Knitting Blog

Sunrise Circle jacket

Oh the agonies of the Aran! Three changes of pattern later, countless trips to Ebay and John Lewis to top up the yarn, and oh goodness, it’s finished at last. New knitter syndrome, I think: naively choosing a yarn first and a pattern second.

Also, this grey was deeply fashionable last winter when this project was begun. Now I’m not so sure. Still, I like the coloured bands that trim the sleeve and the edges of the circular fronts. Very glad I did that, although it was a bit risky, since it’s done at the cast-on. If it hadn’t worked, that’d be the whole thing to pull out. Hah.

The pattern has been knitted like crazy by over 200 people at Ravelry, and it’s in more than 700 queues. Thanks to the marvelous Kate Gilbert and Interweave Knits: it was really easy to make although the sheer bulk of carrying a whole sleeve and front at the same time on one circular needle makes it an impractical project to take on the bus. Comfy couch radio 4 knitting really, but then what isn’t?

It’s heavy to carry, but surprisingly light to wear, and feels extremely warm and comfortable. So, was it worth the money, all those weeks of effort? Not sure yet, but I can see this being worn every winter for a decade or so to come. No more big projects for me, for a while. Phew!

Quant: easy entrelac project

Easy(ish) pattern by Star Athena; another goodie from Knitty. A really great hat for long hair, and the extra air trapped under the little diamond cushions makes it really warm. Took one skein of Noro Silk Garden Light. I think it’s time to start a one-skein category.

Calorimetry

Short rows, yeay. What you do is stop knitting part way along a row, and turn the work around and knit back again. This Calorimetry is made with Rowan Silk Aran and is very warm. I cast on 90 stitches and used 5mm needles and it’s still a wee bit big, and I’ve got big hair. Next time I make this, it’ll be on smaller needles and maybe 80 stitches. The button is from a duffle coat I had as a child.

Connie’s Cirque du Pakol

Click through to see some more views. This is a bit of a freeform job, prompted by the Cirque du Suess created by She Shoots Sheep Shots, and made with recycled cotton/wool mix boucle. I’m thinking to do more of these, and I do love the idea of reusing yarns, although it did take several rinses to get the fabric conditioner out. I’ll write a how-to on collecting reusable yarns, because it’s not so straightforward, but it’s a cracking plan, all told. There are going to be another 2 or 3 hats where this came from.

Connie likes it, and that’s of the utmost importance. :)