Sea Horses and Techniques

I finally managed to get my head around the knitting-with-two-balls thing. I know I said I had my head around it in a previous post, but turns out I actually didn't.

Now that I've worked it out it all seems so simple, but it's that written instruction thing that I obviously have a problem with. See, written instructions to anyone else might look like this:

"to change over to the new ball, knit into the stitch where the other ball is waiting, bring that ball under the ball you have been working with so you *wrap* the two balls, tug the yarn you've been working with slightly - but not too tightly - and continue knitting with the new ball"

To me, it reads like this:

"to change over to the new ball, blah blah blah blah blah, bring the what under the what? and do what with it?"

Now, I had great instructions, and since I have worked it out the instructions I was given make perfect sense and it would seem as though I'm a numnut for not being able to work it out. But really I can blame it on this visual learning thing. I had googled numerous times trying to find a video of some sort that would actually show me what I needed to do, but with no luck. I've also worked out that it helps if you google the correct thing! So after many frustrated hours reading, thinking, googling, I had a revelation. And it was almost like a religious experience! And you know what? I found what I was looking for within a matter of minutes - a video, showing me exactly what I needed to do. Phew.

Can you see where the changeover occurs? You can see it on the inside. It's slightly visible on the outside if you know what you are looking for, and somehow I managed to put the changeover right smack bang in the middle of the front of the garmet *rolls eyes*, but still, it's looking pretty invisible and hopefully this won't cause me too many problems when I split for the legs. I can blame that little mistake on concentrating so hard on the technique that I forgot to put the stitch markers on when I was supposed to and then completely forgot to factor in the yarn changeover when I eventually did put the stitch markers on *more eye rolling*.

Anyway, the Seahorse Dancing longies are absolutely off and running now. Just heading into the gusset, and if I play my cards right I could even have these finished before the weekend is out. Fingers crossed.

A Tale of Two Sleeves

Seeing as my Knit Picks set has been sitting here unused - apart from the gauge ruler - for the last 3 weeks, or however long since I received them, I decided that I would in fact attempt to knit both sleeves of my CPH simultaneously. One sleeve is on bamboo circs and the other on the Knit Picks. I think you can see which needles I prefer knitting with :)


The bamboo are nice, and I really like them, but the Knit Picks are really lovely. I think I even prefer them over addi turbos! I much prefer the pointier tip, as I often have problems getting the needles through the stitch because I knit tightly most of the time. Only problem I had with them was the tips unscrewing as I was knitting with them for the first time. Solved that problem by using THE KEY that comes with them, which I presume is for tightening the tips on enough to not unscrew? But which I thought was for something completely different. They may be, but I will say the tips are staying safely on while I knit now :) Oh, and the Knit Picks were purchased here, and for 20% off! Pretty good price for what amounts to 32 different sets of needles really. Great service there too.



Anyway, I'm firing along with these sleeves! Just need to make sure I label my chart for keeping track of the cables correctly :) Not sure if this will make it any quicker to complete, but at least I won't get second sleeve-itis.

Also making good progress on the Sea Horse longies, but no progress pics of that yet as the camera batteries have died and I don't know where the charger is :(

See The Horses Knitting Bag

My "See The Horses" knitting bag from Jacki at The Complete Fabrication arrived this morning!









I love it, it's just gorgeous! I went for a purple inner, which looks fantastic. It's so roomy on the inside too. Should be great for holding all my bits and pieces. I have two knitting bags already, which DH bought me for Christmas, which are great also, but I've been using one for storing projects that I've put on hold for now, and the other really only fits one project at a time in it, so great for that and for taking along, but not roomy enough for the extra couple of projects I've got going at the moment also. And this one would also make a great tote bag anyway, so I can use it for that and/or knitting :) Besides, I love this fabric! How many knitting bags is enough really? LOL

And here's an action shot. And for a bit of freaky knitting-synergy.... the project in the bag is my *Sea Horse Dancing* longies from my previous post.

Third times a charm

I decided I need to face my fear head on.... and I cast on the Sea Horse Dancing longies the other night. One of the reasons I've been afraid of this is because I wanted to attempt the *knitting-with-two-balls* thing, without snipping and weaving. I've tried this once before and while the garment looked *ok*, it was obvious where I'd changed over and it didn't look at all right IMO and I realised I had obviously not done it right. Not one to be beaten by a couple of balls of wool, I have tried again. It took me three goes to get it *right* (rolls eyes).

I've come to the conclusion that I am definitely a visual learner, because even after plenty of advice from the other knitting obsessed members of Woolaholics, I still couldn't work out what it was they were trying to tell me. Now, I'm sure if there were a video of how to do it in knittinghelp.com, then I'd have had it down in a flash. I'm really not good with written instructions.

