skein

Another not very productive week of knitting

Knitting has been foiled again!  A bad back (now much better) has thwarted any attempt to pick up the knitting and do some actual knitting.  Most people find knitting calms and relaxes them, soothes them when they're poorly.  Me, I can't knit when ill, anxious or stressed.   My bad back was only a little poorly, but enough to put me off knitting.

So my May goals will not be met.  The hat and baby garment are not cast on,  the May socks are only half completed and Flagstone will not be finished in four evenings!  I have been working on this though, and have completed the body.

Mr C looked a bit worried when I held it up to show him; he thought I had unintentional big holes on the front and hadn't noticed...

I've sleeves, pocket backs and front borders to knit now.  

I finished the body Saturday early evening, and then wasted the rest of the evening, Sunday morning and most of the afternoon messing around on ravelry, trying to decide which crochet pattern to use for a bedside table cover.

My origianl idea (because this is a circular table) was a circle ripple pattern.  I'm determined to use my Rowan 4ply cotton stash.  I've kept hold of this for ages, thinking I could make a lovely striped top or a cute baby cardigan, waiting for the right project.  Not any longer, it will be used!  

A little foray into quick crochet dishcloths for a few hours - using the remnants from my Handknit dk cotton remnants. Unsuccessful. 

Back to ravelry.  I also have some lemon Patons 4ply cotton, reserved for baby blankets but never used.  My second idea is to sue this as a background and maybe crochet squares.   I'm not too sure I'd like a round ripple blanket.   I love circles though, and thought about circles make into squares using the lemon.  But in the end I've gone for the pattern which half of ravelry seems to have crocheted, the Flowers in the Snow, except mine will be Flowers in the Sun! 

This pattern is dead easy.  It's just trebles and chains, and is easily memorised.   And I like the join as you go idea, I know after crocheting a large number of squares I'll put off finsihng if there's lots of seaming to do.  

My Plan is to crochet a lot of circles and join them after I've done a few.  It's gong to take HUNDREDS  of these blighters to make a blanket, as it's 4ply and they're small. Well, maybe a few hundred.  I'll be able to tell once I start joining htem.  I was thining of crocheting about 20 circles at a time,  then adding the last round.  Maybe having a crochet day or a few evenings a week.  

The colours I have aren't that inspiring, but I'm hoping the light lemon will lighten up the overall blanket.  First square completed, and about four circles crocheted in hte evening. 

Flagstone progress - and a new project!

I've not worked much on Flagstone.  I'm past the patterned bit and it's just stocking stitch now, pretty boring.  I'm now 6" into the body, just about to start increasing after waist shaping. 

 

And a new wip!  I finished two pairs of mitts and cast on - a shawl. First one this year.  I've gone for a simple garter stitch shawl, in two colours, blue and pink, not my usual colours at all.

 

The blue is from IKL sock club, the pink was won in a competition on the SKA ravelry board.   

The beginnings of Different Lines:

I fully intended to start a crochet blanket for my table (in some stashed Rowan 4ply cotton) but relaly fancied a shawl, despite the weather forcast being Good and Sunny and Warm this week. 

 

Not one but two pairs of finished mitts.

Due to some over exertion in lifting boxes and bins of yarn I have a bad back. This has meant that I'm disinclined to do much knitting or start new projects so I've taken the opportunity to  finish off these two pairs of mitts.

My first pair are knitted, and are the fourth pair this year. 

Pattern:  Koigu Wristers

Yarn: Shelridge Farm Soft Touch Ultra, 42g

Needles: 2.25mm

A very easy mitts pattern, and I'M SO GLAD TO USE UP THIS YARN!    It was hanging arond in the stash, I'm not particular to these colour and had tried many times to knit socks iwht it.  Still have a ball and a bit to use but I've made a start!

Second pair of mitts, my fifth for the year and my first pair of crochet mitts.

   

Pattern: Oxidise

Hook: 3mm

Yarn: Manos Silk Blend, 52g, olive mix

Mods: had to do a dc around thumb slit as my cast on chains were terrible!  

I have actually crocheted THREE pairs of mitts, as the second one was a lot smaller than the frist!  I had changed hooks but not the size of the hook, who would have thought such a little change would have such a drastic result!  It's either down to the hook head, which seems smaller on the second hoook, or the way I am gripping the hook and tightenting up a lot.  I really wanted to tighten up with the second hook, not so with the first.  Odd.  .

This pattern is dead easy. It's really just a rectangle seamed, leaving room for a a thumb when sewing up.  I fully intended doing a little thumb but was a bit fed up after doing three, so just did a row of dc to tidy it up.    Manos is lovely to crochet with, by the way.   A very easy pattern.  Next time I might look for one worked in the round, with gusset shaping.  Or make up one, I like plain crochet, and can do increases! 

 

Introducing the next garment

I've started my next garment for IntSweMoDo2012.  It's from the latest Twist Collective (as if I don't have enough patterns to choose from).

Flagstone, a top down, sport weight cardigan.   I'm using stash yarn again, this time it's Louisa Harding's Aimee, a cotton cashmere blend. 

To get tension I've gone down to a 3mm needle.  In my book this makes this garment a 4ply one.  It's at times like this I wish I was three stone lighter! 

I'm past the divide for armholes bit and am now working the body. In fact I'm on the waist shaping (though alas not at the waist yet!)/

Shame on me, I didn't take any photos all weekend, except for one just after reaching the armhole, couldn't even be bothered to go outside (in the rain) to get some sort of daylight photo.  So here's the indoor mobile shot. the colour is slightly deeper, less washed out than this.   It's all scrunched up because I am using a 60cm circular.  Good job it's thin yarn!

I still have this mad urge to crochet, and spent a good time over the weekend crocheting a second crochet mitt - only to find it was significantly smaller than the first one!  I blame it on using a different crochet hook.  Same size, but the head of the second hook seemed more compact.  The mitts are in the naughty corner for a while, but I shall have another go in a week or two.

And.... Tunisian crochet!  I ordered a cheap set of hooks (as I wasn't too sure what size to buy)  but have realised that I don't like them this long, a bit like straight knitting needles.  I kept banging my chair arm as I was wiggling them around.   Not to be put off I've found patterns where you don't need the long hooks and might have a go at one of these.  I'll try to finish a few things off first, this could be quite addictive!   I'm not a huge fan of the Seventies type crochet, with big holes and clunky stitches, but I do like plainer crochet, either with a regular pattern of little holes or just plain trebles or half trebles.  I think Tunisian crochet might also fit the bill.  Trying very hard not to start anything!  

 

 

Lorna's Laces Glenwood socks

Just a quick pair of socks, using my rather extensive supply of Shepherd sock!  I fancied a Springlike colour, and this fitsl the bill.

Started March 31st, finished April 30th, usig 2.25mm needles.  My fourth pair of the year

These will definitely be for me, I made a right cock up on one of the heel short wors, so many loose stitches, and I think I may have dropped a few!  I had to darn in the holes!  I blame it on the wine I was drnking at the time, not a great idea to attempt short rows when drunk. and on the commute home!