I have a mountain of knitting work related items to finish but for the last 24 hours I’ve run off with a knitting mini-escape. I had been using a hank of Fleece artist ‘Sea Wool’ in a lovely Moss color for a test swatch and I didn’t want to stop knitting with it. So to indulge myself I’ve been using the rest of the hank to knit a little shawlette. It feels so beautiful, I can’t stop knitting, should be finished it tomorrow!
Meanwhile the other related working I have been shrugging off because of this…reformatting a pattern, finishing a pdf, start another pattern for a new project, finish a mountain of submissions (I think I have 10 I need to get out in the next week!) and start planning a class for a couple of months time.
Myself and Sue Cullen are going to do a day of classes on Saturday the 21st of November. We have booked in the SMA centre in Wilton in Cork so put the day in your calender! We will have 2 different 3 hour morning classes and 2 afternoon classes, with a discount if you want to book the complete day. We are putting the final details together for the class titles but it should be a very enjoyable day.

You may have noticed, my website has had a complete face lift! My wonderfully talented husband has been working hard on it (I am somewhat deficient when it comes to web design!).

So a big thank you Joe

I have a pattern coming out in Issue 12 of Yarn Forward.  Now I realise that as my last post was of the Necco Wafer Hoodie that it must seem that I’ve been doing nothing but knitting for the last few weeks.  However this top was actually knitted last year so it has been with me for a while!  For anyone here in Ireland/UK/Europe this yarn is easily replaced with any DK (22 sts and 30 rows per 4 inches) cotton yarn.  This yarn was mercerized cotton, meaning it went through a chemical process making it hold the dye better.  It does tend to make for a shinier slightly stiffer yarn.  In fact I think Wendy ‘Supreme’ would be very similar.

For anyone who lives in Cork you can get Yarn Forward in Eason’s on Patrick’s Street – however you might want to wait a few days as I’m not sure if this issue is in yet.  I think that Kerrie Allman’s plant-dyed tank Brazilwood has me tempted to get knitting.  Unfortunately that is one of the downsides of spending most of your knitting time designing – you don’t really have much extra time left over for knitting all the other wonderful patterns out there.

I want to thank anyone who has been waiting for this pattern for their patience.  I just put it up on Ravelry and it is available for purchase for $5.  It is a 7 page booklet with detailed instructions  on different increase types so you can add some variety to your hat knitting.  All of the hats are knit from the top down so you can make sure that you have a hat that will fit the intended head!
Click for more photos of the hats

This must be a record for me – usually it takes me weeks to get a single post up and look at me now, 3 posts in 24 hours!

I have a few photos of the finished knitting I did over the last week.

First up are my cozy Monkey socks.

I am so happy with the green cabled jumper.  I thought it was going to be too heavy and unwearable with the Kilcarra but I have worn it all day and I just love it.  I made a few modifications:

1. I added a small bit of waist shaping, I just didn’t see any reason not too!

2. I just continued the ribbing up for a collar rather than a hood.  I just felt I would get more wear out of it that way.

3. On the sleeves when I started I missed that the ribbing should be continued before you began the cable so I started the cable right at the wrist.  When I had gone one repeat in I realised what I had done but I decided to keep it as a modification rather than change it – I liked the way it looked.

Anyone looking closely will see that my crochet buttonholes leave a lot to be desired.  I may rip them out and try again when I get a few moments.  Crochet is not my strong point!!

Here is a little teaser of the cardigan that I finished for my sister last month. It was done using the top down set-in sleeves that I was working on and the result came out nicely!

I’m planning on having the pattern for sale up on Ravelry next month but I’m currently in the process of getting test knitters together to have all sizes test knitted. If anyone thinks they might be interested let me know!

I have just started knitting a top in the round from the bottom.  It is at a small gauge with a lovely yarn and I was really excited to be starting it.  I had knit around 10 rounds when I realised that I was in such a rush to get started that instead of a circle I’ve knitted a moebius.  Very beautiful but not much use if the knitted piece want to be used as a top.

So the frogging begins  …..  I swear I will never forget to untwist my stitches when I start again!!

I spoiled myself last week, I got a set of Knitpicks Harmony Needles from This is Knit.  The excuse I gave to myself is that I’m going to be doing so much knitting this summer that I really, really need a nice set of needles to make the job as easy as possible.

So far I’m really liking them.  A little bit of stick, a good point, and very pretty…now if they wear well I’ll be entirely pleased.

Actually speaking of needles, I can’t use straight needles, I find the weight on my arms to difficult.  Which is a shame really as I have quite a few sets of nice bamboo needles.  I find circular needles for working everything takes a lot more weight off my arms.

I’m trying hard to master (ok – so not trying all that hard, more meaning to try hard in the future!!) our new camera.  It is so very beautiful and the first ‘real’ camera with functions beyond the basic click and go that we have had but it’s a bit intimidating.  I am mentally adding to my ‘to do’ list the need to sit down and read the instruction booklet and take a few days away from my knitting so that I can master some of the more interesting functions.

First up on my knitting is my machine knit hoodie (not that it has a hood yet!) for my second son.  It is made from Knit Picks Shine Sport that he has totally fallen for.  Every now and then I catch him rubbing the knitting and grinning happily.

Is it just my own little obsession but I really LOVE stripes for children’s knitwear.  Especially for little boys – you can’t use lace, they don’t appreciate complicated cable work but give them lots of colour and they’re happy.

My Monkey socks are coming along nicely in my spare time.  They are my ‘filler’ project, when I don’t feel up to anything else.  I am on my last repeat before the toe now so not too far now.

I have several half finished patterns for little girl dresses for my niece that I have been meaning to get together and put on the website.  If anyone is interested in baby dress patterns let me know – it might spur me on to actually get them together!

I am so pleased that I have eventually finished this sock. I know it’s not much of a birthday present, but surely one sock is better than none! The finished product feels very substantial but not sure I’ll be choosing Lana Grossa again. I need to psych myself up to get started on the second one now. Please send words of encouragement my way.

As a slight diversion I have started on another pair of socks – this time for my 2 year old ds. There was some of a ball of Opal yarn left from last years socks for my mother and I have been meaning to make him a pair since then. I just love working with this yarn, it knits up so effortlessly. Maybe by the time I have the second one finished it will give me the courage to get started back on making the mate for the above sock.