Wrap me up

Ok, it has been too long. I have been up to lots in the last 3 (is it really that long) months, and have meant to post about it here but just not quite got there. I thought that since I am avoiding going to bed, I could post some updated photos of my Clapotis now.


I really love this wrap, but it did need to be washed a couple of times to soften it up. I was able to wear it a couple of times while I was away at the Scquilters Retreat in Adelaide in April, and it received some vary favourable comments. The colours in it are just delicious, I think I am now addicted to Noro yarns. For the colours, not the softness of the yarns. Or the knots.

My next post will include photos and details of other projects I have been working on, two of which I started while on my holiday. I can't believe it is a month since I flew back from Adelaide (or it will be tomorrow). I will also have to put some photos up of the Retreat. I have booked my leave for next years retreat in Bathurst, whether or not I will be able to afford it will be another matter. I am starting my savings this week.

I need to go to bed now, but I am sure I will have nightmares because I have enjoyed my cheese and biscuits a little bit too much since getting home from work. I had to do something - Grey's Anatomy had started already, and I can't watch Private Practice till I have watched the GA episode. It will be so exciting this week!

Shawl obsessed

Two of my WIPs at the moment are shawls. One is the Fallen Leaves wrap by Dory Brown. I am really enjoying this pattern, as can be seen here:

I was working on this every spare moment, until I needed an easier project to work on at the Canberra Quilters first night meeting of the year. I didn't really like the idea of ripping back because I wasn't concentrating on the pattern. The project I decided to work on was the world famous (in knitting circles at least) Clapotis. I had bought the yarn in 2006 at the craft show. I am using Noro Silk Garden, and it is very pretty. I love seeing the colours change as I knit. I can't wait to drop all the stitches, I have already started dropping some of them more than the few rows that the pattern says to do. I have waited till I've been a couple of rows beyond the one where you drop the stitch to be on the safe side. I don't think it matters if you drop all the way to the bottom before finishing, but I am still trying to resist just in case.


Some of you may notice the ring stitch markers, thanks again to WithaQ for that tip. At the moment I have about 8 electric toothbrush heads floating around in the drawer needing to be used, all without the little colour rings you are supposed to use with them. They make great stitch markers. I am trying to convert all my family into using electric toothbrushes and giving me the rings (hint hint, Mum I am talking to you)! The other stitch markers are the pretty pink beaded ones I got from Donyale last year when I bought the lovely baby alpaca. That is going to be for my special Clapotis, the Silk Garden version is my practice run.

I didn't end up doing any stitching at the CQ meeting, I think it was about 200 degrees inside the church hall, so hot that I thought I was either going to be sick or pass out. I really started this on the 6th of February. I have hardly put it down, except to go to work or waste time on the computer. I am on the 12th repeat of the straight section, so not long to go now. The photo was taken early on, it is much longer now.

The first weekend of my Clapotis Adventure, it was really hot here in Canberra. It got to 40 and 39 degrees on the Sat and Sun, way too hot to spend at my house, so I went and sat at Mum's in the aircon. It was good timing that Dad's cousin was in town, so I was able to spend some time with her. She was visiting from Mildura, so it was a bit cooler for her here than back in Victoria.

On the Sunday I spent a lot of time in front of the TV, watching the terrible news of the bushfires. I had the last two Mondays off work, so knitting this shawl while watching the news has been therapy for me in a way, I guess. It has had quite a few tears fall on it, especially today while watching the service today for the day of mourning.

As well as the two shawls that I am doing, I am also working on some hats to give to bushfire victims. I figure it gets cold in winter where the fires were, so they will be well used. I love knitting in circles, so these will be quick and useful projects to give away. I have to find out who is collecting knitwear for the bushfire victims. The mother of one of my neighbours wants to knit some things as well to give away.

On the car front, I decided on the Suzuki Swift. I now have a really cute little car, though it is amazing how dirty they can get in 3 weeks. I will take a photo of the car tomorrow, and also of the Clapotis in progress. I should also do some weeding and pruning tomorrow, and go to the gym. Hopefully I can get up early to do that, before going to have a massage and hang out with the nieces. I love having a 3 day weekend, this will be my third one in a row. Pity that the last first one only came about from a nasty gastro bug brought interstate.

