WIPs and FOs

A "Lauren" shawl, Rowan Linen Print on a 15mm Addi Turbo Circ. needle:
I love this yarn, isn't the lace pretty!... but the pattern demands 100% attention from you... I'm up to my 9th 3-row Set, but due to a HUGE droped stitch mistake, only up to 124 st on the needle (See 'blog entry about it). I am oh so nearly half way there now! Yay!
What do you think?

Knitty French Market Bag, Jaeger Natural Fleece, 9mm Plastic DPN, transitioned onto a 1m long 9mm Addi Turbo:
This pattern intregued me somewhat. Lixie knitted one at NW1k2tog, and hey, I've never done anything felted, I've got a tonne of this yarn in my stash... So, I though I would give it a go. However, the yarn I'm using is twice the mm of the recommended in the pattern, and it has got HUGE! though. I'm still not going up the sides of the bag yet either! Another 8 st to inc by yet... However, I'm also scared. I read on various Fulling sites that to properly felt, the knitting needs to be somewhat looser than normal, and as this is just knitted to the standard needle size, so I'm not sure it is going to work. Lixie recommended I do a swatch and see... Otherwise, this is all going to have to be frogged and taken up to a 12mm needle...As I sure you can understand, I really don't want to Frog this much knitting! *Sigh*
What do you think?

Louisa Harding Sari Ribbon Sampler. Using same pattern as KYO Gorgeous handbag below. 5.5mm, started on Bamboo, moving to Metal:
I fell in love with the new Louisa Harding Yarns on sight... I bought 3 skeins of this and the Kimono Ribbon just to see what it as like. I cast on 36st on some Addi Bamboos, and the first 3 rows of fabric whispered "Make me into another KYO bag..." to me. So, I am! Transfered it to Metals, and it is flying! I seem to want to get this one done, it is taking on a life of its own! I've loving the texture of the fabric...
What do you think?

Scarf in Noro Silver Thaw, 6.5mm Bamboo.
eBay yarn purchase, and I'm loving the texture and colour of this yarn. I frogged the original, as it was too tight and too wide. I didn't want "just another garter stitch scarf", so I found a simple lace stitch and created a pattern. This is now actually a touch longer than shown, but I haven't had time to take new photography! I reincluded the Bead and intend to figure out how to follow this pattern in the round, to make a hat with a lacy band! (After all, all holes would be very silly eh? ) Scarf Shown with a couple of my very own stitchmarkers in action!
What do you think?

Knitty Clapotis, Coldspring 100% Space-dyed Mereno, 5.5mm Aero circ:
This pattern! I jumped on the bandwagon after "everyone" started talking about knitting one! I bought this space-dyed Mereno on a whim from ebay, no project in mind for it at the time, but I think it will suit a Clapotis huge amounts. So, I cast on... and then hit lots of hassle, and PixelDiva, bless her, cast this initial section on for me! :-) However, I cocked it up again, and so.. this is an official UFO. I took great glee in frogging it!

2 socks, Self-patterning Opal 4ply in Purples. On 2.5mm Aluminium DPNs:
For ages, this is just a ball of Opal with 4 metal DPNs stuck into it!
I did try and start a sock off 3 times previously, I kept mucking up with the join, or the rib, or losing stitches, but on my 4th attempt, I cracked it! I changed to a 5 set of Bamboo needles from 4 slippery metals, but when I left the ribbing behind, I found I was knitting too tightly, which makes knitting socks very horrid. I'm not enjoying teh knitting, which sort of defeats the reason why I knit... so I'm officially UFOing this!

Finger knitting braids, 2x contrasting Jaeger Matchmaker DK for the most part:
This is what got me into Needle knitting... Does that mean that Finger braiding is the "Gateway Drug" to more serious Fibre abuse? I was at one of my English Civil War re-enactments, and a member of the public taught me to finger knit with some scrap wool in some one's sewing basket. I was an addict from there! I had found a new Living-History skill, that takes a lot let kit than Sutlery, so I went and invested in quite a few balls of 100% DK wool, just for the purpose.
I subscribed to the UKHandKnitters Yahoo! group, to enable me to find better/cheaper supplies of 100% wool, dyed in the right sort of natural-dye shades... Instead, I ended up being lured into knitting with needles.
My Nan had taught me as a child, but I wasn't very good and could only plain very badly. I always ended up making lots of stitches, and not knowing how I had done that. I now realise I was spliting the yarn by accident, and then just knitting every loop that was on the needles.
However, after a week or so of all the UKHK's knitting talk, I wandered down stairs one night, pulled a pair of chopstix out of the drawer, got a ball of wool from my stash and proceeded to see if I could remember how to knit. I did some research on the interweb, found and read some basic knitters intro sheets, and now, I seem to have a Yarn and Needle stash larger than I think I will ever be able to knit in one lifetime!
What do you think?

