Random Bags

I started a random bag last friday and put it in to felt this Friday (With Christmas eve, Christmas day and Boxing day in the middle) . Woo hoo - very quick to knit with the new Knit Picks Harmony interchangeables (lovely to knit on).

It's very close to complete - just waiting for it to dry.

It's using the Spotlight Basics Harvest which felted really quickly (in less than 2 wash cycles).

It's currently drying upside down on some tissue boxes in a plastic bag. and looks an absolute treat.

Dh has offerred to put the grommets in. I have some other colours to knit this up in as well - one purples and one naturals. The original pattern calls for Cascade 220 - I would love to try this pattern in the Cascade just to see how it felts.

Christmas Wrap Up

Tea Sets and Party Flags all knitted and nearly wrapped ready for a big suprise for a little girl and her mother. As they are spending some time in transit I hope these will be appreciated.

I am sure they will. I procrastinated and started a felted bag rather than finish sewing up the flags. Why do i do that?

The end result is magnificent though the colours of the Bendigo Cotton are magic together. Now on to knitting for me - no more deadlines.

It's beginning to Look a Bit Like Christmas

Christmas preparations in this house are running a little behind schedule.

Ok a lot.....

The list is reducing slowly but running up against my days off (Friday/Monday). I was hoping to have more of it done before having to face the bone-crushing crowds. I hate the bone-crushing crowds.

I made a beeline to the Sydney CBD @ lunch to go to the TOY Departments of Myer and DJs - yes I know - WHAT WAS I THINKING?

They have a train in Myers for the kids to ride - a train. It's madness...madness I tell you.

At least I have wrapped everything we have so far.

Must write Christmas Cards...and post tonight...Late very late.

And Now the Yarn Diet (After the Yarn Haul!)

All my pre-christmas orders are in (and the extra yarn from the tea-cosy swap). I am now officially on a yarn diet until well into the new year. I need to clear out some of the stash.

I have enough sock yarn to keep this family in hand-knitted socks for some years to come (and a few other families I expect).

I am expecting a Rockin Sock Club shipment in December/January for the completion of the 2007 club, and I have signed up for 2008 again (but Sock Club doesn't count right!)

The Knittery Yarn (The Purples) have come up a little blue in this but I have one each of Royal Velvet, Amethyst and Purple Night and the Rancos at the back........Love love love Sock Yarn.

Tea Cosy Swap Yippee (Claping Hands)

Well imagine my surprise on a grey wet Sydney day when I was greated with 2 parcels at the door.

I was expecting one of them (from the knittery!!!) but the other was a complete surprise and a fantastic way to stop my day being so grey.

My Tea Cosy Swap Parcel had arrived from the amazingly talented knitwytch.

You can see the tea cosy in action on right (can you spot the bee?) Such embroidery and colour.

I have had such fun pulling all the things out.

Dilmah tea in four flavours, Lindt & Black and Greens Chocolate (yum)

and extremely yummy the fantastic lime & green bag and matching kittyknits yarn (waterlily colourway).

Lucky Me!!!!!

Stash Multiplier and Volunteering

Ravelry is officially a stash multiplier. Just check out this stash enhancer (well i helped a little) pack of acquired yarns this week. I am looking forward to much knitting with this little bounty.

Ravens, Silk Thread, Silk Ravens, Sea Wool and Casbah colourful stuff.

Other news has seen me volunteer to co-ordinate the next Ravelry Australian Knitting Group swap. I am looking forward to it - a bag theme. We have just boosted the group members to 500, so if we encourage this could be a decent sized group. Lots of anticipation and interest building over christmas with the kick off in January.

Christmasknits

I have managed to get totally motivated this week. The big theme has been christmas presents.

Using the leftover yarn from the Elephant Toy Bag I have knitted up some party flags for my SIL and her little one for Christmas.

I have just started on a tea set for my two nieces. (One each). I have finished the main part of cup one - started late last night and finished this morning.

There is a fair bit of sewing in of ends over the next few weeks to do, but it should come to gether brilliantly. The colours are fantastic (All Bendigo Woollen Mills 8 ply).

Elephant Toy Bag

' Tis Done 'Tis Done the Toy Bag is done.

And it LOOKS FABULOUS if i do say so myself.
We managed to pick fantastic colours that look great together.

