Ishbel, an update

I thought it was about time I gave you an update on the current state of my Ishbel shawl, mainly because it is the only project that is currently on the needles which I would call "active" (I haven't knit any for a few weeks now, but I am slogging away on it slowly)

I am also on holiday from workplace number 1 this week as it is my birthday on wednesday, so I am hoping to get it finished. That should give you an idea of where I am with it.

Now the colours in this are slightly off, because the exposure wasn't quite right when I took the picture. The weather in the UK for the past month has been awful. But, I am hoping you can see how far along the lace I am! 

I am currently on section C of the pattern, and as I am knitting the small version I have only got section D, the one row section E and the bind off to go. I am rather excited that this is nearly done, but I can't say it is for a good reason. The yarn I am using, Noro Kureyon Sock, while looking pretty feels almost like string while knitting. I am hoping with washing and blocking it will bloom a little so that it isn't horrible to wear, but the way it has been plied (I think) has made it feel very rough as it runs through my fingers, usually resulting in the little bumps I got a few summers ago using very small needles, so a contact rash.

The colours themselves however are working up nicely, I am so glad I chopped out the ugly coloured parts because this will make a great vibrant summer scarf now, where as before I know I would have looked at the mucky khaki and felt a little sad.

A note on the chart reading, I have been using the magnets method I first used for Marina (though I now have a little notie board instead of a cooking tray) and it is working so far, but I am finding it harder to track with this chart as you move between charts. I have however been introduced to an app called J Knit by Sarah from All Fingers and Thumbs and am going to give it a go with my next project. It is one of the few apps where I wish I could borrow my mum's iPad for it it though, the iPhone is a bit small.

Here's to hoping that there will soon be  FO report for this one, I want to start on something new!!

A Bank Holiday

It's bank holiday Monday and although I didn't have a huge amount planned I thought I would snap a few pics of my day seeing as it was mostly book and yarn related :)

a/n: most of these are iPhone pictures, so excuse the quality

The day started as it often does with some reading.

I've been picking this up and putting it down for a couple of weeks now, it's only a little book but a fun light read so I find it easy to grab when I'm not really awake yet.

Rapidly followed by breakfast (tea and a chocolatine, nom), IM-ing and some YouTube beauty videos from my subscription box

 

This is a pretty regular sight all day, but I probably first opened it during breakfast, it's Tiny Tower, a free game on the iPhone/iPod where you build a skyscraper. It is seriously addictive!

 

While the rest of the family put away Christmas for this winter (I wasn't being lazy and not helping, I had to put it all up because my mum fractured her arm and my sister was away at Uni and it was rather stressful and tiring, so I said my sister could take it down while she was home) I sat and wove in the ends of my Bon Temps Marina Shawl now that it is all blocked and pretty. (FO report coming soon!)

 

 After some thorough cleaning of the house I sat down to watch a film from a favourite series of mine, and one which is often shown around Christmas and New Year, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. It seems so strange seeing the stars so young every time I watch and it definitely isn't my favourite of the series, but it is always fun, I love when Ron gulps before valiantly sacrificing himself in the chess game, such wonderful acting ;)

And as the day began to draw to a close I realised I had missed one of my traditions, I am a HUGE Agatha Christie fan, and watch the Poirot or Marple that is shown at Christmas every year but this year I missed it and so instead watched on ITV Player. It is a bit confusing though, as this is the first episode of season 12, and we have already seen all the other episodes, this one wasn't shown last year. Not sure why, it was still great though!

After some telly watching I did a bit of knitting on this lovely pattern, and then realised I had gone wrong somewhere and decided to frog and start again. When I did frog though I had the genius idea to wind the yarn and chop out the horrible khaki colour bits in the Noro Kureyon Sock I was using, god knows what Noro were thinking including such a muddy shade amongst such lovely vibrant blues and pinks!

 

So now I have some lovely bright balls of yarn (left, bad picture doesn't really show how yucky the other ones are) and some horrible shades which im sure I will still find use for (right) all ready for casting on, which I think I will do right now!

 

I hope you all enjoyed your bank holidays if you had them off :)

xo

The great knitting update

So I think after a several months knitting absence an update is in order. A refresher of sorts.

