And Now For Something Completely Different..


What a beautiful, sunny day it is - just the sort of day to take a photo (though the trees around our garden are so tall they don't allow much sunshine in the winter months, with the sun so low in the sky). The OH has taken Charlie Townes to see the trains whooshing through Tring station at Charlie's request, and I'm playing my new Amy Winehouse CD, which sounds as though it came straight out of the sixties. Anyway, this is what I'm working on at the moment (apart from the Raspberry Forecast):


I got the fabric from ebay for £3.77. There are 4 metres of it, though it's only 80cm wide. It's a textured, stretch jersey. Heaven knows what it's made of, but it's got a lovely sparkle to it, which satisfies my little inner magpie (the Audrey Hepburn part isn't too happy about it, though). I thought I'd sew it into a tube skirt just straight up and down the sides (but leave the raw edges on the outside down the back seam, as you can see in the photo - I like the frills), but it seems it's not that simple. Well, it is simple, but will take a little more work than I anticipated: I've had to put four quite deep darts in, around the waist. It's still not enough to make it snug enough around the waist and hip area so I'll have to adjust the darts again. I don't think having a pattern would really help, as it wouldn't account for how much stretch this fabric has. Speaking of stretch, I've sewn the hem by hand and may have to sew the whole thing that way. I'll try a sample on the machine, but I'm not sure it will come out with the right amount of ease in the stitching. I know practically nothing about the ins and outs of sewing, so much of it is trial and error for me.

In case you're worried about me looking a complete floozy in this tight and shiny skirt, don't worry - I'll be dressing it down!

At Sew Direct they are selling all their McCall patterns at £3.25 for a limited time, so I've ordered the dress-fitting shell, which should be...interesting. As with my knitting, when sewing, I just choose a size to make and then find it doesn't fit here...or here...or here! Maybe this will help. I just need to buy some woven gingham to work it out and make it up. Then I want to make a nice high-necked Chinese sort of affair with this fabric. Something plain and simple.

If you fancy listening to a beautiful piece of music this morning, try this. I know Gordon Lightfoot is not very well known to many people in the UK, but this music is beautiful. I love him. Kathleen reminded me of how much I like him, with her link.

Have a great weekend.

Another One Bites the Dust


Thank you all for your kind words, not that we were at death's door or anything, but it was pretty nasty. Charles got the worst of it, but he's back on top form now.

Knitting - It was with much relief, and with no sense of defeat whatsoever, that I frogged Funnel Neck right back to thin air. In fact, it felt good. There are times when we have to face the truth. In this case, not only was it too much of a pain to think about getting the stupid thing to fit me (I just could not be bothered), but I had known from the start that a jumper in 100% rib was not going to be to my liking, and I chose to ignore it. Funnel Neck is no more and never will be. There.

Being a creature of habit, I immediately cast-on for another Forecast (in the Debbie Bliss Tweed). This yarn is supposed to be the same weight as the Cascade 220, but when I knitted the neck in 5mm as before, it was HUGE. Instead of frogging, I kept it, and after making some quick calculations I went on to knit the yoke in 3.5mm, which came out small enough to fit a kitten, and was killing my fingers. Frogged back to the neck again and started on 4.5mm, which seems to be okay. I don't know why I have these problems, unless my tension varies wildly from wip to wip (which is quite possible). But the element of trial and error in my knitting is far huger than I suspect it is for most people. It can be very trying.

Anyway, I'm down to the ribbing on the body and I think it's okay. I just hope I don't hit the same problems as I did on the first one, where I didn't have enough yarn. I didn't mention it before, as I couldn't be bothered to do that much typing, but in the middle of the second sleeve I realised that I may not have enough yarn left for the button bands, so immediately put the sleeve on a holder and went on to the bands/edgings. After the edging I only had enough yarn left to do about another inch on the remaining sleeve, so had to undo the one I'd finished and frog a couple of inches, re-knit the cuff, and hope I'd have enough yarn from that to do the same on the other sleeve. I did - just. It was pretty hair-raising. This time I'll do the button bands first, then tackle the sleeves.

