skein

Sorta Horta cowl

Looking for a cowl pattern>  Sorta Horta is for you! It's quick (aran weight yarn, under 100g) and has lace and very easy texture (purls) to keep you occupied. Although it's written for aran weight, which I think suits the pattern, you could probably use different weights, though the thick yarn does show off the reverse stocking stitcvh bits well.  It's a single loop, but again, there's a short pattern repeat, so I con't see why you couldn't knit a double loop, yardage permitting.

 I've used an anonymous yarn.  My days of losing labels are behind me, but I still have lots left!  It's a gorgeous semi-solid colour. I have no idea of the composition, but I can't break it with my hands, and it feels as if it's got some silk or cotton in there. It's a thck aran (about the same thickness as Artesano Aran) and soft for necks. Lovely!

Granny's Favorite cardigan

My work colleague had her baby!  And she's a girl!  So I just HAD to knit another cardigan in a girly colour.  I'd not be that bothered about pink / blue but I find that most of the people I've knitted for like these colours for newborns.  So I go with their wishes.

And because the two cardigans I've already knitted didn't really impress me.  The frontless cardigan just looked odd, as if I'd forgotten to knit fronts!  And the way the underarm stitches stretched out under tension. Not good.  The other cardigan was asymmetrical and had far too many buttons for a newborn. Unless you put it on as a jumper, buttoned up. 

This one is Grannny's Favorite by George Hallam.  At last, a sensible cardigan!  It ticks all the boxes. Top down, seamless with knitted on garter stitch borders, and only three buttons. Easy for a new mum to put on her new baby.

I've made a few modifications. I slip the first stitch with yarn at back, makes for a neater garter stitch edge.  Instead of the yoke increases as stated (backwards loop) I chose to increase in the garter stection with just a kfb, and in the stocking stitch section by picking up the yarn between sts and knitting into the back of it.  The lace pattern alleviates boredom and is easy to knit. Great little pattern.

The yarn is Debbie Bliss Eco Baby cotton. I'm growing to like this, Soft, if a tad splitty.

Im on sleeve island, but this will be a short trip!  

So I Gather shawl

So I Gather, another one skein Stitchnerd pattern.  The yarn is Countess Ablaze Viscount of Spark Sock Blank.  I had NO idea how this would knit up.  I thought the red colur, with splotches of colour, would knit up in a  crazier way, but in fact it's very well behaved, and if anything the darker colour seems to be a little more varied. 

The shawl has bands of garter stitch with ruffles, and it's knitted with an increasing stitch count, so you can knit and use up all the yarn, working well with variegated yarns. 

I have another two sock blanks left!  

Knitting catch up

Oops. blogging seems to have fallen by the wayside!  I keep running out of time! I've also had a sore right hand, and have tried to limit knitting a bit.  PLUS I'm not knitting if I feel like dozing off. Too many times I've dropped stitches!

I have some knitting progress this weekend though. All due to going home for a long weekend, and having practically no EE signal - this is in a village a few miles from Huntingdon, not exactly the middle of nowhere! 

I took

* half a sock. Knitted the other half (it's now finished and I'm ready to cast on the second one)

* half a cowl. Also finished. Needs a little blocking to shape.

*3 balls of Linen Drape to work on Fine Sands.  Great progress!  I knitted them all up, taking me nearly to the start of the short row shapi9ng at the bottom of the cardigan.  

I'm going to stick with this until the body is finished. Sleeve Island is just around the corner! I now know that I really dislike knitting with Linen Drape. Can't wait to get this done and I swear I'll never pick up another ball of this stuff. I just hope it wears well!

July knitting and August knitting goals

July - a mixed month.  I had some progress, but also a LOT of frogging!  One shawl fell at the last post - twice. 

So  how did I do?

BLOG

1) Shetland Trader's MKAL. Done

FINISH

2) So I Gather - done!  

3) Baby cardigan - done!

START AND FINISH

4) Stitchnerd's July KAL  FAIL!  I started and knitted nearly two shawl's worth of knitting.  Both times I picked up my WIP and pulled it right off the needles. The second time this happened I frogged. Pig sick of pale blue Seasilk!   Note to self - use project bags.

CONTINUE

5)  Fine Sands cardigan - DONE!  As in, continue. Knitted three balls worth

START

6) Socks - grey ones for MrC. Done!  Just a few inches.

7) More socks for MrC -Done!  One leg and one heel.A

nd a couple of baby hats

I'm determined to do a bit more in August!

BLOG

1) So I Gather shawl.  Love how the Sock Blank knitted up.

CONTINUE

2) Grey socks for MrC

3) Thicker socks for MrC (hoping to finish these off)

4) Fine Sands cardigan. MUST GET A MOVE ON BEFORE SUMMER ENDS

START AND FINISH

5) Stitchnerds August KAL.  Texture and/or colour. No idea what I'm doing yet.

6) Another SN pattern, a new one which shoudl only take me a short time to knit - a DK weight small scarf.

7) Unplanned. Let's see how I get on with this lot first!