Completed Projects – sometimes, it takes time!

Posted on May 4, 2015 by honey

So, first up, I promised photographs of the Garland sweater…

The complete sweater – the image top right is probably closest to the true colour of the yarn.

I had fun doing this sweater – and you can see in the bottom left photo how the top is a little baggy in the back, as I mentioned last week. Though we have discovered that if I have less than perfect posture that ‘bagging’ vanishes!

At the recent Purlescence open day I also bought some beautiful buttons and some French Navy pure wool sweater yarn to finish the 1963 Twinset.

The 1963 Twinset (you can just see the dart in the bottom right picture)

For those of you who don’t know the story of the 1963 Twinset, pull up a chair and get comfortable. A friend of mine turned to me about three years ago, and (knowing my interest in vintage) asked if I would be interested in finishing a project.

It turned out that a friend of hers – a wonderful older lady with a name at least at interesting as my real name had started knitting a twinset and had never got around to completing it. The pattern she had used was a 1957 pattern, and she had started knitting this twinset in 1963.

Now, before you think this wonderful lady is an incredibly slow knitter, that’s not the case. She ran out of yarn for the placket and collar and put the project aside in early 1964, from whence it made it’s way into the attic and there it had remained until three years ago when it was handed to me.

This twinset is a work of art, the tiny stitches are so even the effect is almost of a machine knit. The darts on the top are almost invisible to the human eye. I can’t find any ends where the balls change over – just the cast on and bind off tails… and the whole thing is knit in the most amazing pillar box red.

It’s this red that created my challenge. There was no way I was ever going to match this shade of red (in fact the original knitter had tried and failed – hence it’s long purgatory) so I was in a quandary as to what to do?

First up the wonderful Susan Crawford started her vintage line of yarn – Aha! (thought I) – but no, none of the shades were quite right (though I did indeed buy some and knit the January sweater with Excelena, and what lovely yarn it is to)

The 1963 twinset sat in it’s box while the problem sat in the back of my head. Pondering. When I heard that Purlescence were now stocking Jamieson & Smith 2ply pure wool I knew I had potentially struck gold. The next open day I could make I took the 1963 twinset with me and spent a few hours on the floor with each of the 40 shades – too brown, too orange, too ‘Christmas’…. There were some surprising combinations that worked (burnt orange and bright red anyone?) but that weren’t in keeping with the period and there were several combinations that should have worked but didn’t (red and black?! why wouldn’t red and black work?). The moment we paired the French Navy magic happened. If my life had been a Disney movie there would have been singing birds, delighted squirrels and sparkle dust.

Serendipitously, Textile Garden were also there with their lovely buttons. lots of hunting and coo-ing (and extraneous buttons that I didn’t really need later) I had 10 lovely little cream buttons with a vintage navy blue abstract design on them.

So now I had yarn and I had buttons and I had a vintage twinset that I was terrified of ruining.

That night I had a dream. Literally, I really, honestly, did! You’re worried about knitting on a placket and collar and it looking weird (said my dream). You’re worried about not matching gauge, and getting it all wobbly or too tight (continued my dream). Why not crochet an edging? (cue lights going off all over, fireworks and stirring orchestral music). Indeed?! Why NOT crochet! It was actually pretty common to combine the two crafts, and by crocheting the edgings I could make sure it was exactly the right tension as I wouldn’t need to pick up and knit stitches along the edge…

The next morning I added a gravel stitch placket and collar to my lovely twinset. The next day I added the lovely buttons. And now all I need to do is give it a rinse in some lovely SOAK to full the new wool a little and refresh the 50 year old yarn.

I have realised I also need to buy a navy pencil skirt or wide-leg 40’s style trousers to wear with this creation, but truly? it’s a small price to pay. I can not wait to wear this out, and I am so proud of being able to finish this project (which, co-incidentally fits me perfectly) and do the original knitter justice. I also have plenty of yarn left over – so I’m wondering if I also crochet a detachable collar for the sweater… hmmmm…..

I finish a spring sweater – just in time for summer!

