hopscotch pair

hopscotch pair, originally uploaded by the pig wot flies.

Finished last night.

Finished Hopscotch socks.

Pattern: Hopscotch by Pixeldiva

Needles: 2.5mm Addi turbos and dpns

Yarn: HipKnits cashmere sock yarn

Yummily soft yarn, gorgeous lace pattern. Lovely!

It's hard to find somewhere in my house to take good photos in natural light. I had to sit on my desk with my feet balanced on the window siil.

farewell Angelica, hello Ivy

If you pay close attention to my sidebar, you'll notice that Angelica has gone. I decided a while ago she just wasn't working and it was time to try something else. Enter Ivy. Another wrap cardigan pattern (and I still haven't finished Arisaig), with gorgeous details. I think it's a good match for the snuggliness and smartness of the lambswool/cashmere yarn I'm using.

I'm not a very disciplined knitter, am I? I need to learn to finish stuff. Perhaps tonight's the night for Hopscotch. Or maybe I'll just knit more gorgeous twisted rib on Ivy.

five things to eat before you die

Updated to say: Anne didn't tag me. But I thought she did. And since it's about food, how could I say no?

1. Mole - That's the Mexican dish with chilli and chocolate rather than the small furry creature.
2. Free food - Wild blackberries straight off the bush, mushrooms you found in the forest (actually I've never done this, not having the necessary fungi knowledge to pick the non-poisonous ones, but I'd like to, one day), pears from your neighbours' garden, veg you grew yourself.
3. My sister's chocolate brownies.
4. My Melton Mowbray Grandma's roast potatoes.
5. Roast lamb, or even better, lamb pilaff made with the left-overs.

I tag anyone who wants to be tagged!

small things knit up quickly

I wasn't going to start anything before I'd finished things, was I? But I did.

I don't really do soft toys. I'm sure I've been given quite a few over the years, but very few make it to treasured possession status. My teddies, Growly (he has a growling mechanism, which was never quite the same after a tumble down the stairs) and Baby Teddy (later adopted and rechristened Tommy Teddy by Debs, which is just wrong, his name isn't Tommy) are at my parents' house somewhere. But somehow these guys, Piglet and Alexander, made it to Cambridge with me. Probably because they're small and like looking after my bookshelves. I can't remember where Piglet came from, he's been mine for ages. Alexander was a present from a school friend. For reasons lost in the mists of time, Piglet was wearing a blue knitted dress which used to belong to a doll whose name escepes me. I decided it was time he had some clothes of his own. Then I couldn't leave Alexander out, so I made him a scarf. Cashmere, of course.

Piglet wears: top-down raglan in Lorna's Laces Shepherd sock, colourway - Rainbow.

Alexander wears: garter stitch scarf with fringes in Hip Knits cashmere sock yarn.

Hmm, I've got a growing collection of smallish balls of sock yarn. These guys might end up with quite an extensive wardrobe.

progress

Last night (while watching Much Ado About Nothing on our new DVD player. Woo!) I finished the back of Arisaig and cast on for the first front. It's gorgeous, but apparently unphotographable. I tried this morning and every one came out too dark or too blurry. Never mind, it's gorgeous and I love it.

I'm trying to be good and not start anything until I've finished what's already on the needles. This is what's currently in progress:

Forecast: Almost up to where the sleeves divide off. According to the row count, I should be there, but when I try it on, it's obvious I'm not. I need to measure my gauge again and see what's going on. I started Forecast as written, with purled garter stitch, but got fed up with so much purling which was slowing me down, so switched to knit. This means I'm doing all my cables and bobbles from the wrong side, but they seem to look OK.

Angelica: Stalled, likely to be frogged fairly soon. I don't like the neckline and I love the yarn so much I want it to be something I'll really love. On the lookout for a pattern I love.

Diamond Fantasy shawl: I did one and half repeats the weekend I started and haven't done any since. This has a Christmas deadline, so I ought to get back to it soon.

Hopscotch socks: Sock one is done, sock two is growing slowly. This is my portable knitting, so I do a few rows here and there when I have time. A couple of evenings' solid work would probably finish it.

Lovemeknot socks: Sock one done, sock two waiting to be started.

Garter stitch shawl: Long term stash-buster/odd ball project. Won't be done any time soon.

two socks, not a pair

hopscotch sock, originally uploaded by the pig wot flies.

The socks I knit in Scotland went back to London in my mum's car by mistake, but now they're back in Cambridge. Here's sock one of a pair of Hopscotch socks designed by Pixeldiva. It's a lovely pattern, dead easy to memorise, but very effective. The foot has 60 stitches and fits nicely, if snuggly. I decided my ankles might be too big to get into the sock, so increased to 70 stitches above the heel. (The lace pattern is 10 stitches across). Consequently, it's a bit loose on the leg, but since it's an ankle sock, I don't think that matters. Anyway, nice pattern, sock 2 will be done soon.

lovemeknot sock, originally uploaded by the pig wot flies

This is a lovemeknot sock designed by Alice. The hearts are illusion knitted, which is so much fun! Quite mathematical and it's intriguing watching the pattern emerge as you knit. These are 72 stitches which is on the loose side (should have swatched, lazy me) but still an acceptable fit. I suspect I might have used rather more than half a ball of black for the first sock so might have to buy some more.