Yarn Along – Swatching

November 26, 2014November 25, 2014 | Sonia Knits

Welcome to another week of Yarn Along! Check out Ginny’s blog to see what everyone else is up to this week.

After completing my Istanbul socks this week, I was officially left with just one thing on the needles err… hook. That is my/our Noro hexagon blanket.

So I started looking around, as you do. Come-on you don’t expect me to finish an entire blanket before starting a new project do you?!

I looked at my projects page and more specifically my Use It, Or Lose It projects. Officially they’re on my projects page, but technically they have not been cast-on. They’re there to be more of a forceful reminder of the unloved yarn lurking in my stash.

I thought perhaps doing a little bit of swatching, might get me in the mood to take things further. That’s the nice thing about swatching, there’s no commitment and you can still walk away.

I thought about combining 2 of my UIOLI entries by combining the yarn, genius right? …

Well that was short lived. Whilst it’s pretty combining the two yarns, it made it thick like iron. If I went up a needle size I wouldn’t get the gauge close to any of my intended cardigans. I might just use the Louisa Harding yarn on it’s own as a little cropped summer cardigan to wear over dresses. And the hand-dyed Shiloh optim/silk… is still up in the air…

Then I thought I would have a crack at my Habu silk tape that I’ve had in my stash for quite some time. Every time I see Steven from Dairing yarns, he asks me if I’ve used it, and I’ve had to say ‘no’. I kind of would like to go back and visit and say that I have!

I got gauge for what I wanted. And I’ve cast-on Julie Hoover’s Garance. The texture and feel of the Habu tape is unlike anything I’ve ever knit with. ‘Frightened’, only begins to describe how I feel about making a sweater out of something that feels so foreign to wool. I hope it’s a success and not a disaster, I think the only way to find out is to knit the whole thing. Oh fun.

Meanwhile, I’ve decided to whip up a pair of fingerless gloves for Damian. They’ve been on my to-do pile since winter. At least I’ll be taking all the pressure off myself next winter…

I’m making them out of my hand-spun. It’s a merino/silk blend. The fibre was blended up on Sharon’s drum carder and spun long ago. Knitting with my hand-spun is wonderful, there should be more of it.

There’s not much to report on the reading front I’m afraid, I’ve been frantically knitting/crocheting in my down time and unsuccessfully shopping for Christmas gifts in my lunchtimes. There’s been more Outlander listening… but my reading has been almost non-existent. Am I still allowed to participate in Yarn-along?!

Yarn Along – The things we tell ourselves

November 19, 2014November 18, 2014 | Sonia Knits

I became an aunty again last week for the eighth time. And it’s still exciting.

I told myself before she was born, I wouldn’t knit any sweaters or such for her ‘right away’, she is a Summer baby after all. There’s no need, it would be silly. I don’t want to lose my head and knit all the things for a baby that grows rather quickly.

And then ‘she’ was born and she was given my name as a second name. All I can say is, that was very well-played. I didn’t see that coming. And now all I want to do is to knit for this baby.

I want to make her a ‘wee Cria’, very sweet and very girly (I had no idea if she was to be a boy or girl, but knitting-wise gosh, I’m glad she’s a girl!).

I think I even know the yarn I want to use.

Then I get this photo from my sister…

My new niece fits into the snug I made for her sister. And it fits now. And how amazing does it look? How happy am I about hand-me-downs? How this would not have worked had she been a boy!

I think I can give myself a week’s reprieve. Finish my Istanbul socks which I’m loving to bits and catch-up on some other knitting… before I lose my head and knit for this baby… but then again I might need to make something for her sister at the same time, that’s fair right?

Much to Damian’s disgust I’ve been openly listening to Outlander for hours and hours. I think I’m almost ready to start watching the TV series as I’m nearing the end of the first book.

Go see what everyone else is knitting and crafting this week by visiting Ginny’s blog.

Yarn Along – Crafty weekend away

November 12, 2014November 10, 2014 | Sonia Knits

Last weekend I attended a crafty weekend away with girlfriends who like to quilt:

Friends who like to knit and crochet:

Sew:

and Spin (well that was just me):

The house was very accommodating, with a new quilt on the wall and a quilt on my bed…

It’s quite amazing I haven’t caught ‘quilting’ yet.

I can’t wait to do it all again with knitting friends next year 🙂

Yarn Along – 30 and counting

November 5, 2014November 2, 2014 | Sonia Knits

I was a little concerned after recently completing my two project deadlines for babies, that I would loose my crafting mojo; after all if there isn’t a deadline, what’s the hurry?

Then I picked up the Noro hexagon blanket project I began a while ago which had very little progress. And now I have a new obsession. This hexagon blanket is going to be different to all my other ill-fated attempts at making hexagons ::hexipuffs::cough::patchwork quilt::cough::

Hexagons and I have a love/hate relationship.