The draw string style ties look pretty great too.
Although the other half said I should have sewed them to the opposite side to make the opening and closing easier.

I have moved on to the Sea Breeze and No Vine Stocking Stitch socks and some 8 ply cotton party flags/bunting for my SIL and niece for Christmas.

Cosy's and Elephants

I have made no progress on the SSS knitting whilst I have been knitting up this Tea Cosy for my Ravelry swap pal -it looks just stunning in the red, black and white but is quite simple to pull together. Simple, that is, if you are not watching an election at the sametime.

I had to undo three stripes due to a dropped stitch on Sunday morning (it was in a black stripe) as well as joining in the wrong colour at least three times and having to undo it on Saturday night. But eventually it finished up quickly.


The Toy Bag, however has completed nicely, at least the main piece. The colours look fab - especially the Light Teal (aqua blue), Marine (dark blue) and Mango (orange). I am now weaving in ends and sewing up the main part of the bag.

I also need to knit up 2 x 100cm icords which shouldn't take long in the heather (pink). It looks very very cute and I can't wait to see it all made up.

On other knitting news I have ordered more yarn. I can feel th shock now! I finally succumbed to the Raven series from Blue Moon Fiber Arts - but included some silk for a shawl. It isn't just sock yarn (I did get some of that too though). The delivery is taking it's time due to the huge order that they recieved.

Clearing the Head and Getting Knitting Again.

Well obviously all i needed to get back on track was a change of project type.

The Toy Bag is now about 55% complete and looking very colourful. The Bendigo Cotton is easy to knit with and lovely on the hands with the end result being very soft.

The biggest challenge is keeping O's hands off it when they are grubby.

Frogs and Elephants

I have now frogged the Vine Socks 3 times and have conceded the pattern wasn't for me.

Sizing was almost impossible and regardless of how beautiful they looked I just couldn't find a sizing comination that fit my ankles and didn't fall down my legs.

So now they are a plain stocking stitch pair that I have parked at the cuff stage.

Friday was a joyous day because right as I was heading to work the postman arrived with much yarny goodness. Wool and Cotton from Bendigo in a set of colours to complete the Ravelry Tea Cosy Swap...oh yeah and a special Rowan gift for my partner. In amongst the cotton was six magic colours for the Toy Bag for a friends impending baby.

It is always a joy to knit with and I am loving the colour combo.

Can't wait to finish it!!! (Oh and the elephant - the pattern on the toy bag has an elephant_

Sea Breeze and Vine

I have cast on Vine Lace Socks from Socks Socks Socks!

I wanted to knit something lacy and summery perhaps as a way of banishing some of the wet weather we have had in Sydney this week.

I am feeling a little blah so hopefully this will pick me up just a little. The initial cast on cuff is ending up with a purple spiral stripe through it.

I am hoping this will be quick, pretty and satisfying.

I am also waiting on a lot of cotton and some other items for a friends baby present and my Ravelry Tea Cosy Swap (Shhhh!!!)

We were all Yellow

The Socks for O are now done. The lovely mock wave cable gives a nice pattern up the leg.

I have now realised that O has adult sized feet lengthwise!
Socks for her are now going to be much more work than previously for her - small women's is now the size we will be starting with.

The pattern was easy to memorise and looks so much like sunshine in this colour.
O is in love with the colour of the socks as Yellow is her favourite colour so all in all the hand-dyed hand knitted has been a success.

SSS Sock Meme

1. What’s your favorite sock yarn? (please note that the word “yarn” is singular. Just pick one. I know it’s hard.) Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock
2. What’s your favorite type and brand of sock needle? Knit Picks Classic Circulars (with the longer tips)
3. Do you knit your socks toe up, cuff down or sideways? Generally cuff down, but I have been branching out recently
4. Do you knit both socks at once or just one at a time? One at a time. I tried 2 and got hopelessly tangled. I've decided i need to try it when I am on holiday and a little more relaxed and patient.
5. What’s your favorite toe and why? A pretty standard reduce at either side of the toe. Because my family have sensitive feet and complain about any other style.
6. Favorite heel? Heel Flap for the family, short row for me
7. Do you prefer plain or patterned socks? I like variety to knit and wear.
8. Who do you knit the most socks for? Dh and my stepdaughter O, them me and the grandparents.
9. Do you darn your socks? Technically yes, although the pile in my repair basket probably means I should say No right now (as it is turning into a tower).
10. If not, what do you do with them? Build a tower out of them in my repair basket
11. Do you only wear handknit socks? As much as I would like to say yes (for the whole family) the answer is not quite. Though dh treats his as good socks for work.
12. Bonus Question: What pattern, if any, is your basic “I-just-need-a-pair-of-socks” sock pattern based on? Do you keep it written down or memorized? I have a pattern I got from The Wool Shack with my first ball of sock-yarn. It is easy to follow and all the books i have looked at use the same principle (stocking stitch) with slight variation. I have it written down and folded into quarters in my accessories pack (which is see through). I usually only refer to it for stitch counts at certain points.

