Two posts in less than a week! Can you handle the excitement?!?
Petal is finished, blocked, seamed and now modelled!

I’m really happy with the way this one turned out. Emily made the little skirt she’s wearing, especially to go with this top. I think she did a pretty awesome job!
Specs:
Pattern: Petal by Kim Hargreaves, from the Misty book.
Size: XS (81cm)
Yarn: Bendigo Woollen Mills 4ply Cotton in “New Ochre”
Needle: 2mm and 2.5mm Knitpro Harmony fixed Circs
Buttons: Cheap plastic clear ones from the Button Factory down the street!
Mods: I omitted the picots from the ribbing edges on the hem and sleeves, because I never like the way they look, no matter what I do. Apart from that, I knit it exactly to the pattern in the smallest size.

I love the little details in all the Kim Hargreaves patterns, like the split hem on the bottom of the top and the sleeves, with the buttons.

I think it gives it a nice finish! I’m also really pleased with the neckline. I haven’t knit anything with this neck shaping before, and those little triangles at the top of the front just looked weird as I was knitting them.

I think it’s a style that looks quite flattering on Em!
I’ve knit with the Rowan 4ply cotton before, and the Bendigo 4ply cotton compares very favourably! And at $9.50 for a 200g ball (that’s equal to 4 balls of the Rowan 4ply), it’s a bargain! Especially seeing as Rowan has discontinued theirs. The colour range isn’t great though, which is a little disappointing. I’d definitely use it as a substitute again.

I love to knit. I really, really do.
So why is it always the first thing that gets dropped that I run short on time? Why can’t I drop the housework, the chauffeuring duties, the sewing or the hundred other tiny tasks that infiltrate my life and demand my attention? The real reason I’ve barely blogged of late is that a) I have no time, and b) I have nothing to show.
Nothing to blog! No one wants to hear that I vacuumed an entire rabbit’s worth of fluff off the carpet three times last week. Or that a billion dance costumes went through dress rehearsals last week, and five billion came back for alterations. (Well, it feels like that many!).
You’re here for the knitting, and I’ve got nothin’. Well, almost nothin’.
I seamed up Petal.

There will be modelled pics sometime soon. Em even made a cute skirt to wear with it! It looks lovely on her, but hasn’t been actually worn yet, because we went from winter weather to summer weather in the space of three days this week. And I only finished it on Thursday.
The ruffly bolero is growing, but all I have is a badly lit picture of some curling alpaca stocking stitch.

I assure you that it’s smooshy!
And although I don’t seem to get any time to play with yarn lately, I have no trouble accumulating it. I’m on a MadTosh kick. Three deliveries in three days!

The Molly Ringwald Merino Light (top right) arrived first, a destash from Ravelry. On Friday, my first yarn club parcel came, the Jewels colourway called “Laurent:(top left). It’s 80/10/10 wool/cashmere/nylon worsted weight, and I think it wants to be the Bellevue cardi. And finally, yesterday I got my grubby little hands on the three skeins of Merino Light in Curiosity (Bottom left) from missfee.
The Zauberball pictured also arrived this week. Don’t you just adore the colours? I haven’t touched any lace since the Cap Shawl disaster back in January, but this is whispering to me.
As soon as I have a spare minute!

Busy, busy, lots of things going on, just no blogging!
There is sewing happening.

There is knitting.

Drops 106-8 Bolero with flounce and winged puff sleeve. The Drops patterns are so imaginatively named, aren’t they? I’m knitting it in the recommended yarn, Drops Alpaca, and I’m enjoying it. I started it on 3.25mm needles, then ripped it out and started over on 3mm and I’m much happier with it now. It never ceases to amaze me how much of a difference 0.25mm can make!
More knitting, with seaming to come.

Petal, all done, just to be seamed and buttoned. (And crochet edged. Eep!)

So, since I finished Oblique last weekend, I’ve started something new. Something for Emily, which she has been asking for for a while, and no doubt something that will be worn once and tossed aside.
Lets hope I’m wrong!
It’s Petal by Kim Hargreaves from the “Misty” book.

I’m knitting it in Bendigo Woollen Mills 4ply cotton in “New Ochre” that I picked up while we were down in Bendigo for the Sheep and Wool show. Once again, I’m knitting the front and back at the same time, and so far it’s coming along nicely.
Speaking of Emily, she’s smack in the middle of her final exams for school. This is how she looks most days.

Including the look on her face. This time next week, her high school career will be over. Can you believe it?!? Me either.
So we’ve been housebound while she studies, and I’ve been at the sewing machine.

This was going to be a sneak peek of the Dick and Jane collection that was supposed to be now available in the shop. But most of it’s gone already! There’s still DPN roll there, and there’s one more interchangeable holder going up in a week or so when more lining fabric arrives. I’ve ordered some more fabric, so there’ll be more in the future. The pretty polka dot linen needle rolls are up, though!
And in fun stuff, Kris introduced me to the Bieber Hair app for the iPhone.

No one is safe!

From lunchtime on Wednesday until lunchtime on Thursday, I was glued to the television. I abandoned it for around 7 hours to go get some sleep, and two brief trips to deliver/pick up Emily from dancing, but apart from that, I sat in front of the television, watching the Chilean miners be rescued after 69 days underground.
I’m such a softy. I cried every time I saw one of them come up. Em and I cheered and applauded (and cried) for every single one of them. It was so inspiring to watch. Such good news, and such an awesome outcome.
And it ended in another great outcome, one a lot closer to home.
Oblique is finally finished – hooray!

The marathon television event caused a marathon finishing event!
Specs:
Pattern: Oblique by Veronik Avery from Knitty Fall 2007
Size: Small (39 inches)
Yarn: Bendigo Woollen Mills Rustic 12ply in “Radiant” 5 balls
Needles: 4mm Knitpicks Nickel interchangeable
Buttons: Wooden, received in a Secret Santa swap last Christmas – and perfect!
Mods: None.

The colour is most accurate in this picture, I think.
Knit exactly to the pattern, and I’m pretty happy with it – although I do think it’s a little big. I wish I’d knit it a size smaller, but there’s no way I’m ripping it out and starting over! Apart from that, it’s a great pattern. It’s not too bad to knit, although the heavier-than-I’m-used-to yarn dragged it out a bit for me. I especially like the short row shaping on the neckband.

I finished it thinking I wouldn’t get a chance to wear it this year. Thursday was a beautiful day, hot and sunny. Today? Freezing. It’s back to winter weather, icy winds and low temperatures. Perfect weather for this cardi, in fact!

Although, I’d really like it now if I didn’t get to wear it again until next year. I’m more than ready for some nice warm weather!