Damn, Knit & Blast It

I need a pleasurable project!

Fortunately, the next project in my queue fits the bill. Scrumptious yarn, rewarding pattern and for someone I love who will appreciate all the work that goes into it.

On a trip to Get Knitted’s store in Bristol, Steve (the lovely husband of my sister Carol) reviewed every blueish DK yarn in the entire store, assessed them for “scratchiness” and finally chose this one:-

It’s Sublime’s Cashmere Merino Silk DK. Any man who’s happy to drive two excited women 30 miles to a yarn shop wait several hours while the shop is thoroughly investigated and actively take part in all the yarn squishing is worthy of a seriously good handknit jumper!

It’s to be knitted to the same Bowie pattern that I made for Ben.

This is the “Ben” version in Rowan Pure Wool DK

The pattern is for a standard DK yarn so substituting is very easy!

And here’s the back made with the sublime -

…apologies – it’s a bit screwed up because it’s been in my knitting bag – I will block it – honest!

And the stitch detail…

I have to say, I love this pattern and heartily recommend it! It’s a very straight forward sweater but the pattern detail of a cable every 4 rows and a couple of knit rows on the purl side every 24 to give the grid effect really keep me going with it – you know how it goes,

” I’ll just finish the next pattern repeat…” or “one more cable before bed…”

I’m using Bowie from Jaeger JB28 – now discontinued- but Rowan have republished it as Edan in their Pure Wool Collection if you can’t find the Jaeger book and want to make one.

I started on 16th April and I’ve done the back and I’m finishing off the neck shaping on the front this morning – not bad huh?

There is a problem though. The men in my life are jealous.

The yarn is gorgeous. Soft, silken, beautiful stitch definition. So much so, Ben is feeling hard done by!

“Steve’s jumper is going to be nicer than mine…”

At least Ben hasn’t resorted to trying to stop me knitting like the other significant male in my life…

…Do you think Thug wants a cuddle?

Well, that’s it. I’m not knitting it any more. So there!

Top Secret has run out of yarn before the end

The stitch it was in was bad. The enormous size was bad. The fact I was sample knitting and wouldn’t see it made up was disheartening. It has been so soul destroying I haven’t even wanted to blog

The only up side was the yarn was super scrummy

The worst happened. I was exactly half way through the final piece, the collar, and I ran out of yarn…

“I’ll just get another ball from the bag”, I thought – No yarn there…

” Eeek! I must have lost a ball”…rummaging in every possible yarn hiding corner ensued…

…Thug and Mewsley were frisked and they promised me they hadn’t been playing with my yarn and even let me search under their favourite blankies.

“Can I have knit it all up?? I know how many balls I started with…”

Would you believe I got all the pieces I had knit and weighed them, just to make sure it was all there? It was all there – I had, of course, been excessively careful because it was for some one else.

After some horrified and panicky emails from me and some calm, gracious and sensible responses from Susan Crawford (editor of Knit on the Net) we decided that I’d send what I’d done back to her to finish off with a spare ball she thankfully had. She could also take a view if the yarn had been a success for this garment.

I hadn’t concidered when I started this venture that my garment may just not work. That’s part of the point of doing a sample – to see if the pattern works with the yarn.

In my case the jury is out

So much for my daydreams of seeing my work in press releases and at shows.

Not the most rewarding of projects I’ve ever done but I’m really glad I did it. I now feel I own a very small corner of A Stitch In Time and will follow the book’s progress eagerly.

The book is due to be published at the end of September – once it is, I’ll post you some pictures of the beast that is Top Secret and give you more details.

I’m now off to knit something for my lovely brother in law’s birthday….

…another deadline – Argh!

I’m so bloody bored with knitting Top Secret, the sample I’m doing for Knit On The Net.

It’s in a stitch with lots of knits and purls on each row so I can’t get up any real speed. The pattern pieces are straightforward and easy- I usually like a bit of a challenge. It’s also in a larger gauge yarn than the original pattern so it’s coming up quite big. Baring in mind I nearly always make the smallest size for myself, I feel a little like I’m knitting are marquee.

And I can’t even show you pictures of what I’m doing.

So how much have I done?

I’ve done all of the back and all of the front (or is that “fronts”?? ) and I’m now onto the first sleeve.

