The Craft Diary

Knitting yarn comes in many different weights and types - acrylic, wool, cotton, linen, through to angora, cashmere and other exotic types. Whatever you choose to use, aim to use good quality yarn.

Knitting takes time - often a lot of it - and there is absolutely no point in investing your precious time in using yarn which is less than top quality. Knitters have different likes and dislikes, one knitter might love knitting with acrylic and cotton yarns and another might prefer wools or mohairs. You CAN find bargain yarns in the sales, charity shops and flea markets - but you need to know what you are looking at. Remember that you want your knitting to last and you don’t want it to fall apart because the yarn you are knitting with breaks at the least opportunity and/or is full of knots. I have sweaters which are 30 years old and still as good as new, because I used good quality yarns. You don’t have to buy the most expensive yarn out there to get good quality but you can usually tell by the feel whether something is worth using. If you like the feel and the yarn doesn’t fall apart or shed loads of hair all over your garments as you knit, chances are you have a good one! (but remember that some yarns such as Angora or Chenille do have their own natural shedding qualities and there isn’t much you can do about it, be prepared for this if you use them).

I’ve been trying to fold the Maekawa Devil for quite some time now. It’s been published in Maekawa’s book “Genuine Origami” which is available at Passion Origami. This is a wonderful book and the Devil is the most complex model in it, boasting a mere 144 diagrams. It’s great fun to fold but don’t start with a sheet of paper less than 10 inches across.

Last Sunday I went down to Bayswater Road and watched the Olympic Torch team go by. It was a long wait but exciting to see!

I’m claiming my blog on Technorati today. Technorati Profile

Recently a number of my friends have been playing around with Squidoo lenses, and I built my first one this evening.

You can view it here - I grouped all my BellaOnline knitting articles together!

Well I’m back from my two weeks holiday away at Christmas. I arrived back at my flat yesterday following family celebrations for my father’s 80th birthday which went very well. The first problem to surface last night was that the boiler refused to come on. Well it was switched on, but the gas refused completely. Then the internet went down on me.

My brother came round today and said he’d been trying to ring me re the boiler but although my phone was ringing I wasn’t answering. The reason - the line is dead because there’s a fault. Most peculiar - I can still get online. Must be wireless broadband that’s the reason.

The engineer finally had to be summoned - this is going to cost me some £300 sterling - and the boiler needs a new fan. What a lovely Christmas present I don’t think!!

I’ve been doing a lot of knitting since my last post! I have finished knitting the Elizabeth Zimmermann Baby Surprise Sweater, completed the adult sweater (for me to wear) in Sirdar Bonus Flash Acrylic and the other night I found a UFO in the form of a blanket. I didn’t enjoy doing the lace edging at the time I was knitting it and it got abandoned. When I found it I found myself thinking “why not I-cord?”. I delved into Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Knitting Workbook, checked up on the I-cord cast off, picked up several hundred stitches all round the blanket (I had to use two circular needles) and spent a couple of pleasant evenings doing yards of I-cord cast off. It gave a really beautiful finish and looked much nicer than the original pattern! Finally, I am part of the Baby Surprise Jacket Yahoo group and our knit-along project was the Maltese Hat from Spun Out 9/Knitter’s Almanac Page 63. I didn’t want to make an adult version but I measured Gregor’s head and realised that if I used double knitting instead of the yarn recommended the hat would fit him. I think he’s quite adorable in it!

I’ve been doing a lot of knitting this week. Last week I attended the Knitting Hills knitting group in Westbourne Grove for the first time and since then I’ve been working a lot on my Circular Yoke sweater from Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Knitting Without Tears

It’s coming along nicely and I’m working up the yoke now. I’m using Sirdar Bonus Flash which is 100% acrylic but it’s pleasant to work with and creates a very pretty effect.

I also finished the main body of the Elizabeth Zimmermann Baby Surprise Sweater from Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Knitting Workshop.

It’s really cute and great fun to knit.

Finally this morning I cast on the second sock for the toe up sock in Hipknits 4 ply that I finished earlier.

Of course, my list of projects that I want to do is getting longer and longer!

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned that I usually have a piece of knitting on the go which gets taken on the bus to do on the way in to work, worked on during a lunch break and then worked on again on the bus on the way home. It’s a great way to de-stress during travelling especially when there’s a public transport problem - all too common in Oxford Street.

Anyway today I got to the top of the increasing on a sleeve during the lunch break and proceeded to work two or three rows straight while on the journey home. Then I noticed that the final set of increasing was in the wrong place - instead of directly above the last set with all the increases forming a neat line (this sleeve by the way is being worked circular so I don’t have to sew it up later - I’m doing a circular yoke sweater) I’d increased at the second decrease line in the round, knitted three then done the other increase so that it was off centre. I’d also increased after six rows instead of five which in plain stocking stitch wouldn’t normally show that much but because the increase was offset it showed up like a sore thumb.

Tinking time - and on a London bus you don’t take the work off the needles and rip back even if there are only 82 stitches on the needle. You de-knit it stitch by stitch. Yuck. Oh well. At least it’s worsted weight on 4 mm needles and not a lace weight!

I ordered some lace shawl, sock, scarf and mitten patterns from Woolly Workshop last night. My order was placed about 4.00 pm and when I went over to reception at work at about 10.00 am today I saw the package sitting ready to be handed to me! Incredibly quick service. The items were nicely packed and included the most beautiful green/bluey-grey button of Artisan laceweight which I’m going to make into a lace scarf. I’m going to have to watch it because it’s as soft as soft and I kept fondling it through the day and inviting people to feel how soft it was!!

I thought I’d share with you all some pictures of knitting I’ve done in recent months.

First of all some of my Sashas are becoming very well dressed dolls.

Sasha Blonde on the right is wearing a dress and knickers designed by Jane Woodbridge, mittens by Susanna Lewis and socks designed by me using Nancy Bush’s basic generic sock instructions. The dress, knickers and socks are in Jaeger Matchmaker 4 ply and the mittens were knitted using Shetland yarn supplied by Susanna Lewis.

Isobel (Gotz Stella) in the middle is wearing my roll neck sweater knitted in Jaeger Matchmaker 4 ply and Susanna Lewis’s socks knitted in size 10 crochet cotton - these were the first socks I ever knitted.

Daniel (red headed Gregor on the left) is wearing a sweater again done in my basic sweater pattern but with a crew neck. His sweater is in Opal Magic 4 ply sock yarn.

The next socks were my first adult size socks knitted for and worn by me. I used the first pattern in Lucy Neatby’s book Cool Socks, Warm Feet, and FiberSpates 4 ply sock yarn. It was beautiful quality but tended to crinkle up a bit as you knitted.

Finally just finished this morning, the first of a pair of socks knitted to Wendy’s Toe-Up Sock Pattern. I used Hip Knits 4 ply sock yarn and it’s really pretty and great fun to knit with. Beautiful quality and much easier to knit with than the FiberSpates.

I finished the Sorbet Shawl yesterday. It’s absolutely gorgeous and one of the most fun things I have ever knitted.