Category: finished object

FO: Lucy in the Sky

So, way back in January I was working on a new version of my Lucy cardigan before I set out on my trip. Despite the minor snag in the underarm gusset, I did get it done, blocked, and buttons sewn on right before I left!

Of course I didn’t get around to taking any photos of it in Japan and China, despite wearing it all the time and taking photos all the time! I think it was mostly because anywhere I was wearing it, I was also wearing a heck of a lot of other layers on top to keep warm.

I think I must’ve used just 4 skeins of Dream in Color Classy to knit it up, because I bought five and have one still kicking around! The colourway is Black Parade, which is a superdark blue-black. Love. The yarn is great for this pattern – sturdy but soft, smooth, and the texture shows up really nicely.

I made the body and sleeves longer than my other brown one (which I also still wear a lot) and made a larger bust size (35″ for 36″ me). I also knit the collar onto the buttonband rather than sewing it on afterwards. One of the two sweaters I brought on the trip, it got a LOT of wear and still looks great! It’s even been washed and dried in the Indian sun, which is pretty special.

Ysolda took a few photos while we were at the Botanics, predicting that I’d be blogging about it in two weeks. I think that was *exactly* two weeks ago! I had fun knitting my own pattern again, and I think I’ll be wearing it a lot.

(Kind of a crazy photo – I’m working my way around Photoshop for the first time ever, and I think the levels in this photo were just a little weird to start with!)

Next time:

P.S. I almost forgot! Thalia asked in the comments what shoes I took on my trip – an excellent question, I think! I took exactly one (1) pair of shoes – my Doc Marten mary janes that Ysolda and I both bought when I went to Europe in September. Since I wore them all around then, I knew they could stand up to a lot of walking, and I was right! They’re really supportive, and versatile enough for cold or hot weather – in cold weather I wore thick, thigh-high socks with leggings underneath; in hot weather I just wore some little cotton ankle socks. They’re perfect shoes. I should probably buy another pair!

March 16, 2009
poppy, otto and mousie

So much knitting this week! I didn’t get these done in time to be given before Christmas, so I knit really hard and got them all done in just a couple days! Excuse the photos, the middle of the night really isn’t the best time for accurate colours!

These super cute toys are all by Ysolda, for a couple of super awesome kids I know.

Otto is a polar bear knit out of Coldharbour Mill Organic Merino (DK weight) that I picked up at iknit day in London back in September. Awesome yarn, great pattern, a little fiddly but what toy pattern isn’t?

This little immobile Mousie doesn’t have legs mainly because I was sort of running out of time and yarn. Besides, it’s just going to get chewed on by a baby anyway! Knit in a crazy yarn-weight combo of Nature’s Palette sock yarn (pink) and Ultra Alpaca (the grey). A little too lifelike until I added the oversized ears!

I finished up yellow-haired Poppy on Christmas Day – and I love her! Body was knit with the Coldharbour Mill Organic Merino as well, with her dress in a handspun silk (lucky girl) and scraps of black and yellow for her shoes and hair.

(And I’m not some kind of knitting time traveler, I had a bit of an advance copy of the pattern!)

Now that there’s only three weeks to go before I take off on my six-week trip, I’m freaking out a little bit (or a lot) about how much there is to do! Getting a visa (India), shots, luggage, doing packing lists and such, deciding what knitting to bring! And I’ve got a couple of projects I want to work up before I leave, too. Bit insane but we’ll see how I do!

December 27, 2008
Amelia!

So busy. Just enough time to blog a little before I head out for the day!

My Amelia pattern is up in Winter Knitty! I knit this one back in September and even wore it at Rhinebeck (without buttons – see?) so people there got a bit of a sneak peak! (Sorry I never sent the pattern to you cassie – oops.)

I love, love, love the Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Worsted I used for this pattern (and would certainly be amenable if someone wanted to send me some more to design with…not that I think I’m entitled!) – it’s so soft and squishy, especially the garter stitch cuffs. The stitch definition is awesome so the bits of twisted ribbing really pop!

Natalie, who works with me at lettuce knit, is an awesome model, no? It was totally freezing out and she was willing to stand through quite a few snaps. Also she is super cute. (Her hat is Princess Diana’s memorial tartan, or something.)

I’m stalling out on the Christmas present thing, although my grandfather’s vest is very nearly done. I’m just finding it really tough to motivate myself to pick up stitches and stuff! Instead I cast on for a new Lucy in the Sky for myself, out of some nearly-black Dream in Color. I really want to get it knit over the holidays…

…so that I can have something new to take along on a trip in the new year! A friend and I have gone a little cuckoo-nuts and are planning a long trip basically around the world starting January 18. I’m only going for six weeks while he’s planning to stay a bit longer, but we’re still in the planning stages and looking for places to stay (recommendations for cheap+decent places or couch crashing!) or people to meet up with (because some English-speaking help would be really appreciated) in the following places:

– Tokyo, Japan (around Jan 18-22)
– Shanghai and Beijing (to 2/1)
– Singapore (2/1 = 2/6)

After that we’ll be headed to India to stay with his family in Chennai (Madras) and Delhi, along with some other internal side-trips. Then I’m coming home with a stop in Europe, either Rome, Amsterdam or maybe Edinburgh to visit Ys again!

There’s so much to do to plan for this trip! Yikes! It’s seriously freaking me out. But it’s true, no one ever regretted traveling. Whew. Now what kind of knitting do I take for 6 weeks?!

December 12, 2008