my newest short sleeved sweater is finished! It still needs blocking (which I'm really hoping will give it a bit more length as it's a teeny bit short) but otherwise it's all finished and I'm quite in love with it.
I made a few silly mistakes with the fair isle pattern, but for a first attempt I think I did pretty well.
I have to be honest I didn't knit it all in continental style as I had intended, in order to get some practice, it was too easy and quicker to slip back in to my old habits, but I did do enough to just about justify knitting myself yet another sweater!
so as I said, new knitting skills require practice and well, what perfect excuse to knit myself a new sweater.
I saw this beautiful Katia Peru yarn in my local yarn store a few weeks ago and fell in love with it. It's super chunky and soft and I imagine it will be oh so warm too.
I found a fabulous book of fair isle in the charity shop this week, it has some really interesting history of the technique along with some patterns. I'm using Kate Davis' Owls pattern for the main body of the sweater, though I'm going to try and amend the bulge that appeared on the back of the last one I made. I am going to be omitting the owls this time and instead working in some fair isle hearts (I think anyway), where the owls would be.
I'm really pleased with my colour choices and it just so happens they match the crocus's, that appeared on my window ledge this morning perfectly!
last week I attended my first neighbourhood 'knit and natter' gathering, it was lovely and there were fabulous cakes!
Whilst I was there I was taught to knit continental style (essentially holding the yarn in your left hand rather the right). So far, so good, I'm not quite as fast as I am english style yet, but getting close. I'd love to be one of those super speedy knitters, you know where the needles are a blur of motion. I guess it just takes a whole lot of practice. But I'm fairly convinced that I can be a lot quicker with the continental knitting than I am currently. I just need a bit of practice, which is the perfect excuse to knit myself another sweater I feel!
I was asked to knit something for a twitter friend. I've never been asked to knit something for someone before (normally I just inflict my creations on others) so I was hugely flattered.
The pattern in question was owls by Kate Davies. I had never heard of Kate Davies and her blog needled before, but my am I glad I now have, she has some beautiful patterns! I completely adore these gorgeous paper dolls.
So anyways...as I have never knitted anything on request before, I thought it a good idea to make one for myself first (just as a practice run of course!). Off I went in to town on saturday morning (sans baby, bliss) and headed straight for the yarn shop!
Since my last visit they have had delivery of some utterly delicious new chunky yarns, which I was oh so very nearly tempted by, but having promised the Mr I wouldn't spend too many pennies and after a quick calculation, 14 balls of beautiful teal tweed at £3.10 each just wasn't going to make its way in to my basket on this occasion when compared to 7 balls of the 100% acrylic, fairly soft, a lovely colour and a snip at £1.99 each.
I cast on Saturday afternoon and I knit and knit and knit, quite solidly, breaking only for a little sleep and to occasionally tend to the toddler. At around midnight on Sunday I was so close to finishing, as I started on the neck ribbing I decided although I was eager to get it completed, I would be furious at myself for making a foolish mistake because I was tired, so I put it aside and headed to bed. I finished off the neckline and stitched the the underarms, plus weaved all the ends in, whilst watching Milo play on Monday afternoon and put it on straight away!
I don't think the pattern is perfect, there appears to be some flaws in the shaping on the back as I have a bit of a back bulge! But otherwise I really love it! The pattern suggests buttons for eyes on the owls them selves, but I have yet to decide whether or not to add these. I'm thinking I may just put them on one?
I'm afraid the photos of the finished item aren't fabulous, I'm rubbish at trying to take photos of myself!
I have been admiring Meg's lovely version of the stella pixie hat on her boy for a while now. But somehow it didn't seem right for Milo, plus I think that boy has quite enough hand knits for his head for the time being! But when my step sister went in to labour a little earlier than expected with her baby girl, I knew that this would be the perfect little hat for her.
In retrospect I should have tried to alter the pattern to make it smaller than the 3-12 month size, but at least it will last her a bit (though of course she probably won't fit in to it until the spring!).
I used some beautiful hand-dyed merino from snowberry and lime, I already had. I love the colours and the way it knitted up, plus I still have some left over.
I used one of my own loveheart buttons for the fastener.
