:-(

The Bohemian V isn't going well at all. The main bits knitted up really fast, the yarn is lovely and all was generally well. The pattern was quite badly written and I had to re-write it but other than that (and the sizing issues) I was happy.

I even used the iron to steam block it.

Now though it is all going horribly wrong. I have just spent 2 hours in total silence sat on the floor picking up 111 stitches. I thought it looked OK until I started to knit them, and I think they look terrible.

I'm not entirely sure however, as 111 stitches with such fat yarn is rather a lot and the whole thing is horribly squished. This clearly needs a cicular needle, but I don't have a 9mm circ and the pattern didn't suggest it so I didn't buy one. I would have ordered one with the yarn had I realised.

*sigh* this has gone froma "yay!" project to a suck project in a remarkably short space of time. all I can do is persevere and see what it looks like at the end I guess...

Frogged!

Had to frog the first bit of the front of my tank top. I forgot to go back to the 9mm needles...

V-neck

BV2
Originally uploaded by cob_web

I have finished the back of my v-neck! Hurrah.

I had terrible dilemmas about the sizing. I measured myself and was 36in across the bust, so was going to make the size 12, but the finished size was 43in! Which seemed ENORMOUS, and I didn't want it to be baggy. I posted on LJ about it and got lots of advice. One person was also a 36 and had frogged the 12 as it was huge. Apparently it was also almost knee length. So I cast on for a size 8, but after about 20cm decided it was going to be too tight at the ribbing, so frogged that and went for the size 10. I Think its going to be OK....

As mentioned earlier, I did spit-splicing for teh first time. which rocks. I used water though.

Spit-splicing

ooh... it actually works!

Still slightly suspicious it might come appart when I'm not looking though...

A scarf for Dee

A scarf for Dee
Originally uploaded by cob_web

I finished the final christmas scarf! Go me! This one was a pattern from Bloomenee on Britknits. I didn't have any circs of a useful size so I had to do it on straights. As such it was really bunched up and I didn't think it was long enough. The pattern said to cast on 150-200 stitches but I kept going... I think it was 220 in the end.

Doh! Its ENORMOUS! I quite like it though.

I need to work on my cast off - I tried to do it loosely but its still tighter than my cast-on edge. Oh well.

Yarn!

Hooray! I have YARN!

Lovely, lovely yarn. This is Rowan Big Wool in Bohemian, for the tank top I posted about the other day.

The colour is a bit more orangy than I thought, and has that 2-tone effect that didn't come across in any of the photos online... but I'm sure it will be fine. I need more colour in my wardrobe.

Probably.

Also, I knit another christmas scarf in one evening. I used one skein of Sirdar Vegas and 15mm needles to make a lacy scarf for Ben's girlfriend. Ben is Matt's brother and he has been in Oz and New Zealand for 2 years, and is back for christmas, bringing his girlfriend! So I've never met her but have made scarves for other people so thought I should. I think this will work, as I didn't want anything bulky as a) she has to take it back to New Zealand with her and b) its summer down there! This is definitely a fashion scarf rather than a keeping warm scarf. Please excuse the nasty picture of me...

Not much to report

Tank top
Originally uploaded by cob_web

I am waiting for some Rowan Big Wool to arrive so I can knit the tank top shown. I'm not too sure about tank tops, but my fashionable sister assures me it will look great. Our office doens't have a separate thermostat and gets BOILING hot. So people open the windows. Only I'm really sensitive to draughts...so I thought this would be useful.

I wouldn't usually splash out on Rowan, but I had a voucher for Get Knitted. I ordered 3 weeks ago though :-(

Finished the dreaded xmas scarf 4 during the week, and have started on another one. No pics yet though, I forgot to take any earlier, and its already dark.

Peacock Jaywalkers

peacock sock 4
Originally uploaded by cob_web

No, I haven't finished the dreaded scarves, yes I have started socks...

I'm knitting the Jaywalker pattern with some Opal Rainforest yarn some friends gave me. The colourway is "Pfau" (Peacock) and honestly? I'm not sure I like it.

