2015 in review

Some of my handmade Christmas gifts: Honey Cowl for my mum, stockings for the kinder teachers, Purl Soho skirt for my neice.

It's the last day of the year and as the year draws to a close I inevitably begin reflecting upon the days that had passed. This year has been a big year for me as a maker. I learnt many new things and achieved some of my goals but also failed at things too because some things are a bit beyond me for the stage of life I'm currently in.

Looking at the post I wrote back at the beginning of January where I set out my goals and making list for 2015 I feel pretty happy with what I managed to tick off in the months that followed that post. You can read the full details of the post, or just for a recap here is what I aimed to achieve in 2015:

2015 Making List

Some general aims I have for this year are:

1) To stash less* and knit from my existing stash as much as possible.

2) To knit up those patterns that I have queued.

3) To finish those few projects that I hibernated a long time ago.

4) To give handmade = knitted gifts.

5) To keep trying new things and learning new skills.

6) and under the influence of ex-physio husband; to take care of myself physically as a knitter - stretching and resting the hands, shoulders and neck muscles regularly etc.

Jan

Finish Rye socks for Ba

High water for Sir S

Bonnet for Baby Cheng

Feb-Mar

Baby cardigan for A’s baby no.2

Livie for Miss L (birthday present)

beanie for Sir S (birthday present)

Apr

Mitini mitts for SIL** (birthday present)

Windschief for Bro  (birthday present)

Softie for Niece L (birthday present); needs to be sent to USA so I've got to work on it early.

May-Jun

Neon ski bonnet for me; in preparation for our snow trip.

Hat for hubby (anniversary present)

Neon ski bonnet for Miss L; because I want to make a matching hat for my little girl.

Jul-Aug

Finish Salander leggies for M; which is an overdue present from last year's birthday.

Bella Shawl or Span for me; I think either of these might be a good knit to travel with, but might turn out to be too ambitious.

Sep

Start Christmas projects; I know it sounds crazy but some of these presents need to be sent overseas so I better get onto them early.

Socks for BIL

Hat for SIL

Quaintly for Niece L

Oct

Scarf for SIL

Socks for Bro

Socks for Ba

Nov

Kinder teachers’ presents

cowl for Ma

Dec

Christmas stockings for the family

I remember beginning quite strongly in January and managing to tick off the items that I had listed and added a few too. Everything was following the list pretty swimmingly until about March when I got a bit too overconfident and started casting on an extra project here and there when I felt a bit bored with the existing WIPs. It was around this time that I took on a comissioned project for a friend. I found the experience of knitting for "work" challenging, but it was mostly because I accepted the project while I was already trying to knock out a couple of birthday presents for family members.

When little Miss L got really sick around Easter and I was majorly sleep deprived the only thing I (and she) found some joy in was a trip to the LYS and the purchase of a sweater lot of yarn. I haven't made anything with that lot of Shilasdair luxury DK yet but it kind of opened the floodgates to the idea that yes, I can be a sweater knitter. 

That leads me to talk about how I went with stashing less and knitting my stash. I failed miserably at stashing less. I probably went the other way than stashing less and actually began acquiring sweater lots of yarn throughout the year with big dreams of knitting so many cosy jumpers to build my handmade wardrobe. In reality I only managed one adult jumper, a tee, a shrug and a half and an assortment of accessories. The handmade wardrobe is slowly building, hence it being "slow fashion", but the stash is not getting any less. There has just been so many yarns calling out to me this year and you know there is always next year to try better at stashing less.

In terms of some of my other goals, I did manage to make most of the gifts that I gave this year. Even when I was feeling completely time poor and overwhelmed with the prospect of knitting another baby gift I felt even more overwhelmed with the thought of taking two children to the shops. So I pushed myself and made lots of baby hats and even a couple of cowls for girls who had invited Sir S to their birthday parties.

Happy Homemade: Sew Chic Kids have easy shorts that even a sewing newbie like me can manage.

I do believe I kept trying new techniques. I learnt to knit cables without a cable needle, I did a circular yoke for the first time, I knit socks cuff down and toe up, I did some test knitting, I did a couple of KALs and I started sewing. I also made it to The Craft Sessions and had a go at dyeing and weaving and in general had a fabulous time meeting lots of very talented crafty people.

