H-O-L-I-D-A-Y-S-!

December 21, 2014 | Sonia Knits

I love stay-at-home holidays. Today is the longest possible time before I go back to work and I hope to have the funnest time away from my desk.

I want to finish off the year right, knitting all the things and spinning all the things; relax; organise; cuddle babies and read…

I got my last instalment of the Stranded in Oz club in the mail this week, it is wonderful. Melissa is a very talented dyer and the nicest person to boot, passion, passion, passion. How stunning does this look?

A few weeks ago my November SCF club also arrived… another very happy mail day.

And I’ve finished my baby niece’s Wee Cria. I think it will look really sweet on her. But when to give it to her?

Now to crochet up as many Noro patches as possible for our new blanket, before Santa comes and brings another 8 balls… sound relaxing to you?

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 – Yellow

October 29, 2014October 27, 2014 | Sonia Knits

For the longest time, I’ve never been a big fan of the colour yellow. I’ve always been afraid of it, I couldn’t imagine wearing it. I always thought that it was because I have yellow (blonde) hair.

But then something happened. It’s been a slow and gradual process, but I’ve started moving toward yellow. Not all yellows though, lets take it one step at a time. Below is my first acquisition of yellow, delicious and buttery.

~~I finally gave in and~~ I dropped into Sunspun on the weekend. A well-placed picnic across the road was all the reason I needed for a visit. Wow it’s changed, quite a bit. It’s fabulous!

There were so many new yarns I felt it took some time to get my bearings. It’s a totally new store, what a treat!

I picked up some naturally dyed yarn, (the yellow) and this deep orange… another unusual colour for me, what’s going on?!

All I know is, there is a puffy yellow jacket at Uniqlo that is calling my name.

Whilst at Sunsoun, I also picked up the Stashbot publication by Hannah Fettig. I thought it would be quite useful to take with me to Stitches.

In the mail this week, I received my Stranded in Oz club instalment. It’s truly stunning to look at, yum.

This week I completed my secret project…

And I began reading Amy Tan’s ‘The Valley of Amazement‘.

I’m also on Aunty watch, and getting a little bit excited.

See what everyone else is knitting and reading this week by checking out Ginny’s blog.

Yarn Along – Not one but two FOs!

October 1, 2014September 30, 2014 | Sonia Knits

So last week I promised to present some Finished Objects this week, easier said than done when you have a mountain of newly casted-on projects.

But being a Knitter, is about being a planner, an organiser and a strategiser! Taking a look at my Ravelry projects page (oh what joy it gives me to look at my WIPs all day long and I’m not joking), I took stock of all my projects and what stage everything was at.

Due to my Use It or Lose It strategy I have a number of WIPs on my page that are in actual fact not started, they’re there to remind me of my obligations to my ‘deep’ stash. I removed a UILI single skein project, because what harm would ‘returning’ a single skein of hand painted yarn to stash theoretically do? Not exactly an FO, but it was one less UFO.

Then, I cast-off my Honey Cowl and wore it for exactly one day before it got hot last week, and now I’m dreaming of a time when I can wear this for reals, please note I’m wearing a t-shirt in this picture. As expected my patience gave up before I ran out of yarn for this project, it was the never-ending cowl with a never-ending ball of alpaca yarn. I have exactly 50 grams left, I think it would be enough for mitts if I could be bothered.

Then, I turned my attentions to Ysolda’s Bronntanas Hat, the first ‘Knitworthy’ project i cast on a couple of weeks ago. It’s another small project, and I wasn’t going to let some twisted stitches get in my way of delivering on my promise. After beginning with a cable needle to cross the stitches, I switched to twisting the stitches and turning them over on the needles as I went. Success! This hat flew off my needles. Except, rightly or wrongly, I went from knitting the largest sized hat to the smallest, so my once slouchy hat is now snug… I still think the hat is adorable, and I’m contemplating whether this Knitworthy project will indeed reside in my gift box for the appropriate recipient (someone with a smaller head than mine). If I made it again for myself, I think I’d knit the medium size and hope for the best.

