New Project

Don't you just love starting something new?

Now I'm on holiday in Hong and can relax a bit - so I've started on this cardigan.

A girl can never have too many cardigans.

The pattern is called Crinkle and it's by Martin Storey. It was in Rowan Magazine #39.

A friend had given me some black Knitpicks cotton - and so I decided to order more and make this. So far - so good...

Christmas presents

I made lots of these trays for Christmas presents - a variety of colours/papers - even ones that were all black. But i forgot to photograph them all! Oh well this is plenty.

I'm even keeping one of the pink and green ones for myself as a memento of my time in Korea

One last Christmas present

I am making this scarf for my co-teacher here in Korea.

The pattern, called Gathered Scarf for your Mother-in-Law was a free Ravelry download.

I am using a Knitpicks yarn called Alpaca Cloud in a colour called Iris. It is 100% Alpaca - Heathered laceweight - so I am using 2 strands together.

The yarn has a lovely rainbow of colours within the main Iris/purple colour - maybe that is what they mean by Heathered?

Knitpicks don't ship internationally so I had the yarn sent to a friend in the US who then forwarded it to me (thanks Leah) and when it arrived I suddenly realised I needed to knit fast....another 6 days before I will give it to her - whatever length it is then is whatever the final length will be.

One more

This worked so well I just had to make another

Exterminate

Well suddenly Christmas is almost here and all my plans to make presents are gone awry as time has raced ahead of me and I'll never get them made to post in time.

Every year I say it will be different and I will start sooner - maybe next year....

I am in the midst of making my Christmas cards and they will get posted this week.

And I have just finished this Dalek cloth which I'm giving to an English friend here.

I like it - and the cloth can be a face flannel. wash cloth or dish cloth.

The pattern was free on Ravelry - EXFOLIATE Dalek Cloth

and I used a Rowan Handknit Cotton.

Hmmm - might have to make some more...

So near and yet...

Ta daaaa - well not quite.

I have made the epaulettes (in red) but they need to have a crochet edge, using the natural colour, but there was only 6 inches left of that colour after completing the front I-cords.

So - I've ordered more.....as Rachael Hunter says "it won't happen overnight, but it will happen"

More mitts

Somewhere in the process of the never-ending finishing on the Sgt Pepper jacket I got waylaid and started these. I made a few pairs of these mitts last year in an Opal wool and they were popular gifts.

For these I used a merino wool from Schachenmayr that Leah (MagicKnitter on Ravelry) left me. I think they look very smart.

The pattern is free on Ravelry - called 'A Mittful of Jellybeans'

The Home Straight

Someone on Ravelry commented that this jacket had a lot of finishing - and they weren't wrong - but almost there...

Next I make lots of I-cord (something new) and then finish the epaulettes and sew on all the buttons and bingo - I'll post again.

Getting there...

Now just the epaulettes and the front 'bits'

Hopefully this time next week will see a finished product

making progress

Here it is - the Rebel jacket. The front and back are made up from 7 panels, now joined and the hem knitted down from my provisional cast ons.

Next is the collar and then all the finishing touches...

...and finished

This is the second 'attic24' bag. I made it from Rowan Cotton Rope that I bought in Seoul.

And I lined it - no sewing machine here - so all hand sewn.
And now back to the Rebel Jacket - and just as well as it is cooling down quickly now and I will be needing to wear it soon.

Finishing, finishing

I'm trying to finish a few smaller projects before launching back into my Rebel jacket.

Plus the bit I'm up to in the Rebel jacket requires Provisional casting on - something new to me. I saw a complicated version on Youtube that has probably contributed to me putting it off. But last night I found a much easier version - so I am keen to get back to it.

So anyway - here are the two scarves I've been making for a while. The colours are not quite true - they are actually richer. The top one has a lot of 'roll' at the edges so for the seecond one I added 3 knit sts at the end of each row. I used a Knitpicks Sport cotton that my knit buddy left me when she returned to the US (thanks Leah)

Just one more project to finish now...

My new top - Liesl

I should have mentioned - it is made from Euroflax linen - I'd not made anything with linen yarn before. It had a stringy feel when knitting with it - but has worked out well

properly finished now - I think

OK - now it's looking better. I did some research and asked a friend - and then I got brave and chucked it in the washing machine - on a gentle cycle. I don't have a dryer so just laid it out flat to dry and pushed/stretched it into its approximate shape - and the result is below - which looks a lot neater/crisper than before.

Now to wear it...while I can

Liesl - finished - pretty much

Well I finished Liesl last night. One good thing about knitting 'in the round' is that there isn't so much sewing to do - just the pocket edges and yarn ends.

The pattern recommends 'wet blocking' and I'm going to do a little research first as I've never blocked anything before - however I think it needs something as the bottom has curled and apparently the linen is softer after a wash.

Anyway - it is still warm here (up to 29C today) so I think I'll have a bit of time to wear it yet.