Productivity

Since our return from holidays, I've been rather productive, but as usual lately, I've been neglecting the blog. So here I am to remedy that.

After returning home, I couldn't wait to get back to a bit of spinning. I got out the 120g EL/mohair blend that I bought from Jane in Tumby Bay and spun up a couple of bobbins full. In the pic below is one of those bobbins:




The colors are just gorgeous. I basically split the roving down the middle, and then just drafted as I went along, letting the colours change when I got to them. I always let my bobbin's "rest" a bit before I ply them, and this time I'm glad I did. But more on that in a minute.

About a week and a half after getting back, Rosie from Whyalla was coming into town. The Tour Down Under (for mom's benefit, that's a bicycle race) was going on, and her husband is a big fan. We arranged on Rav to meet at Bella's shop, The Walking Wheel Studios. We had a lovely chat with Bella, and a cup of coffee and biscuits as well, and it was so nice to see her again, even though it hadn't been all that long since I was in Whyalla.

I had in mind I wanted ot buy some wool combs that I had seen in Bella's shop before, but while there, I also saw a Jumbo bobbin. Some Rav friends had been recommending that I get one. So I dicussed it with Rosie, pondered the money situation, considered getting one but not the other, and finally, got them both, plus a kilo of that Corridale roving I love so much.




I have yet to use the combs, but the bobbin has been installed on my wheel, and I used it to ply up the EL/mohair blend, which I have named "Avolyn".



It really is great to get the decent sized skein, and will mean less joins when knitting, which means less ends to be woven in! Bonus!

Also, there in the first week or so after getting home, I dyed and spun up a bit more wool to finish Kaitlyn's jumper. Finishing the knitting was relatively easy, as I had the hand of the entrelac thing by then. I'm really happy with the results!

The front:


and the back:


As for the two projects I started on vacation, I've been working on them on and off. Picking them up, putting them down, and rather just grabbing the one that takes my fancy at the time. My first priority was to finish Kaitlyn's jumper, as I wanted that to reach her by Christmas.

I have gotten the back section of the Bustaroony Cardi done!



I'm very proud, not one mistake that I can see through all those intricate stitches, but to get that result, I've had to work slowly and carefully. Still, from the looks of it now, it's fullfilling every expectation I had for it when I first saw the pattern, and I'm more than convinced it will be a beautiful garment when finished. As mentioned before, I'm making it in size 12/14, so hopefully I can complete it by summer, and fit into it by then as well.

So far, I'm well on my way in regards to the weight loss, fitting into 16's easily and some 14 pants. Like the cardi, the weight loss is going slowly but steadily, and I'm very happy with both

The "croc socks" haven't seen nearly as much attention as the cardi, although I did manage to get the heels turned. I don't plan on making them very long, and I'm just knitting on them from time to time when I get bored with my other knitting, or need something smallish and easily transportable.



I've also made a oouple of hats lately for a charity cause. There's a lady in QLD who has a severely disabled daught (named, interesting enough, Ayla. Of course, that right there pulls my heartstrings. I'll get links up later regarding the projects, but what it amounts to is the "Over the Fence" group on Ravelry is having a baby hat knit along. I've mananged, in between all the other stuff, to knit up two cute little hats to send there.




I plan on getting more done in the near future. They are good "instant gratification" knitting, and it's for a good cause.

I've also started knitting a shawl. A Rav friend suggested it, as she is doing a KAL on Rav using the Revontuli (Northern Lights) pattern and Kauni Yarn. First, I had to find the yarn, as it's a rather rare brand here in Australia, but I did remember one online shop owner saying that she was now carrying it on Ravelry. So I tried to go to the Jolly Jumbuck website, but it was temporarily down. So I PM'd the owner direct on Ravelry. She wasn't feeling well, and it took a few days, but finally I was able to get my hands on some Kauni. The 300g cone was the only one with enough yarn for this project, and supplies were limited, but I do love the colours.




Some of the Kauni colourways are very bright, but this one was muted and more to my taste.

I've only gotten started on the shawl, and it's been a long time since I've knit "real" lace, but I've gotten started at least.


And that, one and all, is where I am with my knitting right now. There's not much about "life" in this blog post, because besides knitting, working and playing on the computer, there's not much to tell.

Well, till next time.