Next weekend is the Canberra Show, so I will be there watching the nieces behaving like perfect little angels (I hope) and checking out the craft exhibition. I can't wait to see what everyone has made. I know that QM has a gorgeous cardigan that she has put in the show, if only it was my size, it would have gone home with me. I have printed out the pattern, and will decide what yarn to use to make one for me.

Hat obsessed

I have been too busy knitting hats to post anything to the blog. I think I am hat obsessed. It is pretty funny considering I have never been a beanie wearer.

Here are some of the hats I have made:

Pattern: Hurricane Hat

Yarn: Vanna's Choice

Needles: Knitpicks Options 4mm circs - magic loop

I think I made this an inch shorter, after comparing it with the very first hat that I made. Depending on who I talk to, it either looks good on me or too short and needing to be folded up. I don't like the look of it with a folded brim, so it will be gifted to my niece. Little SennaBear loves trying on things that I make, and the colour looks good on her so it will be one of her Chrissy presents. I love the colour and feel of this yarn, so will use it again. Maybe for a lacey type hat.

Pattern: Spiral Rib Hat

Yarn: Patons Feathersoft 4ply

Needles: Knitpicks Options 4.5mm circs magic loop

The hat is lovely and soft, but it is too soft I think.

Pattern: Pinwheel Beanie
Yarn: Wendy Peter Pan Double Knit

Needles: Knitpicks Options 3.5mm circs, magic loop

I liked this pattern, might try it a bit bigger next time

Pattern: Sweet and Simple Baby Hat

Yarn: Patons Feathersoft 4ply

Needles: Don't remember, but was done magic loop

I am not too happy with this hat. I should have done the i-cord, but wanted to finish it in a hurry. The yarn is definitely not a good one for hats, unless I do premmie size with smaller needles. Feels lovely and soft though.

Pattern: my own, using a combo of hat formulas and just making up numbers.

Yarn: Wendy Classics Courtelle Double Knitting

Needles: 4mm Knitpicks Options

Technique: Magic Loop

I really love this hat. I bought the yarn thinking that it would make a very funky scarf, but it is a bit too bright. It makes for a great hat and sock. These will be gifted to someone having a baby, but it has to be a girl.

Pattern: North Country Cotton Baby Socks

Needles: Knitpicks Options 3.75mm circs

Yarn: Wendy Classics Courtelle Double Knitting

Technique: Magic Loop
I enjoyed making these and will use this pattern again. SennaBear (21months) was the test foot for these, they are a bit too small for her little feet. She insisted that she had to have both socks on, and was very cute walking last night with them on - till she stood on the wood floor and nearly went over. Not a good floor for kids with socks.

My sister asked when I would make her a pair of socks, hmmmm maybe when she has made me a pair? We can learn together. I am currently doing the class sock from Sensational Knitted Socks with the bright yarn. So far I like it, but have learnt that you need to pay attention to the pattern. I hope to have a pair of cuff down socks, and a pair of toe-up socks done for me this Summer.

I will have nearly 3 weeks off work over the Christmas period, because we won't be having any elective surgery (except for a couple of Caesar mornings). Unfortunately I will be on call for most of the break, so will not be doing anything exciting. I hope to be enjoying some fresh vegies from the garden, if they grow super fast.

Wow, looking back over this post I have been busy.

BTW, after that day with the bees I have had no more problems with them inside. I think they may have been attracted to the Dynamic Lifter liquid stuff I put on the garden. If I have a problem with it again I will be giving it away. I have noticed bees outside a few times, maybe they were swarming that day looking for all the seaside daisies I had pulled out of the garden a couple of weeks before - they always seemed to be hovering around them.

Better go do some stuff, am going out for Turkish tonight to celebrate Cathy Miller being in town. It has been organised by the wonderful QM.

Gold medal hopes dashed

Just like Susanna Kallur, I can't get past my first hurdle of the Maine Morning Mitts. I am attempting to do them using magic loop with Noro Kureyon yarn, which has great vibrant colours, but is so sticky I am regretting the choice. I have never made mittens before, and made very bad magic loop baby socks for Niece1 3 years ago. I have been putting them off for days, just in case I couldn't get the rhythm of the magic loop and the increases going.

I should have had a bit of a warm-up before the girls came over last night so I could consult WithaQ, a legend in the sport of magic looping. I should know by now that if you don't do the training and the warm-ups you can stumble and fall.

