Friday Night Spinning

January 18, 2015 | Sonia Knits

Due to my lack of spinning on any regular basis, I think I need to reinstate Friday Night Spinning.

I was too worn out from the week to set my mind to knitting of any sort on Friday night but spinning seemed like the ‘right’ thing to do.

I took the opportunity to add to the cormo bobbin I had begun weeks ago. I’m spinning fairly thin (for me) so it’s still going to take at least another Friday night session, but isn’t it pretty? I can’t hardly wait until I Navajo ply it into some amazing pink, white and green stripes, yum.

Getting back to spinning may also have been prompted by an ‘unexpected’ parcel delivery this week. The excitement of receiving a parcel, but not knowing what it is?! What could it be? Did I order some self-striping sock yarn in my sleep?!

But alas, it was my Southern Cross Fibre Club for January arriving earlier than I had anticipated. Once again, an amazing colour way.

This week I also received a much coveted book:

Hell if everyone else is going to do colour work this year, then so am I. Someone pass me some scissors so I can steek something!

It has been a book acquisition week, I picked up 2 books with a Christmas voucher.

Magpies, homebodies, Nomads was on my book list and What to knit: The Toddler years was a book I bought for my mum. I liked it so much I wanted a copy for myself, babies grow into toddlers after all.

Wishing you all a productive and fulfilling week.

Yarn Along – Garance Sweater

January 14, 2015January 11, 2015 | Sonia Knits

Welcome to another week of Yarn Along with Ginny, you can go see what everyone is up to this week by following the links on her blog.

I got a moment at the weekend (and some not too hot weather) to have a couple of photos taken with my finished sweater! As you know it was a ‘Use it or Lose it’ project, so there was a lot riding on it’s success.

I haven’t had the opportunity to wash the sweater yet, so I’m interested to see how much the Habu Silk Gima will soften up in the process. I’m not really fussed if it doesn’t, there’s something about the crunchy texture that appeals to me.

Despite it’s lacey ‘look’ the sweater is quite warm to wear. It is 100% silk, which i think deceives a lot of people into thinking it’s a ‘cool’ fibre because it hasn’t come off a sheep back. When in fact, in my experience it’s quite a cosy fibre to wear.

Having completed the knitting and sewing up, there was still a little yarn left on the cone. I was able to slide the leftover off to weigh (and slide it back onto the cone). Woe, there is still a third left. What-to-do-what-to-do. For now it goes back into the stash, I could perhaps make a little vest out of the left-over, or if any of my friends would like it for themselves, please let me know so that I can do this fine yarn some justice. I would love that, it would be exciting to see it reach it’s full potential as a ‘Use it or Lose it’ yarn.

I have been eyeing off my other UIOLI projects and am thinking about casting on another one very soon. At this rate there won’t be any ‘dregs’ in my stash by next year.

I’m so close to completing Kafka on the Shore, such disturbing weirdness, oh how will it end? Not well for some characters I’m tipping.

Yarn Along – Knit wave

January 7, 2015January 6, 2015 | Sonia Knits

It seemed highly unlikely to me, that I was going to finish any of my works in progress before heading back to work this week. Ironically the heatwave was the impetus for great slothfulness and a whole lotta knitting.

I cast on for the second sleeve on my Garance sweater and set myself the challenge to see how fast I could get it done. The next step was to join both sleeves to the body and begin the raglan shaping. Following that, the rest was history. It all happened so quickly, what a rush!

My Garance sweater is finished! The photo above was taken a number of hours before the final stitch was cast-off, the collar sewn down and the armpits kitchenered. Due to the afore-mentioned heatwave I haven’t had a chance to take a modelled photo yet.

I am pretty pleased with the result, I popped it on after midnight on Sunday night and it was clear to me that I will always need to wear a t-shirt/shirt underneath this ensemble.

During this, I also listened to many hours of Kafka on the Shore, and it’s almost finished, just 4 hours left.

