Week One Hundred and Two

An early post because I'm in the city only for a day.

The finished Belladonna cardigan.

In daylight, the dye lot variation isn't as noticeable. The left sleeve is a bit more pronounced than the other pieces and its a bit 'stripy' in close up.
The buttons are shell, bought some time ago form All Buttons (sidebar link).

I modified this pattern extensively. It has a lot of length added. (only to below waist even though the dress form makes it look much longer) and the rib is carried throughout rather than just to bottom edges.

Here is the baby cardigan made a short while ago. The yarn is Debbie Bliss Andes in a  duck egg blue. The small plastic buttons are from stash.

While I was about it, I knit another using Mirasol Conanini yarn (60%cotton, 40%wool) for a baby yet to be born.

The buttons are from stash, I think I remember my daughter buying them. At the time I thought they were a little sparkly and glitzy  (exactly the qualities to appeal to an eight year old girl)  But on this cerise knit they are perfect.

Finally I have cast on another new project. This is a mohair and silk oversized sweater for me from the Autumn/Winter 2013 Pom Pom magazine. Its Garland and I have the Softrope Kidsilk lace in colour Conch.

I have ball wound the first skein and love the way the mohair has fuzzed up like a little cocoon in the centre.

Week One Hundred and One

I am still out of the city and haven't extracted my camera images, so the finished Belladonna Cardigan photographs will have to wait.

I have two new projects to show.

A simple raglan sweater for my boy using Sunrise Fibre Co Aran Tweed. I though I would try it out as its unusual to find a super wash tweed yarn and it seems good for childrens sweaters. This colour is called Fresh Mint.

The second cardigan is in Rowan All seasons Cotton in the colours Scarlet, Tornado and Organic. (I'm trying to stash-bust my ASC yarns)

I browsed my library and remembered how much I love the Miss Bea series of books by Louisa Harding. My girl has outgrown the sizing for these of course, but this Ballerina Cardigan, when knit in aran gauge instead of the original hand knit cotton gauge, plus the addition of a very few stitches will make a cute cardigan.

The off white is intarsia and I have duplicate stitched the blue.

Week One Hundred

One hundred weeks of crafting!  I'm out of town this week as it is Christmas Week.

I can't upload photos when I'm away. Next week I will extract what I hope will be a wide assortment of images on my camera.
I will update my knitting progress on Ravelry.

Week Ninety Nine

I finished my daughter's Crown Sweater. It is knit in Rowan All Seasons Cotton,in Framboise and Scarlet. I'm hoping it will suit well next year, Rowan ASC was very hardwearing for my kids pre-schooler sweaters. But she is getting taller, so she will probably outgrow it before it is worn out anyway.

The motif is from a chart originally designed for a baby jumpsuit in lace weight yarn. Knit in worsted gauge yarn it has come out big enough for a pocket. The mismatched buttons from the stash box are our own choice.

Belladonna Cardigan is progressing. The pattern is Brigid Jacket by Courtney Kelley. I have modified it to make it much longer (the original is cropped with 3/4 sleeves). I have knit ribs throughout, including all the way up the sleeves. (Seaming these in will be a challenge!)

I finished knitting the two cabled fronts and have set them out blocking.

I'm still very unhappy with the dye lot variations. I tried to blend the skeins but some pieces are still pretty 'stripy' where the 'more plummy' contrasts the 'more blue-grey'. I'm hoping that when all the pieces are assembled the overall effect won't be as noticeable.

I have two button options.

The first is a russet plastic. They have been in stash for a while, I might have bought them when I received this yarn. (I can think of no other project reason I would have them). The colour is within the range of yarn fibre colours and the russet does pull the plum tones out of the yarn quite prettily.

This picture shows the variation, even with alternating skeins one front is darker than the other.

I'm not completely sold on the russet buttons though because I fear that with everything being so inconsistent, choosing another not quite the same element might just be too much. Makes my eyelids twitch.
In which case I'm considering simple pearl shell buttons for a higher contrast.

The wide ribbed button bands are still to be knitted on.

Both the buttons are the same size and in both cases I'll sew six on. So I can decide at the very last moment and take into account how I'm going to wear this cardigan.

Week Ninety Eight

I finished the Incan Gold cardigan. Knit in Sundara Yarns Fingering Silky Merino.

I'm very happy with the way it has come out, it is light and drapey, just perfect as a layer over a sleeveless dress.

The buttons were in stash. A vintage amber glass. I would have liked to have had more than seven and spaced them closer together. Its an aesthetic decision rather than a functional one as I don't plan to ever wear this cardigan closed.

The cushion i finished a few weeks ago came back from upholstery. I chose red velvet backing and piping. 

I'm knitting a baby (boy) cardigan as a gift. This is Debbie Bliss Andes yarn (alpaca and silk) and the pattern is Boy-o-boy by Carol Scott. I will modify it to do the sleeves in pain reverse stockinette so I can pick up the stitches at the shoulder and knit down.

Week Ninety Seven

This is Haven, knit in Rowan Cocoon (colour Quarry Tile) gifted for a friend. I have a picture to show because I photographed this quite a long time ago but couldn't show it until it had been received.

It was a reasonably quick knit using all of the four balls of yarn. I love it so much, if it was for anyone other than the recipient I might have struggled to give it away. 

I will definitely be knitting one for myself in the New Year.

I have lots more crafting news.

I am knitting the sleeves down on the Incan Gold cardigan. I am very happy with how it is coming together. I hope it will be finished soon. That and the pink "crown" sweater for my daughter.

The cross stitch cushion from a few weeks back has come back with its upholstery finishing. It looks beautiful in my daughter's bedroom.

I've started a baby cardigan. Actually I have two baby cardigans on the needles. One is committed and one was because I found myself without knitting one afternoon. 

When my camera and I return to the city I will update all this with photographs.

This is the last week of school term and the long summer holidays are due. I am looking forward to lots of crafting. I will be dusting off the sewing machine.

Week Ninety Six

No photographs this week.
I am still knitting on the Incan Gold cardigan. I am almost finished the body and by next week I hope to have at least one sleeve complete.

I would be further along but three days of non-knitting have set me back. I also have a quick baby gift to finish as well.

All this to show next week! And school holidays are approaching - less than two weeks!