Oliver Boliver

Meet Tabitha - a free kitty pattern!

I hate throwing things away. I just can't bear it. There's always a chance that It could be useful at some point in the future and I will be Very Glad that I didn't get rid of it. Knitting just makes my hoarder nature worse. I have never used up the entire skein or ball for a project and so there's always half a hank here or 15g of sock yarn there. I look at the tiny insignificant ball of yarn and see a rose tinted promise of projects to come. However, I can, hand on heart, say that I Have Never Used Up Those Tiny Bits of Yarn.

That is, until now.

This was the premise that I began to design Tabitha. I had a sacred tiny ball of sock yarn left over from my recent Knit Love club socks and had the desire to use up every last precious scrap. (Of course I no longer have any spare yarn for fixing any holes but I'll deal with that crisis another day!). So far I've knitted her in 4ply, DK and Aran/Worsted weights and I can't decide which I like the most. I've noted a list of approximate yarnages and sizings below as it's too dull to pop in the middle of a blog post. ;)

She's knitted in the round and her ears are knitted directly to her head. In fact the only sewing you need to do is to attach her paws and tail in place. Simple! And, best of all, because you're only using tiny amounts of left over yarn, not only will you finish her in the space of an evening or two, you're going to start wading through all those tiny tangled balls of forgotten stash, putting them to good use.

Your knitting bag will never be the same again.

You can download her for free at Ravelry. Just click here for the link to the pattern. Please also join the Oliver Boliver group on Ravelry and show us your finished Tabithas (or Tom Cats). If you add Tabitha to you projects page we can build up a list of all the different yarns used for her. I can't wait to see her in lots of different yarn weights and colourways.

She's already in the Hot Right Now patterns on Ravelry at number 13 and considering Knitty's spring and summer collection was only released a few days ago that's Very Exciting! 

I am a very happy little birthday bunny!

Enjoy! xx

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4ply Tabitha 

- Sokkusu Original in Thunder & Blazes approx 12g/44m

- 2.25mm needles

- 10 cm high

 

DK Tabitha

- Manos Del Uruguay Silk Blend in Orion - approx 15g/41m

- 3.25mm needles

- 14cm high

 

Aran/Worsted Tabitha (pic to follow)

- Artesano Aran in Deep Teal - approx 50g/66m

- 4.5mm needles

- 20cm high

 

Please do allow a few extra grams/metres in case your tension is a little looser than mine

 

Sock Fest (No Spoilers)

I joined Socktopus' Knit Love Club as a little Christmas treat to myself and I am such a happy knitter having done so! I've knitted lots and lots of things over the years and I love the challenges that knitting presents even after years of doing, principally, the same thing. I realise I can knit without joining a club but I wanted a 'look forward to' and element of surprise that being a member of a club brings. I was also excited about the challenge of learning some new techniques. Every day's a school day, or so they say.

Essentially, the club involves 6 hanks/skeins of hand dyed Sokkusu O in surprise colours and 2 patterns per hank delivered at about the same time, every 2 months across 2012. It's very cloak and dagger for the first few weeks of receiving the yarn and pattern and spoiler shields must be used on your Ravelry projects page to keep the yarn colour and pattern a secret. It's ok to post pictures of your yarn and WIPs behind the shield though. Phew!

Spoiler Shield for Knit Love Club Projects

I was so excited to find my silvery packet of yarn delivered at the beginning of February and even put the kettle on and made a ceremonious cup of tea before I opened it. It was like being a child at Christmas I can tell you! The pattern was delivered a few hours later through Ravelry and I couldn't wait to cast on! I had a serious case of startisus and immediately shelved my Mr Tumble socks which I'd been knitting for Alex. (He understands. He has the same approach to girlfriends! Teenagers, eh?!)

Mr Tumble socks, shelved for the moment...

The Club yarn is so lovely although I would say not quite my colours of choice. If you haven't knitted with Sokkusu O before it's really worth trying. It's feels really slick to knit with and has a lovely sheen and fantastic stitch definition. The knitted fabric created is lovely and soft although I'm thinking durable enough to handle the hardwearing punishment that socks require. The proof of the pudding will be in the wearing, of course.

I'm just finishing the second sock now and have been hooked with the pattern from the start. It's tricky enough to keep you on your toes but sufficiently repeats itself so you can fall into a rhythm even watching tv. And to boot I've learned to make a different style cuff to my usual 2 x 2 rib and a new stitch, perfect for variegated yarns.

