....and on

I haven't got a photo to display yet but work on the Fish blanket is progressing well. In the meantime following on from thoughts about the perfect knitting project it occurred to me that this can be extended into just how much knitting each day, week, month year etc is perfect. Well, for a start off I need to delete the word perfect from my vocabulary as it is over rated and in my case unrealistic. So how much knitting is good enough to keep me this side of sane and happy. Again I shall use my blanket square as a good example. It is 38 st x 50 rows on 3mm needles with cotton glace which is almost a DK weight. One square depending on its pattern takes me a day too knit. Before you leap off your chair in amazement at how weedily slow my knitting is I do not mean I sit down at 9.00am and finish a square at 5.00pm, I mean with the 1/2 hr in the morning, maybe a couple of rows are managed during the day and the bulk in the evening I can usually get a square done. But, of course, this doesn't take note of the fluctuations in mood and energy levels. Because these play a huge part in my relationship to my knitting (and everything and everyone else in my life) sometimes I manage a square (or equivalent) a week and on other worrying occasions I might be so hyper that I managed 2 nay 3 squares in one day. Yes, this has happened often when I'm on holiday and have oodles of time free from the drudgery of shopping, washing, cooking and work (although I do love my work). So to get the balance right if I knit one square (or equivalent) a day, I am happy and pleased with my knitting output, more or less needs looking at!!!

Following On.......................

The perfect project for me at the moment is then a blanket, I’ve now got 3 on the go, the Mystery Blanket ’10, a small one from a Sublime booklet 600 and now Fish from Debbie Abrahams book.

I have had such a lovely time sourcing the discontinued Rowan Glace yarns and speaking with some utterly delightful people all of whom helped hugely. Firstly Debbie herself who has promised to send 4 balls of Hyacinth, beads and sequins (when she’s down off of cloud 9 after her wedding on Saturday) to a gentleman in Ilkley Yorkshire who climbed ladders to see if he did have two balls of Tickle!! I began my search in Surry at The Yarn House, where, I bought one ball of the Hyacinth – in case Debbie is away a while. I next found Tickle at Create with Wool in Ilkley via their on-line shop but when I rang a kind young man discovered that they didn’t actually have it after all but they did have 6 balls of Pier another hard to find colour. I got a call the next morning from a lovely lady who wanted to check if I minded that one ball of Pier was from a different dye lot. At this stage I cared not a hoot. She then went on to talk with me for ages about our love of knitting, creativity in general and we discussed Debbie and her wedding.

I then was relieved to find 2 balls of Tickle (the exact requirements) on eBay and received them promptly 2 days later – thank God for PayPal. I sourced Buttercup on the website of British Yarn a ball of Ecru in my stash (left over from knitting Afternoon Tea) and finally bought the rest from Liberties.

Of course I then photocopied and laminated the pattern then found my wonderful 3mm blue Signature needles and started – the results speak for themselves.

Another New Project

Hi

In the 40 odd years since I first started knitting I have begun many more projects than I have finished. Since the recent knitting revival and the advent of Ravelry and my favourite knitting group The Guilty Knitters I have completed many more projects, and much to my surprise even worn some of them. However, knitting jumpers or cardigans is not doing it for me at the moment. Of course this might change in the future. Consequently I have been searching for a project that fulfils my knitting needs. I thought the Knit Camp Vest would do it but I genuinely have an issue with my finger and if it had been on straights I might have continued but on circulars then no way.

I sincerely believe that if you are not enjoying your hobby then do something different. As I have got older and I like to think a little wiser, I cannot see the point in ‘making’ myself do something that is not giving me any pleasure. This could be viewed as an excuse for giving up on projects that appear challenging and in some instances that might well be true – and my response is so what. I can always come back to it and in the words of the Yarn Harlot, the knitting police are not looking at me.

Anyway back to the search for a project, I have decided to knit another blanket from Debbie Abrahams book “100 more blankets”. This project is perfect because each square is different and can be completed without hassle, you can complete a strip and sew to the next completed strip and before you know it you have an exquisite blanket. However, half the colours Debbie suggests have been discontinued so I’m on the lookout for some yarn, cotton glace, in Tickle, Buttercup, Hyacinth and Pier. This part of starting a project is so exciting.

