FO Friday

FO Friday, originally uploaded by lyndsey-jane.

I may have been absent from blogging but not from knitting.
Two recent FO’s are:

Burning Rings of Fire socks (Ravelry link)
Yarn: Sock Hop in Pink Cadillac
Needles: Knitpicks Harmony DPNs (2.5mm)
Love this yarn and love this pattern.

Baby Surprise Jacket (Ravelry Link)
Yarn: Opal Rodeo Cotton
Needles: Knitpicks Harmony 3.25mm
Great quick knit, definetely planning more.
The only trouble with this is I am not sure it is neutral enough. It is for Karl’s niece or nephew (due sometime next month) but we are unsure whether this is suitable for boy. Would love to hear your opinions on whether you would dress a boy in these colours.

Swallowtail blocking

Swallowtail blocking, originally uploaded by lyndsey-jane.

I got around to blocking the Swallowtail Shawl tonight. I managed to get hold of some foam maps to use as blocking boards and boy! does it make life easier. I am really pleased with this shawl and can’t wait to wear it next week when Mum and I go to Dancing on Ice tour.

Eleanor Socks for Mother’s Day

Eleanor Socks for Mother’s Day, originally uploaded by lyndsey-jane.

Pattern: Eleanor by Gigi Silva (Momma Monkey)
Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Merino in Spring Frost
Needle: Knitpicks, Harmony dpns 2.5mm
Mods: Only decreases to 18sts not 12 as prefer a rounder toe.

I am so pleased with these and hope Mum likes them too. I am not seeing her on Mother’s Day but Saturday instead. The small ball of yarn in the picture is all I had left – talk about knitting by the seat of my pants. i was really worried I would run out of yarn, but luckily I had just enough.
Happy St David’s Day to any Welsh readers!

Peapod Baby Sweater in situ

If anyone is interested Kat has put a picture od Lily wearing the Peadpod sweater set I sent as part of the Hot Cocoa swap.

Go to her blog here to see.

Central Park Hoodie

Central Park Hoodie, originally uploaded by lyndsey-jane.

Another pattern I really really enjoyed knitting.
Pattern: Central Park Hoodie
Yarn: Rowansun Aran – Cavier
Mods: Continued with the back cable up the hood

Once I had completed this I knew I wanted pale wooden toggle buttons and to my surprise I found the perfect ones in John Lewis. This is now my favourite sweater.

Peapod Baby Sweater

 

Peapod Baby Sweater, originally uploaded by lyndsey-jane.

I love this pattern!
Pattern: Peapod Baby Sweater Set by Kate Gilbert for Interweave Knits
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino
Buttons: John Lewis

This has been knit for my Hot Cocoa Swap pal’s little girl. I knit the 6mths size, even thought he baby is only 3mths as I wanted her to grow into it and get as much wear from it as possible. More photos and the hat can be seen on flickr or ravelry.

Knitted Toys

Knitted Toys, originally uploaded by lyndsey-jane.

Two knitted toys completed over the past 10 days

Bob Bunny
Pattern: Lola Bunny (free from Schaefer Yarns)
Yarn: Sportweight BFL, from them dye swap
Needles: 3.25mm
Mods: Only that I used brown sock yarn for eyes and mouth instead of black embroidery floss.

Piggy
Pattern: This Little Piggy (amygaines.etsy.com)
Yarn: Rowan All Seasons Cotton
Needles: 3.5mm
Mods: Used a pink button instead of pink felt for his noise.

Hogwarts Sock Swap Socks

Hogwarts Sock Swap Socks, originally uploaded by lyndsey-jane.

I finally finished the socks for my pal! A bit late but hopefully she won’t mind. I made a bookmark from some of the left over yarn – i think its pretty cool!
I’ve made a reasonable start on my sockapalooza socks (third time lucky). My pal as pretty narrow feet so I had to make sure I found a pattern that was suitable, i finally opted for Unst from Nancy Bush’s Knitting on the Road. I’ve turned the heel and am liking it a lot. I will post photos once I’ve decreased the gusset and it looks like more than just some random yarn on cocktail sticks.

