Wednesday WIPs – Gap-tastic

August 19, 2015August 18, 2015 | Sonia Knits

I whipped up a GAP-tastic cowl for mum, finishing it at the weekend. Intentionally, it was meant for her birthday in September… but it’s still cold now and I thought it would make more sense to give it to her right away.

This is some of the White Gum Wool Boucle, which I purchased from the Bendigo Sheep Show with the exact purpose of making something for my mum. I’ve never knit with something so quickly from Bendigo, I still have yarn from the first year of my very first Bendigo Show!

The colour is more blue/green than blue. The colour name is Fairy Wren. I used 2 full balls.Altogether, it was a pretty mindless pattern, and sometimes that can be thoroughly enjoyable.

My mum loved it! I’m now on a mission to finish some of my long-standing WIPs that have been languishing on my Projects page on Ravelry. Next up, our (my) hexagon crochet blanket…

Wednesday WIPs – New beginnings

August 12, 2015August 9, 2015 | Sonia Knits

This week, I taught a friend how to spin!

I was so inspired and excited by how well she took to it, I had to go home and jump on my wheel right after.

I’m currently spinning up some Thylacine BFL mixed with camel. A couple of weeks ago, I discovered I had 2 similar colour ways of 200 grams each; so I thought perhaps I could ply the 2 colour ways together, in something of a 4 or 5 ply and have enough to knit myself a vest of some description. Stay tuned for that.

The baby blanket was completed and blocked last week. It is a relief to get it done before the baby arrives. I’m pretty pleased with the result too! The yarn was stash yarn, mainly made up of Jo Sharp classic DK wool, with a bit of this and that thrown in. The pattern: Honeycomb Stroller Blanket is free and is pretty nifty if you ask me. The slip stitch pattern forms the hexagons therefore there are no patches to sew together (just lots of ends). If I were to make it again, (and that’s a possibility if more babies arrive in my family), I would do a provisional cast on at the start, to make the border easier to pick up and knit. The other alt that I made was to make the border a garter stitch one, and rather than picking up all the way around, I did each side individually, increasing at the edges each right side row to make the mitred corners. There will be some better ‘glamour’ photos taken when the cute baby arrives.

I’ve cast on a new project, this is Cookie A’s June sock club. I’m making the Apollonia socks. I’m enjoying knitting from the sock lace chart, and knit a fair bit of the leg in one evening. I find knitting from lace charts so soothing and fun.I’m also itching to begin a garment for me, but I thought I should look at one of my Use It Or Lose It projects first.

I picked up my Safire cardigan, which had only been literally cast on. In theory I’m liking how this is working, but I am wondering whether this yarn is more appropriate for niece M, due to it’s ‘blingy’ nature. Only time will tell.

I’m still listening to The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, I can’t recommend it enough. I only have 10 hours left to go!

Wednesday WIPs

July 29, 2015July 26, 2015 | Sonia Knits

Hi there! I was visited by this cheeky monkey on the weekend…

She was wearing the dress I made for her. The pattern warns to make the dress from wool, but I went ahead and made it in cotton anyway, it was the right colour from my stash!So I wasn’t super surprised to see that there were problems with the bodice. But I was surprised by just how much it was stretching, and how easy it was for her to ‘get out of her dress’ from the top down.

Easily fixed I pronounced, if I could just borrow the dress back. Niece M went home in her stockings!

Two goes at the attached i-cord to the neckline (the first attempt made the head hole too small to get over her head). And hopefully this has now solved the issue. Niece M only likes wearing dresses, I know where she’s coming from. I’m thinking maybe a rainbow dress for Christmas perhaps?

I’ve also been working on the next baby blanket…

There’s still a long way to go.

And I’ve got the wheel out and I’ve been doing some overdue plying of some Southern Cross Fibre club fibre.

And this little bit are the odds and sods to empty the little bits off my bobbins…

Because I have so much to get through. How about you?

Wednesday WIPs – Belated Cowl

July 22, 2015 | Sonia Knits

For the careful observers, I didn’t get my hand-spun Honey Cowl finished in time or over the Bendigo Show weekend. But it’s finished now!

Damian’s image of Richmond station in the background was the perfect backdrop for this photo. It’s so cosy.

I’m really happy with how the gradient stripes have worked, and it’s my handspun!

I’m still listening to the brilliantly narrated ‘The Goldfinch’ by Donna Tartt, I think I still have hours upon hours to go, but I’m loving it all the same.

See you next week.

Wednesday WIPs (and a FO)

July 1, 2015June 28, 2015 | Sonia Knits

I finally have an FO!

These are my Xeriscape socks (Cookie A’s April Club). I really enjoyed knitting these. They were simple to knit and, the easy-to-memorise patterning, was enough not to get too boring. I would make these again as my ‘go-to mindless socks’.

And my June club yarn has arrived and it’s gorgeous! I’m hoping to make the next deadline for the competition, but as per usual there are a few other things I need to get done and cast on first.

This stunning fibre also arrived for the Southern Cross Fibre club, I got the colour way ‘Peacock’. It was a lovely mail week.

I’ve been working on my Grace cardigan and with any luck, there will be some modelled photos next week.

I’m listening to The Goldfinch as mentioned last week, and I can’t tell you how much I’m enjoying it. I’m only about six hours into listening for a total of 32 hours, I still have a ways to go.

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!

Sonia Knits

The adventures of a Melbourne Knitter

Finished Object