While I haven't blogged about knitting in a while, I also haven't actually been knitting. University really did just take over for the majority of the past year and it has taken me several months recovery to slowly get back into several of my hobbies, I sadly had to set both my knitting needles and my books aside which I found really quite odd and it didn't really help my stress levels. 

Obviously this means that I had several projects part finished, so I have taken some quick pictures to give you an update on their current progress to start fresh.

Calm Sweater

Pattern: Calm by Kim Hargreaves

Yarn: Rowan Kidsilk Aura in Vintage

Needles: 6mm

Progress: What you can see above is literally the current extent of my progress, about 10-15 rows of kidsilk knitting. This forms either the front or the back panel, I haven't quite figured it out yet, but I think I shall probably frog back and start again. I don't have any other plans for the yarn however so I will be re-knitting in the same pattern.

Eric Socks

Pattern: Eric by Janine Le Cras

Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock Solid in Powder Blue

Needles: 2.5mm Needles

Progress: As you can see from the mess above, I have pulled the needles out of these. I have done this for two reasons, firstly because I cannot pin point which line I am on, and secondly because I am not as in love with the pattern anymore, and so I shall be recycling the yarn with a different one. I will probably keep this for another pair of socks though.

Bon Temps Marina

Pattern: Marina by Kate Blackburn

Yarn: Fresh From the Cauldron Super-Wash Sock in Sookie Stackhouse

Needles: 2.5mm

Progress: This is the only already existing project that I have worked on since I put down my needles at the beginning of the year, though only in the past few weeks. As you can see it really has gotten quite large, I am half way through the fourth repeat of the second chart and I intend to knit at least seven repeats so this actually isn't that far from finished. I can't wait to get this one finished as it really is a beautiful pattern so I am continuing to work on this at the moment.

Ishbel

Pattern: Ishbel by Ysolda Teague

Yarn: Noro Kureyon Sock

Needles: 4mm

Progress: This right here is a newbie. I cast this on a few weeks ago shortly after my "can you hear that clicking" blog post. Eagle eyed knitters will know that the shawl I was knitting there was actually Damson, and I intended it as a present, but I changed my mind and made my friend some cupcakes and instead frogged Damson to make myself another Ysolda Teague pattern. Ishbel so far is almost at the lace stages, and I am reasonably happy with the way it is turning out, I'm not overly fond of the mucky green in the yarn, and am contemplating doing the maths and seeing if I can chop it out and still have enough yarn to finish the pattern. I have seen an Ishbel knit in this same yarn however and it looked beautiful completed so I may just persevere.

So that is where my knitting basket currently stands, and I think I shall have to finish at least the Marina before I cast on for anything else, otherwise they will get away from me!

Can you hear that clicking?

So I picked up some knitting needles today for the first time in months in order to make a special item for a friend.

I can't even explain to you how great it makes me feel to be doing this again, it really is a bit like coming home. I get all excited as I complete each row and it turns out successfully. It was great to dive into my antique leather suitcase and rummage through the yarn in there too.

To happy knitting from this point forward!

Snow day!

I have been beavering away with University over the past couple of months, but I have been knitting, and as today is a snow day (more images of that at the end) I have a chance to actually take some photographs and show you!

First up is another Robin's Egg Blue Hat, for my sister for christmas.

I knit it up in Rowan Cocoon and grabbed the button from John Lewis. I did make a couple of modifications to the pattern, I changed needle sizes for the stockinette portion as I felt mine didn't have enough stretch, going up to 6mm, and I like the way it has come out. It is waiting to be blocked at the moment so hopefully it will still be great after that!

Next up is Marian. 

I first came across this pattern when I was browsing Ravelry for hats and discovered all of Jane Richmond's designs (which I love, and have purchased). Marian is a simple chunky weight cowl knit in seed stitch and I am loving it, this picture was taken at around noon today and already I have knit a lot more, it should in fact be finished this evening. I have made some modifications to make it bigger, which I will go into in more detail when it is finished, but suffice it to say, I LOVE it and can't wait to wear it!

               

The next item to share hasn't been started yet.

