towel, ma'am?

You know when you move into a new place, you start noticing things you never saw on any of your previous inspections of the house. Sometimes quite annoying things, like not having any type of handtowel holder in the toilet. There's a sink for handwashing, but no towel rail.

So we've bought a new towel rail. Of course, that's the easy part. The hard part is husby finding the time and inclination to actually screw it to the wall.

Fortunately, we do have a door handle which can double as a towel holder. So in the meantime, I've made this:

Details:

Pattern: Mitred Hanging Towel, from Mason-Dixon, Between the Lines. A great simple pattern that is quick to whip up when you need a break from (in my case) the Christmas knitting.

Yarn: 1 x 50g balls Peaches 'n' Cream Ombres in Newport, about 20g of Peaches 'n' Cream Solids in Delft Blue. The ones in the M-D book are made with the solid PnC, which I think looks better, but when I first started buying the PnC cottons, I went mad for the ombres, so I need to use them up! It doesn't look too bad, although if I was making these for gifts, I'd use the solid colours (unless the giftee was mad for the ombres too!). At least that makes this project a stashbuster!

Here's the towel in situ:

Sticks: 4.5mm KnitPicks Harmony Options

Time: 23 - 24 December 2008 (my last FO for 2008!). Isn't it typical that when a knitter is trying to finish the Christmas gifts (or any deadline knit), all she wants to do is start something new for herself. Or is that just me?

(I'm most pleased with the button!)

What I learnt: It's darn hard to knit PnC held double with 4.5mm sticks!! The pattern has you do this for the handle part of the towel. I can see why - I think it is to ensure the handle doesn't sag or stretch. But geez it's hard to do. I think if I made this again, I'd just hold the yarn single and go down maybe two stick sizes (eg to a 3.75mm stick) or I'd crochet the handle part.

There has been knitting, honest!

Anyone stumbling across the blog for the first time might be forgiven for wondering if I ever actually do any knitting at all. I do, honest, I really do! Just that I haven't been able to show it, mostly, or (more recently) I haven't had very good internet/camera access! But now I've got a bit of catching up to do, so I'm going to start with a special project that I am very happy with.

It's been a little while in the planning, but as it was for a special baby on the way, I had a bit of time. Which was lucky, as it ended up arriving well after the special baby! Oh well, I figured I'd avoid the new baby gift rush, spread the love out a bit more!

Here it is:

Knitting by me, embroidery by my mum (thanks Mum!)

Details:

Pattern: Embroidered Kimono from Debbie Bliss Special Knits. I've long loved this pattern, so when I discovered that the mother of said special baby thought a chocolate brown edged with pink garment would be great for her baby girl, I thought of this pattern and said a little 'woo hoo!' as it meant I could finally knit this (and also use some stash yarn - not all, because clearly I have no pink yarn in my stash!). I also decided to make the 12-18 month old size, so that it would fit the special baby next winter.

I made a couple of minor modifications - I didn't do a ribbon closure on the front, as I thought that would be a bit awkward for the mumma to tie and also very easy for the baby to untie! So I sewed on a cute button and a ribbon loop, so it was still pretty, but (hopefully) more practical. And I included some extra buttons in case mumma would like to add them. I also used ribbon for the inside ties rather than i-cord - easier and I think cuter!

Yarn: Filatura di Crosa Zara - one of my favourite 8ply/DK yarns! Soft, knits up beautifully, machine washable, great range of colours, and relatively inexpensive for such a lush yarn (well, I think so anyway). I used about 4 balls of the chocolate (col 1663), half a ball of pale pink (col 1392) and some very short lengths of lemon and lime for the flowers - which, yes, I had to buy as well! (you know, I know you all think I've got a huge stash, but there isn't really that much 8ply in it that isn't jumper amounts!)

Sticks: KnitPicks Harmony options, 4mm (and 3.5 mm for the pink edgings).

Time: 7 September 2008 - 9 December 2008 - of course, with big breaks in between - the actual knitting of this was surprisingly (for me) quick! Just love to knit with the Zara!

What I learnt: It's so much easier to have your mum do the embroidery! I did have good intentions to do it myself, but when mum came to stay, it was too good an opportunity to pass up! And I'm pretty sure, no, in fact, I know, that it looks much better than it would if I had attempted the flower bits!

And who is this special baby, you might wonder? Click here to see ... I think she likes it!

Twists and Turns

Back in October, you'll recall, I bought a couple of balls of Cleckheaton Bamboo in a lovely orange, and I couldn't resist making something with it straight away.

