FO Friday- multiple projects edition

So I guess I can add one to the 2017 finished object pile- I (finally) got around to sewing on the poppers and buttons to finish it.

I started this (finally) back in June, although it has been mostly finished for a while now- I just had to wait until I went to my parents place for Christmas to block and sew it together. The sleeves weren’t the same length (there’s a whole post coming about sleeves…), but apart from that I’m really please with how it came together. I even didn’t wait to sew the buttons on before I started wearing it as a slouchy cardigan on Christmas Eve! And now I get to wear it as a proper cardigan!

Yes, there are 5 buttons on it. They’re all different colours, but I made a point about matching the embroidary thread to the button colour. It’s so delightfully tacky!

I also finished, blocked and gave my mum’s shawl to her for Christmas. No picture of that because I’m a muppet, but it was well received (along with the shawl pin I got her). In the end I needed to do another 3 inches of stocking stitch before I could cast off and block, but it was totally worth it!

And the seagull! I don’t think I mentioned this when I started it, but I decided that my aunt should have a seagull to go in her beach hut cupboard, and proptly started making her one. It was made and delived on Christmas (it stands if the beak is bent, rather amusingly), and my aunt has decided that it’s too cute to live in a cupboard and only be seen by people who are being nosy, and so will live on the mantlepiece.

(almost) FO Friday- rainbow cardigan edition

Well, as mentioned on Wednesday, the rainbow cardigan is nearly finished!!!!! Woot!!!! I was getting rather sick of the tackiness of it by the end! But all that needs to happen now is blocking, sewing together and buttons adding. Oh, and the poppers since I’ve decided to use poppers rather than figure out where the buttonholes would go before knitting the second side.

But all that has to wait until I head back to the parents for Christmas, since I don’t trust the landlady’s ironing board and this is acrylic. So I’ll use my parents one without letting my mum help (she has a habit of killing acrylic things). Must remember to pack buttons and the blocking wires!

So, want a picture? Here it is in all its rainbow goodness 🙂

I am thrilled that this thing is finished. It may have been languishing in my stash for a while… actually I just looked back and I can’t find when I acquired the yarn and pattern, so who knows??? But it is finally finished, so yay for me. Well, nearly but it’s close enough to count in my opinion 🙂

WIP Wednesday- cardigan edition

This rainbow cardigan is really steaming along now! I may have accidentally broken a needle tip…(any advice on contacting KnitPro to replace it??? I really suck at emailing people to ask for a replacement), but hey it’s all worth it, and I could replace it with my metal ones so no need to stop!

I have now finished both fronts, so yay for that! (And yay for not feeling like they should all be completely matchy matchy because that would be insane!)

And then I organised all the yarn before starting the back. While I don’t think the stripes have to be perfect, I don’t want a suggen colour change where the balls change, so I did my best to make the colours match where they joined.Lots of yarn ends from all the different balls (I used new balls for both new sleeves and both fronts, so now I have the left overs from 4 balls to make the back). The back was supposed to be done in pattern, but I really prefered the idea of stocking stitch, so I went down a needle size (to get stitch gauge), and row gauge is completely unimportant as length for everything is measured in inches. So now I’m really on the home straight! Lets see how quickly I can finish this thing!(Note: it can’t actually get blocked until I go home for Christmas, but hopfeully I’ll have finished it up to blocking before that!)

WIP Wednesday- problem edition

One thing I have learnt from knitting is that sleeves hate me. Many of you probably remember from when I was knitting my first cabled cardigan that my gauge changed significantly between sleeve 1 and sleeve 2. It all blocked out, but it was a little strange.

Guess what’s just happened on my rainbow cardigan??? Got it in one. Now, the cabled cardigan I could excuse given the length of time between me knitting the two sleeves, but there wasn’t that long a time between them for the rainbow cardigan.

The sleeve on the left was knitted first, and I measured that after doing all the increases. Since I had reached the stopping point, I happily got on and knitted the cap. So when it came to the second sleeve, I remembered (and checked) that I hadn’t knitted beyond the final increase before decreasing, and so I went along my merry way knitting the second cap. Finish the cast off, line them up next to each other to take a picture and…oops. The weird thing is is that it’s only the row gauge which has changed. The top and bottom are still the same width as each other. It just really looks like I haven’t knitted the same number of rows between increases (I checked that, I have).

Having slept on it, I think that my best bet will be to frog to the last increases and just knit the extra length. It won’t be that noticeable, and I can’t be bothered to frog the first sleeve and reknit it, hoping that I get the same gauge. However, if anyone has alternative ideas, I’d be delighted to hear them!

