Love or lust?

Have you seen the new Knitty?
Oh the socks... I am in love and lust with them.
Check these out:
Interlocking Leaves
Hourglass
Baroque

I have found my airplane knitting I think. Now all I need to do is pick a yarn for them.
If you feel inclined to help me decide which pattern and yarn, please post a comment to let me know which one you think I should knit. Here's a link to my stash on Ravelry for the yarn: linky. Bear in mind that I will be using bamboo needles (customs and all that) so nothing too sticky on the bamboo.
These are to get me over and back on a flight from Dublin - Newark - Orlando so a good few hours knitting involved!

This will be fun, having others pick for me!

In other news, I have finished the crosshatch socks for my daughter. Pics will follow as I am in work. I didn't think I was going to have enough yarn, but I finished them with a teeny bit left. Talk about getting value for money out of a skein!

I have started the second Druid Mitten, only on the cuff so far.

I am plodding along on the Pi tablecloth, up to 288 stitches now. Not a work of art, but it's growing on me and I think for a first lace project it's fine.

I've begun my Christmas knitting! How depressing when you think about it. I have cast on for a pair of socks for my Dad from Sensational Knitted Socks. The pattern name escapes me now, I'll post it next time with the pics.

I'm off out after work tonight to meet a friend and her husband that I haven't seen in ages for a few drinks. Can't wait to catch up on all the gossip!
Have a good weekend!

Friday night freedom!

I can't believe I haven't posted since last Sunday - my goodness time flies when your boss is back from holidays! ;) Busiest week in ages, trying to get loads done (so I could look like I did loads of work instead of spending the day streaming the olympics on the work pc while the boss was away)

But, I do have some progress for you all:

My first mitten!


Isn't it just scrumilicious? I know it's not perfect, there are some errors, but I love it. For a first mitten ever I think it kinda rocks. I can't wait to finish the second one. I reckon these would be pretty cool for the cold car in the mornings driving into work.

My daughters Crosshatch sock is coming along nicely too:

I finally got the stitch count right on 48 stitches and it fits her fine. I had to do the heel twice though, that's what I get for chatting too much at my SnB, the heel was at least twice what it should have been, enormous!

So, I signed up for the crochet class at the local school. Starts Sept 23rd until Dec 7th I think. I'll only miss one week when I'm in Florida (6 weeks 6 days to go woohoo!) so that's ok. I'm really looking forward to it too, it'll be great to learn a new craft and some new ways of finishing knitted garments.

Although, I felt so bad when I broke the news to the SnB ladies. Two of them told me they'd teach me themselves, but I want to go to a classroom atmosphere to get the full benefit, plus I don't want to spoil their night, teaching me who takes several goes to get the hang of it! But it was lovely of them. They said they'll miss me, even if it is only for 10 weeks, and I have to say I will too. I love my Tuesday nights and wouldn't swap them for anything. God knows what I did before knitting, it's opened up so many new things to me, new friends I never would have normally met and of course new international friends through this humble little blog and the mighty Ravelry. Knitting and crafting rocks!

Now I must get cracking on my Christmas list. No more procrastinating for me, decisions need to be made - just a little bit later maybe...

Right so, well it's Friday night and I'm off to have a few drinkies and play some Sims 2. Sayonara!

Sunday morning blues

I'm listening to some pretty psychedelic Eric Clapton suff as I type this, very Apocalypse now sort of music. Groovy man...

Look! my Druid Mittens progress, and I lurve them.


The chart is messy enough to follow, but clever ickle me sneaked into the photocopy room in work and blew it up onto an A3 page *snicker* much easier now with some post its to mark the spot.

Lace news:
Using the wonders of magic loop, here's my progress so far on my Pi Shawl that's going to be a tablecloth.
Before stretching:

After stretching:

I'm on the 144 stitch round. Still not enough to fit fully round my circs. Next increase should do it. See my ladders though? I was doing so well up until those. I guess that's the problem with magic looping laceweight. I can't pull any tighter for fear of snapping the yarn and there's no way I can do this sucker on dpns so I figure it'll have to be a "design element" or I'll make a doily type thing to sit on top of it....

I've also cast on for a pair of socks for my daughter with my left over smooshy.
Crosshatch Socks from More Sensational Knitted Socks (ravelry links)
I'm on my third attempt at these. I measured her foot and cast on according to the directions. there was no way these were going to fit her, they would have barely fit a newborn, so I increased one pattern repeat and tried again. Nope. Increased again now to 48 stitches and it seems okay so far. I'll try them on again in a bit and see. She's the original big foot.

In other great news, one of the schools in my area has announced its Autumn evening courses. And Look! Loads of crafty things! I can't believe it! Here's the list of courses. They include knitting for beginners and improvers, sewing, patchwork/quilting, card making, beaded jewellery and crochet! I have been looking to learn crochet for a while now, and here comes a 10 week course!! woohoo! Only problem is it's on Tuesday evenings, the same night as my beloved SnB. But, it is only for 10 weeks, so I think I should still do the course.

I'm thrilled to bits! Plus, there's Asian/Indian cooking on Wednesday nights that hubby wants to do so yummy new dinners heading my way!!

Druid Mittens

So I promised a post on my Druid Mittens and here you go.

The progress so far. Not a lot I hear you say, but believe me I'm proud of this, these take ages!! I know the pics aren't great, but it's nearly 10pm and really dark, so take what you're given, ok?

