Rant and rambles...

Ok, I realise it's been looooong since I last do a real post. Actually no, it feels just like yesterday, but the date disagree.
I've been swamped by course-works, with the holiday coming up and all. I'm glad to report that I only have one more deadline to go (tomorrow, yikes!) and then I'm FREE!!! Well, not free as in I can just sit on the couch and be lazy all day, which is what I've been doing in between deadlines. My friend is coming on Wednesday which means I'll have to go out to Central London every day until we leave for Austria on Sunday. So I can't laze around but I'm freaking excited!!!

I actually managed to finish quite a bit of knitting while I was supposed to be working, but the universe got in the way of me sharing them with you. First, the weather in London has never been great in the first place, but lately it's just crap. So no natural lighting to speak of, which is fine cos I don't take outdoor picture in the first place, right? No. Because my main source of artificial light that is the lamp in my room which usually is dim anyway had gone off. Tried new bulbs, tried the fuse, nothing works. I was hanging out in the lounge in front of the tv watching Nigella Lawson and Friends whole day yesterday. Then I thought, oh well, I can take picture in the lounge I suppose, risking my housemate seeing the Fetching I made for her before christmas. But then.....the freaking lamp in the lounge went off too!!!! Agh!!!
So, no picture before I get my light fixed, and that wouldn't be anytime soon because the lazy who's supposed to be responsible for our house's is away.

Ok, so that's my rant.

On a more positive note, I finished Audrey, yayyy!!
I have no great picture for now, but here's a crappy one....

The 500 something stitches button band were done during me trying to get my coursework done. And I wove in the ends while taking breaks (lots of 'em) from my coursework. But then I got to wear it for my presentation! YAYY!!! Well, we didn't get to present our work in the end, but I'm happy with my mark.
I promise I'll take a better picture soon, and go into details about it. I love it!!

I have also finished a scarf, a pair of bed socks and a pair of Fetching for Christmas gifts. I'll wrap them up and be sure to take pictures of them with the recipients.

Anyway, I should have a lot more to share soon, sorry for the rambling. And just in case I don't, Merry Christmas!!!

Santa came early this year!

I got this lovely surprise on Saturday morning

It's from the UK Secret Santa swap that's going on in Ravelry. The rule is to send 100g of yarn from your stash, I signed up for the sock yarn category (cos we all know I don't have enough sock yarn!). My swap pal, Alice, sent me this lovely skein of PoshYarn Lucia in a lovely deep burgundy/brown colour. She also included some pretty stitchmarkers and a cute card.
Thanks again Alice, it totally made my weekend!

Anyway, the back, and fronts of Audrey are all done. The pieces are blocking on my home-made blocking board (duvet and towels) and when they're dry all that's left is the ribbing! Can't say I'm looking forward to it...
On other news I just got my Schengen visa for Christmas holiday! Yay! I'll be going to Vienna, Prague and Brussels. Anyone know of good yarn shops there?

Anybody got tired of my FO posts yet?


Anastasia Socks
Pattern source: Pepperknit
Yarn: BFL Superwash sockyarn in "Sophia" from Radiant Twist
Needles: 2.5mm Addi Turbo 80cm
Comments: I found the pattern on Ravelry, and thought it's perfect for hand-dyed yarn. It's knitted toe-up, and I'm simply smitten by the construction of the short-row toes. Not so much with the heels though, I have to pull real hard to put it on.
Here's my sad attempt to capture the gorgeous colours

Anyway, I'm convinced now that I have sensitive ankles, if such thing exist. After taking these socks off, my ankles itch like crazy! When I went to Ally Pally I was wearing my Monkey socks that's knitted out of Trekking ProNatura, who knew that bamboo could be so itchy?

Peekaboo
Pattern source: here(link to pattern)
Yarn: I'm pretty sure it Malabrigo worsted merino, bought at Ally Pally last year
Needle: 4.5mm Addi Turbo
Comments: When I was wearing my Fetching, I found my fingers curling inside because they're freezing. So, while I love my Fetching for spring, it just won't be enough for the coming winter. I can't be bothered to knit all 10 fingers (imagine the horror of all those yarn ends!gasp!), too lazy to knit a convertible mittens, so this pattern is the perfect solution for my lazy a**. Anyway, after I was done with the first one, I found it waaay too short for me, so I knitted the second one longer and ripped the first one from cuff-down, and added a few rows. They fit quite perfectly now. Let's just pray that I don't have sensitive wrists.
They are cute, but not exactly fashionable or elegant. And since I sometimes like to pretend to be both of the latters, I foresee a pair of pretty gloves in the future, if I get motivated enough. Or I might have to just buy a pair.

