Showing off

Well, I never won a medal for anything, unless you count the hard-won bronze swimming certificate I finally managed around age 14. I was a late developer confidence-wise with swimming - Mum never has learnt to swim so maybe that didn't help. By the time I was confident enough to have taken my silver and gold certificates, we were into options and swimming wasn't a regular part of the curriculum, so I missed the boat. I think I won a book prize at school for something but being musical and artistic at a private school that emphasised sportiness more (this was the 80s) I was never going to win much acclaim there. The less said about that disastrous shot putt on sports day, when I fouled every time BECAUSE I AM TIDY AND WENT TO RETRIEVE MY SHOT the better!

So I reserve the right to show off my Ravellenic medals - not bad for only four projects completed really. We shall not speak of the sweater still waiting for a decent neck - Knitware underestimated it so there's half a neck that has to come off because it is ruching up the garment - it won't get completed any time soon and missed the Sochi deadline anyway. It's nothing special so I wouldn't hold your breath...























There did seem to be some confusion in the MK group as to the how and what of Ravellenics. The idea is supposed to be to challenge yourself. In my case, working full time, it's often a challenge just to find the time to knit and the inspiration to make something other than hats. So I try and make the projects fall into a few categories.

So, the multicoloured hat - a charity knit, from a single skein, knit from stash and it's a machine-knit hat (5 medals)
The colour-work socks - socks, with swiss darning, machine-knitted (3 medals)
The bubble pops scarf - a scarf, using a drop lace technique, also a single skein, machine-knitted (4 medals)
The green mittens - mittens, with a cable added, machine-knitted (3 medals)
For aerial unwind I unravelled the Blueberry Shortcake jumper as being totally unsuitable for my shape. (1 medal)

So I use the Ravellenic games in a slightly different way - I try and see if I can make the project fit more than one category, so instead of making plain gloves as the pattern dictated, I added a cable.

I managed to turn out a decent SWAN sock yesterday - these are with oddments so there's no mate for it at the moment. It came out a lot better this time when I actually READ the pattern. It's a little snug to get on but is fine once on, if a little too short in the ankle for my liking. Haven't loaded up the photo yet, yesterday's attempt has been shared in the "Argh! Drat it!" thread if anyone really wants to see how wrong I went.

Rewind, restart, frustrate.

Well, the Crow prints shawl is back on the needles, after 11 tedious rows of tinking. No more slavishly following a pattern - if it looks too small, it probably is too small.

Also made inroads to the Quick Sweater pattern. I originally started it and added 8 stitches because I'm not sure I'll squeeze into a 42" chest, and decided to frog it after 7 rounds and follow this pattern, then try it for size in a few rounds.

So I do have at least two projects I can take to Holland this week.

I managed to win a card reader device and some software for my sewing/embroidery machine, also a DVD of designs. I've had some fun messing about with it and am now trying to think of things I can embroider. I did toy with the idea of secretly putting some funny logos onto the other half's underwear to see if he'd notice! :) Digitising seems a bit trickier - there doesn't seem to be an undo function and it's hard to delete something if you go wrong.

Had a go making a SWAN sock on the knitting machine today. Although I did swatch, I decided to follow the pattern. Came out with a very long sock and not enough instep to sew up the heel correctly - a very weird shape, and very disappointing when my time is limited. Maybe I'll try again next weekend (but I have to practice Bickford seaming, so maybe not).

Just argh!

Owing to matters outside my control it looks as if I might be spending the next two months working over in Holland. As every weekend in March is also booked up with events, I'm pretty gutted at the prospect of being nowhere near a knitting machine for at least four weeks and not spending much time in my own bed (I get terrible insomnia in hotels).

I guess I'll have to sort out some handknitting :(

On the positive side, we all had a go at double knitting last night (reversible knitting). The only oddments of DK I could find were in very similar colours. Linda's is a lot more distinctive. My diamond is a bit squashed on the reverse side, but I didn't take my tools so couldn't fix it.

Ravellenics medals

We had our own little mini-competition within the Ravellenic games, with categories for machine-specific events:

• Alpine Accessories- including colour changer, shadow transfer tool, garter bar MKRG14alpine
• Biathlon - Combine: punch a new card or use DAK etc then make the project MKRG14biathlon
• Freestyle - any new technique that hasn’t been tried on your machine MKRG14freestyle
• Luge - lace carriage MKRG14luge
• Nordic Combined - Fair Isle MKRG14nordic
• Pattern hockey Knock-off - converted to MK from any source MKRG14ko
• Purling (curling) - hand manipulated stitches MKRG14purling
• Short track tuck MKRG14tuck
• Skeleton - using the ribber MKRG14ribber
• Speed socks all sorts MKRG14socks
• Steek jumping MKRG14steek
• Super G - for garter carriage MKRG14gc
• Synchronized machine skate Knit leader/radar - complete project(s) using your knit leader/radar MKRG14kr-kl
• Weave-a-thon - complete a knit-weave project MKRG14weave

Edit to add: These are the ones I "won". The official Ravellenics ones aren't out yet.

