Beginnings

I seem to have started (and continued) a few things of late but I don't have much to show for my efforts.

Firstly here is my Snow Queen shawl. I have completed the first three charts and chart D now awaits my attention. I noticed it has a lot of nupps in it so I am going to get plenty of opportunities to conquer this technique.



Secondly I have started to knit a pair of Jeweled Steps. I'm knitting with Flat Feet for the first time. It is a strange experience. I like the colour changes but its a little awkward knitting with crinkly yarn. And the knitting looks a bit bumpy as well but I'm sure that will smooth out once the socks are washed and blocked.



And finally, I have opened my February Personal Sock Yarn Club and the yarn is from Ewe Give Me the Knits. This is destined to become a Traveling Woman.

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.

Summer Lace: Panama Shawl

I finished my Panama Shawl yesterday.



This is a very large shawl. The KAL consisted of 10 clues and from the sixth clue onwards you were given the option of finishing the shawl. I finished my shawl after the sixth clue.



The yarn is Bendigo Woollen Mills 3 ply but I have no idea what the colourway is. It was one of those bargain buys from the famous backroom at the Mill itself. Needle size 3.5mm.



Now I am eagerly anticipating the start of the Snow Queen Pi shawl and I need to start practicing my circular cast on.

FO: Angee

I have finished the first project in my personal sock yarn club. Angee by CookieA.



These were knitted two at a time on 2.25 circular needles and with Opal yarn in solid blue. I'm getting a bit better at moving the stitches around when knitting the gusset (something that is never a problem when knitting a Cat Bordhi pattern). I did have to redo the heels because I hadn't arranged the stitches properly and so when continuing the pattern across the top of the foot the pattern didn't align properly. Fortunately it wasn't difficult to redo the heels and rearrange the stitches correctly.



I have finished clue 4 for my Panama Shawl but there is really not much to show at this stage. I think my shawl may well be large enough by the time I get to clue 6.

I am also keenly anticipating the start of the Snow Queen KAL. BadCatDesigns has started to prepare the ground with a few tutorials on her blog. Very, very useful.

A digression

Yesterday a friend came to visit and she taught me to spin with a spindle. And look here is proof.



I have made yarn! I like the challenge and the enjoyment of learning something new but I don't think I'm ready to go over to the dark side just yet. My pointy sticks are still my favourites.

And speaking of which, my socks and shawl are still progressing but another delightful distraction has appeared. I've been tempted by yet another lace KAL. This one is another of BadCatDesigns and is called the Snow Queen Pi Shawl. This one looks like it will offer quite a knitting challenge. Care to join me? Can you resist Annie?

On the needles

Only two projects on the needles at the moment. On Christmas day I cast on for the Panama Shawl KAL. I zoomed through the first two clues and then a few rows into the the third clue I realised I had made a major boo-boo. I had only knitted half the shawl! That's what happens when you get over confident and think that you don't need to read the instructions closely but can just go straight to the charts and start knitting. So I had to frog the lot and start again. Now I'm back on clue 3.



The yarn is Bendigo Woollen Mills 3 ply and the needles are 3.5mm.

I also opened my first project in my personal sock club. The yarn is Opal solid and the pattern was CookieA's Vilai from Sock Innovation but when I sat down to cast on I realised that I would have to use TWO cable needles while knitting these socks. I was in no mood for such a fiddly pattern so I paged to the next pattern in the book and settled for Angee.



Ah this is much better. Enough of a challenge to maintain interest but not too much to become taxing.

I've been seeing quite a few Traveling Women around lately and I'm tempted to cast on. But then again I also have my eye on an Aestlight shawl and I really must try a Swallowtail........

Off the needles

I finished these projects a little while ago but I've been a bit tardy posting about them.

First I made this reversible egg and nest for young Daniel and it was a great success.



He loved the way the egg transforms into a little bird.



The pattern is from itty-bitty toys.



Next I finished these lacy anklet socks for a special person and they will be winging their way to her shortly. I know she occasionally looks at my blog so I don't want to spoil the surprise completely. The yarn is Patonyle - lovely and soft. The pattern is from an old Creative Knitting magazine and unfortunately I now longer have the issue details. Oh and note the lovely sock blockers - this is their maiden fitting!




At the end of last week I received the Tofutsies from J. Thank you so much! They arrived too late to be included in my personal sock club but I already have plans....