It remains to be seen whether the ribbing on the body will be okay on 4mm needles. We'll see - there could be more frogging ahead.


PS I'm knitting another Forecast because I really do like my original one with my jeans, enough to want another in a different colour. I know I look a bit strange in this photo. I was trying to smile on self timer (see what I mean) and I had a cold, and my hair left a lot to be desired.

YUK!

After all that moaning, I didn't know when we were lucky! Just getting over the cold from hell and Charlie got his first sickness bug (not bad, since he's got away with it for almost three years). That was Weds tea-time and then I got it at 5am Thursday. I'm ok now but Charles is still quite ill and honking up even water. So, I may not be around for a few days again. Hope you're all well! Got to go and heal the ailing.

Warning: Contains Ranting and Raving, With a Good Measure of Whingeing


Firstly, I have a cold and that makes me extremely grouchy. The OH, inconsiderately (I think) actually left the house to do some socialising a couple of weeks ago, and has been ill since around three or four days after. What with my being so healthy and fit, and hardly ever seeing anyone actually in the flesh and all that, I smugly thought I hadn't caught it. But now it's got me. And it's only November. Great. It's only a cold but it messes things up. I have been eating piles of home-made chocolate biscuits and other such delights, and doing no exercise. That's what I can't stand, no exercise. That's why I'm grouchy. Well, partly why. The other thing is.....

My Funnel Neck. It was all going very well indeed. Every time I tried it on it seemed great. Until it came to reserving the stitches for the sleeves. It seems the portion for the body (from neck to underarm) doesn't have enough increases, but the arm section does. Of course, what I should do is rip back a long way and start putting in more increases for the body portion. But how many more and can I be bothered? I can't tell you how much I detest knitting the same bit again. Not as much as I hate being ill, but I won't bend your ears about that again. Or you may never come back. I could wing it and just have a jumper stretched very tightly across the chest. Oh, I shall put it to one side and come back to it when I'm in a better mood.

The only knitting I have left now is the Edwardian Stole and Nick's socks (which go back to April). Good thing I'm not knitting him a huge cardi, then, like Poshyarns did for her DH. So, I have no knitting that I want to do and no yarn waiting in the sidelines (no, honestly) except for some Noro Blossom but I don't know what I'm going to do with that. I could do with making a pair of socks but I'm too skint to get the yarn. I could have spent the money I raised on eBay on some yarn instead of my haircut but then I'd be even grumpier. Thank heavens you don't have to live with me!


On the skint front, our Music Distribution company is really doing well. It's only been going for just short of a year, but already we are doing the distribution for over one-hundred record labels. But you know what it's like when you start up a business - at the beginning there's no money to spare. We're hoping we'll soon be at the point where the business is paying for our monthly outgoings in entirety, never mind having any extra to spend. It's not too bad. When we have a fire going in the burner, a little child to hug and make us laugh, home-made biscuits, a cheap (ish) bottle of wine etc. etc. I think all the other bits are really not what makes us happy. Though I would like extra money for yarn. Of course. But one day when I'm rolling in it, I'll be far too busy to knit (not really - it's either knit or eat biscuits).

And actually, it really is never far from my mind that a large proportion of the world's population really don't have any of the real comforts of home like we do. I mean the really bare basics. I'll never forget a photo I saw a while ago, of some Pakistani earthquake refugees trudging through the mountain snow with their children carried on their backs. But the children didn't even have shoes or blankets. No shoes. In the snow. I remember having a bad day and then, in the midst of my crying to a friend, saying "oh, how could I feel sorry for myself" and telling her about the photo I'd seen. And with the best of intentions, she replied, "well, Darling, you're walking barefoot through the wilderness of life". And I thought, "no, not really", although I appreciated the sentiment. And it brought me back to my senses.

Funnel Neck

Firstly, thank you all for your kind comments on Forecast - and my tights! I've been wearing wacky tights ever since I had my own money to spend on them (around twenty-three years-ugh). The very best red tights I have ever worn are the ones by Charnos. You can't get softer, stretchier, smoother, anywhere else. And the waistband isn't too narrow or tight. Charnos. Brilliant.

