I'm moving along quite nicely with Elizabeth I. Just started the cabled centre panel. Knitting this is a little like patting your head and rubbing your tummy at the same time - many things to keep track of with each row. For example, M1 at each end of the row, before and after each dart, remember to knit into the back of each dart stitch and increase the centre panel by one patten stitch either side remembering to read the chart the right way so that the cable crosses mirror each other - phew! Oh, and breathe while you do it.
I just love the waist shaping
I treated myself to a haircut at a trendy town centre salon yesterday. I'm looking uncharacteristically chic at the moment. That's until I wash it for myself then it's anybody's guess what it will turn out like. It's the first time I've ever been in one of these places and not wanted to flush bright red every time somebody spoke to me. I'm struck by how much ease there is in being in your mid-thirties as compared to mid-twenties. If only I knew then, what I know now!
~~~~~~~~~
I bought the second issue of Simply Knitting today. I quite like it even though I already own most of its pattens in their original pattern books. The editorial is upbeat and it feels pretty well researched. It's not quite Interweave Knits though, is it? I guess the market for it in the UK is not quite there - yet.
Many thanks to Heather for sending a surprise prize! I never win anything usually... I shall enjoy looking through my books for a little bag or scarf to show off this lovely colours.
Hmm.... interesting little project on the horizon?!
Elizabeth continues - more work on the dart shaping so nothing really worthy of a photograph at this point. Running practice is getting in the way at the moment. My little 'race' is a week on Sunday. Last week I did my first full 5km run which is the length of the race, so at least I'm going to make it around the course! Aching legs? Only when I move.....
After much procrastination (..simply months of thinking about it..) I 've finally cast on for Elizabeth I from Tudor Roses. I've admired this sweater for such a long time and was keen to get it 'just right'. To be honest, I felt that once I'd knit it, I wouldn't have it in the wishlist any longer and I'd miss it! Does that make sense to anyone?!
I'm knitting it in Rowan 4-ply cotton in a shade called Fennel (shade no. 135). The knitted fabric is very soft and drapey - I'm aiming for elegant simplicity here (well, a girl can dream...). So far I'm only up to the fourth dart of the waist shaping. There's been something going on in just about every row so far and I have to credit the pattern writing - such clarity makes for straightforward knitting. Absolutely no doubts about stitch counts or ambiguous directions. The green has photographed slightly darker than reality:
Meet Liz
Not at all sure about this colour...
I was gripped by the need for a quick project last week and the Cropped Cardigan from Vogue Knitting Spring/ Summer 2005 came to the rescue. I used some stash DK cotton on cones which I bought ages ago (Note to self: just because yarn is on sale very, very cheap does not make it a nice colour).
So, I used up some of the cotton and because the cropped cardigan required a picot crocheted edging, I learned to crochet as well. Surprisingly, my knitting needles did not spontaneously combust whilst I was wielding a very large (size 10) crochet hook but I taught myself to do it with the aid of some books. There, I've done crochet now and will not shy away from knitting patterns requiring crocheted edgings but, frankly, one needle is just not natural.
Look at the latest addition to my 'knitting notions'. It's an Ashford Traditional and came with a big old box of bits and pieces. Its previous owner had brought it all the way from New Zealand and then decided that she didn't have time for knitting and spinning any more (!) so now it lives here. I'm starting from scratch here so it may be a while before I'm knitting up my own yarn!
image removed
I heart recycling images!
Today marks the first anniversary for my blog - hard to believe that a year has flown by. Looking back through my entries, I can see several finished items that I'm pretty proud of, a few absolute non-starters and a few still lurking on the needles. I've learnt a lot about knitting (and computers) and 'met' lots of fantastic people.
I have knitted with a passion since I was a child and it is such a joy to me to be able (finally!) to link up with others who truly enjoy all things woolly. A little bit of a relief as well actually....I'm not alone!
I love knitting!
It feels as if I've been away for the longest time. Thank you all for your kind wishes, it's been a difficult couple of weeks. The funeral went off as well as could be expected, all the family were there as well as many of my mother-in-law's friends and neighbours. I think I may have broken the world record for the number of cups of tea made over a short period, comfort for many was found at the bottom of the tea-cup.
We didn't take the children, my mother and father were able to step in and take care of them while we were away. My littlest girl became terribly poorly after I left which heaped bucketloads of motherly guilt upon my shoulders - it's so hard to do right by everybody all the time. Fortunately she's much better now and all three girls are back at school today. Peace and quiet reigns (for the time being!).
So knitting time has been restricted to working on a pair of socks, it just didn't feel appropriate to get absorbed in some huge piece of work while I've been away. The car journey afforded some solid knitting time - enough to turn the heel of a sock! I've looked back through my archives and noticed that one of my earliest entries makes mention of the start of these socks (almost a year ago!) and I thought that wasn't a situation I could allow to continue.
Yes, I really do have short fat feet
Yarn - Regia 6fadig Crazy Colour 5402
Needles - 3.5mm bamboo
Pattern - free leaflet with Regia purchase - the reprinted leaflet makes much more sense than the original issue!