I have cast on about 6 times to do these mitts for the ravelympics, and haven't been able to pass the first round. The first time was the most successful, till I looked at it and had a very loose dodgy looking spot in the cast on. I think I stuffed up an increase. I have been lucky enough to avoid knitting too many things with increases, so still don't have that skill mastered, I can do it but it is a struggle.

My other problem with this is that I can't seem to be able to count. I can't seem to remember if I am up to a M1R or a M1L. The last attempt seemed to be going ok, I even managed to get to the end of the first needle! But then my brain kicked in (as it does when knitting and my logic isn't on the same page as the patterns logic) and I started wondering where I could find the final M1L of the needle. In the pattern it is worked on 3 needles to get the patten repeats even, I am putting 2 repeats on needle 1, and the other on repeat on needle 2. Each pattern repeat ends in p1 followed by M1L. I guess I do the M1L between the needles and end up with it sitting on the next needle.

I am sure I have managed to lose you with my description of this, much as I have managed to lose myself. I have thrown the needles down for the night. I suspect these fingerless mitts are going to be mittenless mitts! I will have another go tomorrow when the brain is fresh, otherwise I will have to wait to consult with the experts for a lesson on basic knitting. These mitts are making the hat I made look easy.

The hat was a resounding success. Even though I am not happy with the seamed part of it, people at work were so impressed some of them want me to make them one. I have to experiment with a couple of different patterns, and work out how much to charge. Once I got past the tricky bit of adjusting the pattern, I really loved knitting the hat. I only frogged that half as much as I have these rotten mitts. If I give up on them for the ravelympics, I will have to move onto my jumper that needs seaming, and about 1000 loose ends woven in.

BTW, I tried to find a good link to the start of Susanna Kallur's 100m hurdle race, but had trouble. We watched it last night and it was devastating to watch. I think she was our favourite in that heat because her hair looked so cool. I don't think she had a good start, her foot looked as sticky as my Noro yarn, and she couldn't get enough height to go over the first hurdle. I guess that is what sport is all about - train your heart out and have it all turn to shit on the day.

Better get to bed so I can try again tomorrow.

I think I have got it

I should have worked it out this way, but was told 12 less stitches was the magical number. All I could see was the number 12 in the pattern, so it looked ok to me when I didn't think it through.

I think this is it
Original size was 97 stitches. Decreases worked like this:
K10, k2tog=
12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 1
End up with 1 less stitch from each 12 stitches
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Should have been 8 less stitches:
89 stitches, start decreases with row 3
K9, k2 tog
11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 1
88


not this: 85 stitches
k11,11 11 11 11 11 11 8
Does this make sense?
I am going to rip back and cast on again with 89 stitches

That way I can reward myself with wine and chocolate, not have them because of frustration

Fun and games at the craft show

On Thursday I went with my Mum to the Canberra Craft and Quilt Fair. Thursday used to be the quietest day, but I think it was busier than usual. My sister decided that she wanted to go, so we met her and her 2 girls inside. She had the 2 kid pram with her, so the children were nicely contained. Cathy commented on the many filthy looks she was receiving from mostly older ladies. It is amazing how poorly some people tolerate prams, but for Mum's like my sister taking the children in the pram is the only way they can get to things like the craft show. I told her not to worry about it, she had paid for her ticket (well Mum did, thanks again Mum) so she had every right to be there. The kids loved looking at everything, there were so many things to see.

When I converted my handbag to the backpack style I commented to my sister that I would get filthy looks too, but my back and shoulder don't tolerate wearing my bag on the shoulder for long. I didn't notice any evil looks, but I guess they were all behind me. I figure if people can lug trolley bags around, then others have the right to prams and bags on their backs.

I managed not to spend too much at the show I bought some Lang yarn for mittens and a hat at Yarns Galore.
They are the same dye lot, but look different. Two years ago I bought some different Lang Yarn wool from that stand, they were the same dyelot but looked like they were not. I made them into a scarf earlier this year and wore it to the show.

At Threads and More I fell in love with the colours of their Noro. I bought some Kureyon and some Silk Garden to make a hat and mittens for the ravelympics.
I have knitted tension swatches with each, the Silk Garden is much nicer to knit with.

Other purchases included a hat pattern and a Beadie for holding knitted tops together.
I figure the Beadie is sort of neutral so will work with whatever colour I wear.