Posted on April 20, 2015 by honey

Garland is a lovely vintage style bateau neckline with deep V back. It has a beaded trailing vine around the neckline, decorated with bullion knot flowers. I’ve been working on this sweater since last year, and it’s a lovely ‘spring’ weight jumper – warm but not too warm, too warm for summer and a little too cold for the depths of winter.

Of course the weather last week turned glorious – so much for “neigh cast a clout till May be out”

It is always the way isn’t it, (for me at least) that when doing a project that requires a specific amount of yarn the final ball goes walk about? I know the 5^th ball of yarn for finishing the ‘Garland’ sweater is somewhere in the house, but despite my best efforts I am unable to locate it. Needing to do a final 4 rows on the neck, I finally gave up turning out cupboards, boxes and bags and ordered a single ball (from LoveKnitting as my original supplier, Black Sheep Yarns, had run dry). Two days later (very quick, as I ordered on a Sunday evening and my yarn arrived Tuesday lunch) and cosseted in a very pretty little project bag with LoveKnitting ribbon my lonely little ball arrived and I got to pick up the stitches for my neckline.

The MIA ball will of course suddenly appear in the spoon drawer or something – The sweater however is finished, and I’m really pleased with my little silk embroidery thread bullion knot flowers (it works much better in my red than the pattern original white in my opinion)

I know, I know – photos to follow!

I know I was on gauge for the project, and I have ‘blocked’ it by the process of getting the thing sopping wet, squeezing it out (deliberately) fairly roughly and laying on the sweater dryer. However on wearing, the sweater thinks I am a few inches bigger than I actually am. Particularly in the old bosom area. While gratifying, it does mean I have a sweater that is too big. Not “around the knees” too big, but definitely too big. Not sure what to do about this to be honest. I’m going to have to ‘pin’ the sweater to my bra straps – in the time honoured vintage way, not a big deal, but there is about 4” of extra fabric in the back which I really don’t know what to do with.

Wore the new sweater on Saturday to the Open Day at my favourite “local” yarn store, Purlescence and got several compliments on it, so pleased over all for my second sweater (for me, I think this is actually the fifth sweater I have made) – the seaming is certainly a cut above my previous attempts! Next, I’m hankering after a sweater done entirely in 2×2 rib – though my interest levels and my fingers aren’t looking forward to the actual mechanics of having to stitch it. I have a couple of patterns in mind, and the yarn is sitting ready, so it’s just a case of making the decision.

What else am I carrying around in my bag at the moment?

The continuing long commute means I have crept forwards on the Tirrold – but it really does feel like I have crept forwards. By my calculations another 10 hours will have me at the end of the 120ish rows needed to complete the rib section but when each minute on this feels like an hour, it really feels like it is taking forever!

I’ve also started work on ICE, a lovely summery bolero/shrug that I am working in a dark denim blue cotton. Worked on HUGE 7mm needles (in comparison to the 2.75mm for the Tirrold at least) I’m taking the opportunity to practice my ‘picking’ skills – using continental knit and Norwegian purl techniques.

So far I’m not convinced by the purl stitch, I still prefer the Portuguese style of purling for speed and consistency – however I am starting to be at least competent in the Continental knit method and slowly picking up speed. And it’s not going to take me 10 hours to do the required 120ish rows of stockingette either. Making it my current ‘go to’ commuting project.

More on the projects I’m working on next…

The problem of a new project…

Posted on October 25, 2013 by honey

So my finishing of projects over the summer leaves me in the odd situation of having no major projects on needles or hooks.

Ok, I have a few rows on a secret project to finish, and a thrummed muff that is staring at from the corner but I want to start something new. As you know well, a new project has to fulfil several ‘rules’, and these rules will change depending on what the project needs to fulfil.

I want to use up some of my gorgeous laceweight or lighter yarns
I probably (therefore) want a shawl -but I’m not sure I want another triangle
I have a long coach journey in the middle of next month so whatever project I start can’t be too fiddly or complicated
I don’t want a boring project
I’d quite like it to be blue, don’t know why, just would – you know how it goes.

Now, I have lots of projects that don’t fit the ‘must be done on a coach’ requirement – small beads, complex lace charts, fiddly stitches… In fact I was surprised at how many projects I have that fall into that category.

