This sweater is definately a case of 'second time lucky'...(I ripped the first, bottom up version, in favour of a basic top down one)..and I'm really glad now that I did!...I love the way that this one looks and fits :-)
The yarn was Lang Filo using size 10.5 and 11 (US) needles... no real instructions, I just took the neck measurement from an existing sweater, and started knitting!
For anybody who is unfamiliar with knitting from the top, there are a few good sites that give free instructions, and there is also some free knitting design software that gives you top-down instructions.
2paw, I haven't made a v-neck top down yet, but I've seen some on other people's blogs (and needless to say, they looked awesome!)...it's something else to put on my to-do list. I found a VERY brief 'how to' here.
I have made cardigans before when I was making 'great auntie' pressies, and they were really easy and fun to make :-)
The heart blanket that I knitted last month has finally winged it's way across to the other side of the world (Australia to England), and now is the proud property of Millie..who can be seen here graciously modelling it...how cute is that!?! :-D
...ok, after a few months of lurking (and admiring!) over on the Wardrobe Refashion blog, I though that it was time to jump in and take the pledge :-DI figured that if I was gonna do this, I may as well commit myself for the whole 6 months!
The Pledge: I, Linda, pledge that I shall abstain from the purchase of "new" manufactured items of clothing, for the period of 6 months. I pledge that I shall refashion, renovate, recycle pre-loved items for myself with my own hands in fabric, yarn or other medium for the term of my contract. I pledge that I will share the love and post a photo of my refashioned, renovated, recycled, crafted or created item of clothing on the Wardrobe Refashion Blog, so that others may share the joy that my thriftiness brings! Signed, Linda .
I just wanted to wish everybody a very, VERY happy Australia Day !! However you celebrated it, I hope you had a good one :-)
We had a family backyard barbie and swim, and listened to the Triple J Hottest 100...
...it really doesn't get much better than that :-)
.
...second time around and I'm heaps happier with how my stripey raglan is turning out..it really helps being able to try it on as I go. The waist shaping was done by just changing the needle size from 11 to 10.5 (US sizes), and I think I'll do the same with the sleeves.
We had a chance to go around some second hand book shops today, and just looky, looky, looky at what I bought!!...Yep, a complete set of 18 Golden Hands craft books for $5 the lot :-D
They were published in 1970, so as you would expect, some of the projects are hilarious, some look decidely dodgy, and some are completely do-able and should look really good, given a bit of an update (there's actually a lot more good
patterns than you would expect)
Not a bad buy considering that the cheapest craft magazine I could have bought today, would have cost me at least double the amount that this whole collection cost me
....now...decisions, decisions!...shall I crochet the granny square hooded cape, or the cabled jumper being modelled by the young guy smoking a pipe(!), or maybe the 'about town' coat with the jaunty hat ;-D
...ha...bet you're looking forward to those photos!
After my last knitting disaster adventure, I wanted something pretty quick and
easy to knit.....enter the Calorimetry from Knitty
.....quick, easy AND functional :-)
Not a hat, nor a headband, I'm hoping that it will keep me warm, tame my hair from the wind, and have the added advantage of being able to be kept on inside and out...no more having to put up with 'hat hair' when I go inside a warm building.
I can't believe that I'm thinking of winter knitting when the temperature is set to hit 37'c tomorrow (100'f) !!
I was reading a post on Abigails blog about National de-lurking weekwhich summed up commenting really well (hence the laziness of me linking to her post instead of creatively writing my own!!)
...there are some awesome de-lurking buttons here
...so, if you just wanted to say Hi....... :-D
Sometimes it's better just to to start again! There were a couple of things that I really didn't like about my new sweater....I loved the shape of the sleeves, but disliked the untidy increase stitches...I loved the neat increase/decreases on the body, but disliked the shape!!! Fussy as, right? :-)
I'd left my knitting for a few days, and when I picked it up again, decided that the sleeves really would bug me too much...sooo, back to the drawing board :-D
My Grandad's motto was 'If a jobs worth doing, it's worth doing well'.
....and a new calendar or 2 ... or 3 ... or 4 ... or even 5 if you count my free online Stitch 'n' Bitch :-)
ok..so NO excuses for missing any important dates this year!I've been really good so far, and have not even sneaked a peek at future patterns (it is sooooo hard not to!!!!!). Last year I knew of every pattern that was coming up, so this year decided to show some restraint ;-D
My sweater body is knitting up really nicely...I added some side shaping, which is looking a LOT neater than the sleeve shaping (I've no idea why?!)...I may have another try at a sleeve to see if I can get it any better...I'm sure it will bug me if I don't at least try :-)
I love this time of the year :-) The Christmas deccies come down, the weather heats up ready for New Years Eve and the summer hols unofficially start!
I made this quilt a few years ago from a pattern in Australian Patchwork and Quilting magazine, called 'Between the Flags'...I can't remember the name of the person who designed it, but when I find the mag, I'll edit this post to add her name. I think that the pattern version was made by machine sewing/rotary cutting , but as ever(!), I made it different. I hand-pieced it using the English paper piecing method, and hand-quilted it.
