08.28.08
Basket Weave Socks
I finished the scarf so got started on Dad’s socks straight away. I was really wanting to persevere with the Firestarter pattern but being that I was sick and wanted just to get going I pulled out the Sensational Socks book that I had out from the library and got started on the Basket Weave Socks.
I must have stuffed up measuring my swatch as they started to look very big, so I just moved down to 2.25mm needles, and they are now looking good and are a nice tight fabric, which I think is important for a pair of socks. I worry that Dad might “keep them for good” i.e. never wear them, if they were to delicate. However this means that I’m using that lovely yarn up so much faster, so fast in fact that after getting to the heel turn I had less than 1/2 the skein left, meaning there would be no way of getting a pair of socks out of the skein. luckily Vintage Purls still had a skein of the colour way available so I placed my order last night along with a Knit Picks set of DPNs. At the moment I’m borrowing mums so I will be able to give hers back come Saturday when I expect the parcel to arrive.
08.22.08
Entrelac is Fun
I was unsure when I started the Entrelac Scarf for the SIL whether I was going to be able to keep at it, I like a bit of a challenge, but I wasn’t sure if once mastered it would get boring. It didn’t, and I found myself eager to find out what colour the next square would be, making it difficult at times to put it down, the way knitting should be I think.
The result is stunning, and I want to knit another. The yarn choice, Naturally Yarns Vero was great and has put the yarn in a new light, I am trying to think what else apart from scarfs and hats I could make with this yarn in Entrelac.
08.17.08
Sickness Visits Too Long
Winter has been here for too long it feels and for the past 2 1/2 weeks I have been sick. The lovely daughter thought it would be nice to share her illness with me, I have always been pleased with her ability to share, but this is one of those that she could have kept all to herself and I wouldn’t have minded a bit. With sickness comes tissues, bad tempers and frustration. I get frustrated by not being able to sit without coughing or my nose running and my ability to concentrate on anything is blown out the window. It always happens when you are full on at work, perhaps this is part of why you get sick, too much stress and not looking after yourself correctly. I now long for a night were I can sleep from 9pm til 7am without waking, being able to sit for long periods and do something productive, or at least without coughing every few minutes. I’m sure Lossy too is ready for the sickness to move on to some other house, he really is a trouper and has waited on me so lovingly, what would I do without him?
08.13.08
Just How I Wanted it
I’m so happy that the Entrelac Scarf for SIL is turning out just as I hoped it would with variegated yarn. I know it’s not the orange that I was wanting, but after trips to 3 yarn sellers I gave up, and happily accepted this left-over from good old mum (thanks again Mum). Lossy is very happy with it also and thinks SIL will still love it and it will still suite her.
The Entrelac is no where near as hard as I thought it might be and I have enjoyed knitting a lot of it while listing to “Outlander” on the MP3 player. I read these books years ago, so when I found the audio book at the library on the weekend I thought I’d give it a go. I have never listened to an audio book before, and I’m really enjoying it. I think I will have to see what else I can get on audio book. Thought I would included a photo of the back of it, as I always wondered what the back of entrelac looked like and could never find pictures. I don’t know how I’m going to deal with the scarf not being reversible, I think that really is a necessity for such an item. Perhaps I could line the back of it with matching polar fleece?
08.07.08
Puff Sleeve Jacket: Almost Done
So the collar worked out ok, but I think I will make it bigger, 10 cm like the pattern says. I know Besty advised a black top, but I was warm and didn’t want to change tops and I didn’t relise until seeing the photos you could see the colour of my singlet through my top. Oops, why didn’t anyone at work say something?
Sickness has been visiting our house this past week, TP has an ear infection which equal no sleep for mummys & daddys, I guess my mum could just say it is payback for all the sleepless nights she had when I was little and always had sore ears. And I now have a very nasty throat, which is why i haven’t got any further with the finishing of this, all I want to do is sleep or blob out.
I have been however thinking of my next project, SIL’s birthday is fast approaching & I would really love to knit her a really warm scarf (she is in the northern hemisphere) for the winter. I’m thinking of this entrelac one, which also gives me the opportunity to try out a new technique. I am thinking something like the Vintage Hues in orange or maybe Vero.
08.05.08
Wardrobe Planning
Why can I not have any skill when it comes to wardrobe planning. I have this terrible habit of buying, or in the worse case making, clothing that goes with nothing else in my wardrobe. The current example of this is the Puff Sleeve Jacket. When I saw the pattern I really liked it and while working on it I still liked it, but then I got to the point of being able to see it finished (well, almost finished) I tried it on with things I currently own and low and behold, it goes with nothing, not even my new dress, which I really thought it would. Where do you learn these kind of skills or is it just one of those things you are born with?
08.04.08
Puff Sleeve Jacket: part 4
The sleeve are done and seamed, all that is left is the collar and this is where I have run into a problem. You see my gauge was off on this, I was getting 24 stitches to 4 inch so I went with making a large to produce a small size. However I did not pay much attention to my row gauge and this is were the problem comes from. My row gauge was only 1 row more then what the pattern called for, meaning where the pattern referred to rows I should have been doing the small size, which I didn’t. This has resulted in my neckline be lower then what it should be therefore bigger, so last night when I sat down to do the collar, and then pinned it to the body, it was not long enough but was too wide. I now need to sit down and work out what I’m going to do. I could flag the collar and just pick up around the neckline and do some garter stitch or I could calculate how to get the collar to fit. But is the collar going to look ok now that the neck line is so much lower then it should be?
