Intermission

May 25, 2025 | Sonia Knits

It’s been an interesting week. I’ve got a cold, it began as a regular (not too bad, garden-variety cold) and slowly turned into a horrible coughing-green-slime-kind-of-a-cold. At this point I threw in the towel and called my doctor. Aren’t antibiotics wonderful? I try to avoid taking them if I can, I think it’s been years. I am on the mend, but I’m not there yet.

A couple of weeks ago, one of my sisters whose birthday is coming up, asked if I could knit her a pair of fingerless mitts. Wow, I don’t often get requests from family members to knit them anything. It doesn’t take a birthday for me to make for anyone, especially family. So I went to my stash. I gave her some yarn options, from which she made a selection, then I gave her a few more options (based on her first choice) but she still stuck with her original choice. The yarn is deep stash, Colinette Jitterbug. Gosh, it’s such a good yarn which sadly has been discontinued for many years now. The colourway is Forest.

I’m knitting up a pair of Penny Gloves by Petite Knit. It is a super simple pattern, but it fits well. There is only one size in the pattern, so I hope it fits my sister as well as they fit me. I should have time to finish the second mitt and give them a good soak and block in time for next weekend.

I’ve also finished plying the singles (Cat & Sparrow, 100% merino) that have been on my wheel for an embarrassingly long time. I look forward to winding it off and giving it a bath to measure the yarn weight and meterage. I have a loose idea of a Sophie shawl by Petite Knit but we’ll see.

May is for catching up

May 18, 2025 | Sonia Knits

My knitting progress has felt slow this month, probably because there has been much less time to knit. Because of this, and the fact that I have 2 sweater projects already on the needles, I’ve decided not to cast on a new sweater this month, but to try to ‘catch-up’ instead. I haven’t touched my Wool & Honey sweater, but I’ve made good progress on my Fragmentation Cardigan by Stephen West.

I’m on the ribbing now, then the sleeves, then the button bands, then the matching hood… still so much more to do. I have really enjoyed knitting this though. The modular aspect is so fun. Interestingly, looking ahead to the sleeves, the pattern calls for it to be in stocking stitch. But I think I’m going to do, what a few other knitters on Ravelry have done, and do the sleeves in garter stitch to match the rest of the garment. It’s weird that Stephen West made them in stocking stitch, it kind of bloats the top of the sleeve.

This month we took a quick trip to Kyneton, we haven’t been in more than a year. We’d been missing our favourite French rural restaurant, and there was a yarn show the following day. Of course this weekend was orchestrated by me.

Danni of Half-baked Hand dyed was at the market, and I visited her first! I might have gone a bit bananas at her stall. She does great self-striping sock yarn, and I’ve grown quite fond of 8ply socks, so I purchased both 4 & 8ply gobstopper balls.

I’ve also done a little spinning, and cast-on some DK socks since last time. I just need to ply up this gorgeous pink fibre from Cat & Sparrow, perhaps tonight. The sock yarn is also by Danni, in her special Bendigo Show colourway, Hot Jam Donuts! I’m holding a strand of fluff in the white and red sections, for some extra coziness. Only 2 months to Bendigo, squee!

May Wrap up

June 2, 2024 | Sonia Knits

It seems I have fallen off the blogging wagon, I’ve only been knitting my Pressed Flowers pullover and it’s taken f-o-r-e-v-e-r. I do love it though, but mosaic knitting takes twice the time it seems.

Can you believe we’re nearly half-way through the year?

We had a belated birthday (for me) and a combined birthday celebration (a niece and a sister) with my family a few weeks ago. I was gifted this Amigurumi sheep by my sweet niece who’s 12! I was completely blown away by her talent for such a young age. It took her 2 weeks to make, and it’s perfect. I’m in love.

Last weekend, I was stuck on sleeve island for my Pressed Flowers pullover, and I needed to do something other than knit the sleeve for a day but without starting something new… so I did some spinning. I have 200 grams of this beautiful merino fibre from Cat & Sparrow, which I picked up at the Sheep Show last year.

Finally this past Friday night, my Pressed Flowers pullover was cast-off and ends were sewn in. Now to block and take some photos, yay! Next time, I promise.

On Saturday I attended the annual Handknitters market in Coburg and had a wonderful time. It feels like a very long time since I’ve indulged in a yarny event and I might have bought more than I intended. All sock yarn, so that doesn’t count now does it?

A very Busy April

April 25, 2024 | Sonia Knits

I’ve been away the past 2 weekends doing fun things. Now I normally wouldn’t like to be away 2 weekends away in a row and bookended by work, but this is how April has shaped up.

