Guys, the pink is done! All done!
Of course, having tracked down the prized seventh skein of Spud & Chloe Sweater, I didn’t need it. I finished The Very Pink Jumper on the train on Tuesday morning, and had the tiniest bit leftover.

But done it is, blocked and all, just not yet modelled.

More pinkness, the Akomeogi socks are finally done, after 9 months on the needles.

Specs:
Pattern: Akomeogi socks by Kristi Geraci
Yarn: Wendy “Happy”, Bamboo/Nylon blend sock yarn. A gift for my birthday last year from the lovely DrK. Appropriate, given my next birthday comes this week! (It’s a big one, I don’t want it!)
Needles: First sock, 2.5mm on the leg, 2mm on the foot, second one, 2mm all the way. Yes, I am an idiot.
Mods: None. I have no explanation for why they took so long. The sock love has left the building, I fear. No doubt it’s a temporary thing, but the mojo is no more for socks. I just couldn’t feel the love for these. Love the pattern, love the yarn, no idea what happened.
But I have made a super quick leftovers project this week to make up for it.

Stripey mitts for a little friend of mine. They’re leftovers from a teacosy that had been looking at me for a while. Inspiration struck, and in no time flat, I had a little pair of fingerless mitts. I hope to have modelled pics soon, and I hope they’re liked!
And my new big one, now that The Very Pink one is off the needles?

The appropriately named “Fancy” by Erika Knight, from Rowan 49. I am smitten. The stitch pattern has me completely enamoured.

And frankly, what’s not to love about Kidsilk Haze?

I’ve been plugging away on a few different projects of late. First off, the Very Pink Jumper.

Boring. Stocking stitch. Top down raglan, all in one, should be quick. But it’s not. I’ve been plugging away at this one for a month, and am now nearing the finish line.
One small problem. See that tiny ball of yarn down in the corner? That’s all that’s left. I have a great fear that I am going to run short of yarn.
No problem! Order more!
Except that I bought it from a Rav destash, and it’s an old dyelot. Earlier this week, I emailed a great many stockists of this yarn, looking for one measly matching skein. Thankfully, Jimmy Beans Wool came through for me. They had just one skein of the correct dyelot in stock. That skein is now winging it’s way to me!
Another project I’ve been working onis the long neglected Akomeogi socks, started way back in September.

I’ve been taking these to work as train knitting, and working on them. If they look slightly different, that’s because they are. I’m a numbskull. I seem to have a real difficulty with socks and needle sizes.
With the first sock, I started the leg on 2.5mm needles, and changed down to 2mm needles for the foot. On the second sock, I’ve done the whole thing on 2mm needles.
I’m pretty sure these will go to Emily, because they look pretty gross stretched out over my cankles!
And finally, my at-work project has been Debbie Bliss’ “Spanish Dress” as a store sample. I work on samples for the store in quiet periods – these are growing increasingly rare as word about the store is getting out!
But last week, I finished it. And OMG the cute nearly killed me.

So.Cute.
Specs:
Pattern: “Spanish Dress” by Debbie Bliss from the book Design It, Knit It: Babies.
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Ecobaby in colour 14012, 1 and a bit balls. (100% cotton)
Needles: 2.25mm Addi turbo circulars
Skirt: Liberty Tana Lawn in “Mauvey” (Pink colourway)
Mods: None.
I did knit a pretty sizeable swatch, and if I’d frogged it, I probably would have got it all out of one ball of yarn. I did find some of the direction confusing, particularly in relation to the backs, where quite often I would finish a row on the wrong side to start the neck or armhole shaping. Otherwise, it’s a lovely pattern, and looks so sweet! I handsewed the skirt to the bodice, because I was worried that machine sewing might stretch the knitting out.
I’d absolutely knit it again for a summer baby!
No idea what’s happening with my knitting lately, but my tension keeps getting looser. This yarn should be knit on 3 – 3.25mm needles to get the gauge correct, I had to go down to 2.25mm needles. The Spud & Chloe Sweater I’m using for the very pink jumper recommends a 4.5 – 5.5mm, I’m using a 3.75mm. On worsted weight! At this rate, I’ll be using piano wire for socks!
Finally, Em was sad that the dress doesn’t fit her.

