After a long gap I’ve bought myself a couple of real books to read. Haven’t begun them yet, but I have high hopes.
And this one:
Hoping to have fun.
Whew, so many posts in one day. Sorry!Anyway, I have to blog about this:
My prize for winning a contest on The Soapy Knitter‘s blog a while ago. (I guessed closest to the weight of her notions bag, and you wouldn’t believe, my guess was simply the time at which I made it! Talk about luck :)) Thank you so much, Rosi!
The Microspun is very soft and the blue is some more sock yarn. The hank is Asti from Alpaca with a Twist, 50% alpaca and 50% cotton. It might felt, no? A bag, perhaps? Suggestions welcome.
Yes! I’ve actually started a sock!!!! I’m using Wendy Johnson‘s Generic Toe-up pattern with Paton’s Kroy yarn and Pony 2.75 mm dpns (set of 4). The reason I’m showing it here is because I don’t know if I will ever finish it. It is a bit loose on my foot, apparently I should have cast on 56 stitches, not 64 for my foot size. But I’m thrilled to see it looking like a sock. Also, the pattern calls for 5 dpns and I’m fudging it by cramming half the stitches on one instead of two dpns.
I’m always in awe of the sockknitters who seem to borrow a toe from here, a heel from there, a stitch pattern from elsewhere and a yarn at random and then magically produce beautiful, perfectly fitting masterpieces. Amazing. And as someone I know would say, “Awwwwwwwesommmmmme”!
Being of uncertain fate, here are a few more pictures of the selfsame sock:
Enjoy them, you may never see the finished product!
Remember when I joined the Dishcloth KAL a few aeons ago? I finally decided to actually make something to show for it. So here’s #1
And #2
Details, if you must:
Yarn: Phildar Lin-Coton 50/50 sent me in a CATPAC. The colour is actually a faded blue. I used two strands together. I had two balls of it and after two dishcloths, only a small amount left.
Needles & Hook: Heide‘s Boye aluminium circulars, size 4.50 mm/7 I think. The needle is silver coloured.
Pattern: Checkerboard Dishcloth and Short Rows Rectangular (!!!) Wash Rag, both from the Dishcloth Boutique
Time: About a day each. What can I say, I’m slow.
Size: 8″ x 8.5″ and 9″ square
Extra: #1 I’m really pleasantly surprised by my experience with the Boye needles so far. I find their crochet hooks are very heavy and even crudely made, with prominent ridges. Can someone explain the difference to me?
#2 I don’t know why the pattern is called rectangular, I got a square out of it. The pattern is slightly oddly written. Not enough dotting of the i’s and crossing of the t’s. I like being spoonfed.
Stolen from Sara.
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Now, if only I looked anything at all like either of those ladies 😉 Although I can match the upper one for slouching lounging 😀
Well, at least the purse he designed 😉
I needed quick gratification, and have been dying to try my hand on this purse ever since Drew unveiled it a few days ago. Although I had promised myself that I would finish some other stuff first, I couldn’t resist this and cast on for it two nights ago. Finished it yesterday. Very nice and easy. The yarn is so nice and soft and probably deserved to be made into something worn next the skin (it is 50% merino and 50% acrylic and so soft!) but woolly things being little required in these parts, purse it became.
For the cord I used the Lobster stitch, and it is a bit too thick for the purpose, so I am now making the Parallel Chain cord found at the same tutorial for a thinner cord. The handle was supposed to be a knitted I-cord, but I cheated and used my trusty I-cord maker instead and whipped it up much faster than I would have on needles.
Here are the details:
Yarn: GGH Aspen in shade 39, mauve. The colour is showing correctly on my monitor. I used a bit less than one skein for the purse body. The Icord and the lobster stitch cord used up much of the second skein. The yarn was a gift from my SP, Ruth. I have another skein left (in UFO form, more of that later).
Needles & Hook: Boye aluminium circulars, size 6.50 mm/10.5 I think. There’s no marking on the needle, but from the colour (dark green) and my knitting needle gauge, I’m thinking that’s the size. It was sent me by Heide. Surprisingly light. Too long for this project of course, but I used my version of the Magic Loop or whatever. Also a Boye 6.5 mm/K/10.5 hook, which supports my guestimate of the knitting needle size.
Pattern: Drew Emborsky‘s Purl McBigBottom
Time: 2 days
Size: 6″ x 10″ approx
Extra: #1 The pattern calls for 110 yds of the yarn, but one skein of my yarn was only about 57m. Maybe if you take the Icord and the eyelet cord, it adds up.
#2 The yarn is really yummy and soft.
#3 I’m proud to have mastered the lobster stitch. The finished cord looks like a golden lanyard seen on some naval uniforms. Here’s a closeup:
Originally uploaded by mad.marken.
I stole this for this week’s cat. Amazing flexibility these cats have!
I’ve been asked twice in the last two days about traditional knitting in India. As far as I know, we only have an oral tradition and no written-down patterns as such, but I’m hoping my friends here can tell me more. Did we have knitting before the British colonised us? Are there traditional patterns?
Someone says she saw knitted vests in Rajasthan. Does that sound familiar to anyone?
I am totally ashamed of not knowing more, but would love this opportunity to find out, if anyone knows.
This photo is for Yasmin, who wanted to see how big a winder is. The pen is to show relative size. I hope this helps? It’s definitely an amazing piece of machinery 🙂
swakrta.com 