What to do? What to do?

Gosh, it seems I have so MUCH I want to do these days, and time is always my enemy. I feel like I flit from task to task and never seem to get anything actually finished, but I know my day will come, and eventually, I'll be able to click "completed" in the box and move on to another project.

First for the good news, about Kaitlyn's jumper, finished a few weeks ago. Some lovely Raveler nominated the jumper in the "handspun/handdyed" competition on OTF, and the jumper actually won! I was very proud of that, as my life has not been one big winning streak, lol. Plus, I get a lovely gift from Woolywombat as my prize. I can't wait to see what she has in store for me!

The other good news about the jumper is that my son, Kaitlyn's father, made a picture of Kaitlyn in the kalidoscope jumper, at my request, because I wanted to share my beautiful granddaughter with you all:



I have been spending alot of my knitting time working on the Kauni shawl. I'm a bit behind the others on the Ravelry KAL, but I don't really mind. I was finding it a bit frustrating trying to do lace on the rather dull tipped Denise needles, and so finally ordered me a pair of Addi Lace needles, which are very nice and have sped up the process. But I did put the project down over the last weekend, partly because I wanted to wait for the other needles, and partly because I just wanted a bit of a change knitting wise. Anyway, I picked it back up day before yesterday. I'm at the end of chart 2, and moving on to chart 3 sometime today (I hope). So far, the results look like this:



While waiting on the lace needles for the shawl, I managed to get some more done on the Bustaroony cardi. The back is now finished, and I finished the bottom tree section of the left front and have knit on the pocket, but that's about as far as I've gotten. Still, it's looking great, and I have the feeling it's going to be just perfect when finished. I'm really enjoying the patterns these days. I'm getting used to them I guess, and am now finding them rather enjoyable.




I've also decided to make another cardi just like it for my girl, who is a small size. She picked out the colours off of the Cleckheaton website, and I ordered them a while back. The shipment came in at my LYS this week, so I went to pick it up.




20 balls of Cleckheaton in a darker brown with tan flecks. Very pretty, but I'm sure the pattern stitches won't show up as well on the dark fabric as they do on the tan yarn I've gotten for my project. Still, it's the colour she thinks will suit her best, and I aim to please.

On the spinning side of things, I had a wonderful day yesterday when a mate I met on Ravelry came over. She brought her guilds drum carder, and I actually got to use one, following her instructions. We chatted, and she expressed an interest in sock knitting, so I showed her a few websites and tidbits on magic loop and two socks on one needle and some other "tricks of the trade". We showed each other our interesting yarns, rovings, gadgets and such. Then we sat in the living room for a while and chatted and spun.

I had started spinning the merino I got from Jane at Moseley Park ages ago a few days before. It's the roving that I dyed back in the spring to try and match the colours on my apple tree when it was just blossoming. I'm spinning the green shaded roving right now, and that's what I worked on as we talked.

I'm not quite finished with the bobbin of green, but here it is on the bobbin, still in progress:




My plans for the immediate future is to finish the shawl first and foremost, and then work more on the "Bustaroony cardi", and my poor neglected "croc socks". I'm not starting any more major projects until I get those finished, or at least, close to the finishing stages. Both have been WIP's for far too long. I would also like to pull the "Peace in the Hood" jumper out of hibernation soon, and there could be a small project somewhere in the mix. We'll just have to see how things go. That's the thing about knitting and spinning. I never know where my fancy will lead me next.

Beautiful June

I don't mean the month. Here in South Australia, June is rather a bleary, bleak month compared to most of the other times of the year. It's been cloudy, drizzly, foggy...well, just about anything but beautiful.

No, I'm speaking of my lovely MIL June. We celebrated her birthday Saturday a week ago, and she was, as usual, a kind and gracious hostess. I presented her with the Sudden Storm jumper, and she was quite pleased with it. It fit her well, even her "oragatang arms" (her words, certainly not mine). Apparently, while June does not knit, her mother did, and used to complain about her long arms. From my perspective, I find that quite lucky, as I tend to knit arms too long as a rule, so in this case, I actually, if accidentally, got it right.