And here's my latest WIPs

This is Audrey. I think she's going to be pretty. I've been working on her somewhat faithfully over the last 3 days that my hands hurt. I'm using the green Jaeger Matchmaker Merino Dk that I got from Ally Pally with my trusty 4.00mm Addi Turbo. She's such a pleasure to knit.
However, I'll be taking a short break from her since I'm going to my friend's house and I've promised to teach them how to knit. So naturally I have to cast on for something myself, no?

Am I the only one who can't believe it's already another weekend? That it's already halfway through November? That Christmas is only 6 weeks away? I wish it would slow down as I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed.

Delayed FO posts

Yes, I HAVE been knitting. Actually I just finished a whole cardigan (gasp!) and is working on a second sock. But you won't get to see them today, because you know how bad I am with posting knitting progress.
Instead I'll show you what I've knitted and never got to show you.



Clementine Shawlette
Pattern source: Interweave Knits Spring 2007 by Michelle Rose Orne
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk DK 4 skeins
Needle: Honestly can't recall, this was like 3 months ago!
Comments: Well, my grafting sucks, that's for sure now. The pattern really is lovely and the lace was easy to memorise once you get the hang of it. When I was done knitting it, the length was perfect. BUT, after I blocked it, uh-oh...it's TOO LONG! You can actually see in the first picture how my hands have to hold it because otherwise it'll be dropping off my shoulders. I'll leave it like that for now just because I can't be bothered, but perhaps one day I'll get to it and block it shorter. That's possible, right?
Anyway, the yarn is lovely to knit with, a bit sticky with my Addis but no biggie. I love how crisp it's showing the lace and garter stitch.

Ok, next one...

Butterfly
Pattern Source: Rowan 37 by Jennie Atkinson
Yarn: Jaggerspun Zephyr wool silk
Needle: Umm....4.0mm Addis?
Comments: Before I started knitting this, I did some research on how others do it. I decided to knit it flat, because doing it in the round and trying to keep track of the increases and decreases will probably be a disaster. I also put an extra stitch at each side for seaming. And the straps are i-cords instead of garter stitch. The knitting part was pretty easy, even though I don't really like knitting laceweight yarn on big needles, and the addis were a bit too slippery. I like the end product well enough, despite THIS

If you're familiar with the pattern you should notice the stupid mistake I made. For one of the side, I idiotically pick up the stitches at the WRONG SIDE of the border. I noticed this only when I was going to seam the sides. There's no way I'm frogging it, I simply don't love it enough to do it. Well, you can barely see it when it's worn anyway. I still think it's pretty, don't you?

Oh anyway, these 2 projects are just the peak of a mountain, or a hill, really. I've stil got tons of unblogged FOs, which I'll show you in the future, when I have nothing new to post about ;)

OMYGOD, OMYGOD!! Guess what? My housemate just told me that we got Amazon delivery, on a Sunday! You know what this means, don't you? I'm stopping right here to indulge in my new knitting books! Oh ok, I'll tell you what I got. Knitting Classic Style, Romantic Handknits and The Friday Knitting Club! Gotta make a cuppa and curl on my sofa/bed. Yeah, I have a DEADLINE on Tuesday which I'm way behind of, but who cares when you have knitting books to read??

THE PORN IS BACK!!!!

Ready for some yarn porn? I bet you are, it's been a while.
Lorna's Laces Sheperd Socks in Mt.Creek

Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Solid in Turqoise (the colour is sooo gorgeous, but so damn hard to photograph)

Jaeger Matchmaker Merino DK in Hop (I was telling myself not to buy sale yarn anymore since I'm running out of space, but I can't help it)

Chameleon Colorworks Evolution in Rose from Socktopus.

100% Handspun Cashmere from Shilasdair (the colour really is magenta, it's so yummy I want to roll around nekkid on it)

Sesia Pura Lana Ecologica (I have no idea why, but I couldn't resist it. It's so simple yet gorgeous I simply have to take them home with me.)

