the New Years Resolution a.k.a UFO #3

I am not too bad with New Years Resolutions to be honest. I usually pick one thing that is achievable, but that I keep putting off. At the beginning of this year I decided to take a break from the blanket making and thought it would be nice to actually make something wearable for myself. I had a whole lot of cotton yarn from Bendigo Woollen Mills and plenty of possibilities in terms of patterns.

In the end I decided on a simplified version of the Feather and Fan Flare from the Knitter's Handy Book of Top-Down Sweaters. It's a beautiful pattern, but I simplified it by taking out the actual feather and fan bit and knit straight down.

One big problem is that it is too large. When I started reading the book it talked about design ease and that it is recommended to have 2 inches wearing ease and I just kept nodding along. I started the sweater and by the time I finished the yoke I realised it was bigger then I like for a number if reasons:

a, I don't wear my knitwear with 2 inches wearing ease, I wear it with 0 or negative ease.

b, despite my gauge being spot on (yes, I actually tested the finished sweater) it's still bigger overall, not sure why, but hey, it's one of those mysteries I suppose

c, I have a small upper back, so next time I need to take out a substantial number of stitches there (the picture below shows the back)

However, by that time I didn't want to unravel it all again, which in hindsight was a mistake as I then had considerably less enthusiasm for the project. I omitted the 10 stitches each side that were supposed to be cast on under the arms and I inserted some ribbing on the side to make it less obvious that it is too large, but I still know.

It was definitely a test garment and I have learnt a lot. I have a lot more of the yarn left (I used 1.5 balls of the 12 that I have), so once I have washed it a few times and it becomes obvious how the yarn behaves, I'll see whether I make the same pattern again or whether I'll try a different one from the book or whether I might give the Miette Cardigan a go. Ultimately it will be something that I'll wear on top of some long sleeved shirts, so it probably won't make too much of a difference that it is too big and slouchy is in :-)

Cowl 4.2

I have wanted a slim cowl for a while, because ... now don't laugh ... whilst doing the dishes in the winter, I can't wear a scarf as it inevitably ends up in the water. Since I knitted some of it during my son's athletics carnival, this reasoning had plenty of people in stitches (ha ha) ... especially non-knitters ... in reality I thought it was a perfect project - I had a clear idea what I needed, it wasn't beyond my skill level and I had the yarn just sitting around as a left over from other projects :-)

I had been looking for a while, but couldn't really settle on any pattern, so in the end I just made my own. It was a really fast knit, so I didn't feel too bad (and only slightly frustrated) when I had to undo it all over and over and over again to get the size right.

The yarn is Moda Vera Shiver in grey left over from the cardigan. The yarn is very bulky, so I didn't want a cowl that needed to be looped around the neck. Firstly I cast on 92 stitches and worked in the round, but it was clear after about 5 rows that it would be beyond massive. Next I cast on 80 stitches and I did the whole cowl and it turned still way too big. Version 3 was slightly better with 66 stitches, but was still gaping at the top. I needed it to be somewhat snug fitting, otherwise my neck would get cold, but not too snug otherwise it wouldn't fit over my head. Slightly frustrated I then cast on 42 stitches and started with that. I did 3 broken ribs and then cast off. All the way through I thought it was going to be too small, but I stuck with it and ended up with the top half of this.

My cast off is tighter then my cast on, so it was barely big enough to fit over my head. I wore it all day around the house, and whilst it was snug and warm around my neck, my décolleté (the part of my torso above my bust) got cold. So off I went and undid my cast off. I increased and increased and ended up with a kinda triangle shaped tube. Despite it being slightly odd looking, it is perfect for my neck. I call this a win. Maybe I'll make another one in blue .. hmmm.

Pattern for working it in the flat:

the Moda Vera Shiver yarn on a 9mm needle was 3 stitches and 4 rows for an inch square

Cast on 42 stitches (40 for the rib and 2 for the seam as my round needles where too big)
rows 1-5: knit 3, purl 2, knit 2, purl 2 ... until there is only 1 stich left, knit 1
row 6: knit all stitches
row 7: knit 1, purl 40, knit 1
row 8: knit all stitches
row 9: knit 1, purl 40, knit 1
row 10: knit all stitches
rows 11-15: knit 3, purl 2, knit 2, purl 2 ... until there is only 1 stich left, knit 1
row 16: knit all stitches
row 17: knit 1, purl 40, knit 1
row 18: knit all stitches
row 19: knit 1, purl 40, knit 1
row 20: knit all stitches
rows 21-25: knit 3, purl 2, knit 2, purl 2 ... until there is only 1 stich left, knit 1
row 26: knit 2, M1, knit 4, M1, knit 4, M1, knit 4 ... until there is only 1 stich left, knit 1
row 27: knit 1, purl the rest until there is only 1 stich left, knit 1
row 28: knit 5, M1, knit 5, M1, knit 5 ... until there is only 1 stich left, knit 1
row 29: knit 1, purl the rest until there is only 1 stich left, knit 1
row 30: knit all stitches
row 31-35: knit 3, purl 2, knit 2, purl 2 ... until there is only 1 stich left, knit 1
row 36: knit all stitches
row 37: knit 1, purl 40, knit 1
row 38: knit all stitches
row 39: knit 1, purl 40, knit 1
row 40: knit all stitches
row 41-45: knit 3, purl 2, knit 2, purl 2 ... until there is only 1 stich left, knit 1
cast off in a very loose cast off (I didn't have enough yarn for the full last rib, so I cast off after row 42

