Cool Cozy Shrug

Met up with Annie for lunch last week and we made a nostalgic visit to Golden Hands in Petaling Jaya (they're closing soon, after 30 years). Had to leave with the cotton yarn I've been looking out for and knitted this FO over the weekend.

Pattern: Cool Cozy Shrug from Creative Knitting - July 2007

Size: XS for YL

Yarn: 3.6 balls x 100g x 149 yds Sirdar Spree (cotton rich chunky)

Needles: 6.5 mm

Am glad that Kenny understood my ramblings on the sleeve (previous blog) as he's had similar problems. He's also made a better job of explaining in his blog and with clearer pictures.

So I frogged, gave up on the idea and am doing the 'body first' method. As you can see, I got a little bored with the body and started the short-rows sleeve which is growing well.

My toes are laughing.....

Nope!, am not in my new socks but at work sneeking this entry in!


Regg nominated me for this: (click to find out more)



and I am totally tickled (pink??)! It's the "Rockin' Girl" bit that will have my kids hooting with laughter I'm sure. "Mum....rockin'?????"

The Girls I'm nominating for the awards :

Michelle - a budding website designer (she designed my daughter's site ) and avid knitter

Mona - whom I envy for her artistic talents

Doreen - who knits and crochet beautifully all the time

Ruchira - who gives me hope that I may yet have a 'knitting daughter'

Pretty-knitty - whose site you must visit for exquisite knits and designs

Top down seamless set-in sleeves

I was a little bored with the second sock, so put it aside to continue my never ending pursuit of a perfect, seamless, short sleeves, classic 'office wear' top.

Using Barbara Walker's - Knitting from the Top as a guide I :

• decided on stockingnette and round neck pattern
• multipled gauge with 15" back-shoulder width
• cast on using provisional method and knitted back piece
• left 1/3 sts on work yarn for neck and worked left, right front
• shoulders worked with short-rows
• when front and back equals 1/3 of armhole, turn and pick-up sts for sleeves (see arrows)
• increase both sides at front then join collar to work in the round down body

All's well and I was happy with the progress, good fit, no shoulder seams, neat short rows and the sleeves looked really good as the increases were made.

But.....there are totally horrible kinks at sleeve pick-up points (arrows on pic) caused by the abrupt turning and I do not think they'd be smoothened out with blocking.

Have decided to frog when I get home tonight, maybe forgo the set-in sleeves but go for the 'body-first' method of knitting straight down first where sleeves are picked up later and working in shortrows from the cap.

More updates on the technique if I don't decide to frog everything and go back to good ole' knitting from the bottom!!!

I have been busy

knitting this KP Essential Navy sock for DH (his first pair of hand knits) and reading Kate Jacobs' - The Friday Night Knitting Club. knitting...........
.......

It's a good read, some sobs in between laughs and full of knitty wisdom, recommended.

Socks are definitely my new 'comfort knitting' but not this pair it isn't!

The plan was to knit the cream coloured FPS (at Tier 7 !!!!) during the evenings and socks in between times when I needed something easy. I also anticipate DH might complain if I ask to try out the sock on his foot too often.

Wrong, wrong and wrong! Guess what? each time I switched to FPS there'd be the " Aren't you knitting my socks??" question and every so often he'd stick his foot out for a fitting, without my asking! Gosh!!! I'm not sure if I do know this significant other half??

FPS won't be making an appearance in this blog for a while I'm afraid.

And..this is how badly the sock bug has bitten ....sock yarn!!!!...with more on the way.