princessdeia

For the past month the buzz on ravelry has been all about the Ravelympics… When, it was announced on the socktopus board that they were putting together a team, I had to join in, I have decided to compete in two events, the Shawl Relay and Sock Put.

So this afternoon, whilst the thousands of athletes walked into the Birds Nest, I began to knit, casting on one sock and the shawl - although I have to say casting on 5 stitches for the Forest Canopy Shawl was pretty easy.

I seemed to have missed the boat a little with this element for Project Spectrum, I did manage to cast on some grey and white socks over a month ago… I started off amazing well knitting the leg whilst out with the Westenders Knitters. However since then SSS has set in.

I took this photo a few weeks ago but never got around to posting it… Originally, this plant was meant to be for the window sill but slowly it has grown and now it is taking over our flat roof. The flowers are now turning into wonderful little chills - they are still very small but some are turning red.

After seeing Yoel’s success on Stash Busting, it struck me that if I am seriously going to decrease my stash, I am going to have to break into my core stash… without a doubt my favourite yarn has to be my mirage sock yarn - I love the colour, the texture, everything about this yarn but it deserves to be something special… and so I cast on the Lace Ribbon Scarf.

 Next, I had some Wexford Merino Silk, as I had one skein, I knew my choices would be limited. My first thought was a mini clapotis or one row scarf, but Yogicknitter suggested a Dream Swatch Head Wrap, which works really well with the silk, I actually have enough yarn to make a scarf rather than just the wrap.

My sister comment last night that my Clapotis looks like a giant Shreddie (which we all know are knitted by nanas), as I still haven’t worked out how to say Clapotis this is now the Shreddie’s Shawl!

I am not sure why is has taken me so long to get around to knitting this pattern, about 95% of it is basic stocking stitch so it can be knitted whilst watching T.V. From what I have read it is easy to knit one in a week or less (of course you need to have some free time), and you don’t have to worry about gauge. I am already planning my second Mini-Clap!

This little beauty appeared on the plant last week - it has now been joined by 8 little siblings

I am planning on getting around to posting about my adventure in America, however I have been kept away from the P.C. So far since I have been back I have been to Kent, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, and then back to Buckinghamshire.

What little time I have had to myself I have been working on my Clapotis (This is my current Viral Knitting Project). I can’t believe it has taken me so long to knit this pattern… Am I the last knitter on earth to make this shawl?

So like all sock knitters I have a bag of leftover yarn and no idea what to do with it… I did a little bit of research online and found a few patterns. I don’t have enough for a blanket, I thought these were cute, and of course there is the calorimetry.

In the end I thought I would knit another pair of socks. I enjoyed reading grumperina’s experiments with Lorna Lace Spiral Socks, but I have mainly multi coloured yarn, so this wouldn’t work. With the leftover Lorna Lace from my Jaywalkers,  I brought some solid yarn to make the Old Shale Socks, but never gor around to making them. Then, last month I had a dream.

When I awoke, I had a strong image of the socks I had been knitting in my dream. I wanted the toe, base of the foot and heel all to be in chocolate and the top of the foot and leg to be in the multi yarn. I of course turned to Ravelry to see if anyone could help me find the pattern, in the end I discovered Hidden Passion (Rav Link) - which are almost right.

Instead of ordering the book, I took my yarn, needles notepad and pen sat down in the summer sun and started to knit. I figured it was just a case of knitting half a sock at a time on two needles, Using provisional cast on and the chocolate yarn, I began with the heel flap -30 sts for 32 rows (slipping the first stitch), then created the heel.

Next I picked up the slipped stitched to create a  gusset, then I knitted into the back of each picked up stitch for one row (I found here I had to knit with three needles). Continuing by decreasing one stitch at the beginning of each row until 30 stitches remained.

I carried on knitting, slipping a stitch at the beginning of each row until I was two inches short of the desired length. Then I used Dianne’s excellent description for a short row toe. Before changing to the multi-yarn.

I picked up the slipped stitch from the foot, and knitted it together with the first stitch on the needle. Knitted to the final stitch, slipped that and picked up the stitch from the foot and passed the slip stitch over. On the next row I slipped the first and last stitch (30 stitches).

Once, I had picked up all the slipped stitches from the foot, I undid the provisional cast on and started knitting on the round (with 60 stitches), until the desired length.

Then I changed back to the chocolate yarn for the rib - I did about 15 rows of rib.

Finally, I used the tubular cast off to finished (using Anna Bell’s tutorial).

It seems that lately, I haven’t been able to find the time to knit let alone blog. I have had the Baudelaire socks on the needles for over a month now. I have been able to make a few smaller projects, - hot water bottle covers and a beret. I have added them to Ravelry but not updated them here, (my poor blog have been neglected). So the stash busting is going well, I now have more “used” yarn in my Stash on Ravelry than in my “stash” tab. There is still enough for 7 more pairs of socks, and several scarves/shawls. But the great thing is I am remembering why I brought this yarn in the first place and falling in love with it all over again.

