I bought some yarn

The pink and green are Dazzling (sock)and the yellow is an older yarn base that I thought I would add to the photo but bought ages ago, all from The Natural Dye Studio.  I planning to make my goddaughter a stripey cardigan. Well, I was planning for it to be one colour and lacey but then I made a bodge on the yarn ordering and accidentally bought two different colours rather than two hanks of pink.  I remember wanting all the colours so I can see how this happened.  Perhaps I'll buy some blue or purple when I've finished the first stripey one and make another.

In the meantime, I had some more patterns published.  The first was a trio of stripey items using up lots of leftovers of Biggan DK that I had from some previous projects.

 Peekaboo

 Buddy

Cutie

These were all published in Let's Knit, Magazine 38 

Next was a little shawlette in Fyberspates Sheila's Sparkle Sock.

Mae

It was published in Let's Knit, Magazine 39 .

And then there was the Christening Gown which I haven't even added to Ravelry so I will sort that out.

Nearly there

After triumphantly finishing the first sock, I couldn't really understnad why the second one (the one that was originally finished first but was too big) had ten more stitches than the other.

After a while I realised I had started decreasing further up the foot so had to unravel a few more inches. It now matches the first and I'm just waiting to see my mum so she can confirm it fits before I graft the toe.

I had a lovely weekend - I saw Blondie at a festival, had my feet nibbled by fish and went to the beach with my friend. Now I'm catching up on Desperate Housewives and contemplating doing something more useful. Naaaaah.

FO: Xmas 2009 Jasmine socks

Yarn: Unicorn in Pink and Blue from The Natural Dye Studio
Needles: 2.25mm dpns
Pattern: Cast on 60 sts. Work k2 p2 rib for several rounds. Knit until desired length. Work short row heel. Knit until instep is desired length less heel length. Work short row toe. Cast off using three needle zigzag technique.





These socks are completely gorgeous. I thought about doing something more complicated but stocking stitch really shows off the lovely colours. I've called it Pink and Blue but there are several shades of pink and blue and purple and almost white. I haven't weighed these yet to see how much was used but I think I've enough left for a pair of footsies for me.


These are beautiful socks but I did want to add some decorative finishing to make them a little less ordinary. The zigzag bind off suits a short-row toe really well and has the double bonus of not having to graft the toe. It's a variation on a three needle bind off where here you alternate between knitting one stitch from the front needle and purling one stitch from the back needle.


When working the short rows, I decided to make the seams more noticeable. To do this I used k3tog tbl and p3tog when working the wraps. If you use k3tog and p3tog tbl the seams are less visable but I think this way is pretty.

One Down

three to go. I've finished one pair of Xmas 2009 socks, I just need to weave in the ends. I really have no idea where all my darning needles have gone.



I bought a few more needles in my fight to get everything finished on time. My sister's celebration socks are coming along well but I think I will start the other one now, without finishing the first. I want to use as much Unicorn as possible. I've weighed the ball and know that I have more than 50g left so I haven't gone too far.




I've already used the circular needle for Elfyn to try on the sock once I'd turned the heel. Now, the foreseeable future is strictly Unicorn as I need to wind the yarn for neice's socks. It really helps having two pairs on the go. Whenever I need to pause on one, for measuring in particular, I can work on the other. Also, the children's socks are stocking stitch so are easier to work on in front of Alias Season 4.

Socks

I've made a start on my Christmas 2009 knitting. I've tried to be very sensible about how many presents I plan to knit this year. I was going to stick to two pairs of adult socks but then I added in two pairs of children's socks too and have brought the deadline for one pair of socks forward to the beginning of December for the Elfyn's 30th. Mwahahahahha. She will be 30.

Here is the swatch for the Elfyn's 2009 Celebration socks:

Um, how can I have waited this long to knit with Unicorns? It is GORGEOUS. I'm trying to guess what it's made of based on how much I like knitting with it. I have a feeling there is some alpaca, angora and silk in there but my friend at knitting last night threw Quviut into the ring. Who knoes, but it's very soft and makes my eyes itch ever so slightly.

Last Friday, my friend Susan visited. I haven't seen her for ages and we first met at a knitting group in London. She arrived at 11am and left at 9pm and we pretty much knitted and talked non-stop (and ate Oreos) the whole time. It's amazing how much Celebration sock can be knitted in 10 hours.



