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Another post about my little pink bolero
May 30, 2005
Which is Elspeth of course :)
I've finished the knitting and as I'm writing this have just finished one raglan seam.
See:
The colour of this yarn seems to look very different in some of the photos I've taken.....sometimes it's just baby pink, sometimes it's salmony - it is neither of course! I think this photo shows the colour best so far, although I will be really cross I said that when I get into work tomorrow and see that the monitor there makes it look completely different!
So just the seaming and crochet to go. But all I'm really doing at the moment is working, so I have no idea when I'll be able to get photos of it. It might have to wait for a couple of weeks!
Also, gasp, I GOT THE JOB I mentioned I had those interviews for.
HOORAY!
Posted by jen at 08:35 PM | Comments (16)
Fluffy!
May 26, 2005
New yarn! Fluffy pink yarn!
I have 7 gorgeous untouched fluffy pink balls of Rowan Kid Soft! I got this yarn because a nice lady called Julie wanted to get rid of it and thought I might like it. I DO like it! It was very very kind, and thank you lots Julie.
This yarn was discontinued bloody ages ago, and I was always sorry I didn't get to use it, and now I have some. The obvious choice for this yarn is the fluffy sweater from vintage knits, but although I like that sweater I'm not MAD about it. I'll have a think, I might just make something up! I've got a while to plan, because it's just starting to get warm here and is not the weather for fluffy jumpers at all!
The yarn looks more like this colour actually (nearly forgot I have one more picture):
I'll be back after the weekend, probably without a finished Elspeth, because I've not done any more on her (too busy) - hope everyone has a nice bank holiday (or regular or whatever) weekend!
Posted by jen at 10:47 PM | Comments (5)
Zoom
May 25, 2005
Well, I've finished both of Elspeth's fronts! And mighty quick they were too :)
Here they are:
It's weird having progress to show every day at the moment, since I'm busier than I have been for a year, but Elspeth is a very quick knit. I'll start a sleeve either tonight just before bed or tomorrow evening. They should be even quicker since they don't have lacy patterns - just st st.
I'd really love to finish this either for the weekend or at the weekend - me and Adam are going to my parents, and if I'm done in time he can take photos for me in the garden!
And after Elspeth I can concentrate on a Magknits project :)
Posted by jen at 09:13 PM | Comments (12)
Confused
May 24, 2005
All my entries seem really boring now after the dinos! Sorry. If only I could knit and design all the time :( I guess I shouldn't really be apologising, I was probably this boring before the dinos - I suppose we're just back to the regular programming!
Anyway - that's not what I'm confused about, what I'm confused about is yarn quantities. I have so far knitted for Elspeth: the back (by far and away the largest part), the left front, and a little of the right front, and have only used 1 and a bit balls. It's supposed to take 4! And the sleeves are teeny weeny wickle things.
I bought the yarn from John Lewis but threw away the receipt, I wonder if they'll let me exchange what's left? There is still the crochet trim I guess....I bet it takes 3 balls and 1 metre of the 4th ball so I can't return it, grrrrrrrrrrrr.
Oh yes! A photo! I nearly forgot.
Here's the left front, the first 20 rows of the right front, and the unused part of the 2nd ball:
Onward!
Posted by jen at 10:20 PM | Comments (7)
Life-Saving Tips for Knitting Elspeth!
May 23, 2005
Maybe the title is a little melodramatic!!
I had an email from a lady called Julie (no blog) pointing a lot of this out to me, and hooray - painless Elspeth knitting from now on!
The main problem with Elspeth is the chart being for only the first 12 rows, but the stitch count changing a lot throughout each piece, and so it being really hard to see where to start the pattern.
If you look at the pattern, the first eyelet on the pattern repeat sloping the SAME way beneath the one above it lines up with the first leaning stitch in the upper pattern repeat.
Haha that sounds so confusing! I just mean things line up like in this photo:
So knowing this is a good way to check if what you've done so far is correct.
Now comes the useful bit. When you are about to start a new row where the pattern leans to the left, this is how to line up where you place the pattern. Knit along to the stitch directly above the first eyelet in the pattern repeat below - the one marked with a line, knitting that stitch as well:
Then you place an eyelet and carry on, (I don't want to say what you do next because it's not my pattern and I'm not sure it's allowed)!
Now for doing a pattern repeat sloping the other way. Knit until you are at the stitch directly above the last sloping stitch of the previous pattern repeat (and knit that stitch too) - this is the stitch marked with an arrow in the photo:
Then you k2tog and continue, and all is in place!
I'm about half way through my first front (they're TINY), and that was just from knitting a little in a few snatched minutes. Seeing as the sleeves are tiny too I'm tempted just to finish Elspeth before I do any more pieces of Gemma.....I'll see how I go!
Posted by jen at 06:13 PM | Comments (1)
Go Gemma! Yay for me!
May 22, 2005
I think I might be a little bit too excited about this, but I have finished the back of Gemma! The back really went in fits and starts, depending on whether I had any time to knit or not, and when it was going slowly I just felt like I'd never finish it, so I think that's why I feel like I've achieved something!
Here's a picture:
That stupid bit at the top insisted on folding over.
And I'm so glad I have a good way of dealing with the ends, because there are only about 6 to weave in instead of 10 BILLION.
Now the back is nicely folded up with the sleeve I did over Easter in my "things I'm knitting that aren't in a plastic bag" basket. So I guess I'm halfway there!
