WIP Weekend

Trying to catch up with a month without knitting… is not a good idea.

The fatigue of having to sit on the plane for 15+ hours has not yet gone and having to sit and knit did not help. My neck and shoulders hurt and tense, and now I have to put on heat patch on it so it is not too sore.

But I do miss knitting.

Especially knitting while watching documentaries with Davin Starkey. Yeah…

Err… By the way, does anyone here know why BBC4 has been showing a lot of programs about church reformation lately? Not that I don’t like it — I love it. But I just want to know if we are commemorating something, or celebrating something related to it.

Aaanyway… I have to WIPs when I left for Indonesia. The green cardigan for my DH, and the two yarns jumper for me.

The jumper seems to grow very fast, but I think that’s also because I am comparing it to making a piece of cardigan the size of my husband. Both are doing very well, and I think very soon I will be having an FO.

Now, I think it is time to find out what I can make for my cousin. A hooded jumper. The search goes on… and on…

x ❤ x

Watching Britain Knits

Do you like watching documentary programmes? In this household, we do. I am not sure where I get this penchant, because my parents would skip documentaries and watch soap instead. I am glad I don’t share telly with them anymore.

We watch documentaries of any kind. History, war history, pre-history, architecture, art, science… sometimes even nature. My husband likes nature documentary better than I do. I like it when it is related to human, and human body… not so much when they’re talking about critters. It gave me uneasy feeling.

So, I was excited when I recorded this particular documentary from BBC. Fabric Of Britain — The Golden Age of Knitting. Seriously… watching it wearing handmade knitted dress, while finishing up an FO… so much satisfaction.

However, I enjoyed it not because I am a knitter — although it did give me a smugness feeling when watching it. It was a great programme in itself. Even husband watching it with me, could not move from the sofa — partly because I was leaning on his arm too.

I think you can still access the documentary through BBC iPlayer. I am not sure if you can access it if you are not in the UK, though. Yeah… That’s the other thing that annoys me too when I am on holiday in Indonesia, and wanting to access BBC telly programme, and couldn’t.

Aanyway… back to my own golden age of knitting… This time, I did not forget to sew the buttons on. Ha!

x ❤ x

P.S.  Hubby commented during the documentary, that knitting is quintessentially British. Well… then, I am ready to take the citizenship test anytime.

The WIP and The Workshop

Because of the wrist situation, WIP went very slowly. BUT, I managed to make some progress, so yeah well done me.

In between time, curbing myself from exerting my wrists to a heavy duty knitting, I sew buttons. I just found out that a lot of my FOs did not have buttons in them. I did buy some buttons months ago, but when they arrived, I forgot to attach them to the jackets. What a silly me.

So, here you go.

These are the baby lacy matinee jackets with pearly buttons.

And, don’t forget the latest projects.

Now all buttoned up.

My husband and I also spent time doing workshop in Bury St. Edmunds. Workshop? What kind of workshop can possibly done there? Well… actually, the kind of workshop we do together is “He works, I shop :D”

His job sometimes requires him to go on site, and sometimes he was sent to a nice place. And when that happens, I would tag along, and spend the whole day going around adventuring by myself. Last time it was Bedford… this time it is Bury.

Bury is a lovely little heritage town, known as the jewel of Suffolk. Well known for its abbey ruins, and its wonderful cathedral. Although of course, for me the Greene King Brewery is as important too.

I have to say, I quite enjoy a day trip there. It is definitely a very welcomed change of routine 🙂

x ❤ x

Finishing Up… And Start Again :D

I have to say that I am surprised with how well orange and blue combined together. I could see how it could appeal babies — the vibrant orange contrasted with calming blue, will the definitely catch one’s attention.

This is a plainer version of Rowan’s pattern called Silver. I think the pattern is very basic and quite easily be modified according your liking. So I think why don’t I try the same pattern, with different colour combo?

So, I checked my stash, and found a white DK yarn. Same brand, and same weight too, so I expect they are the same gauge as well. How about trying white and blue?

I was considering orange and white too, I think it would make a cute colour combination. Maybe after this one?

