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Charity Knitting

2012-01-27T10:47:00.004+08:00

Last year, my knitting groups in the libraries decided to spend some time knitting for charity. We decided to make hats for pre-matured babies.

I came up with a pattern so that the hats can be knitted in one piece without seams & we ended up with these....

.... more than 40 hats !

Some are knitted.

Some are crocheted.

I then contacted the local maternity hospital & made an appointment to meet the lady in charge. I went to the hospital & found this nice elderly lady in a little room sorting bags & bags of knit wear.

Unfortunately I was told that crocheted hats are not suitable for preemies as they are too rough. She told me that they are in need of cardigans as they give away more than 500 every year to babies in Special Care. She gave me a pattern & I took a quick look. It was a pattern for a v-neck raglan cardigan knitted in many pieces - fronts, back, sleeves & even the button bands are knitted & seamed.

I knew that I will not be using this pattern & asked if it's alright to knit the cardigan from the top-down & in one piece. She said that she was not familiar with seamless knitting but would be happy to see one knitted up. One of the problems that they had with the cardigans are the bulky seams which are not comfortable for the new borns.

I told her that I will convert the pattern & knit up a sample. So during the holidays, I have been working on this little cardigan & came up with 2 versions .....

.... the little blue cardigan (using Bendigo's baby wool) is for preemies & all in one piece, even the bands are knitted at the same time. The only problem is the neckline which is not v-neck. I am not sure if the crew neck will be an issue.

.... the variegated blue/purple cardigan (using leftover sock yarn) is for new borns & also in one piece and the bands are picked up & knitted all round the front & the v-neck.

Both cardigans are knitted from the top down & the sleeves are also knitted in the round with dpns. I am happy with the results & now I will have to buy some buttons & write out the patterns.

Spinning By The Bay

2012-01-20T18:32:00.004+08:00

The Spinning Guild held it's 1st event for 2012 - a spin-in by the bay.

It was a lovely place & we were able to spin under the pavilion with a nice breeze from the river. There were quite a number of spinners who turned up & we ended up sitting outside the pavilion.

It is so nice to be able to spend time with my spinning friends but I left at noon as the weather became hotter & it was not pleasant to continue spinning. It's a pity that the start of the year is in the middle of summer.

I managed to finish spinning this .....

..... a blend of merino, alpaca & silk. The silk makes the spinning a little difficult as it's slippery & I cannot spin a thinner yarn. So the result is a thicker yarn but I quite like the look of it as a single & decided not to ply it .....

Now I have more than 600 yds of this handspun & I love the colors. What should I knit? It will be a tough decision.

Dpns or Circulars

2012-01-13T10:58:00.004+08:00

I have heard & read a lot about this debate. It's an issue that I am also debating about every time I cast on a project - should I use magic loop with the circular needle or should I just go with my dpns ?

I even taught a few classes on the magic loop & every one who attended the class love it & think that it's the greatest invention. Even 1st time sock knitters love it & would not even attempt using dpns. In my knitting groups, the scenario is the same - there are more knitters magic looping & less using dpns. WHY ?

As I cast on this pair of mittens for my niece, I was reminded again of this great debate. I just don't understand the love affair that everyone is having with magic loop. I have tried it many times & always ended up changing to my dpns as I just can't carry on pulling & pushing the cord. It's was an agony for me to finish a pair of socks & a pair of mittens for my class. I can't imagine using the magic loop for the rest of my life.

I have just cast off the mittens & enjoyed knitting every stitch with my dpns !

Yarn U

2012-01-09T09:05:00.003+08:00

I was approached by the author of this app, Yarn U, to review the app on my iPad. Yarn U is an app with a database of yarn.

The above is a page from the app showing information on a specific yarn. The information include fiber content, stitch gauge, yardage and even pros & cons of the yarn. There are also recommendations for projects, where to buy the yarn & the retail price.

I find all these information very useful as it helps me review the different yarns that I can use for projects & the app also allows you to share the information with a friend.

There is also a picture gallery where you can see the various yarns & the projects associated with a specific yarn.

This app is really handy for a knitter as you will then be armed with a database of yarn information. The only issue that I have with this app is that I can't find information on one of my favorite brand - Handmaiden & Fleece Artist. Well, I am sure the list will be expanded in time to come.

This app is available in iTunes for A$2.99

My Last FO .....

2012-01-06T15:35:00.003+08:00

...... for 2011. I had been working on this project for the last 4 weeks & I did enjoy all the garter stitches. It's an easy project to work on especially in the car. Anyway, I managed to finish it on the last day of the year.

It's Trillian & it's knitted in Zen Yarn Garden Serenity 20. I love this yarn - it's so soft & lovely to knit with. As this scarf/shawl is for my niece & she is quite tall, I decided to use up the 2 balls of yarn (800m) & ended up with a really long scarf/shawl (250cm long & 50cm at the widest part).

The construction is really interesting & I love the simplicity of the eyelet border.

As I cast off this final project for 2011, I started to reflect on all the projects that I worked on. I had done a lot of knitting but my designing had taken a back seat. I decided to enjoy the process of knitting & try not to make too many modifications in a pattern. I wanted to enjoy working on patterns of other designers. So I did a bit of test knitting which was really enjoyable & enriching.

I managed a little designing especially for my classes at a yarn shop & also enjoyed the teaching experience. I would love to teach more classes but unfortunately there was not sufficient interest.

My greatest pleasure in 2011 - I knitted 12 shawls & I enjoyed every one of them. Shawls are my current favorites & I love the semi circular shapes.

My only regret in 2011 is he lack of sock knitting. Somehow, I lost my sock knitting mojo & only ended up with 2 pairs of socks for the whole year. I have always love knitting socks & I want to knit more socks. Recently, I heard of the new tomato heel technique by Cat Borhi & would love to try this technique. So for 2012, there should be more socks.

I don't usually make new year resolutions but for 2012, I will try & work on more socks, continue with shawls, update my winter wardrobe (as I need more thinner cardigans) & maybe along the way come up with some designs. One last thing is that I will try & post more regularly - hopefully once a week !

What are your knitting plans for 2012 ?

New Pattern & New Year's Sales

2011-12-27T08:49:00.004+08:00

I have just released a new pattern on Ravelry - Diamante Mittens.

I originally designed these mittens for our knitting retreat this year to introduce participants at the retreat to the technique of adding beads on a project. These mittens are easy to knit as the diamond motif in the center is a simple pattern.

I then entered the mittens in Perth Royal Show in October & won 2nd prize in the Gloves section.

To welcome in the New Year, these mittens are on a special price of US$2 and I have also put my shawl patterns on sale at a 20% discount.

Happy New Year !

Happy Holidays

2011-12-24T11:36:00.004+08:00

To All my blog friends,

Merry Christmas & A Happy, Healthy & Knitty 2012 !

FO, FO & More FO ........

2011-12-16T10:16:00.005+08:00

I know that I am a bad blogger but I did not realise that I am that BAD - 2 months since the last post ! I can't believe it has been so long. Well, better late than never. This post will be dedicated to all the FOs that I have finished in the last 2 months.

1st FO - Vineshadow Cuffs from the Knitspot Fall Club which I joined. When I saw the pattern, I knew that I had to make them for my dear friend, Marilyn who loves wearing cuffs to keep her cold hands warm. These cuffs are a fast knit.

I used leftovers of my Handmaiden Cashmere/Silk & the cuffs are gorgeous & soft. Marilyn loves them & wore them immediately.

2nd FO - Peasy. My Mum wanted a black cardigan & it took me a while to find the right yarn as she is living in Singapore & needs something light. I found the perfect yarn - Colormart Cashmere/Cotton, fingering weight. There was no black available so I ordered dark navy blue. The yarn is so lovely to knit with & I love the feel of it. I have ordered more in grey for myself.

Peasy is a great top down pattern but I had to do a lot of modifications as my yarn was so much thinner than the recommended yarn. The stitch markers on the cardigan are for placement of buttons which I am going to leave it to my Mum to decide as there are more button choices in Singapore than in Perth.

3rd FO - Felted Bag with 2 handles. I only started the base & finish off the handles & the rest of the knitting is actually done by Lydia who is now on school holidays. I wanted to use my last lot of Cleckheaton Vintage Hues so a felted bag is the best option.

The body of the bag is extra long as I wanted a taller bag than my original pattern. In fact, the knitted bag before felting was the length of my body from shoulder to toe. After felting, the bag is 30 cm high & 68 cm around the circumference. It's just the right size as a knitting bag.

4th FO - Damson with the lace modification. This is my 2nd Damson as I gave the 1st one to my Mum. I am so glad that I did the lace insert as the result is gorgeous. I love the delicate lace look that makes the shawl so much more gorgeous than a plain one. The only pain in knitting this shawl is the picot edge cast off which took forever but it's worth the effort.

I used a skein of Malabrigo sock & it's my 1st time that I have used this yarn. I just wondered why it took me so long to try this yarn as it's gorgeous & lovely to knit with. I also ordered more of this yarn. I am glad that I did as I have given this shawl away to a friend who fell in love with it when she saw it. So now, I have to knit my 3rd Damson.

Wow, that's a long post but I promise I will be back soon. Maybe I should make it my new year resolution to post more frequently. Well, we will see how it goes.....

Perth Royal Show

2011-10-20T07:27:00.004+08:00

I am so glad that this is all over ..... as I have been busy putting together all my entries for the Annual Royal Show. For the last few months, I had been finishing off all my entries as they had to be submitted one week before the show.

This year, I entered in 6 categories (which was a little ambitious on my part) and I won 1st prize for my socks. It's my Triple Braids which I have for sale on ravelry ......

