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Little
Devil Ear Warmer
[Started 16th December: :Completed
24th December]
Made to match the Scandinavian Christmas Cardigan (below)
and using the same yarn - (Rowan
Felted Tweed DK in colours Rage and Clay).
This one entirely knitted by hand as the pattern involves
reverse stocking stitch. The pattern is one from a delightful
set in vintage "silver" Patons P&B 479 - the
models really look so cute, I may have to make the other examples
as well....
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Pairfect
Socks
[Started 7th December: :Completed
"garden" 16th December, and "stone" 24th December, ]
This is Arne and Carlos Regia "Pairfect" [100g=420m;
75% wool/25% nylon] - which are in fact not so perfect at
all. True, they do what it says on the tin and give you two
matching socks, but in order to do so you give up most of
the control over the size. For me this was totally unacceptable
with the 9136 "garden" colourway as the yarn intended
for the toe begins long before I reach the toe in my man's
sock pattern - I had to add in an inch or so using yarn left
over from the socks I knitted in the standard "garden"
colour last year; you can see the change clearly in the picture.
This brings me to my next complaint - it seems to me that
the dark green "complementary" colour has bled into
the overall colour, leaving it dull compared with the colour
of the standard yarn - the yellow leader thread also seems
to have suffered, (though not so important of course). The
7120 "stone" colourway worked better as there is
no arbitrary change of colour for the toe.
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Weaving:
Overshot Scarf
[Started 9th November]
Hoping to improve on my last effort in class, I am making
a scarf this time using laceweight merino and silk. The warp
is a space dyed yarn (merino I think - no label)I bought at
Ally Pally some years ago (very expensive, and intended for
a "peacock" shawl but on viewing the pattern I went
off the idea). The overshot weft is Fyberspates
Gleem Lace Sea Green colour 706 [55% Wool/45% Silk,
100g=800m (875yds) ].
The pattern and overshot instructions are taken from Next
Steps in Weaving, by Pattie Graver.
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Oddments
Blanket for (good causes)
[Started 2nd November]
I have started a background project to make another blanket
from acrylic oddments (I have many) using the Domino construction
technique. You'd thing a dynamic random design would be easy
enough, but as usual, after the first few squares, making
a truly random whilst also pleasing combination gets more
and more difficult!
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Little
Pouch
[Started 8th October: :Completed
9th October]
I made this cover as packaging for a portable iPhone charger
- completed and given away as a gift with such alacrity that
I failed to take a picture of the finished item. Made to measure
( 80 stitches in the round) with a button closure, using the
leftovers of my first hand-dyed
sock blank from 2009.
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Austermann
Summer Socks
[Started 5th October: :Completed
29th October]
More Austermann Step [100g=420m; 75% wool/25% nylon with Aloe
Vera and Jojoba oil] - best sock yarn in the known Universe.
This one is Marine-Bunt (Colourful Navy) 328 - which makes
me think of a summer seashore - so I hope that's what they
had in mind.
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Noro
Socks III
[Started 20th August: :Completed
2nd October]
In 2010 I bought some teeny tiny (9 inch - 2mm) circular needles
at Yarn Dogs (now long gone)in Los Gatos and used them
with some Noro yarn. George was very pleased with the tension
and fit, so I knitted him another pair the following year
in Kureyon Sock [70% wool; 30% nylon] Colour S164. Whatever
bargain that wool was at the time, has led to my having two
balls of it, so here I am getting the teeny tiny needles out
again.
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Flamingo
[Started 8th August]
I was seduced by an email from Laughing Hens exhorting me
to buy the booklet Rico
Ricorumi It Must Be Love. It's full of cute crochet
sweet nothings based on the theme of "luuurve".
However the one that I love is the flamingo.
She's knitted in Rico
Ricorumi cotton yarn supplied in small reasonably priced
balls, making it practical to make these small items using
a number of different colours, [100% cotton; 25g=57m (62yds)].
