princessdeia

November 30th 2007
Filed under General, Sweaters

For months I was planning on knitting this sweater, if I am going to be honest, I think I planned on knitting this pattern soon after buying the book in New York way back in June 2005.

Now after a week of knitting I have nearly finished the first arm (I have a long knitting session planned tonight). I know this pattern is in the “Over Eight Hours” chapter of the book, but I thought that meant way more than eight hours, I think I have been knitting for around seven hours now.

I love this knitted on the round yoke type sweater, and I am already on the hunt for the next one to knit, I love the IK’s Equinox Yoke Pullover and Aftur (especially after seeing Lolly’s completed version), however I think that fair isle pattern is out of my league, so I think I will opt for Neiman, now begins the hunt for the right yarn.

August 23rd 2006
Filed under General, Project Spectrum, Sweaters

As sun seems to have gone on holiday and the shops are full of autumn clothes , I have put together a list of things I have seen in shops, that I fancy knitting.

1. Even though, I never got around to making my crochet dress this summer, I am thinking about a chunky knitted dress.
2. A simple stripe cardigan (I’m not sure what colours I will make this in).
3. Deep V-neck lurex top.
4. a cable hoodie – although, I think I will make Central Park Hoodie.

I haven’t even been to Gap lately and I always love their winter knits – I will be busy.

As well as planning some knits, I have been busy knitting the mohair stripe sweater, I am knitting this with 4.5mm circular needles so it is knitting up very quickly after about a week, I have knitted over 12 inches of the body, and am about to start shaping the armholes.

I have almost finished my other Striped Sweater (that I started back in May), and I have discovered a problem with knitting stripes, weaving in the ends.

As much as I love knitting, I hate seaming, which is why I love knitting on the round – sewing with always come back to haunt me last night I spend several hours weaving in the ends and I am still no where near finished.

August 11th 2006
Filed under General

Yesterday I met up with my sister for lunch in Putney, so it was the prefect time for me to check out Stash Yarns. I treated myself to Knit 1 and the newest Knitscene, as well as some Addi Turbo’s so I can finally start my brown sweater. I am re-working the pattern from Vintage Knits, so it is made with Double Knit Cotton and Mohair, instead of 4-ply and KSH. I spent the night designing the pattern and swatching. Whilst I had my design hat on, I started planning my next project.

Last week, my sister and I saw a amazing grey cardigan in Top Shop, but it acrylic, being a yarn snob, I couldn’t allow my sister to buy it. as an alternative I offered to knit her the sweater in wool.

June 18th 2006
Filed under General, Project Spectrum, Stash Enhancement

I am doing a pretty bad job of avoiding the World Cup, the idea of meeting up with everyone in the pub to watch the game or staying in and watching crap television isn’t really a fair contest, especially when there is cold beer involved! I watched the England game in the pub on Thursday, and although my knitting was in my bag, the pub was too crowded and the idea of knitting in the smokey atmosphere did not appeal.

My stash has also been enhanced with some Cascade 220, when I started knitting again two years ago, Stitch ‘n’ Bitch became my bible and the Internet was a constant source of patterns, amazingly a large amount of pattern (especially felted patterned) called for Cascade 220 or Lamb’s Pride Bulky, and these yarns where impossible to get hold of – now Get Knitted has started selling both these yarns so I had to check them out – now all we need is got Knit Picks to export to the UK and I will be able to find out what all the fuss is about.

Luckily I am not on a yarn diet, as I brought more yarn on Friday afternoon, when I was meant to be shopping for my Secret Pals when I invested in some Louisa Harding Kashmir Aran for me – I think I will turn it into a summer scarf.

Unfortunately I haven’t had a chance to knit much this weekend, as we saw the Foo Fighters in Hyde Park yesterday – undoubtedly a gig I will tell my children about, gorgeously hot day, one of the London’s most famous landmarks, 85, 000 people and members of Queen performing the encore – my only complaint was the set was too short!

Today, I have completed a Blue Square for knit-a-river.

June 12th 2006
Filed under General, Project Spectrum

This pretty much a “bear” representation of our weekend, Friday afternoon, Jason began his month long marathon of watching football matches and I started knitting, I manage to cast on my cardigan during the Germany/Costa Rica game, and did a little more over the Poland/Ecuador match.

Saturday was devoted to enjoying the sun, watching the England game and catching up with friends. On Sunday, I started knitting some blue squares for Knit-a-river, perfect for stash-busting and also for this month Project Spectrum.

June 5th 2006
Filed under General, Project Spectrum

Over this weekend, I received my May postcard from Suzanne at Luscious Fibers as part of May’s Project Spectrum Postcard swap, with a lovely message about me trying to find balance whilst planning the wedding (I hope I haven’t become bridezilla).

