Author Archives: Bron

Motivation

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As of this morning, the exer-stash fund stands at $42.00. Taking into account the $23 that I ‘withdrew’ on last week’s Nundle trip, that’s a total of 65 kilometres that I’ve walked on the treadmill since 31st December.

Okay, so 65 kilometres isn’t a whole lot over two and a bit months, but it is probably about 55km better than I would have done without the motivation of my exer-stash pledge. There’s way too many more enjoyable things to do than spending half an hour a day on the dreadmill, and self-discipline in exercise has never been one of my strengths! However, the exer-stash discipline is definitely helping, although I can still find excuses not to exercise, and I’m not doing it every day.

So, to boost my motivation, I decided this morning that if I walk on the treadmill every day for seven days in a row, with an average of at least 2.4 kilometres per day, than I earn a bonus $5.00.

And what am I walking towards? I still have a reasonable stash at the moment, of yarns from The Knittery, and two pullovers worth from Bendigo, so I’m not yarn-starved, but I am planning a couple of projects that will need new yarns – I want to make a loose jacket in something like Jo Sharp’s Silk Tweed (ie, not a cheap project – probably around $140 worth of yarn) and I’ll need some contrasting yarns for two other projects I have in mind. And, of course, there’s more sock yarns from The Knittery and other places that I covet!

From the knitting ‘archives’

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My Ravelry projects page was looking somewhat uninteresting, so I rummaged in the wardrobe for some jumpers that I’d knitted in the early 1990s, dragged out Jane, my ancient (and somewhat wonky) dressmaker’s model, and took some photos:

Cream fair-isle handknitted jumper

Yarn: Patons Totem 8ply (DK)

Pattern: ‘Cecelia’ designed by Victor Herbert (London) from a Thorobred  Scheepjeswol pattern booklet (circa 1988)

(NB – Jane and I are not, and in fact never have been, the same shape. No matter how much I adjust her.)

Brown patterned yoke handknitted jumper

Yarn: Wangaratta Woollen Mills 8ply (main colour); Patons Totem 8ply contrasts

Pattern: basic dimensions from ‘Cecelia’ (see above);  yoke and band patterns designed by moi. (And I even did a swatch, which I still have somewhere about.)

Diamond texture handknitted jumper

Yarn: Probably Cleckheaton Machine Wash 8ply, or similar

Pattern: my own invention

I wore these jumpers regularly for some years, until I put on too much weight – they’re supposed to be a loose style, but currently hug my tum and hips rather snugly. But I’m gonna get skinny slimmer again, so I’ll get to wear them this winter, right??

March goals

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1. Finish the Knittery merino/cashmere jaywalkers

2. Finish the Jo Sharp Fisherman’s gansey (only a few more inches on the front to go, then knit the collar and sew it all up)

3. Finish the baby jacket (only have to do the button bands – but I hate picking up button bands, so this project has stalled too long!)

4. Knit at least one sock in a pair for my Dad (bth have to be finished in the first week of April, in time to post for his birthday.)

5. Knit fingerless mittens for my friend Kerry.

That all should keep me busy – because I also have to write several more chapters of my book!

Progress report

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I ended up frogging the blue heel on the bright jaywalkers and have reknit it in the dark purple – and it’s much better! I don’t know a lot about colour theory, but although a very close blue is in the main yarn, I think the blue heel didn’t work because it was too ‘cool’ a colour for the warm, rich orange, pink and purple.

So, then I finished the sock, and tried it on, and…. it doesn’t fit. I can get it on my foot, but it’s tight around the foot, and way stretched around the ankle. Hmm. I’m going to let this project ‘rest’ for a little while, until I decide what to do. I’m not that keen on the colour scheme that I want to frog the sock and start again. However, my 16yo niece is on her way back from 3 months in France at the moment, so when  she’s home, I’ll find out if she wants a pair of zany coloured socks. If so, I’ll finish the second sock and she can have them for her birthday in April. If not, hmmmm….

Jaywalker sock, Lincraft yarn

As this project is now resting, I felt justified in casting on a new sock. The merino/cashmere yarn from The Knittery has been tempting me since it arrived about two months ago. I decided to try the jaywalker pattern again, but on the next size up needles. I’m using 2.75mm this time, on the logic that this size worked for the Veronik socks I made last month.

