Gauge

Have you heard about checking your gauge when knitting? It's where you measure how many stitches and rows to get a certain size - usually in most patterns and on balls of yarn they measure it over 10cm (but depends on what country your pattern is from). I have had projects where I'm right on gauge and they don't really work out anyway (muckle mittens) but I seem to have bigger issues within my brain lately. 


I cast on for my Cobalt sweater and knit some of the sleeve to do my swatch. Measurements give me 21 stitches instead of 20, so in my mind I was like "Yea! Bigger!"




Only, if you have done a gauge you might already know that you actually want smaller numbers to make it bigger. So I probably shouldn't continue until I figure out how to increase a few stitches and make it even. Otherwise I will end up with a cardigan that is too small, not loose as I had thought. 


My sweater is more of a rich burgandy than brick red as in this photo, but it was taken late at night with lack of daylight, and on my cell phone!


I also have just received Deborah Newton's book Finishing School. Which obviously is to become my RULES OF KNITTING. And she talks about  seam stitches at the edges that are in stockinette so you can easily seam. I was worried about the seams in this project and think I definitely have to add these in to make my life that much easier!

and then i'm going to....

Last year my cousin bought me some knitting magazines and a needle case for Christmas. It was my first knitting related present, and I was thrilled. The magazines were full of clothes and ideas, and I had a place to store all those circular and dpns I suddenly seemed to have collected - awesome! 


And my other cousin, the other family knitter, warned me, "Once you make some clothes, you won't stop."


Pish pash, I hadn't stopped anyway! But clothes are an investment, of time and supplies. My piles upon piles of single colour skeins of wool are no longer relevant? How can this be? 


(I MUST KNIT FASTER). 


Enter my O W L S sweater. Yes, okay, that is nice to wear and it's super cosy. But now I'm working on my Aidez, and I can see the end of my Aidez cardigan in sight. Woot! Can't wait to wear it. 


So what did I do today? Order MORE YARN for a new cardigan?! What? Someone needs to restrict me from these things! Oh wait, that's what the boyfriend tries to do.... oops?


Anyway, here is what I plan on making next - but in burgandy!!!

Its a Kim Hargreaves design, called Cobalt.  I already bought the book (Indigo) when I saw it used already on Amazon so am excited to make this! 


After my other one is done, of course?

fabulous friends

My ubertalented friend Hayley makes stuff too. She's good at sewing, knitting, crocheting, and seems to make lots of different stuff all while I'm working on the same knitted item! 

And now she's ventured into crafting handy little stitch markers! 

If you need some pop on over to her Etsy shop and have a peek! 

Such cute things! 

Designing Woman

Sometimes, when its quiet at work and I'm doing mindless clean up of things I have left for too long (hello spreadsheets) my mind wanders into the land of Knit and Purl. 


What if I did this. 


What if I did that. 


So the other day I didn't have much to do at lunch and lunch happened just after one of these mindless sessions on Excel. While I've been working on my Aidez I have fallen in love with the diamonds on the back. So: 


What if I put these diamonds on the back of little fingerless mittens?! Hmmm...


I did a doodle then went to heat up my food. 


Yesterday Mr. Boyfriend was out with his friends, so I had the WHOLE evening to myself. I left work super early (thanks to a cold Mr. Boyfriend had given me earlier in the week, and a trip to Manchester with work that left me with too much overtime saved up). 


So me. And my lonely sofa. And a ball of this clay beige Debbie Bliss Cash-soft. mmm... 




This is the somewhat finished product: 

I think I'm getting pretty quick at this knitting malarky! Finished both today. 

Not 100% happy with the outcome. They fit and are comfy and interesting to look at, but will do another pair changing things. Like thicker ribbing, maybe copy the Aidez further and do a double moss in the centre. 

And then have a think about publishing the pattern to share with everyone! If you want to knit a pair of mittens with double moss diamonds on the back let me know. Maybe you can test knit!

Summer is here...

Hello Hello!

It has been a fair while since I last posted, and I always feel bad. Not that I think many people read the blog, but that it was my decision to start one, and I try to keep up to date but alas, here I am!

I have had a LOT going on lately. I put in a job application (no luck, next time maybe) and had about 2 weeks off work to show my lovely Mommy around my town. It was her first time in the UK since she was 2, so its been a few years! We met in Scotland and travelled down to Jolly Ole Guildford together for the remainder of her stay.

Loch Lomond, Scotland

The weather was fabulous, which I thought it might be, and we were able to go to many places. England reminds my mom of LA, which just goes to show just how Non-British the weather was those weeks! Bloody lovely!!! Here is a picture of me and my mom atop The Mount in Guildford (my town), looking down on the ugly brown cathedral and surrounding homes.

Guildford, England

I still have the shawl in my possession, which is very naughty of me. I am sending it today to Scotland where my fair friend lives! Her wedding is quickly approaching so I must hurry!

 The weather has been nice, and the boyfriend complains that I ignore him too much….which was true when I was working on the shawl!  So I did take a break from knitting, but I did quickly knit a pair of Autumnals over the long weekend (4 days for the Queen’s Jubilee!) in the colour here. They turned out lovely and since the friend they are for has a birthday this Saturday I am actually done another thing IN TIME! Perhaps this can be a new trend of mine??