tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338632192024-03-07T16:55:16.111+13:00Knit SpasticProjects, thoughts, stash envy, contemplations, and all things knittingMargohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468422007972840922noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33863219.post-77511919609810523402010-02-28T19:03:00.002+13:002010-02-28T19:07:53.220+13:00At LONG Last!It's been awhile since I've posted here, but I've been busy!<br /><br />Most recently my big project has been editing (and re-editing, and re-hashing, and scrapping, then editing again...) my longies pattern. I put it on hold for awhile over the New Zealand summer... but as winter is fast approaching I figured the timing was perfect to get it done and published once and for all.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/3413648403/" title="Longies by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3586/3413648403_b7d22d210e.jpg" alt="Longies" height="500" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Pattern will be available for $3 AUD via Ravelry PDF. Until then, pre-release copies are available by emailing me ;)Margohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468422007972840922noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33863219.post-60241979354668119702009-06-14T23:53:00.002+12:002009-06-15T00:45:02.976+12:00Tagged for a memememeThanks to <a href="http://sweetp-knits.blogspot.com/">SweetP</a> for drawing my attention to this meme, I've been really slack about reading the blogs I follow lately - need to get back into doing it. Meme's are great for that - both for writing and reading blogs.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What is your current obsession?</span><br />I guess I'm between obsessions at the moment, which is probably why I feel so restless. Once I get some more money though I'll put my World of Warcraft account into credit and probably start playing again - I've been on a self-imposed ban due to needing time to focus on my study... but that's finished as of this past Thursday, so I am a free woman.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What is your weirdest obsession?</span><br />Some people think knitting / yarn is weird. Other people used to think my compulsive buying of books is weird. (I don't do it anymore.... I switched to yarn but also to a single income and now don't 'compulsively' buy anything). Other people think my babies wearing cloth nappies is weird. Really, it comes down to a question of a definiton of weird.<br /><br />Or, I could be simple and say - banana splits.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What are you wearing today?</span><br />Pajamas at the moment. Though to my credit, it's midnight here.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What's for dinner?</span><br />What WAS for dinner was KFC because I am lazy and a fat girl at heart. Dinner tomorrow (today?) will be pork mince with lentils and couscous though. Assuming the vile weevils that have made our pantry their home haven't bedded down in the couscous that is.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What would you eat for your last meal?</span><br />Mexican. Nearly anything mexican.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What's the last thing you bought?</span><br />Technically, KFC dinner. If we're not counting food.... then a couple (small!) pieces of Tupperware.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Do you have a nickname and/or handle, and if so, how did you get it?</span><br />I go by 'Wonder' and versions thereof after a Natalie Merchant song. Wasn't intended to be a long-term nickname, but it's stuck.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What are you listening to right now?</span><br />The background noise is DH's computer - I think he's watching an episode of something or other on there. Nothing in my immediate surrounds though.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?</span><br />My 'home', in California.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Which language do you want to learn?</span><br />New Zealand Sign Language.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What do you love most about where you currently live?</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The house</span> - That we own (well, with a mortage). So at least I don't have to panic over yet another spill on the carpet, it's our own responsibility...<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The neighbourhood</span> - That conviences such as bus route and dairy are within easy walking distance.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The city</span> - That virtually everything is here, in one form or another.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The country</span> - The scenery. The people. The mindset. The freedom.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What is your favorite piece of clothing in your own wardrobe?</span><br />Probably my velvet tie-die elastic waist skirt, which has fit me in all my fluxuations of weight, and is now around 9 years old. Needs a little mending, but not bad for a 9 year old skirt.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Where do you see yourself in ten years?</span><br />Hopefully homeschooling my kids, in a different (slightly bigger) house that we own, and otherwise doing much the same as it is now.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Describe your personal style?</span><br />Funky, fashion victim. Possibly towards the hippy-ish.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">If you had £100 now, what would you spend it on?</span><br />Top up my WoW account, and buy a decent winter coat.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What are you going to do after this?</span><br />Go to bed. Or just possibly, read.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What are your favourite films?</span><br />Shrek, The Truth About Cats and Dogs, 10 Things I Hate About You<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What inspires you?</span><br />People, mostly. People that are real and down to earth and still seem to be doing much better than I can manage. People like <a href="http://knitsoquaint.blogspot.com/">Kelly</a>, <a href="http://blogs.bootsnall.com/kiwifamily/">Mama-to-Many</a>, <a href="http://magunda.wordpress.com/">Sarah Bean</a>, and many other "everyday" people that make life a value-add enterprise.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Your favourite books?</span><br />All of the Diana Gabaldon books, Time Traveller's Wife, and a good amount of 'trashy' escapism reading at it's best - mostly stand-alone romance novels or soft crime.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Do you collect anything?</span><br />Does yarn count?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What makes you follow a blog?</span><br />People that inspire me, as above. People that make me want to be a better person. People with a great voice. People that talk about what I'm interested in, of course - mostly knitting, pets, reading, and life in general. And frequent posting doesn't hurt. (Yeah, I should follow my own advice here...)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What was the most enjoyable thing you did today?</span><br />I designed and sewed a bag to hold the bathroom reading material, in the hopes of stopping K1 from biffing all our books / magazines / newspapers into the toilet. Not to mention keeping things cleaner and neater. Was sewed entirely from stash, in an afternoon, and matches the toilet decor (what there is of it) too.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/3624406702/" title="Bathroom Magazine Bag by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2443/3624406702_cccaa8bb17.jpg" alt="Bathroom Magazine Bag" height="500" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><br />The rules:1. Respond and rework; answer the questions on your blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your invention, add one more question of your own.2. Tag eight other people.<br /><br />Tagged:<br /><a href="http://caity.nu">Caity</a><br /><a href="http://princessladybug.blogspot.com">Cheri</a><br /><a href="http://magunda.wordpress.com/">Sarah</a><br /><a href="http://wendysdarling.blogspot.com">Wendy</a><br /><br />and anyone else that should feel so inclined... ;-)Margohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468422007972840922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33863219.post-55750240825448286732009-05-31T22:47:00.002+12:002009-05-31T22:56:54.386+12:00At long last<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/3414453250/" title="Longies by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3325/3414453250_1732b463b8.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Longies" /></a><br /><br />My wide-leg longies pattern is nearly ready to be released. <br /><br />But, before it can be, I need some pattern testers and a <b>name for the pattern</b>! <br /><br />Thus, I reckon it's time for a little competition. Submit pattern name ideas via the comments section (make sure to either link your blog, Ravelry name, or leave an email address) and the winning entry will receive 100g of hand-dyed 8-ply (DK weight) yarn - perfect to do the longies in! (but no obligation to actually do so). International entries welcome.<br /><br />Entries close<span style="font-weight:bold;"> 5pm Friday, June 5, 2009</span> New Zealand time. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/3413648403/" title="Longies by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3586/3413648403_b7d22d210e.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Longies" /></a>Margohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468422007972840922noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33863219.post-9851610534867915362008-12-26T22:21:00.002+13:002008-12-26T22:35:29.870+13:00Running behind on lifeI stole the title phrase from a fellow blogger friend of mine. It fits perfectly at the moment.<br /><br />That massive list of gifts I intended to make. <br /><br />Yeah, it didn't happen. <br /><br />The lace scarf for a friend. I've discovered I HATE knitting lace in 2ply. Seriously. It's a simple lace pattern really. Too simple. I started it at LEAST 5 times, probably closer to 10 times if you count the amount of times I cast on with the long-tail method then ran out of tail with 5 or so stitches left. And I managed to knit an inch or two - at the longest, I think, three inches thereabouts - before I royally stuffed up the pattern. <br /><br />Lifelines are my friend. However this was not a lesson I heeded for this knit. Everytime I thought about putting a lifeline in, I stuffed up the pattern, and had to frog the thing anything. I would still like to finish it... if only to say "so THERE" to the project as a whole.... but right now I'm so hacked off with both it and myself that the yarn is sitting (and probably tangling) on the end table of unfinished projects.