skein

Knitting? What knitting?

Kiri needs a few ends sewn in, but is blocked and I have the photographs of Natalya modelling the blocked shawl, only they're on my office computer. Next week!

With all catastrophic events surrounding the aftermath of Katrina last week, these things got pushed to the back burner.  The good news now is that at last people are being rescued. And look how much money has been raised now by knit blogger's donations to The American Red Cross - fantastic!

Yesterday, we went to The Yarnhouse to celebrate their first birthday, and I only took this picture!

Jacinta, on the other hand, got people (and not-so-little baby Seth) in her viewfinder!

I'm still in a mega knitting slump.  I think it's because Summer is nearly over. It's still muggy over here in London, but all of the Autumn yarns and magazines are out and it's so tempting to start something new.  I was pretty restrained yesterday.  I picked up Jaeger JB 37 because I like Juliette and Lolite  .

Also DB's Alpaca silk two . I haven't even got as far as looking through this one yet, but you can check the other designs here.  It was good though to see what other people are knitting/have knitted.  Jill has knitted this little number and it's gorgeous. I have the yarn, I have the pattern... Sorry I don't have a photo of Jill wearing this.  Amelia was wearing Jenny and it also looked fabulous. 

I bought a couple of balls of Jaeger Matchmaker 4ply in cream for the next six socks kal.  August's pattern is Amble, and cream will suit the pattern. Amble also happens to be the place where I went on holiday as a child! 
So far, the progress is minimal. A ribbing. But this is now commuter knitting so I ought to make good progress should I be lucky enough to get a seat on the train.

Let's see how this grows over the week!

Asymmetrical is growing, slowly.  This is like Agnes, not a difficult pattern at all, but I have to keep an eye on the ribbed pattern, and on the Cathay. Beautiful yarn, but it has a tendency to split if I'm not careful.

It's difficult to show the shape (hence a photo of the texture) as it pulls in dramatically. I'm hoping that it will stretch out nicely when it's finished!

 

Sockapal-2-za, socks, and a new project!

Sockapal-2-za socks are finished!

Waving Lace Socks (IK Spring 2004) in Lorna's Laces, Poppy.  Great pattern!
My sockapal-2-za doesn't have a blog, so I've not been able to find out much info about her. Hope she likes them!

And more finished socks.  These are knitting in Lucy Neatby's Celestial Merino yarn. Unfortunately, the yardage isn't too good for a pair of socks.  I've had to lop about 3/4" off the foot!  These may well end up as a gift for one of my friends with small feet.  I can wear them, just, but they are really too short in the foot, I can feel my toes curling!

Go with the FLow socks (IK Summer 05)
Lucy Neatby's Celestial Merino.  I chose this colour (something like seashore or seashells) to take on holiday with me.  It's nice knitted up, but the colour looks better in the skein!

Martha

I have Martha on the needles still.  This has morphed to UFO status, and I anticipate Martha becoming another Agnes, dragging on through winter into next Spring.
I've finished the back though (courtesy of 6 episodes of 24 on dvd; I drank far too much wine and vodka though, so had to stop knitting after episode 3!). 

Back.  Only the fronts and sleeves to go. Sigh.

New project alert!
Now that my socks are finished (just the obligatory sock on needles for commuting), I've started something new. This is also for a knitting exchange in September, and I'm running out of time. It was either going to be socks or a small shawl.  I'm pretty fed up with socks at the moment, and fancied a change, so it's the shawl route.  Kiri to be precise (many thanks to Polly for a fab pattern!).  Very clear instructions, great charts, and the pattern is so simple that you'll have memorised it by the time you've done the first pattern repeat.   I'm really pleased with my progress so far.

This is the old ksh. I'm in love with the new sparkly one and this will be on the next knitting hit list!

Hamilton, Startitis and Work Experience

Hamilton is not finished yet. I've lots of ends to darn, and four more rows on the bottom edging.  I'm running out of yarn, and my last hope (unless I want to buy another ball) is that I have some remnants at work.  Hope so. Will find out tomorrow if I've chucked them or not.
Hamtilon - the final edging.

Startitis.
There are so many wonderful patterns out there.  I know that I ought to be working on Martha, or Wisteria, or my sockapal2zer socks, or my addsellbuy exchange, but I just can't help looking around for future wips, after all my wips list is well into single figures, and, just as some people aren't comfortable with too many projects, I'm not comfortable with too few.   

So I've cast on this:

It's from stash as well. It's summer tweed, and I'm knitting Glee.

I'd forgotten just how much I loathe knitting with this stuff, at least it will be a quick knit.

Work Experience.
Billy is spending two weeks in the office, on work experience.  Light office work, nothing too taxing.

So for two weeks he has to:
Work a full day in the office (well 9-5)
Commute from Southfields via Wimbledon to Waterloo.
Buy Lunch.

Chris gives him £20 for lunch for the week.  What's a 15yo boy to do with all of that dosh?
1) buy batteries for his cd player (mp3 out of action)
2) skip breakfast, buy a burger at wimbledon station, and eat it (whilst listening to loud music) on the packed commuter train.
3) buy a Macdonalds for lunch.
4) Day 2 - vary the breakfast - try a cornish pastie, eat it on the train.
5) Day 2 - vary the lunch - buy a burger, but from Jennys.

So he's out of money now and full of crap.

He's used to finishing school at 3pm.  Today he left work at 5pm, and should have been back within the hour.   I got home at 7.30 and no sign of Billy.  Only the second day, and he's so shattered that he's fallen asleep on the train and ended up 'in the country'. Arrived back (starving) about 8 pm tonight. 3 hour commute home!

We've suggested that he eats his breakfast before boarding the train (I doubt he'll be on cereal this week!).  It's easy to get complacent with a bright, articulate (sometimes) 15yo, and forget just how much they don't know yet.

Holiday weekend. Day 3. Agnes and Martha

End of the bank holiday weekend. Last post!  I'm back to three a week!

Good news - the knitting of Agnes is FINISHED.  I only have the seams and ends to sew, and ribbon to buy.  This has been a long project. When Rowan Vintage Style  was published (I'm thinking October 04) I went to Libertys in my lunch break and bought the yarn for Agnes and Suzette (a fair isle cardigan).  I started Agnes immediately, but she's got pushed onto the back burner so often that I never thought I'd see this day.

the seaming will probably take an evening, but what's that after seven months?

I'll try to get into town this week to buy buttons for scoop and ribbon for agnes.

Meanwhile, (until the third bottle of red wine) I've done half a dozen rows on Shoalwater shawl and picked up Martha

Lots more 4 ply knitting.