A 'Credit Crunch' Cardigan

I have finally got around to blocking the shawl that I got free with my Rowan membership last year. I do really like the stitch pattern, but the shawl has turned out a little bit too wide and a bit too short.

It has stretched a bit with blocking, but it's still not great (that may be due to my blocking). I will definitely use the stitch pattern again in the future, it was really easy to memorise and I think it looks really good once blocked - maybe for a cushion cover or something..... It would look really nice with a contrasting colour fabric underneath.


( I think my boyfriend may say the main problem with it is that it's taking a while to block, so our corridor is now kind of out of order - oops!).

I was planning to use my few days that I took off work to finish my Granite jumper - I haven't.
I just need to finish knitting the fronts and then sew it up (I really am dreading that!).

However, I did start a new cardigan (The 'Credit Crunch' cardigan, only because I like the alliteration/it was cheap/I started it the day we actually entered into a recession). I was tempted by some really cheap acrylic ( I know, its not my preferred choice, but this cardigan only has one size so I have no clue if it will fit me, or even suit me if it does fit) so I can't really justify buying 400g of some lovely yarn.

If it does look nice on me that will (of course!) justify me buying nice wool and knitting it again. It has been a really quick knit so far, I started it Friday evening and last night I had got to the lace section at the top of the back (and I am really not a fast knitter). I think it looks quite good.


The only problem is that I seem to be ok with stitch gauge, however my row gauge is MILES off. This cardigan is going to end up much longer than the one in the book, I don't think that this is a problem though as I am quite tall, as long as I do the same for the two fronts.

If my understanding is right it should only effect picking up the stitches for the button bands, I might just need to pick up a few more stitches and do some maths to work out where my button holes should go.

Please tell me if I am ignoring some massive coming problem due to my row gauge issues!

What should I knit now?

Well I finished my deadline project - a knitted cactus for J. Yes I did forget to photograph it before gifting, but luckily it still lives in our office so it can have a photo shoot tomorrow. It was really easy and I am now in love with Jean Greenhowe patterns. I have had a few pamphlets for a while now - why do I not use them more often?

I need some inspiration!!! There are millions of things I want to knit, and to be fair I have started 3 projects in the past 2 days and frogged them all! Argh, I either don't have the right/enough yarn (I don't understand how this is possible as I have two cupboards worth!).

I am going to restart the scarf which I just frogged, it is my first attempt at illusion knitting, which I think is really interesting. Well we will see how it comes out....

This is how it looks at the moment:


Those are the wrong size needles - I completely ignored the go DOWN a needle size instruction, so the pattern was just not showing through. I have chosen 2 shades of brown, hoping that my brother will like it, hopefully it will suit the pattern. I guess this is one to wait and see what happens. I'm planning this to be the project which I take to SnB this week.

The only main thing I've got on my needles now is my Granite jumper, but I'm going to wait until the end of the week to attempt to finish it off. I've got Friday off work and the house to myself to lay it all out and try to work out what I'm doing next.

This is my picture from the other day, it is now a tiny bit further on, but still looks very similar.



Really I need a small project to take on the train with me, I guess that will be the endpaper knits, but I'm not sure how good an idea it is to try my first colour-work on the train. Any thoughts?

Some finished projects...
My Snowy Cowl - the one the caterpillar dropped out of.


My Alpaca cabled wrist warmers - if you know me and have avoided my shoving these in your face to show you the cable work then congratulations, you are one of very few!

Freaking out the muggles

It seems to me that this week I will mostly be freaking out any non-knitter who happens to come anywhere near me! It started Monday morning when I got on the underground, started casting on a cabled headband (as you do) and the woman next to me asked for a demonstration of the long-tail cast on. The shock on the poor man's face sitting opposite us was a sight to see. He was obviously just a little bit surprised that not only was there one crazy knitting lady on his tube, but two!

Tuesday came along and my tube home was so busy that there was no way I was going to get a seat, so I started knitting standing up. Well let me tell you, people soon start moving down the carriage away from the doors if there is a knitter there. I wasn't even using sharp metal needles or anything, just my Denise interchangeable circulars (which I still adore). Hehe, may repeat that in the future.