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Scandinavian
Christmas Cardigan
[Started 28th July: :Completed
22nd December]
This is based on a cardigan in Toddler Knits - another
Vogue "pocket" book, marketed as Knitting on
the Go. However I am making it for Matilda, using the
same Fair Isle pattern as for her Grandfather's Festive
Reindeer Cardigan and using the same yarn - (Rowan
Felted Tweed DK in colours Rage and Clay).
Once again I used my knitting machine as it achieves such
a neatly tensioned result - even though it's often not much
quicker than hand knitting, and I adapted the chart from a
POM
and swiss-darned suitably sized reindeer on the fronts.
[I shall, of course, be reknitting it every year as she grows...]
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Market
Place Socks
[Started 2nd July: :Completed
27th July]
As the UK is on the verge of relaxing its virus-related restrictions
even further, and while infection rates are probably as low
as they will be for a while, we had a tiny family get together
in Petersfield. My sister (not a knitter herself) was anxious
to show off their new wool shop, Handmade
Studios, and rather than just look round I felt I
had to buy something - not that this was much of a chore as
the shop is beautiful and full of high quality yarns. So Lyn
chose Terry's next sock colour 9952
"Klaus the Prince Charming" from Opal's Naughty
Friends Two range - a lovely combination of sea blues
and greens, [75% Wool / 25% Polyamide: 100g=425m / 465yds].
My cousin also made a good effort purchasing a very reasonably
priced yarn to make some hats.
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Pocket
Yoda
[Started 16th May: :Completed
29th May]
Another little gem from Star
Wars: Knitting the Galaxy. Since her parents are keen
on SCI Fi, I thought this would be a nice gift for Matilda's
first birthday - provided it does not give her nightmares.
It's very small so I used some of my store of vintage 100
% acrylic DK, which I knitted double on 9¾mm needles
as the pattern was intended for an Aran weight yarn; the appealing
green plastic safety eyes I purchased on eBay.
This was a satisfying knit, made up in the round, stuffing
as you go.
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King
Cole Socks
[Started 23rd April: :Completed
3rd May]
Fjord
is very low cost acrylic double knitting self-patterning yarn
from King Cole. Its wide pattern bands (and price) make it
possible to contemplate using it for a sweater or cardigan.
I'm going with tried and tested socks - but am not sure the
"fair isle effect" is working out very well over
so many fewer stitches. The colour is Norddal 4559
- a mix of greens - [100% acrylic; 100g=250m/273yds].
This turned out to be a very amusing project. I split the
wool to make it more like a 3 ply (a terrible task in itself),
but the resulting yarn was "energised"
- as you get sometimes in hand-spun singles - so the plain
knitting had a very distinct slanting
bias, The socks are fine once fitted on the feet but left
to their own devices are very twisted!
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May
Queen Rose Socks
[Started 14th April: :Completed
23rd April]
A bargain ball of in WYS
Signature 4 Ply [75% Wool / 25% Nylon: 100g=400m] in withdrawn
colour 800: Peony. I bought it long ago to make some
socks for my sister - who is ever Queen of the May (according
to our Dad anyway!). I am inventing my own pattern based on
the one I devised for the men's socks I make so often.
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Rose
Pink Brioche Hat
[Started 13th April: :Completed
22nd April]
Debbie Bliss wrote to me (personally I expect) to tell me
how excited she was to be offering her Cashmerino
chunky yarn once again. I have to say I was a bit surprised
at how inexpensive it seems to be but it does have an element
of acrylic which may explain it. Anyway my sister asked me
to make her a hat (in all that cold weather - now in the past
of course!) and I wanted a touch of luxury so I bought 4 balls
and set off on my fisherman's
rib hat pattern, in 2 colours: 22 Rose and 23 Pearl
[55% Wool / 33% Acrylic / 12% Cashmere: 50g=65m/71yds] .
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St
Ives Smock
[Started 1st April: :Completed
26th April]
Again - a bit like chain smoking - one baby cardigan put out
and another lit up. Northern Lights is in truth already a
bit small for Matilda so I have gone back to a vintage and
hopefully roomy design by Debbie Bliss from 2003. It in the
Cotton
Denim Aran pattern book which I purchased - with yarn
for a cardigan - from the woman herself at Ally Pally when
it first appeared. The yarn is no longer available of course
but Love Crafts sell a DK version [100% Cotton: 100g=200m/219yds]
in colour 02 New Denim, which looks similar, and I
am restructuring the pattern (translates as "knitting
a bigger size").