I won't spoil the surprise by posting pics here but you can see the yarn and pattern on my projects page under Fanque's Circus Sock if you like. Even Mr C is coveting them. And we all know that the way to Mr C's heart is with a pair of hand knitted socks. Just not this pair.

xx

Manos Lace does Trillian

Things have been a little quiet on the knitting front here at Oliver Boliver whilst my wrist has rested up. Not knitting was probably one of the hardest things I've had to do and required more will power than a yo-yo dieter in a cake shop! It seems to have done the trick though and whilst I was on leave from my wonderful hobby I spent a little too much time browsing patterns on Ravelry.

I've wanted to knit something with Manos Lace for a while (especially since the full range arrived into my webshop a few weeks ago) and particularly wanted a 1 skein project. Whilst there are some amazing lace shawls which would showcase Manos Lace beautifully I didn't want to simply add another Ishbel to the project count (sorry Ysolda, no offence though really!) as shawls aren't really something that feature heavily (if at all) in my wardrobe.

I stumbled across a designer called Martina Behm who has a lovely range of scarf patterns, mostly triangular shaped and quite a few knitted specifically for Wollmeise yarn. (If you've not heard of Wollmeise then you're probably safe as it's a very beautiful and coveted hand dyed 4ply yarn from Germany famous for gorgeous colourways such as Rhubarb which look good enough to eat!).

After a lengthy peruse with a glass of wine I decided that Trillian would be the one for me and my single skein of Manos Lace. It's a lovely pattern and very simple to follow. The scarf is constructed sideways and simply increases by 1 st every 2 rows creating a very long triangular scarf with a tiny lacy ladder-like edge. Not fussy, just nice. I made a small swatch and decided that 2.5mm needles would make a slightly smaller scarf in Manos which would suit me just fine. I couldn't see that anyone else had knitted it using Manos Lace before and I do like to take on a challenge!

Image courtesy of Martina Behm

I started knitting it a few weeks ago and meant to take a picture then but the light levels here have been awful so I managed to grab a few minutes in the garden this afternoon and shot these pics:

You can always guarantee that there's an errant pet on any of my photos. The fluffy cat you can see is our beloved Benny who, I can assure you, is quite massive! In fact, he's so big that he's thrown the scale of the shot altogether as he's made the scarf look quite small!

The colours are really beautiful in this colourway, Vidia. Lots of berry purples and hints of pinks, toned with a very calm graphite grey and a touch of natural. Sadly the photos here and in the shop website don't do the colours justice as they are just stunning! I was a bit sceptical about knitting so much garter stitch but it has been heaven to knit and the fabric which has been created is so lightweight and soft, you barely feel it next to your skin. I loved the very short colour changes too, as it means that the likelihood of them pooling (stacking on top of each other) is quite tiny and where they do pool, it simply adds to the creative effect as the colours run into each other like watery ripples.

I will need to every so slightly block the ladder lace edging which you can just about see running up the left hand long edge of the scarf so that you can see the effect although it's not absolutely necessary if you hate blocking. I do hope that it will be finished soon as I would like to wear it now the weather is starting to get a bit chilly in the morning and I will keep you posted on any updates! I've posted a Ravelry project about it and will pop in the final measurements and swatch details once it's finished.

The full range of Manos Lace is available for £10.99 (usually £14.99) in the webshop with free shipping worldwide for orders over £25! I can assure you it's all gorgeous and if Benny got the chance (which he most definitely has not!), he would most certainly make a little cat nest snuggled up inside a big bundle of it!

Happy days!

Pen x

(Not) Knitting and a pattern spoiler

If you've been following me on Twitter this last week you'll be familiar with the theme that has been building. I have not been knitting. Pardon? Yes - you heard it right.

I. Have. Not. Been. Knitting.

Why? I have no idea what I've done to my poor little wrist but it has been really painful since last Thursday to the extent that I actually put down my sticks last Thursday night and called for some knitting time out. Now, that's a fairly extreme measure in any knitter's approach to niggles in your hands. But according to the physio I may have a carpal tunnel problem or more likely to be tendonitis and compulsory rest is the order of the day.

Boo - hiss to both of those ailments!

So instead I tweeted my knit loss (left handed of course) and received some brilliant suggestions. @MrsMagic suggested that I use the time wisely to organise and reorganise my knitting and everything knit related. @JeanetteSloan and @Mochynknits both suggested reading material. @Patologica suggested creating patterns by memory. Prizes for funniest suggestions definitely go to @Knittingtastic for learning to knit with my feet and my friend, Anthony, on Facebook who simply said I should just drink wine (or should that be 'more' wine!). Haha!

I thought I'd give them each a little try (especially the wine suggestion!).

~ Knitting with your feet - I don't think will catch on but maybe I just didn't try hard enough! (I've spared you a picture of my feet; no-one needs that kind of visual abuse.)

