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Friday 22 May 2015

FO: Three Purple Garments

Hello. My name is Jenny and I'm addicted to purple. Or I am, at least, firmly in a purple phase...


Since I last wrote regularly, I have been knitting quite a bit - though not, I confess, three garments' worth! I worked on these one after the other over many months, but it just happens that all the finishing, blocking, and button-attaching has happened in the course of the last week.


First up, the Simplicity cardigan by Mary Arranella [rav link] in easyknit's Slink in the colour Viola. This laceweight cardi only took me six weeks and one skein of yarn to knit. I enjoyed knitting it a lot, and it wasn't very complicated. I'm hoping it will be a useful, versatile garment that I can wear to work or just around the house, when I get a little cool. Open or tied together:




Next, Thermal by Laura Chau, from Knitty Winter 2006, in Jarol Wool Rich Heritage 4ply, bought from my new LYS, Wool for Ewe. Also an enjoyable knit, though the finished product has come out a bit long in the sleeves for my liking. I'm thinking about revisiting that button band, because I think the neck is a bit wide/low for me and it just doesn't sit right, but then I need to figure out how to fix the 'sitting right' thing (go down a needle size, cast off more tightly, or something. The whole thing took me a year to knit, so I'm going to have to gear up for a revisit. 


And finally Skelf by Ysolda Teague [rav link], knitted in King Cole Merino Blend Aran in Lavender, bought from the soon-to-close Mill Shop at Texere Yarns. According to ravelry, I cast this on in July 2012, and while there have been some trials and tribulations including a massive rip back when I decided it was just the wrong damn size, I have spent maybe a year trying to find the right buttons. I think these will do, but I have a few options in my button box if I change my mind. Again the sleeves are a little long for me, but giveen that it's a cosy aran-weight jumper I can probably cope with that. Lovely fit and interesting construction, if I wear it enough I might knit a second; I'll just make sure I get the yarn and the buttons together this time ;)


Thanks for stopping by!

Wednesday 13 May 2015

WIP Wednesday

Left it a while again before blogging. It's been a difficult few weeks. There are a lot of draft posts knocking around, I've just not felt that they've been 'good enough' (whatever that means). So, let's just dive in with what I've been working on:

1. I knitted a sleeve on Spoke.

This is my long-term garment project; a pattern from Knitty that I'm knitting in [now discontinued] KnitPicks Wool of the Andes Tonal that I bought when I went to the US in 2012. I've been enjoying knitting it (though not photographing it, the yarn is difficult to capture), but there were a few things I wanted to change about the pattern. The sleeves were knit flat and I didn't want them flared at the bottom, so I've done a provisional cast on at the top of the flared part, knit them up to the shoulder. Plan is to knit a second one to the same point, attach them to the body and then see what I should do to finish the bottom end of the sleeve.

2. Simplicity cardigan

Loving this one! This pattern is one I've heard a lot about [rav link], but my brain went 'pssh! when are you going to have time to knit a laceweight cardigan?'. I bought a skein of Easyknit's Slink in the colourway 'Viola' when I didn't get to go to Woolfest last year, thinking I'd make a shawl. I tried a few things and didn't get on with any of them, then after a few hours on Ravelry I decided I'd try this. I'm a tiny bit worried about yardage as I've only got the one skein which might be a bit short, so I've put the body on hold and started on a sleeve.

3. Green seagrass socks

These have been a bit of a slog, but I've only got to sew up the toes and block them. The pattern is the Hourglass socks from Knitty, and the yarn is Spirit by sparkleduck in the colour Sea Quine, bought at Woolfest 2013. This has been a slow knit, especially the last little bit. I have had some brilliant yarn from sparkleduck and this is also great, but it does dye my hands blue as I knit with it. I'll do a citric acid soak as part of the blocking process, as described here by Jasmine from the Knitmore Girls, but there is nowhere from which to buy a small amount of citric acid round here, so I'm waiting until I go to my parents' in July. This has not given me much motivation to kitchener stitch the toes!

4. Trillian

And finally, my most recent cast on is Trillian by Martina Behm [pattern on Ravelry], in Deeply Wicked by Easyknits (yes them again), in the colourway Killer Queen. Loving this, it's perfect for going to work, taking to knit night, etc. I'm a tad worried it might go through a phase of pooling too much, in which case I'll rip it out and do a Hitchhiker instead, but for now - loving it. 

Sunday 22 March 2015

Edinburgh Yarn Festival 2015

Last weekend, I popped down to Edinburgh, Husband in tow, to check out Edinburgh Yarn Festival. It seemed rude not to - in the Frozen North, there are not many yarn festivals less than a half-day's drive away. Plus, it's Edinburgh, a city that will always hold a special place in my heart  (being where I met said Husband). Overall, I really enjoyed EYF; and looking back, I enjoyed every aspect of it.


The diversity of stalls was great, but not so huge that seeing everything was an impossible task. I saw all my favourite, usual suspect stalls but also got some new ideas for where to get future yarn. I also liked that it was All Fibre - the sewing or card-making parts of my brain were on vacation. Naturally, I got myself some yarn - more on that story later!

The venue was well chosen, plenty of stall space and breakout space. The travel arrangements were simple. The food arrangements were simple - excellent tea & cake in the cafe, and when lunchtime came about we could've used the cafe again or just popped next door to Asda (though we had brought a picnic). It was well-organised, with plenty of venue staff and volunteers to keep things ticking along.

We only attended Saturday, I didn't take any classes, and I didn't take my camera - hence the shoddy quality of these photos, sorry (there are some much better ones on the festival website). I didn't chat to as many people as I perhaps would have, were Husband not also around (it's possible that this will be his one and only Fibre Festival; to paraphrase the subsequent discussion, 'I enjoyed watching you enjoying yourself'). But if I had to summarise in one word: fabulous.

Wednesday 4 March 2015

An Update

It's been rather quiet here lately. This has not been for a lack of knitting exploits; rather, to add to last year's busyness, we bought a flat at the start of December, moved in on New Year's Eve and concluded '2014: The Busiest Year Of My Life' with a celebratory glass of fizz and a debate about which room to redecorate first.

I've just about caught up with myself now, and as such have some brain space available for blogging. I'm hoping to share some properly photographed knitting projects with you soon, possibly along with some home decorating adventures and maybe even a bit of baking. Until then, au revoir!