Needles on the Move

According to the weather report, it’s currently 22% humidity here in London. Which just goes to show that you should never trust the BBC. I swear, it’s more like 85, and although I was planning to work all day on the blue barf, I’ve finally tossed it in favour of sitting at the computer near the open window, hoping that a breeze might wander in.

There’s not much in the way of pictures to show, I have been spinning a bunch, and doing some blends, but most of it I can’t show you atm. This is a bit of what I’m working on though:

It’s some advance mohair from mum, the kind of stuff which will be appearing in her Etsy shop later in the year. It’s great fun to spin and comes out with a gorgeous sheen! Sadly, this was all I had of this particular colour (it was a mixed bag) so I’ll be combining it with some other yarns in the project I have planned.

I also have an FO:

Pattern: Fiori di Zucca by the lovely Alice. It’s the June Socktopus club sock and I love it to bits! If it wasn’t such bleh stincky weather today I’d be wearing them now.

Has anyone else noticed? It seems that everywhere I turn at the moment I’m seeing bumps. And no, I’m sure it’s not some weird psychological thing to do with wanting my own bump. Uh-uh. No.

Anyways, it’s not just here, but Down Under as well. Two of my friends are having babies this year and I have thus produced two little Tulips.

One in Pink:

For the pink baby due this month, this is Cool Fire and Pansy Golightly.

and one in Green for the green baby undetermined baby, due in October. In Happy Forest and Spring Tickle.

Pink baby gets a cute little tie as per the original pattern:

Green baby gets a non-determinate kitten button and loop closure:

I started the i-cord in the same place but continued all the way around the neck edge and then finished with about an inch extra turned and stitched down at the end.

Two great things about 2-colour Tulips: Firstly, you only have to choose two colours (if you know the DIC range you know that’s a bonus) and it’s a bit cheaper than buying the kit with all the different colours, secondly, you can run the yarn down the seams and don’t end up with a billion ends to weave in afterwards!

And a couple more pics just cause I think they look so cool.

Every baby I know is now getting a two-colour Tulip, unless someone comes up with an even cooler, faster pattern.

The scarf is done - there was only a couple of inches to go as it turned out.

Now I just have to decide whether I keep it :-D or give it away as a present this year to someone who likes green. I have a 4oz hank of the same colourway fibre left over too if anyone wants it.

I have been knitting, I finished the second Tulip cardi - photos later this week as I left it at Stash - and have almost finished the first sleeve of Venezia. The rows there are getting very short now at the top of the sleeve cap and somehow that beautifully striped steek just makes me go all gooey inside!

Mostly though, I have been spinning. Here’s a taste of what’s been going on:

These mini skeins are shetland and will be dyed up for a somewhat traditional, but actually quite modern stranded project (that came out sounding weird - but you’ll see what I mean when it’s published).

There has also been more lace:

I am having to pace myself on that a bit as I’m finding that the concentration required is not so good for my back and neck. So I’m only spinning it every second day which means, obviously, that I need a second wheel! So I can have two projects on the go at once you see …

Today being a non-spinning-lace day I have been washing and flicking and generally enveloping myself in Supernova’s fleece. The most amazingly soft alpaca I’ve ever been able to play with. In an extreme display of stupidity, however, I manage to felt some of it in the washing process, I’d washed 100g and managed to rescue about 1/3 of it from the tangle. You can be sure I’m being extra careful with the rest!

While I was back at home over Easter my sister and I took a trip to Melbourne for a few days. The train ride is four hours each way and M wanted a new knitting project to take along. With a quick visit to the LYS on the way to the station she picked out some lovely earthy shades, and between the first couple of country towns I outlined the mathematics of Log Cabin for her.

She didn’t need any more help and, being far less of a multiple-project-knitting-floozy than I am (i.e. she actually gets stuff done) she worked away at it until, a few days ago, these great pictures dropped into my email inbox. The blue was added after the first pattern repeat as she thought (and rightly so) that it would lift the earthy colours strikingly. M has a fantastic colour sense and seems to know instinctively which hues will work together beautifully. She’s way better at it than me - I need to scratch my head and consult colour wheels, she just walks into a LYS and says “I think that will work” and it does!

Anyway, I thought I’d share as I think her blanket is awesome and she doesn’t have a blog to show it off on. I’m really hoping she’ll make me one :-D

Expertly modelled here by my brother Shannon, the socks also fit Alan (!), and are a good barrier for the chilly winds that have started blowing around here.

