adventures in lace land

Posted on May 19, 2012 by missfee

When not stuck in sleeve land  - a whole other armhole of terror there with the cardigan that never ends, I have had a delightful adventure in lace recently.

This started with lots of enthuasim but langished for a few months whilst other projects distracted me – until I heard of another recently finished stonecrop which spured me on.

I realised at the cast off edge I had made a big mistake at the begining ommitting the first garter plain section before starting the pattern – I did reknit this section and considered grafting it to the scarf – but this all proved to hard and actually I prefer the honestly of my mistake.

Currently the resolution is that I am going to try and finish all my wips – which have grown to 9 at the moment – way too many for me to feel comfortable with – some socks are nearly done and then the sleeve hell of which I spoke is going to be tackled.

It is also a year of sock victim moving on from socks to garments – I knitted a hat for him last weekend – no photos as yet, a jumper over easter was finished and I have a vest swatched and ready to start as soon as I have diminished the number of wips.

As winter approaches I am also taking an audit of my knitwear – what do I really wear as apposed to what I want to knit – a fine balance.  I am planning some mitts and another hat for me – and another scarf.  And of course a few cardigans.  Now I am back to pre wedding size, thanks to 12WBT, I feel a few more fitted cardigans in my future – a Unst perhaps.

I , as usual, have been so so bad with my yarn purchases of late, I get stressed and I buy yarn.  I have a few moments and dream about knitting EVERYTHING and I buy yarn.  I need to 12WBT my yarn habit I think.  Perhaps I am substituting yarn for food ARG!!!  So perhaps like Rosered I should be public about my yarn aqusition to shame me into restraint – is this a good idea?  I am going to slowly start to let go of a few things over on the Rav Aussie destash so keep your eyes out for the odd bargin.

back to the buiness at hand

Ode to Orenburg

Pattern: Stonecrop by Jared Flood

Yarn:  Madelinetosh Praire in Thunderstorm

Needles: 3.75mm

Time on needles : 6 months, getting quite distracted at the moment obviously

And today I am off to proselytise for knitting over at Calico and Ivy in Balmian (love that word but is that the correct use in a sentence?)

We have word of the day at work and that was one of mine and a favorite for the week in the office.

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Lace knitting workshop

Posted on May 9, 2012 by missfee

I had the best weekend away down the Canberra – teaching the most delightful group of knitters for Suzy Hausfrau


They gave me such a warm welcome and as Renae also said it was great to meet an internet friend in real life.


I drove down on the Saturday and whizzed around to visit a few of my favorite places and pictures.

 

 

Then Sunday morning after an early morning run around part of the lake I make a trek to my old suburb to teach lace knitting.

 

How gorgeous are the autumn leaves in Canberra!


We had scones for morning tea and the most delicious lunch.
I also got to meet another blogger in real life and I think I may of infected more people with the shawl flu whoops.

A HUGE thank you to all of you who came and to Renae for organising the workshop and cooking such yummy treats

 

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some things old some things new

Posted on April 25, 2012 by missfee

We got a new front door and I particularly like the new handle – it is still to be painted – and I am tossing up colours daily – yellow is the current fav.  The second door is from the hall to the kitchen – both have windows and now bring light into the front of the house.  This was done in my few days off between jobs.  Yes one job finished and I have just started another (so new not much to link too so you will just have to guess or watch and wait).

Then I crocheted (weird to me past tense of crochet is this right Rosered you would know) something – I can hear the gasps of horror out there but yes I did – I needed a quick fix as all my knitting is dragging on and on at the moment.  A quick fix it was too – 2 days including starting 4 times.

Small triangle of crochet

Pattern: Y. mini stole

Yarn: Holst supersoft 100% – in grey my current favorite

Needles: 3.5mm hook

I worked out reading japanese charts and the instructions from the book above – I didn’t put in the loop at the end as I wanted a kerchief style of scarf.  I just used up the remainder of yarn from my other holst shawl and patterned until I ran out of yarn – so it isn’t quite as large as the pattern but still works great.

