So many knits, so little time...

At dinner last night, the girls and I lamented at how we've forgone our nights of hitting the bars or pubs to days spent curled up in pj's in front of the tv or with a good book, and how we don't miss those bar nights at all. I suppose that's a side effect of the very busy lives that we all lead now - everyone with their full time jobs (no more uni student days!!); Jess, Shaz and I with our long distance / off shore partners; and just the grind of everyday life.

For me, time is a precious thing. I spend a lot of time not only working, but also completing my post-grad course, as well as travelling for work (which inevitably results in me being tired FROM travelling), i play team sports a few nights each week, and somewhere in between, I try to find the time to fly out to see the boy (or vice versa) and find time for myself.

And so, looking at my knitting pile and my list of "things i want to knit", I'm a little disheartened at my slow progress. Here's a look at what's on my WIPs list:

Vogue Knitting / Norah Gauhan Capecho

This is the famous Capecho which was knitted with so much passion by so many people, but I have yet to see a single capecho that isn't ill-fitting or weirdly shaped. I started this project a little later than some of the other KAL-ers, and so was able to see how they were progressing.

Unfortunately for me though, the sight of all these ill-fitting capechos meant that my own was put on hold - it's still a WIP because I'm not sure I want to frog it (that in itself will be painstaking as each hexagon will need to be unfrogged), and because I still have a wincy little bit of hope that it might turn out okay.

Silver's Sock Class - First Socks

I started this about a month ago, and i'm about to finish my first sock. It's a great little portable knit that I'm able to pick up and put down very easily, and I'm really looking forward to finishing this!

Phildar Swing Jacket

Ahh, the famous swing jacket. I started my first swing jacket at the start of the year, and like many others at the KAL, had to restart the project a few times. I think this is my fourth attempt, and my first with another yarn. Everything seems to be going well this time round - the texture is there, the knitting is even. It just takes a lot of work, but I'm still hoping to finish it by July in time for the cold months.

Stefanie Japel's Fitted Knits Leaf Cardigan

I only started this one a few weeks ago, and am almost done. I picked out a grey because it was the only wearable colour that was available in this little country town LYS that I resorted to while visiting the boy. I'm not sure how wearable the grey is given I love colours, but it's been an easy knit and I should be finished shortly.

And on other knitting news.. guess what i've treated myself to? A set of Denis Interchangeable needles. I picked these up for $AUD80 which I thought was reasonable, and I've tested one out and am amazed at how light and smooth they are! I bought these because so many projects now require circular needles and given that I haven't many, thought it was a much better investment.

ooooh a new book!

I got my second secretpal pressie today - the fabulous "Fitted Knits" book by Glampyre..

I've been eyeing this book since before I went to Nepal but kept putting it on hold because of a myriad of silly excuses.. but.. it's in my greedy lil hands and there's quite a few projects I want to make :

Thank you once again Secret Pal! =D It's fantastic that you're so attuned to what I like!

Despite my excitement over my new book, unfortunately (or fortunately) for me, my list of "wants" is piling up so fast I haven't made a single FO in recent times! One of my new years' resolution was to have only 3 WIPs. Oh I failed miserably. So, here's a new resolution : only start a new project when one of the ones on the right are done. Shouldnt be too bad right??

Anyways, I will be on site for the next few days. Unfortunately, when I travel for work, I dont tend to do any knitting whatsoever - super early starts and 6am flights out to remote site locations, then staying in accommodation dominated by a 90%-10% male to female ratio and then flights out after exhausting 12 hour days does not equal good knitting time... but not too worry, at least i'll have plenty to keep me occupied for the time to come!

Interweave Summer

Being in Australia, we often get our magazines later than those in America and in the UK. So, while they get the new Interweave magazine this coming week, it's likely that I will have to wait 2 weeks until it reaches Borders' Shelf.. and i can't wait!

What do I love?

In other new, I also placed an order for Rowan's Patti last Sunday night, and it is now Saturday and I still haven't received the order. You would think that given it is an "emailed pattern" it would've arrived, but when I enquired as to whether there was a problem with my payment or email, they simply said that it was a bank holiday on monday (fair enough), and that it will be processed shortly.

Not impressed with their service... but i still want my Patti !!

New years resolution achieved!

