The 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.

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.

Which it may well end up doing, because the bloody stuff is still MIA.

In the end, however, I did find this.

Mess
Originally uploaded by KiwiWonder

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.

One a Day

For the past couple of days, I've been starting a new project every day.

But I've also been finishing a project every day, too, so perhaps it's not as bad as it sounds.

Thursday was the most impressive, I finished the Purple Rainbow pants for Missy.


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.


The shorties were done in response to a promotion / competition run by Snazzipants at the Parent and Child Show on in Auckland this past weekend. The shorts were a HUGE hit, despite Miss only being semi-cooperative in terms of actually modelling them.

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.


Saturday I didn't start anything. So sue me.

Sunday, however, seems to have made up for it.
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.
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.

Started on Sunday afternoon...

... and finished tonight, Monday. Actually, I partially lie - this sock is finished. I still have to make the other. Minor detail.


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 don't 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.


I seem to have a 'green' thing going on at the moment.

Oh, the Shame!

YarnEatingPoncho
Originally uploaded by KiwiWonder

14 balls of wool later, it's finished.

And I hate it.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Ugh.

The trouble with trying something new

... is that it may well be addicting.

Last week I knit the Boat Neck Sweater, from "Baby Knits for Beginners" by Debbie Bliss. I altered the pattern so that it was mostly done in the round (read: I'm seam-phobic). Plus I knit it in simply devine Sublime yarn, a blend of merino, cashmere and silk. Super soft, silky stuff. (And at $14.50 NZD a ball, it should be!) I am in love with the finished product, and immediately after finishing it I wanted one for me.

So, just two days later, I made the journey down to my almost-local yarn shop and fondled more Sublime. I even talked with the owner (who's wonderful, by the way) and she agreed that I'm regular enough of a customer that I can reserve wool in the same dye lot if I can't afford enough for an adult sized sweater all at once, and just buy a few balls of it at a time. Much nicer on the budget for us skint girls. (On a side note, I'm still trying to figure out if being immediately recognised in that shop is a good thing or not... )

Last night I finished my most recent project - an order (through CSKnits) for shorties for a coming-up-1-year-old girl.

This morning, I woke up full of purpose and excitement. I would start the sweater! I have the yarn picked out, and the first three balls of it bought, and just sitting on the shelf, taunting me (as they do).

Except then it occurred to me that I haven't yet picked a pattern.

I flipped through "Big Girl Knits" and while there's several things in there I love, there's either an element that scares me (not always a bad thing mind you) or they simply won't work with a postnatal figure. And I want something that I can wear while pregnant (albeit probably not ready-to-burst, due to being summer and all) or very recently postnatal. I do love the "Bombshell" pattern from Big Girl Knits, and I reckon it could be fairly easily altered from a t-shirt to a sweater with the simple addition of long sleeves. But it's a bit short for my liking... and there's only so many alterations I'm comfortable making to a pattern...

So then I hit up Knitty and found several patterns I love.

I love the Cherie Amour pattern. It looks stunning. I love the colour, and would probably do it in the Orchard colourway from The Wool Company which is quite similar, and dark enough that it would suit me. But I'm not a fan of knitting lace. (It's slow - I'm lazy.) And also quite concerned that it really needs to be paired with something (i.e., probably not decent to wear all by itself!) Not too sure it'd suit a postnatal belly, either! I do still want to knit this... but probably not right away.

I also really like Roam from the same issue of Knitty. I love the fact that it zips (button-up doesn't suit me). I love the hoodie. I love the variegations - although I don't reckon it would look as cool in the Sublime, and the Wool Company wool wouldn't likely have the same drape without the silk content. Plus there's the postnatal figure to consider.

So I think for now, I've decided on Rosebud. It would flatter my figure - all the parts of it. It's a relatively simple knit, would look fab in the Sublime wool (and I like my Sublime colour much better than the bright red!) and it would suit my figure while postnatal, but also in my normal state. I may even get away with wearing it while pregnant - but if I don't, I won't be heartbroken.

Now... just to cast on! (And sneak the wool - and it's price tag - past my husband!)

That Uncommitted Feeling

Over the weekend I cast on three projects in the space of two days. Two of those projects got finished shortly after - a small sized soaker in plain white merino, which I'll be dying whenever I next have some vinegar in stock. And the tartan socks:

I also started a pair of size 12m longies for a friend, as part of a swap.

So, tonight as usual, I sat down to knit.

Except I'm sick of longies. I've done about three pairs in three weeks, I need a break.

Then there's the amazing-wool-eating-shapeless-poncho. Which is making me wonder if I'll finish it before summer. Or, for that matter, before I'm a grandparent. Or maybe that the thing just eats wool and has become it's own living presence rather than an actual garment.

