WIP Wednesday

Nothing that exciting to show you this week, sometimes that's how life goes, just working away on the same projects.  I've this minute finished the purple lace socks and they are currently in the sink having a soak, I also finished the turquoise Wollmeise lace socks and sent them off to their recipient (in the Ravelry group British Banter's first ever sock swap).  Since I seem to be very much into socks at present I can see a new pair coming into my future very soon, possibly Cookie.a's Thelonious.



Meanwhile I am working away on a cardigan in turquoise Drops Alpaca, in the shade (prosaically named 7240m) I have been dreaming of using for ages, making Pomme De Pin cardigan by Amy Christoffers, a cardigan I knew I had to knit immediately as soon as I saw it.  At times it felt as though the 24 rows of K1P1 ribbing with which the body commences would defeat me, but I am through it and beginning on the lace pattern, although prepared for it to be a long haul project.



The weather has suddenly warmed up, inside two or three days I went from cold to too hot and my body is struggling to keep up with the change in temperature.  But the roses are thriving on it and have finally flowered.  I am out everyday photographing them and watching their progress, while in the pond a group of frogs have emerged from the undergrowth and are sunbathing, part submerged in the water.

WIP Wednesday, after a hiatus

Sorry for the break in blogging, we were left for two weeks with no Internet thanks to BT's incompetence.  I'm feeling rather pleased with myself for managing to sort things out with them, though it has meant a lot of time phoning call centres in India.

No Internet has meant getting more knitting done, I've made some more stay on baby bootees, this time in Drops Baby Merino.



And I've made a start on some purple lacy socks, a variation on Duckies, in Sandnes Garn Perfect (bought at Scandinavian Knitting Design), a yarn I am highly impressed with.  It is soft, soft enough for baby clothes, but also feels hard wearing, thanks to the 15% nylon it contains.  It is the sort of yarn I would use if I were making a jumper for a small boy as I think it would be soft enough not to be proclaimed itchy, but tough enough to survive tree climbing, mud pie making etc.



I have invested in sock blockers and I must say they do make socks look good in photos, very pleased with them, they're by Knit Pro and weren't too expensive, among the cheapest I've seen.

Finally I have mainly been working on these socks for a sock swap I'm taking part in on ravelry, they are Edgewood by Rebecca Blair in Wollmeise Twin, a yarn that looks good and makes a lovely fabric, but is very inelastic and not that much fun to knit with I have to admit.  Thankfully I've almost finished the second sock so should be done in time to post them.

WIP... Thursday

Yesterday disappeared somehow without me managing to blog, but here we are now.  A sock for a swap, the first sock swap I've ever taken part in, even more excitingly it's in Wollmeise Twin, colourway Aquarius.  The pattern is called Edgewood by Rebecca Blair, a really pretty, well written pattern, to my eye there is something vaguely Victorian in style about them.  Although mystifyingly I am the first person, other than the designer, to knit a pair.  I would definitely recommend the pattern to one and all.

My photo does not truly do the pattern justice I am afraid, I am considering investing in a pair of sock blockers for photography purposes, I do not know if anyone has any opinions on them?

WIP Wednesday

Nearly finished socks...

...and peas that are just starting out on life.

WIP Wednesday

Baby sweater on two needles from Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitters' Almanac, commonly known as the "February Baby Sweater", in Zauberball 6ply, colourway 2079

Gloriously girly.

Boys' knits - a list

I have seen it written here and there that there are insufficient good patterns to knit for a baby boy around, so I thought I would make a list of some of my favourites, with a short list of further sources at the end. I will admit I have not yet knit all of these patterns, but Ravelry has full details if you wish to read feedback from others before choosing. Hope this provides some inspiration.

1. Stay on Baby Bootees

Ideal for boys or girls, really do stay on and perfect use for those bits of leftover 4ply

2. Baby Surprise Jacket

A brilliant, fun knit, providing you're willing to think a bit to get through the pattern. Shows off stripy yarns wonderfully.

3. Pebble (Henry's Manly Cobblestone Vest)

One of the most practical baby knits for a small baby

4. Owlet

5. Baby Poonam

6. Baby sophisticate

7. Gramps cardigan

Too cute, like a little old man jumper

8. Epsilon vest

9. Pembroke Vest

10. Sunnyside

A cardigan which handily comes in a lace or cable version, suitable for either sex.

Good sources for boys' knits:

Sirdar - do a lot of baby patterns, a good proportion of them for boys. Some of them sell online on patternfish

Petite Purls - like knitty.com for babies and children, some wonderful patterns.

A variety of works in progress

The past couple of weeks life has conspired against me managing to blog. I overdid things and then lots of stuff's been happening, mostly good stuff, socialising and the like, but I just have not had a chance to recover. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks I can recover and rest. So the works in progress I've missed writing about?

First some socks, dragonfly socks in the "Monet" shade from Colinette Jitterbug, lovely fabric, but I will be washing them with some trepidation as I have had a lot of trouble with their colours running in the past. But for now I am enjoying knitting them up. It is one of those patterns you can pick up fairly easily, but that has enough to keep your interest as you knit.

Secondly a baby cardigan, in a fabulously spring-like shade of Zauberball 6 ply. I'm reprising February Baby Sweater from Elizabeth Zimmermann's classic book The Knitters' Almanac, one of those books well worth purchasing simply to read, as well as containing some great patterns. I like this cardigan because the babies pictured wearing it on ravelry look happy in it, relaxed and comfortable and also because it seems flexible in sizing, fitting for quite a while, which given how fast babies can grow, is always a bonus.

Today, Good Friday, has also reminded me of a more serious "work in progress": me. I am so thankful for Jesus, because without Him I would be lost, eternally and in the here and now. I am so thankful that He loves me just as I am, messy, untidy, unfinished, constantly making mistakes: endlessly forgiven.