Needled
The title of this post is very appropriate – this is my second, no third, actually I've stopped counting how many attempts I've made to post it. I’d typed it up fully, added pictures and links and mid posting blogger went down and no I hadn’t saved a copy. Then I tried again and blogger continued to conspire against me, hopefully it'll work this time, so onto cheerier things.
The postie arrived. He brought lots of nice new things – God bless him.
The picture needs a little explaining. The handknit cotton is for the metred square rug. I didn’t have enough. Ironic that I started knitting this to use up some stash and here I am enhancing it, albeit temporarily. The Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino I’m disappointed with. Not the yarn itself but the colour. I just don’t like it. Well, I don’t fancy using it for socks which was its intended purpose. I intended to make the cabled socks from Simple Living, but it’s just too green, I know that sounds a bit mad but it’s too vibrant for socks. That’s my opinion anyway. So, I’ll just have to find some other use for it.
The cable needles and the steel dpns are for the socks. The birch dpn’s are for the Jaywalker socks I intend to knit and the circular Addi is for my mother. She’s knitting a cardigan called Zest from a past issue of Knitting Magazine. It’s a nice pattern, I’ll see how hers turns out and I may even cast on myself. There’s another cardigan I want to knit though. It’s a cardigan called Apricot in a back issue of Rebecca Magazine (no.27). The only problem is I can’t get the magazine, well not in Europe anyhow. I’ve even emailed Rebecca online but they don’t have an English version left. I have found an online source from the US but the magazine is $16 and the postage is approx. $20 and I just can’t justify that sort of spend just for a pattern. It’s a very clever design though and maybe if I could come up with 10 different reasons why I should have it I could justify it? Mmmmmmm, remember the yarn winder?
The squares continue to grow. 
Now that I’ve got ¾’s of the way there the dreaded sewing up looms large. 
Only one thing for it – cast on something else! I’ve no pictures but lets just say the pattern calls for 5 dpns. So, I’m using my new birch dpns. Not long after working the ribbing a few rows into the pattern a needle broke, followed fairly quickly by the breaking of another. I could have cried. I really don’t like working with steel needles and avoid them whenever I can. So when I found these little (2.25mm)birch ones I was delighted. I much prefer the warmth and lightness of bamboo and wood over steel needles but if they are not up the job what can one do? I happen to have 4 steel dpns in the same size so I’m using them alongwith one of the birch ones – as I’ve three left I’m hoping to make at least some more progress.
The mammy (not to be confused with my mammy) has returned her portion of the Tweedy Pie blanket. You may recall that this was to be a joint effort. I was to knit 2 of the three panels plus the surround and the mammy was to knit the centre panel. All great in theory we even started before the baby arrived and I got my portion done before his arrival but the mammy didn’t. Understandably his arrival has left his mammy with little time for knitting so the centre panel has taken a little time but now I have it. Now I have to sew it up!
The Sunrise Circle Jacket remains on hold. I’m short yarn and I have emailed the online supplier I bought the original batch from and I’m still awaiting a response as to whether they can get me some more of that shade. Their website doesn’t have any in stock so I don’t fancy my chances. I have found a US supplier though and they seem to have it in stock but I think I need to knit a little more to try to determine how much exactly I need, I don’t want to buy 2, pay for shipping and then need another one. Will wait a little while I think.
That’s it on the knitting front. Oh, except for the knitted wire basket. The pattern calls for 3 coils of wire. I bought 3. I’ve used one. I’ve knitted four rows. I think the coils the pattern calls for need to be bigger. I know where to get them. I know they even have coloured wires. I know that I need to hold off on buying them though I think I’ve a few other things to finish off first.
The picture needs a little explaining. The handknit cotton is for the metred square rug. I didn’t have enough. Ironic that I started knitting this to use up some stash and here I am enhancing it, albeit temporarily. The Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino I’m disappointed with. Not the yarn itself but the colour. I just don’t like it. Well, I don’t fancy using it for socks which was its intended purpose. I intended to make the cabled socks from Simple Living, but it’s just too green, I know that sounds a bit mad but it’s too vibrant for socks. That’s my opinion anyway. So, I’ll just have to find some other use for it.
