New Year, New Socks.

... not that I've finished them yet!
But they're moving along nicely. I think I've hit my stride in knitting just your plain, basic socks. I grabbed this ball of yarn and needles to take with me to mum and dad's place on Boxing Day, after I did something not-quite-right after turning the heel on LeTissier's beaded cabled sock I'm (still) plugging away at. I might ask for a little assistance from the always lovely and talented Dianne when I'm back at KnitNight next week.

I'm a little disappointed to report that I'm nowhere near finished Lola-Frog's 2009 blanket... although to finish up to and including October (I think it was October, anyway!) is no mean feat in itself. As soon as I get one little poncho out of the way, I'll crank out another couple of squares, and block the three or four I've got sitting in my knitting bag, just waiting to be displayed!

Quickie 'finished' post - now with added photos!

Wow – a whole month without a blog post! Instead of trying to explain, as always, why I haven’t added any posts through September, I thought I’d look at it positively. I enjoyed a month-long blogging holiday!!

On the up side, I have a heap of knitting that I have actually completed. Blocked and photographed!

‘Fetchings’ are done, knit in Jo Sharp Silk Road Tweed in Aran weight. I liked knitting with this stuff, it’s got a lovely cushy, rustic feel to it - sort of like knitting with something a little bit felted already. The yarn was still able to highlight the cabling in the Fetchings quite well. I gave them to my dear friend Ali last weekend, as a very very late birthday gift - she's moving to Adelaide very soon for a year. Does is get cold down there in winter??

Okay, so at this point the ends weren't woven in, so they weren't 'finished' in the legal sense, but WonderBoy looked so cute modelling them that I couldn't resist using these photos to showcase them!

I feel like I'm on top of Lola-Frog's blanket squares, with all of August and one of September done and blocked here. I've also done the last two for September and the first for October, but they're either not blocked or not 'finished' (ie ends woven in) and blocked. I'll get there.

August Square The First;

August Square The Second (the Apple is to signify both Lola-Frog's first solid food as well as to have a Beatles reference within the blanket without resorting to anything gauche and obvious);

August Square The Third, and

September Square The First.

Another finished object still yet to be blocked (and I must do it this week, Dianne was asking to see it last Thursday at KnitNight) is a lovely chunky cabled scarf for a friend who is definitely going somewhere cold - New York - in November. Photos to come soon.

One of the reasons I've not blogged lately (and I've just now realised this) is because of all the spinning I was doing! That, and we got our hands on 'The Beatles: Rockband' game...

You go, Ringo!

...and both these pursuits have taken up considerable portions of spare time. I've spun up 200g of lovely naturally fawn-coloured merino roving that my mum brought back from Tasmania for me a long time ago now.

I have to say, now having spun with both raw fleece and prepared roving, that I find spinning with the pre-prepared fibres much more satisfying - in a totally instant gratification kind of way. Stephanie Pearl-McPhee once said that to learn how to spin well, you should start with good quality fibres. I think that since I'm certainly no professional at cleaning and preparing raw fleece, I certainly wasn't learning with anything approaching 'good quality' fibre, and this was affecting my ability to focus on the spinning itself. Plus, I'm an impatient person at the best of times. Who can wait for fleece to be cleaned and prepared properly when there's spinning to be getting on with?!

Photos to come, as well as a new idea I've been tinkering with to reintroduce some fresh 'randomness' into the blog...

Finally

Done, and done.

We have July squares! Ends woven, blocked and dry. Looking lovely.

