How I've spent my Sunday

OK, so it all started with a discussion on the Irish Knitters board on Ravelry, here.
Someone mentioned making an Owls sweater, and we all just kind of decided to join in, as you do.
I must admit I think it would be great fun if we all assembled en masse in our Owly creations on the streets of Dublin. Imagine the looks we'd get? great fun.
I've always liked this sweater, so I said that I'd join in but not until I get back from holidays.
Yeah, that worked.
Now this sweater is meant to be knit in Bulky weight yarn, but, y'know bulky me + bulky yarn does not equal a flattering project in my opinion, so I was thinking about using something else.
namely, Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece. I lurves this yarn. I know it's not an Owly colour, but hey. I like pink and what's wrong with bringing out the feminine side of owls?
Only problem was, it was already made into a cardigan that I didn't like, the Flutter Sleeve Cardigan(ugh):

Like I said, I wasn't even going to think about this until I came back from holidays.
So, today, after a bit of cleaning around (I'm so proud of myself for managing to do some cleaning!) I attacked the cardigan.
I must admit it was quite nice ripping that thing back to the yarn again. I hated that project, I think it was my biggest "pattern for me" disaster ever. Anyway, I ended up with a load of balls (stop it)

Yay! I thought. I'll just skein them , wash them and hang them to dry and my Owls sweater will be ready to start when I get back from holidays. I like the way I keep reiterating "after the holidays", as if I'm going to do that now? No chance.
Anyway, skeining isn't the easiest thing in the world to do, especially when you have to wind the balls into centre pull balls first as otherwise they hop all over my (uncleaned) kitchen floor.
So I wound them first, then skeined them. About an hour and a half later, I have this:

Lots of lovely washed skeins of yarn de-kinking on the line beside my lurvly hand made socks that I washed while I had the bowl of soak. Kill two birds? Oh yes. And it was one more job off the list. See how I made this into a house cleaning task? I know, I'm a domestic goddess. (snort)

So, once these dry I have to wind them again into centre pull balls and I'm all set for my Owls jumper. When I get back from holidays. Not before. No.
All I need to worry about now is getting gauge or redoing the pattern for lighter weight yarn, upsizing the pattern for me, and doing lots of maths I'm sure. So yeah. A piece of cake.
After my holidays. Not before.

Swallowed by a black hole

I know, I know, I've been lacking in the blogging. I just don't know where the time has gone.

I think maybe I was swallowed by a black hole and was only spat out this evening.

It reminds me of the excuses I would give to teachers for not having my homework done: "But teacher, I DID do that 6 page essay on the merits of Othellos realtionship with Desdemona, and it was fabulous, but then my rabbit must have been hungry, because next thing? It was shredded on the floor."

I haven't been neglecting my knitting however, here you go, an FO:

Pattern: Baby Aran Cardigan from an ancient Wendy pattern

Yarn: Sirdar Bonus Aran

Needles: 3.75mm and 4.5mm KnitPicks Options

(I know the picture is crappy, but it's dark here people)

A grand and handy knit, it must be said. Just too much seaming for my liking. I do like the bobbles, though I'm unsure about them for a baby garment. I think the temptation for a baby to suck on them would be quite high? Still, the one thing my friend asked for was an aran for the impending arrival. I think this fits the bill.

I also think this is my baby knitting obligations fulfilled.

I love the buttons too, I got them last Saturday on sale in a store, I think €1.10 for 4? They suit it great I think.

It's a shame that I mis-calculated the button spacing and left too large a gap in the middle. Still, overall I'm pretty happy with it.

I've also made another one of the Petal bibs, in the yummy yellow Rowan cotton that Tara sent me, but I accidentally deleted it from the camera. DUH. I'll post a pic next time, I promise!

My next piece of knittyness is the Noro Striped Scarf:

I've been dying to make this for ages, and we're in the middle of a cold snap at the moment (3C this morning, scraping ice off the car windscreen ugh) so what better time?

