I’ve been finding that when I knit socks my second sock ends up with a slightly tighter gauge than the first so I decided to try and combat this by knitting a pair of socks two-at-a-time. Continue reading
Tri Folded pullover with Holst Garn Supersoft
I’ve been wanting to make a pullover as the winter months loom here in Sydney so it was time to dive in to the stash. Continue reading
My first taller knit socks and the need for calf increase
I’m working on a slow-knitting top at the moment with a yarn that is a touch on the harsh side (but will soften up after washing) so, to alternate with a softer project, I cast on a pair of plain socks with a ball of Austermann Step self-patterning sock yarn. The yarn is easy on the hands and contains Aloe Vera and Jojoba Oil, and while my colour choice was a little odd, it was a dream to knit with. Continue reading
Kottarainen shawl and a stash down
I decided to decrease my yarn stash by using up partial balls of Morris and Sons Empire 8 ply merino on this free shawl pattern called Kottarainen by Heidi Alander.
The original pattern uses two colours but I had three shades of green and three lighter colours of grey, beige and white, so I began with the darkest of the light colours and the lightest of the greens and switched colours as I ran out of yarn.
While the pattern was written for 4 ply yarn, this fabric is still wonderfully flexible, soft and cosy, and I now have a large 200cm x 72cm triangular shawl.
If you use the English version of the pattern, note that in the bind-off the k2tog is through the back loop – it seems like it from the instructions but I wasn’t certain until I checked the Finnish version to be certain.
A few more details can be found on my Ravelry project page for the Kottarainen shawl.
My first handspun socks
While I was visiting my mum for the Christmas break I dropped in to her local craft shop to say thank you to the owner for the free alpaca fleece she gave me the previous Christmas when I was learning to spin yarn on my DIY drop spindle. I told her how much fun I had been having with my drop spindle and that I was hoping to get a spinning wheel at some point when a lady in the shop piped up to say that she knew where I could get a spinning wheel. It turned out that she had a spare wheel that she was looking to sell! Continue reading