FO and decisions

Today I have a finished object (FO) to show you and an idea that I am mulling over.  Usually I like it when I'm thinking over something in advance, working out little details and dreaming of the finished article.  Not so much this time.  Why not?  Read on...

I promised you an image of the felted bag I made for one of the Grandgirls so here it is -

Not perfect by any means, but I was fairly pleased with the results even if the hastily taken photo doesn't do it justice.  The inside of this particular bag was a deep, but bright, blue which I also used in the strap.  The flap was purposely placed off centre.  The bag is totally seamless, made using a partial resist.  Not showing up in the image is the sparkly firestar (? - I don't think it is that but I can't think what it actually is) I put over the last layer before felting.  All little girls love a bit of glitter!

As for the idea I'm mulling over, I need a lightweight cardigan-type top to go over a long dress which I bought, and wore, for my son's wedding in 2009.  It is a long, silk dress in a rather unusual dark purpley colour with lighter, more french pink, floral panels front and back.  I wore a pale pink-purple top with it for the wedding but that is too formal for normal wear.  It is a dress I could get quite a bit of wear out of (although I'm not normally a dress-wearing gal) by dressing it down a bit.  I probably wouldn't find anything in the right colour down town to go with it, though.

My question is, do I bite the bullet and buy some laceweight yarn (I think I know of some fairly locally which may be the right colour) and knit myself a top?  I was thinking of Simplicity (Rav link) which, I believe, should work fine with the dress.  Any opinions?

I hope the dress still fits as I haven't tried it on lately.  I've lost weight since the wedding so I may need to look into altering it a little.  Shouldn't be a problem as I know someone who would probably do it if I feel it's too much for me.  Bother it, I'll also need shoes, too, as I wore boots to the wedding.  I don't think trainers would quite cut it, would they?  It would be nice to get some more wear out of the dress, though, as it wasn't exactly cheap to buy.  Either that or I'll need to think about selling it.

I didn't really intend to start buying any yarn quite this early in the year as I do have plenty to knit up.  That is why this type of decision, for me, is rather annoying.  But, when there is nothing in stash that is suitable what can you do?  Will I really get it knitted up, though?  That is the point.  Lots for me to think about.

Catching up on what I've been doing...

Surprise!  I'm back again!  Don't get too used to this but enjoy it while it lasts.  I thought that I had better get caught up on what I've been working on over the past while. 

I can't remember if I mentioned that I joined the Vintage Purls Knit-Along on Ravelry a few months ago (October?) but if I didn't, now you know.  I chose to knit the Geodesic Cardigan by Connie Chang Chinchio using VP lace in the Saag Alloo colourway.  As you  can see I have knit the whole body (it is knit all in one with false seams - seems to take ages but at least there isn't any sewing up at the end) complete with pleats up the front.

Next up are the sleeves.  These are started with a provisional cast on under the arm and knitted upwards to the top of the sleeve cap.  The sleeve cap is then sewn into the armscye, the stitches from the provisional cast on picked up and the sleeve knitted down from there.  Simple to say, however...  I have knitted the first sleeve cap but have stalled on sewing it into the armscye.  Sewing up has never been my forte and the laceweight, at this gauge is particularly challenging for me.  The cardigan has been in time out since the end of November.  I must finish it before the warm weather disappears!

While I was not thinking about Geodesic, I was wanting to knit on Something, Anything else.  Something that would suit what I had in stash.  Something that was not laceweight.  I searched Ravelry for days and came up with the Central Park Hoodie using the polwarth I had spun up a while back. 

While I liked the idea of a jacket, I felt that a jersey/sweater would be more useful to me and my lifestyle so I did a little more research and found two or three sweaters on Ravelry using this pattern.  A little sampling (yes, I do sample when the need arises and handspun definitely requires it) later and I was casting on for my sweater in the round.  Yes, no seams to sew up!

I was a little concerned that the cables wouldn't show up very well in the variegated colouring of the yarn, but I don't think it is too bad.  There aren't many cables and they are simple ones to boot.  I have knitted up to the armholes where I split the front main cable in two and worked the first side of the front in the flat.  The front is now up to the point where I need to decide on the neckline decreasing - something for me to concentrate on this evening.

The other craftwork I did recently, was to make three little felted shoulder bags for our little Grandgirls as last-minute Christmas presents.  Unfortunately, they were so last minute (I was hastily putting finishing touches to them on Christmas morning and they were still slightly damp even then!) that I only have a photo of one of them - which it looks as if you may have to wait until tomorrow to see as Blogger isn't letting me upload another photo!  So, until then...enjoy your day!

I'm Still Around!

I am still here, in case anyone as wondering. I haven't really been hiding, just not posting for a multitude of reasons most of which I won't go into here.

I have been busy, sort of. I have been writing letters and making lots of phonecalls trying to sort out the problems with our pellet fire. According to the supplier's experts, our fire is problem-free! Why isn't it heating our home the way other people's pellet fires do? I don't know, but the upshot is it at this stage, it looks as if the fire will be going back and we will be refunded some money. How much, I don't know. Probably not enough to cover the full cost of buying a new log burner and putting it in. Funny thing is, today the fire is the hottest it has been yet! At the same setting we've been using. And on the nicest day we've had for a while. Ah well, such is life!

Another thing happening in my life is that I resigned from my "little" job. Technically, this job is supposed to only take about 15-20 hours per month. In reality it is a fair bit more some months, especially when you take into account the time spent in meetings. I have been doing this job (as a favour as no-one else would take it on) for over three years now and have been involved with where I'm employed for about 10 years. Time to take a break as my stress levels, at times, have been too high. Just me, really. I won't cut all ties with them, just the employment side. No-one has applied for the job, yet, despite it being advertised. I will not carry on past August, I will not carry on past August is my mantra!

Spinners and Weavers group has been fun lately with felting being the focus this month. No photos of my work here as it isn't quite finished. We all made little needle books as well as a piece of felt which gets cut to make into a little folded box big enough to take a small piece of jewellery or small cake of soap. It would make a sweet package for a tiny gift.


I have been doing a little knitting recently. I finished H's handspun top-down jersey and it even fits, as you can see! The neck is a little sloppier than I wpuld like but not enough to bother undoing it, especially as a little girl was watching me finish it for her!


I am still working on the jersey for L. This has proved to be more of a challenge than I first thought! Note to self: no more working in the round with alternating block of colours. I found instructions in IK Fall 2003 for intarsia in the round so the jersey is now back on track after stalling for some time. This method is not particularly neat, but it is easier than the breaking off, and weaving in, of the colours as I had been doing. Below you can see the progress I had made until I stalled.

The body pattern is made up of four rows of one colour. On the first two rows every fourth stitch is slipped so that the previous colour is introduced into those rows. Looks, and sounds, more complicated than it really is. I felt that the jersey woudl look too busy if the same pattern was used for the sleeves as well, so I decided to make them plain. That is where the problems came in. Fine if it was knitted flat, but I was knitting in the round, so each round has one sleeve a different colour than the rest of the row. Next time I'll think further ahead. Hopefully!

Tomorrow we are due to go and see the little darlings. Will the jersey be finished? I don't know. I will have an hour and a half to knit on the journey, though. That should help.