Sisterknitter

2006-01-24T16:50:00.000Z

PurlyQueen here!
It's amazing how much you can do when you are off work with a cold! I cast on last night and so far I've completed about 13 inches for the back.

2004-12-30T17:15:00.000Z

That's all folks....

I'm moving to TypePad.

Click on the arrows >>>><<<<<< to get to my new home.

Blogger's been great but trying to change the template takes too long.
So it's time to spread my wings (and put my hand in my pocket) and leave my first home.

I'll keep this site open until I've worked out how to move my entries over to TypePad.

But in the meantime, don't forget to change your bookmarks etc. to
http://purlyqueen.typepad.com/sisterknitter/
And I'll see you all there soon!

Ronke

2004-12-30T14:01:00.000Z

HTML help wanted

How can I move my sidebar contents so that they always appear at the top, rather than being squashed at the bottom?
I've spent all morning trying to sort this out, but to no avail.
Thanks!!!

2004-12-29T21:40:00.000Z

My sale haul

Compared to previous seasons, the mighty Liberty sale was rather disappointing - but that's probably because I'm not a huge fan of cotton yarns and Liberty had plenty of those. I had such high expectations as well as a long shopping list - but all was not lost. I did pick up lots of khaki Rowan Cotton Tape, which I love because it knits up quickly and doesn't catch on the needles. And I bought some pattern books so I can reduce my shameful yarn stash.

My biggest triumph was this....

This is no humble clipboard.
In fact, it has transformed my knitting experience. I cannot recommend that you get one highly enough.
It's a metal board with a magnetic ruler. It makes working with charts a lot easier because you can mark off your row and the ruler (obviously) doesn't budge.

Fellow Central London Morning Knitter Pauline lent me hers, which was a present from her Secret Pal. I made it my mission to track one down for myself - I even toyed with telling Pauline that the gremlins under the stairs had stolen it.

But I found one in a lonely corner at Liberty's embroidery department and it's made even Koigu's convoluted patterns much easier to understand.

Look - see how much progress I've made with my Gypsy shawl....

Both the John Lewis and Peter Jones clearance sales had much the same cotton stuff as Liberty.

I had high hopes for Peter Jones. This was where I snaffled a pack of (still unused) half-price Noro Kureyon in the summer.

But never a girl to leave a sale empty-handed, I bought a cushion pad and a remnant of black corduroy for the back of this cushion.

I'm going to work on this on New Year's Day. Simple sewing will be all that my hungover head will be able to cope with.

2004-12-24T01:23:00.000Z

What the hell is that?

This is the mother of all UFOs.

It was meant to be a quilt for a friend's baby (her son is now 13 years old). I got bored with knitting black and white squares and I didn't have the patience to knit an entire garment, so I hit on the bright idea of making a sampler to practice knitting patterns.

This project kept me entertained for years (off and on). Eventually I lost interest in knitting and dumped this 'creation', my needles and yarn in the loft.

A few months ago, I remembered that I had knitting supplies stashed away in a bag in the loft. Yes, it's as ugly as sin, but I can't bring myself to throw it away. Because it's 100 per cent acrylic, the moths haven't been able to destroy it. I might fold it up and use it as stuffing for a cushion. That way it will be kept safe out of harm's way.

2004-12-24T01:11:00.000Z

Getting closer

This cushion is turning out to be a labour of love. I ordered a mixed bag of mohair yarn from eBay to create the 'furry' lines.

I usually keep an open mind when buying yarn from eBay. You don't always receive the exact shade that you hoped for because everyone's computer monitors display shades differently. So unless you've seen the yarn in the flesh, it's hard to know what the postman is going to bring you.

Anyway, as luck would have it, this consigment of yarn was a perfect match for my cushion.

I used an ordinary hairbrush to gently brush the mohair lines, and it really does look like fur. I must admit that was sceptical at first but as I had embroidered half the lines, it was too late to change my mind.

2004-12-20T18:59:00.000Z

My name is Mrs Smug

I've just spent a few minutes flicking through knitting blogs. The main theme is 'My Xmas Knitting Hell'. Everyone seems to be knitting furiously, desperately trying to complete their Christmas presents before the 25th.

Can I be a real smug so-and-so? I am leisurely knitting a shawl for Mother's Day. All my Xmas presents have been knitted, sewn up and blocked, oh – days ago.

This has been at the expense of seeing my friends, housework and having a meaningful conversation with my husband, but what the hell - at least it's all done!

2004-12-16T09:16:00.000Z

Note to self: I will not buy any yarn until the January sales

What is it about being a yarn addict? I am happily knitting the Gypsy shawl with a pile of luscious Koigu, I have more yarn than I know what to do with but I am still thinking about popping into Peter Jones on the way to work to see what yarns they have.

I'm playing nursemaid this morning to Rob, who is ill in bed with a bad cold. This also means that I can have a guilt-free few hours knitting. The gym can wait and I placed a big order with Amazon for some Christmas presents yesterday.

My '52 bus project' is an iPod cover. I'm using the Colinette Point Five with a size 4 crochet hook, which is producing an 'interesting' result. The yarn is very loosely spun so the crochet hook keeps poking through the yarn rather than the stitch.

2004-12-15T01:42:00.000Z

One cushion front coming up...

I'm so pleased with how my first fair isle effort has turned out. I've won some odd balls of mohair on eBay which I will use to embroider over the black lines for a furry effect. I'm waiting for the sales to start before I buy some backing fabric.

And for the techies...

Do I get top marks for neatness? :)

What did I learn?
I knew knitting backwards would come in really handy one day. The two balls of yarn didn't get too tangled up while I knitted. Purling with fair isle feels like working in the dark. I like the instant gratification of seeing the pattern unfolding on the knit side.

Use a bobbin for the secondary colour(s). It's much easier to disentangle a small amount of yarn rather than a massive ball.

Post-It Notes are invaluable when reading charts. They can be used to mark off the line that you're working on and - of course - they stay put, so you don't have to worry about missing your place when you have to do something else - like go to bed!

2004-12-15T01:01:00.000Z

What's wrong with this swatch?

This was going to be a winter version of Rockstar but I'm not happy with the colours. I'm torn between a white and pink or all-white scarf. Perhaps the best solution is to concentrate on the Gypsy shawl and come back to this conundrum later.

Nighty night!

2004-12-14T23:57:00.000Z

Gypsy is the winner

>

So far I'm having a much easier time with the Gypsy shawl than I did with Charlotte. This pattern is a much gentler introduction to knitting shawls using charts. The first section has a simple lace section at the beginning and end of each row. From what I can see of the later rows, the lace pattern looks fairly painless. Feel free to remind me what I've just posted when I come on here in a few weeks to vent my spleen at my inability to decipher a pattern!

