My New Project – yarns to be used.

For my new project, I am using a selection of yarns. The first is a combination of the rolags I bought at Festiwool, Hitchin and some grey merino I had in my stache.

I am also adding in some of the very white Polworth fleece, which I hand-carded recently:

I also have some purple and grey merino which I will work in.

This is how the finished project will be: a short waisted button-up cardigan with a large collar:

So far I’ve done the back up to the armholes in a plain purple merino. First picture gives the true colour and the second picture shows the detail with the flash turned on:

The flash sure makes a difference, doesn’t it. The first pic is very accurate.

This project will not be finished quickly. I am still spinning the wool into yarn and in between I am working on other projects. However, I will come back and show you as and when I finish each section. I don’t have enough of the purple to finish the back so I may use the mixed purple and grey from the armholes up. Let’s just wait and see shall we.

Meanwhile, five weeks to go until my new grandchild appears. It’s getting exciting. Pity they are in South Carolina. We won’t be visiting very soon!

Oma

A new project for a new year.

When Larry and I were at the Festiwool wool fest recently, I bought some interesting rolags. As you can see from the picture, the rolags are multi-coloured. What you can’t see very well are the sparkly bits running through them. I’ve been spinning them up lately, mixing them in with some of the white Polworth yarn that I spun from an original fleece in the summer. I intend to make this cardigan:

which is available as a button-up or zip-up version. I shall make the button-up version this time. I have made a start, knitting the back, up to the armholes, in a purple yarn which I had spun up ready. I don’t have enough of the sparkly rolags to make the whole cardigan.

If you would like to see more of the Festiwool get together, you can click here.

I’ll let you know how I’m getting on with the cardigan in a future post.

Enjoy your Sunday.

Oma

Little hats for little heads.

In nine weeks time I shall be a grandma (Oma) again. Larry’ s son and daughter-in-law are expecting their first child, a boy, in February so the knittting needles are out and a little hat and bootees have appeared in the last few days.

It’s fun being a grandma and making lots of small things…

 

What am I making this week?

Well it’s nearly Sunday again and Sunday is gardening day here in the cottage. Today we had some much welcomed rain. In fact we had today half the total rainfall for the whole of September. Amazing!

The picture above shows the fifth dog blanket I am making for Battersea Dogs’ Home. This one is going to be in different shades of blue and is made in an ever popular blanket stitch. The home likes this because the dogs can’t get their paws caught up in it.

My new quilt is finished and now on my bed, ready for the cold nights ahead, which we have been promised!

Lucky me! Larry is making me a tabard on his weaving loom. Here is the pattern from the weaving book…

and here it is in the making…

I can’t wait to see how it comes out.

On my spinning wheel is some of the white Polworth fleece and I’m already making a jerkin with some of it, see below. Millie likes it because it is so warm so she is usually to be found curled up underneath while I’m knitting.

So another busy week and tomorrow we’ll be in the garden.

ps there is a little good news about my son. He has found someone to share a flat with, albeit on the sofa! and he is training for a job in customer service with a well known bank. I have hope !

Oma

A finished project – Fanny’s Chemisette

 

This is my latest finished project. It’s called’Fanny’s Chemisette’ and it comes from the Fall 2012 edition of Jane Austen Knits magazine.

The pattern is designed by Deborah Adams and can be found on page 112:

 

I had some handspun (by me) alpaca/silk yarn, which I used to make up the back of the bolero. It is heavy and hangs really well, caught up by the tie at the bottom. I used a crochet tie not ribbon as stated in the pattern.

I didn’t have enough handspun alpaca/silk yarn to do the whole bolero and I think it would have made it too heavy so the front is worked in a purchased Sirdar yarn called Escape. I used the DK weight.

Here is the magazine with one of the fronts:

This is the back. I crocheted a picot edging around the sleeves because I felt it looked prettier and I stitched down the collar with large tacking stitches to stop it sticking up and being a nuisance.

The bolero is very comfortable to wear and gives that extra bit of warmth for the evenings.

I recommend this pattern to anyone who wants to make a bolero.

Happy Knitting, Oma

 

Spinning and Knitting Project finished.

 

The above four yarns were spun by me during the last year.  Question was: what to do with them when they are finished? Answer: find a pattern that you like and adapt it.  Easier said than done.

Then I saw this pattern in an old ‘People’s Friend’ magazine. I thought it would be just right. It was just right for someone short-waisted, like me, and lots of opportunities for using more than one colourway.

My spun-off merino knits up like Aran so knitting with 5mm (u.k. needles) I began.

 

…and here is the finished result. I’m pleased with it.  It’s not at all itchy and very comfortable to wear.

 

The colour panel at the back breaks up the vast expanse of lavender yarn and compliments the front panels.

I like the way it sticks out at the front.

 

 

Now on to my next project, but first I need to make something with the left-over yarn from this one. Any ideas?

 

Oma

 

What am I knitting today?

I saw the pattern for this lovely jerkin in the window of my local haberdashery shop last week. The baby looks a little like my grandson, Sam, so of course I had to buy the pattern, didn’t I!

I had just the right yarn to make up the jerkin – some of my handspun, which has been sitting in a basket for a while now. Do you like the colour? Being handspun, it varies from dark to lighter shades. I like that. I like a bit of variation. So now I’m doing the V-neck of the front and it won’t be long before I’m on to the borders.

I love knitting. It’s very relaxing in the evenings after all the chores are done. I like to put my feet up, watch TV or listen to the radio and knit. Bliss!

Spinning my dreams.

I’m getting on with the capelet that I started recently. I wrote about it here. However, I didn’t think the lilac colour mohair wool, as shown in the pattern book, was a very good match so I’ve been hunting for something a bit more appropriate.

I think I’ve found it – Eureka! I love this. Perfect Autumn colour. What do you think?

I think it goes really well with the main colour:

but I’m not finished yet. I may extend the capelet to make it wider. First I’ll wash it and then decide…

A New Project just started – knitting

I started my newest knitting project the other day.  It is going to be a cape as shown in ‘Jane Austen Knits’. I think it looks really pretty and I knew I had just the yarn for the base of it.

Here is the pattern:

As you can see the base is a thick brown worsted yarn – just right for warmth and the overlay is a fluffy mohair in a gorgeous lacey pattern. The handspun yarn I made myself last October is just right for the base:

But I’m not sure about the colour of the lacey top layer. I think I may choose a light beige to do that.  What do you think?

Knitted socks

I finished knitting these socks last week using a pattern from GlennaC. Click here for her website. You can find another of her patterns here. I made them because I had to because I wanted to know why everybody seems to love knitted socks so much. As we have just started our summer here in England, it may be some time before I wear them in earnest, but when the time comes, I will be ready!

I made these on four double pointed needles and mastered the technique in the end although I can tell you it is tricky and requires practise. Then I saw a video on Tina’s website showing how to knit socks using two sets of circular needles so next time I’m going to try that. Tina at her website was making some stripey socks and I admired the way the stripes seem to match up in each sock. Some clever sock wool designing there!

Here is the link to the video showing how to knit with two sets of circular needles.

So I’m getting into sock knitting. In America sock yarn is everywhere but I don’t see it very much over here in England. Perhaps I just haven’t noticed it. We have different yarns in varied plys and I’m so familiar with the English ones that when in America, I see everything with fresh eyes. You have the space in your shops to see everything displayed my American friends. Never take that for granted please! To me it is like shopping in Aladdin’s cave!

Here are my socks again. I’m pleased with them. Thank you to Glenna and Tina for the tips.