Ester

ester front, originally uploaded by the pig wot flies.

I finished Ester.

Started: 8 March 2007

Finished: 18 March 2007, (just in time for Mansfield Park on ITV).

Pattern: Ester by Alice.

Yarn: 5 or 6 balls (I lost count) of cream coloured aran wool, unlabelled.

Needles: 4.5mm circulars

A very quick knit, simple shape, the cable pattern keeps it interesting.

Edited to add: I made the M size and blocked it to the schematic measurements. I'm actually in between the M and L sizes, so it looks a little small on me. If you're knitting this, decide whether you want to be able to fasten in front as in the pattern photo, in which case you might want to add some ease. The bust sizes given seem to be the size of the finished garment, rather than the size of the wearer.

Here's a back view.

swatching

swatching, originally uploaded by the pig wot flies.

This is what I've been doing with banana yarn and cotton. The swatch on the right is just banana yarn. I started with plain stocking stitch and then tried out some seed stitch and some bobbles. It's nice and shiny and gets softer when washed, but I'm not too sure what to do with it on its own and I've only got 200g. My first idea was a bag, specifically Coco from Magknits, but trying out the lattice pattern made it clear the yarn's just not smooth enough for the cables to show clearly.

Then I remembered the purple cotton I used last year to make a spring/summer cardigan (not worn much and now too loose since I've lost weight). So I experimented with putting the two yarns together. Holding them together gives just a little bit of shiny silk sparkle and adds weight. The bobbles were done with just the banana yarn. I like the effect, it would make a good sleeve border. Possibly not round the bottom of a cardigan though. I also tried some split stitch, as used in Revolution, although I hadn't quite thought about the maths and ended up with more stitches than I started with. I like the effect, when I get it just right, but getting it right is a fiddle.

I'm still not sure what this is going to be. A cardigan would be useful.

train knitting

loveme knot in progress, originally uploaded by the pig wot flies.

I've had a lovely weekend in Exeter and as, I thought, got lots of knitting done on the train. On the way into London, the small girl sitting next to me was fascinated by the hearts on my lovemeknot socks. She played with the finished one for a bit, making the hearts appear and disappear and made me show her how you make stitches and how you knit round in circles.

I like the way knitting is a conversation starter. On the way home I was knitting the heel (short rowed) and the man sitting next to me was interested in why I was knitting with only 2 needles when he thought socks needed 3.


Ester detail, originally uploaded by the pig wot flies.

Also growing is Ester. I've done the back and I'm one repeat into the front. It's an easy pattern to memorise, so this will be my tv knitting for a bit.

new knitty, new knitting

I did cast on the second lovemeknot sock and I've started on Ester, which you'll notice are both by Alice. There's something friendly about knitting objects designed by someone you've met and she writes such intriguing patterns. Ester is simple, but a clever shape. I'm about 2/3 up the back already, using some of the huge bag of creamy aran wool I got my Grandma's stash.

Other things I'd like to knit:

Carolyn. It's a cute cardigan, I like the stripiness. I'm thinking of charcoal grey and lilac stripes.

Isabella. Such a pretty spring top. Lilac or a pretty pink mercerised cotton.

Queen of Cups, Clessidra: I love a good sock pattern. I've never knit knee-high socks, but the pretty cables up the back of Clessidra would be fun to try.

So many things I'd like to make! Progress pics on Monday, after lots of train knitting time.

no knitty no knitting

I have nothing on the needles at present (with the exception of the long-running garter stitch shawl). I'm not going to start anything new until I've knitted that long-awaited second lovemeknot sock. I'm going away for the weekend, so I've got a couple of long train journeys in which to knit, so I should make a good start on it.

I've been playing around with banana yarn and cotton. The Time Traveller cardigan I made last year is now too big, so I'm thinking of ripping it out and making something new. Hopefully the soft cotton won't fall apart too much. I'm thinking either another cardigan, or a v-neck sleeveless jumper, using the banana yarn to make interesting edgings.

It's nearly new Knitty time, which is always fun, but there's no sign of it yet. Ho hum. Patience.

Edited to add: It's up! Hoorah!

another Clapotis

another Clapotis, originally uploaded by the pig wot flies.

And another FO. I wasn't feeling well over the weekend, so spent lots of time knitting.

Started: 2 February 2007

Finished: 4 March 2007

Pattern: The ubiquitous Clapotis

Yarn: 300g of Scrumptious from Fyberspates

Needles: 5mm bamboo straights

Modifications: Twisting the stitches on purl and knit sides. (The stitches you knit through the back loop on the right side get purled through the back loop on the wrong side). This makes the edge next to the ladders even neater. I didn't bother with stitch markers since it was easy to see which stitch was which.

Clapotis is boring to knit: even dropping stitches becomes less exciting by the end, but the result is worth it.

I'm not wearing a hat, that's my dressing gown. Must remember to think about the background I'm standing against.

monkey monkey

monkey monkey, originally uploaded by the pig wot flies.

Another Monday, another finished knit.

Started: 20 January 2007

Finished: 2 March 2007

Pattern: Monkey from Knitty

Yarn: Sloe from Curious Yarns who are still offline.

Needles: 2.5mm circulars and dpns

Modifications: Modified the stitch pattern to be 18 stitches wide over 13 rows. Eye of Partridge heel.



Notes: A fun knit, went quite quickly once I'd got the sizing right. The gusset decreases are very messy, I think I forgot how to count. There are 5 pattern repeats on the leg, 6 on the foot. If I knit these again I'd make the leg at least one repeat longer. The colour is brighter and more purple in real life.