WIP Wednesday

Only one thing going on this week.  Well, only 1 thing I can show you, I have lot's of other things but no photos!

This hat is for Jitterbug.  The yarn I purchased at Unravel earlier this year, and is lovely!

Which reminds me - I have yet to show you the acquisitions from my trip to Amsterdam.  I bought a lot.  'Nuff said.  I bought from two shops, Penelope Craft and Weldraad.  My step mother-in-law had emailed me about Weldraad when it first opened, so we visited.  The place is amazing - the website says that in the store you will find a collection of yarns, fabrics and buttons which are produced as eco-friendly as possible (it's in Dutch).  The man working when we went in knew his stuff.  Really knew his stuff - he told us all about the fabrics they sell, all the fibres and yarns.  It is a must visit for anyone visiting Amsterdam!  Penelope Craft was delightful as usual - very helpful and let me browse in peace!  Another must visit, and they also sell yarns that you can't get in the UK (or can't get without going to London).

 Weldraad Baby Alpaca

 Madelinetosh Sock

 Weldraad Baby Alpaca

 Madeline Tosh Merino Light

 GGH Baby Alpaka

 Madeline Tosh Merino Light

 Cascade Lace

 Malabrigo Lace

Malabrigo Sock

 Joris toy kit from Weldraad

 Cascade Eco+

 Cascade Eco+

 Holst Garn Supersoft

  Holst Garn Supersoft

  Holst Garn Supersoft

  Holst Garn Supersoft

  Holst Garn Supersoft

  Holst Garn Supersoft

  Holst Garn Supersoft

GGH Baby Alpaka

 Weldraad Baby Alpaca

It would appear me and yarn diets just weren't meant to be!

For more WIP Wednesdays, visit Tamis Amis

WIP Wednesday, Yarn Along & blowing the budget!

For a long time I have mocked knitted toys.   In fact, I have commented to my friend Sarah that she has too much time on her hands if she can think about knitting toys.

It was with great shock that I then found myself head over heels in love with a toy kit a yarn shop in Amsterdam was selling.  The pattern was Joris, and I had seen it in Penelope Craft last year, and thought it was nothing special.  In fact, the pattern still is nothing special in my opinion.  However, the show model Weldraad had was knit using Aade Long.

Both my husband and I decided instantaneously that I would buy the kit, knit the toy and put it on a shelf far from little fingers who don't appreciate hours of work when they see it.

Progress after day 1 is good (3 broken up hours in the afternoon):

Now, as I said at the start of the year when I decided I was going on a yarn diet, there would be a few exceptions, and the trip to Amsterdam was one of them.

The photo coming up is the very definition of blowing the budget.  Luckily it was in foreign money so it doesn't feel like I spent a lot (plus the fact I pre-ordered most of it online before I left....)

I do have plans for most of this, so it's certainly not as bad as it seems at first glance!  It would also appear I have a bit of a thing for red and turquoise.  And white.  And grey.  Not in this photo is a skein of yellow Alpaca which was knit into a hat for my sister who will be in a back brace for 3 months after shattering 2 vertebrae 2 weeks ago.  See! Already using up the stash!!! 

I've been really struggling to find interesting books to read recently.  Interesting might be the wrong word because I have lot's of interesting books I'd love to  read, I just can't get into them.  I read the second book in the All Souls Trilogy recently which was really good.  I am about halfway through The Historian, but neither of those I absolutely must finish straight away, which is the feeling I usually get when I get into a book (it doesn't help that this is a re-reading of The Historian, so I already know the end!).  I think I need to spend an hour in the second hand book shop here and just buy a whole load of random books.

For other WIP Wednesday visit Tamis Amis.  For Yarn Alongs, head to Ginnys.

Stash Diet Review: Sokkusu

Sokkusu first entered my radar some time last year.  When I started knitting again after my break, I searched out Socktopus as a place to buy nice yarns, only to find it had been replaced by Alice Yus own hand-dyed creations.  I seeked out some images on Ravelry, and I was smitten, then when I read how much research had gone into finding the perfect qualities of yarn base, and then finding someone to mill to the specification of Alices perfect sock base, I knew I had to try it.

When I saw Socktopus were going have a stall at last years Knit Nation, it was on my list of places to spend money.  I feel in love as soon as I laid my eyes on this colourway, Siffie.  As some of you may remember, last year I said I would no longer be buying single lone skeins of anything, so I did receive some flak for this purchase.  I had a great excuse though - this is a dyepot baby!

The colours are the perfect muted rainbow.  I could look at this all day and never bore of it.

One day, I will join her Knit Love Club.  I love this yarn that much!  The base is perfect, and the spin and ply seem tight enough to be able to withstand the wear of being socks, despite being 100% Merino.

I love this yarn, and when my stash has been reduced, I will be seeking out some other colours!  This may become socks, or it may be crocheted into a shawl, I'm not sure yet.  I need to stop looking at it first!

Stash Diet Review: Malabrigo Sock

You can't be a knitter in this day without hearing of Malabrigo eventually.  "MMMMMMalabrigo"  It really is everything the hype makes it out to be.