As you can imagine with all these new things that I was trying lots of different projects were being cast on and I did kind of lose track of my making list. Everything kind of fell apart towards Christmas as I found myself becoming a bit of a selfish knitter and all my WIPs were 'me' projects. I decided I wasn't going to be able to knit all my Christmas gifting this year so I commandeered my mother's sewing machine and found the simplest and quickest sewing projects that a newbie like me could handle.

I made this apron for my brother and I got the 'pattern' from Purl Soho.

I guess it's no surprise that this year I made more than I have ever made before. I'm still determing what goals I will set for 2016 but I'm pretty sure it'll be another big year for little ol' me. 

Thanks for reading this little blogging adventure of mine. It's been a pleasure to put my thoughts out there this year and also such a delight to know that there are a few readers following my ramblings. I hope you've had a productive year too and look forward to continuing this journey together next year.

Have a happy new year everyone.

Finished object file: Iron Man Mitts Mark 2

I finished this little knit a while back and they have been a hit so I thought I should take a moment to write up a post about them.

Earlier this year when my boy asked for the toy Iron Man gloves I rolled my eyes and said, "I can knit you some cool Iron Man mitts just like the ones I did for R's birthday present last year." Sir S still insisted on the toy gloves but that's one I'll leave for the grandparents to get him for Christmas.

I found this cute free pattern designed by Irene McCormick last year when I was looking for something quick to knit up for my friend's Avengers obsessed boy. They are designed to be knit flat and then seamed but it was a no brainer to modify it into a in the round pattern. I didn't change a thing with the pattern's numbers and simply joined the stitches in the round after casting on. Here's a link to my Ravelry notes if you're interested in the details of this project.

When it came to making the thumb hole this time I tried an adapted YO K2Tog buttonhole by doing two YOs and then when I came round again on the next round I knit these two YOs as two new stitches. However, I'm not 100% happy with it because it is still a little tight for my little guy's thumbs. Since making these mitts I have listened to Pam Allen and Hannah Fettig's Knit.fm podcast episode discussing buttonholes and bands. I like the sound of Pam Allen's favourite buttonhole that is a double YO hole that is knit over three rows. It has the same construction idea that I had with my double YO attempt but is better designed and structured, just goes to show why she's an owner of yarn company and an experienced designer and I'm just a humble knit enthusiast. Pam's instructions for this buttonhole from the Knit.fm page is:

Pam's Favorite Buttonhole: double yo

work row 1 (RS) to 2 stitches before the buttonhole stitch.

make a double yarn over by bringing the yarn through the needles to the front, then over the RH needle to the back, then to the front between the needles again.

knit the next 2 stitches together, knit to the end of the row.

work row 2 to the yarn over, purl into the yarn over, letting the second wrap drop from the left needle, work to the end of the row.

work row 3 to the stitch above the buttonhole, knit into the hole (not the stitch above) and carry on.

-Pam Allen             

These mitts have been a hit for the Sir S. He hasn't complained about the yarn which is Cleckheaton's Australian Superfine Merino 8ply (DK) and Filatura Di Crosa's Zara line. Sir S definitely needs the supersoft hypoallergenic yarns. This is the second accessory that I have made him with the superfine merino and they are the pieces that I get no complaints about. 

Overall, this is a super easy and super quick knit for the little kids in your life who like a bit of superhero fun while keeping their hands warm.

Finished object file: Canopy Shawl | Skein Merino Silk Sport

It is such a joy to finish a project that is a beautiful pattern knit with gorgeous yarn and a bonus when it is a KAL project that has been completed within the deadline. The project that I am gushing over is the Canopy Shawl knit in Skein yarn Merino Silk Sport.

When Kristen, the owner and dyer of the beautiful Skein yarn company announced on her podcast that she was going to host a shawls KAL I was so excited to join in. I was keen to knit another shawl for myself and I had two skeins of Kristen's Merino Silk Sport in Poppy colourway that I picked up last year at Sunspun's Spring sale. 

I have knit with this blend before in a different colourway and there are so many reasons why I keep returning to this yarn. The 50/50 Merino Silk blend is so soft and it has a delightful drape. I think it drapes so well that I'm probably able to get away with not blocking the shawl. The colour is fabulous; I love how it is very subtly variegated and there are tones of red, purple and even a bit of a bluey grey.