Three posts in less than a week must have worn out my blogging mojo. I got a message today telling me it was time to blog and get something up on the front page!
I’ve been busy. And our internet was throttled. But since you saw me last, there was knitting camp – best ever! And some knitting, lots of working, the start of a cleaning lady (all hail the wonderful cleaning lady!) and all kinds of other boring stuff.
Knit Camp was fun, even counting the 24 hours without power. On Saturday night, by torchlight, I began a cardi for my sisters baby who was due in early June. In intarsia, no less. Starting intarsia by torchlight whilst under alcoholic influence wasn’t a good idea. It got ripped back and restarted on the Sunday morning. However, since then it’s been almost finished.

And a good thing, because the baby decided he couldn’t wait and was born last Tuesday. I’m a little worried that the raglan sleeves don’t look like they’ll fit neatly into the armholes, but we’ll soon find out. It’s a bit of a mashup of patterns going on here – the intarsia from one pattern, the cardi from another.
The only other real knitting action going on has been a top down raglan in Spud & Chloe sweater. I’d hoped it would be done by now, but life keeps getting in the way.

Not much to say here – it’s pink. (Surprise!) It’s stocking stitch. Hopefully I’ll have something a little more exciting next time.

Hey guys, don’t fall over! 3 posts in a week. Just keeping you all on your toes.
No knitting in this one though, except to say that the Easter Show knitting was a very mixed bag this year. Some of the quality of entries was extremely high. Some of the quality of judging was questionable to say the least. No pictures, because to be honest, I forgot to get the camera out. But you’re not missing anything, unless you want to see ribbons on things that have blatant mistakes, bad tension and just plain bad taste. (In my opinion, of course!) And some of the beautiful things that absolutely deserved the ribbons they got were hung so badly that you couldn’t see them properly anyway. But I’m not going to dwell on that. So if you’re here for the knitting, that’s it, the rest is way off topic.
The best part of the Easter Show is the crap food we eat all day long. This year, it was my mission to only eat food that came on a stick. There was no lack of availability of such foods, but I did cheat by having some CWA (Country Women’s Association) scones. But they’re so awesome, you have to make an exception.
So without further ado –

Started the day with Cheese on a Stick. (Battered, deep fried cheese. On a stick)
Then we went and looked at the knitting. Then consoled ourselves with hot dogs.

(Kris tells me in the US, it’s a corn dog)
Knitters with sticks!

Kris, me, Kylie and Ailsa. Cheese, hotdog, cheese, cheese.
Chocolate covered bananas. On a stick.

Em had strawberries. I forgot that picture.

Fairy Floss. On a stick. Or cotton candy, if you prefer.

Chips on a stick! Apparently its a deep fried, spiral cut potato. Em said it was good, I didn’t partake.

Corn on a stick, with appalling colour.
I feel like a failure. We missed toffee apples on sticks. And icecream. Something to aim for next year!
And we didn’t come home empty handed.

Show doll. On a stick!

I’m on a roll! A finishing roll!
I finished my Grapevine, hip hooray!

I like it, but I don’t love it.
Specs:
Pattern: Grapevine by Heidi Kirrmaier
Size: Medium
Yarn: Rowan Felted Tweed in Watery, bought from work. (Calico & Ivy, Balmain) 5 Balls
Needles: 3.5mm Knitpicks circs.
Mods: None. Knit to the pattern.
I knit the pattern as written, but when I finished the third ball while working on the body, I started on the sleeves with the final two balls. Once I’d finished the sleeves, I started on the body again with the last 3/4 of a ball, and just knit until I ran out of yarn.
It’s a little too big. I could have gone down a pattern size in the body, and I probably should have gone down a needle size, too. There’s a mishap in the sleeves, I worked them on two circs, and it was only after the fact that I realised I’d used one 3.25mm and one 3.5mm. I’m too lazy to rip it out though!

My knitting just keeps getting looser. I used a 3.5mm, but it was still a little off, I probably should have used a 3.25mm needle. I’ve just started a new knit in Spud & Chloe sweater, a worsted weight, and I’m using 3.75mm needles to get gauge.
What you can’t see it the pictures is that it is a little loose in the body – my hand is behind my back, holding the fabric a bit!
But it’s not horrendous, I’m just fussy. I’ll definitely wear it!

(Necklace custom made by LingGlass on etsy!)
I’ve already started the next knit – a top down raglan in Spud & Chloe. But there’s a baby cardi with intarsia teddies calling to me, and a gorgeous top for Em from the Kim Hargreaves book!