I can't tell you how much I'm enjoying knitting with Koigu. I'm a real sucker for variegated yarns, but this is the business. It's so soft and springy and there doesn't seem to be any obvious colour repeats so far.

This particular shade reminds me of an autumnal fruit salad - full of juicy berries, satsumas and the odd almond.

2004-12-14T01:52:00.000Z

Ball of confusion

I still don't know whether to knit the Gypsy shawl or a pink/white version of Rockstar.

2004-12-13T15:49:00.000Z

I've run out of things to knit

I've been concentrating so much on finishing my Christmas knitting that I feel as if I've run out of steam. I'm sure this state of affairs won't last long!

Besides, I've been eyeing up the Koigu Gypsy shawl pattern that I'd like to give to my mum next year. What the hell - I might get started on it tonight. I also want to have something to take to the knitting morning that we have on Tuesdays at Ray's Jazz coffee shop. Or perhaps I could start on a pair of fingerless mittens for myself? Or what about the Knitty tea cosy? So many yarns, so little time!

I've finished knitting the cushion. I was so determined to complete it last night that I stayed up until 2am to get the last rows done. The next step is to trace over the black lines with mohair to create a smoky effect. I've just won an auction on eBay for some odd balls of mohair that will be ideal.

My 'conscience jobs' are to lengthen Rob's jumper and my MIL's scarf with fringing. 'Conscience jobs' are the projects that need alterations but I keep getting waylaid by the other yarns in my stash.

2004-12-09T01:28:00.000Z

I have crossed over to the Dark Side

That's right - I have re-discovered crochet. [cue horrified gasps]

For my sins, I am making another Christmas present - this time another carrier bag. I'm not going to line it because I want it to be stretchy, although the crochet means the resulting fabric will be tighter than if I had knitted it.

The pattern is based on Rowan's Karee bag from the It's a Tape Thing collection.

And here's one I made earlier...>>>click here<<<

This bag is my public transport project because it's so portable and crochet doesn't take up as much space as knitting does - very important when you consider how crowded London buses can be.

I'm using a a size 7 (US: size K) crochet hook, which is nice and fat. And I've managed to crochet this much...

... in about an hour.

Please don't ask me which stitches I've used, because I have no idea!

I haven't neglected my first love. This is what I've done so far on the Blur cushion.

I'm past the half-way mark. I am so pleased with my first attempt at fair isle.
Althoughnext time I use Mexican Wave, I will remember to work from two balls to make the stripes more random.

I'll post my thoughts on this project in more detail in my next post.

Good night!

2004-12-06T10:04:00.000Z

Drop everything!!

The new Knitty is online!

2004-12-02T11:52:00.000Z

The things I do to get out of decorating...

I've got door frames that need to be sanded before I go out this afternoon and here I am posting on my blog. Oh well, I can't think of a nicer way to procrastinate.

This is what I've done so far on Blur.

The main yarn is an acrylic called Mexican Wave by Elle (shade 58). I bought a few balls from the Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace in October. The stockist was RKM Wools from Shrewsbury, Shropshire. I love that azure blue and look at how the accent thread goes through the colours that you can see in a sunset (if you're lucky).

I found the black yarn in my local pound shop. It's a bog standard double-knit acrylic which cost a fiver for four 100g balls - perhaps I was overcharged!

And here's a view of the back for the techies ;-)

I was working on this while watching the Musicality performance of Chicago on Channel 4 last night. This series is basically 'Theatre Idol'.

It follows the same format as Pop Idol with the auditions, workshops and panel of judges. The main difference is that the judges always offer constructive advice and support, rather than throwing insults at the auditionees. The winners took the main parts in Chicago in London for one night.

All the winners were so impressive but Rebecca Dent, who played Roxie Hart, was astounding. She dominated the stage and I couldn't take my eyes off her.

These fingerless gloves are going to be another Christmas present.

The pattern is called Fawne, and it's from the ... you guessed it ... the current Rowan mag. They're made from the same black yarn as the Blur cushion and silver Rowan Lurex Shimmer.

2004-12-01T16:01:00.000Z

Ahem...

I've fixed the link to my eBay auctions below. Sorry for posting the wrong link - let's just chalk it up to experience, eh?

I am feeling quite proud of myself today because I've conquered my fear of Fair Isle knitting. I could never work out how other knitters made the reverse side of their work look so neat - mine always resembled a car crash.

I think the secret to learning a technique is to find a pattern that you love and just dive in. I'm making the Blur cushion by Jeanette Trotman in the current Rowan mag (issue 36 - Autumn/Winter).

In fact, I'm so enamoured by my new-found skill that I've broken my 'one project at a time' rule. I fully intend to finish the black and silver fingerless gloves that I started on Saturday. Then I can return to fair isle heaven with a clear conscience.

2004-11-29T16:15:00.000Z

Shameless self-promotion

I'm getting rid of some of my stash on eBay. Click on the link to see my auctions.

2004-11-29T01:37:00.000Z

Open for business

I've changed the comments template so that non-Bloggers can comment as well.

2004-11-28T20:17:00.000Z

My needles are on fire

The MIL's scarf is pretty much done. I'm going to add some fringing because the edges look a bit bare - and as a quick way to add length.
No close-ups until Boxing Day otherwise it will ruin the surprise.

I am still flushed with success from my orange Brie gloves, so I've moved on to a pair of striped fingerless gloves for Madam in black acrylic and silver Rowan Lurex Shimmer.

The current Rowan magazine is my favourite so far. I've got my eye on so many patterns that I won't have time to do them all before the weather warms up in March. Fortunately the patterns I like look fairly timeless.

One complaint

Why are the womens' jumper patterns so small? I'm not super-sized (a 16-18 on top), but only providing patterns up to a 40-inch bust is lazy and must exclude a large proportion of Rowan customers. It can't be a space consideration, either. If SIrdar can squeeze all the measurements on to one page of A4, then so can Rowan.
Surely many people knit their own clothes to get a better fit?
My maths skills are not up to upsizing patterns and I don't see why I should have to do so. I'm a paid-up member of the Rowan Club and I'm being treated like a second-class citizen. I will email Rowan to see what they have to say.
Rant over!

2004-11-28T19:58:00.000Z

Goody, goody, yum, yum

My stash runneth over this weekend.

Not only did I get some red Koigu for a Mothers' Day present ...

..but I also got some navy Rowan Magpie to finish a project that is haunting me...

