Sunday, June 24, 2012

a scarf and flowers



Both the scarf and the house are finished. The house is wonderful. Sometimes I just have to sit down to take it all in. It's still a bit unreal - like being on holiday in a house belonging to someone else and not really knowing where things are or which switch turns on which light or how to use the oven. There is still a bit of unpacking to do but things are running pretty smoothly.

The scarf is, by comparison, less amazing than the house, but still good. I think the blocks of colour work well. It can look different depending on how it's tied. And I'm quite liking the shorter length  - so much easier to wear. Here's an even shorter, cuter one

  

And here is the start of my next knitting project. These little flowers are deceptively easy to make. I followed the instructions in Jane Brocket's book The gentle art of knitting. 

  
And, finally, some more Alstroemeria. You're probably over Alstroemeria but can you have too much of a good thing?  

Listening Birdy by Birdy + Reading How to be a woman by Caitlin Moran (funny, annoying, true) + Watching Girls (TV series, created by and starring the amazing  Lena Dunham) + Missing Louie - a lot.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Goodbye, Mrs Dog


Louie 1997-2012

Sadly, after a long and slow decline, our dear old dog, Louie, left us yesterday. She was a rescue dog from the SPCA and I hope we gave her the kind of life a good dog deserves. I miss her terribly and I wish now I'd bought her more pies and taken her for longer, slower walks. She was such a comfort. Thank you for everything, Lou. We had good times.

Monday, June 4, 2012

treasure




I found this wonderful book from the 1970s in the library book sale - 'A second treasury of knitting patterns' by Barbara G. Walker. It has over 700 knitting patterns, none of which was in the first volume. And there are four volumes in the set. How many patterns is that? The patterns range from simple knit/purl combinations through to more complicated patterns like cables, lace and 'fancy colour'. I love her colour combinations especially the blue and rust on the Sherwood pattern, above. Barbara Walker is not just a knitting genius. She has written books on feminism, feminist spirituality and anthropology. In the few images I found of her she is nearly always wearing a truly amazing knitted garment.



So from 700 inspiring patterns I chose 'cartridge-belt rib'. It's not a true rib (i.e. it's not stretchy) but it has great texture, doesn't curl and looks the same on both sides - perfect, as the book says, for 'well-mannered sportswear'. I'm making a scarf using Harmony, a New Zealand merino 10 ply by Naturally. The problem with knitting scarves is knowing when to stop. Perhaps it's easiest to just keep going until I run out of wool.

Cartridge-belt rib (multiple of 4 stitches plus 3)
Row 1: K3, *slip 1 wyif, k3; rep from *
Row 2: K1, *slip 1 wyif, k3; rep from *, end slip 1 wyif, k1.
Repeat rows 1 and 2.

wyif = with yarn in front
This was the bit that confused me. After knit 3, bring the yarn to the front of the work as if the next stitch is to be purled. Slip the next stitch purlwise, bring the yarn across the front of the slipped stitch and then to the back of the work ready to knit 3.

Reading Le road trip: a traveler's journal of love and France by Vivian Swift + Watching South Solitary (Australian film with Miranda Otto and a lighthouse) + Eating pink meringues