Not so long ago, my blog used to be mostly about yarn porn instead of real knitting progress. I've been really good these few months, haven't I? (well, not that I haven't been buying, *ehmm*....just not as much). But going to Ally Pally really *helped* me going again. Now I feel like I'd do anything to afford those qiviut that literally makes me shiver in delight. And more cashmere too, please. I think I need a job to fund my fibre addiction.....anybody hiring?

Anyway, I've been wanting to get a sewing machine for a while. It'll be my THIRD machine, since the first one is at home and the second one came broken. I need your opinion on this since my knowledge on sewing machine is purely based on their price and look. What do you think about this one? Do you have any recommendations? I need something cheap since everything here are generally more expensive than everywhere else. Help me, or my cushion covers will remain one-sided.

London calling

So, it's been more than a week since I'm finally back in London. The crazy weather so far assured me that I am indeed back. I've been busy catching up with friends ever since, and trying to make my new room (which really is a living room), a home.
But fret not, since my needles are still clicking away, albeit less often.

I've been itching to try knitting mitered squares and log cabin ever since I bough Mason-Dixon knitting book and them floating all over the net. But I know me, and a decent sized log cabin blanket would probably be done just in time to send off my grandchild to college. So come the obvious answer, cushion cover! This way I can try different yarns and different colour combination without worrying about having to buy 100 skeins of the same yarn at once. Now all I need to do is actually attach them to fabric backing....any volunteers?

Just before I left home, another pair of socks flew off my needles...


Sidewinders: A PerpenSOCKular Pattern
Pattern source: Nona
Yarn: Regia colour 4ply, gift from Mimi
Needle: Addi Lace 3.00mm 80cm
Comments: I've been intrigued by this pattern ever since Nona published it, just haven't had the time to sit down and actually work on it before summer. It's not a pattern that I can just print off and cast-on while on the go. However, once you "get it", the construction makes a lot of sense and it was a lot of fun looking at the socks taking shape. The second sock, naturally, took a while to get started, but the it went fast. When I got the yarn from Mimi, I knew straight away that it'll become my Sidewinders. Now I want another one in self-striping yarn, it'd be so much fun to look at!

As of now, I'm spending hours on Ravelry looking for patterns to knit from yarn in my stash. In most case, I'd have the pattern but not enough yarn, or the wrong colour for the pattern, or I don't have the pattern. My hands are itching for some serious fall knitting, but for now maybe I should deal with my piling UFOs first....

More socks!!

I came back from a short, sudden trip to Surabaya 2 days ago and had these waiting for me....


My Sockapalooza socks!! Aren't they wonderful? It's Embossed Leaf Socks in Koigu KPPM. They're a bit on the big side, but they'll be perfect for chilly autumn and winter nights because I do get cold feet. They're my first pair of Koigu socks, and they're sooo soft. And as if it's not enough, my fabulous sockpal, Lisa, included these...

They're sooo yummy, I can't wait to knit with them! I just have to find the perfect pattern, any suggestions?

Meanwhile, I'm knitting this beauty...

Most of you would probably recognise this, Rowan Butterfly. I'm using Zephyr Wool Silk and it's coming along pretty well.
In less than a month I'll be going back to my stash....can't wait! I've been dreaming about them ;)

Three Socks

Thank you sooo much for everyone's comments on my last post!
I can't tell you how happy I am to know that I'm not forgotten yet in blogsphere ;)

The Lasik surgery went pretty well albeit the fact that I was so scared when they were messing around with my eyes. According to eyewitnesses(mom, dad and bro) it was much scarier watching it being done. Apparently the doctor made a flap on my eyes *shudder*. I'm actually quite glad that I didn't know what he's going to do beforehand, otherwise I might not have the guts to do it.
My eyes are still recovering and I have actual blood stains on my eyes, which would work pretty well for Halloween, I think. I can't knit anything that requires much attention yet because I can't put too much strain to my eyes. To be honest, I kinda miss my glasses, it feels weird not wearing it after 13 years.

Now, since the title is about socks and not eyes...let's talk socks.


Yarn: Rowan 4ply soft
Needle: Addi Turbo 2.5mm
Comments: This was the first pair of socks that I've ever knitted from Sensational Knitted Socks. When I fist bought the book few months ago I was disappointed since there were no instructions for toe-up socks. But after knitting a few more socks from Cookie.A's patterns, I actually no longer dread knitting cuff-down, I can even say I like it. So, even though I've bought More Sensational Knitted Socks which includes instructions for toe-up, I think I'd knit more cuff-down socks. Apparently I'm too lazy to remember how to cast on for toes.