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Chancellor
Palpatine's (or Tony's) Scarf
[Started 17th March: :Completed
31st March]
Tony gave me Star
Wars: Knitting the Galaxy for my birthday - and as
a "reward" (punishment?), in return, I am knitting
him something from it for his birthday. There were several
contenders (all neck related) but this one seemed the most
wearable. I could not get the recommended Katia yarn so I
am using Schachenmayr
Cotton4Future [50% Wool / 50% Polyester: 50g=100m/109yds]
in
colour 'Indigo' (50) - sadly a mixed red/black marl was not
available - but it's an interesting yarn being "eco",
made from a blend of leftover cotton, and polyester from recycled
plastic bottles.
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Toria's
Aran
[Started 21st February]
I've committed myself to a project for a friend. It has all
proved a little problematic obtaining good quality yarn at
a reasonable price - and finding a company with enough stock
of reasonable colour. Anyway I finally chose Debbie
Bliss Donegal Tweed, on special offer from Love Crafts,
in Oatmeal [100% Wool 50g=88m / 96yds] - which I have to say
as been a great disappointment in that it is clearly a DK
weight not an Aran - in fact, this is even apparent in the
gauge and yardage given in the specification. This now gives
me a problem as to which pattern to use - I may end up having
to devise a layout of my own superimposed on a commercial
set of instructions, but it's never going to have the heft
of an Aran jumper. My favourite pattern is always
this one of course - My First Aran.
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Hibernate
[Started
3rd February: :Completed 12th
March]
Rowan have brought out a new book Daydreamer
which includes a rather appealingly simple blanket
throw by Chloe Thurlow. I am attracted by the colours
so have again turned to my (still) vast and seemingly undiminished
collection of acrylics. I am using the Rowan pattern as a
guide for the colours only and making up my own pattern based
on a tweed design in one of their other books that I already
possess; as usual I am sure the designer's instructions would
be better but I feel I am an experienced enough knitter to
make do.
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Summer
Afternoon Socks
[Started 19th January: :Completed
2nd February]
Not a sock yarn I remember trying before, but I acquired it
as a real bargain last year from "My
Yarnery" as part of a larger order. It's Sirdar Heart
and Sole [75% Wool / 25% Nylon: 100g=410m / 448yds]. It's
a lovely summery yarn of soft blues and creams - colour 163
"Country Bumpkin" (a rather unappealing choice of
name I would have thought - maybe they think it is irony).
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Mini
Christmas Stockings
[Started 12th January: :Completed
18th January]
It's the time of year to make my annual decoration (post-Christmas)
and this year it's a delightful pattern from Julie
at Little Cotton Rabbits. They took no time at all to
make, and I have joined them into a mini-garland. The yarn
is some 4ply acrylic that I acquired from somewhere - bumper
sized balls which had become my go-to Christmas colours for
little items such as these - however, they have finally run
out now!
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Hooked
Sheep
[Started 2nd January]
This is a kit I bought from Hooked
By Design at Woolfest in 2017. I also bought a frame
kit to work the picture on - the latter I made up very quickly
- but I did not start hooking the picture! Since then I loaned
the frame to Alison who purchased and immediately started and
completed her choice of picture (herring
gulls) from Woolfest in 2018. Finally, now, I am getting
round to actually using the frame myself... My choice is "natural"
sheep. |
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Weaving:
it's a wrap
[Started 6th October 2020: :Completed
19th September]
This is a simple weft-faced twill fabric using Malabrigo Lace
in the warp, doubled for strength, [100% wool; 50g=430m/465yds],
in colours Pollen 019 and Butter 061 (not ideal as a warp
but a lovely colour and texture). The weft is Manos Del Uruguay
Marina in colour Oro Viejo 9001 [100% wool; 100g= 800m/874yds],
The sett is 12, on a 24 inch loom - the finished width will
be 22 inches which is rather less than I was hoping for but
will make a lovely wrap as the yarn is super soft giving a
pleasant feel to the fabric. I am making this in a class where
I achieve about 1 inch per week, so between that and imminent
lockdown, heaven knows when I will finish.
