secret knitting revealed

Today we had our monthly knitting meetup with our local group, and I was finally able to pass on my secret gift knitting to the lovely aussiegirl, who took special care of me during my recent knee surgery.

Natalie Mitts from Knitscene Spring 2012, in Knitabulous 50/50 merino silk.  I don't remember the colourway,but this was part of the Indian Summer sock club a few years back.

Beautiful yarn, and the pattern was a delight to knit.  Thoroughly recommend both!

While we were having lunch, my friends were also very accommodating in getting a shot of my Seberg Sweater for me, which I wore (and still love love love!)

I am currently knitting monogamously on my On the Beach, in Cascade Sport - Navy & Straw colourways purchased in the recent wool frenzy.  Ahem.  

I'm participating in the Must Stash podcast May/Jun SweaterKAL, so I'm focusing with the intent of completing to deadline.

This too is a great pattern - knit in the round but with set in sleeves, not raglan.  I'm really enjoying the construction method, and the colours are looking really great together.

At the moment it's a big old mess jumbled up on a circular needle, so here's a shot of the yarn for reference instead.

I love that mustard colour that is so popular at the moment, but it's not a great colour for me near my face, so I'm striping it with the navy, and keeping the navy on the neckline.  

Despite being 5ply, this jumper is knit loose for drape, so it's on 5mm needles and coming along nicely.  Hopefully an actual garment shot next post, which is looking a bit more promising after some solid work today at knitting group.

Finally, if you like podcasts, go check out Must Stash  - it's a new knitcast hosted by Steph and Stacie, and they are doing a great job of it!  I love their sensibility, their humour and they knit some really beautiful things.  What's more, they are very organised and professional in the production of the cast - something that makes a big difference (to me, anyway). I find myself really looking forward to their next episode, and their Ravelry group is super-friendly and chatty.

Mother's Day 2013

this tiny thing...turned 14 today.

Happy Birthday to my May-baby.

hands down, still my best Mother's Day present ever <3

time to make good on my promise

Last post, I believe I promised you a jumper, did I not?

ta-da!

I've been trying to get a shot of it on, but the daylight and the self-portrait opportunities have not been forthcoming, so a jumper-on-the-floor shot will have to suffice!

I am, however, really please with this jumper.  It fits *really* well, like, the best I've ever had my handknits fit me.  

Scrolling through the other finished versions on Ravelry, and it seems a lot of people have had issues with the neckline fit - mostly too big and gapey, so I was very careful to try it on as I went and make sure I was on track.

The effort was worth it.  Mine looks nearly exactly like the one on the model (again, you'll have to trust me on this one until such time as I can get a fetching selfie).  I also striped the facings on the hems, mainly as I was worried about running out of the main yarn.  I needn't have though, having about 3/4 of a 50g ball left over.

Speaking of yarn; the dark brown yarn is some Jo Sharp DK merino in the colourway "Beetle, and it is "officially" my oldest stash.  I say officially, as I'm fairly certain there is yarn in the stash that predates this lot, but I haven't bothered loading it onto Ravelry.   But that is just semantics.

9 balls, stashed in a 2007 bargain ebay-frenzy - used up!

When I finish a big project, there is always a sense of unrest and slight morose that couples with the pleasure of finishing.  I usually like to have a few smaller things on the go to combat this and not leave me with any downtime knitting-wise, but this project finished up quite all-of-a-sudden and I found myself early one evening with empty needles!

I've had this idea playing around in my mind for a while now, so I grabbed that bag of leftovers that everyone has lying around, and quickly cast on this:

It may not be a jumper, but I'm pretty pleased with this little stashbuster.  All my leftover sockyarn scraps, knit up into a scrappy, slouchy beanie!  

I used this free pattern, and made the decision to just change colour whenever I felt like it, and to try not to over-plan the colour sequences too much.  I'm really fond of random stripes, so the lack of planning doesn't faze me at all (in this circumstance).

It became my go to project for a fortnight, methodically working in the round, but it went so fast because every time I felt the slightest twinge of boredom - pooff! colour change!

