I know it seems a bit ridiculous given how swelteringly hot it is in Paradise at the moment, but I've actually finished a knitting project! All I can say is airconditioning helps.
I started this Macro Lace Cardigan by Laura Chau in June before we went on our big trip and then picked it up again in October. Well now it's finished! It took a little bit longer than I anticipated to do the bands which are really wide but I got there in the end.
The plum coloured Cascade 220 yarn is beautiful and I know that this version will become a favourite of mine like the lastMacro Lace Cardigan I made which by the way is now 'retired'.
I really enjoy knitting Laura Chau's patterns. They are easy to follow and she provides both a chart (which I prefer) and written instructions. Besides that, her designs actually fit me well.
Another thing I did before we went away was buy some more Cascade 220 to make another one of her designs. This time a pullover called Levina.
I pulled it out of the cupboard this morning and was a bit surprised to find navy blue yarn. I don't know what I was thinking at the time but if I was buying yarn today I would have bought something a bit more colourful - like the lovely reddish colour on the pattern! I will just have to dress it up with a colourful scarf.
Every summer I plan to make jumpers for winter and every year I seem to fail except this summer I'm determined to turn that record around. I've already finished one cardigan and hopefully I will add this pullover to my wardrobe as well.
I had a lovely quiet weekend with some stitching, knitting, and reading.
I haven't really done any knitting (apart from the teddy bear for Operation Christmas Child) since my holiday and although it's quite hot here now, the evenings are still mild enough to knit.
I started this cardigan - Macro Lace by Laura Chau - in June this year and I was making good progress until we went away. Before we left, I packed it up in its knitting bag and there it has been sitting for the last couple of months.
I couldn't quite remember where I was up to, but after a quick inspeciton, I was surprised to see that I was up to the bands. Confused? The bands are added after the body is complete. (Go and check out the photo on Ravelry so you can get a better idea.) I love the plum colour of the Cascade 220 yarn and can't wait to see it finished which is now looking like a real possibility since I've finished the sleeve bands and am now on the bottom band.
Cross and Burn...
I was excited to see that Val McDermid has written another Tony Hill novel. Excited because the last one ended with Tony and Carol's relationship in tatters and it seemed like the end of the line. I wasn't sure if Val McDermid was going to write another in the series and I heard an interview with her where at the time she said she wasn't sure herself.
At the start of Cross and Burn Tony and Carol have not had any contact with each since the murder of her brother Michael; the MIT has been disbanded; and Paula is now working for DI Alex Fielding (her character is nothing like the one on the Wire in the Blood series). There's a series of murders which involves them all in different ways. Tony in the meantime is at a loss without Carol and the book ends with the promise of reconciliation.
I've always loved this series but I was a bit disappointed with this one. It lacks the intensity of the previous novels which the interaction between Tony and Carol brings. Paula figures prominently l and I felt that her character lacked the depth required to bring the story to life. I'm hoping that this book was only a 'bridge' to unite the team again and there will be more Tony and Carol mysteries in the future.
I might not have done any stitching while on holiday, but I did do some knitting. I took some baby yarn and needles and started knitting on the flight over. I also bought some yarn over there and even though I didn't seem to spend much time knitting, I still managed to finish three baby jumpers. (I think the 20 hour flights helped.)
Both of these jumpers are Garter Yoke Baby Cardi pattern. The blue one on the left is knit in Patons Big Baby 8 ply which I took from home. I actually started this one on the flight going over. The other one is a yarn I bought in UK. It's Sirdar Snuggly Crofter and knits up to give a Fair Isle effect. I'm not sure that I really like it - it's a bit busy for me. I made that one for a girl and put the button holes on the opposite side. Both of them are for a 6month old.
The third cardigan is another Mini Chic but this time I made it for a 6-12month old and made the long sleeve version. This one was made on the flight home. I really struggled with sleeping and was glad I had my knitting with me.
The yarn was bought in UK and is King Cole Baby Comfort DK. The colour is actually mauve but on my computer it is blue! I really like this pattern but I think I prefer the cropped version better than the long sleeve. The yarn was very nice and soft to work with. I also bought another ball of baby yarn in a soft green colour but haven't started that one yet. I think I will try a different pattern with that one.
All of the blankets in the book are made in Cascade yarns but of course you can substitute other yarns. Cascade 220 is one of my favourite yarns and I find it wears really well so I think it would be a good choice for a blanket.
