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.

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.

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?

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?

Yarn Along – Ridiculous knitting

December 3, 2014December 2, 2014 | Sonia Knits

Summer is here and today I presented Damian with his mitts to model for me. A truly ridiculous notion to regular people, when it’s 34 degrees out. But for a Knitter and the people in her life, this is nothing out of the ordinary.

They weren’t a difficult knit, just fiddly when it came to the fingers. I also found on the second mitt that my spinning wasn’t the same thickness, the first mitt is slightly chunkier. So far D hasn’t mentioned it, perhaps with the sweat dripping from his palms he hasn’t checked things out too closely!

I don’t have a lot of other knitting to report on. With a visit to my new niece this weekend and her sleeping pleasantly in my arms, every now and again opening up her eyes for a little peek, I’m a little smitten.

Wee Cria is going to happen, I hope, does anyone know how to do magic? There will be 2 Wee Cria’s at the same time. A 6-9 month size and a 3 year old size. That gives me about 6 months to knit both in case I fall down. That’s sensible right? I’m discovering that perhaps knitting for M is a good investment of time, because at least C will get to wear my knits too.

A dismal amount of reading has been done this week on The Valley of Amazement. Mainly before work, because I’m waking up earlier than I’m physically required, so why not?

You can see what everyone else is up to this week by going to Ginny’s blog. See you next week.