Done: Bootees & More Knitting

nobody@vox.com(Sarah) — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 21:19:22 +1200

Two months ago I wrote that I had completed one purple bootee, and one pink bootee. And that is exactly how that project languished until the other day. Finally, however, I had two pairs of girlie bootees, all sewn up and one trimmed with ribbon.

Really, they're so quick to knit it is ridiculous that it took me this long to get around to it. It didn't help that I'm not exactly (or even approximately) sure when my step-niece is expecting to deliver, but that's not much of an excuse.

Now, I just need to package them up and send them on their way to Wellington to my brother, so that he can deliver them. Hopefully they won't still be sitting on my desk in a few weeks like last set of bootees waiting for a trip to the post office for stamps (I knew it was a bad idea to get a non-prepaid package to send)!

In other knitting news, my first ball of hand-dyed yarn is becoming yet another Calorimetry head scarf. I'm very please with how it is turning out! Socks are on the go, too.

I've invited my parents to visit me this weekend, and at this point it looks like I'll meet them in Papakura, where a Knit Out is being held. Dad has a golf thing on Friday, so they're thinking of coming down on the Saturday morning; not a lot of point them coming here from Rotorua in the morning, and then us going over to Papakura together in time for the event starting at two in the afternoon. So, I need to take a look at bus or train timetables. The last time I was on a train was a trip from Hamilton to Christchurch - I can't imagine that an hour or so away could be half as bad!

Life has been pretty quiet. My brocolli has gone to seed, I have more silverbeet than I've ever eaten, and my houseplants are still alive. I started being the "weigher" at my WW meeting. Otherwise, I'm a little sad, a little bit angry, and disappointed, but I'm OK. Knitting is keeping me out of trouble, and Ravelry is keeping me in knitting.

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Calorimetry: Hot Knit, Warm Ears

nobody@vox.com(Sarah) — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 19:19:17 +1200

Buttoned Up

After spotting Calorimetry at kiwichickknits the other day, I've taken to it with avengence (or at least like a person who doesn't have several unfinished items on needles).

I hate having cold ears. And I hate having to pull a hat down over top of my hair clip. Now I have a solution! This buttoned head scarf is a quick knit, and does exactly what I need it to. So, I've made three!

The first one served to further reduce the ball of Ashford Tekapo that I used for Maddy's jumper (and so stained my hands). I knit this on 3.75 mm needles, and finished it off with a funky oblong button I bought for some unknown reason a while back. It's a little looser than it might be (even on my big head) but is still comfortable.

Second attempt is knit from a Cleckheaton Country Naturals wool, a rich cream with browny flecks. The same size needles were used, but this 8ply knit up smaller over the same number of stitches (and a couple less rows), and is a snug fit, and pretty much perfect.

Tweedy

And the third? Well, rather than completing a pair of socks in the same yarn, I decided to use the unallocated third ball of Vero Tweed. I'm a bit disappointed that I didn't get an of the fuschia in the finished headwarmer (I have enough to try again), but the green, blue and purple does look rather funky. This yarn is a heavier weight, and I reduced the number of stitches to about 90 from 120 (no, I didn't get a final count), and used 4 mm needles for another suitably snug fit.

So, yay for warm heads! And woo for projects that don't require much thought (especially if you're a short-row fiend like this sock knitter); like my blanket, these are perfect for taking places like Knit Rangers (which was fabulous, and much more productive for me this fortnight than last) where I spend as much time (if not more) talking as knitting!

Other knitting news? Well, I stumbled across this event, which isn't too far away, and conveniently on my day off in a couple of weeks. And, I'm starting to have sock knitting withdrawal... since the friend I was hoping to celebrate my birthday with is either dead or ignoring me, tomorrow may be a sock knitting evening for me.

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Pop Smear

Done: Bootees & More Knitting

Calorimetry: Hot Knit, Warm Ears