(Pardon the blurry photo. My FIL took the photo, and hasn't quite gotten used to his camera yet. MIL hates to have her picture taken, obviously).

She was pleased with it, but it was my FIL, who was almost in tears (how much wine did he have anyway?) and thanked me profusely, telling me how much it meant to June, and how grateful he was that I'd made her so happy, and well, it's every knitter's dream to have their work so appreciated, but I was left more or less speechless by his reaction, which was entirely unexpected.

I did finish the "Copper Topper" hat in no time flat. In fact, I finished it in about 24 hours all together, but I was home sick at the time, with DH waiting on me hand and foot, so I had plenty of time. The only trouble is, it doesn't cover my ears. It ends about halfway down them, with the earlobe sticking out, and I can't bear for a hat to not cover my ears. I even added a cable repeat, because as I was making it, I could already see there was going to be a length problem, but even that didn't quite fix it. I reckon I'll wind up making myself another one, with perhaps an extra inch to inch and a half of ribbing for the bottom border. That should fix the problem. Meanwhile, someone with a smaller head than mine will likely get this one.


I also picked up Chris' vest, and finished the neckline trim. It was so frustrating working with that fuzzy, messy yarn again, and I don't even like the way it wound up looking after all that. Disgusted, I put it right back down again...and didn't even take a picture of what "progress" I made. I have half a mind to chuck it out (no, not frog it, I don't ever plan to touch that yarn again) and start a new vest for him using REAL yarn.

I'm not exactly on a yarn diet, but I have cut back quite a bit from my regular yarn and accessory purchasing habits. The Sheep and Wool show in Bendigo is just a few short weeks from now, and I must have a bankroll to take there. I did however do a tiny wee bit of shopping this fortnight, and picked up a couple of balls of Grignasco Strong Print. As IF I needed more sock yarn! Still, I liked the colors, and I got it for a good price. I also picked up some Addi's, 4mm this time, because I'm not trusting the 4mm size in my Denise set, which doesn't agree with my gauge at all.



Also, at DH's suggestion, I got some new storage bins for my yarn on sale at Kmart. It's a neat little plastic job that rolls around easily, so I can move it here and there. Right now it's here with me in the study, where it fits neatly between the filing cabinets and the computer (when fitting in yarn, you have to be creative).


On the Ravelry front, Handmadam, a fellow Raveler who is from South Australia but now lives in Canada, sent me a pair of clear plastic shoes she found on sale. They are perfect for showing off handknit socks, and should be a hoot to wear when it warms up a bit. I love them dearly, although DH looks at them as if he's not quite sure I (or my Ravelry friend) are exactly what one might call sane.


But I suppose the big news of the past couple of weeks is that I finally got started on my "Peace in the Hood" jumper. It's about time! I just couldn't wait another day, and got it off the ground on June 13th. I'm almost done with the back now, and it's looking great. I love the way the Peace Fleece Zarya Fog colors look knit up, and the cables form an interesting pattern without being overly complicated, so I can still knit on it "on the go". The only drawback is needing to keep accurate count of my rows, pattern rows, etc. But between my "Peg it" knitting counter and a small notebook, I've kept on top of it very well. It's beautiful knitting, and I love the feel of the Peace Fleece. Fair enough...it is a bit scratchy, but it's nice none the less, and not "delicate" like the Noro was. I'm loving it!



However, my spinning is going NOWHERE. I do plan on getting out the wheel soon, and promise that I will. I do have time, as nothing very pressing is going on. I'll have to start mom's jumper soon, and I would like to get more spinning done to see if any of the stuff I spin up might be suitable for her jumper.

Till next time!

Detours and Roadblocks

For the last few days, since finishing my MIL's jumper, I have been working on the "Hirohito's Revenge" scarf. I'm so glad to be finished with that blasted Noro. I will NEVER buy that stuff again. Maybe I'm a bit heavy handed, but still, one wouldn't expect the stuff to fall apart quite as easily as it does, and I've never had that problem with other yarns. I can only imagine the stuff was made for delicate little Asian ladies, certainly not a roughneck like me.




But I'm reasonably pleased with the results of the scarf. I think it looks pretty good, considering I mixed the two colorways, and types, of Noro. I'm hoping it will soften up after a good soak in some wool wash.