Yellow for O

I started a sock in the yellow hand-dyed yesterday for O.

Yellow is her favourite colour and when offered five hand-dyed skeins to choose from it was no surprise that she picked the yellow. She then flicked through 25 Favourite socks to pick a pattern.

After serious deliberation she came up with Mock Wave Cable Socks. They have knit up quite fast and the colour is showing up beautifully.

She hasn't seen them yet, that is a treat for this afternoon!

FO Hand Dyed Hand Knitted

Finished the hand-dyed hand knitted in plain stocking stitch for dh.

He loves the colorway (which he picked from the batch of hand-dyed yarns.

I began to be concerned I would not have enought yarn to complete the socks about half-way through the first sock and knitted the second sock slowly (I think in attempt to make the yarn go further - not consciously!).

Anyway I have about 75cm of the yarn left after extending the second sock by about 4 rows to ensure that it wasn't as tight as the first on dh foot. I then unravelled the toe of the first sock and reknit the extra few rows and the toe.

The colourway has knitted up beautifully!!

I also cast on,knit 12 rows, and completely frogged a yellow hand-dyed pair of mock cable socks for O (Again picked colourway from the hand-dyed and picked pattern from the 25 Favourite socks).

Southern Summer of Socks - October Total

End Week 1: 1 Pair +

0.25 x 1 Sock

End Week 2: 1 Pair +

0.25 x 3 Socks (Different pairs)

End Week 3: 2 Pair +

1 Sock +

0.25 x 2 Socks

End Week 4: 2 Pair +

1 Sock +

0.25 x 3 Socks

TOTAL OCTOBER: 2 Pair +

1 Sock +

0.80 x 1 Sock +

0.5 x 2 Socks

November 1 : 3 Pair +

0.5 x 2 Socks

A Long Hard Week - Yelling at the TV.

I returned to work on Monday after a little over a week off to a lot of email (a ridiculous number really) and much to do.

An FBI radio favourite keeps ringing in my head...."too much to do, and not enough time, not enough time" is repeated throughout the chorus and that has definitely been the theme for our week.

My preferred calming technique of knitting in the early morning quiet was disrupted by my brain wrestling with work issues at 5:40am. As a result I spent much time watching the 7:30 report on the ABC and other associated programs and finding myself yelling at the politicians and journalists repeatedly.

Thankfully the ABC put Bob Brown on the Insiders this morning and it was very strange to see the Family First Senator and the Democrats Senator treating the Greens as the incumbents.
All I can say is Thank you Bob for making sense!

I live within Marrickville Council where the Greens have put forward a practical socially and economically responsible agenda. I just hope the message gets through to greater Australia.

Ravelry Tea Cosy Swap

So I am all signed up for my tea cosy swap.

My secret pal has a few photos and a very generic blog making knitting likes and dislikes a little hard to plan for stuff.

The tea cosy I might need to ask for a measure to make sure I come close. The treats should be easy with the pre-christmas baking a family ritual. I made biccies and slices for presents last year and our friends all loved them so this year perhaps some bigger packages and perhaps some more widespread delivery.

To assist my secret pal I have taken a photo of my standard teapot for her/his perusal. Comparison object an ordinary computer mouse (standard size). I wanted to do the family cat and the mouse but she wasn't around to co-operate.

I chose this one as it is the one I use the most - kind of like the baby bears bed in Goldilocks it's just right!

Making Progress on the Hand Dyed & Hand Knit

I am really enjoying knitting up this colorway just to see what happens with my own dyeing.

I was expecting to be disapointed - but it is looking fabulous.

