Navy socks

Done! Navy socks for DH and I can't wait to cast on for a brighter coloured pair after this. Here it is modeled by the proud owner himself.

Pattern: Toe-up from Wendyknits

Finished size: Length 10", Leg circ 7"

Yarn: Knitpicks Essential,

Amount: 2 x 50g x 231 yds

Needles: 2mm

Gauge: 10sts to 1" stockinette

I am still plodding away (very very slowly) with the Forest Path Stole and on the finishing leg of the green top. Hope to have an FO to show soon.

In the meantime, there's these Noro and Tapestry yummies waiting to grow into Jumpers, aren't they lovely?? and I do need new winter wear this year.......

The yellow sock yarn is going to be a nice change too.

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.

Toe-up socks FO

My first pair of toe-up socks, finally! For a while, I thought I might abandon them altogether after; changing pattern on second sock and frogging 2 completed short-row heels and then settling for one with a gusset I learnt from Wendy Knits.

Strange how having knitted 4 pairs of top-down I got into so much trouble this time, but the lessons learnt are definitely useful for future sock knitting adventures!

I'm not accepting I can't knit a 'perfect' short-row heel, so I shall continue trying.....thing is when completed, they looked resonably decent and passable, no holes, yet.....well, I prefer the gusset for now. Sour grapes or just being practical???

Pattern: Twin Rib (row 1: K3 P3, row 2: K1 P1)

Heel from Wendy Knits
Size: 6" circumference (fit my 8" foot)

Yarn: 80% 1 ball Regia Cotton

Gauge: 10 sts = 1" , Needles: 2 mm

Knitted on: 60 sts to cuff changing to K1P1 Ribbing

Cast on: 14 sts with Magic cast-on from Knitty.com

Have used both Magic and Turkish cast-on and find both quite easy (with some practice) but will stick with Magic cast-on for now. Quite amazed at how seamless it can look!

Frogs and Wizards

I should have left things well alone, cast on the 2nd sock and be done with the pair. The 'I am not satisfied with everything about it' mood kept bugging and bugging me when I finished the cuff. The twin-ribbing give such a nice relief to the stripes at the cuff and I couldn't banish the thought of 'how nice it would look on the instep....' You can see what I've done and the first sock's drowned in the frog pond.


I've got to make a short trip into Guangzhou, China coming Wednesday and wasn't looking forward to it but then it would be a good time to read my HP7..

I haven't peeped into the last chapter yet, but am not sure how long I can resist the temptation..DH gives me dirty looks if I so much as mutter or give away anything while reading..

To HP fans, happy reading and a productive knitting week ahead to all!

Updates..sp10,FOs and sock

My final SP10 parcel arrived! Thanks Kessa, you've anticipated my needs so well!!! It's been fun being spoiled by you. The Colorado yarn you sent previously came in useful for the scarf and hat set too.

Here they are...knitted in time for Jess' Aussie Winter.

Pattern: 'Ruggles Original Reversible Scarf' (http://knitting.about.com/),

Pattern: Rolled brim hat (stocking stitch and normal decreases at top)

Yarn: Colorado Yarns, Worsted Weight, Superwash

Amount: 3 x 100 gm x 215 yds (for both)

Needles: 5 mm

Fell out of love with the 'forget-me-not' sock pattern I started (previous blog), could not persuade myself having holes on the leg looks fine and so frogged. Unless I get to try on a lacey pair and like how it looks I'd probably stick with knitting plain legs matched with patterned cuffs.

It wasn't a holiday..

I stayed up till 2am last night, not able to put Debbie Macomber's 'The shop on Blossom Street' down and gave myself a much deserved 'lie-in' till 10am this morning, and finishing it!

Arrived back from our 3 day IT Mgt Retreat so exhausted I just didn't want to do anything else except continue with the book I thought I would have time to read in the evenings there.
Alas, it was the sort of Retreat where one is expected to socialise (all the time, till late night) with colleagues from the other regions and after being teased incessantly the 2nd day about my 'staying in the room knitting' the first night, I abandoned the idea of having any quiet time.

Definitely will be buying more knitting theme books from now and thanks to my very generous KTS3 pal Cathy who sent it with so much goodies last week.

Thanks for the yarn, teas, note stationery, stitch markers, gauge and laundry bag too! I hope you receive my parcel soon - sent to old address.

The retreat was held at Colmar, a French theme hill resort at Bentong, Pahang, Malaysia. It's definitely cooler than KL where I live, the evenings plesantly cool but not chilly.

Now, wouldn't it be just perfect if I could sit and knit at the cafe near the fountain or by the mini water feature? Instead, it was meetings till late evenings with an indecent amount of food all day! I'm on a strict juice diet today.

I started on my first attempt at Toe-up socks with Regia Cotton but had to abandon it for a while to try finish a scarf by 25th this month.

It's got this very clever stitch pattern which makes the scarf completely reversible. It's officially the free 'Ruggles Original Reversible Scarf' from http://knitting.about.com/ but I can't seem to find the reference for the pattern anymore. So if anyone is interested do drop me a line.

Wishing you all a productive knitting week ahead....

Vacation fatique

Got back late Friday night...still too tired to string words together...

Knitted this over the week, mostly on the flight and while resting feet in hotel.

Pattern: Cropped Raglan Sweater (free from Lion Brand) - top down
Yarn: Bendigo Woollen Mills (Australia)
Amount: 2 x 200gm x 260 yds
Needles: 4.5mm and 5 mm

Lady Eleanor, ready for the office Monday morning.

Pattern: Lady Eleanor Entrelac Stole (Kathleen Power Johnson)

Yarn: Rowan Tapestry

Amount: 5.5 x 50gm x 131 yds

Needles: 6mm

Blocking the lady.