It's lovely and soft, and fits very well.  It probably wouldn't be warm enough for some of my Northern Hemisphere friends, being only 4ply sockyarn, but for Melbourne it's perfect for keeping the Autumn winds out of one's ears.

and just when you think, my what a good stashbusting couple of projects that is...I go and do this.

and maybe some of this...

there's 4 of each of these colours, too...!

I've been good for ever so long, and the WEBS sale started, and that damn discount offer that kicks in the more you spend...well, it suckers me in every time.

rollin', rollin', rollin'...

I'm having some fun with overnight rollers on damp hair at the moment...

Not the most comfortable sleep, but a few tips have helped:

• foam rollers are softer to sleep on than velcro ones
• a silk scarf tied over the hair keeps everything in place 

I feel like it's also a lot less stressful on my hair than using heat to dry, then a curling wand to style, and given the amount I dye my hair, I think it welcomes the respite!

I like to wash my hair after derby training, but we are often home late and the thought of standing there blowdrying hair for 45mins is too much to contemplate.  It takes all but ten mins to quickly "roll up" my hair and in the morning I'm left with lovely, bouncy curls that just need pinning and I'm ready for work.

That's my kind of time saver ;)

I want to practice some more methodical sets now too, rather than my very haphazard current method of "there's hair, there's a roller, let's do it!".

oh, and knitting.  yep, it's been happening.  I'm on the never-ending slog-a-long stage of my Seberg Sweater, down to the the last sleeve so shouldn't be much longer.

It fits *like a dream*, which I'm super excited about!  So glad I did trust the swatch.  And despite trepidation, it looks like I will have the perfect amount of the main colour, perhaps a little left over for a beret.

photos of an FO to follow shortly, and that's a promise.

Tight-arse 2013

I have always liked to think I have a good head for the "make do and mend" mentality of the war era.  The resourcefulness and ingenuity that comes from necessity, and waste-not-want-not, appeals to my sensibility, and always has.

Over the years, I've lived as an art student, the partner of a person suffering addiction, and a single parent - I've learned a thing or two about how to stretch things financially!  

Like many others, shortly after New Year's Day each year, I like to ponder what I'd like to achieve for the year ahead.  This year, I decided to tighten the budget for twelve months, in the interest of paying down some (not-huge-but-still-there) debt, and generally just to look at expenditure both in my household and personal spending. 

Being a single income household with a teenager in tow, there isn't a lot of fat to strip off, but it's actually been really satisfying to find small ways to cut back.

Welcome to the house of thrift, 2013.

The main changes I made were:

• Buying only one coffee a week, rather than one a day ($24 a week saved - that's $100 a month!).  The added bonus is I actually now really enjoy that one coffee, making the effort to walk a little further from my office to the preferred coffee shop instead of just running downstairs to the cafeteria

• Consolidating my utilities to reduce rates and bundled our telco services (and got a better deals for less money - huzzah!)

• Committing to not buying any magazines for 12 months, instead browsing my favourite magazines websites for free content.  I really only like 2-3 magazines, but at average $10 each, every 1-2 months, that adds up!  Half the time I find the free content online just as satisfying, too

Like I said, not huge amount of fat to cut, but all these little changes add up over 12 months, and I really do feel like I'm already seeing the benefit in my bank accounts, even after 2 months.

Craft-wise, I've been on a bit of a tight-arse kick for a couple of years, trying to consolidate a lot of stashed yarn, patterns, and books.  That said, a crafty girl likes to have some variety and new pretties to look at once in a while, so here are a few places I've been visiting - new and old:

Everyone is familiar with the motherload of free patterns – Drops

They have a good “latest patterns” search facility, so you can check in once a month and see what’s new.  The patterns can be a little confusing, being translated into English, but you just have to be a bit patient and read your way right through.  A neat feature of their (free, printable) patterns is they have a handy measuring guide on the side of them – in cm and inches.

I think this shawl is really pretty.

http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/en/pattern.php?id=5804&lang=en

and a tip - I often find the patterns look a bit "soft" on the Drops website, but when you search on Ravelry and see all the clever interpretations, yarn choices and such, you get a new perspective.

