KnittingNatty

The drop stitch tank

I finished sewing up the drop stitch tank on Monday night:

 All the shots are self-modelled and are not quite in "perspective", my apologies!

Yes, that is a thread sticking up in the photos on my shoulder, the yet-to-be-attached sc edge should keep that little number in check. 

I made many modifications, including

• making the whole garment longer, approx 56 cms long
• making the ribbed section at the waist on the front longer, about 13 cms instead of 10
• using the smaller needle size throughout as I liked the look of the fabric a lot better than when I used the larger needle size
• adding a sc edge to the armholes
• a little gentle shoulder shaping by CO 9sts 3 times, and then CO rem stitches
• not putting buttonholes around the neck facing
• putting a hook and eye closure at the top of the neck
• doing 5 pattern repeats at the bottom edge instead of 3
• instead of doing a YO increase, picking up the middle leg between the stitches on the odd row side to make the gap smaller
• I still intend to add a crocheted edge to the top of the neck to finish it off

I think this fits better than if I had not done the mods, and that is what it is all about after all! I used all of 6 balls and will have to go into the 7th ball for the neck edging. Handy information to know.

As for the sock-yarn-that-sang, it is spiralling, so off to the frog pond it will go ... I knitted almost half a sock, just for the pleasure of it...

The colour is called Ginseng - still lovely!

 

Little cotton hat!

Ta-da! DD Caitlyn was fast asleep when I finished this hat for her, and I slipped it on her head regardless. She did not budge!

When she woke up the next day, she really liked it...
 

... if not the cameraman!

(the details are on Ravelry here)

There has been knitting!

Firstly, I decided some time ago to knit this drop stitch tank top, and finally towards the end of my holidays, I cast on:

I am using the recommended yarn, and cast on with the stated bigger needle size, but due to my inability to read the pattern, I decided to/ had to rip and start again. 

I took the opportunity to try a wee experiment. I am using the smaller needle size for the whole pattern, as (and learning from my recent experience with the Anniversary Pullover redux) I preferred the tighter fabric being produced. I dont want the drop stitches to be too "peek-a-boo". In a further measure to counter this, I am not doing the yarn overs on R6, but am instead picking up that stitch as a M1 on R7, and then knitting the picked up stitch straight away, which results in a smaller gap on the first row at least. This is the row that the dropped stitch unravels back to.

I am doing the back first, and am on the plain 2 x 2 rib section now. 

Now, I am still unsure as to how this will affect my yardage, but we will wait and see. I measured when I finished the first ball, and did a quick calculation. I was going to be too short! Thank goodness for Ravelry! I found someone who was happy to sell me some of the same yarn for not very much considering I will probably run out of yarn and the cost of the project would be lost.

 I will let you know how I get on re yardage...

Also: I love Ravelry!

Now, I will press on with the 2x2 rib. At least the tennis is on.

The lotus blossom tank

Finally, here is some of the knitting I promised you - today, we have the Lotus Blossom Tank

Here it is, pulled down at the front just a little:

(self portrait)
And some that my wonderful photographer hubbie took for me

Robbyn? That's my fake wreath, for your viewing pleasure! Doesn't smell very good, unless you like the smell of plastic ...

Whilst I was knitting this, I was mindful of the drapey-ness that Donni had indicated in her FO post using the same yarn and the same colour. I tried to make the length just long enough and thought that it would probably stretch down through the day as I wore it for the first time. I'll have to report back on that one.

Pattern: Lotus Blossom Tank - Interweave Knits - Ravelry link here

Needle: 3.5 mm - knitpicks options

Yarn: Cleckheaton Bamboo - here is a pic on flickr (attribution Flickr id quiltingmick/ michelle/ Michelle Mabelle) to have a look at. I used the same shade as is in the picture. This is a good picture to refer to as it shows the loosely chained construction of the yarn. it was not overly splitty, all the same. I used almost 6 balls and had 2 left over. Note that the details entered in Ravelry are a bit misleading. The entry indicates the yardage to be 125 yds, but it is however 125 m per ball. So I used almost 750m (820 yds). I gave the leftover balls to my Mum to have a play with. This would make a good in between seasons scarf or whatnot, as it is very very soft.


Notes:
I added knitting elastic to the garter stitch under the bustline, and did 6 and a half inches instead of 7 and a half for the flaps from the back to the front. I added at least one inch before splitting the front and the back to make allowances for cleavage, and forgot to knit up garter stitch rows before casting off the front section.

Never to mind, I picked up the stitches again and knitted them in with the rest of the neckline.

I will reserve my verdict until I see how the yarn behaves as a garment being worn: it is in the meantime very soft and very suited to the steamy climate I live in.

Blue

Blue for sky

and blue for mood. My mum left after her visit this morning. The older I get the harder it seems to say good bye. Also the harder it is to see her aging, little by little.

There has been knitting, though, hurrah!

Starfish from "Toys to Knit" by Tracy Chapman. Its a hit with the kids - pity it is going in the mail to Baby D on Monday!

I finally got back to Michele in "Hot Knits" by Melissa Leapman. I've had the yarn for almost a year, shame on me! And I'm starting with the sleeve to see how much yarn I have. A common theme with me - worrying about having enough yarn, it seems! My dear friend Bron sent me this yarn, and I am really really pleased with how the colours are knitting up together!

The next photo is crap for colour representation, but shows the stitch definition a little better:

I started a sock for the Hubster

and bought beads for the Secret of the Stole KAL
colour choice inspired by the charcoal cotton leftovers to the  left. Again, the colour representation is not the best, and my apologies.

