The good thing about rarely blogging is that it looks like all I do is finish things. Like the Nutkin socks.

Don’t they look great? Unfortunately, I’m not really feeling the love. Love the yarn, but the pattern? Not so much.
Specs:
Pattern: Nutkin by Beth LaPensee
Yarn: madelinetosh Tosh Sock in Clematis
Needles: 2.5mm and 2mm
Mods: The only mods I made, I screwed up! I used 2.5mm needles for the leg, because, as I’ve established before, I have healthy calves. Then I changed down to 2mm needles for the heel and foot. Except that on sock number 2, I realised when I was halfway down the foot that I’d forgotten to change down the needle, so the foot is larger on sock 2. Too large, in fact.
But I just don’t feel the love enough to rip it out and start over. They don’t look nice on my cankles. They’re biasing. But they’re done.
My at-work project has been a cute little baby dress by Debbie Bliss, the “Spanish Dress” It’s a lovely little cabled bodice, knit in ecobaby with a Liberty Tana Lawn skirt.

I started it about two weeks ago, and there it’s sat, untouched. I’ve been flat out. Doing what? How about preparing the yarn shelves for this month’s Rowan shipment? It arrived this week, the delivery guy looked at me a little oddly when I squealed!
This month we got half the colours of Wool Cotton, Pure Wool 4ply and the delicious Kid Classic. The rest of the colours arrive next month. I’m not quite sure where we’ll put them, because as of Wednesday, the shelves looked like this.

Of course, that was before I brought a pile home! (The picture is uploaded on Flickr here, and I’ve noted each yarn on that picture!)

I am very remiss in my blogging of late. Problem is that by the time I get to sit down these days, my eager hands are far more likely to reach for my knitting than my keyboard.
Although I have finished projects to show for it!
First off, I finished the little striped baby cardi.

A lovely knit with a lovely result! (And yes, bigger than expected, I still didn’t check my washed tension!)
Specs:
Pattern: Striped Cardigan by Debbie Bliss from her “Booties Blankets and Bears” book.
Yarn: Baby Cashmerino, 2 balls each of white and blue (Book and yarn from Calico & Ivy, Balmain)
Needles: 2.5mm and 3mm. Should’ve been 2.25 and 2.75mm, I think.
Mods: None, knit precisely to the pattern.
And I finished something for myself, too.

When the lovely DrK headed over to the USA before Christmas, I made her a little case for her camera. In return, she brought me back a most beautiful gift – two skeins of Koigu Mori in the most gorgeous shade of pink!
It begged to be a scarf, and who am I to resist such lush yarn?

Specs:
Pattern: Montego Bay scarf by Amy Singer
Yarn: Koigu Mori, two skeins.
Needles: 5mm.
Mods: None. I knit the first skein, then I cut off enough pieces for the little braided fringe from the second skein and then I knit until I ran out of yarn. It’s perfect! The yardage of the yarn is less than the pattern calls for, but the length is just right.

I can see this one getting a lot of wear this winter!

So I’m starting, (finally) to get my knitting groove back. Once I find my blogging mojo again, we’ll be in business! I have a few finished items to show – but today lets talk about a sample I made for the shop*.
Our little headless model is about a size 2, and the Debbie Bliss pattern I chose to knit for her goes up to a 2, so I knit the biggest size. My gauge was perfect as I was knitting it, and it looked pretty good, but I broke a cardinal rule. One I should know by heart by now.
I didn’t wash and block my swatch.
Damn thing grew. A lot.

It’s too big for Sarah’s gorgeous 4 year old. Stupid cashmerino! Aside from that, it’s a lovely pattern. And if I’d got the gauge/size right, I’d be over the moon with the finished item.
Specs:
Pattern: Lace Edge Cardigan by Debbie Bliss from her “Simply Baby” book
Yarn: Baby Cashmerino in Shade #10, Lilac – 5.5 balls.
Needles: Addi Turbo circ, 3mm.
Mods: As it was a sample for the shop, I didn’t make any mods. Actually, I fib. I did a 3 needle bind off on the shoulders, but thats all.
However, if it weren’t for the shop, I’d have made a few changes. The lace edge is knit last and seamed on – I’d do it as part of the body, knitting it as you go. I’d probably also knit the sleeves in the round.
And I would definitely block my swatch!
It’s not a difficult knit, and it looks great when it’s done.

But it would look better if it fit!
*Speaking of the shop, we’re having our first workshop next Sunday, Easter Crafts with Kelly Doust – and High Tea! More details here. There were still a couple of spots left when I was a t work last week, if you’re interested, give us a call to book!

And so the day has come. My baby is legally an adult. 18 years old. Good Lord, I feel old.

(Poor picture with bad lighting, all apologies!)
I’m so proud of the wonderful human being she is. But I’m still not sure that I’m ready for her to spread her wings and experience the world!
Happy 18th birthday, Emily!

So usually I’m pretty good at project monogamy. I like to have a pair of socks, a garment and one other project going at a time. Otherwise, I’d have a hundred projects on the go, and nothing would ever get finished. I know myself far too well.
Lately, it’s starting to fall apart.
Ages ago, I started a pair of stripey pink socks. September of last year. The first one is done. The second is started. But somehow they fell by the wayside. Then SS62011 started, and I did the Shitygal socks, and have now started the Nutkin socks.

So I’ve sent the Akomeogi socks into hibernation.
Then, a month ago I started a new cardigan. I need a basic black cardigan for work, but I didn’t want anything too boring. Enter the Camber cardigan.

It really is black, forgive my camera. Black Wollmeise laceweight. I’m an idiot. A month of working on it, and this is as far as I got. What was I thinking? Limited knitting time, and I decide to knit a cardigan in lacweight yarn. I.d.i.o.t.
So to counteract the pain of the laceweight, (which between us, has been shoved to the very bottom of the knitting basket) I cast on a new cardigan.

Funny how much quicker a cardi for a tiny baby is! It’s for a workmate of David’s, whose wife is expecting their first baby. Debbie Bliss Baby cashmerino, which I’d forgotten how much I like!
Now I feel like I’m accomplishing something!