Weekend’s WIP Report

Now now… what have we here?

Nope… we haven’t forgotten this neglected beauty

I am now working on 3 WIPs. The crochet top still needs some cleaning up. It is so boring, I put it away for awhile until I gained some discipline.

The jumper with two different yarn went really well. I really enjoyed making it. The only thing that slow me down is that sometimes when I purl I didn’t catch one of the yarn. Grr…

But it’s fine. I am quite happy doing it, because even with stst, there is enough challenge to keep the project interesting for me. I have to say it again now that I am really happy with the random flecks effect.

The cardigan for my husband is also right on track. One thing that makes the project more interesting than it should be is… that I think I would have to improvise a bit.

I am doing the sleeves now, and I realised I wouldn’t have enough green to make two sleeves. I miscalculated the amount of yarn needed, and pretty much underestimated how my husband XL size would use the yarn. So I decided to make stripes using the same yarn I used for the ribbing, so at least the colour combo would work.

Now, hopefully we could have enough green to make a complete cardigan.

x ❤ x

Knitting with Two Strands

I stumbled upon one really cute Rowan jumper pattern. I rarely found a jumper pattern which have a wide neckline like this one. But there are two problems with this particular pattern: 1. I don’t have rowan yarns — they are waaaay out of my budget. 2. The pattern calls for that yarn to be used “double”.

Now… I know that it is not unusual thing, but I have never knit with two yarns at the same time. I mean, I know how to use it interchangeably while doing colourwork, but it is not the same though.

I remembered when I was young my mum used double yarn to crochet, and I tried it too and it is just the same. I thought… maybe it is the same with knitting. After all, I have done a project with this yarn… which is basically two yarn twisted together. And I quite like the result.

However… Back to the jumper I would like to make. I don’t have the yarn which has the gauge mentioned in the pattern. It was either too short or too long, or too narrow or to wide. Then I thought, maybe it is the fact that the yarn was doubled so it created a unique gauge. I guessed that if I could find a yarn thin enough to bulk up the 4ply yarn I had, I could make up the correct gauge asked in the pattern.

So I browse my stash and found this… thing that I swore I would never touch again.

Now… some background story.

Long time ago, I bought lots of yarn from iceyarn. Being a noob, I thought because it looks pretty, it will make pretty stuff. This particular yarn, for example… in paper it would make a wonderful garment. As the strand is thicker in one place and thinner in another, it would automatically give a pattern while I knit it in stst.

In reality… not so much. I made a rectangular shawl with it, and it looked hideous. Not mentioning that it is horrible to knit with.

So the remainder of the yarn was in my stash… Not sure why I haven’t donated it already. Maybe the good side of me though I should never put anyone else through the misery I had with this yarn.

Ah… anyway.

I started my experiment. Making swatch this time was a bit more interesting than usual as both yarns kept tangling every now and then. However I have to say that it does make a nice freckle pattern in a stst, and I can imagine it would look really pretty in a jumper.

I did have to change the needle to 0.25 mm smaller, but in the end the gauge was bang on. Ha! Looks like we have another WIP on.

x ❤ x

It Might Be A Boy… I Need Help!

I just realised that I have never even tried to find a knitting or crochet pattern suitable for baby boys. Not that I have a personal preference for baby girls, but I never had to make any knitting stuff for boys. Now that I know that my best friend is pregnant, and the baby might be a boy, I am in trouble…

Wait… You don’t think it’s my baby, do you? Of course not…

Anyway, do you have any simple jacket pattern for baby boys? Or your favourite jacket pattern for baby boys?

I always love it when the yarn finishes in the end of the row…

Right… while looking for a pattern, I have a WIP to show off. Apparently the Gosyo pattern is not as difficult as I think it would be. It goes really quickly, I think I quite like the yarn too. What helps me a lot is this link… https://dancingbarefoot.wordpress.com/2011/07/26/shaping-notation-in-japanese-patterns/

Wish me luck…

x ❤ x

This Little Piggy is Participating…

Apparently there is something called Me Made May, to celebrate people to wear something they made for themselves in May — and share it on blogs for everybody to see.

I didn’t know things like this, and how do people know things like this? Is there an official knitting community out there making cool events every now and then that I don’t know about?

Maybe I am a bit late to participate now, but I will participate anyway. Me Made May 2017, this little piggy is participating…

x ❤ x

A Surprising Museum Visit

I haven’t gone to museum for a while, and I have to say I kind of miss it. So, when my husband offered to take us to this Norwich City Aviation Museum, I didn’t think twice to say yes. And I am glad I went with him because the museum is unexpectedly interesting.

I am not a huge fan of aeroplanes. And, I have this nagging suspicion that my husband who happens to like aeroplanes might have an ulterior motive when he asked me if I wanted to go to this museum. But really… going a museum is probably as amusing as seeing your husband turning into a schoolboy version of himself when he saw these iron birds…

You know what? I don’t usually promote something like this, but IF you are interested in aviation, and you happen to be in Norwich, I think it might worth it to go and see this place. It is run and managed by volunteers, but it was done incredibly well and very professional. The entrance ticket is cheap and unlike a lot of museums, you are actually allowed to take as many photos as you like and you can even touch some of the articles in display.