The list of projects that can be done on a coach is much, much smaller but also contains stuff that is full of rows and rows and rows of boring garter or stockinette stitch. So, I have:

The Tirrold Jumper – laceweight, purple, bottom-up jumper sweater with an eventual interesting lace panel at the top. The yards of stockinette and rib have to be done at some point!
The Textured Shawl – I have a raft of dark green mirasol K’acha marked for this. DK weight, enough variance to be interesting but it’s triangular
Thin Ice – easy pattern with a little variance to keep it interesting, blue, lace on the bottom edge and beads if I want to add them. also triangular
Finally, Laura is a crochet project that I’ve had in my queue for a while. It’s beaded, so not appropriate coach crafting but I have some lovely fyberspates purple lace that didn’t work for the project I bought it for or I could go a little heavier and use the 4ply seasilk I have. I also don’t have a crochet project on the go at the moment, so I might just “cast” this one on as well – despite the fact I’d have to buy beads!

So, having done all that I think I’m going to cast on the Thin Ice and have that as this month’s project -and maybe take the Tirrold as a ‘back up’ project for the coach if I’ve got to the complex bit of Thin Ice by then…

Of course in the process of trying to decide what to do next I emptied out my entire stash onto the study floor and even had a bit of clear out (gosh, go me!) – as do I really need that half skein of bright orange acrylic? i’ve tagged the yarns I have for specific projects and made a list – I might even check it twice! have lots of things to for the next few months now at least.

Right, best get started then..

summer of completed items

Posted on October 20, 2013 by honey

Hello, pull up a chair, tell me – how have you been? It’s been simply ages, and that is entirely my fault. I apologise.

I can’t believe it’s July since we last spoke, so this is isnt’ going to be a mega long post – I’m going to break it into bits. There’s what I’ve achieved crafting-wise, and details of my trip “Abroad” to Europe over the summer, and lots of other bits I’m sure I’m forgetting right now but will remember once I start talking to you.

So this post is going to be a quick(ish) summary of everything I’ve got done over the summer. Which makes it sound like loads, but don’t get too excited – it really isn’t.

I started by finishing (at long last!) my Jan/August Sweater. It was such a joy to finally get it off the needles, and everyone complements it when I wear it. The excelana yarn was a joy to work with and if I ever get around to repeating a pattern this one will be very high on my list. I’m also absolutely solid in my Portuguese technique now! I don’t think for one minute that repeating the pattern would take me the 2 years that this one took me – maybe a couple of months as it is a quick knit and an easily memorised pattern.

took a while but got there in the end…

I also finished my Herbie shawl (after 2 years), replete with beads, this week and it’s currently blocking on my front room floor. I’m delighted with how this turned out – the shading, the beads, the size everything. I love it, and am still manically in love with The unique sheep yarns as well. Really looking forward to getting the wear out of this one as the nights turn cooler – it’s HUGE.

The Herbie Shawl is also known (affectionately) as the Attention Deficit Shawl as every time I got bored of a pattern I changed it!

I finally gave up trying to get the ends to match on Love is a Prism – there is only so much ripping back I’m prepared to do, and though my scales told me I had more than 1/2 my yarn left at more than the 1/2 way point there still wasn’t enough to do the last three rows. Gah. However it’s lovely and heavy (just over 300gms) and the drape from the linen/bamboo blend is just stunning. The colour is outstanding and I can well see me using this yarn again for summer tank tops – if it means another trip to France so be it. I haven’t blocked it, but it’s gorgeous as it is.

I did a couple of samples for the texture and colourwork class – of which there will be more in another post – another one of those ‘learning experiences’ where for some reason on the day my brain went a bit dead, and the colour theory section of the course could have been done *much* better I believe so I’ll do my best to get some of it up on here.

Finally my hands flared up again, not as far as my wrists this time, and the doctor was great in getting me straight back on the drugs, so it’s all good 🙂

Zurich 2013

Posted on October 19, 2013 by honey

Zurich is a genuinely beautiful city set in stunning countryside. My five days there were packed with things and I barely scratched the surface. Apologies in advance as my camera wasn’t working so there are no photos to share.