These are the ingredients I intend to use to cook up my Mum's christmas present (he kidsilk haze there is from the shawl that I frogged at the beginning of december, it just wasn't going anywhere). She told me the other week that she always wanted Judy Garland's head scarf thingy from Meet me in St. Louis when she sings "Have yourself a merry little Christmas" so I am having a go and designing one for her!

Finally is my Eric Socks, which I have been meaning to knit for aaaages!

As you can see I haven't gotten very far, and that is purely because these are meant to be my traveling socks and I keep forgetting to pack them in my rucksack :S

I am still very happy that they are started now though as I got the yarn way back in March. 

These socks have brought to my attention that I do like to hoard yarn though, and I do always seem to have a pattern in mind for it when I get it, so I suppose it isn't as bad as if I were to just buy it and have no intention of knitting with it, I am going to say though that for the foreseeable future I am only going to knit from stash (I have all the stuff I need for christmas present knitting). We shall see how long that lasts. 

Have you ever tried to go on a yarn diet? 

Snow pics, as promised:

Yesterday afternoon when it was starting to get heavy

This afternoon, not at the deepest point because I didn't want to get my jeans wet, but that is over a foot and a half of snow on our back patio!

Deep deep snow, a lot of it, in a rare moment where it had stopped my Dad was desperately trying to clear the back so we could get the car out, but it is snowing again as I type!!

Let me assure you, this is incredibly unusual for England, My part of England anyway. We thought last years snow was bad, we have so far had over twice as much and it hasn't stopped, and it is earlier in the year! Mad!

The basket of Dooooooom!

That is the WIP Basket of Dooom Dooom Doooooomy Doom Doom.

I have a basket (I bought it from Hemswell this summer when I went on that button haul) and in it lives all my WIP's. They often do not make it back out!

In there at the moment is the Hermione Hearts Ron hat (red bag) Bon Temps Marina (Blue spotty bag) Anisette lace wrap (green bag) some Debbie Bliss Cashmerino chunky that will be a pair of mittens to accompany my haven scarf and in the Alice bag is some Rowan Alpaca Cotton that I am going to make a teddy bear hat out of. 

That is a lot of projects for someone who has only been knitting a year (I just realised I missed my blogiversary, will have to do something about that!) and I really do have to do something about it. The teddy hat is going to be for a HPKCHC project so that will be sorted soon, and the Hermione hat is on the decreases now so should hopefully be finished this weekend. 

I think I have made the executive decision to frog the Anisette shawl, it is my first project using cracksilk haze and really I need something where I can just purl the wrong side rows as this takes too much concentration. I don't feel too badly about this as I think I have only managed about 15 rows, and there is a HPKCHC class that I can use the yarn in. 

Between now and christmas I hope to show you the contents of this basket diminishing, I would like to only have two WIP's at a time, but we shall see. For now, I will have to get my needles knitting!

Damson Update

So I have an update on this thing. I have been knitting it all week and I have only just gotten the garter stitch section finished. Why is this you say? Surely it should be finished by now?

I had to rip back several rows, twice!

Yes, twice!

I found I had missed a yarn over once, and the second time my stitch marker had slipped and all of a sudden my yarn overs had moved one stitch over, and sometimes I will do a bodge fix, but I really want this to be right as it is my first shawl.

Anyways, here it is.

There is quite a lot of it, which is making it interesting when trying to knit in the sunshine. I am still enjoying it though, even if I do keep making mistakes (which are obviously because I have too short an attention span to make sure I am doing it right!)

I am not sure how well this will show up but you can see the two rows of stockinette here, I am rather happy to see that and know that I have the right number of stitches.

On the plus side, I learnt how to insert a life line after you have knitted past where you need it, which I imagine will come in handy at some point! I found the video here in the fixing mistakes section, the first ripping back I used a lifeline and the second I simply used a second circular needle instead, which is a really good way to make use of interchangeable needles, because then you just swap the tips when you need to start knitting again, genius!

Hopefully this will be all finished in a few days and I can get to blocking it, I bought some special T-pins for the task but I don't have any proper mats, so I shall try on my yoga mat but I might just have to use a towel.

An Ode to eBay.

