Once more into the fray

I have resumed knitting my leaf sweater. I began this over two years ago when I first started going to Lake Macquarie knitters at the yacht club. After doing the front I got bored with all the stocking stitch and abandoned it for other projects. Now I am having another go a not adding to stash (haven't bought anything this year) and as a result have returned to long neglected WIPs. After a couple of weeks I am well into the back. Here it is:

My Stash

Where did all the time go?

So I haven't kept up-to-date and it's now August. How did that happen? I have of course continued to knit and have completed a number of projects. One of them demonstrates the best use of my time and will be written up as a pattern in the (hopefully) not too distant future.

I think it's kinda cute and it only took a night to knit. The letters and heart were swiss darned on afterwards so it's an easy knit. It now hangs in my study/craft room. I think I might do variations as gifts.

Baby blue

Another project complete and it isn't purple! Erika Knight's lacy top from Glamour Knits. I made it in Spotlight's cheap copy of kidsilk haze (kidmohair blend) and again regret that this was a one season yarn  (and that I didn't buy a whole lot more colours). It was an easy lace pattern and could easily pass as a vintage design. The original had shorter sleeves and a picot edging on the bottom edge as well as the neck but since I had used a cable cast on I thought picking up the stutches would be difficult and I liked the look of the edge as it was.

Purple Prose

I am sensing a theme building up in my projects. Purple (or related colours) is taking over. Have a look at my two latest projects: Another Frilly Scarf and Among the Blooming Heather.

Another frilly scarf

Among the blooming heather



Of course my crocheted vest was in this colour spectrum too and even my previous project, the make up purse, had purple in among the 'multi'. Of course it is my favourite colour so it's no real surprise but it might be a good idea to broaden my range. I know, I'll make a present for my nephew, I won't be using purple for that!

The beauty of a stash

Sometimes I think it's not so bad to have a huge stash. Any time you need a gift you are sure to find something to turn to the occasion. In the last week I have made a pair of slippers for my granddaughter and a makeup purse for my daughter-in-law. Neither required the purchase of any yarn. The slippers came about because it is Easter Sunday today and I needed an Easter gift which wasn't chocolate (not a good idea to post even in Autumn). Bunny slippers seemed a good idea and the resultant pair have been named Fluffy and Squishy (although I don't know which is which!)

The makeup purse used a ball of novelty yarn which I had been going to use as stripes in a scarf. I think it makes a cheerful and feminine gift.

Even better, both gifts are my own designs and so completely unique (I love that the slippers used leftovers from a jumper I made for my son to create something for his daughter). Knitting is fantastic.

And now for something completely different...

I have crocheted a garment. The last time I crocheted a garment was twenty odd years ago. I picked up some crochet cotton on special for $1 each for two balls. I fell in love with a pattern for a cardi which needed far more cotton than I had so after trying to get some more (fruitless) I decided to make a vest. I had hoped for enough cotton to do a bit of a ruffle but had to make do with treble bands. Still I am pretty pleased with this for $2 (I didn't even have to pay for the button which came from a clothing label tag).