EmBRACING MY PACE

October 29, 2022 | Sonia Knits

‘Embracing my Pace’, the catchcry of Stephen West’s Mystery Knit-along this year, is something I’m most certainly working by. I mean, I’m not knitting slowly… but the first clue (of four) is a killer. At times I found myself wondering how cruel it was to set this as the very first clue. Some kind of twisted test of resilience set by Stephen. I think it will be interesting to see how many FO’s will be completed with this MKAL compared to his other recent years of the KAL.

Just as the fourth and final clue dropped on Thursday night, I was still finishing up my very first clue. Here is is pre-braiding:

Here it is after the weaving:

I’ve watched and seen all of the spoilers for the remaining clues as they’ve dropped. And I’m excited to do each bit from now on in. But now that I’m soooo far behind, it’s not really a knit-along for me anymore, it’s a WIP.

With Christmas coming along, I’m hoping to get at least the 2 pairs of socks I have on the needles for mum, finished in time. My knitting dance card is full for the remainder of the year.

The beautiful blooms on our tree, have been a joy to watch as they grow each day. Will it ever stop raining?

This morning on my walk (yes, a new routine I’m trying out), was a real treat. I left home at 7 in the morning (unheard of) and came across a bit of activity at my local park.

Pretty cool huh. Mind you, I don’t think they’re cool when they’re sailing past my house dangerously close.

It’s the long weekend, and I’m here for it. A bit of catching up on my spinning homework (as always), spending time with family, and maybe even a bit of knitting on clue two.

A Three Month Catch-up

October 21, 2022 | Sonia Knits

As I write today, it’s Saturday and it’s pouring with rain. I’m so thankful I don’t need to go anywhere today, and it’s a good time to take stock.

Warning! This is going to be a photo heavy blog post!

I thought I might start here. These 2 photos represent all that I’ve been spinning for the last 11 months as part of the Spinning Certificate I’m undertaking at the Handweavers and Spinners Guild of Victoria. There is still some 3 classes of spinning to come, to add to this pile of yarn, then I’m somehow going to put it together into a folio of samples and notes. There’s also a major project to add to this body of work. Pretty impressive huh? Once I have all of this in a more presentable form, I’ll share with you some more of what is here. This is all handed in, in March 2023, so there may be a big update then.

In August, Damian and I went to Kyneton for about 10 days. It was a good opportunity to catch-up on some spinning (!) and to eat lots of delicious food, and to relax.

We also got down to Du Fermier in Trentham and shared a few laughs and good food with Annie Smithers.

In September, there was more spinning, making secret blanket squares for a friend’s wedding blanket, a visit to mum for her birthday (I visit her as often as I can now), I picked up my finished quilt from the long-arm quilter and I stayed in Hepburn for a long weekend with friends.

In October, I went to the Royal Melbourne Show (the first time in years!) with my sister and niece and nephew. I also went to Brisbane with Damian and had another lovely time there.

I begun the Stephen West Mystery KAL when I got home from Brisbane … and ‘I’m embracing my pace’. I think a lot of people are… not so many spoilers online this year, oh Stephen what have you done?!

Clue three has been released on Thursday night, and I’m still on the first clue, about half-way through… (more than what’s shown here)

Last weekend was a visit to mum’s and seeing her beautiful snowball blossoms, a trip to Murrumbeena for a friends’ quilt show. Our Weeping Cheals (Cherry) tree has begun to blossom this week.

This weekend I’ve got a catch-up at the guild tomorrow, I think we’re getting down to the business end of our course. So today will be spent working out what to take with me tomorrow, and hopefully knocking over more of clue one of this mystery shawl. And it continues to rain outside…

Sputnik Sweetheart

May 20, 2020 | Sonia Knits

sputnik

I read a book! Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami is the first novel I’ve read on my new kindle. I really enjoyed it. In these times of introspection, it was the bit of escapism I needed. It had all the elements of a Murakami novel, without getting too weird (but of course it wasn’t, not weird!). I found it interesting to read similar themes which were explored in the much longer 1Q84 (I listened to this one, and also highly recommend doing that). Murakami novels always leave me wondering, in a good way.

A couple of weeks ago I caved and began a new blanket, or new coasters, I haven’t decided yet. Boy, I hope it’s a blanket though, to justify the panic buying of additional yarn from Sunspun 🙂

I had lots of left-over Isager Tvinni from my Ursula cardigan, and I thought I could use it for the Arne and Carlos Quarantine KAL blanket squares, now affectionately called the Hug Me Later blanket. It wasn’t a knit-along I was going to join, after all I also began another blanket in April (another blanket, another blog entry) but I digress. I began seeing some amazing examples of how different Knitter’s squares were coming along, so rather than just having a few colours, I decided I needed more colours. Why not? More is more fun.