<br /><br />Next item: Katerina's Op Art blankie. Well, it kinda was finished, and kinda not. I ran out of wool two stripes away from the edge. Rats. But hey, it's big enough to at least be a pram / throw blankie for a baby / kid, so I shrugged that off. I finished the knitting of it around 2am on Christmas morning. The blocking, however, not so much. It still needs to be blocked. But before I do that, I must finish weaving in the ends. The hundreds of ends. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/3134342326/" title="Katerina's OpArt by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3096/3134342326_7bf1316e70.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Katerina's OpArt" /></a><br /><br />But overall, on the 'right side' it's not too bad. Even without blocking. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/3134340996/" title="Katerina's OpArt by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3249/3134340996_b9f2ebd391.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Katerina's OpArt" /></a><br /><br />The pattern was nice as well... garter stitch in the round, so a pain in the bum in that regard... but still better than seaming (and thus dealing with MORE ends). Also just when it would tend to get boring, it'd be time to change colour... so that kept it lively, for a garter stitch blanket. I used the WOOLganic wool I bought in a co-op a friend ran, and it is simply devine. The wool is slightly lighter than the one reccommended in the pattern, and thus I used the recommended needle size for the wool rather than the pattern, but I probably could have afforded to go up a needle size. Mind you, the blanket's not too thick - but it would have done fine being slightly looser. And thus would have stretched the wool further and had a bigger blanket to boot. Now, however, I think it will just be winter blanket.... that sucker is WARM.<br /><br />Other projects:<br />Socks for hubby. Didn't get done. Didn't get started. Looked longingly at the wool a few times though.<br /><br />Double-knit scarf for my step-mother. Did get started. Discovered double-knit is a bitch. Got to the colourwork and didn't have a clue what to do. Will have to do some reading somewhere to figure that out, unless anyone has done this technique and can tell me. <br /><br />Knit toy / bear / doll / bunny / whatever for Zamara - didn't happen. Didn't even buy the wool for this one. Slightly sad at myself for it too, Zamara didn't have anything handknit by me for Christmas. I also had plans to do her a rainbow dress, but that didn't happen either. Road to hell, best intentions, yeah, that's me. To save face (to myself, because seriously she's not even three yet and does NOT know the difference) I sewed her a crayon roll at 4am on Christmas morning. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/3133521903/" title="Crayon roll by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3206/3133521903_e0a2053d12.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Crayon roll" /></a><br /><br />The sewing of it is crap, but hey, she's two....Margohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468422007972840922noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33863219.post-92028816010127149652008-12-02T23:18:00.002+13:002008-12-02T23:30:55.925+13:00Accidentally by designI got this lovely 4ply yarn in the hand-dyed yarn swap on TNN. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/2985118690/" title="Yarn Swap 2 by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3278/2985118690_b116641878.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Yarn Swap 2" /></a><br /><br />The suggested yarn was for opera gloves, but I wasn't convinced I'd wear them... plus I've recently finished fingerless mitts anyway, so I'm a little over it. But because of the wonderful vibrant colours, and the 4-plyness, I figured it'd make a darling little something for Katerina. <br /><br />But then I had a devil of a time finding a pattern for a cute dress or frilly top that was written for 4ply yarn, that was a free pattern and that was cute. I found several things for thicker yarn, and several things that were wintery, but I wanted something light and summery. <br /><br />I did find one pattern, that called for more yarn than I had, that wasn't quite what I wanted, but it was almost the right weight of yarn (5ply instead of 4ply) so I figured I'd fudge it, and knit that since it was the closest thing I could find to what I really <span style="font-style:italic;">wanted</span>. <br /><br />Except then I altered the pattern so it was done in the round. <br />And then I figured I'd rather not have it be a cardigan at all, because I rarely put cardigans on babies, and certainly not in the late spring and/or summer.<br />So then the item 'became' a dress. <br />And then did away with the sleeves. <br />And then I did a gauge swatch to determine how many stitches I actually needed to cast on, since it was no longer the same ease (as cardi's are different to dresses in that regard) and since it wasn't the right weight of yarn anyway. <br />And then I changed a few things about the bodice, too. <br /><br />So all in all, I have a lovely dress that was inspired by a different pattern, but the only thing it actually has in common with it is the lace stitch pattern. Which is just any old lace stitch pattern. <br /><br />I'm still to name this outfit, but I'm thinking either the Butterfly dress or the Zamerina. I want to knit one in a plain colour too, to better show off the design of the actual knitting too. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/3067545310/" title="100_1545 by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3195/3067545310_27db26c616.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="100_1545" /></a><br />That's not the best picture, it's not nearly as crooked / lopsided as it looks. <br /><br />And on my incredibly uncooperative model:<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/3066703137/" title="100_1540 by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3243/3066703137_0139375702.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="100_1540" /></a><br /><br />My only slight reserve is that I should do something with the arms, to tidy up the rolled edges a bit. But I haven't bothered, and to be honest, it doesn't worry that me that much.Margohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468422007972840922noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33863219.post-19579952633474106352008-11-21T19:14:00.004+13:002008-11-21T19:36:44.490+13:00It's finished...The <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall08/PATTvenus.html">Venus</a> top is done.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/3046843989/" title="Venus Envy by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3051/3046843989_4e4696a1d4.jpg" alt="Venus Envy" height="500" width="398" /></a><br /></div><br /><br />I have mixed emotions about it.<br /><br />a) I'm thrilled to be done with it, I'd originally intended this to be finished a couple weeks ago but what with exams and life it just got put on hold (with all other knitting and sewing projects)<br /><br />b) I'm really wishing I'd done the Large instead of the 1X size. I think it would look better with more negative ease. I originally planned to make the large, but my gauge swatch came out too small, so I figured I'd size up since using larger needles resulted in too loose a fabric... it would have left nothing to the imagination. Which wasn't quite my intention.<br /><br />c) I think part of my feelings with this is coloured by the photos of me in it - somehow I hadn't realised I'm that big. But, meh, oh well.<br /><br />I had a couple minor issues with the pattern.... but they were minor in the run of things... certainly didn't <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> effect my knitting of it.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/3046843251/" title="Venus Envy by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3056/3046843251_5aa38f568a.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Venus Envy" /></a>Margohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468422007972840922noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33863219.post-29249091690178328122008-11-20T12:39:00.002+13:002008-11-20T13:07:57.807+13:00Blanket overambitionApologies for the utter silence, my life has been full. I've now officially finished the semester - which might just squeeze me a BA if I end up passing a certain course - and with exams and parties and family hum drum there's been little time for knitting, and even less for blogging.<br /><br />I'm still trucking away on Venus, but I'm now the the not-quite-finished but incredibly impatient stage. I'm OVER it and just want to WEAR it already. It's no fault of the pattern, it's just me being almost, but not quite, done and impatient with myself.<br /><br />Meanwhile, I'm planning and plotting - and all my upcoming (but not yet cast on) projects seem to be blankets.<br /><br />Firstly I'm knitting the <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall08/PATTopart.html">OpArt</a> blanket for Katerina for Christmas. Because I still haven't finished her baby blanket, and I'm thinking although I still intend to finish the blanket, I don't intend for it to be her baby blanket as such anymore. Now that she's born, she needs a more girly one.<br /><br />Secondly I'm doing an Afghan for my husband's sister, who's getting married in March. It's a wedding present. I'm debating between the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/tree-of-life-afghan">Tree of Life blanket</a> (Rav link) or just a granny square style blanket with variegated yarn. Still haven't decided. Might not until I cast on.<br /><br />Thirdly I'm thinking I'll do another baby shawl, for a good friend of mine. She doesn't know it's coming, I'm not sure she reads the blog.... but I'm wondering if that's overcommitting myself at all. Hmmm. I guess really I just want to do another shawl, cause in the end, it was fun ;-) So it's a good excuse!<br /><br />We'll see what gets done though. So far I've only bought the yarn for the OpArt blanket, though I have some variegated that I'll use if I go that route for the Wedding Afghan... will likely need to buy more of those colours, but I have enough to start.Margohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468422007972840922noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33863219.post-86471435397589412292008-11-07T19:48:00.003+13:002008-11-07T21:37:36.210+13:00Because I'm procrastinatingMight as well do the knitting meme I saw on <a href="http://mixedupbeauty.net/">Sassenach's blog</a> - because, well, why not?