But anyway, I think I've got it now. At least, what I am doing seems to be working ok for my liking, and I do not have any nasty looking holes, as was happening before. It's looking pretty good so far.

On another note, I also cast on my first sleeve for the CPH just now. It has occurred to me also, that I could attempt to do both sleeves at once, as I have my lovely new Knit Picks just sitting here crying out for attention, so I may consider this. I'll think about that possibility tonight.

Arrived today!

This lovely haul was from the last Monster Knits stocking on Ozebaby. Definitely got a rush getting these! The multi ball is the colourway "Channon" and it's just gorgeous. I wanted the Blackberry Ridge Merino, but someone beat me to it ;p so ended up with this, which is Aran BFL. Hopefully enough to get a pair of shorties out of. I plan to use the green ball as a contrasting cuff and waistband so that should extend the yarn out a bit. The solid colours are Treliske Organic Merino. The navy is to go with another MK colourway I have sitting here waiting for the warmer weather, and that will also become a pair of shorties if I can manage it!

I love how the balls have been tied up with a coordinating ribbon :)

The postman couldn't fit this in my letterbox so he left it on the front porch! I might have to leave him a note that precious parcels like this need to be handled with care and not left where anyone walking past can see them! LOL

Afraid

Of this wool. BFL hand-dyed from Four Bags Full (Katanya from Baa Bum). "Sea Horse Dancing" colourway.





I so desperately want to knit this up into longies for M, but I just haven't been able to bring myself to do it as yet. I've swatched it. I just need to adjust the pattern for my gauge. I think this is part of the problem. Everytime I knit pants for M I always need to adjust and I'm always worried that the sizing will be all wrong. But that's never stopped me before! I think I'm also afraid of not doing this yarn justice LOL It's so beautiful, and I really want them to be *perfect*. I know that's not going to happen :) Maybe that's what's stopping me? I should just do it. What's the worst that can happen? They'll be too big/small? I can redo them. I know once I get started it will all be fine. This is just like when I'm about to fly. Especially the long-haul OS flights. I know once I'm on the plane a calm comes over me and I *know* it will be ok and we'll get there safely, but in the leadup to take off (weeks and days before) I feel nervous and afraid about being up there. I'm not afraid of flying. Just afraid of the thought of what could happen LOL And I'm not afraid of knitting! Just afraid of having to undo/redo. But I don't know why pants for M cause me to feel this way especially? I should just get on with it. If I delay starting much longer, by the time I finish winter will be over and the point of the wool will be lost! It's *just* a nappy cover after all, right?!

Happy Birthday....

.... to the Queen! LOL Unfortunately she wasn't able to attend our home to share these with us, so we are eating them on her behalf :)

In honour of the Queen allowing us to have a public holiday in her honour :) We baked some cookies yesterday. White & Milk Chocolate Tollhouse Cookies to be exact. L helped with adding ingredients and mixing. Also with the eating of the cookie dough. I think I ate about 3 cookies worth of cookie dough myself LOL

I really like the tollhouse cookie recipe, rather than a straight cookie recipe, as they turn out much more cake-like than regular cookies. I'm not a biscuit/cookie fan usually, and I can take or leave them, even if they do have chocolate in them! I really don't like the hard/crunchy/sugary-ness of cookies and biscuits. These are different though. Much spongier, and less dense so more cake-like, as I said. They really soak up milk well too :) The mix made about 3 dozen. I am too scared to count how many are actually left LOL L told me he wasnt' hungry for lunch today, but he was hungry for cookies *rolls eyes* This is why baking cookies is a rare event in this house!

Boring, but functional.

At least I hope so LOL

These are the longies I just finished for M in merino supreme. A whole 8 balls of it! That's 400gms people!! They are heavy. And massive. I used the Picky Pants pattern and because I wanted them specifically for night wear, I added extra rise as per the pattern, and they certainly are some harry highpants longies! I must admit though, he was wearing a very trim itti bitti when I tried them on, so they may well look much better over a boosted night nappy :) And they should help to keep him warm. We do have a sleeping bag for him, which works well, but I would like to be able to wash it every now and then LOL So needed some nice warm longies to alternate between. I'm hoping they don't fall apart, as I snipped the ball changeovers without weaving in some extra end, as I usually do, and I'm afraid they might unravel! I'll have to be extra careful with them. My first I-cord too. Worked out pretty good if I do say so myself :)

Gerberas

Some colour from the garden in what has otherwise been some very grey and cold days around here. No idea why these are blooming so well atm. There is a whole bunch in the front yard too that are going nuts. I guess maybe they are a winter bloom? Not sure really, but they are very cheery and I like to look at them when I venture out to the washing line LOL DH bought them, with the help of L for mother's day. I think. Or maybe my birthday. I can't remember exactly as they are both so close together. Either way, they make me smile.