Cast on E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G

April 7, 2015 | Sonia Knits

Recently I discovered the saddest way to lose your knitting mojo (for me anyway) is to have nothing on the needles.

The opposite to that is a ‘cast-on-aploza’.

And that’s exactly what I did this fine long weekend.

I cast on for my nephew’s winter top…

And got going on my Grace Cardigan by Jane Richmond…

I cast on my ‘Use it or Lose it’ Shingle project, a sweet little cardigan called Safire by Hilary Smith Callis.

And swatched another ‘UIOLI’ project. I think this is going to be a Dragonflies Jumper.

I also cast-on and completed the first clue in Romi’s Mystery Shawl Knit Along.

Then (not pictured here), I cast on ‘our’ Wedding Blanket! Yes, finally. I’m going to be knitting ‘Warmth’ by Jo Sharp, a long-term wish for some deep stash yarn that was bought for the purpose of our wedding blanket. In the meantime since the yarn purchase many years ago, all of my friends have knit this blanket, it is epic! I marvelled at this fact when I checked the projects on Ravelry this weekend.

I’m still waiting to cast on a beanie for Damian (but he hasn’t chosen a pattern) and who knows what else I’ll cast on before then.

I’m so happy.

Wednesday WIP – Gone Knitting

February 12, 2015 | Sonia Knits

Just a quick one. I’m about to embark on a very yarny adventure of a lifetime (I will tell you all about it when I get back) and hubby is not coming, weeeeeeee!

The Bloom Dress is finished and it is stunning, I’m so happy with it. It hasn’t been given to my niece M yet, but it will be on my return and then there will be adorable photos, hopefully.

I’m about to cast-on for my trip knitting and after some sound inspiration and advice, I’m casting on for a Clincher scarf by Ash Kearns. I’m using deep-stash again for no other reason than, I think I have the perfect yarn. Colinette Jitterbug in colour way Toscana. In my opinion, this yarn is no good for socks (I’ve had 2 pairs die on me), as it has no nylon content in it. So… after buying up heaps before this discovery… it is now accessory yarn.

I also gave it the Citric Acid treatment that Jasmine from the Knitmore girls prescribed for suspect yarns. It was probably safe from colour loss for this particular colour way, but I didn’t want to chance it again (my experience with Jitterbug). After all that, it’s still a beautiful yarn, if you treat it right.

See you soon!

Wednesday WIP – Still blooming

February 4, 2015February 3, 2015 | Sonia Knits

Despite my desperation about knitting at the moment, I was unable to finish the Bloom tunic/dress by the weekend for a visit with my family. It’s been a busy week! Nonetheless I’m very happy with how Bloom is shaping up and I’ve had some very kind comments about it from The Richmond Knitters. This ‘Use It or Lose It’ project is definitely a keeper.

Catching up with my sister reminded me of why I love knitting for her babies. Niece #2 was wearing niece #1 hand-me-down: Baby Yoda Sweater. Ahhhhhhh…

At one point she even made the same wide yawn her sister had when Damian snapped this 2.5 years ago:

It makes the knitting time all worthwhile…

Getting back to Bloom, I couldn’t resist popping in the ribbon early, it still needs it’s ends trimmed. Little girls and ribbon are so pretty… I suspect it will need to have a double-knot so she doesn’t pull it out.

Have a great week!

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.

Wednesday WIP – formally Yarn Along

January 21, 2015January 20, 2015 | Sonia Knits

I have enjoyed writing a regular blog post on Wednesdays, but I was beginning to feel like a fraud by participating in ‘Yarn Along’. For one thing, I just don’t get through that many books. Therefore, I’m going on my own, Wednesday WIPs will be landing in your inbox from now on in. It doesn’t mean I’ll stop reporting on books, there just won’t be the expectation!

This week my Cookie A Arrow socks had a second social outing. Catching up with my tri-craftual friends at the weekend, I enjoyed a few pleasurable hours knitting, chatting and eating plenty of delights at Jo’s home.

#Latergram By the time you’re reading this I’m hoping the socks will be finished and I’ll have cast-on something new. It seems I am indeed monogamous.

Whilst at Jo’s place, a visit to Amitie Textiles was in order, and whilst I did not buy anything from this patchwork shop… seeing Amanda’s latest project did sway me to the dark side, just a little. She is in the process of sewing/embroidering a quilt which has a map of Paris on top. It turns out you can buy all sorts of cities maps from this company. I was in awe.

San Francisco is also available… I think I have a project for our next gathering in Hepburn Springs.

No really. The SF map has the street where we used to live. Can’t you tell I was sucked in? I wouldn’t need to do much piecing together. The quilt top is largely taken up with the map panel, then I just need to add a frame, buy some backing fabric and the woollen fabric for the in-between and presto, I’ll be walking down the streets of San Francisco as I’m quilting away. The website encourages you to personalise your quilt. I could pop in our apartment, my local yarn store, you get the picture.

I’m only 4 weeks away from re-visiting my old neighbourhood. I’m a little excited, nervous and afraid. This idolised memory I have of SF could be totally destroyed. Or not. I hope not. One thing is for certain, there will be souvenir yarn.