The city as cosmopolitan as you could hope for, with one of the most comprehensive public transport systems I think I’ve ever seen – buses, trains, funiculars (whee!), trams, bike hire – it was all going on. It’s also impressively expensive in some respects – it made the London Travel card look positively cheap, and eating out is definitely for special occassions.

Switzerland seems to be very proud of it’s dispirate groups, and the city reflects that, with very different atmospheres in it’s different districts and areas – some of it feels very English industrial, some of it very French town square (missing only the boules) and some of it undoubtedly Swiss.

The city centre is well worth a visit, particulalry the old town, if you are only passing through. However if you have more time – a tour on the lake (which issomuch bigger than I thought it was, and we went on the day of the Annual Swim across in which 56,000 people took part!), a walk up (or down!) Uetliberg for it’s stunning views across the lake and the surrounding land and visits to both the Fraumünster church (famous for it’s Chagall stained glass windows) and Grossmünster with it’s stunning “alternative” stained glass windows by Swiss artist Augusto Giacometti added in 1932.

We also took a trip out of town to visit a local Palace, which was fascinating and meant I got to travel through several Swiss villages – all of which look exactly like you would expect them to from chocolate box depictions over the years – wooden shutters and steep roofs with over-abundant flowered window boxes. It was lovely.

I was more than ably looked after by A, her husband and excitable Bob clone Max. And of course staying with crafting friends meant there were visits to yarn shops and crafty goodness. I was surrounded by spinning wheels (seven to be precise!) and spindles and lots of books I don’t own and an impressive stash. A’s crochet friends welcomed me with open arms (despite my Swiss/German being even worse than my French) and I saw some outstanding samples of filet crochet used as curtains, tablecloths, dresser runners….

I only went into two yarn shops while in Zurich, but they were chalk and cheese. One was on the ‘main drag’ in the Old Town and was set up like many high-end luxury yarn stores in the UK. Yarns were grouped by colour and then by weight (cobweb at the top, bulky at the bottom) around the walls of the store – which was very pretty, but pointed out an almost non-existance of varigated yarns. Haberdashery was limited and nothing had a price. I did pick up a set of square knit pro circular needles as I hadn’t seen them elsewhere, but little else appealed to me. It had a good range of yarns but I got the feeling I couldn’t afford any of it before I even started.

The second store was more ‘hidden’ – and in the start of a theme I was to revisit in Vienna, this store had been taken on by an enthusiastic knitter when the original owner retired. Now, I have to say that the owners were lovely, very friendly and I really enjoyed the time I spent there (and I did buy stuff, more about that in a second). The shop was HUGE, two large rooms, but it was very, very, difficult to see how much space there really was – or what was in stock. The owner was working towards her PhD – Piled higher and Deeper – in stock management.

There were some really lovely bits and peices – and some surprises (Rowan Silk Haze for £25 anyone?) but you really had to dig and ferret, and not everyone is comfortable doing that. It’s a shame as this could be a really lovely shop.

Anyway, on to what I bought…

Kauni XEQ lace weight – 150grams over lovely rainbow long colour stripy-ness…

and this puff of fun may have found it’s way into my bag..

It’s Zealana Air – a 40% cashmere, 40% Brushtail Possum down and 20% mulberry silk blend that gives nearly 200m for 25grams. yeah, you read that right – Possum! How could I not? I also bought a swirl pewter shawl pin and a double ended tunisian hook (just of the completeness of the collection you understand!) – however most of my ‘haul’ came from Austria – so I need to leap on a train and travel…

Finally finishing projects!

Posted on February 9, 2013 by honey

I’ve had a great week catching up on several bits – and a bad week in that it’s been a stress filled and eventful week.

I finally got around to photographing all my outstanding stash (from last October!) so I’ve added a huge heap of yardage to my Ravelry stash pages and made a complete mockery of my ‘2013 Yarn Diet’. Must. Not. Buy. More. Yarn. Well, at least not for myself!

I also finished a couple of projects! Yeah, go me!

I finished a cushion ‘front’ that I had been doing in that popular ruffle yarn, you know the stuff. I loved the colour but didn’t want a scarf, and it so happened that the colourway worked well with my existing living room decor. It’s only taken about a year to get around to finish this..

