Year of Projects Update - 28th August 2011

Oooh, it is good to be home!



I've got lots done during the last week, two FO's and another well and truly on the way there.... So without further delay.... Drumroll please............................

Introducing Erik!!!! He's finally done!!! I managed to finish the knitting on Tuesday, ten when we got home on Tuesday night the zip was waiting for me, what fantastic service! So on Wednesday the zip was machine sewn in and he's blocking as I type ( I haven't managed to do it before because of those pesky kids), here are the unblocked pics....

Its looking much better blocked, and far less wonky, hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to get a shot of my brother wearing it, hangover depending! (It's Midnight on Saturday and he's just got back from Wembley after watching our team Wigan Warriors beat Leeds Rhinos in the Rugby League Challenge Cup Final) I really love the contrast of the bright orange zip against the natural wool, and most importantly Dan loves it too.

My second FO of the week was finished on Friday after only being started on Wednesday and is the first of two Modern Rib Hats for the boys. Here it is modelled by Alfie whilst watching the aforementioned match on the telly earlier today....

It was a lovely, easy knit which I didn't have to really think about, I'll probably cast on the other one this week so then they're out of the way ready for when the weather turns!

Last but not least I cast on the Owls jumper for Sarah, Daniel's girlfriend. She knows nothing about this so I want to get it finished by the next time they visit (they live 200 miles away near to where I grew up) in 3 weeks for Pewsey Carnival, that shouldn't be a problem! I cast this on on Tuesday before we left my Mum's so that I could knit in the car and managed 7 inches of the body in the dark on the motorway while hubby very kindly drove. I'm now knitting both sleeves at the same time in the round Magic Loop style which does take a fair amount of concentration so is strictly reserved for when the children are in bed!
This is as far as I've got......

I'll soon be done with the sleeve increases so they'll go much more quickly once I don't have to remember how many rows I've done!

I'll probably cast on a baby cardigan for my neighbour who gave birth to a beautiful little girly while we were away (Yes, I know I've got one on the needles on my list but that will be too big!) and I'll hopefully have a jumper to show you next week!

Happy knitting xx

Year of Projects Update - 21 August 2011

Hi guys!!!! Just a quick update this week, I've been on holiday camping in North Wales so don't have all of my usual banners etc to hand but wanted to let you know that Erik is coming along nicely!!!! After having to rip it out completely I'm now flying through it and have the body completed and 2/3 of the first sleeve, I just need to measure Dan's arms for the sleeve length and order the zip, hopefully it'll be all done ready to show you by next week :-)

Also this week I've ot a bit of my Mojo sock completed and it really has restored my mojo, those colours are amazing!!

Unfortunately being on my mum's laptop I have no pics to show you so next week's update will be very pic heavy!

Happy knitting!

Year of Projects Update - 14th August 2011

Well its been a busy few weeks here so its been a while since I updated. I've been working steadily on my Twenty-Ten Cardigan and Erik, although only one of those is a success story......

Ta-dah! Twenty-Ten is finished!! I really, really love it and can't wait to wear it properly!!! Here is a not so great pic of it....

You can't see the colour very well, or the lovely wooden buttons from my LYS so here is a better one, closer up....

....and one of the sleeves....

You may notice that there is a button missing at the bottom. The lovely Fiona only had 10 in stock with more on order so because I just couldn't wait I left that one off until her order comes in.

Then there was Erik...... Whilst I was at Knit & Natter on Tuesday evening one of the ladies realised that the back for a cardigan that she was knitting was enormous compared to what it should have been, despite having knitted a tension square, and it was going to have to be frogged. It suddenly dawned on me that when I started Erik I hadn't done a tension sqaure at all and then that awful sickly feeling began to spread over me until I got home and checked my tension..... I was using the recommended needle size and the right wool but  I was getting 18 stitches to 4" rather than the 15 stitches required. I very nearly cried. It is too far out to even just rip back to the arms and continue increasing for the larger size so is being completely frogged and I am going to swatch, swatch and swatch some more until I get the perfect gauge!!!
Here he is feeling sorry for himself and I will keep this picture to remind me what happens when you don't check your gauge!