FO: Lizard Ridge jumper and a baby blanket

Started in 2014, I finally finished this. Not happy with the neck, the two inner buttons are extraneous as doing them up makes me feel strangled. Debating whether to unpick the buttons (it's four plain and two bevelled) and sew up the spare buttonholes. I mounted the pieces onto the machine and knit the sleeves downwards, so unpicking the neck isn't really an option. Himself insists on tilting the camera at 30 degs so I look like I have tiny legs and am top-heavy. I shall have to start getting the tripod out and doing my own photo shoots with the DSLR and the remote, I think...



Yeah, not one of my better blankets. Freeform is all very well until you later realise that changing patterns means changing widths also. I guess it will work for someone - maybe in a pushchair?

Haven't had much time to machine knit lately - didn't take it to Iceland and I'm away on a two day course from tomorrow in DAK8. :) Have made a front and a back for a child's jumper, might get to the sleeves tonight, in between packing and housework. We shall see.

Despite supposedly trying to get the stash down - I only managed to sell off a few cones on Rav, and knitting them up takes time, ya know - I fell for this online. What can I say, but, whoops?!



Current mood: awake

Inspirations from M&S

Really liked this cardigan, but it made me look like a lampshade. Bad cardigan! Might try and see if I can make something similar - it would need to be in a fine, drapey yarn.


Love this too - you can't tell from the pic, but it is in a rose yarn that changes colour, and the fronts are knitted on the bias. I am going to attempt to make something similar, with the James C Brett Marble Chunky I fell for last year. I love my knitleader!

Both of these are from Marks and Spencers. I do like their Per Una range, and having lost nearly a stone this year my mind is lusting after clothes - I've been on a clothes diet. What's the point in buying large clothes if you are trying to shrink. Heck, I should use that as my diet inspiration - lose weight, treat myself!

In other news, I successfully shortened the sleeves of the Lizard Ridge jumper. Now, if I could just fix the hem from curling..... and give it a shave. Have to get one of those jumper-shaving things, have seen them in Hobbycraft...

Start-itis strikes again!

Yep, I cast on Tori this morning.

In my defence, I was wooed by the softness of the Rowan bamboo tape. More badly-wound balls though. They come apart if you so much as sneeze at them. I think maybe I shoul jerry-rig myself one of those yarn holder things out of a jam jar or something. Hmm. Wonder if I can get himself to get the drill out?

Pastel waves and cheeky cats!

Finished socks for H


Pastel waves jumper, back - might have to adjust the neck a little... The colours aren't as dark as in this photo.


"This is *my* blanket, and don't you forget it!"

Lace woes, and some Dream Week photos

On closer inspection, the lace scarf pattern I was following is for a DK yarn. Alas, I picked the pattern based on the amount of yarn I had, and didn't check out the type it required...


So this is the finished "scarf" - the book in the photo is A5, to give you some idea of scale.


Finally complete - the Lizard Ridge afghan on our sofa. It took four nights to crochet the edging on, which has not been blocked. The cat loves it already!


Metropolitan Machine Knitting, Friday morning, before the hordes arrived.


Knitted wire necklace - three "i-cords" of 4 strands of wire, plaited together.


My Dream Week competition entry - I called it Murphy's bag, G nicknamed it Sideshow Bob. What a wit!

Just had tinned bear with ginger, fish sauce, dill, peppers, shallots and thai spiced potato wedges. I got to eat most of the bear, which looks a bit like corned beef, because G wasn't keen.

Current mood: working

The Finland haul, finished socks and lizard ridge

A few more pics...




Two pics of Lizard Ridge - finished sewing the seams late last night. Now all it needs is a crochet border and some weaving in.


Finally finished the second baby sock. Only took three attempts to make it the same!


The Finland haul - sock yarn and two balls of mohair - I see an airy shawl in its future. Plus the Marimekko fabric

Need to start packing for Dream Week, and decide if I'm going to take any of my knitted tops to wear. Hmm!

Oven packed up last night, so G's gonna have lots of fun next week, figuring out how to cook for himself without it!

My cat - he is a TART!

Some overdue pics...