The other thing I should mention is that because my row gauge was a bit out (I wrote stuff about that in an older entry I can't be bothered to link to) I ended up working 3 more pattern repeats (18 rows) over the entire back than I would have worked if my gauge had been perfecto. But I seem to have used less than half my yarn so I think all will be well.
Now I'm going to start on the fronts of Elspeth!
Posted by jen at 06:12 PM | Comments (5)
Nothing much - thanks for loving the dinos though!
May 18, 2005
Hello! I am SO pleased you guys like the dinos! I would really like to respond to all the comments individually but I can't as there are loads - possibly the most ever for me, certainly enough to make me feel very proud and impressed :) So thanks!
I've even seen a few dinos popping up around the internet already - FAB!
The only knitting I've been doing this week is swatching for a new and I guess secret project (with the yarns a few entries down - the green and copper ones). I wanted to do a lacy project, but had to swatch about 20 times before I found a pattern I liked!
So I have nothing to show! But I thought I'd better post anyway since it's been a week. I have a second interview for that job I mentioned on Friday, so I'll be back after the weekend, hopefully with things to show :)
Posted by jen at 10:16 PM | Comments (9)
Dinosaurs!!
May 12, 2005
Thanks for the birthday wishes everyone! I was trying to delete some duplicated comments, and I think I accidently deleted some normal comments, so don't take offense if you notice your comment is gone - it was just me being a moron!
Here is the knitting pattern that was rejected that I told you about last time.....not clothing as you might have expected, but DINOSAURS!
Clicking on the photo takes you to a pdf of the pattern, which I'm putting on this site for freeeeeee.
Also, if you want more photos without opening a pdf, click here for the photo page for my dinos.
I hope you like them!
Posted by jen at 09:12 AM | Comments (54)
It's my birthday.....but it sure doesn't feel like it yet.
May 09, 2005
I guess they just don't feel the same as you get older! But for what it's worth, I am 22 today. The very first communication I received today was an email telling me that my latest design has been rejected for the next issue of Knitty - AGAIN! Apparently this time it just wasn't "right for knitty". I might not bother again, although if I'm designing stuff anyway, I might as well submit it somewhere I guess. Anyway, I saw my parents and Adam this weekend, and will see Adam again tonight, as I'm going to stay at his because I have a job interview (gah!) on tuesday morning in his town (which is where I'm moving next year and therefore I need a job there!). He will cheer me up and make me feel like a princess, because he always does!
Well anyway, knitting. After my latest rejection news I will put the pattern up on this site. All my friends LOVED it, so maybe some other people will too :)
Also, Gemma. I took everyone's kind advice, and worked until the measurements were correct. I hope that doesn't result in the yarn requirements being different! I had to work 2 more pattern repeats (12 rows) to get it the right length to the armholes. Here it is - now I'm working up the armholes having finished the armhole shaping:
Well! Sorry for the glum mood! I don't really mind about the rejection, just bad timing I guess! I'm having a cup of tea and I'm sure I'll feel chipper again in no time :)
Posted by jen at 07:55 AM | Comments (17)
Creeping along....Plus new Yarn!
May 06, 2005
Well! I have done a teeny bit more on Gemma, and run into a small problem. The tension over the pattern stitch is supposed to be 21 sts, 32 rows to 10 cm. My stitch gauge is off a tiny bit (it's 22 sts instead), because I didn't swatch for the pattern st, I just swatched for st st (which is meant to be 21 sts and 30 rows to 10cm), and then assumed that the needles that worked for that would also work for the pattern stitch, and it appears they don't! Well, as I was saying, my stitch gauge is a teeny bit off (so little I don't care) but my row gauge is WAY off. It's 36 sts to 10 cm. It doesn't make sense! I'm supposed to work until the back measures 36cm, and that should mean doing 19 pattern repeats, if my gauge was the same as theirs. But with my gauge I should be doing more like 21. I have looked at the photo in the magazine and counted, and their jumper has the the exact right number of repeats. So what should I do? I find things often stretch a bit and measure more than you originally thought anyway, so maybe I should just do it exactly like theirs and just block it at the end? I am well aware that only the most patient souls will have read this entire paragraph and know what I'm on about, but any help would be appreciated :)
Here's where I am now anyway - either at the armhole shaping or 2 pattern repeats away from it:
Also! I decided to show the yarn I bought last weekend. I'm designing a cardigan with it, and it's more of a warmer weather cardigan so I'm not sure anyone will want it if I submit it anyway - the upcoming deadlines for Magknits and Knitty are both cold weather. Although I think maybe it could pass for an evening cardigan, so that might do? Especially as it will be made from Rowan Wool Cotton and that's an all seasonsy kind of yarn. Anyway, I'll give it a shot and if not I will put the pattern on this site.
Here's the yarn:
And that's all your getting probably until it's finished!
Posted by jen at 08:07 AM | Comments (7)
There's nothing to see here
May 05, 2005
Well, only 4 more pattern repeats on Gemma, which if you look closely is bigger than in the last entry, and to make it even more different, is taken on my bed instead of my desk!!
Here you go:
I didn't knit much all weekend and bank holiday because I was with Adam, and since then I've been very busy. I was going to wait until I had something to show before I updated, but I realised that could be some time!!
I did buy some yarn at the weekend, and I might show it soon, but I'm designing a cardi with it and might submit it somewhere so it might be best to wait.
And that's all!
Posted by jen at 07:43 AM | Comments (1)