These lovelies are why:

Aero Swift - £3.99

Royal Ball Winder - £7.00

I don't have a Mastercard, but the joy of easily being able to wind my many many skeins of yarn into cakes, priceless!

It occurred to me the other day when I was trying to work out how to make an umbrella swift that I hadn't looked on eBay to see how much they were there. I knew I couldn't afford one from a shop, and the one I had made while good takes up a lot of room and I don't have a huge amount of space at my disposal. They were still pretty expensive mostly, but then I spotted the Aero. It is from the 50s/60s, and it works like a dream still. I put it next to some Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock so you could get an idea of how small it folds up, and it only weighs 250g, it's crazy small.

I really think they should still make them because they would be perfect for going on holiday! The arms extend out and obviously you clamp it to the table, and it is super easy. I shall take some pictures of it in use next time I do some winding. I got a bit wind happy when I unpacked my new gadgets this morning and was a bit too excited to remember the camera!

I did however wind this beauty, it is my Malabrigo sock that I bought ages ago to make a Damson by Ysolda Teague. I have decided that this will be my next project when I have finished my Hermione socks. I always seem to have to have 2 projects on the go at once at the moment, I can't settle to just one, I start getting the itch to do something else after a while!

Speaking of my Hermione socks, here is the second sock.

The heel is turned and the gusset decreased and now I just have to knit the foot length. progress has significantly slowed on this because of the rash on my hands (my herbalist colleague says it looks like an allergic reaction (another one) or just heat rash that has gotten really really bad) so I only knit a few rows before I stop, but I am glad I am on the home stretch now. I have been waiting to finish this one so that I can block this pair and my Berry Sock pair at the same time (I had a genius idea the other day about using my sisters supply of craft wire to make sock blockers, I will let you know how that one goes).

Buzz Buzz Buzz

I have been a very busy bee!

First I have a knitting update and then I have some printing progress to delight you all with.

First things first, because they are first, I have finally finished my Berry Socks!! *Screaming applause* It took me long enough. I started these way back in October of last year and after a while I simply stopped knitting on them, but I ploughed through and finally finished them about 2 weeks ago and have been wearing them as sleeping socks.

I am really picky about my socks not having a cuff that comes too far up the leg (I have very large calves from walking everywhere and they always seem to be too tight) so I made these with a shorter 30 row cuff as opposed to the 60-odd rows it was supposed to be. One good thing about doing this is that I always seem to have some wool left over! I actually have nearly half the skein left on these so I could knit up some more with a smaller needle size for some tighter socks.

So FO report:

Pattern Name: Regia Bamboo Sock Knit Kit/Made up in my own head.

Yarn Used: Yarn Addict Yarns Angel Sock Yarn - 0.51 of a skein

Needle Size: 3mm DPN's and Circular using magic loop

Problems: I turned the second heel slightly differently then the first because I couldn't remember which way I had done the first one!

Modifications: I CO 60 sts, Knit 1 row to join, knit a K1P1 rib for 5 rows and then knit in sockinette for 27 rows, the heel hight is 25 rows, with slipped stitches at the ends. The numbers for most of this came out of my own head, not following the pattern.

Skills Learnt: My first sock and my first turned heel!

Knit again: Probably not in the same size.

Score: 6/10

Next up I have an update on my Hermione Everyday Socks, I am about 4 pattern repeats from knitting the heel flap on these (I am only doing 12 repeats, not 18), I will possibly sit and do that later while catching up on some Supernatural that I have on DVD, knitting and Dean Winchester, the perfect night's entertainment!

And I just have one more knitting project to show you, when I completed the Berry Socks I felt I should have another project on the needles so I started this lovely Anisette Shawl.

I am using Kidsilk Haze in Cream for this one, and I am making it to the wrap size dimensions instead of the scarf. this is strictly for when I want to concentrate though what with the yarn being so thin and the wrong sides not just being straight purl I have to actually think about what I am doing.

I love the yarn though (I knew I would) It's like knitting a cloud.

On the printing for the shop front I have been creating lino cuts along certain themes lately, the first being Alice in Wonderland.