In the meantime, while I mull over that some more, I think I’m going to cast on for cockatoo brae. Starting with the sleeves (two at a time. I can be taught!)

WIP Thursday- Omnibus edition and a bonus FO

Ok strewth this has been a busy *some vague length of time*. I feel as though I’ve been getting on really well with all my various WIPs, which may be because a lot of time has passed, I’m not quite sure how much time has passed (partially because I’m not quite sure when I’m counting from???).

So, I thought I’d do a thorough update of all my current WIPs. (I also looked at my ‘current WIPs’ page and was horrified at it…)

Firstly, the conservatory cross stitch- butterfly fairy. This is kinda not really a WIP at the moment- I had to put this scroll bars away beause my sister’s cat is here for the week and parked threads on the aida + kitty =bad idea. But I have still done some more on it since the last time I gave you all a photo of it, so here it is.This is a close up of the edge of the wing of the fairy. I’ve also been doing some of the large areas of stitching (but that involves blending filament so I’m sort of avoiding doing that…), so I’m more than half way down the right side now!!!

Quick question, looking at this. Would it be better if I rotate the pictures so they’re the ‘correct’ way around for you? I’m used to seeing them this way as I’m working sideways accross the design due to the size of my scroll bars?

I’m really looking forward to seeing the cat go (although he is an adorable cat, I think he’s put me off getting a cat when I’m older), so I can go back to work on this.

Then I have three WIPs in the sitting room… the blanket is officially on hold. I just can’t really be bothered to move it. Occasionally I’ll pick it up(in the evening, when it’s nice and cool) and do a few rows, it’s just too hot to work on most of the time. It’s my official completely mindless project! No pic because it’s impossible to photograph well and always just looks that same!

The cardigan is kinda-not really stalling. I’ve done the left front, but rather than use that momentum to see if these buttons will work, I’ve moved back to doing the sleeves. I had paused one sleeve to do the main body (easy way to gauge swatch, anyone?), so I’ve now nearly finished the sleeve cap ready to do the second sleeve. No photograph of this because I am upstairs and it is downstairs and I can’t stand the thought of having to go down and up the stairs again after my bike ride this morning (so unfit! Must do more cycling!). I had previously said that this appears to be knitting itself. I’m less convinced about that now, because all my energy is on the socks, so naturally they’re the ones knitting themselves now!

I did the heel turn!!! It really reminded me why I dislike knitting socks cuff down (I despise picking up the stitches along the heel flap, but there we go. Knitting and purling two together is so much easier than the wrap and turns used when knitting toe up, so swings and roundabouts I guess (where does that saying even come from???). This appears to be knitting itself since I’ve spent quite a few afternoons knitting while watching tennis. Very exciting sport for us Brits!

And finally, the WIP in my bedroom- Stained Glass. I finished a page on it!!!

This is page 6 out of 16, so I’m more than half way accross the second row now. I also started page 7, but I’m really thinking that I don’t want to keep working on it. When I started it, I had this grand plan to ‘colour’ the areas in different colours, but I’m not sure that I’d ever get around to it, and it’s really not ‘me’. Far too monochromatic. So I think I’m going to stick it back away for a while to see if I change my mind, and if not, just toss it. Life is too short to waste on things you don’t want to make and then dont want to use after it’s made!

Ok, I didn’t actually think I was going to type that all out, but then it happened! So I guess that’s going away again then, and I’ll find something else to start doing up in my bedroom. Hmm. Or maybe not, and if I’m up in my bedroom at a loose end I’ll start playing my computer games, which I have missed quite a bit!

And finally, the bonus finished object!It’s my mum’s birthday soon, so rather than trawl through card shops looking for something suitable, I decided to make my own card! Much less hassle, cheaper (if you take the cost of the card by itself, rather than the 10-pack), and probably didn’t take that much longer than the length of time I’d spend staring at cards hating life. Win all around really!

WIP Thursday- cardigan edition

And  a question.

But first, about the cardigan. I’ve been getting on well with it (it’s too hot to knit the main project in the sitting room, so this has been getting some love).

I’ve nearly finished the left side, so I figured that finding buttons would be good before the project stalls as I can’t knit the buttonholes before I know what buttons I’ve got. That combined with heading into town made an excellent excuse to pop into Franklins. Lovely shop 🙂

So I settled on these buttons (so bright and colourful!)