Here's Square One, knit at Lola-Frog's hospital bedside. I like to think it represents the high temperatures she was experiencing at the time of her pneumonia. Let's call it 'Fever', shall we?
This is Square Two, possibly the result of some hallucinations on my part after looking through a lovely book of children's knits given to me by our friends Sam and Stevie. I saw several beautiful Fair Isle jumper patterns and thought 'hey, I could incorporate that into a square for the blanket'. Mistake? Possibly, but how many mistakes could it be said turn out this well? Not too many. I'm pretty pleased with it, I have to say.
And now, Square Three. I've now knit L, O and R, and still have four more letters to go. Kinda getting a little tired of knitting the same thing over and over, but I think it'll look pretty good when all done - I hope!
I still have to knit the thumbs onto the pair of Fetchings I've knit for a good friend's birthday (which was waaaay back in July - bad me!), but I've still cast on the DK cotton I dyed awhile back to knit a wee summer dress for Lola-Frog. After that? There are plans afoot for a thick, chunky cabled scarf for another friend who will be living a New York winter - I think she'll need it!

And now, back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Quick post, then off to the gym...

I finished weaving in the ends of the fair isle square last night. Does anyone else here suck on the end of each piece of yarn before threading it through the needle? You know, to make it straight and pointy?

God help me. I may stop yakking up colourful organic merino furballs sometime in the coming weeks.

Till then, I'm going to run some crochet around the edges of this square to stabilise the sides. Photos to come as soon as the little darlings are blocked!

Clearly, I have some weaving in to do...

Here's a full-on Fair Isle attempt from me, for Lola-Frog's 2009 blanket. It's the second of the three July squares... If and when I get the ends woven in, I'll block the bugger and post a picture!!

What are you proudest of making?

I received a very thought-provoking email newsletter from 'Knitting Daily' a couple of weeks ago, entitled "What are you proudest of making?", and it piqued my inspiration for another blog post (can one 'pique one's inspiration', I wonder? Oh well, I'll say I can.)

So, what am I proudest of making?

1. Mohair cowl-neck jumper, also known as 'My First Jumper'. I had been knitting blanket squares for what seemed like forever, when Mum handed me a big bag from Victoria House with balls of Heirloom Picasso, needles and a Patons (or was it Cleckheaton? Maybe it was Cleckheaton.) pattern book, saying to me "Here. Now knit something useful!".

I discovered that with my ability to knit, purl, increase and decrease, I really could make myself something wearable. The colours are a dark rainbow of sorts, reminding me of an oil slick. I followed the pattern to the letter. The ribbing is riddled with errors, hidden mercifully within the fuzzy mohair; the seams are lumpy and awkward, as I had no idea about weaving pieces together; and the entire thing is enormous, as I was convinced that the best size to knit would be The Biggest. Because, after all, I could wear something that was too big, I couldn't wear something too small.

2. My First Socks; continuing the 'My Firsts' theme I have going here. There is something amazing about knitting your first pair of socks. Realising I could knit a tube using five needles was a revelation, and turning a heel to create a specially-placed dent in the tube was, well, mind-blowing. I credit Stephanie Pearl-McPhee with helping me make sense of it all, and showing me just how easy it really is. Plus, handknit socks really really impress knitting Muggles: "Oh, these? Just something I whipped up myself..."

3. My 'Raspberry Clapotis' and my 'Baby Mine': Firstly, 'Baby Mine'... I can knit lace? Yep. I can knit a seamless garment? Yep. A challenging and extremely rewarding knit - I loved it. It was this and my 'Raspberry Clapotis' that I believe helped my Mum (who taught me to knit) to see my knitting in a whole new way. When looking at the half-finished Clapotis on weekend, she commented that I seem to knit like I'm creating art. She has also mentioned that my Gran (her mum, who taught me to knit the second time) would be so proud to see my knitting. I'm instantly proud of anything I've made that can prompt a compliment from my mum.

4. WonderBoy's Weasley Sweater: The first knitting I've done where I've really thought about gauge, yarn substitution and the mathematics of size. It turned out reasonably successful, and I'm extremely proud of not just knitting what the pattern says.

And, in a preemptive listing on the 'Proud-O-Meter', I have a very warm feeling about Lola-Frog's 2009 blanket. Each month, I feel good about the squares I'm completing, and I'm so proud to think that she'll be have a tangible, huggable reminder of how I felt about her arrival.

Knitting speaks volumes, and I love that.

