Pop Smear

Bored With Winter

nobody@vox.com(Sarah) — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 09:27:54 +1200

Maddy and I are so over this dreary, rainy, windy and generally horrible weather. But knitting, and knitted things, do help!

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Finishing Up

nobody@vox.com(Sarah) — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 16:24:34 +1200

Blanket

Since I fnished Mum's jersey in early May, I've completed quite a few projects. And not new projects, either (though there certainly some of those), but some that had been sitting around, neglected, for quite a while!

To the left here you'll see my mitred-square blanket, finished just one week shy of the one year anniversary of its cast-on! After much prevarication (and sitting half-completed for many months), this blanket (that I first mentioned here) is done. It is cosy and warm, and a big hit with Maddy. It (rather like the cat) graces the bed at night, and the sofa during the day. I'm really very pleased with it - and pleased to have the stash of yarn set aside for it gone!

Two pairs of socks were also completed, putting an end to the second-sock syndrome. One pair of brown socks in Naturally Sensation (a merino/angora blend), which I'm loving as bed socks. The other pair, in Naturally Vero Tweed, were sent off to my Mum! I did manage to get both of these completed before a year was up, but for the second pair (which I wrote about when finishing the first sock) it was a pretty close call!

Finishing these items, and unravelling a couple of things I absolutely knew I would never finish (because I no longer wanted them), meant that for probably the first time since I was a teenager, I did not have somthing half-finished somehwere! I've always had lots of things on the go, so it was not something I expected to revel in, but it gave me a great sense of control!

So, those new projects that I've finished recently and not blogged about, well, if you're on Ravelry, you can check out my Handspun Garter Mitts, Aspire Garter Mitts, Handpun Scarf, Vero Tweed Calorimetry, Hottie Cover, Mum's Felted Bag, the Brown & Turquoise Bag for my bag swap recipient, two simple beanies for KidsCan, and the Handspun Mittens I mentioned in the last post, and twelve pairs of preemie baby booties for charity.

Booties

Is it any wonder I haven't had much time to spin (or blog)?! Right now I'm working on some preemie mittens, and a jersey for myself (I got a bunch of this done on WWKIP day - check out Catherynne's nice recap of our day knitting in public on Waiheke)!. I have bought some new yarn, too, so another jumper or cardigan for myself should be coming along fairly soon, along with long queued socks and a beret! I wonder, however, how long this finishing thing will last...

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Project: Handspun Mittens

nobody@vox.com(Sarah) — Thu, 08 May 2008 16:37:27 +1200

When I was at the Autumn Home Show last month I was tempted into buying some dyed and carded polwarth fibre from Sharon of Jumbuck Carding. There was only 85 grams left of the heathered sliver (top-left), so I nabbed that, and a quantity of a solid purple.

Heathered Purple Polwarth

I didn't have a plan for them when I purchased (no surprise, I'm sure), but got spinning pretty quickly, at first on my old Traveller (now gifted to Mum), and then on my new Joy.. Soon I had 170 grams of about a sport weight yarn (plying together a single of each sliver), ready to knit. But what to knit?!

Not a scarf, or a hat, or a fraction of a jersey. So, mittens or gloves it was. I did eventually settle on a fingerless glove pattern, but given that I had no real plan before, I saw no need to stick to it. As you've probably gathered from the title of this entry, I made mittens!

One Thumb

Right Mitten

Call me a heretic, but I didn't work them in the round, preferring to use straight needles, and then seam. I do dislike rangling dpns for fingers and thumbs.

Anyway, the mittens are nice and soft, and a pretty heathere colour! I'm very pleased with both my spinning, and my knittings. And that my fingers are warm!

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Project: V-Neck Pullover

nobody@vox.com(Sarah) — Thu, 08 May 2008 16:11:30 +1200

V-Neck Pullover

If you have a good memory, you may recall that I was working on a jersey for my Mum. Well, there were long periods of time where there was very little work happening on the jersey front. Finally, however, it is completed! And handily (but coincidentally) just in time for Mother's Day!

The pattern is from Fitted Knits, and customised to fit my Mum (and she will attest to the many phone calls I made asking her to measure from here to there, and around that).

V-Neck Pullover

The pattern has the ribbing on the arms starting above the elbow (and the body ribbing startng a little higher), but this version has the ribbing starting below. It's still one heck of a lot of ribbing! For more details, check out my project at Ravelry.

When I started (and to below the neck - top-down - the first time around), I was working with the 8 ply yarn, and modifying the stitch counts. That was a pain (as were the large numbers of stitches), and in the end I started over with the yarn double-stranded, getting closer to the pattern gauge. Unsurprisingly, it grew much more quickly (and would have been fniished a while ago had I not been distracted)!