2nd prize for the Dimante Mittens which I designed for Knitting Inspirations Annual Retreat ......

2nd prize for this shawl ......

........ which was entered in the handspun section as the yarn is from a friend's baby alpaca. The alpaca was so soft & I love the natural color. This is also my own design & I am planning to write out the pattern.

3rd prize for this shawl ......

..... Daisy Shawlette which I really enjoyed knitting & the beads made the shawl so pretty.

Highly Commended for this shawl .......

..... which I designed especially for the Original Design Category. The shawl is crescent shaped & was knitted in Malabrigo lace in the neutral color. I love the look of this shawl & it's so soft & light. I have the pattern written out & it's is being test knitted now.

Lastly, is a hat which did not have not placing. The judge's comment was that the brim looks tight & may not fit the head.

It's the Brambles Beret. I did a tubular cast on which I thought was really stretchy. Anyway, I had no problem putting it over my head.

I was also invited to the show to do a knitting demonstration. It's just for a few hours, sitting in one corner with a table of my projects. I sat there & knitted & talked to people who stop by the table.

This year's entries for the handknitting section were all very well done. It's so good to see such beautiful work done by most of my knitting friends. I am sure next year, the competition will be even greater.

This is really MAGIC !

2011-09-05T09:34:00.003+08:00

The magic loop technique is very well known & is a favorite among knitters. Although it's a great technique, I have not been very fond of it. I find the pulling & pushing of the cord & needles cumbersome & time consuming. In addition, I sometimes have a ladder at the sides which I don't have when I am using dpns. So for small projects & sleeves, I always rely on my favorite dpns until yesterday .....

.... I found this & this ! Watch the youtube video as it's much easier to understand.

It's really MAGIC & I love it. There's only 1 loop & there is a little pulling of the cable but no ladder at the start of the round. I just can't believe my eyes as I knit round & round. Maybe some of you have already discovered this technique but if not, give it a try. It's definitely better than the magic loop !

This is a hat that I cast on last night & I am knitting away on the travelling loop. It's so much easier than the magic loop. I was so excited last night that I could not put the knitting down & I knew that I had to spread the word around.

Happy travel looping !

An Awesome Weekend

2011-08-15T08:06:00.006+08:00

I just spent an AWESOME weekend with Jacey Boggs in her spinning workshop. It was an amazing weekend & also a very challenging one for me.

I knew that this workshop will be beyond my spinning capabilities as I have only started spinning 10 months ago but I did not want to miss this excellent opportunity, so I enrolled.

Jacey is an amazing teacher & she makes everything looks so easy. On the 1st day, we had to spin thin & thick yarn & I was struggling to do it as I have only been spinning thin yarn eversince I started spinning. We were taught different hand movements & trying to co-ordinate the hands & the feet was a difficult task.

It was also an experience walking around & admiring the different wheels in the workshop. There were 5 Ladybugs (including mine) & there were several Ashfords, Majacrafts & even 3 e-spinners. We also had a demo on Jacey's wheel which is a Lendrum & it is an amazing wheel.

I went home after the 1st day with aches all over the body. The 2nd day went better as I slowly managed some of the techniques & was able to produce some results. I never realised that spinning can be so technical & innovative.

I came home with these mini skeins of my handspun .....

..... coils, corespin, auto wrap, cocoons.

I love the look of these coils .... they are not perfect but they look good to me.

but my favorite are these cocoons as it's one technique that I managed to do well.

Although I may not have learnt everything that Jacey taught in the 2 days but I have gained an invaluable insight to some amazing spinning techniques. I am so glad that I went for this workshop as it is AWESOME ! Jacey mentioned that she may come back again next year & I hope so as I want to go to her workshop again.

Gifts Knitting

2011-08-01T07:46:00.003+08:00

I have been doing lots of knitting but not for myself. But I do love to knit for others especially for those who appreciate hand knitting.

Gift #1 - Another contagious cowl for a friend's birthday. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture as I was in a hurry to give it to her (it was 1 month after her birthday)

Gift #2 - My 3rd contagious cowl for Lynette. She choose the yarn (Yarn Pirate sock yarn) from my stash & I

knitted with 2 strands together & 1 skein was enough for this longer cowl.

Gift #3 - My own design, Cathedral Shawl for my dear neighbor (Pam) who is always taking care of my garden. I used Knit Picks Shadow (2ply merino) & it's a lovely yarn to knit with. This yarn has been in my stash for 2 years & this is the 1st time that I am using it.

Gift #4 - Again my own design, Treasure Lace for Lydia who wanted a scarf in Malabrigo Lace. She wore my Treasure Lace which was knitted in Malabrigo Lace & loves the feel of the yarn. Again, I went stash hunting & found 2 skeins in purple. Lydia wanted a plain shawl as she does not like too much lace, so I changed the lace edging to a simple chevron pattern & also modified the short rows so that the shawl is narrower & longer. It turns out nice & I even wore it once.

Actually this period of gift knitting gave me time to plan my future projects ......

2 Cardigans

2011-07-19T08:45:00.004+08:00

In the last 2 months, I have finished 2 cardigans & also a couple of smaller projects. This is the 1st time that I have done this as I usually become a little tired after knitting one. But these 2 patterns were just irresistable & I had to knit both.

1st is Elphaba which is a top down cardigan with a lace border at the bottom. The designer, Mary really produces a great pattern & the instructions are so well written. After knitting Simplicity, also by Mary, I knew I had to knit Elphaba. I love this cardigan & I used Handmaiden Casbah which is the perfect yarn.

The fit is perfect & I love the lace border at the bottom as well as on the sleeves. I did increased the length of the cardigan as well as the sleeves as I had plenty of Casbah to keep me going.

2nd is Every Last Yard. When I read about the construction of this cardigan, I knew I had to try it. The cardigan is started with knitting a strip for the collar & then stitches are picked to form the body of the cardigan. The construction is really clever & the collar is knitted on as you go together with the body.

Again there is lace at the bottom of the cardigan & also on the sleeves. I used Cleckheaton Country Silk which I bought on sale at Morris & Sons when I was on holiday in Melbourne 2 years ago. I had a bag of 10 balls & I used 9.25 balls as I increased the length of the cardigan. The bag of yarn costed $30 & it is a lovely yarn to knit with as well as to wear but unfortunately, It's discontinued.

I think I will now take a break from cardigans (although I have a few on my queue) & do a few more small projects.

Contagious Cowl

2011-06-27T07:27:00.003+08:00

I wanted an easy project to bring along to the knitting retreat & decided to start this as I have not made one before.

At the retreat, another knitter was also knitting the same cowl in her own handspun & it was looking great. Both of us were highly motivated & wanted to finish the cowl before the end of the retreat I finished mine on the 2nd day of the retreat & it was gorgeous .....

.... I love it & it feels so soft & warm around the neck. I was glad that I use one of my favorite yarn for this cowl - Socks That Rock Silkie. The slip stitch pattern of the cowl really brings out the colors of the yarn.

My finished cowl triggered off a knitting frenzy as several knitters wanted one. Gosia cast on immediately & in 8 hours (around 11pm), she had a cowl.

Since the retreat, I have seen a few more finished cowls in the knitting groups!

Annual Retreat

2011-06-14T07:29:00.005+08:00

I can't believe another year had passed & it's time for our 4th Annual Retreat at the beautiful Avalon Homestead. This year we had 30 participants & we had a great time.

We started off with Show & Tell & the highlight was this machine knitted wedding dress which took our breath away ! There were so many FOs that every available space on this long table was filled ......

......there was a spindle spinning demonstration & I learnt Andean plying

...... a yarn & FO photography workshop & I took a great picture of my mittens in a light tent

...... a talk given by a Suri Alpaca breeder & then she gave us some tips on spinning the fiber

....... a weaving demonstration & we also had a chance to try it

It was a great weekend & we went home with so much knowledge & new skills & of course, some FOs !

Leftovers

2011-05-23T07:38:00.003+08:00

I am sure many of you have leftovers ... of sock yarn. From my years of knitting socks, I have accumulated a big stash of leftovers & have been wanting to use them. Unfortunately, there are always too many projects going on & so the leftovers are put aside until one day .... Lydia (daughter #2) asked for some yarn to knit a blanket.

Lydia loves knitting squares (in garter stitch) & she has done lots for charity blankets during the past few years. In fact, she has 2 big shopping bags of squares ready to be taken to Anglicare. She wants more yarn to knit more squares but I convinced her to knit a blanket with my leftovers.

So I cast on 200 sts for her & off she went with a bag of leftovers ......

..... 2 months later (she only knits during weekends & school holidays), we had a blanket. It's hugh (8 ft x 7ft) & it's gorgeous. So soft & warm & just in time for winter.

I crochet a border around the blanket just to make it pretty. All of us in the family love the blanket & can't wait to use it.

There are more leftovers & Lydia just started on another blanket ....

The Ladybug Has Landed !

2011-04-28T08:12:00.003+08:00

This was the email that I received from Emma, from Spunout. I was so excited when I read the email & immediately arranged to pick up the Ladybug.

.... my new spinning wheel ! It actually arrived in a box & took my husband a couple of hours to assemble it. I can't wait to try it.

It's spinning so smoothly & I love it. I have only been spinning for 6 months on my Ashford Traditional which is a great wheel to spin on but not portable. It was a chore to carry it around & loading it in my car when I go out for spinning. So I decided to give myself a treat & bought the Ladybug as it's more portable.

...... look at the little ladybug on the wheel.

