Thursday, January 31, 2008

Look At This!!


Fantastic Knitters' Tote Bag designed by a friend of mine here in OZ - take a look at this! The Knit and Natter Bag

Front view, showing knitting needle pockets both sides, tape measure and sewing needle pockets, also showing separate holders for sicssors and needles.



This is the back view, showing glasses pocket, and pattern pocket.

From top, showing closed loom pocket space for yarn, and accessories pocket on other side.








Close up of Scissor pocket on left, pen pocket and notebook pocket







Close up of Loom pocket - opened.















This view shows depth of the bag from side to side.


This is a fantastic design - don't you think?

I want one!! Do you?

Well watch this space because I can't tell you where to get one - yet!! But soon!!

Oh, the suspense!

Saturday, January 19, 2008

2nd Baby Albert finished!




Finished #2 Baby Albert Jacket!

This time, I weaved the shoulder seam and knit the sleeves in the round on two circulars. I knitted the sleeves straight for 25 ridges, then decreased to 40 stitches evenly, and did 6 ridges for cuff.

Much better shaped sleeve IMHO!






Patons Bluebell (5 ply) on 3.75 mm needles. Hat made up as I went along. Socks are North Country Cotton Baby Socks (free pattern on internet)

Buttons are from Dave Rundel - daverun on ebay.com !

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Baby Albert Finished and Another on the Needles!


This is a much more accurate representation of the colour!

Not sure about these buttons but they are rather nice - the only ones that "went" IMHO

Found some of the most gorgeous 4 ply angora like yarn so did a double crochet (single to my American friends) edging all round and on the cuffs.



I've already cast on the next Baby Albert - this time I plan on straight sleeves, done on two circulars - no seams at all!

This one is blue and yellow Bluebell by Patons, on 3.75 mm needles.

Just lately I am enjoying using finer yarn and finer needles for a change!
















Quite ingenious how the fronts and back are picked up along the bottom of the sweater, and then the sleeves picked up along the edges of the fronts and backs. That's why I don't understand the need for a sleeve seam (?) I usually do what the pattern says the first time though - my mind makes adjustments and modifications as I knit, so that next time I can do it my way !! Is that normal - or should I change my blog title to 'The Arrogant Knitter'??

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Stocking Stitch Baby Surprise Jacket!

I joined the Knitalong on the knitbabysurprise group on Yahoo - to do the Stocking Stitch version of the Baby Surprise Jacket by ElizabethZimmermann


The Moderator overseeing the KAL is Pandaman who came up with the modification to the original pattern.

This is stage one - I have stage 2 and stage 3 ready to go!

This second picture has the right colour - it is Mint Green, yes, you've guessed it, Panda Angoretta, with Cleckheaton Fleur in lavender with speckles of colour

I will add some more pics as I reach the next two stages!

More Finished Items


This is the fourth Tomten I've made since just before Christmas - such a gorgeous combination - pale blue Angoretta and a small bit of that mysterious chenille in green/blue someone gave me!

The buttons were absolutely perfect - an exact match with the chenille - how lucky can you get? Found them in my button box - had totally forgotten they were there!




Another Soft "N" Seamless Sweater - I had enough of the aforementioned Chenille left to do the yoke, and one 50 gram ball of Angoretta in a pale-blue-nearly-aqua colour - unfortunately, not enough for the sleeves, so used a dark forest green instead for those - it does look nice.








Another little cotton set for a newborn - in Cleckheaton Fiddle-dee-dee.

I bought ten of each colour on ebay recently - it is so soft and yet nice and nubbly - 100% cotton nice and cool for little babies.


This is the finshed but as yet not sewn up Baby Albert Jacket - I've wanted this pattern forever - and just before Christmas found I had enough Reward Points on Your Voice Surveys to get a $50 voucher on D Store! So I bought "The Knitting Experience: Book 1 - The Knit Stitch by Sally Melville" just for this particular pattern - and the rest of the book is wonderful too!
Not just for beginners either - I've learnt a few tricks already - never too old or too late to learn!






The colour isn't quite right - it is more of a burgundy colour - the yarn is Villawool Saturn, 68% acrylic, 27% mohair and 5% wool. Oh, so soft and cosy, not at all scratchy and ideal for a little one to keep toasty warm on a cold day. She just had a little boy last week!

The Tomten above is for my friend Ferda in Turkey who has a little boy due in March. I am now working on a summery set for him, for when he is a bit bigger.

Oh yes, for my $50 voucher, I also bought Baby Knits 2 by Debbie Bliss - I had to pay an extra $2 on the bill but oh, I am so happy with these books!

Tuesday, January 01, 2008

Blue Tiger Butterfly







Sitting on our passionfruit vine - a beautiful Blue Tiger Butterfly. Eric (DH) was complaining he couldn't get a good picture, because they "kept moving around" LOL!!







Apparently when he first went out with his camera, there were about a dozen flying around in a cluster! You can see an unripe passion fruit in the first picture on the left - we have hundreds of them, due to ripen soon!! YUMMY!!!!!