<br /><br />The official rules are mark with bold the things you have knit at least once, with italics the ones you plan to do sometime, and leave the rest.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Afghan</span> - I'm actually planning to make one this coming year..... best laid plans and all. ;-)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I-cord</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Garter stitch</span><br />Knitting with metal wire<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Shawl</span> - several, now<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Stockinette stitch</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Socks: top-down</span> - done heaps!<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Socks: toe-up</span> - tons of socks, and yet, haven't done these yet.<br />Knitting with camel yarn<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Mittens: Cuff-up</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Mittens: Tip-down</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hat</span> - lots. Adult hats, baby hats. I quite enjoy making hats.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Knitting with silk</span> - I've knitted with blends of it, but never anywhere near pure. Would like to - would love to be able to *afford* it!<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Moebius band knitting</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Participating in a KAL</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sweater</span> - two 'vests' / sleeveless sweaters for me, one sweater for the toddler, which I figure counts :P<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Drop stitch patterns</span> - I have one in my queue....<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn</span> - had some plans to do this not too long ago, but it hasn't eventuated...<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Slip stitch patterns</span> - did a dress with a bodice that utilised a slip-stitch pattern.<br />Knitting with banana fiber yarn - originally I wanted to do some of this, but I've since heard that the yarn is scratchy and horrible.... so I may just forego it.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Domino knitting (modular knitting)</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Twisted stitch patterns</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Knitting with bamboo yarn</span> - I've done pure bamboo yarn and blended with cotton. Blended was by far my preference.<br />Two end knitting - huh??? I'm not even familiar with this!<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Charity knitting</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Knitting with soy yarn</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cardigan</span> - well, a baby sized cardigan. But obviously I counted it. Started planning one for me though, so that must make up for the other half ;-)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Toy/doll clothing</span> - would like to do some for Christmas<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Knitting with circular needles</span> - all. the. time.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Knitting with your own handspun yarn</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Slippers</span><br />Graffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Continental knitting</span> - my main mode of knitting<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Designing knitted garments</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cable stitch patterns</span> - enough to know that although I often like the look of cables, I don't love the actual knitting.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lace patterns</span> - hated them at first but it's really growing on me. And love the finished look of it.<br />Publishing a knitting book - ohhhhhh but it'd be nice!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Scarf</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Teaching a child to knit</span> - I have no doubt I'll be making<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)</span> - enough that I can fumble my way through it, but that's about it.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Knitting to make money</span> - well, a little bit. Would love to do more.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Button holes</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Knitting with alpaca</span> - can't say I love alpaca that much. It's very soft.... but it sheds like mad.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Fair Isle knitting</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Norwegian knitting</span><br />Dyeing with plant colors<br />Knitting items for a wedding<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Household items</span> - do dishcloths count?<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Olympic knitting</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn</span> - kinda. I've used Manos de Uruguay - so it's handspun, but not like by someone I know. I've also knitted with yarn my friend Lou spun... but the item it was in ended up getting frogged, so I'm not really sure if that counts. Thus I have the experience, but not the proof.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Knitting with DPNs</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Holiday related knitting</span> - not counting Christmas gifts I take it, as that's another item.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Bobbles</span><br />Knitting for a living<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Knitting with cotton</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Knitting smocking</span> - something about this scares me. Which is probably all the more reason to do it.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dyeing yarn</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Steeks</span><br />Knitting art<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fulling/felting</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Knitting with wool</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Textured knitting</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kitchener BO</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Purses/bags</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Knitting with beads</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Swatching</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Long Tail CO</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Entrelac</span><br />Knitting and purling backwards<br />Machine knitting<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Knitting with self-patterning/self-striping/variegating yarn</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Stuffed toys</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Baby items</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Knitting with cashmere</span> - I've done a blend, but not pure. Oh, if only for the budget for it!<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Darning</span><br />Jewelry<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Knitting with synthetic yarn</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Writing a pattern</span> - I didn't design it, but I wrote it in "pattern speak" for a friend.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Gloves</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Intarsia</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Knitting with linen</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Knitting for preemies</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Tubular CO</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Freeform knitting</span> - a couple items worked brilliantly. One item in particular was an epic fail.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Short rows</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cuffs/fingerless mitts/arm warmers</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Pillows</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine</span> - funny, I've knit a pattern from an online magazine but not from a printed one. Despite having bought several, with full intentions of knitting patterns from them. Some day. Eventually.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Rug</span><br />Knitting on a loom<br />Thrummed knitting - say what?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Knitting a gift</span><br />Knitting for pets<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Shrug/bolero/poncho</span><br />Knitting with dog/cat hair<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hair accessories</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Knitting in public</span>Margohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468422007972840922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33863219.post-91557832698798687072008-11-07T18:52:00.002+13:002008-11-07T18:58:55.602+13:00Venus EmergesOnly a small post from me today - I'm supposed to be studying. I have three exams in the space of a week next week (Wed, Fri, and Sat) and I am extremely underprepared. <br /><br />But of course I'm still knitting.... it's much easier to knit while watching an active, mischevious toddler, than to try to concentrate on reading 18th century texts.<br /><br />The only progress has been made on Venus though. I am a woman obsessed.<br /><br />Unfortunately the photography sucks on this, so apologies. The shell pattern looks far cooler in person.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/3009566598/" title="Venus WIP by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3190/3009566598_15628e92c1.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Venus WIP" /></a>Margohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468422007972840922noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33863219.post-82403896155428566362008-10-30T22:27:00.003+13:002008-10-30T22:46:53.804+13:00Something so perfectIt's rare that I see a pattern, think, "right, I'll knit that!", and have the yarn, and then go, and cast on.<br /><br />By rare, I mean it's never happened before.<br /><br />Ever.<br /><br />Until this weekend, when I saw Knitty's Surprise - <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall08/PATTvenus.html">Venus</a>. I love it. Love it. <span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">LOVE</span> it. </span><br /><br />And it just so happened that I have the perfect yarn for this in stash. Not only do I own it, I own enough for the whole project. Which is even rarer for me, because buying in adult-size quantities is a very new thing on the whole for me.<br /><br />Like, I still don't really do it.