The purchase pages on Ravelry and Payloadz have been updated and the pattern will be automatically sent to your email inbox upon purchase.

I have emailed the pdf to everyone who preordered, please let me know if you didn’t receive it, I may have missed you in the mailing list. Check your spam box first just in case.

Thank you to everyone for your continued support of this project, please let your friends know about Having Hope.

Purchase the pattern: 

File size: 264KB, 5 pages. Price: US $4.95

Designing for publication can be an immensly long and drawn-out process. A design can often be rejected by several sources before finally finding a home and each new venture is taken separately, as almost all publications have a no-simultaneous-submissions policy (and fair enough too).

This beret has visited a few editors over the past year and I have been waiting impatiently for a chance to share it with you. The contrasting sections are formed sideways using short-rows and then it all comes together with a 3-needle bind-off and a picked up band. I used my own silk/merino handspun and Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk for the contrast sections.

Check it out now over at Spindle and Wheel, and make sure you have a look at the other fab stuff Allena has found for this issue as well!

(P.S. doesn’t Michelle make a great model!)

I have been hiding these for a while but the postman has done his job and they have arrived at a Graveyard in Surrey. After mailing them I realised that I had (as usual) neglected to take proper photos so here is all I have…

Pattern: Baudelaire, by Cookie A.

Yarn: Knitwitches Sock Yarn (75% wool / 25% polyamide) I can’t find the label but I’m guessing the colour is pink :-P.

Modifications: I tweaked the top of the sock a bit to have the pattern flow neatly into a 2×2 rib. All that was necessary was to do a 3 st cross with the cables at each side.

This was my first toe-up heel flap sock and Cookie’s instructions are beautifully clear. I will definitely be using this method again on a toe-up sock, and will probably knit myself some Baudelaires in the future too.

Karanina was the first mailout from the Socktopus Sock Club. As I was away when they were sent Alice kept my parcel waiting safely for me here in London and I arrived home to it exactly one month ago.

Designed by Jane Lithgow, the socks are worked in two vibrant colours in a slip stitch pattern called Russian Stitch - hence the name. I’d never tried a slip stitch sock, and never dreamt of buying yellow yarn, but I launched in with both feet (so to speak) and loved every minute of the pattern.

The yarn is from The Knittery, wool/cashmere/polyamide blend, and although I had some in my stash I’d never knitted with it before. I found it a bit splitty but I definitely recommend it and only prior commitments are keeping me from immediately casting on another Knittery sock.

I worked the pattern pretty much as written, only changing the depth of the heel flap (to accommodate my small insteps) and adding a slip stitch line of purple down each side of the foot. I also knitted in the hems as I’m too lazy to come back and sew them down later!

I’ve waited a long time to tell you about this one, It was submitted to a couple of places and waited a little while in the publishing queue. Finally, it came out this week in the latest issue of Yarn Forward Magazine.

The Cloche is worked from the top down and the crown increases are incorporated in the eyelet pattern. The scalloped edge is knitted sideways - a little bit like an i-cord edging but it doesn’t roll. The yarn is Lorna’s Laces Swirl DK and I had plenty left over after knitting the medium size (there are three sizes in the pattern).

The magazine picture is better than any I have, if I can get hold of it, and get permission, I’ll post it here. I might take a few more shots when my cloche comes back from the mag.

Btw, this photo is taken at Putney Burial Ground, near my work. Some people think I’m odd taking photos in a graveyard, even when they live in graveyards themselves, but it’s definitely my favourite spot for shoots!

This project has been lurking out of sight a bit as it was destined for a friend who reads this blog. It’s safe now so I give you …

Quickie Cowl #2

The first one of these I made for Kate to keep her warm while I sunned myself on the beach this Christmas. I will probably make another one before long, it’s such a great pattern.

Written by Fawn Pea, it takes one skein of Misti Alpaca 100% baby alpaca bulky, although I’ve seen people on Ravelry knitting it in all sorts of things and they all look great. It’s a really fast knit and prefect for a short-notice gift - as long as it’s winter-time!

The pattern has you casting on, casting off and seaming the tube with mattress stitch. When I made Kate’s I thought the seam was a bit bulky so decided to graft this one for a perfect seamless finish. Famous last words.

There is garter stitch (not too scary) and there is 3×2 ribbing (freaky). Luckily there are only 38 sts and I persevered. There are at least four mistakes, all of which I hope are practically un-noticable. If you want to graft this, I recommend reading up on grafting ribbing first, I think Ruth may have a tutorial somewhere.