If you are in luck, you can even get an extra guided tour for a fee to enter one of the historical planes outdoor. Sorry I cannot remember the name of the plane — like I said, I am not a huge fan of aeroplanes — I might remember stuff a bit better if it is a yarn museum and we’re talking about wool and spindles.

Talking about wool and yarn and other nice things… My WIP is actually progressing well. I have to say that I do really enjoy this project much more than the previous one, and I am now about to sew it up together and finishing a project. What a happy news!

Having a next project in my head now… Hope this knitting bug doesn’t leave anytime soon…

x ❤ x

Knit, and Meditate, and Mindfulness

Just few days ago, I found this link hovering over my facebook news feed. Actually, I lied… it was more than few days ago, and it’s been there for a while. I was just not bothered until few days ago, and finally read it properly.

If you, just like me, can’t be bothered to read all articles popped in your way while doing your thing on the internet, I can save your time and tell you what that link was about. Basically it is about how baking for other people is actually good for our mental wellbeing.

Baking is good for your mental health. Especially when you are baking for people you care about…

Baking, just like knitting is actually good for our mental health because of its therapeutic effect. It is not only giving us a sense of achievement when finishing it the way we want it, it also keep us focus to the task, and keep us away from negative distractions. It is a kind of mindfulness training.

What is mindfulness? It is a new trendy buzzword. From what I understand it is basically meditation, but trying not to sound as serious as that. So, what they’re trying to say is that baking, or knitting gives the same kind of therapeutic effect just like meditating.

They just cannot say it like that, because it doesn’t sound scientific enough.

But this is my problem…

Imagine when you are meditating. People know you are meditating, and in the process you are healing yourself. NOBODY, would ever come to you and say: “Good morning… Do you want a cuppa?”

it definitely helps when people just leave you alone when you’re knitting… you make a proper progress when they do

Of course not.

But, why don’t they do the same when you are counting stitches? Why won’t they leave us alone when we were reading that bloody lace patterns (which row we were in again?)? I mean… we were practising mindfulness and in the process of healing ourselves too, weren’t we?

I think we knitters need to educate people of how knitting is related to mental wellbeing. By educating them, maybe… just maybe they will know why we go ballistic when they’re talking to us when we are in the middle of counting stitches….

x ❤ x

WIP Again…

I am quite happy with the progress with this project. It is going slow, but of course I don’t mind starting slow with this as long as I will finish this in the end.

I did this project before for my niece, but it was in white because I made it for her baptism/christening thing. I am proud to say that she has worn the jacket again several time after that and still loving it.

This time it is for some family friend 🙂 It is surprising that even though this is my second time making this pattern, it is still as enjoyable as the first time I did it. I wonder if next time I make it again, I could change the lace pattern in it? Something to think about while finishing this project 🙂

x ❤ x

Out of Love

I am not sure whether it is the pattern, or the yarn… or just the weather. But I couldn’t find my knitting bugs anywhere the past couple months. It is so difficult to pick up those needles, and doing what I always did… knit something pretty and actually enjoying it.

The last project… I fell out of love with it. The finished front piece looked awkward, and seems too short for my liking. I didn’t enjoy the so called challenge as much as I thought I would do, and I don’t find it challenging at all.

I thought, if I am not going to wear it anyway, and I know that none of my sisters would want it… why bother making it at all? So… yeah. The project is now a UFO. I am planning on unravelling it later, and possibly reuse the yarn for something that I enjoy making.

That being said… I’ve started a new project. Hopefully this one will pick up better, and that I will find my knitting bugs again. I really do miss sitting, watching BBC news while knitting a nice stuff.

And I do miss writing, and sharing stuff in here too.

So, hopefully spring will bring better mood both for knitting and writing. And i will see you soon.

x ❤ x

New WIP!

I am so happy just to write that title.

No…

Seriously.

I just came back from Wales, visiting in laws, and didn’t have either time or proper internet connection to tell you how happy I was that I can now move on to a new project.

This project now will be “Cancun Boxy Lace Top“. The pattern has been in my to do list for a long long time, and looking at some other blogger making them made me so envious. It looked really pretty and it is definitely suitable for the weather.

Didn’t you feel a little bit warm lately in the UK? Spring is definitely coming…

x ❤ x

Finishing up…

I used to be that knitter who thinks that once sewing up the pieces, and stitching in extra yarn is done, then it’s completely done. But, as I blogged in here, and I met a lot of more experienced knitters, I realised that it is not the case.

I think that in many many ways, this blog has helped me stepping out from my comfort zone, and learning new things. And at the same time, of course, meeting or having the chance to know wonderful knitters, crocheters, and stitchers from all around the world. How awesome is that?

So, yes… I learned that finishing a piece is not done until you block them (especially when the pattern said it needs to be done). AND, blocking is now not as daunting as it was before.

Anyway… I am blocking this piece now. It is no longer a WIP, but officially I announce that I have a new FO. This is definitely bigger than my size, and I really hope it will fit my sister, and that she likes it. If she doesn’t… well… I have another sister, a mum, and a grandmother who might want this 😀

cheers!

x ❤ x