I spent the majority of the weekend having a clear out – think of it as spring cleaning a little late. Because of limited space, I don’t really have a massive stash of wool – and I am always envious when I see other bloggers flash their stash, this sad box is my stash.

• The sky blue mohair, I brought on eBay last year, hoping to make Grecian Plait from Knitty, however, I found the wool to itchy to wear and so it has been hidden away.
• The turquoise is aurora 8, I am hoping to turn into the Clutch Bag from One Skein.
• Finally, the navy is aurora 4, which I am going to turn into a little cardigan – my World Cup knitting project.

I also realized my knitting notions and needles really need a better home, using some plastic bags does not look good – so what does one do – well obviously she knits herself a knitting bag. For a while know I have loved the Cleo Clutch from SPUN, which I think would be perfect for my notions and I thought I would double the pattern to make a larger bag to hold my projects.

May 18th 2006
Filed under General

This week I have become obsessed with Topshop – not just because of the Laura Lees collection in there (I could have brought all the dresses in her range), but they also have the most amazing vintage print shift dresses in there. Then yesterday, I saw the most beautiful crocheted dress (the one on the homepage), the only problem it is in white.

I use to crochet a lot – there was even I time I preferred it to knitting – I thought my knitting was messy. But over the last 18 months it has been all about knitting. I have been thinking about crocheting again, but have yet to find an interesting project. Now, all I want to do is crochet a dress (I even dreamt about this dress in a blue colour)…

… Over to goggle, and I found this amazing pattern (pdf file) from Interweave, quick trip over to Texere and I found the their Double Top Cotton is the right gauge can comes in the perfect blue (shade royal). Now all I need to do is find my crochet hooks.

May 9th 2006
Filed under General, Project Spectrum, Wedding

I have decided to start devoting all my time to just one project, I have about six items on the needles at the moment and I think I am spreading myself a little thinly. My major project for May is a surprise for my sister’s birthday, it is in green (for Project Spectrum)but that is all I am saying.

Apart from that I am going to finish all the little bits on some projects, sew buttons on my mum’s cardigan, block my circular shrug, sew up the toes on the socks! All which will only take one evening, but I just don’t have the free time at the moment.

This week, I have been busy designing our wedding stationary and making Save the Date cards - it is a little strange mass producing cards, normally my paper-crafts are one offs, now I have become a perfectionists over the silliest things.

I have seen a few people post this, so thought I would jump on the bangwagon!

http://www.hotfreelayouts.com/music.php

February 22nd 2006
Filed under General, Project Spectrum, Socks, Stash Enhancement, Sweaters

One of the problems with not blogging regularly is I didn’t get a chance to flash the latest additions to my stash. Most of this was purchased in the January sales.

• Debbie Bliss Maya (half price in the John Lewis sale), which I am using for my circular shrug.
• Some cheap pink acrylic sock yarn, I think I will make some Jaywalkers with this.
• Paton’s Essences in the bright pink, probably with become the Anthropologie Capelet from Craftster.

Having spent the majority of the last week waiting for news from the hospital, I have managed to knit away; the twin set is almost complete. After about 3 months I have finally blocked the sweater, I was concerned that the cardigan would look too plain also in stocking stitch so I added a little pattern – based on the diamond stitch pattern from diamond sweater also in Vintage Knits.

The body and sleeve of the cardigan are done and being blocked. All I just need to do is knit the button band however, I think this is going to be like Lucky and take me the most time to complete. I would like to have this completed by this week before Project Spectrum begins.

As a distraction, I started this circular shrug, this is my unofficial Knitting Olympics project (I didn’t think I would finish it in time), this pattern knits up really quickly, two nights worth of knitting and I have completed 7 inches – I guess I could have finished it in the 16 days. Especially, as I can’t wait to wear this project.

January 25th 2006
Filed under General, Project Spectrum, Socks

Going away at the beginning of the year means I have been completely out of the loop in so many things in blogland. I knew it would be almost impossible to participate in Secret Pal this session as I will be away in March as well – and that was cool.

But now I have found out I miss the deadline for Sockapalooza – which I think is a good thing, as I am not that confident about my sock knitting capabilities, and I am not sure anyone would want sock I made. The obvious way to resolve this would be to sign up to something like Count Your Socks, but I think I might be too late – we shall see.

And then there is the wonderful concept of the Knitting Olympics – what an amazing idea – the only problem is I am having so many problems completing projects at the moment and I really should finish my mum’s twin set – but the thought of finishing a small project in 16 days really appeals. It will encourage me to have a FO in my gallery for 2006 – I even have a project planned the Crafter’s Circular Shrug – but I think I have to thing about this – maybe train a little first.

Then finally in Blogland found a no-pressure project. Lolly’s Project Spectrum, it is simple create something from a set colour each month – be it a sweater, scrapbooking page or bracelet – Lolly has explained it best on her blog – but is sounds perfect for me – now I can start scrap-booking rather then just buying supplies from eBay.