One would think, at this point, I would have dived into the "Central Park Hoodie" project, as eager as I have been to start, but I haven't. I ran into a bit of a detour, deciding instead to start on a hat for myself to wear to Bendigo. I decided this for two reasons. I need a decent (ok, fancy) looking hat to wear to a 8AM breakfast in the park where a bunch of us Ravelers are going to meet and greet, and I thought it might be great to get a feel for knitting with the Peace Fleece before committing to the larger project.

So I have started the hat, which I found on Ravelry under the title of "Cabled Force", but I have retitled my version to "Copper Topper". I'm using the Sheplova Mushroom colorway of the Peace Fleece I ordered thru the co-op. This colorway is absolutely smashing when knit up, and I'm thinking it would make a great color for a jumper or cardi, or even a jacket. I'm loving it so far. It's definately knitting I have to concentrate on, but fun nonetheless, and the pattern is so fun to watch grow. I'm thinking I'll have this baby finished in no time flat.



I must pick up Chris' vest as well, and I promised I would before I started the hoodie, so I'll likely get to that very soon, and work on the Fringe jumper in the meantime.

I'm sort of placing some roadblocks in my way, I know, but in a fashion I'm trying to use my impatience to start on the Central Park Hoodie to inspire me to finish some projects that are well overdue for completion. Like dangling a carrot, so to speak.

I also recieved a lovely package in the mail this week. Awhile back, I sent one of my Ravelry buddies some Koolaid to try out, and she in turn sent me some silk caps that she had died with it, in pretty pinks and blues, for later spinning (if I ever get around to spinning agian!!). It may inspire me to get to my spinning, as I'm incredibly curious to see how these colors will spin up.





Well, that's it for now. Until next time...

Better than the Airlines

At least I can make deadlines! Ok, I'm not exactly there, but I'm calling the jumper for my mother in law, June, complete. I still need to do a bit of blocking, and a bit of work on the sewn in ends, but otherwise, it is finished, and 5 days ahead of schedule, which gives me time to block it properly. I'm quite happy with it overall, although the sleeves look a bit tighter, particularly around the armpits and wrists, than I had anticipated, but proper blocking will fix that right up I reckon, and all in all I'm massively pleased with the results of my rushed efforts. It's quite a decent looking jumper already, even without the refinement of blocking.




Now for the difficult thing. Where do I go from here? I still have two projects actively on the needles right now. My Fringe jumper and my Short row scarf. I want to at least finish the scarf before I begin the project that my fingers are so itching to begin. I'm trying to show some discipline here, I really am.

Add to that, Chris has been not so subtely asking me what ever happened to that vest I was knitting for him. It's been in hibernation now for months...my excuse being it wasn't the proper season to be wearing it anyway. Alas, the short, cold days of winter are here, and I would be proud for him to wear it to the Bendigo Sheep and Wool Show next month, so on one or another of my days off in the near future, I plan to drag it out and begin the mindnumbing process of picking up the hundreds of stitches it requires to do the trim for the neck and arms. That's all it likes, and being it is novelty, fluffy yarn, I don't even have to be exacting and "perfect" about it, but I hate picking up all those stitches. Still, I will do it, and do it soon.

But soon, very soon now, I will begin the Central Park Hoodie (fondly referred to henceforth as CPH). I have ordered the pattern. I have made several copies of the pattern. I have highlighted one of the copies in the proper places for the proper size I have intended to make.



I have wound several balls of the Peace Fleece Zarya fog on my beloved ball winder, and plan to wind even more in the next day or two. I plan to wind all but three, as I'm almost certain I will use that many, but I always seem to use less than a pattern calls for, and in case I want to resell or trade the leftovers later, I want to keep them in their proper "new" condition.



In short, I'm almost prepared to start knitting. But, as I said, I'm showing some restraint here, and determined to knock at least 1 of my 2 WIP's off the list before I do. BUT there's nothing wrong with doing a gauge swatch or two, now is there? Nope, nothing at all. Maybe that will take some of the itch out of my fingers.