At the start of the year, I resolved to learn to knit on those scary looking double pointed needles... Since then , I had attempted to knit with them a few times and failed miserably. I didnt realise that you always alternated your working needle - instead i was knitting with one needle, and then thought that I had to divide the number of stitched up every single round.

I can hear you going "what was she thinking?" but the truth is - i didnt know any better!! :D So, tasked with what I thought was impossible and much too time consuming, I decided to bin it.

But alas, my secret pal came to the rescue with a lovely little sock knitting kit!! I started off with the mini traditional socks and learnt that no, you do not keep one working needle! and no, you dont divide up every single round! Enthused by my progress on the mini traditional socks, I ventured into knitting a "real" sock and here's my progress!!


For those that want to knit basic socks and need some instruction, i highly recommend Silver's Sock Class which provides fantastic photos and step by step instructions (at EVERY step). I know the above has a few issues (ie. uneven ribbing) but i'm proud to say that i can knit on dpns now! :) Thank you Secret Pal for helping me to achieve my new years' resolution!

On another project, this is my progress on Stefanie Japel's Leaf Cardi. :


It's not much at the moment, but well.. I love to take photos to have a record of how i'm going, and I love blogs with lots photos.

Interesting thing to note - see that little white string I've used as a "stitchmarker?". Well, in kalgoorlie, I was left to my own devices and scrummaged a bit to find something suitable as I didnt have my ring markers with me. The solution? Dental Floss.

haha. I wouldn't recommend it. It's a terrible stitchmarker!! =D ... well, one of us had to try it right?

Ode to television

Secret Pal 10 today asked us what our favourite thing to do while knitting was? Me? I'm easy. I like to knit while watching television .. it's that easy relaxing joyful thing to do where you get two things done at once!! *perfect*

However, given that I am on site on occasion, or travelling to some rural town to check out a minesite, or that I have things on after work three times a week, I rarely get the time to plonk myself in front of a tv at said time and watch it.

Nope. I must admit. I'm a little bit of a pirate. I ADORE my torrent websites. I make sure I build up my little tv collection for the week so that when the weekend comes and if I've got nothing on, then I indulge in a feast of drama episodes, lots of gluttony and lots of knitting.

On my list is Desperate Housewives (available Mondays), Prison Break (available Mondays), Grey's Anatomy (my utter favourite and available Fridays), One Tree Hill (available Thursdays), Heroes (available when Alvin passses it on to us) and whatever Korean Drama Series i'm watching at the moment.

I'm a tv whore. Making sure I get each of those episodes allows me 6 hours of fabulous tv drama, and 6 hours of bummy knitting.

And the best of all? When the characters on the tv show knits with you (although.. I dont really think that's going to happen with Prison Break).. ! It's like pseudo living in their world! *hangs head in shame*

New Project

This weekend hasn't been too bad for my knitting - i had thought that the no knitting needle rule on the plane would enforce a no knitting ban on myself.. However, Quan and I discovered a little craft store here in Kalgoorlie and although the yarn is limited in selection to acrylics, cleckheaton and sirdar, I did manage to pick up some Cleckheaton Pure Wool 12ply in a heathered grey to knit this pretty thing up:

This is my first time knitting a top down raglan, and it started nicely at first with my 64 stitches. However, with the increases, it has now ballooned to 214 stitches per row, so now it's taking me so very long to complete one row *woe is me*. Unfortunately I dont have a camera with me, but I'll post progress pics when I get back to Perth!

Also picked up some grey and black yarn as I'm planning to knit a little houndstooth scarf for winter...

Now i'm off to catch the plane back to Perth! I'm flying Skywest instead of Qantas this time and I haven't yet come across any "no knitting needle" clause so hopefully I'll be right :)

In love

*squeals in delight*. I have discovered that the Australian distributor for Rowan has agreed to renegotiated prices for Rowan yarns and books. Instead of the almost $50 books, Rowan books are now available for just a bit over $35 depending on where you get them from.

Having a look at The Wool Shack, I have come across Rowan 41 - unfortunately, there aren't too many things I love, but i ABSOLUTELY love this pattern :


However, reading the pattern notes, I have discovered that it is crochet :( I've never really tried crochet, and this might be completely in my mindset, but I always thought crochet = doilies and the like. But this pattern might just be enough to convince me to learn to crochet...

OR (*lightbulb*), does anyone know whether it is possible to convert crochet patterns to knitting patterns? I would love you for life!