8e82e38f-a83a-4a76-b1f8-6dbd217862c4

Sunspun now has an online store (didn’t you know?!), and Virginia did an incredible service by sending out my parcel the same day I ordered it. It arrived the very next day (thank you Express Post). Oh, it was a rush! I do hope to continue making squares, there are some really special ones. I have enjoyed watching the Arne and Carlos quarantine vlogs, they’re great guys and if I do make a blanket (and not just coasters or a scarf) it will be a sentimental souvenir of this ‘weird’ time, I wonder what Murakami makes of it.

Japan Sleeves and a birthday in ISO

May 5, 2020May 5, 2020 | Sonia Knits

My long-wanted Japan Sleeves jumper was finished in April, I’d only cast-on in February but it’s been apart of my knitting dreams since Joji Locateli first released the pattern. 4278B34E-C109-4E60-8BFC-34767D88ADDE

I am enjoying the freedom of casting on a new jumper and a pair of socks each and every month.

Because whilst it’s unlikely for me to get these projects done within the month, at least I’m fulfilling part of my ambitious knitting fantasies. Casting on!

2F01F5C8-34C0-463D-A276-56B492BC0B9A Let’s not dwell on the reality that I was meant to be going to Japan once again this year, and making Japan Sleeves was just part of the excitement building for my return trip in September. I am safe, I am well, I am lucky. 886EBA17-EED2-4F1E-BBCC-DF8837953935

I celebrated another birthday. Not the usual way and it wasn’t bad.

I got a kindle and I’m enjoying reading again, I’m making the time to read again.

When I placed my leather cover on my new kindle it reminded me of my Kinder photo book. Whilst the cover of that album is vinyl (not leather!), the kindle is also brown and the same size.

Oh look, cute little Sonia.

I also received a few other lovely gifts from family and friends. But I didn’t feel like I needed any other ‘special’ gifts for myself. 60923756210__a739b532-def7-4f87-adb7-541250713d5c

I mean who needs anything, getting cards like these are my favourite thing. Thanks niece M for reminding me how old I am on the front of the card. Very artistic!

I hope to be back soon to catch you up on all of my new projects, of which there are many 🙂

G is for German short rows

March 9, 2020 | Sonia Knits

Last weekend when I cast-on my Birkin sweater, all was going well…

… until my yarn snapped under the pressure of picking up the wrap of a wrapped stitch. This is one of those devastating moments in knitting (that I had never managed to do before). I was shell-shocked.

Fast forward to Monday night knit night, where I told my tale of woe. Right away, Nat suggested I use German short-rows rather than the regular wrap and turn. Genius! I took my knitting back to the end of the ribbing and began my short rows once again.

This is my progress so far. I am enjoying knitting colour work again. Gosh I hope it fits!

I finally finished knitting the lace sleeve inserts of my Japan Sleeves sweater, and ‘lightly blocked it’ over the weekend.

I knit 7 repeats of the lace per sleeve, which I think is the right length for me. After the gentle blocking, the length grew quite a bit, and I was glad I didn’t knit to the length I was supposed to.

I also adjusted the rate the stitches were picked up. i.e. I needed to do this a second time to get closer to the stitch count the pattern was calling for. It was worth it.

For the shoulder shaping, the pattern specified to do regular W&T short rows; but instead I used my new found confidence in German Short Rows, thanks to Nat (and Sharon)!

February WIPS and March cast ons!

March 1, 2020 | Sonia Knits

Setting myself knitting goals for each month of the year, I’m certain is responsible for how quickly March has come around this year. I am catching my tail, to keep up with the pair of socks and a sweater per month scenario let me tell you.

This is what I’ve got on my February sweater so far.

Whilst it doesn’t look like much. I’m loving knitting the lace panels of the sleeves of Japan Sleeves by Joji Locateli.

I had a late start on this project, due to changing my mind about yarn choice. The yarn I am using now is deep stash. It’s Patons Patonyle and I think it’s going to be wonderful.

I also had a set back on my hand spun socks.

I had finished the first sock, and it was the worst shaping I’ve ever done on a sock. It was all due to my heel flap being too tall. Luckily I only had to rip out half a foot, and the yarn is super quick to knit up.

I’m pretty happy with these February projects. February is a short month you know, even with a leap year.

My March sweater cast on is, The Birkin Sweater by Caitlyn Hunter. I’m knitting this as part of a knit-along with the Richmond Knitters to wear to the Bendigo Sheep and Wool Show in July. Which is plenty of time away, because this is going to get finished in March along with my other WIPS… hahaha

The yarn I’m using is Holst Yarn Supersoft. I’m looking forward to really getting into this project. I’ve done a couple of little gauge swatches to get stitch gauge. I’m going to wing the rest of it. No one in my knitting group can get row gauge anyway so there’s no point wasting precious knitting time fiddling with that!

