Stick Day.

Hey guys, don't fall over! 3 posts in a week. Just keeping you all on your toes.

No knitting in this one though, except to say that the Easter Show knitting was a very mixed bag this year. Some of the quality of entries was extremely high. Some of the quality of judging was questionable to say the least. No pictures, because to be honest, I forgot to get the camera out. But you're not missing anything, unless you want to see ribbons on things that have blatant mistakes, bad tension and just plain bad taste. (In my opinion, of course!) And some of the beautiful things that absolutely deserved the ribbons they got were hung so badly that you couldn't see them properly anyway. But I'm not going to dwell on that. So if you're here for the knitting, that's it, the rest is way off topic.

The best part of the Easter Show is the crap food we eat all day long. This year, it was my mission to only eat food that came on a stick. There was no lack of availability of such foods, but I did cheat by having some CWA (Country Women's Association) scones. But they're so awesome, you have to make an exception.

So without further ado -

Started the day with Cheese on a Stick. (Battered, deep fried cheese. On a stick)

Then we went and looked at the knitting. Then consoled ourselves with hot dogs.

(Kris tells me in the US, it's a corn dog)

Knitters with sticks!

Kris, me, Kylie and Ailsa. Cheese, hotdog, cheese, cheese.

Chocolate covered bananas. On a stick.

Em had strawberries. I forgot that picture.

Fairy Floss. On a stick. Or cotton candy, if you prefer.

Chips on a stick! Apparently its a deep fried, spiral cut potato. Em said it was good, I didn't partake.

Corn on a stick, with appalling colour.

I feel like a failure. We missed toffee apples on sticks. And icecream. Something to aim for next year!

And we didn't come home empty handed.

Show doll. On a stick!

On a Roll!

I'm on a roll! A finishing roll!

I finished my Grapevine, hip hooray!

I like it, but I don't love it.

Specs:
Pattern: Grapevine by Heidi Kirrmaier
Size: Medium
Yarn: Rowan Felted Tweed in Watery, bought from work. (Calico & Ivy, Balmain) 5 Balls
Needles: 3.5mm Knitpicks circs.
Mods: None. Knit to the pattern.
I knit the pattern as written, but when I finished the third ball while working on the body, I started on the sleeves with the final two balls. Once I'd finished the sleeves, I started on the body again with the last 3/4 of a ball, and just knit until I ran out of yarn.

It's a little too big. I could have gone down a pattern size in the body, and I probably should have gone down a needle size, too. There's a mishap in the sleeves, I worked them on two circs, and it was only after the fact that I realised I'd used one 3.25mm and one 3.5mm. I'm too lazy to rip it out though!

My knitting just keeps getting looser. I used a 3.5mm, but it was still a little off, I probably should have used a 3.25mm needle. I've just started a new knit in Spud & Chloe sweater, a worsted weight, and I'm using 3.75mm needles to get gauge.
What you can't see it the pictures is that it is a little loose in the body - my hand is behind my back, holding the fabric a bit!
But it's not horrendous, I'm just fussy. I'll definitely wear it!

(Necklace custom made by LingGlass on etsy!)

I've already started the next knit - a top down raglan in Spud & Chloe. But there's a baby cardi with intarsia teddies calling to me, and a gorgeous top for Em from the Kim Hargreaves book!

The Good Thing

The good thing about rarely blogging is that it looks like all I do is finish things. Like the Nutkin socks.

Don't they look great? Unfortunately, I'm not really feeling the love. Love the yarn, but the pattern? Not so much.

Specs:
Pattern: Nutkin by Beth LaPensee
Yarn: madelinetosh Tosh Sock in Clematis
Needles: 2.5mm and 2mm
Mods: The only mods I made, I screwed up! I used 2.5mm needles for the leg, because, as I've established before, I have healthy calves. Then I changed down to 2mm needles for the heel and foot. Except that on sock number 2, I realised when I was halfway down the foot that I'd forgotten to change down the needle, so the foot is larger on sock 2. Too large, in fact.
But I just don't feel the love enough to rip it out and start over. They don't look nice on my cankles. They're biasing. But they're done.

