princessdeia

October 15th 2012
Filed under Hats

Well in recent months my knitting has been pushed to the side as I concentrate on working and studying, I am so far behind on my 12 FOAM challenge (to have one Finished Object A Month). There is something about this time of year that has inspired me, be it the colder weather, the colours or darker nights spend indoors. Whatever the reason, I am knitting again!

One of the first things I wanted to knit was a cabled hat for the winter, in a golden-orange shade. I wanted a soft chunky yarn and failed to find anything inspiring in John Lewis so instead opted to go for Malabrigo Merino Worsted. To me this yarn is like an old friend, reliable, soft and comes in a range of colours (I adore their Lace and Sock Yarn too). I opted for Sunshine, which isn’t a very autumnal name, but to me looks like the changing leaves.

As for a a pattern, I opted for another Gretel – I have made this pattern twice before, love the cables and they way they form part of the increases and decreases, and the fit is perfect for me.

June 16th 2012
Filed under General

Earlier this year another of my lovely knitting friends had a baby – a gorgeous little baby boy – so of course this meant I would have another chance to knit Elijah! Well doing through my stash I didn’t have any appropriate yarn, so I though maybe I could adapt the pattern and make it using sock yarn.

Remember in my last post how I mentioned I was always knitting with the same yarn? Well I figured Sokkusu Original, would be perfect, great stitch definition and soft enought for baby’s little hands. As the pattern originally calls for DK yarn on 3.25mm needles I figured sock yarn on 2mm would create a tight enough fabric. What I didn’t could on was the awkwardness of knitting so few stitches (for the arms and trunk) on such small needles, let alone the picking up of stitches.

However, it was a really quick knit! So I figured as I hadn’t made anything for the little boy’s older sister, why not do another one (this time in pink). Well when I was working picking up the stitches on the second leg, I managed to completely bend the needle (it was almost semi circle), But I figured I would be alright, afterall I could manage this with 4 needles (as these a pack of 5), but of course I couldn’t find the final needle anyway, so somehow I managed to knit the leg with a bent needle and without having to buy more needles.

Luckily, I have now found the other needle (in another project bag) and both Elijah’s are now safely in the arms of their new owners.

June 14th 2012
Filed under General, Socks

At the moment, it seems all my knitting project at the moment seem to be using the same yarn, Sokkusu Original. I have been fortunate enough to be able to pop along to the Socktopus Studios a few times and each time, I am tempted by the wonderful colourways and end up coming home with a mini stash of yarn.

I was particularly taken with the Hunger Games colours, I adored Haymitch and was really keen to cast on a new project. Around the same time Ruth announced her Mystery Sock KAL, so I thought this would be a perfect combination.

I cast on and happily knitted the leg (week two) – when I suddenly thought this yarn is too pretty to be hidden away as socks, but I continued on to the heel flap, and then it dawned to me – this sock pattern is actually perfect for a guy!

I have yet to find many exciting sock patterns to knit for year – a lot of “male” patterns, I just end up knitting in a smaller size in a girly colour. When it comes to knitting socks for Jason, I have two defaults, a vanilla sock or 2×2 rib! What is worse I also have two yarn options, Regia/Opal self-stripping in grey or a solid yarn (occasionally I might pick something interesting) in Black or Navy! Is there anything worse than knitting 72 stitches of stocking stitch in black?

So I figured Ruth’s sock pattern might just work – and what is more than that, I have a great Socktopus yarn – District 12 (a semi solid dark grey)! This of course meant ripping back the sock But fear not, a quick hunt to Ravelry and I found another interesting pattern Afternoon Tea.

June 6th 2012
Filed under General, Travels

It’s been so long since I have written a proper blog post, I am sure you have been wondering what I have been up to.

First off, we had a little holiday in Portugal (the sun was out most the time but obviously not on the day I took my photos).

Since where we were staying was so close to Seville (about a 2 hour drive), we decided to head over the border for some Tapas and to check out the Plaza de España as it was used as a location for the Attack of the Clones.

Whilst, away it struck me that my life had become very static, with the pregnancies and my operation, I haven’t made any effort to improve my career or job opportunities so, after we returned, I signed up to return to school, I am planning on taking a few course over the next year to improve my Web Design skills and learn some new ones (HTML5).

I set about starting up a little side line venture Prêt-À-Tricoter, and we put out our first Knitting Kit – themed around the Hunger Games (there are a few still available if you are interested). On top of that I am currently doing an internship to improve my Social Media networking skills.

When we returned home Jason’s eczema flared up pretty badly and he began a cycle of antihistamine, lotions and anti-boitics. After a few weeks, when Jason’s eczema showed no signs of improving (in fact it was getting worse), and we ended up at A&E, after he developed a fever. He was diagnosed with a Staph Infection and spend the next 24 hours in hospital have more antibiotics administered via an IV – this was only the third time in our five year marriage Jason and I have not slept in the same bed (one of the others being when I was in hospital last year). It seems to be under control now and we are just hoping it doesn’t get that sever again.

Sitting around the hospital for 24 hours and then the numerous follow up doctors and dermotoligist appointment have meant I had a lot of time to knit. Firstly, on a Wingspan shawl and also on Ruth’s Mystery Sock KAL

March 21st 2010
Filed under General, Socks

As I mentioned before one of the reason I loved the Socktopus Sock Club so much was the “interesting” construction of each of the socks. So when I saw a pattern with the most amazing heel, climbing up the ranks of the most popular pattern ranks on ravelry, I had to knit it!

