skein

A few more FOs for September

I got my act togethr and took photos of a fwe more September porjects this weekend.

First up is Leaves on the Line, another Stitchnerds pattern.  This was for the September KAL, Deep Stash!  I chose some Koigu which I've had for years.  I forget how nice Koigu is to work with. It's great for shawl knitting, a nice stretchy merino.  The colour isn't one of my favourites either, so I'm pleased to have used it up!

There's a little bit of very easy lace nitting, and I blocked this into pints, though you can't tell here!  To be fari, it had a very light blocking, and had to be unpinned whilst still very damp, 

The second FO is the Goldfish Cardigan.  This took trhee days to dry and it's acrylic! I think it's the inbetween seasons, where the central heating hasn't been turned on yet,. and it's a bit damp to dry things. 

If I were to knit this again I'd choose a different yarn., This is Rico acrylic, and it's fine for plain knitting, or cables, or even blocks of bigger bits of colour, but the goldfish detail is a bit lost.  I'd also opt for buttons which weren't as close together.  And possibly narrow the neck a bit (though that might be the acrylic).   I have a few mroe toddler garemnts to knit but I'm going to stick with superwash wool next time!

Opal Socks

A quick pair of socks for my brother.  Luckily he has smallish feet and they're very narrow!

Plain, top down socks, heel flap and gusset.  I've had this Opal Seide yarn for years, pleased to have used it up at last!

 

Knit Night shawl

Another KAL, another one skein shawl.  I've just posted off to my mum (to share with sister and neices) a big bag of shawls, cowls and mitts!

This was Inspiration knits ravelry September KAL.  I won a pattern as a prize in a previous KAL, and had chosen Knit Night, so I ust had to join in on this KAL.

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This is the garter stitch version.  There are lots of variations. you can keep it plain, or you can have a picot csdt on, beads or none, a choice of eyelets and/or picot cast off, or plain all the way.  After 16 garter riidges I decreased the number of stitches I cast on at the beginning of each row, so it's slightly shorter. 

I chose picot beads for cast on (just a pity the beads don't show up!) and a fully beaded eyelet row before a plain cast off.

And yes, I missed an end!  Had to darn it in after taking the photos...

The beads are Rainbow triangle Miyuki size 5s and the yarn is Countess Ablaze Tia Merino in Ice Queen.

I'll actually wear the shawl around the front, but the one photo Mr C took on Sunday was terrible, so I tried to take a selfie, not well!

A really useful, easy knit, and nice yarn too!

Friday catch-up

Just a quick post.

I've blocked two shawls (one skein, small ones)

I've finished the plain socks

I've started a cardigan for my mum. No photos, it's a bottom up, seamless design. All plain knitting to the yoke.  3/4 of the first sleeve done.  Started three times!   I've eventually decided on the yarn (Cascade 220 Superwash in Red Wine) and have altered the sleeve increases so it doesn't look like a gathered cuff.

I'm on the first sleeve of the Goldfish cardigan.

I love the bottom bubbles!

I'm hoping to finish this over the weekend, so that I can concentrate on mum's cardigan.  Expect a flurry of FO posts soon!

 

Stripetastic

Tada!

The obligatory blustery weather photo, not great for shawl modelling!

Another easy knit from Stitchnerds.  This is Stripetastic, knitted in Kauni, with black as solid and Rainbow as contrast. The yarn does the work!

I opted for the shallow triangular shape, with extra increases at the sides. I like long ends!

The ends behaved, and a wet blocking did the trick, despite having to unpin the shawl whilst damp at nighttime (it's blocked on the bed!)

 

Friday knitting catch up

In the past week I've:

* worked both heels on the socks (but forgot to take a photo)

* started a new WIP.  Stitchnerd's Leaves on the Line. . This is for the Deep Stash September KAL.  Had a complete turnabout from  boomerang scarf to crescent shawl. from bright teal to pink (though that's because I have temporarily misplaced the rest of the teal!)

