Friday, May 31, 2013

Ooh Nice!

My Chocolate Jacket is all sewn up with the buttons on and all.
Drops Aline jacket 103-1 in Moda Vera Alice - chocolate
Made entirely from stash materials, with just a little donation. I remembered that I had previously made a vest for a craft group friend from this yarn and had returned the leftovers to her as she supplied the yarn. I asked nicely and she found her part ball and gave it back to me. Perfect, though now I do have some leftovers, I'm thinking there may be enough for a matching hat?
Found buttons in the vintage stash in a matching colour in the correct size - not three the same but I am very happy with them.
Okay, here are some modelled shots (so not good at photographing garments on myself) to give you an idea of the fit. (disregard the turn up at the hem, I'm working on that)
I knitted the three quarter sleeve, as I as unsure of how far the yarn would stretch, but I really like the where they fall.
I may need to add a stud on the inside to maintain alignment of the front pieces.
The collar is fun and cleverly constructed with just a little sewing. No need for a scarf with this one.
It wasn't all about the jacket this week.
I completed the second sock, too. Just in time for todays deadline.
Two Horse Hitch Socks by Ann Podlesak in Bendigo Woollen Mills Luxury colour brick
I took them to the beach for a photo shoot as it is very wet outside here and the sun is usually gone before it dries out.
Very happy with how these turned out, now to gift them.
All this finishing means I have empty needles and will have to remedy that situation soon.
What to cast on next?
The end of the week and the end of another month - Lots of possibilities and creating in company this weekend.

Hope your's is a creative one too.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Fat and Skinny...

my current needles and yarn, oh, the projects too.
Since I took the photo this afternoon I have finished the collar on the jacket, so only the finishing to complete now. One sleeve is already attached and the other is ready to be. Yay!  Those fat needles certainly make for a quick project.
Drops 103-1 Aline jacket in Moda Vera Alice 
The sock is still waiting for the last pattern repeat and the toe to be finished.
Two Horse Hitch socks by Anne Poldesak in Bendigo Woollen Mills Luxury, Brick
I have enjoyed working on this pattern and I do like the detail created by the cables but I think the next sock will have a more consistent design. The irregularity of both this design and the colour work on the green and purple socks I finished recently, require a lot of counting and concentration. (maybe that's why the jacket knitted up so quickly!)
My current books are not pictured but I am reading more non fiction most of which is work related. Reading for pleasure has been 'Clara's War' by Clara Kramer a personal account of her family's survival in Nazi occupied Poland. The book includes excerpts from the actual diary she kept while living in a bunker with her family and other Jews for more than a year. (Sure I'm copying the other 'alongers who have featured this book recently.)
Joining in over at the Yarn along this week.

Hope it's warm where you are.

Sunday, May 26, 2013

While I wasn't here...

I've been here 

and here
Spending time in good knitty company while making good progress on this and this.
Drops Jacket 103-1 and Two Horse Hitch sock

Just the right weather for knitting a jacket and socks. The sock has a May 31st deadline so best I get that one finished up. (Oh, sure that is the blue reversible wrap at the back of the picture - all done except for the weaving in of ends.)




The body of the jacket is complete - using a shawl pin to keep it aligned, but it will get buttons to finish it off.


Sleeves in the making, it looks like I have enough yarn to complete the collar as on the pattern which will stop the breezes around my neck. Yay!
Hope your weekend was warm.

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Chocolate

Yarn that is!
Nice and thick with fat needles.
Fortunately it is lovely to work with and grows very quickly.
A couple of cooler days this week had me looking for a jacket to wear while out in the evenings. The chocolate yarn, Moda Vera Alice, which has been languishing in the stash, is perfect and this pattern should do the job nicely.
Joining the FNSI - weekend edition here.
Thanks to Heidi for hosting. 
Hope all is going smoothly in your creative space.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Finishing touches

that's where I am up to this week.
The Reversible Wrap has been resting since October 2012. Last week it was retrieved from the warehouse and I was pleased to see that it was very close to finished. 

Only a little knitting left to do and then putting the pieces together.
I stitched part 2 to part 1, then completed the knitting on part 3 and have begun attaching this piece as well. Not too much longer for this one.
Yay, it will be keeping me warm real soon.
This week has mostly been about the free sole socks, which you have seen here recently.
See.. 

Now the knitting is done on these too and they just need threads woven in, there's not a lot of them, so I should be done with these by the end of the week.
Reading has mostly been about inspiration for a new project or two? 'The Complete book of Crochet Stitch Designs' by Linda Schapper and 'Colorwork for adventurous knitters' by Lori Ihnen. Lots of lovely designs to consider just need to decide which one to do first.
I did cast on the second red sock but haven't progressed further than the band.
Joining the yarn along again this week.
Hope your creative space filled with wonderful warm designs.

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

And Again...


another sock to match the other sock (and another Hat to keep a head toasty).

It's all about socks and hats here as we head towards winter, though you'd hardly know it with the summery weather we are currently experiencing.

There has been a little more crochet action here which has seen the completion of this colourful fluffy hat made from this blank grey piece I showed a couple of weeks ago.
Northern lights cone hat
All the hat making of late has left a small dent in the stash, especially in the novelty yarns, which is very nice as I always have difficulty deciding how to use them.

I started the second of the free sole socks yesterday and have now finished the instep ready to attach the sole.
The books are both from the library, picked up from the display stand based on the titles.
'The Healing Power of Coffee' by Cal Orey contains  a lot of research information as well as some interesting recipes for drinks, food and medicinal remedies. A good read for anyone who enjoys their coffee.
'The Age of Miracles' by Marianne Williamson offers insight into the middle years of life and how roles change in both family and society. Lots of thought provoking ideas in here for me.
Joining the Yarn along this week.
Wishing you sunshine and warmth in your creative space.

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Winter warmers

Just getting ready.
Pretty flower garden hat to put some colour in a grey day.
Paula's garden hat
Warm Black Cherry ripple hat - just like a blanket for your head.
Black cherry ripple beanie
Two socks waiting for their partners.
Free sole sock by Anna Zilboorg and Two Horse Hitch by Anne Podlesak

It sure is fun working on socks that are constructed quite differently, yet serve almost the same purpose, only the green/purple ones are for me the red ones will be gifted just as soon as they are done.
Played some more with the hexagons I made on Friday, they did have a purpose. I am close to completing now. It is something that I have been wanting to try for quite awhile. Glad I finally got around to it. 
Granny Hexie bonnet
All of this yarn goodness has been stitched up from my extensive yarn stash, maybe soon I will see a blank space or two?
 Playing along with Linda and Ana and all the other stash busters.
Wishing you all a warm week.

Saturday, May 4, 2013

FNWF - May

Not much to show here you might want to skip over and see what everyone else achieved.  
Three hexie motifs for a new project.
I got this far before I had to think about how it was going to go together and decided I should have been working on something else.


In my defence I did finish some of the started hooky projects earlier in the week.
I switched to reading at this point and made good progress on my latest book.
Today was more productive and the red sock from the previous post is almost done.
Hope your weekend includes time to create.