In Celebration

….of the fact that this is my 200th blog post I am going to give away two of my knitted items.

First up – A Vertebrae Cardigan from a design by Kelly Brooker.

It’s made from Sirdar Snuggly Crofter Baby Fair Isle effect DK yarn and edged with a cotton yarn (the details of which elude me).

It’s been tried and tested by my favourite little knitwear model. It’s meant to fit a baby up to 10lbs. Wyatt’s bigger than that now but it still fits him. I think it’s a gender neutral colourway. My daugher disagrees. Oh well. We both agree that the colourway does nothing for his colouring though.

It’s a grand design for throwing on over a long sleeved vest or a babygro. There are no buttons to fiddle with. I made it long so it reaches down past the lower back to keep baby nice and snuggly.

I’m sure I have a better picture of him wearing it……somewhere.

 

The second item is a black beanie with a varigated band of colour.

It was made for the Teen but she hasn’t worn it since this photo was taken. According to my instragram account it was taken 55 weeks ago. She’s had over a year to wear it. I think it’s about time that it found a new home with someone else.

The black yarn is a mystery to me but it is lovely and squishy and I’m fairly sure that it’s a 100% acrylic. It’s knit in a 2×2 rib so it’s got a lot of give.

The varigated yarn band is Colinette Jitterbug and the colourway is Jewel 54. It’s a 100% merino.

If you would like to take part in my little giveaway here’s what you need to do:

1 – Leave a comment on this post with either “Vertebrae”,  “Beanie” or “Vertebrae and Beanie” to let me know what item(s) you’re entering for.

2 – One entry per person per item

3 – You have until Friday 23rd May to enter. I’ll pick two names out of the hat on Saturday morning and announce the winners on the blog.

4 – You can enter from anywhere in the world. The items are light so the postage is on me.

For those with animal dander allergies – Please note that while these items will be freshly laundered before being sent to the winners –  I live in a house with a cat and a dog who are both very generous with their fur.

Oh the digits!

The digits, numbers and sums that had my crafters brain befuddled as I adapted the Puerperium cardigan into a regular front opening top down cardigan!

I’ve played around with the pattern before in order to create this.

http://instagram.com/p/gA9R3kHKsJ/

So you’d think, as I’ve done it before, that I would be able to easily do it again.

Alas and alack! Twas not so. With surreptitious tinkering of numbers and diagrams in Strategic Management (shhhh, don’t tell my lecturer), I managed to figure my way to rearranging the stitches without having to add or subtract any.

http://instagram.com/p/jaF1pAnKvW/

http://instagram.com/p/je-3KHHKmo/

It will nicely match the Magic Coffee Baby Hat I made

http://instagram.com/p/jXru_GnKob/

And this is what I made it out of. Sirdar Snuggly Crofter Baby Fair Isle DK

http://instagram.com/p/iRY-eTnKhk/

Shade 0174 Lot 148993

http://instagram.com/p/iRY2ZsnKha/

 

I have a request for my lovely readers. A lovely friend of mine has a studious son who is keen to get a good grade in a project which involves having a Facebook page. His page is called “iStyleUs”. It would be awesomely kind of you to take the time to head over to and like his page (if you’re on FB that is). Thank you!

As I’m back in the LIT library I should probably get back to doing some actual work now that I’ve finished my blog post.

Back to Ops I go, back to Ops I go. Heigh ho, the merry-o! Back to Ops I go!

Puerperium Cardigan

If you’re looking for a project for a new little human which combines top down construction, a DK yarn weight and a clever little twist you’d be very well advised to consider Kelly Brookers Puerperiums Cardigan design.

Here is a link to its page on Ravelry.

I can’t seem to find Kelly’s knit.so.quaint blog…..

Anyhow, Ravelry members will be able to find the free pattern download by following the link provided.

Non-member……eh, why wouldn’t you be a member of Ravelry?? It’s free, you don’t have to share oodles of details about yourself and you get to look at oodles of lovely yarny ideas for your next (zillion) projects. It’s full of win! 🙂

I have figured out why I couldn’t find a link to Kelly’s site. I’ve yoinked the answer from her Ravelry page.

The PEKAPEKA design studio and PEKAPEKA patterns is the re-branded name of Kelly Brooker’s knitting pattern line (formerly known as knit.so.quaint).
Over the course of 2013, pattern documents will be updated to reflect the new branding and a portfolio site established. Please bear with us during this time of transition!

One of my friends has welcomed a new baby girl into his family.  I had informed him before little K’s arrival that I would be knitting up a little garment for her. He replied that I didn’t have to.

