I can’t count but I love my new lace blocking kit.
I was knitting away merrily on the Hexacomb Cardigan, splitting for the fronts almost to the shoulder when I realised my stitch count was waaay out. Unfixably out. So I ripped it back and started something else. When something annoys you like that, it is better to start something new than try again straight away. I cast on the Acton cardigan in Serenity black…it is knitting up super fast but I am not really liking it. I think my heart is in the lace space now.
I bought a blocking kit from the lovely Daphne at The Knittery (has she had her baby yet? Ooh website says yes! Congrats Daphne!!) and I absolutely love it. The wire and t-pins make such a difference. Here is the Tiger Eyes scarf being blocked.
My next lace project is the Adamas shawl from Mimknits. I am planning to do it in some Bendigo 2 ply Venetian (appears to be a discontinued colour). I have heard that you don’t get the same effect from a machine washable treated yarn but I am willing to risk it. Ooh big risk taker. Wish me luck.
I have just finished listening to the latest episode of Cast-On. I feel that Cast-On has truly lost its way. The latest episode is about 30 minutes long with 4 songs and possibly less than 5 minutes about actual knitting. There was an apology about including ads on some people’s podcasts, I am glad I am not in the ‘target market’ geographical area as the insertion of car ads mid podcast would have pissed me off no end. There was a little skit about the lack of comments on the website, perhaps this is indicative of the loss of interest in the podcast itself. This year has been filled with Brenda navel gazing self-indulgencing, with less and less knitting. Get back to talking about the knitting…that’s why we listen. We already have Lime & Violet for epic 2 hour knitting podcasts about spiders, dead llamas and everything but knitting. That’s unfair…occasionally they talk knitting, mainly yarn porn or Violet’s ever expanding empire and ways of manipulating people into helping her. I am also getting bored of Sticks & String - the music is dull and there is the same speech by David every week about how to contact him and how he will get back to everyone eventually, but I still listen for the Australian content and some great interviews (Kaffe Fassett for example).
The podcast I have really been enjoying is Y KNIT, this is a witty fresh podcast with funny hosts and kooky way of presenting. Check it out.
Or Stash and Burn, just two girls talking knitting.
Rant over. Maybe I should stop whingeing and start my own…
I have been a slack blogger of late. No excuse.
I have finished the shawl! Woo hoo! I blocked it once. But I don’t think I was mean enough, so I blocked it again. I am tickled pink with the results. The first picture is from the first blocking but I think gives the best colour representation. The colours are very hard to photograph! I present to you the Cascading Leaves Shawl in Goth Mermaid (custom dye) Live2Knit 4ply Elizabeth.
After the second blocking, looking forward to giving it to my friend!
I hav just sent off for a lace blocking kit and am totally lace bug bitten. I am finding it very difficult to stop myself from casting on another lace project straight away.
Wot’s on the Needs
- still plugging away on the Tiger’s Eye Lace Scarf. This is helping to keep the lace bug in check at the moment.
- Cast on Hexacomb Cardigan in Paton’s Serenity in Pink with Black contrasting colour. I like the bamboo/cotton Serenity but I am not quite sure about the yarn with the pattern. In one moment, I dislike it because I don’t think it shows the hexacomb pattern properly and the material is quite drapey, then I catch sight of my work in progress in another light and I think it looks lovely. Ah well, let’s see how it turns out.
Yarn Purchases
Took a little trip to Wool Baa last week and bought the pink Serenity and;
- More Serenity in black for Acton
- Centolavaggi - 1400m of lace weight extra fine merino in black. Mmm, so soft, need to find the right pattern for that one!
Selfishness
I have decided not to knit any Christmas presents this year. Looking back over the year so far, I think I have only knitted myself a jumper, a scarf and one pair of socks in 2008. Compared to the cardigans, socks, jumpers, hats, headband, pair of slippers and a shawl I have knitted for others. Generally I am a pretty self-centred person, I come first but knitting has turned into an altruistic hobby. Perhaps as my knitting skills increase, I want to knit more impressive and complex gifts for friends and family, but I only have the same knitting time. My new ethos will be to knit something big and fancy for each family member’s birthday rather that squeeze in many small gifts at the end of the year.