As the weather is now cooler, I have been spinning more. I think I am building up a handspun stash as I can't knit fast enough. But I managed to knit this up with one of my earlier handspun on the Ashford, in fact, it's my first handspun that is navajo plyed.

As I have only 200+ yds of handspun merino, I decided to knit a sideway scarf/shawlette so that I can measure the weight as I go. I just increase on one side every 6 rows & also knitted an eyelet row in between increases. After using half of the ball, I started the decreases.

It turned out great & I managed to get a nice length of 80" so that it can go round my neck a couple of times. This is my 1st project knitted out of my own handspun - I am a fiber artist now !

Simplicity

2011-04-23T08:07:00.003+08:00

..... it's actually not that simple at all. This is a project that I have been knitting on & off for the last 5 months.

When Michelle gave me a cone of Colormart, mohair/merino last year, I did not want to knit another Featherweight Cardigan but I wanted something similar. I found Simplicity which is a top down cardigan but with shaped & drapey fronts. It looks great & I love top down construction.

While knitting the cardigan, I was not happy with the rolling edges & was concerned with them as there is no finishing to the edges. I kept putting it down to contemplate if I should continue or rip it out. This went on for a couple of months but I kept knitting. When I got to the bottom of the cardigan, I cast off but it rolled so much that I can't bear looking at it. I ripped off the cast off & left the cardigan in the basket.

One thing that prevented me from ripping the whole project is the yarn. I love knitting with it. I am not a fan of mohair but it's not so obvious in the yarn & it knitted up so well. Plus the color is my favorite.

I decided to pick it up again in February & worked on the cast off. I did a couple of garter stitch rows, an eyelet row & a couple of garter stitch rows & it worked ! The cast off was perfect & there was no rolling. I love the look & it finished off the cardigan nicely. This really gave me the boost & within the next few days, the sleeves were completed with the same finishing.

Actually, this pattern is very well written & the designer is very thorough with all the different types of increases. I like her style of pattern writing that I am knitting another of her design - Elphaba.

Treasure Lace

2011-04-11T07:31:00.005+08:00

This shawl has came a long way as it has taken me almost 5 months to make it happen. I have never worked on a project for so long & put so much effort into it. My apologies to those of you who have seen the shawl way back in early Dec & had waited patiently for the pattern. I think I owe all of you an explanation ......

...... it started way back in Nov last year when my dear friend, Helen gave me 4 skeins of Handmaiden Cashmere & Silk. Helen was clearing her house & she knew that she will not have the time to use it. As the yarn was too gorgeous to be sitting in her stash, she wanted me to use it. I knew Helen loves this yarn & she had bought it in her favorite color & I knew she will want the yarn knitted up.

So I decided to design a shawl with the yarn & knit it up for Helen's birthday in January. The timing was really bad as I was leaving for a 5 week holiday soon. But I managed to decide on a design & knit the shawl all in 3 weeks. I was so pleased with it & had to show it to the ladies in my knitting group & they loved it. Then came the requests for a pattern but my initial thought was that it was a special design for a dear friend & I am not writing up the pattern.

I gave Helen the shawl on her birthday & she was delighted with it & again the requests for a pattern came. Helen also encouraged me to write up the pattern & this time I relented & started working on it.

My initial notes were quite brief, so I had to knit the shawl again & this time, I used Malabrigo Lace as another option & also I wanted one in a smaller size. The 1st shawl that I knitted for Helen was quite large as Helen is a tall lady & she needs the length to wrap around her. Helen's shawl is 80" long. The 2nd shawl that I knitted is 60" long & it is just right for me. I love the feel of Malabrigo lace as it's so soft .....

By then, it was Feb & the start of a new school term. That delayed the writing of the pattern but I managed to get it out to the test knitters (who were waiting eagerly for the pattern). While the pattern was being test knitted, I decide to do my own test knitting & knitted the 3rd shawl in Handmaiden Sea Silk .....

Again, the shawl turned out great & I decided to send it to a dear friend in Singapore whom I recently spend some time with during my holidays there.

The next problem was deciding on a name for the shawl. As it is an Estonian lace pattern, I decided to translate the name of the stitch pattern - Treasure Lace. I think the name fits the shawl as it is Helen's treasure that started this whole process.

Treasure Lace, in 2 sizes, is now ready to meet the outside world. The pattern is up for sale on Ravelry & it had came a very long way .......

More FOs

2011-04-04T07:20:00.004+08:00

As I have not been posting for a couple of months, I have a few FOs that have not made an appearance.....

..... Wicked Eyelet Rib Vest - this pattern has been on my queue for a very long time & when I managed to get a skein of Wollmeise, I thought that it will be the perfect yarn for the vest.

As I don't like to sew on buttons, I decided to just knit the vest in the round without any opening. I am glad that I did that as it looks just as good without buttons. I also managed to knit the vest with 1 skein of Wollmeise in Neptune which is a gorgeous color.

Sorry about the color combination as I was too lazy to change & the photo taking had to be done very quickly as daughter #2 is very busy.

The next FO is Watershed .....

.... this is the 1st time that I am doing a proper blocking job so that lace edging looks good but I think I may have over blocked it.

I enjoyed knitted this vest as the construction is really interesting & all done in 1 piece. However, there are a few details that were missing from the pattern & I had to spend some time working them out.

I use Rowan Calmer which was in my stash for ages & I like this yarn. It's cotton & acrylic but it is lovely to knit with & it does not feel heavy for a 10 ply.

I love the lace details both in the front & at the back .....

Well, there are more FOs but I will have to show them on another post as I have to wait for daughter #2 (my official photographer) to be available.

A Bit More On Spinning

2011-03-29T08:46:00.004+08:00

As some of you may be aware that I started spinning late last year & also rented a wheel. Well, spinning is here to stay as I bought a wheel .....

..... a 2nd hand Ashford Traditional from a friend. After a check-up at the shop & a couple of new parts, it's almost brand new & spinning so smoothly. As the weather has been very hot, I had moved indoors & now spinning in the corridor between the lounge & Lynette's room. It's a lovely place for spinning as it's bright & cool, with air-conditioning .....

I started with some merino ........

I then tried spinning with polwarth which I bought from a friend's destash .....

.... I love the feel of polwarth on my fingers - so soft & creamy ! I also love the end result .....

I think I need to increase my fiber stash, so I am off looking for more .....

I Am Still Alive & Kicking

2011-03-21T08:33:00.004+08:00

Yes, I am still around & so sorry for not blogging for such a long time (almost 3 months). I just can't believe that such a long time had passed but so many things had happened that I have lost track of time.

I was away in Singapore & Phuket during Dec & Jan. Then school started in Feb & it was crazy getting back to routine plus I was working almost every day. The summer here in Perth this year was really hot & humid & by the end of the day, I was just too tired to do anything but I knitted.

I have finished a few projects, so here are 2 of them .....

..... Vixen Shawl, knitted in Kauni. I needed an easy project for the holidays & Vixen was a relaxing knit & the shape is interesting. The only problem with this shawl is the yarn. I will never use Kauni again as it's a very coarse yarn & not nice to knit with. Even after blocking, the yarn is still not soft enough to wear next to the skin. I chose this yarn just for the colors.

While I was in Singapore, my Mum requested for a vest. I found this free pattern which I made a few changes to & knitted it in the round from the bottom up. It was a quick knit as it's all in 1 piece including the bands. I knitted the vest in Bendigo 8ply cotton & it turned out great. My Mum loves the vest & I love it too - if only I have the time to knit one for myself.

There are a few more projects that I have finished & I will share them with you in my next post. I am in the process of finalising the details to a new shawl design. I promise to post more regularly.

An Early Christmas Present

2010-12-01T08:03:00.003+08:00

To thank all of you for your support & encouragement in my designing efforts, this is my present to you .....

..... A Girl's Best Friend, so named as it has a pretty diamond border & I love diamonds.

It is a shawlette which is knitted from point to point. The gradual increases & decreases allow for longer ends so that you can wrap around the neck like a scarf. The middle section is big enough to cover most of the back so you can still wear it like a shawl. I love this shape as I feel the typical triangular shawl is too wide to wrap around the neck.

It's also an easy pattern to knit as you can memorise the diamond edging very quickly. So there's still time to knit one for Christmas. All it takes is a skein of sock yarn & I am sure many of you have one in your stash.

Download your copy from Ravelry. Happy knitting !

“

This is So Gorgeous .....

2010-11-27T06:52:00.004+08:00

..... that I have not stopped admiring it and it's mine !

I am so lucky to be gifted this beautiful shawl knitted by Molly in her own handspun. Remember the socks that I knitted for Molly & in return she knitted this shawl for me.

It's just so gorgeous & the handspun is so thin & well spun. Molly has really done a fantastic job & I love the shawl. You can see more pictures of the shawl here.

What made this shawl extra special is that it's knitted in my pattern, The Cathedral Shawl. Only one word can express my feelings when I look at the shawl, it's just so ..... perfect !

Thank you so much Molly !

Another 1st Handspun

2010-11-17T08:01:00.005+08:00

..... no, this is not a repetition of my previous post. This is another 1st handspun with a wheel! I joined our local spinning guild & rented a wheel .....

It's a Sickinger & is quite small so it's just right for me. For the past 3 weeks, I have been sitting out on my patio, listening to all the oldies on the radio & spinning away .....

.... it is just so relaxing, although not at first when I was getting to know the wheel. I managed to spin 2 bobbins of Meridian wool in silver grey & dark grey ....

.... then I had to ply the 2 singles together & I had this bobbin of 2 ply wool .....

