Amour-propre

I MADE A WHOLE THING!

I ordered a knitting kit from We Are Knitters as I liked the pattern so much, despite being somewhat against knitting kits. I align them with buying something off the hook that everyone else is buying, but I wanted that damn pattern so I found a discount code and got me one. I ordered the colour of wool that 90% of people seem to order so I can just about shut up about knitting kits and admit they are a great way into knitting garmets.

Here's the kit. The needles are divine to knit with, the pattern is patchy in translation from Spanish.

Started with an easy rib, the cotton has a lovely silk sheen.

Progress was slow to begin with but the moss stitch is really beautiful in the aquamarine. It's so much easier to knit something nice to look at.

This is the turning point. Ten rows off changing stitch..

..and when I got there, eyelet stitch defeated me around 7 times. It is a very very easy stitch but you have to concentrate to ensure the yarn forwards are all carried out. I learned that you can't rip back one row of eyelet stitch (well, I can 't!). Anything with K2tg seems impossible to go backwards with so I repeatedly ripped back to the foundation row and started again and again, sometimes I was ten rows in and the whole thing got hurled across the room. Regardless, perseverance and perfectionism pays off. A quiet room is a must.

One side finished and an exact copy to make next. It was a joy to lay out and touch.

After sewing both sides together, picking stitches up on the arms holes was fairly easy. Unfortunately, I misjudged the size/number of stitches the first time and had to start again. I repeated my mistake on the left arm 4 times. As you can see, it's still a little smaller than the right but nothing a bit of blocking can't sort out.

I'm Back and Less Shitty

I haven't posted anything here in six months, probably because I've been busy posting incredibly filtered Instagram photos every hour or so. At the risk of sounding like a cottage cheese ball, a lot has changed. I am a better knitter, well at least I think so today, and I am more interested in living a better life. The latter has ultimately led me to various activities and a lot of culling, some of which may appear on these pages and may well not be knitting related in the obvious sense. What I mean by that is that the act of creating something has led me to try out other creative acts and experiences, some I have felt like sharing. It's funny how enjoying something or feeling the benefits of putting in some thought or physical effort can make you want to share it with others..or try and convert them...or bore them rigid. Basically, I make and do loads of shit these days and everyone is going to know about it.

A New Hope

The knitting bug is back in full force. I am officially addicted to yarn. All it takes is a sweet DK or nice charcoal fleck and I'm ready again. This time, I'm serious as Rhythm is a Dancer.

To fill the bits of time between loading the oven and eating dinner, or those between not sleeping and pretending to sleep, I have taken to trying out test patches of stitch patterns. I've also managed a bit of crochet after a particularly frustrating video tutorial (that I won't link to) made by a woman not-so-naturally-gifted in the audio visual department. Anyway, all that led to this..

garter rib, pinstripe, honeycomb stitch

..and it's gone back in the bag to make way for, wait for it..The Jumper. That's right, I'm going to make a jumper. I have ludicrous visions of me wearing said jumper, pristine of knit, perfect of fit, reluctant to wash, batting away compliments as if it was as easy as lighting a cigarette. I know I'm in for a much harsher reality, even half a row into the knit, but let's try.

The pattern I'm using is one from the lionbrand website and I chose it because it's free, I could follow the instructions and it doesn't require circular needles or have any fancy cabling. The required basic skill set includes only knitting, purling, decreasing and sewing. I'll worry about my shocking edges when I get there.

I've bought my materials, an online order from Wool Warehouse that arrived on my doorstep within 36 hours via regular post and even came with some free pom pom making rings. What service! They also have a great selection and if they added Cascade yarn to their site, I'd never go anywhere else for yarn again.

So, no one talk to me, i'll probably be counting or knitting backwards for the foreseeable future.