Passion project

I've been working quietly behind the scenes on a bit of a passion project for nearly 2 years,  and I'm now so excited to tell you that my new venture - Whisky Bay Woollens - has gone LIVE today!

I was looking for a new creative outlet and whilst knitting other people's patterns and designs is awesome; I wanted more.  It came at a time when I was really investigating my environment and the organic conclusion was to combine the two elements and turn my hand to knitwear pattern designs.

Over my years of knitting, I have worked with so many different variances of yarn but when it comes down to it, I have realised I love woolly wool.  The rustic, rugged textures combined with it's properties of tactile properties make my heart sing.

I have also always loved texture in knitting, and have often spent days just playing with different stitch pattern combinations just to see what they look like.

'Oceanside' is the first of what I hope will be quarterly releases of collections of knitting patterns.  It's the summation of how I have been influenced by the environment I have submersed myself in for the last decade and a half, and my growth as a knitter over that same time.  It's wild and woolly and beautiful, and i think it has a colour palette that is an expression of natural harmony.

Squeaky Beach fingerless mitts

The first collection includes three accessory patterns - a cowl, a pair of fingerless mitts, and a close-fitting beanie.  All three are named after beaches that have influenced me in one way or another, and are close to my heart.

Balnarring textured cowl

I've aimed to use a variety of yarns that create a tactile response from the knitter, an awareness of how the combination of yarn and textural stitches plays a big part in the pleasure of knitting handmade items..

Woolamai chevron beanie

All three patterns are now available for sale via Ravelry, and full details can be found both there and on the website.

I'm so thrilled to share them with you, and hope you enjoy them as much as I have enjoyed their creation.

It fits!

Daelyn is finally dry after nearly a week on the racks.  

I haven’t been home much this week so the heater hasn’t been on a lot, and this combined with the cold front Melbourne has been experiencing meant it was a slower blocking process than normal but worth it.

The alpaca/wool blend has behaved itself beautifully, and I’m pleased to report my calculations and mods have worked just as anticipated.   The sleeves are possibly still a little short, but I want to wear it for a day to see if they grow with wear (thanks to Casual Corporate Friday, I was able to wear it to work today so this will be a good test!).  It’s an easy fix if they do need a little extra length, as they are knit top-down and I have about a ¼ of a skein left over.  Actually, I have 1 and ¼ skeins left over.  I can’t believe I managed to get this whole jumper out of less than 4 skeins of the Berroco Ultra Alpaca worsted? 

As a design, this jumper is a bit over-sized for a lovely slouchy fit and carries a little longer length than I normally choose.  I knit the M2 size, which has a finished bust measurement of 41” and gives me 3” of positive ease. Although there’s ease in the chest, there is some very clever use of short rows shaping on the neckline and raglan shaping that ensure the shoulders fit beautifully.  Short rows are also used again at the hem to accommodate the different row gauge of the garter stitch detail on the back which is a clever touch.

Isabell Kraemer is a favourite designer of mine.  She has a simple aesthetic but often adds subtle textural details or clever construction elements that really make her patterns very wearable and stylish. 

The yarn is lovely and soft against the skin and I’m still in love with the colour and texture of it.  I’m wearing it with just a singlet underneath today and not only am I toasty warm, there’s no prickly or irritation.  I love woolly wool, but I am prone to eczema and often find straight wool too prickly to wear next to skin.  I wear it, but I have to make sure there’s cotton layer in-between me and it and sometimes in a worsted weight jumper that’s a bit too warm so this was a welcome discovery this morning as I dressed for work.

This is just a quick lot of photos from my lunch break today, but I'll try to do a proper photoshoot on the weekend so I can show you some of the lovely details of this pattern.  I'm still trying to capture the colour, as you can see.  I will get there, I swear. 

So overall, I’m calling this project a totally success.  Now to plan my next sweater…

so close redux

So, you may have been expecting some sunny, picturesque holiday shots, hey?  

I was *this close* to making it to Bali, but unfortunately Mt Ruang had other ideas.  The volcanic ash cloud that had grounded flights the week before shifted closer to Denpasar airport and on Thursday, it shut down the airport altogether.

You may have seen on the news stories of all the stranded people who's holidays have extended not in the best way; sleeping at the airport, running out of money, medication, annual leave...

