Third Time Lucky

I almost got it right the second time I tried the ribber on the machine but as you can see from the second photo a few stitches tucked up on the needles. They didn't show too badly on the right side of the work but I still decided to start again. Apart from a bit of looping at the beginning of a couple of rows I managed the back without any mistakes with my third try. I have never been so excited about a plain cardigan back for a baby for a long time. Shows that I am on the right track.

A Knitting Wrapsody by Kristin Omdahl that I pre-ordered months ago from Amazon arrived today. It does have some lovely designs in it but I thought that there would be more like the front cover design, Instead there are quite a lot of shawls and stoles in it, I suppose the clue is in the title but as it was a pre order I couldn't browse before I bought it. My niece loves the shrug style top on the front cover. It has a beautifully cabled back that runs from side to side, Laid out flat it is an oval shape with a slit in it. The collar is picked up and kmitted afterwards. The pattern however is on a chart and I know that the newbie knitters love charts but I was only ever taught to use charts for fair isle and all of these symbols for cables etc on a chart just baffle me.

I have just put photos of a few things from the book. I am sure that Ravelry will have posted photos of a lot of the other shawls and wraps. I have chosen the pink shawl as it looks very easy and there are really good pictorial directions on how to knit the scalloped edge.

I think that the Infinity jacket is lovely. I have seen the Infinity wrap in crochet but would have never thought of using the pattern as the back of a jacket. There is an awful lot of knitting in this jacket but very unusual and eye catching. It does need a nicely shaded wool to bring out the pattern.It is made in a chunky wool on a 6mm needle so something like the James C Brett Marble Chunky would be ideal for this as it is a lightweight chunky.

I like the wide ladder effect cables on the mobius. It is unusual in the fact that it has buttons to fasten it together so can be worn as a shoulder wrap as well as a mobius. As it is in chunky wool on a 9mm needles I imagine that it is a quick knit.

I didn't get the grey cropped top finished last night as when I finished off the bottom band as per the instructions it frilled away from the body instead of looking like ribbing. It did that on the sleeve edging but I didn't think too much about it until I had finished the body ribbing. I undid it all and am making it all in dc in the back loops instead of one row dc and 1 row half trebles as the pattern. The ribbing is turning out a bit narrower but it will hold the edge of the jacket to the body. I did look on Ravelry at some of the finished projects and one in particular looks really frilly especially around the neck. I know that I crochet a bit on the loose side but at least I know that it is not just me that had a frilly edge. I am going to take back the sleeve edging so that it will all match. Maybe tonight it will get finished but Buster is arriving soon so maybe not. By the time we have said hello and had a few games of catch with the ball it will be a bit late for any crocheting.

Hopefully I will knit the rest of the pieces for the baby cardigan tomorrow. My eyes are not what they where and trying to hook onto small needles in a not too bright light will only lead to more mistakes. That is the one problem with putting the machine in the dining room. The light is central and so is behind me when I am on the machine so I cast a shadow all over my work. Daylight is the best light to work in. I would rather knit or crochet by hand when I am watching the TV. I like to sit in my recliner and be all relaxed with a cup of coffee.

The Patons aran wool that arrived yesterday from Purplelinda is to make another crochet cabled jacket like the one that I made in grey for Sylvia, One of Sylvia's friends admired it so much that she asked if I would make one for her. I had better get back into the rhythm of my knitting and crochet again. I seem to be going slower and slower these last few weeks. I must pick up the charcoal knitting again and finish that off after I have finished the crochet grey top.At least that will be one niece's birthday present sorted out as they are both for her. I then have my other niece and Sylvia's friend to knit and crochet for as well as fitting in some machine knitting. What do they say 'The Devil makes work for idle hands to do' There is no chance of him finding my hands idle unless I am asleep!

Crochet So Fine - Kristin Omdahl

The new book by Kristin Omdahl arrived today. There are 21 projects in the book so I have just chosen a few of them to show you. My first reaction when I opened the book was WOW. They are such pretty designs. I fell in love with the front cover sweater the moment that I saw it on preview and the Diamonds shawl is to die for.

As for the rest of the designs I will just let them speak for themselves. I just know that I am going to be making many designs from this book in the future. I am not sure which one I will be starting with. I will have to think who is it for, what colour would they like and then find some suitable yarn on the net. I am sure that a lot of my family will be having Christmas gifts made from this book. I am so glad that it has arrived early as most of the yarns used are quite fine and so any of the projects will take a while to crochet.

