knitting projects – Cup of Tea and a Yarn

Surprise!

I usually would describe myself as someone who would prefer to be challenged and try/learn something new as often as possible rather than sticking with the tried and true. And yet here I am on my third – yep, that’s my third! Vertices Unite. I’ve surprised myself.

Though it looks like I need practice picking up stitches tidily

There are a couple of differences, the first one was the smallest, and the second one was a size in between the small and large, and now I’m on the large. The other difference is, of course the colours 🙂

And if that wasn’t enough of a shock, I’ve just finished my second Way Out West Bandana Cowl, the second one was made with some of my handspun.

It’s a strange thing to have expectations about who you are and then surprise yourself…

So many lovely things…

There are so many things I want to make at the moment.

There are gorgeous frocks and skirts that I want to try sewing, weaving ideas I want to do, spinning some alpaca that my sister just bought for me, and then to top it off I received this in the post with even more lovely things:

I am extremely aware of how lucky we are right now. I am so very grateful to still have my job, and even more so to have some spare $$s to spend on making. And of course lucky to be able to roam freely around the country without worrying about the virus.

And whilst the guilty thought of a few months off sounds tempting, it is just as rewarding to pop the lovely things to one side until the weekend when there is an opportunity for them to get added to the rest of the pile of WIPs.

How many sweaters is enough?

I had decided that I had enough sweaters for this season and I wasn’t going to knit anymore….

I love how this ball kind of looks like a Kina 😀

Then while I was at FibreTron I admired the sweaters that looked like they weighed nothing and looked so feminine. I had to make one as soon as possible!

Before I commit my yarn budget to some yummy alpaca I thought I’d try a floaty thing with some stash yarn first. I found the Sweater No. 1 pattern by My Favourite Things (some really gorgeous patterns with quite a few in English), and it’s coming along really fast!

Then the other day PoisonGrrls (this link goes to Ravelry) who is one of my fav designers, launched a new sweater pattern called the Joanie Boatneck. It’s a stripey fitted raglan with cable detail on the raglan increase and the side seams.

They are running a KAL for this one and the knitting bit starts next week.

And. I’m doing it.

I guess the answer to the question “How many sweaters is enough?”, is that I obviously don’t feel like I have enough yet!

After thought proves to be too much thought!

I did my first afterthought heel socks. As you may tell by the title of this post, there were problems, many problems….

1. I put the waste yarn in the wrong place, so there is a random line on one of them and a half a line on the other. And I thought, well let’s be honest, I didn’t think.

2. I assumed it would mean no short rows, but the pattern I followed had a small short row gusset.

3. I had to pick up stitches with really tiny needles. Enough said.

4. Grafting and kitchener stitch. This was the second time I’d tried this and it looks just as awful as the first time.

5. Casting off at the rib usually means the socks are finished and then I had to deal with the disappointment after realising they weren’t.

So I guess I probably won’t try that again. Which is a bit of a shame because as much as I like how the decreases look, the aesthetics aren’t enough to make up for the headache.

Ranunculus

This was the tubular cast on sweater that I started. I didn’t get very far though because the yarn was so deliciously drapery and summery and we’re in the middle of winter.

I restarted with some possum merino yarn that I had bought by mistake (its an ethical and values thing… poor possums) which I held together with some holst garn super soft.

I like it alot more than I thought I would. I wasnt sure I’d like the boxyness of it. But it’s warm and comfy and the possum merino is incredibly light 😁

Tubular Top

My first tubular cast on.

Just when I think I’m getting past beginner knitter stage I learn another technique. It’s like knitting is the crafting rainbow, you think you’re getting closer to the pot of gold and it’s always just out of reach. 😁

It only took 4 goes to get it right… It probably didn’t help that the yarn is so beautifully silky and the needles are pretty big and both of those things are outside my comfort zone.

The yarn is a gorgeous 50 percent merino 50 percent silk from New Zealand indy dyer and designer Harnie Hoolie that I got at Unwind in Dunedin earlier in the year. And the cast on is the Ranunculus sweater (this link opens in Ravelry)

I’ve cast on as part of a small knit along I’ve joined. I’m unsure about the top, I have a feeling it might not suit me, but I hear its a really quick knit so I’m giving it a go.

Sweater Weather

You’ve heard of Double Denim? I love being able to do Oodles of Knits!

We don’t get really cold weather in Tauranga so when it does get a bit cooler I feel like I have to wear all of my warmer knits all at once.

Newest sweater is the Verdure Sweater by Ambah O’Brien

Today’s walk was accompanied by my newest sweater on it’s first outing, knitted hat, fingerless mittens and socks. I wanted to do a shawl/scarf/cowl as well but I almost fainted from overheating!

Late last year I started to knit garments, I started with a couple of lighter summer knits and I have just finished my 3rd Autumny/Wintery sweater and I have just cast on the Love Note sweater…. it’s like I don’t know what else to knit!

Last year was shawls, and I made so many that even after giving loads away I still have a big container full, at least tops take longer so I shouldn’t have too many to wear for my wardrobe for a little while, I just need to hope for the cooler weather to hang around a bit so I get lots of wear out of them 😀

Suffering Socks

I love having a pair of socks on the go, they’re the perfect handbag project. I can easily whip them out while having a coffee in a cafe, or on a quick car trip (when I’m not driving), waiting for appointments, or in the last 5 minutes of my lunch break.

My work mates are also used to me knitting on socks in team meetings, they understand that it really helps me concentrate on what everyone is saying.

The last couple of months, working from home has meant I’ve been able to knit on bigger projects in meetings because they don’t have to fit in my handbag, and so, my socks have been suffering from lack of attention.

On Monday this all changed, with the whole of New Zealand open again except for the borders and the country now in recovery mode. And so my socks have once again returned to their rightful place as the knitting to grab as I’m heading out of the front door.