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What's cooking?

Lots of things on the go. I thought Peter could do with some warm mittens so I've dug out my trusty striped mittens pattern from Robin Hansen's Favorite Mittens.

The nearly-black is Welsh Black Mountain handspun (by me). It's not very soft, but I've paired it with some Jaeger Shetland, which is mostly alpaca and fairly soft. These will certainly keep out the wind and weather. I want to get these finished in the next couple of days.

 

Here are some basic red socks (Trekking Maxima). I'm down to the tip of the toe and just need to graft it together.

 

Next in the line-up is the green alpaca cardigan that I made earlier in the year. I think I'm going to wear it to work tomorrow. My office is at the top of the building and it's not all that warm (which in general suits me).

Finally, I'm having fun knitting Thomas some fingerless mitts with a fair isle design.

 

 

Tam o'Shanter

I've been enjoying myself playing with fair isle patterns and colours when I should have been doing all sorts of other more useful things. This is a reasonably accurate representation of the colours (pre-blocking):

Here's the 'wheel' blocking (but the colours are too washed-out):

Here's the whole thing.
 

My blocking set-up is a bit precarious (plate balanced on vase):

   

It's been a while

since I finished something. I finished the twirly whirly in late August or early September. It's just a bit of fun, but Katie seems to appreciate it as a new thing to sit on.

It was satisfying to use wool that I had dyed, carded, blended and spun.

Then last night I finished a pair of socks. I used Koigu KPPM, which I love. These will count as one of my 10 in 2010 challenge because I had the wool in stash. I started a new job last month and am a commuter again, which means I'll be able to do some sock-knitting and get through some of the several kilos of sock yarn I have.

On the needles (actively, if you know what I mean) I have a pair of Leyburn socks, which I'm making out of Malabrigo sock yarn (Stonechat), and a shawl/scarf called Vlinder made out of gorgeous Shilasdair luxury 4-ply (it's cashmere, angora and lambswool).

Last weekend we took Peter down to Exeter for the start of his university course. I saw this lovely doorway in the cathedral close.

I don't know anything about it because we didn't have time to investigate, but aren't the repeating patterns knittable!

Twirly whirly

I started this a few weeks ago but didn't really get going on it until yesterday. It's Ten Stitch Twist by Frankie Brown. It's great fun now that I'm on the simple ten-stitch repeat. The yarn is my handspun. I blogged about it here. I'll carry on until the yarn runs out and may end up with a cat cushion or a sort of round thingie/not-quite-a-blanket. I wish the yellow had lasted a little longer to finish off the circle, but it doesn't matter at all. This counts as one 10 in 2010 project because it's made from stashed yarn.

Sixty

Sixty crochet squares. I've been plugging away at these and was able to bring the total to a round number while we were away camping in Dorset for a few days. I found them an ideal thing for camping - easy to carry around and possible to work in less than ideal light.

No particular layout here - just trying them out for size. I think I'm going to need at least 10 by 16 and preferably 17. So, I'm over a third of the way on the basic squares!

Change of plan

Earlier in the year I started making a crochet blanket out of stash wool - mostly Jo Sharp dk that I overdyed. I was joining them in a sort of window pane design, like this:

Now I've decided that I don't like this layout, so I'm undoing them (only four so far) and am just going to have individual squares. The only outstanding question, however, is whether to edge each in one colour so that the seam can be invisible. I'm leaning more towards joining squares straight onto each other and not worrying about the seam. I decided against joining as I go (you do this on the last rounds) because it's not as strong and I do want this to be a go-anywhere blanket. It's funny how my thinking on this project has changed so much: I bet I haven't thought the last on it, either.

Good times

I had a lovely morning with the knitters of Putney today. Dawn brought some beautiful shawls to show us, including 'Marvels of the Sunless Sea', which you can see on her blog. Dawn is a bit of a marvel herself with all the garments and shawls she produces!

My good news is that I have been offered the job I was going for, which is a great boost to the self-esteem. Even better, I don't have to start until after the August bank holiday, so I can enjoy the summer with a fairly clear conscience.

