WIP Wednesday: Glittens

I have a large but unknown number of projects on the go. This is just one:

This is a 'glitten'. Not quite a glove (not enough fingers), not quite a mitten (too many fingers) it is a curious concept.

I wore through some gloves in January. As the hole grew I swore I'd start these. I bought the pattern. I bought the yarn. And then finally I gave up and bought new gloves.

THEN I finally started these.

The first was super quick really. DK yarn and an interesting pattern meant the first quickly moved from cuff to 'fingers' on waste yarn to done!

I still haven't started the second one.

I really should.

WIP Wednesday: River Socks

For a while I was committed to, and focussed on, finishing projects... and then I started these:

A simple top-down sock in DK weight yarn. I've had the yarn and pattern in a project bag for about two years now, it deserved to finally get made. It's a DK weight sock, my first. I'm not totally sure there's a call for too many chunky pairs of socks, but I won't know until I've tried it. The pattern is simple and very effective.

Pattern: Kalajoki by Tiina Seppälä
Yarn: Stylecraft Luxury Merino DK in colourway Cornflower

For other Wednesday WIPs, try Tami's WIP Wednesday link party.

WIP: Effervesce

Twisted stitches and cables are my all-time favourite features for socks and yet it's been a while since I last knit a pair that met that description. I've been working hard to dig out patterns for the many variegated yarns I'd acquired and so had deliberately neglected all beautiful cabled patterns. Until now...

These are my Effervesce socks in a Flamboyance Yarns sock club yarn - Pharos sock in colourway "Sea Dreams".
I really like the way they're coming out. The yarn has just a touch of green amongst all that blue adding a bit of interest without masking the stitch pattern. The cable pattern has plenty going on but is predictable enough that I don't have to stare intently at the chart whilst juggling yarn and needles (which is obviously how I do my knitting).

Project: online at Ravelry.com

FO: Crystalline Socks

In an ever-intense battle to free up the needles, here's another pair of SOCKDOWN socks, this pair the first of a new year (where said 'year' starts in September):

And the 'artsy' shot:

The way the colour works with this pattern makes me think of an oily puddle with all its little swirls of colour. Not an instant favourite but definitely not terrible.

Pattern: Crystalline Socks by Cailyn Meyer.
Yarn: Filcolana Arwetta Classic in colourway 509.
Mods: None.
Project: online on Ravelry.

Being a well-behaved me (for now), this is stashdown yarn - bought in Copenhagen last year - very soft, but variegated which means I have to be pushed to actually knit with it (I love variegated yarns in the skein but then they often don't work so well for the patterns I want to knit - I swear I'm learning something from this, the stash demands it).

Decorating (Part 1)

This week's WIP Wednesday is a little bit different:

Day -1...
Lots of chaos in here, it's all going to have to be rehomed before we can start work.

Day 0...

Good, what's next...?

Day 1: - Let's Go!
Sugar soaping you say? It doesn't look any different to me.

Day 2: - Decisions, Decisions

Nine tester pots, two colour schemes and finally a few decisions made.

Day 3: - Paint inside, cat outside
Time to start really painting.... so which one did we choose? PS - Note the 1st coat of paint on the ceiling too.

Second Sock: His N Hers

This week's WIP Wednesday, second socks:

In orange and yellow, what will be a pair of Allgäu Socks for the lovely Hobnob (His). These are a slow and steady project - not terribly exciting to knit but satisfying in appearance (if you like bright colours). I do like the way the stitch pattern works in the pattern. Top-down on 2.5mm needles, progressing slowly.

Project: online at Ravelry

In a very lovely green, what will be a pair of Ribbed Ribbon Socks for me (Hers)! These are a reasonably quick knit, I finished the first one in a week (small feet has its benefits here). The pattern is charted and my memory's not quite good enough to go chartless, but the chart is simple enough that it only really needs one or two quick glances per row. Again the stitch pattern is really effective and I loving these (and I don't like lace socks as a general rule). Toe-up on 2.25mm needles. Progressing plenty quick enough given that I'm not wearing socks at the moment - our summer may be short and unpredictable, but it's here right now and that's enough for me!