Then today I went to my first work Stitch and Bitch meeting, which was really good, but it was a little bit weird seeing every other member of staff walk in and either do a massive double take or stand and point (which I think is a little harsh!). I will keep going though because everyone seems so nice, plus how many people are lucky enough to have a knitting group at work?

.... Well I did have a photo of my current project to post here to show how chaotic it looks, but once again my camera cable has disappeared somewhere into the abyss of knitting related items which is my flat (despite that fact that I put a little tag on it saying "camera" and put it in a so called 'safe place' - no I have no idea where that is now).

You will just have to imagine it....

2 balls of bamboo yarn connected to one piece of knitting
2 Denise Interchangeable Cables
- One used as a stitch holder
- One actually with needles on it
1 row counter

Sounds like fun doesn't it!

Argh!

Ending 2008 / Starting 2009

Sorry, this is going to be quite a random post. It is basically summing up from Christmas until now...

So... I didn't burn Christmas Dinner:


I got loads of lovely knitting related presents (and some great non-knitting presents) -
Thank You to everyone!

I learnt to cable on Christmas day and had made some arm warmers by the 27th. I really need to block them before I take any photos, but I keep wearing them / shoving them in peoples faces to show them that I can do cables.

I finished the scarf for my Mum - and got it blocked ( I know the edges are suppose to be straight, but I had a lack of time / pins and actually really like how it turned out). Plus my Mum cried when I gave it to her, so I think she liked it too.



On New Year's Eve I went for a walk with my Dad - It was about -2 degrees (ignoring the wind), but I ended up boiling due to the number of hand knitted items I was wearing.

It was really gorgeous...

and there were lots of sheep!

And I finished my competition entry for Knitting Magazine - I am actually quite proud, it is the first time I have typed up a pattern and have really properly designed something. It is a Cafetiere Cover and here it is:

It is knitted in Rowan Tapestry, which looks brilliant, and exactly what I wanted, but I did find it a little bit splitty to knit with. Plus I'm not sure if its my tensioning, but it did seem to lose it's twist quite easily. I would still use it again though, it looks great. I lined my cosy with some brown felt and voila!

Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Just a quick note...

To say Happy New Year!

Have been really busy over the past couple of weeks and have loads of photos to post - including some finished objects! I know shocking! I have just been putting the finishing touches to my entry for the Knitting Magazine Cafetiere Cosy - I'm pretty pleased with it. Pictures to follow after the closing date :)

Any knitting resolutions?
Mine are:
- To learn crochet
- To finish my first jumper
- To use fair isle
- To try to do some spinning every week

(I'm sure I will add to this list over the next few days!)

Merry Christmas

Or at least it will be by the time I have finished this... This is a picture of christmas at our house, our first together - I'm actually a little bit nervous, hope I don't burn dinner!

I'm going back to Newcastle on Saturday to spend time with my family, but hopefully might be able to fight my way to the computer for a couple of hours.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Christmas is coming! (When did that happen?)

I had big plans in September - I was planning to knit something for just about anyone I had ever met. However, despite a massive list of people/things to knit I did not start.

By November I realised that I may actually need to start, but that I probably needed to take some people off the list.

By December I had started my knitting and was making good progress on my Mum's scarf, my main concern was my hat for my Dad. (We already know that is finished and handed over) but surprisingly after 2 weeks of practically no knitting I am now VERY behind with the lace scarf for my Mum. Argh! At least I am not going up to Newcastle until the 27th, but I'm not sure how happy national express will be with me trying to block a scarf on the train! Hmm I might have to think about finishing that a bit sooner.....

I have started the second sleeve of my first jumper - I know it would have made more sense to knit some of the scarf, but it's not really TV knitting. It is a really lovely pattern (Branching Out by Susan Laurence) and for some people it would be really easy, but this is my first lace project and needs a lot of attention!

Looks great though:
Best of luck for everyone else and their Christmas knitting, I'm planning to post again before Christmas, but who knows, I might actually knuckle down and tidy the house or finish my knitting :)