FO: Jura socks (coffee)

These are for my cousin, who is 50. Swiss darning is a complete pain in the butt, but I'm not sure motif knitting would have been any easier either. Finished on 9th February, post-dating this 'til after the party :)

FO: socks and hat

The socks came out fine but the hat is a bit on the small side. Not one of my finest moments.

Deadline, what deadline?

It was always like this during revision for my finals. Give me a deadline, and all of a sudden I've an urge to do something else entirely - like clean the oven. I didn't clean the oven because it wasn't my house and cleaning the oven is a horrible job. We're just past the half-way point of Ravellenics, and on Saturday I had a whole morning to machine-knit something. So, what did I do? I got my sewing machine out and had a play with the embroidery attachment instead. See what I mean?

The rather out-of-focus motif above is the result. One part of it is green when it was supposed to be blue; that's because the first attempt was aborted when the thread slipped out of the needle, and in my panic I pressed the STOP button. Lots. Turns out STOP means don't bother stopping to change colours on this machine, it's the button with the curly arrow actually makes it stop sewing. So I think I've found a use for the rest of the xmas Hobbycraft voucher - buy some more SULKY threads (I only really have primary colours - those flowers were supposed to be pink) and get some more stabiliser, because this was half-done on a small piece that came with the machine. Feeling quite proud of myself as the instructions aren't very clear about how the special embroidery foot goes on, and I had visions of my breaking the machine. Not sure what you're supposed to do with the jump threads (where the needle jumps to a new position) so I just used a seam ripper to carefully trim them as close as I could. 

You insert a special card into the machine and the designs are all pre-programmed in; I have four cards altogether. Now what I REALLY want is a programmable card reader/writer, with card and software. This machine (Husqvarna Rose) is a little old so I'm struggling to find one. It would be a lot of fun to design my own embroideries. Himself wants little St George flags sewing onto things, and I'm just waiting to hear he wants a Judas Priest or Metallica logo putting onto something. I might try asking at the local sewing shop, although I'm sure she'll want to sell me the latest model which is way out of my budget.

Talking of which, I do know of a Brother Innovis 4000D for sale in Coventry. I'm sorely tempted - but as it was £3000 new, a sensible offer would be above £1000 I think. I just don't have that kind of cash floating around. I did find it quite ironic that as soon as I start thinking about using the embroidery functions of my machine, another one "turns up" in my life. 

Anyway, we had our second little MK meeting in the afternoon. Owing to a few cancellations it was only the three of us, but we had fun working a bunch of decreases (as for the crown of a hat) using one of Kriskrafter's garter bars. They are very well made and nice and smooth. Of course, when I tried making a simple hat on the standard gauge later on, with the "suzuki" garter bars, all it did was shred the yarn and drop off. I gave up in disgust after an hour and produced the most stupidest looking hat (more of a beanie) ever, with the EON method I usually use, and some accidental holes. At least the Rav stash is down to 89 entries, the lowest it's been in a long time. 

Saturday night I cast on Susan Ashcroft's Quick Sweater - I've been eyeing it up for a few weeks now as it's been in the test-knitting phase. Mostly because I picked up a bag of Rowan aran tweed last month, and it turns out it has to be quite a loose knit to make a sweater to fit an adult from 500g, and that was one of the yarns quoted. It won't be that quick for me though as it requires 7mm circulars for the most part, and I've lent mine to a friend. Drat and double-drat. 

I finished another pair of plain CSM socks in the Texere Jura Ruby colourway; they are drying as we speak and are awaiting their photo shoot. I also decided to make a plain v-neck raglan jumper last night for myself, using up some grey slubby yarn I picked up in September. Nothing exciting about it - not a cable in sight. I just wanted to use up the yarn really. 

The Drip Candle socks - I'm past the heel on the second one and enjoying them immensely. Whilst also trying to decide if I want to make another pair (I've plenty more Mexico yarn left). 

Having resigned myself to not winning many Ravellenic medals this year, it turns out I unexpectedly have this Saturday free, so who knows? 

FO: CSM socks (Jura teal)

DSCN1265
Originally uploaded by steel breeze

They look squat but they fit me (uk size 7 female) just fine. The yarn's a little more rough than usual sock knitting yarn, but I think it'll mellow with age :)