You can take a look and see what everyone else is knitting and reading this week for Yarn Along over on Ginny’s blog.

2014 Knitting Review

January 2, 2015 | Sonia Knits

As with every year, I like to reflect on the things I’ve made in the past year right about now, so that I can plan a rough direction* for my knitting in the coming year. *I’m aware I have no control over the direction of my knitting, when so many cute babies enter my life.

I have 19 new Finished Objects completed in 2014, that’s 4 projects up on the previous year.

The year began with finishing Damian’s Jayne Hat on the 1st of January (that was good thinking). Then there was Featherweight, which I love despite thinking about adding some i-cord buttonholes to keep the fronts closed. But… I haven’t done it yet.

Then Ysolda’s first mystery shawl knit-along happened. It was a lot of fun to be a part of, mainly because everyone in the Richmond Knitters got involved and knit along. I ended giving the shawl to Damian’s mum. By all reports she was very happy to receive it.

William, my nephew arrived finally! He is so terribly cute, he got 2 knits pretty early on in the piece. Then I realised he was a pretty HOT baby and perhaps my efforts were a little wasted here. He still uses my blanket lots though.

Then I did some more knitting. I made a Colour Affection which had been on my list since Veera published the pattern. I made some mitts for a colleague, socks for me and more knits for babies.

I completed my first Use It or Lose It project, which resulted in a Hooray Cardigan for me. I signed up for Ysolda’s Knitworthy gift-along KAL. Despite all the patterns being wonderful, so far I’ve only knit the first pattern, the Bronntanas Hat. Then there was another cowl for me and some mitts for Damian. I completed the year by knitting a wee Cria, for my new niece with my name-sake.

In summary, I knit 8 things for me in 2014: 2 cardigans, 3 pairs of socks, 1 shawl, 1 cowl and 1 hat. I knitted 11 things for others: 1 hat, 1 shawl, 5 baby cardigans, 1 baby vest, 2 pairs of mitts and 1 baby blanket.

This year I’m hoping to knit more garments and socks for me, and just more of everything! I must also get back to my ‘Use It Or Lose It’ list… I was kind of hoping these projects would have been sorted by now, and I could think about whether there are any other dregs in my stash. Perhaps not?!

How was your knitting year?

Happy New Year – Yarn count

January 1, 2015December 30, 2014 | Sonia Knits

Happy New Year!

Today, I thought that in lieu of making any New Years resolutions, I would reveal my Ravelry yarn stash total in metres.

Many of you may recall I did this back in August of 2013. So I bet you’re all interested in what’s happened since then? I know I was mildly interested! I’ve done a little bit of de-stashing since then, plus some knitting and crocheting of course. But… I have continued to make thoughtful and considered yarn purchases, there is no denying it.

…Well of course I’ve gained milage! At first look I thought I hadn’t done too badly, an extra 1,100 metres…

…but no, I’ve gained about 11 sweaters of yarn: 11,000 metres to bring my old total from 237,565 metres

to my new total of

248,623 metres

an increase of 4.7% for those so inclined.

How do I feel about this? Absolutely fine! I love my stash. I could make some ridiculous goal of decreasing my stash by next New Year, but as far as I’m concerned, if I love everything in my stash and it’s protected from baddies and I have the room to put it; what is there to be unhappy about?

In preparation for Stitches West which is about 7 weeks away (eep!) I’ve downloaded Hannah Fettig’s app called ‘StashBot‘. I’m so excited by this. I know that I’ll be overcome by stash fumes in the market hall at Stitches West and this app is really going to help me buy more yarn!

Now all I need is somewhere to put all the new yarn…

Yarn Along – New Years Eve

December 31, 2014December 30, 2014 | Sonia Knits

I wasn’t able to clear the slate on my knitting/crochet projects on this final day of the year. I think that’s almost a ridiculous notion unless you’re Sharon!