As I was packing on Friday (for a 9am Saturday flight) and trying to remain optimistic, the email I'd been dreading came through.  The organisers of the yoga retreat I was going to were stuck in Melbourne after their flights were cancelled and with no way of getting on another flight.  They advised they had made the tough decision to cancel the retreat.

I just closed my suitcase and stared at it, numb.  This trip was the first one I'd ever made solo and it was my "take-a-risk" trip, planned with the intent of trying to shake me out of my comfort zone and reclaim my independence, self-confidence and positivity after what has been a tough 9 months.

Once the initial shock passed I actually surprised myself with how well I took it.  Yes, there was disappointment - of course.  Who wouldn't be disappointed when at the eleventh hour a trip you've planned for, saved for, and finally got excited for, is cancelled?  I had already begun to feel the warm tropical air on my skin and was looking forward to meeting new people and being immersed for a short time in another world.

The thought did pass through my mind "Why me?  Why can't I get something good for once, for something to just go right?"

But I had an epiphany that came through so strong and clear, it actually floored me.

This didn't happen to me, it happened,  There's a difference.  This wasn't the Universe trying to punish me, it was just an incident of nature and in that instant; I was at peace with it.  I immediately began to see all the other things that could open up for me by not going to Bali.

Thankfully, I have good insurance and it does cover natural disasters.  I've been in touch with them and apart from a $250 excess, I think I'm covered.  The retreat organiser have been amazing and helpful too.  They immediately let us know they'd be refunding the workshop costs, but initially they didn't think they were going to be able to get the accommodation costs refunded and were advising us to add it to our insurance claim, however later in the day they sent another email advising they had been able to negotiate a nearly-full refund from the resort. Legends!

Garuda are giving full refunds on flights cancelled due to the ash cloud, so that's covered, and my return flight with Jetstar will be covered by insurance.   So all in all, I really won't be out of pocket significantly, and the way I look at it I now have a healthy looking holiday fund, ready for the next trip.

Which I've decided will be Byron Bay in October, to help a dear friend celebrate her 40th.  A week of hanging with a few women I simply adore, surfing, eating, drinking and relaxing.  I might even squeeze in a bit of yoga.

Life.  It ain't all bad.

so close

Just dropping in here for a quick post today, before I head overseas.  I'm off to Bali this week for a yoga retreat, and a bit of much needed R&R.  It's going to be so lovely to warm up the bones.  

Since my last post, I have been taking my Daelyn jumper as my train knitting each day.  It's not really all that portable anymore, but It is so close to being finished and I can't wait to get it off the needles and be able to wear it, especially with the weather we've been having in Melbourne - brr!   5 degrees Celsius this morning as I walked from the train station to work.  
 
I've been reading accounts from Northern Hemisphere bloggers about the current heatwave they are experiencing, as I wrap another blanket around me and tuck my toes in to stay warm and count down the sleeps to my holiday.

But before I go, I would love to have this jumper finished.  Half a sleeve and the neckband to go, then I can block it and leave it to dry while I'm away.  It's totally a plan.

I'm still loving this colour, even if it is a right PITA to photograph accurately.  Not even natural light and a mid-grey background helped today.  My foot was there to try and get a different light-meter reading, to see if that would help but no such luck.

Here's hoping I can get a better shot of the finished piece.  I may have to employ a professional, I think...

Aside from Daelyn, I've not got much else in the way of knitting that I can share at the moment. If you follow me on Instagram (@kgirlknits) you may have seen a recent sneak peak of a project I've been working on though.  I'm hoping that shortly after I get back from Bali I will be able to reveal a little more of this goodness.   It's all so very exciting and I can't wait to share!

So, until then -  hope you all stay warm in the Southern Hemisphere and for those in the North - I hope the heat breaks soon.

(I'll try not to flood Instagram with sunny Bali photos but I make no real promises)

Nothing new under the sun

Recently I knit a pair of socks for myself, without the aid of any pattern other than my own understanding and acquired knowledge of how a sock is knit.  This is nothing ground-breaking or particularly clever of course. It's just simply a by-product, an accumulation, of the construction of the hundreds of patterns I have knit over the years and held within my mind and hands. Regardless of all that, it does still give one a pleasant sense of achievement, knowing it can be done.