Whenever I took this out with me to knit somewhere, people remarked on the colour, which was picked by Mum. I'd never knit with the Bendio Woollen Mills yarn before, before I'm sure I will again. While the crepe was a little "crisp" at times when knitting, it softens and bloom very nicely on washing (and this variety is machine washable). And the 200 gram balls make for less ends to weave in (especially when working with two strands at a time (from the outside and centre of a cerntre-pull ball). That's always a bonus!

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Pattern: Simple Knitted Rose & Leaf

nobody@vox.com(Sarah) — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 16:32:28 +1200

Rose & Leaf

I'm demonstrating/teaching knitting flowers later this year, so I've been working on simple patterns to use (much easier than getting permission from designers to use and teach their designs).

Leaf

I've got a few up my sleeve so far, but so far this is the only one I've tested. So, I'm releasing it to the world!

If you would like to knit a very simple flower and leaf, you can download my pattern in PDF format, here or at Ravelry.

(112 KB)

Any questions, let me know!

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Pattern: Plain or Flowery Slippers

nobody@vox.com(Sarah) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:29:13 +1300

Plain Slipper

Flowery Slipper

If you too would like plain or flowery slippers, and are prepared to knit them, you can download my pattern in PDF format, here or at Ravelry.

(161 KB)

Any questions, let me know!

NOTE: If you downloaded the file 'plain-or-flowery-slippers.pdf', please note that an updated file, 'plain-or-flowery-slippers-0708.pdf', has been uploaded which correct some issues with row numbers. Please download the new file.

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The Pitter Patter of Little Feet

nobody@vox.com(Sarah) — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 20:37:20 +1300

50 Baby Bootees to Knit

When I want to make booties, I seem to go straight to this book, 50 Baby Bootees to Knit. While I haven't made anywhere near fifty pairs, I do find the patterns in this book very quick and simple, and easy to adapt.

So, in addition to the booties I made for my niece(s) offspring, and the two pairs for baby Penelope, this book has now been the source for two more pairs!

These green and brown slip-on style booties are for Helen, a friend who is due late February, early March. She's having a boy, so I figured I used up some of the green wool I ordered from Bendigo Woollen Mills last year for no apparent reason (or at least a reason that I can recall). Of course, two little slippers don't make much of a dent in a 200 gram ball of yarn, so I might have to make some adult-sized slippers for me! The undyed brown yarn is an NZ merino, from Naturally Yarns.

If you want more nerdy knitter details (and are one of the almost 76,000 registered members), you can check out the Starry Slippers and Harmonly Slip-Ons in my Ravelry projects!

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Flowery Knitting

nobody@vox.com(Sarah) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 21:47:12 +1300

Flowers

I absolutely need to save some cash (stop buying wool, maybe), and buy this book, Knitted Edgings & Trims by Lesley Stanfield. It's got some lovely trims, and edgings (you'd expect that with a little like that), but also some very pretty flowers. I've borrowed it twice from the library now, which usually means I'll use it again and again.

Above are a snowdrop, rosebud, and rose (with leaves), that I've knit (along with the blue scarf) for my scarf exchange pal, daisie, who was left in the lurch by her planned upstream pal. I'm being an angel (don't scoff, I'm lovely and you know it), and having some fun experimenting while I'm at it. :-)

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I Heart Knitting

nobody@vox.com(Sarah) — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 17:46:56 +1300

Three Hearts

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Making & Baking

nobody@vox.com(Sarah) — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 19:45:16 +1300

Berry & Pistachio Biscotti

There hasn't been a lot of action here on the crafting front recently, but I have been doing some things, if not all of the tasks and items intended. Lately, it's been baking goodies as thank-yous and pre-Christmas cheer. One decoration has been made! One! And not even a felt one as I so optimistically planned in August (with months to spare).

I've baked cranberry and pistachio biscotti (for that red and green thing), candied almonds and pecans, and some hazelnut and bran cookies that were very nice hot from the oven! Those have all been gifted to lovely people who have helped me out this year.

In the fridge I have hazelnut and almond chocolate truffle things, all individually wrapped as treats to take home for the family. Hopefully the collection won't get too much smaller before then! The hazelnut ones were a treat at my WW meeting a couple of weeks ago; nothing better than a low-point treat that is delicious. Mind you, given the rate I'm expanding these days, treats are not what I need! Trying not to get to caught up in that, but it's hard.

The star (which is to be adorned with a ribbon, rather than the knitted cord suggested) is from Paton's The Big Book Of Small Projects 2 (the first one has some cool patterns too, but no Xmas decorations). I worked one side in garter, as designed, and the other in stocking stitch (just to see what it looked like). I actually prefer the stocking stitch side, but am very pleased with the completed star. I was having a hard time picturing how it was knit on straight needles (and the making up/finsihing instructions are a little vague), but it was really very simple and quick. I will make more - I think they would make a neat rattle/toy, too.

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