I also finished the baby blanket, and I’m really pleased with how it came out. The Nikkim Cotton was perfect and it’s gone beautifully soft during blocking. I just know it will wear well in use – perfect for busy parents.

I also made headway on starting the samples for the Beginners Tunisian Workshop I’ll be teaching in June, and made a great ‘sampler spa cloth’ in Paton’s 100% cotton.

The cotton I can’t recommend highly enough if you’re looking for a tight twist cotton – it comes in 4ply and DK, in range of fabulous colours. It gives great stitch definition (as you can see), has a gorgeous eggshell-like soft sheen and I loved it so much I’ve picked up a range of colours to use in the class for the lucky students to take away with them..

Today I’m finally getting around to blocking the samples for the Crochet 102 (Shaping) class, and I have plans for some KnitPicks multi-colour I acquired…

Snow Day!

Posted on January 18, 2013 by honey

Right now it’s snowing, and according to the forecasts it’s settled in for 24 hours at least. I know this is no big deal in 90% of the world, but in London you might as well have announced Armageddon – the supermarket this morning was full of people panic buying beans, soup and long-life milk because they might not be able to get to the shops tomorrow. It started at 7am and we have a little over an inch settled nearly 9 hours later. Yes, a whole inch, and to listen to local radio you would think the world was ending. I know, crazy isn’t it?

What that means for me is some serious ‘snowed in’ crafting time. Ok, I’m limited to what I can realistically achieve, but I can get some more swatches done for Crochet 102 and maybe even sneak in a few rows of knitting while sitting in front of my open fire with a large brandy. It would be hot chocolate, except one of the tablets I’m on doesn’t let me eat chocolate! Which sadist of a pharmaceutical company came up with that one?

Ah, knitting I missed you! The steroids have appeared to have kicked in, and despite having gained 4lbs in the last 4 days and I’m starting to look like some strange drug-induced freakish balloon animal chipmunk my hands have been pretty good.

Good enough that I have been able to do a whole FOUR rows a night, the last 3 nights, on my Jan Sweater. That equates to a massive distance of about 4cm growth – but growth it is, and to mix metaphors a bird in the hand is better than a kick in the teeth. Or some such. Of course my brain has since gone on a flight of fancy as to how much knitting I could now do and catch up on and that complex cabled sweater in lace weight etc… so I’m having to be very strict with myself and that frivolous part of my personality and set very specific limits so I don’t accidentally injure myself or make things worse. Some is better than none no?

I’ve also had a phone call today to let me know that ‘an opening’ has occurred and instead of waiting 3 months for a physio appointment, they have a slot on Monday! I have an MRI in early February and it’s all go!

I’ve been hinting and promising the last couple of posts about teaching in 2013. I can’t reveal dates and suchlike yet, but I can definitely confirm that there will be at least one course from me (in conjunction with Purlescence) this year. Crochet 102 will take you from ‘beginner’ to ‘wizard’. Well, OK, maybe a bit below that – magician? I’ll be covering LOADS, including how to get a pretty cast on edge, how to get rid of that gap at the edge of your work, how to do shapes other than squares, rectangles and circles, short rows, gauge (*why* it’s important and when we can ignore it), blocking and texture! There maybe more, but that’s where I’m up to in my notes so far. There’s more obviously that I’m keeping secret – and there may even be enough for a Crochet 103, as if I put in everything I want to Crochet 102 then the only person who will be able to keep up is me – and that’s a bit pointless. If you want something specific or want to know if something will be covered then feel free to comment.

If you missed out on last year’s Crochet 101 (Complete Beginners) and would be interested in the course running again you can contact me, or Purlescence direct.

Right now I’m going to get a hot drink and stare out the window for a bit…

Welcome to 2013

Posted on January 11, 2013 by honey

Happy New Year dear reader and friend. I hope that the next 12 months bring you joy and happiness and as little of the salt of life as we can get away with to allow us to fully enjoy and appreciate the good times.

Frankly, I’m hoping for a much better year than 2012. Seeing as the Incas didn’t predict the end of the world, just a new beginning, i’m really hoping that 2013 signifies that new start, and I have lots and lots planned for the next 12 months.