.....From a summer quilt to winter sleeves...this sweater is knitting up really fast, and already I've cast on for the body. The decreases on the sleeves are looking a bit 'obvious' at the moment, but I'm hoping that with some washing and blocking, this won't bother me so much...I think it should be ok, coz I've made a top down raglan sweater in this yarn before (with lots of increases and decreases) and that one looks fine....here's hoping :-D
** 'Between the Flags' was designed by Gita Barlow and published in AP & Q in 3 parts .... Volume 10 #2,3 and 4**
Since knitting my last EZ sweater, I've been itching to make more :-)
The design for this one is based on a few different sweaters that I like...how good is
it that you can take the best features of several patterns, and knit them into one!?! A big inspiration was Knitty's Tubey (which I did start to knit a few weeks back, but abandoned because the wool was too scratchy for such a close fitting top). This time I'm using Lang Filo on size 7mm needles and I'm making it less fitted. So far (this could change!!), it has bell sleeves, a semi fitted body, raglan shaping, and a scoop neck, possibly in randomish stripes.
The 'modelled' photo shows the shaping good, but the 'carpet shot' shows the colours better.
It's finally finished and ready to post off to Millie :-)
I ended up using a straight stitch applique for the letters, and quilted it in a 'wobbly' grid on the machine - both really quick and easy!
Now for some wrapping and I'm off to Auspost :-)
....the other side of Millie's quilt :-)Now for some speedy machine applique and quilting, and it'll be done!
I've been trying out a few different ideas for Millie's quilt, and so far, I think that this is more than likely going to be the one that I go for. I also decided to make the quilt double sided to make it more practical for baby use. The back is planned for later today...I really like the fabric used in the corner blocks, so to keep both sides of the quilt 'in theme', I thought I would use that fabric as the background with 'hugs and kisses' appliqued on top...again, the fabric is really busy, so I like the idea of the applique being basic.
I'm gonna try hard this weekend (really, I am!) to get this quilt finished and sent off....
...hopefully, I'll be back with 'side two' very soon :-D
Baby Millie's new blanket :-)
Yay, finished at last!
I'm really happy with the way it turned out...I really wasn't sure about it until I added the polar fleece backing...but it gave it heaps more 'body', and helped it to stay in shape...(it also makes it more 'baby friendly' because it's so soft).
Hopefully now, I can quickly finish her quilt, and get it sent off, with the blanket and jacket, to the UK for her to use before she gets too big :-D
With the temperature being 41'C (106'F) here in Adelaide over the weekend, not much knitting got done!..(actually, in that heat, not much of anything got done!!). I did manage to finish a few more hearts, ready to applique onto Millie's blanket...just one purple one left now to finish. I decided against using the blue ones..they were going to go onto the border, but I thought it might look too much....
....so, what to do with surplus Elizabeth Zimmermann hearts?...they are just so cool that my brain has been in overdrive....I thought that these 4 spares would make 
great mug coasters
....but really, the list of possibilities is endless
....the pattern (found on page 155 of EZ's Knitting Workshop) is for a heart hat or elbow patch. The pattern is written for whatever size you choose, so here are just some of the knitting ideas that will probably go on to my 'to do' list...
dishcloths, washcloths, coasters, place mats, pot holders, cushions, baby blankets, bath mats, pockets, pin cushions...
...ok so I like hearts :-) a rag rug style bath mat is sounding really good!
It's sometimes a good idea NOT to mix knitting with watching Lateline...in between hearing about the coup crisis in Fiji, and the re-shuffling of the Labor leadership, I swear I was told to s1, k2tog, psso...in the WRONG place!...Really, Tony Jones may know how to head a news team, but his knitting is WAY off!!!!! ;-D (sorry Tony, I guess maybe the knitting mistake might have been down to me!)...maybe I'll watch SBS news tonight, and hope that Anton Enus is a better knitter!?!
...but really, by 'started', I actually mean that I've been thinking about it more than doing it!
I'm reluctant to cut up the blue/ flowery/ butterfly (!) fabric, so instead, I thought I would use it as a background base and do some cut'n'paste applique on the top.
Sooo.... starting with the date, this is my progress so far. I figured that with such a busy background, I should keep the applique pretty basic.
...ok , I'm off to write 'Millie' :-)
...time for the Christmas advents to come out :-) I made these quilted advent calendars about 10 years ago, one each for my girls, and another 'aussie themed' gum leaf one for my mum and dad. The squares with the numbers on are actually pockets which usually contain choccy and lollies...I've been a bit slow to fill them this year, but it will be done (and backdated!)...mmmmmm, maybe fun size mars and snickers :-D ....ok. so they usually melt as our aussie summer officially starts on december 1st, but I haven't heard too many complaints yet! I didn't think that I'd still be filling these now that my kids are not kids anymore...but hey, I guess when it comes to choccy, age just don't count!!!!!!!
This sweater is definately a case of 'second time lucky'...(I ripped the first, bottom up version, in favour of a basic top down one)..and I'm really glad now that I did!...I love the way that this one looks and fits :-)
