A Snuggly Baby Blanket....on the needles

I saw this phamphlet on the counter of a yarn shop & decided to buy it - like the pattern of the blanket which is quite pretty with the moss stitch border & little diamonds strips. I have been looking for a baby blanket pattern for a while as I didn't want something too complicated to knit (like lace or cables) or something too simple (like plain garter or moss stitch). This pattern is perfect as it's just knit & purl.

So I have just cast on this blanket using Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino in cream (just like the color in the pattern). As Pam's (my lovely neighbor, 2 doors away) is expecting her 1st grandchild in mid-November, there should be plenty of time for me to finish this off (I hope)!

Fun At City Nits!

That's Michelle, me & Helen at the our monthly City Nits at the Borders & Yin was there too (but she had to leave early). We had a great time with our show & tell - Michelle with her wrap around cardi & dishcloth, Yin with her dishcloth, Helen with her 2 scarfs & a sock & of course me with my new Equine Vest! I also gave Michelle a quick lesson on sock knitting which I am not so sure if it was all that clear - my apologies Michelle - will try & do better the next time.

Talking of the vest - Cindy & I exchange photos of our vests & we feel that the 2 vests should be together & so here they are (with a little help from Lynette who did a cut & paste job) ....

Presenting The Equine Vest

My dear Cindy here it is - my Equine Vest - blocked & ready! I am really pleased with it & how easy & fast to knit with no sewing up & plus the georgeous merino yarn (from The Knittery) which is so......soft! But the vest has turned out to be a little shorter than what I wanted (despite all the measuring) - I am still going to wear it today to meet my friends (Helen & Michelle) at the Borders in the city for our monthly City Nits!
However there are a couple of errors in the pattern - but thanks to our private KAL - Cindy & I were able to exchange notes & make those errors right. That is really the benefit of a KAL - having someone to compare notes with & knit along - it was really fun & can't wait for the next KAL which I have just joined - the Central Park Hoodie KAL - staring next Friday - Sept 1.

I have also cast on another pair of socks - a 2nd order from Margaret - which I am knitting in Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino. I am using the same cable pattern which I knitted sometime back but this time, have reversed the pattern to knit from the toe-up. This is the 1st time that I have reversed a sock pattern & it works beautifully! Yes, you guess right - this is what I will be doing from now on (as all of you know that I hate sewing up) ! Here's a pic of one of Margaret's socks as half-way thro' the 2nd sock ....

My Private KAL Update

Have been spending some time knitting my Equine Vest which is my private KAL with Cindy. As Cindy is letting me catch up with the knitting, I managed to grab time during waiting & watching Lydia's performance (she plays the cello) over the weekend in the WA Music Festival - altho' Lynette thought that I was very rude to knit during the performance but she doesn't realise that I could do both very well (watch & knit - only made 1 mistake!). Managed to finish the ribbed band (cheated a little & only knitted 18cm instead of 20cm) & now on the body doing the ever boring stocking stitch - still a long way to go to catch up with Cindy but as I am knitting in the round, the consolation is that I am doing both front & back together. So here it is .... The change from the rib to stocking stitch is creating creases (can see that in the pic) - hope all these will even out when I block the vest after knitting! Now will be the exciting portion of mindless knitting in the round & hope that will grow quickly!

Also managed to spend a little time with another project (just had to cast on this scarf!) - the pleated ribbed scarf in Orange Alpaca Kid - so bright (my 1st project in orange) & so soft. As I wanted the pleat on both ends of the scarf, I am knitting the scarf in 2 pieces at the same time & will then join the pieces together in the center. This should (hopefully) be a quick knit ! Take a look...

Just love the color & the pretty pleats at the end !

Extreme Makeover

My blog has a makeover - thanks to the clever & creative Michelle who willingly offered her services when we met at Perth's City Nits last month. When I first started blogging, I did up my own blog with some help from friends & basically the blog was simple & a copy & paste job. When Michelle offered her help, I was jumping with joy & so my blog underwent an extreme makeover - from a simple to a more sophisticated & organised looking blog with borders & my own button ! Thanks a million Michelle & I am working on your surprise....

On another matter - do check out Helen's new blog - you will be surprised at the extensive information & resources that she had made available to all of us. Helen loves to surf the web for the latest knitting resources & she is always getting her hands on the latest books & magazines - she has been my walking/talking knitting enyclopedia for the last few years !

And now for some knitting news (if there is any) - I have hit a knitting block - I have decided not to knit the Cable & Lace Baby Blanket & still deciding if I should knit Debbie Bliss Baby Alphabet Blanket ... also took the Laburnum Socks off the needles - the colors were not looking right .... so left with the Equine Vest which I am still knitting .... & with a spark of inspiration this afternoon, cast on a scarf which I am adapting from the design of Noreen's cardigan ... what is happening next ? More socks ? I just can't decide .... the only good thing that has happened this week is my "New Look" blog !

Cast Off & Cast Off

Wow ! I am really getting into it - cast off 2 projects this week ! It's such a great feeling to see the finished work & to be able to cast on more projects.... so I am off to the book shelf in the search of new cast ons but before that, let me share with all of you my cast offs .... Yes, it's Noreen's Green Ribbed Cardigan - it looks great (love the frills & the collar) & as I have not sewed the buttons on (will let Noreen decide on the buttons), I have to use some pins just for this pic. I am sure Cindy will love the color of this cardi. The Jo Sharp Alpaca Kid that I used for this cardi is really gorgeous & knitted so well. I hope it will fit Noreen & if it does, I will take another pic & if it does not, sigh .....

Anyway, the other cast off is Helen's socks... it fits her perfectly as she tried on the 1st sock & didn't want to take it off as it was so comfortable. Decided to knit a lacy rib for the cuff & it really turned out well, so here they are ....

I really like the lacy rib cuff as it's pretty & adds a little pattern to an otherwise plain sock (sorry, the pic of the cuff close-up cannot be uploaded, tried so many times, can't understand why?). Thank you Wendy for this pattern.

Now for my new cast on - a pair of toe-up socks knitted in a 5-stitch pattern from the Sensational Knitted Socks book. The 5-stitch pattern that I chose is laburnum which looks like cables but it's not. This book is really great as it provides patterns for socks knitted from the top as well as from the toe. On top of that, there is a stitch dictionary which provides more variations. I am using yarn from Live 2 Knit - Elizabeth 4 ply Merino in Monet.

Will also be casting on a baby blanket for my neighbour's new grandchild due in November. I know it's 4 months before the baby comes, but better start early, just in case .... knitting the blanket in Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino in cream & the pattern is a combination of lace & aran which I have to work out the size.

Still on my needles is the Equine Vest (my private KAL with Cindy) knitting round & round on the rib (20cm in total). It's boring but I find it quite therapeutic as it's knitting without thinking. Enjoyed it so much that I found it hard to put down as I just wanted to go on & on & on & on ....

Well, looks like I will be busy for a while but of course still on the look-out for new cast on...