Friday round up

last night I'm in the car ready to take Blaise to her belly dancing class (along with Pilates and Ballet) all very good for the congenital spinal stuff as they all build core strength, I always wonder that if we had known about Blaise's condition earlier would we have expected as much from her? is her inate core strength and mental toughness the result of just having to get up and do it? but that is for another time, so my Mama phones...she is in Hobart...at the wool shop..."there's some Gragnisco...something" yes Mum, I like the Bambi... "hmm, no Bambi, theres Jo Sharp...can you get Jo Sharp?" yes Mum...mostly, oh what about georgette, do they have the silk georgette? "(calls to assistant) do you have silk georgette?" and then proceeds to describe the colours to me...I say, Mum I have a couple of balls of light grey, do they have the mauve-y grey there? I mean, I freak out enough (inside) when yarn shopping, so much to choose from, how much to buy? and now I have someone putting the pressure on and I'm NOT EVEN THERE!!! I am laughing so much, poor Blaise is hearing only half the conversation - but figures it out quickly... "Zara? what about Zara?" yes Mum I love the Zara!

Txt this afternoon..."found the bambi"

I love my Mum.

proof of Frasier's addiction...I hid the good stuff...so he is making do with the cheap crack

I am constantly discovering more reasons why I love Ravelry...yesterday I uploaded a lot of my free patterns to my Ravelry store, finally they are (mostly) all in one place, also seeing the interpretaions of my designs is wonderful - in particular a delicious variation of the Fairytale dress...so pretty!

Knit Rangers is growing like topsy, we had a fantastic meetup last sunday, and are planning occasional meetups at Dida in Herne Bay - as the "irregular winos" (so named for the location and the infrequency of meetings)

Knitting news:

1 x ribbing raglan sweater with interesting raglans is in the making (made the body up to the armhomes - just starting a sleeve)

3 x linen washclothes finished, more to come, (even more if I can find those cones that Frasier took off with)

1 x size 2 spirited jacket 1/2 test knitted by my good self (not that I can ever find the mistakes in my own instructions - too close to home) just the sleeves to go.

3 x patterns on the drawing board (no knitting yet) and more trying to eat their way out of my brain...

we are finally getting a touch of rain, the garden desperately needs it, should be a good weekend to curl up with the knitting and a movie.

but wait! - there's more.

Liam - the pattern beloved of many, is now available from my website for $5.00 Australian (with a bonus pants pattern) , yes it is a digital download .pdf, I wish that I had the knowledge and wherewithall to publish my patterns in hardcopy, but I don't - maybe I'll look into it further when I have more of these things out of my head, down on paper and test-knitted!

This weekend the Knit Rangers hope to have the honour to be graced with the presence of Miss E. Clair herself, with a bit of luck (vomiting children and flooding notwithstanding) she will be available from 2-4pm at The Packing Shed 99 Parr's Cross rd, Oratia (that's behind Henderson - otherwise known as Hendo...the home of Outrageous Fortune)

humid

In Auckland the summer sun is fierce - it bites the skin like sun nowhere else I have been, the African savannah is hot, the Australian desert very much so - the heat sucks the moisture from your body, but in New Zealand the sun seems closer - some say it is the lack of atmospheral pollution, or the hole in the ozone layer that leads to our extreme levels of melanoma and other skin cancers.

So between 11 and 3pm my family try to stay out of the sun, we lie around in the shade trying to find a cool breeze, the humidity makes the air feel even hotter than it is, the pool is a welcome escape as by 1pm it is in partial shade, the back deck holds shelves laden with factor 30, hats and towels, we are nothing if not prepared for the conditions.

Blaise's room is an oasis of cool, placed in the most shady corner of the house, the upstairs workroom and our room are in the sun's path all day and become superheated - a portable air conditioner brought back from Sydney means that we can sleep without being eaten alive by mosquitos, and is a fascinating distraction for Frasier, who leaps on top of it when it starts up, and then positions himself between the machine and us...in order to protect us from it...he seems to think.

So, the knitting is continuing, but slowly due to the heat.

Thanks to 2 lovely and competent test knitters I have released the "Nikau hoodie and pants" pattern for sale by digital download. It is mostly an easy knit, with a few interesting bits - the cabling for the Nikau palm design and the short rows at the hood and nappy shaping. I can't wait to see the different variations as they come up on Ravelry. I am close to having the "Liam sweater and cowboy pants " pattern ready for release soon too, which I know a number of people have been waiting for, and am working on something sweet for the girls.

No clues, but here is a taste - lots of pink, and don't you just love that Chirimen crepe cherry blossom ribbon - it's from Fabric tales, who are very quick and very helpful!

yeah, so about those monet socks...

once upon a time I had a wonderful idea

the idea was that I would knit a length of fabric using 2 ends of yarn ensuring that the gauge is the same as my sock knitting gauge, paint a picture on it using woool dyes, unravel it into 2 centre pull balls, and then knit 2 identical socks with the image I had painted reproduced on the socks. I chose one of Monet's Nymphaea as they had the diaphanous quality I knew I would get using dye, and I loved the colours.

Matching those colours was a problem, but I adapted, the swatch once painted, was cooked in the microwave in a plastic steamer for 10 minutes.