Project: online at Ravelry

Blogged: here

More Green

This week's WIP Wednesday:

Cast on for a new project today. My supply of sock needles was looking a little thin so I ordered two 2.25mm Kollage square circulars as a bit of an experiment. (I ordered from YarnBox if you're wondering).

When the needles showed up last night I felt the need to cast on. Rationality held me back a little, so this morning I dug out one of my untouched Natural Stitches purchases and my copy of Socks a la Carte 2 and promised myself an experiment with a new toe (and perhaps a new heel too).

This is my project, newly cast on using Conjoined Creations Flat Feet.

Initial thoughts suggest that the yarn isn't overly stressful to knit with yet (despite the crimping) and the needles feel gorgeous in my hands. Really lightweight and the cables are so incredibly soft and flexible. Two at a time is how I like my socks when I'm going but right now this feels like a huge faff - I do wonder if the needles are a tad long.

I'm curious to see how this knits up. What kind of gauge will I get with the square needles? What exactly will the yarn do? Only time will tell...

FO: Lavalette

A lovely simple shawl perfect for mindless background knitting:


Pattern: Lavalette by Kirsten Kapur.

Yarn: Flamboyance Yarns Elysian in colourway Frosted Hedgerow (Fabulous Yarn Club Yarn January 2011).

Mods: None.
Project: Online at Ravelry.

Knit, blocked and finished in just over a week.

WIP Wednesday: Skew

This week's work-in-progress is a Sock Knitters Anonymous SOCKDOWN challenge sock...

It's the first of the month and accordingly my WIP is a brand new pair of socks cast on this morning. Unexpectedly, it's the second time I've cast on this project in two days - yesterday I had the date wrong! Fortunately, I also noticed that the yarn couldn't really be described as self-striping (stripes nowhere to be seen) which was this month's challenge so I didn't feel too terrible about ripping it back and starting over today instead.

Here's today's version:

I love the yarn - it's Wendy Happy which I've used this before for some bright red pink socks for my husband. I loved the sheen on the socks when they were done and in December when I visited Edinburgh I picked up two more colourways - one for him and one for me. This is the one for me (but he has his eye on it...)

The pattern will be one from a few knitty's ago: Skew.

WIP Wednesday: Citron

This week's work-in-progress is almost a finished object... almost!

You wouldn't necessarily recognise the item from this photo, but it's a shawl - Citron - from Winter 2009's Knitty.

I've been working on this since a plane journey last month - the yarn was wound, pattern printed and a wooden needle all empty and ready, a perfect travel project. The knitting is really quite mindless and it's progressed almost completely without incident (except for that moment last weekend when around 50 stitches leapt of the needle for no good reason). I'm now on the final section, the ruffled edging and coming to the end of my yarn. I think I may have to omit a row (perhaps two) at the end, we'll see.

Looking forward to having this done, I need some sort of recognisable achievement right now. I think I'm going through one of those periods where no matter what I do I'm at least a week behind on life.

WIP Wednesday: Socks

This week's work(s)-in-progress include a new pair of socks, and a slowly-progressing older pair of socks. First the new...

These are my Aphrodite socks which I'm knitting for the Ravelry Sock Knitters Anonymous SOCKDOWN Challenge November (I cast them on on November 30th so they will just scrape in if they are finished before the deadline).

I think this pattern (Aphrodite by Jeannie Cartmel) is stunning (and it's free too!). I'm knitting these in Trifle by CraftsMeow, the colour (Burgundy Cherry) is a lovely dark red, let down only slightly by a few odd-looking spots where the dye appears not to have taken very well (perhaps it was tied a bit tightly?).

And now the old...