The blankets are really nice and while some of them are very baby-ish, most of them would be great for a small throw. Could see myself cuddled up under some them in our short winter. My favourite is a knit blanket with a crochet blanket stitch border. Would never have thought to do that.
Another nice addition to my knitting library.
While on the subject of baby knitting, last week I sent off a pile of baby knits to Knit4charities. I've been saving them up for a month when a charity was looking for some baby items and in June it was the Red Cross Young Parents Program.
So I bundled up what I had and sent them off. It makes me feel good knowing that someone will be blessed by something I made.
Now I can start a new 'pile' and plan to take at least one baby knit project with me on our very quickly approaching trip to UK.
It's the first of July which means that my 'crochet a hexagon a day for June' is finished.
I just tipped them all out onto my work table and did a quick count. (If you remember - I started with 20 and planned to finish the month with 50.)
The result? 54! How good is that? I recently calculated that to make a decent size throw I would need 100 hexagons so I'm over half way there.
I'm starting to run short of some of the colours and won't do any more until I get a few more balls of yarn. I think it needs some orange - I don't like the brown much but maybe a little black might be nice? The pinks are nice but think I've probably done enough. Will have to check out Tangled Yarns to see what other colours they have.
Macro Lace Cardigan...
I was very encouraged by how nice my new Shalom cardigan is. In fact I'm wearing it right now and actually like it better than the original one I made. The added length makes a big difference. Anyway, that gave me the confidence to make something else for myself.
I must be stuck in the past, because once again I'm making another favourite of mine. This time it's the Macro Lace Cardigan by Cosmicpluto (Laura Chau). I'm a real fan of Laura's knits and think I've made more of her designs than anyone else's. They are always easy to follow and more importantly fit well.
I originally made this one in 2011 and literally wear it all the time. I thought it was looking a bit shabby so when Webs had a recent sale on Cascade 220 I bought a few balls to make a new one. This time I've chosen a dark plum colour and have already started the lace pattern. Like all lace patterns, I found the first couple of rows a bit tricky but one the pattern was established it's much easier to see where I'm up to and if I've made a mistake.
See that 'thing' with the beads on it? That's my row counter. I can put it on my wrist and just move the beads to count the rows. I bought it a few years ago at Tangled Yarns and just love it.
I've actually been working on some knitting for myself lately. I say 'actually' because it seems ages since I knit something for myself.
It started when I had a big clean out of my shed last month and in the process went through my knitting cupboard and 'found' a whole heap of yarn that I had forgotten I had.
One of these was some Eco+ which was left over from my Vivido cardigan I made last year. I hadn't really forgotten completely about this yarn because it was always lurking in the back of mind as I wondered what to do with it.
I considered all sorts of things and was leaning towards a cowl but then one day I remembered the Shalom cardigan by Megan McFarlane. I made one in 2010 and wore it all the time (it has since retired due to overwork). It's a perfect little cardigan for paradise and I wore mine over a long sleeve t-shirt and added a scarf on colder days.
Last time I had found some adjustments to make it to my size and fortunately I kept those in my Knitting Journal so it was just a matter of casting on and starting to knit.
It turned out to be a really quick project and took my only about 2 weeks. The only difference between this one and the 'old' one is the length. Last time I only had one ball of the yarn and I always felt that the cardigan could have been a tad longer. This time I had about 1.5 balls and was able to make it longer and still have some to spare.
The photo doesn't quite do it justice because the yoke obviously 'spreads' out when it's worn. But, I'm very pleased with it and know that it will become a favourite like it's predecessor.
Until next time
Lyn
PS I practiced my IPad posting today so that when I'm on the big trip I can post some photos of my adventure.
When we visited Tropical Paradise, not only did I take a book to read but I also took some knitting to do.
Mini Chic by Katie White was a really quick little knit. I actually finished it over the weekend when we were away. I even visited Lincraft in Topical Paradise to buy the buttons to finish it off.
I again used Patons Big Baby 8 Ply - this time in white which is not a favourite of mine. I decided to dress it up a bit with the pink buttons.
The size is 3-6 months but I must have made a mistake with the yardage listed on the pattern because I had approx. 1/4 of the ball left. I was sorry then that I hadn't made a larger size. The pattern includes a long sleeve version but I made the cap sleeve.
The pattern is well written and easy to follow making it a breeze to knit (that's why I finished it so quickly). Will definitely make this one again.
What to knit next...
