WIP Wednesday - more new beginnings...

Handspun Liesl is progressing nicely. 

It's fun, knitting with yarn that you've spun yourself, and it's been a long time since I've last done a big project with handspun. I don't often get the time for spinning now, so even though I have two fleeces currently waiting to be processed and spun, it could be a long time before I get around to it and before I have spun enough yarn for another big garment. Because of this it's a particular pleasure that I have finally found the right project for this yarn. 

Because I'm not already up to my eyeballs in work, and because the house is clearly not nearly chaotic and untidy enough, and because I can still see the washing machine over the pile of laundry waiting to be processed... I've cast on for yet another project.

It's the Eyelet Yoke Sweater. 

I've fancied the look of this sweater ever since I spotted it on Ravelry, and yesterday evening, while catching up on House of Cards on Netflix, I cast on with some sage Rowan Calmer that I still had lying around. I got gauge on the first try, with the suggested needle size, so I'm taking this as a good omen. ;)

The instructions for this sweater are somewhat vague - there are instructions only for the smallest size, which wouldn't fit me, and because of the lack of detailed information about sizing the pattern is indicated as for 'experienced knitters'. I'm not sure I'd class myself as 'experienced', but with my typical 'oh, I'm sure it'll work out' attitude I've cast on anyway. The gauge is 4 stitches / 5 rows for 1 inch, so I've cast on 8 more stitches to add another 2 inches to the bust and waist. Hopefully this will work, otherwise I have some frogging to do!!

I've not done any more work on my black Acer, which is such a shame, as the weather is getting warm enough that I would probably wear this a lot. Apparently I really REALLY don't like knitting with black. I suppose that's something to remember... 

I'll try to make some time this week to progress with this cardi because much as I don't want to knit it, I do want to wear it!  ;) 

And what am I reading this week?

Well, I've not had much time for reading, so my book hasn't changed. BUT I treated myself to an ebay purchase the other day: it's a back copy of Sew, with a little dress pattern that I'm hoping to make, so that's what I'm hoping to look through tonight. :)  

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A Year of Projects

Yarn Along

Stitch Along Wednesday

Keep Calm, Craft On

A Year of Projects - culling and tidying up... and a few new beginnings too!

I've had a look through my Rav queue these past few days, because it was really getting quite out of hand. Truth be told, I can hardly remember what I said my projects for this year were, because I seem to change my plans all the time. This wouldn't be so bad, at least not in itself, but these things are often symptomatic of other chaos and confusion. In the spirit of this year's motto, 'plan and do' I felt that a tidy-up was in order.

The list is still long, but at least it's now full of projects I really want to knit (and crochet) rather than full of things that I, at some point or other, considered but that I have long since moved away from.

This is it:

