.: Knit-Knat :.

Letter from nowhere

2009-10-20T21:26:00.002+08:00

I haven't blogged for goodness knows how long.

There was a time when I had all the free time in the world, where deadlines did not have to be met, and where crafting was always right there. In recent months, I have taken on a bit too much. Undertaking 2 qualifications, and 1 certification program has gotten the better of me.

Gone were my nights of sitting in front of the tv knitting.

Gone were my weekends of going out or of staying home to do some sewing.

In its place was long nights in front of the laptop. Weekends spent at libraries.

Gone was the CHOICE to decide what I wanted to do.

I've been on auto pilot. Trying to get through one deadline, or course, or assignment after another.

3 down, 2 to go.

When I had the choice to do things, I wanted to blog.

I enjoyed writing about the process of crafting , and I especially loved showcasing the latest project. However, in the past few months, I've felt obliged to blog, rather than it be something I wanted to do.

I'm physically and mentally exhausted at the moment.

But I've started crafting again.

I've started sewing, and I've started to knit again.

Hopefully, I'll also feel the urge to blog again.

Not because of obligation.

But because it's something I want to do.

Twinkle Sews

2009-10-06T17:55:00.005+08:00

I got my Twinkle Sews book in the mail this afternoon. Overall, a few cute tops and dresses I'd make and some very blah skirts. Given the price to pattern ratio though, I think it's a pretty good buy. I haven't actually made anything or read the instructions etc, but here's an overview of the patterns in the book for anyone whose interested. (Not the greatest, but i'm in a rush to get to netball)

Friday night football knitting progress

2009-09-12T14:06:00.004+08:00

It appears the only time I knit is when Friday night football is on.. (or that Friday night football is about the only time I watch tv nowadays). Usually, I would watch my beloved Grey's Anatomy, my indulgent Gossip Girl, as well as following the heartache of various korean drama series (current: Cain and Abel). Unfortunately, with the advent of summer season tv , all the good shows are currently taking a break and hence too, the knitting progress.

But anyways, Friday night football was on last night, and with it came some progress on the Phildar Grandpapa Cardigan (I think i shall name it Pops from now on). I managed to finish the whole back, and get started on the front left panel. It's pretty easy so far - just mindless reverse stockinette stitch. I'm a little worried that it's a wee bit small compared to the schematics but i'm hoping that blocking will fix it all..

I think the reason why I'm making "okay" progress with this one is that it is something i'll actually wear ! Too often, I knit things because they're cute, or interesting but knowing full well that worsted weight yarn often makes things ( and as a consequence, me) look bulkier, or knowing that the colour of the yarn doesn't suit me, or that I'm just knitting because I "need" a project but have no interest or love for the actual pattern itself... and yet, i never learn.

Could it be?

2009-08-31T09:46:00.000+08:00

Could it be? I've actually managed to *almost* knit my second Thermal sleeve?

This friday night footy sure does wonders for thermal knitting...

Getting back into it

2009-08-30T09:34:00.004+08:00

As you could probably tell, I haven't been terribly crafty in recents months due to having to move and settle back into city life. One of the more pressing things on my to do list however, has been my assignment submissions which have one after another dominated my free time. I finally handed in my second assignment yesterday, and while I'm not yet done with assignments (have got another one due in three weeks, worth 40% of my total mark eek!), i decided to give myself a well earned break this weekend and get back into crafting.

I went to spotlight yesterday afternoon (approx. 1 hour after submitting my assignment) and picked up some black jacquard for a tulip skirt I'm hoping to start today, some gorgeous black polkadot tulle to use as the skirt part of a dress (somewhere down the track) ...

and some more merino yarn to start on a Phildar long grandpa cardigan...

At the moment, the space I have for crafting is pretty limited given that I'm not in my own house at the moment, so everything's a bit piled up, in boxes and a bit messy.. this was the neatest shot i managed to get ;)

Something beautiful and colourful

2009-08-26T16:33:00.001+08:00

Guess what arrived at the door step today?? .. in season, beautiful, and not completely bloomed meaning lots of life and love to be had!

*Grins something silly*

There's a bird on my feet and I like it!

2009-08-25T11:00:00.000+08:00

I went to a masquerade ball recently , and in typical me style, I picked out a dress, the matching shoes, and a mask with lots of feathers on it only to change it all four hours before the ball. In the end, I bought a new dress, forgot to bring my mask (doh indeed!) and wore different shoes.

Nonetheless, I do think that the shoes (and mask) deserve a little page on shoeday tuesday. Afterall, it's the one pair of shoes I own that always generates lots of compliments.

Handspun: Magenta Merino/Silk

2009-08-23T10:47:00.004+08:00

Amidst the lack of knitting lately, I did do a wee bit of spinning while I watched Geelong almost lose to the Sydney Swans. I started off fairly evenly, but as I squirmed in my chair thinking that Geelong was going to lose, my spinning became a little more haphazard. (ps. for those who don't live in Australia, I am referring to AFL or aussie footy).

Anyways, three skeins lately , I ended up with two at about DK weight, and one fat one at about worsted weight. This was my first time spinning up batts , and also my first time spinning a mix (merino / silk) and I quite enjoyed it . The silk was left unddyed so it came up in little flecks of white . Not quite tweedy, but interesting enough for me :)

I'm thinking I might make a little beanie/beret type hat out of it - as I do like a little bit of colour to brighten up the dull gray days!

shame

2009-08-18T19:45:00.004+08:00

Oops. It has almost been one whole month since I last blogged. And what do I have to show for it? Nothing! In the past three weeks, I started my Masters, I started working back in head office, and I also developed an interest in the Twilight series ...

In three weeks, I've knitted maybe 8 rows of the rose shoulder shrug, completed one sleeve on Thermal, and have spun a wee little bit of a merino/silk yarn. That said, there are no photos of my 8 rows (not a lot has changed), I'm so sick of looking at Thermal, and the weather is so bad that my merino/silk yarn in languishing in the rain.

So there.

However, Shoeday Tuesday means shoe photo posting. I have bought about three new pairs of shoes in the last three weeks, but it's rather dark out so I will have to use a photo I already had in my album...

I bought these sparkly green ballet flats when I was in Singapore. They were a bargain at $35, and I love them to death. Yes, they are a bit worn in these photos, but as long as there is such thing as a shoe cobbler, I will do my best to preserve them ;)

of tulips and roses

2009-07-24T09:44:00.002+08:00

(Apologies for the blurry photos - I'm having a bit of a hard time with my lens at the moment!!)

The other day, I tried to hint to my other half that I hadn't received flowers for more than a year... and that it was coming up to tulip season (my favourite) , and that perhaps it would be nice to get a little surprise. Of course, I didn't get much joy out of that conversation but i'm secretly hoping that he didn't respond on purpose so that he could "psych" me out to think I wasn't getting any flowers when really I was..

Yes I know how that sounds. But I shall ignore it :)

So anyways, thinking about flowers and the like got me to cast on for the Rose Shouldered Shrug, from Knit1 Magazine Fall 08. I had originally bought some Classic Elite Cotton Bam Boo for it but decided that the lack of variegation in the yarn would make for a somewhat "flat" looking shrug. I wanted this one to *pop* - to have depth.

To my rescue came that strange sparkley yarn I bought the other week , that appeared to do the trick..

So I cast on for the main shoulder shrug part...

Then I got bored of stockinette, and separately cast on for the first section of the rose..

I like the sparkley contrast, but I think the contrast might be a bit much so I'm thinking of dyeing the whole thing when I'm finished. Maybe an wine coloured red, or a blue of some sort..
But we'll see :)

(until then.. i'm hoping there's some flowers waiting for me when I head home this weekend..)

Swimming in fruit punch

2009-07-21T18:13:00.003+08:00

Apologies for the lack of posts lately! I've been a bit unsettled with the move and not having half my stuff with me, as well as having to head back out to site for a relief stint.

But in all honesty, there hasn't been much knitting. I've cast on for the Rose Shoulder Shrug but haven't made much progress. I also tried to do some sewing the other day but haven't made much progress there either because I forgot everything I learnt in class..

So, the only project photos I can show is some spinning..

The 22 micron merino was dyed in yellows, greens and pinks, in something that I like to call "Swimming in fruit punch".

It was then spun up as singles on my Majacraft Pioneer.

And to keep the colour runs intact, I navajo-plied it (first time). I'm quite pleased with the final outcome, though it is very yellow heavy. The navajo ply was fairly easy to understand, but I had a lot of yarn breakage as I had underspun it in several places.

In the end, I ended up with approximately 300 metres of between fingering and sportweight yarn. Think i'll make some colourful socks out of this one.. (i mean, what else would you make in something this cheerful?!)

Unsettling

2009-07-06T17:38:00.003+08:00

Since coming back to Perth, I haven't had much motivation to do any spinning or knitting. There's something just not very inviting about not having all your wool, needles, yarn, magazines, patterns and books with you , and having everything packed in boxes because there is no room to put anything.

Moving back has been rather disruptive. I'm still trying to find my feet again , but I'm also about to head to site again tomorrow for 11 days to relieve someone on annual leave, so the whole process has become a bit of a headache.

I have however *tried* to get motivation. I picked up 10 balls of Jo Sharp DK Wool , 4 balls of something really interesting looking at Spotlight (hey, it cost me $7 after the 40% off so it can't be a total loss even if it does knit up terribly. It's one thread of wool twined with one thread of silvery stuff) and some DK weight charcoal merino wool which i'm thinking might be cute as a little vest for work.

I also bought a new Drum Carder and have done some tinkering with it, but no spinning. Maybe it's because I don't have all the comforts I'm used to having (ie. the big chaise lounge, the open space, the home theatre set up for me to spend hours in front of..) but I do hope to get the motivation back soon!

PS. I finished CPH, and sent it off to my pal and she's got it! Yay. Unfortunately I don't have any pics to show of the worn FO but i'll try and post an FO post shortly.

PPS . Sorry about the mess of a blog at the moment. I accidentally deleted my layout, and hastily grabbed another one but the alignment and links are all wrong. I will fix it up when I get back from site.

Shoeday Tuesday

2009-06-30T16:11:00.003+08:00

Exactly 16 hours after reaching Perth , I decided that the wardrobe that has pretty much stayed the same since I moved to the country needed a bit of a restyle. I needed to kick out the country bumpkin mentality and take back that city style. So, I headed out for a big shopping day and didn't come back all too satisfied except for two pairs of new shoes, a high waisted skirt and a shirt for work, and a black lace dress for those nights out ;)

While I'm 1 month away from recommencing my former life in the Corporate World (i have one more stint on site, training and some time off) I thought I'd christen city life back by adopting Shoeday Tuesday as on Michelle's blog . Being a fellow junkie (owning over 70 pairs of shoes), I'm not ashamed to say that shoes are my weakness and something that a girl can never have too many of ;)

Here's a pair I bought together - delectable black suede round toe stiletto pumps (to match that little black lace dress I bought of course!) .

The one with the boring sweater, the waiting and the RIP

2009-06-26T14:55:00.006+08:00

I'm moving back to Perth next week, so I have been hesitant to order new yarn and start new projects. Instead, I've been trying to use this time to finish up loose ends, clear out those spinning bobbins, and pick up any hibernating projects I currently have.

At the moment, I'm working on Thermal, which has been languishing for what feels like an eternity. I've only got the sleeves and finishing left to do on it, but it is very slow going and just plain boring. After two days of knitting, I've got perhaps a third of a sleeve which is putting another damper on the whole project.. *sigh*. Just keep plugging away I guess?