The motivation came as I unexpectedly finished the project I'd brought into work that morning, so at lunchtime I grabbed a skein of Colinette Jitterbug in Vatican Pie (oh, that saturated red!) and some needles and cast on ready for the train commute home.

Granny's Lucky Red Longjohns
Colinette Jitterbug - colourway: Vatican Pie

To alleviate boredom I added a 1x1 garter stitch rib, which pleasantly formed a lovely snug sock that fits my foot beautifully.  It's also rather warm as garter stitch rib has a waffle-y texture similar to that used in thermal underwear amongst other things.  

I took a calculated risk and cast on many less stitches than I would normally for socks - 54 on 2.5mm needles, instead of my usual 64.  This decision was influenced by my experience of Jitterbug as a "hefty" sock yarn and the anticipation of stretch in the ribbed stitch pattern.  Turns out it was a great decision - go me!  

As I finished the first sock and started the second, I thought to myself "these are such great socks, how could it be possible that nobody else has ever written it up before?"  They are simple enough to knit whilst other things are happening like conversations, meetings, TV-watching, and I discovered they are also an excellent choice for gift knitting as the rib pattern is very accommodating when you are working with unknown foot and leg dimensions.  

Knowing that there was an excellent chance there probably was this very pattern out there, I had what I thought was quite a thorough look on Ravelry and was surprised that I couldn't find one that was quite the same. There are many patterns utilising this stitch pattern, socks included, but none in the specific combination of 1x1, gauge and yarn weight that I could see. 

a gift pair, for Mum (photo credit: Mum!)
Colinette Jitterbug - colourway: Caramel

So I got excited to share. I wrote down my notes into a more coherent format, made a couple more pairs, and was just about to upload them as a free pattern....when I started reading my copy of Sock Architecture which was given to me by a friend recently.

And lo and behold; there they were!  Strie socks, by Lara Neel.

Photo credit: Lara Neel

Reading through the patterns they are not exactly the same, but close enough to make me laugh out loud right then and there. 

As the saying goes - there's nothing new under the sun! 

being M.I.A. just makes the heart grow fonder, yes?

While lamenting to a derby friend that I'm struggling to find time to get everything done, she pithily responded "Haven't blogged lately either..."!! And she's right!  I have really been trying to get into a habit/rhythm of posting every Wednesday, and for a while there it was working really well.  Then one thing and another started to happen and before you know it, it's been three weeks...

Thank you to everyone who has hung around and stuck by me and my blog-musing through periods of inactivity and absence.  New readers, thank you for giving me a look-see - I will be getting more organised, I promise!  

I have some larger projects on the go at the moment so they may be as good a place to start as any.  Firstly, I'm working on the Nightingale Vest, from Amimono's 'Bird Collection' book.

I'm using Isager Highland & Alpaca 1 held together and it's making a beautiful fabric.  Knit on 3.5mm needles, this one may take me a while.  There are roughly 4 more rows of Bell Stitch before I divide for the armholes.  Bell Stitch is a 15 row pattern repeat, which roughly equates to 2 rows of @#%! hell balanced by 13 blissful rest rows.  I'm learning to be at peace with it, but it's a special kind of patience required let me tell you.

Speaking of special kinds of patience, if you follow me on Instagram you may have seen I recently finished a Sophisticated Mr Fox stuffie.   I used Rowan Fine Tweed and I think you'd have to agree - it's the *perfect* fox colour, no?

Knitted toys are super-cute...to look at!  Super-fiddly to knit.  And super-laborious to sew up!!

Lucky he's so damn cute (and sophisticated).  He'll live at the shop, so keep an eye out for him if you come to visit.  

During my absence, I have been watching and listening to a lot of fibre podcasts. As a result,  I'm participating in a KAL hosted by the FiberTrek crew, Sarah and Morgan, over on their Ravelry group.  Do you watch their podcasts?  You should.  They are wonderful.  They do great regular spots not only on fibre, patterns and projects, but also interesting facts on fauna and textile history.  They also have really great, dry senses of humour :)

The KAL is the Karina Westermann "Vedbaek" shawl, and it's proving to be just the perfect antedote to all that "patience" knitting I've been preoccupied with.  The stitch pattern for the main body of the shawl is easily memorised, and very clear to read, should you zone out a little too much.

