Sorry, no pics today, crappy stormy weather, blah.
I spent some time wandering around yesterday trying to decide what to start next. Finally I pulled out some old Patons Cottontop that I won in an eBay auction.
Now I don’t know exactly how old this is, but it’s 100% cotton boucle. The ball band has no details aside from that, apart from washing instructions. No yardage, no needle size, no gauge recommendations. So I figured it looked around an 8 ply, and began swatching with a 3.75mm needle. (An Australian 8 ply generally knits up to 22sts/4″ on a 4mm needle) I got 4 sts/1″. Hmmm… went down to a 3.5mm, then a 3.25mm. Best I could get was 5sts/1″. So I pulled out some pattern books, surfed the web, got the patterns for the Ribby Shell and ChicKami from chicknits. I love Bonne Marie’s patterns – easy to follow, easy to knit, easy to wear. However, the cotton didn’t rib well, so I frogged the Ribby Shell. I cast on for ChicKami, did few rows, then realised that I was getting 20sts/4″, but I was getting 32-34 rows/4″!! Cripes, I detest gauge! I was too lazy to do the math and convert the pattern, and frankly, the idea of 32 rows/4″ on 3.25mm needles depressed me. So I tossed the yarn back into the stash box and sulked for a bit before going to bed. I spent half the night trying to work out what to start next.
This morning, I got up and decided to start Mondo Cable. The pattern calls for 16 sts and 20 rows over 4″. I bought some Schachenmayr Micro Big Shine from elann specifically for this project quite some time back. elann only said that the recommended gauge was 16sts/4″. When I got it out today, the ball band says the recommended gauge is 16sts and 26 rows/4″. I need 16sts and 20rows/4″. So I swatched anyway.
I love that my row gauge is off! I got 16sts and 20 rows first swatch 🙂

I finished the Neckdown Pullover very late last night, it’s now blocking. Pictures tomorrow, maybe.
I also bought our tickets to Sea World on the Gold Coast (Queensland) today. I am so excited. There are twin baby Polar Bears from Canada there, who go on pubic display over christmas. This will be the high point of our holiday for me. There are several other theme parks on the Gold Coast, Dreamworld, Movie World and Wet ‘n Wild. (God only knows what hits I’ll get for that!) However, we always go to Sea World for the Polar Bears 🙂
After that, I had Polar Bears on the brain, so I hit eBay. I wish I could move to the USA! You people have Polar Bear Tupperware! Avon Polar Bear christmas ornaments! Your Tupperware and Avon is way cooler than ours. I tried to email Tupperware USA to find out if the polar bear range was being released here, but I got an error page every time I hit send. The best yarn, the best Tupperware. I’m so jealous!
My DH has threatened to hide the credit cards to prevent me buying all the things I wanted 🙂
I’m thinking of emigrating 😉

I repeated the dyeing process today, and I’m pleased to say that it gets even easier and quicker with practice. Cleaner, too 🙂 I took Jill’s advice today and used a garbage bag under my work, and that worked a treat.
I managed to be pretty clever in matching up the dyes to yesterdays hank, too.

Notice that one of the hanks is shorter? I was a little worried that I may have been a little rough with yesterdays hank, and it may have fulled a little. But as hank 2 has dried, it seems to have ‘bloomed’, so it may just be a case of a dry hank next to a wet hank. I’m happy with the colours and the stripes though – there doesn’t seem to be a gigantic difference. I think I will still do 2 rows from hank 1 and 2 rows from hank 2 to minimise any big discrepancies. Here is yesterday’s hank balled up.

I’m so pleased with it that I’ve left it on the table so that I can admire it as I go past 🙂
Emily went to a party tonight, in honour of the end of year, the holiday season and the impending end of Primary School. She only has 7 school days left at Primary School, the last day of school is Tuesday, December 21, and High School starts on January 31. It’s starting to get a little sad now! Anyway, one of the mothers hosted a pool party for some of the kids tonight. (Around 40, I’m told!!) A pool party. It’s summer in Sydney, we’ve had quite a few heatwave days, and we’re in the middle of a drought.
So, of course the rain began at 2.50pm, the party started at 4pm, and the rain has only just stopped now at 10.30pm. Apparently, this didn’t stop anyone from having a wonderful time in the pool, on the jumping castle and generally running about in the rain.
When I picked her up, she was wet through. She had changed out of her swimmers, but her ‘dry’ clothes were wet. Her swimmers were wet, her towel felt like it had been in the pool, and her jacket had been tossed over the back of a chair in the rain. She was shivering, blue lipped and sniffling. I asked her if she had fun. Her reply?
“It was excellent!” 🙂

I ordered some Landscapes dyes from Virgina Farm Wool Works. Talk about quick – I ordered them yesterday, and they were here today.

Of course, being the impatient soul that I am, I had to dye stuff immediately 🙂
I have a few hanks of 8ply (DK weight) wool that I plan to use for Clapotis, so I whipped out all the equipment and set to work. The biggest pyrex dish I have only held one 200g hank, so I only did one. First I gave the wool a nice soapy bath.

I wanted to use all three colours in random dyeing, so I got to work. Pink first!

Then blue.

Purple came next, but I didn’t get a picture. Why not? Because at this point, I realised that I had spilled permanent dye all over the benchtop, the sink, various spots on the floor, and it had seeped through a tiny crack in one glove finger, rendering my forefinger a lovely shade of bright blue. This is my benchtop.

So at this stage, I tossed the dish into the microwave and cooked her up, while I got out every cleaning fluid in my cupboard and attacked the benchtop. Thank heavens for Rapid Mould Kill. Smells like shit, but it worked. 🙂
Anyway, ta-da! Here is the finished product.

The purple is more vibrant than it appears here. And now tomorrow I have to try to repeat the experience. Preferably without dyeing the whole kitchen.

Jill sent me some gadgets! 🙂

I love gadgets. There were other things in the package, but they are intended for Em’s christmas stocking, and she’s a snoop, so they can’t go up here yet. I had asked Jill to get me a Chibi (or two 😉 and she popped way more in there for us. There are so many gadgets that can be got in the US that we can’t get here.
I finished the first sleeve of the neckdown and started the second. Hopefully I can have this sweater done by the end of the weekend, and start something new.
I should never say something like that, because if I say it, it never happens!