So today I swatched. I like to knit with wooden straight needles. Call me old fashioned if you will, but the truth is I prefer wooden needles, and it is difficult to come by wooden or bamboo circular needles here in Australia.
However, it was not to be. I had begun the sweater on 5mm wooden straights, so I swatched with 4mm straights. Nearly got gauge – 20sts/28rows. 5mm aluminium circs got 18/28. 4mm circs got 20/28.
4.5mm anodised aluminim circs – bingo. At last.
So now I can go again on my merry way. From the start. Maybe tomorrow 😉

I swear that I swatched!
Okay, maybe it was lazily, but I did! I cast on 25 stitches, knit 10 rows and measured it. This time, I’ll do a proper square.
Instead of 19sts/28 rows = 10cm, I was only getting 17sts/24 rows = 10cm.
And I only noticed because I finished one side of the front, and the neck seemed very low. So I measured it. You think I’d learn.

Mail Day!!
My order from Threadbear arrived 🙂

Plassard pattern books 32 and 36 and 2 balls of papyrus, which I’m going to use to make this for Em

I liked this top alot. Mind you, we’re heading into winter here, so she might not get much wear out of it – hopefully it will still fit next summer. I think it’ll knit up very quickly, but I was most disappointed to discover that it has a crochet border. I detest crochet, can’t follow a crochet pattern, and don’t know a single crochet from a double crochet. Guess I’d better figure it out quick, huh?
Alot of the stuff I liked from the current Vogue and FCEK magazines have crochet edgings, and they just put me off, I’m afraid.
Anyway, the Papyrus is most unusual. It’s kind of papery, kind of fabricy. I think it’s very similar in texture to those paperish hospital gowns. It’ll be very interesting to knit!
I also got my new ball winder.

I immediately wound a skien of Cascade 220, and it was a pleasure!
And yesterday, I received a set of Crystal Palace size 0 DPNS, ordered from Knit Happens I immediately cast on a sock for my DH, David.

I didn’t get any further than the cast on though 🙂
The yarn that I’m using in that picture is Elann.com Sock It To Me Colori in shade 40 Highland Heather.
I got more of my Cleckheaton Sweater done, I’m up to the neck shaping on the front, pics of that tomorrow!

No knitting today.
My Uncle Ray died on Easter Sunday. He was only 51 years old, and died after a short but hard fight with oesaphagal (sp?) cancer. His funeral was today. It was a sad occasion, although it is nice to catch up with cousins that I haven’t seen in many years, and to have the opportunity to say “That’s your baby?? My goodness, he’s so big!” and the like, but I hate it that we only catch up at sad occasions.
I’m glad he is no longer in pain, and that his family is no longer watching him die slowly.
I didn’t see him (or other relatives for that matter) nearly often enough, but he will be missed by many.

Here are the blankets, all finished up.

As I think I said before, these were a great knit for new babies. They knit up nice and quick, are machine washable and dryable and look cute too.
The pattern called for tassels on each corner, but I don’t think the tassels would stay nice, so I just didn’t bother.
I am now considering options for the Bucket Hat. I may try the Mission Falls 1824 cotton, but I love the look of Becky’s Plassard Grand Large. The Manos Cotton Stria that Jill sent me is the right gauge, but I think it might be too soft. Still to get to Lincraft, so I won’t make any firm decisions until I see what I can get locally.