Sunday, March 25, 2007

Mojo go go go

The problem with going with the flow when your knitting mojo is in full flow, is the crash and burn . I worked on Mary for 2 solid days to finish her - including the endless garter stitch collar (quote borrowed from Karin). I knit until 4am in the morning, was up by 8 am and threw Mary's bits and pieces into the washing machine (breaking my own no wash on a Sunday rule). and then I crashed. I don't know what my son has eaten today, I haven't fed him, nor would it have been humanly possible to get to the kitchen due to all the unwashed dishes piling up in favour of Mary. The upside - she's nearly done. A stint in the tumble dryer and then she will be ready for sewing up

Mary's body with collar worked on in the wee hours of the morning 'neath a very bright lamp and Grey's Anatomy for company.

The yarn needed to sew Mary up ready to go into the washing machine. Unfortunately the yarn escaped its confines and wrapped itself into an awful mess around the main piece of the garment. It took over half an hour to unpick the yarn which doesn't look as though it can be used to sew up. And now for the really difficult part choosing buttons.

Friday, March 23, 2007

Spring cleaning

As well as dusting off Mary, I had a little look at the growing pile of unfinished projects. The conclusion? As my mother would say - my eyes are bigger than my belly! My impulse to knit every pattern I see becomes challenging every now and again. There are some you put down and come back to every so often until one day it's finally finished. There are others you never finish and in a moment of clarity and honesty wonder why you cast on in the first place.

My never finish pile consists of:

Sparkle from the Rowan Classics range in silk wool; and


the entrelac kimono jacket from VK holiday edition (this one more because of the frustration it caused and VK did not respond to me despite several attempts to contact them - I would rather use the yarn for something else now).


They have now been tossed in the frog pond to rise anew as .....

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Ressurection

Contrary Mary
She's back!!
My conscience has been pricking me. Flicking through my much loved knitting journal I came across notes for Mary. The last note entered was last June - 7/6/06 to be precise. Time, me thinks to stop sulking about the butt whipping I got last time and put her out of her misery once and for all. So be prepared over the coming weeks for the odd frustrated outburst. Like leaving myself the wrong message!! I was definitely not on row 18 - and trying to work out what row you are on after 9 months is not easy - especially when you think you left yourself concise notes. You know there are some occasions when you can put a project down and come back to it after yonks and yonks and know roughly where you are - because you made this mental post it note in your head to refer back to - not so when you KNOW you wrote it down so you don't have to remember diddly. I'm in fighting mood - we've had some bright sunshine - essential when you are knitting in black denim and I'm rearing to go!!

I had already completed the back, as you can see. The sleeves are also done and I'm half way up both fronts. Having sorted out what row I'm on, I've now synchronised both fronts and will knit them simultaneously. I'm now winging it due to the duff instructions published and the duff amendments sent to me a couple of years ago - so this should be fun trying to factor in the shrinkage element. More to follow.....

Saturday, March 17, 2007

Pumpkin girl

I finished the cardigan for Amy Grace - on time, a first for me. Here it is:











Ribbon Edged Cardigan
Pattern source: Special knits by Debbie Bliss with alterations
Yarn: Jaeger pure cotton
Needle size 31/4 and 4mm
Started: 27/2/07
Finished: 10/3/07
Sorry A, it is a children's' size but I think you would have no trouble upsizing it!! And I have enough in the same colour if you want to make something for yourself.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

My one and only....

Guess who's 11?







Guess who said yes to a sleep over?
Guess who's still tiding up 3 days later?
Guess who has 'cool mum' status???
Guess who has the best son in the world!!

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

eeny meeny miney mo....

As in which project gets finished first.


Nearly there
































A buttonless baby cardi needs some ribbon edging, a good blocking (from the lady who doesn't) and sewing up by Saturday for little Amy Grace.
There is more progress on the orange toddler jacket. One sleeve has been completed and the other started.

















Progress

The Madli shawl is coming along too

Thursday, March 01, 2007

Nearly there

My brush with PC death
My ignorance about computers, PCs, hard drives and any other computer component you care to mention, was recently high lighted with the death of my computer. I still can't tell you what was wrong, other than it more or less ceased to work - and I felt that my left hand had been cut off. The very worst part was receiving my new PC and not being able to find my old PCs data that the lovey Scott had transferred for me. However I found it so we have some pictures, well, a picture for the moment.
Above, the beginnings of Madli's Shawl by Nancy Bush, from Interweave Knits, Summer 2004 issue. I'm knitting it as Polly did, without the nupps. I'm loving it. This is my warm up stole before I knit something very special for a very special occasion coming up in June this year. Today was a perfect day for taking photo's of the projects I'm currently working on. Of course, sods law meant I was out all day.
I've started working on the first of 4 pieces for my knitting course. They have to be my creation, which is hard because I am either copy cat queen (i.e I read a blog, of late, here or here love what they are doing and hey presto I see my next project) or my nose is in the latest issue of whatever magazine I'm subscribed to and I go with the flow on the most popular want to knit garment. So the idea of getting my creative juices flowing (well trying to find them would be a good start) has not filled me with glee. I've had to do warm up projects, which if anything have done just the opposite and made me want to heave. I don't understand how looking at a hunk of wood, a metal grate or whatever bit of artistic/natural or man made inspiration is supposed to make me want to go sketch my master piece. I'm not slating the process as such. I can see how and why other people are inspired, it just doesn't do a lot for me. Especially since purchasing Knitting Nature by Nora Gaughan. Look here to see the pictures really come to life (be sure to check the archives). The very obvious come to mind too like Kaffe Fassett. Me, I'll have to do things the hard way and hope I can come up with something half way decent - and all mine.