I made my husband a sweater in September, which I had designed. He loved it, but sadly the body is too short. At that time I was sick of navy yarn and 3.25mm needles. But now I've completed a few other projects, I feel ready to revisit this sweater. It's really a case of undoing the bottom edge and knitting a few more edges. Wish me luck!

Get Knitted had some Biggy Print on sale. My sister bought me a ball as part of my birthday present. I'm still not sure whether I'm going to make a bag, mittens or hat. Either way I bought another ball as insurance.

2004-11-24T17:09:00.000Z

Praise where it's due

Got a lovely surprise in the post this morning - three skeins of Koigu and my Gypsy pattern from the fantastic getknitted website, which is the only British stockist of Koigu.

Super-fast delivery and friendly service. I shall be placing another order for woolly goodies in the next few days.
Pictures - as usual - in due course.

Non-knitting news: Sainsbury's have started stocking root beer, which tastes like fizzy cough mixture - definitely an acquired taste. Now, if I can find a British stockist of green relish, I'll be a happy lady.
There are loads of retailers in the US that sell British foods - I wonder whether I can find one that sells American foodstuffs in the UK?

Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers.

2004-11-24T01:54:00.000Z

Bed? What bed?

I know I said that my bed was calling ... well, I lied!

My creative juices are flowing tonight and I wanted to get some thoughts down before I turn in for the night.
I'm going to make the Rowan Karis cape with some purpley/bluey/browney Colinette mohair from le stash.
I also fancy making a white Rockstar scarf with white eyelash and some pastel variegated baby yarn. This will be worn with my newly-acquired white scarf. Oooh - and what about some sleeveless mittens as well?

My fingers will have smoke pouring out of them by January.

Over-ambitious? Moi??

2004-11-24T01:20:00.000Z

Say cheese

Knitting the second glove definitely felt like a drag and I was glad to get it over and done with. Him indoors thinks they look like rubber gloves, but the long sleeves will be hidden by jackets and will keep out any winter draughts.

For my sins, however, I'm going to make a striped fingerless pair for my sis. I plan to use the Fawne pattern by Kim Hargreaves, using a silver Rowan Lurex Shimmer and some grey alpaca from my stash.

But first, back to my mother-in-law's scarf. I had a brainwave last night. Why struggle trying to blend together yarns and sequins, when I can use a beautiful, elegant yarn that will be more my MIL's cup of tea*

Enter Giotto by Colinette.

* I really like the original scarf, but I used mostly stockinette stitch, which keeps curling in and holographic sequins are more my cup of tea

I'm using the same pattern that I used to make this Sprout jumper

The original from knitty.com

And my effort is here

But I digress...

This Giotto yarn is a beauty. The Moss shade is a shimmery delight of pale green with the odd spot of pale gold. It reminds me of the colours of leaves in early spring.
The recommended needle size is 8mm. I'm using US size 10 needles, which is a 6mm. This means that the scarf won't take too long to knit, but I don't want to cut corners by using massive needles. Besides, if I went any smaller, the scarf would be as flexible as cardboard.
I think I need to go to bed!

2004-11-23T15:46:00.000Z

Glove affair

Finished the second glove last night. You'll have to take my word for it at the moment, but they look gorgeous!
I'm not going to thread ribbon through the wrist part because that's too fiddly, and the decrease on that part means they fit like a glove (!) anyway.

I'm so impressed with these gloves that I'm going to make the fingerless ones from the current Rowan magazine as well.

Back soon...

2004-11-16T16:58:00.000Z

UFO spotting

This was meant to be an iPod cover. All I know is that the yarn is from Colinette. I'm using something else as an iPod cover, but I'd welcome any suggestions about what I can knit with the yarn instead..

Faerynuff wanted to know where I got the Kitty hat pattern from. Here's the web address for you... http://www.kittyville.com/knit/kitty_hat.html

2004-11-16T16:38:00.000Z

One glove...

I'm really proud of this Brie glove. Not only does it look lovely (it's my blog and I'll crow if I want to!), but it fits and the Kidsilk Haze yarn is so soft and snuggly.

The real beauty of the pattern is that you don't need DPNs, which are the bane of my life. However, you will need to seam the fingers, but it only takes a couple of minutes to do each one. If you squint hard, you should be able to see to eyelet detail on this pic

The other one should only take a few hours to complete, which is just as well because I tend to run out of steam when it comes to knitting anything that comes in a pair. I am so pleased that the first one has turned out well that finishing the second half feels like a chore!

2004-11-15T17:10:00.000Z

Glove love

After so many false starts with Charlotte's Web, it's lovely to be able to settle down and just knit. I am up to the middle finger of my first Brie glove. It feels strange working with such tiny needles (size 2.5mm) after the 6.5s that I used for the Kitty Hat.

The Kidsilk Haze yarn is like knitting spiderweb - in a nice way. It's so soft and lovely, although too easy to drop stitches. I think it would be better if I switched to bamboo needles, which are more 'grippy', but the smallest size I have in bamboo is 3mm.

Oh well, slow and steady wins the race, as they say...

I'm going to be knitting lots over the next couple of months. I need to lose a stone by January 19 - and if I'm knitting, I can't be eating ... well, it helped me give up smoking!

2004-11-14T01:37:00.000Z

Bad Charlotte

I can't get my head around the Charlotte's Web pattern, so to save tearing all my hair out, I've had to retire it for now.
The pattern was so confusing that I've had more relaxing times filling in my tax return. I had tried everything - looking on the web for advice, writing the pattern out line by line, blowing the pattern up to A3 size, but nothing worked. In the end, I just admitted defeat and ripped out what I had done.
I'm all for a challenging pattern. But when a pattern consists of incomplete charts and confusing instructions, that's just sloppy work.
All I want to do is produce a beautiful shawl, not crack a secret code.

So now I am knitting a pair of gloves from the current Rowan magazine (issue 36). The pattern is called Brie, and I'm knitting it in Marmalade Kidsilk Haze.
It's a real breath of fresh air compared to Charlotte. Just simple, straightforward knitting. I'm using US size 11 and 12, which translates to UK 2 and 3. Compared to the UK6.5s that I used for the Kitty hat, it feels like I'm knitting with toothpicks.

I refuse to be beaten by the shawl problem. I've ordered the Koigu Gypsy shawl pattern and some more Koigu yarn from Get Knitted. I hope this won't be a case of once bitten, twice shy.
I noticed that Kerrie also had tribulations with Charlotte and swapped to the Gypsy pattern - at least I'm not alone!

2004-11-11T13:34:00.000Z

Good Charlotte

I'm really beginning to enjoy Charlotte's Web right now. The enlarged chart makes a world of difference.
I keep changing my mind about which combination of colours to use. For now, I'm going to stick to greens and purples. The red/purple Koigu skeins can be put aside to make another Charlotte for someone else.