The pattern seems good though. However, you can probably spot the not so deliberate mistake in teh photo. I messed up the placement of the double decrease in the middle of the first needle for quite a few rows. I blame Spooks (it was gripping) but its odd I got it wrong on that needle only - repeatedly! I decided to leave it in as I can't frog socks very well, and they are for me. The colour is a bit suspect anyway...

Wonton

wonton2
Originally uploaded by cob_web

Tiny little FO!

Its one of the Feline DimSum from Knitty and I made it for my sister's boyfriend's cat (talk about convoluted!). The cat's anme is Cindy and she is lovely. Matt (yep, we've both picked blokes called Matt) kind of adopted her, or did she adopt him? She was a stray anyway. She only has a little stubby tail - I think she lost it in a car accident.

Anyway, whatever, the cat is cute, and Matt loves her, so I wanted to make her a little toy to add to his christmas present. I made her the egg roll before, but it was quite big, and she is only little. So i made the wonton. Yes, there is catnip in it.

Soph said Cindy likes things on string, so I need to get some ribbon to tie it to.

Just for info the yarns used were Debbie Bliss Cotton Cashmere and some random liliac acrylic - I think left over from Eeeyore.

Sheldon

Is a disaster :-(

My mum kindly finished off the crochet for me (really fast!) but now i've got to the bit where you attach the shell to the "attachment panel" and I don't know what happened but they don't even vaguely match up in size. The shell is far too big. I can't figure out the I-cord join thing either.

*sulk*

Dragonfly Scarf

dragonfly3
Originally uploaded by cob_web

Well I finished my "Dragonfly Scarf" just in time to take to my Parent's house on saturday. Thats thier front door. Rather unflattering picture. You can see some close up shots on Ravelry, but they aren't very good pics in themselves so haven't posted them here.

I used Patons Art yarn in Dragonfly which I got 3 balls of as a gift for my birthday back in march. It was a bit short with 3 balls but I emailed the shop in Beeston where it was bought and they had some in stock so send me an extra one. If you are interested a kind soul also tracked it down to MCA Direct on the interwebs. I spent HOURS looking for it, I am a numpty.

Anyway, I used the Yarn Harlot's "one row scarf" pattern which is an interesting rib. It has produced a very heavy, warm scarf. Certainly one for winter!

I'm glad I didn't compromise and went for the 4th ball.

If only the christmas scarves were knitting up as quickly!

A scarf for ME!

DSC00330
Originally uploaded by cob_web

I'm plodding along with the christmas knitting, but decided to start one for me with the lovely yarn I got for my birthday from friends. I've only got three balls of the yarn, so I don't think it will be very long, but the colours are lovely and its really soft.

I'm using The Yarn Harlot's "one Row Scarf" pattern, which I really like.

I haven't seen the yarn IRL or online anyhwere, but its Art but Patons.

Sock love

I'm wearing my new socks today, and I think I am a little bit in love. They fit SO much better than my first pair and they are lovely and warm.

I also went to my LYS for the first time - InterKnit Cafe in Farnham. Oooh, it was quite overwhelming for someone who does all their knit shopping online! I left with just two pairs of needles and a crochet hook (only for rescuing stitches, not actual crochet, but my largest one currently is 3mm, so I got a 5 for bigger yarn).

I have to be careful knowing that shop is just down the road! It took a lot of will power to leave with no yarn. But that way madness lies. I have promised myself not to buy yarn unless i know what I am going to do with it.

I fell in love with a colinette yarn, and wrote down what I thought was the name, but turned out to be just the colourway. So I had to ring them up. Apparently it was Graffiti - which I used for Hayley's scarf. The colour was SO different that I didn't recognise it. So now I need a project so I can buy all the purply goodness and make something with it. I was thinking of a long cardigan to cuddle up in in the house, but I can't find a pattern for chunky yarn. I've put a plea on Ravelry but I'm not getting many replies. Graffiti takes 10mm needles...

Crochet

Thanks Aber for you comment about my socks! I can't work out how to reply to comments... :-/

Anyway, since I finished my socks I decided to try and finish Sheldon too. So I dragged him out and almost immediately remembered why I had put him away in teh first place. I. CAN'T. CROCHET. I was close to SCREAMING in frustration when the phone rang. It was my mum wanting to know if my cold has gone (not really). So I told her how annoyed I was and how I wished I could just PAY someone to do it for me, when she said "I can crochet".

