Not Much...

New mitts for me - Yippee!

These red mitts are just right in so many ways, perfect for driving as they don't cover too much of the hand and the longer cuff means no breeze gets up my sleeve.

Red and shiny mitts in Bendigo Luxury 4 ply Brick

The third pair of Platinum mitts are longer in both the hand and the cuff, super comfortable to wear.

Maybe I'll keep these ones too?

Kallan Cables untangled in Bendigo Serenade, Platinum

This is all I managed to finish for the month of July - starting all the things really inhibits the finishing bit.

There has been progress on some of the other projects including the Coffee Cape where I am working on the final 25%. So close and yet so far, I am really enjoying making this cape. As this is my third time working this design I am much more relaxed doing a few rows on it when out and about and watching it take shape.

The pretty fabrics that I was playing with last week have been waiting patiently for some action this week, maybe I'll get back to them tomorrow?

Today I had a little outing to Unwind Craft Cafe and succumbed to the yarn temptation - of course I changed my mind between when I arrived and left about which colour I was going to add to my yarn collection - Purple storm in 4 ply luxury Won! I have a plan after I finish something else.

Thanks to Kris and Peg for hosting OPAM.

Happy creating.

Looking different

Recycling the yarn from the misshapen mitts, I made this pretty red one that fits.

Now I just need to make her a matching one, while this pattern is very effective it takes a lot of concentration so I can only work on it at home. Fortunately there was nothing pressing on the agenda yesterday so I made a start on the second one. 

I'm confident there will still be some cool days to wear mitts when I am done with these, because they will be mine.

Red and shiny - Bendigo woollen mills Luxury 4 ply in Brick

Saturday a friend and I went to see the sea and while the day was mostly overcast and drizzly, before we left to come back the sun came out brightening things up a little, there was of course no change in the temperature which was definitely on the cool side.

Point Lonsdale pier

I needed a simple project for working on while being the passenger so I started this cable mitt using more of the Bendigo Serenade, this yarn works up beautifully making a lovely fabric. I'm going to be a bit disappointed when this ball is finished as this yarn is no longer available.

 Another mitt waiting for a partner!

Thank you to those who provided measurements on this post the information is most useful and proves what I thought, my wrist/ratio is quite unusual. There is still time to leave a comment there if you are interested in being in the draw for a pair of mitts made by me. 

I'll close it Thursday and draw a winner Friday.

Hope your Monday has been sunny.

Smiling today

The skys might be grey but the day was quite the opposite!

The plumber came first thing this morning, when I was thinking I was going to have to hang around all day waiting, and fixed some things plumbers fix.

I had a lovely positive conversation with a friend who lives in another city, hatching a plan for us both to be in the same place soon?

I enjoyed sitting by the beach, a calm and quiet place for a little contemplation when the sun goes away.

Swinging by the post office I got to collect a little smile package all the way from the UK.

Thanks Jacquie I really needed this reminder this week. Not because anything really bad happened I just had to deal with some difficult people who insist on being negative - which did nothing for my state of mind.

A gorgeous card with a beautiful greeting and a pretty little smile pincushion.

Lots of good stuff happening in my world too, need to make sure I let the good things stay in the foreground.

Now I'm ready for the weekend, well maybe after I finish some sewing?

I'm still knitting the same thing as last time so I guess you don't need to see that again yet.

Hope you have a reason (or two) to smile this weekend.

Changing things around...

So I pulled these two lovelies out Friday all ready for some sewing action when I got home from socialising,

but I picked up a new book on my way home and spent the journey having a little read.

The book has lots of good ideas for exploring knitted fabrics as well as some really cool patterns specifically for yarns made from fibres other than wool. 

I couldn't be distracted from my needles and yarn so knitting won, besides which it was cold out there and sitting under this growing yarn goodness was very cosy. Cape the third is coming along nicely even with all those stitches to work each row.

The fabric is having a turn today, I've done some of the unstitching already so there should be some quality time at the sewing machine this afternoon.

Thanks Wendy for hosting FNSI, I really do enjoy the creative company via cyberspace and will swing by later and see what some other creative types accomplished.

May your weekend be filled with bright spots.

Cape the Third

Perfect winter days for indulging in some sitting and knitting this week mean that good progress has been made on the latest cape project.

I am really enjoying knitting with Bendigo's Classic as it has been a while since I have used this yarn, while it is not soft to knit like the Luxury which I usually use the resulting fabric is perfect for this project. 

Cape in Bendigo's Classic 8 ply colour Java.

It turns out that the hood is the perfect shape with just the right amount of cables to complement the busyness of the cables on the body of the cape.

