What I made, by Sharon

Last Monday, at Richmond Knitters, Katie mentioned she was expanding her BeeKeepers Quilt, because "it wasn't big enough": Katie's photo. Look how pretty that is! I wondered if she wanted some Left Over Sock Yarn. She said "sure, but only if you keep some and work on your sock blanket ". Katie said she wanted "garden colours". I still don't know what that means, but I grabbed 400 grams of pretty colours, and put them in a zip lock bag, and now they are freed to be part of something beautiful. Now I only have about 400 grams of LOSY! I don't guarantee I will actually work on my blanket, although I did knit a square the other night.

As you know I don’t go to Bendigo this year. I was a bit sad, but mainly happy, because I am working hard to get my stash down, and that would not have been fun at the wool show. One thing I was really sad about it that each year there is a produce tent, and I usually buy Pud Balls. This year I missed out. And then today at work I went downstairs to get my normal ten am coffee and for reasons I never found out, there was a little market downstairs selling olive oil and wine and PUD BALLS! I’m so happy. Hopefully I bought enough to last until Bendigo 2018. The packets at the bottom are rocky road and some sort of chocolate popcorn thing. YUM.

This week I’m reading One Last Thing Before I Go by Jonathan Tropper.   I’ve read most of his other books, and this book is in the same vein as his previous novels; books about dysfunctional families, men who have not lived to their maximum potential and the funny/sad things that happen to them. Each book is different, but they are all on this theme – I recommend reading them all, but not reading them all in a row. I chose to read this now because I wanted something a bit lighter –I guess I’d call his books contemporary fiction – pleasant, interesting, well written. This book is no exception. And if this week's entry seems a bit bland, that's because, despite enjoying this book I find myself without all that much to say about it. I guess some books I just read for pleasure, and that's all there is to say about it.

On Thursday I swatched for my next project –Kate Davies’ Ardmore jumper. I’m using the Blue Moon Fiber Arts Woob u that I bought pretty much exactly a year ago .  It comes in giant 500 meter hanks, which make the biggest balls ever! I swatched: not to Kate Davies Instructions, which involved working 12.5 cm flat stocking stitch, then the 18 row cable chart. Twice. Swatches lie at the best of times. Testing your in the round gauge by knitting flat is approximate at best  I knit a little flat square of stocking stitch, I got gauge, and that will have to do. I had Friday off work, and I cast on. I casually knit through the weekend – relaxing at home, brunch with friends. It was a lovely relaxed and relaxing weekend. And then I found myself here: Dividing for the underarms. I did not expect that to come by quite so soon. And now I embark on the more challenging aspects of this lovely sweater: cables. And knitting flat, which means purling back....

I finished the Village Sweater Wrap late last week, and took photos today. i had all sorts of plans to go down to the park, or take photos in my buildings courtyard, but then it was raining very enthusiastically, so we did them on my marvelous balcony.  It's a rather odd garment: I think I like it, but I'm not sure how I'm going to wear it. Probably in summer, over a plain dress. It is meant to be reversible, but I knew from the beginning that I wanted to wear it with the burgundy side up, and the blue at the bottom: not like this: The only change i made the the pattern was knitting the sleeves flat. No way was I doing that garter stitch in the round, particularity after my first attempt . It took me two and a half months of mainly monogamous knitting to finish this, although I was surprised when I reviewed things that I had also knit a pair of slippers , a pair of sneakerliner s, a cowl and a pair of mitt s. So I guess not nearly as mo...

I don't do a lot of charity knitting, but I do give to KOGO  - when your husband gets a new winter set each year, the old ones have to go somewhere, and they are usually in perfect condition. After I finished the Village sweater wrap I wanted to knit something quick, easy and fun. Something I didn't have to think about at all. So I knit a LOSY  hat: 60 grams of left over sock wool, held double, changing colours when the previous one runs out. So much fun. Then, when I went to put it in the box where both my gifts and my darning live, I discovered that there were a few pairs of Leon's socks to fix.  I've got the day off work today - the hospital wanted to operate on my finger, but I got a second opinion who said "absolutely not" so I took the day off anyway, just to relax a little after a fairly stressful week, and now I'm going cast on my next big project, a jumper for Leon. 

I've decided that numbering these posts is silly, and I'm going to start naming them after the book I'm reading. Which is still Jane Johnson's Court of Lions . Which is not a negative reflection on the book, it's a good read which I look forward to sitting down with at every opportunity. It is exciting and romantic and suspenseful and lovely. I think one reason I'm not reading quite as much as usual is I'm listening to Patrick Rothfuss' The Wise Man's Fear .  I've read the book in paper and loved it, and it's even better in audio. it is also 42 hours long, so engaging and very good value for my Audible credit. The only thing is, it's the second in a trilogy that has reached it's ten year anniversary - and there is no release date for the third book, which is rather concerning.   I hope you are enjoying what you are reading this week as much as I am!