This is a close-up. It's hard to see the pattern at the moment, but blocking it will make the lacework stand out much more.

I might be back to tearing my hair out later on because the chart only goes up to row 50 and there are 150 rows to complete. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

2004-11-11T13:30:00.000Z

Kitty is complete

Here is the completed Kitty hat. I think the ears make it look more like a donkey or kangaroo, but it keeps my head lovely and warm. I might make one in some red chunky yarn that's been languishing in my stash...

I've deilberately made this picture really small. I don't want to put anyone off their lunch!!!

2004-11-11T01:17:00.000Z

Charlotte update

Now we're getting somewhere. I enlarged the pattern and chart to A3 size. The pattern was just as confusing, even when I transposed each line onto a separate sheet of paper.
However, the chart makes much more sense when blown up to A3 size, and I've managed to make it onto row 19 without too many tears!

The moral of the day? When knitting with Charlotte, use the chart and ignore the pattern!

Pictures tomorrow, hopefully!

2004-11-10T15:40:00.000Z

Charlotte headache

Tried to make a start with Charlotte's Web this morning. In fact, I tried to make a start four times before admitting defeat with the pattern, which is written really badly.
I don't know whether they are trying to save space, but all the instructions are jumbled up together on a couple of sheets of A4 paper, rather than being laid out clearly line by line. So even when I used a row counter as well as a ruler to block out the previous line of instruction, I still got horribly confused.
I have blown up the pattern to A3 paper to see if that makes a difference.
Failing that, I'll have to copy each line of pattern on a plain sheet of paper before knitting it.

2004-11-09T16:21:00.000Z

The kitty has landed...

This has been one of my quickest knits. I started casting on yesterday morning, had a break in the afternoon to tackle some housework and by about midnight I had a hat.
Originally I used a black aran yarn but I realised that the hat would end up too small, so I switched to this Sirdar chunky with 6.5mm bamboo needles. I have a headful of curly hair extensions, so my hats need to have a very generous fit.

I'll post the name of the Sirdar yarn later on.

NEWSFLASH I have finished the ears! I will try to post the finished article later on tonight.

Now what shall I knit next? I have got a few things that need to be finished off (bags to be seamed, cushions to be stuffed etc). I'll tackle those this week and get them off my conscience.

I can't wait to start Charlotte's Web. Although I have the CW knitalong button, I'm not a fan of knitalongs. I just feel as if I have to finish the piece by the knitalong deadline. I put the buttons on this blog to remind myself of what I'd like to knit.

2004-11-07T21:06:00.000Z

Here kitty, kitty

I'm now working on the Kitty62 hat, which has induced circular needle fatigue. You are supposed to work on 16" circular needles, which I find too narrow to work on comfortably. Once you begin the decreases, you then have to switch to DPNs, which I hate because they are so fiddly.
So I'm going to switch to 'ordinary' bamboo needles instead. Having to seam the hat afterwards is a small price to pay for not having to use DPNs.
No pictures because this hat is made from black wool, which doesn't photograph very well, and I'm sure you don't want to see a black blob.
Had a great night out on Saturday at a friends birthday party. It was at a new club/bar space in Shoreditch, which is east of the City of London. It's one of the last bits of ungentrified central London, so there are lots of derelict buildings, grubby factories and dubious 'saunas' around. It reminds me of Clerkenwell about 10 years ago when I had a job there. In those days (!) there wasn't even a cash machine or a decent cafe. Now you can't move for clubs, bars, loft apartments and chi-chi shops.
I'm at work now. I've finished editing my page. Now I have to wait for another 30 minutes to make sure nothing big appears on the newswires. Then I can make my escape and spend an hour or so in front of the TV with a cup of tea.

2004-11-04T15:44:00.000Z

The long and winding road...

This is the infamous scarf being blocked on my spare bed. I had a problem with the scarf curling in on itself. There were three solutions:
1. Frog it and start again, but this time knitting a 5-stitch border to combat any rolling
2. Crochet a border or knit an i-cord border (too fiddly and could look rubbish)
3. Sew an ivory satin or velvet backing (ditto) ... or

4. Steam and block the living daylights out of the scarf. Leave to dry for 24 hours.
The blocked scarf should be much longer than the unblocked version. Then I can fold it over and hem it.
I want to add some more sequins by hand, so this will hide all the work as well!

Bingo!

2004-11-04T13:29:00.000Z

Countdown to Charlotte

Just looking at this gorgeous collection from my precious Koigu stash is giving me lots of incentive to finish my Christmas present pile so that I can get started with Charlotte.
These came from A Good Yarn on the outskirts of Boston and the Get Knitted stand at the Knitting and Stitching Show. I'm going to spread the green out a little more, so that the odd flash of peacock green will show through.

2004-10-31T18:20:00.000Z

Hallowig mess

As it's Halloween today, here's my Chamber of Horrors...

I've really messed up the decreases. It looks nothing like a sleek parting - more like someone who has been tarred and feathered.

That long piece of thread is supposed to be the slipped stitch. The more I look at this disaster, the more depressed I feel. So it's off to the froggy farm for this Hallowig.

On a happier front, I'm ploughing through the Christmas Surprise.
I don't want to give too much away, but here's a close-up...

I've used a combination of Rowan Linen Drape (shade: Bleached), Berocco Lazer FX and a couple of mystery yarns to add some texture.

I might graft in the odd row of Paton's eyelash yarn.

The ends are curling in, however. To combat this I will either I-cord or crochet the border.

2004-10-31T17:01:00.000Z

Herman the Hermit

Herman has discovered catnip and he's not sure what to make of it.
I have steered clear of catnip in the past because when I introduced it to Tigs, our other kitty, she just weed in a pot plant.
At first he just sniffed this catnip mouse and gave it a suspicious nudge with his paw...

Then he spent about 15 minutes chasing it...

In typical cat fashion, he has now lost interest in the toy and is back to biting his Dad and screaming for his dinner.

2004-10-29T15:56:00.000Z

I miss knitting

I'm stuck at work right now, editing a scintillating news story. I've got my scarf in my bag and I'd love to slip away to a quiet corner of the canteen and work on a few rows, but as one of my old teachers used to say, I want doesn't mean I get...

I visited Bunty Wool in Ealing, west London this morning to pick up some more wool for the MIL's scarf. I've added some white Paton's Whisper, which is an eyelash yarn to my stash. Depending on my mood, I might knit the odd row into the scarf. I will have to graft in some to the earlier rows. If nothing else it will be a learning experience!