My first tester projects:
The Yellow and White are a 100% acrylic. The hat at the top is me learing DPN. You can see my DPN-gap ladders, but they look quite good in this context! The purse is actually a third scale tester for the Unbiased Bag below. The little white scarf is 100% wool, and learning 1x1 rib.
What do you think?

Recycled Sari-Silk, 5mm metal needles:
My Unbiased bag, pattern from knitty.com. After knitting up the tester, and making sure that I was competent enough with the decreases and other things that the pattern called for, I bought some Sari-Silk and dived right in with it.
However, when it was first launched, Sari-Silk was a joy and a devil to knit with.
The skeins I bought had very variable quality. When this yarn was first released, there were 3 distinct types: The silky-tight stuff, wiht long-fibres that is a joy to knit, the flat-fluffy stuff that is OK but doesn't shine like the first style,and the dreaded "short-fibre" stuff, that shreds and snaps away from itself when you so much as breathe on it!
I think I got lucky, as most of he stuff I got was the former, but there is a large patch on one side of my bag that is flat, and a small section that is covered in knots, where I had to tie it all together.
Luckily, the yarn is very forgiving of these knots, and hides them well. I love my Unbiased! I love it because of its feel, its texture, and its shine. However, I also love it because is the piece of knitting that proved to me that I can actually be "A knitter".
What do you think?

Jaeger Natural Fleece with Jaeger Fur trim, 10mm Plastic Needles:
My First Project on "big" needles, it was so gratifying to see something so beautiful come together so quickly. This project fully converted me to "bigger is better" at least, on the yarn and needle front! This particular scarf now lives in Boston, where is saw stirling service in the depths of their 2005 snowy season, and got greatly complemented apparantly! I swapped it with Phyll for a Sari-Silk one dhr bought in Camden Market when she was visiting England in January 05. She gave me the scarf cos it matched my Unbiased, and as I was slightly tipsy, I immediatly handed her my scarf! How to make 2 people happy in one easy lesson. I had a couple of balls still stashed, so I knitted myself a replacement. It is slightly wider but has no trim, because I had no "Fur" in my stash. (I also confess to not having weaved the ends in yet, hey it was may when I finished it, no need for thick wool scarf!)
What do you think?

Once I finished the original scarf, I then knitted a...

Jaeger Natural Fleece with Jaeger Fur trim, 9mm Addi turbo Circ. Needle:
... scalloped edge hat! This was my first project on a Circ. and it is about 3cm too short, but still works very well. The pattern says you ned a ball, but for my head, you need about a ball and 4 extra rows.

I'm divided on my opinion of Circs. as they make my hands cramp slightly, but relieve the ache in my wrists from the weight of the knitting. I suppose that comes of having "big paws" and arthritic wrists. if only Addi made teh turbos about another 3cm longer in the point, so it sits in my hand better...
What do you think?

I also knitted a hat&Scarf set in Grey for my best mate Tina. She got the hat in January 05 (not scalloped, she wanted it so she could tug it down around her ears real easy), and I finished the scarf in April, but haven't seen her to give it to her yet! (I don't have Pics, I will have to take one of her wearing both when I see her next!)

Mum's Xmas Pressie 2004. Rowan Biggy Print with Jaeger Fur trim, 20mm Plastic Needles:
My Second Project on "big" needles. This is just in garter stitch, but the colours made this fun to knit, and because it was on HUGE needles, it was quick too. I did the bulk of it this in two evenings in December 04 (Well, I would have done for an Xmas pressie! ;-) ). I originally tried it with 10mm needles and a waffle like stocking stitch panel pattern, but the fabric ended up so dense and heavy, it would have taken about 10 balls to knit something of decent length. I learned a lot about why needle size actually effects the garment with this scarf, so it serves two purposes!
What do you think?