* blocked Stripetastic (this is the WS)_

The edges are misbehaving.  I had to remove the shawl off the bed at bedtime, and it was still damp. I might have to reblock it but start earlier in the day!

* finished Knit Night.  It's a long, shallow shawl/scaarf, worked in garter stitch, so won't need much blocking.

The yarn... well my first photo looked like this

 Really nothing like the colours. Then I remembered that I'd taken the photo first thing on a dull mornign and had changed the settings on my mobile to show enhanced colours ...

This is more like it, still the same colours, more muted

Busy girl!
This weekend I'm going to block this, sew in ends of Stripetastic and see if I can save it from a second blocking (all hints on how to stop edge curl greatly appreciated) , knit some sock gussets and possibly finish my Stitchnerd shawl (50% done).

HOWEVER

...

I have an urge to cast on a cardigan, for my mum.  She asked me for one last Christmas, and I didn't bother, she has sooo many clothes. I bought her a few cardigans instead. But she still wants one, and I think it's the fact that I've made her something which matters.  I have a loose idea of what she wants, and have the yarn. I've bought both Cascade 220 superwash (Red Wine) and Rowan Pure Wool Worsted (Rust), and have spent HOURS browsing ravelry. I'm going to do cables, or texture. My plan is to do some swatching and washing over the weekend and might even get as far as casting on!  I'm going (for the moment) with Tincanknits Antler cardigan, which goes from birth to 4xl, so will come in handy. Though I'm a bit dazed by the huge choice on ravelry, and might still be dithering come Monday morning!

 

Quaker Yarn Stretcher

This was my August Stitchnerds KAL.  A boomerang scarf. You cast on, increase (and decrease at the other side to creast e the diagonal knitting) and cast off when you've either knitted enough or are about to run out of yarn. 

It makes for a long, think scarf, a bit like a shallow triangular shawl with long ties.  I can't see why you couldn't alter the rate of increases to alter the shape, make it more deeper and a bit less long 9if you are limited in yardage).  I wanted a scarf shape,  blocked it as such (and swung the wet scarf to make ti longer!).

The yarn is Noro Silk Garden Sock, brighter knitted up than in the skein.  I see more Boomerangs in my future!

 

Knitting progress report :)

I went to visit my parents last weekend, and that meant planning the knitting packing.  Typically, in the week when London Bridge station was closed to Southern trains, the Overground had a massive fail on Thursday evening.  I didn't get home until 9 and had to feed myself, do a quick tidy up, pack AND CHOOSE SOME KNITTING, all before bed!

 I always take far too many projects with me. I seem to think I can do two week's knitting in a weekend. This time I was a bit more realistic about it all!  I took the two things I'd just cast on, socks and scarf, plus the yarn for a toddler cardigan.

So, socks.

Nearly two legs done.

Fraternal! 

Next up, G'day boomerang scarf. Hmmm. Might frog.  The pattern knits itself, the yarn is lovely, Tosh dk, but I think I may go up a needle size to get a little more drape.  I have plenty to knit, so this will sit quietly in hte corner of my knitting bag until I have time to address the issue.

Toddler cardigan. It's Tincanknits Goldfish cardigan. I'm using Rico acrylic dk, which isn't bad for an acrylic.

I'm knitting the 2-4 yo size. I have two birthdays in Decembe,r for a 2yo and for a 3yo, so will make up my mind when it's done.

I've also cast on for Inspiration knits ravelry KAL. This is Knit Nights, a super easy garter stitch small shawl. I'm going for picot edges and beads, clear rainbow with silver lining.  The yarn is Countess Ablaze Tia Merino. It looked quite subtle in the skein... 

So as of now I have three WIPs.  I fully intend casting on a fourth this weekend!

This will be a Stitchnerds KAL, deep stash for September. Surprisingly I don't have that much vintage stash. Most has gone, but this is fairly old, I bought it from Get Knitted many years ago, when they first started selling Koigu (and no-one else in the UK had it). I just have to find a pattern now.

Looks like yet another busy knitting weekend, no cleaning!