And how is CPH going? Well, the weather hasn't been all too friendly lately so CPH is still blocking but is fairly dry to touch so I'm hoping another two days and she'll be all done.

And completely off topic, but I was rather shocked to hear about Michael Jackson's death this morning. So, in his memory and for nostalgia's sake, I've been listening to his tracks all day(well, his number ones anyway).

Regardless of his personal life and scandals, I thought he was a fantastic musician who did so much for the music industry. RIP.

Finishing touches

2009-06-24T09:43:00.004+08:00

Just putting on the finishing touches of Central Park Hoodie... (apologies for the underexposed photos... it's fairly dark and gloomy at the moment, and I don't have a tripod to keep the photos sharp)

Seaming up the hood and finishing bands

Knitting up a little belt to match

Sewing in the ends

And now for blocking!

Like a kid on crack in a world of colour

2009-06-22T12:39:00.003+08:00

When I was was younger, I developed a fascination for glitter pens, high lighter pens , gel pens, sparkle pens, all those fancy pens that cost upward of $3.00 a pop.

As a teenager coming from an asian family, my parents would never question me when I told them I "needed" something for school. To them, it was all an investment towards a brighter future, and anything that I required, they were happy to pay for.

My dad used to pick me up from school most days as we lived three bus rides away from the central private school that I attended (It wasn't always the case.. it was only after we moved houses that it turned into such a distance), and once a week, we used to stop by at Bookland to purchase new school items.

I was clever in those days. I knew that if I picked out 20 glitter pens at $3.00 a pop, my dad would surely question my "need" for them. So, I would pick out about 3 pens each week and hide them amongst the awesome spiral notebooks and wicked unnecessary tape dispensers and sharpeners I would also covet and never was I questioned about these purchases.

At the end of term 2 in year 8, I remember looking at my vast pen collection and realising that I had amassed approximately 70 gel/glitter/sparkle pens over the 6 month period. I must admit, I did feel a tad bit guilty after tallying up the expense in my head, but the colours and the sparkles just won me over. I was like a kid on crack.

Many years on, I no longer buy sparkle pens. I discovered the gel in them would often freeze up after non-use over several months. But I do still love colours.

So, like a kid on crack, and regardless of my lack of "end product" for them, I just love playing with the world of colour and dyes that I have found myself in...

(My other half calls this one: Buzzing through the lilies)

(Swimming in fruit punch!)

(Some more strawberry jam)

Spinning yarns

2009-06-17T11:35:00.000+08:00

A little bit of spinning that I did last week but wasn't able to photograph because the weather was so bad, and because the yarn was out to dry.

#1: Terracotta became this:

Singles Yarn

100% Merino

Approximately 127 metres to the skein, 50grams

Thick and thin still (still trying to get consistency!) , but average of 14wpi, or fingering weight

#2: Strawberry Jam became this:

Singles Yarn

100% Merino

Approximately 178 metres to the skein, 80grams

Thick and thin still, but approx 13wpi (sport weight).

I didn't like this one when I first dyed it, but it has grown on me. Plus, it's super soft!

A letter to knitting karma

2009-06-12T11:28:00.000+08:00

Dear knitting karma,

I have been good lately.

I have worked hard at finishing my friend's birthday sweater (now fairly overdue...). I have finished knitting all the main parts - both sleeves, both front sides, and the back.

And most importantly, I have been monogamous in my knitting and haven't strayed from the one project.

So I ask this kindly of you.

I ask that the pictured 1 and a bit cakes of yarn is enough to finish my project.

Enough to knit a hood, a little belt , and to do the finishing bands.

Please knitting karma, I hope I've done enough to deserve some good karma my way...

Yours faithfully,

Me.

New play toys

2009-06-09T12:06:00.005+08:00

I love receiving parcels - even if it's me paying for them and expecting them! There's something exciting about opening up the package to see if what you've purchased is exactly what you thought it would be .

I came home the other night to a whole lotta new things to play with :

3 new books: "Start Spinning" by Maggie Casey, "Teach yourself visually Hand-Dyeing" by Barbara Parry, and "The intentional Spinner" by Judith McCuin-MacKenzie

Inwood - Smith Handcarders, 90ppsi

Ashford Competition Lazy Kate - I found out that the Ashford LK was able to fit the Majacraft bobbins (normal and jumbo) , was tensioned, and was a lot cheaper too!

1kg of Chocolate Coloured Finnx fleece from a hobby spinning farm in Adelaide

And this is what I did with my handcarders .. turned roving into rolags..

Spin spin spin

2009-05-31T11:53:00.001+08:00

My first handspun , all plied and set: 100% Merino 21micron, thick and thin, dyed a spotchy red, 76.5 metres from 100grams (dismal spinning effort). But my first all the same .. :)

And this is what that Terracotta dyed fibre is spinning up like:

It's interesting - I dont like multicoloured items at all.

I've always hated the variegated yarns that i've seen - i mean, they're pretty, but what are you going to make from them besides socks? So I've found it particularly interesting that I've enjoyed spinning multicoloured fibres. Will I ever knit anything out of them? Probably not, but I do enjoy the randomness of the colours that come up, and the way the singles work up. And after all, isn't this what venturing into a new hobby is about ? Getting out of your comfort zone, exploring new things, and doing something you've never done before! I think so.

FO: Phildar sweet tie up sweater

2009-05-27T23:01:00.000+08:00

Yay! Another FO post :) They make me feel so satisfied knowing I've finished something!

The knitting on this one has actually been finished for awhile, but I just couldn't be bothered sewing it all up, and actually doing the finishing because I stuffed it up twice already.

Pattern: Tie up pullover short sleeve sweater, from Phildar Tendances 456. Pattern number 456-T6-225 (Ravel it!)

Yarn : Bendigo Alpaca 8 ply, in Grey. I used approximately 1 and 3/4 of a second ball. I had heard great things about the alpaca and thought i'd give it a go seeing as though I needed something drapey in substitute of the cotton the pattern originally called for.

So what are my thoughts on the yarn? Well, I do love the heathered look of the grey colour. It helped me disguise a few mistakes I made during finishing, and gave the sweater a little bit of a textured look.

The yarn itself shed a whole heap during knitting, and I often made the mistake of unknowingly heading to the shops with a black sweater covered in alpaca hair only to realise at the counter. The yarn is also a little scratchy , possibly because the guard hairs haven't been removed. I'll definitely have to wear a little singlet underneath this one if I want to wear it!

Needles: 4.5mm UK

Comments and modifications:

Unlike other phildar patterns ive used in the past, this one is very straight forward and easily understood. No "huh" moments or frustrating frogging to be had with this one.

The construction of the sweater is interesting, but I can't help but think it was way too much finishing for something that could have easily been avoided.

For one thing, you knit the main part of the sweater. Then you knit a separate band for the bottom and attach it on for a finished hem. One can't help but wonder if you couldn't have just done the folded hem in one continuous knit pattern instead of doing it separately.

Secondly, the neck bad / neck tie. You knit these separately too - you knit two separate sections of long strips, and then you sew the two together, and then you sew it onto the body of the sweater. I did this originally, and ended up with an ugly result. I then thought it would be easier to cast on, pickup stitches, and continue knitting . Much easier, and much neater, but in my case, I ended up knitting too short a strip. By then, i was too lazy to fix it. So short little bow it is for now .

I do like the key hole, button up, puffed sleeves but my "key hole" is too big . I would make it smaller if I were to knit this again.

So whines and whinges aside, this really is a very easy knit. Straight forward reverse stockinette all the way, and easy to follow instruction. Just be prepared to do some extra legwork at the end of it ;)

Handdyed fibre

2009-05-26T11:48:00.003+08:00

This dyeing gig is strangely addictive.

I could spend a day just dyeing and fluffing around in the kitchen making a mess.. washing.. drying.. and then fluffing them out into soft little roving braids. I don't have to make anything out of them, i just enjoy playing with the colours!

This is what I did yesterday :

Both are 100% pure merino, 21 micron.

The first one is what I call "Terracotta" because it looks like the wall of my house. 95 grams.

The second is simply called Blues and Mauves , because i'm not very creative, and because it's obvious what they are ;)

Sneak peaks

2009-05-25T09:18:00.005+08:00

(Not going to type up a long post because my internet connection keeps dropping in and out for some reason)...

I've finally managed to have my first proper play with my new spinning wheel. I spun up a bobbin worth of pure merino and it's currently outside setting its twist. In the meantime, I decided to spin up my horridly (muted) hot pink hand dyed roving and from this..

I got this...

And on the knitting front... I've finished both sleeves of Thao's Central Park Hoodie and am now starting on the back piece. (Promise I'll finish before winter is over Thao! hehe).

A wee bit of dyeing

2009-05-20T08:57:00.000+08:00

The other day, i looked at the 1kg of white merino sitting patiently and eagerly waiting to be spun up and thought to myself "gee thats a bit dull, reminds me of an uncoated krispy kreme - full of promise but not quite as yummy". So i did a little bit of research on dyeing, and decided to try my hand at kettle dyeing with food colouring (spotted at the local woollies for a measly 80c a bottle - cheap stuff up if it need be!).

So i started by mixing 2/3 cup of water with half a cap of Rose Pink and poured it into the vinegar infused simmering hot water..

The 100gm of fine merino fibre and surrounding water turned a reddish pink, and slowly turned clear. I then added in 1/3 cup of water mixed with 1/2 cap of red to try and give the pink a bit of "depth" . (teehee, loving that word).

Once done, I then gently lifted it out of its pot and drained it in a colander. Then i rinsed it with wool wash.

And then i put it out to dry. It's not as red as I hoped it was. Actually its a bit too hot pink for my liking. But 100gm might just do me for a pair of mittens or a beanie so it wasn't too much lost.

Lessons learnt?

learn more about colour theory next time
add less water so the colour is more saturated
investigate acid dyes

On knitting and therapy

2009-05-18T09:10:00.000+08:00

Ive always thought knitting was therapeutic, not quite cathartic, but definitely calming during a storm.

The other day, i found out that the site I work at is being shut down due to the low nickel price. A job i utterly loved, with people I adored, and with so much promise - all to be gone in 4 weeks time (we are on demobilisation mode at the moment).

When i found out, I was on my R&R week. I got told via phone, and at the time, didnt get much info as everyone else was in the "what now?" boat. So, i had one and a half days of anxious waiting. Waiting to see if I'd have to uproot my life and go, waiting to see if i was being made redundant, or waiting on news that i might be able to transfer to another division.

Throughout this waiting, I fidgeted. I tried to spin. I tried to read. I tried to sleep. All to no avail. The only saving grace I had during that wait period was to knit while watching Heroes Season 3. Something about vegging out in front of the tv, plugging away row by row was therapeutic . And it got me through to the afternoon..

And then i got a call from my superintendent and HR one after another. It appears they want me to return to my previous position at head office (the one i came from before i was "loaned" out to site and decided i loved it too much on site to be back in corporate), and in so doing, would have to uproot my life as i knew it. But that's okay, it appears ( i say appears because it still has to be approved by CEO - and nothing has been confirmed 100% yet) that I still have a job (and a good one at that!), so i am grateful .

Damn those greedy corporate banks for sucking us into this global financial crisis! I didnt think it would hit me, but I've felt a bit of it so far, and i hate it..

PS. I'm knitting Central Park Hoodie, in Berocco Peruvian for my pal Thao .

Fluff here there and everywhere

2009-05-15T09:32:00.005+08:00

Much to the dismay of my other half, I have transformed the living room into a mini craft room of sorts.There are balls of wool everywhere (Ps. i found it cute that Webs sent their yarn to me in a Jamaican Coffee carton), yarn cakes to be wound, spinning wheel and spindles here and there and kgs of fibre waiting to be weighed.