Catch up soon

Another WIP

I would like to ponder for just a moment on the quest for the perfect knitting project. Due to nearly 45 years of knitting history, I think I kind of know when to throw the towel in on a project and sadly it looks as if the Knit Camp Vest may be going the same way as several other "works in progress" or put another way "abandoned knitting disasters". The perfect knitting project has to be somewhere between a challenge and a nightmare. The vest is nudging towards the nightmare end of the scale. Not, I hasten to add because of the fairisle but because it is knitted in the round and therefore requires circular needles (usually a joy) that constantly needs shoving by my poor finger currently battered and bruised. Most non knitters will not understand this concept but believe me, my finger can't take any more. Plus I've gone wrong and can't be arsed to frog it back and correct the error. What's more ( adopt an indignant voice here) I snapped a brand new Knit Pro wooden needle before I'd even completed one round. The knitting gods are yelling at me to gently put this down before I stab someone with the left over Knit Pro needle.

The perfect knitting project for me is a blanket, manageable, colorful and at the same time challenging. Plus no possibility that it won't fit. Utterly perfect.

So, (adopt calmer voice here) I have been seduced into knitting a garter stitch baby blanket for a friend who is still only 5 months pregnant. See photo above. It is knitted in Sirdar Sublime which I bought from Purl a delightful independent knitting shop behind Brighton's main station. My daughter and I spent a glorious couple of days in Sussex conquering the shops and eateries in Lewes and Brighton and one stop was Purl. The yarn is soft and squidgy and a pleasure to knit with, on straight needles, Signatures by the way. I was never going to wear the Knit Camp Vest anyway (adopt truculent teenagers voice here). So it will end up with a few other unwanted and unloved projects until I can legitimately dispose of it. Please don't ask me how or where. That's a secret!!

Jane

Soldiering on

Mystery Blanket squares done for this month so now back to the challenge of my knitting life. The Knit Camp Vest. This can be seen on the Jamieson and Smith website www.shetlandwoolbrokers.co.uk where it issold a kit. Pattern is a download from Ravelry by the designer Ann Kingstone. Anyway it is my first serious fairilse and I'm trying hard to use a 'picking and throwing' method. At least I think that's what it's called. I've made it past the corrugated rib and I'm now on row 18!! My good friend, who I need to state here and now, is retired is storming ahead and I'm determined not to start a race to the finish!! Photo next time. I'm off to Beach Head, Brighton, Lewes and Burling Gap for the next 3 days for a mini break with my daughter. Can't wait.

Jane

Relief from the fight

Phew, my parcel from Debbie Abrahams arrived today. What this means is that I can legitimately turn my back on the Corrugated Rib and fight the fight with beads and intarsia instead. I'm sharing a picture of some of the squares completely. As someone who struggles not to be a 'good girl' I always complete the square each month so that I stay on track. I have a horror of getting left behind or left out come to that. Hey ho another 'issue' for my therapist. Will keep in touch.

Jane

The Battle of the German Twisted Cast On

A new blog, a new project and renewed hope. Let battle commence. First I found a design in a magazine The Knit Camp Vest by Ann Kingstone and bought the Kit by Jamieson and Smith only to find there was no pattern. Not defeated yet - found the pattern on Ravelry. Good bless its armoury, downloaded the pattern and wept. Realising I would need reinforcements I gently persuaded a fellow knitter to join me in this quest to achieve our first Fairisle garment. So we gathered our weapons, Addi circulars/knit pro or Addi Lace and battle commenced. Firstly we had to learn a completely new cast on method - Twisted German Cast on to be precise. Pages of notes and a quick peak at a you tube video and we were off. Number of stitches required is 256 the number will be forever printed on my mind. This new cast on involved a long tail. Something that seems utterly beyond me and after 4/5 attempts I made a decision to cave in and do a simple cable cast on. One battle to the Kitting Gods. Next learn the Corrugated Rib technique. So far so good. It looked simple enough, 3 knit stitches in white, 1 purl stitch in pale blue. But no another look at You Tube and I discover that the way to do a proper corrugated rib involves knitting 2 rows before you actually complete one. So yes that's 512 stitches before one row is completed. This is a real challenge. Only 7 or should I say 14 rows to go until the Fairisle starts. The pain in one finger is already causes me to wince so may have to break for a while to do Mystery Blanket squares then yippee back to some more corrugated rib!!!

Catch up soon.