Jaywalker sock, The Knittery merino/cashmere yarn

My very basic, plain knit-while-I-write socks are also coming along. Sock one is finished, ans sock 2 on the way:

Patonyle sock

On the Jo Sharp Fisherman’s Gansey, I’m up to the pattern on the front yoke – but that takes a little bit of concentration, so it hasn’t progressed much lately.

Weaving-wise – no progress 🙁

Spinning – I actually went to the meeting a couple of weeks ago, and did spin some silk tops, but not much. There was a meeting yesterday, but as I had the migroan from hell, I didn’t go. Next fortnight!

Vintage pattern books

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As reported in my last post, on our trip to Nundle I bought a few old knitting pattern books. I was very restrained – there were far more there that I didn’t buy! But these ones I couldn’t resist:

Patons vintage knitting pattern book - fairisle

Patons ‘Fair Isles’ book, no. 262 In the 1970s, my older sister used an old pattern of my mother’s to knit a fair-isle jumper quite a lot like this, excpet in yellows and oranges – it was gorgeous! Most of the patterns in this book are the same sort of slim-fitting shape, so I’m not planning on knitting any of them just now – but it’s fun looking at the pictures 🙂 Incidentally, my mother told me that she used to knit while listening to 78rpm records. When she was knitting a fair-isle like this, (fine yarns, fine needles) she always aimed to get a row done in the time it took to play one side of a 78 – which, for those young enough not to know, is about 3 minutes!

Patons vintage knitting pattern book - no 204

Patons Knitting Book, No. 204

There are some cute glove patterns in here that I can see myself adapting:

Holiday gloves, from Patons Knitting Book No. 204

Holiday gloves, from Patons Knitting Book No. 204 (oops! Sorry about it being sidewise!)

Springtime gloves, from Patons Knitting Book No. 204

Springtime gloves, from Patons Knitting Book No. 204

Voyager gloves, from Patons Knitting Book No. 204

Voyager gloves, from Patons Knitting Book No. 204

Patons vintage knitting pattern book - no 236 (Jackets)

Patons vintage knitting pattern book – no 236 (Jackets). I’ve been on the lookout for jacket patterns, and there are some gorgeous ones in this book! (We won’t mention the fact that some of them are sized for women somewhat smaller than me  – because I should be able to upsize patterns and downsize me, right?)

‘City Bound’ from Patons vintage knitting pattern book - no 236

‘City Bound’ from Patons vintage knitting pattern book – no 236

‘Knocker’ from Patons vintage knitting pattern book - no 236 (Jackets)

‘Knocker’ from Patons vintage knitting pattern book – no 236 (Jackets)

‘Patio’ from Patons vintage knitting pattern book - no 236 (Jackets)

‘Patio’ from Patons vintage knitting pattern book – no 236 (Jackets)

‘Roamer’ from Patons vintage knitting pattern book - no 236 (Jackets)

‘Roamer’ from Patons vintage knitting pattern book – no 236 (Jackets)

Patons vintage knitting pattern book - no 6 - socks and gloves

Patons vintage knitting pattern book – no 6 – socks and gloves. This has a range of basic sock and glove patterns in it.

Australian Womens Weekly vintage knitting pattern book

Australian Womens Weekly vintage knitting pattern book. This has a range of patterns, including jumpers, cardigans, accessories, and also an elegant, long woman’s dressing gown!

I’ve had such fun looking through these that I can see that I’m going to have to resist the urge to begin a large collection of vintage knitting patterns 🙂

Nundle stash enhancement

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A friend and I had a trip on Friday to Tamworth, and Nundle Woollen Mills. We’d been to Nundle a few months ago, with our partners, but the menfolk weren’t interested in spending as much time (or money!) at the Woollen Mill as we were, so it was a bit rushed, and we decided we’d have a Girls’ Day Out. Friday was it!

We went to Tamworth first, to Spotlight, where Kerry bought some backing fabrics for her quilting. I didn’t see much to tempt me in the fabric area – I was looking for linen/cotton blends in browns, but there was nothing. In the yarn section, I was quite restrained. Firstly, because I’ve got enough for quite a few projects in the stash, but mostly because my exer-stash fund was only at $57.50, so that was my limit for yarn and fibre spending for the day! However, I did buy a ball of Moda Vera sock yarn, in varying shades of brown, for another pair of socks for my Dad for his birthday in April.