I do love the pattern, but I'm not sure the yarn is right. It seems a bit light and doesn't really show the pattern to it's best.

Remember I said I had lace woes? I yearn to make lace, I think it's so beautiful that I'd love to create my own. When I was in Florida last year I bought a load of lace yarn. One in particular was Prism Lace (Ravelry link), hand dyed in St Petersburg. I was watching Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitting Workshop on DVD the other day and saw the Pi shawl. After many gasps of breath and admiration of its beauty I thought, wouldn't that make a beautiful tablecloth?

So, I decided to cast on using the Prism lace. She talks about Barbara Okher's (unsure of spelling) cast on as being the best one. I swear I tried for an hour and couldn't get it right until I lost my temper with it and decided for the betterment of my sanity and the yarn to put it away and try again later.

This is my second attempt at lace, the first being with some yummy misti alpaca laceweight to make a swallowtail shawl. That too ended in flames and much swearing.

Am I missing some basic element of lace knitting? Other than requiring solitude in a quiet room, coz with a 7 year old that's just not going to happen. Maybe I'm pushing my knitting too fast, after all I'm just 18mths knitting. Walk before you can run, right?

I've also begun thinking about Christmas knitting. I hate that C word, it conjures up such images of panic, overspending and stress for me. Anyway, I'd love to give handmade gifts, I'm just not sure how they'd be received. I was thinking maybe a pair of socks for my dear Dad and a Branching Out scarf for one of my sister in laws. Others, I don't know.

The idea of a washcloth with some nice soaps appeals to me, but the washcloths I have made previously were rubbish for lathering. Maybe I used the wrong yarn? It was 100% cotton, so what should I be using?

Reply to Diane

Hi Diane,

Thanks for commenting on my blog. however, your profile isn't public, so I can't email you back! I hope you read this and get your answers.

There are lots of knitting clubs in Dublin, check this website out for details: OlannBán
The knitting group I attend is the Dublin 15 one in Blanchardstown.

For classes, look here: ThisIsKnit
This great yarn shop is based in Blackrock and have a new schedule of classes set to start next month. They are also opening up a new branch in the Powerscourt centre in the city centre next month although I doubt there will be classes there.

Hope this helps!

In blogging news, I will put up a post tonight with mitten pics and lace woes.

Finished!

I have crossed the line and am receiving medical attention as we speak. Yes, I'm battered, blistered and bruised but victorious!


My last entry for the Ravelympics, my SockPut:



Pattern: Embossed Leaves Socks by Mona Schmidt from Interweave Favorite Socks
Yarn: Dream in Color Smooshy in Peach (yum!)
Needles: 2.75mm

I truly love these socks. What a gorgeous pattern. And the fit is perfect too! Plus, Smooshy, it's just so... smooshy! and sproingy. The stitches literally pop out of the sock. I will definitely be buying some more of this!

I had this much left over too, I only needed to join the second half of the skein about 1/3 of the way into the second foot, so I don't know what to do with it now. Would I have enough for a pair of socks for my daughter? If so, what pattern?

So, for me anyway, the Ravelympics are over. I must admit it was great fun, watching all of the sport while I knit, (Go Ireland in the boxing! two bronze and at least one silver!!) and pushing myself to the limit of what I could achieve in a short space of time. I will definitely enter again next time round.

In other news, I received two lovely packages this week. I won a gift voucher for Yarn at WWKIP day last June. As the store is in Galway and I'm in Dublin, I didn't know what to do with it. I rang them this week and the lovely girl on the phone said no problem, took the voucher number and sent me this:

Two gorgeous skeins of Colinette Jitterbug in the Kingfisher colourway. Yummy blacks, blues and greens with a tad of pink thrown in for good measure. Sounds like a hodgepodge of colours, but it looks great in the skein. I'm interested to see how this will knit up.

I also got The Knitters Book of Yarn by Clara Parkes. I had seen this book at my SnB and it looked good, so I'm looking forward to reading it. Plus there's some lovely patterns in it, especially the snail mittens. I also spied a fish pattern which I think I'll use for my West Wing group KAL on Ravelry. We all have to make a goldfish (remember Danny gave CJ a goldfish?). Only problem is I don't have any orange yarn, so it might end up more of an "artistic" goldfish who breaks away from the humdrum of bowl life and radically dyes its scales to blue or something. We'll see.

What's next? Well, I'm going out with my Sister in law and getting drunk tonight. That much I do know. (She loves the cardigan I made for her daughter by the way, so yay!)
Tomorrow I think I might get the goldfish out of the way and then maybe start my beloved Druid Mittens (Ravelry Link). I'm going to use this yarn for it (another Ravelry link). I can't wait!

Happy weekend!

Is it a bird? Is it a plane?

No! It's:



Super Knitter!


I am so hot right now I'm on fire.
My entry for the Hat Dash in the Ravelympics:

Pattern: Brother In Law Basket Weave Hat by Kody May Ramotar
Needles: 5mm
Yarn: Lion Brand Wool Ease Worsted, 1 skein
Model: My very shy hubby who insisted his face not be seen.

This took me this afternoon to do. Go me!


And, I've finished my first sock too!

Only one more of these babies to go and I'm over the finish line in all of my Ravelympics entries.


It's official. I rock.
Modesty was always a strong point of mine (cough)