Just finished this

If I really look as fat as that in it I may not wear it!!!!!!!!hope it is just the way I am sitting........
Going to make another one in a greeny sort of colour.... maybe a bit bigger!!!!!

Crochet by the pool

This is as first for me. I actually took my crochet on holiday with me! No I didn't spend all day sitting there in the sun crocheting, but you know how it is, after all that walking, shopping,swimming, sunbathing and eating, you need to chill out and unwind. What better way than to finish the 'funky' bag that I had promised Helen.
Its a chunky Aran wool in random purples, turquoises and blues. Such a treat to use.
Next project is going to another extreme. Goldfingering (crochet thread) very fine and sparkly and quite a contrast, so watch this space, I feel another belt coming on.......

Holy Holy Holy

Lots and lots of holes and yes they are part of the pattern!

The wool I am using for this cardigan is Sidar Snuggly Baby Bamboo 80% Bamboo and 20% Wool. It is a lovely soft wool and is a real joy to knit with.

You might be wondering what happened to a princess tale, well it turned out more like a dragon's nightmare!

I wasn't happy with the end result so the wool sits neatly unravelled in my work bag ready to be made into something else.

Poor Ellie will have to wait now until I have finished Holly's cardie, but I have something special in mind for her using a different shade of baby bamboo.

Me too!

Have I been knitting for England? No, I just happened to have several things nearly finished. This is Stefanie Japel's (AKA Glampyre) One Skein Wonder.

This is the second one I've knitted. The first turned out so small that I gave it to a very petite friend, and suspect that it was too small for her too. That was a lesson in knitting a swatch rather than guessing. This one has turned out too big! Well, maybe it's just the sleeves - the cuffs are much bigger than they need to be - I've had to scrunch them up and try and hold the excess under my armpits for the photo.

The yarn is Sirdar Evita, a mix with more than 50% wool. It has a very fuzzy texture which is wonderful, but I found it a bit difficul to knit with - it splits very easily. As she's mentioned, Mum has an addiction to buying wool from the charity shop, and this was a very welcome gift from that source.

The yarn first became a boobholder, another Glampyre pattern, but I made a real mistake with that one. I either didn't have a big enough circular needle, or the yarn was too light, (or possibly both), and so I decided that I could 'scale up' the stitches and rows. That didn't work, and the resulting monstrosity had to be pulled out and I started a OSW instead!

I'm really pleased, it's perfect for showing off the tattoo. I would certainly wear it, but I'm not sure what to do about the flapping cuffs. I may try sewing in a tuck, or may pull the lot out and try knitting it again in a smaller size. They're quite quick and fun to make. Is there an award for the largest number of items made from the same yarn?

Me

Well who is this cocky madam!!!!! I was grinning because I thought it was so funny to be taking a picture of myself....

The Bolero is one I made last year, to cover those tops of my arms...it was a pattern for a shrug, but as I thought I was too old for one of those, made it into this.....nice mixture wool, but a bit itchy for me.....

Should have put the lamp on Pea!!!!

Scarves and Hats

A few of the scarves and hats I have made.....soon be cold enough to wear them again!!!!!!

Now, Back to Sweaters

I have all the yarn I need to make two sweaters, but I'm not sure which to start with. They are both of equal difficulty--relatively simple, or I wouldn't attempt to make them. The cardigan is reversible in that you can wear it open in the front or back. I like the asymmetrical design of the pullover, though, so maybe that will be the first project.

What do you think? Which should I start with?

Yes, I Know It's Summer

Well, it's September at least, but here in Ohio the temperature has reached 90 degrees Fahrenheit almost every day this week. Still, I have knitted a scarf. As a diversion from making sweaters, I have been working on a cable scarf that I have admired for some time but never got around to making for myself. I made this last year in ivory cotton for one of my daughters, but this one is for me.

It's made with a mostly wool yarn from Australia called Cleckheaton Country 8ply Naturals and size 6US needles. I liked the natural flecks of varying color mixed with the subtle green. The pattern is from Knit Scarves!, a fun book with some very fun scarf patterns for when you bet bored with just the plain old stuff.

A Princess Tale

This little cardigan is called Thumberlina from Patons. I am knitting this for one of my twin granddaughters Ellie May.

I have not picked up the needles since the 1980's but I am really enjoying knitting again.

I LOVE casting on!

This is the Sirdar luxury soft cotton DK in a beautiful ivory colour that I bought a couple of weeks ago (see Retail Therapy). I've changed my mind about what to make with it - this is the start of a Shapely Tee. The pattern for the Tee just tells you how to make the sleeves - you have to click through to the Shapely Tank to get the pattern for the body, which is (allegedly) "one of the most popular free patterns to be found on the internet". I'm about to learn how to shape using short rows. Exciting stuff!

Funky bag.

Since the passport bag and belt, which I forgot to mention before, are awaiting ceramic buttons from Helen, I have been unable to resist buying wonderful wool from charity shops, (is there a name for this condition?) and have since completed this bag from the book Peahen bought me for Christmas. Is there no stopping me...........?

My first post!

These two unfinished projects mark my return to crochet ( the last things I made were tank tops in the 60's). It took some geting back into, but with a little help and encouragement from Susan Flint, a crocheter(?) from Caister on Sea, and Peahens book. (see photo) Now I cant stop!

Finished Cotton Jumper

It looks much better on, but thanks to you, I have finished it!!!

Finished bolero and public knitting

As I promised Robyn, here are some photos of me modelling my bolero. I didn't get to grips with crochet... I have another cardy which has cords for tying in a bow, which works well, and so I learned how to make an i-cord. Not Steve Jobs' latest invention, but a way of knitting a few stitches 'in the round' on two dpn's.

So the finished item, which I'm so pleased with, is a real improvisation. It started life as this Bolero pattern. I started the sleeves by knitting some k2, p2 ribbing, and then elongating the sleeves to 3/4 length, which I prefer. The back and front panels are as per the pattern, but the edging is taken from a Wendy pattern: For the lower border (from one marker, down to the lower border, round the back, and back up to the other marker) pick up stitches, immediately double the number by making one in every stitch and then knit 6 rows before casting off. This makes a lovely frill. For the upper border (from one marker up around the neck and back down to the other marker) pick up stitches and knit 4 rows in garter stitch. The fastener is two lengths of 3-stitch i-cord.

Here are some close-ups of the fastening and the wavy bottom edge. It's very difficult to photograph a black item (it turns into a silhouette) but you get the idea.




Sibling Helen, who visited at the weekend, (that's Helen who supplied the buttons for the recent baby jacket, and also brought me a shed load of ceramic buttons 'for inspiration' for which I'm extremely grateful) saw the i-cord and was inspired herself - she's working on a ceramic project which could use some of the cord. The answer was simple, we went shopping, bought some needles and yarn, and sat in a coffee shop experimenting! She also helped me to choose the lovely blue glass beads which finish off the bolero a treat.