You may recall that I had previous plans to turn one of our two spare rooms into my craft room. Well, those plans have been put on hold for at least the forseeable future. Looks like im uprooting from this life, and returning to a former one. More on that next time...

FO: Millefiori Cardigan

2009-05-13T11:37:00.002+08:00

I feel like all i've been interested in lately in spinning... well, partially true, but I have also done some knitting.

Pattern: Millefiori Cardigan, in Interweave Knits Spring 2009

Yarn: Bendigo Woollen Mills Cotton 8ply, in colour Damask Rose. I actually don't like this colour very much at all (isnt that a typical complain I have??), but I have quite a bit of cotton in my stash and need to use it up for fear of moths eating at them. Anyhoos, as always, the cotton is very drapey, easy to use and not splitty at all.

Needles: 4.5mm UK for main and 4.00mm for ribbing. I knit a little tighter than most, so often have to go up a size or two.

Comments and mods?
Overall, an easy knit but ONLY after you figure out the clam shell pattern. I , like a lot of others, struggled with the clam shell in my first attempt but after my first pattern repeat , i "got" it so ended up frogging it and redoing it properly . If you're a tight knitter, the clamshell can get a little difficult given the large number of stitches you are putting on the one stitch, but there's not that much clamshell in the pattern so once you pass that bit, it's smooth sailing from there!

I also ended up doing a broken rib instead of a twisted rib through no intention of my own. I misread the instructions and after one inch of broken rib, decided I was too lazy to frog it. So i continued with it the whole way through.

Personally, I like twisted rib as I think it looks more polished. But oh well - its not something i'm going to lose sleep over. hehe.

In terms of sizing, I knitted the smallest one for a 32" bust. It's a wee little bit loose (positive ease of about 0.5" or 1") but that's okay. If you want a smaller fit, you might want to knit one size smaller.

It feels like ages since i did an FO .. so im pleased i've got an FO post for ya! hehe. One down, two to go.

New toy

2009-05-12T20:21:00.003+08:00

Guess what arrived at lunch time today?

All flat packed from New Zealand...

3 Bobbins coming from the box...

All the bits and pieces... putting together the Pioneer Wheel

.. Outside with its coat of wax (the wax smelled of lemon meringue. I wanted to eat it)

... Playtime soon .. !

Spindling

2009-05-11T09:22:00.004+08:00

On my recent trip to Perth for work purposes, I was able to pop into BilbyYarns, a little store in Myaree and have a wonderfully long chat to the proprietor, June Lynn. From my understanding, Bilby Yarns is the storefront for the Melanian Sheep Society, and all the fleece, fibres and yarns in there are locally produced and made. June was a delight, extremely helpful and obliging in my millions of questions about spinning, roving, fleece, everything - something that all LYS should have ;)

The main purpose for me popping into Bilby Yarns was to talk / research / buy a spinning wheel. Bilby Yarns stocks Ashford spinning wheels and associated accessories, and also has on consignment, several second hand wheels. At the time I was there, there was a Dutch Flax (i think?) and a locally WA handmade wheel. June let me treadle on these (as well as the Ashford Joy and Ashford Kiwi) while I got the feel for it.

In the end, I didnt buy a wheel. The kiwi was fairly limited in what it could do for me, and the Joy, while portable and therefore fantastic for my lifestyle (perth to kalgoorlie to leinster and anywhere in between), was also very limited in what it could do. I have however, ordered a new Majacraft Pioneer wheel, which I'm hoping to get today or tomorrow via the courier.

I did however come out with an Ashford spindle, some roving / tops (i dont know the difference yet) and a brand new wool winder. My last wool winder was not aligning properly so i figured it was time for a new one.

Taking it home, my first day of spindling was disastrous. I had high hopes of being a natural spinner (teehee) but alas, all i could produce was horribly overspun, undrafted, yarn barf. The next day however , something clicked and the drafting seemed effortless, and the results much better. Still overspun, and a long way to go but i'm rather pleased with my first efforts !

Offline for the time being

2009-04-27T11:42:00.002+08:00

In today's world, we often forget or we don't realise how much we've come to rely on technology until it's not with us. Being out and about without a mobile phone, left without internet connection and not being to go online, and one that now affects me, being left without a camera for 2 weeks.

Yup, I'm in Perth at the moment, off to restaurants, off to birthdays, off to parties, and no way to capture any of it. More relevantly, I'm in Perth, with a finished Millefiori Cardigan, lots of new yarn, about to venture into spinning wheel territory and no way to document any of that.

So rather than fill this text with descriptives and text, I'll just have to go on a short break until I get back to Kal (not till next Friday), so I'll probably be offline until then.

Until then, have a wonderful day :)

Time for a new craft?

2009-04-18T13:17:00.001+08:00

Thank you for your comments on my recent "search for snugness" post re: looking for a nice snuggly winter coat. While i'm hoping to knit at least two for the winter, I have decided that one of them would be Wenlan Chia's Bulky Coat from Vogue Knitting.

I have always loved Wenlan's aesthetic and have enjoyed her previous knitting books. That said however, I have never knitted anything of hers up. For one, I worry about how the bulkiness of her knits would look on me (i'm fairly petite so I dont want to look 1- Like i'm swamped and 2- Like i'm gained 10 kgs overnight in all the wrong places). But i figured that the bubble coat was "bubbly" enough to look as if it was meant to be slouchy, oversized, and something to be deliberately gobbled up in. So, dilemma 1 solved. Now for dilemma Two. Subbing for Twinkle Soft Chunky.

I have done a whole heap of research into possible subs for Twinkle Soft Chunky and have found suggestions including:

Brown Sheep Burly Spun
Rowan Big Wool
Plymouth Yukon
Cascade 128
Cascade Bollicine Revolution

However, on inspecting the gauge instructions, none of them was suitable (too small).

According to Webs, Soft Chunky knits up at 1 st per 1 " or 4sts per 4". That's a FAT yarn.

So i thought, hey, why not get 3 or 4 strands of something smaller and swatching? So i tried 3 strands of worsted weight yarn that I had in my stash (but am not necessarily going to use on this project), and it gave me 8 sts per 4". Then I tried 4 strands and it gave me 7 sts per 4".

Just how FAT is this yarn?

Well, 6 strands of yarn gave me 4sts per 4" that's how fat. While the calculations aren't exact, that's almost 72 ply of yarn (metric)! That's a whole lot of yarn.

So then I went this way, and that way.. and in the end i thought "what if i spun my own yarn"? Yes , I'm considering buying a spinning wheel. Of course, for such a big outlay of cash, I'd need to research it a little bit more.. But the idea of being able to spin my own yarn to the colours and consistency that I want it to be is just too exciting!

Bed bound and fondling yarn

2009-04-16T13:05:00.001+08:00

One of the great things about working a FIFO (fly in fly out) roster is that I get 6 days off after 8 days of work. Yup, that's right - I work 8 days straight, and then get a whole 6 days off each week. It helps make up for working away and the long hours that I do put in when I am on site.

Having 6 days off each roster cycle means that I get a lot of "me" time. "me" time to go for a short trip, "me" time to rest and relax before going back to site, and "me" time to just be.. well.. "me".

One of the things that I don't like however, is wasting that "me" time. I'm on my second last day of R&R (rest and relaxation week) and am due to head back to site tomorrow. I am however, bed bound. *sobs*.

I woke up this morning unable to move my left hand side. It wasn't numb, it was just completely aching, with a stabbing pulsating feeling everytime I went to move it. After one hour of lying in bed (thinking it would go away), I called my other half for assistance and he promptly took me to see the doc. Luckily (or not), it appears to be nothing too serious, and that my muscles are just spasming. I've got muscle relaxants to treat it but 4 hours after seeing the doc, I'm still sore and unable to turn or move my head too much (i can type though!) hehe.

Now, i don't normally mind a day in bed .. but I do mind it when I have brand new yarn to play with! The postman just dropped off my latest package, containing Classic Elite Cotton Bam Boo and it's a beautiful raspberry colour. I'm planning on using it for Megumi Hirai's Rose Shoulder Shrug (I hope it's a good sub for "Silken Straw"?):

Unfortunately, I can only fondle but can't really knit because it tightens up the muscles. So, a day of R&R wasted. But at least there's something new to look forward to.

UFO discovery

2009-04-14T15:36:00.005+08:00

When people ask me "do you go to the gym", I often reply with a smile "I have plans..." knowing full well that somewhere in my mind, I have blocked out all thoughts about the $60 / month that is coming out of my credit card and I have only been twice in 2 months, and that while I'm on site for work , I get free membership to the gym.

I block these thoughts out because I don't want to feel guilty about the money i'm wasting, the food that i'm eating, and the general lazing around i've been well known for .

Today, when it started to pour outside, I woke up and couldnt get back to sleep so I decided to be a little bit resourceful and unpack one of the boxes that has been hiding in my craft room for some time (a box that I brought back with me on a recent trip to Perth). In it , I discovered several sweaters that I had forgotten (including my Phildar Swing Jacket and Patti Cardigan).

I also discovered a shoe box with some UFOs, including my first chocolate brown Lisette Cardigan, Thermal Sweater, as well as a stashed away Phildar tie up sweater I had only just started..

I don't even know where I'm up to for Thermal, or if I even still have the pattern but luckily it's freely available so *phew*

Regarding the phildar sweater.. I am ooooooohhhh sooooo close, but in my attempt at being "smart", I decided to pick up the neck band and knit rather than sew on a separate neck band. In my "smart" state however, I grossly undercalculated how many stitches I would need and the resultant neck band hardly ties up. In fact, it just bobbles.

So, in an effort to finish off some of the knits I've started, I'm hoping to take a leaf out of Christie's blog, and make it my two aims to finish these knits. Unlike her however, I won't be putting a timeframe on it.. hehehe i'm just "planning" to do it ;)

And finally.. here's a progress shot on the Millefiori Cardigan. It's been very quick going.. only two sleeves and some finishing to go. Hopefully i'll end up with something finished ;)

Casting on... Millefiori Cardigan

2009-04-12T12:31:00.002+08:00

A little something that I'm working on...

The clamshell pattern in a bit more detail..

Sorry about the lack of words - Happy Easter. Will be back shortly!

In search of snugness

2009-04-06T09:32:00.000+08:00

With winter approaching in approximately 3 months time, I am on the lookout for a great Coat/Cardigan pattern for those moments where maximum snuggliness is required. While I did manage to pick up two of the said cardigans on my recent trip to Melbourne, I'm also feeling the urge to buy upwards of 20 balls of yarn for the pleasure of knitting a long bulky sweater coat.
In my search, out came all my magazines and booklets.

Here's what I found. (PS. I haven't looked online yet, so if anyone has any fab ideas for a coat cardigan, please let me know :D I haven't settled on one yet!)

From Jo Sharp Knit.2: Obviously I wouldn't parade around in a bikini all day long ;)

From Phildar Tendances:

From DB Cashmerino:
From Interweave Knits:
From Vogue Knitting:

From Rowan Studio 8:

From Knit.1:

A Whole lot of Food in Melbourne, Australia

2009-04-03T08:33:00.004+08:00

As I mentioned in my last few posts, I recently went to Melbourne for a few days to visit some friends who had done the whole "moving east" thing after uni. Besides Marv, the other boys were actually out of town, so it became a girls weekend of sorts.

Melbourne is famous for a few things - great shopping (that I did have on the first day, but not so much luck on Chapel or Bridge Road the days after), a great bar scene, and fabulous food.

