Wednesday WIPs – Purple

June 24, 2015June 21, 2015 | Sonia Knits

Hi there, it’s been another busy week around here. But being busy is good. I popped my head up and realised we’re half-way through the year already.

Despite this there has been time for knitting. I’m still working on my Cookie April socks, I’m onto the second one and loving the basketweave pattern. It’s so simple and squishy, I love it. At the time of writing this, my next shipment of Cookie A sock club has not arrived, so in my mind I’m not behind!

I’ve also done some more spinning this week…

Whilst watching Susan B Anderson’s latest video cast.

It is IxChels Cashmere Fling. So lovely…

I received ‘thank you’ eggs from the chooks for my knitted vest this week. A whole dozen!

I’ve finished listening to Colourless by Haruki Murakami. I really enjoyed it. I’m now listening to The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. So far, it’s great! Do you have any audio book recommendations?

Thursday Catch-up

June 11, 2015 | Sonia Knits

I thought I might catch-up in pictures. It’s been a few weeks and before the silence gets too long I just wanted to say ‘hi’ this is what I’ve been doing.

Secret Knitting business for a Richmond Knitter…

It involved cake and cupcakes and Girl Guide cookies…

I inspired my colleagues to make Pom Poms (as you do). Someone made the largest one, it’s the size of a rockmelon! I thought that was meant to be the pom pom maker size for a hat topper, I guess not…

I helped Ursula on her stand at the Handknitters Guild Annual Yarn and Fibre Fair. It was fun being an enabler for once!

I went away for yet another crafty weekend…

I did some knitting and left the quilting to the quilters

Then Jo showed up with goodies from the Red Beard Bakery.

A weekend progress shot of my Grace Cardigan. (I’m now up to the sleeves!)

Damian’s been making some outstanding food at home, and dessert…

I knit a chook sweater, but the chook didn’t want to wear it…

I attended a Crafternoon, my last one for a while with a very special Knitter.

We presented her with a blanket the group had made. Ahh… such sadness, and happiness for the amazing friends made through knitting.

Our best blanket yet I think…

Wednesday WIPs – ‘Winter Set’ complete, sort of

May 20, 2015 | Sonia Knits

My poor neglected husband who got ‘only’ mitts last winter, in November…

Now has the matching beanie and scarf for his winter-set…

Except …

Apparently the scarf is too short to wear.

There is no more hand spun, and I wasn’t ‘allowed’ to make a cowl. Oh well there’s always next year…

Wednesday WIPs – Winter is here

May 13, 2015 | Sonia Knits

This weather Melbourne has been experiencing is terrible, so terrible it’s great for Knitter’s like me. Because there is nothing outside I want to go out for. Apparently it wasn’t so bad on Sunday, I wouldn’t know, because the view from my window told a different story.

On Saturday I did venture out, and gave this lovely young man his winter vest/top. He has a bit of room to grow into it, but that doesn’t seem to be a problem for him.

The yarn is ‘Little Dipper Yarns’, and it is divine. The subtle shading in the semi-solids in a stripe pattern is so dreamy. The buttons are from Buttonmania. I seem to take my partially finished projects when I go in for assistance with buttons. I find it motivating to have all the bits and pieces for finishing by the time I finish knitting, then there is no excuse to finish a project.

I’ve also knit a little on Romi’s Mystery Shawl knit-along. Take note there is no spoiler alert here, because I am woefully behind. I’ve just completed clue 3, and the last clue, clue 5 was released over 2 weeks ago.

I think it’s pretty all the same, and I have enjoyed knitting it. I’m just not sure, whether I’m knitting this for me… or my mum… I could have her birthday sorted well ahead of time. I think I’ll decide once I’ve cast off.

If I sound different this week, it’s because I’ve got a sore throat and it’s bumming me out. Hopefully you’ll have chirpy Sonia again next week.

Speaking of things that are making me happy. Pip Lincolne’s new book, Craft for the Soul. I read the first few pages and I wondered whether she was writing about me!

Wednesday WIP – The Birthday Edition

April 22, 2015April 22, 2015 | Sonia Knits

I’ve had an interesting birthday. There was not as much fanfare this year (no really, stop laughing)… and I couldn’t put my finger on it. Even my colleagues were asking if I was feeling ok?!

