'In Between' knitting

I have been knitting mainly small objects for myself and friends this week using up yarn from my embarrassingly small stash. This realisation prompted me to buy more yarn from trusty Spotlight and my LYS who are having a 40% off sale!! Generally, I don't bother with my LYS because I don't think the owner is very friendly. But a 40% off sale is too much too resist! I only bought a few balls of yarn because I only had like 15 dollars to spend, but I thought i did considerably well for how much I acutally bought. I will be going back on thursday when i have some more money!

Twilleys freedom Wool. $3.60 a skien (!) in a deep purple colour Planning to make the flying gloves from twinkles big city knits

Cleckheaton Merino Bambino in Red. $0.99 each! Planning to make Baudelaire socks By Cookie A from Knitty

Cheap Spotlight brand wool blend yarn
Planning to make a caliormetry headband from Knitty

After project slump

Not much knitting had been going on since i have finished my Lace Panel Sweater. It is not as though i haven't wanted to knit, I just don't have anything to knit. Even my trusty stash hasn't been able to give me much creative inspiration.

Speaking of inspiration, My new Twinkle book came last week and i have been drooling over this gorgeous book ever since. It is very very nice looking, is well laid out and planned and the photography is really really nice. I love just about all of the designs in it and I would love to knit them all! Even my Nan was getting into it! I would have got my needles stuck into the patterns by now if it weren't for the fact that i have no yarn and no needles. I have had to buy more needles becuase i don't just happen to have a spair set of 15mm and 12mm circular needles sitting around.

Really, I have just been searching for subsitiutes for the yarn the whole book asks for, Twinkle soft chunky. A super bulky yarn which costs 20 bucks a hank! Argh! Saying that, I would still like to get 2 balls and make something small.

More Twinkle for your inspiration:

FO: Lace panel sweater!

Pattern: Lace panel sweater from Jo sharp Knit issue 2
Yarn: Rowan all seasons cotton melange, Cookie.
Needles: Denise 4mm & 3.75mm
Mods: None
Things learnt: How to seam properly

I really like this sweater! I found it to be quite simple and I thought the pattern was very well written and easy to understand. ASC is one of my new favorites! It is very soft and was much more enjoyable to knit with than other cotton blends I have used. I would definitely recommend it. I think this sweater ended up being a little too large but it is still wearable, just a little roomier than i would have preferred. Don't you just love my seaming!? I thought i did a really great job. It was very exciting watching it all come together!

See that pink tube in the corner? That's my new needle tube from Dimmeys! It's super cute! It has hello kitty on it and it is the perfect size for my needles. It originally held marshmallows but that wasn't too much of a problem ;)

I love Twinkle

For a while now I have been craving knitting books. Big hardcover knitting books with pretty pictures and glossy paper. I really want to perfect my knitting skills and sink my teeth into a challenge. My mental list included Nancie Wiseman's The Knitters Book of Finishing Techniques, Teva Durham's innovative Loop-d-loop and most recently Eunny Jang's upcoming book. I was about to order Loop-d-Loop when I stumbled upon Twinkle's Big City Knits by Designer Wenlan Chia, and my god, I totally love the designs. Wenlan Chia is the designer of Twinkle whose designs regularly feature chunky knits. In this book, she has given us the patterns for her most popular knits straight off the runway. Have a sample:





Oh, By the way, I ordered this book from Amazon! Progress is coming along quickly regarding my Lace panel sweater. I am halfway through the second sleeve currently and after that is finished all I have to do is the seaming.

When the tough gets going.....Knit!

This week hasn't been the best. I caught the flu and have been feeling lousy. Lucky I know exactly what to do in this situation. Armed with the best hoodie ever, new yarn, and awsome sweater pattern and some pointy sticks i managed to pull myself through the week. Geez, I love knitting.

I have finished the back and nearly finished one of the sleeves. I am surprised how quick it is coming along. This is probably because when I was sick i sat in bed all day and knit. The lace pattern is quite easy to memorise and moves along very nicely. Sorry about the grainy pictures, there wasn't much light today.



The back before blocking: It looks huge. I hope it fits me! If it doesn't my mum has assured me that she will recieve it from me gladly, which is nice to know in a funny sort of way.