Oliver Boliver

Knit. Sock. Love. Challenge

I thought I was the last person on earth to buy Cookie A's Knit.Sock.Love. A beautiful book full of 19 gorgeous sock patterns that was released probably 2 years ago. I searched Ravelry towards the end of last year and sadly found that any KALs (knit-a-longs) had long since finished. 

Then, just before Christmas, a lady known as CorrieG on Ravelry asked whether anyone would like to join her in her quest to begin at the beginning and work through KSL again. The thought of working through each pattern, together with another knitter started to tug at my knitting start-itus and having nearly finished Alice Yu's Socktopus KAL challenge, I picked up the gauntlets!

With the help of CorrieG and LizzieLace I set up a new group on Ravelry and within 24 hours there were over 100 members and generous offers of sponsorship (more on sponsorship soon)! The latest count has reached over 200 and new members are joining daily.

We've kicked off the KAL with a laid back KAL for Hedera. 'Laid back' in that there are no time limits so cast on when you are ready and post your progress pics in the thread as you go. There are no prizes for this KAL, it's just for fun! And if you need some convincing as to whether to dive and and download the full PDF you can try Hedera and Monkey as free patterns on Knitty too.

Hedera

For the remaining 18 patterns the plan is to knit one pattern per month, starting in February and there will be sponsored prizes to be selected at random from those knitters who start and finish within the allotted time frame. There are two KALs each month, the Orderly KAL for those wanting to knit the patterns in order of difficulty and the Adventurous KAL for those who like to throw caution to the wind and mix it up a little. I'm going to knit the Adventurous KAL as I like the balance between the cable and lace patterns as well as the mix from month to month with varying difficulties.

The patterns to choose from for February will be Monkey (Orderly KAL) and Wedge (Adventurous KAL).

Monkey

Wedge

 

Come and join in the fun!

My Year with Alice

It would seem that I have been well and truly bitten by the sock knitting monkey and have spent most of this year knitting my way through Alice Yu's lovely book, Socktopus.

You will probably remember I joined her Sock Club at the end of last year and simply can't get enough of her designs. The book is beautifully photographed with a very modern feel and the instructions are very clear (although please note that errata is available for some of the patterns).

There's a KAL (knit-a-long) running alongside the book on Ravelry and so far I've managed to knit 10 out of the 11 pairs of socks and there are 6 more pairs left to knit. Here are some of the socks I've made over the last few months (when I should have been blogging!):

V Junkie

 

Shur'tugal

And finally Kwalla

Shur'tugal is a free pattern which you can download from Ravelry so if you haven't tried Alice's patterns yet there is a commitment free opportunity to do so!

I've learned lots of new techniques plus different kinds of cast ons and offs. It really is worth buying the book; you'll want to knit every one!

x

 

Making Monday

Remember this ball of yarn....

After several days of therapeutic sock knitting (admittedly just before my wrist went on strike), and some grafted toe seams (which I did straightaway to avoid inevitable procrastination), I turned it into these....

Admittedly, they're a little jazzy but I just loved the pattern so I carried on regardless! Mr C absolutely loves the colourful stripes and says I'm far too conservative to wear them. Indeed he added that he would wear them EVEN with his shorts. Bearing in mind he happily wears his Vomit Socks with his shorts I can say hand on heart that he is not calling my bluff.

But they are MINE and I WILL wear them. You'll be thankful that I will spare your eyes and not wear them with my shorts. My legs are no way near as good as Mr C's.

I added it to my Projects Page on Ravelry, if you fancy a look in.

Have a good week!

Pen

Sock Knitting

I've got a little confession. As it's a Sunday, it seems appropriate to tell you all about it. I have an addiction. It's knitting ... socks. Ever since my daliance with Artesano's Hummingbird DK range on holiday last year I seem to have developed a full blown addiction. 

Like with all addictions you have to have the right tools. I first started with metal 20cm dpns which were fine to begin with but found that I kept jabbing my wrists. A switch to a set of 15cm bamboo dpns would sort that irritation. Unfortunately non-knitters think you are using toothpicks but what do they know...

Then you have to pick your poison. I love to knit luxury alpaca socks in a DK weight. The yarn slips gorgeously through your fingers, the DK weight means that they fly off your needles and when you finally pop them onto your feet you just wish for a cold spell in the weather. 4ply or fingering is great for detailed and more lacy effect socks but requires a slightly longer term commitment.

Then you need an enabler. Something that will facilitate your addiction; take it to a new height. Pick your pattern carefully so it has enough to keep you interested but not too much that it gives you a headache. Sock knitting + headache = UFO* (*UnFinished Object) Guaranteed! I have enough UFO's in my knitting bag and do not wish to increase the tally with an impossible pattern. Ravelry and Knitty have some lovely patterns. Do try not to drool over your keyboard!

Here are some of my recent additions to my sock knitting stash:

Regia Arabesque in Grenada

A self striping 4ply sock yarn. Hardwearing but soft enough not to feel scratchy. 

