Etsy!

I only just recently discovered Etsy; the wonder sweeping the D.I.Y. world. Unfortunately, I now spend an illegal amount of time browsing the numerous sellers wares. It is like a giant, colourful, online, craft market and I love that.

I was lucky enough to recieve some beautiful handmade copper earrings from my brothers. They are from susanmariedesigns.

It's got me longing to open a store of my own!

Christmas Day

I hope you had an excellent Christmas. I sure did. An excellent day was had for all. Lots of laughter, food and presents.

Totally and utterly spolit.

last-minute problems

Hi all, and thank you for all your lovely comments left about my two new sweaters. It always really nice to when someone leaves a friendly comment!

I am running into some technical difficulties with my Tilted Duster. Firstly, I was knitting away and I thought I was simply speeding along. I had already finished the back, fronts and sleeves and believed that I'd get it done last weekend. Oh how wrong I was; the skirt took me forever. I only just finished it 5 minutes ago actually.

Secondly, I somehow messed up my calculations for the amount of yarn I needed (yardage to meter conversions I suspect!) and the skirt ended up being a little shorter than written. Hopefully I have got a small amount leftover from the sleeves under my bed somewhere.

I am trying not to stress too much because I don't think that knitting would be as quite as exciting without all the drama that comes with it.

Oh well. At least the buttons are pretty.

UPDATE! I completed the Tilted Duster today because I found some leftover yarn! hooray! I will write an FO post when I give my mum her present on Christmas Day.

Thermal

Without futher ado, I give you Thermal!

Thermal by Laura Chau from Knitty Winter 06
16 balls of Merino Bambino in Off-white (on sale for 99¢ a ball!!)
Ravelry link to my version

I love this sweater so much! it's so light, warm and soft! It took me quite a long time to knit, but folks, it was totally worth it. I have had numerous people ask me I have knit it myself or I bought it. I really like this pattern in white and I know that it will go with everything I wear.

Boatneck sweater

Pattern: Boatneck sweater by Shiri Mor. My version on Ravlery

Yarn: TLC CaraMia

I did not modify this sweater apart from applying a different gauge (18 sts to 4" instead of 16 sts to 4 ") and knitting the sleeves in the round.

This sweater really didn't take much time to knit and took less than three weeks of regular knitting. The finished sweater is very plain and simple but is so comfortable! The yarn is so soft and squooshy so I wish I had more to use! I know of some people who would go mad knitting this as the whole sweater is stockinette stitch, but I found it really nice to sit down and knit mindlessly in front of the television after busy days.

This sweater is certainly not fitted and is quite roomy especially the sleeves and armholes. If you are thinking about knitting this sweater be warned that on the schematics it seems as though there is 0 inches ease around the bust in the body section. In reality, the raglan seams of this sweater come down past your bust so you are given a little extra room. The styling of this sweater is a wide boatneck so on me it slides down on one side naturally which I think it is designed to do. The sleeves are also shorter in length to accomodate this and the large raglan armholes. It is a nice realxed casual sweater.

I apologise for the terrible photos! Lack of sun combined with my trusty camera phone did not produce very good images. Hopefully this Christmas I will be upgrading!

Christmas Knitting

As the school term finally draws to an end this Friday, I decided to get underway with my plans for some knitted gifts for family and friends. As it is summer in Australia this time of year, I find it difficult to come up with knitted gifts because are they are generally for cold weather, although where I live, it doesn't hurt to have a couple of extra scarves.

So far, I am planning to knit 2 Elisa's nest totes and a Tilted Duster from Interweave Fall 07. Being the super organized person I am (not really), I have already bought the yarn:

Some more Moda Vera Bamboo/cotton for the string totes.

My progress on the Tilted duster. The back has been completed. I am knitting with 12ply Rustic in a steely blue/grey called Delta from the Bendigo Woollen Mills.

What are your plans for knitted gifts this year?

Back with a FO

I haven't been posting as regularly as I would like recently so to make up for lack of posts, I have a new finished project to show:

Pattern: Elisa's Nest Tote

Yarn: 2 balls Moda Vera Bamboo/cotton

Overall I am pretty pleased with the end result. It's not perfect but unbelievably practical. The yarn choice probably wasn't the best idea I have ever had. It nearly drove me mad while I knit with it. Bamboo/Cotton is made up of no less than 18 (!) different plies it was very splitty, although the finished fabric is really silky soft and lovely. I have found the perfect pattern for quick summer Christmas presents!