The things that I haven't shown are another shawl, a bag, a chain hat, a cardigan, an openwork hairpin sweater, a neck warmer, and a beret,. Everything in the book is beautifully photographed in close up with several views of each garment. Lots of books don't give front and back views so you are never sure what the whole thing looks like. Anything I have missed off on the blog will be on Ravelry as I saw most of the designs on there before my book arrived.

I am so in love with my new recliner chair. I started some baby knitting last night just to test out the chair for comfort whilst knitting. I was fine. I am sure that I must have been sitting at an angle with the other chair and that caused me to have so many problems whilst knitting. The only thing that happened was that I have an ache in my upper right arm today. Maybe now I can finally finish off the boys hooded jackets!

I haven't had any replies from Freecycle for the old recliner. I phoned a couple of furniture charities today and they weren't interested either. It seems bizarre that I can't even give a chair away when it still has life left in it when I know lots of people don't even have an armchair at all. I can't even ask any of my neighbours to take it to the landfill for me as they don't have cars large enough. Maybe my son will have some ideas when he calls tomorrow.

Blue Heaven Sweater Finished

I have finished the Blue Heaven Sweater From the Crochet Closet book by Lisa Gentry. In the UK this would be called a cardigan or a jacket. A sweater in the UK is something that does not open at the front but simply pulls over the head and has a neckband.

It has been an extremely economical cardigan to make as I had the wool in stash. It has taken 400 grams of Sportimo DK that I bought from Lidl a couple of years ago. I think that I paid £4 for a pack of 500 grams. It is, of course, all acrylic but as I can't wear wool then acrylic is my yarn of choice anyway.

I was very unsure about the sleeves all the time that I was crocheting the cardigan but now it is finished I quite like the bell shape at the end of the sleeves.

I feel sure that I will make it again although next time I will make the sleeves longer and unshaped at the bottom for a bit of extra warmth. The stitch is easy to do. Just one row to repeat and it has made quite a close fabric which is great for any everyday garment. Loose lacy fabrics look very pretty but I tend to get hooked up on doorhandles etc as I pass by. The only alteration that I made to the pattern was to work the body longer than stated on the pattern as waist length cardigans are not very flattering to a plus sized lady. I like to think that a longer cardigan skims over my body and makes me look a wee bit slimmer.

I got an e mail last night telling me that my new Kristin Omdahl book I pre ordered from Amazon is on it's way. This was a nice surprise as it's predicted issue date is a few weeks away. I shall look forward to that arriving. I have seen lots of the patterns previewed on Ravelry but it's not the same as getting the book to drool over.

I got a phone call this morning telling me that they are delivering my new recliner armchair tomorrow morning so I am hoping that someone on Freegle answers me and wants to take the old recliner away very soon as I really don't have room in the lounge for two recliners as well as the two sofas in there.

Maybe I will force myself to get back to the boys knitting now that I have finished off the blue crochet. I don't really want to start anything large in case the crochet book comes tomorrow morning and I have some wool in stash that is suitable for something in the book. I will keep you posted and of course give you a preview of the book should it arrive tomorrow.

Will Wet Blocking Rescue It?

I am hoping that when I finish and wet block my shawl that it will somewhat resemble the first photo. As you can see from the second photo I think it will take a miracle for that to happen. Admittedly I am not using the correct yarn as when I priced it up on the net it made me take a large gulp so I had to opt for a much cheaper substitution. The wool that I am using is 4ply and therefore thicker than the one recommended. You would imagine therefore that my shawl would come out bigger and not smaller than the pattern. The first time I started it I used the hook recommended and it was turning out to be the size of a small doily. I have upped the hook from 4mm to 6mm and am still in doubt that it will be anywhere near the right size even when blocked.

I will finish it off and pray that a good wet stretch will work wonders. If I had bought the correct yarn I seriously doubt if it would have turned out the right size. Very unusual as I normally crochet loosely and use hooks smaller than the ones recommended on patterns. I am loath to make it in thicker yarn as the whole effect of the shawl is ethereal and not substantial. The only thing I can do is to up the hook size even more but then it could look rather stringy.

I have found the pattern a bit difficult to understand especially this last row so I am doing a bit of my own version for the flower type edging. I am not the only one to do this as I read on Ravelry that Naelana has had difficulty with this pattern also.

My niece came today and played ball with Buster on the lawn but after only a few throws he was knackered so I don't think he will be going on a walk today. He is far too hot even though it is not really sunny today. I will see how he is when the sun goes down in the early evening. The area that I walk him in is quite wooded and so is shaded from the hot sun in most parts so it should be cool later on. If he gets too hot then he can paddle in the stream.