I'm not using Noro, but King Cole Mirage (a budget friendly alternative).

I thought when I bought the balls that the colours would go very well together, but upon knitting I think it's a bit masculine and insipid. Maybe I can lie to hubby and pretend there's no wool in it and see if he'll wear it?

Still, it's mindless easy peasy knitting so I'm good with that for the moment.

Only 2 weeks until my Sunshine State excursion! I'm so excited you'd swear it was my first time. I think making the afghan has increased the excitement level by a few notches.(Plus the promise of some sunshine!)

I'm still torn about my airplane project, although I think I'm decided upon the yarn. I think I'm going to spoil myself on the plane and knit with one of my Wollmeise skeins. Which one and what pattern? God knows so far. Some work is required I think.

Speaking of work, I need to get my internet orders from KnitPicks and Webs sorted too. Methinks some KnitPicks City Tweed is called for, but apart from that? Who knows. Anyone have any yarn faves from these two retailers? And from any others, as I will be visiting 3 LYS while I'm there too!

Have a good week!

I Got Game

I can bring it. Oh yes I can.
Behold, the Liberty Bell Afghan in all its finished glory:

Pattern: Liberty Bell Afghan from Cover Up with Nicky Epstein

Yarn: Various Acrylics and cotton backing fabric

Needles: 5mm Addi Clicks

Here you can see the backing fabric and how it goes with the afghan front:

Isn't it great? I can't wipe the smug grin off my face at the moment.

This was the backing fabric pinned and tacked befoew sewing in.

Thanks to the girls from my knitting group and my sister in law, I have mastered the invisible hem stitch. Check it out:

Neat huh? It took me about 4 hours to sew in the backing fabric which I think is quite good considering it was by hand, and my first time. I finished it at about 6 this evening when I made and sewed on the tassels.

So, do you think my sister in law will like it? I sure hope so!

In the meantime I cast on for this Baby Aran Cardigan.

The back:

The Left Front:

Just the thing, some instant gratification after a long hefty project like the afghan.

In other great news, I got the most fantastic care package from Tara. I had put out a plea for a copy of Interweave Knits Weekend, as it wasn't available here, and she kindly volunteered to post it to me. Much to my surprise, there were goodies in the parcel too!

A gorgeous sheepie card addressed by her adorable daughter, a kite for Alice made by her husbands own fair hands and a ball of Rowan Handknit cotton in the most scrumptious shade of yellow. Reminds me of banana ice cream. Isn't she the best? Thanks Tara!

My Mam had her brain CT scan today. Once I managed to get her up, dressed and out of the house it wasn't too bad actually, I thought when she saw the machine she'd have a fit, but the staff were great. They didn't give her a chance to freak, just popped her on the bed and bish bash bosh. Just what she needed.

Let's hope the results of the scan and the geriatrician appt on Thursday go as well!

Not much in the way of knitting

It's been a quiet photo worthy knitty week here.
I'm about to start the last chart of the afghan (can I get a yay?) so I hope to have a beautious FO to show next post. I'll have to wait till next Tuesdays knitting group to get help to sew on the backing fabric though, so it won't be fully finished till then.

I've knit about 4 rounds of Alices Sunday Swing socks as well, so like I said a really slow week.

We went to the Dublin Kite Festival last Sunday though, and it was great fun. It was an amazingly hot day, not a cloud in the sky. So rare for here, let me tell you! Just perfect for viewing kites, although not quite windy enough for flying them...

Hubby took lots of pictures:
Here's a slideshow of some of the best pics we took:

Oh, I almost forgot, I got an email from The Book Depository and my copy of Alice Starmore's Fair Isle Knitting is winging its way to me as we speak! I can't wait to get this and have a good read.