It was so exciting to see the finished product (although I can see several areas of imperfection). I weighed it & measured the length .....

.... I have a skein of 130 gms of 2 ply handspun wool & there's more than 500 yds in that skein ! I was so amazed that in 3 weeks (I did not spin everyday) I managed to spin so much but I did realised that I was spinning quite thinly. I am so happy with this wool & I can't wait to knit something out of it. I know there are lots of stuff that I have to learn about spinning but I think this is a good start.

Now I have to buy a wheel as I want to spin more & I have to return this wheel to the guild. I can't wait to get my own wheel !

Don't worry, this post is not all about spinning as I am still knitting. I pulled out my Hemlock Ring from the basket as my niece wanted a blanket. So I thought I will finish off the Hemlock Ring which I cast on 1.5 years ago. I don't know why I kept it for so long as it just took me a week to finish it off .....

.... but the blocking nearly killed me. It was so difficult to stretch out the feather & fan portion & then to pin each & every one of the cast off loop. It took me 1.5 hours ! But it was worth the effort when I stood back & saw the beautiful blanket.

It's hugh as it measure 46" across the diameter & I just love it. I was so worried that I will run out of yarn but I had enough - 8 balls of Jo Sharp DK wool which has been discontinued & I still have 1 ball left.

I love this edging as it's so pretty & really finished off the blanket well. I am so in love with this blanket & can see myself knitting on the couch next winter with this gorgeous blanket on my lap. I don't think I can give it away ..... I have to knit another blanket for my niece

Handspun Socks

2010-11-04T08:11:00.003+08:00

I have never knitted with handspun yarn before, so when a dear friend, Molly, mentioned that she would like a pair of socks knitted in her handspun, I volunteered.

Molly is a great spinner & I am always so envious of her gorgeous handspun whenever she shows them around. I was so happy to be able to knit with her handspun.

As the yarn is quite variegated, I decided on a simple lace panel at the front of the socks. This also gives me the opportunity to use my latest acquisition, Vogue Lace Stitchionary . I fell in love with the Caterpillar lace panel & it was just right ......

I really enjoyed knitting with Molly's handspun as she did a fantastic job.The yarn was so evenly spinned & so easy to knit with. The colors are also gorgeous & it's was so great watching the colors emerged as I knitted.

The knitting went really fast as I was using 3mm dpns (first time in my sock knitting career as I have never such a "thick" dpn for socks).

I handed the socks to Molly last week & she is happy with them & they fitted her well.

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Stars

2010-10-22T07:34:00.003+08:00

I am not posting about the nursery rhyme (although it's one of my favorites) but my latest creation .....

.... a little round yoke cardigan knitted with 2 skeins of Tanis Fiber Arts cashmere/merino. I love the stitch pattern that I used in my Cathedral Shawl that I wanted to use it on a cardigan. This k3tog stitch produces a lovely effect & with all of them in a row, they resembled little stars.

The cardigan is knitted from the top down (of course) & the increases for the yoke are incorporated into the 12 row pattern. Once there is enough width for the sleeves, the sleeves are casted off. Then the body is joined to knit back & forth until the required length. Right & left bands of the cardigan are also knitted on at the same time.

This is a quick knit as I worked out all the calculations in the beginning & I could try it on as I go. I love this cardigan & it fitted perfectly. I would have liked it a little longer but as I have only 2 skeins, this is the maximum length that I can get to.

Anyway, now that I have all the calculations done, I can easily knit another one & maybe with long sleeves for next winter.

I love the color of this yarn, so deep & rich but not easy to photograph. I must have taken more than 50 photos & I still can't get it right.

.... I just love those little stars & can't get enough of them.

My 1st Handspun

2010-10-18T07:19:00.007+08:00

A couple of years ago, I tried spindle spinning but had to stop due to my allergy to the short fibers & many other stuff.

As I have been undergoing treatment by a naturopath for a year & feeling much better, I decided to give spinning another try. Last month I joined a group of spinners during World Wide Spinning Day & refreshed my spinning skills. I really enjoyed spinning but I can't do it for long as it will trigger off the allergy again. If I keep the spinning to about half an hour every day, then it's fine.

So I have been spinning & I did this ......

...... the natural color is wool & the colored is merino. As I was just trying it out, I only bought a few grams of each fiber. Anyway, I decided to ply them together & I had my 1st handspun .....

.... I was so proud of this little skein. It's only 30 gms & about 80 m & I am planning to knit a pair of cuffs for next winter.

I was so glad that I could spin that I bought 100 gms of merino .....

..... I love the color of this merino & I hope I can spin enough for a little shawl.

Enough of spinning & back to knitting - I have published another shawl pattern & it's up for sale on ravelry ......

... it's the Cathedral Shawl

The Results

2010-10-09T06:53:00.005+08:00

Perth's Royal Show came & went & my entries for the Creative Craft Section ....... won !

I just can't believe it when I heard that both my entries won 1st prizes .....

.... the Sanquhar Socks

.....the Cottage Garden Shawl

In fact, many of this year's entries reflected the recent styles of knitting. It was so great to see the display.

....this Featherweight Cardigan knitted by a friend, Helen won 1st prize in Adult Garments & she also won 1st prize in the Hats section .....

.... the Gloves Section

.... more winning shawls.

I was also invited to give a knitting demo at the show with the other winner, Helen. It was a good opportunity for us to promote the craft of knitting & we did created some interest .....

It Took Me 4 Months ....

2010-10-02T07:23:00.005+08:00

.... to knit this shawl. I cast on in June during our Annual Knitting Retreat as I was inspired by a fellow knitter who was knitting it. She finished the shawl at the retreat but I had to put mine aside as I wanted beads in place of the nupps. So I ordered my beads & when they arrived, I just put them aside.

For the past 4 months, I forgot all about this shawl until recently, I was doing some tidying up of my project bags & found it.

It took me 2 days to complete the rest of the shawl - a day to place the beads & finish the lace border & another day for the short row stocking stitch portion & it was done. I did not realise that this shawl was such a quick knit & it is a lovely pattern. I should have done this months ago & would have a lovely shawl to wear during winter. Now it would have to wait till next year but anyway, I am really happy with it.

The shawl is knitted with String Theory yarn (a blend of merino & cashmere) & it's a sock yarn instead of the lace yarn suggested in the pattern. Although the shawl does not look so lacy but I love the shape & the softness of the yarn. Mine turned out longer (70") but narrower (12").

I just love the silver beads that I used in place of the nupps. I am not a fan of nupps & usually don't knit shawls with nupps.

I have also finished the vest which is knitted from this pattern. I like the structure & shape but the pattern is knitted in thick yarn. I knitted mine in Fleece Artist BFL 2/28 which is a 3ply & therefore had to re-work all the numbers. It was a simple knit but it took me a while to work out the size & the shaping & there was a lot of frogging. But I did managed it & the vest fitted ......

On the whole, the vest looks alright but I am not totally happy with it as it does not have the drape at the bottom. I think it's the yarn which is not so soft but I love the color.

The drape that I wanted is at the sides of the vest & I wanted it to be more drapey. This is created by yos at both sides of the vest. Maybe I should have done more yos ?

One thing that I am really pleased with is the top of the vest which I knitted from the top down. I used this technique for a lovely tubular cast on. The yos on the raglan increases make a lovely design & I did a few rows of moss stitch for the neckline & the edge of the armholes.

Now that I have the right technique & numbers, I plan to knit another one in a thinner & softer yarn - maybe silk .......

The Royal Show

2010-09-17T07:42:00.005+08:00

It's the time of the year where we have the State's biggest event - The Royal Show. And this why I have not been posting as I had been busy knitting my entries for the show. I entered a shawl & a pair of socks last year for the 1st time & I won 2nd & 3rd prizes. In addition, this year the organisers have created a socks category for sock knitting addicts like me.

So, I decided to enter a pair of fair isle socks as I have never knitted one before. I started the Norwegian Rose Socks & for a week, I did nothing but knit & frog. I just can't get the tension right & the sock felt so tight & the stitches looked terrible. On top of all these, the 3 charts was driving me crazy as I kept messing it up. I GAVE UP !

But I really wanted to knit a fair isle socks, so pick up the needles again & worked on a simpler pattern, Sanquhar Socks. I had more luck this time as the charts were easier to follow & I managed to master knitting 2 colors on my right hand. There were still a couple of mistakes & I had to frog but it went more smoothly until I came to the corrugated ribbing. Luckily I found this video & it worked well.

Then I had problem with the cast off & this time, my good friend, Roseann came to my rescue & recommended the suspended bind off.

Within a week, I had 1 sock done & I was happy with it. It took me another 4 days to finish the 2nd sock & here they are .....

I think this whole process had been a great learning experience for me & I waiting until the Royal Show to learn a new technique like fair isle. I did not enjoy fair isle knitting & my hands hurt & I had to be very conscious of my tension. I am a very tight knitter & this does not help. Anyway, I had learnt my mistake & I should be more prepared the next time.

The yarn that I used are Opal (turquoise) & Louet Gem (brown). I followed the pattern except for the heel as I do not like the look of short row heels. So I substituted with a slip stitch heel & I had to reworked the gusset increases. But it does look better.......

I don't know if I will be knitting any more fair isle socks after this experience.

For my other entry, I knitted my Cottage Garden Shawl with Mini Maiden, a blend of wool & silk & it turned out great ......

I knitted in beads for the stocking stitch section of the shawl & they really added a great effect on the shawl .....

I have submitted both items to the show & I will be at the show on Sept 30 as I am doing a hand knitting demonstration there.

Now back to my normal knitting .....