The other place I've been browsing is Craftsy 

They have free patterns: http://www.craftsy.com/patterns/search?category=All&patternSearchText=free

This owl hat is so cute!

http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/crocheting/accessory/free-not-another-owl-hat/42724

and free classes:  http://www.craftsy.com/classes/search?query=free.  

Great  little technique-based tutorials.  I've signed up for knitted short rows, and two sewn bag tutes too – why not??!  Once you download their classes, you have them forever to watch at your leisure or refer back to.

Finally, I've also joined another Ravelry group, a barter-based group where designers can match up with free test knitters willing to test out the patterns in exchange for a free copy of the pattern.  So far I've test knit this baby/toddler vest:

and I am currently test-knitting a colourwork hat - photos to come shortly.

Really, life on a budget should always be this good!

the awesomeness!

Roller Derby stitch markers!  Lego ones at that.

I found these  quite by accident online at The Quizzical Owl on the weekend, while I was recovering from my surgery.

Technically, they were listed as skateboarders, but this seller gives you the option to select the faces so a quick email to her to request "feminine or gender neutral" faces made them my custom-made Roller Derby stitch markers.

Love them.  Can't wait to use them.

Also can highly recommend this seller - she was quick to respond to my query and super-fast on the shipping.. Plus she's in Australia, so a bonus being able to support local sellers.

Go check out The Quizzical Owl, if you get a chance...

(this is not a sponsored ad!  I just like to recognise good product and great customer service, having been in the trade for many years myself)

enforced knitting time (not complaining!)

so...it seems that it's not in my stars to go a derby year without injury.  Third session back this year, I got up awkwardly from a fall and twisted my knee.  The pain was fairly intense, and it turns out I tore my lateral meniscus rather badly.

After a bit of mucking around getting a diagnosis, then further downtime waiting to see a surgeon, I have been off-skates since January 21.  

Yesterday, I  went in for surgery, had the majority of the cartilage removed apparently, and am now on the rehab wagon again.  On the up side, not being able to train has meant some significant knitting time!

I've finished a hat:

a n t l e r

This is some more stash yarn - Bendigo Rustic in 8ply, colourway "Redcurrant".  This yarn is seriously a magic pudding ball.  I bought it years ago, but when it arrived, it was more school-uniform burgundy than deep red currant, so I've been using it up on lots of little projects over the years…a tea cosy or two, berets, armwarmers,  more hats

(still not finished the last ball!)

I've made good progress on my slog-a-long jumper - Seberg.  This is one of those classic slogs, where all the "fun" knitting is done at the beginning and then there is the interminable rounds of stocking stitch, but waiting to be taken in for day surgery helped to this end!

S e b e r g  S w e a t e r

I did take everyone's advice onboard about my swatch dilemma, and ended up knitting the size that was most accurate to my measurements, on the smaller needles.  I'm so glad I did, because I put it on some waste yarn once I'd divided for the sleeves (it's top down) and it fits *perfectly*.

I've added some length to the body too, as the waist shaping looked like it was going to start mid chest?  I'm longer in the body than most patterns, so I added an inch before the waist shaping and an inch to the straight section.

With some concentration, I'm hoping to have this completed by the end of March, just in time for the weather to cool down.

Then, a friend of mine is off to the States for her sister's wedding, and some sightseeing, so I made her a Star Crossed slouchy beret, as she's often complemented mine. 

s t a r - c r o s s e d  s l o u c h y  b e r e t

I started knitting it in Bendigo Luxury 10ply, but the fabric was too loose, and really wasn't going to be able to sustain the cables, so I grabbed some 4ply Cleckheaton Bamboo and knitted the two strands together.

The resulting fabric was perfect.  It's soft, but dense, and warm as toast, and it's got just the right ratio of drape/sturdiness.  

And finally, I've recently been on a bit of a 1940's kick, in a fashion sense, and a couple of weekends ago I went and had my hair set after the war-style.

Love it.  If I could, I'd wear my hair like this everyday.  Coincidentally, we've started watching "Bomb Girls", which I can thoroughly recommend.  Set in the munitions factories during World War II, it follows the stories of the women who went and worked while the men were away.