I'm using 2mm dpns and Cookie A's Angee pattern. It calls for completely different yarn and gauge (I've got 40 sts to 10 cm) so I've changed it to toe up so I can check the fit and use up as much Unicorn as possible. I've ordered some more needles so Elfyn can try it on now I've turned the heel. There's always a risk of snapping or bending dpns when trying socks on so I prefer to knit a round on a circular needle for trying on purposes. I used to slip all the stitches to scrap yarn but that was a bit fiddly and I'm impatient.

I've also knitted one nephew sock using Koigu and 2.5mm needles and finished the Blossom socks apart from a bit of weaving in ends. I have no idea where my darning needles are.

None of m y lights work...

but it's not a power cut. Ah well, I'll figure it out in the morning.

Whilst on holiday, I learnt Entrelac and now have the beginnings of entrelac fingerless gloves. They are scrummy but I'm not sure how to make a thumb hole. I also worked on the lace shawl but I can't bear to take any more crummy photos by lamplight tonight.

For anyone interested in learning Entrelac I completely recommend the tutorials written by Robbyn. Here is one for Entrelac that I took on holiday and here is one I used several years ago to learn how to knit backwards. I really speeds up the entrelac and bobble making process.

I just stashed some more unicorn yarn. I only ordered it on Monday and it arrived today. Super service! It is for me to knit some socks for my sister for Christmas 2009. I've also promised my mum a pair for Christmas 2009. Notice how I've specified the year as I'm always appallingly late at gift knitting.

FO - sneaky baby socks

I couldn't resist.


In other knitting, I have finished the back of Colonial Cardi by Sublime in Fyberspates Scrumptious. I also have a cold.

FO: Mum's socks

FO: Cora's Bobble Hat

Yarn: Debbie Bliss Rialto Aran
Amount: 2 balls with some leftover
Needles: 6mm addi turbos and Knitpicks harmony options with 60cm cords on each, going round and round and round and round and round

The brief was for a hat to fit a 52 cm head. Mine is 56cm and the hat is snug but not overstretched so I think it will be fine. I tend to like knitting that is not too open but this yarn has a lot of bounce and stretch which makes it good for hats. I used a lot of yarn for the pompom and it feels a little heavy but then it is a long time since I have worn a bobble hat.

I need to go to the post office now.

Red hat attempt number 3

So here is a hat I have been working on for at least a week. Yes you are right, it is a mass of wool and two sets of needles and 74 cast on stitches. There is no knitting. That is not to say I haven't knitted - I have made this hat three inches long twice, once with 104 sts and once with 88. Both times it was far too massive for a 4 year old and I was in danger of ending up with half a hat and no more yarn. So I ripped it again.

It is interesting how my brain has been struggling to function over the last few weeks. When I sat down to knit this hat, I thought I had very few options on what to knit it with. Fortunately, this third start has reminded me that I have OPTIONS. I bought them at Ally Pally from Jeni and told you about them here. So a couple of doh! moments were worth it so I don't have to magic loop.

Details: Debbi Bliss Rialto, 5mm needles, 52cm head, cast on 74 sts and rib for a while and see what happens.

Edited to note: The damn knitpicks needle is longer than the addi turbo. Curses. Now will have to either battle around magic loop or two circs at once when all I really want are dpns.
Edited to note #2:Sweet Lord, the separation seems to have addled my brain more than I thought. 6mm needles, 6mm needles. Glad I checked. Anyone want to take bets that this one ends up too small?

*goes to have a quick drink and a lie down in a cool dark room*

Since passing my driving test, I've moved house and had another pattern published and seen a solicitor and finished my mum's socks and cast on some socks for me and am in the process of becoming an auntie for the fifth time and am living alone for the first time in years but am plodding along and know it will all come good eventually. Perhaps life is like a red hat?

Amazing husband socks

Special post by Chris, Abi's hubbie.

Here they are, at last. Yes there are two of them (socks not husbands):

But I couldn't take a photo of both of them at the same time on my feet since I was outside, using a clothed- but quite weak table as my photography prop, and was all on my own. So just one sock on and photographed at a time was my limit.

I'm so lucky! Custom made socks. I had to erm well be quietly persistent in reminding Abi about knitting MY socks next!

After the first one was finished, I did actually refuse to wear it for any period of time, aware that this would perhaps encourage Abi to knit me a second one too! As if someone would just knit one of a pair. I would never do that, say, with gloves in Japan (and essentially refuse to do more than 2 rows of rib leaving the rest up to poor old Abi).