The sleeve is very full.

It’s huge.

It’s wide.

It’s at least as big as the back.

And there’s two of them to get through!! Arghhh!

I really, really want to finish off poor Hildegard who has been temporarily abandoned with only a sleeve to go but I daren’t. I’m still a one WIP girl at heart and if I pick up Hildegard I may not come back to Top Secret in a hurry.

Something else occurred to me too.

I’m something of a “Product Knitter” or a “Completer Finisher”. I drive myself on with the boring bits because I want to see and have the finished object. With sample knitting, I knit the bits and post it off without sewing it up. OK- So some of you out there would love that idea but I don’t mind the sewing up!

I may never see my finished baby!

Can you sense, readers, that I’m beginning to regret volunteering? I’m sure I’ll feel differently when I see my name in the book.

I’ve made a commitment so I must see it though.

There’s only one thing for it.

Put on another DVD of Babylon 5 , grit my teeth, drink a pint of coffee so I’m hyperactively knitting and get it done!

When I told you about my yarncrawl I mean, romantic weekend in Edinburgh, I forgot to tell you – we flew to Edinburgh…and I knit on the flight!

It was a big decision, what to take to knit that wouldn’t offend airport security – a decision up there with what clothes to pack!

I can fully understand that metal knitting needles could easily be used a weapons and are not allowed for good reason. They are “weapons of mass construction” in my case! That ruled out taking my Top Secret project or Hildegard - both of which are on fine metal needles

**Warning – Ranting ahead**

But what is acceptable? The web is awash with stories of of needles being confiscated simply because they are knitting implements, whether made of plastic, bamboo or wood. If you ask, you are told a flat”no knitting needles” despite size or material. I hate the way knitters, who are typically not society’s most radical members, are reduced to “smuggling” something onto the plane. I wish the airports would be a little more specific – they could easily put it in the small print on the internet – no metal and nothing smaller than a certain gauge perhaps? I don’t know a knitter who wouldn’t comply with that kind of restriction. It’s just easier for them to say, “No”

In fact, on a trip to the Science Museum in London I was told I couldn’t take my 6mm bamboo needles (along with attached scarf) into the museum because they were dangerous! When I pointed out to the jobsworth security guard that the museum shop, just behind her, was selling giant sharpened pencils (and chemistry sets!) more pointy and sturdy than my needles and offered to demonstrate how much more damage a pencil was capable of, she relented in a gigantic huff. She clearly had delusions of working in a airport – Where has this idea that anything used for knitting is a weapon?

**End of Rant**

Enough ranting – back to what I could take on the plane with minimum fear of being accused of terrorism. I have a set of Denise Interchangeable Needles which are sold as Aeroplane safe.

They have plastic tips and removable cords that you can put end stoppers on. They are a really useful set and work very well but, for me, I don’t enjoy the feel of the plastic tips to knit with so don’t use them that often. But ideal for a flight!

I leave the half done knitting on the flexy plastic cord with the end stops on and put the needle tips in my makeup bag – now to be emptied into a clear plastic bag, probably in case I use my mascara to hijack the drinks trolley. “Give me gin and tonic now or I’ll make you look like Liza Minelli…Don’t make me use the unflattering shade of blusher!”

So what item did I knit on my airplane friendly, easy to smuggle needles??

Remember my Snuzzle Scarf - chosen to go with my lovely new green jacket?

In a strange incident of sisterly synchronicity, My sister Carol had, all they way away in Cardiff, fallen in love with the same green jacket. Unfortunately she hadn’t bought it on the spot and it had sold out when she went back. Can you imagine how jealous she was of mine? Luckily, I managed to find her one at my end of the country and posted it down to her. How could I let my sister be seen without the perfect accompanying scarf?

The scarf is knit in fabulously soft Misti Alpaca chunky on 9mm needles, is narrow so lends itself to a circular needle and is a very easy pattern – ideal!

I didn’t make a point of saying “Oh look, I have knitting” to security but they didn’t bat an eyelid – in fact my chunky metal belt buckle that set off the metal detectors was much more interesting to them!

I got home with only the end frill to finish….

…and a very warm happy sister!!

I may have to do a third one though….

…somebody else liked it….