Little Pink Man:
Ok, I know, this is a silly one... I was in Lush in Carnaby Street one night after work, and they were having a "slummber party" themed event. All the staff were in PJs, and they were doing make overs, hair dying, and in one corner, a little knitting. I get chattiny to the lovely lady (Jo) and get convinced to pull up a cushion, grab a little yarn and needles and knit something!

Now, at the time, I didn't know how to yo. Jo showed me what to do, and the result was a rectangle with three holes in it... which when BO looked rather like a head! So, I had to knit the poor chap a body as well.

I CO a load, and knit from the shoulders down, BO to make arms, and joined thread where appropriate. I gave him a little ribbing at his chest for some definition, BO a stitch at the crotch level to devide the legs, did an inc then dec to get a thigh bulge, a bit of ribbing for a knee, and then a dec for the ankle, and a CO to make a boot.

He worked rather well I thought. I will stitch him to something at some point, but for the now, he lives in the tester pile.
What do you think?

2x2 Rib Shrug, Sari-Silk, knit with one 10mm and one 7mm, plastic needles:
I worked on this one since November 2004, I started this before I started the red & white hat and scarf set! As it is in a 2x2 rib, I would knit 6cm or so, and then get hacked off because it was so awkward to do. However, in June 2005, I learned that I wasn't purling correctly. Now, it is almost a pleasure to knit! I finished it up on 04/8/05. I turned it into a tube, as it was getting far too heavy to be a scarf! Will defininatly be worn with style once it gets a touch colder...
What do you think?

A Marks & Spencer "Knit-Your-Own Gorgeous Handbag"Kit. Mystery yarn on 12mm Bamboo needles:
This is all over bar a touch of weaving and possibly blocking. I suspect I should line it as well, so that thinks you put in it, stay in it! I could also add a zip, but that would take far to long! ;-) It is a mystery yarn, so at some point soon, I am going to have to burn test it, to see exactly what M&S have sold me! Update: I just used this as a scrap yarn to tie up my hand dyed skeins, and it didn't take in any dye at all... So that puts it in the "Polyester" range I suspect!
What do you think?

Total Mystery Present - 2 Afghan Blanket Squares!:
OK, Big Reveal time! Liz, the founder of the Golder's Green NW London ktog group got married in September. So, as a group, we decided to knit her and her new husband an afghan blanket. As I said, it was two new challenges for me. Cotton, which I had never knitted, and to a size, which I had never done either! I really enjoyed knitting with it though, Cotton is far nicer than I was expecting. I also threw my first cable on the white one, as you can see! Sewing up party was November 1st, and it was all a big rush at the end, I was sitting there in the sew up session, casting-off! That is why you have the WIP pic of the second square, I forgot to take my camera to the sewing up party!D'oh!
We gave Liz and Oliver the blanket at our alledged "Season's Greetings" Chinese meal... and they had huge trouble maintaining their composure over it! How marvelous!
What do you think?

Stitch markers made from Italian Glass Beads with Sterling Silver wires and Tibetan Silver Toggles:
I wanted some "Knitting Jewlery". So, I looked at the net, to see just how expensive! Youch! So, I got the stuff and made a load! Pretty Pretty! I've had lots of interest to buy some from me, so here they are!
What do you think?

Kool-Aid dyed yarns:
Dyeing is oh-so-special, isn't it. Even if it is just one colour, *you* made it. I'm rather proud of this little pile of handdyed, and have invested quite heavily in packets of kool-aid to dye up more. It is rather strange that the bottom three balls (Cygnet Yarns, the Blue is "DK Superwash", the pink is "Wool rich Aran") varigated themselves (Pure, but very happy accident!) I think I had the yarn too hot when I placed it in the dye bath. The top lot are all the same wool (Laines du Nord), and it is very silky. It was a Cheap ebay job-lot, but I got seriously lucky with it!
Want to have a go yourselves? Try it, It is so easy to do! (Kool Aid from here (NAYY))
The kool-aid produces some yummy colours, and even smells yummy as you make it! (Although, if it does that to yarn...??? and you are supposed to drink this stuff...???)
I've lots of interest about these from other knitters, so hey, you never know I might sell some of this too, if I ever make enough!
What do you think?