Catching Up: Magazines and Progress Shots

I know, Its been a while since I've posted. My excuse is school and a very badly timed flu.
What have i been up to apart from the end-of-year homework rush you may ask?
Good question, not much.
Well, not anything that I can show you at the moment anyway ;)
I have, however, bought some new knitting magazines as of late; Knit.1 fall 07 and Vogue Knitting Holiday 07. I have already started a project from knit.1:

I have completed the back and am up to the armhole bind-offs and I have been working on this for only a week! Although, it is pretty much mindless and I can watch a movie and knit at the same time :) The yarn, TLC CaraMia (yep acrylic but awesome amazing yarn) has been sitting in my yarn crate for quite a while. It's so squooshy and soft. My vision of the completed product is a sweater that I can put on that looks good and comfy.

Here are my favourites from the magazines:

Cropped cardi from Knit.1 (is that FUN FUR she is knitting with??)

Sparkle Tank from Vogue

Fair-isle sweater from Vogue

Thats all for now! Bye! (And yes, I know I still need to take a FO shot of Thermal)

Spoils of the U.S and A!

My mum recently got back from a holiday overseas and guess what she bought me! Yarn!

I received some True Love Fiber Merino and Tencel sock yarn (destined to become some pretty vintage gloves cos it's too pretty to be worn on my feet!):

Some Wisdom Yarns sock yarn:

And who can go to America without getting some Knit Picks?

It's Shine Sport in Cream and Cloud. I bought it to make this (ravelry link, sorry if you are not on) little summer top from Vogue Knitting. I am still waiting on two more colours: blush and aquamarine.

Baudelaire socks and show sucess!

I finished my first and probably only pair of socks for socktoberfest: Baudelaire!

Baudelaire by Cookie. A

4 balls of Cleckheaton Merino Bambino

Size medium with high instep

I really like these socks and the pattern is really great because it has included the normal sizes and also options for making socks for higher insteps. My favorite thing about these socks are the lacy pattern and the nifty way cookie increased 8 stitches in one row by hiding them as a cable. At the moment I am wearing them with my new Mary-Jane Slippers! The obligatory photo of them on my feet:

As for the show: In the open sections I got a 2nd place for Thermal and a 1st placing for these Baudelaire socks. In Junior, I received a 3rd place for my Chevron Scarf , a 2nd place for my Sweet Georgia handspun and a 1st for my Mary-Jane slippers (I won 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the junior division but I am not sure if I won just because no one else entered :-s ) I am pretty happy!

Back into routine

This week marked the start of the new school term and, quite frankly, I was more than happy to welcome some sense of rountine back into my life. Tomorrow it is the Mount Gambier show and I sent in all of my entries on Tuesday night. I was a bit worried that i wouldn't have my Baudelaire socks completed in time but I i finished them the night before!

Remember the lovely Sweet Georgia BFL roving I got? Well here she is all spun up!:

There was 100g in the braid and I spun it into two 2 ply 50g skeins. (for some reason my bobbins only fit 50g of singles. They don't seem to wind on very firmly??). I was aiming for a DK weight and I think I did a pretty good job maintaining the thickness. I's long draw spun and is so very soft!

Since I have no other huge projects on my needles, and becasue my dad was so happy with Jamesey, I decided I was going to knit him another jumper (we have a deal going on; if i knit him one he needs to get rid of one of his very out-dated jumpers) With some guidance and suggestions we decided on Cobblestone from Interweave Knits Fall 07 issue. With some further guidance and sample card from Bendigo Woollen Mills, I bought 3 balls of Rustic in the Russet colour. I really like the colour!

Mary Jane Slippers

Here is a project that I hadn't got around to showing you all:

Cozy-Toe slippers from Funky Knits

7 balls of Twilleys Freedom Wool - double stranded

12mm needles

These slippers are my first felting project and I am surprised at how thick the knitting became. It took quite a few runs through the washer to get these to my size but the finished result are very thick and warm! The only thing I would change is that there is a seam running down the sole of the slipper and it gets a little annoying. Next time I'll use a provisional cast-on and graft the two sides together. But for now, I hope it flattens over time.

I have finished Baudelaire sock #1! I got an awkward shot of it on my foot with my new slippers. Hopefully I get #2 done in time for the Mount Gambier show!