Does anyone see the problem yet? no? I didn't.

unravelling the skein into 2 balls was a challenge, but Blaise and I each wrangled an end and with the help of two ballwinders we managed to subdue the yarn.

So, it seems - if you knit something in the flat, well....you can't then go on and knit in the round... and expect it to look the same...duh!

I knitted 1/2 a sock while in Paris, just to feel I had - and the colours are very lovely, very Monet - just not very anything at all like a painting!

That sock is now unravelled, and the balls are waiting, waiting to be incorporated into a flat price of knitting in order to reveal their true nature. I am certain the right project will come along eventually.

No time to get bogged down with that now, there is still Christmas knitting to complete:

this watchcap for my uncle

a pattern for the Liam (wolf in sheeps clothing) sweater to finish

and

Horatio is finished, as is the pattern

Friday round up

a round up of 'things to do" really, I am taking next week off work to get some Hollytime in, and have planned a number of projects - some previously listed, curtains, laundry hamper, tiered skirts for Miss M Belle, stained glass window cookies, speculaas, candy cane cupcakes, cheesecake...and a good amount of lying around on the pool lounger.

The tattoo sweater is coming along nicely - and has been renamed "Horatio" the sleeves will be blue/white stripes, currently I am working on the boring part of the back, and I can't wait to see it finished!

and I have just finished this wee sweetie, my first crochet project!!! I have crocheted edges before, but never whole "things" so excuse my excitement, I love this book (bought from the very, very missed Kinokuniya) so much, even though it is in Japanese even a complete newbie like me could work out how to do an amagarumi cast on etc. Now I just have to decide who to give her too...

The one where he is in trouble - again...

I came home to find Frasier burrowing through Charlotte's clean laundry...I won't tell her if you won't.

I have just finished the "Liam" sweater and am so pleased with it, I love garter st on babies, and learnt a lot while making Inigo's jacket of many colours - mostly that I had to trust my swatch, and not freak out if the garment was looking a bit bigger than I had expected.

This sweater is for a friend's baby-to-be, I'm knitting some denim pants to go with it, and the patterns for both will be available when they are finished.

I was thinking of calling it the "one black sheep" sweater, but the black sheep is looking more and more wolf-like...maybe I should have called it "wolf in sheeps clothing"!

New free pattern

I thought it was about time - we haven't had one for a while, and as always my free pattern disclaimer:

if there is a mistake in the pattern, I'm sorry, please let me know. Please don't ask me to re-size the pattern, think of it as a challenge, grab a calculator and measuring tape and do it yourself.

I designed this pattern for "Real Nappy Week" which was a while ago.

Knitted soakers for Real nappy week.
Here is a pattern for the cutest pure wool soakers, quick and easy in 8ply yarn.
wool stays warm when wet, takes water away from the body, and breathes

Materials: 8ply (DK weight) pure wool
Main colour (MC) approximately 75 grams
Contrast colour (CC) approximately 25 grams
Set each of 3mm and 3.75 mm straight needles
Tapestry needle for sewing up
Elastic knitting –in thread if desired

Size: (6mths – 18 mths depending on nappy)

Notes: this garment is knit all in one piece.

Abbreviations: K (knit) stst (stocking stitch) inc (increase)
P (purl) dec (decrease)

Front: With 3mm needles and MC cast on 50 sts using a stretchy cast on (knitting books and magazines often have numerous cast-on techniques, check your library, online help can be found at www.knittinghelp.com/)
Otherwise you can use your normal cast-on, but use 1 larger needle e.g. size 4.5 mm, along with one 3 mm, remember not to use the larger needle to knit the rib!
Work 16 rows K1P1 rib. Use knitting-in elastic if you want a very stretchy rib.
Leg: Change to 3.75 mm needles, work 14 rows stst
Mark both ends of the last row (use a piece of contrast colour yarn)
Next row: do the following 2 things at the same time
1.) Decrease 1 st at the beginning of next and every row (knit 1 st, knit the next 2 sts together)
2.) Knit 16 sts (count the dec st as a st, you want to add a contrast colour to the centre 18 sts)
Add in the contrast colour, knit 2 sts, knit 2 sts with MC, alternate until 18 sts have been worked. Continue to end of row in MC. Continue in colour patterning as set. (This creates a padded section where it is most needed.
Continue decreasing at beginning of each row until 24 sts remaining.
Knit 4 rows with no decreases
Back: Start increases: continue with colour in pattern as set.
Increase 1 st at the beginning of each row (knit 2 sts, pick up a loop from below the second st, place on L needle and knit) continue increases until 50 sts are on needles. Place markers at both ends of row.
Shaping:
Short row shaping. Using MC only, knit 40 sts, turn and purl 30 sts, turn and knit 31 sts , turn. Continue to knit 1 more st each row until all sts are back in play. (wrap the next st on the needle at the end of each row to avoid making a hole)
Work 14 rows straight.
Back rib: Change to 3 mm needles, work 16 rows k1p1 rib, cast off in k1p1 rib, using a larger size needle.
Leg rib: with right side facing, pick up and knit 56 sts between the leg markers with 3mm needles and MC. Work 20 rows, then cast off in rib with 1 larger needle (to maintain stretch)
Work the other side to match.

Match the markers up and sew the side seams together.