A Girl Can Never Have Enough Bags

2010-08-17T07:27:00.002+08:00

That's right, I do have a weakness for bags - both handbags & knitting bags. So when I saw this bag on Donna's etsy store I just cannot resist buying it.

I am so glad that I did as the bag is gorgeous. The fabric is lovely & so well done. I love the round base & it's just the right bag for my new project which I have just cast on.

My big ball of yarn fits right in - it's Fleece Artist BFL 2/28 & it's a hugh skein of 1000 yds. I just cast on this cardigan as I want something that I can slip on when the weather becomes warmer. Actually it's not really a cardigan as I see it as a vest. Anyway, I am only using the pattern as a template as the original is knitted in bulky yarn & I am using a 3ply. I like the shape of the cardi & also the top down construction.

I have finished knitting my new shawl & the pattern is now being tested. Here's a little peek ......

Her Wish Is Fulfilled.....

2010-07-30T07:43:00.003+08:00

...... after 4 long months.

My younger daughter, Lydia has been asking for a knitted cardigan for a long time but I just can't seem to find the time for it. In April, I gave in & asked her to decide on the yarn & pattern. She chose Bendigo Luxury 8 ply & the pattern was the Heather Hoodie.

The yarn arrived & I cast on but I was not happy with the construction of the pattern. So I decided to put the pattern aside & worked on my own design - a top down cardigan with cables & a hood. The hood is compulsory as Lydia loves wearing hoods.

Took me a while & several frogging, to settle on a cable pattern as it had to flow nicely from the raglan shaping. The cable pattern that I used is the same pattern that I had for my socks, Triple Braids. I love these cables.

Everything was going well & then I had to put it down as I worked on the retreat projects, pick it up again after the retreat in June & then had to put it down when I worked on my Bendigo trip projects. When I came back from Bendigo, I had to finish the cardigan or winter will be over & Lydia will not have the opportunity to wear it.

So at long last, it's done .......

The cardigan fitted Lydia perfectly & she loves the hood ....

I am glad that I finished this cardigan & fulfilled Lydia's wish.

Melbourne & Bendigo

2010-07-21T07:34:00.006+08:00

We had been talking about this trip for the past 6 months & finally the day came. The 7 of us were so excited when we met at the airport at 5am for the flight to Melbourne.

We arrived in Melbourne around lunch time, checked into our hotel in the heart of the city & immediately went for a quick walk around the shop. We also went to Morris & Sons & knitted with the local knitting group ......

We woke up early next morning to take the 7am train to Bendigo. It was a lovely train ride as we sat & knitted ......

We were full of excitement when we reached the show grounds & started wandering around the sheds. I could not believe my eyes when I saw Bells walking in through the gates, then there was Random Knits & Knitabulous . I have been reading the blogs of these 3 lovely ladies & now I am seeing them all standing right in front of me !

We went through all the stalls & I was really good & did not go wild with my purchases. Unfortunately, during all the excitement, I forgot all about my camera & only took a couple of pictures ...

... the knitwear fashion show

...... and of course, the highlight of the show.

From the showground, we went to Bendigo Woollen Mills ....

... & I did not buy any yarn!

We had a lovely lunch in the town center & then took the train back to Melbourne. One of the ladies was anxious to start knitting with her newly acquired skein & we started winding ....

All of us had a great time at Bendigo & were pleased with all our purchases. These are mine .....

..... 2 skeins of lace weight cashmere & 1 skein of bamboo/bunny silk

...... 1 skein of lace weight silk & 1 skein of bamboo/merino

...... 3 different styles of shawl pins

..... a nostepinne which I have seen on the internet & have been curious about it's function. Now I have to learn how to use it.

..... and lastly, not knitting related - a magic wand for my daughter.

We did a lot of walking & shopping in Melbourne for the next 2 days & we went to another yarn shop - Clegs & they were having a 20% sale. No one can resist a sale, so we bought more yarn & I walked away with these .....

.... 1 ball of bamboo sock yarn & 2 balls of merino/alpaca/possum sock yarn.

I came home, tired but very satisfied with the trip & all my purchases & of course, a must have souvenir from Melbourne .....

Bendigo, Here I Come

2010-07-14T13:24:00.005+08:00

1 more sleep & tomorrow afternoon, I will be in Melbourne with 6 other ladies from my knitting group. I hope I can get to sleep tonight.

As it will be colder in Melbourne & Bendigo, I decided to knit a jumper & this pattern has been on my list for a long time & now I have a reason to knit it. Plus I also have the yarn in my stash which will be great for this jumper. My only problem was that I have only 10 days to my departure. Well, I just have to give it a try & hope I will finish it in time.

I did it in 8 days ! Here's my Blue Owls ......

..... I am so please with it. I was afraid that it will not fit as the yarn is only 10 ply & my gauge was way off the recommended gauge. I had to re-work all the numbers & measurements too & only use the pattern as a guide. I was also worried about the shaping on the back as this is the 1st time I have done such a shaping. I usually shape my garments on the sides. But again, it worked & it looks great .....

...... and makes me look more shapely.

I use Cascade Heather which I bought at a sale a couple of years ago. I just wanted to try the yarn but have not use it as it was too thick for Perth's weather. It's the perfect yarn for this jumper & it's my favorite color.

I love the owls on the yokes & I use beads for the eyes. The beads are knitted in as I go, so I don't have to sew them in later. I have 25 owls across the yokes .....

Then I decided that I need mittens to keep my fingers warm, so I made these ....

It's a great easy pattern & so quick (as I don't have much time left) - don't need any increases for the thumb, just knit a tube with a hole for the thumb. I love the diagonal rib pattern as it produces a lovely textured look .....

I think I am all ready for Melbourne & Bendigo !

Cottage Garden Shawl

2010-07-13T08:37:00.004+08:00

A couple of months ago, I designed this shawl for a friend & then some knitters requested that I write the pattern. I have never written a shawl pattern before although I did wrote a pattern for my Berry Triangle but there were no charts involved.

So I tried & it took me a while to get things right but I managed to write up the pattern & it's now for sale in ravelry. It's a good triangle shawl for a beginner and the pattern allows the flexiblity of increasing or decreasing the size of the shawl.

This is my 2nd test knit from the original & I have made it smaller & eliminated the leaves portion of the lace. To break the monotony of knitting stocking stitch, I did a k2tog, yo every few rows.

There are also a few more versions from my test knitters & they are all gorgeous. Thank you Gosia & Lisa for your efforts.

I also did a 2nd test knit for my Berry Triangle with a different yarn & it looks just as good.....

I am currently working on another shawl design & here's a peek at it.....

I am now working out the details with the 2nd shawl, then write out the pattern & have it test knitted, so this will take a while .....

Knitting Retreat - Part 2

2010-06-15T07:58:00.005+08:00

I thought I have to do another post on the retreat as some of you were curious about the SOUP episode & some of you were asking about the cardigan, so here we go .....

The SOUP - it was teriible ! We paid $15 for lunch & we were told that we will be served a bowl of thick chunky vegetable soup with a roll - all we had was a little bowl of water with a few shreds of vegetables. We were felt so cheated since it was our first visit to the restaurant & I know we will not go back again next year.

The cardigan - it's a top down cardigan which I designed for the retreat. It is a simple project to learn top down knitting. The cardigan was knitted with 3 skeins of Handmaiden Casbah & 3.75mm needles. Although the yarn is 4ply, the cardigan is really warm. I added cables on the fronts, back & sleeves for some interesting knitting. I have written notes on the construction of this cardigan and if any of you are interested in knitting it, please let me know in your comment. Please remember to include your email address in the comment as I cannot reply to the comment. There are a couple of people who left me comments asking for my sock pattern but I cannot send the pattern as they have not included their email address.

I also design a shawl to showcase the new yarn that we were launching at the retreat ....

.... the new yarn is Handmaiden Camelspin, a luxurious silk & camel blend. As the skein is only 300m, I decided on a simple shawl which will only require 1 skein. The shawl is knitted from point to point with a berry stitch border that is knitted on at the same time. I love the shawl as it's so soft & the sheen of the yarn is gorgeous ...

This Berry Triangle is now on sale in ravelry !

Some of you may have noticed a picture of a pair of socks among all the yarn in the retreat - it's also another one of my designs. I have not named the socks or written the pattern as I was testing the new yarn, String Theory Caper Socks. The yarn is lovely to knit and is similar to Casbah but much softer & I love the almost solid colors.

I will have to write up the pattern soon ....

I Am Back .....

2010-06-11T07:42:00.008+08:00

..... and so much had happened over the last few weeks. Helen & I have been busy organising Knitting Inspirations 3rd Annual Retreat over the long weekend. This year, 29 of us spent 3 nights at the beautiful Avalon Homestead !

The retreat started on Friday afternoon & everyone was greeted with one of these goodie bags .......

...... which came in handy when the Yarn Market was opened with lots of gorgeous yarn ......

...... accessories, needles and for the 1st time hand sewn projects bags made by one of our ladies .....

We started the retreat with a knit along of the top down Eccentric Cables Cardigan which I designed for the retreat.

On Saturday, we had 3 workshops lined up - Peter gave us an interesting & informative talk on Jumper Building Blocks where we learnt how to customise jumpers to different yarns & styles .......

Then we had Molly who gave us hands-on experience with knitting lace with beads & nupps - we were able to practise on a beaded bookmark that Molly designed & it was great fun .....

The 3rd workshop was conducted by Helen who demonstrated finishing techniques like seaming, short row shaping, button holes, etc & Helen also helped seamed a couple of projects ......

