Updates

The yarn label says 'blue' , it's lilac to my eyes, but then someone posted an orangey FO here and I thought it was yellow. I'm not sure if it's age creeping in or what , anyway here's my latest blue/lilac WIP, Office Casual 2.
It's the second in a series of semi-formal tops I plan to knit for myself after giving up on ever finding the 'just perfect' one on the many frustrating trips to the shops.

290 stitches of single rib with Bendigo 4 ply cotton on 2 mm circulars can be a challenge and I couldn't wait to move on to stockinette on the 3 mm. Well, after the non-stop 2 parts, 3.5 hrs of 'Blood of the Templars' on Star World, it's ready for the camera.
The front's got to be plain since I am not comfortable with the lacey column right down the centre.














I haven't neglected my cream jumper though. The 2nd sleeve should be done by this weekend and then the fun starts with uniting the pieces for the raglan yoke. I find this satisfying, everything coming together and soon, an FO! Oh yes! practically no seaming and all the tails are tucked in as I knit.

The Weekend Shrug

Pattern : adapted from shimmer

Yarn : Plymouth Fantasy Naturale 100% cotton
Balls : 2 x 100 gms x 140 yds
Needles : 5mm

Gaps and Ladders...no more

All you sock experts out there do not make ladders anymore I'm sure, but this is a late knitting bloomer here, which kind of explains why I need to give encouraging pats on these shoulders everytime I lean back to admire the sleeve I'm knitting.

I've recently managed to get rid of two most irritating imperfections I always find in my projects, 'M1' gaps and ladders from using DPNs / 2 Circulars.

A tip from EZ's 'Knitting Without Tears' on using the backward loop to M1 solved the gap problem. Maybe I'm fussy or neurotic but I will notice even the tiniest gap made when knitting into back and front of stitch or into the loop between stitches.

I've shied from knitting socks and mittens because I hate ladders. Two circulars are definitely better than DPNs since there's lesser joints. Transferring several stitches to the next needle every few rows hides the ladders somewhat. But that is just spreading the ladders further along the rows and doesn't solve anything. (oh! dear, why can't I just sit and enjoy my craft without thinking of them as project issues and resolutions??).

Also, my tugging tighter on every first stitch on the needle makes no difference. In fact, I learnt from a forum doing so on the first makes it worst!. It's the second stitch that must be tugged it seems.

I tried that on the Weekend Shrug and it worked!!! Nothing! no visible ladders and there was no need to transfer stitches at all. Of course I had to make sure and did some now and again. For added measure, I made a gentler tug on the 3rd stitch too, just in case!

I'm now ready for socks and am grabbing Mona's Opal yarns.

Weekend Shrug

Not very imaginative I know, but it started off as my 'Drops Design cream jumper' and I can't think of a catchy project name just yet.
The Cleckheaton Natural wool has loosely weaved black inclusions that drop off so easily as I knit and I'm certain there won't be any left on the jumper after a few washes. Pointless really, but for now it's got this interesting earthy rustic look.
I'm rather pleased with how the jumper is turning out and the garter rows give an interesting touch to the ribbing and subsequent stockinette section. I've started on another ribbing section just before attaching sleeves that I shall start on soon...barring any distraction to another project!.

The black inclusions look so much like Dottie's (our 4 yr old Basset Golden Retriever mix) hair on the floor that you can't tell the difference! She gets to come into the sitting room especially at weekends and loves to sit by my easy chair while I knit.

She's one of 10 puppies and mum's the Basset whom she takes after with her long sausage like body, short legs and soulful eyes. The smaller ears, playfulness and boundless energy from dad with none of the Basset clumsiness.

Plymouth Fantasy Naturale arrived on Friday and my daughter couldn't wait for her shrug to be started. So a slight detour and here's Weekend Shrug waiting to be cast-off and the underarms sewn up. The pattern is adapted from Shimmer. Knitting it is easy and the raglan decreasings progressed very fast. I like the colourway and worsted silky cotton texture so much, I've put in an order for some plain Aqua shade for myself.

Stash busting

It was somewhere along the 2nd row of Smarties' neckline when that sinking feeling crept in...horror of horrors! I thought I noticed something. Uh huh...no way, no way, and it was total denial the next 20 mins or so. It can't be, and I continued knitting but couldn't resist taking a few peeks now and again.
Sigh.., there they were, without a doubt, 3 'fatter' cables, not even loosely twisted as I had hoped, so obvious, right side of the V-neck. How can that be??! I had been so careful, checking after every repeat making sure the cables were alright!
In between the collar separation, armhole decreases and knitting both sides at the same time, I had twisted for the left and forgotten the right till 2 rows later.

The inevitable question, "can I live with it?". By then I had lost interest in the neckline anyway, so into the frog pond it went and wasn't out till 3 evenings later. Here it is blocking to a smaller size as it's now mine and not JS' since we all agree it looks better on mum.

yarn: Sirdar Donegal Tweed DK

colour : mink

Finished size: 36"

45% wool 25% acrylic 30% polyester

5.5 balls x 50 gms x 132 yds

Needles : 3.25 mm & 4.0 mm

Pattern : Veste Everest by Veronik Avery- IK Fall 2005

The 2 packs (20 balls) of Cleckheaton from Melbourne's Spotlight, almost a year ago, have been calling out to be destashed and if I hurry, just might manage to knit this jumper up by 3rd week of June.

So I'm going to put off casting on my blue cotton top until I get a little bored with the jumper, then a quick switch over before coming back to the sleeves and yoke.

Adult Pattern : Drops Design 70-21

Mothering Sunday

Happy Mother's Day and an e-bouquet to all!!