There it is, 2 FOs for you. All the while I’ve been working on my sisters crochet blanket, I think I’ve really outdone myself this time, it’s going to be hard to top with the next baby in the family. Oh the expectation, this is turning out just like Easters at home where my siblings and I decorated eggs, with improvements each year to design and techniques, who knows where this will end up? For the record I never got into egg craft/sculpting, that’s just crazy.

I’m still listening to Outlander (it’s the best) and reading ‘My Life in Stitches’ during some lunchtimes. I’m still to pick out my next serious kindle book to read, at this stage I’m considering Haruki Murakami’s new book. I think I’m ready.

You should go check out what everyone else is reading and crafting at Ginny’s blog this 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 – Hexagons and In the mail

September 3, 2014September 2, 2014 | Sonia Knits

Welcome to another week of Yarn Along with Ginny and Friends. Go and check out the blog here to see what everyone is knitting and reading this week.

This week I did a bit of work on my crochet blanket project. Many of you wouldn’t know it as a project, as I had only made 6 hexagons in the first year… Oh but don’t worry, this won’t be like my patchwork hexagon quilt or my hexipuffs (what hexipuffs), this time will be different.

I’m making it out of Noro Taiyo, which is a chunky yarn. After a little design consultation from Deb, I’m planning on adding a ‘natural’ or neutral colour to the final round of the hexagons. There are some amazing looking projects on Ravelry that do this, and it gives the ‘full on’ colour of the Noro a bit of a break. My next problem is finding the perfect yarn for it. Can I use stash? Can I spin for it? Decisions, decisions…

It’s also been a good mail week this week. Due to the enabling of one Susan B Anderson, these arrived at my desk on Friday…

Although the blame can’t lay solely on Susan’s shoulders. I was sufficiently enabled by The Knitmore Girls, and Simply Socks Yarn co. #operationsockdrawer

Happiness is a self-striping sock yarn x 5.

With fixed flat-rate shipping, I needed to make it worth my while… I have a self-striping sock yarn fetish, didn’t you know?

Up next I’m reading Rachel Herron’s ‘A life in Stitches’. It’s a sure thing, knitting, short-stories about knitting, I know I’m going to enjoy it. Then after that, maybe something serious?

Methods for stashing down: UILI

March 2, 2014 | Sonia Knits

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.

Ode to Patonyle

February 8, 2014 | Sonia Knits

Patons have put out a great new colour range of Patonyle in solids and self-fair isling, and I’ve been stalking the shops to see who would have it on their shelves first.

The answer is Clegs! I spied a half-opened box in store at lunchtime yesterday, but I behaved like a ‘lady’ and didn’t rummage through it, although it did kill me a little. I had to return to the city today for something else (I know 40 degrees outside), so I displayed some patience. Funnily the store manager (I think) was chatting to me about the new colour range and said they were just put on shelf today, (no kidding), so I had to play along and say, ‘wow really, aren’t they great!’ so as not to appear like the crazy yarn stalker that I am.

I knew when I saw the new colour range on Facebook, I was doomed. The yarn diet or should I say ‘the yarn lifestyle’ had to be put on hold. You see, yarn colours don’t always stick around, nor do yarns. I’ve taken one for the team and purchased these.

Of the achievements of my husbands time at ACS so many moons ago, the one I love most, was that he ‘brought back Patonyle’. He is my hero for all time, I didn’t know how good it was then (but several other knitters did) and lobbied to get it back from discontinuation. I’ve almost finished my Featherweight cardigan in Patonyle and I am ecstatic about how lovely the fabric feels when wearing it. Now Patonyle is in the the bright colours that we all dreamed about. I see 6 pairs of stripy socks, somewhere in my future…

Sonia Knits

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