Thank you very much my love. Here is one of the finest flowers of the season yet:

P.S. they are wonderful to wear xxx

Chocolate and violet socks update

Chris's socks are going very well.  We have been on a working holiday for a week, staying with my younger sister.  We are moving to be nearer my family soon and needed somewhere to live.  We found somewhere with minimal trouble and I knitted aplenty. I left home without spare yarn and a needle so we had to improvise for the trying on session and use my mum's set of dpns for extra help.  Usually, I just try the sock on but we saw a little while ago that that can make for broken needles so if I'm feeling nervous I'll thread all the stitches onto scrap yarn.

I realised I've been calling this colourway chocolates and roses but I think they are actually chocolates and violets which makes more sense.  I showed both my brother out-laws and they were impressed.  Noone said a man can't possibly wear that colour so sadly I think I will have to give these to my husband and not keep them for myself.  The yarn is wonderful - at once crisp and squeaky and super soft.

 

We finished the week's holiday with a trip to the cinema to see Iron Man. It was brilliant fun and I had a strange inkling to stay to the end of the credits. I was ever so pleased that we were rewarded with a little treat which sets the scene for a sequel. 

Aunty's Blanket

The blanket is finished and has been received by my aunty. She is very excited and it is less than a week since her birthday so all in all I consider that it was finished on time. It arrived in time for her to see it before a chemo session and come home and snuggle under it.


The blanket is so soft and very beautiful. It was a wrench to send it away but I hope she will get lots of use and enjoyment and comfort from it.



All the pieces are labelled here so you can see how it all came together. I crocheted the edging - two rows of double crochet (single if you're in the US) using most of 100g in dark purple.

My family are patiently waiting to read this blog then scurry off to tell my aunty all about the lovely comments you've all written so don't be shy ;)

Happy birthday to me!

Hello everyone, it's lovely to be back. We flew home on May 26th and have spent the last month trying to catch up with people and begin to sort our lives out. I am reinventing myself as a professional knitter with the help of my friend Erssie, who has more knitting and dogs than she can shake a stick at.

One of the most exciting things about being back was being presented with the blanket my mum has been knitting for me since we left. Way back a year ago, she was saying she wished there were more patterns where you could just knit and didn't have to be fussed with shaping and counting. I had recently been caught up in the log cabin knitting craze as seen here and in Mason Dixon Knitting so I gave mum my copy and a few leftovers. She has been knitting for nearly 11 months on it, interspersed with purchasing longer needles and a Denise set (in pink).
It is so marvellous, I even lugged it back to sunny Slough in my backpack and use it all the time. Most of my professional knitting career has taken place snuggled up underneath it (what happened to the weather? central heating in June?). Okay, okay, it's a two person lap blanket so it's meant to be for sharing but I like it mostly for myself ;)

For my birthday yesterday, I requested not to have presents from most people but a few had already been to the shops. My sister bought me a lovely bag for my knickers as noone wants to see them flying all over the train as I struggle to heave out my packed lunch and knitting when travelling between families. My mum bought me a copy of Divas Don't Knit which I've already started and am enjoying between tidying up to hoover and do some blocking on the floor. It isn't as compelling as The Friday Night Knitting Club but without spoiling it I was in floods of tears at the end of TFNKC and I jolly well hope that won't be the case with DDK. On the other side, my inlaws bought me some smellies and candles which I will have to redistribute as I don't like burning money and I don't like synthetic chemicals. I really should say something to them but I am partly too shy and partly don't like to be ungrateful and partly like something to whinge about. Otherwise, they are lovely gifts. From the step-grandparents-in-law, I was given a lovely box of fairtrade chocs and an apology that it was the biggest box they could find. All in all, I was very spoilt. Marie made me an amazing chocolate cake and I even had an appletise at the pub.

The reason for no presents (and if you look back a year ago you'll see a rather different attitude): my husband and I are investigating alternative lifestyles, including not having a huge house full of junk, and he even has his own webpage now. It's all very embryonic but do take a look if you like. I will stick more to knitting here though so you'll have to look over there if you want to know more about our plans.

Things I have to tell you about:
knit shopping around the world including Azerbaijan, India, Japan (which I briefly mentioned earlier), NZ, USA
meeting up with an internet friend in real life and eating lots of chocs
travelling stories from everywhere including Switzerland, Azerbaijan, Dubai, India, Nepal, Thailand, Laos, the Philippines, Japan, NZ, Samoa, USA

Feel free to vote for your favourite topic.

So, what have you all been up to while I've been away?