Cassandra

Tonight I'm casting on for Cassandra. Again.

Edit: No I didn't. I did two buttonholes on my Georgia instead.

Holiday knitting

I did a lot of knitting over the holidays. On Christmas Day I started a cardigan that at the beginning I thought I'd finish by the time I went back to work today. Ha, the knitting laughs in my face. I've done a bit more than half. I'm slightly more than halfway down the body plus one sleeve is nearly finished. It's just a problem of the purling rows. They take more than twice as long as the knit rows. But, maybe by the end of the cardigan I will have moved on to purling without looking.

I also finished the second Kalajoki sock. It fits beautifully, and when I get the urge, I'll start the third sock. But for now I'm good with one perfect fit sock and one not so perfect.

I also finished a hat and scarf for my dad, in the Hot Waffles pattern by Anne Hanson. I haven't looked for my camera cable yet, so pictures will have to wait.


Scarf Pattern
I made up a pattern for the scarf in the same stitch pattern as the hat.

Cast on 36 stitches (any multiple of 4). And (slipping the first stitch of each row) work in k2*p2 ribbing for 6cm (on the wrong side, knit the last stitch).

At the start of each row sl1, k2 to create a garter stitch border.

Row 1: sl1, knit to end of row
Row 2: sl1, k2, purl to the last three stitches, k3
Row 3: sl1, k2, *p2, k2 (repeat until last three stitches), k3
Row 4: sl1, k2, *k2, p2 (repeat until last three stitches), k3

Work in Waffles pattern until scarf measures 6cm less than desired length. Finish with k2*p2 ribbing for 6cm, then bind off in rib.

I started the waffles pattern on a row that starts with a k2 column.

Waffles Scarf

holiday-longing

I wish I could knit at work. Two days left until two weeks leave. Can't wait. As in, gosh, I think I'm dying here. This is the dullest days in weeks.

Mittens in Luxury

I made a pair of fingerless mittens this weekend. It took less than 8 hours in total. So quick. They turned out mostly great after a bit of a mistake when I tried to rip back the second mitten's thumb. But I fudged it and you can't really tell there was a problem.

These are for my "bonus-mum" and I finished the matching hat yesterday! The pattern was Hot Waffles and I used 8 ply Luxury from Bendigo Woollen Mills.

Waffles Hat and Mittens

I'm making a hat in the same pattern for my dad in the same yarn, but in black rather than red. I can't decide if I should make a matching scarf or if he'd like a pair of mittens as well.

I never thought I'd make a pair of fingerless mittens. I didn't understand why they seemed so popular on Ravelry, why not make full mittens instead? But now the bf wants a pair too! And considering how quick they were to make, they might be standard gift idea.

***
Waiting for my order from Moseley Park and it should arrive tomorrow. But I told my boyfriend to wrap it up for Christmas, so I won't get to play with it until the weekend.

the problem with knitting

The problem with knitting is the lack of knitting time. I want to do so much and I continue to find all these beautiful yarns and patterns, but there just isn't enough time in a week to go through it all. It's a shame.

Yesterday I had Christmas lunch with work, and a dinner party in the evening. Managed to get an hour's knitting done inbetween. If I wasn't going out with a friend tonight, I'd finish the Kalajoki first sock today. And if I hadn't planned a trip to the yarn store.

I have decided that I can start a sock yarn stash without feeling guilty. I always want to knit socks, and having a nice little stash will enable me to just pick a yarn and cast on!

So I'm taking advantage of LYS sale to go get a couple of skeins. And for my own Christmas/birthday present I'm placing a large order from the US. But I'll wait until after Christmas.

why I started knitting. again

After finishing university last year, almost a year ago exactly, I was bored. Bored bored bored, and I don't like tv much, so that was out. I'd lost my writing mojo, and I couldn't think of anything to read.

After a very brief crocheting experiment I turned to knitting. I sort of knew how to knit, but not really. It worked out alright. I made a scarf and a half. Then summer started in earnest and it was really too hot to knit. I live in Australia, it gets hot. Spent most of the autumn, winter and spring being rather bored. Did some gardening, considered buying a guitar, actually bought a sewing machine, finally asked sister what she wanted for herself in pregnancy present (thinking I'd do something with newly purchased sewing machine). Answer: socks.

I don't know how to knit socks (well, I'm on my 6th sock so I know a little by now). I went to the yarn store to buy stuffs for it. Lady at the shop told me about Ravelry. I went on Ravelry. I loved Ravelry. Now I'm knitting. Properly this time. You wont be able to drag me away.

Now I don't knit because I'm bored. Now I knit because I like love it.

(and I have finished that scarf)

Kalajoki in red

So I tried to fix a potential fit issue on the socks I'm currently knitting. I think maybe I didn't need to, because I tried it on yesterday and it was a bit small, maybe. I could put it on. I'll continue as I had planned, but with fewer decreases, to see if I can get around it. Hopefully not a big issue. And if the second sock fits better, then I could just redo the first one.

But I've decided that I get to give myself a !big! Christmas present this year. Sock wool from the America. Just considering my choices and waiting for money to drop into my lap.

Pattern: Kalajoki (this is a ravelry link)
Yarn: Tilli Tomas

back to blogging

Ok. So now I'm back on the blog? Maybe. It has a nice title already. So there.

Read the posts below. They are from way back when.

Crazy Heart

funny how fallin’ feels like flyin’
for a little while

wishes

I wish Sydney will stay like it is just now, sunny and 27 degrees, for the rest of the week so I can spend my long weekend on the beach.

I wish it were 4:30 pm today right now, as my long weekend starts right about then.

I wish I had more motivation for writing, but will try to drag a table out on my balcony on Saturday and start sketching things that I should have written ages ago.

I wish I could go away somewhere along the coast when I take a week off work to prepare my mind and body for Uni.