knitwise

Holidays!

We're off on our holidays on Friday, so there will be no post from me for two weeks.

We're going to the lovely Greek island of Skopelos which we know quite well as it is our fourth trip there.  The children are so excited that I wonder how I manage to keep relatively sane!

I am looking forward to a lot of things such as Iced coffee,  moussaka,  oregano flavoured souvlakis,  sun,  warm waters,  doing nothing,  seeing again the Greek friends we have made there,  watching the beautiful scenery and many more gems this little island has to offer.

I am not bragging,  I am just as excited as the children are,  and I haven't packed yet!!!

Bianca's  sleeve is flying with me.  Okay,  I am not at all sure I will do much knitting with all this resting to do,  but I am going prepared...  Here is a picture of the afore mentioned sleeve now: 

Hope to show you some progress when I come back...

I'll be visiting your blogs before I go to see what you're up to.  See you all back in September...

False Start

I usually have problems when I start a project and this time is no exception...

I have discovered with dismay that I don't like Cotton Glace and Cotton Glace doesn't like me!   I had never knitted with cotton before and it has been a culture shock.  My stitches were so irregular,  you could tell "hand knitted" a mile away...  My friend Kathleen came over today, had a look at it and, as true friends do, broke the news gently: " Ditch it, you'll never wear THAT!"

So this is it.  The problem is I really would like to make this pattern.  Any suggestions please for any yarn substitution which is NOT cotton???

Once this painful decision was made,  I turned my attention to Bianca which (Kathleen assured me) was fine but I thought I could improve on it (today I was in a very critical mood)  I tried then to change my knitting technique, did a few rows, and the difference was so noticeable that I decided on the spot to start all over again...

So,  to recap,  it is now down to one project:  Bianca.  No question now as to what I am going to take with me on holidays!!!  The pattern, after all is not difficult to memorize and counting should not be much of a problem even with the children around... I think....

Two new projects...

After finishing Chicago and whilst still waiting for the wool ordered for my next project,  I got a severe case of startitis...  You know the feeling : got the pattern but not the yarn,  got some yarn but not enough to make what you want, etc...   But I HAD to start something and I did chose this:

   The camisole featured on the cover of Vintage Knits by Sarah Dallas.   I am using Cotton Glace in shade Glee (discontinued) and it is where I got so far :

I haven't decided yet what colour the trim and ribbon will be.  This shade of pink is much lighter than the one on the model and I am not sure I want it all pink anyway... But I have still some way to go before I start thinking seriously about it.

So, of course, now that I have started something,  the wool I had ordered has finally arrived.  And I had to cast on immediately for this:

  Bianca by Stella Smith from the latest Rowan 38.  I have chosen Rowan 4ply soft in Whisper and Day Dream for the contrast row, and some lilac beads.  I have cast on a sleeve and managed to knit this much : 

Well, I am telling you my friends : this will take ages...  4ply Soft is very nice to knit with but it is so small...

So two new projects on the go which I thought I would not do again.  One more week before I go on my holidays and the question is which one to take with me (I don't think I'll do much knitting there, but just in case, you understand...)

I think Bianca is out of the question because there is too much counting to do and too many children with us...   So it will have to be the camisole which is quite simple to start with and doesn't require too much thinking.

Chicago went shopping...

I got up this morning all eager to finish the last four flowers on the cardigan...

My daughter who has become my faithful photographer went out still in her pyjamas to take the shot et voila!!!   Thanks ever so much Delphine, Mum loves you to bits.

I was so pleased with the way it turned out that I took Chicago out with me to do the shopping at the supermarket. I think if it had been in the 40's I would have still worn it!...

It took me some time to knit this project as I made a few things in between, but it was truly a pleasure. I love Calmer. Knitting with beads is a bit time consuming, the flowers didn't take much time each to do but were a bit fiddly.  However,  I think that it was worth the extra hassle.

I have ordered the wool for my next project and I hope everything is in stock so that I can start before going on holidays, and maybe take it with me.  More in my next post...

And look what I received all the way from the USA.

Thank you ever so much Blossom for those lovely knitting books. I have already spotted a couple of projects for my to-do list. 

I LOVE knitting magazines!!!

I have received my copy of Rowan 38 this morning.  When I first saw the previews on the net,  I wasn't impressed.   I must say here (and I might be the only one who thinks so...) that I find the Rowan Summer magazines much more inspiring than the Winter ones...

Having saying that,  I had a leisurely browse through no38 and here are the patterns that I'd like to make one day:

                                                                                                          

I have realized that they  all come from the same section of the book.  Yes, my choices are pretty classic but I am also practical and go for what I know I am likely to wear...

I haven't seen much comments on the blogs on this new issue yet.  What are your favorites then?...

A quick update on Chicago: second sleeve is finished and sewn up, so it's flowers all the way now!!!