Have to??

Knitting + me + friend welcoming a baby into the world = a wonderful excuse to knit!

Have to indeed.

http://instagram.com/p/a_KPGAnKs1/

K’s Puerperium Cardigan was made with one skein of “Sirdar Snuggly Crofter Baby Fair Isle effect DK”

http://instagram.com/p/a39eBUHKsL/

Because I’m that pedantic I can even show you the yarns shade and dye lot.

http://instagram.com/p/a39z6gHKs4/

Of course, now that I’ve got the Puerperium Cardigan bug I’ve cast on for another one.

http://instagram.com/p/a_Z86knKo5/

It’s just a tad less traditional looking.

🙂

I don’t know why my instagram pictures aren’t showing up. Harumph.

Y’Know what’s awesome……

is when a person who doesn’t knit (but can 🙂 ) goes to the trouble of buying an entire kit of yarny and knit related goodies for Christmas. Two mates of mine who are never seen in yarn stores got me these.

Better than the yarn though, is the image of my daughter’s tall, Sons of Anarchy hoodie wearing, tattoo toting dad picking out yarn for me and doing a damn fine job too. There should totally be more guys with tattoos in yarn stores. That would add another layer of shiny awesomeness to my favourite hobby/obsession.

Apart from the fact, which he wasn’t to know (it’s my hobby, not his),  that I pretty much detest working with plastic straights (I’m talking about needles now, not people, otherwise that would sound pretty mean) it’s the perfect haul.

Along with that lovely addition to my stash, which will most likely make a cosy jumper for me, I received Baby Knits by Laura Long. Highly appropriate as my circle of friends seem intent on creating new little humans. 🙂

Other highlights of Christmas include me *not* locking the key into the car, *not* dropping a vintage plate and the rebel Teen teaching me about Sons of Anarchy and running through the Rubberbandits reportoire at 3am.

Good times.

A Merry Crafty Christmas to you all.

Note to Self

Green Big Softie Shade 3021 Dye Lot 137187

Blue Big Softie Shade 0341 Dye Lot 132860

Bootee Jigsaw Completed!

As of yesterday there was one bootee and one jigsaw.

Looks like a slipper, doesn’t it? It would have been so nice if I could’ve stopped sewing at this point and pronounced them “Done!”.

Am I the only one who thinks that this bears a striking resemblance to Cleopatra’s head gear?

It’s what I thought of anyway. My brain makes interesting connections.

Do you see my ever so subtle advertising of the upcoming WWKIP Limerick event in the background.

Do ya? Huh? Do ya? 🙂

Our event is appearing on Limerick.ie and ilovelimerick.com.

*happy dance*

Don’t they look so dinky on their ownsome in the Hope Chest?

D’awwwwh!

The Teen is just after declaring them to be “lovely” and that “they look like duck feet”……….

Duck feet?

Really?

*confused face*

This weekend in Limerick is lining up to be a good one (assuming the weather co-operates at all).

On Saturday at noon, starting at the Locke Bar, there is going to be an Art for Art’s Sake tour.

This link will being you to their FB event page.

Then on Sunday there will be a Family Fun Day in support of Childline.

The Fun Day starts at 12 noon and continues on until 3pm.

Then at 2pm WWKIP Limerick kicks off in Zest at the Limerick City Gallery of Art.

All in all, it’s sounding like an enjoyable weekend ahead.

Happy times to you all! 🙂

Sun on the Strand

O’Callaghan’s Strand that is.

It was much warmer than it looks. There was a bit of a chill in the shade, but overall it was a lovely afternoon.

My reading material of choice marked me out as the geek that I truly am.

The Object Oriented Thought Process by Matt Weisfeld

A lovely sojourn to the Milk Market rounded off my Sunday nicely.

I didn’t even knit while I was in town thanks to the combination of company and chillaxing.

There has been progress on the “Cream Coverlet” (which isn’t cream).

I’ve nearly finished the second repeat of the established pattern.

True to form I’m also juggling other projects.

The other active project is Sedgemoor.

The majority of this project has been knit up and cast off and is making quite the brilliant cat bed.

At last Craft Brunch I frogged the progress that I’d made on the sleeves of this project.

I had been in the zone and ended up casting off the correct amount of stitches over the wrong amount of rows.

In essence, the sleeves were turning out “wonky”.

Tinking back was going to be mind-numbing so I decided on frogging them.

They’re coming along nicely since starting afresh.

 

And life moves on…..