And then coincidently in some ways, I’ve just finished listening to Kafta on the Shore. It seems Murakami’s books have a haunting message in them, (as well as being bizarre and weird). He leads you on this journey and it’s difficult to put all the pieces together, but some of them fit. I don’t think I can appreciate the full meaning to his work. He is pretty amazing. The audio book was excellently narrated and I felt this added to my experience of the book.

See you next week!

Friday Night Spinning

January 18, 2015 | Sonia Knits

Due to my lack of spinning on any regular basis, I think I need to reinstate Friday Night Spinning.

I was too worn out from the week to set my mind to knitting of any sort on Friday night but spinning seemed like the ‘right’ thing to do.

I took the opportunity to add to the cormo bobbin I had begun weeks ago. I’m spinning fairly thin (for me) so it’s still going to take at least another Friday night session, but isn’t it pretty? I can’t hardly wait until I Navajo ply it into some amazing pink, white and green stripes, yum.

Getting back to spinning may also have been prompted by an ‘unexpected’ parcel delivery this week. The excitement of receiving a parcel, but not knowing what it is?! What could it be? Did I order some self-striping sock yarn in my sleep?!

But alas, it was my Southern Cross Fibre Club for January arriving earlier than I had anticipated. Once again, an amazing colour way.

This week I also received a much coveted book:

Hell if everyone else is going to do colour work this year, then so am I. Someone pass me some scissors so I can steek something!

It has been a book acquisition week, I picked up 2 books with a Christmas voucher.

Magpies, homebodies, Nomads was on my book list and What to knit: The Toddler years was a book I bought for my mum. I liked it so much I wanted a copy for myself, babies grow into toddlers after all.

Wishing you all a productive and fulfilling week.

Yarn Along – New Years Eve

December 31, 2014December 30, 2014 | Sonia Knits

I wasn’t able to clear the slate on my knitting/crochet projects on this final day of the year. I think that’s almost a ridiculous notion unless you’re Sharon!

I’m up to the sleeves on my Garance sweater. Turns out, it’s a pretty fast knit. At times I’ve had to put it aside unfortunately, the Habu Silk Gima is incredibly hard on the hands, making the experience of knitting with it a little painful. On the upside, I think the texture is going to be quite nice to wear… over a long sleeve shirt.

10 ‘rosettes’ of my crochet blanket are complete. I’m sewing these up as I go, so I don’t have to deal with all of the sewing up at the end. Who wants that?

I’ve cast-on Cookie A’s ‘Arrow’ socks for me. It is one of the 2 yarns I hadn’t knitted from her club in 2013. I have a small desire to get the last 2 yarns made into socks before my first shipment of sock club in February. The yarn is Tanis yarns purple label MCN. It’s beautiful…

Thank you to Christine for my lovely new project bag, a great match for my new project! I’m very lucky to have sewers in my life, because I completely suck at that.

This week I’ve been listening to Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami. I’ve read a couple of his other books, but perhaps listening to them are even more enjoyable. There are a number of stories going on, and they seem to link in some unusual way, a bit ‘tripy’, but intriguing all the same. The recording is just 19 hours.

You can see what everyone else is knitting and reading this week by visiting Ginny’s blog for Yarn-Along.

Yarn Along – Christmas Eve

December 24, 2014 | Sonia Knits

Welcome to another week of yarn-along! Take a look at what everyone else is up to by visiting Ginny’s blog.

It’s Christmas eve and I’m feeling a little frazzled already. Last minute, oops and I just need to do this… and, oh I need to get that… meant that today was spent running around and then shopping for something to wear tomorrow, I kid you not.

Is it really Christmas eve? I’m hoping to pop the Carols on T.V. on in a few hours and chill out. I’m looking forward to seeing my nieces and nephews tomorrow and their sweet little faces.

I’ve finally finished Outlander book 1, but before I venture into book 2, I thought I would pause and listen to Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami. I’ve also dipped back into Amy Tan’s Valley of Amazement.

I’ve been knitting a bit on Garance by Julie Hoover, in my Use It Or Lose It yarn. I’m much happier with the stockinette section of the knitting than the ribbing where the stitches look loose and wonky. I think the look of this will improve once the fabric is washed. It’s early days to tell whether or not I’m going to like this garment; but you’ll be the first to know!

I’ve also been working on my hexagons, at last count I have 9 rosettes, and another one almost ready to be sewn up. I didn’t get through as many balls as I wanted to before Christmas, but there’s always tonight.

And I’ve been spinning. This is some of Kylie Gusset’s Cormo that she kindly dyed up for me eons ago. Gosh it’s really nice to spin… I think I’ll Navajo ply it, to give it some stripes. The fibre drafts beautifully.

I hope you all have a happy and safe Christmas.

Yarn Along – Wee progress

December 17, 2014 | Sonia Knits

This week I’ve been working on the first Wee Cria for my newest niece.

I’m just past the wee pockets and have purchased the wee buttons. I haven’t cast-on the second one for my older niece yet, I’m wondering whether I can sneak in some knitting for me, or whether guilt will take hold… it’s tough having cute nieces.

I’ve only got a wee bit left of the first Outlander left to listen to. I’m hoping the holidays will offer me some more time to catch up on all things.

Sonia Knits

The adventures of a Melbourne Knitter

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