Market Mitts and Tric progress

Yesterday I talked about Melbourne's weather being up and down like a yo-yo, and true to it's form today's temperature dropped 10℃ from yesterday's 26℃! Oh well, at least it wasn't as freezing as last Sunday when I was at the Gisborne market. It was a miserable day with rain and wind, my hands were so cold that I'd taken one of my handspuns from the stock and started making myself a pair of fingerless mitts. I only had a crochet hook with me so I started with a crochet mitts pattern, but my hands were so numb that I just couldn't continue to make the mitts to keep my hands warm.

I still couldn't continue with the piece after I got home because I didn't like the look of it, so I ripped it back and started again. The pattern I chose was the Garter Stitch Mitts by Ysolda Teague, it is a simple pattern worked sideways using short-row shaping.

I really like how they turned out, the handspun is very squishy and soft, they should keep my hands nice and toasty on cold market days. I only cast on 38 stitches and they worked up quickly. The project only used 58g of the handspun, so the pattern is a perfect fit for that single skein that you don't know what to do with. Raverly project page here.

A project update for Tric that I started back in August for my friend Elaine, it's been slow going due to the intricacies of the pattern (pattern recap: top-down seamless with collar and set-in sleeves worked simultaneously). At last I can report some progress:

Only the sleeves to do now so hopefully I will finish it soon. Some of the project notes on Ravelry noted that the piece grew after blocking so I'm keeping the length as it is and will take take when blocking so it doesn't grow too much.

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New Beginnings

Happy New Year my friends!  2013 marks a new beginning for me, just before Christmas I received an acceptance letter to my PhD application, so that's the next four years mapped out for me. I didn't get a scholarship in the first round (because I have never published before) but the letter says that I'm "on the priority list for any remaining scholarship considerations", well that's nice to hear and disappointing at the same time. I was wishing for a scholarship so that my life might be easier, oh well, one can't have everything, as my nine year old once said - "Be happy with what you have Mummy, because we are lucky."

My semester starts in March, so from now until then I'm going to cram in as many crafting projects as I can, because I don't expect to have much free time with studying and working and kids and all that...

New WIPs:

Tweedy Avast

Pattern: Avast by Jess Loesberg in Knitty Fall 2006
Made for: My teenage son.
We're planning a trip back to England next Christmas/New Year, the boy has not seen a woollie sweater in years, so I thought I'd knit him one for this trip (as well as spinning a jumper for DH, I might live to regret this). It's going to be a long haul project. He picked the yarn and pattern himself.

Cookie & Cream Blanket

Pattern: White Lily Blanket by Elena Fedotova
Made for: A friend who is expecting her first baby.
The blanket is made by joining motifs and there are many colour/pattern variations.

New FOs:

Handspun Beanie:

Pattern: Scarf Knitter's Beanie Hat by Anne Carroll Gilmour
Made for:  KOGO (Knit One Give One)
Knitted with my handspun, the yarn was my first attempt at spinning woollen long draw. The yarn is quite uneven but doesn't really show in the hat, I think soaking helped a lot. A very easy pattern and quick to make.


Amphitheater of Summer Seas

Pattern: Amphitheater of Forest by ShuiKuen Kozinski
Yarn: my handspun of merino/silk blend, solar dyed in jam jars and named Summer Seas.
Made for:  A friend who's in need of some comfort.
I love this pattern, the yarn is a perfect match. SK is one of my favourite designers, her patterns are well thought out, clearly written and always turn out beautifully.

Golly I have been busy, haven't I? It's amazing what can be done when you have a few days without the interruption called work ;)

Thanks for dropping by, there is more fibre arts fun at Wisdom Begins in Wonder. Indulge your creative side and join the party! 

Oh My! Is it end of the year already?

There must be something wrong with the calendar, how can it be 28th December already?! It only seemed yesterday that I was making plans for 2012, it feels like I haven't had a chance to carry out my plans. Heck, I can't even remember them! Still, now that Christmas is over it's time to reflect on the time past and looking to the year ahead.

First thing first, my final FO: Purple Leaves of Summer Vest

          

Pattern: Leaves of Summer Vest by Doris Chan
Yarn:   Panda Regal 4ply cotton
Hook:  5.0mm
Note: I couldn't get the hem to come out right according to the pattern so I winged it with a simple border and made some ties just under the bust. This is my final entry for the IntSweModo2012 challenge, my 12th!! I must have been mad when I signed up for the challenge, although I made it (just!!) it was a real struggle. Was I pleased that I'd done it? You bet I was! Would I ever do it again? I'd have to be totally off my head!! like my new mannequin ;)

Reflecting 2012:

It has been a busy year, and not just because I made 12 sweaters (have told you that already? :P), looking at my projects page of Rav I count 30 completed projects, that's not too bad, right? Plus I have acquired a new passion - spinning :D 

            

I'm excited about 2013, there are so many avenues to explore in spinning and dyeing, and I have many knitting and crochet projects lined up already. But one thing is for sure: I am NOT making 12 sweaters!

Happy New Year Everyone! May 2013 bring you much joy and happiness in whatever you do!

Thanks for dropping by, there is more fibre arts fun at Wisdom Begins in Wonder. Indulge your creative side and join the party!  

The Beginning of a Sweater ....

Last week I told you about my visit to a sheep farm and the fleece I bought to make a jumper for the old man, this week I can report that I had started the long arduous process of making that sweater. I say arduous not because it's really that hard but the reality presents various difficulties...  The concept is easy right? First you spin some yarn, then you knit the sweater. Well that's the idea, but as soon as I started spinning, no, as soon as I was about to start spinning I realised that I had some decisions to make.