But there is no Hex when it comes to this project. For one thing, I’m going to begin sewing the patches together as I go. I was thinking of placing the patches all mixed up from different balls together. But then when I stood back, I realised the layout of colours would look much better if the patches of one ball were placed together as rosettes, then pieced together like a jigsaw puzzle. It gives it a painterly, water colour feel to the overall blanket.

I did my sums after completing the first 2 balls of Noro Taiyo (which made 20 patches). In order to get a blanket the size of a single bed doona, I need 24 balls. I considered making a cover for our bed for a time, but 36 balls seemed a bit extreme to me and I don’t hate myself that much… or do I?

I’m reading Amy Tan’s The Valley of Amazement and still listening to Outlander. The hexagon obsession has affected my reading this week. I hope to pick up my pace next week!

You can see what everyone else is reading and making this week by visiting Ginny’s blog.

Yarn Along – Breaking the rut

October 15, 2014 | Sonia Knits

I would hate to think that I was in a rut. After all, ‘Rut’ is such a strong word. But last Tuesday evening when I was casually looking at Instagram, I saw that Jules from Wollenflower had posted about her upcoming Natural Dyeing class at the hand makers factory on Saturday, and naturally I jumped for it! It felt great to have ‘plan’-ned to do something different and spontaneous (it was short notice).

I love taking classes. I can’t remember the last ‘live’ class I took, Craftsy doesn’t count (even though they are awesome, but they’re classes that don’t involve leaving the house). Well I thoroughly enjoyed the class and would recommend it to anyone who has a passing interest in Natural Dyeing. Gosh there’s so much to it! In a way the whole science behind it makes it incredibly interesting and magical, and how much more satisfying is it extracting colour from nature? As expected Jules is a brilliant teacher and very generous with her knowledge. I would love to have a crack at doing some natural dyeing at home, perhaps the Christmas break will allow time for that?

I’ve been working on my sister’s baby blanket with quiet abandon, all the squares are sewn together and all the ends have been sewn in. Only the 5 or 6 row treble stitch border remains. It’s amazing to see the transformation of the curled patches to squares, once the sides had been sewn together.

I did end up going for the mixed up layout of patches, rather than the rainbow variation I had them laid out as last week. It wasn’t a true rainbow, so I think that’s why it wasn’t working visually?

Last week I also plied up the singles that had been sitting on the bobbins for a couple of weeks. I’m pretty happy with the result despite beginning to really dislike the process of plying, I see an e-spinner in my future.

I’ve been listening to Outlander and getting into my ‘other’ book on my Kindle. I’m a little too embarrassed to admit what I’m reading now (read: it’s saucy and possibly the raunchiest novel I’ve ever read) so there you have it.

Go see what everyone else is knitting and reading this week as a part of Yarn Along on Ginny’s blog (bet it’s not as juicy as my novel: hint see last week’s entry).

Yarn Along – Polka progress

October 8, 2014October 7, 2014 | Sonia Knits

It’s yarn along day again! Go see what everyone else is reading and knitting this week by going to Ginny’s blog.

I’ve been listening along to Outlander again this week and truly enjoying it. I do need to make more time to listen if I’m ever going to reach the end of (even) the first book. I’ve also begun reading Alpha by Jasinda Wilder on my Kindle, which seems very interesting (read: saucy) and well-written.

I’ve been working on the polka dot crochet baby blanket for my sister’s second baby, it’s beginning to look like something now. I’m thinking of laying out the patches as pictured, in this some kind of rainbow configuration, the original design was done this way. What do you think? Or should I mix it up? My goal for this week is to complete all the squares and have them stitched together, then it will just be the wide border to come and a wash block, I can’t wait for that!

I had a little crisis this week. I was in fear I wouldn’t have enough yarn for the border, I probably need 2 balls for it. The last time I went to Yarn & co. I discovered they didn’t carry this colour anymore, and then upon heading to Clegs and Morris & Sons, there was none, zero, zilch left. I then discovered online that the Wool Baa had some in stock; and I made the only decision a crazed knitter could do. I went there on my lunch break. I needed to get the last balls of this colour in Melbourne in my hands pronto.

Well the tram tracker lied, it took a lot longer to get there. I finally got to the store and I had the yarn in my sweaty little hands, success! But the clock was ticking and when there didn’t seem to be a tram in sight, I caught a taxi back to work, that’s how I roll or err… travel.

Taking stock of this project and packing away the left-overs of the colours I no longer required for this project, I found I had more of this yarn now than what I had to begin with, I don’t know what the moral of this story is, but it’s there somewhere.

Have a great week!

Yarn Along – Slow progress

September 24, 2014September 23, 2014 | Sonia Knits

Welcome to another week of Yarn Along, you can see what everyone else is making and reading by heading over to Ginny’s blog here.

This week I wish my progress wasn’t so slow. Why am I not surprised?! That’s what happens when you’re working on more than one thing at a time.

I’m loving the Polka Dot rug that I’m making for my sister’s baby E.T.A. 7-10 weeks away, but probably just 7 weeks away. So far I’ve made a patch of each of the 13 coloured centres.

