What I made, by Sharon

Yesterday I finished the Teppic socks. These socks were the perfect combination of an easy to memorise pattern, but enough interest to stop them being boring. Last week was one of those weeks were I went everywhere, and these socks came with me. I cast on the first sock on a train to Ballarat, and finished it on a plane to Mildura. The second sock was a bit more mundane, but did come to Packenham and Northcote with me. One of the things I've noticed about these Discworld socks is that the pictures in the patterns do not do them justice, and, in my opinion, the original yarn they were knit in is almost all far to busy for the patterns. This one has delightful detailing with a honeycomb pattern down the sides and a sort of broken rib down the front. The Stranded in Oz yarn that I used for these did pool a little more than I expected, but I think the pattern stands out anyway. 

My mother had her birthday and I finally got to give her the warmest, brightest cardigan ever. Of course, November in Melbourne really isn't the time to wear incredibly warm knitwear, but winter will return eventually, and then my mother will be very warm and very bright! 

Welcome to this weeks Yanalong, hosting  by Ginny. Pop over to her blog to see what she, and the other yarnalong peeps are knitting and reading this week. When I left the house this morning I was half way through my book, which is The Great Christmas Knit Off . It's chick lit, which is fine, but Christmas is not a thing for me. In fact, if I consider anything about Christmas, it's to say "bah humbug" and have another bottle of wine. But Rachel  tweeted about it when it was on pre-release and started reading it this week, and you know how I love a read/knit/do-the-same-thing-as-other-people along. I'm quite enjoying it. It's light and pleasant and you just know everything is going to be okay in the end. When I left the house I had knit the first of the next pair of Discworld socks, Tepic . And then today I went to Mildura for work, so I did get a start on the second sock. Like the rest of the Discworld Sock Club  it's a good, sold interesting knit. Th...

I finished Summer Soltice , and I really, really like it! I followed the pattern almost exactly - I just lengthened a little, because I had more of a vision of a kind of jacket than a shortish cardigan. Although parts of how the instructions were written seemed unnecessarily complicated, all is forgiven. I think it fits me very well right now, after blocking. I know this yarn, which is 50/50 bamboo/cotton is likely to stretch out over time, so it will be interesting to see if and how it holds it's shape. You will have to forgive the wrinkles in the back, it was only 90 percent dry when I stuffed it in my bag to take out for photos, and my stylist was having an off day.  

I've discovered that one of the reasons I blog and Ravelry my finished objects as soon as they are done is that it is really hard to remember what I did two weeks ago! So, I wrote about the dramas in starting The Colour of Magic Socks. Well, if finished them. I didn't run out of yarn, although I only had five grammes left, so it was closer that usual. I had to make the toes left and right footed, I've got small feet and I couldn't get the pattern done before the toe decreases started: I'm happy whit how these turned out, they are comfortable and pretty and I just love the wyay the pattern and the yarn plays together. I also knit the second Cadeautj e slipper. I'm very happy with these and kind of want to knit a pair for myself, even though I love wearing my ugg boots when it's cold, but these seem to warm and wooly...

As usual on a Wednesday I'm playing along with Ginny and the yarnalong. Pop over to her blog to see what she, and the other yarnalong peeps are reading and knitting this week. This week I'm finishing   knitting  Summer Solstice . If tonight is as quiet as I hope it will be, and I can make a decision about the neck edging I might finish it tonight. I'm reading   Ancillary Sword , the sequel to Ancillary Justice, which I read  just l ast month . Like it's predecessor it is well written and interesting, although I really want to know more of the history of the imagined universe. And I'm listening to the first Royal Spyness books, or rather an  introductory novella . I'm thinking this might be a good series to listen to, although I'm concerned it might be a little similar to the Phryne Fisher books, which I am currently reading.

Right, we've got the new computer up and running and I can get back to blogging, although if I'm going to be honest we got the computer going last week but I have been so busy with fun runs and going away for weekend and life that I haven't had a moment to get organised. As well as updating the blog, I need to update my Ravelry projects and stash and it all seems a little overwhelming. So, today I am going to catch you up on what I'm knitting now, and then over then next couple of days I'll tell you about what I finished while I was away and then we will be all caught up.   I'm knitting Summer Solstice by Heidi Kirrmaier, out of bamboo/cotton  yarn left over from Leon's jumper The actual knitting has been fine, but it is one of the strangest written patterns I have used. At one point there were four different increases and decreases going on on different rows. Anyway I like how it's turning out BUT she said if you don't want the edges to ...