Making the beginning is one third of the work.

Tropical heat finally left us for a while, and I started thinking about returning to my Star Wars Project. The longer I thought about it... it seemed less and less successful.

Let's face it! I'm not skilled in Fair Isle knitting, and Fair Isle in round is even harder for me. I'm one of those so called "tight" knitters. My floats get shorter and shorter and my garment starts to feel stiff like a plank.

I decided to give it a thought, when we went for a small road trip on Thursday.
We drove to the same place we visited on first May weekend. Here's the post I wrote back in spring.

Is it just me, or do the leaves start to turn yellow?

After a long relaxing walk I made up my mind...

... and frogged whole thing. 

I decided to start over with another, decent tension square. I was hardly surprised when my gauge turned out to be off by 2 sts per 10cm. Yay me! 

I also re-designed the motifs on front, and divided my work in two stages. Front and back will be worked separately. Here's the current state of front piece:

I used classic snowflakes chart this time. And I have to admit - I like the result. 

As I'm getting nearer to the intrasia part I'm also starting to feel a bit anxious about it... but hey! I can always start over! 

And making the beginning is one third of the work! 

Have a nice evening!

Gosia.

PS.: Guess who got to pet alpacas today? :)

My notebook's last farewell.

  Unfortunately, instead of a new post I have to publish sad news about my laptop. After 5 years of loyal cooperation it decided to die on me just after first of my six exams.
So... I'll catch up with you as soon as I get my hands on a working equipment. At least I can work on my socks while waiting... Every cloud has a silver lining :)

Have a nice day!

Gosia

Sucked into Sockalong

I started my first Sockalong project yesterday... and got sucked into it helplessly! 

Sockalong is held by Winwick Mum on her blog: here, as well as on Facebook: here.

To be honest: this is my second attempt. The first one was a classic fail. All because I just HATE knitting swatches, tensions squares, whatever you call them! So I skipped that part, cast on my first sock and started working.
I was surprised I could knit it with a 40cm long circular needle. But since I've never used short circulars before I thought that's ok. I was even proud!

Here's happy Hasiok helping me out:

I traveled 2 hours on train to Katowice knitting mindlessly. When I got in my apartment I tried the cuff on, and discovered that it's at least 3-4 cm too wide. Sure, I could continue work and give finished socks to my husband... but maybe next time :)

Second approach goes smooth so far. The yarn I'm working with is 100% wool, I couldn't find it online so it is probably quite old. It is one of yarns I got as my Easter Surprise.

My re-checked gauge is 24 sts for 10cm. I'm working my 52 stitches with good old DPNs. I was unable to close the loop with my short circular.
I can't seem to capture this shade of green with my camera correctly, this is the closest to original:

I never thought joining a knitalong would be so much fun! It's a worldwide thing now! This morning, before I left for classes, I had some time to enjoy my coffee and knit a few rows. In the same time other knitters were preparing for their bedtime (in US) or enjoying their afternoon (Australia). That's really amazing!

It is now 9:30PM here in Poland, so there's still time for few centimeters of lovely stockinette stitch!

Have a nice afternoon/morning/night/etc.!

Gosia.

PS.: May the fourth be with you all!

“True friends stab you in the front.”

I am aware that Throwback Thursday is already gone, but still:

Probably the majority of crafters went through a phase called "friendship bracelets". Some of us made simple striped ones, some mastered wide, colorful, tremendously complicated patterns. As for me, I was somewhere between, but still closer to stripes than 12-colored celtic ornaments.

I stopped wearing my bracelets some time after joining med school. Wearing pieces of cotton jewelery that you cannot take off and/or wash it's not a good idea when you visit multiple hospitals.

My husband however, with his MA in English Philology didn't face such epidemiological issues. I am obliged to make him a new bracelet each time the old one brakes.

Two days ago his striped blue bracelet ripped, at least that's what he told me. OK, no problem. I picked more complicated pattern with silverish diamonds on black background (pattern here).

I regretted it almost immediately, but as those of you who made at least one bracelet probably know... Frogging is not an option here. So I contiunued slowly, plucking my own hair from between the knots, and muttering all known cursewords.

Today I looked for the old one to compare length and that's when I discovered the damage:

Devastating!

This, my fellow crafters, is a bracelet broken beyond repair. At least according to my husband. 

What did he have to say in his defense?
"Oh, come on! It was a bit dirty! And now I can have two!"

Sure honey, sure you can. 

<goes back to knot tying and cursing>

Have a nice afternoon! 

Gosia

Slanting Cables Gone Wrong.

Winter just got very winterish all of a sudden. Tempertures stay below 0°C for most of the day and it snows every now and then. I found a little snowy heart under my window!

I came up with this form my bolster coushion cover:

Circumference 54cm

CO 64 st with provisional CO

Row1: * row always starts here: k2 p2 k4 p2 k24 p2 k4 p2 k22

Row2: k2 M1L p2 k4 p2 SSK k23 M1L p2 k4 p2 SSK k21 adjust row marker position

Row3: knit knits purl purls

Row4: k2 M1L p2 cross2L p2 SSK k23 M1L p2 k4 p2 SSK k21 adjust row marker position

 And I was happy about it... untill I realised that it was:

• too big - I based my calculations on an old (and currently nonexistent) swatch.
• weirdly shaped - that's what you get when you mess with the row marker
• asymmetrical on sides - SSK isn't the neatest decrease.

That's how I abandoned my Slanting Cables Plan, and now I have a Vertical Cables Plan going on.

It wasn't easy to pick one version of it either:

I decided to go with three cables separated by two plain stripes. It's the last one sketched. 

Have a nice afternoon! 

PS.: Don't you just LOVE winter sky? I certainly do!

Unfinished Buisness - the Walk of Shame.

Every knitter/crocheter knows this, right? I can't be the only one to have a stockpile of WIPs.
My Ravelry notebook doesn't show it that much, because I usually delete unfinished items to clear my conscience.

Let's take a walk of shame, shall we:

• Crocheted cardigan - it was supposed to be my first serious project. I bought a magazine for crocheters, I even got a package of YarnArt Jeans for my birthday... an failed to go beyond the first half of first sleeve.

• African flower bolster - I ran out of patience after 15th hexagon, It's not my fault that no one produces bolsters that small! Really!

• Wedding stole - my first attempt on lace knitting, I abandoned the project whem I changed my dress idea. No regrets here, my wedding day was way to hot and sunny for alpaca.

• Big woolish something - I found a big package of "natural" wool. Apparently not all yarn producents are honest people. Did you know that "pure wool" melts when set on fire?
• My great desing - I wanted to make  a cool shrug. I ended up with ball of yarn I cannot untangle. How and when did that happen since I do not own a cat? No ideas...

•  Rosina - getting stuck after first sleeve is a curse of mine, I also was pretty disappointed in the edging, and vision of frogging the entire bottom made me lose my enthusiasm completely.

• What was that supposed to be I don't even recall...

That's not all of course. There's my green shawl. big green sweater, some unfinished Gojira desing...

Oh, and there's an exam I should be studying for right now, but I can't focus on one topic, and try to read them all at once... I hope it will not end up as my WIP forever :)

Have a nice day everyone*!

Gosia



*as far as I know "everyone" right now refers to my sister, and  husband - thank you! :P