Meret photo - of sorts

I finally managed to have a photo taken of me whilst wearing the Meret on the weekend... just the one. And it doesn't really show it terribly well! I should ask Pete to take a couple of photos from the back...WonderBoy seems keen, though.

And in other news, I shall hark back to the completion of Lola-Frog's June Squares. I'm not terribly happy with the 'R' square. The stranding was pulled waaaay too tight, resulting in this; top left of the heart:I contemplated snipping the strands and eaving the ends in, but... apathy reigned.

As much as I feel I want to get started on the first of the three July squares, I'm in the middle of knitting Mum's birthday present. Called 'Sea Wool Scarf', I got the pattern from 'Yarn Forward Magazine' after Mum admired Barb's at WWKIP.

Trouble is, though - because I've got a deadline (Mum's birthday is next Wednesday), I've found that I'm finding good excuses not to get on with it. Ugh! It's like having an itch that you can't get rid of even though you're scratching... as you continue on, it's getting progressively more irritating even though you're doing all you can to alleviate it. Must be all in my mind.

Not unlike Rob & Mick of Shitscared fame:

"With his miiiind!"

June Squares Ahoy!

The June squares for Lola-Frog's 2009 blanket are complete:We've got a rather 'red-toned' theme going this month!

I'm keeping this as a quick post, as we're getting ready to do the tourist thing in our home town with Maja, a lovely friend from Slovenija, who's with us for a few days. We're going to visit Fitzroy Falls, the Illawarra Fly, Centennial Vineyards, and... The Robertson Pie Shop!

I do also have a completed hat; a lovely green 'Meret' by Woolly Wormhead - but I haven't managed to get a photo of it on yet! Maybe today...

May Squares

Okay, I've got me some completed, blocked squares for May, all ready for showing off!

This was the first completed for this month, designed with a froggie theme in mind. I'm really quite enjoying the design aspect of the squares I've been making lately. When I couldn't find an image designed that already suited what I needed, I charted my own using colour knitting (with both intarsia and stranded/fair isle techniques) as well as textured stitches, to create the wavey bit in the middle...
This one sort of emerged as I knit it. As I completed the striped section, I decided I needed something else to set it off, and thought about using duplicate stitch to get the pattern happening. The heart was measured and placed using the same heart design used in the first January square...
And the third, which is the first letter of Lola-Frog's name. I'll be knitting the other letters, one at a time, over the next few months. I'm still not entirely convinced that the 'L' stands out enough and is readable enough, but I'm coping with the decision through laziness!
Now, seeing as today's the 28th of May, I'd better get cracking on the June squares!

I'm back...

And I even have knitting to show for my absence!

We were off the air for the last three weeks or so, with our internet being capped after we exceeded the monthly download limit. So, I've been knitting, rather than blogging about knitting. It's been a bit tricky this month; I've found it somewhat difficult to commit myself to getting the three May squares done for Lola-Frog's 2009 blanket.

I've been distracting myself with lots of little projects - probably the biggest I've been able to dedicate myself to has been WonderBoy's Weasley Sweater (which I'm not too far off finishing - just doing the second sleeve now). Apart from that, I finished a 'beret' (I use this term loosely, and you'll see why very soon) designed by Wooly Wormhead, called the "Baby Rollin' Beret". She designs the most fabulously interesting hats, for adults and children, and I love her designs.

In this case, though, I don't think I have done the pattern justice, because even though I managed to get the maths right to up the pattern to the next size, believing it would fit Lola-Frog's huge head and taking into account the different weight of yarn I'd decided to use, I did not plan for the right amount of depth required, and so we're left with what appears to resemble a wee baker's cap:I did finish up the May squares, though, and I'm pretty well pleased with the finished products. I'm getting into the idea of designing and charting my own patterns, using intarsia, stranded (fair isle) and textured stitches to make up the pictures and patterns. They're blocking right now, but I'm hoping to be able to take the photos and upload them tomorrow.

As well as all this, our knitting group have been very busy preparing 'cup cozies' to hand out to people on World Wide Knit In Public Day next month - we're going to be knitting at a little cafe on an outdoor plaza, and so we hope that the cozies are used with disposable coffee cups on the day. Should be good.

