I’m not the most organised of knitters. Hang on, maybe I’m an over organised knitter. (Just look at my Ravelry queue/stash!) Either way, I’ve not got good timing. Just as the really cold weather hit, I finished Arielle.

‘Cos you know, I’m clever like that.

Specs:
Pattern: Arielle by Kim Hargreaves from the Misty book.
Yarn: Back room bargain from Bendigo Woollen Mills, I think it’s Capri, it’s a 4ply (fingering) Wool/Cotton blend
Needles: 2mm & 2.5mm Dyakcraft Heavy Metal Interchangeables.
Dates: Started May 12, 2013, finished July 7, 2013. (I’ve really slowed down of late!)
Mods: Knit exactly as the pattern, a mod in putting it together though!

The yarn was picked up at the Bendigo Woollen Mills two years ago when David and I went on our road trip to Victoria – I’ve got some more in white that I’m looking forward to using. It’s a lovely yarn to work with, very different from Rowan Wool Cotton 4ply which is another fave of mine. The Rowan feels more “woolly”, this feels much more “cotton-y” It’s a shame it’s discontinued – but I picked it up for $3 a ball!

The pattern is from one of Kim’s summer books, Misty. It’s also discontinued, which is sad, because I think it’s one of her best. It’s not available anywhere else, as far as I know. It’s a great knit, as I’ve nearly always found with Kim’s patterns. And it looks nice on – no modelled photos yet, it’s been way too cold! There was one problem though, which a few people have mentioned on Ravelry.

That sleeve was not going to sit nicely in that armhole. At this point, I was beginning to think that Kim had led me astray. I went back to the Ravelry projects, and someone else had come up with a fix that worked beautifully!
The pattern tells you to seam the side seams of the top, then the side seams of the sleeve, then fit the sleeve into the armhole. I seriously doubt that would work as it is. Instead the fix was to seam the side of the top, then sew the short ends of the sleeve into the base of the armhole and fit the armscye into the rest of the armhole.

Bingo.

Perfection.

Now for something more weather appropriate!

I was putting away my washing today which turned into a wardrobe purge. I threw out a lot of stuff, but am still left with a lot of stuff. It got me wondering about how I choose my projects. I don’t wear a lot of what I knit. Sometimes something takes my eye and I cast on straight away without really putting much thought into it. And once it’s finished, I’ll often wear it a bit, then it gets relegated to the back of the wardrobe where it sits until I have a purge. Why? Sometimes something just doesn’t sit right. Sometimes it’s a little small or a little large. My weight has yoyo’d a bit over the past few years – not a lot, but enough that I have clothes in two sizes. Sometimes it just doesn’t suit me when I’m done. There’s a bunch of stuff that was suitable to wear at the shop, not so much at the library. It’s not just knitting, sewing too. At least with ready to wear, you can try it on and decide if you like it. That’s a bit harder with a concept. I need to put a lot more thought into stuff before I cast on.

That said, my latest project will get a lot of wear, I think!

Love it!

Specs:
Pattern: Water and Stone by Veera Välimäki
Yarn: Wollmeise DK “So Long Kitty” 2.5 skeins
Needles: Dyakcraft Darn Pretty Interchngeables, 4mm
Mods: None.

There’s a mistake or two in the cables, but I’m not going to point them out. And I’m a perfectionist – if I can live with it, anyone can. The pattern is great – easy to follow, and the cables give you enough to think about that the length doesn’t get (too) boring before you’re done.

The Wollmeise? Ugh. I love Wollmeise. I love the yarn, I love the colours, especially this one. (Duh. It’s pink) The DK skeins? Ugh. Ugh. I made my Kauai in it, and those skeins (from her very first DK update!) were fine. These? The first one was fine. The next two took me several hours to wind. Halfway through I swore that if it weren’t wollmeise, it’d be in the bin. There are threads on Ravelry about the tangles, but nothing prepared me for this. Once it was wound, and I’d gotten over my little temper tantrum, I fell in love all over again. It’s gorgeous to knit.

I do fear that it’s going to pill though. (That’s okay, I just bought a Lilly brush!)

Seriously, this won’t be found at the back of the wardrobe!

So on Thursday, Ailsa and I headed off to the Craft and Quilt Fair. (aka the Suzy Hausfrau show!) We manned the Guild desk until 1pm, answering lots of knitting questions and introducing lots (and lots) of people to Ravelry and the Knitters Guild. I had with me both my iPhone and my camera, and I still failed to take any pictures.

In the afternoon, we went shopping. Now, in the past, the Show hasn’t really been knit friendly. There’s a few yarn stores about, but it’s very much geared towards quilter, scrapbookers and beaders. Last year I bought a piece of fabric and some scissors. Year before that, I only (!) bought a sewing machine. But I knew Suzy was going to be there, so I’d given myself a stern talking to early in the week. I have enough yarn in the stash for 30 adult garments. Yes, I admitted it and I gave a number. 30. We won’t even mention socks. Or hats. Or scarves. Lets just not go there.  Working is a yarn store was very good for padding out the stash, so to speak. (ALso, I’d just like to add that this is clearly a case of too little time, not too much yarn)

But she’s just got in Quince & Co. And it was debuting at the Show. My, oh my. So I made a plan. I wanted Tern. In columbine (pink, of course!)