<br /><br />But this was a special case.<br /><br />The yarn, that is, was on special.<br /><br />It was outside the door (y'know, in the "look at meeeee... fall in love with meeeeee" place right before you enter the shop) of Wild and Woolly yarns. It's the Naturally Merino et Soie, which I worked with before for Zamara's baby blanket, and I love it.<br /><br />It was a pack of 10. On special for $65 for the pack - not selling individually.<br /><br />I'd gone there for one set of double-pointed needles. <span style="font-size:78%;">Which they didn't have, but nevermind.</span> I walked out with a 10-pack of yarn.<br /><br />But in my defense, you don't get deals like that everyday. Not for a yarn as wonderful and soft and silky and <span style="font-style: italic;">pretty</span> as this.<br /><br />The yarn was a gorgeous blue, similar to that not-stonewashed, fresh crisp denim you can get. A slight hint of femininity without being a "girly" colour. It was just, so me.<br /><br />So far I've knit an Odessa hat out of it. Which I like quite a bit.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/2474296219/" title="Odessa Top by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3105/2474296219_5741f1edb7.jpg" alt="Odessa Top" height="500" width="375" /></a><br /><br />As does Zamara.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/2612164877/" title="100_0890 by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3129/2612164877_60f2d5c11e.jpg" alt="100_0890" height="500" width="375" /></a><br /><br />But since then the yarn has been sitting, still in it's plastic bag, all 8-and-a-half balls of it. In fact I walked past it the other day <span style="font-size:85%;">as it's one of the yarns that hasn't quite made it to a permanent place in the stash yet</span> and thought "I really need to figure out what to make from that".<br /><br />And only a day later saw the Venus pattern.<br /><br />It was, if you will, sent from the gods.<br /><br />So I've cast on, and that's my current project of preference.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/2985611839/" title="Venus Envy by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3247/2985611839_4b583bbe94.jpg" alt="Venus Envy" height="375" width="500" /></a>Margohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468422007972840922noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33863219.post-77636905061772268852008-10-28T00:24:00.002+13:002008-10-28T00:41:07.582+13:00I can't help itBut it's getting to be that time of year. <br /><br />And I really like the theory about not partaking of Christmas stuff until Christmas. Or at the very least after Thanksgiving.<br /><br />Except that it makes life as a knitter - particularly a knitting-as-gifts knitter - very hard.<br /><br />So despite the fact there's still two months til Christmas, I've definitely started my planning.<br /><br />Thus, here is the list that I'm currently planning as gifts...<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />For my youngest daughter</span>, who will be 9ish months - <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/radiating-star-blanket">Radiating Star Blanket</a> (Ravelry link). I haven't bought the wool for this.... heck I haven't PLANNED the wool for this.... or really done anything except decided that it'd be quite nice to knit one, thankyou.<br /><a href="http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter04/PATTmissdashwood.html">Miss Dashwood</a> Might have yarn. Might not. Need to go stash diving.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />For my two year old:</span><br /><a href="http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter06/PATTsheldon.html">Sheldon</a> Except, erm, yeah, no yarn for this yet....<br /><a href="http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter04/PATTmissdashwood.html">Miss Dashwood</a> Might have yarn. Might not. Need to go stash diving.<br />Possibly another little knit doll too (pattern's in a book I have but I haven't gone searching for a linky) depending on time and chaos levels.<br />Plus a couple dresses - at least one sewn, and possibly one knitted. Would like to make both girls a matching Rainbow Dress, but that may be constrained by time.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">For my mother-in-law:</span><br />A series of dishcloths. I have plenty of yarn for these already, thankfully. Have toyed with the idea of something else as well, but can't think of anything 'just right' that she'd both like and use, so dishcloths it might have to be. <br /><br /><b>For my sister-in-law:</b><br />Socks. She's already requested them, I'm just behind. May see if I can snag some more Patonyle while it's on special, and dye it up special. <br /><br />Plus...<br />a very special scarf for someone who <i>'might'</i> just happen to read this. <br />A couple other things for people who are highly likely to read this. <br /><br />And, ohmygosh. It may not be Halloween yet, but it's less than two months til Christmas, and I have <b>major</b> knitting to do!Margohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468422007972840922noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33863219.post-944509995409902072008-10-26T13:47:00.002+13:002008-10-26T14:15:28.906+13:00Projects Update PostSo I'm almost at project saturation point again.... almost. Almost.<br /><br />Currently on the needles I have the kimono for Kate. Which is coming along nicely if I do say so.... but each time I work on it I grow more and more convinced that I will NOT have enough yarn. Rats. Have to place another order with the Wool Company.... what. a. shame.... don't know how I'll manage that! ;-)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/2972425639/" title="Buglet's Kimono by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3171/2972425639_70224e60a3.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Buglet's Kimono" /></a><br /><br />Still on the needles as well are Kate's longies. Which I haven't made much progress on. So no photo because there's not a lot to show....<br /><br />I <i>did</i> have a sock on the needles as well, since I always have a sock going. But the more I sat knitting it, the more I thought it was a smidgen too big. But like any dedicated knitter, I kept knitting it, blindly hoping things would work themselves out. <br /><br />Until karma stepped in when I went to photograph said sock.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/2972426169/" title="Leg of KnitPicks Essential socks by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3168/2972426169_88530b8015.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Leg of KnitPicks Essential socks" /></a><br /><br />Now look closer.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/2973274594/" title="Peacock Essential Socks by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3283/2973274594_67b73a28e5.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Peacock Essential Socks" /></a><br /><br />Yup. Took it out to photo it and the needle came out. Guess it's a sign. So, sock is now frogged and I'll restart it sometime soon... with a couple stitches less cast on this time.<br /><br />New on the needles, I have a lace project! This is groundbreaking for me. It's actually a friend's wool, she bought it with good intentions of making a lacy scarf (it's 2-ply wool!) but didn't get to it. So I offered to do it. Hopefully it'll be a nice change from other stuff I'm knitting, plus if it works out I know what I'll be doing with some 2-ply wool of my own. It's Touch NZ wool, which is divine to work with, in a lovely earthy colourway. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/2972427307/" title="Honeycomb scarf by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3046/2972427307_194de063f0.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Honeycomb scarf" /></a><br /><br />And lastly, I'm about to cast on for a top. For ME! Just saw it today and I'm in lovvvve.... AND miraculously enough have the perfect yarn already in stash. SCORE! More details to come, seems a bit of a fraud to say I'm working on it before I've actually cast on.Margohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468422007972840922noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33863219.post-21176914855820032482008-10-23T15:40:00.003+13:002008-10-23T16:43:22.278+13:00A wee lesson on dyeingLast time I dyed I had multiple people express disappointment that I hadn't photographed and blogged the process.<br /><br />Thankfully I learn from my mistakes!<br /><br />Thus, my most recent batch of dyeing.... revealed!<br /><br />Now, I can't take credit for the process at all. My favorite method of dyeing (and the one I use here) is the low-water immersion dyeing, as seen on <a href="http://www.pburch.net/dyeing.shtml">Paula Birch's Dyeing Website</a>. I don't deviate much from it... although she talks about dyeing fabric, I've expanded it to include dyeing fabric OR yarn.... with pretty impressive results.<br /><br />So, starting out. Both the batches of yarn I was preparing to dye were purchased in ball form, so I had to skein them (i.e., pull them out from ball form). Thankfully I have a swift and didn't need an especially long hank, so it was an easy process. And boring process. (Read: I forgot to take photos). Once I have my skein, I'm pedantic enough that I try to tie it with alternate yarn (any waste yarn will do really) in at least four places - any less than this and I usually wind up with lots of tangles when I try to get them back into ball form.<br /><br />But, once hanked, this is what they looked like.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/2962669952/" title="Ready to dye by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3138/2962669952_e07d37391e.jpg" alt="Ready to dye" height="500" width="375" /></a><br /><br />The one on the left is my swap yarn, 100g of Patonyle. The two on the right are Sean Sheep yarn, labelled "100% Australian wool", bought at the Warehouse for $1.99. <span style="font-size:78%;">And I'd understand if you're thinking about things that are too good to be true... </span><br /><br />Next - the yarn needs a bath. This important with any yarn / fabric before dyeing but especially so with wool, as lanolin (naturally occurring in wool) and dye (of any sort) aren't the best of friends. Plus it gets any other chemicals, or random spots of dust / dirt, out as well. I bathe mine in dishsoap as it's particularly good at removing lanolin.