Twinkled by Twinkle

I know I blogged about this before, but I'm so excited because when I came home this evening after my tragic day at the hairdressers (don't ask!!), the book was waiting for me. I'm so impressed by the projects - there are just so many I want to knit!!

I think my first project will be the Groovy Sweater Dress. I can't wait to knit it up, put on a pair of black tights and wear it out and about (and maybe a hat to hide that terrible haircut of mine...).

My sister has also been drooling over a fair few of the projects, so I think i'll make her something too. Maybe the little hat though, because she's not usually a fan of bulky knits so I'll start off with something small and see how she likes that.

Oh and I've discovered that on Twinkle's website, you can submit your knits. What a fantastic site for inspiration!! I'm so impressed, and so desperate to buy my yarn but it will have to wait :(

Anyways, I wish I could knit this weekend, but i'm off to see the significant other and am flying out tomorrow night. I doubt there will be much knitting done, but I will bring my Phildar Swing Jacket with me anyway. Have a great weekend :)

Alive and (almost) knitting!

*Phew* It has been a rather crazy three weeks. Nepal was a fantastic, albeit very very tiring, trip (I refrain from using the word "holiday" because it wasn't really one hehe).

The trip officially started in kathmandu, where the scenes of chaos, dirt and poverty sent me into culture shock for a day or so and the occasional thoughts of "I want to go home". However, once we left the city, the views to Everest Base Camp were second to none and the 10 other individuals that were in my trekking group turned out to be absolutely amazing each in their own ways.

[ On our way up to Everest Base Camp]

The journey to Base Camp was physically and mentally draining (moreso mentally I think), with very early starts, 6-8 hour treks per day, and the constant battle with the ever increasing altitude. Luckily for me, I didnt suffer from altitude sickness although I did end up with a cold/flu which severely hampered my ability to breath the already thin air.

[After 9 hours on Day 10, we made it to Everest Base Camp. Those forced smiles on our faces hide the extent of our exhaustion and for some, the effects of altitude sickness. There are 3 people missing from this photo. Although they made it to Base Camp, they couldn't stay because they were so affected by altitude sickness, staying up there would have only made it worse.]

10 days without hot running showers also meant that we all had to live outside our comfort zones, as did the lack of water, lack of heat, lack of electricity, and of course, the lack of my now very beloved western style sit down toilets.

All in all, a fantastic experience and one that I am glad to have done at a young age. However, in all honesty, a trip that I probably won't repeat (although I might be inclined to do the Annapurna Circuit).

Anyways, coming back home, I attempted to pick up my knitting only to forget where I was up to and what I was doing. So, instead of fuddling my mind up with details, I've decided to tackle the dpns and the mini socks that my SP10 got me. But looking at the yarn and touching it makes me want to refrain from my "attempt" (which I'm hoping wont end in failure, ruined yarn, and dispair !!!) because it's so soft and the colours are just perfect.

Besides knitting, another thing I haven't done for ages is cupcake baking which is something I'd LOVE to do today (Maybe I can bake them for Jess' Birthday tomorrow?). Chockylit's Cherry Vanilla Cupcakes look delish.

But who knows? Perhaps everything has to be put on hold until another weekend. I unfortunately neglected my Law assignment due yesterday while I was away (I promise that I DID bring it up though, just didnt get a chance to do anything on it). Long day it is :(

Thank you secret pal!

After a rather long day at work today (it is my last day before I go on holidays and so my mind was not in work mode), I came home to a little package waiting for me...

It was from my Secret Pal!! And guess what I got!?? A sock knitting kit!!! Just what I need to tackle that elusive sock, and to master that dpn obstacle that has been in my way for ages!!!

I got
- Lana Grossa sock yarn
- Knitting notebook
- two sets of dpn's
- a cute little windup butterfly
- sock instructions
- and those gorgeous little jumper holders that I blogged about earlier!!

I want to post pics, but my camera is being charged up for my holiday..! :(

Unfortunately I can't start just yet - am off to Nepal tomorrow morning... buttttttttttttt my knitting group has asked if I could please take a photo of myself knitting at Everest Base Camp, so perhaps I'll be taking my knitting with me?? (have to find room for it in my overly stuffed backpack though).

Anyways, thank you so much Secret Pal!! It's Perfect!

Just an inch extra

There are a few types of knitters out there.

