Inky Goings On.

Finished: Last Minute Christmas stocking by Ysolda.

Yarn: Malabrigo Worsted in “Sealing Wax” and some leftover Sublime Cashmere Merino Silk (yum.)

I knit at a slightly tighter gauge, so it could hold slightly heavier items. This is for the boy, hence the initial.

The i-cord bind off is genius, and I think I’m fully converted to Japanese short rows. Guess who stupidly forgot to reposition the startingmarker, messing the colourwork up?

Yup, me. Merry Xmas everyone!

I love winter – nothing makes me happier than buttoning up my winter coat, digging out my gloves and matching hats to outfits. Cardigans, frocks and hats pretty much form my “uniform” and winter is my seasonal enabler. One thing I will never get used to, however, is the lack of sunlight. Most days here are grey, grey, grey and I’ve found myself tetchy and lacklustre now that I start writing/reading before sunrise and continue until well after sunset.

I am very thankful for fairy lights and a ridiculous USB lava lamp I found in Poundland. I am also thankful for Ysolda’s lovely patterns, which have distracted me from two secret and stockinette heavy jumpers I have been knitting. Namely, Gretel:

And the “Last Minute Stockings”, a project which has helped spending bugger all on Christmas a little jollier – the manfriend and I are filling a stocking each with little bits and bobs. His is well underway, but I’ve yet to start mine.

I’ve got some time though, since I’m working from 22nd-29th, which means “Christmas” will happen at New Year. I’m too keen on getting money to care about working until midnight every day, since I received a letter today. Now if only Gordon Brown would stop lowering interest rates, I might actually get more than a few pennies interest. Pfft.

I knit a mannequin cover!

Or, a air of fingerless gloves. So after all that talk of cutting down on starting new projects, I started another. Luckily, it took less than two days – I whipped out my darning needle in the library and ignored the disgruntled glances shot my way, then scuttled off to a lecture on Little Women. On emerging bleary-eyed into the real world post-lecture, I was more than a little surprised to see the entire campus covered in snow.

These babies were just what I needed to keep my paws warm all day, and stop my hands freezing on the rather tumultuous cycle home. They’re starting to pill a little, but I do use them on my bike a lot.

Pattern Specs: Dashing from Knitty

Yarn: Manos Silk Blend (half of a 300yd hank)

Needles: 4.00mm Bamboo DPNs (size small, knit at a smaller gauge to fit)

I like them, they’re super cosy and keep me warm whilst satisying my fidgety, impatient attitude – I can never whip gloves off fast enough.

And now I’m going to settle down on the sofa til 6am, continuing to fidget until it looks pretty safe and growing green with jealousy as my friend in Chicago keeps me updated on how wonderful it is over there. I love a good election, and hopefully this one will be. Fingers crossed!

Or rather, I dropped the ball at blogging. Rest assured, though I may have been quiet, I have not been idle. My attention span has been rather lacking of late, and I’ve been unable to resist the urge to start new projects left right and centre. I’ve also been fumbling around with my boyfriend’s posh new camera, trying in vain to take delicious photos of knits and either getting my nose stuck in a book until the sun sets, or getting impatient and settling for a less than perfect one. So, I present you (half of) my parade of WIPS:

First up, a Clapotis. No. I don’t really care that everyone else in the world has already knit one, I just want a scarf that can also keep my shoulders warm indoors.

This has been stuffed in a bag, stalled since I stole the needles for the February Lady Sweater, then lost my needle gauge. I’m too much of a miser to buy a new one.

Transition Mitten in two lovely shades of Colinette Jitterbug. I’ve actually finished one hand now, and seriouly need to get my arse in gear and start on the second. I’m a sucked for two tone colourwork, as also evidenced by this:

The amazing Selbu Modern pattern. I started so well on this, then noticed a mistake a few rows below my needles, and am torn between carrying on, and assuming people won’t notice, and performing the painful rip back to make sure it’s perfect. Meh, I haven’t been able to decide for days, so that’s also festering.

And now, I want to knit this:

From karmaloop.com in some Mirasol Miski I’ve been squirelling away. Tempting. Must… finish… things…

As a result of a hankering to get my messy shelves off the front page, and a little prompting, I blog! Not one but two finished objects. First up, the February Lady Sweater, a cardigan I began in earnest in early July at the beginning of summer. Two long train journeys, and I’d finished the body. A bout of the common cold, and I finished the arms. Then it took me two months to block it. I just fell out of love with it, the lumpy misshapen lace seeming far from Pam’s lovely design. Blocking rescued it a little and assuaged my fears that I’d made the cardigan too short: Noro Cash Iroha has a tremendous propensity for growth. I may knit a mitten and see if it can cover my house after a short dip in the sink. Eventually I added buttons, sewed in the ends and popped it on. Hmmm. I didn’t love it. And the reason I didn’t love it is my own fault.

