WIP Wednesday (with added biscuits)

Another bad week, I suppose it's a crash or what some people call a "fibro flare".  My mood is very mixed too which makes things extra hard, and the weather is not helping.  So in between trying to stay cheerful, stretching and trying to get the movement/rest balance right I've mostly been knitting.



I have finished the first of the Thelonious socks, which I'm very proud of although I am hoping that the second one takes less time than the first.  Hopefully it should since I now understand the ideas behind the design.  Other than more ploughing on through my alpaca cardigan I have mostly been working on my lace shawl, I've finished two more sections since last week and am into the next section.  It's a satisfying and interesting knit, good for those times when you need to focus on something to take your mind off life.



Lastly the ghastly weather has made me itch to get baking and yesterday the need to bake took over and I made a half batch of melting moments from the Edmonds' cook book, they are very very yummy and moreish, definitely something to make occasionally rather than regularly!  I'd recommend Edmonds', which is a New Zealand cook book my mother, a native of that country, introduced me to at a young age, apparently every household in New Zealand owns a copy.  It contains a tremendous variety of baking recipes that work beautifully every time as well recipes, tips and instruction on general cookery.  Thus it is a great favourite in our family.  You can find the recipe for melting moments in Edmonds' virtual cookbook, where it adorns the front cover.

WIP Wednesday

Last week, after much dithering and a long time of wanting to make a shawl, I finally decided upon a new pattern called Fledge, by Megan Goodacre using some Malabrigo sock I got from a friend's destash.  Fledge is a very beautiful pattern, well written and clearly laid out and the Malabrigo sock seems to compliment it well, even now, before blocking, the lace is distinct and clear.  I have been taking a photo after each completed section and am now on the fourth section.



While the pattern requires some degree of concentration it is not so tricky that it is exhausting or that it feels like hard work.  The colour, called Solis, is very me, as a number of friends have commented.  I'm looking forward to wearing it as I think it will compliment my wardrobe nicely.  I'm glad I've had this to occupy me this week as I've been very tired from overdoing things earlier in June; though it does seem almost incredible that it is already July and the weather isn't helping the illusion!

Late again

No surprises there then, I'm late again with the work in progress post for this week.  I've been very tired this week and a touch out of it (though my body is adjusting to another new medication, so I'll let it off).  I have finished the knitting on the baby cardigan, though I think it needs one more row on the ribbing, so I'll have to go back and undo the casting off.  Although it's a nuisance it will look better and I only skimped in the first place because I was worried about running out of yarn.





Other than that I'm plodding on with my lace cardigan, I'm finally half way through the body but I was right to think of this as a long term project.  Mind you, as ever, actually knitting the cardigan, instead of leaving it to its own devices, might help.



I shall illustrate this post with a couple of recent pictures from the garden (since I have no new project photos), which is looking thoroughly overgrown after all that rain.  Some of the nasturtiums have already reached three feet, climbing up through the ceanothus.  The great tits and other birds continue to fill the garden with movement and chirruping, you can see even in just a week how much they've grown up.  I love to watch them "sun bathe" (for want of a better word) stretching out all their feathers to their full extent in the sunshine and pressing their bodies flat against the ground, or the tree, as two blackbirds were doing earlier in the week.  This morning the great tits were sunbathing on the shed roof, an excellent location as they were well camouflaged.


Verdant chaos

WIP Wednesday

I've remembered to post on the right day this week, which is a start.  I'm currently recovering from doing a lot of cooking in preparation for my sister's birthday, which was this Sunday, everything went down well including making a proper (non-packet) jelly for the first time ever - and mercifully it did set!



Meanwhile I'm still ploughing through my Pomme de Pin cardigan, it's now at seven and a half inches long, only ten and a half left to go, although I will try it up against myself as it gets longer to check it doesn't become too long, as I'm not especially tall.  Luckily I'm still enjoying knitting with the alpaca and getting the hang of the lace pattern and I can just about knit it in front of the television.



The improved weather has been such a relief and has provided lots of opportunities for watching the fledgling birds on the bird feeders, especially a whole group of great tits who spend hours on the feeders and a beautiful juvenile robin, who is yet quite to get the hang of the feeders.  I managed to get some photographs of the birds, by sitting very still in the garden holding the camera focused on the feeders and clicking away, although the slightest movement sent them flying for cover.  The juvenile robin, however, was most interested in what I was doing in the garden and spent a lot of time looking at me from the safety of the holly bush and chirruping away.  I do enjoy watching the birds and I'd recommend it, especially if you aren't well as it is a low energy, very cheering occupation.

WIP Wednesday

I am working on a baby cardigan this week, trying to come up with a prototype for a top down raglan sleeve baby cardigan that can be made in 4ply or sock yarn, preferably in under 100g, so that I can use some of my stash of machine washable sock yarn for baby knits.  After a bit of a wrestle with standard baby sizes, positive ease and Barbara G Walker's invaluable book Knitting from the Top I am a good way through the raglan increases.  I started this project this week because I needed some simple stockingette stitch knitting with which to relax, all my other projects were getting a bit too complicated.  It also makes a handy project to take out and about with me as it requires relatively little attention at this stage, providing I don't go on knitting it longer and bigger than it needs to be!