There are those that start on one project, and zoom off, finish, block and voila. One project every week or two. I think Jesdmill of Green Apples Knitting Blog is one of them - the rate at which she finishes projects are amazing.

There are also those knitters that have 7 WIPs at once, and slowly, painfully manage to finish a sweater in say... six months.

Me? I'd say i'm an in between. I usually start off a project with full throttle excitement, and I'm even pretty good with getting on and seaming etc. But I never really *finish* a project quickly.
There's the Phildar Moss Green Cardi who is still waiting for buttons. There is the Pink/White Heart Vest (above) that is still waiting for my left arm cuff to be completed. And of course, there's the Norah Gauhan Capecho that is just waiting for a neckband.

New resolution: finish a project's details before starting a new WIP (this doesnt include already WIP projects! teehee).

Anyways, so i've reswatched and restarted my Phildar Swing Jacket. I'm absolutely loving the fabric that is being created by the New Zealand Aran Pure Wool. It's a nice dense fabric, but the texture is still there. mmmm yummy.

But anyways, I was moving along quite contently (albeit a little slow), and remembered that I have the cutest little brown swing jacket hanging in my wardrobe. Curious, I decided to pull it out and measure.

Uh-oh. What a difference. There's about an inch and a bit each side of the hip. Granted, the brown jacket is a little more wider and swingy than I would like, but is my little Phildar Swing Jacket going to be a bit *too* small?

Dilemma Dilemma!

My favourite accessory

SP10's latest contest is a blog post about your favourite accessory. Gee, I got stumped looking at my knitting accessories. Besides the requisite row counter, stitch markers, needles and cable holders, I dont actually *have* any accessories. Is that a bad thing? Should I have some? I've always figured that as long as I have the necessary yarns, basics, and pattern, then i'd be fine. But I had a look around and noticed some people really love their accessories!!

[ sheep tape measure - just because they're oh so cute!! ]

So, unable to do a post on my favourite accessory, I thought i'd do a post on what I love but have never bought - mostly because I just didn't need it. Anyways, when I want things I dont "need", my sister, my boyfriend, or someone else will treat me to it. I guess I dont mind spending on things that I need and can use, but accessories are just something i figured I could do without. I'd rather spend it on some yummy yarns or patterns instead!

[im a big fan of clover accessories. I love the big plastic look - so cute and funky. This one I like because it's really easy to use. Currently, my row counter requires me to physically spin a few little wheel things.. this one just goes "click!" ]

So, here this post is just about what I've stumbled across before and have loved.

[ Namaste knitting needle vases. I love the colours, but at $45 a pop, I could go down to Ikea and buy something for 3/4 off that price :P ]

[ clover dpn holders. They're shaped like jumpers! so whimsical - too bad I dont know how to knit with dpns. haha i have one pair, but my feeble attempt at knitting with them was disastrous. I will however, conquer it this year!]

One for me, one for you

I spoke too soon. I couldn't hold off buying yarn till end of April (when I get back from Nepal), so on my way back from the library, I stopped off to get some yarn for myself, and for my secret pal whose having her birthday this coming week.

For me, I bought myself some Naturally New Zealand 100% pure wool , which comes in big 200gm hanks or a very generous 350 metres of wool. It's not the softest wool, but I decided that I needed to restart my Phildar Swing Jacket, and this seemed perfect for the job. It does have that fresh farm smell though - but I don't mind it too much!



Naomi, my brother's gf, had a fun time being my swift. She had been eyeing my yarn winder for some time and always wanted to see it in action, so when I got home, she immediately volunteered to be my swift while i winded it up into cute little dumplings. 2 hanks down, just 1 more to go.


And for my secret pal? I got her some yarn , and will also be getting her other goodies. This is my first secret pal so im more than excited about spoiling her!

My dream of hospitalization dashed

For the last few days, I have been rather sick and have had to even spend a bout in hospital. Previous to this, the only time I had ever stayed in hospital was when I was a wee bub and was hospitalized for eating too many lychees. Almost 15 years later, I had to spend some time at Sir Charles Gairdner, where I was being treated for a virus/infection in my colorectal area. Basically, I spent my time nauseous, vomiting, and passing out blood.

For the last 15 years, I had always thought it would be great for me to go to hospital. I wanted to have a nice little room, to have lots of visitors, lots of cards, flowers and bears, and lots of little gifts. Nope. I hated it. I spent all my time on my back, and when I was cold, the nurses wouldnt let me have extra blankets (I was running a bit of a fever, so they said it was so that I could cool down). I did gets lots of messages and lovely thoughts, but it just didnt feel the same as what I had imagined hospitals to be like. It was really boring more than anything.