(Apologies for the photo quality - I was limited to my bf's little Olympus P&S which I'm not familiar with)

On the first night, we went to a Korean bbq place in the CBD (didn grab any photos), then Max Brenner:

On Saturday, we went to Apte (A place to eat), a cafe given a perfect 20/20 score. While the service was a bit slow, the food was faultless.

Then there was Maedaya, a little japanese Sake Bar with great nibblies (almost like a Japanese tapas restaurant).

On Sunday, there was Hutong Dumplings Restaurant:

Followed by Koko Black for delicious dark chocolate goodies.

Was I satisfied? Definitely. Would I head back for more? Absolutely.

FO: Ruffled and Ruched Scarf

2009-03-31T14:37:00.004+08:00

Two days after returning from Melbourne, I finally finished the Ruffled and Ruched Scarf. I had hoped that I would be able to finish this last week and be able to wear it in Melbourne, but alas that was not the case. But it turned out fine anyways, because Melbourne wasn't cold enough to wear a scarf (25 degrees on the weekend that I was there), and after my dramas at the airport (not being able to check in my luggage and having to downsize my melbourne wardrobe to a tiny handbag worth) it was probably a good thing..

Anyways, for some FO details:

Pattern: Ruffled and Ruched Scarf, by Pam Powers. Ravel it!

Yarn: Reclaimed Heirloom Merino Magic (DK weight) in red.
This is the third time I have used this yarn . The first was my illfated Jess Cardigan (too heavy to wear), then my first foray into the Lush and Lacy Cardigan (wrong weight yarn) and on its third attempt, it managed to become something. I used approximately 4 balls of yarn though I can't be accurate in saying how many yards that is because my balls were odd sized due to my "reclaiming" of yarn.

Needles 4.5mm

Comments and Mods
There are two versions of this pattern - one in DK weight, and one in a thicker weight. The scarf I made is based on the DK version and overall, the pattern is extremely easy (if not mundane) and took approximately 2 weeks for me to complete.

It all started when I learnt how to do a provisional cast on. A few botched attempts ensued, but after my third go, it was all smooth sailing from there . I made no purposeful mods to the patterns, but as I did not swatch for gauge (lazy i know, but it was a scarf so I didn't really care about fit) my scarf grew quite fat and so I did not do all the increases. In saying that, I was also surprised at how much yarn the scarf ate up - due to the garter stitch rows, and the increases/decreases throughout.

Kim Hargreaves : Patterns and New Book

2009-03-26T08:20:00.004+09:00

I got a rather exciting email in my inbox the other day - one of my favourite knit designers has come out with a new book, and has made individual pattern buying possible on her website (without the need for a kit).

Rather than blabbing on about it, check it out for yourself :)
(HONESTLY, how can you say NO to this much loving?)

PS. I failed in my attempt to finish the ruched & ruffled red scarf. Knitting for 30 minutes while i'm on site rarely results in an FO. Oh well. No red scarf outfit for melbourne then . And thanks to all those who provided tips on wear to go for yarnie goodness in melbourne - i'll be heading off tonight :)

Ruffles, ruching, roses.. Bliss!

2009-03-23T11:46:00.000+09:00

Continuing on from attempts to move away from black and grey winters and towards a colourful accessories filled season, I have cast on for Pam Powers' Ruffled and Ruched Scarf in Merino Magic red yarn ( a third reincarnation of this yarn who went through such projects as the Jess Cardigan to the first attempt at the Lush and Lacy Cardigan, and now as an accessory).

It was love at first sight for me and this scarf. Ruffles, ruching, roses, all wrapped around the neck - just perfect for the girly girl in me!

The project didnt start off so well though.. I learnt for the first time the Provisional Cast On. It took me about three goes before I was confident that the two colour swirl of a mess at the start somewhat resembled those in the knitty.com photos... but since then, there haven't been any hiccups and I've completed the first section of the scarf. One more section and a rose to go!

I'm off to melbourne for a short four day trip to see some pals, and given that there can often be four seasons in one hour in melbourne, I'm hoping that the scarf will be ready because i have just the perfect little outfit for it. Ooh excitement.

Speaking of melbourne, I've been looking at yarn stores and wool related places I can visit on the Friday (my friends will be at work so I will have friday to myself). I've got a few on my list, but if anyone melbournians read this blog, please drop me a line and let me know . I'll be catching the train to get around, so preferably stores near the cbd or easily accessible :) Thanks

PS. Does anyone else really struggle with photographing RED? Any tips would be appreciated :)

Handsome Mittens

2009-03-19T11:31:00.004+09:00

Some people think that where I live is the "desert". Some people think that I live in 40 degree (celcius) temperaure for 365 days of the year (plus one on a leap year).
These people are wrong.

Yes I live in the country, but i wouldnt call it the desert. It's definitely very red, but I believe that is because it is a resource rich area, rather than dry and arid. And they are certainly wrong about the 40 degree living. Yes, it does get extremely hot in summer (as does most of Western Australia I should say), but in winter, boy is it cold. The thermostat says it's about 11 degrees most days in the winter - and while for some people living in cold areas this might be reasonable, to me it is freezing.

So when winter rolls around, i love donning my scarves, my winter tights (fashionable or not), my beanies and my gloves and mittens. This year I have tried to escape my classic winter colours of grey and black (too drab), and decided to bust out some brightly coloured mittens with hopes of at least putting a smile on one's face..

Project Details:

Pattern: Handsome Mittens, featured in Interweave Knits winter 08 issue.

Yarn used: Half a ball each of Cleckheaton Country 8 ply (blue) and Heirloom Merino Magic (pink).

Needles : A set of 4 4.5mm dpns. The pattern calls for a set of 5, but i only had a set of 4 and wasn't going to go out and buy another set just for one needle. That said though, it would've been easier to make these if you had the extra needle (counting wise and fidgeting wise).

Comments and mods: The colour changing took me two goes to get it right. The first go I had a terrible line going up my mitten showing where the colours had been changed.. But something in my head kept saying "nah that's fine keep going" until I had almost finished my first mitten, and then of course, the painful feeling of frogging the whole thing and telling myself "i told you so" hehe.

The pattern itself is really easy to follow , and as mentioned above, if you have the extra needle, should be fairly straightforward. In general, I don't think i made any mods, and i think the whole thing went fairly smoothly.

Wedding bells

2009-03-18T10:52:00.002+09:00

Sorry for not blogging in the last 11 days. It's been a crazy week and a half as my younger brother and his college sweetheart became man and wife. The bride was beautiful, and the groom glowing with happiness..

It was a beautiful ceremony and wedding reception, with both paying tribute to their respective parent who had passed away, and to the incredible journey that they have been through together.

All in all, a lovely day and one in which no knitting was done ;)

PS. My sister ended up wearing the cream jacquard floral dress cause she's smaller up top, and it fit her beautifully. Yay!

Casting on: Handsome Mittens

2009-03-07T12:34:00.000+09:00

I adore mittens. There's something insanely cute about those little round pockets for hands.. something so cute about not being able to fully grasp anything properly. Perhaps it reminds me of little babies and their pouch mittens. Or perhaps it just brings up ideas of playing in snow.. Whatever it is, there's something uniquely youthful about them that gloves do not possess - something that just keeps me coming back.

When I flicked through my Interweave Winter issue, I immediately knew I wanted to cast on for the Handsome Mittens. I loved the striping pattern, the use of the reverse stockinette stitch, and the way that the model's mittens had contrasting thumb colours. Could it be - More cuteness than normal mittens!?

Here's me casting on and starting to knit...

Almost there

2009-03-03T12:28:00.002+09:00

As I mentioned previously, the sweet Phildar tie up sweater is a mindless knit. Rounds and rounds of reverse stockinette stitch and little shaping made perfect tv knitting. But by golly, the finishing is taking awhile..

First there was the puffed sleeves..

Then there was the slit sleeve finished off with a loop buttonhole

Then there was the bottom band...

Then there was the TWO neckbands that form the tie..

Almost there.. almost there...

FO: Cream jacquard floral dress

2009-02-26T18:44:00.003+09:00

So.. after my last post, i completely removed the sweetheart neckline from my cream dress and modded it so that there wasn't a huge gaping hole between my actual bust, and my imaginary dream sized bust ;) hehe

Unfortunately, in the process, i actually underestimated what i *did* in fact have, and ended up making the dress a little too small up top and effectively squishing and flattening my already small upper body ..

Oh well, i can't be bothered making amendments at the moment, so I present to you an FO:

FO: Cream Jacquard Floral Dress

Pattern: My own. It's basically a strapless dress, with a bubble/gathered full skirt.

Notions: Thread, 30cm cream invisible zipper in the centre back.

Fabric: Some cream floral jacquard that I picked up on sale at Spotlight during their end of year sale. I got 2 metres, and i probably used up 1.7 of it. I have a small amount left which i might be able to make into a shoulder cape / small jacket of some sort.

Comments : I made this dress with the intention of wearing it to my brother's wedding. While i would still like to, im not sure how i feel with looking like a prepubescent teen with no chest.. I might be able to salvage the upper body to create more chest room.. but as is, it's a nice dress, but would've been nicer if it fit better!

We're going to the chapel....

2009-02-22T09:50:00.000+09:00

No, not me. My brother is getting married in a few weeks, and I am stuck for something to wear. I know I know, people who know me in real life will know I have a tonne of dresses hanging beautifully in my wardrobe. But of course, I have nothing to wear...

A few months ago when I was visiting in Perth, I stopped by and stocked up at the local Spotlight store for fabrics that I wouldnt be able to get out here in Kal. On that shopping list was lots of printed cottons, a few rolls of jacquard (heavily discounted as it was "buy the rest of the roll and get xx percent off"), and some pretty silk.

(trying to get my craft room up and running)

One of my favourite fabrics that I purchased that day was a cream jacquard with printed flowers all over it. I managed to pick up 2 metres at a total cost of $18. Bargain or not?

Anyways, I always knew I wanted to make a pretty dress with it.. so I started to draft, and cut, and sew.. and eventually I ended up with this (the hem and the skirt tucks aren't sewn yet. Still playing around with it):

Personally, i think it's quite lovely. But I also overestimated my less than ample bosom. Because while it's lovely, the sweetheart/corset style top means that I am not going to be able to make simple alterations without unpicking most of it. DISASTER. But one i'm willing to tackle nonetheless..

But anyways, I have a question.. I realise that wearing WHITE to a wedding is boo boo... But how about cream (with flowers).. it's not a boo boo is it ? :)

FO: Icy Mint Vintage Cardigan

2009-02-19T09:39:00.001+09:00

Project Details

Pattern: Golden Vintage Cardigan, by Thea Colman. Available here

Yarn: Bendigo Woollen Mills Cotton 8 ply, in Icy Mint (discontinued colour). The yarn itself was nice to knit with, but I hated the colour every step of the way. I'm not even sure why I purchased the colour in the first place, but it was sitting languishing in my stash so I decided I better knit something with it...

Needles 4.25mm , to get gauge. I noticed my little Clover needles were in between standard needle sizes, and thank goodness for that ;)

Comments
Very simple, easy to knit cardigan which produces a cute, classic result. While im not overly impressed with the colour of the cardigan, I would definitely reknit this in something more wearable (black, red, greys, whatever... just not icy mint).

Other mods which you might consider (and I would should I knit another) is to reinforce the button band with some cosgrain ribbon as it is fairly weak, and perhaps lengthen it.

Protecting yourself

2009-02-17T09:23:00.003+09:00

My brother's fiance sent me an email forward yesterday and I just *had to share*.