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/2962670940/" title="Wool having a bath by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3234/2962670940_016d9c7351.jpg" alt="Wool having a bath" height="500" width="375" /></a><br /><br />While the yarn is soaking (I try to leave it for 15+ minutes) I assemble all my tools that I'll need. I've discovered after some trial-and-error that doing it this way is preferrable to tearing around the house with dye all over hands (and sometimes body) trying to find that last, essential, item. <span style="font-size:78%;">Y'know, like gloves... </span><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/2962670346/" title="Tools for dyeing by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3072/2962670346_5c9c2cd3e8.jpg" alt="Tools for dyeing" height="375" width="500" /></a><br /><br />Next I scrunch it up into as small containers I have that still fit the fabric. In this batch, I threw in a plain flat cloth nappy just for kicks and giggles as well.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/2962671366/" title="Ready to Dye by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3153/2962671366_6120b9b8a3.jpg" alt="Ready to Dye" height="375" width="500" /></a><br /><br />Then I mix the dye (a couple teaspoons of dye powder, more or less depending on shade required, with a cup of water) and pour over the fabric. For this lot, I did the on the left (with the cloth nappy in it) solid purple, and the batch on the right in orange (made with guesswork of mixing a lot of yellow with a very little red) and black. Aim was to get something vaguely tiger-like, but to be honest I haven't used multiple colours dyeing yarn this way before so it was a bit of guesswork as well too. (I have, however, dyed fabric this way before and it works a treat.)<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/2961826447/" title="Dyeing in progress by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3010/2961826447_4c01ec6ef0.jpg" alt="Dyeing in progress" height="375" width="500" /></a><br /><br />Then I add water until it 'mostly' covers the fabric / yarn. In a few cases I have to weight down the yarn so it doesn't just float on top - this is what I did on the right.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/2961827045/" title="Dyeing in progress by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3218/2961827045_c8f623c5b6.jpg" alt="Dyeing in progress" height="375" width="500" /></a><br /><br />The fact that most of the dye on the tub in the right rinsed out when I added the extra water was my first and most telling sign that I would not get the tiger-ish colouring I was hoping for. It's normal for the dye to lighten a touch (as it did on the left) but not to rinse nearly completely out.<br /><br />Then it sits.<br /><br />Then I add some dissolved soda ash to it, and let it sit some more.<br /><br />Then I rinse it out - and it's in this stage one should start seeing close to the final product of the dyeing.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/2955780618/" title="Yarn Swap yarn by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3241/2955780618_58f9047a2e.jpg" alt="Yarn Swap yarn" height="375" width="500" /></a><br /><br />And after that, it just needs to dry. How aggressive I am at squeezing the water out depends on the yarn.... pure wool I'm pretty careful with, the Patonyle I knew I could be a bit rougher with. Then it just hangs, to dry.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/2955165661/" title="100_1302 by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3198/2955165661_f9d83a0dc5.jpg" alt="100_1302" height="500" width="375" /></a><br /><br />And yes, the yarn is mauve. Almost peach. Nothing like tigers. Bah. I'm blaming it on the yarn. It did cross my mind that perhaps I should have stripped it more (there are several other methods of doing this) but quite frankly I've never had to do more than a dishsoap soak with any yarn I've ever dyed, be it with Procion dyes or food colouring. Ever. So I'm actually starting to be a bit suss that the label is correct when it calls the yarn "100% wool". That or it's been treated with something very funny indeed. Then again, maybe they just have really weird sheep in Australia.<br /><br />Finally, once it's dry... I twist it up nicely, or wind it. And marvel at the wonder I have created.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/2963979216/" title="Lilac Wood Yarn by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3191/2963979216_d62385c349.jpg" alt="Lilac Wood Yarn" height="375" width="500" /></a>Margohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468422007972840922noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33863219.post-65238003127377453072008-10-14T18:52:00.002+13:002008-10-14T19:18:00.243+13:00Knitting in CatergoriesThis is as much an answer to <a href="http://sweetp-knits.blogspot.com/2008/10/works-in-progress.html"> SweetP's Works in Progress post</a> as anything else. Plus it's time to update my current works-in-progress anyway.... so it's a perfect opportunity!<br /><br />I don't have much currently on the needles actually. Mainly as I've just finished off a bunch of things - so I'm feeling just a touch bereft at the moment. But, I do have <i>some</i> things I'm working on, regardless.<br /><br />First and foremost there's the Kimono Top that I'm knitting for Katerina. I'm sweating through this knitting really as I'm not convinced that I have enough of the white for the whole project. I could, of course, order more - it's freshly received 4ply merino Baby Wool from The Wool Company - but I'd really rather not. So instead I'm knitting with white knuckles and attempting not to waste wool. It's a Debbie Bliss pattern from her Baby Knits Book. I've not knitted it before, but I've made other Debbie Bliss patterns and found that it didn't use as much wool as it said it would.... so.... here's hoping.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/2940764860/" title="Katerina's Kimono Top by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3201/2940764860_09e0ffc11c.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Katerina's Kimono Top" /></a><br /><br />This is a relatively simply knit, but it is in 4ply, so thus going slower. I'm starting to have a love of 4ply however... it does take longer, but it is so scrummy, soft, and almost delicate. I chose this pattern because Katerina needs a woolen top for wear as pajamas at night as she typically wears woolen pants, and needs a top that's not one that snaps at the bottom.<br /><br />It's in purple and white.... because that's what I had on hand. I wouldn't have necessarily done white as a main colour, but I'm liking the way it's coming out.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/2940765330/" title="Katerina's Kimono Top by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3250/2940765330_0e9d2f5afd.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Katerina's Kimono Top" /></a><br /><br />And in the same vein, the other thing on the needles at the moment is pants for nights for Katerina. I'm running short on wool with these as well - so I'm not sure at the moment if they'll be bloomers, or shorts, or longs. I don't rightly have enough for longies I think, so if I go that route I'll have to do two different wools for the main part of the longies, to stretch it out. But so far I'm just playing it by ear.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/2940764342/" title="Katerina's Soaker / Pants by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3001/2940764342_e9a8f1fa13.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Katerina's Soaker / Pants" /></a><br /><br />As to "catergory" of knitting, these are a Knitting in the Dark item for me. I nearly always have a pair of longies / shorties etc on the go and these are my project of the moment for that. Also in the Knitting in the Dark catergory, I usually have a pair of socks on the go as well. Currently, however, I don't.... though now that I mention that, I'm itching to cast on a pair! The main reason I don't is because I finished these only last week:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/2920628543/" title="Rotating Rib patonyle socks by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3234/2920628543_9a7f7429d0.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Rotating Rib patonyle socks" /></a><br /><br />They're the Rotating Rib socks as originally seen on <a href="http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/">The Yarn Harlot's blog</a> in conjunction with her Basic Sock Recipe. They're the first pair of socks I've made for myself in quite awhile now, and they've been on my feet ever since I finished aside from when they were in the wash!<br /><br />Also just finished was a quick knit - Instant Gratification - which I cast on shortly after sending the shawl to it's new home. Thus, the Double Moss Dishcloth:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/2940763368/" title="Double Moss Dishcloth by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3176/2940763368_910d8b406d.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Double Moss Dishcloth" /></a><br /><br />Currently I don't have a BIG project on the go - but am about to start <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/wicked-worsted-weight-version">Wicked</a>, just as soon as all my assignments for Uni are done!Margohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468422007972840922noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33863219.post-41121574158693808562008-10-08T11:00:00.004+13:002008-10-08T11:22:36.743+13:00The story of a shawlI have very little currently on the needles.<br /><br />I've also had very little knitting time lately.<br /><br />My biggest project of late has been working on an heirloom shawl for the second baby of one of my dearest friends.... to be born any minute now. Technically she commissioned me to do it, but it was very much a work of love nonetheless. I used a vintage pattern from a Patons book that my Mother in Law has, and used Naturally Haven 4ply in cream. The pattern called for 8 balls - although it called for a 3ply wool instead of 4ply. I bought two balls originally, to do swatches and test knits - then bought a pack of 10 balls. I figured that should be plenty.<br /><br />I did swatches - two, actually, because my first one didn't work out to gauge. And as I knew I'd have plenty of wool, I recrafted my first swatch into something else - a little clutch bag as a present for a 5 year old daughter of a friend of mine. For that, I did a trim with some Peter Pan 4ply acrylic that I've had sitting in the stash for nearly as long as I've been knitting, and embellished it with little girly things that I could find. It was also my first time lining a bag... and while it's not a brilliant job, it did the trick.