Shibui Knits Mix Party

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On Tuesday evening I attended a very bespoke party at Woolarium, it was their very first Shibui Mix Party! Let me explain. Shibui make very fine luxurious yarns of all kinds of fibres. Most of the yarns are fine, so putting 2 of them together not only can create a unique luxury fabric, you also get about an 8 ply or greater gauge, it’s WIN/WIN.

The evening had the added bonus of having Kirsten Johnstone attend and take us through the process of swatching (read: playing) with the yarn. I had a total fan girl moment, admitting to her that we were Ravelry friends and that in fact she friended me first, you know, before she was famous! And boy is she famous! I am now kicking myself for not purchasing a pattern leaflet and getting her to autograph it, but you know, I only think of these things whilst I’m in the car travelling AWAY from the store… but I digress.

It was a lot of fun. Sharron the store owner did an amazing job in the organisation of it. Down to coding all of our little samples of yarn to the hand-out with all the formulas for putting the yarns together. Genius! I am in awe of it all. I didn’t make a rash buying decision, although I did come pretty close, hello Aperture. Just now, I’m enjoying doing the swatching of it all and pondering the possibilities. I see a lot of Shibui in my future.

I think this may the first of many events Sharron does at Woolarium, so you should totally get in touch. But if you find out about an event before I do, can you please put my name down too? This one was a sell-out.

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Photos or it didn’t happen

I’ve picked up my second ‘Use it or lose it’ project this week. I had cast-on ages ago but got side-tracked with other projects. So I’m knitting away on it on Friday night, when I look down and see this:

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Really? I thought, Really? I forgot to do the cable on the front right side, about 5 rows down.

I then remembered a little blog tutorial the Yarn Harlot did, turns out I have a good memory because it was 8 years ago on how to correct a wrongly crossed cable, or in my case, no crossing at all!

And so…

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Out came 5 rows of uncrossed cable…

And in came 5 newly knit rows of cable. Abet a little wonky, but with a bit more fiddling and blocking, it won’t show at all.

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I’m rather pleased with myself.

This is a ‘Lose it or Lose it’ project, inspired by the Stash and Burn group. The yarn is Anny Blatt Riviere D in colour ‘Baroque’. I bought it on sale at Clegs a million years ago. 53% wool, 41% Viscose (bugger just noticed that) and 6% Polyamide (the gold thread).

Damian was with me when I was pondering the purchase at $2 a ball I thought it was a bargain (and if this works out it still is) and I remember saying back then, I like it, but I don’t know when I’ll knit with it! And here we are. It is a bit scratchy to knit with, and the gold thread certainly makes it a ‘heavy’ knit, I’m going through balls pretty quickly. It’s just as well I got 20. I think it is a good pattern / yarn match, so far so good.

 

Methods for stashing down: UILI

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I’ve been following the Stash and Burn podcast rav forum thread ‘Use it or lose it’ on Ravelry for a little while now. I think the premise for the scheme is to cast on one thing from ‘deep stash’ each month, the yarn then either becomes a project that you’re happy with, or you realise that the yarn has no potential anymore and you move it along.

There is a lot in my stash that I consider as deep-stash. Putting all your yarn up on Ravelry is a wonderful thing. It makes organising so much easier! I’ve identified 8 amounts of wool that I need to move through my yarn collection, one way or another (at least to begin with, there’s more). To force the issue, I’ve created project pages for each of the yarns. I’ve assigned most of the yarn a project for what the yarn was originally intended for or in some cases a new pattern idea.

Today I’ve cast-on my Cleckheaton Angora Supreme, Cathy may recall me buying this. It was because of her high praise of this yarn, that I felt it was necessary to buy the last ever 10 balls of it from Wool Baa a million, billion years ago. I think at the time, I may have had this pattern in mind, I’m not sure. Either way, not long after it’s arrival in my stash I found what I thought was the perfect pattern for it. Then I forgot to knit it. But I didn’t forget, in my head it was sorted.

So I’ve cast on ‘Candy Stripes Kerchief’ by Kat Coyle today, maybe 5 or more years after it’s originally inception. I’ve changed the pattern so that I’m working in a tube rather than flat stocking stitch that curls. I have double the yardage to do this. I loved the design when I first saw it, quite Dr. Seuss like. And stripes are in.

I think this project is a keeper.

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SPOILER: Arrow: Clue 2B

I didn’t get to sit down to knit on my next clue for Ysolda’s shawl until Thursday this week. It’s just been one of those weeks. Less time to knit on my other projects, but a public holiday on Monday should even things out a little, yippee!

This is the second time (of a possible 2 times) so far, I’ve cheated and looked at the spoiler thread to help me decide which clue I should knit. I don’t really regret doing that. I would regret knitting one direction and realising I’d much prefer to do the other; clearly I’m not embracing the ‘mystery’ fully.

I’m glad there was this ‘short row’ clue. It’s made the shawl less semi circular, which was beginning to be a slight concern. Oh the twists and the turns! 3 more clues to go…

How’s your shawl going?

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A change of mindset

Now going on a yarn and fibre buying hiatus is not going to be a great hardship for me. In fact it’s going to be a pleasure. On the odd occasion that I swear off yarn buying, my mind switches over from needing/wanting all the beautiful things to seeing/playing/using delicious yarn. It’s a good feeling. It’s winter and this little squirrel is going to be feasting on the acorns she’s been collecting.

I’m pressing forward with my Still light, despite hearing the news of Louisa’s woes with hers. I’m fairly sure I won’t have the same issues. I haven’t made anything too large for myself for a long while, only things on the small side…

Here’s where I’m at with it, only 3/4 to go!

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And because I love sharing photos of Purl, here she is in her tunnel. Yes, our house is a kitten wonderland.

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Knitting is comfort

We’ve had some extremely hot weather lately, then this morning as I headed for the door it started raining. Unconsciously I grabbed my knitting bag to take with me to work. I don’t know why? I don’t knit at work, not even at lunchtimes. But somehow the rain made me do it.

So I went with it. If there was a blackout or if I got stuck in a lift, I’d be prepared totally! I’m an optimist too. Unfortunately none of those things occurred today.

I have some pitiful progress shots for you. Firstly my new Lacey socks… did I mention they have bobbles on the cuffs, lots of the little b&$!@r)$. Once I pass these it should be smooth sailing.

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And here’s my Still Light so far. I haven’t gone gang busters on it yet. Without Louisa around what’s the hurry?! I’ll get cracking on it soon though, because it will be very unfun if she gets too far ahead of me!

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I was bored

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I’ve cast on another project.

I needed to.

Reasons why:
Plain and Simple top: stocking stitch
Vesper socks: stocking stitch
Still Light tunic: stocking stitch

I know you’ll understand.

Whilst I was pondering that other sock club yesterday, I came across a sock designer I hadn’t seen before, and was immediately attracted to a couple of her patterns. The designer’s name is Star Athena (I’m sure she’s an astrologist?!) and the socks that said ‘knit me, I’m yours’ was Anna Jarvis socks. Cute huh?

Sunday arvo, I wound up some sock yarn Ursula dyed for me. I was her first real order, and I’m claiming it when she’s rich and famous. Hurry up and open an etsy store already!

Don’t get me wrong, I love a bit of mindless knitting, but it seems I have piles of it and needed a break. I feel happy and content that I’ve liberated my knitting. Spontaneous cast on is fun, I’ll face the consequences later…

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