Spoiled

I am happy because I have some new yarn :)

Claudine ran out of the yarn I used for Jamesey so I offered to send her the remaining balls I had sitting in my stash. Generously, she sent me some Noro Kureyon in the beautiful bright colourway 154. I am sure I want to try out entrelac using this yarn. Maybe an entrelac bag?

Everything inside Claudine's package was so cute and colourful. she also included the bright buttons in the picture below. Thanks so much! Another package came for me this week. The long awaited buttons for my Twinkle Hoodie!

Does the background fabric look familiar? It's my thermal which is completed; Buttons and all! I'll show you a shot of it on the table: Will have a full FO report soon!

Finally, To feed my recent fibre hunger I won some Sweet Georgia (!) roving on eBay from Alison, who by complete coincidence just happened to live in Mount Gambier too! Isn't it amazing how the Internet connects people who you wouldn't meet otherwise?

Handspun, Buttons and Socktoberfest!

This week has been super busy as I have been performing in my schools musical Disco Inferno (see original post here). We had five performances spread over three days and it was an absolute blast! Man, I love performing!

Winding down after the busy week (and the after party that ended at 2!) I sat down and did some spinning. Here is my first handspun! I am so proud of myself!

Fiber: Handyed English Lecister from here

Sport weight, 154 grams

Who doesn't love cute button pictures? Here are some buttons I have been buying lately. Click here to find out what I will be using them for.

And finally, It's socktoberfest! My first project is Baudelaire my Cookie. A. Once again, I am using Cleckheaton Merino Bambino.

Her Name is Lola

No, not the showgirl, my new (borrowed) spinning wheel. I believe Lola (yes, I have named her, ahem) is a single treadle Castle/traveller style spinning wheel but I am unsure of the maker as there are no markings or stickers. Miss Millie wanted to join in on the photos. I have ordered some English Leicester fleece from here which I am hoping will be easy for me to spin as this type of fleece has a long staple. Wish me luck!

P.S: This is my 50th blog post! hurrah!

Jaywalker socks

Pattern : Jaywalker by Grumperina for Magknits

Yarn: 4 balls of Merino Bambino that I dyed myself

Ravelry link here

I am so pleased with these socks! so pleased in fact, that i am entering them into the Mount Gambier show. I am really surprised that the yarn striped as well as it did. I would like to do some more yarn dyeing in the holidays perhaps, but this time I think I might use acid dyes.

I haven't mentioned it yet, but I am on ravelry! I have been for months now. I just haven't got around to telling. If you would like to 'friend me' my username is beckydee.

oh, and I have been buying lots of buttons.............

Knit.1 Fall preview

After a what I thought was a rather boring Fall Vogue Knitting, seeing the preview projects for the knit.1 magazine was quite surprising. This looks like a rather promising issue and there are a few knits I know that I will be knitting.

I Absolutey love this unique little cardigan/pulloover. I can see myself knitting this one as soon as the magazine comes out

This ribbed cardigan has really cute details. love the toggle button closures.

This coat has potential. I would prefer the pleats to be under the bust. Reminds me of the Stella McCartney sweater coat

I really like this top too! Would be nice over another 3/4 sleeve plain top. All these are only the preview. I can't wait for this issue! It will be out on 11th of September.

I'm getting published!

Yep! Thats right! I am proud as punch to say that one of my first designs will be avaliable to you in the December issue of Magknits. I am really happy! No hints yet, You'll have to wait!

Too little time

The past few days in Mount Gambier have been beautiful and warm. You can definitely feel that spring is in the air. I wonder if winter will get it's revenge and come and bite us on the bum?
Probably.
It's Mount Gambier.


It seems strange that winter is coming to close already! I have only realised how many more sweaters and dresses I would like to knit and wear before the season is through. Now that it is coming into autumn in America all the magazines have shown fabulous new designs to tempt me!


Here are some patterns I am loving at the moment:

These three aren't new fall designs. They are from Rowan studio issue 1. The best part is that they can be sent to you via email though knitrowan.com so no more expensive international shipping costs! Picture number 1 is the design I have chosen for all that pink mohair featured in my previous post. The yarn they used is kidsilk haze, doubled, so I am confident it should work out. Although, I am pretty sure the colour has to go. I'll look like a giant stick of fairy floss.

Here is a Phildar design which has been on my to-do list for a number of months now. I love the slouchy grandpa cardigan look it has.