As the wider family bade farewell to our lovely mother/granny/aunt/greatgrandmother/sister/thoroughly lovely human being, my smaller family celebrated the Teen turning 14.

With the genetic heritage that has been shared with her, she has many decades in which to make her mark.

Maybe she’ll take up the piano like gran dreamed…..

Sunday brought cupcakes from the lovely Hazel

Vanilla, breakfast and Red Velvet cupcakes

Along with Flake cake, dancing, keepsie upsie with a balloon and much attention given to our pets.

I’m wishing that I had given a tad more attention to my latest work-in-progress.

You may recall that I had an urge to cast on a baby knit or two……

Well, I did. It went swimmingly and giving the desired dose of satisfying payback……..when I noticed that the second page of the pattern was missing. Noticed only after completing the entirety of the back and a sizeable portion of the left front side.

*sigh*

Oh well, back to the knitterly drawing board.

Sirdar Pattern 3956

Supporting my local LYS

I just had to….

 

Sirdar Escape Wool Rich Chunky Shade 0197 Lot 111 275 - 50g/65m

Beautiful reds and pinks

Buy local is the way to go……

Sirdar Escape Wool Rich Chunky Shade 0198 Lot 41962 - 50g/65m

Some of these comforting creams are destined to become socks

Especially at €2 – €2.25 per ball!

All of these were puchased in The Singer Sewing Centre, Foxes Bow, Limerick.

I love the place. Despite the fact that it stock such a narrow variety of yarns, it keeps getting my custom for several reasons.

• Delightful & knowledgable staff
• No pressure to buy
• No scoffing at how long I linger versus how much (or how little) I buy
• They do wonderful sales on lines that I would buy anyway at full price

I honestly did go in with the intention of buying just two balls of chunky……..but then I was faced with all the lovely sale offerings.

So, I figure I did my bit for Limerick city centre today 🙂

The colour is warmer than it appears here.

Sirdar Click Chunky with Wool Shade 0129 Lot 8842 - 50g/75m

Project the 8th(?)

This is part of a twinset pattern from Sirdar designed to be knit [knat] with Wasn’n’Wear Crepe Double Knitting from the Sirdar range.

Almost needless to say, this incarnation of the raglan sleeved top has been knit in something completely different.

The design has also undergone some, minimal, alteration.

I’m pleased with it & have just finished seaming & sewing in ends.

Sirdar Raglan Top from Pattern 5052

The main (only) difference to the pattern as written is that I’ve eliminated the 2×2 neck ribbing and substituted garter stitch there.

I’ve similarly done away with the cabling and ribbing at the hem.

Sirdar Wash'n'Wear Crepe Double Knitting Pattern 5052

I am currently clueless as to what yarn I’ve actually used to this the top with.

I’ll know this tidbit of knitterly information once I’ve:

a) Found where my yarn notebook is

b) Unwound one of the balls to see what the label says.

Right this instant I’m doing neither as it’s a Saturday night & I’m off out to meet a friend!

Happy crafting folks!

Spring & Cranberry Mixtures

The weather is absolutely beautiful today.

I loved the quality of the light streaming in through the windows.

Walking the dog was a lovely chore this morning.

Spring

I spent most of the day admiring the wonderful day from inside as I decided that since Spring is most definitely in the air, that carrying out the cleaning named for this season would be appropriate.

I know that many would be horrified by the prospect of staying indoors on such a lovely day if they had the opportunity to spend hours out enjoying it. If I had to stay inside I’d probably feel the same. Today, however, I was glad to stay inside and put my free time to use by reclaiming my living space. Exams are time sucks and my poor home was definitely showing the effects of my diverted time and attention. Heck, I was feeling the effects of my exam focused attention.

Pretty Peppers

Now that my living space has been reclaimed and my yarn is cosily stored in its own corner I can set my sights on my next project. I emphasise the ‘my’ in that sentence. Like many knitters, most of my projects are intended for recipients other than me. I’m definitely feeling in need of more ‘me’ focused time right now so…..

V-Neck Sweater by Sirdar

Such an original name for a pattern :insert dripping sarcasm here:

It’s from June 2010’s Knitting magazine, Issue 77.

Knitting June 2010 Issue 77

Not unusually, I’ll not be using the suggested yarn. Although, instead of being a natural offshoot of my innately rebellious nature, this substitution is the result of the suggested yarn not being available locally. This is a rather irksomely common occurance (that’s a vent for another post).

So, this is the substitute.

Life Chunky by Stylecraft Shade 2319 "Cranberry Mixtures" Dye Lot 40416