat on the commuter route into work. Then I sit for 9 hours in a sauna. The fan blows hot air around my office. I can't concentrate. I have four days left at work before I finish for my holiday, and sooooo much to do in that time. It's not helping that we have someone over from Moscow visiting our offices to see how everything works, and I have him next week.  Urghhh! 

I had a lovely morning over at Stash Yarns, with wonderful company and air conditioning, so much so that I spent four hours or so there! No major purchases, some needles and some sock yarn (but part of this is going to be included in an exchange, so no photos).

I'd really like to finish Henley, the beaded socks and the fixation ankle socks before we go on holiday, but today chose instead to start planning my holiday knitting, and we all know how important a job this is! 

I always take far too much stuff with me.  I have so far never completed everything that I've taken with me. Usually I'm wasting time casting on, getting tension, discovering that I've brought the wrong needles and ripping everything out. 

This year I'm planning ahead.  Winding up yarn, choosing needle types and sizes.

So far we have:
One sock on one circular - 2.25mm LL Argyl, for Chris, ribbed top-down socks.

Two socks on two circulars - 2mm, Koigu, for me, short row toe-up.

One sock on one circular - 2mm, Fleece Artist, for me, toe-up using Queen Kahula's cast on, from the Crazy toes and heels book.

Mary and Jill - this is the colour we all bought in Brighton - does yours look like this?  I have no idea of the colour's name, it's quite autumnal, don't you think?

I've never used Koigu or Fleece Artist for socks until now.  I've read that they're very similar, and certainly side by side the yarns look nearly identical, although the koigu seems just a tad more twisted and slighly more springy when it's knitted up.

On top is the Fleece Artist; below the Koigu.

Next on the list to think about is lace knitting. What pattern, what yarn, what needles. I'll have to do a little test knitting, just to ensure that I take the right needles for the yarn and pattern. Something small I think, as lace knitting is consigned to the daylight hours. We have no electricity in the hut, just gas lighting which is rather dim. I do take various torches and lights but that's for reading in the evening.  I have a forehead light which looks utterly ridiculous but is quite practical! I'll be staying at the stashflat tomorrow, so I'll hunt through the patterns and books.  Quite exciting!  I have the added bonus in that our holiday dates have changed, and we're not leaving until the Saturday, but I've already booked Friday off work. A whole day knitting!

Yarn aboard 2

Yes, time for another exchange! Any other players from this side of the pond? It's a one-off exchange, which suits me down to the ground, can't wait!  I expect that the names will be going out this week.

Meanwhile, knitting doldrums continue.  I made the mistake of getting out the Nintendo DS Lite this weekend, and spent all of Saturday playing games rather than knitting.

Never mind, I gritted my teeth and finished these fixation (or elann's sock it to me yarn) socks for Chris. Not a brilliant photo I see. I need to rearrange that hole on the heel, and Chris needs to learn how to put on cotton stretchy socks - i.e. pull them up his feet!  I can see the socks look baggy around his toes, but are stretched on the rest of the feet!

Elann's sock it to me Esprit and Cascade's Fixation using 3mm needles.

The Raindrop Lace socks have been finished for weeks, and I've been meaning to either block them on the blockers or steam them, to open up the lace.  I seem to have misplaced the sock blockers and it's far too hot to get the steam iron out, so the only option is to wear them and try to take a photo of my feet (which is a nightmare for me).
Yes, manage to cut off the scalloped tops of the socks!

This was part of my project spectrum for June - I think the colour is Ice House, but it's certainly Lorna's laces.  Pattern is Fibertrends Raindrop Lace Socks.

Other knitting wasn't touched this weekend. I'm going to try to finish my beaded socks in the next 12 days (sock one is still on the needles!) and maybe those ankle fixation socks. Maybe.  I need to start thinking about what we're taking to the beach hut this year, and that means digging into the stash. And casting on ready to pack (that ensures I have the correct needles and tension). Temptation!

knitting doldrums

I've stalled.  Nothing is working for me at the moment. I wanted to finish quite a bit of stuff before we go on holiday, yet I'm not knitting! 
I've even broken my one sock project at a time rule.

Here's some fixation socks that I'm knitting. The white socks are for Chris, and I've promised him that they'll be finished for our holiday. 

