Well, I've been back at work for a full term already. We've been to a wedding, hosted a christening, and had at least one new bubba join friends of ours. Knits have been cast on, cast off and blocked nicely ... well, most of them have been blocked. Some are still waiting!
And through all of this I seem to have neglected my poor old blog. This shall change.
Watch this space!
Friday 9 April 2010
Thursday 7 January 2010
Thursday Night Shuffle
We're into a New Year, and I'm back at KnitNight. I can say, with certainty, that I have been looking forward to tonight with much anticipation! It was great to reconnect and catch up with those who were able to make it tonight, and I celebrated by consuming a chocolate ice-cream sundae. As one does.
There were new yarns to show, tell and drool over; pattern books to examine and exclaim over, and completed and unfinished projects to examine and praise each other over.
I love the movements we go through as we arrive, choose a seat and plonk bags down. First, there's an exclamation of how busy we've been at home lately (children generally feature here!) or how busy the roads or shops were on the way. Or there's comments about how hot/humid/wet or cold it's been that day, and whether it's seasonable for this time of year. It never is seasonable, not where we live. Being summer right now, it's not unusual at all to see people in jeans and footy guernseys one day, and shorts the next.
Then comes the fun part - show and tell. It's so nice to have people to bounce ideas off, to solve problems with collaboratively, and to inspire you to try new patterns, yarns and techniques.
But I digress. Tonight's Shuffle song features on Robbie Williams' 'Greatest Hits' album, which was released in 2004.
It's called "Let Love Be Your Energy", and it's a song I listened to a lot when I was pregnant with WonderBoy. I find it to be quite a positive, uplifting song, and it's a lovely one to belt out like a maniac when driving. We've been listening to a lot of Robbie lately, at WonderBoy's request... "Can you put on Wobbly Williams, Mama?"
Hopefully I'll manage at least one more post before we head off for a little family holiday before I go back to work... and then after our break, I should have quite a bit of knitting to show for it, as we've got at least four hours of driving time each way - I'm looking forward to it!
There were new yarns to show, tell and drool over; pattern books to examine and exclaim over, and completed and unfinished projects to examine and praise each other over.
I love the movements we go through as we arrive, choose a seat and plonk bags down. First, there's an exclamation of how busy we've been at home lately (children generally feature here!) or how busy the roads or shops were on the way. Or there's comments about how hot/humid/wet or cold it's been that day, and whether it's seasonable for this time of year. It never is seasonable, not where we live. Being summer right now, it's not unusual at all to see people in jeans and footy guernseys one day, and shorts the next.
Then comes the fun part - show and tell. It's so nice to have people to bounce ideas off, to solve problems with collaboratively, and to inspire you to try new patterns, yarns and techniques.
But I digress. Tonight's Shuffle song features on Robbie Williams' 'Greatest Hits' album, which was released in 2004.
It's called "Let Love Be Your Energy", and it's a song I listened to a lot when I was pregnant with WonderBoy. I find it to be quite a positive, uplifting song, and it's a lovely one to belt out like a maniac when driving. We've been listening to a lot of Robbie lately, at WonderBoy's request... "Can you put on Wobbly Williams, Mama?"Hopefully I'll manage at least one more post before we head off for a little family holiday before I go back to work... and then after our break, I should have quite a bit of knitting to show for it, as we've got at least four hours of driving time each way - I'm looking forward to it!
Sunday 3 January 2010
New Years' Resolutions... Knitting Style
"Resolutions, Baby they come and go, Will I do any of these things? The answer's probably no..." 'Next Year' by Jamie Cullum
I never make New Year's Resolutions... for precisely that reason. However, if I were really pressed to do it, I could make a list of New Year's Knitting Resolutions. I'll give it a bash, and we'll see just how many I've upheld by the end of this year, shall we?
1. Knit more socks. I just keep buying sock yarn and stashing it all over the house, probably because it's just so pretty! I only need to buy one skein for a project, too, so it helps to get me a yarn fix without having to spend a fortune at a time.
2. Try some more complex sock patterns. We'll see!
3. Finish Lola-Frog's 2009 blanket. I'm so close to finishing the squares, and I've worked so hard to get to this point, it would almost be criminal not to get this one put together and backed with a lovely soft flannelette.
