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Falling into bad habits
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 the subject,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.Labels: knitting, patterns, salsa verde
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