I'm still plodding along on the second of my 'Hello October' colourwork socks. I'm about one round away from putting the waste yarn in for the heel and starting on the legs. I took these to the KnitCafe on Saturday and everyone was very nice about them. I'm not totally sold on the end result yet, but I'm pleased with the process - the jogless jogs look noticeably smoother as you get higher up the socks.

I think the two projects go well together - one mindless stockingette (but not for long) and one brain-eating chart :)

WIP Wednesday: "Hello October" Colourwork Socks

This week's work-in-progress has been on the needles since October the first, and since then it's moved only occasionally and very, very slowly. Why? Well, it turns out I haven't actually spent any time knitting it...

So here it is - one lonely almost-sock:

So far so good.

Just 7 rows to go until the ribbing, then go back and knit the heel, then start the other one. Lovely.

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(This is the Hot Waves pattern from The Joy of Sox which I'm (hopefully) knitting for the Ravelry Sock Knitters Anonymous SOCKDOWN Challenge October - under-appreciated patterns)

WIP Wednesday: Verity

I was beginning to feel like I would never complete any of the projects currently on my needles, and I had so many things I was itching to cast on. So on Saturday I finally gave up and started this week's work-in-progress, a Verity:

(you can view the project on Ravelry, here)

A few days later, and although it may not be obvious from the picture, this hat (just in case you were wondering) is almost there. I'm about half-way round the brim and sometime soon I'll need to pay a visit to the market to pick out a button.

The pattern is lovely although I am unsure whether my finished object/head will quite do it justice, but the yarn is really, really lovely. It's soft and squishy and a pleasure to knit with. I am just slightly concerned it may start to look fuzzy and worn quite quickly though.

Looking forward to a finished object very soon - hopefully it'll motivate me to do some more finishing.

WIP Wednesday: Helix

This week's work in progress is 'Helix' - hopefully the final item for my Ravelry blog swap package. Pictured is one (almost complete) part out of two. Can you guess what it is yet...?

Done guessing? Click to show pattern information.

Click to hide pattern information.

This is the Garden Snail pattern from Amigurumi Knits. I wanted something small to knit so I could put a handmade item into my package and this seemed like it might do the job. In the picture is my shell, currently having some ends weaved in before I graft the two sides together and stuff it.

The yarn used in this project is mystery fingering weight yarn bought on ebay in two shades of blue plus a tiny bit of DK weight mystery yarn in a pale blue.

And, no, I haven't finished anything off yet - but I'm close, honest! Also, I'm very excited for a knitting project coming very soon...!

WIP Wednesday: Colonnade

This week's work in progress is the lovely Colonnade Shawl. This was a pattern I stumbled upon whilst scouring Ravelry for reasons to buy some really quite squishy Cascade Baby Alpaca Chunky.

Having gotten well into Chart B on my Haruni, I figured another new project would be needed for this years Transformers holiday (am I ever home at the moment?) and so I took yarn and needles for two projects - or at least I thought I did. On discovery that I in fact had every interchangeable end except the ones required to start an aligator bag, my choice was made, and I cast on for my Colonnade.

The yarn I'm using is the aforementioned Cascade Baby Alpaca Chunky, in a dark green solid and a complementary paint version with greens and purples. Now I've put in a stitch marker before the final two wrong-side stitches this is going quite well (guess who kept cocking up the garter edge).

Time to get a knitting groove on and finish this off (and everything else on the 'nearly finished' pile...

Work-in-Progress Wednesday

This week's work in progress is the lovely Haruni. I first encountered Haruni at Natural Stitches (website | Ravelry link) where David (Ravelry link) was working on his (Ravelry link) in a lovely rich dark blue.

Since I needed a new project for Armenia (rather than carrying lots of partially completed projects), I thought Haruni would be the perfect candidate as there was some nice thinking knitting whose yarn took up little space but would take a while to get through.