So I have decided for the next few months, it is all knitting for me (except for the Tigers Eye Scarf - last present for the year). Phew! Feels like a weight of guilt being lifted from me. I DON’T WANT TO KNIT FOR CHRISTMAS!
I am thinking about what I want to knit and wear, the two cardigans and then another shawl for me. But there are some many pretty ones, I don’t know which one to choose. I pour over my knitting books while eating my muesli in the morning, trying to decide what next!
News - Mega SnB Melbourne Meet-up
Raveller Kebeni has organised an event for Melbourne SnBs.
TIME 11am onwards
WHERE Melbourne Botanical Gardens Meeting at entrance opposite the Shrine of Remembrance just past GATE F and the Childrens’ Garden. There is a visitor centre, toilets and cafe there.
WHEN Sunday 16th November
WHAT TO BRING knitting, hat, sunscreen, smile and picnic if required
So, announcing the “We give a KNIT about others!” Please don’t feel you have to do this but there will be a basket/box/bag at the event where those who choose to can deposit a toy they have knitted. These will then be donated to the MELBOURNE TOY RUN to be distributed to disadvantaged children.
This map also has instructions on how to get there via public transport
Recently, I received a gift of a big bag of knitting stuff. My friend’s mum has arthritis and can no longer knit. My friend knows I am mad about the knitting, so she gave it to me. It has been hiding under my desk at work but tonight I bought the first bag home.
At first I felt sad…imagine not being able to knit anymore! How terrible! But then again, she is passing on her paraphernalia to someone who can make use of it. I hope to do the same one day. Thanks D’s mum! Check it out…
It is lovely and sunny outside this morning, spring is in the offing! My mind has turned to spring knitting and tossing aside the jumpers. The two spring/summer cardigans at the top of my queue are;
- Acton - Norah Gaughan Berocco vol.2
- Hexacomb Cardigan - Interweave Knits - Spring 08
Both are cropped style, perfect for spring/summer Melbourne weather and covering up against air-con on casual Friday in my office.
I am planning to knit Acton in Serenity - Patons Bamboo/Cotton in black and unsure about what to knit the Hexacomb Cardi in (thinking of a pale pink with a black or chocolate brown trim). But this brings me to the next exciting spring knitting announcements; new colours/yarns by Australian Country Spinners!
Eagle eyes on Ravelry spied some new colours and yarns in their LYS. I have yet to see them in the flesh (popped into Clegs yesterday but yarns have been pushed aside for the hat and fascinator displays for Spring Carnival).
- new Natural Cotton 100% undyed cotton in 8ply and 4ply in a range of subtle earthy colours (of course!) I quite like the pale green.
- new colours in 100% Bamboo, including some bright blue, orange & green and a black
I can’t wait to see them in my hand. I might pop down to Wool Baa next weekend and have a looksie. There are also some great new supporting pattern books (although has anyone ever actually knitted a bikini?).
Wot’s on the Needs
- Tiger’s Eye Scarf - had a disaster with the Blue Bayou Mitred Stole, the yarn I chose (Live2Knit Elizabeth in Smoke) just did not work with the pattern. I spoke to the gift recipient, we logged onto Ravelry and I showed her some options. Yay a chance to do more lace. I have completed a couple of repeats and it is looking lovely
- Socks - almost finished Uneven Ribbing sock in Jigsaw Heirloom, which is looking great too.
- The Goth Mermaid Shawl is still on the needles, I just to bind off. Maybe tonight during dvd time.
Other Cool Stuff
The new issue of Yarn magazine appeared in my letter box last week. Whilst it is the best Australian knitting mag by far, the new editors have not quite got the stylish look and layout of the Barbara Coddington issues. They still look a bit amateurish. But aside from that criticism, the content is pretty good with a combination of reviews, patterns, interviews and instructional articles. Especially in love with the Rain Stole by Ailsa Daly. The article deconstructing the argyle was very informative. And the ads are always good (I never usually say that about ads. I watch mainly SBS and ABC and listen to RRR to avoid most ads) I can find out about new, small local yarn producers who I would prefer to support.
