Ooooh. Two posts on consecutive days!

Lets see who can pick the afternoons where Euan is having a long sleep? It's great because, not only is the house quiet, but I can waste time doing things like taking photos of wool and blogging. Aren't you all so lucky :-)

Anyhoo, here are some pics of my recent sock yarn purchases. I actually have most of them lined up for projects and I'm just waiting for my stomach to settle down so I can get started.

These two skeins I got from Knitterly Things, which stocks the most gorgeous hand dyed sock yarns.


This one I'm planning to use for a pair of Jaywalkers (and here for all the other relevant stuff). I must be the only person on the planet not to have knitted these but I was waiting for the right yarn to come along. I saw them knitted in this exact yarn and they looked so great that I have to stalk the site until they released some more.


I haven't completely decided on a pattern for these but I'm thinking Monkeys. This site has oodles of Monkeys, in fact I think she is Monkey Mad. But they are great looking socks.

The other two skeins I got from Ecoyarns, which is an Aussie site that does...um...eco yarns :-) They have really nice organic cottons, wools etc.. and I gave in and joined their sock club. It's my first club and I was nervous that I wouldn't like it or it would be to expensive, but so far so good.


This is my special sock club yarn. It came with a pretty funky pattern so I might give that a whirl.


This is some other yarn I bought because I love purple. I was thinking of trying these socks as they look like great summer socks and it would be a novelty to not sub yarn for once.

Part of me is thinking I should make one pair of socks for my Secret Pal as I haven't got my shit together and sent her anything yet. I have lots of ideas but am struggling to sort stuff out. Luckily I have a bit of time but I did want to send her a few different parcels. Hmm..I guess I'd actually have to knit something first though, which may be the sticking point.

There you go. Another update. Aren't you lucky! I feel sick now so I'm going to lie down. Bye.

Adventures in Blocking

Like a lot of novice knitters (and probably experienced knitters) I have always had a fear of blocking. I know it's important and I know it makes things fit better but I've never really know how to do it so I tend to knit everything in the round, give it a wash and hope for the best. As I've mainly knitted baby clothes so far this approach has got me by. But now I am trying to make a few more things for myself I realised that I just have to bite the bullet and try blocking.

After reading the endless info about blocking on Interweave's Knitting Daily newsletter I thought I should really make a start. Luckily I had just finished my Argosy scarf so I chucked it in a bucket of warm water and set about finding somewhere to block. That's when I realised that I live in a 2 bedroom cottage with a 2 year old and a large cat and absolutely no where big enough and off the floor that I can lay a wet scarf and a heap of pins. So it sat in the bucket for 3 days (I guess it was thoroughly wet after that) until this morning when Euan went out with his grandfather and I got some free time to lay a scarf on the floor.

So here it is in all it's blocking glory. I think the picture is a bit average but will take a better one when I can wear it.


Pattern: Argosy scarf from Knitty

Needles: Addi 4mm 40cm

Yarn: Noro Silk Garden (colour 244 I think) 2 skeins

Duration: I think it was about 4 days. It's a really quick knit and an very easy pattern to memorise.

Comments: I think my gauge must've been really out as although I was using the same yarn and needles called for in the pattern I only got 21 pattern repeats instead of 27. It's still a pretty big scarf so I'm not worried.

I guess now that I have crossed the blocking frontier I might need to have a think about gauge swatches. They seem like such a waste of time as I always want to get started straight away and I haven't had a giant failure just yet. Hmm...off to find some good links.

Frogging Life

Do you ever wish you could rip back a few weeks, months or years and make a few minor adjustments to improve the current WIP (or life as some people call it)? I sometimes look at my son and think "if only I had added this bit or not done this, then things might be a bit easier". I wish I'd inserted a lifeline to I could rip back with impunity. That's not to say he isn't a great kid but he has a few habits that I'd love to change but they seem a little embedded now even though he's only 2. Anyway, just the rambling thoughts of someone without much sleep.

Finally finished the Surprise Socks, which were actually my Dad's birthday present. I started them a few weeks ago and raced through the first sock only to run out of yarn 2 inches before the end of the second. As it was hand dyed yarn I couldn't just order more so I was lazy and ripped back to the start of the gusset and took a few stitches out (my Dad has narrow feet) but that made the yarn pool horribly so I had to face the music and rip back a few inches before the heel flap. I was so upset as I found the heel a pain (these are only my second socks) but I actually found a good mini-tute to pick up the stitches on my heel flap and so they came out better the second time around. Anyway here's one of them with my Dad modelling:


Pattern: Gentleman's Plain Winter Socks from Knitting Vintage Sock by Nancy Bush. My only mod was making them a bit shorter. Used the same amount of rib but less stockingette. I liked the longer look but just didn't have enough yarn.

Needles: Addi 2.5mm 40cm (started on dpns but just couldn't get my fingers around them and found 2 circs much easier and quicker)

Yarn: Hand dyed 100% merino fingering weight. Used the full 100g.

Duration: About 2.5 weeks due the all the problems. I didn't really read the pattern properly. It's written for men's size 8-9 but my Dad has size 12 feet so I needed a lot of extra yarn.

