What I made, by Sharon

I really struggle to come up with interesting titles posts about socks - because lets face it - their generally pretty standard. These are Arkin by Rachael Coopey. As usual from rachael, as good design, with a bit of interest, in this case reversing cables that run assymetrically down the socks. The main points of interest: I'm loving the HiyaHiya sharps in 2mm. They make such a nice fabric, but the other day i grabbed the project off the couch while on my way out the door, scratched myself and bled all over the place. I had to cast the first one on twice, because on the 2mm needles the top edge was a bit tight. For the second I used the crotchet cast on method, and it gives quite a nice edge. This is the oldest (non laceweight) yarn in my stash. I bought it when I went to sock summit in 2009, dyed it with food colouring and then last year overdyed it. It feels good to clear out the bottom of the stash pile. So I guess I did have something to say about these!

One of my favourite quotes from The Minimalists is the answer to the question - What does a minimalist wear? "A minimalist wears their favourite clothes everyday". I try to do this with everything I own, and I try to only own one of everything. I bought a Fringe Field bag nine months ago, and I love it. It's big enough to hold a jumper in progress, small enough for a one skein shawl:  It is definitely a bit more beaten up that when it was brand new but I think it's aging nicely, with its growing badge collection, water stained leather handle and now softened canvas. It's such a practical bag, and it sparks so much joy in me.

Once of my favourite things is when I knit a baby jumper, and get a photo of the baby, wearing the jumper. You may recall I knit a Wee Envelope for my cousin's baby before I went to Edinburgh. I gave it to my Uncle and Aunt to deliver for me, and basically forgot about it, until she posted this picture on Facebook: I hadn't really thought of the connection between my grandmother knitting for us, and me knitting for the next generation, but I was very touched that Hannah did. Also, how cute is that baby? And then, after I wrote this, before I posted it, I got this pic from friends who recently had their second baby. They reused the jumper I gave them for their first baby, and sent pictures. How knitworthy are they? 

After I finished Boxy there were still two days of Good Beer Week left. I was home sick on F riday - nothing to do w ith the week , there is a horrible cold going around, so I cast on a pair of sneaker liners, using left over Mothy and The Squid yarn. I just love these colours, and there is plenty more yarn left over from my What the Fade shawl.I did a basic sock, with a Fish Lips Kiss heel. All very simple. I cast on on Friday, and between the sick day and Saturday's beer festival I had them finished by Saturday night. I was tempted to immediately cast on a pair with the colours reversed, but I resisted that thought, at least for the moment.

It's Sunday, and that means good beer week is over. We had a great time, culminating as we usually do with the GABS Saturday afternoon session. I did get a lot of knitting done during the week, and finished my Boxy on Thursday - which just gave me enough time to block it and wear it to GABS. And what better place to take photos than the stunning Royal Exhibition Building.  I made the sleeves full length which, looking at these photos, may have been rather pointless, because in most, although not all, these photos I've pushed the sleeves up. Other than that I knit it exactly as the pattern suggested.  The shape is very different from anything I've worn before, but I love it. It's really comfortable, and wearable, and - I think - flattering. Considering how much yarn it used - 330 grams of sock yarn, I was very surprised to  finish it in 15 days. They were good days, full of friends and beer and such pleasant knitting.

It's been a good week so far! Our good beer week started with an event where we couldn't find chairs when we walked in. that was fine, I found a ledge I could put my drink on so that my hands were free for knitting. As I was setting up, and Leon was at the bar, a girl said to me "do you want these two stools, we don't needs them". "Well" I replied "They'll be too high for our ledge here". "Or just come and sit with us" she said, and we did, leading to a really fun evening of talking and drinking and knitting. Beer people (much like knitting people) are good people.   Progress on my Boxy has been quite ridiculously fast. I'm joining the shoulders tonight - so excited, after that it's the collar and I'll be able to try it on and get an idea about how it will actually look.It's big on Skip a man who is somewhat larger than I am, so it's all a bit interesting right now. I'm since the sleeves start at the e...