Lizard ridge - laid out and ready to sew...


Felting (fulling) done with two balls of Adriafil Felis bought on a whim at the NEC last year... not sure what I shall do with this, it felted rather too well and was supposed to be big enough for a small bag!!


Some gratuitous kitteh action - is Thomas thinking "Come n' get it, girls?" They'll be disappointed, he's had the snip!

For pictures from Helsinki, click here and here

Kauni kauni kauni!

Help! I've been seduced by the colours of this yarn!...


I'm not sure, however, how I feel about making the cardigan with steeks (places where you cut the knitting), that everyone's raving about. I could use a cardigan, more than all the jumpers I've got planned in my head. Despite our rotten weather this year, having this rug's worth of hair on my head causes me to mutter lots and wander about half-dressed (in the privacy of my home only, of course!) because I'm too hot. The yarn arrived from Janet's Rare Yarns (Ebay) today, and it's as gorgeous as it looks.

So much for the ebay/yarn diet. I am failing miserably!

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LR is gradually being sewn up on the linker. I have stabbed my thumb several times in the exact same spot, to the point I've had to put a plaster on it or refrain from knitting/further linking. I did all the vertical seams last night, including one which had to come undone, as I ended up with four loose squares at the bottom and three at the top!! Glad I spotted that one before I went any further! Completed the first of six horizontal seams this morning - was debating hand-sewing these, as they are ridges and troughs and I want that emphasized, but it's coming out OK on the linker so I shall carry on! Next task is to trim/weave in ends and work a crochet border with the leftovers. Now that'll take some time!

Current mood: working

LR - squares complete!

In an unusual mad burst of activity, I made the final three squares today...


I guess it's partly because I was so close I had a mad spurt, and partly because I've got another project in mind that will require prolonged use of the chunky machine. Now, I just need to steam tons of bits, arrange, and get sewing.

Bit fed up tonight 'cos G has been messing around with the media centre, and now I can't watch any tv. Bah, boys and their toys!

Current mood: annoyed

Another LR...

An hour's work last night...


Made this one last night. Only three more squares to go!

Finished both pairs of socks for Jo - alas, the baby ones are in a yarn with long colour repeats, so the second sock doesn't look anything like the first. Will see what she thinks on Wednesday, may make a third.

Started the odds and ends socks for a work colleague. Took it into work all excited, anticipating a trying on before I completed the welt, but alas she was on holiday. It'll keep 'til Monday - off down south this weekend for a friend's house-warming party, so not much knitting will get done!

Have a good weekend!

Current mood: happy

Look, ma, more stuff...

Another LR square


Remember this? Looks a lot better/bigger blocked!


Some quick dishcloths, using this pattern and some Elmore-Pisgah Peaches N Creme. A present for a friend.

Worked a little late and missed KnitWits tonight. Still, I got tons done, so I guess it was worth it.

No matchy-matchy

Socks for Jo. No, not all matchy-matchy. Life's too short!


Another lizard ridge square. Blacks and browns, mostly.

Nearing the summit of Lizard Ridge

You know you've been procrastinating on an UFO when...

...it takes you twenty minutes and one frogging to remember the pattern sequence. Yes, I started another LR square last night. I've only got 4 or 5 to go, I don't know quite what I'm waiting for. Well, actually, I've been enjoying getting to know the Passap, so I guess that's partly to blame. Also most of the LR squares are awaiting steaming. That is going to take some time, but it will be worth it!

I'm thinking of using some of that Yarn Treehouse yarn (a DK) to make a jumper in the LR pattern, with waves. Not sure. It would be quicker to do than the standard gauge version I was working on, that's for sure! Not decided yet though.

Spent some time digging up plants and planting other things out, and then dealing with some items I am selling on Ebay, so didn't make it to the knitting machine 'til half 9.

Monday was the last day I drove G to work. It's his last (half) day today, tomorrow he starts the new job at 8am, and Friday at 7am. It feels weird already, leaving in seperate cars. Oh well, I guess I'll get used to it.

Current mood: happy

It's here!

Got my new machine yesterday afternoon...