I tried on the beanie at the stand, cos I have had trouble finding hats that don't look dicky on me. I thought the hat looked pretty good, much better than the hat I wear every day at work. My sister wants to learn how to make a hat, so I thought this pattern would work since it is knitted on straight needles. I only use circulars these days cos I find them more comfortable. I think I have worked out the needle size I will use. I needed a smaller size to get tension, so will use 4mm instead of the 5mm for the stocking stitch section. I am adjusting the pattern to make it a bit smaller so will keep my fingers crossed. To enable the repeats to work I will try taking off 12 stitches.


I bought the One Skein Wonders book from Can Do Books and have enjoyed flicking through that. There are some felted things I would like to try. I also bought a Curvemaster foot from Punch with Judy, she has so many things on her stand, if you want some sort of gadget for patchwork or other machine sewing, then she will usually have it. If not, she can try to get it. I also bought another purple thang, I have two of them but have no idea where they are.

One of the things I had planned to do with my week off was organise my spare room and my study/sewing room. Nup, didn't happen. I did find buttons on Monday that were for two knitted tops I was doing for DN1. The newest one would fit DN2. Of course, when I was looking on Wednesday for the safe place I had put them, I couldn't find them. I thought I had put them on a shelf, I know they are in a little white paper bag somewhere.

I have managed to catalogue a lot of my stash on ravelry, but have not yet opened the 40L plastic container in the cupboard. I know I have some zhivago, tapestry and some other yarns in there. And then there is the baskets of sock and baby wool. I desperately need some proper shelves in my cupboards to organise my stash properly.

Well, I am off to knit my hat. We have a Scquilters dinner tonight, so I plan to knit when I am not eating. I hope to finish the hat tomorrow or Monday arvo so I can show it off at SnB.

As the days go by

Once again time has gone on by. I have had a busy time lately. One of my work colleagues is friends with a girl I went to school with. She told me that Rachel's daughter needed a new liver and that there was a walk being held to promote organ donation. My Mum and I went and did the Bridge to Bridge walk on a beautiful Winter's day. There were speeches by people from Girls Grammar (Rachel's school), and by Jon Stanhope the Chief Minister. He raised the possibility of an opt out method for donating organs. When you consider the fact that a fair few people die waiting for organs like hearts, kidneys etc, I think opting out is a good option. Especially when you consider that there are people who would donate who just couldn't be bothered getting on the organ donor register. I think that part of the problem with the low donor rates, is that people are on the register, but their families stop it from happening because they can't face the idea of their loved ones having their organs removed. You can't take your organs with you, but you can help others - so make sure you are on the register. I should add, I was told last week that Cordelia got her liver, I hope she recovers well and can enjoy life out of hospital.



While we were walking around the lake, I took photos with my new digital camera. Here are a few samples that I took by just aiming in the general direction. They actually turned out pretty well. Here are some of the people walking ahead of us, and on the left is Floriade 08 in the making.

The pics above and below have used no skill to take, just aim in the general direction and take the shot. No editing to crop the shots as you can see, but I do like the way you can see the reflections in the water and all the clouds. I would like at some point to be able to play with my camera and know what I am doing with settings and editing etc.



I have been working on scarves lately, here is a UFO that I finished a couple of weeks ago, it uses Wendy Double Knitting yarn. I had been knitting it last year but decided that I needed the needles for another project (my wrap vest that has to be reknitted after the second armhole).

Next time I am doing a rib scarf, I will cast off in pattern. You can tell that i didn't do it this time.

I also finished a Mistake Rib Scarf that I made for one of my neighbours. It is an achievement to take out the rubbish and bring back the empty bins before Pedro gets to them. He is a great neighbour, so I was pleased that the scarf suits him. He told me that he has been wearing it inside on cold nights, great to know that handmade gifts are appreciated. I used my knitpicks options for this scarf, I love them so much, the cable is a lot more flexible than my addis. I used Cleckheaton Country Naturals for this scarf.






I will try to post tomorrow with an update of what I have been doing this week. But first, I have to get the sewing machine out - I don't think I have used it since I bought my place, in December 2006! I took the new iron out of the box for the first time the other day, it came home nearly a year ago. You can tell I never iron. That is one of the best things about being a theatre nurse...you can go to work in your daggy clothes and put on even daggier scrubs, no ironing needed. If I ever had a career change I would need to do regular ironing, and buy new clothes. We often talk at work about all the positives of theatre nursing, the wardrobe is one of the positives, as is not having to worry too much about your hair and what you will wear that day.