Bonnet

What 7am looked like yesterday.

Working on a commission to be delivered on Sunday.  A soon to be born grandchild is in need of a bonnet and better-than-boottees socks. 

The socks will take 6 hours to complete so I'm working on the bonnet first.  The design and yarn was left to my discretion, as long as it was white.  The vintage Patonyle (60% wool, 40% nylon in 25g balls) has been in stash for some time.  It was purchased second-hand and I have 3 balls. The bonnet is going to take just over one ball and I'll get the socks out of the remainder of that ball.  A lovely set for 50g of yarn.

The pattern is vintage Patons and written for for 3ply, but using smaller needles in a ribbed/lacy ribbed garment means sizing won't be an issue.  This will fit from about 3mos on. As we don't know the gender of the baby, I'm figuring lemon ribbons for the ties.  All materials are from stash.

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 - Suffrage beanie

I know, I know, I wasn't going to work on beanies but I was caught short with an overlong wait at the doctor's and this accidentally got finished.




PATTERN: TTWC using slip stitch for the body of the hat.


YARN: The dark purple is Cleckheaton 12ply, the variegated green/purple is Happy Spider Hydrangea - a custom job over very old Wangaratta Woollen Mills white from the 80s.


Now there are only two hats in the queue - wonder if I can eke them out for another couple of months? No, I don't think it likley either.


Oh, and Lovestitches - I'd really like to oblige with a photo of my entire stash but don't have access to a satellite right now. I wish that was an exaggeration.

WIPeout 2009 - Maroon slip stitch beanie

This has been on the needles for ages. It lived in my work locker and had the occasional few stitches knitted when other things were at a too hard spot or when I needed a project for the lunchtime queue at the Post Office etc.

This last couple of weeks it has lived in the car. Totally amazing how much knitting can be done at red lights. After Mum's socks were finished I allowed myself the luxury of finishing it, as I was at the crown decreases by then.

Snowy, the Old Flame's dog, wasn't a very cooperative model but it's done and in the pile to go to Stasia for the soup kitchen.

As LynS has pointed out in the comments, hats are seductive knitting, it's hard to resist their siren call.

Now back to the socks.

Beanie there, done that

Yep, more TTWC. They really are the perfect portables - better even than socks because I only use the one needle until the very end.

These are in Cleckheaton Country 12 ply in a gorgeous dark purple. The second one is slip stitched with a very old Wangaratta Woollen Mills 12ply custom dyed by the Happy Spider in the Hydrangea colourway.

A few more of these yet to come as I work my way through the purple bag.

Some days are busy, busy but still productive. Take Saturday, for example.

9am Up early for us on a Saturday and at Kingston for the Snow Sports ACT annual sale, via a drop off at my brother's on the other side of town. The Old Flame has some items for sale* and wants to check out what else is on offer. I knit a beret I'm winging in some 12ply remnants but forget to take photos.

10.15am Old Parliament House, Canberra for the opening celebrations of the new Museum of Australian Democracy (yes, it's a MAD House). A friend is serving up breakfasts, so we scam a couple of bacon and egg rolls, grab 5 minutes with her, take some pics and race off. Am still knitting the beret.

11.30am Belconnen Remand Centre Open Day . BRC closed recently, being replaced with the state of the art Alexander Machonichie Centre (gaol). The open day was our only opportunity to see the inside of the BRC which will soon be demolished. Eye-opening. Squeeze in flying visit to Vinnies as it's just across the road. Continue to knit the beret.


12.45 pm Ginninderra Labor Club for early Mother's Day celebrations with TOF's extended family. Very nice lunch. Knit beret and finish in car on way home.

4.00pm Home to change for the evening's engagement - Brumbies at home to the Crusaders. Woollen trousers under jeans, two long-sleeved t-shirts, fleece and, wind-breaker, hat and gloves. Should be almost warm enough.

4.15pm Start for Kingston again to see what's sold and collect what hasn't. Cast on a TTWC as we leave home.

5.20pm Park car at Civic to catch free bus to Canberra Stadium. We're early, so head off to King O'Malley's for a Guinness to kill time. Continue knitting TTWC.


6.00pm Get on very crowded bus to Stadium. Kind young man gives me his seat so I continue to knit.

6.30pm Arrive Stadium, settle into seats etc. Knit beanie.

7.30pm Finish beanie.

7.40pm Kick-off and not enough wool to cast on another beanie. Ah well, the Brumbies thrashed the Crusaders and two items of headwear in a day is a reasonable result.

10.00pm Have caught bus back to Civic and collected the car. We've only had water and a couple of bananas since lunch so drop by the G-Spot for a Bastard to find that it's the second last night of trading! Tragedy! It's our venue of choice for after the footy and, more importantly, for first breakfast on those early mornings (4am) on the way to the ski fields.