Moda Vera sock yarn

After browsing in Spotlight, we then got back in the car and headed for Nundle, which is about 54km from Tamworth, along some lovely back roads. First stop in Nundle was a coffee shop for morning tea! Then to a small pottery shop and an antique shop across the road. At the antique shop, I bought a couple of old pattern books – more on those in the next post! Then to the Woollen Mill, which was just behind the antique shop.

For those who haven’t been to Nundle, the Mill is a working woollen mill, with a gallery where you can look down on the machinery. It wasn’t operating when we were there, which I’m kinda glad of because it can be noisy and hot when it’s all going!  There’s also two large shop rooms, with plenty of yarn, including seconds and specials as well as the standard ranges, and a large selection of beautiful clothes, made of high-quality wool. I resisted the clothes on this trip, because I still haven’t lost much weight, so it’s no sense buying form-fitting clothes just as the moment. But it was a lot of fun to encourage Kerry’s wardrobe enhancement!

Yarn-wise, I bought four balls of Retro 4ply yarn, for socks.

Nundle Retro 4ply yarn

Nundle Retro 4ply yarn

After the Mill, we had lunch in the pub in the centre of town – very pleasant sitting out on the veranda watching the town go quietly by.  Then to the antique store near the pub – where I bought some more old pattern books!

All in all, it was a very pleasant day. I spent a total of $23 on yarn, so that leaves $34.50 in the exer-stash fund. I’d better get back to that dreadmill a bit more often!

Decisions, decisions

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Knitting lately seems to be two steps forward, one step back. In particular, I’ve been having trouble deciding on contrast colours for heels and toes for the two pairs of socks I’m currently knitting. I have a selection of 5-ply yarns that I use for contrasts, but none of them really worked very well for either pair. For the blue/green/mauve patonyle socks, I knitted the heel first in the same jade green I used last time I used this yarn, but decided it would be boring having two pairs the same. So, I used a purple yarn and knitted the heel – blerch, too strong a colour and it didn;t really pick up the mauve that’s in the main yarn.

So, I’ve now knitted the heel a third time, using a blue yarn, and I think it works well enough.

Patonlye handknitted socks

The very-colourful jaywalkers have been stalled for a while. My choices of colour for contrast heels for it were a pink that made it almost fluorescent, or a blue, which I used, but I’m pretty ‘meh’ about. There is a very similar shade blue in the main yarn, but I don’t think it’s working well to pick it up as the contrast.

Then I (re)discovered this dark purple in the back of the cupboard. And now I’m wondering if that would work better than the blue?? I think it will, which means frogging the foot and doing the heel and foot again. Opinions, anyone??

jaywalker socks progress

With doing the first sock of the Veronik socks three times, I sure have been frogging a lot lately!

I’m also trying to knit gloves for a friend, but am having trouble with the fact that the angora yarn I spun quite a while back is finer than I need, and there probably isn’t, in reality, quite enough for the gloves. I’ve started a pair, but I’m also mulling over maybe using one of the merino-cashmere yarns from The Knittery instead, and stranding the angora inside for extra warmth, or knitting a lining for the main part of the hand from the angora. My friend’s hands and fingers get very cold in winter, but she needs to be able to draw and work at the computer, so these can’t be too bulky. Hhhmmmmm. I’ve never knitted a lining for gloves, so I’m not sure which way to go.

New shoes – and socks!

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Hand knitted socks. Pattern: Socks for Veronik; Yarn: Nundle 4ply Retro

I have to wear ‘sensible’ shoes most of the time, and I bought these the other day on special – thinking as I did that they’d go well with handknit socks. And they do. (I think this is the middle-aged equivalent of a little girl wearing pink frilly party socks – although I’ll be wearing mine with trousers, not a dress. So it will mostly be only me who sees them.)

Hand knitted socks. Pattern: Socks for Veronik; Yarn: Nundle 4ply Retro

I ordered sock blockers yesterday from The Knittery. I’m hoping they’ll arrive tomorrow, but it may not be until Friday.

