Flutter by, flutter cardigan

Ugh. It's finished, and I don't like it. Not at all.

I'm not going to show you a picture of it on me. Not flattering. I knew this was going to happen when I started it; I don't know why I proceeded anyway. Maybe a vain hope it would defy odds and look good.
I don't know what to do with it now, I want to rip it all out and make something else, but I don't want to waste all that work either. I think I'll put it in timeout until I'm less emotional about it. I hate it when things don't look good on me, it makes me sad.

So, I need a project that will cheer me up and make me feel better. Any suggestions? I still can't start Alice's Good Stripe Dress as the needles haven't yet come into my lys. *sigh* I hate waiting.

I was thinking maybe a colourwork afghan from Cover Up with Nicky Epstein (Ravlink) but I'm not sure. Or maybe this one? After all, it's named after me lol.

I think I've hit a bit of a knitting doldrum. Maybe I'll spend the afternoon looking through my books and mags and hope that inspiration strikes!

Speaking of books, I preordered Cookie A's sock book, Sock Innovation. I can't wait to get my hands on that! Just don't tell hubby. ssh.

Check this baby out

Look at this, isn't it just gorgeous?

I know I said my Mam had a Singer machine, but it's a huge one in a cupboard with a foot treadle and she uses it to place the tv on in the bedroom. So, I found this one in the cloakroom!

It's a Jones Family CS machine, if that means anything to anyone. I found the manual for it online and with the help of youtube I got it working! So much fun.

Look at the detail on the base plate and the hand crank.

It weighs a TON. It comes in a lovely wooden box too. There's a date stamp on the box that says 1909, so happy 100th birthday! It's in perfect working order too. Not many things you can say that about after 100 years!

It has loads of different feet in a box that I have no idea what they're for or how to use them, but sure I'll experiment and see how it goes.

All I need to do now is figure out how to sew in a straight line!

What have I done?

Oh dear. I think I may have unleashed a new beast in me - sewing.

I've never sewed anything with a machine in my life. My mother has a fantastic old Singer machine that I've always admired, and I've always thought it would be cool to know how to use it. I could make my own clothes!

Anyway, it was always someting I just thought about, never anything more, until I saw a magazine with these patterns in it:

Aren't they fab? I love the kimono peg basket. As it so happens, my peg basket fell apart the other week, so I consider this fortuitous. Fate, even.

Anyway, I fell in lust with the patterns and today I trotted off to Murphy Sheehy on my lunch break to get some fabric.

I got this gingham for the childs apron. €4.50 a metre. Not knowing fabric prices, I think that sounds good!

This is the fabric I got for the Kimono Peg Bag:

I love the colours here. I think the turquoise really picks out the colours in the fabric, don't you?

The patterned fabric was a bit more expensive, €15 a metre, but it's heavy, and I love it. I bought double the required amount, so I have plenty to mess up on for my first attempt. And, if I don't mess up (ha, unlikely) then I'll have enough to make one as a gift!

I then went to Rubenesque for the trimmings. This is essentially a ribbon shop, but it has gorgeous buttons as well. I got the green and blue ribbons and the black knot type clasp (I don't know it's proper name) there.

I also got these buttons for my flutter sleeve cardigan:

They don't look like much in the photos, but they are gorgeous. The darker side is raised off the button, like it was carved. I turned one over so you can see it's a paler pink underneath. I'm not sure the dark front side of the button matches properly tbh, I'm thinking of maybe using the wrong side. These buttons were mad expensive, I think they were €8 each for the large ones and €5 each for the small ones. I don't know what came over me! That much for a button!

Someone commented on my last post that it looked like my voodoo needle gauge was floating in space. Above you can see that it is, in fact, my fireplace hearth. I must admit to singing a little David Bowie when I was looking back at the needle gauge picture!

So, it seems I am about to embark on a new aspect to crafting. I don't see it becoming a huge hobby, but it is one I would like to think I could do. And, it will help when I finally get around to some steeking! If anyone has any tips on the basics, y'know like how to thread a needle on a sewing machine, to how to turn it on etc, I'd be grateful! I can't ask my Mam, God love her she wouldn't remember anymore.

Ooh, I forgot! I got my hands on Depeche Mode tickets! Yay! They're playing here on Dec 10th. Can't wait!

Another thing I've just remembered.

Did I tell you all that I'm off to UK Ravelry Day? It's on in Coventry on June 5th. I. Can't. Wait. Meg Swansen will be speaking! Meg! And I'm doing two workshops with Jared Flood, a seamless EPS yoke sweater and a design your own aran! Squee! Plus, I got the flights for €25 return, so bargain! I informed hubby that this is to be my birthday present. I don't think he dared say anything. After all, I'm flying over & back in the one day (I'll be exhausted!) and he's buggering off to Stockholm for 4 days in May with work. That reminds me, I must check out Ravelry to see what yarn stores there are in Stockholm, the least he can do is bring me back some Swedish yarn, right?

Lastly (I promise), I've been nominated for an award!

"These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.”

Here are my nominees:

2knitornot2knit

Aran Brew

Craft Chick

Gimmesanity

Knitting Neels

The Misadventures of Gaiety Girl

Under Me Oxter

Worsted Knitt

I succumbed...

I saw it on Knitty (down the end of the page) and couldn't resist:

Too fun. Really. A voodoo needle gauge.

I Needle U from Måke & Kråke. Isn't it the best needle gauge ever? If John pisses me off this baby is coming out of the bag and I'll be measuring up either my 6mm needles (the head) or my 3.5mm needles (guess where that one is).