I keep thinking sqaushed raspberries in something very aqua. Magic colours and the Knittery yarn is so soft on my hands as I knit. mmmmmmm

Southern Summer of Socks - Hand Dyed

I have cast on an easy 4-ply sock with the Blue/Red hand-dyed Knittery Cashmere Merino yarn.

All I can say is it looks like raspberries and aqua blue blueberries.
It's gorgeously yummy to knit and admire the colours.

I love the variegation. I am looking forward to this one being a quick knit.

The Opal and the Blue Moon STR New Architecture Socks are still in hibernation.

To Dye For - Food Colouring Festival

I spent the last day (well working day) of my holiday dyeing up some Knittery Cashmere Merino (old) yarn with some food colouring.

Lots of fun and heaps of colour.

I wish I had more blue as the blue/red yarn has come up a treat.

SSS Completed The Red Go With The Flow

I have completed the Red Brick Socks Started whilst I was away.

I decided that while I was away I should have very nice yarn to knit with so i parked the opal neon and moved onto the BMFA STR Red Brick and cast on a pair of go with the flow socks.

They knitted up quite quickly and the pattern for the leg was a breeze. I decided to go with plain feet and they finished up quite quickly on return home.

Blocking Blocking Blocking.

Touring Tassie

Just got back from a relaxing week in Tassie concentrating our exploration in and around Hobart. Can't wait to go back and travel around greater tassie - what a beautiful place.

We had a great week of craft kicked off with the Salamanca Markets and the IXL Galeries. Some fantastic artwork, craftwork, produce and some knitted output.

Green, moist and beautiful we had both warm days and snow (at the top of Mt Wellington).

We took a trip on a tall ship under sail and a fast boat to the Great Southern Ocean.

Wet and cold but well worth the experience.

Highlights for knitting was The Spindle Tree @ salamanca http://www.salamanca.com.au/spindletree/ for yarn and knitted product. I returned a few times (staying just up the road).

I love the bookstores of Hobart made for browsing. Fullers in the city and The Hobart Book store @ salamanca being favourites.

We spent the better part of one cold day in a pub drinking and reading and the next wandering the botanic gardens. With plants from tropical to antarctic it was a great day.

A Morning Delivery - Sock Yarn

Being inspired to get me some of that G-Rocks colour that decorates the Southern Summer of Socks Banner and Button I wandered over to Blue Moon Fiber Arts to order up some of that Socks That Rock goodness.

Early this morning a knock came at our door...it was the delivery.

Check this photo out for the magical colours.

Stop Picking My Roses!!!!

I am getting increasingly frustrated at our nimble fingered neighbour who keeps pinching our blue moon roses.

Blue Moon Roses are rare and of the two bushes that my dh has planted only one has been flowering and with only 3 buds at the moment.

One opened and a caterpiller ate through it. Of the other 2 buds only one ohad pened and the other was just budding - but they were both on the same stem.

Now the bush was a present to me and dh has been carefully nurturing it to get some flowers close to my birthday.

And lo and behold someone has not just picked one but taken the whole stem leaving only the caterpiller eaten bud left.

Last Spring and Summer this was a regular occurence. Whenever it flowers they get picked off and they don't even do it neatly they kind of mangle the stem so nothing else will grow. GRRRRRR...

I am considering putting up Rascally Rabbits stop picking my roses sign on the front fence.

I don't mind the occasional pick - but this is every time the bush flowers.

Totally Saved, Mini Project Just the 4 of Us.

Saved from the big frog.

My beautiful new socks were knitting up a treat until i realised i wasn't yet at the heel and was nearing the middle of the ball. Panic set in. Would i have to frog them and alter sections for sizing. Or knit a completely different pattern.

I don't mind frogging because it's not working, or to resolve an error - but when it is working and I am loving it that is fate I was not able to bare.

Of course i had to pick the skein of wool from Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock that

1. Was the lone one of it's colourway and weight in my stash
2. where I had recieved notice via the sock club that they would be resting the colourway
3. where I had also recieved subsequent notice that it was low in stock.
4. and I had also recieved a notice that there was an ordering frenzy following the resting announcement.

I threw myself on the mercy of the ladies of Blue Moon Fiber Arts and hoped they had a lone skein in search of a home.

My luck held out and it is on it is winging its way to me as I type.
The customer service ethic of these ladies is second to none.