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/2283567757/" title="Bag for Florence by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3251/2283567757_7377789b78.jpg" width="500" height="354" alt="Bag for Florence" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/2283567873/" title="Bag for Florence02 by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2375/2283567873_c31161a9c2.jpg" width="500" height="436" alt="Bag for Florence02" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Then I started knitting the shawl. The body of it is garter stitch, which works for me as I try to always have at least one 'mindless' project on the go, so that I can multitask. The shawl worked well for this, although not as portable as other projects due to it's expanding size and it's colour. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/2580452964/" title="BeckShawl by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2379/2580452964_7213311a27.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="BeckShawl" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">And slowly, the shawl grew.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/2596974522/" title="100_0873 by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3097/2596974522_ba28033022.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="100_0873" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Until finally the garter stitch part was finished - all 29 inches long of it.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/2662542950/" title="100_0950 by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3002/2662542950_bb91d22c5e.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="100_0950" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Then came the lace part. I'd been secretly quite wary of it - I'm not an expert lace knitter, and my brief forays into lace previously had taught me that I don't often have the patience for it. I like projects that move quickly and show lots of progress - lace does neither. Plus it's much harder to 'fudge' any mistakes in lace. But lace is what makes an heirloom shawl, so it had to be done. <br /><br />Once I started knitting it, however, I realised it wasn't nearly as bad as I'd worried about. Sure, every side when I picked up the stitches I had to do it two or three times before getting it 'right', but that's mostly because it's hard to get 108 stiches evenly distributed among 160 stitches. And I certainly had my moments of 'tink'ing (backwards knitting) where my count / pattern had gotten off as well. <br /><br />Once I started the last side, I was about to start my last ball of wool, and realised that there was no way I could do the lace edging AND the border on top of that as well. I tried three different yarn shops and all told me that Haven 4ply in cream was sold out - let alone the specific batch number I needed. Finally it was decided that the border would be left off entirely - I thought the shawl looked good as is, and wasn't worried about it being too small.<br /><br />I needn't have worried. When I went to bathe / block the shawl, once it was wet, I stretched it out on our bed to dry. On our <i>queen size</i> bed. And was amazed at the sheer size of it.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/2880315553/" title="Shawl - FINISHED! by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3106/2880315553_1dfa1ef4ce.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Shawl - FINISHED!" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Finally - with my recipient now 38 weeks pregnant - I couried it off to it's new home. Apparently she's quite pleased with it - she sent this picture of it awaiting the new arrival:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/2922921200/" title="Shawl at it's home by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3164/2922921200_e35453f620.jpg" width="367" height="500" alt="Shawl at it's home" /></a><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Margohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468422007972840922noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33863219.post-79108743372577599322008-05-11T17:35:00.004+12:002008-05-11T18:10:54.573+12:00The Bag That Never EndsI've been working on this bag for about a month now. It was inspired from <a href="http://intricatesimplicity.wordpress.com/2007/04/27/friday-favourites-4-3/">this bag</a> which I have been coveting since I first saw it. I'm doing it for a swap, and I'm fairly sure that it will suit my intended recipient to a T. This bag was one of the many projects that was supposed to be finished before I gave birth - in reality, it wasn't <span style="font-weight: bold;">started </span>until after I gave birth. I feel rather sorry for it, as a project, as I just haven't given it the time it deserves. I'd knit a bit on it, but then be needed by the baby. Or the husband. Or the toddler. Or I'd start knitting on it after everyone was in bed, but then I'd grow bored of the constant knit stitch. And being that I did the bottom bit in garter stitch, and the body in the round.... it was ALL knit stitch. Plus it's neither my favorite yarn or my favorite colourway - which is okay, as it's being made for a friend - but that didn't help the motivation any. And the fact that it was just SO LARGE - which was necessary, as I was going to felt it - also didn't help, as I'd knit several rounds and still feel like I wasn't making any progress.<br /><br />But anyway. The knitting part of this is done. Finally.<br /><br />And I was so eager to be 'finished' with it that I tossed it in the machine with relatively little thought about things, and felted it. In truth I quite like the way it felted up, and felting definitely suits the yarn I used (from <a href="http://www.thetinshed.co.nz/"> The Tin Shed</a>). But only after the fact did I realise that I'm not sure where to go from here.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/2481670951/" title="100_0788 by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3182/2481670951_66e28db788.jpg" alt="100_0788" height="375" width="500" /></a><br /><br />I don't know how to block a felted project. But I have a sneaking suspicion that it should have been done before I let it dry.<br /><br />I also meant to add embroidery to it. Which I also, in hindsight, think should probably have been done before I felted it.<br /><br />I need to line it as well - thankfully it's not too late for that. However, I have no idea what I'm going to line it with. Very few of the fabrics I currently have match. One which does match, I'm not sure I have enough of. The only other one that matches is earmarked for something else, but alas I haven't started that project yet, so maybe it's "a sign". And I have no idea if the intended recipient will like <span style="font-style: italic;">any </span>of the fabrics in question.<br /><br />I do like the bag. It's the first felted bag I've done, and I'm rather pleased with how it's come out, so far. But I really don't know where to go from here!Margohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468422007972840922noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33863219.post-55526920839568430762008-01-06T22:02:00.000+13:002008-01-06T22:21:59.838+13:00The Knitting, The BitchingThis post has two parts. I'm summarising now so that those only interested in skimming can skip whatever part you prefer. There's the knitting - which is, well, knitting. And there's the bitching. Consider it like a one-sided stitch-n-bitch.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Knitting</span><br />I frogged what I had of <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter07/PATTjustify.html">Justify</a> today. Originally I didn't know if I liked it, so I put it aside completely and totally for a few days to let it sit. And the more I thought about it the less I liked it. It might have been okay for me, in the end, and even then it might not have been. But it certainly wouldn't have been good enough to gift away, which is what I had originally hoped to do with it. So I ripped it, ripped it good.<br /><br />And I decided on a new technique - same idea, different application - for Justify, and I started again. I like the look of the new technique better. Basically it uses the same colours and even in similar combinations but in much, much smaller doses per time. Leading to either a million and one ends to weave or a helluva lot of Russian joins. So far I've done both. I'm hoping that if I deal with the ends in fits and spurts, it won't be quite so tedius. And I'll avoid the massive yarn-hairball that may otherwise result.<br /><br />The bad news is that I only have about six inches done.<br />The old:<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/2153250085/" title="Justify by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2110/2153250085_beb62d2d4d.jpg" alt="Justify" height="375" width="500" /></a><br /><br />The new:<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/2171456464/" title="New Justify by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2261/2171456464_04f69aef8a.jpg" alt="New Justify" height="375" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Bitching:<br /></span>I've been thinking a lot lately about value, women's work, knitting, and making a living. Or hell, at least surviving. This probably isn't terribly surprising considering the fact that I like to think that I run a business. It started from a very interesting discussion on the Knittyboard, which I didn't participate in but just read. Most experienced knitters have heard it before - you can't make money out of knitting. Not the act itself, at the very least.<br /><br />It was pointed out in the discussion that you can, you just need a market that appreciates quality materials and hand made products for you to get anywhere close to a realistic wage for knitting. And I'm well aware there are people out there. However, I'm convinced that they're not Kiwis.<br /><br />At the same time as I read and reflected on this discussion, in my main forum <a href="http://www.thenappynetwork.org.nz/">The Nappy Network</a> there's a bit of a price war going on. One person has her mother knit soakers in Australia, ships them over here, and retails them for $15 a pop. Another knits like crazy (I'm assuming, based on output) and puts soakers up on <a href="http://www.trademe.co.nz/">TradeMe</a> for $17 - $20 a pop. And still another sells here and there and mostly through word of mouth for around $17 a pop, including for larges.<br /><br />Now, I'm a yarn buyer as much as I'm a knitter. (My husband would argue that I buy <span style="font-style: italic;">more </span>than I knit, but I'm working on that.) And all of these items are pure wool. Most are NZ or Australian wool. This stuff ain't cheap. The cost of materials alone is likely somewhere between $8 and $10. Here I consider myself a reasonably quick knitter, but it takes me around 6 - 8 hours to churn out a soaker, longer for a huge one or one with colourwork. So these people are working, in many cases, <span style="font-style: italic;">for less than $1 per hour. </span>And frankly it pisses me off. Not just from a competitors standpoint, that refuses to sell myself so cheaply. But also from a women's standpoint, which seems to me the bigger issue. Women devalue their own work, and similarly the work of other women, so much, that this is what is has come down to. After all, it's "only knitting". It's "nothing". It's "a hobby". It's "spare time". Who are we kidding? All of us put vast amounts of ourselves into our knitting. To have it sold to the lowest bidder, and thank-you-ever-so-kindly for "helping me out."