Here are some ideas for you to protect your privacy and security when using your computer/laptop :

and the very best idea of all!!

Hair hair everywhere

2009-02-10T08:52:00.000+09:00

As much as I love alpaca, I hate the way the fibres shed. It's all over me, my bf, and on the clothes. It's just like having an alpaca bleeping away in my living room ... :S

PS. I did say the Phildar Tie Sweater WIPs were going to be dull didn't I ? ;)

Plugging, plugging, plugging

2009-02-06T08:37:00.000+09:00

Have you ever had a pattern that you found really boring and really difficult to continue with, yet you loved the finished pattern?

For me, it is turning out to be Kim Hargreave's Lisette Cardigan, knit in fingering weight / 4 ply which never seems to end. (Plus , it is the second time i'm giving this cardigan a go).

At the moment, there is one back piece, one sleeve, one front piece and a tad bit of another sleeve. I'm knitting all over the place with hopes that it will be more interesting this way (ha!). But anyways, a little bit a day, and hopefully it will end soon ...

Casting on : Phildar Sweetness

2009-02-03T08:44:00.000+09:00

Flicking through an older Phildar magazine, I came across a sweater that I fell in love with as soon as I had bought the magazine. However, many magazines and pattern book purchases later, I soon came to neglect the previously loved sweater until recently.

The sweater itself is very simple, knit in reverse stockinette stitch the whole way, and finished off with a sweet tie up at the front. Not difficult knitting it seems. And it's also one of those sweaters that you can wear very easily, so coupled with the simple sweetness of it, I decided I just had to knit it right now.

I've cast on using Bendigo Alpaca , which is fairly different to the Phildar Frimas suggested, but the cotton i tried to swatc with was fairly ugly knit at the looser gauge. So, I'm trying alpaca as it is fairly drapey, and hopefully will give me a similar effect to the Phildar Frimas. Plus, i'm trying to use up stash yarn before purchasing more yarn.

I don't expect it to have very exciting WIP photos along the way, so we may stay quiet on this one for awhile ;)

FO : Sack Boy (Little Big Planet)

2009-01-31T17:26:00.001+09:00

Project Details
Pattern: Sack Boy, from Playstation 3's Little Big Planet. Pattern by Alan Dart, in Simply Knitting (available online)

Yarn: Patons Jet, in a brown colour. 1.5 skeins. And black stash yarn used for making the eyes and the mouth.
Needles: 5.5MM needles

Comments and Mods: Very easy to follow pattern by Alan Dart, and if you follow the pattern, you're pretty much guaranteed the results. The only changes I made was to use yarn for the eyes instead of shank buttons as the shank buttons I bought were too small for the massive head that sackboy had, and I pretty much winged the construction of it rather than follow the instructions. Besides that, easy, fun, quick pattern with great results. My bf loves it :D

Knitting on the PS3

2009-01-28T11:28:00.005+09:00

Besides my "homely crafting", I have always loved going out, having a coffee with friends, shopping, discovering new haunts and discovering new knick knacks. However, since my bf took up his job as a mine engineer, we have based ourselves in a fairly sleepy town (approx 30 000).

While my work whisks me away for 1/2 of the year, the other half is usually spent coming back and forth from my "home town" and my current town. While in my current town, my bf often worries that I will get easily bored, and often stocks up on things that he thinks will keep me entertained (little does he know how much knitting and sewing can keep me occupied)..

Late last year, he (like many other PS3 owners) discovered Little Big Planet. He fell in love with little Sack Boy so much he decided that *I* needed it too. Not being an adventure gamer myself, I played for about 1 hour and have never touched it since. That said though, the other half has certainly taken to the game.

So in secret, I've started knitting him a little Sack Boy. It's almost done, except for the finishing and then i'll leave it nicely by the tv with the PS3 game. I don't often knit for him - but I do hope he likes it :)

New Yarns for New Projects

2009-01-23T09:47:00.000+09:00

I have been a little bit busy organising my shelving for my knits, sewing projects and other crafts for my little craft room. Unfortunately, my room is on hold for the time being as we have a houseguest with us and we are unable to move things around without busybodying around.

So, in an effort to provide hints about my NEED for a craft room, i have been stocking up on goodies with a view of indicating how much extra room i need, and how much a craft room would alleviate this need. Cheeky i know.. hehe . But amongst my purchases:

RYC Cashsoft DK:

Online Merino 150 (a 5ply of baby merino)

Jo Sharp Alpaca Silk Georgette in a Musk Colour (a wonderful blend of Alpaca, Silk and Merino... Bliss)

Unfortunately, I have no idea what I actually want to do with them .. :S

Time for a meme

2009-01-20T11:55:00.000+09:00

I saw this over at Liz's blog, and it looked like fun so stole it. Thanks Liz! The idea is to bold what you've done, and leave out what you haven't.

1. Started my own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (not a rock band, but in the orchestra/flute choir)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than I can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
10. Sung a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched lightening at sea
14. Taught myself art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown my own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had my portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie (albeit a highschool one haha)
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business (does my lemonade store count?)
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma (not allowed to...)
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life (my cousin who was stuck underneath a gigantic floatie with his head underneath the water for what seemed like eternity. Nothing heroic)
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Rode an elephant

WIP: Golden Vintage Cardigan

2009-01-17T06:38:00.000+09:00

It seemed like only yesterday I was complaining about the ugliness of the green cardigan (aka Golden Vintage Cardigan), yet despite that, I have actually finished it.. :S Unfortunately, cardigans I actually *want* to finish are still languishing. Why? I have no idea.. but perhaps it has to do with my disdain for the colour, and the need to just quickly use it up no matter what.

Anyways, I figured a WIP shot/post would be necessary rather than jumping straight into the FO post (which will need to wait anyway because I haven't sewn on buttons yet).

But for anyone who is wanting a quick easy classic cardigan to knit, I highly recommend this one. Easy to follow instructions, DK yarn (not fatly knitted, nor painfully thinly knitted), and a design that is easily worn and dressed for..

PS. The other green/teal cardigan is being knit willy-nilly. One back, one sleeve, and now a front. I'm trying to keep the 4 ply boredom interesting :p (and I also got a new lens for my birthday so trying it out on different camera shots)

FO: Zooprint Grey Tunic Pocket Dress

2009-01-14T10:49:00.000+09:00

People that know me know that i love whimsical, cute, girly things. Whether that is ribbons, buttons, cute prints, styles, anything.. i love whimsical things!

So when i discovered this grey zoo print fabric , I just *had* to have it. Not knowing what I wanted to do with it (again!), and coupled with the directionalism of the print, I bought 4 metres. In the end, I made a little shift dress , with pockets, and sleeve gathering... and Of course, i still have about 2 metres left. But that's okay, because I originally made this dress for my sister (and ended up liking it so much I kept it)... so I could use the extra fabric for a little top or something else for my sister.

Not the best photos - I'm borrowing my boyfriend's digital camera, and my shaky hands don't match well with it :(

Project Details:

Pattern: Simplicity Project Runway 3507

Fabric: Main: 100% cotton - grey animal print. Yoke: Dark Grey Drill

Notions: Thread, Make your own buttons.

Comments:

Don't go by the pattern sizing, go by your RTW dress size. I made the one that suited my measurements, and it was HUGE. I had to downsize the dress and it ended up being my RTW dress.

I would've liked to have put a zip in it as well, but I made this dress in one day so that I could wear it that day, so no zip. It's a little stiff to get out of, but not too bad..

Rowan 45 Preview

2009-01-12T08:36:00.000+09:00

OOOh i love new season time. New magazines, new books, new yarns. It's a fabulous time to be knitting ;) Here's a look at the new Rowan 45:

2008 Knits

2009-01-11T08:41:00.002+09:00

Oh what a dismal year... :(

Here's hoping for a better 2009 :)

Waiting

2008-12-30T09:30:00.003+09:00

Belated Merry Christmas to you all! Hope it was a fantastic one. The last few weeks have been fairly hectic, with work going non-stop, travelling back and forth, and birthdays, christmas and weddings to attend. This is my first breather moment, and I can't post what I want up :(

There is 1 sewing FO, 1 knitting FO and about 46 viruses on this computer prior to reformatting. This also means I don't have anything installed, including a simple photo resizer, so I'm not able to post the FOs. SIGH.

Regardless, I do hope you have a great new years and a wonderful new years.

PS. I will be MIA for a short while. Will be working for 8 days, then travelling back to Perth for a weekend of partying with best buddies coming in from Melb. Have fun.

Restarting...

2008-12-22T08:00:00.000+09:00

I must be on a green kick. Or variations of it. First there was Martha, then there was the Golden Vintage Cardigan, and now i've restarted Lisette in a teal green. I still have the choc brown one, but i left that in Perth and being 600kms away means I can't access those knits :(

But anyways, here's hoping to a better Lisette this time round.

It's a knockout...

2008-12-17T11:15:00.000+09:00

Have you ever knit something that you've fought every step of the way? Where you keep on knitting even though you have this feeling inside you of "im not going to like it" or "i hate this.. and i hate that" but you continue to fight it regardless?

Well, that's how i feel about the Golden Vintage Cardigan. The pattern/design itself is very classic, and I do love it.

What I don't love about my knitting it is the colour of the yarn i've used, the needles that i'm using to knit it, and the inkling that I could turn out to be some horrid 80's pastel flashdance character. And yet i continue...

You see , the yarn that i'm using is titled "icy mint". It's a sort of bright pastel green (similar in colour to the one i used for my Leaf Sweater) but brighter...

The needles that I'm using are really short. I couldn't get gauge on 4.0mm or 4.5mm but i remembered that I had a pair of Clover 4.25mm in my straights vase. Perfect. Except for the fact that it is about 25cm tall... and squishing 90 stitches on there is a bit of a challenge. But i persist.

I keep thinking to myself "just stop, reknit in another colour" but something in me tells me to keep going. Maybe it's because I just want to use the stash yarn (i dont think i liked the colour from the get-go).. or maybe i keep thinking it *might* turn out okay.. whatever it is... i'm still fighting it every step of the way!

FO: Bubble Bee Top

2008-12-14T10:30:00.000+09:00

I finished this top a little while ago, but because of my hectic schedule of late, haven't had time to do a proper FO post on it.

The bubble bee top is the first item that i've conceived all by myself - usually I would look at something and go "i can make that" or "i like this, but a little bit different".. This time, I just bought the fabric and was inspired from thereon - but of course, it had to be cute! I also liked the idea of a bubble top as I love to eat (hehe) so having something that could hide my full tummy was always a good option ;)

Project details:
Pattern: My own design.

Fabric: 100% cotton for all parts - yellow gingham for the yoke and white bee fabric for the main. The lining is some scrap of light white fabric that i had - maybe poplin?

Notions:

Elastic - the top was a bit bellowy rather tham bubbly at first, so my patternmaking teacher suggested putting elastic in it to keep it drawn in at both the top and the bottom.
Bee buttons - they are perfect! I found them in the button aisle one lunchtime and knew that i had to have them ;)

Would I change anything? My original design featured a zip, but the extra fabric required for this was mistakenly forgotten in the patterndrafting stage. So, it had to be elasticated instead. I still would've preferred a zip as i think it looks a bit more polished, but oh well.

FO: Martha Cardigan

2008-12-12T13:06:00.002+09:00

Ooh i didnt even realise how long it has been since i last posted until my SO told me!! Eek. Apologies for that - i've been rather busy with being back on site, one of my good friend's weddings, my own birthday, and getting things organised between the three places i spend most of my time.