finish off by sewing the seam to form a tube.

On other news, I made a chocolate cherry brownie, where I didn't melt the chocolate, instead added it as chucks and then added a jar of heated cherries (without the juice). It melted the chocolate slightly and was very yummy.

Fastest Cardi EVER

I did it ... I knitted something wearable that is not a scarf ... go me. I give you the tonsil cardigan - Mr. Giggles is cringing at the name, but if the shoe fits ... :-)

It was part of my New Years resolution, because I have been knitting for a long long time (over 25 years) and whilst I was a girl, I did make tank tops for myself as soon as I got breasts and curves and anything really that might require fitting, I stuck to scarves and blankets.

Anyway, I have a lot of yarn left over from my dad's blanket and whilst it is not a natural fibre, it is very soft and chunky. Two weeks ago my daughter had her tonsils and adenoids out and, as she was operated on, I cast on the first stitches. The shape is based on the Shalom Cardigan, but I had a different gauge, I changed the yoke, I did different increases etc ...

I used 9mm needles, because I had those and the swatch looked nice. I know, I should have probably chosen something where I had the correct gauge and where I just had to follow instructions, but I knew that 3 stitches and 4 rows made a 1 inch square and I went from there. I had to redo some bits, for example, when I finished the top grey stripe I realised I had cast on too large a neck line and the entire bottom blue stripe had to go, because I had calculated the increases from the waist wrong and it looked more like a peplum. Nevertheless, even with all the changes I worked on this cardi for a total of 6 days, although 2 were long days (I finished the yoke), because they were spent in the hospital with a drugged 4 year old ... a luxury that I normally don't have, as said 4 year old likes to keep me busy.

I have no ideas whether it'll wash or how it'll wear, but I have been agonising about knitting cardigans and pullovers for so long and in the end, there is only so much thinking you can do before you should start doing. It doesn't close in the front and there were moments when I contemplated of redoing the bottom section again, but in the end I'll see how this one fares. I have still got more of this yarn (Moda Vera Shiver), so I'll make a couple of cowls maybe either for myself or maybe as presents :-)

the Cricket Scarf

No, don't worry, it's not a scarf worn by either cricketers or the people watching the cricket. We're not that crazy here in Queensland ... yet ... the heat gets to us all :-)

It is a scarf that a mother with little interest in the game knits whilst watching her son's training and junior games. Go supportive Giggles ... I even stood on the side of some field in the middle on nowhere, watching in the pouring rain, wondering whether my car would make it off the strip of grass it was parked on since it is not a four wheel drive, cause Junior cricket gets played regardless of the weather.

It has been finished for a while, but somehow I never found the time or weather to take the pictures.

It's a teal cotton/soy mix I picked up at the fabric-a-brac almost a year ago and my own pattern. It has a 5 stitch garter border and then alternates 5x5 stockinette and reverse stockinette stitch.

I loved knitting it and I adore wearing it. It is so soft and beautiful. The colour is not coming out in the pictures with the white background, it is more vibrant in real life. Happiness and joy :-)

the lost month of April

after the production of the Gridlock dress I was a bit at odds with what I wanted to do next. I needed a pallet cleanser - the sorbet of the sewing world - but I struggled making my mind up.

I bought and downloaded the Audrey C dress from Maria Denmark. As far as PDF patterns go it was a pleasure to put together and it all went well until I got to the neck binding/facing and somehow it all didn't work. I ended up doing my own neckband and now it has been patiently waiting to be hemmed ... and it is still waiting. I am undecided to the exact length and how to do it. I bought myself a twin needle for just that occasion, but ...

