skein

Hallett's Ledge

Fittingly, my final garment finished knitting and my twelfth garment for IntSweMoDo2010 is finished on the last day of the year.  Just made it in time!

 

Pattern: Hallett's Ledge

Yarn: Felted Tweed Aran, shade 722, a rustt irabnge colour, JUST OVER 11 balls.  (See below for a whinge)

Needles: 4.5mm becasue I usually knit a bit loose.

Started: 17th December

Finished: 31st December

 

Modifications:  I didn't like the way the increases in the ribbed section looked, at all.  Very ugly. So I followed instructions on artlady's notes, and did the decreases withing the purl sections. MUCH better. I also went down two needles sizes as per artlady for the garer stitch eyelet bands.

 

I had to finish my 2010 lace kalendar stole first so I was late starting the sleeves for this, madly knitting as per pattern and again, hated the sleeve increases in the ribbing, so I had to frog half a sleeve and reknit it. 

From this

to this,.Much better.

 

I thought I might be running low on yarn, so went out and bought another ball just in case, different dye lot.  I really hoped that I'd have enough yarn.  The sleeves were knitted one after the other up to the armhole shaping, then the remaining yarn carefully weighed.  27g.  First sleeve cap took 15g!  So I was short by only 3g, very cross about this.  My garment is not longer or widerr than the pattern states, and  my tension was correct, so I don't have any idea as to why I ran short.  I would far rather a pattern erred on the side of caution and I had to buy another ball - I can always use this for a matching hat.

 

Love these buttons. They were bought online,  so I had my boubts about them matching - but they do, perfectly, and are just right for this fustic yarn.  Even Mr C commented on the buttons (and he's not one to notice the small stuff).

 

 

So, pat on the back for me, 12 garments in 2010.  That's 24 new garments these past two years, amd the wishlist hasn't decreased!

I go into 2011 with just two things on the needles, which is fantastic.

 

Happy New Year to everyone! 

2010 Lace KALendar

It's done!  It's blocked!  It's huge!

Pattern: 2010 Lace KALendar

Yarn: Joslyn's Fiber farm, laceweight feels like a merino. no idea of yardage, but the pattern     calls for up to 1200yds, I'd be surprised if this wasn't nearer 1500 yds. 

Needles: 3.5mm

Started: July15th 2010

Finbished: December 27th 2010. 

This was a monthly knitalong starting in January.  I was interested,in doing this, but for one reason or another put it off - until July, when I saw a few in progress stoles and thought they looked great, so I cast on.

Clues January - April

February is my favourite clue, loved working this one!

May - August

and September to December

Lots of different types of lace knitting to sample. 

The border was knitted sideways, a choice of a narrow or a wider borderr, I chose to follow another raveller's idea, and instead chose to knit a border from Nancy Bush' Knitted Lace of Estonia, from the Leaf and Nupp  Shawl, where the stitches are picked up all around and the pattern is worked in huge rounds.  I think it probably uses the same or a little more yarn than the narrow sideways knitted edging, but  time was of the essence, and I knew that my attention would waver with a sideways border!

I picked up the stitches and started the border on Christmas day - it took me all of Chirstmas day and most of Boxing day to knit the border.   There's about 1120 stitches per round! 

Blocked on 27th. It's very long, and I didn't want to stretch it any more lengthwise than it already is, so it's had just a little light blocking.

(It's quite difficult to wear a lace shawl over a woolly cardgian - it kept 'sticking' to the cardigan!)

This is my 10th and final shawl for 10shawls2010, so pleased I managed to finish this in time. I am now wearing my fingers down to the bone trying to finish my 12th garment for IntSweMoDo2010. Fingers crossed that it'll be done and blogged tomorrow!

Christmas knitting

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!  We had a very quiet one, no travelling, no visitors, just us, plus lots of food and wine and the occasional brandy (not me, Mr C). Apart from cooking  I did nothing but knit (though the cooking took a bit of knitting timie away from me!)

It suddenly occurred to me that, if I wanted to complete my 10shawls2010 I had better start knitting on the border of the lace knitalong stole, and if I wanted to complete my IntSweMoDo2010 I needed to finish Hallett's Ledge - all of this in seven days!

 

So,  The border.  I love sideways knitted borders, but know from past experience that I tend to get fed up and need frequent breaks from these very short rows, so I copied a fellow kal-er who picked up sttiches all the way around the stole, and knitted a Nancy Bush border, from Estonian Knitting.

A big deal, the stole is long!

The pattern is easy peasy, though I doubt it uses any less yarn than the original sideways border - there's a pick up row, plus 12 rows of knitting and then a loose cast off.

Started on Christmas day, and by tea time on Boxing Day I'd cast off!  I promise, i cooked!

and it's now blocking!  It's very long, so I couldn't stretch it out as much as I'd have liked to - the bed is only so long! So the border won't be as pointed as I like it. 