The day ended with a PJ night where we wore our PJs to dinner & it was great that we need not dress up for dinner ....

Sunday was a relaxing day & we just sat around & knit & spin ....

In the afternoon, we took a short walk up the hill to Pecan Hill for lunch where we had the "World Most Talked About SOUP" - I am sure we will be talking about this SOUP at the next retreat but we will not be having any more of that SOUP !

The retreat went very well & we had lots of fun & of course lots of knitting & spinning & many projects were finished over the weekend. I am amazed at all the beautiful projects that the group has produced & in all my excitement, I forgot to take photos !

I am still recuperating from all the excitement during the weekend which was made possible by this incredible group ......

Triple Braids

2010-05-16T06:25:00.003+08:00

When I first read about the Socks Revive contest, I was motivated to work on another sock design (although I have just completed the Autumn socks for Knitting Inspirations). For this design, I wanted cables but not a complicated stitch pattern so that it can be easily memorised. After swatching many cable stitches, I came up with a simplified triple cables stitch which looks like braids.

“Three columns of triple cables running up the feet and you can choose to mirror the cables on the other sock ….. an easy pattern to remember and a pleasure to knit.”

I am quite happy with the results & really enjoyed knitting the socks. I also chose to use one of my favorite yarn, Handmaiden Casbah in Rose. It's really the perfect match.

I have just submitted my entry & the pattern is now available in ravelry for free until the end of the month.

Happy knitting !

My New Model

2010-05-12T08:30:00.003+08:00

Sorry for my absence as I have been busy with several projects (which I will have to post later) but here's a short post of my latest model ....

Now I can take pictures of my socks any time, any where & in whatever pose. Lydia was my previous model & I always had to wait for her to have some free time to model for me. Now I don't have to wait as my new model can do it & I can manipulate the poses. This is great! I bought these online from this store.

These are my latest design for Knitting Inspirations Sock Club. It's the last one (Autumn) in the Seasonal series for the Club. This design will be available for sale at the end of the month.

Rosamund's Cardigan

2010-04-21T07:57:00.003+08:00

No, it's not for Rosamund, it's for me. It's the name of this pattern from IK which I started last year & had been sitting in my basket for the past few months & all it needed was the 2nd sleeve. I had to stop knitting when the weather was really hot & a big lump of 8ply sitting on my lap was not bearable. Now that the weather is cooling down, I decided to pick it up & finish it. I did ......

..... it sort of fitted me but I wish I had made it looser as you can see the top is quite tight & there's no way the cardigan will meet at the bottom (please ignore the crappy shorts that I was wearing as I was too lazy to change). I think it's also the design as I checked all the projects on ravelry & they have the same feature, ie not meeting at the bottom.

I think it looks better when it's not buttoned up. But I love the yarn that I used - it's Bendigo Luxury 8ply (Ghost) & it feels so soft & warm. It's also gorgeous to knit with & I think this is the best color.

I did made some modifications to the pattern by adding long sleeves & finishing off the sleeves & the bottom of the cardigan with the same cable pattern as the collar. I also use a new technique with this cardigan - tubular cast on for the collar & tubular cast off for the sleeves & the end of the cardigan. I am glad that I use this technique as it really creates a lovely edge .....

..... but I don't think I will want to use the same technique again for the bottom of the cardigan. This was supposed to be a 1 piece project with no seams but I ended up having to graft 208 stitches which was a torture as it took me more than an hour ! But I will do the tubular cast on any time as it does produce a really neat & lovely edge .....

Well, I did enjoy knitting this cardigan although it's not a perfect fit. But if I have to knit it again, I will want it to be symmetrical (equal fronts) & it will be 1 size bigger !

My 1st Mittens

2010-04-16T09:35:00.005+08:00

I have knitted fingerless mittens before but not proper mittens. So I was a little hesitant when Lynette asked for mittens. She has a pair of fingerless mittens but now she wants one to cover all her fingers & she was them in her favorite Harry Potter Slytherin colors.

So this means that I not only have to knit mittens but have to knit them in stripes - both techniques that I have not tried. I did not agree to it & spend a couple of weeks thinking about them & of course, searching through Ravelry for ideas. At last, I decided to take the plunge & using this pattern as a template, I cast on & did it !

The mittens turned out great but I had to rip it out twice - once as I did not do a good job of joining the 2 colors & the joins were a little lumpy & another time as the sizing was not right. I had to make some modifications to the pattern to get the sizing correct.

They fitted her perfectly & she loves the colors. Lynette found the yarn from my stash, in fact they are leftovers. The silver is Bendigo Luxury 8 ply (Ghost) & the green is Fleece Artist Trail Socks (I used 2 strands together). I knitted the mittens with 4.5 mm dpns.

Actually these mittens are quite easy to knit & also knits up really fast. The pattern is great as a guide but you will have to make adjustments for a better fit. Knitting in stripes in the round is a first time for me but I am glad I gave it a try. The join where the colors changes look great & it not really difficult to achieve that.

Now that I have overcame this, maybe I should try mittens with fingers or fair isle mittens ?????

Linen - it drove me crazy !

2010-04-08T07:27:00.004+08:00

A few months ago, I bought a skein of linen/silk from a local dyer as I fell in love with the color - denim, which is one of may favorite colors. The yarn felt so soft & as there was only 600+ yards in the skein, I knew that I had to knit a vest.

Unfortunately, I can't find a nice vest pattern & decided to design my own. I knew that a lace pattern will be nice & started swatching. This was the beginning of a nightmare ! I have never knitted with linen & never realised the flexibility of this fibre - everything I measure the gauge, the size varies. I tried & I tried & I even cast on & knitted from the bottom up, in the round. I had to rip it off after a few inches as it stretches a lot. Again, I re-cast on with less stitches & again it stretches. I gave up as it was driving me crazy !

But I kept going back to the ball of yarn & refuse to admit defeat & try again. This time it looks better as I have reduced the number of stitches drastically. I have never knitted any garment for myself with so little stitches. During the whole process, it was still a nightmare trying to measure the vest to my size but I just kept knitting ......

I managed to finish & this is my Denim Linen Vest ..... I am not 100% happy with the size & feels that it is a little short but I swear I measured it & the length was alright. I fits the body well, in fact it's quite loose.

I love the stitch pattern which I found from in a book by Louisa Harding. It's a eyelet & lace pattern & easy to remember.

I still love the color & the feel of the yarn & it's so comfortable to wear.

I also learn a new cast off technique - a picot edge cast off. It's really pretty & I think it complements the stitch pattern.

Overall, the vest did turned out well & it does fit me. But I don't think I will be knitting with linen again!

Knitting Inspirations

2010-03-18T08:43:00.004+08:00

Helen & I are the founders of Knitting Inspirations & for the past 5 years, we have been promoting knitting in Perth with all the various groups in the libraries & in the city. The groups have grown rapidly in the last couple of years & there are also many other groups that have sprung up in various suburbs.

To facilitate the groups, Helen & I have been bringing in hand dyed yarn & accessories from overseas. We mainly sell the yarn to our members in the groups & now decided to extend our services to other knitters in Australia. Helen had worked very hard in the last few months in designing & creating an online store & now it's up & running. Helen did a great job with the store & it looks great. Take a look & also visit Helen's blog as she did a fantastic write up of the products we have in store.

We are so pleased that knitting has grown in popularity here in Perth & knitters are able to meet & share their passion. We hope we can continue to inspire more people to take up this wonderful craft of knitting !

Happy Knitting

Sea Socks

2010-03-17T07:47:00.005+08:00

This is the 3rd of my designs for Knitting Inspirations Seasonal Sock Club - "a design that reflects summer and the days spent outdoors, especially by the sea ..... sitting by the beach and watching the waves. "

These socks are knitted with Fleece Artist Sea Wool (70% wool & 30% seacell), a nice yarn for socks as I think it will wear well. The colorway is Blue Lagoon & it's gorgeous.

That's my model (Lydia) posing with the teddy bear that she had made in school. She loves the bear & insisted that he must be in the picture.

I have been enjoying creating all these designs but it takes quite a lot of time - looking at stitch patterns, swatching the various patterns, charting them, more swatching, writing out the pattern - before finalising on a design. As the club is seasonal, I try to match the stitch pattern with the season & the color of the yarn. By this stage, I would have knitted 1 sock to confirm the stitch pattern. Then I would use the yarn for the club to knit the actual pair of socks & at the same time test the pattern.

I have just completed the 4th design for Autumn & now I have officially been diagnosed with SSS (Single Sock Syndrome). For my collection of 4 designs, I had knitted 4 pairs of socks & 4 single socks - a total of 12 socks. Now I have to finish off the partner for each design & I will have 8 pairs ! That will be quite a collection.

Unfortunately, my single socks will have to stay single for a while as I am back to designing - I have just entered this competition so I am back to the drawing board.

For my blog readers who want to knit the Sea Socks, just leave a comment with your email address & I will send you a free copy !

Argus Shawl

2010-03-12T09:03:00.003+08:00

I love this pattern. Wendy did a fabulous job in writing the pattern as it's so well written. The pattern is easy & flexible as you can increase or decrease any of the sections to make the shawl to your desired size. This shawl was knitted in a week in between other projects. The only part that slows me down is adding the beads.

The shawl is knitted in Socks That Rock Silkie (Jasper colorway) - this is one of my favorite yarn & it really knits up so beautifully.

I love the shawl & the color but it's not for me ..... will be gone next week as it's my aunt's birthday & this is her favorite color. Hope she likes it !

