No need to rush out and try to find another ball!

After me worrying about having enough yarn left to complete the wee baby wrap-over top, I made it with a bit to spare. Thank you Bronte for your suggestion about using an alternative yarn to do the edging, if I had run out I would have given that a go.

Here's the completed article:

And a close up detail of the border:

And what was left!

The yarn is Louisa Harding Kashmir DK and the pattern was from Patons 'Sugar & Spice ' Booklet. The pattern was meant for a cotton yarn but I am very pleased with how it's turned out. I still have to add some ribbon ties but haven't bought the ribbon yet. It might be hard to get a decent match as the colour is quite unusual.

Also, while I'm on, here are a couple of finished items that I haven't got round to posting yet.

First the Sirdar Blur Bolero for DD. It took less than one ball to make. I do like Blur, I've made DD a hat out of it before. However, it's a nightmare to rip back when you make a mistake and for some reason, although the Bolero is a very straightforward pattern I kept mucking it up and having to take it back. So I'm glad it's done!

Also - a final picture of my felted bag. Made in Twilleys Freedom Spirit in colourway 'Force'. I'm quite pleased as it was my first felting effort though the flap-over bit turned in a wee bit and felted to itself round the edges. Hopefully it is cunningly disguised by the frill!

Will there be enough?

So last night I weighed the completed sleeve of the baby wrapover cardigan (16g) and weighed my remaining yarn (24g). Knowing I had enough to make the final sleeve I ploughed on and completed it last night. Now I have 8g of yarn to do the borders, which is basically pick up stitches and cast off. So will I have enough.........?

Monica from Knitty

I'm still on my stash diet and have yet to reach my target where I can buy some more yarn, so am still trying to be inventive with what I already have.

I have had 2 balls of Katia Jamaica for over a year and I didn't have a clue what to do with them. I started to knit a baby cardigan but it just didn't look right, the colours for me were too old for a baby. Then I saw Monica in the Sping edition of Knitty and thought it would be just right.

As you can see it's still not quite warm enough to be wearing it without something underneath, particulary on a breezy Scottish morning. The pattern is very simple and knitted up really quickly. I think it's very effective, and there certainly won't be anyone else wearing the same! I intend to make another one once I can buy some yarn, but am thinking of knitting the frill in a lacy pattern.
I've also completed the wee bolero I'd started in the last post but have yet to take a picture. I'm almost finished the cutest wee baby wrap over cardigan, in Louis Harding Kashmir DK. I still have one sleeve and the borders to do and am worried I won't have enough yarn to complete it. I'll know by the end of the day!

Sisters, sisters....

My sister has a knitters condition known as 'Love-to-knit-hate-to-sew'. She appeared for a weeks holiday with me with TWO carrier bags of bits of baby cardigans. Most of which I think were destined for my DD at some point, though now that she's nearl 5 only one of those that she managed to complete fitted her.

So it was a week of sewing up for her, with a wee trip to buy buttons and some more yarn. She did control herself though and didn't knit too much while she was here. Here's some of her completed items.

Photo update

Baby Cardigan in Sirdar Snuggly, Sirdar pattern 3009

Close up of the edging, which is knitted first in a long strip then stitches are picked up to knit the remainder of the back or fronts

2 baby boy hats, both from Sirdar pattern 1711. This pattern has six hats on it, 3 each for boys and girls and I've had a go at them all over the last few months except one of the boys hats. The pink hat is also from this pattern, but maybe a wee bit on the small side for a rather camera shy DD.

Here is the now felted Freedom Spirit Bag, I've made the frill but haven't attached it yet.

Finally I've started a wee bolero for DD in Sirdar Blur pattern 2198. I didn't check my tension and I think it's going to be a bit on the small side. However I have plenty of Blur left to knit it all again.

Phew, now I've caught up I wont leave it so long again.

First Felt

Have not updated for ages so here goes. One pic today, the rest tomorrow!

STASH DIET UPDATE. To date I have lost 12 pounds so am still 2 pounds away from my first stone (14 lbs), the point where I can buy some more yarn. So I am still knitting from stash, which is great for the corner of the bedroom where it is all kept but I am beginning to crave a shopping spree. Hopefully over the next week or so I'll get there.

I've made a 6-12 month lacy cardigan in Sirdar Snuggly, 2 first size baby boys hat in some unlabelled acrylic stuff, a hat for DD in Jaeger Baby Merino and have almost completed a felted bag in Twilleys of Stamford Freedom Spirit with the remainder of the yarn I got during the Angel Yarns Forum Springtime Secret Santa, from Bronte.