Last night was the first meeting of the the Socktopus Sock Club at the Troubadour Coffee Shop in Earl’s Court. Some of us arranged to meet up at the tube station first, and planned on walking to the cafe together.

After waiting for a while the call of knitting was too strong and we headed to the cafe, but concerned we might have left Alex behind we left her a little note, thanks to Mel and her Post it Notes!

Once we got to the cafe (and found Alex), we discovered it was buy one get one free on cocktails, I figured it was safe to have a couple of Cosmo’s and knit, fully expecting that I would have to rip back my knitting this morning!

It was great to catch up with everyone, meet some new knitters and even watch as we converted our waiter into a knitter! It almost makes up for having missed Alice’s Hen Do.

All in all a perfect night, knitting, greats and some rather lovely Stockey Tiffee Pudding!

When I first started this round of Project Spectrum, I had a lot of big intentions. I was going to use this opportunity to stash bust, experiment with adding more colour into my life and blog away about all things fiery. Of course, it didn’t work out like that at all!

I have had very little free time recently, which translate to very little knitting and even less blogging. So in a last minute attempt to show I have been embracing all things pink, orange and yellow! Now I haven’t painted any walls yellow or rushed out to buy a bright pink coat, I have slowly been adding more colour into my life.

I figured the reason I never considered wearing yellow or orange was because I had never found the right shade for me… so before going to Rome I brought this mustard yellow top, I thought it was a safe bet, it works well with the staples in my wardrobe (dark blue jeans or brown cords).
Please ignore the lame photo it was taken as part of the “Fontana di Trevi Experiement” on Ravelry!

However, I am yet to find the perfect shade of orange and this colour is still missing from my palette. Pink has been the easiest colour for me to play with, it is very easy to throw on my pink converse shoes, and I have previously knitted several pink socks and of course I have had another pair of pink socks on the needles this month! I am hoping to finish these tomorrow, so I can start working with the earth tones for the next cycle of PS3.

I don’t have the time to commit to a long swap like Secret Pal, but I still love swaps, (it is the joy of getting post). I love the idea of the Mystery Swap, a parcel with a theme and a few years ago I had so much fun with the Project Spectrum Postcard Swap, so imagine my joy today when I got two interesting pieces of mail (along with a rather boring bank statement).

First was this parcel from Karin, as part of the Mystery Swap, she picked Miss Marple as the theme but as I have all the books, she is calling it “The Miss Marple package without a Miss Marple book” package… Karin thought the darker blue yarn would be perfect for the Reading-In-Bed Shrug (pdf file) - which I think is very Miss Marple.
Also included was some sock yarn, rose napkins, a pattern book and frog candle (not pictured).

Next was an ATC as part of the PS3 - Elements, this firey creation was by Meg, she was lovely enough to also include a spring ATC for my collection - but for some reason I forgot to photograph it :S

As I am blogging about PS3 it make sense that I should show off my fire inspired knitting. My second pair of Pomatomus Socks this time in Knitwitches sock yarn.

So I have been part of the Stashalong for a month now, and although I have been lacking in the knitting department, I haven’t brought any yarn! I have even managed to control my Startitis - however, I still hate those final chores to complete a garment - blocking, seaming, even sewing on a button!

March is going to be a different! I have set up a progress page to watch my Stashalong, I have a few small projects planned so hopefully I can there won’t be much finished off to do and I can finally have some true progress.

1. NDS - Mirage, 2. NDS - Dazzle, 3. Cascade 220 - Paints,
4. Cascade 220 - Heathers, 5. Cascade 220 - Quarto, 6. Cascade 220.

I did have big plans to start the year as a two-project-gal, to stash bust and not to develop startitis. Of course this wasn’t going to last long, I went a little mad online, was planning on finally getting around to ordering my Knit Picks Options Needles and Nickel DPN sets. (I got even some cash for Christmas I wanted to spend), then I wanted to buy some Cascade Yarn to make felted hot bottle covers (I went really mad here and brought four types), and then I remember the lovely mirage sock yarn Emms was using at Alice’s Knitmas Party, so of course I have to buy some.

I have been really good in regard to not starting projects, for most this month I have only had two pairs of socks on the needles. I was planning on casting on the Ene shawl (as it was the poll winner last month), however, I am not sure if Shimmer is the right yarn for this project - I think I will get some Knitwitches Silk for this project.

Instead I cast on a Short Row Scarf, using Wendy Fusion yarn, I felt the colour runs where too long to really show off the entrelac pattern, this pattern is much better suited, as each section seems to be a “different” colour.

*Stash Accumulation Beyond Life Expectancy