The variegated are trainer socks, just an inch of stocking stitch and then the heel, brilliant!

The beaded socks are coming along slowly (I can't even be bothered to knit on the commute!)

Just the rest of the foot to go.

And I've started a baby blanket. Auntie's Afghan, from Oat Couture. This might be a little tedious, unless I find a great book to read, as it's mainly st.st for the next 80 or so rows! Coned merino dk from Coldspring with (hopefully) no joins.

We're at the stash flat this weekend, and I need to sort through the stash as I've been pulling odd balls out to play with, and then not putting them back in their rightful place with the rest of the pack.  This is dangerous territory for me. Knitting books + stash = 5 new wips!

Stash and socks

Another trip to Stash Yarns in Putney, and more stash enhancement. I've given up keeping a spreadsheet of stash in and out!

The theme this week seems to be pinks and purples (aha, Project Spectrum!) and silk.

From top left, clockwise we have Debbie Bliss silk, Fleece Artist sock yarn, Art Yarns Silk Rhapsody (last skein, and there's a pattern from Sue on Magknits, how could I resist?), and Hand Maiden Sea Silk, which I've been eyeing up for weeks now.

I must mention that I resisted the rest of the Fleece Artist kits at Stash. I spotted the thrummed moebius kits and poncho kits. I'm not the world's best at observation though, best to call in and see before they go!

Sock knitting.

The Fibertrends Raindrop Lace socks are finished but need blocking to show off the lace.
Meanwhile, the purple beaded socks are past the heel. I had to break the yarn to rethread another 13 beads on.  Then break the yarn a second time to rethread the final 4 beads on!

And finally, a word of warning.  You have about a month to clear the deck of wips.  Because Fall IK looks wonderful!  There are TEN things I want to knit from this issue!

Purple Project Spectrum

I'm afraid that, due to the seasonal warm, sweaty weather we've been having, there are no photos of the purple stash for Project Spectrum's July project.  It was far too warm to empty the stash out and sort through it for purple yarn.   I'm rather surprised to see how little purple stash I have though. Unlike June's blue month, where the blue cottons were overflowing, July is practically devoid of purple.  I have some Calmer (haven't we all?), Linen Drape, Jaeger's 4 ply silk and about five shawl's worth of purple laceweight. Some Opal Uni sock yarn. That's it, apart from these yarns, which will make an appearance this month.

On the left is Brown Sheep's Cotton Fleece in Prosperous Plum and on the right is Lorna's laces in Blackberry. 

The Cotton Fleece has about an inch of knitting done, it wants to be Milinda, from White Lies Designs, but I need to do a little more knitting before it's definite.

The LL is on the needles and is on its way to becoming a beaded sock.  It's currently stalled as I've had to pick up some more beads from the stash flat. Can you believe that I can't count?  Me, with a Maths degree!  I'll have to cut the yarn to thread on the extra beads!

I've not done anymore baby knitting this week, I need a break!  I think I might start a blanket shortly, after I finish the Henley top.  That's going along nicely, an inch each lunchtime. It would be nice to finish the thing this month, clear the decks for the annual beach hut holiday.

June knitting

Hmmm, a little rush of FOs around here for June! Makes up for the April and May drought!

T-twist has been finished  for a few weeks.  I love this, but don't particularly like the short sleeves. The top's far too warm for hot weather, and if you're planning to knit this in cotton angora, make longer sleeves, and wear it in the cooler weather!  I'm now going to knit a cover-up in the same yarn. Just not yet. In the Autumn!

Pattern :  T-twist tee, Spring 06 Knitty.
Cotton angora might shed, but it's delightful to knit with!

Cotton garter stitch rug is also finished.

It's a bit wibbly wobbly here, just off the needles, though I doubt I'll block it!

And last, but not least, baby cardigan #2.

The yarn is Rowan's cashsoft dk, originally bought for a patchwork blanket, but I'm now going for a one colour blanket (to be decided). It's from Knitter's Almanac by EZ (and there's another version of this in Vogue's American Collection). 

And the other stuff from June:

Oh, and I've started a few more things - couple of tops, and a second pair of socks. They're all in incubation stage though, with maybe an inch or so knitted, not quite ready to be included in my wips. 

Let's just say that there are a couple of prospective Project Spectrum July wips there!