Fandango Brick Wall Bag – Work in Progress

I have wanted to knit this bag for years.  I bought the yarn about 5 years ago – with this project in mind.  By that time  Colinette had discontinued Fandango yarn but they had a few odd skeins left which I managed to buy.  I do love this yarn.  It makes a terrible mess.  It is cotton chenille and sheds lots of bits – but it is stable once it is knitted – and at the moment it does not matter about the mess because I am not going to have any visitors.

Here is the first piece on the beach bag which I will use for the lining/framework.

Sometimes I knit one side of a bag and then knit the other side, but this time I have been knitting both sides at the same time.  This is the pink side.

The lining bag slopes  as it goes up - so I have had to knit the bottom 2 rows of shapes slightly larger than the top 2 rows.  I did consider doing a 5^th row but it is easier to get the right fit if you pick up and knit some rows at the top and the bottom.  I confess I may have to darn a few holes too - but the yarn is such that they are very hard to see and no one will notice the darning.

The photo below - shows the blue side of the bag.

I will also need to knit some rows on the sides as well.  I have been trying to find the pattern that I have written before about how many stitches and rows to do for the handles and the top edge.  Unfortunately I can’t locate it at the moment.  It is not where I had hoped I had put it.  I can work it out again if I have to but it would be better if I could find the pattern.   I am going to have another look for it.  The problem is that I have tidied up!  I suppose it may be in the box file labelled “Accessories” – or maybe not!

Almost Running Out of Yarn

After taking out the sleeves several times and agonising over whether I had enough yarn – I finally finished this little cardigan.

The following photo shows how much yarn I had left when I had finished.  

Before I started the project – I had one 100g ball of yarn.  That would have been fine for a small baby coat, but I had used some of it to make a hat so it was not a full ball.  I looked at it trying to decide if there was enough.  Originally I intended to knit the cardigan with short sleeves, but I always think if it is cold enough to wear a cardigan then you need to have your arms covered.

I have been knitting this little coat for months.  I am not exactly sure when I started it but I know it has been on a few train journeys – so it isn’t recently.

One of the benefits of having to stay at home is that you don’t need portable projects – you can go for the multi-yarn project which needs to have all the yarns laid out.  I have started working on my brick bag – more about this tomorrow.

Nighshift – Finished Version

I finished this shawl last week but have been too busy to write any posts.

I am pleased with the way it has turned out.  In the end I did decide to extend it by knitting another half section and then another full section of the pattern.  It is now almost the same size as the original.  The reason it turned out smaller is because I have used thinner yarn.

The following is the back view of me modelling my Gossington shawl for Karen Draisey of Oxford Yarn Store.  

I am pleased how this shawl has turned out as well. While I was in the shop – I bought some more yarn to knit yet another shawl.  They are quite therapeutic.  They are the right size – not too large, not too small and fiddly and it doesn’t really matter what size they turn out to be.

I am still trying to finish a little baby coat that I started in January.  I have unravelled the sleeves several times.  I couldn’t seem to get them to look the same – so I started again knitting them both at the same time.  This seems to have worked and I have now got to the sewing up stage.  This is something I am not keen on – so I had better get on with it before I put the project on one side and start on something else.

Actually I have already started on the “Brick bag” that I have wanted to knit for a few years – but it is the kind of project that – you do a bit and then stop and think about it – so I can leave it and go back to the sewing up.  I am hoping that I will be able to write more frequent posts but I know I have said that before and it didn’t happen.  I seem to be better at knitting than writing about it.

Nightshift by Andrea Mowry

I received this pattern for Christmas after seeing it advertised in the Tangled Yarn newsletter. You are supposed to use Spincycle Yarns but these are not easy to find and very expensive.  I decided to visit Oxford Yarn Store and find an alternative.  I chose a mixture of yarns.  

They are mainly Malabrigo Arroyo which is superwash merino wool, but also Isager Jensen, Rowan Island Blend and Fibre Co Acadia.  It was the colours that were important to me not the yarn thickness.  I wanted to choose a mixture of brown, orange and turquoise.  I added a bit of green – because I often wear this colour.  I originally intended to include a pink colour of Malabrigo Arroyo – one I have used before fairly recently, but on my last visit to Oxford Yarn store – I noticed a new colour which was more chestnut brown, so I changed my mind and have used this instead of the pink.

I have almost finished knitting the shawl.  I started with a plan of which colours to use – and then as I knitted I changed it.  That is the best way – it is not a good idea to be too rigid. There are 10 pattern sections.  I am on the last one.  I think my shawl will be smaller than the original because the yarns are finer.  When I have finished Section Ten – I will decide whether I have finished or whether I want to knit another section to make the shawl larger.

Finished Version of Gossington by Brian Smith

This weekend I managed to finish something.  I have finished this shawl.

I used the pattern called Gossington by Brian Smith which is supposed to be knitted in 2 shades of Debbie Bliss Rialto luxury sock yarn but instead I used one shade of Fibre Fox sock yarn.  I used 2 skeins and have a small amount left over.

I fell in love with the vibrant red colour. In the photos it looks pink.  In reality it is definitely bright red.  It is very cheerful. It will go well with my brick inspired bag – when I get around to knitting it!  I have a selection of yarns laid out on the floor – but I haven’t cast on yet.

I have actually nearly finished something else – a little pink jacket for a baby.  I started this in January and have picked it up and put it down a lot.  All I have left to do now is sew on the buttons – which I intend to do later today.  I then intend to start something new and exciting!

Happy 6th Birthday Maud Tabron Blog

It is 6 years since I started writing this blog.  I am very conscious that during the previous year the posts have become very irregular.  This is because I have not done much knitting and so have little to write about.  In fact I was thinking I could write my next post about all the things that I haven’t finished!

When I reach a birthday – I usually look back at what I have knitted during the previous year and I am often surprised about how much I have done when all I can remember are the things that I haven’t finished and those that I haven’t even got around to starting.  I am really surprised to find out that I actually knitted 3 throws during the early part of the year:

The Creative Cables Throw

The Bauhaus Throw

The 100 Yarns Throw

Otherwise I knitted various presents for people – particularly babies and a few shawls which I enjoyed knitting.  

The throws were easy – even the “complicated” cables – in comparison to trying to knit those duck feet.  The problem is that I knit lots of throws and I feel comfortable doing them but I don’t knit socks and I don’t like small fiddly things like toys.  However although I didn’t completely follow the pattern – I did manage to produce some duck feet.

This year I do hope to be able to spend more time knitting and more time writing this blog. 

Another Favourite Knitting Pattern

At the moment I am knitting another shawl using a favourite Brian Smith pattern called Gossington.  

I first knit this shawl a couple of years ago using 2 different shades of Debbie Bliss Rialto Luxury Sock Yarn.  Unlike a lot of other shawls – I have worn this one a lot.  It is the right weight and seems to go with lots of things.

I hope the same will be said about the latest shawl that I am knitting.  This one is made from one shade of The Fibre Fox Merino Sock yarn.   I have bought 2 x 100g skeins of a shade called Embers.   It is 75% Superwash Merino and 25% Nylon.  There are 425 metres in each skein which will probably be more than enough.  It is such a lovely colour.  I didn’t intend to buy it but it was impossible to resist.  

The shawl should go well with the bag that I am hoping to get knitted this year.  I would like to start it this month – but I think that is a bit ambitious.