And then, at work, I made the rhetorical statement, ‘I have nothing to live for… after Stitches!’ It was quite tongue in cheek, but all the same they are the words that came out of my mouth. I think it came from a place where I have to say I’m quite content and I didn’t need a birthday because I didn’t need anything…

But then I was wrong. I was remembered by friends and family (and surprised by my husband, he’s still good at that), that made my birthday great. Amongst the lovely gestures received, I was surprised, no shocked, to receive two handmade gifts. I felt extremely lucky. Yeah, I was floored to have received handmade gifts (handmade by the gifters themselves). That means time, and it probably means the ‘L’ word too, but I don’t want to get all soppy on here.

My photographer was on the blink when I took these photos, but seriously, 8 mini stockings for my Christmas Tree… just adorable.

And then this:

A cake and coffee coaster, an awesome surprise.

There was also a couple of cards in the mail, and I could hear the voices of the people who wrote them. I wish I sent cards more often, I feel like I’m an undeserving friend when I receive one.

For my birthday… I bought myself yarn… but somehow posting about it here doesn’t seem right. So I’ll leave it there for another day.

Sock repair

April 12, 2015April 7, 2015 | Sonia Knits

So for a while now, I’ve had a pile of hand knit socks, 5 pairs in total that have been taken out of circulation to repair.

They don’t have holes as such, yet… but after losing several pairs of socks to unexpected holes, I’m a lot more vigilant now at spotting trouble. That is the stitches around the heel and or the ball of the foot have become thin and thread-bare and recently, some of them were just holding on when I discovered them. Whilst I know you can repair socks that have said holes in them, that’s a lot more work and darning; and to be honest those socks have gone to ‘sock heaven’.

I took the opportunity of the long weekend to tackle some of these repairs.

Before:

Eep!

See that sneaky little spot emerging under the ball of my foot…

And my Noro socks, just a random thin row of knitting, I didn’t want to chance it.

So I duplicate stitched EVERYTHING, bad/thin looking stitches and the stitches that were holding hands with those stitches.

The repairs were almost invisible on my Wollmeise socks.

My lilac socks (Dream in Colour Smooshy), needed a larger area of duplicate stitching and it took some time to cover it. Interestingly, of all these pairs, these were the quickest to wear… I even had the foresight to use ‘knitting-in nylon’ when knitting the foot… it didn’t help.

And my Noro socks, took no time at all to cover over the weakened row of stitches.

That’s 3 pairs of socks back into wearing circulation and I’m pumped. Just 2 more pairs to go and I’m sworn off ever knitting another pair of socks without any nylon content.

In full Bloom

March 14, 2015March 11, 2015 | Sonia Knits

I finished knitting my niece M’s Bloom dress right before my trip to California. Normally, I feel compelled to hand-over new knits as soon as they’re off the needles, but it wasn’t possible in this case.

So I’ve been basking in the glory of Finished Object happiness with the delayed ‘squees’ laying in wait. Once home from SF, I didn’t waste any time and saw my sister’s children last weekend.

But alas the squees were delayed a little longer… 2.5 year old niece flat-out refused to put the dress on! Luckily I had prepared myself for this day, but I didn’t know it would happen so soon…

Naturally my sister was panicked, but I told her not to force the issue. Little M has that stubborn streak that Aunty Sonia has and there were not going to be any winners here today. Well at least not until later that day when M had a long sleep at home… and then…

BINGO!

She wouldn’t stand up for her photo (baby steps), but by all accounts LOVES the dress.

Niece C, had no such issues posing. Crisis averted.

Now to make something for my nephew before Winter gets here.

Wednesday WIP – Knitting fever

January 28, 2015January 27, 2015 | Sonia Knits

I’ve been overcome by Knitting Fever, well that’s the only way I can describe it.

I want to knit ALL OF THE TIME, so much so I’ve knitted in my lunch break this past week. I just want to knit and knit and knit.

Except for Friday night. I spun on Friday night, completing the singles on the Cormo fibre. This Friday is pencilled in for plying.

I’ve cast on for Bloom, a little tunic dress for my niece. I’m using some Use It Or Lose It yarn, a Jo Sharp cotton. It is surprisingly nicer to knit with than I expected, it’s a bit splitty, but overall ok. There are a few wonky stitches from an accidental dropped stitch… which I’m hoping will rectify itself in blocking… but nothing a crochet flower won’t sort out.

I’m up to the eyelet row which will be woven through with some pretty ribbon. I’m kind of obsessed with the idea of getting this done before the weekend. I’m feeling quite good about knitting with deep-stash and the fact that this project is working out. It means that ‘stashing’ isn’t such a bad thing and I’ll use EVERYTHING eventually. Or I can, if I put my mind to it…

This week I’ve begun listening to The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. I’ve read some great reviews on the story and the narration which so far seems excellent. It is only 10 hours long, so I should get through a fair chunk of it this week.