- Popknits -
Another new pattern that jumped straight onto my queue comes from another new online knitting magazines. We knitters are totally spoilt by the generous of spirit (and time) of people who produce these magazines (Yarn included!). Anyway…the pattern which fell into my queue is Gossamer Garden Stole (in the lace vein again!) by Lia Liang. Not a fan of the purple it is knitted in but I can see the beauty of the pattern. Also cool is Buttercup by Melissa Wehrle. Excellent stuff.
- Joy Gammon rocks - Danger Mouse jumper pattern on ebay. I just need a child now.
Melbourne has been putting on some perfect knitting weather for the past week or so. Intermittent rain, cold and a great excuse for not leaving the house.
Wot’s On My Needs?
- Well I have been very monogamous, trying to finish off the Goth Mermaid Shawl (Cascading Leaves Shawl with Live2Knit Elizabeth in Goth Mermaid colourway). Partly monogamous because I want to get this finished soon, partly because I am thoroughly enjoying knitting it! I have been bitten by the lace bug and I have even blocked yet. This picture is from last week and it does not accurately show the black and green handpaint from Live2Knit. I am close to the end, I have done an extra repeat and I am about 6 rows away from casting off. At 300 odd stitches, each row is taking me 20 minutes!
I am almost sad to cast off. But I have rediscovered some lace weight in my stash, been reading Victorian Lace Today while eating my muesli before work and dreaming about my next lace project. It’s funny how some things in your life need to come along at the right time to click. I have tried lace a few other times and it was a big old mess. This time, it has stuck. I have had a similar experience with yoga, I tried a few classes but nothing spoke to me until I found the right teacher and the right school. Now it is a part of my daily life, like knitting. Maybe it’s the pattern (easy and fun), maybe it’s the occasion (a shawl for my one of my best friends’ wedding), but it has been great.
- there are some other socks on my needles but little progress there.
Other stuff
- IK Fall 2008
Got my first subscription copy of Interweave Knits in the post. Being the massive stickybeak that I am, I had already checked out the preview patterns online. Maybe I should avoid doing that next time, leave a little surprise. Hmm…but can I control myself? The standout pattern for me is the Little Blue Sweater. This is just the type of jumper I like to wear. I have a small waist and the longer jumpers make me look hippy. Although I would extend the sleeves to full length. I hate this short sleeved (or even 3/4 sleeved) jumper trend, especially for winter. It is totally impractical. But I digress…Whisper Stripe Pullover is stunning (too hard basket though), AfterThought Dart Cardigan (pretty but I would shorten the length which might wreck the line of the design) and the Knotty or Knice socks are going straight in the Ravelry queue. I don’t get into the brown chunky knits (I have a thing against brown) or fingerless gloves.
There is a great educational article on different types of wool and how the ply construction affects the stitch definition. I have heard more experienced knitters talking about this type of thing but now seeing swatch examples, I understand. A great review of knitting cottage industry books. I am quite interesting in the regional knitting styles.
Perhaps because I had seen the patterns before, the magazine did feel quite short. Have the page numbers decreased?
I have been busy this week with MIFF. I have taken time off work and thought I would have plenty of time for knitting but this has not been the case!
Finished Stuff
But I have finished a baby item, Seed Stitch Baby Jacket for new niece. I girly-ed it up with a couple of pink buttons (the project was started before the gender was known).
I acquired a bunch of Cleckheaton Nurture (100% naturally dyed, thick n’ thin, 18 stitches to 10cm) and didn’t know what to do with it. However, in seed/moss stitch, Nurture looks lovely and rustic. Nurture was actually really nice to knit with, there was something soothing about the lofty thick pieces.
Now I have another 14 balls…I might knit a daggy at home jumper with the rest!
Wot’s on the Needs
A load of socks
- RPMs in Knitting Ninja Cashmere something
- Stansfield 304 from More Sensational Knitted Socks in Blue Moon Fibre Arts - Knitty Rocks….bit annoyed at the pooling, but that’s another post
- Uneven Ribbing from More Sensational Knitted Socks in Jigsaw 4ply - Colour 25, black with green, khaki and blue stripes.
- And the goth mermaid wedding shawl - had a drama yesterday with the shawl. Why is it that you make the most mistakes when you pick up the project and start!?