As soon as I finished my Rumpled sock (photos to come), I cast on Skew! I normally don’t care too much about gauge on socks – but I read on ravelry it is extremely important in this sock – and I am glad I read that as I needed to go up a needle size to get the right tension.

In effect it is really just a stocking stitch sock with clever increases and decreases so it knits up pretty quickly, but I love the unusual construction – I keep stopping to try the sock on to see how it fits and get an idea of what part I am currently knitting!

Once I got to the heel – I was completely amazed – it is extremely clever the way to all fits together! One this I would add is before casting on this sock save the yard of yarn for the grafting stage, I didn’t and had to temporarily use another yarn which I will unpick and re-graft once I have finished knitting.

January 22nd 2010
Filed under Socks, socktopus club 2009, Stash Enhancement

Whilst I sit here still hoping the postman is going to deliver my Knit Love Sock club parcel, I thought it was the perfect time to post the details about the final package from last years Sock club.

The parcel actually arrived before Christmas (hence the pattern name), but I didn’t get a chance to cast them on until this year. The yarn is my favourite to date – a special cashmere blend from Nimu in the most amazing purple/blue colour! The pattern – Mince Pie Mayhem was designed by Alice, and the “extras” were some Soak and amazing labels to attch to your handmade goodies.

I was hoping to have these socks finished by today, but have only made it to the toe on the first sock. It seems a little silly knitting Mince Pie socks well after Christmas, so I have renamed they the blueberry pie socks as the yarn reminds me more of this!

October 15th 2009
Filed under Socks

At least once a year I try and do Yarnharlot’s Knitters without Borders pledge, for one week, I forgo my cappuccinos, lunches out or that extra pint in the pub, just because giving up these little luxuries for week makes no differences to me can make an amazing difference for some one else. I still get amazed when I realise how much has been raised by this concept. (At the time of writing this is is over $600, 000).

I while ago I read about the idea of of paying for patterns by pennies per hour of pleasure (or p/hop), which is an extension of this concept. The idea is simple you knit one of the patterns from the site and then donate based on how much pleasure you got from making the project.

Over the last few month, in-between making my club socks I have been working on Joy‘s Hopsox pattern, I have been keeping a record of how many hours I have been working on this project, so far I think I am about 14 hours into the pattern. I have never really “timed” myself whilst knitting so it has been quiet enlightening for me.

October 13th 2009
Filed under General, Socks, socktopus club 2009

Sock knitters all know October means Socktoberfest! This year is no different, my aim this year is to try and finish all the socks I have on the needles and take part in the TTL Mystery Sock. Not too big a task, I was working on August’s Sock Club, and just had to make a partner for my p/hop sock. However, I forgot that the next instalment of the Sock Club was due (I will post about that soon – it is truly an amazing package), so of course I had to cast that on!

Then I hit a snag with the Scadenza, one of the joys of this pattern is the continuity of the pattern, the waves are carried from the toe to cuff, then new waves are started on the base of the foot carried over the heel and onto the leg. When I joined the back and front instead of pretty waves, I ended up with some lovely waves and one rough. Jason actually named it the drunk wave!

So I frogged the pattern, started again, then I notice I have dropped a stitch whilst frogging, so had to rip it back again. Third attempt, the drunk line once again appeared!

So this time I sat down with a pen and paper and drew the pattern as I saw it should be, realising I had no idea what I was doing, I scanned the chart and got to work in Photoshop linking the charts from the front and back. After about a week of this I discovered the pattern was meant to look like this, with the drunk wave.

Of course I was not content with this idea, when back to photoshop and eventually re-drew the chart on graph paper to insure I had all sober waves. So my sixth attempt at the pattern with the help of photoshop, pen and paper and had one completely lovely sock.

June 16th 2009
Filed under General

Last autumn, I got this Socktopus bag, when I helped Alice out at the Ally Pally Knitting Show, the bag has hung in our bedroom for months hidden inside has been works in progress and yarn. I have been too scared to venture into the bag as I know it contains my longest standing WIP! However hidden in the bottom of the bag was also this Crochet Flower Kits from House of Hemp.

I have been interested in working with “other” fibres for sometime now, so when I saw these kits at Ally Pally, I knew they were the perfect tester kit. Over this weekend, I sat down and began re-watching Battlestar Galactica and crocheted away. I ended up knocking out a one flower an episode!

A quick trip to the Bead Shop (more about that later) and a raid of my button jar and I have a whole bouquet of flowers. Of course I then had to add one to the Socktopus bag to remind me to use this bag and not be afraid of the WIP!

January 14th 2009
Filed under 101 Things, General, Socks

I have to admit, I don’t use Ravelry to it’s full potential. Occasionally, I will test out a new feature (I am currently loving the twitter status updates), but there are tools I never use. I tend to just use the project or stash tabs, and the forums. This weekend I decided to export my stash into excel – all done with the one click. After adding a quick equation, I discovered I have six and a half miles of yarn!

As most of this is sock yarn and I am attempting to decrease this stash by mile, I figured four pairs of socks and a hat (mainly because of the cold snap in London this month) is about 1760 yards.

Rather than digging into my core stash, I opted to start knitting with my newest yarn acquisition, the Scarlet Fleece I got from my Sosesaswa pal. Speaking on Sosesaswa before Christmas, Jen set me an extra gift as part of the swap, a handmade DPN case, some needles and stitch markers.