I was quite late to the Malabrigo game, and bought my first skein (Rayon Vert, below) of Malabrigo Sock in 2011.  I picked it up while at The Yarn Cake in Glasgow one evening and had some money burning a hole.  The Ravelry Red I bought while at Penelope Craft in Amsterdam last summer, and since I love red it was a very obvious must-buy!  The colourways Malabrigo come in are gorgeous, the colours I have seen have been so saturated, it does make me wonder how much the dye will bleed when being washed! ;D
I can't honestly say these will become socks.  The yarn feels so soft, I can't imagine it not pilling and felting really really easily, not to mention the fact there is no nylon and it is 100% Merino.  They also seem to my inexperienced eye to be on the looser scale of plied for sock yarn, but I could be way off base with that.  It really is very very soft, and would be amazing knit up as a shawl or fingerless gloves, but even the gloves might pill badly.

The two colourways I own I fell in love with as soon as I saw them.  I love the way the purples are highlighted by green in Rayon Vert.  The Ravelry Red is just sensational, a real treat for lovers of red everywhere.

I do have projects planned for these.  Honest!  They will both become triangular shawls at some point in the future, but I do not have any specific pattern in mind for them.  I must confess though, being a variegated yarn not-love-just-like-er, Rayon Vert has me worried!  This is my main problem with variegated yarns - I love how they look skeined up, but I hate the randomness of it when it has been knit up, so I may actually crochet a shawl with Rayon Very!

OOOOH boy!

You can see my stash on ravelry, and there are also more photos at the link on the top bar!

I also added an About Me page up there, so have a read if you like :)

WIP Wednesday

Another Wednesday, and another WIP!

My sister has a small dog, a Border Terrier, called Gordy.  Gordy is her child and will be her only child if she has anything to do with it.  She dresses him in jackets with hoods, cardigans, all the usual dog stuff I laugh at and we've joked in the past about me knitting him a sweater.

The joke was playing on my mind, and I started this last night, and I have to say I am loving knitting it so far!

Puppies on Parade Dog  Sweater
5.5mm, a mix of Lion Brand Wool-ease, Vannas Choice and some other random grey stuff I had.  Oh, and some hairy yarn.

I love the fact it's not serious.  I love the fact it's going to be for a dog!  I'm knitting it at a far bigger gauge than the pattern calls for, but I am 95% sure I've done the number right and the size I am knitting will fit him.

Other than the Bohus class I took, this is the first time I've knit more than one colour yarn in a row.  I am pretty sure my floats are too tight in some places, but I'm pretty pleased so far!  This was the result of 4 hours knitting (with a few breaks), so I should have it done pretty quickly!  I'm aiming for having it finished for when I go up to Scotland at the end of the month.

I also received this mitten kit through the post this week!  Kindly bought by my mother - she is the best!

However, before I can start on them, I promised my brother I'd knit him a cowl.  I've never knit anything for him, to feel it's only fair I give him something, especially as he is the coolest 17 year boy I've ever known.

So that's it from me this week, I have a few things to show on Friday so be sure to come back then!

WIP Wednesday is hosted over at Tamis blog, so if you have a few minutes step on over and have a look through the other blogs taking part.

A Stitch in Time vol 2 (and they're making a mockery of me!)

It was with great anticipation I received my copy of Stitch in Time vol 2 this week.  This was a mothers day gift, but with the many delays, it is closer to being an early birthday gift!

I love the first book, which is weird as I don't love a lot of the patterns.  The same has happened this time.  I adore the book, the photography is stunning, the print is astounding, and the binding and paper quality are both top notch.

I have high hopes for falling in love with more and more of the patterns, the more I look through the book.  Two jumped out at me, then another, then another.  The thing about the first book is while I don't love a lot of the patterns, I always find a new one I like as I look through it.

You can see some of the images from the new book at knitonthenet. With the book was also some small samples of Excelana, and discount codes (which luckily don't run out until Jan 2012!) so I obviously need to decide what I'm going to be buying with them in January ;)

Now why is it every time I say I won't buy any more, I see something I've wanted for ages and ages?

WIP Wednesday

Just a quick catch up from me today!  I've not had much knitting time over the last few days, between being ill, organising birthday presents and sorting through the general accumulation of childrens toys by the end of the night I am too tired to concentrate.

I have one new WIP this week, Twisted Ankles by Leethal.

I am knitting these in Garnstudio Drops Alaska held double.  I have yet to cast on the second one, but will do so tonight.  I love the satisfaction that comes from cables.  This is the first project I have done where cables intersect and change direction at different rates, and it definitely keeps me on my toes!

Next up is Shapeshifter, which I started a couple of weeks ago.  I am about halfway through it right now (going by pattern), but may add a few extra inches to make a bigger hood.

The yarn is Araucania Nature Wool Multy, sadly I don't remember the colourway but it is gorgeous!  Really lovely warm Autumn/Winter tones.  This is also the project I figured out how to knit properly!  Turns out I knit in Eastern European style, but was trying to apply continental knitting to it.  Now I have it figured out, though it does mean having to adjust techniques for increases and decreases.  I am finding it much faster now I know what to do!

Finally, is Lizard Ridge.  The block I started many moons ago is still in progress (I can hear the cackling from certain people.... shoosht!), but I am aiming to have this one done by Christmas!

It is the same problem I had before - mind numbing boredom.  I need to get this done so have plans to only work on this in December.  Plans change, so don't hold me to that!

I promised a peek at my latest yarn purchases, so here they are

Not so much a purchase, as was foisted upon me.

That's it yarn wise for a few months now.  I feel completely overwhelmed, but do have plans for a large part of it and I am still working through old stash, so I think by the time Unravel comes around next February, I'll be in a good position to buy some more ;)  

To see some infinitely more interesting WIPs, head over to Tamis.