Happy St. Patricks Day!

Beannachtaí Lá Fhéile Pádraig libh go leir! (Happy St. Patricks Day in Irish)

It was an absolutely beautiful day today. The sun was beaming and everyone was outside mowing lawns, chatting etc. Just a beautiful spring day. The time had come, I thought, to teach Alice her latest milestone.

Look at her go! Riding her bike with no stabilisers. Isn't she great? It only tooke her about half an hour and she was whizzing up and down the road. I must admit to getting a bit of a lump in my throat. She's growing so fast! She'll be 8 on Sunday. Actually she should have been 8 today, but she decided she wanted to bake a bit longer before coming into the world.
See all the chalk? Yep, that was her too. Well, and all the other kids on the street too. They decided to decorate the road. Sure no harm done, it'll rain here pretty soon I'm sure and wash it all off.

In knitting news, I've finished the back of the Flutter Sleeve Cardigan:

And the Front Left:

I'm about a third of the way through the Right Front. An easy knit, except for the short rows. I can do the wrap and turn thingy, but knitting the wrap with the stitch still eludes me a little. I tend to end up with holes. I resorted to dropping the stitch and picking it up with a crochet hook. That semed to do the trick.

I still haven't decided whether this is my kind of cardigan or not, I'm reserving judgement until its done. I hope it does suit, otherwise I don't know what I'll do with it!

Enjoy the rest of your St. Patricks Day. May there be ceol(music), craic agus uisce beatha(whiskey) galore!

New project and a bit of a moan

I suppose I should get the moan out of the way first, and then we can end the post on a happy note.
Work have blocked a ton of sites as of this morning. Twitter is gone (sob) and I can't see any pictures on peoples blogs. They've done something hinky to Flickr. I've no idea how I'm going to keep up with blogs now! I apologise in advance if I don't comment on anyones latest posts, I had them all open today ready to go, and then when I couldn't see the pictures, how could I comment on them!
Still, the only positive thing is Ravelry is still ok. I'd lose my reason if that went! I reckon it's safe enough though, I'm probably the only person in the place using it, so it'll never show up on usage stats. (I hope!)

Right, onto cheerier things.
Some proper pics of my sensational, madly in love with Clapotis.

Did I tell you I freaking love this pattern and yarn? When I let the stitches down it totally changed the whole look of the yarn. Now it looks fiesty, passionate and ready to party.

I am going to rock Alice's communion! The other mothers don't stand a chance. heh.
All I need to do now is think about an outfit to wear with it. I'm thinking nothing too colourful, maybe a cream top & black trousers/skirt? Let me know, I've never been the best colour co-ordinator so all help appreciated.

I thought I'd show you this picture of the back of the Clap.

Doesn't it look like it's been woven on a loom? The way the colours are kind of striped is really cool.
I think it looks just as good on the "wrong" side as on the right one.

Now, onto a new project:

I've cast on for a Flutter Sleeve Cardigan (Ravlink) from IK Spring 08. I'm not really sure why I have, I don't know if this is going to suit my "ample" frame or not. Sure we'll give it a go. I love the yarn, this is Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece that I bought two years ago on my first yarn shopping spree in Florida. The colour is called tea rose and it reminds me of the colour of Meggie's Ashes of Roses dress from The Thorn Birds, if anyone remembers that mini-series. (Richard Chamberlain, sigh)

Not much else to report, really. Oh, I got a ton of cheapy acrylic yarn today in Aldi. I got 8 balls of white DK (white is always handy to have), 8 balls of grey DK(hubby has his eye on this for another sweater. I told him to back the f off!), 2 balls of Mint Baby DK and 2 of Pink(charity knitting). I decided I'm going to knit a few things for charity. With these difficult economic times, I figure it's a good thing to do.

There you go! Have a good weekend if I don't post again. *mutter mutter work block mutter*

Fini!

Le Clapotis est fini! C'est belle non?

Pattern: Clapotis

Yarn: Wollmeise Sockenwolle 80/20 Twin 1 skein

Needles: 3.75mm

I managed to finish it with the one skein! I have about 2 yards left over. It got hairy at the end I tell you!

Isn't it fab? It's soo soft too, the yarn is just gorgeous. I'll take more pictures tomorrow when it's dry.

Looking Dodgy

I think I may be in a spot of bother.
The clapotis progresses:

I'm up to Section 4, the decrease section and I've done two repeats of 12 rows.
I have 4 more to go and then the final rows.
However, I only have this much yarn left:


I very much doubt it's going to be enough. Now what do I do? As it's Wollmeise, I would be highly skeptical that anyone would part with some to help me finish this. Then again, I am amazed every day by the generosity of fellow knitters, so you never know!
I'll keep going until I run out and see how far I get before making the final decision.

Do you think the yarn is right for the pattern too? I think it's a bit "loud" if you know what I mean, y'know "Don't adjust your sets" kind of bright?

I've been seduced by Twitter. It's open all the time now, at work, at home etc. Plus, tweeting with Stephen Fry is quite something!

Too funny

I just read this on the Berocco blog and thought I had to share:

There's a show on NPR called Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me that reminds me a lot of I'm Sorry I haven't a Clue on BBC Radio. It's really funny.
Anyway, one of the presenters "dissed" homemade jumpers as itchy (when discussing knitting sweaters for bald chickens of all things) and of course Ravelry responded, suggesting knitting him a jumper to prove him wrong.
Berocco have sent yarn to the volunteers and they're going to send him a sweater!
Here's his response to the Ravellers: Clicky. Go to the section Round 2 that includes a message from Mo. Hilarious stuff.