The problem with the Short row scarf is that it demands excessive amounts of counting, and I'm prone to losing my place, particularly at 3 in the morning when I usually have an hour or so at work to knit...but constantly get interrupted. So I will, most likely, take the Fringe jumper with me outside the house, and finish the scarf here, when I have more liberty to count uninterrupted. Not bad, as it means I will get some progress made on the jumper, but it does mean it will slow me down as far as finishing the scarf.

I'm also keen to get a nice, small, easy portable project on the needles, most likely another pair of socks. I have sooo much sock yarn, I'm not sure where to start, but most likely either with the sock yarn I bought from Moseley Park (a pretty blue/green solid color, or the white Patonyle I splotch dyed with red Koolaid, the "boat socks" I've been wanting to make.

I always look in the Australian "Destash" thread on Ravelry, and the other day I saw a gal who was wanting to get rid of some Peace Fleece. Frankly, I would have been willing to buy it all off of her, but I'm trying to be conservative money wise these days, so I only bought two skeins. One was in Peristroika Pink and the other is called Mir Atalantis Periwinkle. In other words, bright pink and purple. I'm thinking of perhaps making a hat from these, perhaps for Jessica. I haven't really decided.



See, these decisions never seem to end. Sigh.

Alpacomplete

Finished!

After many months of being picked up for a week or so, diligently worked on, and then heartlessly ignored for a week or two, the alpaca jacket is complete! I love the way it turned out. Only one small detail mars my otherwise blissful happiness with this project. Well, not really with the project, but with it's recipiant. Myself. I'm just too fat. It fits, mainly due to the forgiving nature of 4x2 ribbing, but it looks atrocious on me with the belt, since I have absolutely no waistling for it to "accentuate", so it accentuates my lack of one.

However, it looks soooooo good on my sewing model, which has a beautiful figure (the dummy!!!), as you can see in the photo. I actually finished the jacket a few days ago, but it took me tons of time to take the pictures, and then for some reason I didn't button the top button, so the hole at the top is a buttonhole, not a goofup...well, a photography goofup, not the knitting kind.

At any rate, I'm super duper proud of the jacket. I'm just not so happy with my figure right now. I suppose I could go on a diet. Well, it's a consideration, niggling around in the back of my head. We'll see.

On the needles right now is the Fringe jumper. I just knew I wouldn't do the right thing and finish those things in hibernation. Ah well, that will happen down the track. I'll need stuff to do at home soon, and this jumper is miles and miles of BORING knitting. I finished one sleeve (see photo) and have just gotten started on the body part, which is somewhere in the neighborhood of 250 stitches, knit from back hemline to frount.

I'm using my Denise Needles http://www.knitdenise.com/ . When I first saw this project and wanted to make it, I was in the process of searching Australia to find the 100 cm circular needles the pattern calls for when I stumbled on the Denises, and I'll be forever greatful. They have revolutionized knitting for me. It's almost an obligation now that I knit this pattern.

Anyway, it's an easy knit five rows, purl 1 row, knit one row, purl one row "ridge" pattern, repeating every 8 rows. It's as simple as sin and easy to KIP, but I know that soon this thing is going to grow into a monsterous size and I'll need a trailer to haul it around in. Particularly since I've added stitches to the length and rows to the width. I probably shouldn't have done this so soon after trying on the "a bit snug" alpaca jacket, as likely I have overcompensated and this thing will finish out to be big as a tent :)

For that reason (or is it an excuse...and really, do I need one?) I'm thinking of starting a smaller project soon. I have the "stuff" to start some socks and have found some infomation about the "magic loop" which is a way of knitting small areas (such as socks) in the round without having to use the dreaded DPN's. Instead, you use two (or one very long) circular needles. To see this method: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtBSmxGomPk . I don't know when I'll get started learning this, but soon I reckon. Aint the internet neat???

Well, those are my knitting adventures for the week. I'm waiting on some Koolaid that mom has mailed, at which point I'm planning on trying my hand at a bit of dying. Also, my co-op has finished taking orders for the Peace Fleece and almost all of us have turned in their money, so I'll be looking sooooo forward to that batch of stash to arrive.

In the meantime, I'll keep on knitting.