Damn, Knit & Blast It

You could be forgiven for wondering what I’ve been knitting when not on a train doing the Hedera socks.

I do have a second projects on the go!

Yes, YES, I KNOW. “One WIP at a time” is my mantra – but a travelling sock doesn’t count. So there!

My current “not travelling” project is Emily – another (that’s the third!) from the Kim Hargreaves Heartfelt book. Unusually for me, I’m knitting Emily because I really like the finished garment, not because I want to actually knit the pattern. Does that make sense?

This one…

And I’ve had some Kid Classic in stash for a while…a perfect match!

I’ve been slugging away at Emily when I’ve got home from work, on the rare occasions I haven’t slumped, unconscious and snoring on the sofa.

I started Emily one evening when I was really tired and wanted some “nice easy knitting”. I didn’t get it

Emily starts with combinations of knit rows, purl rows and simple lace rows to give a pretty ridged edging insted of a boring old rib. I had to pay attention…..

Then I did the front, which unsurprisingly started with the same pretty edging.

Knit, knit, knit….I finished the front while merrily knitting at Guilty Knitters…

I proudly held the back and front togther to get a feel for the finished garment…

I said a stream of rude things, out loud, on a Sunday morning in a busy Starbucks

Somehow, in one of my “I should have known better than to try this” nearly-asleep-knitting sessions, I’d managed to put and extra ridge in between the two lace rows on the edging!

I know it’s not the best piccie but can you see how the left one is shorter than the right one

I decided to do something I don’t normally do. say, “Bugger it” and leave it like that. I’ll ease the stitches to fit when I sew up.

You’d think that’d be enough drama for one garment wouldn’t you?

I had nearly finished the first sleeve – an odd construction – the cuff is added later – I’ll tell you about how it’s done when I get to it. I looked down the knitting and I’d split the yarn on a stitch – about 5 inches down!

I wasn’t going to frog it so I dropped the stitch all the way down and picked it back up again – wanna see?

I have given some of my knitterly friends palpitations when they’ve seen me calmly doing that in public, while chatting and sipping coffee nonchalantly!

The sleeve is now done…

The back and the fronts are ready to be joined together like this (in all their unpressed, just dragged out of the knitting bag glory)…

I’m on the final sleeve…this is normally where I pick up speed but this is so boring to knit!
I’m really suffering for making a boring knit for the sake of the end result.

I guess it’s showing in all the blunders!

I am officially trying to start a consumer’s panic buying frenzy on an item in Sainsbury’s.

When doing my boring weekly food shop on Sunday, I spotted what is arguably the most reasonably priced, inspired gift for any knitaholic.

Its this…

A china mug that looks like it is knitted, filled with yummy shortbread!!!
And look at that pattern detail!!!

I have seen fabulous designer vases from Loop for significant prices…£22 was the cheapest for a tea light holder – I’m not mean but I drooled and wanted to buy a vase but resisted because of the price – it seemed an indulgence. I loved the concept though.

So how much is the fabulous Sainsbury’s mug?

It’s £4. And that included 2 little packs of shortbread!

I had to have one. It’s my new favourite mug.

And the shortbread?… it didn’t make it home from the supermarket

It’s my  Mum’s birthday this week. She still knits a great deal and knitting is a great “bonding” topic for us. Three guesses what she’ll be getting in with her presents!

If you know some one who knits – Go buy them one of these!!!

** not sponsered by Sainsbuy in any way!! **

First a confession – I’ve barely knit this week.

I’ve been on an intensive training course for work all week- my evenings were “study til you fall asleep” territory

When I got home on Friday and changed clothes, I pulled out an old knit from the back of the wardrobe to relax in….

Oh Dear! It’s not how I remember it…

This is a pre-blog knit – from about November 2006.

It’s Sorrel by Sarah Hatton from Rowan 40.

This is the Rowan pic…

from this mag…

Sorrel is designed to be knit in Rowan Tapestry – a yarn that drapes beautifully. I’ve seen this pattern made up in tapestry – the cowl neck works a treat.

I was on  a tight budget when I made Sorrel so subbed Twilleys Freedom Spirit in Red – a superb yarn at an amazingly reasonable price compared to the Tapestry.

It was super when I first wore it – the cowl was a bit stiff and needed to be beaten into a drapey shape but I liked it.

It looked like this when I was knitting it…

It has been worn and washed several times and has faded a fare bit.When I put it on today it looked like this..

The sleeves have stretched – in fact it’s all too big – was it always this big or does wool give??…

The “cowl and inset” looks dated to me and that is really not draping…

It’s pilling….

It doesn’t fit right – the sleeves especially….

I don’t think I’m going to wear this in public any more and I’m short of wardrobe space (mainly because I keep knitting stuff!)

It’s going to have to be rehomed…(any takers??!!) It has had it’s time and must now pass beyond the (knitted?) veil…

A “Completed Knit Report” to record Sorrel’s passing and off to the charity shop

What I don’t understand is why I feel sad and guilty about throwing it out!

My new job is stealing all my knitting time.  I’m having to fit my yarn addiction in where I can. For those of you who have been impressed in the past by my previous (unemployed) super-productivity , you can sit back and gloat right about now – progress is so slow!

For my current work assignment, I’m having to travel to North London most days on the train and tube – a waste of anhour or so each way, staring out of the window being bored. Alternatively this could be….

…Prime Knitting Time!

Actually there’s about 25 mins of the overland train journey that’s potential knit time – the other 40 mins is walking and being squished on the Underground like one too many “must have” skein in an overstuffed stash box

I’m being pretty unimaginative with my train knitting at the moment, although I claim to be inspired by the Yarn Harlot’s travelling sock.  I’m taking the Pink Hedera sock that I had previously knit on the flights for Israel.

These ones…

The fact they fit in a tiny pouch is a big plus when I already have a laptop rucksack that weighs a ton and makes me look like a human/snail hybrid.

I hadn’t done any more than this when I stated “Training” with them…..

After a week and a half of knitting them,  I’ve turned the heel!

OK.OK. I know that’s slow. But I don’t always get a seat .And it’s lace. And I don’t know the pattern. Well frankly, there are times I’m just to knackered to knit!

I do find though, when I’m tired and absorbed in my knitting, I can get some really good ideas for work – it must be those Theta brainwaves kicking in again

One weird thing  did happen on the train though that made me realise I’m a ever so slightly knit-obsessive…

I was staring around the train carriage, absent-mindedly wondering if I should have worn a scarf -Haven is begging to be worn. I scrutinized the other passengers to see what scarfery was being exhibited.

“Hmmm…pashmina, woven scarf, raggy odd grubby looking thing, another pashmina, shop bought knitted scarf……Ohhh – that’s pretty…That looks too yummy to be from a shop….It looks like Kid Silk Haze in fondant pink, Isn’t that the River pattern?…”

I stared at the scarf, analysing it and wondering where I’d seen it before.

I became conscious of the wearer of the scarf looking back at me,

“Oh Dear! I’ve been caught staring at another woman’s chest! How do I explain that?”

My eyes travelled up to her face…

The wearer waved and smiled at me – it was Janie from the Guilty Knitters! A friend I meet with every week!

This is Janie wearing the lovely River at a wedding (because I didn’t have my camera on the train!)

Can you believe I was so transfixed by her scarf I failed to recognise her?? Fortunately, as a fellow yarn obsessive she understood completely why I had ignored her and was quite flattered that her beautiful scarf had distracted me so.

Unfortunately, the rest of the commuters on the carriage, listening to our giggling over this strange occurance, though we were ever so slightly insane…