more finished and works in progress.

A blanket for baby from a lovely person. I can't really crochet. I bought the new deb stoller book but I am not sure how far I will really get with it. I feel safer with knitting. I wish I could knit faster and I think crochet is faster but knitting seems to call to me more. I just wish only one project at a time would call to me though. there is always something more tempting out there I am itching to do.

Josephine, I have done the back to the shoulders. Then, I read one of the the yarn harlot's books the other day on blocking and how if you really want something to fit you need to swatch (I do) and then wash the swatch as the finished item would be washed then leave to dry then measure. I don't do the second bit. I am just itching to start. And then now I think back to all the cardigans and jerseys I have knitted that I was disappointed with because they didn't fit. So, maybe I should try this idea. Which I always knew about but felt like was a waste of wool or of my time or.... but maybe the 2 unworn large items in my closet speak for themselves there. But, my hoodie top will now work perfectly with my preggy belly so it may get some wear this winter.

Baby socks. I knitted the ones from Interweave Knits (same edition as baby kimono which I still have to get done) ages ago, pre this pregnancy. I gave some pink ones away to someone with a baby girl and she was thrilled. I kept a big blue pair. I look at them now and they seem monster sized. At least compared to the new ones I have done. I bought a cheap pair of newborn cotton socks to size against and did a 2nd pair that still came out quite large.

So, I downsized again and now I think I am in the ball park for a newborn in terms of sock size. and they are so damn cute in the stripes. the plain blue ones bored the crap out of me but knitting stripes (and just carrying the yarn and ignoring the colour jag cos the only fix - knitting a round then picking up old colour at start of next and knitting it with new colour - I know for it looked worse than the jag)

I am knitting a second pair now that will have blue heels and toes. I maybe need some other ideas. Although I like the stripes so maybe I will just stick with them and do a slightly bigger (and a slightly smaller??) pair.

Because of the socks Josephine is very neglected. Although that's also due to me feeling shattered lately and it seems to big to pick up. I really wanted to wear Josephine this winter and I think she will work well with preggy belly. I am going to look big anyway so why not wear a bulky knit jacket which I think might make me look huge. But I love the pattern too much to care.

Giving knitting away. The hat still lies on the dining room table. I gave the gloves to SIL via other's so did not see her unwrap them. Have heard not a word from her. Gosh, even if I hated something I'd still say thanks and lie that I liked it. So no more handknits for her ever again. I should have known anyway when she asked me to knit her toy dog a sweater a month back. She seemed to think I could do one in an hour or so. She probably thinks the gloves took me 5 minutes or something, not the 3 nights they did take. Now I know. The FIL has not seen his hat as I wanted to gift it in person and maybe add a verbal caveat "if you don't like it give it back as it looks cool on me". I will have to get brave. It was a quick knit but not that quick and I had to fudge the pattern and come up with a plan for the earflaps so they stayed down. I invest too much feeling in things I make maybe and then I have a hard time giving them away. Although not always as some people are appreciative, even some people (like the one I gave the baby socks to) who have never knitted before.

our baby boy.
I love this pic, and can stare at it for ages.

Long time no post.
I still knit and am still a hopeless blogger.

Finished Daisy. Needs colour but maybe that will be decided on the scan. If we decide to find out. Maybe I will go with a nice green. Just realised I have some cotton left over from knitting Anouk that might go well on it. I need my own Anouk, which there is not quite enough left over for, and may not go so well if it's a boy.

Knitted an earflap hat for Father-in-law. He asked for one last year but I had no decent pattern. Found a pattern on net (link I forget) and it's actually quite cool. Well, I like how it looks on me. First time knitted something that had no picture with it and it actually looks good on. Had to amend the pattern by double siding the earflaps so they would stay down.

Also, knitted handwarmers for sis-in-law birthday. Now, too scared to give them. Too scared to give hat too. Must get over myself.

A new bunny. Softer and sweeter than the last.