2004-10-28T16:44:00.000Z

Hellish Hallowig

As soon as I get home from work I am going to frog my Hallowig. It looks like a dog's breakfast. I have managed to mess up the decreases so much that I've ended up with a roving slip stitch. Rather than a sleek wig, it looks as it it's been dragged through a hedge backwards. Pictures will follow in due course.
It looks so awful that I've lost the will to redo the offending part. I just want it out of my house.

Anyway, I've switched my affections to the Kitty Hat (http://www.kittyville.com/knit/kitty_hat.html). which will be either turquoise or black.

I'm also working on my MIL's Christmas Scarf. For security reasons I'm not going to post a full picture (maybe a close-up) until 26th December. I've used a combination of white Rowan Linen Drape, Berroco Lazer FX in white and a couple of mystery fancy sequinned yarns.

The pattern is from Vogue Knitting On the Go: Scarves Two. It is supposed to use Berroco yarns, which you cannot buy in Britain. I don't like buying yarns online from the USA, as any cost savings tend to be wiped out by international shipping and import duties. But as it is a special Christmas present, I was just about to place an order on Patternworks when I remembered the Linen Drape that had been lying around unloved in my stash for nearly a year. Add that to some fancies that I picked up in Boston and the Knitting and Stitching Show, and you have a gorgeous evening scarf!

2004-10-25T11:54:00.000Z

And then there were none...

The creeper in the back garden has been finished off by the strong winds over the last weekend. You may think I'm mad for photographing this but ever since I've had a digital camera, I've always promised myself that I would take pictures of this amazing creeper. In the dead of January when there's nothing growing, it cheers me up to see this majestic plant in all its splendour.

At least the sumac tree is still doing its best to cheer me up...

and the grapevine is hanging on for dear life...

Back to the knitting...

My Linen Drape bag is turning out to be a right old plodder.

Here's a close-up of the stitch pattern.

You can find the full pattern in Rowan's It's a Tape Thing pattern book.

Along with the orange River Tape, I've also used a purple and orange mystery ribbon yarn, which I got from Kerrie at Kerrie's Place.

The original pattern, called Karee, was designed to be used with Rowan Cotton Tape which stretches much more.

I should have used larger needles, such as a 10mm rather than a 7mm to make the stitches looser.
I've got some yellow Linen Drape to use up, so I will use a larger needle with those and pretend they are designed to be a matching set.

2004-10-25T01:26:00.000Z

And from the back...

I think this looks much better than the front!

Good night

2004-10-25T01:13:00.000Z

Nearly there...

I'm quite pleased with my Hallowig so far. It took a few hours of knitting to get this far. Now I'm onto the tricky bit, where I have to take the plunge and work with double pins, which I usually avoid like the plague because working on more than two needles confuses me.

This was far more cheery....

This is me at the Roller Disco last week.
I managed to stay upright again but this was due to fear rather than confidence!
Any beginner skaters got short shrift from me. Whenever they tried to hang on to me for dear life I had to be brutal and brush them off. Well, it was a case of one or both of us falling down - and it wasn't going to be me!
You never know - I may be able to post pictures of me skating backwards one day (in 2009!)

2004-10-20T17:54:00.000Z

Hallowig update...

I think this is going to look very nice. It's the first time I've used acrylics in quite a while. I must say that it's nice to knit with an uncomplicated yard that doesn't have loopy bits and twists to catch you out.
Perhaps I have crossed over into the dark side of Acrylics Anonymous!
I have nothing to do but knit tonight, so I hope to post more progress tomorrow.

2004-10-20T17:47:00.000Z

Sitcom Chic

I knitted this cardigan back in May. Now the temperatures have taken a dive, I find it's great for keeping out the chill. It was a really straightforward pattern from Chicknits, with minimal shaping. I used Rowan's Summer Tweed in turquoise. In fact, I'm loving this cardi so much that I'm going to make another one with some red and green variegated yarn that I bought in Boston.

And here's a close-up of the yarn-over detailing.

I don't think Herman cares too much about my knitting endeavours tonight. He's suddenly appeared from an afternoon of snoozing and is making pitiful miaows while staring at me. This is a sure sign that I should drop whatever I'm doing and feed him straightaway.
His wish is my command!

2004-10-19T15:29:00.000Z

Hello! Hallowig!

I picked up lots of cheap acrylic from Creations in Turnham Green this afternoon and I am itching to start my Hallowig. I'm using turquoise Hayfield Bonus DK, which was less than £3 for 100g. I'm currently making a swatch with size 5UK needles, so watch this space...

2004-10-18T20:41:00.000Z

This is how ribbon looks when it's knitted. I don't think I'll knit with it again. It's slippery and because it's quite inflexible, joining in new ends was a pain. I will sew in any loose joins just to make sure it doesn't unravel while on the move.
I didn't realise I'd get the dual-tone effect while knitting - the right side is violet, while the underside looks more blue.

2004-10-18T20:13:00.000Z

Me and my poncho

I'm pretty proud of it, even if I say so myself! I used Yarn Harlot's free A Very Harlot Poncho pattern, which is a lovely combination of stocking stitch with the odd 'yarn over' to stop you getting too bored.

I used 4 x 100g of Rowan Magpie Aran from (you guessed it!) the Liberty summer sale.
The purples were from my Colinette stash. The ribbon is from VV Rouleaux - reduced from £8 to £2.2o a roll in the Harrods summer sale. I will post close-ups very soon!

2004-10-18T01:44:00.000Z

Hallowig - we have a problem...

All set to start my wig but due to some overzealous stash reduction - I don't have any brightly-coloured acrylic left. So I'll just have to go to Woolies and hope they have bright pink in stock. Unfortunately my local John Lewis is too posh to stock anything as common as bright pink acrylic!

2004-10-15T01:02:00.000Z

A warm British welcome to everyone!

The amount of traffic on this blog seems to have shot up in recent days - and it can't just be down to me pressing 'refresh' to admire my HTML handiwork.

So a warm welcome to everyone who has popped in to look at my blog. If I could find a way to give you all a custard cream biscuit and a small sherry, I would!

2004-10-14T01:10:00.000Z

At last!

I have finally learned how to add buttons to my site!
On the left hand side are links to my favourite knitting sites.
I have applied (again) to join the Knitting Bloggers webring. It's not active yet, but all things willing, I should be accepted soon. And I have worked out how to put their logo on the site!

Good night!

Hallowig knitalong

2004-10-13T23:48:00.000Z

hallowig-along-btn
Originally uploaded by sisterknitter.

when I have time (ha!)

And by way of contrast

2004-10-09T00:36:00.000Z

DCP02401
Originally uploaded by sisterknitter.