And my March socks cast on, is a pair of plain ‘Pairfect’ socks by Arne and Carlos for Regia.

I think these will be super fun to knit up. The yarn has been sitting in my sock yarn box on my coffee table (yes there are other sock yarn boxes in the house), waiting to be knit for at least the last 12 months. It keeps getting past over because of newer yarn, but it really deserves it’s time on my needles.

Speak soon

Aldous Sweater

February 16, 2020 | Sonia Knits

I’m surrounded by sweater knitters in my knitting group, and to be honest I’m getting a little jealous by how quickly they can ‘bang out a sweater’ to term a phrase.

There were not many sweaters to speak of last year so this year I decided to change it up, the goal is to cast-on one new sweater per month for me.

On 1 January, I cast-on for Aldous by Isabell Kraemer DSC_9481crop

And on February 9, I cast off!

I even surprised myself. Look at that smugness.

I enjoyed the construction of this sweater. The yoke is shaped by using a modified version of the contiguous set-in sleeves method developed by Susie Myers.

I opted for the split hem version, and to also wear the sweater with the stockinette as the right side.

The yarn is ‘Field of Dreams’ a collaboration by The Purl Box and Great Ocean Road Mill. It was a lovely yarn to work with. It’s going to work nicely over a pair of jeans. The blend of polwarth, linen and suri alpaca is deceptively warm. Probably perfect for the Bendigo Sheep Show which is where this yarn was purchased last year.

The only alteration I made to the pattern, was to knit a double collar. This was to correct my own mistake. I originally knit the collar with the same size needles as the body (because I’m lazy). By the time I was halfway through the yoke, I realised the collar was never going to sit right without some intervention. It was folding over to the front. So I picked up the stitches around the base of the collar on the right side using smaller needles. Once I reached the height of the original collar, I knit the cast on edge stitches together with the next row of stitches, then in the following row I cast-off once more. Phew! I’m really happy with the collar now.

I look forward to knitting another Isabell Kraemer sweater later this year (if I stay on track!)

January Socks

February 9, 2020 | Sonia Knits

It’s about that time of year, when I start blogging for a few months and I wonder why I ever stopped.

This is fair warning dear reader. I’m not consistent, but I have good intentions.

Like my intention to knit a pair of socks and a sweater for every month in 2020. Stop laughing. I know this is probably (most likely) not going to happen.

Let’s be honest, this is a rough goal. Like these socks before you. They were cast-on in December as my ‘Christmas cast-on’. But I’m calling them my January socks done.

The yarn is by Danni of Half-baked Hand-dyed. It’s a special Christmas colour way that she dyed for our knitting group, The Richmond Knitters. How lucky are we to have a resident hand-dyer of yarns and a lovely person/knitter/spinner all round as part of our group.

So, I know what you’re thinking, we’re already into February, where’s your January Sweater Sonia? It’s only a blog post away!

Damn it, I just went to hyperlink Danni above and saw this in her store:

Screen Shot 2020-02-09 at 3.06.32 pm

You should totally go get it, so I don’t…

February socks and sweater have been cast-on. This is the only way I can fool myself I’m totally on top of my goals. More on that soon.

Stash Dash – aka Crazy Knitting Goals

May 25, 2019 | Sonia Knits

Stash Dash has just kicked off and I’m going to participate this year. Stash Dash is a 3 month knitting event hosted by The Knit Girllls where participants knit/crochet/spin etc as much of their stash as they possibly can. The rules are pretty flexible; which is fine, because you’re only completing against yourself.

I’m going to set myself the goal of using 5k of my stash, which seems like a small goal in comparison to the 15k+ cateogory, but I’m being realistic. If I complete my epic crochet granny stripe blanket, I’ll have reached my goal and then some. I’ll have used up the self-striping sock yarn I couldn’t use in socks, and I’ll have finished this long term project, hooray!

But I also have some other ‘crazy’ goals. I want to finish Wool & Honey before Bendigo

and I’m also resurrecting this project… I’m hoping to have it finished in time to wear to Bendigo… just 2 months to go!

This sweater began whilst taking an Improvised Sweater class with the fabulous Anna Maltz more than 3 years ago (!). It came to a halt when I didn’t like where the lace body was heading. I have a new plan now and I will rip back to the end of the yoke.

It is a sweater that has the right amount of ‘loud’ that you can only get away with at a sheep and wool show, but I’m also hoping to wear it amongst the muggles too.