So tomorrow, at wtf o’clock, I get up and head to Bendigo with my evil knitting other half, Knitabulous. There we’ll meet up with a bunch of my favourite knitters in the world (and many others!), and there will be knitting and shopping, drinking, eating and socialising aplenty.
Alas, it will be cold. And I’m scared of the cold. Not even remotely joking. 13C (55F) is torture for me. In a Sydney winter, which isn’t cold for many of you, I sleep under two quilts, in winter pj’s with wool socks and a hot water bottle. So I got the brilliant idea to knit myself some gloves for the trip.

It could still happen. Especially if I stop stuffing up the chart!!

So this week I’ve not managed to knit much of anything. Just one of those weeks where I’ve been running on the spot, never stopping, but never really getting anywhere either.
Last week I finished the Veyla and Ishbel Mk II though!

(She hates the camera, obviously!)
Specs on Ishbel:

Pattern: Ishbel Beret by Ysolda Teague
Size: Medium
Yarn: Bendigo Woollen Mills 4ply Luxury (50g or 180m, roughly)
Needles: 2.75mm and 3.75mm Knit Pro Symfonie/Knit Picks Harmony
Mods: None!
I made the Medium size, because Em likes her hats slouchy. I think I could probably have used the Small size band and increased or something from there, but she’s happy with it! It’s a nice quick knit, took all of about 3 days, and I wasn’t knitting no stop on it.

(I’m actually not sure whether she likes the knits all that much, or if she just likes playing up for the camera!)
Veyla Specs:

Pattern: Veyla by Ysolda Teague
Size: Small
Yarn: Bendigo Woollen Mills 4ply Luxury (35g or 125m, roughly)
Needles: 2.75mm Knit Pro Symfonie/Knit Picks Harmony DPNS
Mods: None!

Quick, again. I got each glove done in one day. The buttons are just plain black ones that I picked up at the Canberra Wool Day. A bag of about 20 small black buttons for 20c. Bargain!!
I really like these, but after two pairs, I’m kind of over knitting them, no matter how quick they are. Yes, I’m easily distracted.

But I had a lot of yarn left over. Those Bendigo balls are big. How big? These are my leftovers.

That pic doesn’t really show much, does it? How about next to a 100g ball of sock yarn?

Yup. Lots of leftovers. More than half a ball. So what am I to do? I think I need gloves for Bendigo.

Eve gloves for me! However, I’ve been trying to knit them for a week, and have managed only about a quarter of one glove. Not that they’re difficult, I just have had no time. I don’t think they’ll be done!

So, quite some time ago (about a month!) I finished Tempest. Then it sat for a while, and on KIP day, Ailsa took some pictures of it for me.

Done! I’m really happy with it, too.
Specs:
Pattern:Tempest by Ann Weaver from Knitty, Spring 2008
Yarn: Wollmeise 100% Merino Superwash in Fuchsia and Posion Nr 5, one skein of each
Needles: 3.75mm and 4.0mm Knitpro Symfonie/Knit Picks Harmony Circulars
Size: 35″ (C)
Mods: I made the sleeves long, instead of 3/4. I have a bit of an issue with 3/4 sleeves, if I’m cold enough for a cardigan, usually I want my whole arm covered! I spaced out the increases a little more so that the wrists weren’t too big.
I picked up the buttons at All Buttons Great and Small in Newtown, and I really like them. It took a while to decide, I found some gorgeous little roses I liked, but they were $5 each, and I needed 14. I’m plenty happy with these ones!

I really like the Wollmeise yarn. I know it’s hard to get, but it’s worth it. The colours are gorgeous, and the yarn is unusual – it sort of feels cottony, but still soft. And the 150g skeins are awesome – I only used one skein of each colour, and I had leftovers!
Overall, I’m happy with it, and may even do another one in the future.

In fact, the only issue I have with the whole project is that I just can’t get the colours to show up correctly!

The Ishbel beret and the Veyla gloves were finished and blocked in time for Em to take them to the birthday party on Friday night.
Unfortunately, I don’t have pictures of the birthday girl modelling them, so you’ll have to make do with the hurried pics I took before they got wrapped!

Specs:
Pattern: Ishbel Beret by Ysolda Teague
Size: Medium
Yarn: Knit Picks Gloss Sock in “Cosmos”
Needles: Knitpicks Nickel Interchangables in 2.75mm and 3.75mm
Mods: None! It’s perfect as it is.
Very happy with the way it came out!

Specs:
Pattern: Veyla Gloves by Ysolda Teague
Size: Small
Yarn: Knit Picks Gloss Sock in “Cosmos”
Needles: Knitpicks/Knitpro wooden double points in 3mm
Mods: None!
I’m told that they were both very well received, especially as the birthday girl wasn’t expecting a pair of gloves too.
I love, love, love the Knitpicks Gloss Sock. Jill sent it to me quite a while back and it’s been marinating in the stash ever since. I wish it were available locally, or that Knit Picks would ship internationally, because I’d buy a tonne of it! I do have a shawl’s worth in the lace – I hope it’s just as nice!
It’s nicely squishy, and the 30% silk adds a nice sheen to it. I don’t know how it would stand up as socks, but for this sort of thing, it’s lovely.
So of course, it was not only well received by the birthday girl, but also enviously coveted by Em. I had been promising her a new pair of gloves for a while, and so I’m doubly a sucker.

I’m starting with the beret though. I’m knitting Em’s in Bendigo Luxury 4ply, in Black.
Shimmer has not been neglected.

Getting there!

So either I’m a really, really awesome mum, or I’m a complete sucker. (Personally, I’m going with sucker. Total.Sucker.)
I finished the Ishbel beret on Tuesday. I still had a whole skein of the Knit Picks Gloss sock left over, and three days until R’s birthday. So I started a pair of Veyla gloves/mitts to match. Like I said, total sucker.

But they are quick! Super quick! I finished the first one on Tuesday night, and got started on the second one yesterday.

And if Em’s reaction is anything to go by, R will like them. A lot. (As I’m sure you’ve all guessed, Em has ordered a set for herself!)
I really, really like the Knit Picks Gloss Sock. This colourway is the “Cosmos” colour, and it’s gorgeous. My friend Jill sent it to me as a gift a while back and I’m in love. The silk adds a nice sheen, and it’s super squishy!
And Jill outdid herself this time! Just today I got another gift from her.

Two pink woven scarves! And they’re gorgeous. I even went and changed my outfit so I could wear one today!