Friday night football knitting progress

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?

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

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

Finishing touches

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!

FO: Phildar sweet tie up sweater

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 ;)

Sneak peaks

(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).

On knitting and therapy

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 .

FO: Millefiori Cardigan

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.

Bed bound and fondling yarn

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

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

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

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:

Almost there

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: Icy Mint Vintage Cardigan

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.

Hair hair everywhere

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

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

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 ;)

Restarting...

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...

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: Martha Cardigan

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.