First up, I’ve been promising pictures of this since I can remember, so here’s the lovely Cloudy Skies Cowl

Cloudy Skies Cowl

I really enjoyed this project, the rustic texture (I got used to working with 4ply or lighter so it was a pleasure to work in a thick worsted), the cable, the kitchner graft. I love it. I’m really pleased I was able to do this handspun justice, and it’s given me a lot of confidence to tackle some more stuff in 2013.

I’m going to be good and list out all the projects I am currently doing, and those I want to get to (health allowing) in 2013… Deep breath and here goes…

Currently in progress…

Jan Sweater – this has been ongoing now since August 2011. Which isn’t good. Last week I finally acknowledged that the INCH difference in the hem between front and back would not ‘block out’, so despite having passed the arm shaping I took the needles out, ripped back to the 1×1 ribbing and forced myself to knit that extra inch. Of course, that means I’ve put myself back by a goodly way, but I’ll be happier with the finished sweater, which I am determined to finish this year! (knitting)
Bee’s Honeymeade Shawl – I love this yarn, I love this pattern, and it’s been ongoing since October 2011. Another one I’m determined to finish (tunisian & crochet)
Sunset Chameleon Blanket – given the child is due to join the population in February I really need to crack on with this don’t I?! (crochet)
Herbie Shawl – another one started back in 2011. I’m really enjoying this shawl, and am about 50% done. I find the ‘non-pattern/recipe’ formula very liberating, and much of the stalling on this is deciding what stitch pattern to use next. (knitting)

Projects I want to do / start

Queen of the Night Shawl – (*I think you might need to have a Ravelry account to follow that link*) I have the yarn, I have the beads, I have the pattern, but I want to know I’m pretty consistent on the hands before I start this one. (knitting)
The Giovannina Stole is another that I have the yarn and pattern for (since 2011) and I even bought my signature needles specifically to do this pattern. (knitting)
The Tranquil Hairpin Lace Tunic is pretty high on the list as well
Finish the samples for my Crochet 102 course – I’m about 70% done with this, so the end is in sight (making large swatches was never my thing to start with, and doing them repeatedly is dull, but thankfully it is a one time job!)
Make samples for other courses in the pipeline, a Crochet 103 (oh yes, boys and girls), a basic Tunisian 101 course, and a Tunisian 102, a Hairpin Lace 101 and a Broomstick Lace 101. Of course I need to write the material as well, and all courses will be subject to demand and uptake, but the plan is there…

Of course I have more projects than just those that I have the yarn for, ready to go, (12 to be exact) and I have several projects that I have yarn for and ideas but no set pattern (5 or 6 I think), or I have to write the pattern myself, but I think only adding 3 official projects to my existing list is probably sensible until we can get my hands reliably fixed.

I also have my 2011 Christmas present from my brother to tackle.

Gold Collection Aurora Cabin Cross Stitch

Having never done cross stitch before, and this being 16×12 inches, I have my work cut out, but I have a frame and I’m determined to get some of this done, this year.

So, in short I shall be challenging myself to finish at least 1 sweater, 1 blanket and 2 shawls this year. Along with improving my tunisian, hairpin, broomstick and teaching skills. If those go well I want to try my hand at some fairly complex cabling in knitting and in crochet – and oh, yes, I’ve got a knook to play with as well!

What do you want to achieve this year?

Life gets in the Way

Posted on December 15, 2012 by honey

OK, I’ve been good and written two LONG blog posts. In fact the one I’m going to post now I wrote 2 weeks ago and haven’t posted it because I wanted to include photos. But I’m giving up, I haven’t had chance and I’m at the point I want to get the post up so that I can do the follow up info – which I also have written up. So apologies for a long post without photos – I will get to them, I promise….

I can’t believe I haven’t updated since the 4^th November! I keep promising myself that I’ll get the camera out and photograph the bits I want to share with you, and then life gets in the way. I have so much to update with you, this post is going to seem a bit random – so apologies in advance!

