The Wool Palace

Scorchio

Too hot to do much today except drink lovely cold white wine and watch Big Brother.  It's all downhill from here;  I always swear I won't get drawn in, but I do every time.  At least it's good knitting time.

I haven't thanked everyone for their lovely comments on Gemma.  I really appreciate them all, so thank you very much.  I had a few thoughts about Gemma initially, but most of them have passed now.  However, to anyone thinking about knitting her, I would say definitely don't knit the body flat as specified in the pattern - way too many ends.  I knitted it in the round and followed Tracy's tip for knitting the decrease row backwards to avoid the dreaded p3togtbl.  The other way to do it is to knit on circulars with two balls of the 4 ply, one at each side and then choose which way you knit with the Calmer according to which side it ends up on.  So long as you keep one 4 ply on each side you will always have one in the right place to do their rows.  This makes a lot more sense if you actually do it, rather than read about it. 

The other thing I have to add is thoughts about colour.  I really like the look of the front and back of mine, but I'm less happy about how it looks at the join between the body and sleeves.  I think there is too much contrast between the shades, which over emphasises the shape of the body, making it sort of look like a vest with sleeves tacked on. 

If I knitted another Gemma, I would choose colours from the same 'family' (my own non-technical term there).  ie. blue and green, red and orange, brown and black and so on.  I think this would lead to a less obvious 'break' between the body and the sleeve.

Still, on, on, never look back, as my grandfather always said.  So what's up next?

Well, I've started my Rowan Edgy Exchange project.

Exciting huh?  Nothing like a four foot strip of 1x1 rib to make for some really great photos.  But just wait until you see it with its edge on!  Someone might have an idea of the pattern I'm using, but I'm not saying more than that.

Except to tell you it's knit in Kaalund Expressions - lovely 4 ply Kid Mohair.  I bought mine from Ally Pally last year, but you can get it at Get Knitted.  Here's a close up that shows the colours a little better - although slightly washed out.

Must go, it's almost time for the first BBLB of 2005!  I'm raising my glass to a sunny Bank Holiday weekend.

Labour of love

A beautiful day in London today.  I love those days that hold the promise of summer - just a hint of balmy, light evenings to come.  Maybe I'm just getting carried away by the fact that I went out wearing sandals after dark.  I'm also forgetting that summer finds me red nosed and itching, lying in a darkened room trying to hide from whatever substance my body is reacting to on that particular day.  Let's just say it was a nice day today.

It was also knitting club day.  I don't write about the school knitting club much, but I do enjoy the weekly sessions.  Well apart from the one where there was a sort of melt down, which ended up with one girl spending the lesson alternately banging on a table and sitting under it, while the rest of them wrapped their wool round each other.  Then there was the one where someone started crying when I tried to show them how to knit i-cord.  Oh, and the one where Sam had a physical fight with one of the other students (thankfully neither of them thought to use knitting needles as a weapon).    And I'm not even going to mention the time I brought in the ball winder.  Anyway, I digress.

Today was the last lesson before half term and also the start of a lot of the students finishing their first projects.  I took the camera in to take some photos for the school newsletter, so I thought I'd share a few with you.  I've had to crop them severely, as I'm not allowed to show you their faces or any identifying details, but I still think they're great.

Can you ever recapture the feeling of finishing your first piece of knitting?

Notice the great big ball of bright pink acrylic next to the tasteful dull pink Rowan DK cotton.  Can you guess which one I bought and which one was chosen by an 8 year old girl?

These two only started knitting 4 weeks ago.

To finish, a quote from a 7 year old, 'I really like doing knitting.  I thought it would be really hard, but still quite fun.  What would you like to knit?'

Secret Pals rock

I've been inundated with lovely post this week.  Or rather my neighbour has, as I haven't been here to collect any of it.  Yesterday when I went to get the second parcel from her, I told her I don't usually get this much mail.  This evening I opened to door to find her with another package for me.  How we laughed.

So, what was in all this maily goodness?  Well one was from my mother with all the things I'd left behind to make room in my suitcase for yarn forgotten to bring back from DC.  This was nice of course but it couldn't compete with the other two - yes two - which were from my lovely Secret Pal, Caroline.

See the pretty wrapping?

Then just look at what was inside package number 1.

Of course there has to be a close up.

Alpaca and silk, mmmm.  Yes, I did smell it and rub it against my face, of course.

Then package 2 arrived and I was lost for words. 

The Kid's Knitting book and coloured needles are just perfect for my after school knitting class.  I've been wanting Folk Shawls for a while now, so that was a lovely surprise.  The Yarn Harlot's book is brilliant and very funny, of course.  There was even a book for Sam & Josie, plus some yummy chocolate and a cute tape measure.  And everything came with little notes on them with comments from Caroline.  All in all, a really thoughtful and generous end to SP4 for me.  Thanks again Caroline!

