Mad Christmas rush

I got up early the other morning, since I'd just fed Jasmine and Byron has been waking up around 6am lately... but to my surprise I got 3 hours on the internet! I spent most of it browsing Ravelry and writing a list of Christmas presents to make for all the family.

Of course, I won't make many of them, especially since I can't seem to tear myself away from that soft zhivago. I've finished the back and started the front.

The only thing with the edging is that it requires concentration. So I can't do it while watching the bubs, and I can't do it while tired... that doesn't leave much time. I gave up on it tonight, after two rows, because I keep making frustrating mistakes.

Yesterday was Friday, and Friday is my night off every week. At the moment, Jasmine comes shopping with me, as she hates bottles with a passion! This time I took the pram (instead of the carrier), and she had a marvelous sleep, and then a feed (under a blanket!) while I sat in the food court in Central Square, reading my Interweave Knits magazine (and eating chocolate). Luxury, to have time off. Normally she's happy to come shopping, as long as I keep moving, so I leave my knitting home. But I do like that Interweave Knits magazine. Maybe I'll get a subscription, if I can.

Here's the progress on the Bunnyhop.

The back. I added about an inch to the length of the body, because the picture on Ravelry looks short. Hopefully it won't turn into a dress.

Can you block a project when your yarn is not wool? I don't know much about blocking. I'm guessing that if I soak it and pin it out, it won't do it any harm, anyway...

Casting on is fun!

I'm a bit of a project starter. Love buying wool and making plans. I made another mini circular... this time a 17cm 3.5mm one, and I'm knitting a broadripple sock on it. At least, I started.

Then I went shopping (Friday night is shopping night for Jasmine and I) and found some $2 balls of Zhivago in a pretty shade of... purple? I love zhivago. It's 50% acrylic, and I don't normally like acrylic, but it's also 50% tencel, and SO soft! I decided to use it for a Bunny hop pullover for my friends' new baby.

One of the great things about this project is that I get to use up a $1 ball of yarn I've been itching to use but haven't found a little project worthy of it. I had two balls, one in Rosewood and one in Mahogany. It just so happens that this yarn is the same fiber mix. The Rosewood is the same color as my zhivago, and the Mahogany is a shade darker... the perfect color and amount for the edges on my Bunnyhop.

It took me ages to do the ruffle edge, but I was so pleased with it when it was done. The first row is 185 stitches, and then it decreases down to 55. Now it's simple ribbing. I did about 15cm of ribbing yesterday, which is pretty good for me. Normally I can only do a row here and two rows there, and maybe 5 or 6 rows when the kids are in bed (before I fall asleep myself!)

Can't wait to see how it looks on my little model. I'll dress Jaz in it once for a photo, and then give it away.

Oh, and I finished my first pair of socks.

The cast on is a bit tight to get over my heel, but apart from that they are warm and cosy.

Mini Circulars

I spent a bit of time in the Shed today. Why? Because I was butchering a new Sullivans bamboo circular needle into two minis!

The original was a 3mm, 80cm circular needle. I cut the points off the wood (with scissors) and Nathan sharpened them for me. (Think he sandpapered them. I re-sandpapered the ends later, and it was quite easy.) The wood left was 5cm long. I found it hard to pull off the tube, so I cut it off one end with a sharp knife.

I measured my tube, cut it to length, and put the end back on. It was hard to squish on, but it went on eventually.

I found the cut-off points, and decided to try and whittle the ends so I could stick on the leftover tube. It didn't work so well, because I'm not much of a whittler. So, with a file in the vice, I filed the end down until the tube could be squished on.

My first was 20cm (about 8"), because I've heard of 8" circulars, and I figured it wasn't possible to knit with them much smaller.

The second was 25.5cm (about 10"). The joins aren't perfect, so I'll see how they go with knitting. I suspect my little one will work best, if I hold the original (good) end in my right hand.

If they work well, my future socks will be much easier!

Sock number 2 is down to the foot. So not long to go, and then I'll give the mini-circs a try!