Onto Hallett's Ledge.  Last time I worked on it it looked like this:

Still had the upper body, the borders and two sleeves to knit!

As of mid afternoon today I have:

finished the upper body, worked the borders, sewn on buttons and started the first sleeve.

I have to knit both sleeves, sew them in (thankfully the seaming is minimal, as they're worked in the round to the start of the armhole), darn in ends.  But I have just three days to do it!
It's looking rather narrow, and I suspect a wet block might be needed, but for the sake of finishing this in 2010 I will just steam and hope that this will give it a bit more width!

 

I ordered buttons online from Pavi Yarns, and am so pleased with them, they are just perfect for this yarn and this colour. 

Off to knit the sleeves!

 

Online socks for Mr C's Christmas present

The last bit of Christmas knitting is done!

 

Started October 31st, finished December 22nd (they sat unloved and unknitted for a whle)

Needles: 2.25mm

Yarn: Online Supersock 100. which looked nothing like this in the ball!  Mr C had shortlisted the yarns he liked, so he still had a surprise.

Pattern: top down, ribbed, heel flap and gusset, on 60 stitches.

And they match!

 

This will be my last post before Christmas, we have shopping to do (tonight) and tomorrow I may have some wine.  So everyojne, have a wonderful Christmas, eat, drink, be merry and have a wonderful day, with lots of knitting!

Introducing Hallett's Ledge

This is my 12th garment for IntSwMoDo.  It's Hallett's Ledge, from Twist Collective.

 

I've had my eye on this pattern since it was published,   The one thing which i didn't like was the way that the side decreases were made.  The ribbing seems to disappear into the sides and looks a little intrusive.  I've been dithering over this project, knowing I might have to sit down and work out how to decrease so it's not as obvious.

But ravelry to the rescue again!  Artlady has great modification notes! The Knitter had a great idea how to solve this decreasing problem!  In short, I've worked the decreases in the purl sections, going from p3 to p2, with a k3 at each side seam. I had to fudge the numbers, so each side had a p4 section near the side seam, and I did two decreases in this section, with the rest of the decreases spaced out in successive p3s.

 

See how unobtrusive this is?  I'm useing felted tweet, so the knitting is a bit, ahem, rustic.

This is knitted in one piece up to the armholes, so I'm making good progress!  I've started the cabling pattern now.

I spent the weekend visiting my parents, but had a horrendous five hour journey back to London - there'd been an overhead cable problem halfway there so I had a long wait (in the cold) and then train-bus-train to london (three hours instead of one), and tube-tube-bus home (no trains, two hours instead of 45 minutes).  I hardly did any knitting!  Far too cold whilst hanging around, and on tubes/trains too crowded to knit.  I managed half an hour on the bus!

Very pleased so far.  Now what is more important to knit tonight - this (so that I can finish it by the end of the year) or Fiddlehead Mittens for the cold! 

Longjohn socks and Eleanor Cowl

I did it!  I managed to knit the cowl and the socks and they're wrapped up and in the post.  

Pattern: Eleanor Cowl from knitty

Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino, under two balls

Needles: 3.25mm  (I think that I may have used a few sizes, for the different parts of the pattern)

Started 5th December, finished 13th December

A nice pattern, it makes a long cowl, guaranteed to keep one's neck warm!

It's much nicer in real life but I don't have the option of taking lots of photos in bright light, it was very gloomy this morning!

and an indoors one with the mobile phone!

And Longjohn socks for John M!

Pattern: Longjohn Socks by Anne Hanson

Yarn: probably Trekking, label is lost.  In real life these are much darker and the stripes really aren't as apparant!  Weird how they have come out with the camera!

Started on 7th December, finished on 16th December, BUT I KNITTED ONE WHOLE SOCK IN THREE EVENINGS!  And by evenings, I mean after 7.30 when I get home (one evening it was nearer 9pm!)

Needles: 2.25mm circular

Mods: I knitted 66 sts rather than the 70 for medium and they turned out great.  Love the sublte textured pattern.

and the heel and gusset area.

Just in time for Christmas, if the weather holds out and Royal Mail delivers.

What next?
The only time sensitive knitting are socks for Mr C for Christmas, which I will try to finish this weekend.  I'm also going to try to finish the outer layer of Fiddlehead mittens, and possibly (well, probably) start my 12th garment for IntSweMoDo2010, I only have 14 days to knit this in AND knit a border for my 10th shawl,  Yikes! I do love a challenge!

 

 

 

Textured Shawl

Whee!  This has been finished for several weeks, but I only maganed to block it last Sunday afternoon (and had to leave it pinned on the floor next to the bed as it didn't dry).

Pattern: Textured Shawl

Started: October 22nd

Finished (and blocked): December 7th

Yarn: Old Maiden Aunt alpaca/silk blend, sport weight, 2 skeins

Needles: 3.75mm

I knitted until I ran out of yarn.  