<br /><br />I guess it's no wonder that there's still a pay gap between genders. It's what we ask for.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>Margohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468422007972840922noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33863219.post-9873447863066225392008-01-02T04:44:00.001+13:002008-01-02T04:54:36.796+13:00Stash DivingStash diving is great fun. As is pulling out loads of scrap wool and partial balls.<br /><br />I started knitting <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter07/PATTjustify.html">Justify</a> partially for just that reason. I have a bunch of partial balls I don't know what the heck to do with. Some of them are large enough to make tiny hats.... and some aren't. I figured I probably have enough now that the colours are at least partially complimentary.<br /><br />I'm starting to question the wisdom in that, though. As I've been knitting, my opinion keeps changing on the item. One minute it's cool, eclectic, hippy even. Patchwork-esque. The next minute it's a horrible blob that matches nothing and any sane person wouldn't wear in public.<br /><br />I originally started knitting it for a one-skein-item swap. Granted, it's more than one skein's worth of wool, but we have free reign to use scraps. I figured this way would ensure that I gave above-and-beyond in the swap without technically breaking the rules or the spirit of the swap. Now I'm thinking that it's just as likely the receipient will be repulsed by the item - so if I do keep it, in a knitted-up, non-frogged state.... it'll likely be for me.<br /><br />Great, I know my own tastes.<br /><br />But I still don't know if I would wear the thing.<br /><br />I'm hoping that using entirely one colourway for the edging will help it out - give it a cohesiveness that it's currently lacking. Because right now it's looking rather hobo-chic, and I'm not sure that's in fashion at the moment.<br /><br />So, without further disclaimers, I present the work-in-progress that is <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter07/PATTjustify.html">Justify</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/2153250085/" title="Justify by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2110/2153250085_beb62d2d4d.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Justify" /></a><br /><br />It didn't occur to me before now... but perhaps the name of the pattern comes from trying to Justify why anyone would actually knit such a thing!Margohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468422007972840922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33863219.post-11985167702785208712007-12-25T15:01:00.000+13:002007-12-25T15:04:44.477+13:00Blog Giveaway Winner!Okay, so I'm a day late with this.... best of intentions and all!<br /><br />The winner was picked via a random sequence generated by the Random.Org website, just to be totally fair. <br /><br />And the winner is....<br /><br />.... Carla!<br /><br />I've dropped her an email to let her know.... so if you didn't get one.... it's not you :-P<br /><br />It's been fun though (as well as a sneaky way to get my blog viewed) and I may do it again sometime so it doesn't hurt to check back now and again. (Though that may me another sneaky way to get views)Margohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468422007972840922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33863219.post-8490877651886082132007-12-19T11:06:00.000+13:002007-12-19T14:02:19.311+13:00In the Spirit of Christmas<p style="margin-bottom: 0.5cm;">.... and for the sake of karma.... or whatever you'd like to call it!<br /><br />I announce my own Blog Giveaway!<br /><br />Being given away is <b>one </b>custom-made handknit item of the winner's choosing from the list below:</p> <ul><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Beanie-style hat (any size) </p> </li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">A pair of socks </p> </li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">A pair of shorties (baby or toddler sized) </p> </li><li><p>Pack of three cotton dishcloths<br /></p> </li></ul> <p>To enter, simply leave a comment, and make sure to include your email address. </p> <p>The fine print:<br />Winner may choose one of the above items, and give input into fiber choice and colour. However, pattern used to knit it is of my own discretion.<br />A valid blog and/or email address must be given to enter, so I can contact the winner. However, it will not be used (by me) for any other purposes. Entries close at noon (NZ time, or +13 GMT) on Christmas Eve (24/12/07) One winner will be chosen at random on Christmas Eve (24/12/2007) no later than 7pm. I reserve the right to show off the finished item here at a later date. International entries are welcome. </p>Margohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468422007972840922noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33863219.post-22438268454921999202007-12-15T15:24:00.000+13:002007-12-15T15:42:33.655+13:00Quick Knits and Spare TimeNo, I still don't have my needles - my original needles - back yet, as the suitcase is still missing and now Air New Zealand have no interest in knowing me.<br /><br />BUT thanks to the lovely expedited and personal service from <a href="http://www.greenbeans.co.nz">Green Beans</a> I have some 4.5mm 30cm and 40cm circular Addi Turbo needles, so I can knit my standard longies / soakers. These are actually slightly different than what I usually use - which is 4.0mm - but I figured, since I didn't have this set yet, if my original needles ever turn up, bonus! and I'll have the extra set. <br /><br />I've been so glad to get the needles that I've already put them straight to work.<br /><br />First with the Forest Longies - knitted as part of a swap with a friend for Secret Santa gifts. They're done in the <a href="http://www.thewoolcompany.co.nz">The Wool Company</a> Utiku Multi-dyed "Forest" colourway - which seems to be fairly unique to their retail shop (as opposed to the website). They're a size medium, for a 6 month old boy.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/2109721827/" title="Forest Pants by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2151/2109721827_aba3653aa8.jpg" width="327" height="500" alt="Forest Pants" /></a><br />The Forest longies were started on Thursday morning (in a bout of insomnia) and finished while watching the Friday evening news the next day. So quite a quick knit - but I'm pleased with them! Do really like the way the pooling's worked out in these.<br /><br />Secondly, some newborn sized longies in Cleckheaton Vintage Hues for Meep, courtesy of World of Warcraft. This morning I started to download the Burning Crusade expansion pack (trial version). In the time I was waiting, I cast on the pants. Approximately 3.5 hours later, I'd finished the bum-portion of the longies, and the download finished, and I ran the installer. Then ran the program. But now I have a major patch to download. So I went back to the longies. I did both legs, the weaving in of ends, and the kitchener stitch at the crotch. Took a photo, uploaded it, put it on Ravelry. And now wrote the blog. <br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/2112014432/" title="Meep Vintage Hues Longies by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2268/2112014432_44e91c82c4.jpg" width="436" height="500" alt="Meep Vintage Hues Longies" /></a><br /><br />The patch download is now at 63%. Perhaps I should work on another pair while waiting!Margohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468422007972840922noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33863219.post-23751085782939808062007-12-12T22:19:00.000+13:002007-12-12T22:56:23.089+13:00Murphy's MusesQuote from the Nov 16th post of <a href="http://www.theyarnharlot.ca">The Yarn Harlot</a>: <blockquote>Luckily, the yarn was cheap, and the knitting is fast, and I think that increases my chances. The muses are buddies with Murphy, and the more time and money you spent, the more you attract their decidedly cruel sense of humour. Maybe if I knit faster...they won't see me go by?</blockquote><br /><br />This is the story of my Rosebud sweater. I was inspired to do the sweater, largely, simply because I could. Rather, I wanted to have knit a sweater because I kind of felt like a fraud calling myself a knitter - indeed, even thinking myself reasonably advanced - and not having ever made myself (or any other adult) a sweater. Plus, I continually browse <a href="http://www.knitty.com">Knitty</a> and am continually inspired, and never do anything about it. Oh, and I'd fallen in love with a particular yarn, and knitting a sweater is about as close to marriage to a yarn as you can get. Plus it's a good excuse to completely blow the yarn budget. ("But honey.... it's for the sweater!")<br /><br />My original goal with the sweater was to have it finished in time to wear it for the late autumn / early winter season that I would be in whilst visiting California this year. I left on the 18th of November. At that point, I had the body of the sweater completely finished. I had one sleeve finished, and the other sleeve was started. Simple, I thought. I'd finish it while there. Something to look forward to and keep me busy at the same time.<br /><br />While over there, I ran out of yarn. <br /><br />Probably this is my fault. The pattern originally called for 11 balls of yarn for the size I was doing. But I'd been playing it by ear and thought that each sleeve shouldn't take more than a ball and a half to do. I'd make it. I knew I wouldn't have much to spare... but certainly I'd make it. <br /><br />I didn't make it.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/2058244945/" title="Rosebud - Sleeves - WIP by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2032/2058244945_7dd684f684.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Rosebud - Sleeves - WIP" /></a><br /><br />I had a few choice words to say about it. But I got over it. All this meant, would be that I'd finish the sweater at home, after buying a final ball of yarn. I probably wouldn't wear it until late March, after giving birth to Meep, but as the pattern was based on a maternity sweater and I'd added a little length besides, it'd be a fantastic post-natal sweater. Plus the seasons should be changing right around the time I give birth. Perfect.