...

really?! So I'm going to take Sheldon with my when we go for my Dad's birthday next weekend. Hurrah! ITs so strange. All my life my mum has sewn, and used to make a lot of my clothes when I was young (when it was cheaper to make your clothes than buy them). She also used to do cross stitch and tapestry... but I NEVER KNEW she knitted until I told her I had started. She stopped knitting when I was born and never started again. So I shouldn't be surprised that she can crochet really. Anyway, either she can teach me what I'm doing wrong, or at the very least do the crochet bit for me.

Finished Socks

Opal Socks 1
Originally uploaded by cob_web

I finished my 2nd pair of socks today!

I think I made a small mistake in teh toe section, but you can't really tell. They are very snug fitting, and I had a bit of trouble getting them on over my tights. I'd probably add a couple of stitches if I were to do them again. But of course I won't I've already started looking at new and exciting sock patterns!

I have 2 more balls of self-striping Opal that I was given as a gift. Feel free to tell me your favourite sock pattern that will look good with self-striping yarn but is more interesting than the bog-standard pattern shown here.

Knitting in Public

Craft corner
Originally uploaded by cob_web

Since the main part of this post had no photos I thought I'd show you where I store most of my crafty things. Its a bit messy at the moment! Its a lovely wood storage unit from Ikea. In the top cube the two drawers have all my needles and other bits and bobs. The cube with the door has my bag of odds and ends of yarn, plus a big bag of the dreaded eyelash yarn. The bottom set of drawers has my sewing kit in the top drawer and the bottom drawer has my collinette stash from Hayley. The open cubes have my crafting tin, a bag with Sheldon in, a plastic crate for yarn and a bag kit.

So Knitting in Public.

I don't do it very often, but those of you who read my livejournal will know about my nightmare train journey back from Sutton Coldfield on Thursday. I got my sock out on the train from New Street to Reading. It was a fabulous move! I got a few rows done, and then the man next to me got off. After the train got going again the lady opposide me lent over and said "are you knitting a sock?".

I had its pair in the bag with me so I showed her the finished object and she was amazed. She thought I should make them to order and sell them! LOL. I didn't bother to explain how long they take me to do! But it was lovely, because after we had a chat about knitting we started chatting about all sorts of things, which made the journey go so much faster.

So hooray for KIP! I shall try and do it more often.

knitting bag

knitting bag
Originally uploaded by cob_web

No more post from me this weekend I promise! I'm too ill to do anything aother than hunch over my laptop midlessly surfing the web you see.

Anyway, there is a point to this post. I find my knitting kit bag to be unsatisfactory. Which isn't very surpriseing as it was a freebie from Simply Knitting.

You can see my crochet hooks have a bit of elastic to hold them in place, but it doesn't work. Everything else just floats around and falls out when I open it.

In my kit-bag I have:

- a couple of crochet hooks
- two wheels of pins (which I rarely use!)
- stitch holder holding my beaded stitch markers
- needle holder (another freebie from SK)
- little pot of plastic paper-clip style stitch markers
- needle guage
- tape measure
- Burts Bees hand salve
- emergency plaster for when the sock knitting kills my finger.

Oh, there is usually a small pair of scissors in there too. Where the hell are my scissors?! I also have a small row counter which is currently tied to my sock.

So, any suggestions for a new knitting kit bag? preferably one with a few separate pockets to stop things becoming a big jumble. I also have another tape measure, a big row counter you hang round your neck and some needle protectors that could take up resisdence.

More Yarn Porn

rook-y_an_cu
Originally uploaded by cob_web

Why do I fall in love with yarn from the US? Damn that stretch of ocean!

Today I bring you the ulitmate in goth yarn, the Raven collection from Blue Moon Fibre Arts. Just go and read their description of the collection. Pure Genius. Obviously I need some of this yarn.

Yarn Porn!

Zak and Sara
Originally uploaded by cob_web

I found this shop through Ravelry and I have fallen in love with this sock yarn. The colourway is called Zak and Sara and it would go SO WELL with my new trainers.

The website is here: Snarky

Sadly the international postage is more than the yarn, which I just can't justify to myself. But isn't it FABULOUS? So unashamedly '80s. So PERFECT for my trainers.

