Three plying

Thank you everyone for your kind comments on my spinning. I love seeing everyone elses yarns too both on their blogs and on Ravelry.








3ply handspun merino fibre from All Spun Up.
6 oz.
284 yards -about a worsted weight.

I really enjoyed spinning this one especially when I plied them together.
So, I'm thinking about making a scarf knitting it lengthwise.

More improvement

This is my favourite one so far. Love Love LOVE!

This is handdyed by Squoosh Fiber and Yarns
4 oz Merino
Colourway is "Choco Love"
324 yards 2ply.

Of Course It's Green!

The Merino top is 4 oz and is dyed by Poppy Flower Fibers. The colour is called "Harvest Collection #16. It's around a fingering weight and I got about 480 yards out of it.

I'm extremely happy with this one!

So, I've made some yarn...

So this is my first go at it. It's BFL in the Natural colour. It was so soft! As you can see, it was all over the place but it taught me a lot.





This is my second attempt with the same fibre. So much better! I was really encouraged with this go at it. In these photos you can see the improvement I've made.


Well, more improvement has taken place since and you'll see it soon!

Now I Can Make It Myself!

I have joined many other knitters who spin their own yarn. I purchased a Lendrum Double Treadle Spinning Wheel in October. I've been admiring the beautiful handspun yarns on other people's blogs and also on Ravelry for a couple of years and knew that it would be something I'd want to try at least. I saved up and got it from a shop just 30 minutes from where I live. So, I've been having lots of fun with it and of course the fibre part of it all is great too... all the colours are just wonderful.





SO MUCH FUN!!!!

Green Vesticle

I was asked back in April by a friend to make a vest for her. So I when she was over one night I brought out all my pattern books and magazines and we went through many of them looking for a suitable vest. She earmarked a few of the ones that she liked but none that really "got" her. So I logged on to Ravelry and we had another browse there.

She settled on the Cambridge Vest.








Pattern: Cambridge Vest by Martin Storey
From: Rowan Classic Alpaca Book 13
Yarn: Rowan Felted Tweed in Herb 3.5 skeins
Needles: 3.5mm & 3.75mm

I've used this yarn before and loved it. I love the different flecks of colour especially the two colours of blue in this colourway along with black and white.

A Rare Gift For A Baby

I rarely knit gifts for children. There are a few reasons why I don't: kids grow fast and soon outgrow whatever I've made, parents don't know how to wash hand-knitted items and they tend to shrink or felt over time, I don't always know the exact size the child is and fear that the item may not fit, and lastly, I fear that the gift really isn't appreciated to my expectations (purely selfish on my part but hey, I put a lot of effort into my knitting).

All that said, I knitted a pair of booties and a sweater for my boss's baby girl back in June.


These are Saartje's Booties and there are well over 3200 pairs out there. They used about half of a skein of Koigu Kersti Merino Crepe. Very cute!



And very quick!






Pattern: Child's Placket-Neck Pullover by Joelle Hoverson (Last-Minute Knitted Gifts)
Yarn: Koigu Kersti Merino Crepe 2.5 skeins
Needles: 4.5mm
Size: 6 - 12 months
Recipient: J. L. B.


So I got the reaction that I had hoped for from not only the parents but also everyone in attendance at the little girl's baby shower. Which may change my mind about knitting for children.

Tree Jacket

The next completed project I have to show is my very green Tree Jacket.



I loved working with the Malabrigo Merino Worsted. So soft!







Pattern: Tree Jacket by Zepher girls Sarah and Rachel
Yarn: Malabrigo Merino Worsted in Verdes
Needles: Addi Turbos in size 5mm
Size: xs 4.25 hanks used
Time to knit: February - April 2008

This is another favourite. Very comfortable to wear and warm. Of course the yarn pills a bit but I can live with that. These photos were taken before the sweater was blocked. After blocking the collar folded down and it now lays quite nicely. I think I increased the length in the body and in the sleeves. I tried not to take out the biasing in the body during the blocking -I kind of like it sideways.

I think I would knit this again... Malabrigo is great and I would use it again but I would also use Dream in Color Classy in maybe a blue.

Finished Fay

The next completed item that I will show you is my Fay. It took me a little over a year to finish but I found that in the beginning of it I found it really hard to keep focused on the pattern. Until I reached that "I've got to get this done already" point I really didn't get it. After a couple of pattern repeats it all made sense and I really didn't need that pattern to create the fabric... only the decreasing and increasing.