4. Knit more gifts. I bought '101 Designer One Skein Wonders' by Judith Durant earlier last year, so there's no excuse for me not to be able to go stash diving and come up with lovely and quick gifts for friends and family.
5. Knit more from the stash. This one almost doesn't count as a resolution, as I think every knitter with a stash secretly means to adhere to this promise every year!
6. Finish the wrap cardigan. Bless it's heart, this one's been living in my stash cupboard for a long time now. It's about time for it to come out so I can figure out where I was going wrong and get it done. Finally!
7. Knit a lace stole or shawl. In real lace yarn, not just sock yarn. Probably with beads, too. This will be my biggest challenge for 2010!
8. Knit for my sister's new arrival. Due in July, this baby will need plenty of handknits!
9. Knit a jumper for Pete. I've always wanted to and intended to. I have a pattern ready to go. He says (repeatedly) that he'd like me to handknit him a jumper. *sigh* Hopefully this is the year it will happen.
And as we prepare to look towards this New Year, I'll finish with a quick look back on the finished projects I did manage during 2009. It was to be a year of Knitting Fearlessly, and I'd like to think I've expanded my skills base somewhat, gained more confidence and fallen a little bit further down the rabbit hole of Knitting...
1. Knit more socks. I just keep buying sock yarn and stashing it all over the house, probably because it's just so pretty! I only need to buy one skein for a project, too, so it helps to get me a yarn fix without having to spend a fortune at a time.
2. Try some more complex sock patterns. We'll see!
3. Finish Lola-Frog's 2009 blanket. I'm so close to finishing the squares, and I've worked so hard to get to this point, it would almost be criminal not to get this one put together and backed with a lovely soft flannelette.
4. Knit more gifts. I bought '101 Designer One Skein Wonders' by Judith Durant earlier last year, so there's no excuse for me not to be able to go stash diving and come up with lovely and quick gifts for friends and family.
5. Knit more from the stash. This one almost doesn't count as a resolution, as I think every knitter with a stash secretly means to adhere to this promise every year!
6. Finish the wrap cardigan. Bless it's heart, this one's been living in my stash cupboard for a long time now. It's about time for it to come out so I can figure out where I was going wrong and get it done. Finally!
7. Knit a lace stole or shawl. In real lace yarn, not just sock yarn. Probably with beads, too. This will be my biggest challenge for 2010!
8. Knit for my sister's new arrival. Due in July, this baby will need plenty of handknits!
9. Knit a jumper for Pete. I've always wanted to and intended to. I have a pattern ready to go. He says (repeatedly) that he'd like me to handknit him a jumper. *sigh* Hopefully this is the year it will happen.
And as we prepare to look towards this New Year, I'll finish with a quick look back on the finished projects I did manage during 2009. It was to be a year of Knitting Fearlessly, and I'd like to think I've expanded my skills base somewhat, gained more confidence and fallen a little bit further down the rabbit hole of Knitting...
Saturday 2 January 2010
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!
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!
Sunday 20 December 2009
Felting, felting, la-la-la-la felting...
Well, here goes nothing!
Gigantor, the Christmas Stocking that threatened to eat Paris, is currently residing in the washing machine, hopefully being felted down to a more manageable size. It's always a bit of a hairy experience, felting; you just don't really know what's going to come out the other end.
Let's recap the 'Stocking' story from the beginning, shall we?
Back in November, when I thought I was leaving myself plenty of time to knit and felt a stocking (hey, it's knit in the round, on large needles - how could it not go quickly??). I cast on a few times, each time adding more stitches when I thought it might shrink too much in the felting process. So we went from 64 stitches, to 72 stitches, to 128 and then finally to 188 (I was tired of casting on and counting over and over again).
I knit in the round for awhile and then started the fair isle pattern, convincing myself that it would not be too big (because of course, there is no 'too big' in felting - is there?), until I got to this point:
I continued on, past the fair isle and into the solid colour, which I thought I would just zoom along on... I turned the heel - if you can call it that when you're trying to put a heel into a doona cover!