But alas and alack, I was this close to finishing, and I ran out of yarn. Gah!! Seriously, I had less than 1/4 of the scarf to crochet around (the pattern has you do a row of half-trebles around the entire scarf to finish it off). I reckon I probably only needed 5 or 10 grams of yarn to finish.

I posted on Ravelry to see if anyone had some leftover, but I got no takers - until Ailsa so very very kindly offered to buy a ball for me at her LYS (heh, any excuse for a visit to the LYS!). As soon as it arrived today, I sat down and finished the scarf! (one might think I was looking for an excuse to have a rest from packing...)

Details

Pattern: Boteh Scarf by Kathy Merrick, Interweave Crochet Spring 2007. I love this pattern - it's really easy and looks great I think - a very cool, modern crochet pattern.

Yarn: Cleckheaton Bamboo #57 burnt orange, 3 x 50g balls - plus another 8g for the final bit of the edging! This is a really nice 4ply/fingering weight 100% bamboo yarn - it's sort of a woven construction, so not splitty, but oh so drapey - really very lovely to work with.

Hook: I used a vintage bone hook, about a 4mm equivalent.

Time: 24 October 2008 - 11 December 2008. It only took this long because I had a bit of a gap in November when I didn't work on it. Otherwise, it's very quick!

Big thanks to Ailsa, and also for the little hank of Optim she added - she posted about it a while ago and I asked what it was like - and now I know - it's so lovely!!

Are mullets really making a comeback?

Are mullets really making a comeback? Gah, I hope not! Except on husby's feet!

Details:

Yarn: Opal handpainted yarn, bought on sale from Little Knits some time ago (yay me, stashbusting!) - thought it was a good "boy" colour. My first experience knitting with Opal - it didn't feel too bad to knit with, and it softens up so nicely with a nice soak in Soak. Plus the obligatory Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Bold Red for husby's signature toes.

Pattern: Improvised - one of the things I love about knitting socks is that once you've knit a few, you can pretty much do a basic sock on the fly, with no pattern at all. Turning the heel needs a bit of concentration, but apart from that, it's all pretty much plain sailing. For these socks, I decided to rib the back of the leg but keep the front plain - hence the christening of these socks as the Mullet socks - business in the front, party in the back!

Sticks: 2.5mm KP nickel plate dpns. 2.5mm is really my sock stick of choice. I do wonder if I should use 2.25mm for a nice firm hopefully felting and sag free sock, but so far the 2.5s have done me fairly well, especially for husby's socks.

Time: I started these in Fiji ... on 2 August! With the vain hope to finish them in time for husby's 40th birthday in October. As you know, I got one done! And now the other - finished on 27 November after a big burst at Morris & Sons (Tapestry Craft) SnB, which I've been going to for the last 3 weeks (nice!).

(oh Fiji, was it really so long ago...sigh!)

What I learnt: Oh, not much on these - except that secret knitting takes a lot longer than you expect when you have to keep the secret from your husband!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

As I finished up my pal's aran Christmas stocking last week, my stocking was winging it's way to me from the US.

Less than a week after it was posted (hurrah, USPS and Australia Post) it arrived on my desk - it's so lovely, so soft and squooshy and designed by my pal (Wren, on Ravelry) in a fair isle pattern using some of my favourite colours, just for me!
I love the Christmas trees on the foot, and see, the red and purple bit near the top?

It's a row of red shoes! SO COOL!

Wren used DiVe Autunno, a yarn I've never heard of but which looks to be a worsted single in semi-solid colours - it's just lovely. Thanks so much, Wren, it's perfect!

And as for my pal's aran stocking, here it is:

I'm pretty happy with it, I have to say!

Details:
Yarn: Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed, 3.5 x 50g balls in colour 140 (Ghost). I wanted to use an Australian yarn for my pal, since she's from the US, and I thought the tweedy texture would work nicely in an aran style pattern - it gives the stocking a bit more body than a softer merino yarn might have.

Sticks: 5mm KnitPicks Options, magic loop method.

Pattern: My pal had commented a few times on Ravelry about how she had fallen in love with a pattern for a traditional aran style stocking with cables and bobbles and the works - but she couldn't find the pattern. I used that as my cue - I figured I'd have no luck finding a pattern like that if she couldn't, so I improvised. Thank goodness for stitch dictionaries and cabled scarf patterns!

I used my Vogue Stitchionary (Cables) for the cuff - Holly Berries (pattern 129) - bobbles galore and a christmassy theme. Separated the cuff and leg with a garter ridge/vikkel braid sandwich. Then I used the cable and bobble pattern from the Irene scarf for the leg. The bobbles in those two patterns were done differently - all my first bobble experience. They aren't something I love, but I'd be happy to do them again (in moderation)! Ended the leg with another garter ridge/vikkel braid.