1. Ease (Alicia Plummer) or Eased (bulky version)
2. Briquette (Alicia Plummer)
3. Hitofude Cardigan
4. Christmas Bird (Ginny Sturdy) (c)
5. Color Affection
6. Shalom Cardigan
7. Ripple Blanket (c)
8. Campus Jacket (Amy Christoffers)
9. Bottoms Up (Alice Bell)
10. New Pea coat (Teva Durham)
11. Thuja (Bobby Ziegler)
12. Tailored Jacket (Debbie Bliss)
13. Raglan from the Top Down (less a project and more a general guide)
14. Salina (Kim Hargreaves)
15. Seamless Hybrid (Elizabeth Zimmermann) 
16. Linda K's Yummy Mummy wristwamers (Alexandra Brinck)
17. Sideways Grande Cloche (Laura Irwin)
18. Mermaid gloves
19. Audrey In Unst (Gudrun Johnston)
20. Liesl (Ysolda Teague)
21. Harvest Pullover (Kristen Hipsky)
22. Slouchy Cardigan (Helene Roux)
23. Dietrich (Marnie MacLean)
24. Marian (Jane Richmond)
25. 1 Hour Herringbone Cowl (Stefanie Japel)
26. Bressay dress (Gudrun Johnston)
27. Autumnal Cardigan (Hannah Fettig) 
28. Simple Skyp Socks 
29. Breaking Waves Socks
30. Elegance Socks
31. Attic 24 Mandala  (c)
32. Birdie Decorations (Attic 24)  (c)
33. Flat Circle pillow (Attic 24)  (c)
34. Crochet bag (Attic 24)
35. Keynote (Wencke Lucas)
36. The Ultimate Crochet Cowl (c)
37. Knitted Knot Bracelet 
38. Knitted cushions
39. Prolix Mitts (Laura Nelkin)
40. Playful Stripes Cardigan (Alana Dakos)
41. February Lady Sweater
42. Klokkeblomst / Bellflower (Liselotte Weller) (c)
43. Balls Up! (x-mas deco)
44. Boyfriend Hoodie (Mari Lynn Patrick)
45. Little Red Riding Hood Hooded Scarf
46. Tulip Yoke Baby Cardigan (Jennifer Little)
47. Yoga pants for big boys (For the Big Kids - Allison Lawler pattern)
48. Quay (Veera Valimaki)
49. Bear (Veera Valimaki)
50. Honey Cardigan (Veera Valimaki)
51. Idlewood (Cecily glowik MacDonald)
52. Chandail (Triona Murphy)
53. Some knee-high socks (such as Cosy Beginner's Socks by Fiona Ras OR Funky Granpa Socks (Mindy Abodeely) OR Little Cable Knee Highs (Purl Soho)
54. Cozipeds (socks on 2 circs) (Shiri Mor) OR Warm and Cozy Socks (Linden Down) OR Cozy Socks (Veronica Van)
55. A Grey Loop (Helen G)
56. Raw Honey fingerless mitts (Alicia Plummer)
57. Abate jumper (Alicia Plummer)
58. Eyelet Yoke Sweater (Courtney Spainhower)
59. Clayoquot (tincanknits)
60. Braided Cable Hug (Jami Brynildson)
61. Boneyard Shawl (Stephen West)
62. Joey Infinity Scarf (Andee Fagan)

That's quite enough projects, don't you think??

I'm obviously not planning on knitting through all of those this year. Or next year. Or in the next 5 years, to be perfectly honest. I'm sure a lot of these projects will never see the light of day, but it's nice to have some choice when I'm planning my next big project. 

For this current Year of Projects (which, if I remember right, ends in July or at the beginning of August?! Will have to check that...), I'm still hoping to start and finish:

1) Liesl

2) Eyelet Yoke Sweater

3) another Totoro (or two...)

4) some cozy slouchy sweater or cardi, in the sage green Shetland that I still have lying around. Possibly Ease, or Briquette, Idlewood, or the Campus Jacket...

5) Perhaps the Honey Cardigan, or Audrey in Unst, if I can find the right yarn for it.

Everything else, at this point, is optional - if I get it done, then great, if not, not a problem either.

Undoubtedly that list will change a few times before the summer, but for now this is it!

And to show willing I have finally cast on for Liesl:

As planned, I'm using my orange handspun for this one. I was a bit concerned if there would be enough, but so far it's looking like there is more of it than I thought there was, so I shouldn't run into problems. 

The yarn isn't the recommended thickness, but I hit gauge with big 8 mm needles, which means that it's coming out all fluffy and loose, like an orange cloud of sorts. ;)   And the bonus - on needles that large this knits up in no time. I'm already past the armholes... 

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A Year of Projects

Wool On Sundays

Mini-FO!

I made a hat for boy#3!

Actually, it was meant to be a hat for boy#1. A while ago he 'helped' me spin a leftover bit of orange fleece I had lying around and he was so proud of the resulting yarn that I decided there and then that I'd knit something for him with it. Last Friday I cast on, but it became quickly apparent that there just wasn't enough of it to make a hat for him. Boy#1 generously suggested that boy#3 could have his yarn, so I cast on again for a smaller hat. 

As it turned out there STILL wouldn't have been enough yarn, but I found a tiny leftover bit of white handspun which was very similar in thickness. It worked perfectly and I think actually makes the hat look so much more cute than a uniform orange hat would have looked!

Pattern moderations:

I roughly followed the pattern for Jason's Tweed Hat but altered it to suit my requirements.

With a 6mm cable needle, I cast on 42 stitches with the German cast-on (I love this cast-on method because it's so stretchy and gives a lovely edge). I knitted k3 p3 to about 4-5 inches from cast-on edge, and then followed the decreasing instructions from the pattern. 

This was such a quick knit - I cast on Friday afternoon, and Friday evening it was finished. Boy#3 loves his hat - he spent most of Saturday running around the house, wearing it. :) 

Ravelry page for the hat is HERE.

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A Year of Projects