This little cutie is an Amy Gaines Amigurumi pattern called the Pirate Panda. It's for Mister Luka Jack, and it made up from Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran & Aran Tweed. Knit on 3.25mm needles, it's hard on the hands, but the stitches are nice and tight and the results are worth it. So far he's only 15cm tall, but he doesn't have his legs yet. Luka keeps nagging for this one, so must hurry and get the rest finished!
I am DELIGHTED to announce that, after a bit of guidance from Rachael (ta muchly!) I have 'Ad-Libbed' the first arm of my Monkey Amigurumi! Horrah again! I am going to keep going and stick to the legs and arms first, just to get my crochet bearings, then I will go for the head and body when I am confident with the stitches. I am using Peaches & Creme cotton, which is just divine to use, and the colours are so fab! Think all my Ami's will be in this!
This is probably my oldest WIP. I bought this kit when I was back in the UK about 18 months ago (saved myself the postage to Australia!) and I started it with gusto, but then.....errrr....well, as our good friend the Yarn Harlot would say, I got 'startitis', ie, other yummy knits distracted me!
It's from Kim Hargreaves first summer collection and it's called Delight. Knit in Rowan Denim (I chose Memphis) and very feminine, although I have a sneaking suspicion I have started knitting it a size to big for me (ask my friends, this is a common theme in my knitting!). We shall see!
Most of this part (the back) was knit up on the train journey to London to visit friends and I really enjoyed knitting it (I am a bit of a Denim fan...not the softest to knit with, but looks sensational when it comes out of the final wash). I really should get this finised! errrr.....watch this space!
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).
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)
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??!!
Sorry, sorry, sorry, just as I feel up to getting back into the swing of blogging I start going down hill health wise again! Poo! Ah well, only 4 weeks to go before baby #3 arrives (oh and definiately a boy, for sure, no mistaking - another two ultrasounds have confirmed this).
So, onto the knitting. This is what I am currently knitting, the Striped Hooded Top from Debbie Bliss's Baby Cashmerino Book. I made one of these for my second son, Luka, in red and white, and this is in a sea green and limey green, very nice combo! I am knitting it in the round, and have managed to get a neat 'not-quite-jogless-seam', without the jogless method (if thats what it called). I have front and back complete, and now just the hood and arms to go, which shouldn't take too long (although its slow work when you feel pants all the time!). I am planning to knit the sleeves on two circulars in the round, to avoid the seam. This one is for 6-9 months, so it'll be ready for our winter.
There are also some new colours in the Baby Cashmerino, including a chocolate brown, and I am sorely tempted to knit another one in the chocolate and pale blue....mmmm my favourite colours!
This is one of my finished baby socks!
This is my finished sock's seam!
Sorry Ms Bliss (Debbie to her mates) but there is no way in hell a seam from toe to top is going to make for a comfy pair of socks, no matter how soft Baby Cashmerino is!
So I have made an exective decision and decided to call it a day on the Stripey Baby Socks or any socks knit on straight needles, rather than two circulars or 4 double points!
I always hate to scrap a project, but rest assured, I shall be converting this pattern (or another one) that can be knit in the round and avoids a seam right through the back! Shame!
Following on from my baby knits obsession, a nice quick and easy pattern I am knitting is a pair of Stripey Baby Socks from the new Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino 2 book. They are knit flat and then you sew the back seam. I'm using Violet (606) in the Baby Cashmerino and White (100). IF I find out that I am having a girl, I also want to knit a pair in the Leaf (002) and Old Rose (602). Nearly finished one sock (which, by the way, I have made a bit longer in the leg) and will post the final pair!
If you thought I had burned my Clapotis then you wouldn't be far off my mental state. Although I conceed that the yarn is absolutely divine to knit with (Lornas Laces Lion & Lamb) and that the finished article will look fab, and feel great on (Miss Nicole gloatingly finished her's first out of the IV's) the knitting experience of the Clap has been sooooo painful. Not hard or anything, just DULL, DULL, DULL, DULL! Now, don't get me wrong Kate the shawl/scarf is gorgeous, but I just tire of knitting that is pretty much the same throughout, nowt to do with the pattern/design etc. Anyhow, shut up Emma and show the viewers at home how it's coming along! Bad photo, and there is knitting on the other side of the chair, but my camera battery died before I could take that shot. When finito, I shall drape it around my neck proudly and gloat like Nicole.
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