skein

2008 round up

How did I do?

Baby stuff: 7 items - 3 hats, 4 cardigans  (14 last year)

Garments: 5  (4 last year)

Accessories - 14 - but that includes two blankets! (8 last year)

Shawls - 1 (7 last year, though some were small quick knits)

Socks - 29!  

  

I did Summer of Socks, a ravelry group, which added to the total.  Last year's was only 17 pairs.

On average, 

A baby item every 52 days.

A garment every 73 days.

An accessory (excluding blankets) every 30 days.

A blanket every 6 months!

A pair of socks every 12 days!

I added up the metreage (very roughly, most of my ravelry projects had whole ball amounts) and it's a surprisingly large number - 31.32km!  That's about 19.46 miles! Wowee!   So how come my stash has increased??? 

I see that most of my resolutions will be concerning stash this coming year.  I have a plan ... tomorrow!

I have one wip on the needles - my Empoisonnee socks.  The leg has lots more knitting than I'm used to as it has a flap. It's the only thing on the needles as we go into 2009!

Happy New Year!

Boteh Scarf

I'm on a roll!

Pattern: Boteh Scarf
Yarn: Lorna's Laces, Shepherd Sock Multi, Irish Jig (not available- it's a colour from the Get Knitted sock club)
Crochet Hook: 3.25mm
Started:10th December
Finished: 23rd December (this had a few weeks rest)
Modifications: altered the last row (as I didn't understand the instructions!) but it looks fine!

The colour was hard to capture in daylight. Indoors with flash I could at least see a similarity!

Here's an approximation of the colour:

It;'s called Irish Jig -greens, blues, yellows and browns. Initially I didn't like it,but once it's knitted (or  crocheted) the colours go well together. 

Despite me ignoring the last few rows of each module and doing my own thing (keeping just 2 sts for 3 rows instead of decreasing down and then doing some odd thing of turning without doing those turning chaings) it looks very similar to the correct one!

I broke into the second skein for the last module, plus edging, so i have enough left over for something else, not sure just what, yet.  Either a small pair of socks or a neckerchief.  I'll have to have a look around ravelry!

Chistmas socks for Chris.

I seem to be on a roll. I think it's down to three days of nothing doing except cooking, reading, watching tv and knitting.   I want to do an annual round up on the 31st, and my New Year's resolutions on the 1st, so I need to get this post in, quick 9and another two posts, hopefully!)

Started: 22nd December
Finished: 26th December
Yarn: Wolle Rodel dk weight, chosen by Chris when we were in Germany this October.
Needles: 2.75mm dpns.

Sock #1 finished on Christmas day, and sock #2 finished on Boxing day (in the small hours) - with the help of a good book, as it's all plain knitting. these are my 29th pair of socks this year! I'm on pair 30 now, and as these are the only wips I have, I expect that I might finish them by 31st!

Not my idea of a photo, but Chris would like to point out that his felted moccasins are wearing out!  I do have some suede patches, and might just stuff the hole with some wool rather than knitting another pair right now (the yarn is packed away in the depths of stash).

I've cast on another pair of socks too.
These are for ravelry's SKA group - I've chosen to knit Yarnissima socks for my December socks. 
Pattern: Yarnissima's Empoisonee from Twist Collective
Yarn: Wollmeise superwash merino, im kalten polar
Needles: 2.25mm circular

I've decided to knit these socks in unison, rather than knitting one, then the other, and forgetting what I've done (I'm useless at notes). It's been toe 1, toe 2, foot 1, foot 2, gusset and heel 1, gusset and heel 2 - that's as far as I've reached.  I'll finish gusset and heel 2 today, then it's just the legs of both.

The colour is wonderful.  It's a blue-purple, a blue and an emerald green (which isn't showing  up on this daylight photo!).  The pattern plus yarn combination equals much knitting gratification!
The pattern is available for download.  I think this might be another favourite toe up pattern, lots of plain areas and it's fairly easy (so far). The pattern does change on the leg, but it looks fairly simple.

It's the only thing on the needles, can't believe it!

A merry Christmas and a pair of finished socks

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas day!  I didn't turn the computer on at all, just sat and ate, drank, knitted, read, ate and drank.  

I decided on Monday to knit another pair of socks for Chris, for Christmas.  I thought the ones already knitted were a bit boring for him, so I started a dk pair in some yarn he'd chosen a few months ago, when we were in Germany. 

I didn't manage a complete pair, but here's sock #1.

The background is Chris's new bandanna!
The second leg is finished.  Just the heel and foot to finish.

