Sanity

I am at Uni with no knitting, no time for reading and in the mist of things to do as I go through each day. The weather doesn’t help either, since it is all rainy and grey and sleepy.

To stay sain, I listen for my favourite band: Silverchair. Just though you might like to check out their new video on the new song (first after 5 whopping years of silence). I have to admit, I am slightly too exited and paranoid about it, have to watch it 10-20 times a day; I am sure it will make me sick eventually but for now I am loving it!!!!

Sick and Tired

The Phildar Jacket is finally done and it is such a sense of relief!!! I don’t like the end result; don’t even think it will grow on me: it is way too small in length and the cut is not mine.

I have to admit, this is my first adult piece from a French mag and French shaping is not for me. I am more on the German line with big feminine curves. I know I am not as skinny as I would like but even so, I did knit my normal size(size 3) and it is too uncomfortable.

So, I have decided t give it away to my mum, she is slimmer and shorter and overall has a completely different body type. Fingers crossed it will suite her and will not be thrown away.

Model: Gilet (21) from Phildar Tendances 436
Yarn: Phildar Pure Laine 3.5 650gr in colour Chameau
Needles: 3.00mm and 4.5mm

7 ways

All through this week I have been inspired by big knitting. I saw it in so many places; I lost my sleep and started thinking how I could possibly adapt it in my own knits. After all, it is going to be one of the biggest fashion trends in the coming Fall/Winter; I know it is almost a year from now, but I always preferred to be ahead rather then behind in fashion.

If you feel you might do with some of that inspiration yourself please check out Olga’s lovely blog for latest catwalk pictures and a new book by Twinkle.

About my actual result, well here it is. WARNING: high picture contents ahead.
Remember, I knitted the skiing sweater from Cascade Magnum earlier this winter. I was never fully satisfied by the neck and it only took 5 balls of yarn rather then 6 mentioned in the pattern. I was planning to use the ball on a mystery original design but last night the longing for the big turtle neck took a grip over me and I had to knit.
I picked up the sweater, the extra ball and I can now reveal my very own modified version of the sweater. There are 7 different ways of wearing the huge neck.

An impulsive knit

You know how it is sometimes: you understand that you should be working on the certain knit, but you just can’t force yourself because somehow that knit becomes compulsory. This is exactly what happened to me this week. I was going to work solemnly on my Phildar Jacket and try to finish it off but just never could make myself.

I am getting towards the end of it now with fronts, back, 2 sleeves and one pocket being done. I now need to finish the second pocket and knit a huge front plank. And then of course I will have to wash, block and assemble it, not a small task but I will get there.

So, instead of being constant I stated that new impulsive knit: the Ripple Weave socks from VK Fall 06. Something is not right with me, ever since I finished that Christmas stocking I became bewitched by the whole sock knitting experience, I have to knit it. Strange, isn’t it? As soon as one pair is done I must find another one. And I bought this glorious Sundara Sock Yarn; it is the best sock yarn I worked with ever!!!

One sock is done now and I better hide the remaining yarn and work on that cardi before I cast on the second sock.




Love that Welsh Heel

Miranda

I had a very long and busy weekend with very small amount of knitting done. I wish I have done more but there was simply no time.

However, I did manage to finish Miranda socks for my boyfriend, only to find out they were not for him. It is not that they came out too small; it is the whole shape of the leg part. My boyfriend’s cuffs are straight and not curvy as mine, so the leg part of the sock was waving like a flag on him. However, after a wash in a fairly hot water, they became a perfect fit for me (I have a large feet for a girl). So here it is in a colourway of Harry Potter’s scarf:

Pattern: Miranda from Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush
Yarn: Jaeger Matchmaker DK 2.5 balls of discontinued colour pumpkin and 1 whole ball of brown
Needles: Addi DPN 2.5mm
Modifications:
the rib is 5 rows shorter
there are 5 extra rows of plain st st after the last pattern repeat of the foot before the decreases
the toe is wide instead of pointy, I don’t like pointy toes’ fit

It is a really Big Hat

It was really cold over here this week, so cold in fact that none of my hats could protect me. This was a call for some wardrobe update. Last Autumn I fell in love with the Marc Jacobs Mushroom hat and was on the quest of replicating it: I bought the yarn, the needles….. But then the inspiration had left me.

So, this week, all I had to do was to knit it, which I did.
I firstly opted for the original look and got it by making a shorter double hat but I looked absolutely awful in it, so ugly in fact, I made no pictures and quickly ripped it before anyone could see me.
With the second attempt I took my time: I knew what look I wanted to achieve, it was just the matter of actually doing it. Here it is: my own Mushroom hat.


Model: my own adaptation of Marc Jacobs’ Mushroom Hat
Yarn: 3 skew of Blue Sky Alpacas
Needles: Addi circulars 15mm and 20mm

Weirdly shaped

I have finally defeated the twisted devil and picked up Phildar Jacket. It is spring soon and I have been trying to knit it since summer. If I don’t pull myself together now, it will be virtually impossible later. I am very proud of myself I dare say as I finished both fronts! You may argue that they are not difficult, but to me they are: not only I have to knit in a reverse stockinet stitch (I find it extremely boring), but also the shape is so closely-fitting, I have to be very careful with constant row counting. For me it is 10 times more complicated than Demi.

Anyways, as soon as I finished 2 pieces I blocked them, I was just curious about the outcome as they rolled into tubes and I could not envisage the design. I also started the back immediately; 40 rows done by now, not much, but something.

The blocking itself was very complicated, I have spend no least then 53minutes on it!!!. This is because I could not do it right about 4 times, eventually I ended up blocking them wrong side up, it doesn’t make any difference but decreases and increases are much more visible.

I also washed and blocked Demi’ back, here it the picture of it (the best one out of probably 20 shots) wet but not blocked yet.