Sunday, April 04, 2010
Of course no blog update is complete without Alex
Alex has recently learned how to hold a pen properly. He can only do it if the pen is fat enough, like the pen attached to his Magna Doodle. He used to hold it as if he were going to stab the board, but now he holds it like most grown-ups do - if I can remember the name of the grip, I'd use it, but for the life of me, I can't.
A few nights ago, Chris asked Alex to draw something for me while I was working. This is what he came up with - a robot. I think it looks more like a person than a robot but he reckons it is a robot. In fact, he is convined it is a robot, and here's his explanation of what he drew.
I blame it on Ravelry. I really do. I keep my stash and projects pages on Ravelry updated (for the most part) and you, my dear blog readers are sadly neglected. I thought I'd do better this year, and the year was off to a good start with a couple of posts in January but it looks like I have fallen back into old habits. Old habits die hard, but this one will die! So, here's my first update for April - the first of many, I hope.
I have been knitting like a madwoman, with not much to show. I do have a couple of patterns up my sleeve, one of which is being test-knitted. Let's start with that one.
Salsa Verde
I have this pattern written for 4 sizes - skinny 8ply (DK), broad 8ply (DK), 4ply (fingering) scarf and 4ply (fingering) stole. I am tempted to extend it to include a 2ply (lace-weight) stole.
The scarf is knitted from both ends and grafted in the centre, with a scalloped edge and three lace stitches. The centre panel is stocking stitch making it easy to graft, and giving the wearer a nice warm neck or back covering.
The one in the picture above is knit from Wollmeise Twin "We're Different" Mistelzweig. While we're on thesubject,I should confess that I have jumped onto the Wollmeise bandwagon. The colours are simply amazing!! I have acquired some.
Yes, just a few skeins...
The colours are even more vibrant and more magnificent in real life. No wonder people go nuts over this yarn and at every store update there is a mad rush to grab whatever Claudia puts up. Even the "We're different" "rebel" skeins are gorgeous.
I do have to admit, though, that I found the Twin a little stringy to work with. It split, even on my very blunt Addi Turbos. I was very worried that I'd end up with a stiff scarf that could stand on it's own (almost) but once washed, it softened up nicely. It's nowhere as stringy and stiff as it was when knitted - thank goodness! It is, in fact, quite lovely. I heard someone say that it sheds, but I had none of that problem, and with the state of my allergies, thankfully too!
What else am I working on?
This is the triangular shawl version of salsa verde. I don't think i will put a scalloped edge on it. Instead, I think I will put some Bell lace on the edge so that we have nice pointy edges. i think the scalloped edge may look too heavy for such a light shawl. It's still work in progress and I doubt I will have the pattern ready for testing by the end of this Easter weekend.Charting it is quite a nightmare, and I think I may have to re-think my stitch count.
The loom was neglected for a little while but I pulled it out last week to weave a scarf for a swap.
It's actually all done, twisty fringe and all but I have no pictures. It's just a little lightweight scarf that she will be able to wear under a coat. I hope she likes it. I will be sending it along with the DK skinny version of the Salsa Verde scarf and a few other little things. I do love swaps.. I never know hat I will get but it is lovely knowing someone else put some thought into it and made something just for me.
About a week ago, my sister-in-law gave birth to a gorgeous baby boy. You'll just have to take my word for it that he is gorgeous (and I do assure you that he is) as I am not sure how she'd feel about my plastering pictures of him all over my blog. No photos of the wee one, but I do have a photo of what I made for him
The yarn is Bendigo Woollen Mill's Luxury 8ply in Brick. It washed up nice and soft, and best of all, it's machine-washable! Perfect for a new mum, I think. I know not everyone wants to hand-wash their woollens, and with machine-washable wool, you don't have to. The design is my own, but probably not that much different from what is available commercially. I made it all in one piece so that there are no seams and fewer ends to sew in. I hate sewing in. The real pain in the butt was the zip. The only open ended zip I could find that was not too long was an invisible one. I did end up managing to sew it in securely but it was a major pain. I have been taught an easier method for next time, so I will try that next time.. maybe I'll knit a similar one for Alex.
I have also been knitting hats.
A tiny one for my friend's newborn preemie boy
Another tiny one for a friend's baby who will be born in May - a girl this time.
A couple of girly jackets (pattern written but not reviewed)
So, as you can see, I have been busy.. oh and this is not including the stuff I have been doing for the store.
Some Silken Lace Some Silken Sock Some Toughstuff Sock Some Warmth8 and Warmth10 (DK and Worsted weight respectively - 21.5micron Australian merino, spun locally)
I should also mention that I am hosting a sale which ends tomorrow night. 20% is taken off the price of almost everything in-store. That is everything aside from the samples ($3 a s sample, including postage.
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