 

I’m getting super excited to be going to Canberra to teach lace knitting in just under 2 weeks- spreading the love of lace.  There are a few places still available if you would like to come along – this course will take you from fear of lace, charts and structure to have the confidence to tackle any lace patterns.  You just need to cast on knit purl and cast off – just beyond being a beginner.  Come and join the fun.

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some progress, some winners and a F.O.

Posted on April 9, 2012 by missfee

Thank you everyone who commented on the last post – I did the random number generator thingy and the winners are

Comment #8 Knitra

Comment #3 Grandma Flea

 

I am a winner too – and so excited I lost my breath and jumped up and down like a maniac for a while.  My first blue ribbon, 7 ply and over, at the easter show!!!  I also received a red ribbon in the under 7 ply section – being deservedly beaten by the very talented Zena. If you get a chance also check out the Feature display from the Knitter’s Guild of NSW along with the Machine knitters and the Spinners and weavers…

I finally got around to finishing something  and I have always wanted to try the Hybrid sweater of the most revered Elizabeth Zimmerman.

Sock Victim’s Hybrid

Pattern: Seamless Hybrid  Sweater by Elizabeth Zimmerman

Yarn: Cascade 220 just over 4 skeins in brown and small amount of grey left over from this

Needles: 5mm knitpics metal

I am loving the construction and the final product with this project. It was heavily inspired from Brooklyn Tweed over here  and Web goddess

As I was copying inspired by Brooklyn Tweed I tried the tubular cast off here which I have to say is just magic and my go to cast off for now on.  Next chance I get I think the cast on will get a look in too.  It was one of those moments when the flash bulb went on for me – I realised that it wasn’t a hard concept to grasp for such a great effect.

S.V. is super happy and most excited to have his first jumper.  I am making an effort to knit him wooly goodness this year and a hat is next, i think.

Dangerous wool buying potential over here - especially if like me you are currently totally immersed in the world of Stark and Lannister – watching the series and listening to the books on my runs. (30cm smaller – but not shorter – than 8 weeks ago thanks to #12WBT)

If you live in or near Canberra and fancy taking on lace I am teaching a workshop on the 6th May you can book a place over here.  If you can cast on cast off knit and purl and fear lace and charts this is the workshop for you!

It’s both Easter and Passover here in our house this weekend and I made my traditional hot cross bun batch on Friday morning – yum yum.  Saturday had smells of chicken broth, brisket and matzo balls being made.  My neighbours hosted Passover on Saturday night and 20 of us had great fun eating drinking and debating how Seder should go and what prayer goes with what.  My knedla balls were a hit – and I was quite chuffed when a small person wanted 2nds and 3rds!

 

 

and finally pet pron – this is Gus whom I have been working with over the past 6 months – the best addition to any workplace!

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Giveaway

Posted on March 16, 2012 by missfee

Do you like cats?

 

Do you like to run  knit?

 

Then you will want one of these….

I have some gorgeous cat fabric which I was going to use -

 

let me know how much you either love cats or knitting, which fabric you would prefer and I will random draw 2 winners to have a bag each to be made by yours truely

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it is just not fair

Posted on March 15, 2012 by missfee

Each day new more gorgeous items hit my inbox, reader feed and Ravelry

I just want to knit them all

but currently my day is get up early – exercise for 1 hour – shower eat breakfast rush to work, work for a bit, quite a bit, go home cook dinner, make lunch for next day, watch 1 hour of tv, brush teeth and go to bed, read for 15 min and fall asleep .

I fit in 1 hour of knitting whilst watching tv – it is torture for a knitting addict as myself

But I have discarded some weight and fit into some smaller clothes – and generally feeling pretty good.  So it really is worth it in the long term.  I am loving eating cleaner less no processed food or sugar.