I've finished another pair of socks this week. Normally this would be another blog post, but I've the annual round up and New Year's resolutions to blog about, and hopefully these socks, and the Boteh scarf, will be finished in the next few days.

Fools Rush socks.

Pattern:  Fools Rush Socks (ravelry link as I can't get the pattern page to load just now)
Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill Supersock solids - Cherry
Needles:  2.25mm dpns
Started: 4th December
Finished: 21st December
These were my December socks for ravelry's SolidSocks group . The colours were red or green.  This was a PAIN to photograph!  I tried on Christmas Eve, but the red was glowing and the details were obscured by the glow!

A close up:

A very simple pattern, with no modifications.

So, there's just the Boteh scarf, Chris' second sock and ... I do have another sock cast on, part of the SKA ravelry group!  It's early days, might work on this one over the weekend.  It's a Yarnissima pattern, in gorgeous Wollmeise!

Boteh Scarf, a work in progress

I fully intended blogging my red socks, which have been finished for a while now, but my camera absolutely refused to comply with the cherry red colour (and late afternoon lighting), so instead, I thought I'd show my progress on the Boteh scarf.
Photo is taken indoors with no flash - I've had to brighten it up somewhat, but anyone in the Get Knitted Lorna's Laces sock club will know tha this colour, our October offering, Irish Jig, isn't quite this colour; it's lighter and yellower and paler green ...

It's crochet!  Apart from a hat last year, it's been several years since I've crocheted.  I never remember what the difference is between US and UK crochet terms, and have to look it up every time.  These modules are pretty easy - a decreasing row length, in half trebles, joined by triple trebles (that might just be my terminology, wrapped 3x around the hook?).  There's an edging around the scarf, which should neaten up my edges, and it's a bit curly,  I need to steam it a bit so that it lies flatter.  I've memorised the pattern so I can just pick it up and crochet a bit whenever I feel like it.  I don't think I'll ever be very good at crochet, I find I can't read it as well as I can my knitting. There's a bit of the instructions which I don't understand at the top end, so I just do my own thing and it's looking ok.

Pattern is in a previous Interweave Crochet, also available as a download for $5 from Knitting Daily.

Spiraluscious

A very quick and easy knit!

Started: 14th December
Finished: 19th December
Yarn: Koigu (the colour is truer in the second photo), less than 1 skein.
Needles: 3.25mm
Modifications: none.

I chose to use a longer needle than 16", I'm not too keen on very short circulars.  The instructions have you washing and then patting into shape, no blocking as such.  I didn't bother washing mine, just used a bit of steam from the iron to gently press it a bit. 

Taken with difficulty using a mirror to see the viewfinder in the camera!  This is the colour of the koigu, not as blue as the outdoors shot. 
Love it!  And if it's cold I use a shawl pin to tighten it up a bit.

Feather and fan baby cardigan

This is a gift for my boss's first grandchild.  I had to have it finished yesterday as he was having some boxes shipped over there, and I wanted it to be included.

The photo's not too good - that's down to me trying to take photos before the sun's up (even then it's been very gloomy here in London).
Pattern: Feather and Fan Baby Cardigan from 101 Designer One Skein Wonders (ravelry link)
Started:  About 12th December
Finished: 17th December
Yarn: Phildar Phil Thalassa (I think!) - it's a cotton and seacell mix, approx dk)
Needles:  About 3.5mm (you see I've forgotton all of the project details already!)

The yarn isn't too nice. At first I thought it was great - it's a soft cotton mix, easy to knit with. But it's terribly splitty.  I do love the colours though. 

No modifications, except I had to adjust the whole pattern  to a different yarn!  Pattern calls for Sport weight and this is a dk weight - may even be worsted as I was getting 20sts per inch. Pretty easy to do this though.  I expect I might knit this pattern again, feather and fan is one of those patterns which I find I love looking at and it's so easy to knit.

I'm not doing too well with my million small knitted wips.  I've nearly finished a cowl, have just started a second sock.  That means (should I wish to keep up with my lists) that I have just 14 more items to knit for December:
1 solid sock
2 ska socks
2 plain socks
4 wristers
2 baby hats
1 adult hat
1 cowl (nearly done)
1 scarf.
I'm thinking of not doing the ones crossed off and, if I have spare knitting time, just going with whatever I feel like doing. With three socks to knit in 12 days there might not be too much time though!

More Wristers and a baby hat

Eeek!  It's 12.20am and I have our office Christmas party to go to tomorrow morning - I have to be there at 7am!  Better make this one quick!

