Panic over!

Thanks to everybody for your dyelot comments :-) ... I had a hard time trying to decide what to do, so in the end, thought that I would try a few different options, until I found one that I was happy with. I wasn't convinced that it would work well with cap sleeves, but gave it a try anyway, as it was the easiest ... ok, I have to say that I'm really glad that I tried this, as I love the way it turned out (who'd of thought!?!) . It will work great in the summer for airconned buildings :-)
I had enough of the original colour to finish the body and sleeves, and only used the 'off colour' for the i-cord edging and leaf ties (where, I'm pleased to say, that it's no longer noticable). This was my first attempt at an i-cord border, and it is definately my fave part of the whole cardi ... I loved the process of knitting it, and loved the way it turned out :-) I changed the i-cord method from the one in the pattern, to the one in Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitting Workshop ... they are basically the same, but I found EZ's less fiddly.
Ok...on to more Fitted Knits!...(as soon as the postie brings me my parcel from Amazon :-D )

Dye-lot disaster

I was thinking how cute my cropped cardi was looking, until the sun shone through the window and highlighted my two-tone sleeve!!! **insert hammer horror-esque scream here!!**
You can see it pretty clear in the photo...a few centimetres up from the picot facing...shame it wasn't so clear when I was knitting it....
...soooo I guess that 2 lessons have been here
1. the obvious one of course..ALWAYS check dye lots before you buy (yeah, now it's obvious!)
and 2. never change to a new ball whilst sitting in a dimly lit room watching Spicks'n'Specks on tv!!
I don't have any more of the same yarn, so I'm thinking that my best option would be to rip the sleeve back to the underarm, and make them both into cap sleeves with a picot edge to match the bottom..the only different colour then, would be the applied i-cord edge and front ties.
Oh well, it wasn't quite what I had in mind, but at least it'll get a lot of wear in the summer months as a singlet topper :-)

A very Glampyre weekend

After reading the posts on the Fitted Knits Along
I decided that I HAD to order the Fitted Knits book from Amazon...I've been thinking about it for ages and really loved the stuff that I saw on the KAL, so I ordered it at the weekend ... I now have about 3 weeks to wait for the postie :-D
Whilst I was googling the book, I found this free patern from it on the Knitty site...I'm so glad that at least I can still be making something from it while I wait for it to arrive :-)

I also started this blue jumper... I wanted to see how it would turn out, if I started with a One Skein Wonder, and just extended it downwards..kinda like a OSW crossed with a Tubey..?
I'm not sure how (or if!) it'll turn out, but I figured it was worth a try.
...see, I said it was a Glampyre weekend :-)

Dollar skirt!

I tested out my new Bonfit skirt patterner yesterday...All I wanted was a basic, A-line(ish) skirt, with as little detail as poss, and something quick that could be worn today...so here it is!..my VERY basic skirt, made from one metre of fabric that I bought from the Op Shop for a dollar. The fabric had the added bonus of being slightly stretchy, which eliminated the need for any kind of fastening...it has two side seams and a hem at the top and the bottom. I made the waist measurement bigger, so that it would go on easier, and so that once it was on, it would settle more on my hips than waist (fitted waists always make me feel uncomfy, like I've been chopped in half!)
It took less than an hour to make, and fits and feels great :-)
I bought about $20 worth of fifty cent/one dollar fabric whilst I was op shopping ... most of it will have to wait for the summer, but I'm really pleased that there were a few pieces that I can use to make more winter skirts :-)

Warm hands in a flash

I bought a bag of yarn oddments from the op shop for 75c (you'd be right in thinking that I had enough yarn oddments already, but hey, I couldn't pass up such a bargain!). I'm going to try to use it all on winter mittens ... starting with these fingerless ones. The pattern was from here ... it was really quick and easy :-) For my next pair, I'll make them seamless (my seaming doesn't look too brilliant on these ones, but at least it's mainly hidden by my sleeves) ... think I'll also cast on a few less stitches, because I think that these will stretch out a bit more than I want.
I have hardly taken them off yet since I made them...warm hands but with finger freedom...love it!

Stashbusters!

Over the (very cold) Queen's Birthday Long Weekend, I tried to make a move on some of my stash :-) (really....it did nothing to deplete my 'supplies'...it just made me realise how much stuff I have!).
With the weather being the way it was, I started to make some quilts/blankets ... I don't have a plan for them yet, just started knitting and sewing without too much thought ;-D
I wish I'd have known that the new Knitty was up ... I love pretty much everything in this issue (and they're nearly all, small, quick knits! :-) ).

...it's finished!

I love this Rusted Root :-) As I was knitting it, I wasn't very happy with how the leaf pattern was (or actually wasn't) showing up so good, but now that it's done, the pattern shows great (not in the photos, but it does in 'real life').
The top down construction made this a really easy knit, and the 14 stitches of lacy leaves in each row, meant that I didn't have to be constantly looking at the pattern (although, if you've read my earlier post, you'll already know that I did make a stuff up by not concentrating enough!!). The yarn was from my stash that I bought when Big W was clearing it's shelves of their Sean Sheep range. I can't remember if this was the time when I filled my trolley with the 50c marked down range, or whether it was a few days later when it was down to 20c!... either way, this top took just under 2 balls, so all up it cost me under a dollar, maybe even under 40c!!
I plan on making more of this style top (who wouldn't for 40c!!?!!), it's great for the layered look, and with today being the official start of winter in Aus, layers will definately be the way to go :-)