10.40pm Home, fed and changed into trakkie daks . Cast on a new pair of socks.

11.30pm Sleepy-bo-bos.

* Need snow chains this winter? Own your own for the same price as a weekend hire. Send me an email with your wheel size for more info.

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.

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.

Maintain the Rage!

No fancy pants Robbie Burns titles today - no time to be waylaid by his poetry.

TSS has blogged about our little trip to OPH for The Dismissal tour.

The Dismissal was 33 years ago yesterday and remains an enduring memory of my childhood. I was in 4th class at a Canberra public primary school and remember the feeling of anticipation, dread, grief and anger that emanated from teachers and other adults. It was a confusing and exciting day for a 9 year old.

Because TSS needs more of an understanding of Australian history, because I'm a history and politics junkie, and because the Old Flame is a good sport, we arrived at OPH and paid the family rate of $5 entry between us (ha!) instead of $2 each.

We got to re-enact the journey of the day throughout Old Parliament House. The House of Reps, the Senate, the Cabinet Room, the Prime Minister's Office, the Press Gallery etc.

The Old Flame as Sir John Kerr

I was seriously thrilled to actually to be in those places, particularly the House of Representatives - the people's house.

But I was more thrilled to do this -

Knitting the the Senate, in the public galleries of which I was made to surrender my knitting - I was only 8 or 9 at the time.

TSS & I knitting in the House of Representatives. I deliberately took green knitting.

And triumphant with the (replica) mace topped with a TTWC which TSS knitted during the tour.

At least four guides told me that knitting was forbidden in Parliament House. Yeah, I know. If you live long enough, you win!

Pump up the volume

Rising to the challenge of my conscience, behold the bulky beanies of the week.



Count 'em - 7.

Actually it's 9 beanies, but only 7 from the bulky stuff; a couple of TTWCs sneaked in as well because the bulky stuff isn't portable for waiting in queues for petrol, queues for Medicare, queues at the chemist (I've had a frustrating week).

Of course now that's done, will I have to repeat it?

I've done the sums and it's 6 a week to finish this yarn off before the end of December. Difficult, but doable - except for the crippling pain. The bulky yarn on big needles has caused excruciating neck and shoulder pain. I took the weekend off the big stuff and did only a heel of a sock and a few rounds of a 12 ply beanie. No pain.

Bugger. I'll have to slow down on the big stuff.

Think global, knit local

This was such great yarn to knit with. A sproingy 12ply weight, 2ply yarn with just a little bit of vegetable matter left in. The ball band describes it as "a natural, undyed fleece product from coloured sheep growers of Canberra/Monaro."

I can't remember which local op-shop it came from but it's local yarn, bought locally (twice) and going to a local charity (twice). Who says it isn't easy being green?

The voices told me to

Sunday night conversation at Taph Towers.

CONSCIENCE: Hmm, so how's that challenge to knit all the bulky yarn by Christmas going, Taph?

TAPH: Well, Conscience, I had a bit of a break last week while I finished off a scarf for a charity sale, a pair of socks for my poor old Mum with the bad circulation who lives in a cold climate and a pair of baby socks which I swapped for a dozen duck eggs. I also started and nearly finished a pair of socks for the Old Flame.

CONSCIENCE: That's an impressive list of finished objects, Taph - bet that gave you a bit of a boost. But in terms of total boodle busting that's 300g of yarn, 200g of which are pretty fine weights. Not much in the volume reduction, is it?

TAPH: Yes, I did feel good finishing things off but you're right, I did set myself that challenge and I'd like to see it through. So here you go, two completed hats from the bulky yarn and the plan is to make one a day this week. The Old Flame loaned me season one of Dead Like Me and season one of Dexter - perhaps I won't go completely insane if I knit while watching those.

CONSCIENCE: Good plan, Taph. Let's chat again next Sunday night.

Beanies 2008.080 and 2008.081

Hats, boodle etc

So I'm still going with the hats.

One of the things that has become VERY obvious in the last almost year of "seven things" is that the yarn boodle is large, out of control and has a will of its own. Every attempt to actually cull it has resulted in at least a parity return of yarn within a couple of weeks. Given its amazing ability to regenerate (did anyone see Dr Who last night?), I've decided that the boodle doesn't really want to be given away or sold, it wants to be knitted.

Starting with the bulky stuff that takes up so much space, knit-down has begun.

6 balls of Twilley Freedom Wool became 6 beanies. The first pic is a Norah Gaughan pattern "Match Made in Heaven" from Family Circle Easy Accessories, the others are my Double Rib Beanie.



And the yarn cheese is next in the sights. Remember when I bought 49 x 8oz (215g) balls of super bulky yarn at the Smith Family? Well it was a while ago, and it was the yarn that necessitated the Double Rib pattern. I'm now working on a variation or two to keep me from becoming catatonic with boredom. The goal is to knit this entire collection up by Christmas.