I had been eyeing off Melody Hoffmann's Canopy design for a few weeks and decided that the yarn and the pattern were going to be the perfect pairing for this KAL. Actually all of Melody's mandarine's blog is beautiful. I have a serious crush on her designs and love the photos and anecdotes from her life. I also highly recommend her podcast because she is so delightful to watch and listen to.

The pattern is equally as beautiful as the yarn that I used. It is a triangle shaped shawl with alternating panels of stockinette and a lace pattern. The lace pattern taught me a couple of new stitches which were simple techniques that created a very nice visual touch. The stitches I learnt were how to make a right and left twist to create a pyramid shaped motif along the lace panel. So easy but you do need to concentrate just enough to remember to always maintain two stitches when knitting the twists because it is not a decrease stitch technique. There were a few times where I must have forgotten and got to the next lace row and found that my stitches didn't add up right so I fudged it a bit and picked up stitches to "correct" the stitch count. It's all lace and an extra hole here or there isn't really that noticeable, so I tell myself.

I knit an extra set of lace and stockinette panels because I had extra yardage available from the two skeins of Skein yarn and finished with only a few metres to spare, so I'm doubly happy with that result. A big tick for the stash busting challenge.

I can't wait to wear this shawl out in the sunshine. I think with the silk content in the yarn all the colours of the variegation will not truly shine until it is seen in proper light. I think this is going to be my perfect Spring shawl because it is lightweight and has just the right amount of warmth for a mild Spring day.  With that being said, I'm still going to wear it today when I go to kinder pickup because the sun is shining and I want to enjoy it immediately.

You can read my Ravelry notes here if you're interested.

Bendi 2015

I took my first trip to Bendigo for the Australian Sheep and Wool show this year and I just had a blast. I caught up with some friends and hit the wool craft stalls and found some beautiful yarns that I will enjoy knitting with.

I went into the show with the intention of exploring new yarns from Australian indie dyers and hoped to also find some small flock yarns being sold by the farmers themselves. I also had an interest to take a look at yarn from sheep breeds other than merino. I just feel like the market these days is flooded with merino and mostly superwash merino too, but this year I have had a growing interest in learning about different breeds and I am curious to experience how their fibre will knit up.

I am extremely happy with the haul that I came home with. I found exactly what I was looking for and came home some Polwarth, Shetland, Blue Faced Leicester (BFL) as well as the unavoidable merino and even some superwash too. I'm not totally anti-superwash, I just wish to avoid it if I have other choices, but yesterday some absolutely beautiful colours jumped at me and I had to grab them even though they were a superwash.*

So, what did I buy? Well, I can't write about all of the purchases but here are a few of my favourites.

Tarndie Polwarth DK/8ply in natural undyed silver grey. 

This is my most exciting purchase because I have been eyeing off this yarn for a while now. I want to knit Joji Locatelli's True cardigan and I wanted to make it with yarn that reflected the name of the pattern. I chose the Tarndie Polwarth because it is wool obtained from the farm that developed the Polwarth breed back in the 1880s. According to their information flyer the sheep that they currently have in the flock are the descendants of the original Polwarth sheep and the yarns that they sell are truly "single origin" yarns. The other thing that appeals to me is the undyed nature of the yarn. They have 3 undyed colours - silver grey, brown and black - I think the silver grey will be perfect for the garment I have in mind. I also love how they sell nice big 205g skeins so I estimate that my 5 will be enough to make the True cardigan.

Little Plum Yarns Lush Sock in Sari.

This was actually my first purchase because Little Plum Yarns is a dyer that I have been hearing a lot about from my friend Jenny. I picked up one mini skein (among other things) of Sari coloured Lush Sock which is one of the few superwash merino yarns that I picked up. I bought it because I am hoping to match this yarn with a skein of green Miss Click Clack sock yarn that is short a bit of yardage for Kelly Brooker's My Aunt Doris cardigan for Miss L. I plan to alternate the two skeins and hope that the colours can blend well and just give the cardigan a nice subtle variegated look.

Oyster Yarns Duchess in Secrets at Midnight.