Not So Petite Felted Bag

2010-02-25T06:27:00.004+08:00

Last month was Helen's birthday & I decided to knit her a felted bag as she is always admiring the bags that I made. I know that Helen likes big bags & all my bags are petite like me.

So I went through my stash & found the perfect yarn - 5 skeins of Debbie Bliss Maya - a handspun 100% wool in aran weight & in Helen's favorite color, a touch of purple. Using my favorite design, A Petite Felted Bag, I cast on. After 10 minutes, I started sneezing but I just carried on knitting. This went on for almost an hour & then I realised that the wool is causing my sneezing. This had happened before when I started spindle spinning. I have rhinitis & my nose is sensitive to the little fibres coming loose as I was knitting. But I had to continue knitting as I know Helen will love this bag.

So for the next 3 days, I knitted on & my sneezing stopped as I found a solution. I wore a mask ! I used all the 5 skeins of wool & the bag was hugh ......

... the length of the bag was a metre long !

..... it looked great after felting & Helen loves it and it was worth all the sneezing!

By the way, did any of you notice my new look. As I mentioned in my last post, I was a little tired of blogging & so decided to give myself a new look & hopefully provide the incentive to blog more regularly. This is a free design from this site & it was so easy downloading the new template. The only problem was deciding which template. For the moment, the side bar is looking a little bare as I am still working on downloading more gadgets - so this blog is a WIP !

Another Featherweight ....

2010-02-08T07:35:00.005+08:00

.... Cardigan ! Remember the 1st one that I knitted last year ? I just love wearing it so much that I knitted another.

It is such a great pattern - top down & all knitted in one piece & allows for some creativity especially for the bands.

I used a feather & fan stitch pattern for my 1st FW & now a chevron stitch pattern. This cardigan is knitted with a shorter length & shorter sleeves too for a more casual look. I just love how it turned out.....

Once again, I used Zen Yarn Garden Serenity Lace, a merino/cashmere blend which is so soft & nice to knit with. I use only 3/4 of a 1200 yds skein. Knitting lace weight on 3.5 mm needles can be tedious but I just love the feel of the yarn & the relaxing rhythm of stocking stitch.

This pattern is a good template for creating endless versions of a cardigan & I am sure I will be knitting another one !

I Love Lace, I Love Shawls

2010-02-04T08:00:00.007+08:00

Yes, I am so much in love that I knitted 3 in the last 2 months ! They are great projects as lace knitting is interesting but not too much lace that will complicate matters. Plus shawls are great as gifts, so I gave 2 of them away.

This is the 1st shawl that I designed & it's a simple flower & leave design from Evelyn Clark's book, Knitting Lace Triangles. I designed this shawl for a special friend, Danuta who had given me so much help, advice & inspiration in starting my own vegetable garden.

This Cottage Garden Shawl is knitted in Zen Yarn Garden Bamboo yarn & I added beads on the border. The shawl turned out so well & Danuta loved it !

The 2nd shawl is also given away to a dear friend that I worked with in the school canteen for her birthday. It's the Travelling Woman knitted in Dream In Color Smooshy ......

This is another great pattern which knitted up very fast. I started this shawl when I was on holiday in Melbourne & finished it in 3 days but could not cast off as I did not have a bigger needle. So I had to wait till I came home to do the cast off.

I did an extra repeat of the pattern & also added a couple more rows to the border. The size turned out a little bigger & I love the curved shape of the shawl. I may have to knit another one for myself.

The 3rd shawl is the Haruni which is one of the popular patterns in ravelry & it's gorgeous ....

I love the border as it's really unusual but the knitting was tough as at one point, I had more than 500 sts on the needle ! It took a long while to get through 1 row but I enjoyed every minute of it. I will knit another one if someone wants one ( a good excuse for me to cast on). The yarn I used is so soft & silky & knitting it was heaven - it's the Mini Maiden in Topaz color. I love this yarn as the shawl looks drapey with a little sheen on it.

The crochet cast off is a new technique for me & it was fun doing it but not when I was blocking. I had to pin out all the little loops & that took a while. Anyway, all the efforts were worth it as the shawl looks great. This one I am keeping for myself.

I have also a couple of projects which I finished recently but I am suffering from blogging burnout. I am sure some of you may have noticed that my last post was more than 1 month ago & it took me a while to gather the energy to do this posting. I can't explain why as it's just the mood. Every morning when I sit in front of the computer, I prefer to just browse through ravelry & then read a few of my favorite blogs. Then that's it!

So, I think posting on my blog will be more irregular from now but I will try to update my projects page on ravelry. I will keep in touch !

Shop Till You Drop In Melbourne

2010-01-09T09:46:00.007+08:00

That's what I did during the 1st week of my holiday in Melbourne & had to buy a new suitcase for all my purchases and also many of the books that my daughter bought at the sales in Border. I think the problem started when we checked into our serviced apartment. I can't believe my eyes when I looked left, there was Myers & then right across the street (3 steps away) is David Jones & GPO & on the right is Chinatown. To top it off, it was 5 days before Christmas & the shops were all opened from 6am to midnight. So all I did was eat, shop, eat, shop, eat, shop ......

Of course, there was shopping for yarn as Morris & Sons was 10 mins walk away & they were also having a 20% sale. But I was very restrained & only walked away with these .......

These 7 balls of 4 ply merino are gorgeous & soft & I know they will be perfect for a cardigan.

I have been wanting one of these for a while & when I saw it in the shop, I had to buy it ......

I used it immediately when I went back to the apartment & starting knitting on my shawl. It is great & now my chart is not all over the place & I can keep track of my knitting with the magnetic ruler.

After all the shopping & eating, I was ready for my BIG TRIP ! We took the train from Melbourne to Bendigo & it was a nice ride. We arrived in Bendigo by 10 am & took a 10 mins walk to town & another 20 mins to find the Tourist Information Center. By then, we were all hot & sweaty as it was a hot day. I got all the information that I needed from the Center & then we started walking for another 15 mins & we arrived at Bendigo Woollen Mills ......

OMG, this can't be happening! I had just spend almost 3 hours & my husband & daughter are all hot & tired & I can't get into THE PLACE that I have been dreaming of for the past few months & all the yarn that I could get my hands on ....... I wanted to climb over the fence ..... I guess it's all my fault - I checked the website for opening hours & did not think of calling them to find out if they are open. This was my biggest disappointment & we had to walk back to town in the hot sun looking for a place to cool down & have lunch. I could not eat ! I just wanted to get out of Bendigo & go back to Melbourne for more shopping therapy. We caught the next train back to Melbourne & I managed to calm down with some knitting ......

The only good thing that came out of this trip is that I got the information that I needed for the Bendigo Wool Show in July which I am planning on attending & Bendigo Woollen Mills better be open !

On Boxing Day, we left Melbourne for Canberra & our 1st stop was this lovely seaside resort, Lakes Entrance. I think my husband had planned this trip very well as he knew that he had to get me away from the Boxing Day Sales as the shops were opened at 5am ! Anyway, I really enjoyed the peace & quiet of this resort & the seafood was so.... delicious .....

I managed to knit quite a bit on my 2nd Featherweight Cardigan during the drive ......

Canberra is so different from Melbourne as it's less busy & the streets are so wide & clean & everything seems so orderly. We did most of the tourist staff - Parliament House, Black Mountain Tower, Botanic Gardens, Chinatown & Central Shopping Mall. I love Canberra & I don't mind living there & it's close to Melbourne & Sydney - maybe one day.

We drove back to Melbourne & by then I was quite tired & ready to go home. We visited our favorite chocolate place for our last dessert before leaving Melbourne .....

I had a good holiday & will love to go back to Melbourne again ..... hopefully in July !

Little Projects - Quick & Easy

2009-12-12T12:00:00.006+08:00

Another month had just whizzed by & it's almost Christmas. So much had happened during the last month - final high school exams, graduation ceremony, concerts, presentation, year end functions - I am just exhausted & can't wait for the school year to end - another week to go!

But I have been knitting little projects ...... I saw this pattern on ravelry & knew I had to make one & I did over a weekend.....

..... with my Jo Sharp cotton leftovers. It is a great crochet pattern for a beginner like me as I just go round & round. I love this bag & have been carrying my projects in it. I want to make another one so that I can use it for shopping too.
This bag gave me the inspiration to come up with these ......

..... mini bags for scraps of soap. I use natural soap for washing my hands & dishcloths & towards the end, I always end up with little pieces of soap. Now I put these little pieces of soap into one of these bags & when I wet the bag, I have an instant scrubber for the stove & kitchen top .......... it's great & I love my creation.

I have also knitted these dishcloths as Christmas presents for the ladies that I work with in the school canteen. They are Grandmother's Favorite dishcloths ......

Now that I can crochet, I finished off the dishcloth with a crochet edge & also added a little loop for hanging the dishcloths ......

..... this really finished off the dishcloth so nicely. All I need is to add a piece of natural soap with each dishcloth & they are ready. I am really glad that I learn crochet as it's such a handy add-on to knitting.

All these little projects are so great to work on especially with the little time that I had in between all those events.

In the meantime if any of you are looking for a nice sock pattern, check out my latest sock pattern release on ravelry - Fields of Clover !

I may not be posting again until next year as I am off to Melbourne for a 2-week holiday with some of my projects that I will be casting on ..... Travelling Woman, Rose Buds Socks, another Featherweight Cardigan and maybe Sabbatical .....

Have a Merry Christmas & all my warmest wishes for another Knitty 2010 !

It has been more than a month .....

2009-11-10T08:48:00.004+08:00

.... since my last post. There's no excuse for not posting .... just plain laziness ! In the morning, I usually check my emails, read the news, browse through ravelry & other fav blogs - this takes up more than 1 hour & by then, I will be too tired to do anything else.