It makes me look like a tree trunk. And really I should have considered that an A-line cardigan would do precisely this when I knitted it. It looks a little better when I’m not slouching and wearing unfitted dresses, but still, I’m not planning on wearing this anywhere other than around the house, or in the library.

Pattern: February Lady Sweater

Yarn: Noro Cash Iroha, 7 skeins.

Mods: skipped buttonholes, and added snaps under the buttons. Stockinette cuffs, turned with a picot edging, on account of rowing out when attempting garter stitch in the round.

So I’m a little grumpy about this, but am taking it as a lesson. Bust darts are my friends, and swingy cardigans are not. Looking at the photo above, I’m also not convinced I knit the right size: I could fit my clunking great Shakespeare anthology under my armpit, with room for a couple of actors in the arms. Verdict: Blah.

After this little letdown, I snagged some Noro Iro in a Get Knitted sale and cast on for a scarf, since I always seem to be making them, but for other people. Or, they get stolen, like my last Noro scarf.

It’s a bit long. I chose the Scrunchable Scarf pattern, since I wanted some texture, but hoped not to distract from the subtle colour changes. Really, this was just a midnless project I worked on when I came home from work too tired to do anything except follow a simple pattern and gawp at the telly.

It’s tremendously warm, at any rate, and aside from Isadora Duncan fears when cycling to uni every day, it brightens up my black coat a treat. Now to get my numerous WIPs and pattern designs finished!

Today in a restaurant with my boyfriend, I waved at a waiter to try and get a bill. He waved back at me like I was a demented child. God damn it, women have debit cards too nowadays.

Since I am a demented chidl secretly, I will shortly post the results of my teddy bear mutilation birthday present endeavours.

The search results on my blog stats page always intrigue me. Tp the people asking if Mirasol Sulka sheds, yes it does whilst knitting it up. How it lasts afterwards, I don’t know, I gave the hat away after a few too many gins. To the people searching for information about their “cashmere tube fetish”, seriously, I have nothing that can help you.

Me: Look at that – take a photo!

Boy: Ha ha! How odd.

Me: You’re going a bit bald on top, you could wear it on your head.

Boy: NO.

Me: I could knit you a toupée. Bit of fun fur. Nice and subtle.

Boy: Or a Hallowig.

Me: What? How do you know about that?

Boy: I just do.

I think he takes in a bit more than I give him credit for. The question now, is: do I secretly knit him one? Or is it a waste of effort? I tend to try and knit things I think will be used: with the amount of time I invest in these projects, I’d like to get a bit of wear or use out of them. I did, however knit something completely useless for a swap recently:

It’s a Dalmation Mouse from the Royal Tenenbaums. I took inordinate pleasure in knitting something so silly, and also in making up my own pattern. It was also my first attempt at i-cord. Why had I always assumed it was so hard?

After spending upwards of 15 hours on trains this weekend, I have learnt one very important thing: spit-splicing in public looks far weirder than I had previously considered. The part-bemused, part-disgusted looks I drew on the journey to and from Penzance have made me seriously consider learning a travel-friendly joining method. Though in truth, I don’t see how someone shoving two pieces of wool into their mouth is odder than the fact that there was a baby called “Tron” in our carriage. Some people, eh?

Enough of that – have some photos.

Being sequestered in the Midlands for the best part of the year, with no hills and no sea grows rather suffocating at times, especially since I spent the first 18 years of my life surrounded by mountains and valleys. It was wonderful to just be able to walk alongside the sea every morning and evening (and saved having to blow dry my hair). We went walking along the coastal path with its steep stone steps hewn in the hills, which was just challenging enough to feel as though we’d accomplished something. I did feel mightily brave when faced with a rocky path about as wide as one of my feet, with a 40 foot drop into the sea on one side and a gigantic patch of nettles on the other, but somehow managed to run across it to try and avoid freaking out. The sea air was particularly chilly, but luckily I was wearing this:

The fiished tree jacket, whilst a bit baggy for everyday wear, works perfectly as a jumper for walking, fitting over a thinner jumper, and successfully keeping me warm.

Pattern: Tree Jacket by Zephyr Style

Needles: 5mm Knitpicks Options

Yarn: Cascade 220 Heathers (4.5 balls)

Mods: I made the arms a little shorter, since I always end up pushing the arms up to my elbows anyway. Also, substituted the garter stitch yoke and arms for stockinette. Shortened the neck too. The pattern was really clear and easy to follow. Thought it was slightly too large around the armpit area though. Wasn’t too sure about it when it was blocking, but it’s very functional.

And now I have started the ubiquitous February Lady Sweater, in Noro Cash Iroha, since I was fed up of waiting for my Dream In Colour yarn to arrive from America. As anticipated, it turned up the day I went on holiday, and according to the post office slip, they had it for a week before alerting me to this fact. Sodding Royal Mail. Here’s a peek at current progress:

It’s more of a royal blue than the photo suggests. Can’t wait to finish it. Would it be so wrong to knit another one in the DIC Classy?