*wants*

Replying to comments?

Two people kindly replied to my post about casting on socks - but I have no idea how to reply!! I know this isn't LJ, but I'd have thought you could reply to people? Any ideas?

I have a knitting in public story to tell, but I think I'll wait until I am less ill so I can tell it properly.

calorimetry

calorimetry2
Originally uploaded by cob_web

Today I finished off Calorimetry from Knitty. I finished knitting it on tuesday, but had to cast on my socks for travelling, so didn't finish it off.

I'm quite pleased with it, its a nice pattern. I cast on 10 less stitches than the pattern cos I know my sister and I have tiny heads. Good job too cos its slightly big. I think Soph has a bigger ehad than me so it will probably be fine for her.

I picked a 100% organic rare breed wool for this, as Soph is very much into organic and animal welfare. It was a nice yarn to work with but it shed quite a bit and made me sneeze! There was also bits of hay - but I like that in this kind of yarn I think!

I had to cast off one row early due to running out of yarn, but I don't think it matters.

Casting on socks

So, I have to spend the evening in a hotel by myself tomorrow night. I HATE hotels and I HATE being in them by myself. So I obviously have to take some knitting to do. There isn't much left to do on my Calorimetry, so I am going to cast on a sock tonight. I finished its friend ages ago, so it will be nice to have a pair!

I hate casting on for socks. I always have to do it a number of times. The main problem is the joining bit - I often end up with a gap, which is annoying. Do most people cast onto one needle and then redistribute?

Organic Yarn

I'm knitting Calorimetry in a Soil Association Certified Organic 100% Wool from rare breed sheep. Its a very different type of yarn. Very rough and ready, but I guess that is to be expected. Its undyed, and is a lovely dark brown with little pale flecks in it. It sheds a bit as I knit it, but it knitting up well so far. We'll see how it goes.

Finished Scarf

hayley_4
Originally uploaded by cob_web

I finished Hayley's scarf last night. I'm quite please with it. The yarn problems (see previous post) didn't help, and meant a lot of weaving in of ends (bleurgh) but its done, and its fat and long and cozy. Hurrah!

My first attempt at a fringe, which worked well.

Obsevations about scarf knitting and skeins

So, I've been moaning about knitting scarves. Scarves are generally a beginner knitter type of project, but I have never actually knitted a scarf before. My very first project was a cushion cover, and then I jumped in at the deep end with eeyore.

I was getting very fed up of eyelash yarn, but took a break and knitted the mobius strip pattern and now I'm knitting a drop stitch scarf with some lovely Collinette yarn.

One thing that these two scarves have given me is the chance to learn a couple of new techniques. The first (from Moibus) was some basic lace stitches, which were very cool. Plus the challenge of figuring out the cast-on. then with Hayley's scarf its the drop stitches. So simple, but as with everything there are a couple of tricks that have meant my technique has improved over the length of the scarf.

Usually when I knit he first stitch of a row I pull it much tighter than for the rest of the row - otherwise I end up with flabby bits of yarn making my edges look messy. Not so much of a problem where the edges become seems, but important in a scarf. However, you can't do this with a drop stitch, otherwise you distort the knitting too much. I found after a while that if I put my finger on the yarn when I had it how I wanted it while I knit the next stitch, just for the first 3 stitches, then the fabric stabilised and I could pull as tight as I wanted and it wouldn't change the stitches (if that makes sense - its hard to describe).

So this is only the third lot of yarn I've used where its in skeins. I have a chair I can hang them over now while I wind them into balls - but I am intrigued by talk about "swifts" and "yarn winders". They seem terribly expensive to me (swifts at least) and I'm not sure it would be worth the investment. I've also seen no clear explanation about how they work anywhere. I wonder if yarn is sold in skeins more int eh US, as its Americans I see talking about them more. Maybe I have just been knitting with crap yarn?!

I'm glad I'm knitting a scarf with this Collinette, the skeins had been attacked by the cats a bit, and as I wound it into a ball it broke in a number of places so I've had to keep joining new bits in. I hate hiding ends though. HATE IT!

Sorry for the lack of pictures in this post :-)

I feel important!