The yarn I'm using is an Abstract Cat yarn and I'm hoping there's enough of it but I didn't bring the jewelry scales with me to Armenia so it's really quite an uncertainty. The photo was taken before I left and so shows exactly 0% knitting done, but I've progressed since then and am now somewhere near the start of chart B (the edging). I keep cocking up on the counting though :s

*The Plan* is to have this done by the end of August so I can go back to the many pre-summer travelling projects and have a bit of a finishing blitz.

Friday Fill-In

It's been a while... This week's Friday Fill In:

1. I know where I’m going, and I know who’s going with me; I know who I love but the Dear Lord knows who I’ll marry.

2. February is not the longest month. (but perhaps it has other values)

3. You can't help but sing, sing, sing!

4. It's nearly the weekend; bring it on!

5. Where have you looked, for that is clearly where it is not hidden.

6. Saffy's brain is now available. (It's been missing for some time but has crawled out from under whichever rock it was hiding with and is beginning to resemble its old self... maybe)

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going to bed before midnight (I hope), tomorrow my plans include knitting at the Sultan and Sunday, I want to feel like I've had a weekend and like I'm ready to really work a proper week - no excuses!

Teaser Tuesdays Times Two: The Post-Birthday World (Lionel Shriver) and The Laying On Of Hands (Alan Bennett)

It's been a long time since my last Teaser Tuesday post, and I'm reading at least one good book at the moment (I suspect the other will be but I've only just started it).

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TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
• You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
• Please avoid spoilers!

My 2 “Teaser” Sentences for today (book one):

"Irina was perched at the kitchen table over the New York Times with a lone glass of coffee, whose bottom she had carefully sponged before setting it first in a saucer, then on a coaster. In preference to explaining that in this household eating was a sign of weakness, she waved him off with a mumble about not being hungry."

Page 362 of The Post-Birthday World by Lionel Shriver

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And my bonus “Teaser” Sentences for today (book two):

"These thoughts had taken him and the procession to the chancel, where the choir filed into their pews and the spare clergy disposed themselves around, while still leaving the hymn with a couple of verses to run. This gave father Jolliffe a chance to think about what he ought to say about Clive and what he ought not to say."

Page 34 of The Laying On Of Hands by Alan Bennett

Friday Fill-In

This week's Friday Fill In:

1. It was a dark and stormy night, and so began yet another teenage vampire novel.

2. Lizi couldn't face the woman at the Library, so I offered to take the books myself. I've just remembered the library exists... is this good or bad? PS - I don't think this has actually happened, I have taken them back when she's been too busy though.

3. Rushing out, rushing round, silently panicing... it doesn't feel like this is the end of half-term. (For many people half-term is busy and stressful because the kids are at home. For me, without kids, half-term is usually a relaxing week with lots of time because there's no guiding in the evenings. Sadly, it's the end of half term and I'm not actually feeling that relaxed yet.)

4. Noisy teenagers ...I think I heard a howl!

5. Shhhh... I'm trying to pretend I'm asleep.

6. This weekend, give me something good to eat!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to sleeping, tomorrow my plans include knitting, I'd love to near the end of this sock, and Sunday, I want to feel like I really did have a weekend this time!

Friday Fill-In

This week's Friday Fill In:

1. So are we going home soon? This is less of an issue than it felt like earlier this week. It was a crazy stessed worky week at the start but it's been more managable yesterday and today. Perhaps just because I've given up :)

2.The weekend is what's up ahead.

3. I love to have time to knit and feel like I'm making progress.

4. I have done some work today... of some sort - honest.

5. I walk a bit and I call it excerise - I really should make more effort.

6. Cuddles are the true elixir of life!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to crossing a few things off the todo list so I can justify spending the rest of the weekend slacking, tomorrow my plans include knitting with the Lancaster KnitCafe folk and Sunday, I want to not have to pack wildly and frantically for my trip to Pittsburgh!