Not another Mystery KAL!

As I seem to be spending my time today doing anything but important things that do need doing, I might as well add in a blog entry, for good measure.

My wasting time project is the HWSG Mystery Knit A-Long that has been divulged over the last four Treadles newsletters. You can catch up with others that are also participating, at Ravelry on the Guild's Forum.

I'm not usually very good at the KAL's as I either run out of time or enthusiasm, but I've decided to do this one with the dual purpose of supporting this lovely effort and making a blanket for my oldest son.

So far I've completed the first three along with two filler squares. I'm using blue for the pattern squares and brown for the fillers, all from stash. Yet another attempt to stash bust!

So, today I finished the second brown square for last month and have now started this month's square. Called 'Sea of Cables' it gives me a good chance to practice cabling without a cable needle. It is possible. Here's a video to show you how. Isn't it wonderful what you can learn on the net, though I did learn how to the old-fashioned way, in a class. 

Catching a train tomorrow, so more knitting!

Another jumper finally completed!

Remember way back when....when I knit a jumper for my oldest son, Michael, I blogged about it as I was so pleased to be able to make something for my family. It doesn't happen very often and I'm so happy when it does.

Remember the jumper:

It was way back in 2011. He requested a new one, same shape, but could he have three coloured stripes down the back and twisted at the front! This is why you sample!

I first thought of cables, but that proved very complicated and would bunch up the fabric in a way I didn't want. It was all about the colour. That proved difficult and I ended up using colours from the range. It's a wool/angora mix and I've lost the labels!

Here it is:

I was meant to finish it before we went to Hawaii, but I set the sleeves and they turned out a little puffy at the top...not quite what a young man wants! So when I got back, pulled out the sewing and reset them. Happily.

The Front:

The Back:

Now, it seems, my husband wants a new jumper.....will take a little while before I tackle that, might have to wait for next Winter!

PS Can't tell if he's grown up much?

Who is Cornelia Mee?

Dear Cornelia,

I know it is a bit weird writing to you, after all your book was published in MDCCCXLVI (1846 by my reckoning) but I just had to let you know how much I'm enjoying 'Exercises in Knitting'. I downloaded it onto my kindle from Project Gutenburg and when I'm feeling like a bit on inspiration, I just take a little look.

I am intrigued by who you are....you're not on Wikipedia!, but you are on Ravelry. Despite some intriguing references, I can't find out any more. There are other books, it says so on the front plate. Titles like 'A Manual of Knitting' and 'Crochet Explained' are just a couple of the intriguing titles. Have they been completely lost? Who knows?

Actually, found a wonderful resource from the University of Southhampton The Richard Rutt Collection at Winchester School of Art. Lots more to look at.

I digress. What caught my eye this time is your description of Twisted knitting:

Cast on 12 stitches, knit and seam (purl) alternate rows for 8 rows; the 3 first and last stitches of each row are always knit.
Ninth row - Knit 3 stitches, take a third pin (needle) and knit 3 more, knit the remainder of the stitches with the first pin.
Tenth row - Knit 3 stitches, seam the 3 stitches on the third pin, seam the other 23, knit the 3 edge stitches. This completes 1 twist, and is repeated after every 8 rows.

Now it seems to be cable but with a little twist. Will it make any difference? Just had to know, so I made a little sample.

A regular cable is on the left and your 'twisted' knit is on the right. It does lie flatter and does suggest further variations.

Thankyou so much for the inspiration.

Cheers, Teresa

Buttonless mittens no more!

I've got through the pile, and these are the mittens I finished this week.

More purple, this time with cable down the side.

The black moss stitch, with the coloured embroidery.

And another red onion skin fingerless mittens. The yarn had copper coins as a mordant.

This week I'm excited, I get to stock Incube8r on Friday and Saturday is Craft Hatch at the City Library.

More yarn, more mittens!