skein

November knitting and December goals.

I would normally post this tomorrow, but as I'm unlikely to accomplish any more FOs this month, ,I thought I might as well end up NaBlPoMo with a round up of my November knitting.

And what a month it's been!  I have surpassed my expectations!

So, what were my goals?

1) Finish SKA Komet socks for October - done!

2) Start SKA November socks - done, and finished!

3) Start and finish SolidSocks November socks - done!

4) Picnic - 8 squares this month - done, and the remaining 2.5 squares, plus the side borders! No further photos until it's done, so here's a Chris pose, with seven of the nine strips completed.

5) Finish some plain socks I've started with the August Lorna's Laces yarn - done!

6) Finish the mini shawl - done!

7) Finish Rivolo - done!

 

This is an unblocked photo - but it's blocked and we did take some photos at IKL last week - but they're on my SD card at work!

8) Knit a few baby hats - done!

9) Knit some fingerless gloves - done, not one, but two pairs!

10) Start something new (not socks) - done, and finished!

 

A brilliant month for knitting!

DECEMBER KNITTING
I'm keen to end the year with as few wips as possible.  At the moment the only WIP is Picnic (I can't believe that, but it's true).
I intend finishing this one and keeping my startitis in check! 

Twelve things for December:

1) Post photos of Rivolo (not exactly knitting, I know)

2) Finish the borders on Picnic.  Then take a trip to the laundrette for a hot wash and tumble dry.

3) Start and finish SolidSocks (ravelry) December socks - the colour is red or green, and I'm choosing red.  Pattern not decided yet (but I'll try to find one tonight).

4) Start and finish SKA (ravelry) December socks.  This month's technique is
using leftovers, or we can make almost socks (that is, socks which may be short cuffed, toeless, footless etc), or Yarnissima.  I'm going with Yarnissima's Empoisonnee from Autumn's Twist Collective.

4) Start and finish some plain socks.

5) Knit a hat.

6) Crochet a scarf.  I have my eye on Boteh, especially after seeing all the versions on ravelry.

7) Knit a pair of Dashing.

8) Knit another two pairs of wristers

9) Knit a pair of mittens.

10) At least start a jumper for Chris - we haven't even thought of the design / colour / yarn yet!

11) Start a garment for me.

12) Get over my fixation of knitting accessories by knitting a cowl!

I hope I have lots of knitting time!

More Picnic progress

How can I not carry on with Picnic, when I'm so close to finishing?

Last night I finished the ninth square on the ninth strip.

Joy!
I stayed up very, very late last night to sew this strip to the other eight.  The border is knitted in four bits. I briefly considered knitting it in one go, but I don't have enough long 3.25mm circulars, and I don't particulary want to knit a round of 1350 stitches!
This afternoon I've picked up the first side border.  It's taking me longer than I thought!  The blanket's enormous, knitted in cotton (so heavy) and my longest 3.25mm circular is 80cms, so I'm having to be careful the stitches don't drop off the needles when I put it down, they're rather squashed, 341 stitches!

I'm not going to finish these today!  But I'm going to try to knit at least two of the borders today, the rest can be evening knitting next week.  Then it's down to the laundry for a very hot wash and a good tumble dry. 

Picnic progress

Due to unforeseen circumstances (flat camera batteries) I have no progress photo of the Picnic blanket.  I have an old photo though!

I had 3 1/2 squares to go.  And although I just love Malabrigo, my guilty conscience kept nagging me to pick up Picnic and try to get as much done as possible, as I want to give this to Chris for his birthday, which is less than two weeks away.  The dreaded border is something like 1350 stitches, and one row is beaded!

So.  I've now worked 1 1/2 squares and have just two to do!

Knitted:  bottom left and the remaining half of top left.
To knit: one more top left (cream cables) and one bottom right (the beaded sun one).

I spent last night threading the beads for that last square, and, because I thought I might not have enough pearl beads for the border (which is alternating pearl and silver beads) I actually sat down and threaded the border beads!  That's 268 beads.

Tonight I'll finish the cabled square.
Tomorrow I'll finish the beaded square.
Sunday I'll start the border! 

Apart from one (lost in the stash) UFO, this is the only thing on the needles.
Can you believe that?   I may be a yarn pack rat but I do try to keep the UFOs down!