First up a ‘hands’ update – the consultant has announced (as of the 15^th of this month) that it’s probably ‘mild tenosynovitis’, I’m not in *that* much pain (says who?!) and rheumatology only deal with arthritis (utter nonsense) so there is nothing more they can do for me. I asked for referral to physiotherapy, but ‘there is no clinical proof it works’. I asked for referral to a nutritionist – ‘no clinical proof’. I even asked about steroid injections – guess what?, yeap. ‘no clinical proof’. The recommendation is for me to have total rest, don’t use my wrists/hands at all but they weren’t prepared to sign me off work. The consultant also recommended I take naproxen (along with a stomach lining medication as naproxen is nasty stuff for your liver) for at least 12 months. It works on a “cellular level” don’t you know – though it won’t help with the pain at all. He couldn’t write me a prescription, just a note for my doctor to write one. The upshot is = Go back to my GP, so I’m back to square one. I was shaking with suppressed anger by the time I left the consultant meeting.

However the chiropractor does seem to be having an effect and my wrists have been slowly improving over the last couple of weeks, so fingers crossed for me. I’ve had a couple of ‘good’ (almost normal) days which have made me realise just how much this has been affecting me, but the ‘bad’ days are nowhere near as bad as they were – so hopefully we are finally in to the ‘healing’ phase.

We are firmly on the slippery slope to the annual round of liver testing known as Christmas. A season which challenges my ability to process vast amounts of alcohol and rich foods, and makes me gain weight just as I want to look my slimmest in all my party frocks. As a result I’m ‘out’ more than usual and therefore doing a bit less crafting than usual. I wouldn’t change this for the world, it’s great to catch up with people I haven’t seen in months and I do love the whole sparkly event in all its kitsch-ness. You’ll see more of *that* in my next post!

Coupled with the less crafting I was already doing because of my hands, me being out three or four evenings a week means my crafting time has been almost non-existent – not a good state when you are trying to finish a baby blanket! I’m a lot further along than I was though, and with a tail wind I am on target to get it done by my own self-imposed deadline of the 20^th December. If I don’t it’s no big deal – the baby isn’t due till February.

I have moved along on a few projects though. I finished my ‘stormy clouds cowl’ and am delighted with it! I’d been terrified of this yarn. Partially because it was gifted and I’m always a bit scared that I won’t do gifted yarn justice somehow, and partially because this particular yarn was hand-spun. I enjoyed making this, 4 short little rows each evening and I’ve been wearing it for 2 weeks. It’s just long enough to go over my head and holds its shape well enough to stand guard against chills and drafts over my collar. It’s beautifully soft, and because I know the yarn was hand-spun by a dear friend I feel like I have a secret hug around my neck, which adds its own little warmth. I had just enough of the grey yarn to add a crochet border on one edge (once the cream had run out) so I even feel like I have two looks for the price of one – depending on which way up I wear it! I keep meaning to wash and give it a light blocking, but I haven’t got that far.

I’m now working on finishing a thrummed muff – which is about to celebrate its first birthday. By ‘finishing’ of course I mean “I must get it out of storage and pick it up again”. I promised it to my niece last Christmas after she saw me working on it, but then my hands interfered and I haven’t picked it up since March. It’s an easy project, and done purely to learn the technique. It’s made in best acrylic and very cheap (quite possibly acrylic) multi-coloured fibre. This means it’s perfect for niece as I’m not that attached to it, if her mother throws it in the wash it’s not the end of the world, and it’s a fun little project – I still have my muff from when I was even younger! However I’m not sure I am up-to doing a meter of icord to make the neck strap – any ideas?

I’ve been doing a little more of my continental cowl as well, and am almost at the ‘competent’ level. I love collecting techniques and skills, and I have found that I now know three different methods of knitting that adjust my tension very slightly from my ‘default’ throwing or ‘British’ style of knitting. Portuguese style (where you ‘wear’ the yarn around your neck) gives me a slightly tighter, but very even tension, and Continental style gives me a slightly looser, and not so even, tension.

“Why is this useful?” you might be asking yourself. Well, it’s all to do with gauge. When I finally get around to making something where the fit actually matters I’ll do a gauge swatch. If I am fractionally out on my stitch counts I can change techniques rather than needle size to see if that helps! See. Cool.

