Finally!

I haven't been blogging for a while but I have been busy knitting and traveling.  I joined the Ravellenics over on Ravelry for the duration of the Olympics. This time I entered 2 events: the Toy Toss and the Wips Wrestling.

For the Toy Toss I knitted this sock monkey from Itty-Bitty Toys.

But my main project was for the Wips Wrestling event for which I entered my Summer Squares blanket aka The never ending blanket. Although I officially had time till the closing ceremony to finish the blanket, I had to finish it by 9 August because that is when we flew to Perth. So I knuckled down and knitted like a maniac.

4608.7m later I had this:

The blanket is knitted in Bendigo Woollen Mills 4ply Cotton on 4.5 needles. The pattern is based on The Blue Quartet. I am so pleased to finally have this  off the needles. It also meant that I could take extra enjoyment out of our Perth holiday.

The wildflowers have just started to make an appearance so here is a brief taste.

Fresh start

I had considered doing a retrospective post but once I started adding my projects for 2010 together I decided not to. Should you be interested and you are on Ravelry then you can see my forty completed projects here. And no Mary, I didn't count socks and mitts separately and even if I did I couldn't match your massive achievement of 97 completed projects!

Instead I am going to focus on the year to come. What would I like to achieve in the knitting world this year? Well, first and foremost, I would like to complete my Summer Squares Blanket. This poor blanket was very badly neglected during most of 2010. Just before christmas I decided to mend my ways and had a spurt of activity. Over the past two weeks I have managed to complete 11 more squares. I am now only two short of the halfway mark. I have completed 26 of the 56 squares.



This project also ties in rather nicely with two new groups I have joined on Ravelry. The first is the Stash Down Under group. Yes, yes I intend knitting from stash this year. With a caveat or two! For example, yarn acquired while traveling falls into the souvenir category and has nothing to do with stash enhancement nor does gifted or swapped yarn count. (These are my rules and I will bend them as I please).

The other closely related group is the Super Special Six Pattern Sock Club 2011. The intention is to knit six patterns this year. The patterns have been preselected through a voting process. The good thing about this club is that the rules are there to be adapted to suit your own purposes. The first pattern, Shur’tugal, is already underway and here is my progress.



I also intend learning new techniques and this sock pattern has already taught me something new in terms of twisted stitches.

My knitting output will be seriously compromised in the first half of the year for a couple of reasons. Nevertheless I intend to make the best of the situation by choosing appropriate projects but more of that at a later date.

Happy Knitting to all in 2011!

A year later

And I am still working on my Summer Squares blanket. Despite all my good intentions my pile of squares is growing ever so slowly.



Last week I finally managed to add two more squares to the pile. I still intend making a queen size blanket so I still have a long way to go!



I really don't know why I am so tardy because I love knitting these squares. Perhaps its because there are too many distractions? Like this Featherweight cardi I have started for the ColourMart competition.



And then there's the Lilac Stole I need to finish plus all the knitting I've been doing for a couple of swaps I'm involved in (and forgot to take pictures) and then there's some socks I need to knit, not to mention that new laceweight calling my name.......

From little things....

... big things grow. Or so the song tells us. And I hope that this will be the case for my Summer Squares blanket. I have finally completed another square. Here is the leaf.



Its been so long since I have worked on this blanket that I have forgotten how many squares I need. But I know I need many more!

I've been hoarding all my left over sock yarn because I just can't bear to throw out such pretty stuff. I thought I would knit one of these with all the left over yarn (and still might) but then I saw Dzonba on Ravelry. I knitted this in the course of an evening. When finished they look like this:




But once you put them on they look like this:



I used some left over Bendigo Woollen Mills Miami for these. This is a cotton/wool blend and as a result doesn't have a lot of stretch in it. I think if I used this yarn again I would do an extra increase row or two.

Finally some knitting

While on holiday I did manage to get some knitting done. I finished my Corona while we were in O'Reilly's which meant that I was able to wear it in the chilly mountain air at night.



I knitted this in Bendigo Woollen Mills Luxury 10ply in Ruby. I now understand why people have been raving about this yarn. It's a delight to have against your skin. Very soft with a nice bit of stretch in it. I'm already thinking about what else I can knit in this yarn.

I managed to get most of my Juno Regina knitted while away and finished it off this week. I blocked her yesterday and she measures 173 cm x 46 cm.



The shawl was knitted in Naturally Dawn 2ply in Black and it has a lovely soft, silky feel.





And finally, I have started catching up on the Summer Squares that were released while I was away on holiday.

This is called Cello.


And this is Moonshine.


Both these squares are for my cotton blanket. Moonshine is also the first of five squares for the Dark Star Stole which I am hoping to start this week. It is nice easy knitting, just complex enough to hold my interest but not too taxing. I figure it is the right knitting for a stressful time. We have started to pack and will start to move out of our bush paradise in just 12 days time. The countdown has begun!

FO: Golden Eye Shawl

Here she is! I finally managed to block my shawl and take some photos.



The shawl measures 96.5 cm square and the yarn is The Knittery 2ply merino in Lavender. Sadly The Knittery no longer exists. I used 3.5 mm circular needles. And Mary I still have 20gm left. I might have been able to squeeze another repeat out but then again I might just have run short!