Just a little bit... but the lovely yarn that friends bought me for my birthday wasn't in the Ravelry database (I can't find any reference on the web to it, but then the Paton's website is crap). So I added it... and then the mod (or whoever it was) asked if they could use MY photo for the official photo for the listing! Rock!

So if you search for Paton's Art I took the photo.

Totally unimportant in the grand scheme of things, but it made me smile.

A finished object

Bam13
Originally uploaded by cob_web

Welcome to the jumper from hell.

When I bought SnB Nation (it was in the flat, so over a year ago now) Matt saw the Bam13 jumper and expressed his liking of it. So I decided to knit it for him. I know, dangerous!

I managed to track down a job lot of Sirdar snowflake (which appears to have been discontinued) and shelled out for the Collinette Tagliatelli. Matt didnt want such big holes, so I bought 15mm needles instead of 20. Off I went.

It wasn't great fun to knit but I persevered. I had to make up the neckline as my guage was so different from the pattern. Matt also wanted a smaller neck than in the pattern.

I knit everything to the lengths in the pattern, but they were fractionally too short, so lengethened everything. Then it was fianlly finished (after MUCH faffing with lengths etc, plus I HATE sewing up).

Then came the doom bit... I "blocked" it. I use quotes becuase it was a disaster. Took ages to dry even in the airing cupboard, b ut he wanted to show it off at one of my family gatherings, so we took it with us even though it was slightly damp. Because it wasn't dry we still hadn't realised... until he put it on.

It came to his knees!! My first real knitting disaster unveiling infront of the entire female section of my family. Mum, aunt and Gran have all knitted in thier lives. Utter embarrasment!!

I was very aprehensive about shortening it, cos it was knit bottom up.

So it sat in a heap for a few weeks.

Finally I plucked up the courage and got the scissors out. Undid the seam and cut off a whole chunk of the bottom. Unravelled a few rows, picked up the stitches and knitted downwards. It was a bit nightmarish at first but in the end it was fine. The sleeves weren't as bad.

So it finally got done.

Oh, I had to make the neck openeing shorter, so I picked up stitches all round it and added a few extra rows in the round. I can see where I did this but most people say they can't.

In the end it didn't turn out too badly, but its a good job its supposed to look a bit rought and ready!!

Yet another Scarf... (and a cast on)

Hayley_3
Originally uploaded by cob_web

Well to get me out of the eylash doldrums I have cast on yet another scarf. This one is for Hayley, who gave me the yarn (Collinette Graffiti, some of it cat-damamged!) since she can no longer knit.

Since the colours aren't really me I thought it woul dbe nice to make her something with it.

Its just garter stitch with random drop stitch rows. I'm going to have a go at tassles too.

Tried to get to grips with the long tail cast on with the help of Knittinghelp.com but still failed miserably. I suck at cast ons.

Scarf of Doom

DSC00276
Originally uploaded by cob_web

Urgh! I'm really starting to understand people's hatred of eyelash yarn now!

I'm not a yarn snob. I'll knit with anything that I like the look of, and have often been taken aback by people's attitudes in that direction. I got lots of this yarn VERY cheap and though it would make quick and easy scarves for christmas, especially since we have a £5 limit this year.

I have already knit 2 scarves in similar yarn and one in slightly different stuff and I am GOING MAD. I HATE IT. It makes life so difficult! In this scarf (imaginitively titled "Xmas Scarf 4") I've tried a few new stitch techniques - wrapping the yarn and then dropping it on the next row, and some basic lace techniques - but you can't see any of it obviously. *sigh*.

I tried using my mini Loopa for a break but taht was just as annoying. I will persevere, cos otherwise I'll be left with piles of the stuff and no christmas presents, but excuse me if I need to let of a bit of steam now and then!

I won't be doing eyelash again in a hurry.

Testing, testing... 1,2,3

Blimey, that Ravelry is a bit addictive isn't it? Not only am I spending a stupid amount of time there, and thinking about it when I'm NOT there, I've been compelled to set up this knit-blog. I'm not the fastest knitter in the world so I can't imagine its going to be a fast-moving thing, but it should be interesting.

So... anyone know if I can transfer knitting-related posts from LJ?