So to make up for it, here's an FO! hehe. Oh and please forgive me for not having read your own blog posts - i have 13253 unread posts in my bloglines :S

Project Details
Pattern: Martha, by Sarah Hatton featured in Rowan Studio #2

Yarn: 5 balls of Grignasco Tango in a blue/green tweedish colourway. THe yarn is very similar to Rowan Felted Tweed (which is the yarn used in the pattern recommendations) in that it is made of the same fibre compositions, but for some reason it feels a little more springy than Felted Tweed, which is somewhat delicate and quite brittle at times. The yarn was a pleasure to knit with, and at $8.40 a ball, it was a cost saving compared to Felted Tweed.

Needles : 4.0mm needles , and a cable needle.

Modifications? No modifications (i think?). You will notice however that in my FO, i am missing the top button, which is not intentional on my behalf. hehe. I actually bought 4 buttons but I was at my dad's place and misplaced one of them. I'm not in Perth at the moment so I can't go and buy a fourth button, but next time i'm there I'll definitely pick one up :p

Comments: When i finished this cardigan, i thought "ugh" thinking it was extremely granny like and absolutely not my style. However, once i put some little yellow buttons on it, it became a little more likeable. Then i paired it with some shorts and i thought "cute!". It's still not entirely wearable with my wardrobe, but at least i found something cute about it ;)

PS. Apologies for the mess in the photos - I was taking photos in the guest room, where we are getting it ready for xmas visitors.

Cotton.. cotton everywhere

2008-11-28T07:41:00.002+09:00

I arrived back in Perth on Wednesday night, after doing a 9 day stint out on site. As always, I'm usually a bit unfocused when I come back from site because the last 9 days has been all about work, and living at work, so it becomes a bit hard to get back to "reality".

Anyways, I arrived back in the evening and found a gigantic parcel from Bendigo. It didn't really click in my head that I had ordered some yarn recently, and so it was a very nice surprise.

I opened my parcel, and in it :

3 skeins of cotton 8 ply in parchment (about 800 metres)
2 skeins of cotton 8 ply in damask rose (about 800 metres)
2 skeins of cotton 8 ply in latte (about 800 metres)
2 skeins of cotton 4 ply in teal (about 1400 metres).

.. and guess what? I had no idea what I wanted to use them for, and really (2 days on), I still don't!. I looked at my ravelry list and can see several items made from cotton dk/fingering on there, but i don't know which colour I had assigned to which project and whether it really even was for that project.

I'm in a pickle.. not sure where to start and how to knit :S Oh well, at least the yarn is nice to look like (a bit like a colourful icecream stack really!)

Interweave Knits Winter 08

2008-11-18T10:50:00.000+09:00

Is anyone else really disappointed with the latest Interweave Knits Winter 08 preview? Actually, come to think of it , I've been rather disappointed at the last two issues (i think?) and haven't bought one since Spring's beautiful issue.

There are only two things I like in this issue , one of which I would actually knit and the other is a "maybe".

Manchester Jacket (a maybe):

Elaine's Blouse: (a yes, but i will wait till it is available on Knitting Daily's Store I think)

And does anyone else think that this is practically a ripoff of the Phildar Leaf Sweater??

Rant over ;) I'm starting back on site again, but with a shorter 9 days on, 5 days off roster. I've ordered my yarn requirements for my next 4 projects but am still waiting for them to arrive. *patience*

Made on the Left

2008-11-15T14:03:00.005+09:00

This morning, my sister and I went to "Made on the Left" , a local market held at various intervals, and showcasing some of the Western Australian arts and craft talents and I picked up some gorgeously cute things, and just wanted to show my support for my fellow WA-ians! =D There was a lot more I wanted to buy, but I had set myself a limit for the markets, and easily spent it all long before we left.. Most of them have etsy stores, myspace accounts, or exhibitions coming up so I've tried to link where possible.. enjoy :)

A cute set of buttons from LisaMax and Jessica McLeod: (oh how I heart the underpants one!)

A felted bird brooch from Hanako:

Owl earrings from Osier! :

Apple earrings and Gingerbread man brooch from Brown Paper Crown:

Babushka doll earrings from J2aney, and Bird Earrings from Blush of Boys:

Gingerbread singlet from Brown Paper Crown:

Polymer clay ring from J2aney:

Lil piggy almost finishes a cardigan

2008-11-04T17:15:00.000+09:00

So. I've been rather slow in finishing Martha... But to prove that I *have* been working on it.. here it is, unfinished, and looking rather ... grandma like. Hopefully some buttons and a bit of styling will help it look less grandma, and more... vintage..(insert hopeful look).

Also, just one day after I finished my temporary duct tape dress form, the store called me to say that my REAL dress form had arrived and I could pay and pick it up when I wanted. Oh well - at least I have a second dress form to use if i've got two projects going at once (highly likely considering my low attention span). Unfortunately I won't be able to pick it up till the weekend as the store is not open late enough for me to head there after work, and I'll be heading back out to site again on Wednesday.

I did however pop into the local craft store, and picked up some awesome piggy in the middle fabric . People who have known me for ages, or can speak chinese know that my surname is pronounced similar to "pig" and that growing up, i was always called little piggy - not because I was fat or overweight, but because I was lazy, and all I did was eat and sleep. hehe. Anyways, just thought I'd share :)

Duct tape forms and dressmaking

2008-11-02T14:21:00.005+09:00

3 weeks after ordering my adjustable professional dress form, it still hasn't arrived in store yet. So, frustrated with having to wait, and making the most of having both myself and my boyfriend in town at the same time, I embarked on a (temporary) duct tape dress form.

So, armed with two rolls of duct tape, and whatever rags and unwanted clothes and plastic bags that were lying around in my old bedroom (at my parent's place), we rolled and rolled, giggled and cackled, and completed a duct tape dress form.

My first reaction was simply " really, that's me" as i realized that my boobs were too small, that my hips were too big, that my shoulders were mismatched, and that my bum was somewhat odd looking.

Anyways, after the initial denial, I set to work on a little dress that I am hoping will be ready in time for my friend's wedding. The imaginary picture in my head is a strapless dress with ruffles all over the bottom, similar to Jenny Humphrey's green dress from Gossip Girl.

When i started working on it with my duct tape dress form, I was having trouble pinning and adjusting by myself as the dress form did not have a stand or anything to stabilise it. Of course, my poor sister (aka, my unwilling slave) was forced to help me pin the ruffles in place while I fixed the darts and the bodice area.

After several mishaps where the 5kg dummy kept falling on us, we got smart and put it on top of one of my dad's bar stools (i wonder if he's realized it's gone yet??), on top of a stack of old uni books so that it was roughly my (and my sister's) height, and then taped the dummy down. Voila! It's now stable enough for me to work on it by myself and i might even try handfinishing the ruffle details later (after i catch up on this week's Grey's Anatomy).

As you can see, i'm currently confined to my old bedroom (at my parents' place) while i've been seconded to work in the city for awhile. When I head back out bush, ill be back out in my own house, and hopefully set work on that elusive craft room ;)

ooohs and aaahhhhs

2008-10-28T21:23:00.000+09:00

I thought i'd share with you some of the latest offerings from various publishers around the knitting globe. While these are cute, unfortunately there aren't enough good patterns in each of the books/magazines they come from for me to buy it. Nonetheless, it's always worth a looksie, and who knows, i might be able to adapt another pattern anyways :)

Latest offerings from Debbie Bliss:

From RYC :

From Jaeger: From Kim Hargreaves:

Craft room ideas

2008-10-26T17:00:00.000+09:00

Previously, I had posted about the exciting things that I was doing to my new house and one of the big things that I wanted was a dedicated craft room.

At the moment, the said craft room is still being used as a guest room as we have intermittent guests coming in and out but eventually, i want to convert it into a fully fledged craft room (don't worry, we still will have a guest room, just not in the same place as my craft room!).

While I've bought a few bits and pieces that I want in my craft room, those pieces are still sitting in the boot of my car as I am still unsure of how I want the overall craft room layout. And so, I have been trawling the internet for ideas, and have come across some awesome craft rooms. For your viewing pleasure:

From She Organized Life (am i this neat?)

From madcropper.com
(i like this hanging thing. Can see me using it for patterns)
From Melissa's Flickr
I like the idea of a central table for my sewing machine and for patterns

From Cottage Magpie (Just so pretty):
From hgtv
I love the colours, and the wall shelving.

From Apartment Therapy:
For my knitting yarns!!

Amateur draftsman

2008-10-25T13:47:00.003+08:00

Having renewed my interest in sewing, I enrolled and attended my first dressmaking/patternmaking class on Tuesday night. I intended to make a simple skirt from a commercial pattern that I already had, but decided that I'd much rather use it as a class to actually learn how to make my own patterns and learn the finer points of dressmaking.

And so, armed with my bee fabric and gingham, I etched up a design and took it into class. And boy was it a great class! The teacher looked at the pattern that I had attempted to draft, got rid of it and showed my the basics of pattern making. In 2.5 hours, we covered everything from the basic block form, grading a pattern (still coming to terms with it and most probably will forget by the next class) to tracing and marking out on fabric. It was so much to take in, but at the end of the class, I had my drafted pattern, and was armed with homework to pin and cut the fabric. Unfortunately my pin cushions are looking a little worse for wear..

There's a whole heap of stuff to learn, and i'm extremely excited at what this class can bring to my crafting. No longer will I have to rely on "hoping" that a commercial pattern fits, now (well, eventually) I will be able to dream of something and hopefully draft it myself!

A bit of this and a bit of that

2008-10-19T12:51:00.002+08:00

Apologies for the lack of posts, but there actually isn't too much to post about!!

There has been some rather slow progress on Martha, but nothing terribly exciting that warranted lots of photos or lots of detail . I'm up to the right front panel, and still have two sleeves and finishing to go so we might be in for a longer haul.

It's not that it's a boring knit, it's just that I have other things on my to do list at the moment!

I've decided to get started on some of the Rowan 44 projects that I have on my list, and as such have been busy selecting colours, reading comments, and reading pattern reviews. I figured that given Rowan loves to use dk or fingering weight yarn, it would be better that I be prepared than to be quick on the money, and waste hours knitting something that doesn't fit or doesn't quite turn out.

Additionally, with the return of Gossip Girl season 2 and the adventures of Lil J and her internship, my interest in sewing has also been revived. My SO is rather pleased with this as he always did like the things I sewed, and this time round, I've enrolled in a dressmaking + patternmaking class, and even ordered myself a dressmakers dummy. So expect to see some sewing posts littered in amongst the knitting from here on in.

For my first project, i've picked out some cute bee print cotton and some matching gingham for a very cute top that i've dreamt up. Fingers crossed it turns out well :)

Finished: Bainbridge Scarf

2008-10-06T20:00:00.000+08:00

A finished red scarf for my sister - something she's been asking for for a million years, and has finally eventuated.

Project Details

Pattern:Bainbridge scarf by Minty Fresh, available here

Yarn: I barely used anything of the 2/3 ball of Bendigo Woollen Mills Colonial 5 ply that I had left over from my Cranberry Rose Cardigan. I could probably make another 5 scarves with what I have left in my yarn ball!

I'm sure Ive mentioned it before but I don't like the yarn at all. The crepe construction leaves a very rough looking finished surface, and knits up pretty ugly. Additionally, it's a little itchy and very unsoft to touch. I won't ever buy this again unless I was knitting something to be felted or requires a bit more texture , sturdiness and roughness.

Needles: I used 4.00mm 16" circulars. The pattern (and yarn) recommends 3.75mm needles to get a gauge of 6st/inch but I lost one of my 3.75 needle connectors so had to make do.