Here is a pic prior to felting -

It measured roughly 12" x 12". I popped it in a pillow case and put it in the machine on a 40 degree 29 minutes wash with a pair of jeans. I wasn't too impressed when it came out so put it all back in again on a 60 degree wash for the same time. I'm much happier with the result so far. Tonight I am going to add the decorative frill, which isn't felted and will post a finished article picture soon. I've never felted anything before so it's all very exciting.

Supersoft Aran

Penny asked yesterday what the Sirdar Supersoft Aran was like to knit with, as she has a pattern that uses it. I should qualify my post by saying I used Sirdar Supersoft Toddler Aran, I'm not sure if they make some that's just Aran!
It's 100% acrylic - I know there's a lot of knitters out there where that would be enough to put them off rightaway! When you're knitting stuff for wee ones though it's ideal as it can be chucked in the machine and not worried about.
It knits really well and keeps it's shape - the cabling I did on the baby blanket is really well defined. I wouldn't say it's the softest acrylic I've knitted with, even though it claims to be 'Supersoft'. I made a hat a while back in the same yarn but it was in grey and blue, and my memory of that yarn is that it was much softer once knitted.

Bits and Bobs

I have been knitting lots of wee things lately as I am trying to use up my stash and only have one or two balls of each yarn.

Pram Blanket in Sirdar Supersoft Aran.

2 berets and a pair of pram shoes (which still need buttons) in Sirdar Snuggly Bubbly and plain Snuggly for the borders. Snuggly Bubbly takes a wee bit of effort to knit with initally but it is so soft once knitted it's worth it.

Hat in Twilleys Freedom Spirit

This is a cropped waistcoat in Sirdar Supersoft Aran/Confetti. Not overly pleased with this, it's fine from the back but the front is very blousy, even after blocking. It is meant to have a tied twisted cord at the front to fasten but DD used a badge she had lying about.

And finally, I completed a mini-clapotis a few months ago and finally got round to blocking it. It did lose a bit of clour in the process but I am afraid the washed-out effect on ths photo is more due to my camera technique!

STASH DIET UPDATE

Previous readers will know I have set myself the task of not buying anymore wool until I have lost 2 stone (28 pounds). Well, yesterday I hit my first target of losing half a stone (7 pounds) so I am a quarter of the way there!

Pics as promised

Branching Out Unblocked



Branching Out Detail

Retro Bonnet & Mary-Jane Shoes

Stash Diet

No pics today, I keep forgetting to take them during the day to get good light.

I am currently on a stash diet in the true sense of the word. I am not buying anymore yarn until I have lost two stone - which is just a dent in what I have to lose altogether! I have lost four pounds to date so am on the way.

So for the foreseeable future I will be knitting from yarn I already have. I have accumulated quite a lot in the last year but don't have substantial quantities of anything. So look out for lots of hats, scarves, gloves and baby items!

Recently completed but not picture yet are a Branching Out scarf in Posh Yarn Sophia 2ply lace weight in a colourway called 'Thunder'. Its longer than I thought, I got far more pattern repeats than the pattern suggested. It was a really straightforward knit too, basically the same 10 rows repeated for the length of the scarf.

I've also knitted a retro baby bonnet and Mary Jane shoes in Sublime Baby Cashmere Merino Silk DK in a really soft dusky shade called piglet. I got both the first size hat and shoes from one 50g ball. This is the most wonderful yarn - soft, silky, slight sheen when knitted.

I'm currently knitting a cropped waistcoat for DD in Sirdar Confetti and Supersoft Aran. I originally bought this to make for a friends baby and never got round to it (thanks goodness I didn't tell her I was intending to make it). One 50g ball of the Confetti and one 100g ball of the Aran are enough to knit all the sizes, and it goes up to 5-6 years. So in the interests of not wasting anything I am knitting the biggest size, which should do DD next winter. The main bit of the waistcoat is made in the Confetti which is quite chunky so is knitting up quickly.

So though I'm not buying yarn I can still get patterns and subscribed this week to Interweave Knits through P & M Woolcraft. I subscribe to Simply Knitting and often read Knitting and Knit Today, but though I've only seen a couple of issues of Interweave Knits I find that there's much more inspiration to be had from across the pond. Ooops nearly forgot - I get Yarn Forward too - its a new quarterly magazine. Issue one was sent out in October and I'm still waiting for the next issue but understand that as a new independent publication there's lots of teething problems to work through. The first issue was good though, and I hope the second is worth the wait.

Pictures the next time, hopefully.