And yes, I put in an order at The Knittery but didn’t order any more yarn. How virtuous is that? However, I’ve only earned $47.60 in my exer-stash program, and I have to earn the $70 for the gift voucher from Wool on Wheels before I can spend it, so that’s my first target. Plus, there’s the little incidental fact that I have three skeins of sock yarn from The Knittery already that I haven’t started knitting yet. (Although I’ll probably start one of them this afternoon 🙂 ) So, sock-blockers and several sets of dpns were all I ordered yesterday. It’s only fibre and yarn that I have to walk to ‘earn’, so tools are exempt. And books. Which I don’t buy very often, but there’s a shipment on its way from amazon.com at this moment. They’ll probably be at least another week away.

Project details:

Pattern: Socks for Veronik, Interweave Knits. Holiday 2007

Yarn: Nundle Woollen Mills’ Retro 4ply, shade 147, 100% pure wool

Needles: 2.75mm

Modifications: I didn’t like the toe decrease as per the pattern, so I worked side decreases every second row until 30 sts remained, then every row until 14 sts remained, then grafted.

A Veronik sock

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I have finished a sock. (But don’t ask me about the book revisions. Just. Don’t.)

They’re cruddy photos because I have neither a sock blocker or an attractive leg, but I’ll try and get some better ones later (photos, not legs – although maybe some weight loss might eventually help the legs.)

I didn’t do the toe decrease as written for the pattern. I looked around on Ravelry, and the P3tog decrease down the centre front of the toe just didn’t work for me. I know some people love it, but I kept thinking it looked like a butt crack 🙂 So, I did a variation of my standard toe decrease. The garter stitch down the side of the heel doesn’t really work for me, either, but I’m not going to frog and redo that. I’ll make the 2nd sock matching, but if I make this pattern again (and I probably will), I’ll leave out the garter stitch heel band.

Sock for Veronik in Nundle Retro 4ply

Sock for Veronik in Nundle Retro 4ply - detail

And, as far as progress on other fronts goes:

  • Patonyle socks: up to heel on first sock
  • Jaywalker socks: no progress
  • Weaving: still stalled
  • Fisherman’s gansey: front bottom band knitted
  • Book revisions: will be finished tonight!

The Knittery yarns

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After weeks of being buried under revisions for my book, and an unexpected trip to Canberra for the funeral of a friend, I’m finally posting pictures of the luscious yarns that I received from The Knittery at the beginning of the month.

The Knittery merino silk lace yarn

Merino silk lace yarn – this will be a shawl.

The Knittery merino cashmere sock yarn - Water Lilies

Merino cashmere sock yarn – Water Lilies shade

The Knittery merino cashmere sock yarn - Midnight

Merino cashmere sock yarn – Midnight shade

The Knittery merino cashmere sock yarn - Dark Reds

Merino cashmere sock yarn – Dark reds

The Knittery posmerino yarn - natural

Posmerino yarn – natural shade. This will be a jacket or jumper.

All  I’ve done so far with these yarns (other than some serious drooling and fondling!) is wind the red sock yarn from a skein into balls.

I’ve not done heaps of knitting lately, due to other priorities absorbing my time. I really wish one could still knit on planes, as I had a fair few hours in airports that I could have gainfully used that way, but alas, the needles had to go in the suitcase, and I didn’t get much chance to pull them out in Canberra.

The colourful jaywalker socks are half-way done in the first foot, now. The lacy Veronik socks are still only at the heel of the first sock, but now knitted for the third time – I’ve decided that 2.75mm needles are right for this, having tried both 2.5 and 3mm. However,  both the jaywalker and Veronik socks take a little too much concentration to knit while I’m writing, and since that’s about all I’ve been doing for the past couple of weeks, I haven’t made much progress.

Today I did start another, plain pair of socks, which I can knit while writing. I’m using a Patonyle ‘fairisle’ yarn that I’ve used before and love;Jade/blue/purple socks  Last time, I knitted heels and toes in a jade green, but this time I’ll do them in purple. I like these colours, and they are pleasant to knit with!

On other matters, the exer-stash fund is slowly growing – I haven’t been as good at exercising as I should have been, but I’m over $40 now.

My weaving, however, is still stalled as it has been for months. Maybe once this book is revised and in, I’ll give myself a few hours to play on the looms, and finally get them threaded so I can start to weave.