This DK weight beauty is a blend of extra fine merino, silk and silver stellina sparkle (75/20/5). It is so soft and squishy and the sparkle is a nice touch that gives the yarn a bit of extra prettiness. I think the dark blue will be easy to match with other items of clothing and I plan to knit something to gift to our dear friend who put us up for the night in Bendigo.

Dyed by Hand Yarns, Big Blue Stocking Fingering weight Superwash BFL in Purple Sea Urchin.

This colour just jumped at me and I couldn't resist. I bought 2 skeins and also added a skein of Fog Bound (grey) so that I can make a cardigan or sweater with the two colours because another one of my knitting goals is to knit more colourwork patterns. This is the first lot of BFL I've bought and I really notice how the yarn takes on the dye differently to merino. It has a beautiful sheen that is similar to the way silk blends reflect colours but this is a 100% wool yarn.

Jamieson & Smith 100% Shetland Wool from the Shetland Islands.

I bought this from the Purl Box stand where I also picked up the Oyster Yarn and I got it because I am just curious about Shetland wool. The touch of this wool is not soft or squishy, so I like to think of it as a workhorse wool. I can imagine the fisherman wives in the Shetland Islands knitting with Shetland wool hundreds of years ago because their men needed warm, sturdy, water and wind repellent jumpers for daily wear. I love the tradition and history that is embedded in this breed of sheep and their wool. I think a pair of cabled mitts will be best suited to this yarn rather than any accessory that would be sitting against more sensitive skin.

Along with the yarn I did also find the time to pop into the sheep sheds and wander among the animals that grow this most special fibre. I find the sheep a soothing and peaceful creature. How fabulous is it to be a walking squishy ball of wool? I love being clothed in sheep's clothing and I love these creatures that God created to provide us with that precious fibre.

Now I've got some serious knitting time ahead of me, so it's time to pick up the needles.

* I'll explain my thoughts on superwash yarns another day, today I want to just enjoy my Bendi purchases.

Making 2015

I recently read The Craft Sessions' post about her making list for 2015 and this inspired me to get organised with my own making/ knitting list for this year. Building on the fab year of knitting that 2014 was for me I hope that this year will be just as productive.

2015 Making List

Some general aims I have for this year are:

1) To stash less* and knit from my existing stash as much as possible.

2) To knit up those patterns that I have queued.

3) To finish those few projects that I hibernated a long time ago.

4) To give handmade = knitted gifts.

5) To keep trying new things and learning new skills.

6) and under the influence of ex-physio husband; to take care of myself physically as a knitter - stretching and resting the hands, shoulders and neck muscles regularly etc.

Jan

Finish Rye socks for Ba

High water for Sir S

Bonnet for Baby Cheng

Feb-Mar

Baby cardigan for A’s baby no.2

Livie for Miss L (birthday present)

beanie for Sir S (birthday present)

Apr

Mitini mitts for SIL** (birthday present)

Windschief for Bro  (birthday present)

Softie for Niece L (birthday present); needs to be sent to USA so I've got to work on it early.

May-Jun

Neon ski bonnet for me; in preparation for our snow trip.

Hat for hubby (anniversary present)

Neon ski bonnet for Miss L; because I want to make a matching hat for my little girl.

Jul-Aug

Finish Salander leggies for M; which is an overdue present from last year's birthday.

Bella Shawl or Span for me; I think either of these might be a good knit to travel with, but might turn out to be too ambitious.

Sep

Start Christmas projects; I know it sounds crazy but some of these presents need to be sent overseas so I better get onto them early.

Socks for BIL

Hat for SIL

Quaintly for Niece L

Oct

Scarf for SIL

Socks for Bro

Socks for Ba

Nov

Kinder teachers’ presents

cowl for Ma

Dec

Christmas stockings for the family

Phew, deep breath in and slowly out. That list looks pretty epic but I'm praying that I will achieve at least this much plus the extra birthday presents and baby presents that will pop up during the year.

Let the adventure begin, or more accurately continue because really there isn't a day where I don't knit.***

*The series of posts from The Craft Sessions about stashing less have been very inspiring and motivating me to exercise some restraint when it comes to yarn buying.

** Abbreviation for Sister-in-Law etc.

*** Except today because the humidity in Sydney is getting to me and I dislike working with yarn when my hands are clammy.