The update is - I ran out of weft; so it's completed but not
a wrap - just a rather stiff cushion cover....
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Northern
Lights Cardigan
[Started 29th June 2020: :Completed
17th March]
Another vintage Vogue knit from the Vogue
Baby Knits on the Go book . Knitted in Hayfield Bonus
4ply acrylic, which I seem to have acquired from somewhere
in my travels. Pink yarn is a fragment of acrylic DK (which
works well picking out this colour detail), and the buttons
are from stock (originally years ago from John Lewis I think).
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Fleetwith
sweater and cowl
[Started 6th January 2020]
I thought of Lyn when I saw this pattern in Rowan's British
Made by Lisa Richardson as it is the "sort of thing
she really likes", and I considered buying
Valley Tweed even though it would be pretty costly, despite
the excellent yardage. However I have an ever-expanding collection
of some very good vintage fingering yarns, so I felt bound
to consider them. The colour choice was a problem, and none
of them is a tweed, but in the end I chose a lovely cherry
red Hermit pure wool crepe 4ply (yardage unknown - also a
problem) which I think will suit the pattern and also possibly
my sister, (if not - it's a colour I like - what can I say?).
This will clearly be my only project for this year as the
pattern for the back begins "cast on 200" and after
lulling you into a false sense of security with 2 rows garter
stitch, it moves on to untold complexity.
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Weaving:
Woodland Scarf
[Started 30th July 2019]
This is "Blewit" - almost the colours that inspired
Janet Phillips as featured in her book Designing
Woven Fabrics. This time using a limited edition skein
from A Verb for Keeping Warm which I bought at SOAR in 2012
[100% wool; 100g=361m/395yds]. The weft is Erika Knight British
Wool ..... Blue Faced Leicester and Masham purchased at Fibre
East - too coarse and fluffy really but I went with the colour..
... I have wound a 2m warp - enough for a scarf length plus
fringe. The sett is 16 - doubling up in my 8 dent reed.
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Weaving:
Cotton Towels
[Started 23rd March 2019]
I was inspired to try this project by the newsletters from
Gist Yarn
and Fiber. I would have bought their cotton but the shipping
cost from the US meant I needed to be more cost-conscious
for a simple
rigid heddle project to do in the evenings. I settled
on a real budget option which was impossibly low cost and
astonishingly fast delivery despite shipping from Gobi
in Copenhagen.
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Little
Bottles Quilt
[Restarted 9th February 2019]
This is a patchwork quilt I started to make in about 2003
and in truth had done most of the hard work in appliqué.
I was undecided as to what technique to use for the striped
"curtains" - but have set off now with renewed vigour
and decisiveness.
The design is Little Bottles by Kaffe Fassett from
the fourth Westminster Quilting book (usually available from
eBay).
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Bella
Blouse
[Started 9th June 2011]
This is the Bella Blouse by Norah Gaughan from the Knitting
Daily Pattern Library. I am using a few balls of Rowan Damask
- a yarn I love but now discontinued - for the contrast and
I found an ecru cotton blend (Patons Washed Haze) which tones
with it quite well for the main shade. As my supply of Damask
is limited I am omitting the contrast band at the bottom of
the sweater.
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Two
[Started
22nd August 2010]
This is Two
- not another cardigan! But it is, like Puzzle, from
Queen
of Hearts - in fact, the cover design. The yarn is Patons
Misty
[25g; 150m], 70% mohair, 30% polyamide. It knits to a
double knitting tension of about 22sts to 4 inches, but I
am knitting it much looser on 6mm needles. I chose this yarn
also at Ally Pally in 2009; being a dress I thought it would
take for ever but it seems to be knitting up very quickly
so I have every expectation of finishing it soon...
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