After completing my first of socks for summer of socks so quickly it then took me a while to get another fo, but this is pair two and pair three shouldn’t be too far behind.

I’ve been having issues with my ME over the past 10 days or so, and i’ve worked out that it flares up when my diet is bad, so after receiving a HUGE delivery of food (so much fresh fruit and veg my fridge is overflowing) i’m hoping to be back on track very soon. It is annoying me at the moment as it means that i can’t concentrate for long and it making HP slow progress. Whereas I would normally have it finished in a couple of days i’m only on chapter 10 at the moment. I’m wishing  I had bought the audio book as well and I could have listened when feeling tired and read when i could. Let’s hope the good food helps. So far it hasn’t as I cut my little finger pretty bad slicing red pepper earlier on – not so bad it needed stitches but still bad enough. I’m normally so careful and can’t remember the last time i cut myself chopping veg (if ever) but am i glad that I didn’t sharpen it before chopping or it could have been worse. It is making typing a nightmare though as i sort of touch type – i use all my fingers but not necessarily for the correct keys but it works for me. Thankfully, it doesn’t effect my knitting just the ability to wash up (Yay!)

For all those on Ravelry have you joined the Sock Knitters Anonymous group yet? They are having year long knitalong with contest etc worth checking out.

I’m not sure what to do next, read HP, listen to new Lime n Violet and knit or listen to my audiobook (The Rotter’s Club – great so far) and knit. Decisions, decisions.

At last I have an FO! I loved making these socks, and Emma the recipient loved them too. It is Emma’s legs and feet in the photos. As these were a birthday present I printed a sock wrapper for them with yarn details, washing instruction etc on.

Pattern: Monkey by Cookie A (like I have tell you)

Yarn: Lisa Souza Sock! Merino in Miss Violet’s Pink Ribbon

Needles: Clover Takuni Bamboo 2.5mm dpn

Mods: None

 

I have joined a couple of KALs recently both on Ravelry and in the blogosphere in general.

Tour de France – this is a fantastic idea! I have decided to ‘wear’ a green jersey and am challenging myself to complete a project within the duration of the race. The project I have chosen in the Ogee Lace Skirt from IK Summer 07 (scroll down). I am a huge fan of skirts over jeans, and as soon as I saw this I knew I had to make it.

 

Mystery Stole 3 – my first! I had vaguely heard about these but never played along. I have made a lace shawl and enjoy lace but I do find charts difficult – its mainly trying to remember how many of the repeated bit i need to knit. This shawl will be charted but there will be no pattern repeats so I am hoping this will help me gain confidence with my chart reading. I have swatched and decided on my yarn. Zephyr Wool-Silk in Elderberry using 3.5mm needles and matt purple seed beads. The swatch is blocking as I type.

 

Isabella KAL – I really really like this pattern and have some yarn in my stash, a gorgeous pink/red that I need to swatch but fingers crossed I will be able to cast on soon.

 

Finally, Summer of Sock 07. Sign ups are closed now but I managed to sign up in time. I am really excited about using some of my sock yarn stash.

 

FO’s and xmas knitting

I have my camara back and I have FO’s and wips

Firstly the thing I’m most proud of…

Pattern: Forest Canopy Shawl
Yarn: Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock in Blackwatch
Needles: Addi Bamboo circs 4.5mm
Modifications: added 2 extra repeats.

Close-up of stitich pattern

I’ve also made a couple washcloths to go with the homemade lavender soap (now curing) and the homemade lavender bathbombs (to be made this weekend) which will be given to females family and friends for xmas.

I have made a dent in the xmas sock knittin (although the list is far shorter than before due to deciding to make soap). I have completed one of each the bedsocks for my Mum and Stepdad and have two pairs of normal socks to add to this.