03.30.08
It’s all Looking Good
Things are looking good for the Waist-Cincher top, I think I’m really going to like it. Yesterday I cast on the sleeves, working both together to ensure the shaping is the same on both. I have am going great guns on them and all going well should finish them tomorrow night, if not tonight while watching CSI. My worries about the armholes were put to rest when I measured it against one of my t-shirts, Mums suggestion.
I did however have fears that the sleeves would be too tight on my upper arms, so once I had done the finial increase I seamed one up and tried it on. I think I should stop worrying about this garment and get on with finishing it.
This week I received in the PO Box two magazines I got off Trademe, they were packaged in both a plastic bag then in an envelope with cardboard, if only everyone packaged things so well, and she didn’t even overcharge me for it all. Anyway, the two I got, pictured below, have some great patterns in them. I particularly like the V-neck jumper gathered pullover, if you are a ravelry user you can see it here.
03.27.08
Please Ignore The Horrible Photo
I’m doing really well on the top, just last night I completed the first side of the front. I did real bust darts (m1 increases) after reading there wasn’t a lot of room in the bust, not that I need a lot, but I didn’t want it to sit too low. I couldn’t get a good photo flat so thought I’d try it on so I used my Circular needles and “sewed” the side seams with them, which gave me a good idea of how it will fit and I’m very happy with it. I can’t wait to finish it now and be able to wear it.
Not mush else to report at present, so I’ll be off and please ignore the horrible photo.
03.24.08
Back Finished
I am happy to report I have finished the back of the Waist-Cincher top and have started on the front. From my workings I cast on for the 3rd size when I really just need the smallest, however as I was not getting the correct gauge and I wanted a bit more ease around the hip area I though this is what was needed. After knitting around 4″ the whole thing was looking far too big, so I frogged it and started with the stitches for the second size, once again after about 4″ it was looking too big so I frogged for a second time and just went with what it said for the 34″ bust. It went really quick once I was in the swing of the lace pattern and although there is one mistake in the lace I am very happy with the way it looks and how I think it will fit.
I haven’t yet taken a photo of the completed back, but here it is when I was up to the armhole shaping. The drape and feel of this yarn is really nice and I think I will enjoy wearing it as long as it is not too warm. Auckland gets cold but not cold enough for really warm knitted things against the skin, well not for me anyway.
I cast on the front this morning, but must have still be tired even after a 10:20am sleep-in, as i stuffed up the lace 3 times. I put it down and took TP down the road on her bike to the local football field for a big ride around. She did well considering she has only ridden the bike about 3 times since we took the training wheels off, we did have a few little melt downs though.
03.21.08
Swatch Time
Having finished one of the anniversary socks, I believe I don’t have enough yarn to finish the second. I did the trick of weighing the finished sock, 38 grams, then weighing the remaining yarn, 10 grams. What to do? I have put them to bed for a little while I continue with other projects.
For my birthday, Mum gave me 10 balls of the yarn I want to do the Waist Clincher Top in, so last night after casting off the 1st sock I did some swatching.
I am needing 18 st & 24 rows for the pattern but even going from size US7 to a US9 I am still getting 20 st & 26 rows. I don’t what to go up any bigger in needle size as the fabric will become too loose so I have done some maths. If I make the 36 size, one size bigger than what is needed, I think it should come out the correct size for my bust, however my hips are not too well proportioned when it comes to my bust and at a 34″ bust the hip is also 34″, were I really need at least 40″ to fit over my hips. I thought I could cast on more stitches and decreases after the hips are cleared but as there is the lace pattern and I don’t know if I could hide my decrease well enough. The other thought I am having is about knitting it in the round, as then I can try it on to see if the hip will fit. I will do some research on that one and see if anyone else has done it in the round and see if it causes any bias.
03.18.08
It Fits
After work yesterday, myself and TP went to visit Nana to wish her a happy birthday and drop off her present. I’m happy to report that it fits and she seemed to like it. I’m sure she would hate to know I posted her picture but it can be our little secret 
I have started to do swatches for TP’s cardigan, she is wanting it made out of the left overs of the St Patrick’s Capelet, which is fine with me as I have no idea what else I would use the 7 balls for. It will have two cables up the front on a reverse stocking stitch background with a wide rib button band, then at the empire line it will change to a eyelet linear pattern of some sort, haven’t thought that far. I’m confident I should be able to do it however the sleeve shaping and then the sleeve cap have me a little worried, but I will deal with that when/if I get there.