The problem is that they are a bit too big for the button band. While I was there, my mum suggested that I just knit the button band on the other side a bit bigger, since this buttonband would be hidden…which it will be, but I’ve also knitted up the neckline and that won’t be hidden. *facepalm*. So now what I’m thinking (and the question is: does this plan make sense???) is that I have three options.

Option 1. IF the buttons fit on a 3 stitch buttonhole (I’m planning a straightforward cast-off/cast-on buttonhole), then I can increase the buttonband to 4 stitches (it’s 3 on the pattern), and then use 2 of those stitches and 1 from the main body to make the buttonhole, and then on the first decrease at the neck edge get rid of the extra stitch in the buttonband.

Option 2. Knit vertical buttonholes. I’ve never tried this before, but I can’t imagine it being too bad- actually, this might be a right pain because of the colourings of the yarn. Maybe not this one then…

Option 3. My mum has to go to Southampton soon(ish) to find an outfit for my sister’s wedding. If I go with her, I can look through a bigger button selection in the John Lewis there. Alternatively, when I go back to York for my viva (very excited!!!!!!), I can have a trawl through the button shop up there.

So, what does everyone else think? Any other options I should think about?

On my needles right now…

I currently have 4 things on-going, all of which involve needles in some way.

Firstly, my scrappy blanket. I’ve added about another row now (I’m averaging about 1 square each evening which my mum and I watch various TV things from about 4pm to bedtime with a break for dinner), and it’s coming along well. I’ve nearly finished my bag of scraps and will then move onto the new bag.

Yes, this is the same pic as last time. I haven’t quite finished the next row and trying to take a photo of it is even worse than this pic. Better pics to come when it’s cool enough to work on this again!I’m not prepared to sit under a blanket with this temperature!

I also got around to starting a new cardigan. I’m making a v-neck thing in pieces and seaming it. Except the sleeves. They’re still getting done in the round.

This is just the first sleeve 🙂

The whole body of the cardigan would be done like that but the row count on gauge is different so I’ll have to seam it. Lucky me… BUT- it’s rainbows and sparkly!!!!! Very exciting. This seems to be knitting itself, which is good because I also just started a new cross stitch project…*whistles innocently* But this has now become my evening knitting, so it hasn’t stopped altogether 🙂

So yes, the third project is a large cross stitch piece. It’s a cross stitch HAED(charted for 14-count rather than 25-count), which hasonly just been started. I put the fabric on the cross bars (so much hassle, I dislike doing that by hand…), and I’ve worked out where to start, and acknowledged the fact that I put the fabric on sideways (by accident, but it’s also too wide to go on ‘properly’, so I’m calling that a win). Although this looks like the top left corner, it’s actually the top right. And yes, that does make it rather interesting to stitch! Every time I want a new colour I have to check carefully against the key!

And finally, some Christmas cards. Readers who’ve been here for a while will recall the form-a-lines cards I made a while ago for a Christmas present. Well, this year I’m making them to give as Christmas cards. So far the first 6 cards have been pierced (except for a little bit I seem to have missed), and one design (2 cards)has been completely finished, including gluing a ribbon bow on it. I haven’t stuck the tri-fold-y bit down yet- I’ll do that when all 6 are done. These don’t get worked on all that much- they’re up in my bedroom and I feel kinda awkward staying there during the day in case my mum thinks I’m being anti-social, so usually they get done if I wake up unreasonably early!

There are also two projects which are finished, but not finished-finished. I completed this elephant stamped emboidery in 2 days for my aunt’s birthday in July. All that I need to do now is glue the fabric to the hoop and then some felt over the back to hide all the knots and things. I just forgot to get the felt when I was in town yesterday… oops!

The other is the OUAT monthly SAL. Anyone here remember this?

I still haven’t gotten around to doing anything with it *lesigh*. I guess that’s what happens when you stitch something because it’s fun, rather than because you want it on your wall. I don’t really know what to do with it…my mum says I should get it framed, but even then, I don’t really have anywhere to put it *lesigh*. I also have this vague plan to sew the individual months as birthday cards, but I have far too many plans for the time I have…what a wonderful problem to have!

Then I suppose there are all the other projects (stained glass, socks, scrappy sock yarn pillow cover…), but they’re not really getting worked on at the moment, so they don’t really count in my mind. At some point I should create a folder or something of all my abandoned projects so I can go back and work on them when I want something but don’t want to start anything new! I would love to finished stained glass, now I’ve remembered I have it…oops!