And just for posterity here's a picture of Dad and Euan:

Euan is wearing my first ever FO which was a beanie I made for my Dad's 40th birthday when I was 9. It was an acrylic, garter stitch monstrosity which he still treasures. I hope he likes the socks as much. He seemed a little under whelmed by them but I'm not sure he realised that I'd made them. He did ask if they were machine knitted which I am trying to take as a compliment. I guess someone in the family will let me know what he thinks of them (he's not that good at expressing himself).

And here's a little WIP. It's the argosy scarf from Knitty in Noro Silk Garden. This is after a day and a bit, so I'm hoping to finish it today.

In progress

Well I've been really slack lately and just haven't found the time to update this. I've had a bunch of things on the go or getting ready to start and have even taken photos, but nothing has made in onto my blog. So here is a little bit of what I've been doing for the past 3 weeks or so (and don't get excited, it's not much).

Here are some bits that, when assembled, will make the cutest little toy. Unfortunately I need my 4.5mm needles for something else so this had to wait.

These are some progress shots of my Sahara. I start this on the 4th of Jan and am really excited as it's the first top I've ever made for myself. I'm just hoping that it works out. The pattern calls for 100% silk but I think that's pretty impractical with a 19 month old so I'm making it out of some SWTC SoySilk that I had lying around. I'm not sure how long the sleeves will end up because it depends on how much yarn I have left.

This is 2 days work (I'm not actually that slow, I just don't get much knitting time)

This is 4 days later. The best thing is, as it's knitted top down, you can try it on as you go, and it fits like a glove. Sorry no pics of that as without the collar all you can see is boob :)

Also thought I'd add: we had a great time over the holiday period. Euan just loved having Dan at home and Dan loved being here. We didn't do anything too exciting but it was just great family time. I even managed to leave the house without taking my knitting which the boys seemed to appreciate. It's been a bit blergh having Dan go back to work, but it means I can get back to doing Angel Blossom stuff and Euan can get back to seeing his friends, so it's not all bad.

Finally some pictures

OK, so I promised some pictures and then didn't deliver. You'll get used to that. Here are the pictures of the finally finished Wavy. I only did 8 of the 10 repeats because I don't really like long scarves and I had gotten bored of knitting it. I desperately needed the needles for something else so it seemed like a great time to finish knitting.

What do you think? I know it looks a bit plain but it'll be a great, practical scarf if the weather ever gets cold enough or we head back overseas. The wool is a Cascade Heather so it's quite flecky, not as plain as it looks. I've got to work out how to block it now. I'm scared of knilling the wavy look. Wish me luck!

And here's my one finished Twinkletoe. These will be great little slippers when I get the gauge right and make it fit my foot. Not sure what to do with these (if I ever finished the second one). They might go to my brother's girlfriend who has pretty small feet and loves green.

Sorry, crap pic again. I really shouldn't take them at night as my camera is rubbish and just can't handle the low light.

Post xmas malaise

Well I haven't achieved much over the last few days. I was doing really well with my twinkletoes and finished the first one really quickly. Unfortunately, even though I had used the exact yarn and right needles I ended up with a really weird gauge. Instead of 22/26 (or something like that) I got 26/38 so my first slipper is very, very small. I'm so upset that I have put them on hold until I get the motivation back. Serves me right for not doing a gauge swatch. I know it's fine for scarves, but not so good for slippers or socks, or clothes for that matter. I guess I'll just have to become a "proper" knitter one day and try them! I'll get some picture up shortly so you can at least see how the first slipper turned out.

My wavy scarf is rattling along now that I have given up on the twinkletoes. I'm onto the 6th repeat fter doing 2.5 today. I have to ball up the next skein so I can finish the second half of the scarf. Should be done soon though. Hopefully it'll still be a little cool when we go to the UK so I can wear it. Will get some pictures of that soon too.

On a non-knitting note. We have finally decided to head to the UK about Easter time for 4-5 weeks as Euan is yet to meet any of his family and Dan and I haven't been for almost 2 years. I get such itchy feet after a year without travel. Luckily Dad has agreed to give us a few extra frequent flyer points so we shouldn't have to pay for the flights, otherwise we just couldn't afford it. Yay, I'm so excited!! Just trying to work out what nappies to take now.

Christmas was really nice. Euan was spoilt rotten by the family which thrilled us. They'd been pretty nonplussed about his birthday and first Christmas so we weren't holding out breath but it was a wonderful day. He is so tuckered out after all the parties and eating.

I promise I'll have a whole lot of pictures for next time. Hopefully I'll get them up before we reach 2007!

Present for me

Although I've been slack getting other peoples presents, I've managed to get a couple of little things for myself. I was starting to worry that this parecl would never arrive, but on the last postal day before Christmas my parcel man (well not my normal one, I think he's left as I haven't seen him for ages. He was so nice too) arrived with this little beauty:

Sorry, I'm having major problems with my camera. Everything looks crap :(

But anyway... I got four balls of Rowan Calmer. I refused to pay the prices asked in Oz so I bought direct from the UK and it was so much cheaper. It is just beautiful yarn. I plan to make a few pairs of knitty's finest. Hopefully some will be done in time for Christmas as I wanted them as presents. Fingers crossed.

While I was at it I thought I'd chuck in a ball of 100% alpaca sock yarn for myself. I want to have the finest dressed feet around. Artesano Alpaca is fair trade wool from Bolivia and OMG I have never felt anything so soft. I can't wait to start knitting with it, though I might try some cheaper stuff for my first pair of socks. Watch this space...