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!