Welcome to the page for all things knitting! My chaos, my trials, my tribulations. Knitting is probably my favourite hobby (besides art but that's in a weird space as an art student between hobby and studies) and I pretty much always have my knitting to hand. So. Much. Time. Knitting.
My Knitting History (Knitstory?)
My first knit piece
I first learnt to knit when I was 13 with 10mm needles, chunky yarn, and a basic understanding of a knit stitch. The decision to take up knitting was motivated by my recent decision to try and extracate myself from the fashion industry (Innocent me was at the very beginning of the rabbit hole, little did I know where I would land). My first garment was a scarf, simple enough. I cast on at 20 stitches and somehow by the end had over 40 and also a lot of holes. It turns out I had been making yarn overs and knitting into them without realising. Oops. I still have this first project, in part because of nostaliga and in part as a sort of testament to persaverance. These days I love knitting socks (something younger me would have gawked at what with the fine gague) and really anything that looks interesting from jumpers to teddies. I'm still learning every day and hopefully this section of my blog will be able to act as a record of my evolving skills!
Each section is divided into one weeklong log, from the Monday to the Sunday. I add to the seciton as I please throughout the week (or missing weeks probably). Start from the top for my most recent stuff or from here for the oldest.
Learning my Lesson with Vehmas
I really should check my gague more often, but I'm often too caught up in enthusiasm or yarn chicken to bother. Welp, I've learned my lesson. After 21 and some rows of knitting the Vehmas jumper I checked my gague, and even with all the stretching in the world I was still too tight. I should have checked earlier but I had dug myself into a hole with the eternal mistaken mantra of 'it will block out'. I've decided to put the jumper in time out, and then to put the yarn in time out once I've frogged it, it turns out the purple I had been using for the main colour is actually dk weight (could have fooled me), and I might make something like the loupy striped cardi or go back to this pattern, who knows, but I've definetly learned my lesson.
The current WIPs that's aren't as torturous
In more happy news, I'm working away on the seascape bonnet (a pattern I've had my eye on for a good while). The yarn is lovely and soft and it's just a nice time with the colours. I'm also working on the midnight express vest which is a wonderfully (if you are optomistic) brief pattern but included a handy schematic. I've frogged this damm thing twice (didn't need to the first time it turns out) but now that I know what the hell I'm doing I'm just going to carry on. I want to be warm and a vest under a jumper seems like a good way to do it.
Kaffe Fasset's grip on my mind
I'm also obbsessing over all of Kaffe Fasset's designs and planning out in my mind palace spreadsheet exactly how I am going to aquire all of these 80s wonders. I'm just so in love with the colours and the designs. They're all intarsia which is a bit intimidating but I should porbably learn how to do it anyway. It's a goal to build up to at least. I espcially have my eye on the Foolish VIrgins cardigan, no. 23 Colorwork Vest, and Jack's Back Stripe Blouson Jacket. I think the jacket would be a good place to start, and the cardigan is definetly a very advanced project.
Dad's Dachshund
My dad recieved his christmas present of the knitted dachshund today, he's absolutely in love and has named her penny. He brought her with us when we went to visit family and showed her off for all to see. A job well done I'd say.
The Brighton Summer Top
After many months of knitting (and procrastinaiton) my Brighton Summer Top is finally finished!
Here she is on me! (Please appreciate my very artistic blurred out face)
I was very lucky to snag this pattern for free while it was still being developed by the designer! They were very helpful and quick to repsond to me when I needed help (it being a free pattern there was a mistake in one of the stitch counts on an increase row - no harm done). The top was knitted with 3.00mm needles and fingering/sport weight cotton yarn (DMC Natura Just Cotton) that I got while on holidays from a small yarn shop that was having a closing sale (the owner was retiring!). I'm really please with it and while it does need blocking and the ends woven in it's been placed in the 'finished objects' pile until April at the earliest.
The Daschund for Dad
The tiny baby all complete
My Dad LOVES dachunds. So for his Christmas present, I decide to make him one! It looks a little wonky depite my best efforts but I have a feeling he'll love it. The pattern is Dachshund Puppy by Amanda Berry (you can see how much better the dog could be). I used aran weight cotton and 4mm needles and it took me about 4 days to complete in all!
The Current WIPS
I currently have four works in progress (WIPs). One of them (the Chilly Podsters, my dream mittens) has been somewhat abandoned mostly because it has fiddly bits coming up and also I need to wind another skein of yarn for it. This leaves me with three that I'm actually working on.
The first is the Vehmas jumper by Anna Johanna. This is actually the first pattern I've ever paid for (thanks to the wonders of free Ravelry patterns) and it is going very well so far! I'm using secondhand yarn for the main colour, it's this lovely purple alpaca and wool blend. I paid €25 for 500 grams in a charity shop! My best find in any area of second hand shopping yet I think. It's lovely and soft and makes me really enjoy working on it. The poor jumper did get somewhat abandoned in pursuit of other projects but it's back downstairs by the only armchair I really sit in and I'm plugging away slowly.
The second remaining WIP is the Helena cardigan by Alison Green (available via Knitty). I'm making it for a toddler in my life who I will be seeing at easter! I'm on my fifth pattern repeat (of eight) at the moment and I'm actually having a really good time.
A great tv-watching knit!
The last WIP I'm working on is a christmas present for a friend! I'll actually be making two of these. The pattern is delightfully called Beans the Cat and I'm using leftover red and black wool for the first cat (this friend is a goth) and will be using two different shades of orange for the second one (for a bit of realism).
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