Although it is blue the cardigan is for a little girl and will receive flower buttons and hopefully some flower style eyelets around the bottom of the cardigan, before the hem, something like this.  I was inspired by the forget-me-nots in the garden, though I could not get a blue that was quite right, this Sandnes baby wool was the closest appropriate yarn.

The green scarf I started ages and ages ago is finally finished.  Well, I say finished, I still have to Kitchener stitch on the end and then block the whole scarf.  The Kitchener stitch (in garter stitch just to make things more interesting) is my next task when I have finished writing this.

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.

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.

WIP Wednesday

Having heard from another mother for whom I made some of these bootees that they were the only thing that would say on her son's feet I thought I'd better make some others for another friend who is expecting. They are Stay on Baby Bootees by Knitgirl's Mother, in a mystery cream 4ply I found in my stash. They're not a bad knit either, I'd recommend them. The pattern is now in the pattern comments on ravelry, for those looking for it.

WIP Wednesday

Not a terribly exciting new work in progress this week, just further progress on the green scarf, it's starting to look like a scarf, rather than just a small rectangle of knitting.

Spring is also progressing and I've just taken some pictures of our magnolia tree, so I'll put some up later.

WIP Wednesday

Getting my post in early this week, in case I get muddled about what day it is when I wake up in the morning.

I'm loving knitting this, it's the yarn, from Abstract Cat, I showed you a week or two ago, but it's found a new purpose in life, it wasn't happy in my original choice of pattern (which would be a paid for pattern) but seems to be settling into Kernel from knitty.com nicely. I'm thoroughly enjoying the lace knitting experience, that need for a degree of concentration and focus always helps me, especially if my mood has been rather unsettled (as of late). Only another fifty odd inches to go. I'll let you know how I get on.

WIP Wednesday (just)

Squeaking in just the wrong side of the wire this week, due to a long, unpleasant day involving a medical appointment (possibly more on that anon), but at least on the train and in the waiting room I could start on the baby bonnet which co-ordinates with Elizabeth Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Jacket and is using up the spare yarn (I'm hoping to have enough yarn for the bootees too). I would have appreciated not giving myself a small cut (like a rather deep paper cut, but no bleeding) from digging the tip of the knitting needle into my finger, but we can't have everything.

(Updated with a better photo)

WIP Wednesday

This yarn, Bluefaced Leicester from Abstract Cat in colourway Jungle Adventure is in the opening stages of becoming a travelling scarf. Such gorgeous yarn, I'm looking forward to the rest of it.

WIP Wednesday

This week's work in progress: Uzu sock in my very favourite Zauberball Crazy colourway.

WIP Wednesday

Baby Surprise Jacket in Drops Delight - strangely compulsive knitting and most soothing.

WIP Wednesday

This week I have returned to an old project to make changes which will hopefully enable me to make more use out of the finished cardigan. It is the Peasy cardigan by Heidi Kirrmaier, in Cygnet Superwash DK, a lovely soft pure wool. The yarn is lovely, but lighter than the Rowan Felted Tweed originally used, so that the bottom of the cardigan refused to stay flat but persisted in curling upwards and I had lengthened the sleeves without tapering them, meaning that they are far too wide around the wrist.

Therefore I am re-knitting the bottom of the cardigan, adding about an inch in length and ending in ribbing rather than garter stitch, redoing the sleeves from the elbows down with appropriate tapering and then I will have to redo the button bands and collar, possibly also in rib, though I haven't get decided on this. Due to the small size of buttons I originally used on this cardigan I'll have to come up with a smaller buttonhole, or change the buttons, which would make me sad, as they are so beautiful.

Hopefully all this will result in a cardigan I can wear more often, because I love the neckline and lace on this cardigan. So it's just a matter of relaxing with the extremely long ribbing rows and a good audiobook - currently Miss Buncle, Married - a book I would recommend, it is a sequel to the brilliant comic novel Miss Buncle's Book, by D.E. Stevenson, both are available on audible and have been re-published by Persephone books.

WIP Wednesday

Log Cabin Dish cloth from Purlbee, using Rico Creative Cotton

Please excuse the bad photo, it's dark so much at this time of year and I'm rarely organised enough to get photos during daylight. This is my first time using the log cabin technique and I can see why people get so hooked, I'd recommend the pattern too, makes it very clear and is a good size to practice on and use up oddments of yarn. Hopefully I will have sufficient to knit another using the colours in a different order.

In other news: the weather has been unseasonably warm here lately, I've known Augusts when it's been similar temperatures! But I was mighty surprised this afternoon to step outside the front door and see a bumble bee working its way around the flowers on the hebe hedge. I do hope it survives and does not get killed off if the weather gets cold again. We very much like our bumble bees here and do everything we can in our garden to encourage them, including allowing clover to colonise the lawn because they like it and growing plenty of flowering plants for as much of the year as we can.