~ Organising my knitting got as far as getting out all my needles and borrowing Mr C's micrometer to measure unlabelled DPN's and plop them in one place. (Do needle companies conspire against us by not labelling DPN's? Makes me very cross as I'm not very organised and hardly ever have a full set in any one place! Maybe MrsMagic has a good point!)

The micrometer is brilliant for measuring DPNs by the way and you can pick them up on evil-bay for a couple of quid. I think this one may not be returned immediately to Mr C as it is Far Too Handy.

~ I did successfully manage to order some knit related reading material or rather knit porn as I like to call it which I'll blog about in the next few days. Some reference, some patterns, some just plain funny knit-lit.

The main conclusion that I have drawn over the last week is that I am most definitely a "knitter" and I love to knit - A LOT! This is no surprise to anyone, I am sure. What was a big surprise was how much of my day is spent knitting and the huge hole it has left now it has gone! I am very lost without my knitting and feel positively lazy simply watching tv without the familiar click click of needles and the feel of wool, alpaca or otherwise running between my fingers. 

Ironically, just before my injury I had pledged that I wasn't going to knit anything until I finish my next toy. I was about 6 rows short of finishing him before the injury struck! Grrr! I suspect it will be a few more weeks until the pattern is finished so as a little treat - here he is in his full, albeit unfinished, glory...

Meet a nearly finished Mr Pheasant Plucker Esq. 

I'm hoping to get him finished asap and I'll keep you updated on progress as my wrist gets better!

Hope you enjoy the weekend and get lots of knitting in!

Pen x

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

Knitter's block

I've not been doing much blogging much lately. I think my new little man is sapping what little time and energy I have, to the extent that if there were 48 hours in a day I still don't think I'd be able to get everything done, nevermind get enough sleep in! And trust me when I say I don't place housework at the top of my Things to Do List. In fact if it makes the list at all then it's doing well! Don't get me wrong, our house doesn't resemble a squat, it's just not the spotless dolls' house I grew up in. "Lived in"; that's what the neighbours call it, quietly!

Knitting. Aah. Well - there's always time for knitting. In the last few weeks, we've been putting Zac to bed a little earlier so now he's tucked up in bed by 8pm which means it's time to sit down with Mr C and whichever selection of teenagers are gracing our dinner table that day, eat dinner and then knit! Yey! I make a rule that unless I have a pressing deadline that evenings are strictly for "me knitting". Sometimes that's a little something for me or Mr C; other times it's something for the kids.

So lately, I have started and, in some cases, even finished:

1. Juju Vail's Layering Shrug - just need to weave in the ends on that. I can't decide whether it needs blocking though. If you've knitted this and blocked it/not blocked it please let me know how you got on. I did love this pattern but wished my yarn was more grey than green. Hey ho.

2. One of Rebecca Danger's monsters for Ol. I did actually finish this. Ol called him "Chicken Monster". I don't really know why because he looks nothing like a chicken. This pattern was a doddle and with hardly any sewing up to do meant he actually got finished (see 1 and 3 - ha!). I think I used a combination of Cascade 220 (green) and Knit Picks Wool of the Andes (sapphire heathers) on 3.5mm DPNs. A great use for some part stash balls of yarn.

 

3. A pair of vomit socks for me. Although they are much less carrotish than Mr C's. I've just got to finish grafting the toe on one and weave in the ends and they are pret-a-porter! This yarn was Socka Fortissima and although is no where near as gorgeous as the alpaca Artesano Hummingbird I was knitting with last year does feel incredibly comfortable on my feet. The pattern was one I mostly made up to fit my feet based largely on a lot of stocking stitch and 2.5mm dpns.

 

4. A squid for Sarah. Yes - a squid. It's from Amigurumi Knits. I'm almost there, just need to finish the eyes and the last fin. A challenging pattern with a lot of short rows and a lot of picking up stitches. I'm not sure I knitted any of the tentacles the same way twice but I figured I could wing it. Looking at it, I think you'll agree that you can't see any of my mistakes. I love how toys can be so forgiving! I'm fairly sure that both colours were Cascade 220 which is just great for making toys and my trusty set of 3.5mm dpns. These 3.5mm dpns are turning into my new favourite needle size. Did I just type that? I mean, really - who has a favourite needle size. *show of hands* Ok - I feel better now!

 

I tweeted yesterday about making another tentacled wonder, this time for Alex. He fancies the octopus, again out of Amigurumi Knits and having seen @ponddrop's finished version yesterday I think it will be on the trusty 3.5mm dpns very soon!

Pen x