The Passap manual's a bit, well, light on assembly instructions. In fact, it doesn't mention it at all! Luckily I think I figured it out eventually! Everything seems to be working just fine. Managed to get a little bit of 2x1 rib, and a bit of full needle rib off, before I foolishly turned the motor on and it stripped it off the machine! :) Need to read the instructions now I think! Managed to figure out how to get it to talk to me in English and not German, which is a start!



Can't take any credit for the above two samples - the seller created these as a demo. The two-colour one is double jacquard, and the other one is a tuck pattern. Passaps can tuck for more rows than japanese machines, as it's the strippers, not the weights, that hold the tuck loops out of the way.

Knitting room re-arranged - it looks really tidy, but that's because five bags of yarn and scraps are in the bathroom (we also have an ensuite, so don't use that one much). The Silver Reed collapsed as I was moving it around - turns out one of the screws holding the table up has gone AWOL, so that could have happened at any time! Luckily I have a spare table, and the Silver Reed survived. I think I found a screw on the floor some time ago and couldn't figure what it was for. Duh!

Poor old Brother KH836 and its ribber have been put away. Still, it'll be going to the Coventry Godiva Festival, so perhaps it's good that it's packed away ready! Must find a replacement screw for that table, though!



Unpicked the last LR square and re-did it. A bit knotty, because I had to join more in on both ends. I must get back into this afghan, I'm so close to finishing it!


Current mood: excited

Swatching the cotton

Had a quiet morning messing about on the chunky knitting machine, and getting some laundry done...

Day started sunny but has gradually gone downhill - got one load dry, but the other has gone into the tumble dryer. It's quite chilly out there today!

Have swatched the Peaches n' creme cotton - it's the worsted weight in "strawberries and cream" shade. About a DK to the Englishters. Did them at T3 and T4 - T4 was a lot easier to knit, and looks about the same. Might wash the swatch, see if it gets any softer.



Also, another Lizard Ridge square - this is my new favourite, I think. I especially like the pink bits!



The neon jumper of luridness is now just past the half-way point, thank goodness. The Emily hat is stalled, but not far off completion, and the lace knitting so far has half a first repeat on it. I have to admit maybe lace knitting is too much for someone with a full time job, who is tired and fractious in the evenings. But I won't be giving up, no way! It just might take a little longer than my usual easy projects. It's about time I had a challenge, anyway!

The Cog and I are off to see "Pirates of the Carribean 3" later, and then going for a meal at the local Indian restaurant. I love long weekends!

Current mood: happy

Silly hat

Another lizard ridge, and me in the "yarn that doesn't want to leave" hat.





Yes, I have Dennis Healey eyebrows! Look, it's quite hard to take a photo of your own head, ok?!

After a few abortive starts I've made a new start on the MKM design. Figured I should probably start with a hem before I got too much further with the design! Yesterday's piece isn't the right pattern, so it's going into the bag for the freeform blanket, which is getting rather a lot of pieces lately!

One pattern repeat is 134 rows, only about 1" of knitting, so I don't expect it to be finished any time soon!

Gotta go, G's made hot n sour soup, and my mouth and nose are on fire!


current mood: hot

ADHDknitting's afghan

DSC01969
Originally uploaded by adhdknitting.

Isn't this gorgeous? I especially like what she's done with the edges - knitted flowers! I hope mine turns out as good as this!


Additional:

The hand-knit version is available here, designed by Laura Aylor for Knitty Fall '06.

Instructions for the machine-knit version can be found here.

A mile a minute!!

Yep, I need one more ball to make it into a proper square... This is laid out over our king size bed. Most of the pieces need steaming, too, which is the next job I suppose!



Last night's square...




This is the part I replaced. It was really easy to do, actually, once I'd figured out how to get it out of the machine.

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What an excellent idea for hats!

Mile-a-minute hat

You just knit the hats in one continuous strip, then seperate them. Might be a good idea for hats for BISS.

Such a good idea, I wish I'd thought of it!



I've just bought this on Ebay. I suspect it might be the book Kath photocopied for me, in which case it's well worth having. Didn't realise but the Ebayer was Wendy Damon herself! Cool!