RPM
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Socks "Watercolour"
Needle: Addi Turbo 2.5mm
Comments: Let me just start by saying how much I LOVE this yarn. The yarn was a gift from Mimi(thanks!), and while I've had it for quite a while I never knew what to do with it. That is until I saw Joy's. The pattern is perfect for this yarn and I can't wait to get my hands on more of these. NOW I understand why so many people rave about this yarn. It's a real joy to work with. Thanks again Mimi, for making me a Lorna's Laces virgin no more ;).


Sockapalooza Socks
Yarn: Fleece Artist Merino Sock Yarn "Aqua"
Needle: Addi Turbo 2.5mm
Comments: The pattern is again from Sensational Knitted Socks. My sock pal likes blue, so after searching around for the perfect yarn, I settled on this one. I was looking for a pattern that would somewhat ensemble water movements. The lace looks really pretty when stretched out, but I think I'll leave it to my pal to post the modelled picture. I should be posting it out on the 1st, but since I'm leaving that day I think it'll be posted tomorrow instead. I really hope she'll like it. *fingers crossed*

Anyway, since I mention I'd be leaving. I'm going to KL for a few days to send off my brother to uni then I'll be going to Singapore. Too bad I won't have any time to spare in KL since I'll have to stick with my parents. However, I'd love to meet up with other knitters in Singapore if possible, I'll be there from 5-11 August. I haven't bought a single skein of yarn in more than a month, I think I'm going crazy.

I'm having problem opening Hotmail at the moment, so I apologize for not being able to reply to emails.

Sooo....I doubt if people are still reading this blog anymore.
I'm still doing nothing much at home. There are not much knitting going on here either, but I did manage to finish 3 pairs of socks! They're all really pretty and I can't wait to share pictures with you guys, but that'll have to wait.
Now off to some rambling about what's been going on...
It was my 20th birthday last wednesday, and it was pretty uneventful. But it does help making myself believe that I'm still a teenager ;p
I've bought the latest HP on Sunday at a ridiculous price of more than 30 bucks! But what can I do, there's no way I can wait till I go back to London. Anyway, I finished the book in 2 days, slower than my usual pace. I can't wait till everybody is finished so that I can talk about it without worrying of spoiling it for someone else!
Lastly, I'm having Lasik surgery in a few hours....wish me luck, will ya??

Being at home, I've lost track of time. I have no idea how long I've been home, all I know is that today is Saturday.
I have a lot to share with you guys, but I've stupidly left my camera charger back in London, so pictures will have to wait.
Knitting wise, I've started and finished knitting Clementine Shawlette from IK Spring '07 and started Bonsai Tunic from the same issue of IK. I also bought 2 Japanese knitting mags and found a pattern I really want to knit, but haven't managed to figure out the Japanese patterns yet.
There's nothing exciting going on lately. I did receive an awesome parcel from Mimi before I left and I'll share a picture soon.
I haven't been able to drop by anyone's blog lately, and I suspect I won't be able to post much for the next 3 months but please bear with me. I'm not used to such a long holiday but I've been kept busy so far ;).
Sorry it's all so random, I do realise I've been rambling. I'm leaving for Bali tomorrow, so I'll do a 'proper' post when I come back. Talk to you guys soon!!

stalled

So....I finished Monkey last week

Monkey
Pattern source: Monkey socks from Knitty.com by Cookie A.
Yarn: Trekking ProNatura
Needle: 2.5mm 80cm Addi Turbo
Comments: Ok, so these socks are not as well fitting as my Hedera since I didn't know how to modify the heels. It's a bit of a struggle putting them on as I have to pull really hard, but once they're on, they're pretty.
I LOVE the yarn too, it has 25% bamboo in it that gives it a gorgeous sheen and that "crispy" feel I just love. The pattern is positively addictive too, I'm already contemplating a second pair! One thing though, I never had to block my socks but with this pattern I think some good blocking would make it look so much better. Now I'm thinking of getting one of those fancy sock blockers ;) Or I can just make my own....one day.