Knitting News
- Twist Collective - I haven’t made it all the way through this new online magazine, but so far it looks great. This is a joint effort between Kate Gilbert, Irene Vandervoort, Julia Farwell-Clay and Mary Jackson including articles by Cat Bordhi and patterns from Veronik Avery, Cookie A, Ysolde Teague and Pam Allen. This is different to other on-line magazines, the mag itself is free but the patterns are purchasable individually. So if you only like one pattern, you don’t need to buy the whole mag. The mag looks great, photography is clear with multiple shoots of the patterns. It is laid out like a mag, you can flip pages. This is a classy venture, with a lot of advertising support. Patterns I would actually knit include Come Together, Through the Key Hole and Linden. True Pattern porn - Little Birds (steeks eek!), Lily (bobbles) and some fabulously fancy socks patterns. Go check it out.
- Knitting Needles as murder weapons. I have been watching a lot of George A Romero films recently. In ‘The Crazies’, a woman (affected by the bio weapon) stabs a soldier dressed in white hazard suit and gas mask to death with her knitting needle and keeps on knitting. I can’t find it on youtube!!
Losing my crochet cherry
I am teaching myself crochet. I grabbed a copy of Debbie Stoller’s The Happy Hooker (cos she taught me how to knit with Stitch n Bitch, so I trust her) from Book Depository, grabbed a couple of hooks from Clegs and some leftover yarn and had a go.
1st try the yarn was dark brown, it was night and I couldn’t really see the chains. The yarn was splitting and I was in fifteen types of mess. 2nd try, another yarn, thinner and in a pretty green, also splitty as all buggery. I took a couple of sips of my cider and went to round 3, got out some scrap super bulky (used to make the feral best friend cardi) and this time I could see the chains and I was actually starting to crochet! Yay. But curse that first row of single crochet, what a nightmare!
One comment about this book - in Stitch n Bitch, when you are learning to knit, there is a couple of very simple patterns to help you learn, plain garter stitch scarf, then ribbed scarf. In the Happy Hooker, there are no first patterns, I am basically practising on a swatch. I want to get out there and make some stuff!
I have forgotten the frustration of learning something new, I want to be able to crochet immediately at the skill I now knit (although it has taken me 2+ years to get here!). It is teaching me patience again and the amazing time suck ability of learning something new. The hours flew by. I will be back to better my skills, because I have my eye firmly set on this pattern. I want for the hot summer that will be here in six months (which at 8′ right now, seems very very far away).
Wot’s on my needs?
- Double Breasted Seed Stitch Jacket
Last night I finished the last piece of the Seed Stitch Jacket for my new niece (who probably won’t fit in it for ages!) during Borat (oh dear, I cried with laughter and spilled my drink at that naked scene). I will put the pieces together today as I have a few podcasts to catch up on and a free morning/arvo. The Nuture yarn is nice to work with, I liked it more than I expected because I have not been drawn to thick and thin yarns before. But the finished fabric is quite nubbly and natural looking. *Pictures to come, I have no batteries for my camera at the mo*
- RPM sock
Finally after about fifty years of knitting this, I have finished one RPM sock in the now disappeared Knitting Ninja cashmere and something sock yarn and promptly cast on another. Melbourne Film Festival is about to start, so I need to have some socks on the needles to fill in my waiting time, as I am a perpetually on time person. I am keen to cast on another sock in Knitty Rocks, but I can’t find the right pattern. I have been trawling through books and magazines on which stitches show off variegated yarns. Oh well, it will come to me. Top of the list at the moment is from Charlene Schurch (I always want to call her Charlotte Church!) More Sensational Knitted Socks in Stansfield 304 or perhaps in Little Arrowhead Lace.
- Cascading Leaves Shawl aka the Goth Mermaid Wedding Shawl
I have cast on the wedding shawl! Not sure if I have blogged about this before but I am making a shawl for my friend’s wedding. She is a little bit goth and completely obsessed by mermaids, so I got the lovely Live2Knit to custom dye some black/greens yarn for me. Then I found a pattern which could look like scales (but leaves) in a 4ply yarn because the wedding is the end of October and which means the weather could be doing anything. I was feeling a bit blah last weekend and thought I would clear my mind of funk by concentrating on something complex, I pulled out the pattern and the yarn and all is going swimmingly. The pattern is easy to follow (but I really should read charts, I rely on the written out instructions) and I am up to the 2nd repeat. I just checked out the work so far in the full sunlight (it has been pretty grey here) and the yarn looks beautiful with its subtle variations in greens. Excited!