I'm one subborn MoFo

I'm a really stubborn person. Maybe it's the Irish in me, I don't know, but I won't let anything beat me. Especially not this knitting project. I'm going to finish this by God, and I would prefer to have this finished in the next week or two so I can get back to something nice for me before the holidays. Speaking of holidays, time is getting on so I need to pick my airplane sock project. Any ideas?
Progress so far:

I've finished the star chart and am on to the second last chart, the emblem.
Here's an idea of the size of it so far, compared to Alice (who is tall for her age)

It's looking good, no? Of course once I finish the knitting I then have to figure out how to sew on the backing.
We've started watching the West Wing again from the beginning (Rob Lowe as Sam Seaborn, sigh) so I'm feeling suitably American-ly patriotic whilst knitting this.
I've had an awful cold recently too (no, not Swine Flu) so it has been very comforting to have this on my lap.

I got what I presume is the Fall issue of Vogue Knitting in the post today.

I don't know what is up with the Designer Knitting title, why not just call it Vogue? Anyway, I've only just got it and haven't read the articles yet, just flicked through the patterns.
Two catch my eye so far:

I like this, but don't know how wearable this would be for me. Methinks a tad bulky, but I love the stitches in it, especially the cabled band.

This one I love.

I think it looks fab on the model, but she has no boobage. I think the place where the cables stop and the yoke begins would make mine look even bigger (if poss) so if I were to make this I would have to make the cables stop lower or higher. If I ever get round to it! I do love it though, I love cables, and I reckon this could easily enough be converted to in the round á la EZ's EPS. Hmmm...

The Eagle Has Landed

Heh. Not a blog post title you get to use every day!

I've finished the Eagle chart of the Liberty Bell Afghan:

It's probably my least favourite chart as I don't think the details show up very well, but it's done baby!
It's getting quite large now:

My lap is lovely and warm as I knit it.
But look at the ends to be woven in just from this last chart:

That there was a whole nights work on its own. Ugh. End weaving has to be almost as boring as sewing seams.

So I'm oficially over half way now. I have done each chart once and have the star, flag and bell charts left to do once more. I think the flag chart may be modified this time, instead of having a new length of yarn for each stripe, I may try and do it fair-isle and carry the two colours across. hmm.

One thing I've learned about myself whilst doing this is that I think every knitter has a natural project length that suits their patience (or lack of) level. For me and this project, that was a while ago. I found myself looking at the afghan last night and seeing if I could just border it and try and say it was a lap blanket, or car blanket, anything to get out of finishing it. But then I reminded myself why I was making this, as a present to my SIL & her family for my fantastico holidays, and I told myself to shut the F up. I can be so ungrateful sometimes. A few weeks of knitting a blanket is nothing compared to the joy this holiday brings me.

I'd better crack on. Only 6 1/2 weeks left to finish!

Epic Fail :(

An epic fail of ginormous proportions I think:

Behold the teeny BSJ:

Pattern: Baby Surprise Jacket from The Opinionated Knitter

Yarn: Wendy Happy in Sagittarius

Needles: 3.5mm KnitPicks Options

*sigh* I think it has turned out way too small. I doubt this would fit a newborn, would it? Maybe it would fit a preemie? Should I rip it or donate it to a preemie charity? Plus those buttons cost me a bomb at UK Ravelry Day. You can't really see them but they are the most delicious little sheep. I took about a dozen pictures but none came out as it's dark now.

I wish I could find the business card for the person I bought them from, I would definitely buy more.

I'm also disappointed with how the yarn turned out. It looked much "pinker" in the ball, which was what I wanted, but overall it has turned out far more brown/bronze. Not that there's anything wrong with the colours, but I was after pink.

I don't know what to do with it at all.

No other progress to report, I'm still suffering from afghan-blindness. It's a terrible affliction, symptoms include the inability to see the bloody great big afghan that's sitting right at your feet and you have to step around in order to get up from the sofa. A terrible affliction, I tell you.

But, it's one I have to get over rapidly. It's only 7 weeks tomorrow until we're off to Florida! Oh noes!