a) River Wrap - Kidsilk Haze: it's a tale of woe. It started out as a commute knit. Just when I thought that I had the logic pegged...I made the mistake of trying to knit on my way home from work very late one evening when I was very tired (and fed up). My error was obvious. When I tried to rip it out, I couldn't seem to get the right number of stitches back on my needles. I put it to one side, thinking to tackle it when I was fresh......and each time I go back to it, look at my notes to see where I am, I cannot work it out! So it sits on my cupboard, winking at me. Sad but true, I may need to rip it out completely and start again. I am thinking of charting the pattern because I seem to see the logic and can track my progress more accurately when things are set out visually, rather than in a long sequence of 'do this, do that' instructions.
b) Scarf - Zitron Unikat Felting (Farbe 06): a commute knit for a colleague. She really liked a scarf that I knitted in the same colourway for my brother at Christmas. Naturally enough (not wanting to knit the same thing twice) I haven't made another version of the scarf she admired, I have done something different...wince, I hope that she likes it!
It's curling, so I want to try blocking it and then customising it with velvet ribbon and beads. I have never blocked anything before and I have read all of the warnings about rusty pins, so trying to track down some proper supplies.
It was fun in the week - I've told my colleague that the scarf is a birthday gift for my sister. So I got her to come with me in our lunch hour to help me choose the beads for it... ...so at least, I hope to have got that part right?!
c) Angelica Cardigan - Jaegar DK Silk: Okay I cast this on last night. It's from the RYC Summer Book 19 - Mother and Baby - no, not expecting. No, do not have children. I just liked the shape of the pattern and thought it would be interesting to knit. Also, I justified the book purchase on the basis that it is always useful to have children's patterns knocking around for those friends with lives more organised than my own - yes, those friends with bumps, babies and toddlers.
In my head, I see myself wearing this in July over a camisole, with simple cut linen trousers or something. So if you think that I am a 36 year old committing a mumsy folly - speak up now before I get any further!
If you do though, please provide other project ideas that would fit 12x 125m balls of DK silk (ideally, something that I can wear until the silk crumbles into dust or I pour red wine over it)! I had intended this yarn originally for a summer evening wrap but when I did my tension square I realised that it would be more like a summer blanket than a wrap. The weight of it is too heavy for the project that I had in mind - so I am going to switch yarn direction on that project and use something much lighter.
Photo 2: Purples and Blue
a) Debbie Bliss Quick Baby Knits - Rowan Glace Cotton: light blue summer jumper for a 1 year old, badly past its deadline. It is not quite abandoned (I cannot say the same for the shrug, jumper and two cardigan projects tucked away and musty at the back of my cupboard). The original gift recipient is expecting a sibling in May! So all being well, this jumper is just waiting for the bump to mature (I hereby promise to knit something newborn as well, even if it is simply a hat)!
b) Simple Lace Scarf - DK Wagtail mohair: a commute knit for my sister. It has a beaded trim to cheer it up. I am really not sure about it - just in terms of whether she will like it, as I am not sure that I like it myself. I really found it hard to find a pattern that would leap off the needles and feel right for her.
I had several false starts that I ripped out as I didn't like how the pattern was forming. With scarves, it seems to me that there must be an eternal search for patterns that work well on the back as well as the front.
c) Knitting Nature Jumper - Rowan Calmer: - as this is for me, everything else will get prioritised in front of it but I am almost up to the armhole shaping on the back. I really want to get on past all of the stocking stitch as this jumper has all sorts of circular needle construction techniques at the top that I have not ever tried before. Plus a lace yoke that I am looking forwards to.
In addition to the above, I have a number of other projects queuing for my attention over the summer. In part because they could look great but mostly because they involve a technique that I want to try out. The Knitting Nature Spiral scarf is one of those!
No doubt what I knit will change as new births, birthdays and other knitted item requests come in and take priority! I am sure that you know how it is - also, there is the fact that I was runner up in one of the Purlescence Storyteller Challenges (Alice in Wonderland) and that is a whole new strand of experimentation and fun for me - I'm just waiting to get my entry back so that I can continue working on my ideas, swatches and designs.
Watch this space!
3 comments:
I love the Angelica cardi - it's not mumsy at all - but if I were making it for myself I would lengthen the lace bit at the bottom significantly. Otherwise the proportions are quite boxy and, to my mind, not so flattering.
That picture of the blues and purples is just gorgeous!
The Knitting from Nature book is a lovely isn't it.. For me it is a toss up between this book and Loop-d-loop by Teva Durham for favourite book of the moment.
I noticed the Angelica jacket too. I thought it was going to have the shaping cleverly hidden in the cable edge pattern. I knitted this technique for a free Berrocco pattern (download). However, this way is probably better; Martin Storey is good at that sort of thing.
PS Mumsy are just the clothes with vomit on them. Omit the vomit and you will be fine.
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