A Slouchy Copy-Cat Hat for my sister-in-law. I loved knitting the Malabrigo worsted so much that I went to I Knit this afternoon and bought some to make a hat for myself (in the Redstart colourway, already cast on). They were having fun in the shop with the electrics playing up, but all was fixed by the time I left.
Today I wished I had a woolly hat to wear when I went into town. I was certainly glad of my new stripey mittens!
Two colours of Noro Kureyon (more than one ball of each to get them to match), 4.5mm dpns, trusty striped mitten pattern. I started these on Friday, knitted madly for most of the day and finished them on Saturday. Here they are drying off after a gentle sock. They're for me!
I have acquired some interchangeable circular needles. I've been admiring different ones owned by various friends and decided myself to go for the Hiya Hiya brand because I wanted the shorter cable that they do (16") among others. I realised that sometimes I avoid certain projects because I don't have suitable needles. A case in point is hats - how often I like the look of something but don't fancy using dpns for such a large stitch count. Anyway, my package arrived yesterday and I'm really pleased with them. I have started a Slouchy Copy-Cat Hat for my other sister-in-law using some Malabrigo worsted. I had a root through my 'stash' the other day and found two scarves and two shawls that could be unpicked, leaving me some nice yarn to use up including the Malabrigo.
I asked my younger son what sort of jersey he would like if I knitted one for him. He thought it would have different colours in it, but was rather unsure what that might actually mean. He knows it may take years for something to appear!
Yes, I must be a changeling. This is the only explanation for why I have been acting so out of character. What else would explain my compulsion to keep finishing things?
Today I finished something else. One mitten, made from my trusty Striped mittens pattern (from Favorite Mittens by Robin Hansen), to replace one that was lost. I made a start on it a month or two ago and then it languished - just needing a top and a thumb. If I was still me it would still need a top and a thumb, but because I am not me any more it is finished! It was a struggle to get no.2 to match no.1 but I think after a wash and stretch it will be near enough.
I'm on a roll. The cowl for my sister-in-law is finished except for darning in ends and washing/blocking.
The pattern is Pretty Thing (Ravelry link). I recommend it as a fairly quick knit for someone who has a bit of lace knitting experience (it includes yarnovers before purl stitches, which sometimes confuse me). It is a clever pattern because the top and bottom borders mirror each other very well.
I'm knitting a tea cosy for another Christmas present and am halfway through it. It's the Grannie's traditional tea cosy (Ravelry link to free pattern). It is just that - a traditional garter stitch tea cosy.
Last, but not least, I'm getting on well with the old school scarf for my husband. This has been about four years in the making and he has given up asking about it. Now I am absolutely determined that it will be finished for Christmas. It's about 4 feet long now, so I've only got to knit another foot or so and I think that is manageable.
If any of you know him, don't say anything: it's a secret!
There was a brief discussion on one of the Ravelry boards about whether it is a good thing to frog (rip back) unfinished projects that are hibernating. I had just frogged the two single socks that I mentioned before and I said I thought doing this releases creative energy. Well, I must have actually meant what I said!
Yellow socks: done and worn.
Red socks: done and on my feet as I type (but not with my feet).
New pair of socks in Trekking (plain, Dawn!): started.
Languishing scarf for Thomas in his old school colours: picked up, being knitted and due to be presented at Christmas (I am knitting this in secret).
Aran for my brother: sleeve nearly finished. I realise it won't be possible to finish this for Christmas (even if I hadn't picked up the husband scarf) and so I will present it with one completed sleeve and then I will be able to assess whether I have got all the measurements right.
'Pretty Thing' by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee: a Christmas present for one sister-in-law under way in cashmere that I dyed myself in the summer. I can't link to Ravelry just at the moment - it seems to be down - but the pattern is up there. It's a very pretty little lacy cowl and I'm loving knitting it.
Ideas for hats, tea cosies, gloves and mittens: circulating in my head but being resisted just for a little bit longer.
I've felt rather stale about my knitting because I'm committed to a long-term project (an aran jersey for my brother) and have so many partly knitted projects that I couldn't justify or even enjoy casting on anything new. I did some sorting and found two single socks that could be frogged and a pair of socks that had been virtually finished for many months. All that was wrong was that I had done a really bad job on grafting the toes. I soon had the grafting undone and done up again and here is an FO!
They are knitted in Oxford Kitchen Yarns sock yarn (citrus). I love the colour. I made up the leg pattern - it's just five stitches plain and one stitch of knit one row and purl the next (i.e. garter stitch). I like to do three stitches of garter stitch down the sides of my heel flaps. These socks were intended for my son, but now he's at university there's no way I'm letting him take them to the launderette! There's a lot of knitting in these socks - 2 mm needles and mansize feet. I'll see if my husband fancies yellow socks. He might just.
I have also picked up another pair of socks that have been hanging around for a long time. As you can see, there's not far to go now (on the second sock). These are Regia, and for me.
I'm now in the delightful position of being able to ponder my next sock project. I usually have a pair on the go. Now that I'm not commuting regularly they're taking a lot longer to knit, unfortunately.
I picked these out of my stash and have not decided which one to use:
From bottom left going clockwise, we have Sheldridge Farm Soft Touch in a gorgeous plum, Jojoland Melody in green and purple, and Trekking Maxima in ... well you can see the colours! I can't decide whether I want to do plain knitting and self-striping (Melody and Maxima) or a stitch pattern (Soft Touch). Or I could perhaps make another pair of Monkeys with the Maxima. Or perhaps I'll take another stash dive!
I finally bought some blocking wires at I Knit London on Thursday evening and so I have been blocking my Swallowtail shawl. Wires make such a difference to this job!
I may not have a stately home, but sometimes the garden looks OK - or at least bits of it work at different times. Here are a couple of portions that are looking good at the moment.
A pink hardy fuchsia, lady's mantle, a viticella clematis and a red/pink persicaria (knotweed).
I've been enjoying my daylilies on the other side of the garden. I have two different yellows and this lovely red:
As you can see, these photos were taken last week when we had all the sunshine!
I mentioned a few posts ago that I bought a nice niddy noddy at Woolfest. Here it is, with some rather special laceweight yarn on it that I have dyed.
The unusual thing about the niddy noddy is the handle. Usually you hold them on the central shaft and that's perfectly OK, but it's just a little easier to have a handle. Now for the yarn. I've found a source (strictly hush hush) of undyed Uruguayan laceweight merino which seems to me to be indistinguishable from M*******o. I'm experimenting with dyeing it at the moment.
I have nearly finished the Baktus scarf, but it has been relegated to commuter knitting. At home I'm knitting the Lily of the Valley scarf from Nancy Bush's book, using the cashmere I bought at Woolfest. I'm finding the pattern about as hard as I want to attempt. There are quite a few mistakes in my knitting (including some nupps not quite knitted through properly), but overall it's very pretty. I think there may be an error in the chart, too.
Lots of thinking has been going on chez HJ and some plans are in preparation. I'll share them as they mature.
In the meantime I was relieved yesterday to be able to get my spuds in. I think they may be in straight rows, too!
Here's progress (not very much) on the yoke jersey based on Elizabeth Zimmerman's fair isle yoke sweater (plus swatch of part of yoke pattern):
I'm working on a pair of socks to my own design and I'm rather pleased with how they're turning out. The pattern is from Oma's Strickgeheimnisse ( a German stitch dictionary which has been reprinted recently - beware v. expensive second-hand copies).
I'm also working on some slip stitch mittens:
