View from the Rocks

Blagged some online time at the very part time South West Rocks Library.

The blanket for The Old Flame's mother is done - I'll block it when I get home.

Also done, TOF's 4ply socks. Don't have time to go into details about why they were not knitted last year when I first cast them on - detailed updates will have to wait.

The remaining WIP is a jumper that's been on the needles for 4 years. Should be finished by the weekend.

Days here are warm, and there has been much op-shopping and unravelling of old hand-knits.

WIPeout 2009 - my accursed socks

These took seriously too long, a month since they become the take along project, even with Pooh's help. Actually, probably says more about the lack of down-time than my knitting speed. That and my inability to take notes on pattern changes, resulting in several unravel and reknits on the second sock.

Too sick to reflect on the socks or the nature of the yarn. Just another project off the needles and not enough light to photograph them properly. Feel nice on, though.

WIPeout 2009 - Comfort and Shield Vest

PATTERN: Pasticcio Circular Vest. Fantastic pattern - knit to size.

YARN: Patons Jet bought by the Old Flame in the K-mart $2 and $3 sales this last year.

PROGRESS: All done but the crochet around the armholes and the blocking. I started this in early March. It went to Narrandera and to visit Nanna, it went to Wagga a couple of weeks later for her funeral and kept me company in between. It really was both my comfort and my shield in that period.

ISSUES: I don't crochet.

ACTION: Ask a friend to do that for me. Spidey kindly obliged, despite liking crochet only marginally more than I do. I'm grateful in the extreme.

Steam blocked until it screamed for mercy.

All done and being worn. Apart from a tendency to slip on the shoulders, it's a divine garment to wear and I love it. Maybe, one day, when I can get a photographer, I'll get some action shots.

WIPeout 2009 - Wedgette and Wedget

And speaking of matching berets and scarves, here's a set I prepared earlier. I call them the Wedgette (scarf) and the Wedget (hat)

PATTERN:

• The scarf is a modification of Norah Gaughan's Wedge. I made three button holes at the end of the second last row to form a closure, and used the yarn overs of the lace wedges for the other buttonholes.

• The hat is my own design (the notes for which have disappeared), using the short rows of lace and a couple of rows of garter stitch to form the body of the beret, joined by a three needle cast off. The band is rolled garter stitch picked up from the bottom edge.
  
  

YARN: Recycled Patons Caressa. Spidey gave me a jumper she'd knitted with Caressa held double for reclaiming. Mum and I reclaimed it. The Wedgette scarf took about 60 grams, the Wedget hat took about 55g.
Tip - NEVER UNRAVEL CARESSA, PARTICULARLY TWO STRANDS KNITTED TOGETHER.

PROGRESS: Both were knitted in December 2008 and the Wedget was even blocked. Last night I sewed in the ends of the scarf, steam blocked it to 80cm in length and sewed timber buttons (Lisa Ho studio outlet purchased sometime in the late 1990s) on two sides of the scarf and to finish the top of the beret.

ISSUES: None - I love the set and look forward to wearing it. No idea why I didn't finish except that finishing off is really not my long suit, and finishing off in sweaty December was hardly a priority.

ACTION: Wear and write up hat pattern when the notes turn up.

WIPeout 2009 - Puppy Paw Scarf

PATTERN: Cats Paw Scarf from Crystal Palace Yarns

YARN: Anny Blatt Kid Mohair, a present from Jejune

PROGRESS: Knitting of this was finished and blogged on 4 January 2007. Tonight I sewed in the two ends and steam blocked it. Took about 15 minutes including photography.

ISSUES: I always intended a matching beret in this yarn and never found the perfect pattern. I did not then, and do not now, feel the love for knitting lace. I like the finished object, just don't enjoy the process. Perhaps that's why it languished in the knitting basket. It's such a soft, pretty yarn and was a thoughtful and welcome gift.

ACTION: Wear it tomorrow and continue search for the perfect matching beret pattern.

Days of wine and beanies

While not knitting the un-birthday socks, I managed another beanie in the standard Time Thief Watch Cap pattern, omitting the turn up and knitting a 2" double rib band instead.

The yarn is pure wool mystery yarn bought at Vinnies. Harsh in the hand; it washed up nicely.

The beanie enjoyed the Penfolds Grange 2004 vintage at the Dan Murphy's wine tasting last Saturday (more on The Old Flame's blog). Apparently it's not too discriminating, though, and polished off a bottle of Cabernet Merlot later in the evening.

SOCKSY

Tickets to Cheech & Chong - $200. Socks knitted by the woman you love - priceless. Someone had a little pout that he didn't get socks for his birthday this year. The situation was remedied by these babies.

Knitted in Bendigo Woollen Mills 5ply Colonial, they took 12 days of mostly monogamous knitting. The pattern is Sarah Golder's Simple Socks (Rav link) from Yarn, issue 5.


Here they were off to the opening of the National Library of Australia's Treasures Gallery - a Preview last Thursday.


And here they were finished off over a bottle of Cabernet Merlot on Sunday night.

Because the yarn is pure wool, I knitted a strand of fuzzy nylon through the entire heel and foot.

The reason the heel in this looks different - I ran out of the dark brown fuzzy nylon and had to use a grey. No one else will notice and if they do, they can knit socks.

Take the last train to Snotsville

It's official, I'm allergic to the Riverina and have returned with a raging case of allergic rhinitis. You don't need all the details but my nose is so swollen and sore I can't wear my glasses. Computer time is limited to how long I can squint at the screen; which is not all that long.

Nanna's happy and wonderfully cared for in the Narrandera Nursing Home. Thank you all for your good wishes.

When we got there Saturday she and my aunt were sitting in the courtyard knitting. We sat for a while, three generations of us, knitting.

Nan is not asleep. She is working out how to steal my yarn. The geranium coloured yarn in front of her was, momentarily, my aunt's but Nan decided she like it better than the pale blue and that the pattern was boring anyway. She really liked the Naturally Aspire I was knitting into brioche stitch scarf. I had to move it from her reach.

(details on Ravelry)

There were sheep on the road - been a while since I've seen that.

Somewhere on the "short cut" between Leeton and Ardlethan that added an hour to the journey home.

There was op-shopping in Temora, Young and Yass. Total haul 2 pieces Tupperware ($1.50), 2 pairs new swimmers ($4), 3 blouses ($8), and 2 balls old Patonyle ($2).

Salvos shop in Young

And there was more dealing with Nanna's stuff. Several more cartons of dolls have now found appreciative homes, books have been delivered to Lifeline and clothes to various op-shops and the Old Flame scored a pressure cooker for his putative still.

So 9 cowls and 3 berets in a fortnight - comfort knitting. Loving Patons Inca, right now. It's a big quick knit, without being too chunky, and has enough wool and alpaca in the blend for a good hand feel when knitting. It's a loosely plied yarn and others have commented on the splittiness of it, but with a blunter needle (using Denise Interchangeables ATM), not bad at all.

The cowl is Snuggle Cowl, by Elspeth Kursh AKA Wry Punster. The pattern isn't on the blog, though, only on Ravelry - sorry non Ravellers.

The beret pattern is my own - will write it up, eventually

Not blocked yet, but soon.

Faith - a - faith - a - faith - a

I'm not the only one who has had incredulous comments about knitting in the current heatwave.

But I have faith. Winter will come and I have 5.5 cowls since last Wednesday to prove it.

And the Brumbies will replicate their 28-14 win over the Hurricanes in a trial match last Friday in the actual season.

Another act of faith.