I have made a bow which will be blue, some 'Drink Me' bottles and the White Rabbit's Pocket watch. I spent some time last night printing the drink me bottles and I do have to perfect how much ink I need on the lino before I stamp it, and I have found that a heavy candle works better as a roller then my rolling pin!

I am going to make myself another project bag with this fabric which is just for me, I also hope to start running some bags off for putting in a shop during this week as I got some cover yourself buttons in the post the other day and I am printing them like this:

Cute huh? Looks like a button, and is a button, I crack myself up!

P.S. I got some great yarn the other week from 3AM Enchantments over here on etsy, The skein is wonderful and I am waiting for some better light so that I can show it to you, but go check them out!

A perfect day...

For knitting in the sun. The sky was so clear and blue, it really did feel like summer. Today is the same and we will be breaking out the BBQ to celebrate!

Now for what I was knitting in the sun, well I worked away at my Hermione Everyday Sock. I managed to figure out where I was going wrong with the heel and yesterday knit the heel flap, turned the heel and did the gusset decreases, so today I shall just be knitting along the foot.

I think at some point I will switch back to my Berry sock to get more of that done ( all that is left is to turn the heel and knit along the foot for that one) the switching between should give me fingers time to recover between knitting with the tiny 2.25mm needles for the Hermione socks and knitting on the larger 3mm needles for the Berry socks.

Last thing to blog about this weekend is this little beauty.

This is Malabrigo Lace in Mariposa and it is absolutely gorgeous! My Mum called me a yarn snob when I was harping on about it but who could resist singing it's praises, it is so, so, soft!

I am hoping to knit it into a Swallowtail shawl, though I am going to substitute nubbs for beads I think.

Now I simply must get out into the sun, I hope it is shining where you are!

Berry Sock Update

So, I am still preparing a silver clay post for you guys, but it is taking me longer then originally anticipated to sort through all the pictures so I have a knitting update. As a teaser though, in my silver clay post I will be showing you how I made myself a tea cup and saucer pendant to symbolise the Mad Hatter's tea party in Alice in Wonderland.

But, until that is done, to the knitting...

Remember these Berry Socks from way back here and then here?

Well, look at them now! One sock finished and the second one I am knitting the heel flap at the moment, I am feeling really rather productive.

What made me pick these back up you ask? Well really I have that Hermione sock to blame, I just couldn't get back on with it so I have set it aside and decided to finish this really simple pair before tacking the more complicated ones with their modified eye of partridge heel.

As you can see there is some colour pooling, and I really wish they were a bit tighter around the leg, but the first one will make a lovely comfy sleep sock so I am not really going to complain!

When I have these finished I will only have the Hermione socks and a second Bella's mitt in pink to complete and then I will start with something new, either a garment or a shawl, both new things for me and so will get my brain going I am hoping. Before then, however, I am hoping to have the second alchemy post up and possibly a little sewing one up about some project bags in a lovely gingham fabric I got from Laura Ashley in the sale. Nice and summery.

I hope you all are well :D

P.S. I celebrated my 22nd birthday on Sunday and treated myself to some hand dyed yarn from Fresh From The Cauldron, more info when they have been dyed and have arrived, which should be early next month!

The brightest witch of her age...

I most certainly am not. Hermione, however, must be if she can get this pattern right!

This is my first Hermione's Everyday Sock, which I am knitting out of my Dublin Dye Company Sock yarn.

This sock will be the death of me!

Originally, I had finished this first sock of the pair, only to find out when I had nearly finished it and weighed the amount of yarn left on my new trusty electric scales that I didn't have enough for the second sock, so I have ripped it back to 12 pattern repeats at the ankle, instead of the 18 originally called for, and I am now for some strange reason unable to complete the heel!

I don't know what it is but somehow I just cannot get it to line up properly, so although I love the pattern and it will be a relief to get this yarn used and out of my stash I am going to set it aside for a couple of weeks and try and finish my Berry Socks instead. Hopefully if I come back to it at a later date I will be less frustrated and more open to figuring out what I have done wrong.

So watch this space!

I am also however determined not to cast on any new projects until I have finished one of the 3 I have in progress, and I get itchy fingers quite quickly, so I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't take long for me to have them sorted.