Other stuff
- I have not gone to Bendigo. I feel a bit like the girl who couldn’t go to the ball, but I decided that I didn’t need any yarn. I am already booked up for the rest of the year with projects! Goth Mermaid Wedding Shawl for October, Blue Bayou Mitred Stole for Schwester 2 and Extermiknit for the Spud in November. Then there’s Christmas. Plus anything for me in between!
- Gusseting brought along the new Norah Gaughan Berroco pattern books to SnB last Sunday and I snapped one up. I had decided previously that Norah is pattern porn. I have Knitting Nature and it is amazingly beautiful and inspiring but I am lazy and the patterns are just too fiddly. I thought this while looking through Woodland Gothic, beautiful but scary hard and would do my head in. But then I took a look at Objet d’Art and there were some easy patterns in there for the slack arses like me! So I grabbed it. I am now planning to make Acton and Currer.
This week I learned about premature babies. My new niece has arrived 8 weeks early, but she is healthy and bigger than expected (not in a humidicrib). Being in a different city from my sister, there is nothing I can do to help (which is immensely frustrating for a control freak like me!) but she has asked me to get out my needles and knit for her. That I can do!
So I am posting today about knitting for premature babies, tips and patterns.
Tips for humidicribs
- Knit with cotton- premature babies are very sensitive. Although I have read that very soft 100% baby wool is ok. There was a recent discussion on Melbourne SnB yahoo group on alternative yarns for babies with sensitive skin, suggestions included bamboo or corn derived yarns.
- Here are some tips from Maureen, a nurse with 20 years experience.
- No metal fasteners or ribbons. Velcro is no good because hospitals tend to use industrial washing machines and dryer.
- Plain stocking stitch is best. Lace stitches can get caught in little fingers.
Free patterns for premature babies
In my searches, I could only find one Australian charity looking for donations of knitting for premature babies, Miracle Babies. Perhaps it is a lack of internet information for Australian charities but if you know of any other Australian charities, please let me know.
Edit: Other Australian charities
- Wee Care
- Knit4Charities - in July they are knitting for the Royal Women’s Hospital Baby Bundle Program
I have been struck down sick all week. Usually I am a super healthy person, so this was pretty unusual. Having my first coffee all week right now, mmm tastes good.
Here is the photo of the finished Gathered Pullover in Heirloom Easy Care 5 ply (here’s a review of the 8ply). I was originally worried that the colour was a little bit Catholic school jumper but now I like it. This is a great easy pattern (if you can cope with the 25cm of knit in the round, hey I don’t mind a brainless knit every now and then). The cable in the centre is very flattering and creates shaping where there is none.
Technically, ooh I am getting technical these days, my gauge changes when I move from knitting in the round to knitting back and forth. I am not sure if anyone else (but a keen eyed knitter) can tell, but it irks me. Oh well, it is all a learning exercise.
Wot else on the needs? Finished the Debbie Bliss Ribbed Baby Jacket. Well finished the knitting part, just the boring sewing up to do. But I am thinking of embellishing with a little flower, but which one to choose! I am plugging away at the Double Breasted Jacket in seed stitch, it is looking very “organic” (err, maybe rustic is a better word) and will definitely need some wooden buttons to finish off the look. I am also very slowly working on an RPM sock, basically a travelling project but I do very little public transport work. So it is saved for SnB or waiting for the film to start at Cinematheque.
Review: Mixtapezine Mixtapezine is a Melbourne-produced craft zine. I got hold of issue#4 for 6 triffic bucks + postage (purchased through the site via Paypal). At 50ish pages, it is a cute little read of short articles celebrating craft by crafters, covering topics from ‘not being crafty per se but enabling the crafty people through computer skills and therefore being computer crafty’, artist profiles, funky little cartoon from auntycookie.com about Rockin’ Out, book reviews, environmental tips, childhood musings, recipes, tips on organisation and how to make a great mix tape (eat your heart out High Fidelity Rob). There is an interview with Vicki Howell, exhibition reviews and confessions of a craft addict (and much more). It is a jam-packed little read with many of the articles being 300 words. It looks great and the ads are very tastefully added. I have already pre-ordered issue #5.