I'm using Shilasdair Luxury 4ply in the Skye Gabbro colourway.  Love it, both the yarn and the pattern.  It's my project for TV watching, car travelling, grabbing time to fit a few rows in on my lunchbreak, and I am really enjoying the soft hand of this beautiful yarn.

That doesn't really seem like a lot to have been so occupied by these last three weeks, does it? Actually, truth is, it's not all I've been doing.  I've got some exciting things going on behind the scenes that I'm dying to share with you, but I can't let details slip just yet!  All will (hopefully) be revealed soon, but until then I will make a concerted effort to provide you with some interesting snippets.

I really hope you can stick with me and my sporadic updates until then!!

A Year of Sweaters by Season (Winter): Miette

Hot on the heels of Autumn comes my Winter sweater - Miette!

A cropped cardigan using worsted weight yarn knits up quickly, it seems.  Also, despite what the photos might have you believe, both sleeves are in fact the same length and width.

The colour has worked up in a lovely way, with lots of depth and undertones to the heathered khaki-bronze.  I've mentioned before how hard it is to capture on camera and today's photoshoot wasn't any easier.  Adding another degree of difficulty to the chameleon cardigan was the dress!  Between the two, I couldn't get the balance right on both in a single shot.  Hopefully between the photos you'll get the idea.

I picked this colour (Yakima Heather) specifically to work with this cotton dress, in an effort to make it wearable all year around, and I'm delighted with the pairing.  The plan is to work this back with tan cowboy boots and tights (and break into country ballads at each and every opportunity!)

Another unplanned but successful button pairing from the stash too.  Well, 90% successful.  I only had 5 buttons and I really could have used 7, but I made-do-and-mended and omitted the bottom two buttons.  I think it's fine, and as I'll probably wear a belt I would have most likely never buttoned those bottom two anyway.

I love the retro feel to the design of this cardigan.  For a heavier weight sweater, it's quite fitted and therefore doesn't feel as bulky as you might expect.  I did have hesitation on this aspect, however I'm glad I went ahead.  An added bonus was I also used significantly less yarn than planned - just under 3 skeins.  I now have a full skein and some leftover, which I think I might make a little toddler jumper or vest out of

The pattern is free, and very clearly written, however the lace border is written out line by line, and I found it a little tedious to keep up with.  It would have been difficult to chart, granted, and I don't know what the alternative would be?  I am probably getting lazy with reading written lace patterns though, having been so spoiled with the proliferation of charts in contemporary patterns.

Pattern:  Miette
Yarn:      3x Cascade 220 worsted - Yakima Heather
Needles: 5mm Addi Turbos

I'm still enjoying my Year of Sweaters immensely, although I'm feeling the urge for something different as a palette-cleanser.  I'm knitting some socks up for shop samples at the moment, so that might just be enough to clear my restlessness before starting the Spring sweater?  I've also got a little "detour" jumper in the works too, testing out a new-to-me yarn, and a shawl pattern calling my name.  

With so many options to work on, I can't decide - more knitting time, please!!

retro knitting

I feel a bit like it's all retro, all the time around here, but even more so than usual this week!

Firstly, my crochet couch granny blanket has gone from WIP to FO.

Using leftover wool, mainly Bendigo Rustic and Luxury, in shades of grey, blue and red, this has been a great project to work on in-between other projects.

I started with classic granny treble...clusters?  I'm not sure if that's what they are called if you don't pull them all together with the last chain?  My crochet friends will know, I have faith.  I got bored with those after a while, so switched to straight trebles for the border, finishing with a 5tr...shell?

I am not a natural crocheter, so I do like how you can "fudge" minor stitch errors.  And how you can just pretty well make it up as you go.

It's the perfect "couch" size, just right to ward off drafts, but not too warm as to be considered bulky.

Then my chevron scarf in Crazy Zauerball got some serious attention and it turning out so deliciously retro, I can't stop admiring it!

Red, green and yellow are not my favourite colour combo by any means usually, but there seems to be enough blending and colour surprises to keep it just off the edge of replecating traffic lights.

I'm anticipating I'm about halfway through the ball now - didn't weigh it at the start, but it doesn't really matter with this pattern.  To echo Dory, just keep knitting...