On Sunday I will have to start something else as I'm not lugging into work with me 81 big cotton squares - and it'll be socks again!
Ravelry groups SKA and SolidSocks  have monthly challenges.  December's challenge for SKA is either one of:  socks made from leftovers, Almost Socks (dunno, will have to check this out to see what it means) or Yarnissima socks.  I have one yarnissima pattern I haven't tried yet from twist collective, and suspect I may have another one on the way - but I don't know for sure, it's a surprise.  So a Yarnissima sock is my choice.
SolidSocks have two colour choices for this month - red or green.  I like both, and will decide over the weekend which colour to go for.

I do believe I've surpassed my knitting goals this month!
 
 

Just enough Ruffles and Malabrigo Hand Thingies

I'm on a Malabrigo kick!  This yarn is so pleasant to work with.

I finished Just enough Ruffles

Pattern:  Just enough ruffles
Yarn: Malabrigo merino worsted - Lettuce
Started: 23rd November (I think)
Finished: 26th November
Needles: 5mm

The pattern calls for two skeins of Malabrigo, but I had loads of the second skein left (the pattern called for 5.5mm needles, so if I'd knitted witht that size I'd have used more) so  I made some more fingerless gloves

Pattern: Malabrigo Hand Thingies
Yarn: Malabrigo worsted - Lettuce
Started: 26th November
Finished: 26th November
Needles: 3.75mm
These are a tad small, probably because I used 3.75mm instead of 4.5mm!  I only had the 3.75mm with me, and if I'd used my brain I would have cast on another 4 stitches!  Oh well, they fit, snugly.

Because of the wrist rows I thought they'd fit ok, but of course, a slipped stitch pattern pulls in a bit more than stocking stitch.  I still have yarn left over, maybe not quite enough for another pair of these, be I could have gone longer in the arm.

Here's the scarf being worn - you can see it wraps once around the neck, just right! It's not blocked though (by blocked I mean I'd like to make that garter ridge lie a little flatter, a bit of steam pressing is in order!).

A lovely little set.  These would make a  sweet gift, but I'm keeping these, love this colour!

A nearly completed Just Enough Ruffles

As usual, this was taken just before bed, in poor lightling with a side lamp!  The ruffle's magically appearing as I cast off.  See how much is left over?  It's probably more than half a skein of delicious Malabrigo, plenty for another pair of wristers to match the scarf.

The colour's Lettuce, not as brown as in the top photo. Probably the bottom photo represents the colour better, though it's still looking too golden.

I continued with the casting off on the train journey into work this morning, and still I have more casting off to do!  600 stitches worth.

Malabrigo Wristers

How I love a quick knit!

Started: Sunday evening, 23rd November
Finished: Monday evening, 24th November
Pattern:  Knitlist's Wrister's pattern by Joan Hamer
Yarn: Malabrigo - colour unknown - lost label, again!
Needles: 3.75mm dpns (because I couldn't find my short 4mm dpns)
Modifications: I only knitted 2", not 3" of 2x1 ribbing at the wrist, because of concerns about running out of yarn, which proved unfounded.  I didn't cast off the thumb stitches after knitting the thumb gusset. Instead, I put the stitches on spare yarn and went back afterwards to knit about 8 rows for a thumb.  I likes my thumb!  I haven't weighed these but I had about 50g of Malabrigo to start, and have a small ball left. 

Pictures are rubbish, taken just before bed with poor indoor lighting.  I wish I 'd thought to put the wristers on and snapped a quick photo of them being worn.  It's a 2x1 ribbing at the wrist, and a 2x2 ribbing at the top.

I see more in my future - if for no other reason than they make quick gifts and one can never have too many wristers/fingerless gloves/mittens.

At a loose end

As usual, once I have no projects on the needles (well, Picnic still, but I'd knitted my planned number of squares), I spent the entire day yesterday procrastinating.  I'd cast on some Malibrigo Wristers, but what else?

I hunted down the Malabrigo worsted in stash.
This for wristers (you can see I'd cast some on on Saturday evening)

I've chosen a pattern which might not use much, this is just half a skein.  I already have some Fetchings in this shade.  The lilac colour might be for another pair of Fetching, and the darker shade might be for Dashing. 

Then there's the Just Enough Ruffles.  I just love it when a pattern starts doing the rounds, more people see it, more people want to knit it. This is one of them!  Bet there's dozens by the end of winter! It takes less than 2 balls of Malabrigo worsted.  Here's my more-than-one-skein stash

Colours are atrociously represented here!   The pale green is Lettuce, the red is Amorosco (and there's no orange at all in there!) and the dark green is Forest, much greener and nicer than shown!

Oh, garments.  I bought some Cascade Pastaza to knit Yank. (sorry, that's a ravelry link!) I still love Yank, especially after seeing Jills.  However, I might use it for Linden, which seems another soon to be fad amongst us local knitters after seeing Yvonne's.  Then I fancy some Felted Tweed

Current favourite for the Felted Tweed is Ginny.  I love the texture on the body.  Not too keen on the gathered sleeves though, that'll date it in a few years!  I'd have to change them, probably to bracelet length fitted sleeves (as I may run out of yarn).

Rivolo (nearly finished)

I was hoping to have photos of a completed Rivolo today - off the needles, blocked and an outdoors photo whilst there's daylight.  Not to be though.  We slept in this morning, so Rivolo wasn't even washed until lunchtime.  I thought about blocking it dry and giving it a good spray, but I really like blocking it out wet. The photos are manky, it's so dark today!
Off the needles

Putting in blocking wires

And blocking

I've stretched it out so it's 2" wider than the 8" given in the pattern.  I'm pleased that I've added the extra 10 repeats of the pattern - my scarf is about 60" instead of 42" , but I like to wind it loosely around my neck.  This is a cashmere/silk blend, and doesn't have the same magnificent elasticity of merino wool when wet, so I've had to really pin out the cast off end, which didn't want to be wavy.  We will see how well I've done.  I may have to reblock it.  I'm wondering if I'll regret not adding vinegar to the final rinse - the water was very blue - I don't want a blue neck if it rains!

Finished photos won't be for a while now. 

I've done no knitting yet, and it's 4.30pm!  I've put the beef stew in the slow cooker, have made some butternut squash and red pepper soup, just needs to be blended and have dug in the stash for some garment knitting. Still haven't decided what to knit, but Linden is high on the list!

Picnic and Rivolo progress

I'm keeping up!

I managed to finish the 30 repeats on Rivolo, but have decided I'd like it a little longer.  I've stacks of Knitwitches Seriously Gorgeous Swiss Cashmere and Silk left - althought the skein has 400 yds and the pattern calls for 300 yds, I have more than 100 yds left.  I think I'll knit another 10 repeats.

The blue isn't showing up this time, but at least you can see the the different colours in the yarn. Gorgeous is an understatement. 

I've knitted two more Picnic squares as well. This means strip 8 is finished.

Note I do not sew in any side ends until I join the seams. It means it takes ages to join seams as I'm determined not to leave too many ends at the end - knowing me, if I did this, it would mean I'd delay finishing the blanket, I do so hate darning in ends.

The eighth strip in all its glory

Can you see the difference in the mid blue shade (the basket weave squares)?  I had enough dark denim, and nearly enough ecru for the whole blanket in stash.  I had no mid blue in stash, and started buying a few balls whenever we visited Yarn House in Caterham.  Not all at once, but over a long period of time.  It's amazing to see the difference.  At one stage I was convinced I'd bought the wrong blue!  I think it makes for a more interesting blanket.

Plans for the rest of the day
 -Start sewing this strip to the rest of the blanket
 -Knit the other nine repeats of Rivolo.
 -Hunt the stash for some malabrigo/worsted/aran yarns to make fingerless gloves/scarves.   I wanted to sort out one of my blue storage bin thingies and fill it to the top with yarn which I want to  use in the next few months, but that's a bit ambitious for today, it might eat into knitting time too much!

Plain Lorna's Laces club socks

These were the Get Knitted Lorna's Laces August sock club offering, the colour is called Fandango.

Pattern: None, just plain, top down socks, an inch of 2x2 ribbing and a short row heel.
Needles: 2.25mm dpns
Cast on: Let's say about 27th October - I didn't make nots, but know it was the back end of October.
Cast off: 20th November.

 

Both photos taken this morning before I left for work - I really couldn't face bringing the sock blockers into work today, and there wasn't enough light to take outdoor photos (as if I have time in the mornings to go outside and take photos!)

All of the Lorna's Laces socks which I've knitted have striped.  I tend to do short row heels so as not to disturb the striping pattern over the instep bit, although I prefer a heel flap and gusset for my own socks.

This means that I just have two more things to do this week - two squares for the Picnic blanket (which will complete strip 8) and 74 rows of the Rivolo scarf.  Then it's blocking the scarf and sewing strip 8 of the blanket to the first seven strips.  Depending on how long this takes (that sewing strips together takes me all day!) I might cast on some wristers or fingerless gloves. Might cast on another scarf.  It all depends on how far I have to hunt in the stash for the designated yarn!