Whilst waiting I have cast on an easy sock for dh in a ball of Opal Neon (that I have 3 others of) with the intention of knitting a pair of socks in this colourway for each of the household. Dh, his mother, O & I. I am looking forward to completing this little mini-project.

Pair 2 - Stage 2

After spending the majority of yesterday at an old (old old) uni friends' engagement. Which was spectactular fun and a great event. I came home very tired and very full.

I only got a little bit of knitting done but did get up early again today to do some more before I have to go off to work.

At least the rugby this morning was a little less stressful than Saturday night/yesterday morning.

The pattern is looking magnificent, and as always the STR yarn is lovely to knit with.

I think Tina and the girls have produced a magnificent colorway.

Southern Summer of Socks Pair 2 - Bartholomew's Tantalizing Socks

I have spent the morning winding the skein into a ball and knitting up the cuff on the first sock.

The colours in the yarn are magnificient. The colorway is Chapman Springs and is even more beuatiful in person.

I can't wait to get a bit more done.

Southern Summer of Socks Count = 1 Pair

I Finally finished the SSS Stocking Stitch socks I cast on to do when I wasn't able to manage a more complex pattern - eg visitors, tv, working late.

Unfortunately my whole week has been distracted and working late so I never did get around to casting on the more complex ones.

I am up at the very early hour of 6:00am on a Sunday to do just that.

And we are Off in the Southern Summer of Socks

I have cast on a Stockinette sock in Patonyle to start. We have visitors today and these will allow me to continue knitting while they are here (and we are not feeding or watering them (so to speak).

I will cast on a second pair a little more complicated tonight to accompany them.

A Froggy went a courting....and took my SOLL Socks

Alas.

Froggy has arrived. The sizing on the pattern is big!
And the largest size - which i thought I had to make based on measurements left the anklet sock swimming around my ankle.

So much so I think I might go down 2 sizes.

The Good News is of course I can now not start them again until Monday and they Can count in the Southern Summer of Socks.

Can't wait to get started...itchy fingers too many patterns, too much sock yarn.
Distract yourself with Ravelry.....

Southern Summer of Socks

My personal Challenges.

• Use up the yarn I have (I must count it this Sunday - to both stash it here and name it)
• Use patterns from as many of the books I have (1 from each)
• Alternate with Stocking Stitch pairs (for presents for my fussy family members)
• Try at least one of each technique in Cat Bordhi's new book.

I think that should do it.

Just Cast on - Summer of Love Lace

So i spent today enjoying the sunshine and listening to the rest of the family complete a school project for O. A diorama of a playground. So I am typing this amid teeny-tiny swing sets and merry-go-rounds and monkey bars.

I have cast on (belatedl) the August kit for Rockin' Sock Club. The Summer of Love Lace Sock seems simple so far, but the colourway is beautiful - blues, browns, pinks and purples.
I think they should come together quickly.

Photos to come soon.

Torn Between Two Loves - Solstice Slip and Ravelry

This week I have been lost in space - Cyber-space to be a little more precise-

I was lost to the world from Wednesday as I got my invite to Ravelry. After what felt like months watching the count of the number of people before me drop down I finally got invited into the cool kids club.

As soon as I got the email I clicked on over and took my first step into the new world. And oh what a fantastic world it is. Although I think they should make you leave an itinery with the authorities before you go in - so the search party can find you.

My family were wondering why I was spending so much time on the humble computer. As well as dragging out my stash and taking photos. I think they are still wondering, but they indulge me anyway.

It also spurred me on to finish at least one more project on my needles. The Blue Moon Fiber Arts Rockin' Sock Club Solstice Slips rapidly galloped from 25% complete to 100% complete. Just so I could mark a new project finished (and take photos and finish them).

Now for the next week. More catalogueing. A sign-up to the kitchen swap on ravelry and the Southern Summer of Socks.

Busy Busy Busy. How am I going to fit it all in between my ravelry adventures and my life....

First!

In that great tradition everything starts with the first step.
Thus begins my first tentative (if lightly belated) steps into blogging.

After spending months reading the many and varied knitting and knitting related blogs I just had to take part.

Intention: My intention is to regularly blog my progress and experience with my knitting project with some social commentry from my point of view thrown in.

Currently I am a Sydney based knitter who loves to knit socks. I do like to mix it up with the occassional jumper, cardi or other item. Recently I have been prolific in the output of baby related items to celebrate the birth of many friends and colleagues children.