Even though pretty much everyone suggested doing a heel flap and gusset, I decided to do a short row heel, and did a Tree of Life all the way down the heel - picked this one up from Barbara Walker #1, but had to flip it upside down as I was knitting the tree from the top down. Another vikkel braid/garter ridge separator, then onto the foot.

I used another Barbara Walker #1 pattern for the foot - slipped hourglass - I really like the way this pattern looks - and what do you know, it's also used on a top in the current Interweave Knits Holiday edition!
And more vikkel braid before a standard wedge toe to end with.

Time: 14 October 2008 - 16 November 2008 - it took a lot longer than I expected - those cables and bobbles are pretty time intensive!! The foot was faster, thank goodness, as I was pushing the deadline as it was.

What I learnt: Stocking stitch based cables (like the Holly Berries on the cuff) pull in a lot more than purl based cables (like Irene Scarf cable on the leg) - I probably should have decreased a few stitches before doing the garter ridges and the leg pattern - although I like to think the tighter cuff is just like a sock cuff!


I really like how the leg pattern flowed into the heel pattern too - even though this totally happened by accident!!

And I had plenty of practice cabling without a cable needle, and making bobbles too!

And to end off, a photo of my stocking in situ:

Although we'll be in our new house by Christmas, so there'll be another fireplace behind the stocking soon. And I guess I'll have to make one for husby too, or else he'll feel left out!

Be very very qwiet...

Sometimes koalas venture out from their natural habitat into suburban areas.

They should be approached with caution but if you are very very quiet and respectful, they will allow you to hold them.

Before releasing back into the wild.

Shhhhh, don't disturb the koalas.

(details here) (and yes, I know it isn't the right tree - there's a dearth of eucalypts in my back yard!)

Bits and Pieces

Thought I might flash a couple of small things I made for my swap pal in the Ravelry Aus Swappers Red Swap.
Details
Yarn: I used Lion Cotton in Poppy Red for both - this is basically dishcloth cotton, but I found it softer than Peaches & Cream or Sugar'n'Cream. Spotlight were stocking it and I bought a bunch - now that I've knit with it I wish I'd bought even more, as Spotlight (or at least, my local) is no longer stocking it.
Pattern: Garter stitch mug cosy from Interweave Knits Holiday 2007 edition - modified to put the increases at 4 corners, as the mug has a square base. Very quick and easy pattern - about 2 hours I think.
The washcloth uses a stitch pattern from the new Harmony Lace & Eyelet Stitch guide - Loose Lattice Lace (p218). I cast on 49 stitches and did 5 repeats of the pattern, with a garter stitch edging. Pretty cool pattern, looks cabled but isn't!
Sticks: I used 4mm dpns for the mug cosy, 4.5mm rosewood straights (I love those needles!) for the washcloth

Time: Made both in October - the mug cosy in one day, the washcloth over a couple of days.
Nice, quick and easy to knit gifts - I probably should do some for Christmas...

Miss F's Fabulous Forties

Since the gift has now been gifted, I can tell you all about Miss F's Fabulous Forties scarf.

I've gotten into the habit of knitting gifts for a bunch of friends turning 40 and at the start of October I remembered that Miss F was one of the soon-to-be-4o crowd. Gah! Since her birthday is this week (but her party was yesterday) I had to get a move on! I thought a lace scarf would be do-able in a month (and fits in with the Long Lacy Summer) and since Miss F is a bit sensitive to wool, I decided on lovely Handmaiden Seasilk. And when I found a colour called Topaz, which just happens to be the birthstone for November, I figured it was perfect!

Details

Pattern: Andrea Reversible Lace Scarf - from the Knitting Pattern a Day calendar for 2008 (one of the few decent patterns!!). I made the scarf 3 pattern repeats wide, plus 6 garter stitches on either side - so 48 stitches all up.

Yarn: Handmaiden Seasilk - 1 x 100g skein in Topaz

Sticks: 3.5mm KnitPicks Harmony Options

Time: October 8 2008 - November 5 2008 - pretty good effort I thought!

What I learnt: Seasilk grows a lot on blocking! Pre-blocked, the scarf was 143cm/56" long by 14cm/5.5" wide. Post-blocking it was 175.5cm/69" by 22cm/8.75". Wow! I did block it pretty severely but I'm so pleased with how it turned out.

And I think Miss F is too!

Hello possums!

A couple of months ago, a friend, Lady S, went home to New Zealand and when she returned, she bought me a lovely yarny present (she's a good egg, Lady S).
It's possum yarn! Made by Touch, a fab NZ yarn company - 40% possum, 60% wool. And unbelieveably soft!! I was tossing around ideas of what to make with it with Bells and one of us thought of the Forest Canopy shawl, and Bells made me cast on! (she's a bad influence, that one!).