I knit (knitted? - Naenae College did nothing for my grammar, which word is right? Knit, Knitted, Knotted??) another bunny for a friend due any day now. It's in Patons Zhivago (50% tencel 50% acrylic) which is lovely and soft. I was going to put something round it's neck but I decided it looked better nude. It's ears also had to be altered as 2 balls wasn't quite enough. But it looks quite cute with short ears. Original bunny is probably getting a wash to see if he will soften up. Unsure how his stuffing will react to that. He's too scratchy for a baby, made out of 100% wool and cheap stuff at that.

I am up to about 12" on tempting II. I took it to King Kong but realised I had knitted where I should have purled and had to stop. I didn't even fluff up the knitting during the movie, I had done it 2 rows earlier but could tell something wasn't quite right in the half dark. I think I have another 4" to go before start arms and top. I may knit a bit more as I hate short tops, my belly has to be well covered by at least 3 layers ( undies, trousers, then top) otherwise I feel quite out of sorts. I have some shirts that I wear that don't quite cover it and I feel very uncomfortable wearing them.


So, I didn't knit, I watched. And it wasn't as bad as I had thought. It made me sad, but it made Tana Umaga sad too apparently so I feel better about being sad. There were some super cheesy moments and some dragged on and on but not completly dreadful.

So now as payment I get to go and see something I want to see which he will hate. Not intentional but he doesn't like what I like. He likes Zoolander for gods sake. Very disturbing... I tried really hard to watch that when it came on tv the other night. I sat there thinking "maybe I have to make my mind completly blank and then this will be funny" But no, it's just complete crap.

I have started temptingII from knitty with art fibers yarn I got in San Francisco last year. Perfect choice of accomodation (even though it backed onto bars and rubbish bins that got emptied at 3am) because Art Fibers was right around the corner and I didn't realise until I went looking for it. Gorgeous yarn and you can sit and knit up swatches with any of their yarn. They also designed a pattern for me. But, I was about 10kg heavier then and by the time I finished the top it looked monstrous. but, temptingII is the same gauge. I am not overly sure of the shoulders but we will see. and k1p1 might drive me mad enough to give up. plus it's too stinking hot to knit right now. if summer carries on like this I am in trouble, I can't cope with the heat.

Stitch'nBitch Little Black (purple) Top

Finished.
not sure if I love it. I guess I like it. I wore it out to a BBQ on the weekend (where it was too cold to even take my jacket off so might as well not have worn it). I was concerned about wearing it. I felt like it might disintegrate or something. Because I made it I guess. Also don't really like idea of wearing it as if I have to wash it again I have to go through the hell of laying it flat and being careful not to stretch it. It will probably come out a completly new shape after a wash and the buttons might need moving again.

The front.

The back, which did not work as it should (with an opening and one button) but was a big gaping mess so I had to cross the opening across to the opposite sides and add a seconf button.

Stitch'nBitch Little Black Top

I bought the cotton for this from webs ages ago. purple, not black. I get harassed so much about my wearing of black. it's blocking now. I went spare on the ends. but then this site made me feel a bit better about it being an imperfect thing.

I have never knitted a top I actually like even though I have knitted many. I hope this is the first I actually love to wear.

And, p2togtbl (website address) is purl two together through the back loop. It drove me mad on this top. It's a left leaning decrease and it matches against k2tog (knit two together). and until I discovered it the armhole decreases looked crap. I had to rip it back twice to get it right. the neckline got ripped twice too and I still think it will look crap but I decided it was enough.

back:


front:

Last Minute Knitted Gifts

I love this book and have knitted more from it than anything. I didn't expect to like the final outcomes so much. Most of my knitting (except for scarves) highly disappoints me. I have been to Purl (author's shop in manhattan) when I was in the US. A very cute shop. I think I bought koigu (which I knitted socks I don't overly love out of) and noro(which I have no idea what to make out of as it's really too scratchy to wear). I didn't stay long as my husband was waiting outside. It had more of the feel that I wish knitting shops in New Zealand had but I also felt a bit intimidated in it.

baby denims


tea cosy


Bunny