This picture was taken around September 8, during the Indian Summer.
It's now cold enough to forget about wearing Birkenstocks and it's uncomfortable to go without a coat or jacket at night.
The car windows have started getting condesation at night, too.

Woolly wonder

2004-10-09T00:32:00.000Z

DCP02452.JPG
Originally uploaded by sisterknitter.

This is a chunkier version of the Rockstar scarf. I used Kureyon number 40 (2 skeins) and Jaeger Fur (4 skeins). The fur was a bugger to work with until I cottoned on to the fact that it was best to knit loosely. It's best to work slowly - you don't stand a chance of recovering any dropped stitches.

A sad sight

2004-10-09T00:29:00.000Z

DCP02455.JPG
Originally uploaded by sisterknitter.

...but so beautiful.
Winter is on its way.
Those two pictures were taken about 3 weeks apart.
I was determined to capture the creeper in all its glory this year.

September

2004-10-09T00:28:00.000Z

DCP02445.JPG
Originally uploaded by sisterknitter.

up close and personal...

2004-10-09T00:19:00.001Z

DCP02444.JPG
Originally uploaded by sisterknitter.

Next stop -eBay

2004-10-09T00:19:00.000Z

DCP02442.JPG
Originally uploaded by sisterknitter.

Another Kureyon wonder. This is definitely being sold. This is one of the rare Kureyon mixes that I don't really like. I bought the yarn from the fabulous Yarn-ela in Canada.

This one's a grower

2004-10-09T00:17:00.000Z

DCP02436.JPG
Originally uploaded by sisterknitter.

The more I look at this, the more I like it.
I made it from some acrylic yarn that I bought from Honor Parry in Battersea.
You'll probably realise that I am a sucker for variegated yarns. I also think they are ideal for new knitters because it's easier to see how a new stitch takes form on the needles.

This one was inspired by Missoni and the pattern is a bog standard wave and shell job.
I have lots of grey oddments at home. I may well do the same pattern with them, rather than a straightfoward stripe.

isn't it lovely?

2004-10-09T00:14:00.000Z

DCP02440.JPG
Originally uploaded by sisterknitter.

Kureyon is so gorgeous that one has to keep stopping to admire the blend of colours!

Vogue Knitting triumph

2004-10-09T00:13:00.000Z

DCP02439.JPG
Originally uploaded by sisterknitter.

This was knitted from the Vogue Knitting On the Go Scarves Two. This beauty took a few days to finish. It's currently being flattened under the complete works of 'The World of the Children - Volumes 1-4'.
It's destined for my auntie's Christmas folder.

koigu in close-up

2004-10-09T00:11:00.000Z

DCP02438.JPG
Originally uploaded by sisterknitter.

Forgot to mention that the pattern is from Knitty. It's called Rockstar. I didn't manage to knit it during a couple of episodes of Six Feet Under (more like five!)

Introducing Koigu!

2004-10-09T00:10:00.000Z

DCP02437.JPG
Originally uploaded by sisterknitter.

I am love with this yarn!It knits like a dream and I finished this scarf in less than a week. The eyelash is Patons Whisper which I believe costs about two quid a ball. I've got a job lot of it under the bed!

This scarf is staying with me, as is the purple Koigu that I bought at the Knitting and Stitching show on Thursday. I'm going to mix it with the green and red that I picked up at A Good Yarn in Brookline MA. This decision has erased any justification that I had in going back to the show on Sunday. As if I needed any more reason, I just look at the (culled) stash that's under the spare bed, and crawling out of the draws like ectoplasm.

2004-10-08T19:38:00.000Z

Continental Shift

A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do when faced with endless rows of stocking stitch and the odd yarn-over to break up the monotony.
I've embraced Continental knitting. This is where your right hand just holds the needle, and the actual knitting process takes place with the left hand. It is a lot quicker and means that my hands get less tired.

2004-10-08T19:32:00.000Z

Climb every mountain!

I spent yesterday at the Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace yesterday and I had a superb day.
I had my shopping list of:
Koigu (Charlotte's Web)
Kureyon (in blue for Vogue Knitting striped scarf)
Greenish Colinette (to finish ponch)

I'm glad to say that I stuck to this pretty faithfully - apart from three balls of variegated acrylic and a ball of fancy wool for MIL's scarf.

And I taught what seemed to be an endless stream of teenage girls how to knit in the cafe area. Lots of them want to learn so that they can make their own ponchos - and it probably beats double maths.

my entrelac attempt

2004-09-24T19:34:00.000Z

DCP02207
Originally uploaded by sisterknitter.

This is my first and probably last attempt at entrelac knitting. It was meant to be a cushion cover, but last winter I used to use it as a seat cover for my car because leather can get very cold at night!
Well, we Brits are officially into autumn. It's scary how the leaves are starting to fall off trees and it really is getting too cold to wear Birkenstocks.
I put my summer clothes away with a heavy heart the other day.

I've started my Christmas knitting projects. Number one is a Kureyon scarf from Vogue Knits. I also want to make a rowan river tape bag for madam and I've got to do a scarf for my MIL.

The Rockstar scarf is round my neck at the moment. The green/mauve/blue mix reminds me of a peacock. I made it to give me a break from the navy sweater nightmare. I am finally sewing the seams together!

Went to a rollerdisco with my sister last night. Needless to say my sister was the hare while I was the tortoise, but I have such a good time that we are going again!

a self portrait

2004-09-09T01:24:00.000Z

avatar
Originally uploaded by sisterknitter.

Excuse the clean laundry on the line

2004-09-09T00:00:00.000Z

DCP02392
Originally uploaded by sisterknitter.

I bet that in a month's time I won't be contemplating sitting in a deckchair with a cup of tea, listening to the radio and contemplating knitting a few rows before starting tea.
I had a snooze from about 5pm in front of Richard and Judy, which felt incredibly decadent, although I did crack on with the knitting.

I can't believe it's summer!

2004-09-08T23:57:00.000Z

DCP02399
Originally uploaded by sisterknitter.

Couldn't resist posting this picture of a rose in my back garden. And I can't believe that it's still in the mid to high twenties (Celsius) in September. Roll on with these Indian summers is what I say!

2004-09-08T23:49:00.000Z

There are crawlers on my ceiling!

After I came back from donating some wool to a womens' project just off Tower Hill, I noticed some specks on my ceiling. Then I realised that they were moving. I had to gather up all my wits and hoover them off the ceiling. Trouble is, they are still coming out, in twos and threes. I am much too scared to investigate behind the fridge, which is where I think they have hatched. Over to you, husband dear...

Crawling along....

