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March knitting and April goals

Not quite as successful as previous months, but I managed to do most of the goals.  Serves me right for wanting 10 things for March!

So, how did I do?

Finish:

1) Heather cardigan - done! After a bit of reknitting.

2) Eisblume gloves - done! 

Start and finish:

3) Plain socks for me - done!

4) Fourth pair of fingerless mitts for fgf11in2011kal - done!

5) Fifth pair of fingerless mitts for fgf11in2011kal - not done!  Cast on last night, though.

6) Fourth pair of mittens - done!  Just need to blog them. They're the Mittens from Hallend, from Folk Mittens.  I see more of these knitted this year.

7) Second shawl for 11in2011. Done!  I  haven't blogged finished photos yet, but it's Terra.

8) More socks for me - done!

Start (but won't finish!)

9) My third shawl for 11in2011 - cast on last night, so only a teeny bit knitted, It's Herbivore, to replace Daybreak (the orange was a little too bright).

10) Another pair of gloves - cast on last Sunday, and I'm loving this patern. I've knitted the first cuff.  Blue Hands, but in natureal and red!

I suppose I haven't done that badly.  Just one pair of mitts not knitted, though I have just cast on that second shawl!

Now for April

I feel very optimistic about April!  Spring is here, and the days are getting longer, fills me with enthusiasm!

Blog:

1) Finished fourth pair of mittens for 11mitsin2011kal. 

2) Finished second shawl for 11shawls2011. 

Finish:

3) Fifth pair of fingerless mitts for fgf11in2011kal - these are just cast on, but in baby chasmerino, should be quick!

4) Third shawl for 11shawls2011, Herbivore.

5) My new gloves, Blue hands! (that's a tall order)

Start and finish:

6) Plain socks.  I have pulled out three lots of yarn for these, will wait and see what I fancy.

7) Fifth pair of mittens for 11mittensfor2011. Nothing planned.

Start:

8) My fourth shawl for 11shawls2011, must catch up.

9) A mystery kal shawl!  I really wasn't going to join this one, but aw a marvellous in progress, so I've joined, and you can still join!  It's the In Dreams Mystery Shawl over on Ravelry.  And it uses 5000 beads!  I have the yarn picked out, Wollmeise Lace in Rose Red, and have ordered some beads, hope they go well,  if not back to the drawing board with yarn and beads choices.

10)  I am certain to round this one up with a quick project, just don't know what yet! 

That's rather a lot, but I do like having a full knitting schedule,  cannot abide finishing one project wth nothing else in mind, that's when I cast on a million new projects.

 

Terra Shawl progress

It's done!  I need to get some finished photos, but it's off the needles

This photo really shows off the texture:

and blockd!

It's a quick knit, using less than three balls of Felted Tweed.  It's a little bit smaller than the given size, but the yarn is a dk rather than worsted. 

Seven of ten goals for March completed.  And a flurry of blog posts!

Lorna's laces Jungle Stripe socks

Phew!  Getting through my March goals!  Five down, five to go.

The colours aren't brillaint in this photo, it was nearly 6pm when I finished and went outside to take a photo, still light, but fading fast.

Pattern: Top down sock wiht 3x1 ribbing on the leg and a short row, garter stich heel.

This is more like the true colour o fhe socks:

Started on March 11th, finished on March 27th. 
Yarn:  Lorna's Laces Jungle Stripes. 

A fun and easy knit, I forget how much I like this yarn. 

I've wound up the yarn to tart my Blue Hands gloves.  Not blue though!

It's Wollmeise, Natureal and Jultomte.  This is my seventh goal fo March!

Heather Cardigan

Pattern: Heather, from A Season's Tale

Started: January 28th 2011

Finished: March 23rd 2011

Yarn: Rowan Kid Classic, nine balls.

Needles: 4mm

Modifications: shortened the sleeve cap by a few inches.  I had the same problem as with Peace - my sleeve caps looked horrible!  I think it's because the shoulders were wider than mine, so the sleeves tops were a few inches down my arm, making them bag a bit.  This cardigan is a relaxed fit, and I think a modified drop shoulder would work just as well for me. Pity I didn't think this one through.

Another thing I should have thought of was the side shaping.  I wish I'd knitted the sides plain not in pattern.  Oh well next time!

Button bands - in the pattern these are poppers on the inner side of the facings, I wanted to use my buttons so I knitted button holes insead.

The sleeves are a bit too long for me, but I will appreciate them in the cold weather!  I have just one kid classic jumper, which came in very handy this past winter, very lightweight and warm. I wanted another garment - and this one seems warmer!

 

Introducing Mittens from Halland

I'm not doing great this month, ten things to do and only three done so far!

These are my fourth pair of mittens for 11mittensfor2011, and again, I'm using this Classic Elite Tapestry, from stash. I'll soon run out of the black though!

The pattern's from Folk Mittens, a book on my bookshelf which I've hardly looked at, and now that i do, I see lots of mittens I love.  Most are knitted in worsted weight, a few in sport weight, but the tension is such that I think I can make some in 4ply - there's one pattern 9and possibly more) which have a tension of 9 sts to the inch! 

Cast on last Sunday, this photo was taken Sunday eveing on my mobile.  The bright yellow is for thumb placement, no gusset in this particular pattern.

The colour's less vibrant than here!  I auto-corrected the photo and didn't realise that it was so bright!

I've finished this one and have done about a third of the next one.  The chart for the thumb started in a different place from where it left off, so I worked two rows before following it. And of course, as the inner part of the thumb starts on the NEXT row of the mitten body, there's two rows worked of this row, but it isn't obvious.