After finishing those Monkeys, I was at lost. I have NOTHING to work on!!
So, it was time to cast on for something new. But what?? I tried casting on for some stuffs but none of them work out well. Wrong yarn, wrong needle, wrong gauge. If you've been there I'm sure you know how frustrating it is.
Here's an example

I cast on for Endpaper Mitts by Eunny with the Regia Silks that I used for the Entrelac Socks. Who knew that ripping entrelac is such a pain in the a**. I worked it with 2.5mm needle since that's the size I stock in 80cm length. There's no way I can do colourworks with dpns. If you know the pattern, it calls for 2.75mm for the smallest size. My hands might be my only body parts that are not L size, but they're definitely not XS. When I tried it on I'm convinced it'd cut my blood circulation if I actually wear it. So it's being put on hold while I'm waiting for 3.00mm Addi Lace needle to arrive. I do miss doing colourwork though.
I also tried knitting other stuffs, but with similar devastating (yes, devastating) results. Then I remembered that somebody said something about "when you're unsure, do what you know best" or something along the line. So I did.


Fetching
Pattern source: Fetching from Knitty.com
Yarn: Lang Silk Dream, 1 skein
Needle: 4.00mm 60cm circular x 2
Comments: The yarn is leftover from my Sporty Cardi that I've been wanting to use up. Since I lost my beloved first Fetching somewhere between Venice and Paris, I fgure it's time to make a replacement. The top part of the first one of the pair came out a bit too short for my liking, so I did an extra cable repeat. I was worried about running out of yarn, but I had yards of leftovers. The yarn is still gorgeous and lovely to work with, makes me want to knit a pair in every colour.

The Fetching handwarmer only took me a night (ok, a very long night) to knit. So I needed somethine else to knit while watching all those Korean dramas.


Le' Slouch
Pattern source: Le' Slouch by Wendy at Knitandtonic.com
Yarn: Leisure yarn from Australia, 2 skeins
Needle: 4.00mm 40cm Addi Turbo
Comments: This is the third red Le' Slouch I've knitted, but this time, I'm keeping it. I cast on 96 stitches for my head and it fits quite well. I've even worn it for more than 10 minutes today, which really is a record.
I cast on for it last night and finished it at around 4 pm, after ripping out the whole crown because I was decreasing in the wrong way and ended up with pixie hat. I'm loving it so much that I forgot to snip away the ends before wearing it.

Now that they're done, I'm back at the same point again. Arrghhhh.......
I'm thinking of casting on for more socks, but it would mean winding yarns into balls.....I'd need to buy a swift first. Duh.

WOO HOO!!!!

It's official.....MY HOLIDAY IS HERE!!!!
After days of sleepless night doing my assignments (and having bits of fun), it's finally over! I honestly can't believe I've just finished my first year in university, what the hell have I done so far??
Well...I might have been working, but that doesn't mean I haven't been knitting!

There has been lots of progress going on my Monkey socks. The second sock was cast on straight away and I'm already working on the foot.

Another FO that I've finished about a month ago...


Shetland Triangle
Pattern source: Shetlang Triangle by Evelyn A. Clark from Wrap Style
Yarn: Regia Silk 2 x 50g skeins
Needle: 4.00mm Addi Circular
Comments: I LOVE knitting this shawl. That's for sure. I love watching it grows so quickly the first few repeats. I love how squishy it is before blocking. I love how it grows in the water. I love how the lace pattern comes out all beautiful and delicate after blocking. Well, I guess this love can be applied to most shawls I've knitted and will knit in the future, and I see many many of them. The pattern was very easy to follow and I memorised it after the first repeat. This shawl is truly inspired by this post. Stopping by her blog that night had turned me into a Regia Silk addict. Anyway, the intended recipient went back to the States without telling me, so it'll be sent over to her soon. I really hope she's a worthy recipient and would appreciate it, that's all I ask for when I gift away my handknit item.

I was tagged by Amanda for a meme! It's been a long time since I answered one, but here we go.

7 random things about me:
-I once tried a lavender drink and hated lavender ever since
-I had 6 mascaras when I was 14, and almost never wore them
-I couldn't pronounce "R" when I was a kid
-My dad was very disappointed when he knew I'm a girl, but I ended up being a daddy's girl
-My hair was smelly when I was little, apparently because my mom didn't shave me bald when I was a baby
-I had a serious case of ingrown toenails for years, then had a surgery on my big toe when I was 14
-I once fell asleep during my driving lesson, my hand slid off the steering wheel and shocked my instructor to death

I'm sorry I'm bad at tagging people, but if you want to play along just say I tagged you....