Bon Voyage

Gemma and I went on a trip today, to celebrate her completion and to say goodbye to my sister, who is departing for Vanuatu for 5 months.  The choice of destination for the day was Cambridge, chosen as my sister lives there, so we had to go there really or else there would have been no chance to say goodbye, which would have made the day pointless.

The weather wasn't great, but there was still some time to soak up the atmosphere.

Gemma enjoyed the Great Court at Trinity and remembered not to stand on the grass.

She enjoyed 'Members of the University' privileges (courtesy of her aunt, a.k.a. my sister) and visited the Wren Library

and the Bridge of Sighs.

It wasn't the weather for punting, but you can still look at the river, and see that there will always be some who think any weather is right for punting.  Don't be fooled by the sunny appearance of this photo.  This was a break of about 20 minutes of sun in a grey, very rainy day.

 

After the day's excitement, Gemma enjoyed a refreshing beverage at The Eagle, where she was able to sit at the DNA table, before returning to London, tired but happy.

What did your knitwear get up to this weekend?

My love is like a red, red rose

Without further ado, I present...

a finished Gemma at last!  Not an ideal photo, what with the flash and the no makeup face, but I wanted to document the fact that she is indeed finished.

The observant amongst you may notice that there are a few loose threads in the photo.  4 hours later, they are all sewed in.

I'll try and get some daylight photos over the weekend, as well as a few comments about what I might do differently if I did her again.  For now, suffice to say she fits perfectly and feels wonderful.

On seeing the completed body, Josie said, 'Mum, it looks like you've knitted hundreds of roses'.

It's all about the socks

It's been a busy week at the Wool Palace.  Most days I haven't had time to get near the computer until 9 or 10 at night.  Then when I get near the computer I find Toby on it.  He has discovered the magic of the Internet finally, about 3 years after the rest of the family.  I think we're going to have to work out some time slots for each of us to explore the magic of the Internet, or there could be serious ructions.

I'm at home today with a sick boy.  It's one of those, 'maybe he's just after a day off school' sicknesses, but I figure as he kept it up for a whole hour before school, he deserves the time off for persistence alone.  Also it means I get a little extra knitting time, although I'm trying not to think about all the work I will have to do when I get back to the office.

Gemma is still not sewn up.  I did the neck edgings at the weekend, then gave her a Eucalan bath on Sunday.  I then discovered I'd mislaid the zippered bag I use to spin my knits in (I think Toby may be been 'tidying'), so she took 3 days to dry.  Hopefully I'll finish her today or tomorrow, as I have daylight time to work in.

I finally finished the stripey socks. 

I had planned to rib the foot as well, but I forgot on the first one and couldn't be bothered to rip back.  I'm very pleased as the stripes match almost perfectly, which is pure luck, but pleasing nonetheless.  They've ended up being a bit small for me.  I think this was because sock number 1 was finished in the car, grafting and all, and I  played a bit fast and loose with the whole foot measuring thing.  Anyway, I've given them to my big footed son, who is happy with them.  So happy in fact he did a little dance while wearing them.  He calls them his 'Scottish socks'.  Obviously Scottish people dance a lot in Sam's world.

As I can't be without a sock, I've started another one.

My first ever toe up sock.  Once I got the hang of the figure of eight cast on it was fine, although I haven't tightened it up yet, but I'm guessing it's just like tightening up grafting.  I'm using a skein of Koigu I've had lying around for a while, plus some Lang Jawoll.  I'm following the Stashbuster Spirals technique, from the 6 Sox KAL, but using two colours instead of three.  I'm enjoying learning some new sock knitting techniques, it certainly adds interest to the whole thing.  Maybe this sock will inspire me to join in the KAL properly for the next 12 months.  I've been a member from the start, but this is the first pattern I've actually knitted.

By the way, do you think I should be worried that last night I had a dream about running out of Eucalan?

Really love those tiger feet

I've been very remiss with my sock knitting lately.

Socks are my commuter knitting of choice.  Since changing jobs last summer, my commuting time has been cut by about two thirds, but I still manage to get a fair amount done.  I also knit them on car journeys and when I take the children to the park after school.

I tend to operate on a rotation basis, a pair for Toby, one for me, one for Sam, one for Josie and so on.  Sometimes this is interrupted by gifts, or things like Sockapalooza, but usually there's a fairly even flow of socks going round the family.

At the moment I'm finishing up a striped pair for myself.  I decided to be a bit selfish and do two pairs for me in a row as some of my other ones were starting to look a bit threadbare.  Also, Josie and Sam managed to lose the last pairs I knitted for each of them, so I was feeling bitter and twisted.