As it got colder here in Brisbane I was reminded of my New Years Resolution: to knit myself a jumper. It'll be a short-sleeved top I think as I messed up the sizes. The pattern is from a book and whilst I was reading it, the 2 inches wearing ease made perfect sense, however once I got to the bust and I tried it on I realised that I NEVER EVER have 2 inches wearing ease in my jumpers, because I like it more fitted. I couldn't bear to start again, so I omitted some of the increases and added some waist shaping and it is not too bad now. Also it'll serve as a test case as to whether the cotton will shrink and how it wears. It's like a muslin really and I have an awful lot of the yarn ... 12 balls to be exact and I only need 2 per top (it's the Bendigo Woollen Mills Cotton 200 gr balls and they go far)

About 6 nights ago, I was fortunate enough in that my daughter started to sleep through the night, after waking up 2-3 times every night - she is 4 years old so take note people without children sometimes they don't sleep through at 6 months. I am sure it won't last, maybe she is coming down with something, but you know what they say about gift horses, anyway after 2 nights of uninterrupted sleep I felt much more energetic and started to declutter my stash.

I donated about 10m of fabric to my daughter's Kindy and 15 balls of yarn that I was never going to use. The fabric were pieces that were given to me or that didn't survive the wash or that were plain ugly - what were you thinking Giggles when you bought a yellow/orange/pink piece of mostly polyester seersucker. I still have more to do, but it feels much less oppressive now ...

UFO #7 - the Christmas tea cosy

I wasn't convinced of tea cosies before - and really, I am not now, because whilst I was working on the tea cosy, Brisbane hit 39 degrees, so who would need a tea cosy in this weather - BUT it was kinda fun to create. So without further ado, I give you my Christmas tea cosy ...

It's a 2x2 rib (I think that is what it is called, if you knit 2 and purl 2) with doubled up green yarn and trebled red yarn with a strand of gold in it. The yarn was donated to the project and it is Acrylic at its finest, but I can't hear the teapot complaining that it itches, so all is well.

Since I only have a small tea pot I tried to make it very stretchy and flexible so it could accommodate larger pots as well. So, the presents on top actually have a bit of space to arrange themselves around a larger lid. Probably less suitable in a cold climate, but really people, I am a mother of two and I can't remember when I last had a hot cup of tea (or coffee) that wasn't microwaved at least twice :-)

I have also finished UFOs #4 the hemming of the tunic, #5 the grey blue t-shirt (okay, okay, I still need to do the hem), and #6 the head band. I have postponed #3, the quilt, until my 1/4 in quilting foot arrives. I am not sure I'll ever do #8, the sewing machine bag, because I figured I actually rather trace and cut when I am visiting other people (or crochet/knit) and I can do something else with the materials.

Now, I will do the hem and then I shall see what to do next. Toodles .... :-)

Tangalooma knitting

we rarely go on holidays (we drive to Mackay once a year to visit my mother-in-law), but my sister is down for a visit from Vienna, sooooo ... we packed up the kids and headed out across the bay from Brisbane. 45 minutes on a boat takes you to Tangalooma on Moreton Island.

It is beautiful and the main attraction is the wild dolphin feeding that happens each night. We fed a dolphin named Tinkerbell, who had a baby with her that stayed back though. We didn't get pictures whilst we were feeding, but we did get some earlier.

Whilst on the island I started a scarf for myself (yes, I know it is spring here and it'll be months before I need it) with some yarn I picked up on the fabric-a-brac. It is a cotton/soy mix in teal and it is beautiful to work with. I rarely do knit/crochet for myself and the joy I am experiencing with this project takes my breath away.

It is a pattern I thought of myself, but I have no doubt that someone somewhere has made that into a pattern before, after all there is only a limited number of possibilities how you combine knit and purl together ;-). Anyway, it has a garter stitch frame and then alternating knit and purl squares. I am really pleased with how it all worked out and I can't wait to wear it in winter (next year). This project is teaching me that I really need to do something special for myself occasionally to remind myself why I am actually doing the work. Yes presents and things for the kids and 'cake sewing' are nice, but just sometimes it is great to do something that is nice just for me.

Have a wonderful week everyone :-)

Baby, it's cold inside

no that is not a typo, I meant to say inside not outside. Outside it is a balmy 19 degrees (Celsius) and a light breeze. Inside it is a not so balmy 11 and my hands are shivering whilst typing (note to self: get some fingerless gloves).

The only heated room in the house is kid's bedroom, so not a lot of sewing has been happening since the sewing machine lives in the dining room and that is the coldest room in the house (currently measuring at 9 degrees Celsius).

Instead I have been knitting and crocheting in the kid's bedroom. One blue ruffle scarf to replace a rather ratty looking one a bought 5 years ago.

It looks a bit feather-boa-ish, but is snugly warm and it is the first time I have knitted with 'novelty' yarn. I have been knitting for years, but I have never been very adventurous so I essentially I just stuck to the garter stitch and that was it. Last year I made myself learn how to purl and surprisingly the world did not end and I quite enjoyed learning something new. I still prefer to crochet, but I do like to knit occasionally - variety is the spice of life and all that :-)