Finally, I decided to pretend I was getting better. I told them I wasn't hungry (i was STARVING but the thought of waiting more hours for food just deterred me), I told them I could get up and about (despite the fact that each time I got back, I almost blacked out), and that I had no nausea or pains left (eek lie). Eventually I got discharged, only to be bedridden again at home because I was so iv-ed and doped up I couldnt do anything at home. *sigh*.

So all i've done in the past few hours since I woke up is surf the net to find new inspirations. ANd what did I find?

Phildar Cute Cardigan from Spring's Collections Magazine. Too bad it's the ONLY pattern I like in the entire magazine

Phildar cute bolero from Phildar Spring Tendances Magazine. Once again, one of only 3 patterns I like in the entire magazine.

Oh, and I have discovered that The Wool Shack is now stocking Cascade 220. While I have never knit with this stuff, i think the colours are just beautiful!! My buying of knitting things is on hold though, as I am going to Nepal in one point five weeks, so anything I buy will just be stashed away anyways - so rather than get impatient about knitting with my new goodies, I'd rather just wait till I get back :)

When people around you get excited

.. When I went to pick up my best pal to go for brunch this morning, she excitedly got in the car and told me all about a little knit cafe that she discovered and that I would have a ball in..

I already knew about this place, but I loved that she was excited too, and that she remembered to tell me something so quirky and lovely.

I also love when my boyfriend smugly drops knitting terms when he's talking to me... or when we're out and he says something like "would you like a ball of wool?" proceeded by "... I know you can't make a sweater from one ball, but maybe you can make a small project"... or he'll try and say something cute about merino yarn as opposed to itchy wool...

Or when someone comes over and sees that you're blocking something, and they get excited too...

I just wished there were more knitters around me (not just excitement)...

What will it be?

Apologies for not posting lately - I've been caught up with life and my dad was sick the week that just passed, so haven't been able to do much else except worry :)

Lucky for me, today is a public holiday for us perthians. Being rather sleep deprived for the past 5 days, it certainly is one that I have been looking forward to. I managed to (almost) finish up my moss green cropped cardi that had been sitting in my WIPs pile unloved and untouched because of that rather annoying set in sleeve fiasco!!

Moss green cardi is looking a little bit bubbly at the moment - and I take full blame for that. You see, I wasn't really paying much attention when I was seaming and ended up with bits that were too long, or too short for that matter. The cardi is being blocked at the moment, and we'll see if that fixes the bubbling - if not, then I'll have to reseam (boohisss)


So, with Green Moss Cardi almost out of the way, and Norah Gauhan's cardi still still puzzling me (sizing issues), I started to knit Phildar's Leaf Sweater.

Unfortunately, the sweater is knit with reverse stockinette as the right side. I started doing this, but kept worrying about thoughts of me wearing an inside-out sweater. So I frogged, but decided that I still wanted a bright fuschia sweater of some sort, so started knitting this:



I love the little white "hearts" that are popping out of the pink knit. Although, I'm thinking a sweater in this colour will be a bit too much, so I'm thinking of turning it into a vest. This will be the first time I come up with my own "pattern" (derived of course, from a number of other patterns)... But i'll keep on knitting and see what my heart decides.

New wishlists

I have been a little uninspired in the last week - just trundling along looking for new inspirations (even though my WIP's are still just that - WIPs). I do however, always love to have something to look forward to after I complete a project.

To my delight, I discovered Wenlan Chia's Big City Knits. I have never heard of Twinkle before - dont think her label has graced Aussie shores just yet, but I did love a few of the preview pictures.

And I also discovered Stefanie Japel (aka Glampyre)'s Fitted Knits book. Unfortunately, i have not seen both these books at my local borders so may have to order them from Amazon. It's not something I like to do though because I really enjoy looking at pictures and deciding if it is worth my buying or not... So maybe I'll scrounge around for more reviews and previews.

Anyhoos, i'm sick at home today with a bit of a temperature. On Saturday, I followed the Yaolin Liondancing troupe around for the CHinese New Year celebrations in soaring heat and temperatures. Coupled with dehydration, I developed a little bit of a cough and temp. So, I thought I'd make use of my sick days by taking it easy and hoping it goes away given that work is due to be tough the next few weeks!