Pattern: FAY by Kim Hargreaves "New Beginnings"
Yarn: Rowan 4 Ply Soft in "Marine" 4.8 balls
Size: XS
Needles: 2.75mm and 3.25mm
Time: March 2007 - April 2008
You can find the pattern on www.kimhargreaves.com

I love this sweater. Really love it. I put a lot of hard work into it and it looks impressive. The impressive factor is important of course, sometimes that is the only thing that keeps the knitting happening.

It looks great with a collared shirt underneath, I haven't tried anything else with it yet. I wanted the yarn to be in the same colour the model is wearing on the website but it was discontinued and Kim didn't have any left so I opted for the navy (which I do love) and then I did find 10 balls in "Goblin" from another source so I got them too. I Love my greens! I'll probably use it to make another lacy sweater. I have lots anyways.

Still Here

So , I'm still here. I've been reading other people's blogs a lot lately... knitting blogs and more recently spinning blogs. And I don't know why but I have the need to start blogging myself again. Ravelry IS great but I'm finding that it really isn't satisfying the need of updating my thoughts on my projects and logging my thoughts on future projects. As well as commenting and linking to other's projects. When Ravelry happened I thought "Great, this will be easier and better and I won't have to spend that extra time writing a post, uploading pictures and replying to comments etc. etc.

There is a need for Ravelry and I do Love It but there really is no limit with blogging. I could post about quilting and show all the quilts I have in my home, or write about my obsession with hand-dyed roving and other's hand-spun yarns. Wow! I'm so inspired! And then seeing the hand-spun then hand-knit into beautiful socks, mitts, shawls, sweaters and cowls! It's all so wonderful!

So, here are some finished projects that have come about since my absence last year. Let's see if I can remember how to do this...

Central Park Hoodie








Pattern: Central Park Hoodie by Heather Lodinsky in Knitscene Fall 2006
Yarn: Tahki Donegal Tweed 6 skeins
Size: 32
Needle Sizes: 4mm, 5mm
Time: June 2007 - October 2007

I love this cardigan! LOVE IT! It fits just right, the yarn is hard-wearing so I don't feel like I have to treat it with too much care. I love the colour... even though I was going for the green like the pattern.

I am knitting another one for my mom and I will be adding buttons and a button band to hers. This is what hers looks like so far:



For hers I'm using Rowan Scottish Tweed Aran in a fabulous purple with fushia tweediness in it. I really love this one too but I know she'll like it more. Besides, I could always knit another.

So that's it for now, next I'll show you my finished Cherish cropped cardigan. To those who are still subscribed to After Eight, thank you and sorry for neglecting it. And to those who have popped in every now and then or have come here by means of surfing, glad you made it and I hope to keep things active if not interesting.

Thanks,
jen

Finished Knitting Blogging

Hello, I've been away for quite a while. I have been knitting though... Here are some finished projects:

Central Park Hoodie
Tahki Donegal Tweed 5.5 Skeins

Alisha's Irish Hiking Scarf
Malabrigo Worsted 2 Skeins

Pictures will be coming soon. I'm having trouble uploading them right now. If you are on ravelry you can check out all my knits. I'm "jen8"

The race begins!

So, I've joined the Tour de France KAL. It will be fun... I got into watching the race thanks to Jason and like following the cyclists on the tour. I'm going to knit my sock pal's socks. Yes, I know I've already posted about my pal's sock. I decided against them as my pal's feet are longer than what I'm used to kniting for and I feared that there may not be enough yarn for a nice length on the leg. I bought some nice sock yarn with more than 400 yards in it.

This is my first attempt at trying out a pattern. Turned out too tight and I wasnt having fun with it. I think it looks great though. Just not a great knit for me.


Here is my second attempt. I worried again that it would be too tight and I guess I just wasn't keen on the striping going on.


So, I found a pattern that I think will work out alright. And I really hope she likes it cause this is my last and final attempt. That's not a bad attitude now is it?

Jarrett is done!

Pattern: Jarrett by Kim Hargreaves from "Vintage Style"
Yarn: Rowanspun DK in Mouse 6.5 skeins (I think) for size 38
Needles: Addi Turbos 3.75mm, 4mm and 3.25mm for patches
Mods: None.
Started: August 2006
Finished: June 2007




I'm so glad it's done. I blocked it before Jason tried it on and I stretched the sleeves a bit too much. I'll have to remember that when I wash it again.


The buttons are great! At first they looked like petrified wood but I think they are some kind of horn. You never really know what they will look like until they are on the garment. I was afraid that they would be too large but I think they are perfect.

Here are some others that inspired me:
Aren't they all just wonderful?