Sunday, June 17, 2007

Old favourites

For a change thought I'd better post an entry devoted to knitting. Been on leave this last week and was largely confined to the house. Got sunburnt last Sun, it was overcast with low cloud cover so along with thousands of others at an airshow didn't realise we were getting sunburnt. On Wed got stung on my top lip and within a short time my whole upper lip part of my lower lip was swollen and blistered. Antihistamines don't seem to have helped enormously so just been patient, stayed in out of the sun and carried on knitting.

Promised Natalie, a work colleague a pair of socks - she wants them to be a total surprise so in the stash had this bright pink Jitterbug and since she's been having a bit of a tough time thought it would be suitable. I mean who can be fed up wearing socks this bright!! Knit sock 1 of Jaywalkers but wasn't totally happy with the result.The yarn seemed to fight me every inch of the way whilst knitting this - knitting Jitterbug on 2.25m needles produces a very tight fabric but at the expense of it's softness. When I tried it on the heel area was baggy. As I needed to get this pair of socks off the needles quickly thought I'd go back to a pattern that's a favourite Broadripple. Couldn't believe the difference - the resulting sock flew off the needles and was a pleasure to knit rather than a chore. So sock 1 got frogged and here we have the results.

This is much closer to the colour - they really are incredibly bright!!

M loves handknit socks so much he claimed the bright blue Jitterbug I had and requested another pair of Thuja. Voila! These are also incredibly bright blue but with subtle patches of forest green and purple woven through.

Dee of Posh Yarns issued a challenge whereby if you wore something made of her Posh Yarn to her stall you'd get 10% of any purchases. I had some lovely Sophia 2ply cashmere in the stash and decided to knit Sivia Harding's Diamond Fantasy Shawl. As I posted earlier, when I ttok the skeins out of the stash wasn't too sure about the colour combi but when wound up and knitted it really is very pretty, especially in the sun. Unfortunately Dee wasn't able to make the show but I did complete the shawl a week later. Knitting with this yarn was pure pleasure, the pattern is so well written although I did go wrong. >As soon as I worked this out it is an interesting easy knit. The I-cord edging was new to me, took ages but does give a lovely, even strong edging will I'll use again. BEWARE there is a mistake on some copies of the pattern as Rows 42 and 43 are repeated. Was lucky enough to get 2 skeins of Dee's Sophia 4ply at sale price a fortnight ago. This is colourway Turtle and destined for a pair of socks.

One of my weaknesses is for fresh flowers in the house and a fortnight ago bought this bunch of purpley astromerias.
They were more purpley in reality and as the evening sunlight came in through the patio windows they glowed in the sun.

4 Comments:

At 8:18 am, Blogger JRS said...

Thanks for the tip about Jaywalkers with Jitterbug. I have some bright pink Jitterbug in my stash (but with white, not blue) and have been thinking about what to knit with it. I'll be sure to choose something that's not so tight!

 
At 6:10 pm, Blogger roxy =^o^= said...

All of your photos are lovely. I can picture myself sitting in your garden, breathing in the flora and knitting with you on your porch :)


Hope you are well - it's stinky hot n humid here in MD and I need a day off. Write soon - I miss you!

*hugs*

Anne

 
At 6:20 pm, Blogger roxy =^o^= said...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/junku/423946167/

Just wanted to share a link to one of my favorite cat piccies too :)

 
At 5:28 pm, Blogger Gill said...

Thanks Roxy - it would be lovely if you could be over here enjoying the garden too. Only problem is that until this last week we'd have needed brollies and wellies!!

Thanks for the link to cat pics - I did enjoy them but what is it with cats and boxes.

Hope you're both keeping well and will write very soon. Missed you too but am keeping up via the various blog entries.

Gill

 

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