Slipper Basics on Diana's blog

Diana has from time to time said some lovely things about my blog, I don't know her personally and although I have lots of online Ravelry friends, Diana isn't one of those either. However, I find her blog has lots of interesting things to read and in an homage to her:
Inspiration at Diana natters on: Building a Slipper Pattern

.. and my family may find themselves wearing a pair next Aussie winter... you never know what the slipper fairy may bring.

The scales didn't lie.

As most know, I'm halfway through my 2012 "cold sheep". Meaning I have made a commitment to not buy any yarn, no matter how much of a bargain it is, this year. So I'm using the stash I have, not only did I use up every little bit of 1 x 100g Chubby Sock wool, but also finished off the left overs from the last Chubby sock I made:

Cadence Socks with left over toe and 2m of it leftover.

Now onto my last FO (Rav speak for Finished Object). A lovely pattern, Cadence is one of those rare patterns that I can't adapt to be bigger. I have some beautiful 5ply, no longer available, theknittery Chubby Sock Wool in Smoke and I can knit it on 3.00mm and use the 64sts lacy pattern. Almost a perfect plan..

Stretch Cast on

So I made one, using a nice stretch cast on, I found here, which worked well on either a bigger needle or both together, it did turn out well. So back to .... I made the first one, then started on the second, then halfway through I realised I didn't do the cast on properly and I wouldn't be able to put it on. Then I saw how little I had left and decided to get out the scales and weighed the finished sock and then remaining wool. Well, I wouldn't have enough. What to do? Either start over with another yarn? undo it and take out some rows above the heel in the first sock? or... I found some leftovers from the last socks I made out of TK Chubby, weighed it with the second sock wool and the combined weight was just a bit more than the first sock.

So.. I decided I could live with the toe in the different colour, same wool stock, not undo the first sock to have roughly the same amount of other coloured toes, it will be in my shoes. I didn't want a join further up the toe if I could possibly help it and the colour will fade a bit after a couple of washes.

Anyways, I did have enough to make it all the way to the end, with just the toe to do. And am pleased to know the scales don't lie. I did have enough combined wool to do the second sock - with about 2 metres left! So glad it wasn't the other way!

Pretty Ribbons: aka Putting Stuff in Shows

In January, yet again Eleanor stood in front of us begging and pleading for us to enter some of the shows around Sydney. So this year I took pity on her pleading self and asked if she would like one of the Kate machine knit shawls I've made - yes she would, so I gave her the shawl and some money to spend on entries. The idea is to promote machine knitting, a cabinet filler, and Wildhoney's (Natalia from Russia) Kate Machine Knit shawl is lovely, it's what all the girls in the family got for Christmas.

Anyways, Eleanor entered it in, along with her stuff - some shows it did what I though - made a nice display and in two of them I got pretty ribbons, a FIRST in the Castle Hill Show and a SECOND (and $3.00 - yes that's correct three dollars) from Hawkesbury Show, now isn't that nice?

It's next excursion is to the Sydney Craft and Quilt Show Macknit display- however I'm not going to hold my breath for pretty ribbons in that one - we get a lot of entries and the general public votes for their favourite item. A nice filler it will be too, I'm pretty sure they won't let me put the pretty ribbons on it! No.

Sydney Royal Easter Show 2012

I meant to post this last month. oops.

This year the show featured "Fabulous Fibre" in their central display in the middle of the craft pavilion. The big square was shared a corner each, the machine knitters with the handknitters, spinners and felters. The weather was rainy, with a few days of sun.

Anyways, here are some photos of our corner, taken just before the public descended, some items were on loan and items from all over the state donated for the Winter Warmers display then on to the Red Cross.We had lots of people do some samples of machine knitting to hang on the front of the display and we can use them in future displays.

Our corner of the display

Some of our items on display

I had a lovely time knitting in the corner and chatting to the passers-by. We had a lot of them when the there was a downpour throughout the day. That and we were opposite the cake decorating!!!

