The end is in sight!
At last I've managed to install the software on my laptop at work and get the camera out to take some pictures.
Life in the caravan has been surprisingly ok, but I can't pretend I haven't missed running water and flush toilets! We've been really lucky with the weather, which has been absolutely fab up until this week. The good news is we can move into the house on 1st August, yay!! I'll be so glad to have my stash close at hand again, and all my patterns etc etc.
The goats and sheep have settled in really well. It's so lovely to see them out happily grazing the fields after having been living indoors for months. The goats will all be sheared this Sunday - they'll be so glad to get rid of their heavy fleeces. Shearing is also the time we have to separate the buck kids from the does, so we'll have a few days of pitiful bleating (from the kids - the mums will be glad to see the back of them!)
Sam has "gone native" - he loves being an outside dog, and I'm not sure we'll be able to domesticate him again when we move into the house! Ben likes his creature comforts, and has decided that camping's really not for him.
On to knitting - and I have been very busy since the move, though not all of it productive. I had to frog the sweater I was knitting with the lovely Swamp from Hip Knits, as although I calculated I had enough yarn I was about 50 yards short. Dang! Still, it's going to make a wonderful Clapotis instead.
The major achievement is (drum roll please...) I knit my first pair of socks!!
These were knit in 6 ply Regia, using the pattern that came with the yarn, and 3.5mm DPNs. The DPNs certainly took some getting used to, but I REALLY enjoyed knitting these. A challenge, but not so difficult they made me weep.
They are a long way from being perfect. Up close you can see a slight ladder where I moved from one DPN to the next. I was really careful to tug hard on the changeover, but I think I need to get to grips with alternating the stitches in the changeover. There is also a bit of hole where the heel is -
Dangit!! I need to watch this on the next pair I knit. I think if I move the stitches not being knitted for the heel onto a piece of yarn rather than leaving them on a needle that might help.
Here they are off the feet:
Ok, so they do look a little weird, but they definitely look like socks, and I'm quite pleased with them as a first effort.
I've just got some yummy cashmere sock yarn from Hip Knits - I think I'll save it until I've knit another pair on cheaper yarn!
Not having access to my stash meant I just had to BUY MORE.
450g of BEAUTIFUL Silk Garden, on sale at Get Knitted, together with 350g of Blossom, also on sale. The SG is detsined to be Klaralund, and the Blossom Eloise, both from Noro collection pattern books.
Included in the parcel was this:
What a surprise!! A free gift. Some Wool Fat soap (which smells divine), and a beautiful glass knitting needle holder. As if providing an absolutely fab service (order arrived two days after ordering) wasn't enough! Hurrah for Get Knitted!!
Currently on the needles is Lovlund from the Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton second Noro collection, which I'm knitting in Rowan Summer Tweed. I hope to have this finished within a week or so, and next up will be Clapotis, which I've been dying to knit for months.
Phew! A bit of a mega post, after a few weeks of not posting. Now I'm organised again, I'll try and get back to little posts a bit more often!
Life in the caravan has been surprisingly ok, but I can't pretend I haven't missed running water and flush toilets! We've been really lucky with the weather, which has been absolutely fab up until this week. The good news is we can move into the house on 1st August, yay!! I'll be so glad to have my stash close at hand again, and all my patterns etc etc.
The goats and sheep have settled in really well. It's so lovely to see them out happily grazing the fields after having been living indoors for months. The goats will all be sheared this Sunday - they'll be so glad to get rid of their heavy fleeces. Shearing is also the time we have to separate the buck kids from the does, so we'll have a few days of pitiful bleating (from the kids - the mums will be glad to see the back of them!)
Sam has "gone native" - he loves being an outside dog, and I'm not sure we'll be able to domesticate him again when we move into the house! Ben likes his creature comforts, and has decided that camping's really not for him.
On to knitting - and I have been very busy since the move, though not all of it productive. I had to frog the sweater I was knitting with the lovely Swamp from Hip Knits, as although I calculated I had enough yarn I was about 50 yards short. Dang! Still, it's going to make a wonderful Clapotis instead.
The major achievement is (drum roll please...) I knit my first pair of socks!!
These were knit in 6 ply Regia, using the pattern that came with the yarn, and 3.5mm DPNs. The DPNs certainly took some getting used to, but I REALLY enjoyed knitting these. A challenge, but not so difficult they made me weep.
They are a long way from being perfect. Up close you can see a slight ladder where I moved from one DPN to the next. I was really careful to tug hard on the changeover, but I think I need to get to grips with alternating the stitches in the changeover. There is also a bit of hole where the heel is -
Dangit!! I need to watch this on the next pair I knit. I think if I move the stitches not being knitted for the heel onto a piece of yarn rather than leaving them on a needle that might help.
Here they are off the feet:
Ok, so they do look a little weird, but they definitely look like socks, and I'm quite pleased with them as a first effort.
I've just got some yummy cashmere sock yarn from Hip Knits - I think I'll save it until I've knit another pair on cheaper yarn!
Not having access to my stash meant I just had to BUY MORE.
450g of BEAUTIFUL Silk Garden, on sale at Get Knitted, together with 350g of Blossom, also on sale. The SG is detsined to be Klaralund, and the Blossom Eloise, both from Noro collection pattern books.
Included in the parcel was this:
What a surprise!! A free gift. Some Wool Fat soap (which smells divine), and a beautiful glass knitting needle holder. As if providing an absolutely fab service (order arrived two days after ordering) wasn't enough! Hurrah for Get Knitted!!
Currently on the needles is Lovlund from the Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton second Noro collection, which I'm knitting in Rowan Summer Tweed. I hope to have this finished within a week or so, and next up will be Clapotis, which I've been dying to knit for months.
Phew! A bit of a mega post, after a few weeks of not posting. Now I'm organised again, I'll try and get back to little posts a bit more often!
posted by Carolyn at 8:19 am
3 Comments:
Hey I just found your blog! I love the fact that you went out and bought more wool when you didn't have access to your stash - that's exactly what I would do (and have done in the past!)
The first socks look great, I also had little holes when I made my first pair but my second pair looked much better, definitely a case of practice making (nearer) perfect. If you're getting into making socks I heartily recommend the Cherry Tree Hill Supersock on 'get knitted'. It is fabulous...
Thank you for your comment on my blog. Glad you like the Clapotis - I'm looking forward to seeing yours. I remember seeing the 'swamp' yarn a while ago and liking the colour of it!
And it really looks as if I ought to order from Get Knitted some time soon... That Noro yarn looks gorgeous , in particular the blossom, which I'd never seen before. And the free gift is great!
Hi there
Just sorta wondered into find your blog... love your socks!
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