Lots of fun I'm not supposed to be having!

I had a blast last Saturday. Me and my friends went out to a market nearby and it was raining, so we had to go into a department store until the rain is over. Said department store happens to have a haberdashery store (I knew, of course), so I stirred my friends in that direction just so I can check out the yarn.
I didn't see any yarn I fancy (ok, that's a lie, they have Sublime), but my friends suddenly decided they want to learn how to knit!
So we did some shopping, went back. Then we followed our original plan, making homemade kimchi. It turned out quite well, though I lost my ring and there's a BIG chance we'll find it in our kimchi someday. I hope nobody swallows it, I love that ring.
Then comes the best part, knitting!!

Here's me teaching my friend Lucy how to make a slip knot. She had a little difficulty with making a knot but then it's all smooth sailing and she's now knitting her first garter stitch scarf. My other friend Lilian started with a swatch where I showed her how to knit, purl, increases, decreases, etc., and now she's working on a Le' Slouch. We knitted for a good 4 hours until 2 a.m., and they were getting frustrated that they can't seem to stop! I'm happy to report that they still haven't found the "stop" button!

I'm glad to have passed the knitting bug, but their enthusiasm infected me too. I've been knitting madly on my hedera socks since then, and they're finally done!

Hedera
Pattern source: Knitty.com by Cookie A.
Yarn: Rowan 4ply soft "Wink"
Needle: 2.5mm Addi Turbo Circular 80cm
Modifications: Cast on 66 stitches instead of 60, to accommodate my fat calves. Used extra stitches for the heels since I have thick heels and decrease for the leg parts.
Comments: Definitely my favourite knitted socks to date! I'm so glad that I modified to better fit my leg shapes. It made such a big improvement on the fit. The pattern is very well written, and so easy to memorise. The yarn is also nice and soft, in I love the flirty colour soooo much! I even cast on for the second sock immediately after I finished the first one. If that's not love, I don't know what is.

Here's an obligatory pretty shoes picture


I'm already planning on casting on for more socks. First, Knitty's Monkey! I've seen so many pretty monkeys around and I just couldn't resist. In fact, I've already cast on a few stitches while waiting for the pictures to upload. I'm using Trekking Pro Natura that I've been wanting to try for ages.

With all this socks love it's only natural that I signed up for Sockapalooza 4. I've already heard from my sockpal and she's said the magic words, "lacy", "stretchy, and "KOIGU"!! yay! I'm really excited to knit for my pal too. She likes blue so I've been searching around looking for the right yarn, and drooling a lot in the progress. I decided on this

Fleece Artist Merino in "Aqua". Variagated, but very subtly and won't disrupt lace patterns. It's very very soft too. I hope she'll like it. But meanwhile I'll be "practising" before I knit her socks. After all, it's only May, right?

And yeah, all these fun happened while I'm supposed to be working on my boring assignment. Who can blame me?

Almost back to normal

Life has been a bit hectic lately, I was fully booked for the past 2 weeks! My last class was on Wednesday, where I had a presentation and didn't win and was a bit disappointed but glad that it was over anyway. I thought I could relax then realise I have 2 more deadlines this week. Yikes.
But on other news, I found a house! Yay! I've been living in student hall so far, which has been great in the social side, but not so great when you need a bit of silence. Anyway, me and my friends had been house hunting and finally found the perfect house . I'll be moving there at the beginning of next month and I can't wait to start decorating! Too bad I have to go home after a week. Well, I do miss home a lot and I hate British summer anyway, so it's all good. I still think that every house should have air conditioners, can't figure out how people here handle the heat.

On the knitting front, Shetland Triangle is done and blocked, but I haven't had the time to take FO picture yet. So instead I give you an outdated blocking picture.


And another really outdated FO picture


Silk Sleeves
Pattern source: One Skein by Leigh Radford
Yarn: Kidsilk Haze "Meadow"
Needle: 5.5mm
Comments: Excuse the smiley face, but I felt that I need to protect the innocence of my recipient, Lucy. She loves it and everybody was all "ooh and aah" and was trying to get me to make them something. The amount of gift knitting I've been doing lately really concerns me, people seems to start assuming I'll be making them something for their birthday. According to my friend that's because they think "I have nothing better to do than knitting". Yeah, right.

