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!