Granny Squares

On and off, I've been looking for a pattern which uses British terminology for crocheted granny squares. Last week I found two: the Peachy Ethknits website, and Jan Eaton's "The Enclyclopedia of Crochet Techniques" borrowed from the library.

Inspired by Mandy and Caroline, I was spurred on to actually make my first ever Granny square on Saturday.


By Sunday afternoon, I had four.


The plain ones used the directions from the website, the multicoloured ones were from Jan Eaton's book. The two patterns are constructed slightly differently, the main one being that the book starts each round with a new colour. The website shows you how to get your yarn in place for the next row, but it doesn't have a chart - I ended up drawing my own (this was before I'd checked Jan Eaton's book) and the first two squares are slightly different from each other.

The colours are reversed, but in the same order, in the multicoloured squares. The dark border frames and restricts the right hand one: the pale colours bleeding out of the other give a sense of diffusion and escape.

I'm not going to join the granny along, or the ripple along, tempting through they both are. However, I did finish off most of the ends, so it would look better in the photographs I'd want to show you.

And the background? It's my Isabella top from Knitty, now reached the armpits on the back. A large quantity of stocking stitch is rather dull, isn't it?

Wierd Stuff from the Sky

A number of these have just fallen from the sky:



They are quite large, about 7-8mm across (3/8 inch). They feel soft and slightly squishy, and only a bit cold. They aren't hard, like the hail which is now failing. The shapes aren't quite right, some of them are definately drop shaped.

I think they are semi-thawed frozen raindrops.

Isabella - a WIP

Last weekend, I started knitting Isabella from Knitty. This was taken on Tuesday.
I've made a huge load of progress since then, and am nearly up to the armholes. It helped that I took it with me to S'n'B on wednesday.

I started it three times: I'm using Rowan Cotton Glace, which has quite a different guage to the stated yarn. I knew I'd done a tension swatch beforehand, and I thought I could remember what it was. However, the first time I cast on, I went in the wrong direction, knitting a size larger when I should have gone down. Second time, I was still casting on from memory of what the gauge was, and the resulting product was still too large. Third time round, I'd found the notes I'd made and started with my third and final cast on.

I'm not doing the eyelets: I did, but with the thicker cotton it just looked clumpy. So rather then frog and redo, I dropped stitches down to the eyelets, and picked them up again. You can see where the knitting is less even, but it is good enough for me.

Sock pictures

On my camera there are some pictures I'd love to share with you: unfortuantely they won't upload right now. There were even some sheep for the Inner Sheep challange.

Instead, we have socks:

Pattern: freebie from Web of Wool
Yarn: Annell Color, bought in Belgium
Started: A long long time ago
Finished: 6th Feb
Stash Reduction: 1 ball

The main reason they took so long was every time I got to an unfamiliar bit (eg turning the heel) I stopped and did something else. In addition, the first sock was too long when I got to the toe, and I accidently knitted the second sock even longer. They were put aside for a while, before frogging and refinishing.

I knitted the second sock much faster then the first: I had the feeling it was all nearly finished. In addition, I didn't find the kitchener stitch for the toe difficult.

I can see why people like them: a small portable project, just right for knitting on the bus. You can make perfect-fit socks far faster then you can make a perfect-fit sweater. However, I don't use public transport often enought to need something to slip into a small bag, and shop-bought socks fit my feet. Most of my knitting is at home, often in front of the television, so a sweater is a better bet for me.

I'll be making more: the orange clashes with the red shoes I am most often wear socks with.

A few books

On Monday, I picked up a little light reading from the reserve stacks of the county library.


These are the books that are stored in the basement of County Hall most of the time, and get taken out about once a decade.

I have also finished my first pair of socks and made a birthday present tote-bag. Pictures to follow.

Hello?

This is a test post to make sure I got to the new blogger successfully.

To recap what I've been doing:

Wednesday - got to S'n'B. We had some insider news about Yarn forward magazine, but it is probably too commercally sensitive to post. The really interesting bit is that Tracey knows why Issue 3 is going to be extra good, but that is also probably commercially sensitve. In addition Tracey had a box of HipYarns yarn to share out. I came home with a skein of bright pink banana yarn. The current plan is to knit it up with some sari silk I already have, for a scarf or a bag.

I also finished one Knuck, and am working on the next.

Future plans are to make a tote bag for a birthday present for Kiddo's friend; there now I have to do it.

Moving to new blogger?

This might be the last time I post with my old blogger account: blogger tells me I have to move. So if it all goes disasterously wrong, and the whole thing vanishes, you'll know why. If need be, check my website http://www.penspot.co.uk. At the moment, all you get is a link back here, but if here vanishes, or stops being updated, it'll link to any replacement blog.

I've been busy with my OU course. I got my first assignment back yesterday, and I get full marks. I'm rather pleased about this, as you imagine. I'm enjoying the course tremendously: its History of Maths.

Knit wise, I seem to be frogging as much as I'm knitting. I started Florence from Rowan 35 (as opposed to Florence from another Rowan publication) and frogged it because it looked like it was definately going to be too small. I'm knitting a Knuck from Knitty, and have had to partially frog it three times. At this rate, it won't be ready until the summer, which is no good for keeping my hands warm now.

Sewing wise, I have done teensy bits, consisting mainly of winding bobbins. It's worth saying that I got Popular Patchwork with Ferret's quilt in it. She has managed to create a very effective design that really shows off the fabric. In one of those ironies of life, its the fabric I commented on here.

Wednesday Finish

This is my new yoga mat bag: I finished it on Wednesday.




It's my own design: there were lots of knitted ones on the internet, but none that I could find that were sewn. It has two handles - a long strap for putting it over my shoulder and another for carrying it in my hand. The material cost about £2/metre from a local shop, but I have no idea what its made of: I'd bought 1.5m last year.

The original plan was to make it barrel shaped with a round base. After I sewed the long side, I decided just to sew across the bottom instead. Unfortunately this meant it wasn't long enough, so I needed to add a flap at the top. This delayed the bag more then feasible: I want an accompanying messenger style bag, but with the limited amount of material available, I knew I'd have to cut it out carefully. But I also wanted to line it, so I made the lining for the accompanying bag, then I cut out the material and made the outer bag. Then I realised I was running low on thread, so I stopped making the messenger bag and started the yoga bag again. And then I finished the yoga bag.

I'm very, very pleased with it. I like the way it looks almost like a medieval quiver. More specifically, I'm really pleased with the eveness of the sewing.

Congratulations!!!

Congratulations all round, for a number of good and varied achievements to a varied group of people, including Ferret, Rosamundi, Olivia and Vicky. If I haven't seen your recent achievement, congratulations to you too, and let us know what it was.

I made a pot scrubber out of a plastic bag today. It's like this one: I love the light and shadows and reflections in this picture:-

The needles are Susan Bates, and are ideal for knitting string made from plastic bags.

Squared Up

To summarise Tuesday's course:

Ferret was the teacher.

The class quilt can be seen here.

The ruler was a square in a square ruler.

The place was Patchwork Corner.

Snow!

Before the children went outside:
After the children went outside:

No school today!