Apologies also for the lack of words. Moping is pretty well the order of the day today.
But better luck tomorrow!

Project monogamy

This is what can be done when I stick to a simple and repeditive knit without straying onto other Projects (Please excuse the ends - will be woven in sometime before sending!)

The blankie was claimed by DD as soon as it was off the needles:

She loves da knittin':

and getting organised to inspect...

...dirt.

(as you do when you are 2).

Details: I ordered only 2 balls of Cotton Ease in each colour, orange, green and cream. I knit 8 rows of each colour until the cream colour ran out. I think switched to the next colour change, green, and did an ordinary cast off.

I'll post some better pictures once the ends are woven in and I give the whole she-bang a press with the iron.

Pattern specs to follow.

LPJ front completed!

Here it is, the front of the Lace Panel Jumper, all completed as of close of knitting business last night! It's all very end-ey, as I will wait until seaming to weave any ends in, as I try and use them for the actual seams as much as possible!

And we have even got some progress on a sleeve.
I
The colour is much more accuate in this second photo.

The big news in our house is that I will be returning to full time work in mid February. A job offer was made as a result of the application I submitted last year. There have been countless sleep deprived nights where we have both tossed and turned and wondered about what the right decision is, and I have concluded that there really is no right decision and that I will probably always feel torn about whatever decision I do make. I don't think any parent really makes these decisions lightly or without the best interests of their family as a whole. It's a temporary position for 6 months at this stage, so I guess we get a chance to see how it pans out mostly in one financial year.

At the moment, I am trying to ready the household by getting all manner of jobs done before I start; spring clean of the garden before the start of the wet season; carpet cleaning; go through the whole house and look for things to donate to charity; that kind of thing.

I also have some knitting I really want to have done by the start of work, for personal reasons. It may not make sense to anyone else, but all this frantic housework is  helping me mentally prepare for the  task of re-entering full time work after a 5 year hiatis.

I will still be knitting and blogging, but we'll have to see how it goes. Progress may be slow, or maybe not. Time will tell!

Oink: I'm a yarn pig, and loving it

Okay, first, pics of the mail haul:
This will be 2 cotton jumpers for me, a teapot cosy and a teapot mat; all from Jo Sharp Knit Issue 2: The jumpers are the Lace Panel Jumper/ Sweater and the plain cotton jumper/ sweater & will be made with the Evening and Chambra colourways.

Donna,  Terri and I are going to knit the Lace Panel Jumper/ Sweater at the same time and are having our own little knitalong. Let us know if you are also going to knit this jumper so that we can link to you!

This will be 2 kids knits, before Xmas, if I can make it:

I must confess, I love my knicknacks, and I couldn't resist ordering some bits and pieces. In for a penny, in for a pound, that sort of thing:

I have been looking for a stamp to use on the back of my handmade cards for some time, like years, as a sort of "signature". So I resisted these stamps for a few weeks, but then thought what the hey. I love the labels and can't wait to use one. I'm going to try and retrofit one on the Ladder Stitch cardi, which is almost complete!

There are a couple of other Xmas knits that I really must get cracking on. I've updated the sidebar. Take a deep breath, I'm going to be busy!

One update was just not enough

I forgot to show you the lacey cotton cardi I am making. Here is the left front, so far:

After showing you the sleeve decrease problem I had with sleeve no 1, I have decided to knit all pieces up to the armhole shaping, and use a provisional cast off. This will
(a) motivate me to finish it as there will already be so much time invested in the knitting so far (this strategy has worked in the past)
(b) assist me to remember what I did when decreasing the last panel, because I will work solely on this to get it done)
(c) I am even contemplating stringing all pieces beside each other in construction order (ie left front, sleeve, back, sleeve, righ t front), and mirroring my decreases as I go along, if you KWIM. Am I crazy, or what? Comments please...

A sidenote at this point, however. Leeanne, I know that you are waiting with bated breath for my comments on the "1000 sweaters" book, so here they are so far:

(1)  A schematic with measurements would be nice is pretty well a necessity. If all the pieces of the book are interchangeable, then only a couple of diagrams should be required, after all...
(2) It is pretty unfair to give you an asymmetrical lace pattern (with one simple and easily fixable typo) and say the knitting pattern equivalent of, "there are the decreases, you just go for it".
(3) A chart of the lace pattern would have also been a handy option. I ended up charting it myself on a piece of graph paper.
(4) There is little difference in the 3 sizes given for this pattern, and I am again plagued with doubts as to fit.

With my motivation to knit being to produce fashionable and fitted garments, it seems to me that I am provided with little guidance by the pattern. Given that in dressmaking there is always a line to indicate where a garment could be lengthened or shortened, why can that feature not be included in a knitting diagram/ schematic? After all, we are still constructing fabric, just that of our own making!

I think as knitters we can sometimes underestimate the dressmaking skills required for garment fit. Grumperina recently laid out the pieces of her pentagon sweater against a paper pattern that fits her measurements exactly, and the finished product followed suit. I, on the other hand, have some ways to go in this department.

Now I remember why I like socks - no seams, no construction! But its all good, cause in theend, I'm sure I'll have learned a lot, regardless of the resulting fit or lack thereof.

Sleeve-y goodness

Finally, I get to the i-cord part of the sleeve and its coming out as I envisioned it would.

Here it is in progress:

I used invisible thread (like fine fishing line) to sew down the loop before continuing on the other side

and now I am back to where I was on this sock last Sunday:

I was too tired last night to remember how to turn the heel in the way I wanted to, and the pattern did not make sense, so I will proceed with the toe and then look at the instructions again.

On, on!