I’m up to the sleeves on my Garance sweater. Turns out, it’s a pretty fast knit. At times I’ve had to put it aside unfortunately, the Habu Silk Gima is incredibly hard on the hands, making the experience of knitting with it a little painful. On the upside, I think the texture is going to be quite nice to wear… over a long sleeve shirt.

10 ‘rosettes’ of my crochet blanket are complete. I’m sewing these up as I go, so I don’t have to deal with all of the sewing up at the end. Who wants that?

I’ve cast-on Cookie A’s ‘Arrow’ socks for me. It is one of the 2 yarns I hadn’t knitted from her club in 2013. I have a small desire to get the last 2 yarns made into socks before my first shipment of sock club in February. The yarn is Tanis yarns purple label MCN. It’s beautiful…

Thank you to Christine for my lovely new project bag, a great match for my new project! I’m very lucky to have sewers in my life, because I completely suck at that.

This week I’ve been listening to Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami. I’ve read a couple of his other books, but perhaps listening to them are even more enjoyable. There are a number of stories going on, and they seem to link in some unusual way, a bit ‘tripy’, but intriguing all the same. The recording is just 19 hours.

You can see what everyone else is knitting and reading this week by visiting Ginny’s blog for Yarn-Along.

Christmas 2014

December 26, 2014 | Sonia Knits

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas day, I had an enjoyable day spending it with both our families.

Christmas day highlights:

Sienna opening up her Christmas present.

There was a squeal. At that moment I knew I did good as an Aunty, that was the best gift.

Spending time with nephews and nieces:

And of course the usual indulgence in woolly things…

It’s not Christmas without Wollmeise…

I’d better get knitting.

Yarn Along – Christmas Eve

December 24, 2014 | Sonia Knits

Welcome to another week of yarn-along! Take a look at what everyone else is up to by visiting Ginny’s blog.

It’s Christmas eve and I’m feeling a little frazzled already. Last minute, oops and I just need to do this… and, oh I need to get that… meant that today was spent running around and then shopping for something to wear tomorrow, I kid you not.

Is it really Christmas eve? I’m hoping to pop the Carols on T.V. on in a few hours and chill out. I’m looking forward to seeing my nieces and nephews tomorrow and their sweet little faces.

I’ve finally finished Outlander book 1, but before I venture into book 2, I thought I would pause and listen to Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami. I’ve also dipped back into Amy Tan’s Valley of Amazement.

I’ve been knitting a bit on Garance by Julie Hoover, in my Use It Or Lose It yarn. I’m much happier with the stockinette section of the knitting than the ribbing where the stitches look loose and wonky. I think the look of this will improve once the fabric is washed. It’s early days to tell whether or not I’m going to like this garment; but you’ll be the first to know!

I’ve also been working on my hexagons, at last count I have 9 rosettes, and another one almost ready to be sewn up. I didn’t get through as many balls as I wanted to before Christmas, but there’s always tonight.

And I’ve been spinning. This is some of Kylie Gusset’s Cormo that she kindly dyed up for me eons ago. Gosh it’s really nice to spin… I think I’ll Navajo ply it, to give it some stripes. The fibre drafts beautifully.

I hope you all have a happy and safe Christmas.

H-O-L-I-D-A-Y-S-!

December 21, 2014 | Sonia Knits

I love stay-at-home holidays. Today is the longest possible time before I go back to work and I hope to have the funnest time away from my desk.

I want to finish off the year right, knitting all the things and spinning all the things; relax; organise; cuddle babies and read…

I got my last instalment of the Stranded in Oz club in the mail this week, it is wonderful. Melissa is a very talented dyer and the nicest person to boot, passion, passion, passion. How stunning does this look?

A few weeks ago my November SCF club also arrived… another very happy mail day.

And I’ve finished my baby niece’s Wee Cria. I think it will look really sweet on her. But when to give it to her?

Now to crochet up as many Noro patches as possible for our new blanket, before Santa comes and brings another 8 balls… sound relaxing to you?

Sonia Knits

The adventures of a Melbourne Knitter

Author: Sonia Knits