I would rather spend the time knitting & I have been knitting lots - a couple of secret projects & a couple of Christmas presents. They are all done but I can post any pictures. But I do have a project that I can post .....

Lydia (my musician daughter) is going on a Europe Music Tour in April 2011 & it will cost us $9000 for the 18 days tour. So the Music Support Group is organising a major fund raiser event, Auction of Promises . So I made a promise , picture of shawl is just a sample, this is the actual shawl ......

..... Swallowtail .... this is my 2nd as I knitted the 1st Swallowtail 2 years ago & had a terrible time with the nupps. So this time, I had replaced the nupps with beads & it has came out so gorgeous but I wish I had use bigger beads.

The shawl is knitted in Mini Maiden & I don't the know the color as this skein has been sitting in my stash for the past 2 years. I love the colors & the yarn is so lovely although the silk does not really block very well.

I feel so sad to give this away but a promise is a promise .......

Perth Royal Show

2009-10-09T07:49:00.004+08:00

"The Smoke Free Perth Royal Show is Perth's biggest community event attracting 400,000 visitors from the city and the country every year. With a rich history spanning 170 years, the Show is an iconic social and cultural event which showcases WA agriculture, small business and entertainment."

This annual show just ended last weekend & in my last 8 years living in Perth, I had only been twice. But this year is an exception as I had to go to the Show & check out the Creative Crafts section. I had entered 2 of my hand knitted items in the show.

To my great surprise, both items won prizes. The Alpine Shawl which I knitted for Helen won 2nd prize in the Lace Section......

.... next to my shawl is the 3rd prize winner which is the Swallowtail Shawl (sorry for the poor picture because of the light in the showcase).

.... the white round lace is the 1st prize winner which is knitted by a senior (over 70). The piece is knitted in such a fine yarn & the work is so intricate. This peice definitely deserves the prize.

My other item is a pair of socks which I entered in the Original Design section. I created this design sometime ago & had made many changes to the design. This is the only design that I have not written the pattern but anyway, here they are .....

.... the socks won 3rd prize & the sweater next to my sock won the 1st prize. In my excitement, I forgot to look out for the 2nd prize.

I am so happy with the results as this is the 1st time that I have entered a competition. I went a couple of days ago, to collect the items & the certificates .........

While I was there, I met the Chief Steward & volunteered to demonstrate sock knitting at the show next year. She even confirmed that they have decided to have a category just for SOCKS ! I have to start thinking of designs for my entries next year .....

Gretel Is Done !

2009-10-05T09:04:00.005+08:00

In my last post, I mentioned the problem that I had with the Slanting Gretel Tee. I finally decided to follow the pattern & knit the sleeves as instructed. I am glad that I did as I am happy with the finished product ......

It looks great (Lydia is the model) & fits perfectly. I love the color & the feel of the yarn - it's Handmaiden Casbah (Salt Spray) which is gorgeous to knit with & I use only 2 skeins !

I am also glad that I followed the instructions for the cap sleeves which turned out perfect. As the sleeves were not knitted in the round, there is less bulk on the underarm & feels so much more comfortable .......

This pattern is really well written & clever as the shaping is done at the back. The only change I made is to have the same cables on both the front & the back of the raglan yoke which I think looks more balanced .....

I am so glad that I picked this project up again & finished it. It just perfect for the spring weather & I have already worn it a couple of times.

I have also cast off another project which is a Christmas present for Lydia's piano teacher. This is the only knitted Christmas gift for this year as I don't have much time from now to Christmas for more knitting (as I am working on a couple of secret projects).

This is the 2nd Ishbel that I have knitted & I still love the pattern - it's a quick & easy lace shawl ......

.... all done in less than a week. This Ishbel is knitted in Zen Yarn Garden Sea Wool in a Passion Pink colorway. The yarn is from stash & one of the many skeins that I had when I was in the Sock Club.

This time, I did something different - I added beads on the edging & it looked great .....

The beads do add a nice touch to the shawl but it slowed down the knitting - pick up the crochet hook, pick up the bead with the hook, pull the stitch thro' the bead, put the stitch back on the needle & then knit the stitch! I don't think I can go on doing this for a long time & I am glad that the edging is only 8 rows & I had beads on 3 rows!

I do love this shawl ......

I Am Still A Knitter But .....

2009-09-28T10:38:00.003+08:00

...... I also crochet ! Yes, I have just learnt crochet. I tried learning many years ago but was not so successful. But recently, I was tempted again when I saw all the lovely projects that my friend, Lisa is making.

Lisa is so creative & all her crochet projects are gorgeous. Every time she shows me one of her crochet project, I feel so inspired & so with Lisa's encouragement, I pick up the hook. Lisa is a great teacher & she makes crochet so easy.

With Lisa's help, I started with the Winkle Bag & it turned out so well. I really enjoy crocheting the bag & it was fun ......

I used 2 balls of Patons Regal 4ply cotton from my stash. I am using this bag for my crochet project. I just love the look of the stitch & the base with it's pretty edging .....

I never knew that a simple crochet stitch can make such a great looking bag & it's all done in the round. I am so inspired that I also crochet this .....

... this scarf was done in a day with leftover sock yarn. I am so proud of myself as I read the instructions on my own (but I think I made a few mistakes) without Lisa's help. Isn't it lovely on my grape vine against the jasmine flowers in bloom .......

I love the pattern ! It's so easy & looks so pretty - like flowers in a row ......

Thank you Lisa for the inspiration & all the guidance!

Damson & Gretel

2009-09-25T08:05:00.004+08:00

I am not referring to the fairy tale but to two of my projects. Damson is off the needles .....

This had been a fast knit & I would have finished it earlier if I did not frogged twice. As Damson is not a triangular shawl, there are 6 points of increases. It took me a while to get use to the pattern. Anyway, I did enjoyed all the garter stitch knitting & the plain lace pattern.

It's knitted with Swiss Mountain Sea Sock, a mix of 51% silk, 29% merino & 20% seacell. This is my 1st time knitting with this yarn & I love it. It's so soft & silky & I think it's the perfect yarn for this shawl. Look at the drape ......

If anyone of you is thinking of knitting Damson, just be warned ..... I ran out of yarn after the last row & only had 50cm of yarn left & I had to cast off more than 500 stitches! The pattern asked for 440 yds/402m & I had 400m. Even if I had the extra 2m, I would still run out of yarn. Thank goodness, I found some leftover merino in almost the same color & just cast off ......

..... can you tell the difference?

The other project that I should have finished weeks ago ......

...... but it's still on the needles. This is Slanting Gretel Tee which I started off quite well until I came to the armholes. It's quite an unusual construction where I had to do a provisional cast-on on waste yarn to hold the stitches for the sleeves & then cast them off later. So the sleeve is just a cap. I was not so sure if I would like the sleeve & was thinking of just knitting a sleeve separately & then attaching it when I start knitting the yoke. I just could not decide & so put it aside for a while.

Yesterday, I decided to pick it up & just carry on knitting & follow the instructions. I hope I am doing the right thing .....

Rose Buds

2009-09-04T07:50:00.003+08:00

“ The center panel of double moss stitch reminds me of little rose buds on bushes of slipped stitch twists on the sides – a lovely combination ! "

This is my 1st design for Knitting Inspirations Sock Club released in Winter. These toe-up socks are knitted in Handmaiden Casbah (Wine colorway), one of my favorite yarn.

This design is now released for sale in ravelry .

I Am Back ......

2009-09-02T08:15:00.005+08:00

..... & I can't believe that it's been a month since my last post. Where did the days went? I have been so busy with the girls' activities - piano exams, rehearsals, performances, meetings ..... & I have to do all the driving as my husband was away on a business trip. I was exhausted at the end of each day & all I wanted to do was just sit down with my knitting....

And I also managed to get quite a bit of knitting done as I sat & waited during all those events. 1st FO ....

A 2nd Milkweed Shawl for myself. I love this pattern as it's all garter stitch & not too much lace. It's a great project to take everywhere. Of course, I knitted the shawl in Casbah again & I love the colors (Stardust) - grey & blue! I managed to use the whole ball & knitted 4 extra rows of the edging. The shawl is 120cm x 60cm after blocking.

The 2nd FO is the Featherweight Cardigan which I cast on sometime in June & had neglected it for a while. I picked it up again also for the simple knitting (all stocking stitch) & as a go everywhere project. I also love this pattern & the yarn is gorgeous to knit with - a 2ply merino/tussah silk blend from Zen Yarn Gardens in a red wine color (Vino) .......

This cardigan has turned out great! I used a feather & fan stitch pattern for the front bands & the sleeves as I thought the plain rib bands will be boring. I am so glad that I did it as the f & f pattern had added the extra touch to the cardigan. I also added length to the body & knitted 3/4 sleeves.

This is the 1st time that I knitted a garment in lace yarn & I can't believe the weight & feel of it - it's so light & soft. It's like wearing feathers, no wonder the name of the design - Featherweight!I love this cardigan! Knitting lace yarn on 3.75mm needles with 200 - 300 stitches can be tedious but I will be more than willing to do it again as the result is fabulous. Even Lynette is asking for one as she tried it on & love the feel of it. Now I am starting my search for more lace yarn with about 1200 m in a skein!

I have also finished 2 pairs of socks (a test pair & then the actual pair) for the Spring Sock Club for Knitting Inspirations. Here's a peek at the socks .....

This is my 2nd design for the Sock Club & all the patterns will be make available soon. I am now back to the drawing block for the next design for Summer ......