The next project is under way: Funnel Neck , another top-down knit. I did the neck bit and then started on the increases for the yoke, but after about seven rows of the yoke I realised that the increases looked awful, really messy. I knew the method I was using would leave little holes (picking up the bar between stitches, with the left needle, front to back, and then knitting) but I thought they'd make a nice, ordered pattern, like on Forecast, and the Glamour Cape. But no. I think it had something to do with fitting in the increases with the K1P1 ribbing. Anyway, I ripped back and started the yoke again, this time picking up the bar between stitches with the left needle, from front to back, and then knitting into the back of that stitch. The difference is unbelievable. No holes at all! The only way you know something's been happening in the increase areas, is the fact that the ribbing diverges and seems to make rivulets. Great. The method is the M1F on this site.

Now the only thing remaining is to make it fit - for me, not an easy task. Already I'm using smaller needles and knitting the next size up, without so much as a nod to the correct tension. Luckily the yarn (Debbie Bliss Aran Tweed, picked up for a song, from Jannette) is wonderful to easily rip back and then pick up all the stitches again. The yarn seems as though it's already felted - is that possible? It's the least splitty yarn I've ever known. I love it.

Forecast

Well, here it is! I took about twenty photos in an attempt to find one I liked. This cardi is so snug, it leaves track marks in my arms, where the ribbing is! The dress I'm wearing is made from extremely unforgiving jersey, and completely wrong for the cardi; it looks much better with a pair of jeans or denim skirt.

Forecast is a simple pattern to knit, and a real pleasure. I'll be looking for another top-down pattern to knit, as it's so much easier to try as you go and to make alterations. I'm hoping to make another Forecast, but next time I'll make the ribbing on the body, and especially on the sleeves, a little looser.


I did learn some new skills on this knit: simple cables, reading a simple chart and purling backwards (when making the bobbles).


Pattern: Forecast
Needles: 4mm and 5mm (instead of 3.5mm and 4.5mm) and 3.5mm for the sleeve ribbing
Yarn: Cascade 220 The Heathers
Modifications: I started the sleeve ribbing above the elbow, though next time I think I'll stick to the original.

Now I just have to do another 8 or so repeats on the Edwardian Lace Stole. Sigh. I'm going to Mayfair to get a haircut next week, so can do some on the train (sold some stuff on ebay to pay for it. To think I could have bought some yarn).

At Last - Progress So Far

Of course, now that I have made the effort to post about Forecast, it's so gloomy outside that it's impossible to take a decent photo. We'll have to save that for the grand showing of the completed garment. This may include a gapping between the button bands and, in fact, severe stretching of fabric all round. I did want my Forecast on the snug side, but I think this may require a generous dusting of talcum powder in order to get into it in the first place. Put it this way - it will either be so snug that it'll make me look really slinky, or it will be so snug that it will show off all the bits I don't want to show off. Extra bits (though I don't have as many of those as before - ha!).

I've been enjoying this knit so much I will make another. I already know that on the next one I'll start the ribbing higher up - just under the bust - and I might do the original sleeves. I tried my current Forecast on so many times, in an attempt to get the ribbing to start just where I wanted it but, weirdly, once I'd got a few rows of the ribbing done, it turned out that the top section was longer than I thought. Having said that, I am still very happy with it. On the sleeves, I've started the ribbing above the elbow, instead of nearer the wrist. I'm happy with that, too. My only concern is that the upper, cabled part of the sleeve may not be as snug as I'd like, in comparison with the lower, ribbed part - and this may make my arms look a bit chunky. If the upper part was huge and puffy that would be fine, as it would be obvious that it couldn't possibly be my real arm!

I expect you all know that this is knitted from the top down. I really enjoy this way of knitting. It does make it so easy to monitor progress and make adjustments as you go, something I've not been confident about doing in the past. It's just so brilliant to be able to slip the garment on and see it coming along, even if I need at least two pairs of hands to hold the fronts close together (to see if they actually meet in the middle).