So. I have accomplished three of my ten goals, and have one weekend and three evenings to make up for it.  I'll tell you now, I won't make it!
I'll finish these, and some socks, and a naughty-corner Heather (seamed, ends need to be darned in). That will bring the total to six.  Oh, and start some new gloves. That's seven.  The othr three?  Well, it's fingerless mitts, and two shawls!  I may manage the mitts, or I may finsih one shawl, but not all three!   The fun!

Heather cardigan. It gets worse.

Last Saturday saw me finish the knitting on Heather. Sunday I started seaming.   Sewed in one sleeve cap, and the sleeve and side seam.  Sewed in the second sleeve cap.  Left the rest of the semaing untii this weekend (need daylight!) .

This weekend:  Finished sewing down the front edge facings, tidied up the button holes, sewed on the last button.   Sewed up the second side seam.

Tried it on

I have the same problem as I had with the Peace cardigan!!   The sleeve cap is a bit baggy, and looks horrible!   I think it's the width of the shoulder, which is quite wide  The sleeve top starts off my shoulder, so it bunches up. Oddly, when I went to look on ravelry, a lot of the projects are shown not being worn, which might be an indicator that this has issues (or not, it might be me being a bit suspicious!)

Lying flat, it isn't that obvious

 

But on ,,,

The cardigan is meant to be a cosy, oversized garment, so I suppose it's not as bad as I think it is, but from my viewpoint every time I look down I see an extra inch of sleeve (and it makes them an inch too long).  I attempted to cut the mattress stitch armhole yarn, and managed to miss that, and cut into  the knitting. Silly me hadn't attempted this at the shoulder, but near the start of the armhole shaping!  That was it, Heather wasn't just going to the naughty corner, she was going to the frogpond!

This morning  I went outside to take photos of Heather-about-to-be-abandoned, and  thought how much I loved the yarn, loved the buttons and liked this pattern in this yarn.

I brought it back in and manged to cut the right bit of yarn to separate the body and sleeve.  And lucky me, the cut stitches on the previous attempt were on the sleeve cap, which I was frogging back anyway.This yarn is a PAIN to frog, another incentive to try to fix the problem rather than unpick all the semas and frog!

There, onb the way to trying to fix it.  Stay tuned!

Eisblume Gloves

Finally, I have finished my gloves!

Pattern: Eisblume Gloves

Started: 8th November 2010

Finished: 16th March 2011

Needles: 2mm circulars

Yarn: Wollmeise Merino sock, Pfefferminz Prinz, about 90g, with lots of tiny beads,

Modifications:none.

Why was this so long in the making?  I was a bit busy at the end of last year knitting shawls and garments and a few Christmas presents, and dragged my heels this year.  The first cuff took forever!    My beads were a little too small for the yarn, and putting them on the yarn, either with a crochet hook or a needle, was tedious, and often required a few tries. The beads and cabling travel up the palm and back of the hand, but that was ok, more stocking stitch than pattern. Fingers took just a few eveings.

Oddly, the second cuff seemed to go much faster, which encouraged me to finish them.

My fingers look a little dimpy!  But that's because I like short fingers on gloves, don't like to hvae a little pouch at the top, I prefer having to stretch them down my fingers.

I have another two patterns from Julia Mueller - another pair of gloves (which don't involve clabes travelling stitches or beads) and some double knit mittens.  Can't wait!

 

Emily Dee Mitts

My fourth pair of fingerless mitts for fgf11in2011kal 

Pattern: Emily Dee Mitts

Started: 1st March

Finished: 6th March

Needles: 3.5mm

Yarn: Manos silk blend, purple 36g   Love this yarn!

Mr C decided that he'd like some daffodils in the photo!

I have the next pair lined up, but am thinking I ought to cast on my fourth pair of mittens instead. Decisions, decisions...

 

Introducing Terra

I'm sadly a bit behind on my shawl knitting.  Daybreak is on hold, I;m not sure of the colours.  I think I'd like to knit this again in more subtle shades, and a softer yarn.

Meanwhile, I have cast on Terra,  Ravelry link here.  I fancy a non lace shawl, and this is it.  The main body of the shawl is a garter ridge pattern, very easy. There's a touch of lace at the border. 

The yarn is felted tweed, from stash. I have six balls,not enough to knit a decent sized garment, so I'm happy for it to be going to a different cause.

Now if I do thi sinstead of Daybreak, it shall be my second shawl for 11shawls2011/  As Heather is nearly finsihed (I have to put it on hold whilst I think  threw a few amendments)  this will be my main sitting in front of the tv knitting, so I shouold make good progress.

Finished - plain, top down socks for me in an anonymous sock yarn

Started: 28th February

Finished: 10th March

Needles: 2.25mm

Yarn: Some sock yarn I've had for years, which has been 'hidden' amongst the non sock yarn.  A bit like finding new yarn! The label's missing so I have no idea what it is, but its something like Socka, or Fortissima. Not Opal, I don't think.

I've cast on my second pair for March (haven't done much else though!)

And I've broken my yarn diet!  I went to I Knit London yesterday (fabulous afternoon, knitters anc cake!) and checked out the sock yarn. For my new-to-sock knitting-stister of coruse.  Some jumped into my hands.

The one on the left will be for Mr C.  The one on the right is for my sister (it's a sparkly one) and the tow in the middle are for the sock stash!  I knitted some Austermann Step last month, loved the soft yarn and it makes for a nice soft sock, bet they don't stay in stash for long!