Featherweight

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In between the madness of knitting along with Ysolda’s Follow your Arrow knit along, I managed last week to finish knitting my Featherweight cardigan by Hannah Fettig.

I’m pretty pleased with it, and it didn’t take decades to knit. Although the 3.5 inch collar nearly did kill me, I had fair warning from Sharon and Kate about that. It’s just as well I didn’t rib it.

The Patonyle feels amazing on and I know it will last forever and ever. So long as Purl doesn’t get her claws into it. Special thanks to Damian for some lovely photos of my FO. Happy Anniversary D, I still feel very lucky to be married to you (despite my worried face below!).

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I’m knitting on my 5th and final clue for Ysolda’s shawl. It’s another B clue! Somehow I ended up choosing ‘B’ all the way along, I just happen to prefer the B clues, I wonder what that says about me?!

5B is a knitted-on edging and it’s taking some time. I’m praying for some knitting fairies to work on it whilst I sleep.

Ode to Patonyle

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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.

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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…

My new (to me) Ashford Traditional wheel

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I had some time, this lovely long weekend to tinker with my new Traddy wheel. You may recall I got this as a gift from my gorgeous little sister who thought I might need another wheel. I didn’t know it then, but I think she was right!

Not being an Ashford owner before, I downloaded the manual from the web and investigated what I needed to do and what goes where. I purchased a maintenance kit from Spun Out, have I told you how much I love this store? Quick as a flash it all arrived… some gourmet rolags may have also come along for the ride.

And ta da! I’m spinning! The maintenance kit covered EVERYTHING I needed that was missing from my wheel. It even had the orifice hook! First up, I’m spinning some Wendy Dennis Polwarth which I’ll ply with a darker natural Wendy Dennis Polwarth. Bendigo is coming…

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Purl loves my new wheel too. She sat down beside me, mesmerised as the wheel spun around and around. Sadly a pillow case will have to go over the top of this wheel too when it’s not being used. Ahh the pitfalls of cat ownership.

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SPOILER: Arrow: Clue 2B

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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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Inspired to Spin

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I taught Lily how to spin on her Castella wheel today. It was exciting! She is the first youngster I’ve taught to spin on a wheel and she took to it very well. I hope I’ve inspired her as much as she has inspired me. I got home and all I could think about was spinning.

I’m finishing off the second bobbin of Gotland roving hand painted by the Thylacine. It’s a coarse fibre, I’m looking forward to getting it off my bobbins actually, but maybe when it’s plied it might make a good winter sock yarn?

If I keep up the enthusiasm maybe, perhaps, I’ll make a dent in my fibre stash. That would be a good thing with just 6 months to go before the Bendigo Show, just saying.

SPOILER: Follow your Arrow: Clue 1B

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Hooray, I’ve just completed the knitting of my first clue in the mystery knit-along. I’m super happy with it so far. It does lead me to wonder just how the next 2 possible options will work in with the first 2 options seeing as though they are vastly different constructions.

Now for some ‘recreational’ knitting until the next clue is released…

Nephew Love

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I got to spend some quality time with my new nephew yesterday, just one week and one day old. At one point he opened his eyes wide and looked straight into mine and my heart melted.

Some photos to show off my nephew and my lovely husband’s photography (and the blanket):

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With the temperature rising outside, I’m finding it a real challenge to knit him a jumper right now. But some socks I think would come in handy, he gets cold feet just like his aunty.

If you haven’t heard, I’ve succumbed to joining the Follow Your Arrow mystery KAL by Ysolda. More on that after the first clue is released tomorrow or the next day (oz time).

Shopping the Stash

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You know it was inevitable. I don’t think any of you would be surprised. But it is the start of the year, where silly things like diets and such begin.

If you’ve looked at my stash over on Ravelry, you will know that this is not any great sacrifice. Yarn diet sounds a little too harsh and not quite as apt as ‘Shopping the Stash’. I think my problems issues with yarn stem from the high I get from whenever I buy the stuff and I can’t knit it fast enough. That is the only way I can explain it.

Of course, there will be provisions for the Bendigo Show, and if I don’t happen to have yarn that I need to buy for a project for nephew or a niece, well then I’m going to do it.

And I also joined Stranded in Oz’s yarn club this year (I’m so excited!), with 6 installments…

So you see, it really isn’t a yarn diet at all…

I’m going to stay away from online yarn updates and visit yarn stores without absolute requirement (I might need needles you know). I’m not giving myself a timeframe, I’m just starting now. But I’m expecting late Christmas yarn to be sitting on my desk when I get back to work.

Starting now!

Aunty Sonia

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You know how I was worried about not getting my sister’s baby crochet blanket finished in time for the arrival of her first baby?

Well, I need not have worried. He arrived yesterday, 1 week and 1 day late.

I’ve held off knitting him any other garments and things, I’m inspired to knit for babies by spending time with them (hello Marilyn) rather than the concept of just knitting for a baby, if that makes sense. It is also Summer you know.

I’m thinking Baby Sophisticate, Milo, Baby Vertebrae, Latte Hoody…

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Pretty cute huh? Gratuitous crochet blanket/baby photos next weekend 🙂