I've been using lifelines effectively for the first time ever (I tried one on the Edwardian Shawl, about ten repeats ago, but got lazy). The lifelines this time have not been in case of errors - I put one in every time I make a change to the pattern (such as starting the ribbing high up on the sleeve) so that, if I don't like it, I can rip back to the point where I changed it, and not right back to the beginning. This gives me a real sense of freedom within which anything may be possible.


I've included a close-up of the yarn, which was taken in better light, a week ago. It really is lovely in real life; there's a light covering of deep red fluffiness all over it, in the right light. I will definitely use Cascade 220 again.

I just have one and a half sleeves and the edging to do. See you then.

ECF

This morning, immediately after waking, I dashed downstairs fully intending to get my coffee and post all about my latest wip, Forecast. It is now 14:46 and I'm still not at the point where I can spare the time, or even make the time by squeezing this or that backwards or forwards a little.

So, in the absence of any toil on my part, I urge you to read this (You Don't Have to be Pretty-2010.06). I think it's essential reading for a lot of us (women). I loved every word!

Have a great weekend. Will post Forecast on Monday.

Willow



Here is Willow, completed and in the correct size. Now, it's quite lucky Willow fits me at all, since I used different needles and yarn to those recommended by the pattern. But it's twice as lucky that it fits so well.


It was so boring to knit just stocking stitch, and in such loopy yarn, for so long. My attention wandered several times and I ended up increasing instead of decreasing (and vice versa), or doing miles more stocking stitch and forgetting to do any shaping at all. This inattention meant quite a bit of frogging! I did make quite a mistake on the belt and it's such a stupid mistake to make that I can't quite believe I did it, even now ( and I was too lazy to put it right). The belt is knitted as part of the back of the cardigan, so you suddenly cast-on about another 160 sts (80 either side) and carry on knitting. The back was of course being worked up in st st and I carried on and knitted the belt in st st too, all the time thinking "this is a bit stupid. Surely this belt will curl like crazy, being just a skinny bit of stocking stitch" but instead of changing anything, I just continued. It was only when I read the pattern again that I realised it said to cast-on more sts and continue knitting. Knitting. They should make these things absolutely clear for knittingly challenged people such as myself. I can't imagine why I didn't just use my head. Now I have a curly belt. I haven't done any blocking yet, but I don't think it'll help much.



The picking up of 300 sts for the edging was a real pain (isn't it always?) but thank heavens it came out okay and if there are any mistakes you can't see them for all the fluffy loopiness. Had this been a plain yarn, however, I'm sure it wouldn't have looked so good. When I'm picking up stitches, whether it's for socks or edgings, sometimes there's a huge gap left between the stitch I've picked up and the rest of the knitting. I don't know why this would be. I pick up all the stitches in the same way. When this happens, I usually reject the stitch causing the gap, and pick up a bit from slightly lower down, or to the side. I always check to see if it looks odd, so tend to get away with it, but I don't know what will happen when I get to do the edging on a plain garment. I think I'll look up how to pick up edging stitches correctly before attempting it. In case you're wondering, all the black bits of Jaeger Siena cotton are there to divide up the edging into equal portions, making it that much easier to pick up the correct number of stitches

Texere sorted out the yarn problem, by the way, sending me the exact match, and in a very friendly and helpful manner. Hurrah for Christine at Texere!

You may have guessed, I've started on forecast. It took me forty minutes to knit one row of about 100 stitches last night (with about ten of those bobbles). This one's going to take me a long time. I already may have sizing issues but will tell you about it next time. Hold on to your seats!

Sorted!

Thanks for your comments, Kathryn and Alice. Kathryn, I did the swatch and once I realised that all the plain squares on a right-side row had to be knitted and not purled, it all worked out fine. Really easy, actually! Oh, thanks to Carrie, too! I did look at the KAL again and there was a lot of info I didn't spot before.

I appreciate your response to my plea. Thanks, blogfriends. I can't believe I had to be such a drama queen. All I needed to do was try it out.