Bannisters Cable Jumper Update

Going great guns/needles on the sleeves. I emailed Vogue to ask if I can post my pattern using their Stitchionary (Bk2) and yes I can, if I'm calling it "Bannisters" and to quote the source. Very good news indeed. So as soon as I finish the sleeves, I'll write out the pattern for the blog.

Boxed Cable Jumper Test Square

Did the test square last night for Vogue Knitting Stitchionary 2: Cables: #141 Boxed Cables. 28st/10cm unstretched; 20st/10cm stretched. OK to do 126 or 252 if I want to do it in the round.

Losing weight and Bannister Cable Jumper Update

I've got less then 20kg to go, and I'm still happily losing. My ongoing project is making sure that as clothes become too-bigs, they get chucked out. Some favourites are hard to part with, but there's no point in keeping them. So far every 12/13kg -ish has been a size change - two more sizes to go! I don't seem to be making a big dent in moving out the too-bigs pile either, even though I've been bagging and binning them, it's an avalance!! I do wish to remind that I was last 75kg in the early 80's, and no I don't have any clothes from then... oh yes I do, two jumpers... both way way too warm for everyday wear. I can finally see an end to my old neverending weight problem and I don't have enough clothes to wear next year, that's for sure, even though I've taken/worn/chucked lots of different sized clothes from a number of people (thank you all) to wear on my weigh down..
I'm going to use the middle of my wardrobe for my crafts stuff, I will need to get some shelving from Mr Plywood. (I "have" to clear out my craft in my spare room cause #1 dotter is back from her overseas travels and wants to move in..) It's a pity I've still got to keep some interim clothes to wear for the last kgs.

So I have too much wool stash (darn that Bendigo sale last year!) and not enough to wear in size 14/16 and not mentioning that I'm so sick of having 3/4 length sleeves and not long enough pants... It will be really nice to have long long long sleeves/body/legs again. I'm still optimistic that I will get to around 80kg by Christmas. Definitely will be around 75kg by next winter... which brings me to my next winter wardrobe projects:

Now for the Bannister update: my second new-sized super long jumper for next year. Finished the all in one body and did short row shaping and 3 needle bind off for the shoulders. I really like the look and after doing umpteen socks with short rows, I'm now an old hand. Then put the neckband on, well yarn was still attached! I decided to do the sleeves in the round so when it's all finished all I'll have to do is sew on the sleeves.

There are so many project I want to do, I've got my next two hand knit jumpers ready to start as well as heaps of ideas for the knitting machine.. and a huge stash to knit through. I don't want to start another project until I finish some things that I've got on the go. (the Oblique is still having a time out in the naughty corner after splitting one st into two, way way way way too many rows that I had to undo/redo as the darling pattern would not cooperate .. nope had to undo all those rows - if I hadn't done so much of it - I'd have put it into the frog pond. I thought a time out in the naughty corner was more appropriate than the ultimate punishment for not behaving.)

Toe Up Short Row Passap Socks

I delivered SnB friend Shelly's socks today. She kindly lent me her tiny toes feet to workshop toe up socks, on account of my long toes being tricky and I don't have any weights, nope, just have to wing it.. I got the basic pattern from the Passap Knits Yahoo group site, then off it's head to work it for me (us). For Shelly:
Prelim: CO 64 - 32 both beds; Handle down; 1st row: T1; N/N; pink.
Handle up: 2nd & 3rd rows: T3 CX/CX; pink.
Toe: T4.5; BX/GX; black; lock left, short row Wrap & Turn (W&T) to 16 sts and back. RC000.
Foot: T4.5; CX/CX; black; to RC 133.
Heel: T4.5; BX/GX; black; lock left, short row W & T 12 sts and back. RC000.
Leg: T4.5; CX/CX; black; to RC100. RC000.
Cuff: either take off machine and handknit rib OR, following instructions on the PassapKnits site:
put BB onto decker comb and drop. bring 1:1 needles division on back bed- Handle down, N/N, Pink, T3, knit 16Rows, T5 1 row, take off on waste yarn. Reposition BB stitched from decker combs, bring 1:1 needle divi on FB, T3, N/N, knit 16 rows, T5 1row, remove with waste yarn.
Cast off and Sew up cuff sides. TIGHTEN 1ST ROW before securing and weaving ends in. Didn't take any photos, cause I wasn't sure she would like the cuff, but as it was she did.

I've got the W&T down pat from ALL the kilometres of sock yarns I've put through the machine in the last few months.. I've nearly done all the self patterning yarn in my stash...nearly. I'm keeping some of the solid colours back and have plans to hand knit (must be mad mad mad but...) long socks next winter. Even got 4 balls of Regia silk from Jimmy's. Got some spare grey print stash to knit another short row socks for SIL. And Shelly gave me some sock wool for my scrap blanket, but after rewinding it, I might be able to get a pair of teeny tiny socks for her teeny tiny feet... But that's for tomorrow.