Something other than scarves

Every year at this time I get a little breather from scarf knitting. 

August is that funny limbo month between Winter and Spring. Oh, it's still cold in our part of the world at any rate, but aren't we are all dreaming of warmer weather and ditching the layers and layers and layers?

I'd been wondering what to do with a bit of left over yarn in my stash. A beautiful Jo Sharp yarn in a gorgeous red, but an odd not-quite-enough-for-anything 6 balls, and then a while ago I found this pattern.

I bought myself the needles, and discovered I could use that yarn I had.

Hooray!

Now, I'm a skinny needle knitter. I like an 8 ply and number 4 needles. I can clack away with that quite happily. So, I'll be honest, working with 2 strands of 8 ply yarn on great big number 9 needles wasn't my favourite knitting experience!

The upside? A brand new cardigan in less than a week!

And I love it.

(especially with my Delilah Devine brooch)

Knit your own with a free pattern download over here!

It's perverse

I'm enjoying my slow week, but I'm still knitting!

And after a sunny and mild beginning, today is much more like Winter. Perfect weather to be curled up on the couch with the fire burning, and working with needles and yarn.

Scarf season waits for no woman.

Of course, now that I need to really concentrate on keeping stocks up, I'm spying images of all things knitted that are sorely tempting me!

Top of my wish list is this.

Although, I'm seeing a little fiddle with the colours and stitches....I think I fancy a chequerboard stitch for the yoke, oh, and something bright and happy like navy and orange, or two tones of green...it's an agony just thinking about it!

Then there's this. 

It reminds me of an Aran jumper. The non-colour and chunky cable is perfection itself, only made better by that button.

(via my lovely friend on Pinterest)

On a roll now.

How about this?

Not my usual colour palette, but I love this combination.

It reminds me of an old beach house, colours that might have been bright once, faded and bleached over time!

Or, indulging my love of cardigans, this.

But, being a former Melbourne girl, I've done a lifetime of black!

This would have to be in a bright red, or a soft french blue, or maybe even a mustard yellow...

Right, good to get that out of my system, I'll get back to my scarves then!

Tea cosy hats

Hello there!

Yes, it's me, travelling as incognito as I can manage.

Have you ever tried to photograph yourself? What a palaver...

It was the only way to properly show off my new hats though.

A new idea can be like a crush....I fret, and lie in bed thinking about it, and can't concentrate on anything else until I can get it out of my system. Then once I do, I can lose interest, or start to wonder if it's actually as good as it was while it was still in my head.

I'm still wavering about these, but I'll take them out to Boutique Markets on Sunday and I'll nervously wait to see what people think.

A bit like taking that new love out for a first date.

The girl who mistook her tea cosy for a hat

If you’ve popped in here for a visit lately, you’ll know I’ve been knitting tea cosies. 

Lots and lots of tea cosies!

I’m so very close to being finished with the second part of the big order going to Raw Materials new cafe and foodstore in Hawthorn. The 12 little ones have gone, and now I’m working on 12 big ones that’ll be for sale in their new store.

It‘s exciting, and lovely, to be working on such a large order. But, I have been thinking if just maybe there’s a more time efficient way to be making these (read – quicker).

Any handknitter out there, or crocheter, will tell you that while we love our craft, it’s a time consuming passion indeed. Best done in front of the tv on a comfy chair with no rush!

So, of course, at a time I can least afford to be mucking about with new ideas, my creative muse popped in for a visit. Perhaps I could try and work some of that jumper ribbing I’ve been saving  into a cosy design....

And so I did.

Then, while admiring my handiwork, I must confess to thinking that it kind of, looked a little bit like, could possibly be... a hat...?

So, in the privacy of my own bedroom, I tried the cosy on. Go on, wouldn’t you!?

And now I’m in the throes of nutting out a pattern using some of those lovingly hoarded  jumper ribs and some handknitting to make some woolly and warm hats....

If I can just get that cosy order finished.

Hot Saturday with scarf musings

Here's an early morning shot from the Apollo Bay market.

A pretty hot start to the day after a very rare (for here) hot, hot night.

Did anyone sleep anywhere in the state last night?

Thankfully, a wind change cooled things off for us a little about 9 this morning, and the rest of the day was rather nice.

I'm enjoying the holiday market crowds, everyone's in a good mood - even with a lack of sleep. I had a great surprise visit from Jacquie as well.

I missed out on my favourite apricot jam for the second week in a row, and our free range egg seller was sold out by the time I got over there as well.

Ah well, I'll just have to wait until next week!

Perversely in this hot weather (which I've been longing for after our cold Winter and Spring), I've been looking at this beautiful scarf and wondering if there's any yarn in my stash that might do the job.

I've never been much good at using circular needles, but for this I'd be prepared to have another go!

Never mind if it's 30ish in the shade....

In today's post

Three yummy balls of yarn.

Honestly, I had no idea at all that these colours would be so nice together when I made my order.



Jumper love circa 1980?

I love this picture!

Her bloke is so grateful for his lovely new blue jumper, he's bought her a string of pearls!

How about that his and her's pattern?

Oh! Perhaps it should be his'n'hers...

I think I'm having a Kath and Kel Day-Night moment...

Oh, and there's plenty more to look at where this one came from.

A big thanks to Fiona over at SquirtBaby for the link!

Knitting...

So far, May has been all about knitting.

I've been knitting indoors and out.

Knitting while waiting for dinner to cook.

Knitting after dinner while listening to the television!

I'm dreaming yarn, and stitches, and scarves!

Just as well I like it.

Al fresco

It's just too nice to be inside!

I love cardigans

Jo Sharp cardigan

A lovely customer, Louise, left me a comment yesterday asking if I could post a picture of a cardigan I knitted for myself. We had a nice chat about wool and cardigans and knitting at a market last year.
What an opportunity to bang on about my cardigans I thought!
I love cardigans. I do.

I did a quick count, and I own a dozen.

Yes, that's right. 12 of them.

I have 3 cardigans I’ve knitted for myself, 2 extra lovely ones from Luce Handmade, more than a handful of store bought ones , and a few special op shop numbers.
Is there any better garment for the Victorian climate? I think not. And there’ll always be room for another in my cupboard!

I knitted this cardigan last year from the pattern pictured above.

(nice green, eh?)
I’ve worn it lots, but not recently, so digging it out for a photo has got me looking forward to donning it again soon.

The labels in this favourite op shop gem make it all the more special!

Sampling

The beginning of January seems an odd time to be fiddling around with wool and needles. But now is the time I can play around a little with some new knitting ideas.

I bought this beautiful yarn on impulse because of the colour and the way it's both thick and thin.

Then I had to work out what to do with it.

I've had a couple of false starts working out the best needle size and stitch, and now I think I'm on my way!

Cup of tea anyone?

I've enjoyed taking a break from knitting scarves lately, and getting back to knitting tea cosies.

Although, I looked in my box this afternoon, and I've managed to knit up about a dozen in the last couple of months! Which is a good thing because they always go well at Magnolia Square, which will be here before I know it.

I love to play around with stitch and colour, and this one came from thinking about Aran jumpers. I do love a bit of cable stitch.

That beautiful cup and saucer belonged to my grandmother, one of a set of 8 that are all different in pattern and shape. It's nice to put one out on show in my bookcase from time to time.

I'll let you in on a secret, I don't actually drink tea...although I do aspire to it!