First of, since I started spinning two months ago my yarn has got progressively thinner and thinner, to the point that I was spinning lace weight pretty much all the time. I have no intention of making a man's sweater in lace weight yarn, or even finger weight yarn. But if I were to have at least double knit weight yarn with my regular lace weight handspun I would have to make it into a 8 ply, and that would be very time consuming and tedious. Also, the fleece/wool has a shorter staple than the corriedale and BFL I have been using and it's really quite fine, therefore making it a little hard to spin fine yarn (for me anyway). So I thought I would try a semi woollen or semi worsted approach in the hope that a) I would get a thicker yarn; b) it would be quicker to spin. So now I have a plan.

Secondly, I needed to decide whether I wanted to spin in the grease or to scour it first. Since the fleece is a coated one and there is hardly any VM,  my lazy streak kicked in and I started with spinning in the grease. But somehow this fleece is a bit too greasy for me, so I scoured it. And because it's so fine it matted (not felted thank goodness!) in the scouring process, therefore I had to card it rather than just flick it before I could spin. One thing led to another and before I knew it I was making rolags, which turned out to be perfect for my purpose! It's all part of the plan of course, ahem....

There you have it, in the picture above from top left to bottom are the steps I've been through this week: scoured fleece, card it into rolags, spun yarn (semi worsted & N-plied) and a swatch! Yes, you are not seeing things, I did make a swatch. I spun this sample mini skein to check whether it's doable before I start on the mass production, and it seems to have worked. I'm pleased with the navajo ply which gave the yarn some body, but my yarn is not consistent as you can see from the swatch, the bottom part is wider than the top part, that's because that length of yarn is thicker. Keeping it consistent is going to be a battle of wills between my fingers and my brain!

I also started a new project this week, well I really didn't have a choice if I were to complete the International Seater-a-Month Dodecathon 2012 (IntSweModo2012) challenge. Whatever possessed me to take up the challenge is now back to haunt me as we head into the last month of the year and I am still two sweaters short!!

Project Name: Fern Amiga Cardigan, project page here
Pattern: Amiga by Mags Kandis, free from Knitty spring + summer 2011
Yarn:  Fern by Moda Vera in pink colourways
Needles: 5mm circular

Although it's officially summer tomorrow you can never be sure with Melbourne's weather, for example the mercury hit 39C degrees (that's 102F for you folks from North America) yesterday, down to 24C today and will be lower still tomorrow, so a cardigan is always useful. Just hope I can get it finished in time, and then there's the matter of one more!!

Thanks for dropping by, there is more fibre arts fun at Wisdom Begins in Wonder. Indulge your creative side and join the party! 

Baby Dressage, Charity Rowing, and Sweater Trianthlon

The Olympic Games 2012 are well and truly in full swing. The opening ceremony was fantastic, after the spectacular show at Beijing 2008 it was a hard act to follow, but London has done it in true British spirit and surpassed many expectations (IMHO). It made me feel proud to be British and really homesick for England.

To show my support for the games I am participating in the Ravellenic Games 2012. In case you don't know what that is, it is the yarn/fibre crafters' version of Olympic games (although we're not allowed to call it anything '-lympic', it's a long story and let's not go there). There are events like Scarf Hocky and Sock Put, during the weeks of London 2012 knitters/crocheters/spinners alike took part in these events while watching the sporting events, it is definitely more about taking part than winning, and having fun of course. Anyway, if you're reading this blog you're most likely to be familiar with all this, so without further ado let's have a look at what I've been up to this week...

The events I'm taking part in are: Baby Dressage, Charity Rowing, and Sweater Triathlon.

Baby Dressage (& Charity Rowing, they can co-exist): link to my project page on Ravelry

Pattern:  Baby Kite Jacket by Frankie Brown, available for free on Ravelry

Yarn:  sport baby yarn from stash

Needles: 3.75mm

Cast On:  28 July 2012 (it was supposed to be the time of the Opening Ceremony but due to time difference I waited until I got up on the 28th)

Notes:  This is not a seamless pattern but I was intrigued by the construction, it was all done in garter stitch which is perfect for watching TV. I have finished knitting the pieces and sewn the seams for sides and arms, all that left is sewing the back seam, the edges and add button(s). 

The finished item will go to KOGO (Knit One Give One) which is a Melbourne based organisation providing knitted/crocheted clothing and blankets for various charities such as the homeless, women & children in refuge, premature babies, rescued animals and many more. I have been involved with KOGO since 2008 and I feel privileged knowing that my creations will help those in need. 

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Sweater Triathlon (link to my project page on Ravelry to my project page on Ravelry)

Pattern:  It's a cross between EZ's Baby Sweater on Two Needles & February Lady's Sweater by Pamela Wynne

Yarn:  Moda Vera Bouvardia, worsted weight

Needles:  4.5mm

Cast On:  28 August 2012

Notes:  I am really making it based on the baby sweater as it has a round yoke, took me a couple of tries at the maths but I think it's working out alright. Again the garter stitch section makes a perfect TV project. I did plan to knit an inch or so in garter after the sleeves division but as you can see I got distracted and went straight into the gull pattern. Oh well, I can't be bothered to go back. 

Well I am fairly happy with my progress, but now I must sign off to watch more games... and more knitting of course :)

Thanks for dropping by, there is more fibre arts fun at  Wisdom Begins in Wonder. Indulge your creative side and join the party!