Urban Aran - So close to finishing

(Photo to follow)

Pattern: Urban Aran
Modifications: Lots! See below
Yarn: Yaeger Extra Fine Merino Aran in colour 554, Peacock (13 balls)

After languishing on the end of my bannister waiting for weeks to have a zip installed, I finally got round to it yesterday... However, i should have know not to attempt zip installation when tired, and the sides don't match. I also had very limited colours of zips available in the shop, and didn't think it would matter as noone sees when it is zipped, but of course i am unlikley to often completely zip it up, and a green zip would look better. Furthermore, my choice of a double ended zip means that one of the zip pulls permanently hangs out the bottom of cardigan, looking very blue.


However, apart from the zip, and the length, which would ideally have been a bit longer, i really like this cardigan. It is a great colour for me, and warm and cozy, and I still love the way the cables overlap at the waist. The modifications to the pattern are very similar to those described on Streets and Yo's and i think they've worked well.

Refashioned Messenger Bag

Before...
After

I forgot to post about my recent wardobe refashion, though I'm not sure that phrase applies to accessories, anyway....

I finally got round to changing one of the conference issue messenger bags I rescued from being thrown out at work. The ugly CIBSE logo and text is now hidden beind a giant , colourful pocket, which has a velcro fastening at the top. It was much easier than I thought to unpick the existing bias tape, and resew it over the new fabric. The existing hardware to fasten the bags flap down was easy to remove and re-install. The whole thing took less than an hour to change.

This was finished and started one Wednesday evening, after band practise. I have used it every day since!

Elfine socks, from hand dyed yarn

I love this pattern, I love the softness of the yarn. They've been quick to knit too, and i do like having a sock to knit to carry around for whenever the occasion arises.

I don't like the way the heels turned out, but i think this is an issue with my knitting rather than the pattern. The first short row heel i ever did was my favourite and somehow it's never gone quite so well ever since. I didn't really mind the striping issues on either sock, but i'm not so keen on how they look together. I am seriously wondering whether I should try to overdye them, and then the lace might be more prominent. However, I am worried that I will mess them up. The pattern called for some rows of garter stitch at the top. I completed the first one in this way, but it rolls at the top and i don't like it. The second was finished with a 1 x 1 rib, which I much prefer. I am currently reknitting the top of the first sock.

Forest Canopy Shawl - Finished

I really enjoyed knitting this pattern. It seemed quick, and it looked so pretty in all the other examples I've seen. I love the colour too.

As others have said, it doesn't look much before blocking...But much better after...

I love the detail of the lace, which looks much harder than it actually was.
I use one ball of Collinette Jitterbug sock yarn, colour Jay. I added an extra repeat or two, and had to leave out 2 lines of the edging, after realising i didn't quite have enough yarn to cast off the first time i tried it. After frogging, and re-knitting, I had less than 2g of yarn left....

I do think it would be nicer ever so slightly bigger, and I'm wondering if i could block it a bit harder. It already didn't quite fit on my dining room table, so I'll have to find somewhere else if i do decide to do this. I'll have to see if i can get an action shot sometime.

Slip Up Socks

Ooops, B is back from sea, my dad is not so well and scheduled for more surgery, so real life has got in the way of things lately. I can't believe how long it has taken me to post here.

I have been knitting, not a lot to show for it though.

I finished these socks a couple of weeks ago and just managed to get me, my camera, the lead for the camera, and the computer in the same place at the same time I liked the pattern a lot, though I did modify it a little to knit toe up with a short row heel, and i love the colour of the yarn. It's trekking xxl, colour 128.

The short row heels weren't quite right as i didn't have my usual instructions with me. They have a row of holes along them, which i am trying to consider a decorative feature.

These took less than a week, and most of the knitting was done whilst travelling to and from a band weekend in France, so i had lots of spectators. I had intended the stripes not to match, but actually they are very close to matching, but they don't quite, which is more annoying to me than if they had been very different, but i guess noone else will ever notice!I have just over a 1/3rd of the wool left, and I'm wondering if I have enough for some trainer sock types socks...

I did start knitting a bayerische sock, but i didn't have the right size needles, and it is far too big for my foot and needs frogging. It just seems a shame when all the cabling was going so well, and looking okay.

I love bank holidays

This 3 day weekend has seen me quite busy. Not with any of the things that I really should have been doing, cleaning, tidying, washing clothes, finishing DIY.... but I have found time for knitting, sewing and dying.

I finished a pair of Monkey socks.




Pattern: Monkey socks from Knitty
Yarn: Trekking XXL, colour 188
Needles: 2.5mm dpns

I love the pattern, and these were a quick knit. I wish i'd chosen some more colourful yarn though, so i might well knit another pair at some point.

Koolaid dying!

I used some undyed trekking sock yarn from .... and some koolaid from ....
The dyed skeins look very bright at the moment, but maybe will be less so when wound into balls, and eventually knitted. The colour combinations tried are:

Kool-Aid Mad Scientwists - Wild Watermelon Kiwi
Kool-Aid - Lemonade
FlavourAid Lemon and Lime

Kool-Aid - Orange
Kool-Aid - Cherry

Kool-Aid - Ice Blue Raspberry Lemonade
Kool-Aid - Magic Twists Changin' Cherry

Kool-Aid - Black Cherry
Kool-Aid - Strawberry
Kool-Aid - Magic Twists Grape Illusion

I already have plans for most of these skeins, Potomus socks, Elfine Socks, Cairi's Sweetheart Socks

http://www.kool-aid.co.uk/ http://www.knitty.com/issuefall02/FEATdyedwool.html http://www.koolaiduk.com/

Sewing- I made a pair of trousers, no photo as yet

Pattern: Built by Wendy, Simplicity no.

Fabric: Cottom Twill bought for about £4 a metre, 2.2 metres, but I have loads left over.

Finished objects

I had a busy weekend with both sewing and knitting featuring. I thought i'd finished Wicked, but some small mistakes i made and thought wouldn't be noticable, are noticable, and annoying. I am also not convinced about the sizing, and am wishing i hadn't added the extra increases before dividing the sleeves off. I also wish I had knitted the sleeves a little longer, say nearer elbow length. I also managed to miss the fact that the pocket edgeing is moss stitch, and mine is single ribbing! All in all I think I would be happier if I frogged this a lot, and sorted it out. The thought of undoing all that knitting is a bit daunting, so this has gone nowhere fast for the last few days.

Some happier finished, or nearly finished objects follow.
Pattern: Arisaig from Knitty

Modifications: I knitted the rib with the same size needles as the rest, I added rib at the bottom of the arms, I added an extra inch of ribbing to the body (and it is still very short, especially considering i have a short body to start with)

Yarn: Sirdar Countrystyle 4-ply.

I only used 262g of the 450g of wool specified and have almost 2.5 of the 5 balls i bought left over. I wish i'd bought less of a nicer yarn with a higher wool content and a nicer drape, but I love this colour. I knitted the 36 inch chest size, and the arm and sleeve geometry worked fine as written, despite me worrying a fair amount that it wouldn't, and mesuring half the jumpers I own to check dimensions!

I've finished (almost, just the grafting of the toe to do) a Monkey sock. I really like this pattern, and I'm looking forward to being able to wear the finished pair.

And I finally made myself a little bag for carrying round a small knitting project. Made mostly from a pair of cords I loved but had got too faded at the edges to wear any more. Lined and with a small internal pocket, this is just big enough for a ball of wool, needles and a pattern. This has been planned for a while and I'm so glad I finally made it! It was also a good reason for a play with my new sewing machine, which was great.