This shawl is based on the first square in the Summer Squares project. For those of you interested you can still sign up because it will be running for another 8 weeks.



I really liked the beads I used. I love the colour variation as well as the way they change colour depending on the light. The beads are Japanese Miyuku seed beads in Metallic Dk Variegated Iris.



And here is the sixth square in the Summer Squares Project, the Viola. This is another square for my cotton blanket.

Summer Squares

I've completed the fifth Summer Square, Violin 2. Again the square is knitted in Bendigo Woollen Mills 4 ply cotton.



And taking Mary's lead here are the five squares I have knitted so far. Only another 31 squares to go to complete the blanket!



I've also started the edging on my Golden Eye shawl. I've knitted one side and I'm half way along the second side. I really like the colourful beads. The edging is going quite quickly - I just need more time to spend on it.

Juno Regina revisited

Remember sometime ago I started Juno and frogged it? Well I have cast on again. This time I am using Naturally Dawn 2 ply lace. This is a lovely 50/50 silk/wool blend and seems perfect for something as regal as Juno.



I have reached the point of the two row repeat for the next 42". So this project will become my holiday knitting in August. We are going on a bit of a road trip and this project seems the appropriate travelling partner.





I have completed the next square in the Summer Squares project, the Violin. This one is knitted in cotton and is part of my blanket project. It can also be part of a Quartet to form a shawl. I'm very tempted to do this but I fear it will have to wait a while.





I have started on the second jumper for my friend's granddaughter. She wants me to knit this pattern. And I am knitting the jumper in Bendigo Woollen Mills Classic 8 ply in Cherry Red.

I think this will become my "resting" project while I am knitting the edging for my Golden Eye shawl. I frogged my extra border repeat because I realised that I would definitely not have enough yarn left for the border. Now its time to knuckle down and get that edging done.

FO: Seamless Kimono

I've have finished the first of the two jumpers a friend has asked me to knit for her granddaughter. This is the seamless kimono.



Have I mentioned before how much I love seamless knitting. No seaming = bliss. I knitted this with Bendigo Woollen Mills alpaca. This is the second time I have knitted with this alpaca and I have to say that it is a delight to work with. In fact I like it so much that I am seriously thinking of getting some for myself to knit myself a Tangled Yoke cardigan.




I have finished the border for my Summer Squares Golden Eye shawl but would like to add one more repeat. I fear that I might not have quite enough yarn to do so. The people over on the Summer Squares group have been exceedingly helpful by calculating my yardage and other helpful suggestions. I've decided to take the risk and add one more border repeat before doing the edging. I will put in a lifeline just in case I run out of yarn and need to rip back.



I have completed the third Summer Square. This is the Dulcimer knitted in Bendigo Woollen Mills 4 ply cotton and will form part of my blanket.

Bits and pieces

I needed a quick gift for a two year old so I knitted Ellie the Elefante.



This pattern only takes a few hours to knit. I had to make up my own ears because my crochet skills are really rather pathetic.

I've completed my second Summer Square, the Double Bass.



This square will form part of my blanket. It is knit in Bendigo Woollen Mills 4 ply cotton in Snow.

A friend turned up the other day with a bag of yarn and a pleading expression and of course I caved in and agreed to knit two jumpers for her granddaughter. She supplied one pattern but left it up to me to find a pattern for the Bendigo Woollen Mills Alpaca. I've started Jacki Kelly's Seamless Kimono for a three year old.



This pattern knits up really quickly. And as I have said before, I'm hooked on seamless knitting.

Frogged...again

Yesterday I frogged Juno. I had been knitting along happily, enjoying the yarn and the pattern. But when I completed chart 4 and got ready to settle in for the long haul of a 2 row repeat for 42", I finally paid heed to that incessant little voice in the back of my mind. I pinned out the scarf and had to face the fact that the yarn and pattern just didn't go.



This is the second time I have frogged this yarn. First time round was for the Featherweight cardi were things just didn't feel right either. I really love the colour of this yarn and I like the feel of it. I don't want it to languish back in my stash again so please, any pattern suggestions to help me out here?

I've completed a second Golden Eye square for the Summer Squares project. This square was knit in Bendigo Woollen Mills 4 ply cotton using 4.5 mm needles. This square measures 35 x 35 cm and will form part of the blanket I intend to knit.

FO: Featherweight Cardigan

The Featherweight Cardigan is finished.



It's impossible to take decent photos these days. Everyday seems to be dull and overcast. But at least you'll get an idea of the cardi. I knitted this with Bendigo Woollen Mills Classic 3 ply in Deep Pink on 3.5mm circular needles. My only modification was to knit the cuffs and border in moss stitch (seed stitch to some of you) instead of a K1, P1 rib.

I'm hooked on seamless cardigans. Only a few ends to weave in at the end and that's it!

Mary has led me into temptation. I've succumbed and I've joined Summer Squares.



Here is my first square. This is knitted in The Knittery 2 ply merino in Lavender (sadly no longer exists) with 3.5mm needles. My square measures 30 x 30 cm and will probably become a shawl. I have also started on a square in cotton which will become a blanket but more of that later.