Although, i suspect this one would take a while to finish 😦 my left hand is now starting to tingle, and the fingers are a little bit stiff and slightly painful when i force it to grab and squeeze. So for a couple of days ahead, I would have to take it easy with my knitting. Maybe it is a good time to go back to the crochet top and clean the extra yarn again… ugh…

I feel old when things like this happen… I wish I could knit all day and all night without injuring myself.

x ❤ x

The Importance of Milestones

I think I should have put a question mark on that incomplete sentence… But do you think it is important to mark a milestones? For example… Apparently, my last entry here was my 200th post. But I was completely oblivious to it, as for me writing is writing and I was just enjoying this while sharing things that I like. I mean, 100th post seemed quite cool at the time, but 200th doesn’t really feel as it has the same kind of importance. Maybe when I reached 500th or 1000th posts it would be worth a celebration? Maybe…?

Or, anniversaries. My husband and I don’t really celebrate that. Sometimes we thought of going on a nicer dinner together, but sometimes we just sit in our lounge — with him playing his computer game, and me knitting, or crocheting, or whatever please me at that time. Maybe when we reached 10 years, or 20 years, then it would feel worth a celebration? I don’t know. But it seems like unimportant for now…

But anyway…

WIP… I think it is more interesting than my random mood of the day. WIP is doing well for now. I felt orange and blue don’t really mix, but apparently for some people it looks cute. I am making this for one of my in-laws.

Their family are really kind to mine, and flooded our house with gifts for my niece. So I think it is only proper if I make something that their baby loves too. And their baby loves Pororo. I don’t know if you have heard about Pororo. It’s basically a penguin in a blue and orange jacket. So, I thought… blue and orange jacket for the baby then…

Talking about jacket, I’ve been thinking of making a matching jacket for me and DH. It is a bit cold in here…

I know it is still summer, but my fingers and toes are freezing. Am I the only one feeling cold here? Am I a little bit under the weather and not knowing it, or something? Because it seems nobody was complaining about the summer being cold, and I am the only one feeling the chill… Am I being picked on by Mother Nature? *gasp*

x ❤ x

Woot Woot WIP…

It is amazing what a knitter can achieve when life is being kind enough to leave them alone with their WIP…

This is the first time I do a baby jacket with hoodie. It seems quite straightforward, although the instruction made it seems more complicated. Also… I am not sure why it needs to be blocked before it is sewn together. Oh well…

The six pieces is done, after it is blocked, and put together, all I need to do is to do the button and buttonhole bands.

I am on fire! Woot woot!!

x ❤ x

Nightmare Week

With the projects almost over, and new baby project on the needles, you would have thought last week would be an awesome one. I thought so. And I thought wrong.

Unfortunately, there is no other words to explain what happened last week except that it was a total nightmare. I think the fact I could make some knitting progress could be called a miracle. I am not being hyperbolic or anything…

what a weird lighting… not at all looking like my project -_-”

First of all, my husband was ill. Not just the sort of “slightly under the weather” ill that would disappear after a warm cuppa and a nice cuddle while watching Bones re-run, it was an all out sick. I was considering calling 999 to get him taken to the A&E but he refused. Being British, he thought that it was not a life or death situation, and he did not want to cause an unnecessary trouble for the doctors and nurses in the hospital.

I know, right? It doesn’t make sense, but I had my phone in hand, so if he did pass out, I would definitely dial the emergency. But he didn’t pass out… unfortunately it also means that he would have to endure all the discomfort the whole night.

Obviously, he didn’t go to work the next day.

I wasn’t tiptop myself. I apologise in advance if this is a slightly uncomfortable feminine thing to talk about. But you know that sometimes, just before that time of the month, you would have that period of time when everything just go wrong and you would have to endure the whole week of migraine. Well… yes… that was the exact week I was talking about.

one down… five to go… 

So, last week, it was almost impossible to enjoy sitting and knitting. I barely have time to breathe. Both of us were cranky, and stuck together because none of us were fit enough to go out unless when it is time to get some food. But then again, we wanted to avoid take away food as much as possible, as it was probably what set up DH’s illness.