Edit to add:  Here is me:

Hi there! Me at the show.

Making Continuous Hats

I've finished up all but a couple of those fluffy balls I had in a box. The box is going into the recycling and those couple of balls are in a bag, ready for me to make some hats for May's Australia's Biggest Morning Tea - which we are having at Epping club, and as I was making the last ones for Lyn's clinic I've taken some photos to show continuous hat making. The pattern is Sandy's Chemo Hats

Cast on EON 60-63 stitches T4

Use the ruler to bring up the needles to transfer

 bring up the other needles inbetween,

T8 knit 4 rows,

T9 knit till the yarn is still on the floor - 40ish rows.










Transfer needles for 2tog,
T4 knit 2 rows

good thing, leave everything where is it

knit a couple of rows of waste yarn

Add weight to WY and knit another hat

I like to put the hats directly into a plastic garbage bag

Really keeps all this mess together until I'm ready to separate them.

on the last one knitted, pick up the stitches and run a darning needle through them and leave it until all the hats below are separated

Then go to the first one knitted and I separate my way back up the hats. Run a thin circular needle through the live stitches, cut the last stitch on the opposite side to the thread, run the darning needle through the live stitches, throw the waste yarn into a rubbish bag and the newly separated hats into a pile until I sew them up later.

I cut the first stitch of the WY after I pick up the live stitches and pull it to remove the hat from the one above.

I like to have all the cut up waste yarn in a separate rubbish bag and the ready to sew in a pile.

and then I sew them up. Voila continuously knitted strips into Chemo Hats.

KX350 + 1 panel = 176 needles ready to go = Fraank

I bought a new top for my knitting table - A Plaank for Fraank

I have a new piece of 44 needles to put into Fraank

Turn him over and remove the last plate and end

And snap the new section into place - it has a slot

And put the end piece on and put the plates back and screw back into place

I removed the centre screw and relocated the clamp to the end

New needles and sponge, it's plastic is discoloured, but it works a charm.

Some Zoomy Vests

My stash on Rav 6 Mar 2012

I've been working on getting rid of my old WIPs (works in progress). I decided to start finishing them this year, starting with the nearest to finished. Well I finished the body and started on the sleeves. The more I did the less I wanted to finish it, wear it or have anything to do with it. So I decided to NOT finish it, and undo/frog it. So that makes two things I've put back into balls.

 But what started this epiphany, was... I need to make another blue/black vest or three. The ones from last year have suffered from "wearing them all the time".  I have one redish tone one that I can walk out the door, and I machined and hand knit - green! Two green vests. Great! I don't know what I was thinking, just getting them done. Which brings me to my Zoomy. Lauren and her Dad brought me back two packets of 10 Zoomys in different blues from their road trip home from Melbourne, in Dec 2010. Sadly my old Zoomy vest - well I don't think even the needy will want to wear it. It's rubbish. But backtracking to my WIP hand knit problem, I really didn't want to start another handknit until I made them go away. Problem solved, it's no more, it's back into balls.

My Shalom Vest with elledot (Leila's) buttons

So onto the Zoomy. I really need vests, so I made a replacement Shalom for the one that I threw away, and have started a Heather Hoodie on the other packet.

Heather hoodie in progress

And now I'm back to machine knitting. I'll finish off my second Lana Vest this week, then I'll think about whether I pack up Yoko and do something else one of the other machines. Maybe I'll make another Shawl Collared Cardi on it before I do.

Lana Sweater in progress - only sleeves to do

And I went to Spotties and bought some cotton jersey to make some long body/sleeve tees for this winter. I'd like to get them done next week, ready for the cool weather, which I don't think is too far away. I got some nice easy to wear ones from Primark, three plain cotton jersey ones from Lauren's trip to London, year before last and the three I brought back from my trip to London. I must admit I like the 100% cotton ones better and I'm so sick of stuff that is too short. So this year, I'm getting rid of all the too short stuff.


That's enough to be getting on with now I think!