My Secret Santa recipient

Meant to say last time, I was Secret Springtime Santa to Knitting-nanny. She seemed quite happy with her goodies. It was great fun doing this swap, I'm hoping there'll be a Summer Secret Santa in a few months!

Jumpers

Lots to update today as I haven't posted for a while.

First FO is the pink tie-front cardi I started ages ago for DD. Finally got it finished the other weekend. As it's in hand dyed sock yarn there is quite a variation on the tie at the front. I've read when using hand dyed yarn you are supposed to alternate every few rows between skeins. However, the tie was 95cm on 17 stitches and I couldn't face fiddling about. I quite like the variation anyway. Adds to its uniqueness.

Next is a polo neck, also for DD. Knitted in Sirdar Bonus Flash, I had great difiiculty with the polo, as the cast off edge was far too tight. I ripped it back and cast it off very loosely but it was still too tight to go over her head. Now normally I would have lost patience and relegated it to the bottom of the knitting back but for some reason I persevered. I did a row increasing in all the knit stitiches in the rib, then a normal rib row, then a yfwd K1 on all the knit stitches then cast off. The result gave a wavy/lacy edge to the cast off which I am very pleased with.
I got the pattern for the polo in a local charity shop. They have a folder of patterns for 5p each. Here are some more I bought:
I started on the fairisle mittens on the middle pattern. It's my first attempt at Fairisle and I've now finished one of the mittens but am having a break before doing the second. The thumb is knitted seperately then sewn on, which looks a bit clumsy I think. I've not got a photo of the mitt complete, but here's a pic of my ealry progress:
So now I've cast on Branching Out with some gorgeous purply 2 ply from Posh Yarns.

I've done one pattern repeat so far and it looks lovely. Pics to follow in a few days.

Secret Springtime Santa revealed!

This morning I received my parcel from the Springtime Santa Swap on the Angel Yarns Forum.

Inside were 6 balls of Twilleys Freedom Spirit which I have had on my wish list for a while, I've seen so many lovely things knitted up in it that I was really keen to try it myself. It also felts well too apparently, and felting is on my must-do list, so I am very chuffed with my gift.
And for my sweet tooth there were 5 wee chocolate sheep which I duly shared with DD.
The clue to who my gift was from was a quote from Jane Eyre. I knew it was book related but didn't get the Jane Eyre reference (shame on me). However, the literary reference was enough for me to work out it was from Bronte. Thank you!

This is the first Secret Santa I've taken part in and it's been a lot of fun finding out about fellow forum members. News on whose Secret Santa I am in the next week (I hope).

Another week, another hat.....

This is another hat for DD, made in Sirdar Luxury Soft Cotton purchased on my travels last week. Very nice yarn to work with.
As the bathroom was (and still is) a work in progress we hot-footed it to my Uncles in Peebles for a few days last week. Veitch's department store is closing down and they had a sale - 30% off all yarn. So I got 5 balls of Wendy Fusion - 3 blue/green colourway and 2 juniper berry - and a ball of Sirdar Blur which is destined to become yet another hat for DD. The closing down sale has been on for a fortnight and the shelves were decimated. There was one woman came in and was nearly crying at the thought of losing her wool shop. It's great that there's loads of online wool suppliers now, but nothing beats going into a shop and having a fondle!
I came away from Peebles with a carrier bag and a half of yarn from my Auntie Christine, a right mix of baby yarn and very bright acrylics. So that's it - I'm not buying anymore yarn till I make inroads into what I have already.
In progress at the moment is a polo neck jumper for DD in Sirdar Bonus Flash. It's knitting up really quickly but no photo yet.
I'm also keenly waiting on my Springtime Santa gift from my Secret Pal from the Angel Yarns forum. Lots of people have been posting what they've received and there's been some lovely parcels.

This Week's Knitting

This has been a disrupted week. We are getting a new bathroom fitted so I decided to take DD away for the week down to Blackpool, which is where my husband works during the week at the moment. So I had some time to knit, but deliberately took wee projects with me.

First thing to be completed was pawkies for me. After the success of DD's pawkies I decided to do a pair for myself. They're on the big side though, but very cosy none the less. The pattern came from one of my Christmas presents 'Easy Knitted Accessories' by Jeanette Trotman and it was indeed a very easy pattern. I knitted them up in Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky, a wee bit of luxury for my poor hands.

While away, I had a wee shopping spree. I visited Hobbycraft in Preston and was disappointed. I bought some acrylic cheap stuff, and also some Sublime DK. Then on to the Sheep Shop in St Annes which had a good selection of Sirdar, Debbie Bliss, Noro, Louisa Harding etc. I bought 2 balls of Sirdar Luxury Soft Cotton, the same of Louisa Harding Kashmir DK and some Bonus Flash for a jumper for DD.