Here's the scarf I've just finished as part of my 10 in 2010 challenge. It's made out of my own handspun (Freyalyn's 'soft bouncy wool' of unknown breed). The lace pattern is the same as the famous Monkey socks by Cookie A but it's actually an old pattern and I got it out of Jan Eaton's 200 Ripple Stitch Patterns.

Well hello!

I think I'm going to blog again. I don't really know why I stopped. Now feels like the right time to start again.

Since my last post I've been thinking quite hard about my work situation. I took voluntary redundancy last August and intended to work from home as a freelance editor. I have done this before - for about twelve years when our boys were much younger. I enjoyed it then, and it fitted with everything else that was going on. Now I find I cannot motivate myself to sit at my computer editing and marking up for enough hours to make it worthwhile. I think part of the problem is that I have too many distractions at home! (Ravelry, spinning, knitting, BBC iPlayer ...) So I am going for part-time contracts (e.g. maternity cover) posts. I hope it won't be too long before I am settling into a new office, getting to know the people and learning new things. Above all I need variety and a bit of pressure to get things done.

I've been keeping to my 10 in 2010 challenge. This is a Ravelry challenge - to knit ten items from start to finish in 2010. The challenge I set myself was to use stash bought before 2010. I've not done too badly so far. First off the mark was the Daybreak shawl in Noro Kureyon and Norwegian wool:

Next, an Ulmus shawl in Koigu and Handmaiden Kasbah:

Third, an entrelac scarf in Noro Silk Garden:

Fourth is an alpaca cardigan. I haven't got photos of this just at the moment and it's now too dark, so I will reveal that later.

Then on the needles I have two pairs of socks, and a scarf using my own handspun. The scarf counts as two projects because I bought the fibre last year and have spun it this year. So, when the socks and scarf are done I'll be up to seven. Not bad! Other possibilities for the challenge are a crochet squares blanket and a lace sampler stole that's part of a Ravelry KAL. Add to them a blue cardigan I'm knitting that doesn't qualify for the challenge and you can see that I have been quite busy!

What am I up to?

I finished Ulmus - had I even mentioned it here? I used Casbah (Handmaiden sock yarn with some cashmere in it) for the main colour and Koigu for the contrast. It was fun to knit, and quite quick because I made the smallest size. It makes a cosy neckerchief.

This is my second 10 in 2010 project (a Ravelry challenge). I'm knitting/crocheting ten projects out of stash yarn - starting and completing them within the year.

 

The main part is knitted in a slip stitch pattern alternating the two colours. Then the lace edging is knitted in one colour.

I'm making progress on the crochet afghan. I have abandoned the black. It just didn't seem to be working. Instead, I am making four of each square and sewing them together as a block. I'll go round each block in its own edging colour and then sew the blocks together. I know some sewing will show because the edges won't match in colour, but I don't think that will matter (famous last words...).

So far (and they're not quite as wonky as they look here):

I can't believe I did that

Members of a knitting group I meet with have crocheted a simple, triangular shawl - really half a granny square - out of Seasilk. It's very effective and they all seem to have enjoyed doing it. I haven't got any Seasilk, but I have got some Alchemy bamboo yarn in a blinding red and shocking pink colourway and I thought it might work. I bought it at the first Ally Pally show I went to, in about 2002.* Anyway, I dug the yarn out of my deepest stratum of stash last night. I bought it as a kit to make  a market bag, so it came in rather a posh tote bag and there's a pattern enclosed. There's also a receipt. I cannot believe how much I paid for 100g. Are sitting down? £66!

All I can think is that I was so overcome by my first experience of a knitting show that I just lost all sense of proportion. Also, I have to remember that there was nothing much available then even online. In a sense I was an 'early adopter'. As with televisions and computers, if you wait long enough prices come down eventually. I can't find the bamboo yarn at a UK shop but it's $28 per 50g at Purl Soho. 

*I can't remember exactly, and the receipt is not dated.