More Wristers.  I have another two pairs to make, but they're not for Christmas gifts, so no rush.

Pattern: Knitlist's Wristers

Started: 12th December

Finished: 16th December

Needles: 3.75mm dpns

Yarn: Malabrigo worsted merino, Violetta.

What can I say? I really like making these, they're quick and mindless and make great gifts.

Another quick project is this baby hat.

 

Pattern: Tubey by Woolly Wormhead - it's part of a cute booklet called Wee Woolly Toppers.  That's a ravelry link btw.

Started: 13th December

Finished: 14th December

Needles: 4.5mm dpns

Yarn: Dream in Color Classy (worsted weight) in a peachy pink colour (label has gone walkies).

Loved this pattern, it's quick and easy. The pattern calls for aran weight yarn, of course I didn't do a tension square, and worsted is normally a little thinner, but it's so stretchy that I don't think it's much of a problem.  I chose to cast off using a  3 needle cast off to get a sort of ridge.  You can, of course, graft, but it looks much better with a defined top edge, I think.

Baby cardigan is finished but the nighttime photos are horrible. Will have to try to get a daylight photo, soon!

Baby Cardigan

A very quick post.  I'm leaving Chris to his own devices (watching footie and comedies on tv) whilst I make a flying visit home.  I've yet to pack and choose some knitting and I only have 10 minutes!

My gift knitting is not going to plan!  I'm already thinking of alternatives. 

This baby cardigan is going well.  It's a feather and fan cardigan from 101 Designer One Skein Wonders.  Here's the ravelry link.

I've adjusted for worsted weight rather than sport weight yarn, but I think I may re-do the sleeves - the one I'm knitting looks a bit slim fitting to my eyes.

Yarn is Phildar - but I've lost the last ball (I need it!) with the label - it's a cotton/seacell mix - destined for a baby who lives in Cairns, so I'm knitting it for their winter season (if you can call it winter!).

Colours are lovely, the yarn is splitty, though.
Eeek!  Must look for that last ball - the deadline is next thursday!

Off to pack!

Wristers mania and December knitting goals.

Let's start with the latter.

Twelve knitting goals for December.  I can't count. I had thirteen goals.  At the beginning of this week, in usual Dawn fashion, I decided I might like to knit a few Christmas presents after all.  Just small things.

So, my modified December list is as follows.

1) Post photos of Rivolo

2) Finish the borders on Picnic.

3) Start and finish SolidSocks (ravelry) 

4) Start and finish SKA (ravelry) December socks.  

5) Start and finish some plain socks.

6) Knit a hat.

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

8) Knit a pair of Dashing.

9) Knit another two pairs of wristers

10) Knit a pair of mittens.

11) Start a jumper for Chris

12) Start a garment for me.

13) 12) Knit a cowl.

New 7) Knit three more pairs of wristers.

New 8) Knit a scarf

New 10) Knit 3 baby hats.

New 11) Knit a baby cardigan.

I've actually completed one sock and two pairs of wristers, so my knitting tasks for december remain:
One solid sock (one done)
Two SKA socks
Two plain socks
One hat

One scarf

One cowl
Six wristers
Three baby hats
One baby cardigan

That's 18 items!  Better get knitting!

Here are two pairs of completed wristers. I love this pattern, it's easy to memorise, and quick.

 

Pattern: Wristers

Yarn: Malabrigo Worsted

Needles: 3.75mm dpns (I like a snug wrister)

Modifications: Minor.  The wrist pattern is 2x1 ribbing, and I work the thumb gusset increases between two purl stitches so the ribbing pattern flows into the shaping. I increase 6 times, not 5, and instead of casting off for the thumb opening I put the stitches on a spare bit of yarn, work the rest of the wrister and then come back and knit about 5 rows for a thumb.  I also knit about an extra 5 rows on the hand to lengthen it.

I now feel capable of knitting these in my sleep, just as well as I want to knit another three pairs!
The next pair are already cast on, and the colour is not so much blue!  It's called Violettas, self explanatory.

I'm so excited about knitting wristers that I pulled out all of my one or two skeins of Malabrigo and Dream in Color Classy and wound them up.

Bagged for me, probably for scarf and fingerless gloves, are the centre row, two left ones (Malabrigo in a vibrant red), and top row, two right ones (Dream in Color, much more vibrant than in this photo).  I'm going to make a few pairs of wristers in DIC (I need washable, and more durable, wristers for these recipients) but the colours haven't been decided yet.