I've also completed 2 hats for DD.

This one is made from the Sublime mentioned above. It's the first time I've knitted with this yarn and it is lovely. Very soft and has a silky sheen to it when knitted up. The pattern is a Sirdar Snuggly one (Number 1711). Sirdar have a really good range of patterns just now and even though most have babies or toddlers on the pictures, the sizing goes up to age 6 which is fantastic.

The second hat is from the same pattern but knitted up in my cheap pink acrylic. She loves the colour!

The only thing I have on the pins at the moment is the pink cardigan I started in the Hipknits sock wool. I've just to do the border but for some reason I am very reluctant to pick it up. I think it's because I'm worried it may be too wee for DD.

I'm itching to get stuck into a big project but most of the yarn I have is in small amounts (around 100g) and I feel I should use it up before buying lots of yarn to make a jumper.

So - lots of wee projects or one big one? Watch this space!

What to do with leftover sock yarn....

I have been tidying up my knitting paraphenalia and came across some leftover sock wool, from my first ever (and only ones so far) pair of socks. I was reluctant to bin it, as it had been a Christmas present, so I made this rather fetching ensemble for my DDs doll:

The hat looks a bit wild, but this particular doll has one hell of a head of hair under there.

Also, I came across two bonnets that I made a couple of weeks ago, in an attempt to reduce my stash. They're homeless at the moment, so I'll keep them till a wee girl baby comes along. I was a bit over zealous when pressing the feather and fan one, and have flattened it a fair bit along the edge. Needless to say I haven't bothered with pressing the second one yet.

Also this week I got my copy of Rowan Magazine (41) and spent a nice half hour with a cup of tea reading through it. This is only the second copy of the magazine I've had and I really like it. I loved loads of the patterns in Rowan 40 but never got round to knitting any of them. I always associate knitted things with Autumn/Winter or babies so it was inspiring to look through a magazine of knitted things for Spring/Summer. I'm not saying I'll knit any of the items in there either as I have a to-do list that is massive, but I thoroughly enjoy the magazine and will keep buying it.

Other excitement this week is that I have signed up for a Secret Pal gift giving on the Angel Yarns Forum. We have been assigned a Secret Pal to buy a knitting gift for, up to the value of £20. I have been busy reading all my Secret Pals previous posts to see what she likes and have already made some purchases. Not saying any more till she gets the gift!

Disasters and Pawkies!

I made a promise to myself that this month I was going to use up some of the yarn I have stashed away before I bought anything new. I started off with good intentions by knitting a wrap with some eyelash yarn I had. When I returned to knitting last year I bought quite a lot of eyelash yarn as it was all new to me and looked really unusual. I knitted a few scarves with it but hadn't tried to make anything else. I found the pattern for a wrap so thought I'd give it a go.

It was a nightmare.

I was using 15mm needles and the yarn is actually quite thin although hairy. After about five rows, I dropped a stitch and the whole thing just unravelled. So I gritted my teeth and started again and it did knit up pretty fast. Unfortunately I am not pleased with the finished article. My cast on was a lot tighter than my cast off edge, so they are uneven. The contrast yarn, which I am not sure if you can even make it out on the picture, had to be carried up the side and consequently that side is tighter than the other. So its a big misshapen drapy thing. But if you bunch it up round your neck you'd never know! However, I think its consigned to DDs dressing up box.

So after that disaster I thought I'd do something tried and tested and do a baby cardigan. I completed the back and thought it just didn't look right so I'm not going to even attempt to finish it. And don't get me started on the bootees I tried next. I only did one and look at it. It's horrific.

My redemption last week was the arrival of my yarn from Hipknits. I had ordered 6 skeins of superwash merino sock yarn in the January sale for only £12. (Technically I ordered it before deciding not to buy any more yarn for the moment so it doesn't count)

The first thing I did was a pair of pawkies (mittens) for DD who was very happy as pink is her favourite colour:Success at last! And I've started making her a short sleeved tie-fronted cardy. So far I've done the back and 3/4 of the left front and I'm still on my second skein, that's including the yarn for the pawkies! So I'll definitely be getting my moneys worth out of this purchase. The yarn is so soft and silky, I'm very impressed. I might even use the leftovers to knit some socks!

This post has taken SO LONG to do. I moved the computer today and when I turned it back on its running so slowly and Outlook appears to have vanished so I have no email. Fantastic.