Finished Pinwheel

Finally finished the arm today, and sewed in all the ends! It still needs to be blocked, but otherwise it's DONE!

Baby version (with the sleeves rolled up). Not really much of a hood, but wearable.

I like it much better as a toddler jacket. Apparently it fits til they're about 4. I'm going to put a couple of toggle buttons on, I think.

Ü

I am not completely happy with the silly sleeve saga, but my dear hubby likes how it looks and has convinced me to leave it a while.

Besides, I can redo the sleeves any time I like in the future.

Basically, I looked at the yarn in the shop, decided it was the same, and bought it. Actually, I bought number 7 and number 8, which are quite different. One (which I used in the edge of the circle bit) has quite dark sections, and the second (which I changed to half way along the first sleeve) is more... er... muted? It didn't matter, though, as all the colors matched, and I thought, "Oh, well. I'll just get some more number 8 and do the other sleeve the same."

But it's apparently a very different dye lot!

You can see the difference in the first photo (of the back) that the dark stripes on the sleeve are much darker on the right sleeve than the left.

Grr! I think I will rip them out one day. But not yet.

My other gripe with the pattern is that some of the ends (where the colors join) can be seen when you fold back the collar for the toddler version. I wish they had the color joins along the side or something... sigh. Next time.

Anyway, I am glad to be finished it, and only mildly annoyed at the sleeves because it's midnight and I'm tired. Why am I up?

.

Something finished

Ok, it was a quick knit, and it refuses to felt much (silly thing!) ...but it's fat and cute and I'm not minding the pink-green colors, now.

I love the creative little handle, how it can be two short or one long. Will have to make another one, maybe with a different brand of wool.

Also made this cheeky girl a little lace headband. Blocked it and everything. Was so cute! Put it on, and it stretched into pattern-oblivion. Should have just made it garter stitch!!

It's 135am. I must get off this silly thing!

Dumpling bag

The Cleckheaton Vintage Hues yarn I bought is a bit of a weird color mix. It's green and purple and yellow... I'm not sure I like it that much. But I decided to get some (especially on sale) to try felting with. So I'm making the Dumpling Bag from Interweave Knits (by She-knits). I've never done felting before, I'm using the wrong needles (don't have 9mm's so I'm using 6mm) and I don't know what weight of yarn I was supposed to use in the first place, but it's an experiment!


Anyway, it's simple so far (and I am entertained by how much it looks like a knitted bra at this stage!). I knit this much yesterday evening, and hope to finish it today, if the kids allow it. Then I'll see how small it gets in the wash!





It might end up being a bag for a little girl...


In any case, it's fun! I can see more of these in my future.

Oh, the pinwheel sweater has stalled. I accidentally got color 7 and 8 instead of two of the same. They're similar, but you can tell the difference on the sleeves, where one is half 8, and the other is all 7. I'm going to have to pull out a bit, and redo it after I get more number 8 on Friday. Grrr.

Converts

I'm on the second sleeve of the pinwheel sweater, which is zooming along nicely. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed knitting on this project, probably because it's worsted weight with 5.5mm needles. lol. The best thing is that I'm doing these stitches with two circulars, and it's going so well! No ladders at all! I know that some people will not think this a great achievement (and of course it's not!) but now I have a heap of dpn's I'm not sure I'll use again, and a bunch of sizes that I don't have two circulars for....

I might have converted.

I also bought a great deal of wool on Friday Night. Friday Night is where I go out and my dear hubby stays home with the kids. At the moment, Jasmine and I go out, because she won't drink out of a bottle for love or money, but that's fine. It's kind of nice Ü. Anyway, instead of sitting down with the knitting I brought, I wandered through the yarn sections of the shopping center, finding bargains. Sigh. I bought 10 balls of a creamy colored Zhivago, 6 balls of "starshine", 3 of "vintage hues" and one plain black Patonyle sock yarn. Incurable. Sigh. But I have plans to cast on about 60 things as soon as the Pinwheel sweater is finished, so I'm going to need it, really...

I went out for tea with friends the other night, and took a tiny circular with a tiny (bookmark) sock on it (because it fits into my nappybag). To my surprise, my friend Telly pulled out a pretty strip of variegated pink garter stitch, and started knitting along with me! She said she has plans to become as fast as her gran (who does continental, unlike us, so I'm not sure if it's possible) and make a blanket for her girl, Zara. Yay... another knitter!

Well, it's after 7am, and the kids are still asleep!! Don't think I have much free time left today... better do a little knitting Ü

Finally done Ü

Well, it was a relatively simple knit, but it turned out so cute! Of course, if you're being distracted by children, or trying to knit after 8pm when you're dead tired, the ruffle edge can be a bit tricky. The rest is just ribbing. The only change I made was to add an inch to the length of the body. I made the smallest pattern size, which is 6-9 months, I think, but I used DK and 4mm needles. Anyway, as you can see, it perfectly fits my nearly-4-month old baby, Jasmine, with a few more months' worth of room, so I'd say it's size 3-6 months.

I used Zhivago and blocked the pieces as per R A I N 's advice (thanks) and I was up until 1am sewing the bits together. But I started falling asleep, so I had to leave it with a mere 6 or 7 ends left to weave in. But, it's done!

I love it so much that I've already wrapped it and put it away. It's not for me, it's for Ruth, who's having a little girl in January. Hopefully it will fit her little miss just as it starts to get colder again (down here in Australia). Sob. I was a bit tempted to keep it for Jasmine.

Still, I have more Zhivago.... no. On with the pinwheel, Tam.

.........

oh, I kept finding cheap yarn yesterday! I bought about 20 more balls, I think. hehe. Maybe I'll make Jasmine a cream one for her first birthday. Ü

A bit more wool... what?

I am working on the stash... lol. But I found a local shop that sells just a bit of locally spun merino, and the green and blue was cheap. She said it was all grey, and not selling well, so they hand-dyed it in nice greens and blues and made it half-price! What sort of place makes grey merino pretty and then discounts it!?



Thanks, Willabaa.







Anyway, I've not updated much, and that's because I want to finish the Bunnyhop first. One sleeve to go! I still love it, and I wish I could keep it! But I do need to start on some Christmas knitting.

Some of the stash

Sick of my messy shelf of yarn, I tipped it all onto the bed to sort. Yikes!

Er, how did that happen? This is not even all of it... there are about 20 other balls in various project bags. My hubby came in and suggested that maybe I should knit some more things before buying more wool.

I think so.

I sorted it into wool, acrylic and mixes, and put them all in bags (because if mice found them they could build an apartment block). The shelf looks much neater.

Can't get motivated to knit for Christmas, because knitting for babies (and my own kids) is more fun. Maybe the list I made will work for Christmas 2009.