I think if I aim for 35 squares in total (5 x 7 grid) that would be sensible. There’s so much to do and so little time.

I’ve also been spinning, I have to keep up and perhaps try to get ahead of my fibre stash before my next Southern Cross Fibre club instalment arrives on my doorstep…

Ooops too late.

Well perhaps I can make some more spinning time this week… some how. I have to say David’s fibre is every bit delicious that his reputation suggests. I have not been disappointed with his colour choices for me.

I also popped along to Woolarium’s birthday celebration this weekend and picked up some Malabrigo for a future project. How could I resist?

I’m very passionate about the yarn stores we have in Melbourne, and I like to support them when I can. After all they run by people who are passionate about yarn and have taken the huge leap of faith that lovely knitters will patronise them. I love buying yarn, so I do what I can…

Don’t be fooled by the one skein pictured, I have way more for a jumper.

I’m still listening to Outlander and avoiding watching the shows; I am loving it!

Hopefully I’ll have an FO next week, somehow.

Yarn Along – False starts and decisions

September 17, 2014September 16, 2014 | Sonia Knits

This week has been a bit rough, with so many new projects and each of them requiring consideration, I’ve cast-on and ripped 3 of the projects a number of times until it was right.

The Polka Dot baby blanket caused me the most concern. Before I even completed the first patch, I was ready to throw in the towel. I wasn’t reading the pattern properly, rounds 4 and 5 were a doozy. But I got there after 3 days, and then the second patch went so much faster. But that wasn’t before I attempted a granny square as an alternative to the polka dot patches. I asked Twitter ‘What should I do?’ The suggestion that I shouldn’t make something ‘too good’ to give away, spurred me on. I only want to give away things that I love, because if I don’t love it, then it’s not good enough.

I decided I loved the Polka Dot design most, unfortunately or fortunately it also meant I needed a few more colours to make it a success. A quick little lunchtime trip down to Yarn & Co. sorted this out for me. I have 13 centre colours now, I’ll make 3 of each and 4 of one colour to make 40 patches and a blanket similar in size to Willam’s after finishing it off with a large border. So much for using yarn stash yarn! I anticipate I’ll have enough left-over for another baby blanket, ha ha ha.

I’m still listening to Outlander (the first book) and enjoying that very much, as well as dipping in and out of Rachel Herron’s A life in Stitches.

To see what everyone else is crafting and reading this week, visit Ginny’s blog here. See you next week.

Yarn along – Cast-on-a-plooza

September 10, 2014September 7, 2014 | Sonia Knits

Here’s to another week of Yarn Along with Ginny and Friends. You can see Ginny’s blog here to catch-up on what everyone is knitting and reading this week.

It’s been an interesting week, with lots of new starts! I’m always pining to knit new things and this week I just didn’t say no. My projects page is about to explode with many new WIPs.

Ysolda Teague has launched a new knit along called ‘Knitworthy’, each fortnight releasing a new pattern to total 8. I gave in to peer pressure within 24 hours of finding out about it. The first pattern ‘Bronntanas’ which is a slouchy hat with an interesting honey-comb pattern looked pretty awesome to me, so how could I turn a blind eye? I’ve cast-on using my last instalment of Stranded in Oz yarn, to make this hat for myself; if the remaining patterns are half as good as the first, I think it will be $20 well spent. This is it below, the colour is not right, but you get the gist.

And I’ve cast-on some plain toe-up socks from the Stranded in Oz clubs latest instalment. It’s very pretty. It uses 2 strands of lace weight Alpacamer : 60% baby alpaca, 25% merino, 15% nylon. You can see the toe pictured.

And I’ve begun my sisters next baby blanket (not pictured). After ‘workshopping’ my baby blanket predicament, Deb was the-voice-of-reason and a good idea. Why not used the 4ply Patons wool I have and make the polka dot crochet blanket from that, requiring only to purchase the frame colour? In hindsight, an 8 ply cotton blanket is going to be heavier than a 4 ply wool one so what ever was I thinking? I’m pretty excited about this new incarnation of the baby blanket, I’m able to use what I have, and I’m doing a different pattern (with less ends!).

I’ve also been working on my Istanbul socks by Cookie A, which I’m totally loving (with so many projects on the needles it’s been hard to focus the admiration).

And this week I’ve downloaded and have begun listening to a new audiobook, drum roll please…

I’m listening to Outlander by Diana Gabaldon! I do feel that I’m the last person on earth to read this series. Now with the TV show beginning on Foxtel, I thought it was time to give it a go. I do intend to ‘listen’ to the book/s before watching the series. I think I’m ruined on Game of Thrones, but I’m still persisting with the audio books for now. I am enjoying the narration of Outlander and because I don’t know what’s going to happen (unlike GoT), there is a reason to listen to 32 hours for the first book alone.

Sonia Knits

The adventures of a Melbourne Knitter

Work in Progress