Shawl for My Aunt

I have finished the shawl I have been knitting for my aunt.  I hope she likes it.  It is the sort of colours that she usually wears.

It is knitted in Debbie Bliss Rialto sock yarn as the main colour with 3 shades of Isager – blue, mauve and burgundy.   It is interesting how these colours look different as the background colour changes

I sort of made up the pattern – based on a photo I saw in the latest Designer Knitting magazine and a Noro jumper pattern which has a back and front in this kind of cross-hatching effect.  I started with a triangle at the top and then increased 7 sts on each piece (one on each garter stitch ridge).  I think if I did something similar again I would increase more stitches and maybe turn it into a curl.

At several points during the knitting process I was worried that it would not turn out very well – but actually I am fairly happy with it.  I just need to block it and then it will be ready to wrap.

I may not get much knitting done this coming week – but I still have that scarf to finish and then I am going to start something new.

A Bit More Progress

At the moment I am still struggling to focus on one thing at a time.  Last Saturday I went to Birmingham to talk about my Memorial Quilt to the local branch of the Knitting and Crochet Guild.  I think the general consensus was that the filing cabinet was the favourite block.

I like the filing cabinet.  It is very simple but effective as a design.  It is good to see other people’s reaction to the various blocks as I know them too well to see them properly.

During August I have knitted more tea cosies for All the Fun of the Fair.

I have also made some progress on the shawl for my aunt. 

I had better get on with it this week as it is her birthday very soon.

I gave up on the black cardigan that I had started and unravelled it.  It’s not that I don’t want to knit a black cardigan but I can’t find the right pattern yet.  I will come back to that.

I have made better progress with my portable project – the multi-coloured scarf.  This is because I have been travelling around a lot.

I will try to finish this scarf this week as well – so that in September I can make a start on some new projects.

Limited Progress

I have been working on various knitting projects all week but have made limited progress.  On Saturday I attended the Oxford Branch meeting of the Knitting and Crochet Guild – where the topic was beaded knitting and crochet.  I produced a small sample by threading beads onto the yarn before knitting.  I have done this before – many years ago – but I had forgotten how to do it.

There are other methods you can use – including using a very fine crochet hook, and my usual method - when I am making crown tea cosies – of sewing the beads on afterwards.

I have made some progress on my other projects.  I finished the sleeve to pin onto the Memorial Quilt – so it could be photographed again on Tuesday.  The photographs will be printed in various publications in October and November. 

I have knitted 2 tea cosies and am working on a third for All the Fun of the Fair.

I have unravelled the shawl I started knitting for my aunt and started reknitting it again using the same yarn (Debbie Bliss Rialto Sock Yarn) as a main colour and blue, mauve and burgundy from Oxford Yarn Store’s range of Isager yarn.

I am happier with it now – it looks more interesting.

What else have I done?  I haven’t done any more on the cable throw or the black cardigan.  I hope the weather will get warmer again – so I won’t think – why didn’t I knit that cardigan while it was hot - I want to wear it now?  But I have started something else.

This is the beginnings of a scarf to use up some of my stash.  This is King Cole Riot.   It is 30% and 70% Acrylic.  It is quite soft and fluffy and is available in lovely bright colours.  Ideal for when the weather is cold and miserable.