2004-09-08T23:47:00.000Z

DCP02398
Originally uploaded by sisterknitter.

Boy, am I glad that I switched to Addi Turbos while knitting the front of this jumper. It's clipping along nicely - I've got about 8cm to do before I can start the sleeve shaping -hallelujah!

No photos today, thank you!

2004-09-08T23:43:00.000Z

DCP02397
Originally uploaded by sisterknitter.

This is Tigs, the grande dame of the Chalmers household. I spotted her snoozing under the coffee table and couldn't resist taking this snap!

She was 'donated' to us about six years ago. She originally came from a rescue home and god knows what happened to her before she got there.

She is about 15 years old, but still incredibly nervous and will sometimes take fright at something and run away.
She especially hates bin bags. She isn't fond of the vacuum cleaner, but very few cats are.

Now that Herman has arrived on the scene, Tigs has given up making any noise, as Herman's yowls, caterwauls and miaows more than compensate. She only makes noise when she feels that we are holding out on a can of wet cat food.

2004-09-06T01:52:00.000Z

Progress is slow

Just churning through the front of the sweater, then I can get down to seaming it together.
Did some knitting while watching Threads which is a dramatisation of what would happen if Britain suffered a nuclear war. Even though it was filmed in 1984, it still scares me, so I'm listening to some cheery disco cheese (Hazell Dean, anyone?) to try to make sure I don't have nightmares of all hell breaking loose in the middle of the night. On second thoughts, that's probably Herman our Persian cat jumping on the bed and demanding to be fed in his own inimitable way, which is to put his face in yours and pretend to be sick. Works every time.

We were promised an Indian summer, and boy, did we get one. It was 27 degrees today, with more of the same promised for this week. After a dance class this morning, I spent the rest of my precious Sunday off on a sunlounger in my back garden with my husband snoring gently beside me - What else can one do?

2004-09-02T22:42:00.001Z

my eBay auctions...

can be found here...

Roll up, roll up...

2004-09-02T22:42:00.000Z

DCP02391
Originally uploaded by sisterknitter.

My, I've been good today.
I have sorted out my stash into three: keep (the nice stuff); sell (nice stuff that I don't like); and donate to charity (mostly acrylics that have been festering in my loft).
What's pictured is what's going on eBay.

2004-09-01T23:08:00.000Z

On the home strait...

Started knitting the front of the navy sweater. Got a little too engrossed in Crimewatch and realised that I have messed up a tiny part of the ribbing. It shouldn't show up (aka I can't be bothered to rip it and start again).

I am so glad that I made the switch to Addi Turbos - the knitting seems to glide by although as I have lots of ribbing, moss stitch and cabling to do, hopefully knitting the front won't seem quite as monotonous as the sleeves were.

Can I share my doofus-like behaviour today? After seeing the consultant (another stone and a half to go) I popped into Asda Wal-Mart to do some grocery shopping. I had a rummage through the 'George' clothing section and found the most gorgeous pink, black and red coat. Paid for it out of my £70 bingo winnings and left it in my trolley while I carried on grocery shopping. And that's where it stayed.

Only after I got home, had a cup of green tea and flicked through InStyle did I realise that I'd left it in a trolley. I couldn't rest until I knew for sure that some trash had stolen it, so I drove back to the store and my worst fears were confirmed. I ended up shelling out another £40 for the same outfit.

The moral of this story? Always check your trolley. And don't rely on the milk of human kindness - especially when it comes to Park Royal.

2004-08-31T15:33:00.000Z

Bad Girl

I saw two pairs of Addi Turbos on eBay. They looked so unloved and lonely that I had to press the 'buy it now' button. It's only because the Denise set doesn't have 2.5mm and 3.25mm needle sizes.

Knitting Blogs member!

2004-08-30T01:18:00.000Z

knittingblogs
Originally uploaded by sisterknitter.

Actually...

2004-08-30T00:44:00.000Z

DCP02218
Originally uploaded by sisterknitter.

the more I look at this combination of colours, the more I like it for my poncho.

Verde close-up

2004-08-30T00:43:00.000Z

DCP02199
Originally uploaded by sisterknitter.

I've used Swarovski sequins to help catch the light. Kureyon for the strap and a combination of Rowan Cotton Tape, an acrylic boucle and a cotton eBay special for the panels.

my lovely Verde

2004-08-30T00:41:00.000Z

DCP02194
Originally uploaded by sisterknitter.

This is great for using up odds of yarn.
It's from the Rowan summer 2003 magazine that has a woman with a white sweater on the cover.
I lined with blue taffeta to stop it losing its shape. In hindsight I would have made the strap four times as long and then folded it to make a super-thick one because it's already beginning to stretch a bit.
This really is a credit card, keys and lippy bag. Anything else makes it lose its shape like a cheap handbag.

Cavendish close-up

2004-08-30T00:38:00.000Z

DCP02190
Originally uploaded by sisterknitter.

I could knit with Noro Kureyon all the time. I am entranced by the stripy effect and the width of the Cavendish meant that you more or less got one colour per stripe.
I used up my spare and precious stash of black Cash Iroha, which I found in the John Lewis clearance basket in January. I used Berocco Lazer FX (from eBay) on the odd row and black eyelash to add some interest and break up the Kureyon.
The Kureyon came from all over the place - eBay; John Lewis and Creations in Turnham Green, west London which had the widest selection of Kureyon that I've ever seen in England.

I never realised what a raw deal British knitters got until I went to New England, where it seemed as if every town had a yarn shop with an unimaginable selection of colours and materials.

In England, you have to make a special trip to a big department store to see the same old, same old selection of Rowan and Jaeger. Adventurous knitters have to take their chances on eBay.

It's a wrap!

2004-08-30T00:33:00.000Z

DCP02187
Originally uploaded by sisterknitter.

What do you think?

This is the fabulous Cavendish wrap from the Simply Noro book. This beauty got me through endless hospital appointments and hunger cravings.
I meant to wear it on the plane to the States, but chose a more lightweight pashmina instead.

Ta daaa!!

2004-08-30T00:26:00.000Z

DCP02212
Originally uploaded by sisterknitter.

I have also tried using my legs but you have to be prepared to spend as long as it takes with your legs in the air and a skein wound around them.
Not very dignified!

Getting there...

2004-08-30T00:25:00.000Z

DCP02206
Originally uploaded by sisterknitter.

My Eureka moment

2004-08-30T00:24:00.000Z

DCP02201
Originally uploaded by sisterknitter.

What's a girl to do when faced with lots of pesky skeins and no way of turning them into balls?
Yours truly used a towel rail to wind the skeins round. The scissors are to cut the skein cords.