Rowan Studio

I've never heard of Rowan Studio before, but a quick browse on Amelia Raitte's website and the curiosity of a knit magazine fashioned on current trends just got the better of me.

So off I went to Rowan Yarns to have a squizz, and I am in LOVE...

Well actually, only two patterns I loved - but 2/6 is a prett-y good ratio! :D But I'm already behind in my knitting and my ability to catch up with what I want to knit and the latest "must knits" have been hampered by my work travel , work in general, and training for nepal.

*woe is me*

Secret Pal 10 Info

Secret Pal 10 is up! This is my info :

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

I love to knit with blends - things like cashmere/merino, wool/cotton, angora/wool etc, wool/silk etc As with many others, I don't like acrylic as it is too rough on my hands and uncomfortable to wear, and I don't like any novelty yarns.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?

I have a knitting needle roll that I sewed myself ..

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?

I have been knitting seriously for about 8 months, and learnt mainly from books and websites. I think of myself as an intermediate knitter -I can cable, I can do not-too-fancy shaping, I can seam (though sometimes my finishing is a little dodgy), and I have just learnt to read charts... but I have not yet learnt to knit with dpns!

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

I have a wistlist HERE and I have an amazon wish list HERE

5. What's your favorite scent?

I love fruity fresh smells and my perfumes currently include things like Ralph Lauren Ralph, YSL Babydoll, Ralph Lauren Romance, Ralph Lauren Blue , and I also love DKNY Delicious and Britney's Curious...

Other smells I love include the smell of fresh bread, and I love the creaminess of vanilla.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?

Certainly! I love chocolates - especially chocolates with hazelnuts, I love truffles, and I love those japanese chewing gums and lollies! I love dark chocolate, but no white chocolate thanks!

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?

I also sew - but not too often, and not particularly well.. !

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)

My current favourites include Snow Patrol, The Fray, Cold Play and Keane - that sort of music. My computer can play MP3s, but my car can only play normal CDs. And I have a Creative Zen Micro so I can play mp3s on that too.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?

I love all things cheerful - so pastels, and bright colours such as turquoise, fuschia, greens... I also love a lot of neutrals such as olives and grey.. Im not too big a fan of browns, oranges and yellows..

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

I have one brother and sister - both younger and my dad. No pets.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?

I do! I love scarves and mittens .. Unfortunately, as much as i love hats and beanies, I look ridiculous in them .. and ponchos often swamp me :(

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

I like to knit sweaters and cardis - things that are functional and I can incorporate into my wardrobe easily.

13. What are you knitting right now?

I am currently knitting a bunch of cardis and sweaters. The more wellknown objects include the Norah Gauhan Cabled Cardi, the Phildar Swing Jacket, Amelia Raitte's Pippa and Cherry and other girlie but functional sweater type projects.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

I do - but they need to be animal and smoke free :)

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

I'm a straight knitter - and I prefer bamboos from size 3.25mm up , and aluminium or metal if they're smaller (I tend to break my bamboos and plastic ones otherwise!)

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?

I have a yarn winder, but no swift.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?

About 3 months.

18. What is your favorite holiday?

I like adventure holidays where I get to do things and immerse myself in another culture. I'm going to Nepal in April to trek Everest Base Camp so I'm really looking forward to that!

19. Is there anything that you collect?

Not really.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

I am dying to get my hands on some of the Kim Hargreaves patterns which are currently Kit-only but where I only want the pattern. Patterns such as Maggie, Carrie, Marigold, Bea, and Violet

Patterns - I would also love to get my hands on the pattern for knitted dress from Vogue SS07, and the Central Park Hoodie.

Books on my wishlist can be found at my amazon list HERE

Needles - I would like some addi turbos - currently my circulars are bamboo and I'm not particularly fond of bamboo for circulars..

Yarns - I would like to try yarns not available here in Australia. Things knitpicks, some of the rowan range, cascade yarns, etc

I don't currently have any magazine subscriptions but I do read and buy on a regular basis Phildar, Vogue Knitting and Interweave.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?

To knit with dpns!!

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

No - i can't knit with dpns so it's beyond me at the moment.