I cast this yarn onto my needles last night using Monkey by Cookie A. It's available in the medium size on Knitty and should look like this:

 

Image courtesy of Cookie A and Interweave Knits 

 

This gorgeous yarn from Fyberspates also caught my beady eye:

Fyberspates Scrumptious 4ply Sport in Purple

This yarn is just gorgeous and has a beautiful shimmer to it. 

I have Clandestine lined up for this yarn. Another Cookie A pattern and again also available on Knitty.

With a bit of luck and hopefully no headaches it should look like this:

Image courtesy of Laura Kicey

Finally, and my absolute favourite a lovely skein of Artesano:

Artesano Hummingbird DK in Woodpecker

A really yummy soft yarn which has such vibrant colours.

My plans for this yarn will probably involve a very simple 2x2 rib which feels so comfy on your feet unless I spend some more mis-spent time browsing Knitty and Ravelry! 

Pen x

Layering Shrug

I managed to cast on Juju Vail's Layering Shrug last weekend and after a bit of false start, having misread the chart, I am nearly through the first sleeve!

 

Let me assure you that the false start was nothing to do with the pattern, which is very simply written, just my overeagerness to go as quickly as possible and misread a purl row for a knit row in the easy peasy chart. School boy error, I know and I could've gotten away with it but I know that I would've cursed it every time I wore it. So after 2 days of knitting, I ripped the whole thing back and started again.

Mr C watched me in disbelief, asking "Are you actually enjoying this project?".

Me:"Of course" (lying through gritted teeth)

The pattern is worked from side to side with no seams or grafting and the lace is fairly straightforward, even for a novice lace knitter. I love that I was quickly able to memorise the lace pattern after a few repeats which means it's very portable. The sleeves are worked in the round and it starts with a provisional cast on so you'll need to fight off any reluctance to air your crochet hook!  One size fits most, says the pattern and it looks from the gauge that the DK version will be a little looser and longer in the body than the laceweight version.

 
Image courtesy of Juju Vail

I'm knitting mine in BC Garn's Allino in a charcoal/green and beige colour. The yarn has a two coloured effect to it - which I'm sure has a technical name but it escapes me. It's a cotton/linen mix and is perfect for summer. I'm planning on teaming it with a vest and a pair of jeans or maybe even my long linen shorts (once I get back into them - ahem!).

I must confess that it's the first garment I've ever knitted for myself which isn't more than a pair of gloves or scarf so I'm a little nervous as to how it's going to look on me (especially as I'm no where near as skinny as the beautiful model in the picture). However, I'm sure it'll be perfect for chucking over my shoulders on a cool evening and the final fit shouldn't matter too much. If you fancy knitting it too or have knitted it already do please leave a comment below and together we can have a collective moan hopefully followed by a joyful ta-dah moment!

The pattern is available for free through Loop's blog. You must beware of all the beautiful yarns in Loop's online boutique yarn shop lying in wait to tempt you though! I just want to pet some of them!

Enjoy!

Pen x

On the needles...

It's a lovely long bank holiday coming up and I'd planned to do some 'me' knitting. (Me knitting = selfish knitting = happy wife and mother - you know how these things are!) I've been mulling over knitting myself a cardigan of some sort over the last few weeks and these were the hot favourites.....

Cropped Cardigan by Amy O'Neill Houck

 

 

Wispy Cardigan by Hannah Fettig

Both of which I love and the yarns suggested are scrumptious. However I'd probably need to add some length to both as I'm no where near as skinny as the models and I'm under no illusions that if I knit them as is I'd look like a fish on a bicycle! So, wanting some easy-peasy-just-follow-the-pattern knitting I came across this through my mis-spent time on Twitter....

 

Layering Shrug by Juju Vail

Isn't it gorgeous? The best thing is that it's knitted using a DK weight yarn and 4mm needles so it should whizz off the needles! I'd planned to make it in the same colours as I love the muted colours of charcoal and beige but unfortunately Loop have all sold out of these colours.

 
Image courtesy of Loop

However the beauty of the internet shone through yesterday and whilst googling the yarn, BC Garn's Allino I came across 2 German LYS's. The first, unfortunately, had sold out of the colours I wanted but the second Woll Werkstatt not only had it in stock but confirmed shipping today! Yippee!

The only problem is that because of the lovely long bank holiday weekend and there being nill post on Friday I'm not going to be able to start until next week! Oh well, at least I can knit my way through the flipping Royal Wedding!

Happy knitting and have a lovely bank holiday- whatever you're getting up to!

Pen x

Spring is in the air

I love March for lots of things - clocks going forward, spring bulbs and baby animals springing up all over the place. I also love it because my birthday is in March, today in fact! So I'm going to sit with my feet up and a big pile of yarn that I bought recently and decide what to knit next.

 

Practical sock yarn with some interesting colour changes and a bit of cheats fair isle to boot!