I would also like to thank the two lovely readers that left comments on my last post about the hole in my sock and how to fix it. I will be attempting this in the very near future. Once again, thank you.
03.16.08
There’s a Hole In My Sock
I turned the heel, and finally fixed the mistake in the lace, only to discover a huge hole where I had finished the heel but must have done something wrong. Is there any way to fix this? I will have to research. Put me in a bit of a mood finding this so I think they might go to sleep for the next month or so.
I brought some yarn this week that I would like to make TP a cardigan/jacket out of for her birthday in April. On our trip to the library today, I hoped to have found a book for inspiration but there was only a couple with children’s patterns and they were dated. I tossed up the idea of trying to design it myself, but I really don’t know if I have the skills to do that. I took her into Pumpkin Patch on friday, after our weekly Mother Daughter coffee and thick-shake catch up, to have a lookie at what they have in the way of knitted items that we could get ideas from, but they didn’t seem to have a lot this winter. One thing that did stand out however was a long line cardie that tied with a belt and had cables & rib. It looked really nice and TP liked, so I might knit up a swatch and try out some cables.
03.15.08
Done, With 2 Days To Go
I’m so proud of myself. With 2 days remaining until Nana’s birthday, I have finished her capelet. Not 100% happy with it, but I’m sure Nana will still like it. I think the sizing might be a little on the large size for her, but who is ever up with what size their Nana is wearing these days.
Pattern: Grand Plan Top Down Capelet from Wrap Style.
Yarn: Wendy Chunky with Wool.
Needle size: 10 1/2 US, 6 1/2mm
Neckline was k2 p2 rib for 1 inch, I’m not really happy with this as I think it may have made the neckline a little to wide, but it was the first bit I knitted so I couldn’t go back and change it easily. The buttons were a great find from my Mum’s button jar, and I placed them on a garter stitch button band. I had never done one before so thought this would be the best option. I’ll get a photo of it on Nana once it is given to her.
While I’m showing FOs I thought it time I post a picture of DD’s Corn Cardigan.
I’m not happy with the finished result, the fit isn’t good and I picked up far too many stitches around the front & neck so it flips out really badly, but DD insists it is perfect. Got to love off-spring.
I also have been making progress on my anniversary socks since finishing the Capelet. I have now turned the heel, once again with short rows rather than instructed, however I have had to pull most of my work from tonight undone as I made an error in the lace pattern and although I tried just to drop down the offending stitches I could not fix it. I have a book from the library currently, Lace Style, which shows in the back how to fix mistakes in lace patterns, but I don’t seem to be able to follow them. I will however copy the relevant pages before return the book as I think in the future it would be of help.
03.14.08
St Patrick’s Caplet Almost Done
I have done really well on Nana’s Capelet, with two days to go I only have the button bands to do. This will be a first for me as I have never made button holes before, but I found out that all you do is a yarn over, how easy is that? I have stock-take tomorrow at work, but I’m sure I will get it done before Monday.
Here it is currently, I did 2 rows of garter stitch, 1 normal, 2 garter stitch for the bottom, I’m hoping this is enough to stop it from curling.
Oh and I received another Postcrossing card today, this one is from West Germany and only took 14 days to get to me.
03.13.08
Double Take
I got the shock of my life when we got home last night. I went out to feed our Rabbit and Guinea pig. We have that the rabbit (Latte) for almost a year but only got Thick-Shake (the guinea pig) in January. When I opened up the house part of the cage I had to shut the lid again, then open it. They were there still, two baby guinea pigs.
At first we thought the Latte must have been a boy but once we calmed down we worked out that Thick-Shake was pregnant when we got her.
Made for an interesting night. Now we have to figure out what to do with them, the friend that we got Thick-Shake off is happy to take them, so I think that is what we will do.
03.11.08
I’m a Postcrosser
I don’t think I have shared that I take part in Postcrossing, it is great fun to check the mail box and find postcards from all over the world in it, and such a simple thing to take part in.
Here are two of my most recent cards. The yucky white sticker on the first one is something the post office in the US does, it has little orange lines on it so it must be some sort of scanning thing. I’m too scared to take it off in-case it rips the card. 
This one is from Turkey.