23. When is your birthday?

8th December

Progress Pics

Living in Australia, I dont have the luxury for wearing wool and knitted goodies for the majority of the year.. So when people ask me why I knit in summer, I just say to them that it's to build up my little winter knits for those few months when it gets cold enough to wear them...

On my current projects list (and yes, I have failed in my resolution to only have 3 WIPs at a time), is Norah Gauhan's cabled cardi from Vogue Knitting's latest magazine.. I have to say that these little pentagons have just been a delight to knit - amazing to watch them come into shape, and I have loved seeing my cardi base grow as I've continued to add stitches on...

At the moment I'm up to pentagon #6 - and feverently trying it on as I go because I've heard stories about the ill fit of it from Craftster... Some progress pics:



On another WIP , my Phildar Cropped Cardi *was* coming along nicely until I did my left sleeve. After casting off, I measured it against my armhole and realized it was way too short - I had missed by 2cm!! How frustrating.. so now I have to frog back that little bit and fix it up ... :( I know that will take me ages though because like a lot of other knitters, I hate redoing something .. the fun just isnt there!

That's all for now ;D

New Goodies

Quick post because it's Australia Day and I'm about to head out for some good ol' fashioned fish'n'chips at the harbour and fireworks with my bf who is back for the long weekend...

My yarn order and Vogue Knitting finally arrived! I was originally going to use the mint green cotton pictured for another Cherry Cardigan, but am now unsure as to whether I will like it. The aran weight pink yarn is for the leaf sweater in the Phildar catalogue, and I'm unsure what yarn to use for that gorgeous Nora Gauhan cardigan on the front of VK....

A new project!

I don't know about you, but I'm a little embarassed by my passion for knitting. I know that it's no longer the hobby of grannies anymore, but when people ask me about things that relate vaguely to knitting, I tend to mumble my answer with hope of not being laughed at.

Take for example, when my good friend Tuan asked if I wanted to go watch their new basketball team play their very first game at the local rec centre. After enquiring about what day it would be (monday), I quickly apologised and told him I wouldn't be able to make *any* games in the future. Being the natural thing to do, he asked me what I have planned on Monday nights, and I said to him with pleadingly embarassed eyes "well, I can't lie to you because you're my good friend.. but I knit on monday nights with a local knitting group"... to which Genevieve (another friend who was present) replied "I would've lied instead"... *hangs head*


But anyways, what is this beautiful looking thing you see? Besides that gorgeous blonde girl, it's also my new project. I am still waiting for my wool order to arrive, but I decided to try and do a destash project, and this is it. The Rustic Wool in Elm that I'm using knits up perfectly to gauge with this cute little cardi and so, success! The yarn is lovely to knit with and I've been putting the resulting fabric next to my skin and I love the warmth minus any itchy wool characteristic.



I've finished the 10cm of 2x2 rib (very boring knitting), and am now starting the main part. I'm not sure whether I like the reverse stockinette body, so I might just flip it over and use the stockinette side as the "right side" .

Also, tomorrow is monday, so i'm hoping my yarn order and the cute little yarn winder my bf got me will be on my doorstep when I get home from work...

No knitting

I have had a been of a drought in my knitting week. Work and Life has caught up with me, and coupled with having no yarn to use (no, nothing in my stash is suitable for what I want to knit), i've had a pretty knit-less and hectic week.

But today is a saturday and besides going out tonight, I'm looking forward to staying home during the day and catching up on my serial tv (yes, I'm a huge fan of grey's anatomy, one tree hill, desperate housewives - all that !) and just doing tv-knitting to relax.

*ah... bliss*

VK Spring Summer 2006 Embroidered Cardi

She's finished! After a previous frogged attempt, I resolved to finish the embroidered cardi from the Vogue Knitting Spring Summer 2006 edition.

As you can tell by the photos, she's not 100% done - I am yet to block her (jeepers, i'm referring to knitted goodies as he and she's now!!) and I am yet to get her a nice big button to match.

Oh, and she looks quite a bit like a santa claus outfit in these photos because of the way the colours turned out She's definitely not as red as it looks in the photos - she's actually a fuschia pink with very bright white trims, and umm... yes, those are my pj shorts you're witnessing ;) I think i'll call her the santa cardi for future refer

Project Details:

Pattern: From Vogue Knitting Spring Summer 2006 Edition, Pattern #34

Yarn: 5.5 balls of Jo Sharp Summer Soho Cotton DK in Blush (main part) and 1 skein of Heirloom 8ply Cotton in white

Needles: 4.5mm Straight Needles, 4.00mm 60cm Circulars, 4.5mm 60cm Circulars

Comments:

Before you begin this project, make sure you download the erratum that's posted on the VK site. It's not a big error but you should get it anyways to make it complete.