Once I'd passed the heel and the gusset decreases, I ventured back into solid colour territory and began to slow down. And I mean really slow down. Anything was better than hauling out the gargantuan sock. Pete started to crack jokes about needing to bring it on a trailer when I knit in the car, and my lap was getting too warm as I sat to knit of an evening.
I began to doubt the stocking. I asked Pete his opinion (and got more jokes in response!) and I seriously considered ripping the whole lot back and winding up whatever yarn I could salvage from the whole experience. But curiosity (and laziness) got the better of me and I continued to knit on the behemoth every night.
I finally grafted the final stitches a couple of nights ago and wove the ends in, resulting in this:
Here are a few to demonstrate the 'actual' size of this ridiculously enormous stocking...
Yes, Lola-Frog fits inside the stocking. Just like a sleeping bag. The reverse of the fair isle looks pretty neat though, doesn't it?
And so today, with my heart in my mouth, I crammed it into a hot wash cycle and crossed my fingers. Let's go and see what we've been left with, shall we?
Well... it's not as big anymore, I suppose... but I'm a bit disappointed in the way the fair isle really doesn't show up at all... and in the size discrepancy between the width of the leg and the length of the toe. I either should have cast on fewer stitches, or made the toe quite a bit longer... but all that said, it's felted into some good strong fabric, and it'll hold gifties from Santa - that's the main thing!
Gigantor, the Christmas Stocking that threatened to eat Paris, is currently residing in the washing machine, hopefully being felted down to a more manageable size. It's always a bit of a hairy experience, felting; you just don't really know what's going to come out the other end.
Let's recap the 'Stocking' story from the beginning, shall we?
Back in November, when I thought I was leaving myself plenty of time to knit and felt a stocking (hey, it's knit in the round, on large needles - how could it not go quickly??). I cast on a few times, each time adding more stitches when I thought it might shrink too much in the felting process. So we went from 64 stitches, to 72 stitches, to 128 and then finally to 188 (I was tired of casting on and counting over and over again).
I knit in the round for awhile and then started the fair isle pattern, convincing myself that it would not be too big (because of course, there is no 'too big' in felting - is there?), until I got to this point:
I continued on, past the fair isle and into the solid colour, which I thought I would just zoom along on... I turned the heel - if you can call it that when you're trying to put a heel into a doona cover!Once I'd passed the heel and the gusset decreases, I ventured back into solid colour territory and began to slow down. And I mean really slow down. Anything was better than hauling out the gargantuan sock. Pete started to crack jokes about needing to bring it on a trailer when I knit in the car, and my lap was getting too warm as I sat to knit of an evening.
I began to doubt the stocking. I asked Pete his opinion (and got more jokes in response!) and I seriously considered ripping the whole lot back and winding up whatever yarn I could salvage from the whole experience. But curiosity (and laziness) got the better of me and I continued to knit on the behemoth every night.I finally grafted the final stitches a couple of nights ago and wove the ends in, resulting in this:
Here are a few to demonstrate the 'actual' size of this ridiculously enormous stocking...
Yes, Lola-Frog fits inside the stocking. Just like a sleeping bag. The reverse of the fair isle looks pretty neat though, doesn't it?
And so today, with my heart in my mouth, I crammed it into a hot wash cycle and crossed my fingers. Let's go and see what we've been left with, shall we?
Well... it's not as big anymore, I suppose... but I'm a bit disappointed in the way the fair isle really doesn't show up at all... and in the size discrepancy between the width of the leg and the length of the toe. I either should have cast on fewer stitches, or made the toe quite a bit longer... but all that said, it's felted into some good strong fabric, and it'll hold gifties from Santa - that's the main thing!
Tuesday 8 December 2009
Weirded out
I really am, too.
Last Sunday we stopped to browse in Best and Less, a discount department store/chain while wandering through the shopping centre. It's a good place to go for cheap singlets, t-shirts, undies etc for the kids, and we thought we'd grab some stuff to pop in WonderBoy's stocking.
Pete wheeled Lola-Frog in the stroller, choosing undies and a couple of pairs of jammies for Wonderboy, and I kept young Mr. W out of the way in the little girls' clothes, looking at the wee skirts and dresses for sale.
And that's when I saw it.
It's still freaking me out to write this, even now.
It was there. Lola's Dress.