On Wednesday, she sent me a message to let me know the Tern hadn’t arrived, so I wouldn’t be let down on the day. (I may have mentioned on Twitter a time or five that I was lusting after that particular yarn) That’s okay, I’ll get it later. And I won’t buy anything at the show, right?

Yeah, right.

I was restrained, though!

Swans Island Fingering Weight in Oatmeal.

Shibui Staccato in Watermelon.

What will they become? They’ll tell me, sooner or later. I nearly went for the Quince and Co Finch instead of the Tern, but I held strong. Strong!

On the same evening, we went to the Yarn Tasting event thrown by Suzy Hausfrau. (See, it should have been the Suzy Hausfrau show!) What a civilised event. Lovely! Four courses of yarn, accompanied by wine, nibblies and fun company. What’s not to love?!?

For the first course, we had Habu Silk Stainless and the cobweb weight wool (top right). Then, Happy Mink. (MINK!)(bottom right) Swans Island Fingering (top left) and finally Shibui Staccato and Silk Cloud.(bottom lef ) I knit my Shibui’s together. Ailsa and Zena did a couple of rows of one, then the other. Wish I’d thought of that.

This is the way we should all get to try out new yarns, you know. In good company, with wine and a little taster of each yarn. I liked the Swans Island and the Shibui best. Lucky that, seeing as I’d just bought both. (I also liked seeing so much pink. Rosered wasn’t quite so enamoured!) Pink is the best!

Might have to go back for some Silk Cloud though!

I’ll be manning the Knitters Guild of NSW stand at the Sydney Quilt and Craft Fair on Thursday morning with Knitabulous. Pop by and say hi!

Then in the evening, we’re off to a fabulous event – a yarn tasting held by Suzy Hausfrau. I believe that tickets are still available if you’re of a mind to join in the fun.

Courtesy of Her Royal Majesty, Queen Elizabeth of England, we get a holiday today. Hooray for Lizzie! An extended weekend is always a lovely thing.

To celebrate there has been a little sewing. Lets backtrack a little. There’s been a whole lot of things going on here at Casa del Random over the past few weeks. As you all know, Calico & Ivy closed at the beginning of May. That meant four of us out of work. I was fortunate that I also had my casual job at the library, so wasn’t left completely high and dry. I’ve had the job at the library for about two and a half years, but its a casual job, so no job security, no benefits and a whole lot of uncertainty. I had an interview for a more permanent part time role at my library in the middle of April, but hadn’t heard anything. I also had an interview at another library for a full time job. Up until now, in two and a half years of looking for library jobs, I’d managed one interview, which I didn’t get.

In the past week or so, I got word that I’d won the full time job. But I really wanted the part time one. After much agonising and driving the family bonkers, I declined the full time position. It was a risk – library jobs are notoriously hard to come by. 300 people applied for the full time job. Almost 200 applied for the part time one. Last Wednesday I got the call to say I’d also won got the part time job. Yay, me!

Emily also landed a secretarial job at a nearby law form around a month ago, so for the first time ever, everyone in the family has a permanent job. I cannot even begin to tell you how relieved I am. I knew I was stressed, but didn’t realise how stressed until it was all fixed.

In other news, my birthday was a week or so ago. David bought me a set of Dyakcraft’s Heavy Metal interchangeable knitting needles.  I love these! Sizes 2mm – 3.25mm metal needles in interchangeables. I’m a loose knitter, and I usually work with finer yarns. It’s a rare day when I use a needle bigger than a 4.5mm (US7). I already have a set of the Dyakcraft Darn Pretty wood needle, but they’re bigger than I usually use, so these are perfect for me.

The 2mm are already in Arielle! The only thing I didn’t love was the case. Batik print isn’t really my style, and autumnal colours are most definitely not my style! So I made up a version of my interchangeable case in colours that are much more my preference!

I can’t remember if I ever mentioned my Darn Pretties here before. These are just gorgeous.

In Positively Pink (duh!). My Heavy Metals are the 5″ length, the Pretties are 3.5″. I like both. The wood needles are gorgeous, but not strong enough for smaller sizes, which is why they’ve come up with the metals. I cannot sing the praises of these needles enough. I love them. Love, love, love them! Thy’re smooth and warm and the join is perfect. They’re not as slick as Addi’s, but they’re plenty slick enough for me.

The only downside? The wait. Heavy Metals ship relatively quickly, the Darn Pretties don’t. I waited about nine months. Some people have waited far, far longer. I also ordered a set of sock needles on June 15, 2012 and I’m still waiting for those. Yes, a year. Is it worth the wait? I think so, but you may not. (Understandably!)

I made both cases – the pink one months ago while I was still waiting for the wood needles, the little one this weekend. I put a zip pouch in the wooden one, that hold the cables and stoppers as well as small scissors, a tape measure and a few stitch markers and things. I didn’t bother with the little one, because I intend to just put that one inside the bigger one!

I also finally finished a little something thats been floating around for months.

A little scissors holder in linen and Liberty. What’s not to love?

What? What’s that? Knitting? Oh yes, I still do that. Arielle grows.

Slowly. Funny how 4ply yarn on 2.75mm just doesn’t move quickly.