J.D.

At last I can show you! Presenting J.D:

My first design has been featured in this month's issue of Magknits. Thanks to Reece, my brother, for being my mannequin. You can see the pattern here.

I should explain the name of my design! As I wrote in the introduction of the pattern, I said I was inspired by the David Jones logo, always known by me as DJ's. Swap those two letters around, and you get J.D! Coincidentally, J.D is also the name of the main character of my favorite television show, Scrubs!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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.............

Jamesey

Pattern: Jamesey by Mary Neal-Meador
Yarn: Moda Vera Merinos Fine 100% (14 balls)

This jumper turned out really great! Doesn't Dad look pleased? Although it is about three weeks late, I still thought it was quite a achievement to turn out a man-sized sweater in the amount of time I had. This simple sweater has drop-shoulder construction and no shaping so I was able to knit almost mindlessly in the round following the rib pattern. It looks really great and flattering on Dad and I am really pleased that he likes it!

Charade socks

Pattern: Charade by Sandra Park

1 skein Lorna's Laces sock in Navy

I finished these socks last night and I decided to wear them to sleep. They were really comfy but I woke to find them covered in pills form my flannelette sheets! I've just realised that these are the first socks I have ever made for myself because I have only ever knitted socks for others. I like the herringbone stripe pattern over them. More finished objects coming soon!

A Productive Holiday

School starts again next week and I am looking forward to it because the musical starts! yay! I have gone shopping a lot this week and have picked up quite a few goodies as well as doing some sewing and completing a (small) project.

I have (another) magazine: Knit.1 Summer which has a couple of 'omg must knit these' projects in it like this:
A finished beret for my friend Mad who had been waiting a while for it due to my Dad's jumper commitments. She really likes it which is great!

Also, Vogue Knitting has their huge 200 page 25th anniversary magazine preview up which has quite a few really nice patterns for free from well known designers like Kaffe Fasset and Debbie Bliss. Go check it out.

Completed at last!

Yarn: Twinkle Soft Chunky, Peach
Needles: Denise 15mm and 12mm
Mods: Made the cardigan seamless and I also used shortrow shaping on the neckline instead of binding-off and picking up the stitches for the collar.

Well, Here it is at last! My Best Friend Cardigan! Overall I am very happy with the end result. Surprisingly, it isn't really puffy when you put it on. It's kind of slinky and very very soft. I am not sure how practical it will be, but i guess I have other cardigans for that job. It looks great over a my dark blue winter knit dress, tights and grey ballet flat shoes!


Progress of Thermal; Getting there slowly.

Starting and Finishing

Since my last post I have finished my caliometry headband:

An felted ipod nano sock for a friend:

Started a Twiggy tunic out of the deep purple freedom wool I bought:

And have recieved some fabulous new yarn!

Rowan Polar (discontinued) in a pinky-purplish colour 'Frizzle' which I was planning to use as a sub for Twinkle soft chunky, but alas, it doesn't work! *I give up* trying to find a good sub I think i will just splurge and buy the reccomended yarn! I mean, If wenlan Chia uses it for all her designs it must be alright?

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 ;)

First FO of the year finally.

Pattern: VK holiday 06
Yarn: Corriedale pencil roving 'chocolate' from theknittery.com.au
Needles: Denise 9mm
Modifications: Reduced no of sts at the start and followed pattern of shaping

I love this hat! I frogged it once at the start when i realised that the hat was going to be too big even though it is a 'bulky' beret. I just reduced the no of cast-on from 4o to 36 and then just followed the pattern of the shaping. easy. The pattern stitch was nice. a 2 stitch cable pattern. Even though the wool was humungo I still had to take my time to make sure i didn't snag the loosley spun yarn with my rather sharp denise.