One thing I like about the whole rotation thing is that I always have the children's socks to look forward to as nice quick knits before I tackled the larger shores of Toby's socks.  However, something happened last week which has changed my cosy sock knitting world forever.  I had to buy the children new sandals and trainers for summer.  This involves getting their feet measured.  It was during this process I discovered the shocking truth that my 8 year old son is only one shoe size below me.

You want proof?

Sam on the left, me on the right.  Let me state that I am 5ft 10in tall and have feet that a in proportion to my height.  I foresee a life of drudgery, knitting socks for a child who will probably have size 10 feet before he leaves primary school.  Don't even get me started on the cost of shoes.

Never mind, at least I can still knit Josie lovely little. dainty socks.

Not for long.

I seem to remember reading somewhere about a machine for knitting socks.  If anyone knows anything, a family in South London needs your help.

Life is like a box of tissues

I'm at home today with a horrible cold, courtesy of Josie.  Why is that when children pass on a bug to their parents, the parents get it so much worse?  I even had to miss my South London knitting group last night, which did not please me.

In happier news, all the pieces of Gemma are done. 

I may do the neck edging tonight, but I'm not promising anything.

I figured it was OK to start something else, seeing as I'm so close to the finishing line with Gemma.  As soon as I saw this, I knew I wanted to do it.

This is the Viennese Shrug from the latest Interweave Knits.  I did a swatch on Monday night with some Silky Wool and my rosewood circulars and got gauge straight away, so what else could I do?  The pink bit at the bottom is the provisional cast on, as the shrug is knitting in two halves, from the centre.  I couldn't get my head round the two strand provisional cast on, so I just cast on in a contrast yarn, then switched to the main colour.  I hope it works.  Montse Stanley assures me it will.  I understand the principle behind the two strand method, but I think I need to see someone do it before I feel confident that I'm doing it right.  Strange, this is the first time reading the instructions from a book hasn't worked for me.

The lace pattern is a 42 row repeat, so I'm making good use of my magnetic board and markers.  On the up side, there's only 3 repeats before you start to decrease for the arms, so there's no danger of getting bored with the pattern.

Look what came in the post yesterday morning.

Lorna's Laces sock yarn in Get Knitted's own colourway.  Isn't it pretty?  I'm keeping it by the bed for maximum fondling opportunities.

Right, I'm off for a hot date with some paracetamol and my duvet.

Secret Pal 4

I've been very remiss in posting about my Secret Pal reveal.  My lovely Secret Pal was Caroline.  Thanks for being such a great pal Caroline - I've had some great things from you and I've enjoyed your comments and emails.  I'm also overwhelmed, as she's told me there's more stuff on the way!

I've been sending packages to Kim, who, in a strange twist of fate, was my pal in the Sockapalooza exchange also.  We reckon we're destined to meet up at some point, given we've been paired up twice.  I wasn't organised enough to take pictures of the things I sent Kim, but you can check them out over at her blog.  I am a bad Secret Pal, as my last package is still (ahem) under construction, but it will be with Kim very soon.

Severe knitting doldrums this weekend.  I am currently becalmed by Sleeve Island, with no sign of the wind picking up.

I've sent out a radio alert for a new project, but have had no responses as yet.

Toby has lots of overtime forecast for this week, so that means more knitting time for me.  Hopefully there'll be some good stuff to show for it.

By the way, a big thank you to everyone for all your comments.  I really appreciate the feedback and read them all.  I also love the links to other people's blogs that I haven't seen before.  So, even if I don't reply, rest assured that your words have been read and then boasted about to Toby, because I'm like that.

Beddins

I'm tired today.  I always stay up too late on election night.  I made it to 2.45am last night before throwing in the towel.  I left Toby to get the children up this morning, although I did rise from my bed to make two rather shoddy packed lunches - no favourite sandwich fillings at the Wool Palace today, unlike Tracy.

The children had a day off school yesterday, as their school is a polling station.  This meant I had the day off work as well.  We went out and had ribs for lunch and then went to see The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which was this long.

Casting on and dividing the stitches between four needles in the dark represented a challenge that I may not take on again.

I enjoyed rather than loved the film.  It has become apparent to me that I find the books a little tiresome.  I haven't read them since I was a teenager and I think my tastes have moved on.  Still, it was a perfectly good way to spend a couple of hours and Sam and Josie both enjoyed it. 

I made good progress on Gemma's second sleeve last night, helped by the election coverage and some red wine.  I'm loving working with Calmer on its own.  When I first started knitting with it, I thought it split quite a lot, but I have got used to that now.  I see more garments in Calmer in my future, although what precisely, I haven't decided.

I'm starting to let myself think about the next project.  I think it will be one of the shrugs from the summer Interweave Knits, maybe in some of the Silky Wool I brought back from the States.  Time to do some swatching I think.