A Mother

When you're a child she walks before you

To set an example

When you're a teenager she walks behind you

To be there should you need her

When you're an adult she walks beside you

So that as two friends you can enjoy life together.

Back to normal

Our modem and PC got fried during last week's thunderstorm which wrecked havoc across KL and other parts of the country.
The PC motherboard is covered by our 3 yrs parts and labour warranty with Dell while the small monetary lost to replace a splitter and modem is nothing compared to some families who lost their loved ones in the fires. There was no surfing, online chatting and blogging for several days which gave the household a quiet peace while I knitted blissfully in front of the idiot box.

My latest WIP, a cable vest, saw much progress over the May Day long weekend.




Veste Everest by Veronik Avery- IK Fall 2005, is knitted with Sirdar Donegal Tweed in Mink.

It's a size 41.5" with 22 cable columns in the round and a 14-row repeat. An additional 2 repeats are added since it's for JS, my son.





The tweedy specks remind me of a handful of chocolate sweeties, hence the Smarties vest. Actually, the photo below doesn't do justice to the spectrum of vibrant colours interweaved into the yarn, I shall try again in daylight later.













The latest survey of my stash revealed 5 lots of yarn in the same colour range, baby blue, lilac, deep purple and a darker french blue. So, it's bye bye browns...

So light...for today...

I was happily side-tracked onto the Trinity KAL but have since gone back to my other WIPs. It's so tempting to cast on for other projects when several orders arrived, all that yummy yarn, beckoning and waiting to be WIPs.

Edward's scarf was washed and blocked in time for his departure to Canada this week. He's learnt the basics of knitting, perhaps the yarn shops over there will tempt him to embark on a project. Sigh..why is it so difficult to part with an FO? There I was, finished with my laundering instructions when I overheard hubby, "better tell him to remember how to wash that scarf, she may want to see it next year"!! to daughter.


Scarf: K1P1 Rib

Finished size: 7" x 60" - width

Yarn: Japanese 100% wool
6 x 50 gm x 32 metres
Needles: 10 mm


Lion Brand Wool-Ease worsted is really not working out for me at all. After 2 scarfs, a hat and 2 jumpers, I've had enough and can't imagine knitting with the yarn again. The 20% wool mix pills as soon as its knitted and strangely, different coloured yarns seem to have differing quality and the worst so far is Camel used for JS' jumper below. I'm not going to bother so much with machine dryability anymore and will settle for superwash wool. It's just not worth the cost and hours when an FO feels like cheap acrylic. I'm such a yarn snob aren't I?



Jumper: broken garter stitch

Finished size: 42" chest

Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease worsted weight
20% wool 80% acrylic

6.25 x 85 gm x 197 yds
Needles: 5 mm



(unblocked)



There's just the baby blanket left to finish, but then, no hurry, baby is not due till August. In the meantime I can cast on for : bicycle helmet ear warmers, fingerless mittens, cabled vest, another jumper, a cotton shrug for YL, shawls ..............so I'll be back for the blanket in late July.

KAL...finished object

The tails are weaved in and underarm kitchener stitched; here's my Sierra, still unblocked though. It's really lightweight and fits well. I'm keeping my fingers crossed there won't be too much give after washing as it's just the right length below the waist and sleeves.

The double moss stitch round the collar and edges makes an interesting relief and the lacy raglan sleeves breaks the stockinette monotony for the tunic .

It only needs 4 and a few yards from the 5th ball of Trinity yarn. What can I use the 200 yards of remnant for?

Yarn: Jaeger Trinity Hibiscus

4 x 50 gms x 216 yards (plus 10 yards)

Needles: 4 mm

Finished size: 38" by 22" length

Palm Sunday

Sing Hosanna! Hosanna! to the Lord.

Palm Sunday commemorates the journey of Jesus into Jerusalem before the Crucifixion.

Parishioners were given crosses fashioned from palm leaves as we entered the Sanctuary decorated with pots of palm trees. I wish my cross wouldn't get all dried up and brittle as it would make such a meaningful bookmark.

Good Friday services will be held from 12.30 to 3pm and when we're coming out of church I'll be anticipating rainstorms. I don't remember a year when it hasn't poured with 'tears from heaven' at the crucifixion hour. I wonder if this happens all over the world?

Easter morning sunrise service at 6.30 am is usually held at the football field as we worship with parishioners from sister churches. There is translation of Bible readings and sermons from English into Mandarin and Tamil. Last year we had Korean as well.

A Very Blessed Easter!

KAL meet-up and my lonely cast-on

My first meet-up with knitters from the forum and it was fun! Pattern books came out of bulging bags packed with yarn, WIPs, and Trinity yarn for our KAL . I'm not sure what the cafe management thought of us, we occupied 3 tables and sat from 12.30 to 4 pm, oblivious to everything else except our knitting chat.


Here's the bunch of us, Lyn took the group photo so here she is wearing one of her colourful creations.









It didn't matter that most were not KALing, we all brought something to knit and Doreen wore her Trinity Flamenco corset. Mona and Lyn casted on officially but I had to postpone. What a disappointment, but I did do something with the yarn! I helped frog Mona's lilac piece (on the coffee table) while she casted-on. The general opinion is that Cozy would be too lightweight if knitted with Trinity and after Jackie showed her cotton DK Cozy, I decided to look for another pattern.

So here it is, my pattern and WIP. I'm not sure if there's enough yarn for the long sleeves, anyway, will worry about that later.

Sierra :

Knit 'n Style

Issue 139

Oct 2005

My version of the Sierra (without the Diamonds) is adapted for working in the round and I'm happy with how the double moss stitch band turned out.