Clever, huh?

A KB just isn't a KB without a kitty pic

2004-08-30T00:21:00.000Z

DCP02022
Originally uploaded by sisterknitter.

The evil-looking creature on my husband's shoulders is Herman, our Himalayan Persian cat.
He loves chasing after balls of yarn, sleeping on my yarn basket and did I mention his shoe fetish?*

*the cat

two happy owners

2004-08-30T00:18:00.000Z

DCP02007
Originally uploaded by sisterknitter.

As my pitiful attempt to upload pictures in my earlier entries failed so spectacularly, I am putting them all up again!

Here are my mum and sister with their Christmas scarves. And neither scarf has been dumped in the bin!

Just wasn't meant to be....

2004-08-30T00:14:00.000Z

DCP02180
Originally uploaded by sisterknitter.

Que sera sera...

RIP (or It's fine to frog)

2004-08-30T00:05:00.000Z

DCP02182
Originally uploaded by sisterknitter.

The first of many frogged efforts - I'm sure.

I have made a psychological discovery a few months ago.
It's OK to frog a garment for no other reason except that you just feel like it.
I always used to resist frogging anything because I felt it was a huge waste of time.
In my day job as a national newspaper sub-editor (or copy editor in the US) my job is completely governed by the clock. Everything you produce has to be perfect - there's nothing like the thought of two millions readers pouncing on a mistake to concentrate the mind!
So the idea of investing so much time on something that will never see the light of day seems ridiculous.
But that's the beauty of knitting. There is no deadline. The only constrait is my boredom threshold which is pretty low so I like to work quickly.
I am knitting for my own pleasure. I never take commissions (except for my darling husband) so I only have to please myself.
It is a wonderful way to relax when I come home from work. I get home at about 11pm and if I dont try to unwind my hubby and I become like passing ships in the night (and that's a whole new weblog).
There was also the cost of the yarn, but as a pack of yarn (especially in the sales) costs less than a couple of rounds of drinks, I've decided that it's my money, I pay my taxes and I'll spend the rest however I please.
So the pack of Jaeger Trinity may be destined for my eBay selling list.

ready for a close-up?

2004-08-29T23:51:00.000Z

DCP02185
Originally uploaded by sisterknitter.

could I be any prouder?

2004-08-29T23:50:00.000Z

DCP02184
Originally uploaded by sisterknitter.

I love this bag, which is from the Rowan It's a Tape Thing book. I amended the yarns to include a mix of Rowan Cotton Tape, as well as Summer Tweed.

Its perfect for shopping or carting around jazz and ballet shoes.

I am going to make another one for Madam with the Rowan Ribbon Tape from my stash.

DCP02275

2004-08-29T23:46:00.000Z

DCP02275
Originally uploaded by sisterknitter.

My US stash part deux!
The big red balls will become a cardigan at some point, and the green will go towards my Rockstar scarf.
Note the natty cable needle which looks like a shepherd's hook.

2004-08-29T23:29:00.000Z

Apologies for the lack of posting, but I have been waylaid by my iPod!
It has changed my music habits. Now I find myself taking the bus more because I want to listen to whatever I've uploaded to my iPod the night before.
Which brings me to another point - I don't think I am even halfway through loading the tunes that I want on my iPod. Oh well, Rome wasn't built in a day, as they say!
Still ploughing through the navy sweater. Nearly finished sleeve 2, but I have to re-do sleeve 1 because I mis-read the pattern instructions. I have to re-cast on and decrease for 10 rows.
I've also switched back to my trusty Addi Turbos because I honestly believe that they are faster and when you are halfway through a sleeve of stocking stitch (with an increase on every sixth row) you need all the speed tools you can get your hands on.
As the Denise kit doesn't have small needles, I've splashed out on a couple of small Addi Turbos on eBay. Just so that I can finish the front as quickly as possible - promise!
I am desperately trying to hold off buying new yarn until the Knitting and Stitching Show hits Ally Pally in October. The main purpose of my visit will be to buy chunky cream yarn for my poncho. My resolve weakened at John Lewis this week and I bought a couple of balls of black Jaeger fur for my Rockstar scarf. That combined with the green/blue Koigu is gonna be a beauty.

Body of evidence

2004-08-03T00:10:00.000Z

Please note the Denise needles from Newbury Yarns.

DCP02276
Originally uploaded by sisterknitter.

2004-08-02T23:53:00.000Z

Blimey - with these new features, Blogger is truly spoiling us!*
(*it's a British thing)

Had a fantastic holiday in Boston and Cape Cod. Naturally, yours truly had to stop into whatever yarn shops were on the way. I'd like to recommend A Good Yarn, in Brookline MA. This was where I got my hands on the mighty Koigu KPPM for the first time.

The Rockstar scarf on Knitty awaits, well as soon as I finish him indoors's sweater. Why did I decide to use 3.25 needles? Must be true love.

I want to do another version of the Sitcom Chic cardigan (and I will remember to follow my tension square) with some gorgeous red and green yarn that I pounced on at Newbury Yarns in Boston.

There are a couple more yarn stores that deserve a mention, but I will have to find their cards. All details will be posted in good time.

2004-07-06T15:52:00.000Z

How do you get from this....

to this...

With a handy towel rail, which doubles up as a skein holder. Rather than having to splash out on a ball winder, I had a 'Eureka' moment and took this towel rail off my radiator. Simple and cheap!

Within about 20 minutes, I had four balls of perfectly wound-up yarn....

which means that I can get on with this....

2004-07-05T16:33:00.000Z

I have joined the London Bloggers list.

2004-07-05T16:07:00.000Z

The Liberty sale was all that and a bag of chips!

I went to the sale three times because they keep on putting new yarn out. My tally is as follows:

15 x Rowan Magpie in Steadfast (navy) - For His Majesty's jumper
1 pack Jaeger Trinity Silk/Cotton (black) - Sleeveless top for myself
1 x Rowan Magpie (cream) - Poncho for myself, to go with the purple Colinette stash.
1 x Rowan River Tape (orange) - Most excited about this purchase. I bought some balls of this in the January sale in orange, yellow and mauve - but had no idea what to do with it. Now I can perhaps make a cardigan from the Cotton Tape collection.

I had to resist buying any more* because I would not be able to justify buying more wool in America.

* Stocked up on some goodies from Bunty in West Ealing. Got some purple Patons yarn for a tunic and a couple of cute purple furry stuff for my poncho.
Oh - and I spent 30 quid on lots of Noro Kureyon at Creations in Turnham Green to finish my Cavendish wrap. I have some left over for a scarf that I'd like to try from Vogue Knitting Scarves 2.
I think that's it!