Lovely shawl, lovely yarn.  This is my ninth shawl for 10shawls2010.  One more to go!  I've the edging to knit onthe Lace KAL, so I hope I can manage to knit this (plus a garment) 2 weeks!

Introducing Longjohn socks

says Dawn, casually. 

I have to have these finished by Thursday evening, blocked (forget aobut washing and drying) and in the post on Friday morning.  Oh, and the cowl which is only halfway done.

The yarn is, I think, Trekking. It's a subtle mix of dark blues.  The pattern is Longjohn socks by KnitSpot.

I tend to knit plain or ribbed socks, but thought it would be nice to try something different this time, with just enough patterning to make them interesting. I like this one a lot and it's very easy to memorise.

I have five evenings and an asternoon to knit one and a hlaf socks and half a cowl. Better get knitting!

Knitting catch up

My mind is a whirl, with all the wips and planned wips that I need to knit this month.  I need to prioritise!  There are things I must finish this month (the 12th garment, not started, the 10th shawl, border to be knitted) and there are things I need to complete for Christmas (Chris's socks) and things which need to catch the last posting date before Christmas, or earlier (two gifts), and even things which I need NOW for the cold weather (mittens).  So I'm doing a knitting catch up list, but in order of importance. 

Much as I'd like to finish my mittens, I need to get off my backside and knit two Christmas gifts, which have to be posted by 21st December. That's the very last posting date, but knowing how Royal Mail grinds to a halt if there's a bit of bad weather, I would rather these were finished a few days earlier, by 17th of December. A tough one!

I couldn't get outside to take photos over the weekend, due to rather a lot of snow, so these have been taken tonight indoors with mobile and no flash,  and some colours are a bit wrong!

1) Christmas gift #1.  A knitted cowl.  It's Eleanor, knitted in Baby Cashmerino.  I cast on this Sunday, and it's fairly easy enjoyable knitting.

 

2) Christmas gift #2.  A pair of large men's socks,  I was going to knit a thick scarf, but checking ravelry I see I made one for this recipient last year!  He prefers sombre shades, so I may even go with a little bit of texture.  I haven't even started these yet - tonight I'll hunt down some plainish sock yarn and think of a pattern to knit. 

3) Fiddlehead mittens are next on the list,  1 1/2 outer mittens knitted so far.  Once these are finished, I'll sew in the ends and give them a wash to relax the knitting, then do the inner linings.  These will be striped kid silk haze.  Should be warm!  It's nearly impossible to take a mobile phone shot of your other hand!

4) Chris's Christmas socks.  I've only a few inches to the toe,  These may be finished today, though if not, they'll be on the back burner for a few weeks whilst I do 1,2 and 3.

 

5) Start my 12th garment for IntSweMoDo.  It's Hallett's Ledge.  Tension square done, pattern sorted. 

6) Knit the border on my 10th shawl for 10shawls2010.  I've finished the December clue.  Borders always take me a little longer than I think, but has I have 10 whole days off over Christmas (including the weekends) I should have plenty of knitting time.

It's pale blue, btw!

7) Last - Eisblume. I'm onto the hand knitting, and would love to pick these up, but the other stuff needs doing first. If I was to knit these again I'd choose bigger beads, I'm sure these are about a size 10, and this is 4ply yarn.  With a small hook it's slow, and I can't be bothered with a needle and yarn to thread them!

I do have other plans, and want to knit so many other things.  But let's stick to a list for the moment!

Fiddlehead Mittens

I've had two days off work this week, and hardly any knitting done!  Wednesday was a booked holiday, and Thursday was a snow day!  Despite living in London, I had no trains, nor Overground, nor the bus to take me near work, all terminated before my area (a bit hilly). 

I've started Fiddlehead Mittens.  For the fourth time! The first three times were with Manos silk blend. But the colours just didn't go well together.  But Thursday evening I opened a box of what I thought was just 4ply yarn (I'm looking for a dk weight for these mittens) and discovered som eold wosrted weight Classic Elite Tapestry, a wool/mohair blend. It's worsted weight so a bit heavier than what I need, but that's fine, I'm just knitting it on smaller needles to get tensions (sort of). It's a bit stiff, but I'm sure a blast of the steam iron will soften it up a bit. I don't have a huge choice of colours, but the main colour is a bright pink, and I'm useing half skeins for the contrast colours.  For the lining I'll be using remnants of Kid Silk Haze, so this is a real stashbuster mitten pattern!

We have snow (which has been drip, drip, dripping all night as it melts) so I just had to get a snow shot! 

This means though, that I can't lay any knitting (such as the lace sampler) on the ground. It may have completely melted by tomorrow, I can't believe how much has gone overnight.

The background colours are a dark grey, a pale blue-grey and a medium slate blue, which I've just started, not so obvious in these photos.  We're due to have another bout of freezing temperatures, so better get a move on with these! (I should be thinking of started two Christmas presents, but this is emergency cold weather knitting!)