Check out this great giveaway over on Suzy Hausfraus’ blog

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still here

Posted on March 14, 2012 by missfee

There has been knitting, there has been some exercise and some eating too.  At trip to Melbourne and the Sock Victim had a life event (read birthday) ending in 0 I have been to spin class – and kind of like it – and tomorrow will be going to my first pump class.     But not much time for blogging.

I have been knitting and I have a few items finished to show you – although I am a bit ashamed of my blocking as I did the lazy over the line block and will need to redo this before sending off the items to the yet to arrive owner.

Baby Booties and Blanket

Patterns: December Booties and Moderne Baby Blanket

Yarn: Bendigo Rustic 12 ply

Needles: 3.75mm & 6.5mm

These are for my daring old piano student whom I have known since she was quite little and is now having her first baby!!!  I had to knit something for her.  Baby is due in April so I have finished with a bit of time – do I post it now or wait til baby has arrived?

I cast on two new projects on the weekend another cardigan and another shawl!

 

 

put a bird on it!!!

 

 

and some cats for cats sake

 

p.p.s check out the tab if you are in chrome

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Check this out

Posted on March 8, 2012 by missfee

my gorgeous sister has launched her own website

 

if you need some bespoke woodwork or a great piece of furniture - or some woodwork lessons go check it out!

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a little bit of sunshine

Posted on February 5, 2012 by missfee

Helloooo

 

I did it another finished item for the year, and I frogged to socks and flung them on the floor – and promptly cast on another colour work project!

 

Dusk

Pattern: Vitamin D by Heidi Kirrmaier

Yarn: Madelinetosh Merino light in Tern – just under 3 skeins

Needles: 3.75mm & 3mm addi turbos & knit picks

 

This was my trial by cardigan – I cast on back last year in wollmeise maus jung and knit to the first front short rows and then on winding the second ball had a really bad match of skeins – which was not at all apparent until I started knitting.  I was so demoralised that I flung it aside, flinging theme going on here at the moment.  Start of the new year and a big deep breath this is not going to get the better of me – I cast on again.  It was such a fun quick knit – even those dreaded sleeves didn’t go on for too long.  I opted for the 3/4 sleeves – which now it is blocked I am really happy with.  So as per usual I am to sew in the ends and then it is really finished HURRAH

So this weekend has been cast on central.  Moebius, swatch for a jumper and the start of a baby blanket for one cutie I used to teach piano too!!! Can you believe it these little people grow up and have their own little people!

there was some gardening and some running and some mooching around the house too a great weekend.

OMG a swatch!!!!!

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Do I persist?

Posted on February 3, 2012 by missfee

So I am sure this happens to us all at some point. In a moment of enthusiasm casting on a project that you knit for a night or a bit more. In my world I tend to get so excited this keeps me going until I get to the sleeves or a hard bit – where I just put it aside or keep on going with dogged determination.

I had cast off my Vitamin D the night before and I have a few wips and thought time to face the music with these.
I pulled out these colour work socks last night, I looked at the supposed braid at the top of the sock and contemplated for a good while before ripping it out in disgust. It just looked like a bit pile of knitted pooh.

Then came time to remedy the situation.

I cast on for knitting both socks at once and did this about too many times.  These attempts comprised of cast on 78 stitches – too long a tail, cast on 78 stitches  then cast on the second sock 78 stitches – not a colour match.  Rip both out and try to colour match each ball – fail, try again fail, try yet again still no success bugger it just cast on the damn thing.  Cast on 78 stitches for first sock then another 78 stitches for second – damn with the magic loop I have everything around the wrong way – just go to bed….

 

As I currently have only about 1 hour knitting time in the evening and this precious time was quickly gobbled up with indecision and casting on those oh so many times.

Damn I think I just need to take a leaf out of Lyn’s book and just knit what I want, letting whim and fancy dictate.

 

tonight I swatch a jumper and cast on my moebius….

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