The cable needles and the steel dpns are for the socks. The birch dpn’s are for the Jaywalker socks I intend to knit and the circular Addi is for my mother. She’s knitting a cardigan called Zest from a past issue of Knitting Magazine. It’s a nice pattern, I’ll see how hers turns out and I may even cast on myself. There’s another cardigan I want to knit though. It’s a cardigan called Apricot in a back issue of Rebecca Magazine (no.27). The only problem is I can’t get the magazine, well not in Europe anyhow. I’ve even emailed Rebecca online but they don’t have an English version left. I have found an online source from the US but the magazine is $16 and the postage is approx. $20 and I just can’t justify that sort of spend just for a pattern. It’s a very clever design though and maybe if I could come up with 10 different reasons why I should have it I could justify it? Mmmmmmm, remember the yarn winder?
The squares continue to grow. Now that I’ve got ¾’s of the way there the dreaded sewing up looms large. Only one thing for it – cast on something else! I’ve no pictures but lets just say the pattern calls for 5 dpns. So, I’m using my new birch dpns. Not long after working the ribbing a few rows into the pattern a needle broke, followed fairly quickly by the breaking of another. I could have cried. I really don’t like working with steel needles and avoid them whenever I can. So when I found these little (2.25mm)birch ones I was delighted. I much prefer the warmth and lightness of bamboo and wood over steel needles but if they are not up the job what can one do? I happen to have 4 steel dpns in the same size so I’m using them alongwith one of the birch ones – as I’ve three left I’m hoping to make at least some more progress.
The mammy (not to be confused with my mammy) has returned her portion of the Tweedy Pie blanket. You may recall that this was to be a joint effort. I was to knit 2 of the three panels plus the surround and the mammy was to knit the centre panel. All great in theory we even started before the baby arrived and I got my portion done before his arrival but the mammy didn’t. Understandably his arrival has left his mammy with little time for knitting so the centre panel has taken a little time but now I have it. Now I have to sew it up!
The Sunrise Circle Jacket remains on hold. I’m short yarn and I have emailed the online supplier I bought the original batch from and I’m still awaiting a response as to whether they can get me some more of that shade. Their website doesn’t have any in stock so I don’t fancy my chances. I have found a US supplier though and they seem to have it in stock but I think I need to knit a little more to try to determine how much exactly I need, I don’t want to buy 2, pay for shipping and then need another one. Will wait a little while I think.
That’s it on the knitting front. Oh, except for the knitted wire basket. The pattern calls for 3 coils of wire. I bought 3. I’ve used one. I’ve knitted four rows. I think the coils the pattern calls for need to be bigger. I know where to get them. I know they even have coloured wires. I know that I need to hold off on buying them though I think I’ve a few other things to finish off first.
posted by Sharon in Ireland/NZ at 9:57 am
5 Comments:
Ohh, lots of lovely things. I plan on making the Zest cardigan too - I even bought the yarn (Garnstudio Alpaca)in a dark purple and it's all just sitting there waiting for me to cast on. Let me know how you mum finds it.
Good to see a post Sharon, you sound like you are very busy (Which is good!).I have been having a lot of problems in uploading pictures to blogger and have gotten into the habit of saving a post and then goping back to it later to upload some more as it gets very frustrating!
Sharon - which yarn are you using for your sunrise circle jacket? Is it soft tweed? Did you buy it from Xotik Yarns? Please tell me if it is cause I have two balls of the red sitting here (I sell yarn for Xotik yarns) - it will be from the same dyelot as I sent the original batch to Clair...this could be exciting - now I am hoping it is so you can finish your jacket!
I really enjoyed my visit! The blanket is going to be so pretty! My friend has some socks out of the green baby cashmerino and I think they are beautiful...but then I love that color! It is so hard to tell colors online, though.
Nice new yarn. And wow have you been busy with all those blanket squares, it will be so cute when done. I know what you mean about that Apricot jacket being tricky to find, I had been looking for it, too. I finally did find a copy, let me know if I can help you out with that. $20 shipping, ouch!
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