My First Socks

I have gotten to the point in the pinwheel sweater where I have to do sleeves. But I know I'm going to leave (stupid) dpn ladders all the way down them!

Tara says you can use 2 circulars, which I tested, but it's tricky. I will practice again sometime, this time with actual instructions! lol. She challenged me to make socks on 2 circulars, saying she would, too.

Anyway, I was suddenly hit with a desire to practice dpn-ing with an 8ply pattern I'd found. To my surprise, I have had a great time going round with my (stupid) dpn's, and have done about 10cm so far.

I am making socks! I'm even going to try the scary-sounding heel!

Byron looked up at me today, and (being neglected) sighed, "knit, knit, knit..." It is not the first time. Poor boy. I put "The Wiggles" on for him, balanced Jasmine on my lap, and we were all happy.

Pinwheel

This is my latest project, a cute little circular sweater that apparently fits a baby from age 6 months to 4 years. I think it looks a bit funny with the "hood" for the baby size, but I like the bigger "collar" size. (You turn it upside down to go from one to the other). I spent all my cash on the 5 different needles and 8 balls of 10ply they thought I needed ($70) but it's been worth it.

At first the (stupid!!) thing took me 6 tries to get started. I was wrestling with 8 stitches on 4 long 5.5mm double pointed needles, trying not to get them twisted while knitting into the front and back... But finally I got going. Once my hands got used to the dpn's again (it seems to take 5 or 10 rounds) I was right, and once I got onto the circulars (after about 16 rounds) I was laughing.

The yarn is Patons Jet, and they didn't have many colors. But I'm liking the colors I picked. They're very Autumny together, and just a bit different than what I would have picked, had I more choice. I'm not the sort to mix orange, purple, cream, white, red and a caramel kind of brown. But they look ok. The final color is a variegated (sort of) yarn that cycles (on the 3 different plies independently) between the purple, red and orange, though it's hard to see in the photo.

The edging was fun, though it took about 3 days. The final round had 216 stitches (though I think it should have had more, but never mind that!) and was finished by incorporating a 3-wide icord. Each bump of icord was 6 rows, the 6th being knitted together with the next 3 stitches to be cast off. So the icord was about 1300 stitches. Not difficult, but fiddley, and mostly done with Jasmine on my knee. lol.

The two lines of "caramel" in the orange section will be pulled out to make 36 live stitches for the sleeves. Haven't worked out how I'm going to do them, yet. I still get ladders with dpn's and it would be a shame to ruin it like that. I'll probably have a go, though. I can always rip it out!

A pinwheel group on Ravelry gave me the ideas about the sleeves and the contrasting edge color.

And here's my little helper! hehe. He taps the needles together and says, "knit knit knit!" But he doesn't quite get the concept... he gets annoyed if I try and put wool in his way!

Winter woolies

This is an oldie... can't remember when I knitted it, but it was my first go at 2-color knitting. Bit frustrating, and had to frog quite a bit. Even now it's too big for him (note the rolled sleeves) but it was nice and cosy on a frosty morning.



"The Slacker Ravelympics" group challenged us to begin and end a project during the Olympics this year. This was my very small project, which I finished yesterday. Worn by (and made for) Byron, who wasn't happy to be a mitten model.

Rainbow hats

These are the little hats I made for Linda's twins, who turned out to be boys! (They have a big brother who's about 2; I think having 3 little boys sounds like chaos... but FUN!) Good luck, Linda and Cam!

The bottoms can fold up if they're a bit long, and the 2x2 rib makes them quite stretchy. I find the cast on the least stretchy part, but they should fit for a while. The pompoms are just tied on. I told Linda she could just untie them on the inside if she liked, so I suspect she will. And here they are...

folded up, and modeled by Basa (left) and Bluey (right). (They are clearly not identical twins, but if they were, you could tell them apart by their hats!)

I just love that 4ply colored wool. There is too much red and green, but it's so bright and happy. These were fun to make, though they have a seam, which is probably not ideal for baby heads. Oh well... I hate DPN's! I will practice, Tara, because I am determined to try socks one day, but I just don't love DPN's much... not yet.