My first weekend away was to attend the Majacraft Magic Camp! Majacraft is a New Zealand Spinning Wheel company, for those who are not aware. I headed off late one Friday to Lake Dewar a YMCA camp, somewhere between Bacchus Marsh and Ballan.

It was a beautiful setting with some wonderful teachers and attendees. Organised by Janet Day, I was really glad to have experienced Spinning Camp! There were 4 teachers/classes in total and I got to attend each class. It did make for a very busy weekend, but also thoroughly enjoyable. I haven’t been away on an organised ‘fibre’ retreat like this since attending TAFTA Geelong Fibre Forum retreats maybe 15+ years ago. Gosh, I wish they’d bring back some knitting or spinning classes to that retreat.

It was really interesting to meet Spinners from all over Australia at the meals breaks. Queensland spinners are super active and have several events/camps going on each year, really surprising with their climate. It was great to meet spinners who have great passion for the craft.

This past week and weekend I celebrated my birthday and headed off to Daylesford with my girlfriends who normally do a lot of quilting.

In between this getaway and our last getaway, some of my girlfriends have become addicted to sock knitting…

How lucky am I?! They also still quilt and sew… but not as much!

I’m also making great progress on my Pressed Flowers Pullover. I’m hoping to wrap this up by the end of April, but that doesn’t seem likely!

Paul Klee Sweater

April 7, 2024 | Sonia Knits

Yippee my Paul Klee Sweater by Midori Hirose is all finished! I’m very happy with how it has turned out. The yarn is from Kate Davies’ Advent calendar of 2023 which included all the colours from her Milarrochy Tweed yarns, plus all of her new colours released in the club. It was a very happy happenstance. Whilst you can choose to limit the number of colours used in the yoke, I decided to use 22 of the possible 24 colours from the Milarrochy Tweed range, and the additional charcoal colour for the body and sleeves.

I have been busily knitting on my March Sweater, Pressed Flowers by Amy Christophers. I’ve just divided for the body and sleeves. Originally I thought I would be knitting to the second size of instructions (the pattern has a crazy amount of ease), but I found that my row gauge (or my gauge overall) was smaller than expected, it’s hard to tell with mosaic knitting. But when I placed my yoke up against another yoke I’ve knitted, I could tell there was not going to be any ease, if I’d divided at that point. So I needed to knit another repeat of flowers before dividing for the body and sleeves. I think that was the correct decision, no one has time for sweaters that are too tight to wear.

My lovely basic stripey Christmas socks are also off the needles. The yarn is by my friend Danni from Halfbaked Hand dyed. Now that I don’t have any socks on the needles, I’m feeling a little lost.

I’m casting on for my April Sweater today… or maybe just a swatch, more on this month’s Cardigan… after I get back from a Spinning retreat next weekend. So much to do, so little time.

Pinch Punch 1st of the month

February 5, 2024 | Sonia Knits

I’m a little tardy in beginning my February Sweater, it’s so hard to squeeze in such exciting things during the work week. But I have now indeed cast on for my February Sweater which is to be Stephen West’s Painting Bricks Sweater.

I’m using the 8ply minis from my My Creative Garage advent calendar for the contrast colours, with the main colour dyed by my friend Danni of Halfbaked Hand-dyed. Since this cast-on photo, which shows the folded neckband, I have completed the short rows for the neck shaping and I’m now about the commence the exciting colour work part!

I’m still working on January’s sweater (The Paul Klee Sweater), finishing up the hem on the body (it is 8.5 inches long!) and with just the sleeves to go, I’m hoping to finish this up very soon, eek.

If I followed my own (regular) rules, I wouldn’t have dreamed of casting on for a new sweater project with one not finished. So with the new rules (!) I’ve set for myself this year, casting on a jumper a month (for at least 6 months, wouldn’t it be great if I did 12!), is so freeing and fun. February being a short month, perhaps a vest would have been a better choice!

I’ve also done a little spinning this month. This beautiful fibre by IxChel was purchased at the Coburb market last year. I only bought 100gms in total, so rather than plying each colour by itself, I’ve done a barber pole ply to make the most of the little yardage I have. It still might be a little cosy cowl.

In reading, I’ve finished listening to Lola in the Mirror by Trent Dalton. It was enjoyable to listen to, a great story with believable characters… gritty characters, scary characters. I liked how the book was based in Brisbane CBD, as I’ve been there a few times in the last couple of years, and I’ve wandered around some of the places mentioned, I haven’t come across Moon St though, does it even exist? I must open my eyes next time. I’m not sure I liked the ending, but I mostly don’t like how endings happen, all neat and tidy; so take my opinion with a grain of salt.