Aaaanyway… Hopefully this week things get better. I can’t handle another week like last one… not in near future.

x ❤ x

Sew… Sew… Snip…

My goodness… this is an incredibly slow and boring project. I am pretty sure that there must be a more efficient way to to this. There must be a crocheting prodigy somewhere in this universe discovering a mindbogglingly simple technique that would save crocheters all around the world from having to do this…

This is torture… 

Or maybe I just haven’t researched enough?

Lol. I don’t know. I just found this cleaning and securing the loose yarn like this is one hell of a boring job.

Luckily, I have found a new project to do. Remember I told you that my friend is pregnant, and doc told her that the baby is going to be a boy? Yep, Found a great pattern for baby boy, and have a wonderful yarn for it too.

Did a swatch, and had to use larger needles to get an exact gauge with my normal tension. Which is handy because I don’t need to remember the tension, as it just naturally happens like that.

The pattern is Hazel from Rowan. Ribbing is k1p2. And I have to go to bed…

x ❤ x

Tubular Bind Off? Never Heard Of It…

I think, one of the reason why knitting is always interesting is that there’s always something new to learn, even when you have been knitting for more than a decade. It doesn’t matter how experienced you are, there is always a new milestone to reach, always a limit to push.

I do really believe that this is why knitting is really good for one’s mental well being. Not only that it would give someone this sense of accomplishment when they’re finishing something, but also this sense of achievement when they are learning or mastering some new technique. Not only that it gives them focus when doing and following a pattern, but also this sense of purpose in doing so.

Seriously, I think knitted stuff are products of a labour of love. All handmade stuff are, actually… I was so chuffed when I was given a couple of hand made soap when we attended the wedding in Hungary few weeks ago. I mean… in the middle of all that wedding frustration, the bride had the time to make us these?

Damn I should have taken the photos before I took shower with it… have you noticed a pattern here yet?

Anyway… back to my WIP now. After taking ages to finish the k1p1 ribbing… I am so glad it is time to bind off. One step closer to wearing it — or giving it to my sister if it doesn’t fit >_<‘

The pattern called for a tubular bind off. I have never heard of it, so I googled it. I mean, what else can you do? I think we are lucky to live in this day and age, when you could just google what tubular BO is. I can imagine in the old days, people would have to scour the library, or go to Woman’s Institute to get some information about what tubular BO is.

Tubular BO, is also called a Kitchener BO, or Italian BO. The finishing result is a seamless and ridge-less edge. I saw the example on youtube, and it was really pretty finishing. But of course, it would not be as simple as the usual BO I did in the past. Challenge was definitely accepted.

There are several ways to do this bind off, but they have the same principle. Basically, what you do is to create a “tube”, like socks, and do a kitchener stitch in the end — like you do the toe bit of a sock. You could do it exactly like you do sock — which means you need to separate the stitches alternately, and “graft” them with kitchener stitch — hence the name Kitchener BO.

Or you don’t — which means you don’t separate the stitches, and just sew it with different techniques. Like I said, there are different ways of doing it, just google it. It’s worth it…

I do like the result. It does take a while to finish a couple of inches, but once I have got the hang of it… nope… still takes ages.

See you when I am done.

x ❤ x

WIPs Progress(es?)

It makes me wonder… if there are more than one WIP, would the progress should be in plural form too? To be honest English confuses me a lot, especially when it is learned properly (instead of the basic one used for daily conversation). But oh well… Let’s not let it distract me from sharing the progress I have made so far…

The first one is the crochet project I made during my trip to Edinburgh. You’d be surprised how much one can make during the train trip. The first few pieces that’s been connected looked slightly wonky, but the latter ones looked much better. Overall, I am loving this project… I think green is good for summer too, don’t you think?

And, I just realised that the other project was also green! It has gone very quickly too… before I accidentally nicked my finger with the sharp edge on the tin when opening a spam. Damn Spam… But the back and the front is done, and I am halfway on the first sleeve.

HOPEFULLY… I would be able to post more regularly again. It is nice to return to a routine…

x ❤ x