Good B eer W eek is always a ton of fun around here. We call it "Leon's C hristmas " a l though it's 10 days, not the traditional 12. Seeing friends, drinking craft beers, dinners out, lots of time in pubs, loads of time for knitting. I always make sure I have something simple to knit - there is lots of knitting time, but no guarantee of good lighting, or a seat, or complete sobriety. In the past I've knit socks, shawls, anything simple really. This year I decided it was the perfect opportunity to finally knit Boxy . It uses 1300 meters of sock yarn, so, when I finished Leon's winter set with a week to go before G ood B eer W eek I figured I may as well start. after all, this has to be at least a month of knitting, right? Well, despite the rather large stitch count, this knits up really fast. I'm more than halfway through the body at the beginning of Good Beer Week . It's possible (not likely, but possible) that I will be able to finish t...

I told you about getting the yarn for Kate Davies Strathendrik. It's currently 6th in my queue, a queue that includes Boxy, and a colourwork vest: So I don't really need to worry about it just yet. But I was. Normally when I'm choosing colourwork colours I take a while. I might discuss it with friends, play around , consider for quite some time. Not this time. With the help of Tiina from Tukuwool it was done and dusted in 5 minutes flat. And then I worried about it. Kate Davies' version is on a light background, with contrasting sleeves and trim , and that's how everyone on R avelry has knitted it too. I decided to do mine with a dark background, and use the same colour for the sleeves. And I worried about it. So I wound my wool and did a one repeat swatch, just to see what the colours look like:  And I like them. The only one I'm not one hundre d percent about is the yellow, but I also think it gives a nice pop of colour, so I will pro...

My mother showed up for dinner last Friday with two jumpers, one being Bright Enough? which I knit for her in 2014, and the other being this: A colourwork jumper knit flat for my father by my mother in the early '80s.  Look at the finishing on that collar. Inspirational.  My mother allegedly wanted to see if we could match the yarn with anything from my stash. For my fathers jumper, nothing even close. For the hole in her cuff: I still have some of the original yarn. When I told her I'd hang on to the cardigan and reknit the cuff, she seemed surprised. Like we were going to darn it, when I can rip it back and back it as good as new! Or, unfortunately, better than new, because the cuff that's been worn for four years is darker. Getting the cuff ripped back took about 45 minutes, it's a bit felted and dense. Still, it was worth doing properly, now I can send my mother out into the world, knowing she's looking her best, and representing my knitting wel...

This year's winter set is complete! I took the stitch pattern from Kate Davies' Highland Rogue pattern, and used it on the traditional hat , mitts and scarf set. This year this year I also added socks to the mix. As always, knitting Kate Davies' patterns was a delight. I made the scarf half as wide, and did not join it as a cowl, because Leon prefers that, and it just looks magnificent.  I love a double sided stitch pattern!  So there it is, ready just as the weather here is started to get a little chilly - Leon's winter set 2018. May it keep him warm in the body and warm in the heart all season long.

In 2016 I knit Vitamin D and loved it. Soft Patonyle, a flattering silhouette, a cheerful colour. what's not to love? The problem was that it attracted stains. First there was what looked like coffee down the front, and then when I tried to clear that up there was this: I have no idea. I spent a lot of time considering what to do. I thought about ripping and reusing the yarn to make socks. I thought about just chucking the whole thing. But first I decided to try overdying it. A little bit of blue in the dye water should make a nice light green, right? I'm pretty happy with how it came out. Basically a slightly muddy version of my favourite colour, and now it;s wearable again.

I know I shouldn't be surprised at the normal passing of time, but I am! Especially since I missed April's yarnalong because I was on holidays in Scotland .  Now, as if to continue that holiday for as long as possible, I am knitting Kate Davies' Highland Rogue scarf for Leon, in Scottish yarn that I bought at Edinburgh Yarn Fest. It's nearly done - currently about a metre seventy, I think I'll knit until that ball of yarn is finished. Off the Scottish theme, I'm reading, or rather re-reading, Robin Hobb's Fool's Errand , the first book of the second Fitz trilogy.I'm just loving it. I don't remember anything from last time - about 15 years ago - but Fitz is no longer a whiny teenager, but an approaching middle aged man. I'm glad I'm enjoying it, it took me a while to find a good book this time. i actually DNFd a novel by my favourite romance author - I found I just didn't care about romance, and I struggled through an urban fan...