knit n bitch

Name & Shame #1 - Target

I decided to sort through my UFO's/WIP's and do a 'name & shame' in the vain hope that a) it would motivate me to finish something! b) to get my head around how many projects were actually buried in my lllarrrrrgggggggeeee basket (or two, or three) of knitting!  Here's what I found.

This was started with the intention of ending up on Mister Luka (my second little lad), and it may well make it onto his back.  If, however, I get trapped under a large rock and can't break free for a few months (and the rest) then luckily I have a third little lad waiting in the wings to take over the 'my mummy made this for me' flag!

It's called Target, and it's from Rowan's Miss Bea's Seaside.  It's made in Rowan Denim and I decided to do it in the round, then 'DOH' realised that you can't do intarsia in the round without cutting lots of yarn (maybe you can, but I don't know of a way).  Sooooo, I did the first 4cm in the round and then switched to flat knitting.  The 'target' bit at the front is all done, so all I have to do (come on now Emma, pull your finger out) is the straight bit of stocking stitch that makes up the back, sew in the ends of the intarsia (groan) then join the sides!  Will try and get a piccy of Luka wearing it for you (coz he's very cute).

   

My Boys!!!

We had some professional family photo's taken recently, and they came out beautifully!  Thought I would just share with you the cuteness that lurks under the grubby faces of my children!

   

Ribbed Cardi

This little number is 'almost' complete, just a bit of sleeve to knit up and Charlie Flynn can wear it.  It's a borrowed pattern, taken out of the womens weekly I think.  It's a cardigan thats knit in one piece, on the side, in rib, with 4ply yarn.....(note to self: never try to knit a 4ply cardi for your baby unless you knit it BEFORE he is born!!!).  I am using Rowan 4ply Soft (mmmmm) in sooty I think!  I have a cute pair of stripey black, grey and white leggings for Charlie and this cardi was knit up specifically to coordinate with the leggings.....so I better get a move on.  Size wise, I am doing the 6-12 months, so hopefully there will be some wear out of it (he's just turned 6 months).  The story so far.... (oh, and had to slip in another example of how much I love my Yarn Daisy)

   

 

Stripey Slouch Cardigan

One of my customers was wicked and evil, and led me astray (ok, so it's not hard to do).  Anyway, Louise contacted me with a query about a particular yarn that she wanted to use to replicate a stripey cardi that she had seen Jennifer Garner (AKA Mrs Ben Affleck) wearing.  She sent me a photo of said celeb wearing said cardi and before you know it, I am rummaging in the Jo Sharp Soho Summer Cotton (a firm fave of mine) to find colours to knit the very same garment (I chose Siren, Blush & Cactus).  Whilst Louise wrote her own pattern (clever girl), I resorted to adapting a pattern.  I chose the Slouchy Cardigan from Greetings from The Knit Cafe, which uses an 8ply/DK weight yarn knit up on 4.50mm needles so that the stitches are looser and therefore the whole garment is floppier, or dare I say, SLOUCHIER!

I am knitting it on circular needles, worked flat, so that I can take the different colours up both sides and join them in whenever I want to.  I have nearly finished the back and realised that random, 'whenever you feel like it' stripes might not have been such a good idea.  a) this means that I have to make sure the sides match (unless I am going for the chaos look) b) I now have no idea if my random stripes will leave me short of one or other of my colours!  Bugger!  Still, too late now!

I've been using my new 'favourite' gadget to help with all the colours, and this is the Yarn Daisy.  I love 'em, love 'em, love 'em!  Not only do they keep multiple colours nice and neat, but when you get to near the end of a ball of yarn, and it starts collapsing in on itself, or knotting up, thats when a Yarn Daisy comes in handy too!  Also, really slippy yarns (like Rowan Lurex Shimmer) are an absolute nightmare to work with, but with a Yarn Daisy, it's a doddle (I think you might see these little tools a lot in my blogging from now on).

This project is officially on the backburner whilst I attend to ('aaheem) 'other' more pressing garments (I shall tell you about those shortly).  One thing I am yet to decide is whether to make it reverse stocking stitch, or keep it stocking stitch and whether or not to have the seams on the outside (for a more casual look) or make it all nice and neat??!!

So.....where was I?

Blimey....it's been too long, and whilst I have a list as long as 'yer arm as to why I have gone silent on the blogging front, I can pretty much sum it up in one word....BUSY!

Where shall I start?  Well, perhaps I should show you a piccy of my third born, Mister Charlie Flynn, sporting a very fetching ensemble made by his mummy!  It's the Debbie Bliss Raglan Sweater but I made it stripey and used the chocolate and duck egg Cashmerino Aran.  My one gripe about this pattern....not long enough!  About 3 or 4cm longer would have been better, but as I had baby brain whilst knitting this, I can be forgiven for not altering it.  For all of you out there who are about to knit the sweater, make it longer (you might need an extra ball!).