My at-work project has been a cute little baby dress by Debbie Bliss, the "Spanish Dress" It's a lovely little cabled bodice, knit in ecobaby with a Liberty Tana Lawn skirt.

I started it about two weeks ago, and there it's sat, untouched. I've been flat out. Doing what? How about preparing the yarn shelves for this month's Rowan shipment? It arrived this week, the delivery guy looked at me a little oddly when I squealed!
This month we got half the colours of Wool Cotton, Pure Wool 4ply and the delicious Kid Classic. The rest of the colours arrive next month. I'm not quite sure where we'll put them, because as of Wednesday, the shelves looked like this.

Of course, that was before I brought a pile home! (The picture is uploaded on Flickr here, and I've noted each yarn on that picture!)

Catching up.... again

I am very remiss in my blogging of late. Problem is that by the time I get to sit down these days, my eager hands are far more likely to reach for my knitting than my keyboard.

Although I have finished projects to show for it!

First off, I finished the little striped baby cardi.

A lovely knit with a lovely result! (And yes, bigger than expected, I still didn't check my washed tension!)

Specs:
Pattern: Striped Cardigan by Debbie Bliss from her "Booties Blankets and Bears" book.
Yarn: Baby Cashmerino, 2 balls each of white and blue (Book and yarn from Calico & Ivy, Balmain)
Needles: 2.5mm and 3mm. Should've been 2.25 and 2.75mm, I think.
Mods: None, knit precisely to the pattern.

And I finished something for myself, too.

When the lovely DrK headed over to the USA before Christmas, I made her a little case for her camera. In return, she brought me back a most beautiful gift - two skeins of Koigu Mori in the most gorgeous shade of pink!
It begged to be a scarf, and who am I to resist such lush yarn?

Specs:
Pattern: Montego Bay scarf by Amy Singer
Yarn: Koigu Mori, two skeins.
Needles: 5mm.
Mods: None. I knit the first skein, then I cut off enough pieces for the little braided fringe from the second skein and then I knit until I ran out of yarn. It's perfect! The yardage of the yarn is less than the pattern calls for, but the length is just right.

I can see this one getting a lot of wear this winter!

Groove

So I'm starting, (finally) to get my knitting groove back. Once I find my blogging mojo again, we'll be in business! I have a few finished items to show - but today lets talk about a sample I made for the shop*.

Our little headless model is about a size 2, and the Debbie Bliss pattern I chose to knit for her goes up to a 2, so I knit the biggest size. My gauge was perfect as I was knitting it, and it looked pretty good, but I broke a cardinal rule. One I should know by heart by now.

I didn't wash and block my swatch.

Damn thing grew. A lot.

It's too big for Sarah's gorgeous 4 year old. Stupid cashmerino! Aside from that, it's a lovely pattern. And if I'd got the gauge/size right, I'd be over the moon with the finished item.

Specs:
Pattern: Lace Edge Cardigan by Debbie Bliss from her "Simply Baby" book
Yarn: Baby Cashmerino in Shade #10, Lilac - 5.5 balls.
Needles: Addi Turbo circ, 3mm.
Mods: As it was a sample for the shop, I didn't make any mods. Actually, I fib. I did a 3 needle bind off on the shoulders, but thats all.
However, if it weren't for the shop, I'd have made a few changes. The lace edge is knit last and seamed on - I'd do it as part of the body, knitting it as you go. I'd probably also knit the sleeves in the round.

And I would definitely block my swatch!

It's not a difficult knit, and it looks great when it's done.

But it would look better if it fit!

*Speaking of the shop, we're having our first workshop next Sunday, Easter Crafts with Kelly Doust - and High Tea! More details here. There were still a couple of spots left when I was a t work last week, if you're interested, give us a call to book!