Knitting - January 2004 back to knitting blog
26-01-04
No jacket yet I'm afraid! The flounces around the edges are bigger than I had thought, and although I probably could just sit down and get on with them I've also been busy and a bit ill. I've got one left - it goes from the middle of the back of the neck all the way down and around the left front, and I hope to have the whole thing sewn up and finished in a week. And I'll need to - apparently we're in for some really cold weather!
I was excited to see that there is a knit-along for knee-high socks going on, so I signed up. I've had the yarn for a few months but just not got round to starting. Joining a knit-along should kick me up the backside! I'm not using the pattern from Stitch 'n Bitch, I'm just going to make toe-up socks like the one's I made for my mum's birthday, but keep going up the leg. That starts on Feb 1st.
The best news - look at this gorgeous Koigu that Carolyn sent me!
Click to see it up close in all its glory. It's beautiful stuff (and in my favourite colours!). I was thinking what to make with this, and I'm still not 100% decided. It's not available in the UK, so I'm not sure when I'll next get my mitts on any, and therefore I want to show it off! So it's definitely not going to be socks. I was thinking about a scarf and gloves, but Carolyn included the pattern for the Charlotte's Web shawl in the package...I've never considered making a shawl before, but I'd love to try some lace and it would show all those gorgeous colours off perfectly. Any other ideas? I'm swaying towards the shawl!
20-01-04
I'm proud to present the second finished project of 2004 (and hopefully another one soon!). I have finished the feather boa scarf, and pictures are over in finished projects. It was a great quick project, as the loopy stitch and the oh so pretty yarn kept it interesting - plus the fact that I really like the finished result. Colinette fandango is so lovely and soft. I'd recommend making a scarf from it (mine only took one skein) just to try it.
Also I'm not quite sure how it happened, but I have started and almost finished the Point 5 jacket! It's the quickest wool to knit with. I have made the back, both fronts and both sleeves of the jacket (!), all that remains is to make huge great big flounces all around the front opening and the bottom, and to sew it together. Although it is really chunky wool I'm still quite impressed with myself! But this is what you get when you only have to cast on 18 stitches for the sleeves I suppose.
I've not bothered to put any progress pictures up, but there is a picture of the knitted up wool in current projects. I'm amazed at the colours that appear - mainly purple but there are loads of others. I like the look of the "thick and thin" yarn as well - I've not knitted with anything like that before.
Anyway, take a look at the feather boa and hopefully there will be a jacket too next time!
15-01-04
The first finished project of 2004!
Finally, after 2 weeks of knitting for about 10 minutes a day, Alison's gloves are finished! I'm really pleased with them, I think I'll be making a pair for myself next winter. The yarn I used for her and Sop's gloves (Regia 6-ply crazy colours) has worked out really well - the striping makes them a bit more interesting too. I took some pictures and also a decent picture of Sop's gloves - over in finished projects.
Yesterday I started making a feather boa scarf with the skein of Colinette Fandango I bought when we went to the Colinette shop - but no pictures of that as it should be finished in a day or two. It's all loopy and I'm loving making it - it's the perfect quick fix project! I was a bit worried that the Fandango would shed little bits of cotton all over the place, but it hasn't at all (just a couple of bits when I had to rip part of the scarf out).
So look out for the second finished project of 2004, coming up in a day or two!
12-01-04
A week of silence....! At the start of every term we have exams on everything we've learnt up until this point - they don't count for anything, but to escape the hassle of being told off if I fail them I have been revising this last week (and this week coming, ick). So not much knitting news. I had hoped to finish Alison's mitten-gloves in a couple of days, but they still aren't done - maybe in another couple of days! I'm in the process of attaching the mitten parts into the back of the gloves. It's a neat process, and they're looking good.
About the Debbie Bliss hoodie - I am going to redo the hood entirely, but I'm leaving it to do as a summer project as I want to wear it at the moment. The hood is too long and too narrow, so I'm going to take it off completely, increase into every other stitch on the pick up row, and then make it 15 cms shorter. I have about 2 thirds of a ball left so there should be plenty to do that.
I'll be back in a few days when I've finished the gloves!
05-01-04
Happy New Year everyone!
I've been absent for a couple of weeks over the holidays, but I'm back in Oxford now (with fast internet). Christmas was very nice, just a quiet one at home, and then we visited my grandparents for a few days. Lots of other members of my family were there, which is the best thing about Christmas really. I got a few knitting presents! The Colinette from my parents obviously! But I also got Toy Knits by Debbie Bliss from my grandma (it's really cute and loads of fun), and also the Stitch and Bitch book from my Auntie, but it hasn't arrived yet, so I'm looking forward to that.
I am also proud to present the last finished project of 2003 - the Debbie Bliss Cabled Hoodie! This has got to be one of the most time-consuming things I have ever made, but it was worth it. I really really love it, it's warm and I haven't stopped wearing it since I finished it a few days ago. Have a look at it in finished projects. The only problem with it is the hood - when I decided to make it there was one knitted up for display in the shop and the shop assistant said that she thought the hood was far too big - and she is right. It is about 15 cms too long. I just like the way hoods look hanging down, I don't ever really wear them up (except on coats), so I'll probably just leave it. It's not like it really affects the overall look or anything.
I'll just mention one last time that the cashmerino aran is LOVELY! The cables make little pockets on the wrong side as well so it is super snug.
Now I'm just doing Alison's gloves/mittens (which are late for her birthday, oops) so hopefully in the next week there should be the first finished project of 2004. And then I can make my point 5 jacket, I seriously can't wait to do that!
My new years resolution is to work hard for my final exams in June (there might be less knitting this year!).