I'm still mulling over what to knit next - perhaps something for myself? It's getting paradise cool up here which makes me appreciate my hand knits. I'm particularly enjoying the socks I've knit over the years and am thinking that maybe a new pair is in order? In the meantime, my crochet hexagons are progressing and I've kept up with my aim of making at least one a day. I'm trying not to think about how many I will actually need to make a rug - don't want to discourage myself completely.
I'm not a very tidy person. In fact Robin would say that I'm a very untidy person. My shed (studio) is where my untidiness shines through. Every now and then it gets the better of me and I have a bit of a clean up (Robin and I disagree as to what constitutes a clean up). On Saturday I tackled a cupboard where I keep my yarn. The first thing I did was bundle up a few balls of 4ply baby yarn that Mum had given me after making a decision to never knit with 4ply again after knitting Beyond Puerperium which seemed to take forever. I delved a bit deeper into the cupboard and I found this pile of crochet hexagons that I had started a long time ago - not sure exactly how long ago but I know it was a long time - with the intention of making a rug.
There's about 20 of them in varying stages of completion - some just waiting for the ends to be woven in while others needed another round. The pattern is Ruby Hexagon but my hexagons are smaller like Kelly's at Tangled yarns.
As I looked at them I thought how lovely the colours are and that it would be great to see it finished. So I made a plan to do just that.
The last time I crocheted a granny rug I followed a challenge by Meet me At Mike's called A Granny a Day until the End of May. By the end of that May I had a good start on a rug with 31 squares completed. I thought that I would do something similar for June and crochet a hexagon a day. I figure that by the end of this month I will have at least 50 hexagons which will be well on the way to having a finished rug.
So I bundled up the lovely Biggan yarn in a basket (also found in the shed) with scissors and a wool needle and put it next to my chair in front of the television.
I've started well and over the weekend I completed 2 more hexagons with ends woven in and all. Hopefully I can keep it up!
Until next time
Lyn
PS I am going to weave the ends in as I go - to avoid a total breakdown at the end!
I'm pleased to say that I finally finished the Bellevue cardigan that I have been knitting for an age.
I'm glad I 'found' it in the cupboard because I think it turned out really well.
Don't be fooled by the photo - the colour is actually purple. For some reason, the colour doesn't seem to photograph very well. The yarn is Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece and I've always found it to wash and wear well.
The pattern is really easy to follow and I think that Laura Chau would have to be one of my favourite designers. I've made a couple of her designs now and they've all turned out well with the patterns being easy to follow.
The top is knit from the bottom up and the sleeves are knit separately and then the stitches picked up in the bodice. The only seams were the sleeve seams - the shoulders are joined with a three needle bind off. Such a good idea.
I know I will get a lot of wear from this little cardigan and am so glad I finished it.
Mini Chic...
We're heading off to Tropical Paradise for a couple of days and I've been thinking about what knitting to take with me.
I settled on this Mini Chic baby cardigan in Patons Big Baby 8 ply. I had this yarn in my cupboard and although I'm not fussed on white, I figure I can brighten it up with some colourful buttons. Looking at the yardage requirement, I should have enough yarn to make the 3-6 months size.
That's the plan anyway.
I can't believe how cold the last couple of mornings have been. I even dragged out my dressing gown and knitted socks. Hoping that Tropical Paradise will be warmer.
When I started it, I wasn't 100% confident that I would get it out of one ball of Patons Big Baby 8 ply despite checking my tension and the yardage requirement listed in the pattern. But, as it turned out I had at least 2 metres left!
I've made mine for a boy and added some buttons with little trucks on them.
This pattern was so nice to knit and I think it's a winner. It was easy to follow and turned out well. Will definitely make it again.
Knitting UFO...
After finishing the baby cardi I thought I might turn my attention to some knitting for myself.
I've had this cardigan in my cupboard for a while. The pattern is Bellevue and I'm making the short sleeve version. It's knit from the bottom up and I was up to the underarm. The sleeves are knit separately and then the stitches are picked up at the yoke. It's then knit in one piece. I finished the sleeves this week and am now up to the neck. I'm a bit concerned that it might be too big/long. Hopefully it will be okay. Paradise weather is perfect for a short sleeve jumper at present.
Challenges...
I've had a really challenging week this week and feel like I've had the wind knocked out of me! I downloaded a nice book to read and intend to spend some time out this weekend trying to 'regroup'. Hopefully next week will be better.
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