I’m also holding my Portuguese, Continental and Backwards knitting in reserve for the day that somebody tells me I’m “doing it wrong”. Apparently this happens a lot to knitters – but it hasn’t happened to me yet.

With my current lack of desire to take on a bigger project, I’ve been absent-mindedly playing with some Tunisian crochet ideas for a possible workshop in 2013, and I’ve been plugging away at the swatches for a Crochet 102 class planned for early 2013. Yeap, you heard it here first – I’m confident enough about my hands/wrists to have actually started planning the long promised intermediate level classes. And you read that right too – classes plural! The fun I am having with this is a separate long post in itself!

Written down it seems like I’ve been doing LOADS of crafting – but in what amounts to nearly a month I have four 6” swatches, finished a small cowl, about 1/8 of a different cowl, half a Tunisian dish cloth and just over half a baby blanket. I’m aware that if I had started those projects this time last year, they would all be finished by now – along with working on a more major project such as finishing a sweater or getting at least one of the lace knitted shawls I have queued mostly done. Frankly I’m just grateful I can do anything at all at the moment, and I’m enjoying the bits I can do.

The Europeans do it differently!

Posted on October 30, 2012 by honey

Saturday dawned bright and very early and very slightly snowy. But I grew up in the hills and microns of snow won’t stop me and I set out for (what turned out to be a Rogers and Hammerstein “Beautiful Morning”) Purlescence to do a Continental Knitting and Norwegian Purl workshop with Anniken Annis.

The universe (and specifically Transport for London) had other plans. Having closed, but not updated their website, I found myself at Victoria with no circle line, no useful district line, no bakerloo line… basically the whole of zone 1 was unusable to get to Paddington.

Of course my 20 minute cushion vanished in the face of going via Hammersmith (including a 10 minute delay at Earl’s Court, because, ironically, the train was ahead of schedule) and I arrived at Paddington to watch the train pull out. I *hate* being late.

At that hour of the morning (it was now 8.15am on a Saturday remember) I then had a very entertaining conversation with the information desk which felt like a maths exam question…

Me: I want to get to Didcot Parkway, I think the next train is 8.57am. Can you let me know what time it gets there?
Information Desk: Oh, now. that’s a long train. it doesn’t get in till 10.30am
Me:oh. ok (keeping in mind the course starts at 10, and the station is about a 25 minute drive from the course room, so I now reckon I’ll be about 1 1/2 hours late)
Information desk: However, the train at 9.30 gets in earlier
Me: [brain going clunk] sorry? a train that leaves more than 30 minutes later gets in earlier?
Information: Yeap, by 15 minutes.
Me: How? Oh, never mind.

so, having established that I had over an hour to kill (and HUGE thanks go to J of Purlescence for coming and saving me from the station) I thought I’d grab breakfast in the form of a bacon & sausage roll. I found the only reverse microwave in the world – hot bread, lukewarm sausage and bacon and stone cold tomato sauce which was in the middle of everything. Blah.

Finally I managed to get to the class, where I wasn’t snubbed by the class for being late (thank you ladies) and I hadn’t missed too much so was able to catch up.

Despite being able to crochet with both hands, I’ve never mastered knitting continental style. I can ‘pick’ when I knit backwards, but never ‘got’ it normally. I made a mistake in grabbing my signature needles, you definitely need a slightly grabby needle to make this easier. I still wouldn’t claim I’ve *mastered* it, but I am a lot better than I was, and I (strangely) found purling easier than knitting. We picked up some great tips for long tail cast on and had conversations that ranged from cable needles to slankets.

My tensioning is still a bit, erm, random at best. I am far too tense when holding my needles but I have made a start and I have a half inch of a basketweave cowl to practice with.

Naturally I picked up a couple of bits in the shop during lunch (some of which has been put to one side for giftmas presents. The journey home was *much* smoother and enjoyable – but the day couldn’t leave without one last ‘nudge’ and it took me 1hour and 40minutes to get pizza delivered from 1/2 mile away.

now to practice….

Tuesday Fortnite

unraveling the yarn

Tag Archives: knitting