Phildar Autumn

oh excitement! Phildar have released their Autumn catalogue for 2008 and as always, Phildar have not disappointed - boy are these cute!!

A burst of colour:

Some VERY cute dresses (mmm!):

And some very cute coverups:

The reasons we knit

I started knitting about three-four years ago, soon after I bought my first sewing machine and very shortly after I realized I wasn't very good at making clothes. I'm not sure of the reason why I started knitting, but I think it all came down to two simple reasons. Those being, that I enjoyed creating something from nothing and because I was spending a lot of time watching tv (cue: Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, SATC etc) and finding that the time spent watching tv was time spent wasted.

Over the years, I have knitted items that appealed to my sense of style but at the same time, have hardly worn any of the things I've knitted (that and the fact that many things were just plain wrong for me in the end).

I don't think however, that I have ever knitted anything to save money. Not at all because I have loads of extra money to splash around (ha!), but simply because the time it takes to make a garment coupled with the cost of yarn would very rarely equate to the efficiency of simply going out there and buying something. That said however, there will always be a ceiling to what I will spend on yarn, and the amount of time I would dedicate to it. Incidentally, the latter is probably a little more important to me than the cost at this stage in my life.

I did however come across a *stunning* little coat (aptly called Audrey), designed and created by Blue Skys Alpaca and knit in sportweight. The pattern calls for 30 balls (!!!) of yarn , and at current australian prices, it would equate to approximately $450-$480. There's nothing special about it except perhaps the beautiful colour, but something keeps drawing me into buying this pattern.


I wonder, even if I subbed for this yarn, would it be worth my time/cost in knitting this, or should I just go buy myself a lovely new winter coat ?

Preview: Rowan 44

It has been a gazillion years that I have bought a Rowan magazine/book. Actually, the last Rowan book I've bought was Rowan 39, and while that was in itself a shocker, I bought it for the sole reason that was Rambling Rose (yes, $35 for one pattern does seem a bit much now...). As much as I've liked a few classics here and there, there just wasn't enough in each book to warrant my buying it.

The latest offering however, seems to have revived a bit of love in the Rowan series. In their 30th anniversary edition, Rowan appears to have gone back to the style they've been famous for, and true to each pattern's namesakes (each one is named after a classic hollywood star), they are classically styled, very wearable, timeless, and with a bout of vintage nostalgia. Here's a sneak peak of it:

WIP: Rosemary's Swing Jacket

Exciting news! Well, not exactly for you, but for me, definitely. I think I might be getting my knitting mojo back, and as such, feeling muchly revived and excited about the (very good) possibility of finishing off a successful knit.

The work in progress is Rosemary's Swing Jacket, by Cathy Caron. The project itself is coming along at a very steady pace (although those 300+ stitches before dividing for the sleeves was turning me a little impatient), and as it is a raglan top down knit, should end up fitting very nicely. I do love the colour of it, and even more so, I adore the way the moss/seed stitch is coming up on the merino yarn. *Love* A little WIP shot for you:


And what else have I been doing in my spare time? Eating lots of pancakes and crepes - that's what!
Unfortunately I've also been told off for how much sugar i've been eating (for fear of getting diabetes as I get older), so from today onwards, I'll only be indulging once a week at most.. *sobs*

New knits

Following months of missing my knitting mojo, I'm determined to set about correcting it. And what better way than a raglan style knit, where I can size and knit as I go?? (surely that's guaranteed to give me at least halfway decent results right... right!?).

Knit in question... Rosemary's (soon to be mine hopefully) Swing Jacket from Interweave Knits Spring 2007.Yarn in question... Heirloom Merino Magic in a deep plum/purple colour (yes i do love this colour). I actually wanted this is a dark charcoal, or an olive colour, but Kalgoorlie's yarn selection is rather lacking...


The pattern calls for seed stitch all the way, and although I do love this stitch design (it's so uniform and textured and creates a nice sturdy fabric), it takes uber long to get anywhere. After 1 whole day's work, this is as far as I've gotten to:

But in keeping with my end goal of completing a successful knitted garment, I'm happy to forgo speed if only my mojo comes back.

Please mr. mojo. I miss you.

Bula Bula!

Bula! (hello as they say in Fiji, the country of beautiful sunshine and lovely people).

As regular readers know, I have a fairly hectic life, basing myself in two towns and working away offshore. When I'm not flying to and from work, I'm flying to and from my two home bases. Consequently, my love for flying has dissipated quite rapidly, but my love for travelling still remains.

Recently, six of my girlfriends and I decided it was time to ditch the boys and have ourselves a bit of girly fun, and what better way than to ship ourselves off to a little island and sip away at cocktails and get ourselves tans?? For your viewing pleasure:

The very friendly and happy singing fijians:

Fire dance ceremony:

South Sea Island:

Sunset over Port Denarau

On knitting news, I haven't tried to fix my Hexacomb cardigan as yet, but I did swatch for the Sylph Cardigan with a bit of Bendigo Woollen Mills Alpaca. While I managed to get gauge on all three stitch/swatch patterns, the faggotting and twisted rib texture got lost in the grey alpaca. So i'm looking at getting another colour, or trying something else but that will have to wait another two days until I get back to Perth..