Back to knitting…

Back to Reality

January 14, 2024 | Sonia Knits

Last weekend, right before I returned to work for the new year, I did a Summer School class at the Handweavers and Spinners Guild of Vic. I haven’t been back to the guild since I completed my Spinning certificate early in 2023, so undertaking Janet Day’s Sensational Singles class was a super nice way to visit.

Now I’m normally not a fan of singles yarn, but Janet has made me a bit of a convert… or at least I’m prepared to include spinning singles as an option for making yarn in the future. The class was over 2 days, which was a luxurious amount of time to take in all the knowledge that Janet so generously shares with her students. If you ever have an opportunity to take a class with Janet, I would highly recommend it. I’ve left the class feeling inspired and also with a new spinning project on the wheel.

As predicted, with my return to work this week, my knitting and crafting has slowed somewhat. But I have now completed the colourwork part of my yoke on my Paul Klee sweater. I’ve got a few more increase rows to go and then I’m almost at the part to divide for my sleeves/body. I’m looking forward to the plain part of the project, as it will make for easy TV knitting, whilst I still get to enjoy looking at the colours dancing around the yoke. I think I’m on track to finish this jumper in January, yippee!

Bendigo 2023

July 16, 2023 | Sonia Knits

I’m just back from a wonderful break in Bendigo. The Australian Sheep and Wool Show in Bendigo was this weekend, but we headed up earlier on Wednesday to take make it more of a mini break.

We visited the Bendigo Art Gallery, which had a retrospective of 90 years of the Women’s Weekly Magazine. It was a great exhibition, which had a lot of nostalgia, especially for people whose mums made birthday cakes from the Birthday Cake book. My mum made the train for one of my older siblings, and perhaps one or 2 other cakes, perhaps the witch for my older sister? I remember looking through the book, and dreaming about my next birthday cake. I’m not sure I got one? The recorded interview with the cake maker/author of the book was interesting and priceless… just glue the pages of the tip truck cake together… hahaha. There was also a fashion display (it was impressive), and a bit of a crochet and knitting display, not to mention some great historical displays about women.

Friday, show day arrived, and I attended the Women of Wool luncheon once again. I think this year, the organisers did a great job of selecting the speakers. It was great to listen to inspiring, smart women.

I went back to the show on Saturday and I had a great time hanging out with Damian, his mum, friends, and sheep; as well as purchasing some lovely souvenirs of my time in Bendigo. I’m already planning for next year.

A different April

April 30, 2023 | Sonia Knits

April is normally quite a joyous month for me, because it is my birthday month! But this year Damian and I both got Covid before Easter. It’s taken us 3 years before catching it this first time (and hopefully our last) so we’ve done pretty well to dodge it so far. Our plans for Easter needed to change, including my very kind brother who collected these final Burch & Purchese cakes and delivered them safely around Melbourne to family members. It took Covid for us to realise how bad an idea it is for us to live so far apart…

I am hopeful Burch & Purchese will come back because it is/was my go-to place for special cakes. In fact, they are doing a pop-up for the King’s Coronation, if you’re the patriotic sort like Darren.

Whilst I was unwell, not a lot of knitting was going on… I felt like playing/planning with my stash, but after sorting out 3 or 4 pairs of scrappy socks I was exhausted! And, after doing an hour of knitting on the couch, I napped for an hour!

But I have cast-on some new things now, whilst my Stephen West MKAL shawl is still going on…

I’ve cast-on my Richmond Knitters ‘Bendigo’ project, which is going to be cowl. The motif (imagined by Brent) was created using Carla Meijsen’s Magic Motifs. I’ve also cast-on some socks from the yarn Danni dyed specially for the Richmond Knitters last Christmas. I’m still working on my Mystery Shawl, but it just seems to be taking forever, hopefully I’ll have a finished object photo for you next time. Can I say now, I don’t think I’ll participate in the Westknits MKAL this year, it’s just too slow knitting and not a lot of instant gratification. Can someone please remind me come October.

Last weekend was very busy, catching up with ALL the things, belated Easter and birthday celebrations (Lux cakes, did a great job in filling in the B&P gap), visiting my sisters new house, my Spinning certificate presentation and going to a Footy match!

During our illness, I didn’t leave the house for 10 days, just because… and it didn’t seem all that strange. We are homebodies, and especially since the lockdowns we’ve had in Melbourne, I think we are changed forever.