I found the pattern fairly easy to follow but there were a few frustrating moments where I didn't read a few bits ahead to find out "At the same time" and then had to frog back 13 rows or whatever it was that I missed.

The stitch patterns are basic - the main part is done in plain stockinette stitch, and the sleeve edge done in seed stitch (as much as I hate the actual stitching part of seed stitch, i quite like the finished texture). Once seamed, you need to pick up the edges and knit 3 stitches in garter. I think if I did this project again, I would actually skip the garter and put a different trim on it instead - i think the garter is quite ugly!! hehe. At the edge of the garter is the picot bindoff .

There is a lot of stockinette though, and at times I wanted to tear up the cardi or at least forget it. The stockinette was much boring, and may I also add the picot edging drove me insane too! hehe.

A few funky stitches - but that's what happens when you give me stockinette on cotton to work with!

The fit of it is pretty much like the photo. It's a bit floppy and drapey, and not very fitted. But it makes a cute little cropped cardi to wear with jeans and a plain singlet.. :) The smallest size on the pattern was a 34, and I knitted that one.

Me in my pj's and in the ensuite

I didnt finish the embroidery because well, i did such a dreadful job of it in my one corner that I decided not to do anymore until I had more practice. haha. As you can see, there are no closeups of the embroidery.

Worse than the stash ban!!

I've always prided myself in the fact that I've been able to save for what I want quite efficiently. When speaking to long lost relatives, my dad has often mentioned that I'm the good one, and my brother the silly one - and of course, being a little eavesdropper that I am, i've taken it all in and added it to my smugness hehe.

So, it was with much dismay when I finally worked out my budget for the next three months. You see, I was given a lovely payrise at the end of 2006 , but at the same time, I booked myself a 2.5 week long holiday out trekking in Nepal. At first my trip seemed oh-so-cheap with it's $850 fee (plus airfares) and the mighty australian to nepalese dollar currency was just winning favours left right and centre.

Then i sat down to work out how much I needed to budget for flights, visas, vaccinations, additional accommodation when I stopover in Bangkok, all that equipment and additional spending money.

... oh woe is me!!! Because I want to continue saving as much as I normally do, I budgeted only using my disposable income

End figure? I can spend a wholesome $150 EACH MONTH for leisure (this does not include transport, bills etc - only leisure)... which means, in the entire month, I am restricted to entertaining and KNITTING for a whole $150 each month.

I am already struggling. I have all these projects I want to do, but alas! the yarn will take at least 1/3 of my monthly extravaganza. So - my knitting is going to be minimal at best until the end of March and I'm praying that all this talk i've heard about himalayan silk and nepalese yarn is going to eventuate when i get there..

*cry*

It all got too messy

My family often complain about how I leave my knitting all over the house. Needles on the couches (bad idea on my part - those needles will snap if someone sits on them), bits of wool left on the couch or at the desk (where I like to watch Grey's anatomy or desperate housewives and knit), project books in the lounge room, in my room .. the list goes on.

So today I decided to give each of my projects a little house .. I decided to make project totes for each of the projects I'm working on - miniature tote bags with a few pockets and enough room to carry the things I need, some balls of yarn and other pieces of the project..

Measuring at just 20cm x 25cm, I came up with this:

[Square mini totes for my knitting projects]

[The ladybug detail]

Apologies for the bad photos. I seem to have lost my digital camera amongst the new year's mess, and have had to resort to using my mobile's measly 2.0MP lens... When I find my digital camer i'll post new pics..

Given that each bag only took about 1 hour to make including cutting, I'm going to make about 4 of them to house each WIP .

Knitty New Year's Resolutions

Everyone seems to be doing it, so here are my knitty new year's resolutions for 2007:

• Learn to knit with dpn's
• If making mittens or the like, always finish a PAIR (not just one)
• Maximum of 3 WIP's only. This includes accessories and small items, not just sweaters etc.
• "Almost done" projects that haven't been seamed and weaved do NOT equal done. They are still 1 WIP.

They don't *seem* so hard from the outset, but how come I can never stick to these? I hope you have some luck with your resolutions!