So, I figured I'd cast on some gorgeous baby outfit that I haven't done. I'm pregnant, I have no less than four friends who are due within a couple months, and even more due further down the track. There's always babies to knit for. Plus I have three books chock full of gorgeous baby patterns, surely there'd be something I could knock off quickly. I'd feel creative and virtuous, and get a baby gift out of the way too. (Or maybe just start my own baby's layette early).

So, I started to look through patterns.

Fell in love with one, but it was very girly. All of my friends are either "surprises" or having boys. Nope, can't do a girly one.

Fell in love with several others....
Debbie Bliss Jumper, in cashmerino aran - no, don't have any of that yarn. Have several single balls in a decent substitute yarn, but only single skeins. All the patterns called for at least two. Dye lots may well not be current... bugger. Look for something else.

Gorgeous footsie longies. Look very yum. Need 4ply yarn. Don't have any. Bugger. Look for something else...

Nice looking kimono top and pants set. Knit in wool/cotton blend. I don't have any of that, either. Bugger. Look for something else...

Very pretty newborn dress.... oh. Right. No girly things. Look for something else.... Bugger.

Found a Cleckheaton pattern book I've got on loan from a friend at the moment. Absolutely stunning newborn stuff. Hey, I've even got a couple balls of that exact yarn! Ah... but it's different colours. I could do a hat, maybe booties? Meh. Anyone can do a hat. Oh, but there's that scrummy bamboo, it's the same ply, it's nice and soft for new babies... I can use that!

Sit down with scrummy bamboo and cast on.
Knit two rows in pattern.
Swear at pattern as it's very unclear - do I knit 2 rows to start, or 4?
Decide they mean 2 rows.
On row 4, decide they're wrong and they mean 4 rows.
Unravel. Start again.

Knit two rows in pattern.
Swear at pattern as it's very unclear - does that line mean "every fourth row to follow" or "for the next for rows"
Decide it means the latter.
Knit three rows.
Reread pattern, decide it meant the former.
Unravel. Start again.

Knit four rows in pattern.
Swear at pattern as it's very unclear - do I keep increasing, on every 4th row, until I have the required stitches?
Seems right. Bloody awkward way of phrasing it though.
Knit another two rows, give up for the night. I'm six rows into this baby cardigan and I'm already fed up with it.

And yet, the thing I want to do most is visit my favorite yarn shop and spend an obscene amount of money on ridiculously scrummy wool.

Pity I'm broke.

One begets another...

I've done a couple of quick projects whilst I've been on holiday - inspired largely by some really cool wool that I've managed to find at yarn shops over here :-D

A baby beanie knitted from rainbow merino wool, a modified version of the Lil' Devil Baby hat I'm planning on making myself one to match it, as I have 2.5 balls of the wool left! :D

Also a Triangular Shawl knitted from handspun / hand-dyed wool, "Manos del Uruguay" that I picked up at Fibers in Grass Valley . Knitted with two strands at once, size 15 needles. (First Addi Turbos, then changed to Denise needles) Completed in two days (rather intense days, however). I would have liked to have made it slightly larger, except that I ran out of wool. As it is, it's large enough to do the job.

And of course, I can't stop there! I've managed to pick up some other wools whilst here... I would like to knit them both up before leaving, but we'll see how that goes! I'm thinking of a poncho with the purple wool, and obviously socks (my first pair!) with the sock wool.

Argh! Terrorists strike again!

I am travelling on an international flight exactly one week from today.

I have just discovered that I'm not allowed to take my knitting in my carry-on baggage. (well, I can take the knitting, just sans needles. Which won't do me any good.)

I'm all for travel security... but knitting needles aren't that sharp. Really. Even my Addi's, which are my sharpest needles, are still blunt.

The funny thing is, the new restrictions on liquids don't really bother me. Once I found out I can take a small tub of butt cream for my daughter, that's all I need. (Actually, being as the butt cream I use on her is mostly beeswax, I may have a problem with that on the customs side. BUT at least they'll let me have it on the plane!) Heck, other than that, I don't normally take liquids in my carry-on baggage anyway, though I understand the lament about not allowing deodorant. (As an aside - it'd be a great marketing / business idea for some deodorant company to come along and sell trial size deo's on the plane or at the gate.... wonder if duty free carries any?)

But no knitting needles?? Not even my super dull, thick, bamboo needles? Think about it though... how much better knitting time could you get? It's relatively quiet, the inflight movies are hit-and-miss, you're stuck sitting down and don't usually want to be super social with people next to you. You don't need much light (for those like me who can't sleep but don't want to wake the person next to them by turning on the reading light) and it fits nicely in a lap, or in baggage. Oh come ON - what the hell else am I supposed to do for 12 hours? Certainly not read!