Not completely there with the cabled version yet - I'll give it another go tonight.

Snow Bunnies and other atrocities

If one has to fall in love, it might as well be with a skier.

Apart from the wonderful possibilities for creating and bestowing knitted gifts, there are the ski trips.


As well as hours of car passenger knitting (2 TTWCs - there would have been a third but the dark and deep brown yarn in small lengths defeated me on our return journey), there is après ski time. I ski not and with my crappy ankle it’s probably not a sport I'll be taking up soon – maybe next year. I do, however, have a prodigous talent for apres ski. Always go with one’s strengths!

Although our trip last Sunday did not go completely to plan, I managed a walk in the snow around Smiggin Holes/Perisher Blue for an hour and then retreated to the pub for a few hours of knitting and people watching. I promise to be more adventurous, use the snow shoes next time and actually take some photos.


The first of Mum's "Whinger" socks was finished in the hotel and the second started. So BORED by it. Really, I need more of distraction when knitting these socks than people watching.

Some of our party returned at lunch time and joined me in the hotel for the afternoon. There was hot chocolate drinking, collective noun creating and a merry game of spot the hideous beanie.

Now I know about people in glass houses etc. but we just couldn't help it. I must have missed the memo about leaving good taste at the entrance to the National Park!

Among the contenders for most revolting head wear were the baby poo yellow felted gnome hat (which beautifully coordinated with the Buchanan tartan scarf sported by the hat wearer’s partner and which I strongly suspect to be a set) and the acrylic fake Mohawk (no pics, sorry, but I’m so going to next time!). The winner, despite the stiff competition, was the result of an unholy union between Big Bird, a toilet mat and spray-on tan. Seriously, this thing was safety orange and that particular type of squeaky “plush” nylon that appeared in bathrooms in the 1970s. It was a helmet shape and worn by someone who may have been a snow bunny years ago and who had spent far too long in the snow without sunscreen.

And the collective noun? Well what would you call a group of snow bunnies? We thought, perhaps, a Hilton, but eventually agreed on a flurry of snow bunnies.


The Old Flame managed to Kinnear the only other knitter in the place. She was sitting behind us and we exchanged knitterly pleasantries to the amusement of some of my party. She was knitting a scarf of burgundy coloured boucle yarn on sparkly plastic needles. It probably wasn’t the first Smiggins SnB, but it was the only one that day.

Progress

Finally something off the needles - even if it's only some beanies for the soup kitchen.

TTWC 2008.054 vintage Jet

This is vintage Patons Jet - the old crepe kind. Despite the murky early 70s colours (it's dun-brown with dull green bits of ... what? not contrast and I hesitate to say highlights - dunno, bits will have to do). The yarn is a delight to knit with. Divine crepe producing the smoothest, evenest fabric. So love it.

TTWC 2008.055-56 hanspun wool

There were two of these TTWCs knitted in the car to Perisher and back on Sunday. The first was borrowed in the car park at Smiggins Holes by one of our party and retained. It's such a joy when someone likes an item enough to keep it - made my day. This is handspun wool in its natural colour. Mostly creamy white with some darker bits. So beautiful to knit with and very warm. Must make a drop off run to Stasia's soon.

There was another TTWC in the handspun but no photo. It looks just like these if you really need to see it.

And speaking of snow, the other item off the needles this week and finished is the 164 inches of ostrich yarn trim for my Mrs Claus outfit. I have to say it turned out quite well and is probably the only legitimate use for this hideous yarn. I used a little under 14 balls of Moda Vera Jazz held double throughout to make 5 pieces of trim. It's all sewn on the dress and the hat has a tassel. There was a pom pom but it collapsed and shed all over my dining table. NOT a pretty sight.

You would even say it glows

The Blue Beret got its first outing last night and very welcome it was too.

It was cold, wet & windy last night. The maximum daytime temperature was 12 degrees and it was considerably less than that and blowy and pissing down with rain by 4.30pm when we rocked up to Canberra Stadium to sell red noses.

The aim was to sell 10,000 noses and raise $20,000 for SIDS and Kids and in the process set the world record for the most red noses in one spot.

Due to the effin awful inclement weather, the attendance at the match was less than stellar; only 9,109 to be exact. Thirty volunteers sold 5433 noses and raised more than $10,500 and probably set a world record. I think we'll call it a success.

Oh, and the Raiders lost to the Sharks 24 to 36. The umpiring was pretty bloody awful, but they were outclassed by the Sharks early on and never really got back. Pity really, and because OF's parents decided not to go to the match we had their BRILLIANT members' seats for the second half. See that, right on the 50m line (centre of the pitch), 3 rows back. I could even see Ricky Stuart's bald patch really well through the sleet. Did I mention it was cold?