Comments and Modifications: None. A very easy, quick project that creates a cute preppy style FO. A great stash buster, and something I'd definitely make again in future.

Miss bossy two shoes

2008-10-05T12:28:00.005+08:00

My sister is one of the most loveliest, sweetest, cutest people that ever roamed this earth. She's thoughtful, helpful and very considerate.

But yesterday, she got bossy.

She demanded I knit her a scarf. In red. In 12 hours.

If someone else had demanded it, I would've thumped them (and then while on the floor, I would've elbowed them a little further).

But luckily for her, she's nice. And my sister. And I found a pattern that is very quick to knit, and will be done in less than no time.

I'm using my leftover Bendigo Woollen Mills 5 ply in Cranberry from my Cranberry Rose Cardigan (which she has also stolen and made her own). I hate this yarn. Because of it's crepe construction, it knits up ugly, and roughly. But she likes it, and I have it, so it'll do...

Perth Royal Agricultural Show

2008-10-01T17:43:00.003+08:00

When I was a kid, I loved going to the Royal Show because it meant showbags , games, goodies galore, prizes, and of course, tummy churning death defying rides. As I grew up, I went less and less to the show, partially because the price jumped something crazy ($12 for a ride?!) and partially because the novelty of showbags, wore off, I no longer wanted the plush toys, and the weaker tummy set in.

The last time I went to the show was about 5 years ago.

This year, something inside me felt the urge to go. While half of it was simply to do with the fact that I had a R&R break and was in need of relax time, and the other half was fueled by my growing love of knitting and all things woolly.

So off we (my pal and I) trotted..there was food galore...

And games...

And shows...

And sheep galore..

But despite all the wonderful "agricultural" things they had, there was no wool to be found. Only remnants to touch and feel, nothing spun (except for two drabs of 4 ply i spotted in the pavillion), and nothing yarn-ie.

Nonetheless, it was a bit of fun, and perhaps next year they might feel the need to sell some yarn at the show? *pretty please*

Tweed + Cables = Love

2008-09-26T08:16:00.004+08:00

Despite having been confined to the couch for the last 24 hours, I've managed to make a little progress on my Martha Cardigan, with the back now finished.

While the pattern itself is easy to follow and very well written, I got somewhat confused when I had to continue the cabling beyond the arm shaping as I had to fiddle with my odd number of stitches. Nonetheless, after a lot of frogging, re-reading, re-calculating, and reknitting, the back was completed - but not without some niggling "i could've finished the front by now" thoughts!

And while I'd love to continue sitting on the couch while knitting to endless episodes of gossip girl and grey's anatomy, my boyfriend's parents are staying with us for the weekend so I have to be useful and get things prepped. *sigh*.

Oh how I wish it was just me and the couch...

PS. Check out that little widget on the bottom of my right column... it tells you all the knitting books that are being released, and their release dates. Genius!

Thicket : The road home

2008-09-25T07:42:00.004+08:00

For the last 36 hours, I've been feeling like a squashed mushroom on the side of the road, sick with a fever and a flu, and yet, despite feeling so sick, have had to catch three planes in the last three days. NOT a recipe for getting better :(

As soon as I got home, I did the mandatory "coughing-on-the-boyfriend-to-share-the-germs" thing and then basically collapsed onto the couch. To my surprise though, there was a little envelope waiting for me addressed from Thicket.

As I opened it, out propped three remnants of Jo Sharp yarn, a free pattern and a little note from the lovely ladies at the store.

[In the photo (from back to front): Alpaca Silk Georgette, Summer Soho DK, Summer Soho DK]

While Thicket don't have an entirely large range of yarn, I just wanted to give them a little free press by saying that they have been absolutely delightful in their customer service, happy to field lots of questions, and the best thing of all - happy to help with pattern interpretation!

So anyways, if you have a chance, pop over to www.thicket.com.au , join up on their mailing list, and support a very lovely online LYS :)

Hello Martha!

2008-09-16T15:21:00.000+08:00

Following my "colour" purchase recently of 5 balls of Grignasco Tango, i embarked on a little mission to find a summer cardigan to knit. The only characteristic that I wanted from my cardigan was that it had to look nice in a tweedy yarn.

What better option than to search for patterns using Rowan Felted Tweed - almost the exact composition as the Tango that I bought.

I hit jackpot! 5 balls of Rowan Felted Tweed is needed for Sarah Hatton's Martha Cardigan, featured in Rowan Studio 2 , which is exactly the same amount that I had in my little stash.

So I've cast on, and the yarn is knitting up similarly to the colour I used for my Patti Cardigan, and I'm so looking forward to seeing how it goes! It's also been awhile since I've knitted using cable needles, but I do hope it's like riding a bike.. that is, once you get back on, it comes naturally.

Colours vs. Neutrals

2008-09-11T15:10:00.000+08:00

I was looking through my yarn stash the other day when I realized that I really only knit in a few colours - red, teal and purple. And then I looked in my wardrobe, and realized all my clothes were either grey, pink, white, or black. Where did this dissociation between my real life wardrobe, and my knitting wardrobe come from? At what point did they become two separate beings?

Take case 1 - the non-coloured wardrobe... From a functional point of view, my normal wardrobe means that everything can be easily matched, and can take me from day to night. Everything matches with grey, white or black , and the colour infused by my pinks means that I don't just look corporate, dull, or uncreative everyday.

Case 2 - My knitting wardrobe however, is awashed with colour. The only "neutrals" i have comes in the form of a scarf, and even then, that was more to do with stash busting than purposeful knitting.

Reason? After a bit of pondering, I came to realize that the reason why I don't knit in blacks or neutrals too often comes down to a few reasons.

Blacks and greys - I can purchase these in abundance at any store that I frequent. Knits in these colours are everywhere during the winter months, and knitting in colour allows me to a bit more creative.
Knitting in colour often emphasises a pattern's details more than neutrals do. For example, when knitting cables, it is often easier to see the detail on coloured backgrounds, than on a black background (the exclusion being in whites and creams).
I knit because I enjoy it. I don't knit for the sole purpose of having something to wear. If I were to knit for the latter, it would be much easier, and immediately gratifying if i just went to the shops and bought something. Knitting in colour therefore is a bit more of a 'fantasy' thing, and is all the more enjoyable because of the previous two reasons.

So anyways, blabbering aside.... I went to my LYS again and picked out 5 balls of Grignasco Tango (again) in a blue colourway. Hopefully something enjoyable will be knit from it ;)

Oh knitting inspiration .. where are thee?

2008-09-07T14:24:00.002+08:00

I'm stuck.

I have three pages of queued projects in Ravelry, and no inkling to knit any of them.

I'm looking for inspiration. I'm looking for something to knit. And my hands are getting fidgety.

Anyways, I went to my LYS the other day and picked up three balls of Grignasco Tango in a lovely red tweed colour hoping it would inspire me to knit something.
I tried a scarf, and didn't like the way it knitted up. I tried to look at cardis, but don't have enough yarn for it. I tried a beanie, but realized I didn't want to use three balls of lovely red tweed on a beanie I would hardly ever wear. So i'm stuck. Stuck in square one again. *sigh*.

Oh well , at least the yarn is nice to look at.

FO: Global Warming

2008-09-05T14:29:00.004+08:00

Project details:
Pattern: Global Warming, by Suvi S. Ravelry link here

Yarn: Merino et soie, 10 ply Shade 107 which is a reddish pink colour. It is slightly heathery with lighter bits of pink running through it. I used 5 balls of yarn, with a bit left over from the fifth ball. The yarn was fabulous to knit with - the merino was soft and lovely, while the silk made it smooth and easy to work with. I'd definitely use this yarn again - especially since we find it quite hard to get 10ply here in Australia!

Needles: Denise Interchangeables, size 5.00mm. My gauge was slightly too big at 19.5st per 4"/10cm, which accounted for my sweater being less than fitted around the waist.

Comments and Modifications: The sweater is constructed in a raglan bottom up manner, with the sleeves worked separately first and then joined to the sweater after bind off.

The pattern is easy to follow (however, if you are an absolute beginner, you might want to work out the raglan decreases first as the instructions aren't very clear in that respect), and the sweater a cinch to knit.

Unfortunately , there is not much shaping involved in the sweater (not counting the raglan decreases), and unless you are fairly flat from bust all the way to hips, you might want to add some in for a more fitted shapely look.

The sweater is also very short. I put on an extra 4 ribbing rows but still found it too short in the end so if you are planning to knit this, you might want to add a full 5cm of ribbing before starting the stockinette area (or similar).

The puffed sleeves are very cute, but would have been cuter if they were "puffier".

Lastly, in Villapeikko's original, she has a very cute little kangaroo pocket at the front. While I did make the pocket, I didn't end up sewing it on because my sweater was too short and the placement of the pocket would've drawn too much attention to the tummy area.

In the end, I dont think this fits me as well as I would've liked, and I think i'll give this one to my sis.

Pink stockinette..

2008-09-04T17:04:00.004+08:00

Whenever I knit something, I almost feel as if I *need* to post a WIP entry / picture so that if ever I feel the need to go back to a project, then at least I have my ongoing and current thoughts on the project to help me confirm/unconfirm my decision.

On the flipside, there are some projects that just don't really require a WIP entry as there's not much to it. Case in point? Global Warming - the cute little puffed sleeve, kangaroo pocket pullover. I tried to take some interesting WIP photos of it, but given that it's just ribbing and stockinette, was not very successful. You see, ribbing and stockinette just don't make for very exciting entries. Nor do raglans really...

However, in keeping with my "need" to post that WIP entry, here is a dull shot of the ribbing/stockinette...

Hopefully an FO won't be too long given that I'm up to the neckline bindoff and finishing (i haven't really tried it on though, so hopefully it'll fit).

A new toy.. for me? Oooh!

2008-08-23T13:51:00.005+08:00

I have a new toy.. and boy is it beautiful (and takes beautiful photos):

I couldn't resist the Nikon D40 when I walked into my local Harvey Norman the other day. Plus, it was on sale for a great price at $598 (Aussie dollars of course), making it a great deal! I'm still learning all its functions, but am already happily snapping at all kinds of knitting and non knitting related things. Can't wait to share.

I've also started working on my Global Warming, and its knitting up quite nicely. More comments later, when I can also post some piccies up. Yay!

Rosemary's Swing Jacket

2008-08-18T10:14:00.013+08:00

Could it be? A finished object?

After many many months of looking for my knitting mojo, I may have at least found the mojo's legs for the time being and finished a project that actually fits, and that I actually like. Hurrah!

Project Details
Pattern: Rosemary's Swing Jacket, by Cathy Carron. Featured in Interweave Knits Winter 2007. For those on ravelry, the link is here

Yarn: Heirloom Merino Magic in a dark purply/plum colour. The yarn required by the pattern was a 10 ply yarn, which I wasn't able to find enough of in my LYS (they only had 6 balls of the plum colour) so I substituted with a DK weight yarn (and therefore changed the gauge), figuring that since it was a raglan top down, I could modify and alter as I went along. I was right ;)

The Merino Magic was lovely to knit with, but at times I would find bits of straw throughout it which I have never encountered with this particular yarn. It may have just been a spodgy batch, but I thought I'd let you know. Also, the yarn likes to attract things - magic dust, strange splodges, so it might require quite a bit of care in the long term!

Needles: Denise interchangeable circulars size US7s for the main body, and 5.5mm dpns for the sleeves.

Comments and modifications: The pattern is very easy to follow, and as it is a top down raglan, very easy to modify as you go along according to how you want your fit and length. I pretty much followed the pattern, though I did start off with a few less stitches than required as the smallest size listed was still too big for me.