<br /><br />So I packed it diligently away in my suitcase for proper care when home. Along with a good other number of things... including a ton of scrummy new wool, my brand new shiny Knit Picks Options set as well as some Harmony double pointed needles, and the couple projects I'd brought with me (some now completed, some still in progress).<br /><br />And then Air New Zealand lost my bag. Not all bags, mind you, but just the one with all my knitting gear in it. Including the sleeves of the Rosebud sweater. Air New Zealand assures me that they're "tracing" it, but at this point it's been nearly a week and I'm not holding my breath.<br /><br />The irony is, the body of the Rosebud sweater was packed in the other suitcase. Which made it home to me without any problems.<br /><br />So for now, at least, I present...<br /><br />The Rosebud tank.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/2104708181/" title="RosebudTank by KiwiWonder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2173/2104708181_f896b30fa2.jpg" width="421" height="500" alt="RosebudTank" /></a>Margohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468422007972840922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33863219.post-72637833150742670252007-11-07T00:01:00.001+13:002007-11-07T00:03:53.648+13:00The tangeled webs...Today I went through Every. Bit. of Yarn. I own. As per usual this wasn't spontaneous organization (please, I'm not THAT pregnant yet). Rather, I brought out all the bags of yarn that had been orderly stacked in the closet, and turfed them all out onto the bed. I was looking for the knitting elastic. I bought some several months ago because I thought it'd be useful, though I wasn't sure what for at the time. Then today making Rosebud it occurs to me that THAT is exactly what I need. Right. Now.<br /><br />So, as logic happens, I distinctly remember buying the stuff, but I haven't the foggiest idea where I've put it. And for the record, I still don't. I bought it at a fabric shop right next door to my favorite yarn store, so I checked bags of wool and what little accumulation of fabric that I have. No luck. The wool at one point was somewhat organised (or at least stored neatly in random order together) and the fabric was very neatly tucked away. The elastic, though, no idea. For those who aren't familiar with it, knitting elastic looks very much like a small spool of thread, it's just ever so slightly thicker. So we're not talking about something that's going to jump out and grab me - rather, something that can quite easily sneak into a dark corner and live there for decades.<br /><br />Which it may well end up doing, because the bloody stuff is still MIA.<br /><br />In the end, however, I did find this.<br /><br /><div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/1886352493/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2178/1886352493_119ff746e9_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0;" > <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/1886352493/">Mess</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/kiwiwonder/">KiwiWonder</a> </span></div><br /><br />I claim no responsibility for this. It's at least 6 different ends-of-balls of wool. Most of which may be enough to do 'something' with. Except for the fact that somehow in the process of shifting them (not today, but the last time they were thrown together and moved) they have become one. Hopelessly intertwined. Now, my hubby can verify - I suck at freeing knots / tangles at the best of times, to the point where it's one of hubby's odd knitting related jobs. The idea of freeing this mess.... well, it's not appealing. All of this is complicated by the fact that one of the ball-ends in there is my very favorite rainbow yarn. Which I thought I only had half a ball left of, but now I've found this, I actually have two half-balls left of, which is enough to "do something" with. If I can ever get it free.Margohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468422007972840922noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33863219.post-75486195936788919872007-10-29T23:00:00.000+13:002007-10-29T23:23:35.126+13:00One a DayFor the past couple of days, I've been starting a new project every day.<br /><br />But I've also been finishing a project every day, too, so perhaps it's not as bad as it sounds.<br /><br />Thursday was the most impressive, I finished the Purple Rainbow pants for Missy.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/1725116590/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2071/1725116590_d431cf3528_m.jpg" width="228" height="240" alt="Purple Rainbow" /></a><br /><br />And I started and very nearly finished the Snazzipants Shorties - the actual knitting was finished on Thursday night but I did the embroidery Friday morning.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/1753163624/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2238/1753163624_6c9688d3a0_m.jpg" width="195" height="240" alt="Snazzipants02" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/1753163680/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2236/1753163680_3b69914120_m.jpg" width="132" height="240" alt="Snazzipants03" /></a><br /><br />The shorties were done in response to a promotion / competition run by <a href="http://www.snazzipants.co.nz">Snazzipants</a> at the <a href="http://www.parentandchildshow.co.nz">Parent and Child Show</a> on in Auckland this past weekend. The shorts were a HUGE hit, despite Miss only being semi-cooperative in terms of actually modelling them.<br /><br />Friday I finished the above shorts, and started the a newborn sized soaker / diaper cover for Meep. Which I then finished on Saturday. The main wool here is hand-dyed stuff I did with food colouring a couple months ago, and hadn't decided what to do with yet.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/1778947967/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2065/1778947967_de5fd7ccd0_m.jpg" width="211" height="240" alt="MeepSoaker" /></a><br /><br />Saturday I didn't start anything. So sue me. <br /><br />Sunday, however, seems to have made up for it. <br />Firstly, I finished the Yarn Eating Poncho. I knew well before I finished it that it was a disaster, and it is. Lessons learnt, I suppose. Or maybe I'm still bitter.<br />Sunday I also started some socks for hubby. These have been on the going-to-get-around-to list for awhile, but were bumped up this weekend. As I was casting-off (and casting off and casting off and casting off) the gazillion (600) stitches on the cursed poncho, hubby comes out into the room holding one of his woollen socks (store-bought) which he's had for years. And which he absolutely loves to wear in bed, despite the fact they rub up against my legs and drive me absolutely crazy because they are NOT the softest yarn. These said horrid socks have worn through to proper holes in the heels. Hubby comes out with one in his hand, holds it high, and says "I guess I need new socks, unless you want to darn them?" I figure, good riddance to bad rubbish - but as I happened to be casting off, I decided to cast on some socks. The wool is a bad dye lot of The Wool Company "Seaweed" cleverly disguised in the bricks-n-mortar Wool Company shop as "Forest". Anyway, I liked the grey in it (which Seaweed doesn't have) and figured it was close enough to camoflauge colours to please hubby. It's not my choice for sock wool (even for thick boot socks) but it's less scratchy than the horrid things hubby had been wearing, so I figure it's a compromise. I'm so generous.<br /><br />Started on Sunday afternoon...<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/1780968276/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2199/1780968276_10435fa0b7_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Forest socks" /></a><br />... and finished tonight, Monday. Actually, I partially lie - this <span style="font-style: italic;">sock</span> is finished. I still have to make the other. Minor detail.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/1798468636/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2396/1798468636_bca6ea5ab2_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Sock" /></a><br /><br />Also, just to keep in pattern, I started something tonight. And just to make up for Saturday, I started it twice, because I the first time ended up being crappy so I redid it. It's (hopefully) a baby blanket for Meep. I'm designing the pattern myself (apparently I <span style="font-style: italic;">don't</span> actually learn my lessons) although it will probably be fairly basic. I'm sure there's a pattern very similar to what I'm trying to create already out there, but I've looked and can't find one, so I'm doing it myself. I'm hoping for a roughly waffle-like texture to it. We'll see how close I get.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/1798468508/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2397/1798468508_d9e662c499_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Blanket, Hopefully" /></a><br /><br />I seem to have a 'green' thing going on at the moment.Margohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468422007972840922noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33863219.post-46630092784374648882007-10-28T09:59:00.001+13:002007-10-28T10:02:03.820+13:00Oh, the Shame!<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/1779795166/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2353/1779795166_7979ca50d3_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0;" > <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwiwonder/1779795166/">YarnEatingPoncho</a> <br /> Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/kiwiwonder/">KiwiWonder</a> </span></div>14 balls of wool later, it's finished.<br /><br />And I hate it.<br /><br />I guess this is just desserts for assuming I could knit with nothing even resembling a pattern - not a published one, not any calculations to figure out the stitches for my size, just a vague thought that I wanted a poncho. <br /><br />The amount of things wrong with this yarn-eating blob are numerous... the neck's far too wide and not really long enough, there's far too many increases, and really, who needs 600 stitches per round? Certainly not me. <br /><br />14 balls of wool and the thing only comes to my bust. Seriously. I did try it on, but didn't take a picture - the shame was simply too much.<br /><br />I figure this will get frogged (part of the reason I haven't bothered to weave the loose ends in) but probably not for a bit. I don't immediately need / want the wool for anything and I'd really rather not see it - the 'poncho' or the wool - for a long, long time. <br /><br />Ugh.Margohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468422007972840922noreply@blogger.com1