 
This yarn is just so gorgeously soft and squashy. It's almost too nice to knit with; I just want to sit and cuddle it!

I've been wanting to show you a picture I took last week of a crocus flower in our front garden. It's so elegant and I just love the tiny threadlike stripes which run through it.

 

I just love Japanese gardens too - they're so tranquil. 

The weather is officially poo here today so I'm just off to pop the kettle on and rummage through the fridge to see if I can find some of the children's chocolate which might be hiding in the back of it. Mmmmm - stolen chocolate - tastes even better than honestly acquired chocolate......

Pen x

New things

It was a good week this week and I've had a bout of creative rejuvenation. Team that together with my 6 week sign off at the doctors enabling me to drive again and I feel very much like my old self.  I'm reluctant to admit in case I jinx the situation but Zac is also starting to sleep for around 6 hours at night which feels positively luxurious after the 3 hour cycle we've had since he was born. Admittedly it's early days but I'm not looking the proverbial gift horse in the mouth and fully appreciate what feels akin to a lie in!

So this week I managed to finish my pink striped granny blanket which I edged with a pin striped-ish border. I sort've fell out with the colours of the blanket half way through but then after some careful "random" selections of the final third, fell back in love with it. Here it is in its full glory....

 

And here it is with Zac's bunny....! Oliver did insist on this one...

 

Unfortunately for me, but hurray for my pattern collection, the gaptastic cowl still has not made it on to my needles as the addi click points have still not arrived (boo). Instead, I dug through my stash and teamed it up with some lovely Rowan Purelife British Sheep Breeds DK undyed in Blue Faced Leicester Marl. I've had this ball hanging out in my stash of DK for too long waiting for a new creature to come to life and I'm pleased to say it's coming along quite nicely.

 

I'm knitting this little creature in 2 weights of yarn, DK and worsted (UK readers - aran weight popular in the US), in 2 different needle sizes which will give one larger and one smaller critter. Subject to Zac (pictured blurry in the background) behaving for his Mummy I should be able to get some knitting and pattern planning done over the next week and fingers crossed there should be a little critter to show you next week....

In the meantime, and I'm sorry for the gratutitous baby photo, but here is Zac after his first proper bath, all snuggly and warm...

 

Mmmm - nice clean baby! You can almost (not) smell him!!!

Hope you have a lovely weekend and get some knitting in!

Pen x

Round Up

This week I've been mostly:

1. Starting a new blanket - this time in pinks..... I love crocheting blankets so much; I even wake up thinking about it. (Did I say that out loud?)

 

2. Wishing I could start my gaptastic cowl with this lovely soft thick yarn.

 

 

3. Received some Addi Click cables in the post following another bout of internet yarn and notion shopping but no Addi Click needles. Apparently they are to follow in another 2 or even 3 weeks which means I can't start knitting my cowl until they arrive. Arghhhhhhhhhhhhh!

4. Cursing about receiving part orders (see 2&3)!!

5. Finished my 2 Arthur the Aliens in Cascade 220. I got there in the end and I rather like the blue one.

 

6. Practicing for my piano lesson which resumes next week after a few weeks grace to get over the shock of having a baby. I must admit I've not even touched one key for weeks so I'm expecting a bit of an ear bashing from my lovely teacher! Or rather it will be her ears that get a bashing as I strangle her concert pitch Yamaha.

 

6. Trimming my step son's Chinese Elm bonsai since he thinks, like his dirty washing magically appearing in the wash basket, that he doesn't need to do anything to it.

7. In disbelief it's nearly the middle of February already and March is only 2 weeks away. I'll be knitting flipping Christmas ornaments in less than no time. At least my cowl should be finished by then......

Pen x

Rip it up and start again

 
I spent a few lovely minutes last night sewing on the 5 shell flower shaped buttons and weaving in the ends on Little Man's (still no closer to choosing a name for him) new addition to his knitwear wardrobe.

I'd originally started this cardigan in the spring green colour but realised when I'd almost finished that one of the balls wasn't from the same dyelot. I tried to convince myself with both eyes squinted almost closed and in the light of a very low energy light bulb that you couldn't see the very obvious stripe of new colour running through the yoke of the cardigan, but who was I kidding? A very schoolboy error and something punishable only by ripping the whole thing back to the beginning. Better that than being cross with myself every time I saw him wearing it!

There's something quite cathartic about starting something again, albeit frustrating at the same time. However starting again was definitely the best decision as it meant a rethink of the colours to use. At the bottom of my DK stash I found some lovely Rowan Cashsoft in white and a soft grey which works really nicely with the pale green.

I expect he'll be sporting it soon as I've been fairly housebound since being discharged after the c-section just over a week ago and I'm itching for a nice pub lunch and a glass of something cold, dry and preferably produced in the Marlborough region of New Zealand!

I secretly tried my jeans on this morning and reckon I could suffer them in the name of fashion and sauvignon blanc!

Pen x