Lose it?

I don’t know. I’m having doubts already.

IMG_1283

1. Is it going to come up too thick to be a wrapped scarf? Probably. I cast on the alternative, not a tube, but the rolling stocking stitch design as per the pattern. I really, really, didn’t like how it looked carrying the yarn up the side and the wonky side stitches. As suspected, hence why the tube.

2. Am I really going to wear it, and love it? I don’t think so.

3. Why am I knitting this? I don’t know. Boo.

4. Will it work for something else? Something for a sweet niece? Nah, any garment would be too thick and warm for anyone.

Up for destash, 5 balls each of Cleckheaton Angora Supreme in soft pink and mauve, only slightly knit. PM me on ravelry for details.

Methods for stashing down: UILI

IMG_1264

I’ve been following the Stash and Burn podcast rav forum thread ‘Use it or lose it’ on Ravelry for a little while now. I think the premise for the scheme is to cast on one thing from ‘deep stash’ each month, the yarn then either becomes a project that you’re happy with, or you realise that the yarn has no potential anymore and you move it along.

There is a lot in my stash that I consider as deep-stash. Putting all your yarn up on Ravelry is a wonderful thing. It makes organising so much easier! I’ve identified 8 amounts of wool that I need to move through my yarn collection, one way or another (at least to begin with, there’s more). To force the issue, I’ve created project pages for each of the yarns. I’ve assigned most of the yarn a project for what the yarn was originally intended for or in some cases a new pattern idea.

Today I’ve cast-on my Cleckheaton Angora Supreme, Cathy may recall me buying this. It was because of her high praise of this yarn, that I felt it was necessary to buy the last ever 10 balls of it from Wool Baa a million, billion years ago. I think at the time, I may have had this pattern in mind, I’m not sure. Either way, not long after it’s arrival in my stash I found what I thought was the perfect pattern for it. Then I forgot to knit it. But I didn’t forget, in my head it was sorted.

So I’ve cast on ‘Candy Stripes Kerchief’ by Kat Coyle today, maybe 5 or more years after it’s originally inception. I’ve changed the pattern so that I’m working in a tube rather than flat stocking stitch that curls. I have double the yardage to do this. I loved the design when I first saw it, quite Dr. Seuss like. And stripes are in.

I think this project is a keeper.

IMG_1280

Baby Sophisticate

Image

I love making clothes for little people in 8ply and above. This was a super fast knit in Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran. It is for my new nephew and it’s the very first garment I’ve made him. This is a sure-fire way of getting my project tally up for the year!

I’ve had a bit of a cold this week, so unfortunately I can’t present him with it this very instant. Be assured though I will grace you with modelled photos when I do see him again.

Image

The cute buttons are from Buttonmania. When I saw them, I knew they were it! Paddington Bear buttons is what I thought. They’re adorable. The last four buttons they had, it was meant to be.

Image 

Follow Your Arrow Finale!

Image

After much time, my ‘follow your arrow’ shawl was completed last weekend. I never thought I was going to finish it. I knit and knit and knit and still the end was not in sight. Clue 5B really showed me. This is the part of any knit-along that I dread. When the novelty of knitting as a community wears off, and you’re just not finished yet.

But alas, I love the result. As soon as I cast-off, I somehow decided this shawl was going to be a gift for Damian’s mum. I haven’t actually knit for her yet. She is a knitter herself, so I hope she doesn’t pick up all the errors. There are at least 3 in the last clue. That’s how bad I wanted to cast off. Had I known I was making it as a gift at the time, I would have ripped back, honest.

Back to FREE knitting!