Making a blue*

It is apparent that I am not only mathematically challenged but a ridiculously pie-eyed optimist (or someone who stubbornly refuses to see the evidence in front of her).

The pattern for the Rollin' Beret clearly states that the hat requires 123 m of yarn. The ball band for the Dale of Norway Ara clearly states that each 50g ball consists of 50 m of yarn.

Anyone of moderate intelligence and basic mathematical ability would have worked out before they started knitting that they were going to be short. I worked it out when I had almost finished the first ball and was in a committed relationship with the project.

There was still some denim blue recycled 12 ply left, so I started the whole slip-stitch extension method again with hope in my heart and an eye on the end of the ball. The good news is the recycled 12 ply in the denim colour is all used up. It ran out of about 15 rows too soon.

I tried knitting faster with the remainder of the Ara, because everyone knows if you knit faster you'll finish before you run out of yarn. I got to the end of the ball faster - 6 tiny, decrease-6-stitches-in-every-round, rounds short.

This disappointment happened just before we left SnB last night. By the time I reached home I was prepared to chuck the lot in the bin and lie down and weep. The frugal self prevailed, though and I finished the bloody thing off with a very small amount of recycled 12 ply crepe wool in navy. Not quite what I'd planned, but not wasteful either.

*for non-Australian's "to make a blue" is to make a mistake. Not to be confused with "having a blue" which is an argument/fight.

Knitting Pretty

One of the resolutions this year was to “Knit the Pretties”. These FOs definitely count.

The Rollin’ Beret (pattern by Woolly Wormhead) came up beautifully but far too small. I can only wear it as a misshapen beanie so it’s blocked and in the box for charity. It was such a pleasure to knit though. Don’t you love it when you just have to stop every now and then and exclaim over how pretty your knitting is?


I “stretched” the 70g of the gorgeous 2ply hand dyed, hand spun wool by slip stitching every second row of the body of the beret with some recycled denim coloured 12 ply crepe that was leftover from TTWCs. The slip stitching also created a thicker and warmer fabric - bonus. There was enough of the hand spun left for a fun i-cord embellishment and now it’s all used up.

The washcloth for Old Flame’s mum is finished, too, and with 10 days to spare. Loving the colours, Spidey. The lacy pattern is a little obscured by the variegated yarn but it also opens it up and makes it a bit more girly than a garter stitch pattern. I love that the colours are girly version of the Canberra Raides colours, a team that Old Flame's mum and dad are passionate supporters of.

I’ve started another beret using some Dale of Norway Ara that was part of a prize from Yarn magazine. The colours are variegated purpley-blues and I just want to sink into that deep indigo and dream. A commercially spun thick and thin single, it’s squishily gorgeous to knit and I bet it will pill like a bugger. Doesn’t matter - it’s a hat, not a jumper. Hopefully this one will fit, but if it doesn’t someone will get the joy of wearing it and it’s another completed project and two more balls of yarn towards the stash reduction goal.

This won’t be the last time the pattern is used, either. There’s 270g of Waratah Fibres hand spun Wensleydale blend that is crying out to be the hat and mitten set I need for the ski season (please snow soon, OF’s first cross-country tour is this Sunday!). There’s a pattern in the most recent Spin-Off for lined mittens which looks just the ticket. More pretties, more stash reduction. Woot!

Making beanies by the dashboard light

What does a knitter do when there's just an hour and a bit between appointments but to go home would take about the same time and be wasteful of petrol?

Park by Lake Burley Griffin, watch the outline of the black swans against the charcoal waters, gaze over at the pretty lights playing on the water on the opposite bank and knit a beanie.

There are far worse ways of spending a little time on a Thursday evening before catching up with a very old friend from Sydney at a community function and enjoying the generous (and yummy) hospitality of that community.

Cry baby

I may be a bad blogger, a bad commenter and a truly crap correspondent, but I must have done something right.

This week, the best thing that can happen to a knitter happened to me - three times. I unexpectedly met recipients of my knitted love actually wearing the thing/s I knitted them - in public, you know, where other people could see them. Made me want to cry.

And some lovely people thought of me when they were in the vicinity of vintage knitting patterns. That made me want to cry, too.

And I went to the footy with a bloke who didn't think it all offensive, or even remarkable, that I knitted a sock while were out together, in public, you know, where other people could see. Yep, made me want to cry again.

I have not, however, spent my time in tears. I've been too busy grafting the toes of bedsocks and darning in all the bloody ends. Here's about 10 days' worth of sock production from Mum for Bron's CanAssist project. Despite pneumonia she's keeping up the production.

Consequently all I've managed to finish is 2 beanies, but I have made progress on many socks. Would be great to actually finish a pair this week.