As I'm struggling these days to get to bed at a reasonable hour, I must leave it here. Lola-Frog's darling wee nose is a snot playground right now, and so I have a feeling I'll be up a lot tonight. Possibly a chance to get more of this sleeve knitted!

New hat - now what?

Firstly, a big Happy Birthday to my darling husband. A prince among men, and a lunatic among sane people. Hope you've had a lovely day, honey; despite getting over illness and helping to deal with sick kidlets these last few days. Big kisses!
Pictured next to Pete, on the left, is our good friend and one big bag o'crazy, Stevie G. Happy Birthday also to him, for May 1st.

And secondly, to quote Professor Farnsworth of Futurama fame, "Good news, everyone!"
I've finished my version of Yarn Harlot's "Not Original Hat"!I'm assisted in the modelling by young WonderBoy, who announced to his auntie on the phone, "Mummy's wearing a crazy hat!"

It's a good, quick knit with a well-written pattern that's easy to read and follow. I did get a bit unco handling 8mm dpns, though - plus a cable needle. I have to say, I'm more dexterous when handling smaller dpns. But, this won't stop me knitting this again. I'm going to try knitting it in a (slightly) finer gauge yarn with smaller needles, and see if I can come up with a version that'll fit Lola-Frog. She's a hearty lass; as of today, she's thirteen weeks and six days old, and I put her to bed tonight in a size zero WonderSuit! So I figure that a hat only a little smaller than mine should fit her before long. I'd much prefer something a bit too big than too little.

And now, back to WonderBoy's Weasley Sweater. I'd like to complete the front side before I crack on with the May squares for the 2009 Blanket.

Blanket squares a go-go

The squares for April are finally completed, happily giving me enough time to have a crack at starting the Weasley sweater for WonderBoy before I need to even think about squares for May. I'm still going on with the Noro Striped scarf, it's great for KnitNight, as I can knit and chat without risking too many mistakes.

And here they are, for one month only!This one is called Cables and Bobbles, and I'm quite pleased with it. I knit it in the dark green as the design made me think of Lilies of the Valley. My aim, when I get to the end of this blanket, is to have at least one solid-colour square in each of the colours in the blanket. Mostly, this will be in a textured stitch pattern or cables - if I can stomach them again...

As mentioned earlier, I tried to do another cabled square this month (I had some idea about getting to the end of the year and having a cabled square, a striped square and an intarsia square for each month, but I think I'll be out of ideas re: cables by then. 'Go with the flow' is working for me right now.

So after I frogged both attempts at cables, I knit a nice, basic rainbow striped square:Ahhhh. Calm thoughts, calm thoughts. It just makes me breathe deeply when I see this square and remember how much cable stress it alleviated!

And the third for this month: Australia. Lola-Frog joined us on quite an auspicious day this year; Australia Day. Great for her party - everyone will know it's on the public holiday every year!I feel quite pleased with myself regarding this one. I couldn't find a pattern for a square with a map of Australia on it that I liked - either the square was the wrong size, or the map itself was the wrong shape or size. So I printed out some knitters' graph paper, courtesy of this website, printed a map of Australia from Google Images, and charted my own. I suppose I could say this is my first crack at designing! Yay me. Only thing I would have changed is the direction with which I was knitting when I changed colours from the orange back to the purple, but eh, who cares? Not me, especially when I was finishing it off at 1am last Wednesday (Thursday, I suppose it was!)

And now, back into it. I could cast on a gauge swatch for WonderBoy's Weasley Sweater, but I actually do feel that there is housework I should be getting on with (weird, isn't it?)

AAARRGGHHH!

I actively dislike cables today.

I have knit and frogged and knit and refrogged the second April square for Lola-Frog's 2009 blanket, and I have had it up to *here* (imagine my hand up round the top of my head!) with cables.

Damn it, if I'd known both attempts were heading to the frogpond, I would have done something useful instead... like clean the bathroom!