I've decided to stop knitting the entrelac socks

See those unsightly holes? I love Regia Silk but I'm worried it's not the right yarn for this pattern. It needs something more stretchy to accommodate my big feet. I'm thinking the yarns would have a better life as Endpaper Mitts. For socks, I cast on for Hedera with some pink Rowan 4ply soft instead.

Anyway, before I go get ready for work, I'm sure most of you have already heard about Ravelry by now. If anything can make me more organised, then this it it. Go sign up, it rocks!!

the rarely seen progress

If you've been reading my blog for some time you probably would've noticed that I'm really bad at posting knitting progress. Seriously, whenever I look back at my own post all I see is FO or yarn porn post! I guess that's why I don't blog very often, I always get the feeling that if I've got no new FO or new yarn, then I have nothing to talk about.

Or maybe I'd just ramble and I'm worried that would turn people away.

But I do love talking, really. Try stopping me once I start. I can't even stop myself most of the time ;D
Just not today, consider yourself lucky. I'm posting now because I'll be buried deep in my coursework for this week, I doubt I'll even have time to knit.

Anyway, here's the progress picture I've been talking about

It's the Shetland Triangle shawl in progress. Well, theoretically speaking it should've been done last week if I had bothered to check with the pattern instead of knitting like crazy. The pattern calls for 8 body chart repeat, I'm on my 12th now. No wonder it seems endless. The lace pattern is super easy to memorise, I think that's one of the reason why I got carried away. This one is a wedding gift for my friend who's getting married in summer.
When I started it grows so fast that I couldn't stop working on it. Now that it's a nice 280++ stitches per row I'm not feeling the love as much. But we'll get there, and hopefully soon. I have a spring wardrobe to fill!

Textured

Textured Top
Pattern Source: Fitted Knits by Stefanie Japel
Yarn: Rowan Summer Tweed "Gold", less than 5 hanks
Needle: 5.00mm Addi Turbo Circular
Modifications: Shorter length, short sleeves, no slits, no purl ridges framing the texture.
Comments: I initially knitted it following the pattern length, but it looks horrible on me when I put it on. Fitted tunic really isn't suitable for my wide hips. So, after letting it ferment in the knitting basket while I'm working on other stuffs, I finally took it up again. I'm glad I pushed myself into taking it up again, otherwise it'd just sit there for months or even years.
Even though I made it shorter, I still want to keep the design element of the slit, so I knitted a seed stitch panel on one side and put some buttons on for the illusion of a slit. I didn't knit the purl ridges at first because I missed that part of the pattern and just kept on knitting. But actually I prefer it this way since I think those purl ridges would accentuate the bust part even more, and I really don't need that. As for the short sleeves, I've never been much fan of long sleeves anyway and it'd be more suitable for spring/summer wear.
Of course, the original pattern from the book is gorgeous, and had I been working with wool I might've kept the long sleeves.
The yarn came from my stash. I bought it off ebay last year since I've heard so many good things about it, and Kim Hargreaves uses it a lot in her lovely designs. It took me quite some time to get used to the rougher texture since I've been working with soft wool yarns for my other WIPs. But I do love the glorious tweedy texture, it's so pretty. The colour isn't my usual colour too, and I doubt I would've chosen it if it wasn't on sale. But I think it's a gorgeous colour. Perfect for spring and oh so Project Spectrum appropriate!

I finished something else too...

Midwest Moonlight
Pattern Source: Scarf Style by Interweave Press
Yarn: Jaeger Wool Silk 6x20g
Needle: 4.00mm Addi
Comments: I never blogged about starting this because it was one of those project that I only pick up while I have nothing else to knit. It's been on my needle for months, I can't even remember when I cast on for it. The pattern was really easy to follow and with pretty result.
The yarn also came from my stash, it's a vintage yarn won from ebay with 60% wool and 40% silk. It's lovely to knit with and has excellent yardage considering it's only 20g per skein. The whole scarf weigh only 120g!

