Monthly Archives: March 2010

True to my word, I did indeed finish the Long Socks on the weekend in Sydney, although my attempt was not without its obstacles. Early on Sunday morning, woken by the sounds of a city that is far too noisy for my liking, I was knitting in bed. When I put the knitting down for a moment and was doing something else, like reaching for the TV remote I think, I leaned on the needle – a 2.25mm knit picks harmony.

Crack.

No more needle.

Thankfully we’d chosen a hotel not more than ten minutes walk from Morris and Sons and so after breakfast we were able to head there and avert the crisis. I’m being honest when I say I hadn’t planned on a visit to one of Sydney’s best yarn shops while there but I’m sure no one will believe me!

Anyway, I worked on said socks at any spare moment on the weekend, including over quite a few beers at the Lord Nelson Hotel at The Rocks and at the Amanda Palmer concert at the Opera House. All the way through the show! You’ve gotta love a sit down concert where listening is everything. It’s perfect for a huge slab of stocking stitch.

So without further ado, seven months in the making, my Knee High Socks, with stripes. And baby. Love our coordinated knitwear!

When I pictured how these photos would look, I had visions not quite like this. Alice was not at her most cooperative today, despite all the effort Mummy went to with her outfit.

She honestly wasn’t as grumpy as she looks here.

So, about the details. These started out because DrK gave me two balls of this Kaffe Fasset Regia Sock yarn for my birthday IN JULY LAST YEAR. I was then offered a spare ball by Nellie and I thought, oh yes, knee high socks, with stripes. Away I went.

Nearly four balls later – well three and a bit – I have my knee high socks and I love them. I’m not sure what possessed me to do them on 2.25 needles. I’m sure that slowed things down but it was worth it because they are firm, and solid and will hopefully stay up for a long time.

I didn’t follow a pattern with these so much as just took a few pointers from others in terms of how and when to increase. It seems to have worked. A few people on Ravelry have written some helpful notes and so I took tips from them, cobbled together more or less what seemed to work for me and seven months later (way too long – I hate that they lingered for so long) I have my toe up knee high socks.

And I love them. But now, I think I need an interesting pattern. That’s enough stocking stitch sock knitting for the next little while. Oh wait, I still have my nephew’s socks. Best get cracking.

Bells

It’s Friday night, at the beginning of a long weekend (for Canberra Day) and we are full of anticipation here for a trip away to Sydney. Ordinarily a weekend in Sydney means visiting family and friends and while that’s just lovely, this time we’re having the weekend to ourselves.

This means a hotel in the city, dinner and lunch plans and quite possibly just a bit of sitting around in pubs. It also means a night at the Opera House to see Dresden Dolls front woman gone solo, Amanda Palmer.

The perennial question arises. What to knit? I have an answer. Anyone remember my knee high socks?

I wouldn’t blame you if you’d forgotten them. I almost have. Not because I don’t love them. I just reached the point where I was bored stupid, which is silly really, given I love nothing more than a long stretch of stocking stitch to while away the hours when I need something to do with my hands and not my mind.

Things were complicated though. You might have noticed one of the socks is Off The Needles and yet not finished.

The sad truth is that when I reached the calf increases for this sock, my hands were engaged but my mind was quite obviously startlingly absent. I tried the sock on a while ago and realised I’d been a tad enthusiastic with the the shaping. It was suddenly a saggy, baggy sock around my upper calf. Not at all what a girl needs in a long sock.

So I’ve ripped some back and this weekend in the car, on trains and ferries and in all manner of venues will finish it. With you all as my witnesses, the knee high socks will be finished and ready to wear.

I’ll also finish these socks.

They are much smaller socks, in the same Regia Kaffe Fasset yarn, different colourway. They are Socks on Request, stripey socks for my soon to be six year old nephew Willem. One sock was done this week. Another will be done between now and next weekend.

What else does a girl need for knitting on an indulgent weekend in Sydney but simple, plain socks?

Bells

This morning I went to visit Alice to wish her a very happy first birthday and take some photos of her in her birthday cardigan. When I arrived, she was hiding behind the couch and came out wearing it! So exciting!

It’s quite big on her but not so big she can’t wear it immediately, and obviously this means that she’ll grow into it nicely!

Isn’t it the most adorable little cardigan? It’s soft, and drapey and suits her so well. Fee and I agreed this was the best one yet. And the weather was most kind today, for the second day of autumn, turning just chilly enough to warrant layered dressing.

I love the shaping of it, the way the shoulder increases look. And I love the modifications I made to it. Someone on Ravelry had done something I thought was brilliant, continuing the picot hem from the cuffs and bottom onto the front bands. The pattern has you do a garter stitch band but I rather liked the idea of keeping it all consistent. So I did for the band exactly what the pattern said to do for the cuffs and hem – eight rows (on a small needle), the turning row, then six rows before casting off. Easily enough sewn down.

I just made sure I kept three stitches back on either side where the ties are (casting on three replacement stitches) and so at the end, made an i-cord tie for each side and voila! It was done! About ten days’ work, in Bendigo 8ply cotton – so soft! – in a sadly discontinued colour, Inferno. Why did they discontinue it? Why?

It was pretty hard to get a photo of her with Elijah, or Stampy as he now been christened. But this one shows her having just put Stampy down in order to sneakily reach for birthday cake.

And I managed to grab Stampy before leaving so I could get a last proper shot, after he’d helped Alice eat her birthday cake. I think one of his (tricky to do) eyes is coming out already. I might have to have another go.

So there you have it. A special day for a special girl. Happy birthday precious Alice. We love you very much.

Love Aunty Bells
xo