I also ended my sleeves at 3/4, partly because I was afraid I wouldn't have enough yarn for full length, but also because I generally like 3/4 sleeves of swing coats and jackets anyways. I also cast off tight to get a little "bubble sleeve" which I had seen and liked on the Minimalist Cardigan.

I also didn't like the way the jacket hung on the original model, so I decided to make mine "double breasted" so that the hem edge would hang in line both front and back rather than drape. I prefer it that way as I think it looks neater.

And to top it off, I added a little bit of my own personality and put a little bow on the neck edge. I like whimsical and cute, and it definitely helped it become just that.

Did I hear a sale??

2008-08-16T15:04:00.004+08:00

I went to my very local (read: country hicktown local) yarn store the other day and found out that they were having 30% off all yarn until the end of month! My heart skipped a beat, but I managed to contain my impulses and decided to head home first and find out what I needed and what I didnt need rather than stashing.

Today I went back, and purchased 6 skeins of Merino Et Soie (a lovely merino/silk 10 ply) in a dark dusty pink/maroon colour :

and some Panda Pure Wool (240m per skein at $3 ??? who could resist) in a lovely olive colour. Both are earmarked for projects that I will start straight away so will go to good heed.

After my very drawn back spending of 9 skeins of yarn, new yarn needles, some bias binding and some buttons, the total came to $36!! I was shocked at how cheap it was, and suddenly realised that I *needed* to buy more. So I shall return to that little store very very shortly! heehee

On knitting news, I finally blocked and re-sewed the Hexacomb Cardigan, and am waiting to see how the reblocked version goes. Hopefully it'll fit better than that gigantic illfitting product I ended up with.

Also, I'm 95% done with Rosemary's Swing Jacket. I'm determined to finish it within the next two hours (only a bit of the sleeves to go) as I want to wear it with my little black dress tonight. Fingers crossed. The moss stitch is going slowly, but I'm loving the fabric nonetheless. And it's certainly not as bright as this, but I just couldnt get the lighting right for this one.

Phildar Autumn

2008-07-31T10:26:00.002+08:00

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

2008-07-28T17:10:00.003+08:00

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

2008-07-25T07:58:00.004+08:00

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

2008-07-24T14:45:00.003+08:00

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

2008-07-07T14:01:00.004+08:00

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!

2008-07-04T23:25:00.005+08:00

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..

All work and no reward

2008-06-12T09:30:00.006+08:00

Contrary to popular belief, there has actually been knitting going on! Unfortunately, it hasn't been successful knitting. I seem to have hit a bad patch where everything I knit either comes out wrong, looks awful, or doesn't fit. Because of that, I have restrained from sharing my disappointments with you all, but at the end of the day, my blog is supposed to be a journal of my knitting journey so here we go... (apologies for short details - trying to keep the post short, and am not entirely excited about any of these projects!! hehe)

FO 1: Bubble Scarf

Using some stashed unidentified yarn, and a website pattern (which I've forgotten since then), I decided to start a quick easy project for instant gratification and was pleased with the result.
The scarf used up one skein of mystery yarn (approximately 350metres) and took just over a week worths of bit part knitting to complete. It was a very simple pattern that allowed for mindless knitting, but the end bubble scarf is quite cute.

FO 2 : Socks again

Another instant gratification knit, due to my lack of inspiration and knitting mojo. I used Silver's Sock Class once again but by now I had pretty much memorised it and so the project was pretty smooth sailing. The yarn is Moda Vera Socks yarn in a grey self-patterning style, which I picked up on sale at Spotlight for about $3.00. Surprisingly, the yarn is actually quite warm and soft but tended to pill when frogged.

FO 3: Lush and Lacy Cardigan

A very fun to knit pattern by Sweaterbabe,the pattern calls for a "lush and lacy" style yarn such as one with angora in it. Unfortunately, I didnt see any angora that I liked - there was only two choices at my LYS and both much too fluffy for my liking - so I decided to try plain Bendigo Rustic Wool in a beautiful red colour.

The knitting went off without a hitch, and I sewed it all up only to realise that the thing weighed an absolute tonne, and was by far more frumpy and granny like than cute and vintage. I'm now thinking of using the yarn for the Central Park Hoody, or I might just be lazy and keep the sweater to wear at home on the couch while knitting new projects...

KIP: Hexacomb Cardigan 2

So i restarted the Katie Himmelberg's Hexacomb Cardigan again in another yarn after the crunchy corn incident. And while the pattern was more successful this time round, it has ended up a tad too big for me. It's all loose just under my bust, and doesn't fit the upper part of me properly. See?

It's a cute cardigan, so I don't want to have to frog it and am thinking of taking a sewing machine to the sides or even hand sewing in some "darts" or seams to take it all in. Has anyone had any experience with this sort of post-knitting alteration and can give some tips??

And oh boy, am I not looking forward to weaving in the many ends.

Popping corns

2008-05-04T09:29:00.003+08:00

I love food. All kinds of delicious, yummy foods. I love appetizers, mains, and desserts. I love condiments, seasoning and sauces. There are also some foods which I just love to smell - coffee being freshly brewed in the morning, the smell of baked bread straight out of the oven, and buttered popcorn as you walk into the cinemas. As much I love these scents in my kitchen, I (and most people) would hold firm that food is to be eaten, not worn. And that's where my latest cardigan unravelled.

You see, the SWTC Soysilk started acting quite a bit like buttered popcorn. It started to crunch a little, it started to pop a little as I knitted it, and it even smelt like popcorn when I decided to wet a little corner to see if it softened up. I didn't like it, and I surely didn't want anyone to think i'd been rolling in the cornfields all day when they approached me. So, it got frogged, and will have to wait another day...

(the crunching just didnt do it for me)

Soysilk and cotton

2008-05-02T10:46:00.003+08:00

went into my LYS yesterday and was pleasantly surprised to see that they were stocking more diverse and interesting types of yarns. In the past, they had always stocked items from Jo Sharp, Patons, Filatura Zara and Zarina, Naturally NZ, Patons, and Heirloom. However, on entering yesterday, I was delighted to see some Rowan Tapestry, Rowan Summer Tweed, more cottons, and some odds and ends here and there. Despite the fact that the Rowan stuff looked a bit out of place (did someone decide to sell some stash yarn perhaps?), and the fact that the entire yarn store needs to be revamped, I was happy to just fondle things in there!

I was quite restrained this time, and only came out with two things yesterday. And even better, they were for a specific purpose in mind - Katie Himmelberg's Hexacomb cardigan which knits up at approximately 20st per 4".

In my little bag was some Twilleys Freedom Cotton for use as my contrast colours - it doesn't feel very soft, but it was the perfect cream colour to offset the main colour:

And some South West Trading Company Oasis, made entirely of soysilk which is remnants of corn and soy.

It wasn't at all cheap ($18.50 for 100gm) but I do hope it turns out nicely as I found it immediately intriguing, and really loved the colour. Additionally, on touching it, it doesn't feel at all soft right now, but from the various reviews i've read about this yarn, I've heard it turns out otherwise when washed and has a very nice drape. So here's hoping!

Snippets

2008-05-01T10:26:00.004+08:00

Boy it sure has been awhile! I had originally planned a short two week complete house makeover (painting, removing tiles/carpets, reflooring, decorating etc), however, the lazy bones in me took over and the two week house makeover has now extended . Luckily, while I have been offshore, my boyfriend has been busy at work removing the tiles and putting in the floors on his R&R days. Bless his soul!

Anyways, I do have FOs, but before I posted an FO, I felt it obligatory to post an in-between "progress" shot, just for the sake of it! I haven't blogged about this particular project yet, but it certainly has been fun to knit and even more fun watching the ruffles and the lace take form. No prizes for guessing what it is though, as this project seems to be making it into everyone's ravelry queues!

I also went yarn shopping recently, and in addition to my normal Bendigo purchases, picked up a pack of Rowan All Seasons Cotton in a teal sort of colour. I had originally planned on making Phildar's Assymetrical Cardigan with it, but am now thinking of putting it towards Phildar's little blazer jacket cardigan.

And lastly, having received my Interweave Knits Spring 2008 edition, I am now in the hunt for yarn for the Sylph Cardigan, and the Hexacomb cardigan which I am absolutely lusting after and hope to start on today as soon as I've picked up some yarn...

So with that, I'm off to the LYS, and stay tuned for some FOs!

Moving along

2008-04-05T08:57:00.001+08:00

Just a quick note to let you know that I wont be updating for a shortwhile as I am in the process of house settlement, buying furniture, moving and renovating a bit! But there is knitting being done, and FOs to be shown :) Stay tuned!

New inspirations...

2008-03-23T19:56:00.004+09:00

Feeling a little in need of knitting love? Here's a few that caught my attention (from a variety of Knit.1 and Phildar) :

Spot the mistake

2008-03-21T09:24:00.002+09:00

I got snooty last night.

I was working on a little neck hugger, and while following the cable chart I decided that I didnt need it anymore because it was fairly self-explanatory and the cable wouldn't be too hard to continue on with. luckily, I didn't get too far because I realized that snooty knitting does not agree with me. Spot the mistake?

Anyway, the yarn used is the same yarn I used for my little hearts vest, and my little bolero and I still have about 150gm left of the stuff. Talk about stretching its use!! =D

Hope you are all enjoying your Easter break, and enjoying the chocolates :) Have a great one!

Ribbit-Ribbit

2008-03-19T16:24:00.003+09:00

(apologies for low light photos in this post)

Don't you just hate when something doesn't turn out as you wish? All those hours of knitting, the efforts spent into seaming and measuring and late night "just one more rows"?All that money spent on yarn , needles and notions, when all the while you could have been out and about, or working on something tres fabulous?

*sigh*. This is what's happened to me.

The James Coviello lace top from VogueKnitting was all but done - I had finished all the knitting and had just sewn on the first little sleeve ruffle when I decided to try it on. Now, maybe it was the pre-menstrual bloatedness talking, but it was just frumpy and dowdy in all the wrong places.

Gone was the vision of me prancing around in a cute little delicate lace top, and replaced with it was a somewhat pregnant looking girl. Not the look I was trying to achieve (although I did love those girly details immensely).

So, tell me lovely readers ... when you hate something, do you frog it immediately, throw it in the bin yarn and all, or leave it be for awhile with high hopes of maybe fixing it one day or at least reusing the yarn ? At the moment i'm thinking of just chucking it in the bin...

Progress: James Coviello Lace Top

2008-03-03T13:14:00.004+09:00

Because girly details makes me happy, here are a few progress shots on the James Coviello Lace Top so far:

I do love the girly details of this one - a little bit of a lace edge, with some ruffle detail and in a very girly (but not too girly) colour.

I'm up to the front, and because it's a top rather than a sweater or cardigan (yay for quick knitting), I only need to cast on for the ruffles on the sleeves, and do some finishing and voila!

On a similar note, I think my mind is trying to sabotage my cardigan knitting mojo. For some reason, it seems to think that knitting a project with only fronts and backs to it (as per the top and sweaters in general) as opposed to "left front" and "right front" (as per cardigans) is a much more soothing and calming task.

And while I do love cardigans, I just haven't really felt up to knitting them... something in my mind keeps telling me that extra "left front" or "right front" effort is extra work not required in knitting (nevermind about having to knit more stitches on a sweater front than a cardigan front). I do admit then, that I am feeling a little cardigan lost at the moment, but I do hope my cardigan mojo comes back though - I would be absolutely lost without these lovely staples in my wardrobe! *sigh*