There are two other projects that I finished, but I don't have pictures yet so they'll have to wait.
So, on Sunday(or was it Saturday, can't remember), I ran out of project. The only thing left on my needle was the entrelac socks, but I wasn't feeling like working with it. I think I spent about an hour rummaging around my stash and my knitting magazines and books looking for a project to knit. For those of you who have a longer-than-live list of things-to-knit this might sound crazy. But I do have a long list of things to knit, and a long list of yarn to knit with. It's just that most of the time they don't really match. I finally remembered that I've been wanting to knit Shetland Triangle from Wrap Style in some pure white Regia Silk I've got in my stash as a wedding gift for a friend. So I cast on, knit like a mad woman while watching a ridiculous amount of anime and I've got 9 repeats done. I'll be sure to share a progress picture next time ;)

And thank you soooo much for all you nice comments on my cadigan!! Each and every one of them are very much appreciated, I love knowing there are people out there who would understand the happiness we get from getting a nice fit from a garment or finding the perfect button for a project.
Anyway, can you believe I missed my own blogiversary?!! I can't believe I've been blogging for more than 2 years now! Can you?

Puff-sleeved Feminine Cardigan

Pattern source: Fitted Knits by Stefanie Japel
Yarn: Knitpicks Merino Style "Rhubarb" 7++ skeins
Needles: Addi Turbo 4.00mm and 3.25mm
Comments: I love it!! I was lazy as usual and didn't swatch since I'm using the yarn called for in the pattern. The pattern was easy to follow though I did get a little confused with the lace peplum chart. It's very wearable and doesn't itch at all. The yarn is really soft, excellent for it's price, though I'm not sure how it'll hold up. I'm hoping it holds up well because I can see myself actually wearing it quite a few times. I actually wore it to grocery shopping today (and the skirt I'm wearing in the first picture is purple, not black). Maybe I should've lengthened it a few inches, but it looks fine with a layer inside. I love the little pearly buttons too. And yeah, I do feel VERY feminine wearing it. Not sure if it's a good or bad thing.
And the colour...I'm liking it more and more. It's perfect for spring and perfect for this month's Project Spectrum!

And talking about Project Spectrum, this is another project that's colour appropriate

This picture is taken last week so I've actually got more of it done. The pink yarn is Regia Silk and the burgundy yarn is Regia Silk Shine. I cast on with both yarns for socks before, the burgundy one for Chid's First Socks from Knitting VIntage Socks by Nancy Bush and the pink yarn for something from Knitty but I can't for the life of me remember what it was. They never felt right on their own. The Silk Shine wasn't soft enough to make me want to work on it and the pink Silk was just too....pink. But together, I'm loving them. And I love working in entrelac too, even though my joints are somewhat messy. Knitting just seems to progress faster when you're working in portions. I don't think I'll make it knee-high though, since my HUGE calves would just make them look ugly.

I'm also working on other Project Spectrum appropriate projects. Remember my yellow Fitted Knits tunic? I'll get around working with it one day. For green, I'm working on Silk Sleeves from One Skein by Leigh Radford (see sidebar) in Kidsilk haze. Perfect projects to surround myself in springy colours. They make me happy.

Preview

Coming soon.

Spinning away...

Thanks for all your nice words on my FOs ;) They're very much appreciated as always.

This is for Katey (can't find your email address!), who asked about how I frog the pentagons. All I did was undo the seams for pentagon #1 and #7, frog them, and used crochet hook to do crochet cast-off on the live stitches of the other connecting pentagons. I hope I'm making sense here!

On other news, I took a spinning lesson yesterday!!! The class was great fun and I didn't get bored the whole 7 hours of it! I also met some other knitters which was great since we get to talk about knitting, my favourite subject ever! And look what I came home with



It was extremely satisfying to see the yarn coming out of my fingers. I started spinning a little with my new drop spindle last night, but it was sooooo slow!!! It'll take me days to get a 50gr skein of yarn! Spinning wheel is out of question though since it's very pricey and there's no way I can fit it in my tiny room, except if I stay in my bed all the time. That sounds strangely tempting somehow ;)

On knitting front, I've been busy knitting my Puffy sleeved cardi

It's progressing slowly but I'm sure it's growing, though I can't for the life of me see the growth! I've been working on it quite exclusively until last night, when I was lured by the fun of spinning. It went like this, one row of knitting, one length of spinning, all the while watching CSI. Love it.
And last night, waaaay past midnight, when I really should be in bed, I dig in my stash for that skein of very pink Regia Silk I have and together with my skein of burgundy Regia Silk Shine, and cast on for Eunny's Entrelac Socks from IK. I'm still fighting with the tiny dpns for the toes so far.
We'll see if it goes well.