Casting On

Last time I said that I was going to cast on 3 projects and see which one I fancied concentrating on – since then I have acquired some more.

Firstly we are still trying to get a decent photograph of my memorial quilt - so last week I made a sleeve for the top of it so it could be hung on a pole like a curtain.  However the bottom still looks uneven so I am going to re-block it and make another sleeve for the bottom of the quilt.

I have started it!

Actually – it wont take long to finish the knitting – I just need to get on with it.  I may do it today.

The second unforeseen thing was that my friend Buzz from All the Fun of the Fair wants some more tea cosies knitted.  As I was travelling around at the weekend – I started knitting these as they are very portable projects.

The first of the 3 projects that I had intended to start is a short-sleeved cardigan to wear to work when it is a bit chilly.  I don’t need it at the moment but it would be good to have it finished by September.  

The second is another project that I need to finish in August.  It is a shawl for my aunt’s birthday.

I am not entirely happy with it and may take it out again yet.

The third project is so far even less successful.  I have knitted 2 of the afghans from Martin Storey’s Afghan Knits book and I decided I could use up some yarn by knitting another one.  However I have only done one row and then got stuck.

I think the pattern is wrong – but it may be me – I am not good with charts.  Often patterns have both but this one doesn’t.  I will come back to this!  I have enough to be getting on with.

Simply Stripes Blanket – Finished Version

I have finished this throw – and taken some terrible photos of it.  It is so sunny here – that I had to take the photos with the curtains closed. 

Although the photos are not great  - at least you can tell what it looks like in a general way.   Last time I said that the throw is quite small and it is – but despite going down 2 needle sizes – the sample is still larger than it is supposed to be.

This week I have also been knitting a sleeve to sew to the top of my memorial quilt so it can be hung up.  The only problem is that I haven’t got the quilt here – so I have had to knit roughly the same number of stitches I did for the edge of the quilt and hope it will fit.  I could be taking it out yet.

Karen Draisey from Oxford Yarn Store has become the quilt’s publicity agent.  Which is a good thing because if it were left to me I would just put it in the spare room and move on to the next project.  

I am in a funny mood at the moment.  I can’t decide what to knit next.  I think I may start 3 projects and see which one I want to concentrate on.  Normally it is best for me to work on a project until I have finished it – otherwise if I stop – I don’t start it again.  Perhaps if I can do a bit of each project most days I will get them all done – or alternatively I will have 3 more half-finished projects!

Simply Stripes Blanket

I haven’t done much knitting recently – hence the long gaps between blog posts.  This week I have been knitting a few tea cosies for All the Fun of the Fair and I have also been working on a sample for the Oxford Yarn Store. 

This work in progress is a Martin Storey design from the book Afghan Knits.  This book has several interesting patterns in it – but this one is particularly good for using up odd bits of Rowan Felted Tweed.  After knitting my Memorial Quilt I have got quite a lot of odd bits!

You are supposed to knit 63 separate squares and then sew them together.  I have decided to knit 7 strips and sew them together.

I did try to knit the strips together as I went along but could not get the join to look very neat.  Now I am glad I didn’t manage that – I do not want a lap full of blanket in this heat.  Thin strips are ideal for knitting when it is hot. 

I like the design and I like the effect – the only criticism I have is that although it is described as a blanket – it is very small.  If I was knitting this for me I would knit more squares and make it bigger.  This would mean that if I had bought the yarn for this project I would use up more of it.  I would also need more of the main colour but I think it would be worth it to make a larger blanket.

While I have been knitting these strips I have been thinking about another mad project that I might try next year when it will be the 40 year anniversary of me taking a serious interest in knitting as opposed to knitting dolls’ blankets as a child.  I have started scribbling on a piece of lined paper – that is how the quilt started.  Anyway – there will be more about this in the future.  I think the next project I work on had better be a shawl for my aunt’s 80 birthday.