Two Patterns in Let's Knit

I can now reveal two of the "teasers" from an earlier post.

The first is a pair of gloves with the top of the first finger and thumb missing. I call them "commuter gloves" with the idea being that the wearer can keep their hands warm while reading a book or operating an MP3 player while on a draughty train. It was actually my Dad's suggestion, so he should take the credit for the idea - it's just that he doesn't knit.

I have a pair of these in dark colours, sombre for work.

In the same issue, there's a circular yoke crochet cardigan with a swirl pattern. My initial suggestion was for a plain yarn with a variegated swirl. The good folks at the magazine came up with this colour option instead. The yarn is a teal colour, but looks more blue in the mag. Happy with the way it's been styled, though (so much better than simply being laid out on the top of my chest freezer!

A night at the opera, a day in a draught and playtime!

A Night at the Opera


My opera gloves appeared in this month's Let's Knit.

They were made using a provisional cast on, like a "toe up" sock. This allowed for regular knitting problems of getting fed up with the pattern and/or running out of yarn!

The yarn in this case is absolutely wonderful to work with (Fyberspates Scrumptious). Highly recommended.

Perhaps these gloves would go with the tiara that I made for Andrea. She's going to have a party at some point, and wanted suitable headgear. I've left it fairly plain, as she's an artist, so I thought that she might want to embellish it herself.

A Day in a Draught

It took me a year, but I finally finished the scarf for the long-suffering one.

I used Arequipa, and realised that I wouldn't have enough (he wanted it long enough to tie into a New York knot) and so I put a ball of sock yarn in the middle.

(Modelled by Bert)

The pattern uses the mitre/domino/modular technique (pattern to follow).

Playtime!

Many thanks to the lovely Jo and the ladies of the local spinners' group, for a day of dyeing (note the "e" in the middle).

Having never dyed anything before (assuming a dylon in the washing machine doesn't count), then this was a great experience.

My second batch (the darker of the two) wasn't at all as I had planned, and shows what happens when you slosh too much dye in, but it also proves the joy of a happy accident, as I'm really pleased with both of them.

Not sure what to use them for, but I feel that I am desperately short of waistcoats at the moment, and so there may be some stranded work in the offing.

Also working on an Adult Surprise Jacket, but photos to follow when I'm further along.

Knitting's fine - photography's crap

Knitting

So I made a pair of plain black fingerless mitts for the daughter of a colleague.

No biggie, but I finished them before work one morning, so I took a quick piccie before giving them away.

I have a photograph of two ribbed wristbands.

D'Oh!

Writing
Well, butter my backside and call me a piece of toast, I've actually done some writing today!

For the first time in I can't remember how long I've had a spare hour (and a nagging feeling that I've forgotten something) so I edited chapter 8 of the interminable novel. I feel good..... I knew that I would now....

Life

Still hate my job. Except now I'm doing some serious planning to get myself out of there.

Focus, focus. Must not buy yarn, must not buy yarn.

Big projects and a sign of the times.

Knitting


Yet again, I've been trying to sort out my queue.





I've finished the crochet gloves,

but now must move on to other things (mainly gloves, tea cosies and socks), so it looks as though all of my projects are small.





However, I have completed one large project - mega in fact as it was using size 20mm needles. Inspired by all of the giant knitting at Ally Pally, I've made a monster bathmat, the pattern for which will appear in another post.



Writing
Precious little activity, although I am taking a long time to be rejected, following my latest submission. Is this a sign that my work is being pondered over, laughed at (in a good way) and generally heralded as the next big thing? Or is it that the slush pile is huge. Or is it that it got lost in the post. Ah well, no news is.....well, it's no news, to be honest.

Life

I witnessed a sign of the current economic climate yesterday - a Bentley in Lidl's carpark. Made me smile.