A good choice! While it does look a little stripey in pictures, in real life the colours are more subtle and blend together well, and since the lace is so simple, it just works.

And blocking is magic (except for the sore back)!

Here are my blocking tools:

Foam mats from a $2 shop (discount store) - I bought two packs, I think they were $4/pack, and they are great as you can make all sorts of shapes with them for blocking awkward sized things. And my lovely blocking wires which I bought last year from Yarns Online.

Details

Yarn: Touch possum yarn, 1 x 100g skein. I thought the yarn was a sportweight (the label suggested 3.75mm sticks) but I think it's really a DK/8ply.

Pattern: Forest Canopy Shawl by Susan Pierce Lawrence. An excellent first lace pattern, as so many have said before me. I did about 5 or 6 extra repeats to ensure I used up all the yarn.

Sticks: KnitPicks Harmony options, 4.5mm. I really should have used 5mm sticks, I think, but as I thought it was sportweight, and as I was already using the 5mm sticks on another project (which project, to be honest, I'm not exactly sure!), I decided on 4.5mm.

Time: 9 September 2008 - 22 October 2008. I could have finished it earlier than that, but I had a break to work on some other deadline type projects. I picked it up on a whim this week and thought heck, that's not long to the finish line, so I went for it!

What I learnt: I should have listened to my instincts about stick size - even though I made the shawl bigger than the pattern, it's still quite small (about 120cm/47" wingspan). And that weighing the ball after each repeat is a great way to ensure maximum skein usage.

This is all I was left with when I cast off (and I wasn't sure I was going to make it...so a big sigh of relief when I did!).

Also I learnt that taking pictures of yourself in the mirror is very difficult!!

Now though, I'm really hankering for some fine lace knitting...but that's another post!

Lady Eleanor in all her glory

Without further ado, presenting Lady Eleanor!

I love love love my Lady E. She's been worn to work, worn to the theatre and graces the formal lounge while she's at rest. I finished her last month but didn't get a chance to do a photo shoot until last weekend - our first weekend in a month which hasn't involved packing and cleaning and tidying and gardening - wow, a whole weekend to ourselves - pure luxury!

Details

Pattern: Lady Eleanor by Kathleen Power Johnson from Scarf Style. She was my Tour de France KAL project and I loved every minute of knitting her. Each of those fabulous little entrelac squares are addictive - just one more, just one more! Before you know it, you've got a whole tier done.

(heh! I'm a teapot! (with a very straight spout!!))

Yarn: South West Trading Company Karaoke, 9.5 x 50g balls in col 286 - a sort of burgundy/copperish colour. I choose this as I'd seen one knitted up in it on the Scarf Style KAL blog. Most people use Noro Silk Garden for Lady E, and it also works fabulously, but the wild colour changes are too much for me - this is more subtle but still retains the woven square feel, which I love. And the yarn itself is soft and lovely and so warm and drapey. Really perfect for this pattern.

Sticks: KnitPicks Harmony Options 7mm. You really need to use a circular needle for this pattern, particularly once you get some length on it.

Time: 5 July 2008 - 29 August 2008

Modifications: Absolutely none! I followed the pattern to the letter, including the number of tiers. I wasn't sure if it would be long enough, so I decided to block it after the last full tier (before the finishing triangle row) - very easy to do when using the KP options - just take the needles off the cord and attach the caps to the cord. I did a full wet block - after which I learnt that this yarn takes forever to dry in cold weather. And that it blocks out quite flat - it lost the lovely ripply, poofy texture you can see in the photo above.

But not to worry, still love it! As does Nelly, who decided to sleep on it while it was still damp - gah!

Oh, and the vital measurement details - pre-blocking it was 152cm/60", post-blocking it ended up 168cm/66". It's a good length - long enough to wrap around me and it will hold on my shoulder. And besides, any longer and the fabulous fringe would drag on the ground!

What I learnt: Ooh, a biggie - how to splice yarn! New ball to old ball - thanks Bells! I only wish I'd learnt that before ball 7 (or 8) - still so many ends to weave in at the start! Oh well. I do highly recommend the spit splice!! (hee hee). And I also learnt that the knotted fringe takes SO LONG to do!! But I love it - it is the perfect complement to the pattern. I wasn't sure if I'd do it, but I'm so glad I did!

Here she is, relaxing on the chaise longue, all worn out after a demanding photo shoot! And if you want more progress shots, click on the TdF 2008 label in the sidebar to see her grow.