The darling wee smock-dress I'd bought the fabric and pattern for, and sewn all by my little lone self.
Same fabric (though a slightly duller version of the colours), similar style (except with unnecessarily naff looking bows on the straps), and buttons on the back in place of press studs.
Now, if I'd been perusing seed, or Pumpkin Patch, or some gloriously overpriced children's clothing boutique in Mosman or Bondi Junction, I'd be okay with finding this crude counterfeit hanging on the rack. But Best and Less?
Now I'm depressed AND weirded out.
Last Sunday we stopped to browse in Best and Less, a discount department store/chain while wandering through the shopping centre. It's a good place to go for cheap singlets, t-shirts, undies etc for the kids, and we thought we'd grab some stuff to pop in WonderBoy's stocking.
Pete wheeled Lola-Frog in the stroller, choosing undies and a couple of pairs of jammies for Wonderboy, and I kept young Mr. W out of the way in the little girls' clothes, looking at the wee skirts and dresses for sale.
And that's when I saw it.
It's still freaking me out to write this, even now.
It was there. Lola's Dress.
The darling wee smock-dress I'd bought the fabric and pattern for, and sewn all by my little lone self.
Same fabric (though a slightly duller version of the colours), similar style (except with unnecessarily naff looking bows on the straps), and buttons on the back in place of press studs.
Now, if I'd been perusing seed, or Pumpkin Patch, or some gloriously overpriced children's clothing boutique in Mosman or Bondi Junction, I'd be okay with finding this crude counterfeit hanging on the rack. But Best and Less?
Now I'm depressed AND weirded out.
Friday 20 November 2009
Potentially the World's Largest Christmas Stocking
I've decided this year that since Lola-Frog will need a Christmas Stocking for her First Christmas, I should knit and felt one for her, rather than buy a cheap one from Target or Big W with the thought that "... one day I'll replace it with a nicer one", just like I've thought I would for WonderBoy. Which I haven't. Yet.
So I got started on Lola-Frog's this week, with some Lincraft Cosy Wool (it's DK weight. I'd've preferred to be using 10 or 12-ply, but you use what you've got access to - especially when it's cheap!), and I know it felts well. KnitNight's Franee has made a fantastic 'Team Swiss' (That's a Twilight reference, apparently!) felted bag with this stuff that is gorgeous.
I cast on twice for this stocking - the first time, realising that I was going to need to make it that much bigger to compensate for the felting process... the second time, making it ridiculously big. This kind of ridiculous:
I'm pleased with the fair isle bands, and on one hand, I'm really excited to see what they'll look like once felted... 
... but on the other hand, I'm nervous as hell about felting this bugger! I know that felted knitting usually shrinks lengthwise, rather than widthwise, and I know that the fair isle bands will shrink entirely differently compared to the plain stockinette, but... well, we'll see! On the up side, if it looks a bit weird, I don't see it being an issue - after all, it's for Santa Claus to pop presents in, not to be worn...
... unless it ends up being large enough to actually FIT Lola-Frog entirely into!
In the meantime, there's the small matter of actually completing the knitting part before it can be felted!
So I got started on Lola-Frog's this week, with some Lincraft Cosy Wool (it's DK weight. I'd've preferred to be using 10 or 12-ply, but you use what you've got access to - especially when it's cheap!), and I know it felts well. KnitNight's Franee has made a fantastic 'Team Swiss' (That's a Twilight reference, apparently!) felted bag with this stuff that is gorgeous.
I cast on twice for this stocking - the first time, realising that I was going to need to make it that much bigger to compensate for the felting process... the second time, making it ridiculously big. This kind of ridiculous:
I'm pleased with the fair isle bands, and on one hand, I'm really excited to see what they'll look like once felted... 
... but on the other hand, I'm nervous as hell about felting this bugger! I know that felted knitting usually shrinks lengthwise, rather than widthwise, and I know that the fair isle bands will shrink entirely differently compared to the plain stockinette, but... well, we'll see! On the up side, if it looks a bit weird, I don't see it being an issue - after all, it's for Santa Claus to pop presents in, not to be worn...... unless it ends up being large enough to actually FIT Lola-Frog entirely into!
In the meantime, there's the small matter of actually completing the knitting part before it can be felted!
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