Gainsburgh Tee with a twist

 

 

I finally got around to having pictures taken of this which I finished more than a week ago now. What a day to choose to do it though. I am writing this sitting in the bedroom with very little on, which is presently the coolest spot, outdoor temperatures being around 28 degrees, we took the photos then I rushed inside to take off the top before I melted! I had thought it would be ideal for the warmer parts of our visiting……I will end up wearing it more in England than here at this rate.

Anyway, the knitting bits.

 

I liked the idea of the loose style of this pattern, being me I did not really read it through properly before starting, a lesson I am still learning, so had a few surprises as I went along. The bodice is knit first, liked that, getting all the fiddly shaping over at the beginning. You then pick up the stitches from the cast on edge and work down to the bottom, but, first you have to make a little fold bit and pick up stitches…. too much of a phaff, if I had read it before I would have put a coloured thread in to make it easy to see where to pick up. As it was with the mottle of the yarn it was almost impossible to see where I needed to get the stitches from – so I missed that bit out.

The stitch pattern was easy enough and the back soon completed. When I started to read through the front instructions I discovered it was quite different to the back in that you gradually increased on the back where as on the front you had the total amount of stitches for the back, plus a few, right from the pick up stage making very long rows. The front took a little longer to complete!

Had I followed the pattern for the bottom edge it would have pulled in tighter something I did not want. While knitting I came up with the idea of a scallopy edge and toyed with crochet then remembered the stitch I had used for the angel cardigan, ideal – very pleased with the result.I followed this up by putting the same edge on the sleeves. I had to increase the number of stitches for the sleeves to get the pattern repeat in then decreased a few more on the length to arrive at the correct number for the armhole shaping. 

There should be a placket on the front opening edge, and a garter stitch neckline. I changed these crocheting up each side of the opening which I sewed up a bit as I felt it was deeper than I wanted. Then crocheted around the neck edge finishing with a little chain scallop. It doesn’t show up so well on the photo but I think the neck sits well and I like that.

 

 

As I said in the title – with a twist….. bit like my cooking really!

NEXT PROJECT.

I have been looking for a lacy pattern I fancy, I would really like to do a very fine shawl as a long project but feel my lace knitting experience or lack of it requires me to complete a couple of small projects first. I found some information today on how to read lace charts as most of the patterns I have found use charts and I am more familiar with written instructions. I have a pattern for an Icelandic shawl which is lovely, I might just look at the stitches in it and do swatches of each before knitting the whole thing… but I need to start something as not having a piece of knitting to pick up is driving me nuts. I obviously need several overlapping projects to keep me going but having made myself completer one before starting another it is difficult to break the habit!

Olly the Owl!

All finished! Olly was made from a pattern by Laura Lang in Issue 15 of The Knitter, with slight variations, by me! The yarn was supposed to be double knitting, but I decided to use 4ply sock wool instead, and changed to 2.75mm needles accordingly. The wool I used is Regia ponpons, and regia design line 'easter'. there were supposed to be rows of garter stitch to give the owl feather like texture, which I omitted, as I wanted a smooth finish. He was supposed to have knitted feet and a knitted beak, but I decided I would prefer no feet (not necessary, in my opinion) and a felt beak.



To finish his bum you decreased rapidly, then drew the stitches together, this made a nice flat base, but as you can see abit of an untidy finish. I need to weave some yarn thru the holes to fill them in and neaten up ooor Ollys bottom to prevent any hernias!

I was quite pleased about how well I managed to match the repeats in the striped yarn as I had to use two pieces either side of the block of ponpon for his tummy, and I was suprised how easy intarsia was, this was my first attempt and no holes!!!



twit twooooooo!

Next project is :)
http://www.marthastewart.com/how-to/knitted-neck-scarf

Owl progress!

Ok all the bits are knitted, I just need to get myself sorted and sew him up, but I always put off this bit, I don't know why!
I had a bit of a play with some of the left over wool, and short row shaping, I got it into my head I could create a 'bubble' effect in the middle of a piece of knitting with this technique? The first problem was I had no instruction book, so I was doing the shaping from memory, and I managed to add rows ok, but I wanted to reduce back down again and got lots of holes, d'oh! tried another way and realised I had turned a heel for a sock which wasn't the desired effect either! Anyway I will look up how to do short row shaping PROPERLY then have another go!

Ale and Alpacas!

We are presently in Hill Country Texas and I was unaware until we arrived in the area what a tradition of yarn production they have here.Since the late 1800's in fact, unfortunately like in the UK it is in decline. Merino sheep and Angora goats were once a huge business but today the flece are shipped away for spining and the herds are in decline due to the fact that imported yarn is so much cheaper. What a shame.... I had a long conversation with the propriator of the LYS and to show solidarity bought two hanks of merino wool from her own sheep (it is shipped away for spining and then returned to her to sell)  we decided there needs to be a revolution, both here and in the UK. It is madness that the product is not processed here, that the two wool warehouses lie idle apart from shearing time when they are sending the local produce to Russia, the middle east or Mexico to be sold back to us.

OK rant over!

Yarn store had loads of lovely colours, not so many hand spun/ dyed as I expected. The two hanks I purchased cost $30 plus tax so not cheap, they are to be stashed for use in my travel project.

I also discovered that the area has lots of alpaca farms, these creature look so cute and are supposedly very friendly, not sure if we might get to go to one of the farms for a look around, I would love to. They dont sell the yarn here though.... I find it very fraustrating!

After patiently accompanying me to the LYS we found the local micro brewerey for Dad to have a couple of pints of local ale ( I drank wine this time, I know how to hold that glass properly. It was Texas wine) I think this could be a good ploy but I realise that next time we should go to the brewery first .........