Monthly Archives: January 2006

that olympics thing

Whoops, been a few days, hm? Well rest assured I haven’t been slacking! I’ve been studying (I have two significant-weight quizzes this week as well as an assignment due), spinning (still haven’t taken photos of some other finished yarns) and knitting (titbits, and a new Charlotte’s Web – more on that later). I don’t even really ahve time to write this, but who needs sleep, right?

Which brings me to my next point – since I don’t have much of anything new to show you, how about my Knitting Olympics project? I haven’t actually signed up officially – Kelly, send me an invite?

Let me warn you – it’s, uh, ambitious. I really am off my rocker.


(There’s a fabulous finished one here.)

“Limerick” by Louisa Harding, from Rowan 28. A few things…

1. No beads. (You can’t even see them in the photo, eh? It called for 2500 beads, prestrung!)
2. The yarn it calls for is Rowan DK soft, long discontinued – with a gauge of 26 stitches/10 cm. The smallest size is 44″.
3. Therefore, I’m going to use fingering weight yarn, Louet Gems Pearl (freshly ordered) and aim for a gauge of 7.5 stitches/inch. Should give me a 39″ or so sweater, which is workable.
4. Knitting back and forth? NO THANKS. I’ll be modifying this to be a seamless raglan.
5. I have a big test on the 14th, and an assignment due on the 15th. Takes knitting time away.
6. However, I have reading week the following week (20-24th). Adds knitting time, but there might be other things I want to do during that week.

Sooooooo. One more thing.

6. I don’t really expect to finish this in 16 days. BUT (and don’t tell me that’s not the Olympic spirit!), I intend to try my damndest! I’ll definitely be swatching beforehand to get a feel for the pattern and will probably try doing one-handed stranding (Nordic memories was two-handed, but really haphazard since the CC stitches weren’t every often).

Forward!

(Yeah, I’m SO nuts.)

100% fleece artist

New handspun that I just couldn’t stop spinning – the Fleece Artist 65% wool/35% silk roving from this post. I used 2 50g bundles and came up with a whopping 395 or so yards of yarn! It’s not skinny-skinny, it’s maybe fingering-sportweight, around there. It’s just so soft, smooth and shiny! I looooove it. Wool and silk are my favourite combo of fibres.

Also, here’s a picture of some socks I just finished – basic socks on 60 sts, 3×1 rib cuff and top of foot. Fleece Artist merino sock in ‘Renaissance’.

They’re much darker in real life. Now to get crackin’ on those Jaywalkers!

no more red sweaters

First of all, thank you for all the kind comments about Nordic Memories! I’m really proud of that one. Note that I originally got the issue of Interweave it was in wrong – it’s Winter 2003 (not fall). It’s the one with the slouchy Dolman Updated on the cover.

The title’s something Jill said to me awhile back. And you know, I do believe I’ve entered a blue (or at least non-red) phase, in the knitting and perhaps even the spinning. The next couple knitting projects I’ve got planned are blue, blue, brown, grey, grey, grey, and maybe…more blue.

I’ve started a new pullover out of Knitpicks Wool of the Andes, which is really quite nice! The front cable’s from “Rhapsody in Tweed”, from a back issue of Interweave. I haven’t yet decided whether I’m going to do the usual raglan or try out the faux saddle shoulder. The yarn also seems to be going quite far, so I think I can do a cable on the sleeves too!

New yarns – first up some handspun, merino of course. This is a lovely soft lilac/lavender/pinky mix. Not my usual colours, but really pretty. I’ve got over 300 yards of this. (I’ve futzed with the colour on this photo, and it’s nearly true to life.)

Other new yarn – thanks (gee, thanks, Jessica) to a tip from Rose-Kim Knits, I bought two bags of Rowanspun 4ply in “midnight”…even though I’ve already got a sweater’s worth in “blood” from Elann!

Coming soon – finished socks, new handspun (I just keep getting lured back to the wheel), and maybe a new project or two!