While I'm not normally a brown person and probably don't have anything in my wardrobe to go with this colour it is warm and lovely to work with.

You're more than welcome to call me crazy knitting a version of this design for the third time in less than six months but I am enjoying watching it come together again in this colour. I'm a little further on than this now, (without photographic evidence) having just finished the first of the 200g balls on the body of the cape, a lot less ends to weave in on this one than the first one!

Friday is all about socializing during the day but I'll be home in time to put a few stitches into something with the ladies joining in with the FNSI. Will you be sewing along on Friday night?

Hope it's warm in your creating space.

Cosy hands

Using the leftovers from these mitts, that I delivered to their new owner last week, 

Kallan Mitts in Bendigo Serenade - wool/bamboo mix, Platinum

I made another pair.

This time I twisted the cables around the other way for a different look and I still have leftovers, gotta love those 200g balls.

I'll be making more soon with a slightly different design in mind.

In light of the sizing issues on the mitts I wrote about yesterday I'm wondering if anyone is willing to share some hand measurements?
What is the difference in size between your palm past the thumb and wrist measurements?
The length of wrist to thumb?
Do you like to wear your mitts snug?

There may be a pair of mitts up for grabs, just leave a comment answering one or more of the questions.
(Not either of these pairs as they already have good homes.)

Hope you're hands are cosy.

Trying to finish some things

While I was admiring all the pretty colours in my new yarn (see previous post) and dreaming of what they could become, I managed to get some work done on a couple of the projects already in progress.

So the pretty coloured mohair project is almost done and will be toasty warm to wear, I want it done real soon, as it seems that winter has finally decided to grace us with her presence. Only armhole bands to go and some ends to be woven in. Speaking of weaving in ends I did some of that on Saturday and finished a project that has been waiting for more than a month for those simple finishing touches. It's true you don't see it here as I gave it a wash and laid it flat to dry but something happened and it is much bigger than I expected so I am still considering it's fate!

Mohair vest and crochet cotton squares

The blue and green crochet squares are for another project I started on Friday, it may or may not be a success, though the yarn is lovely to work with so if it needs a rework I wont be devastated. 

I made the second of the giant mitts, this time in red and at a tighter gauge, it's better than the blue one but still too baggy around the wrist. I really want these to fit as the pattern is lovely but we have ascertained that my wrist/ hand dimensions are rather unusual. As I've completed my testing obligations these will be frogged and something I can use will be knit with this yarn instead.

Wishing you sunshine in your creating space.

Because...

I need all the colours!

Anyone would think I've been knitting all the things. Enjoy all the colours this weekend.

On Friday night...

I sat in the comfy chair and did a little clicking.
A new mitt that I'm testing, it has turned out rather large but that may be the yarn which while a lovely wool and silk mix, knits into fabric with no structure! Looks like it wants to become something drapey so I've started over with an old fave.
The coffee coloured hood is getting a body, nothing new, just another version of the cape.
Red and grey Bendigo Luxury for my new blanket project, (and no I haven't finished the blanket I started at the beginning of the year).
Thanks Cheryl for gathering all the creative ladies together for a virtual stitch in.
Hope your Sunday includes stitching and sunshine.

Hooded

The hood caused me all kind of headaches but after three tries I have finally got a shape and look that I like.

The first one was the light coloured undyed wool on the right, which makes a lovely soft fabric, and while the shape was looking good there was something not quite right about it. I decided to stop at the halfway point but not rip it as there were some good things going on there and having them in front of me while working take two was beneficial.

The second attempt was an improvement but I was still seeing some things that I wasn't happy with.

Take three was just right - yes, Goldilocks had the stars align.

Hood for cape in Bendigo Woollen Mills Classic 8 ply - Java 

I have finished the third version and it fits perfectly, just a tad difficult to take a picture of the back of ones own head.

Moving right along on this one now, but I really want to make something for me from that undyed wool.

Hope you're somewhere warm and cosy today. 

In June - some things got finished

(But a whole lot more got started).

First up there was the cape that didn't quite make it to the finish line in May.

Collared cape in Cascade 220 paints - Caribbean sea

Welcomed into her new home in time for some truly wintery weather.

Three pairs of fingerless mitts made from my first published pattern.

Kallan Mitts in Vintage Patons Totem - Blue

I had two matching balls of mauve wool in the stash so I decided to play with the pattern a little and extended both the cuff and the hand for cold days.

Kallan Mitts in Vintage Cleckheaton Country - Mauve

For a friend who tried her best to appropriate my original mitts, that'll teach me for pulling them out to show off!

Kallan Mitts in Bendigo woollen mills Serenade - Platinum

 A little sewing made it over the finish line too - My new bag even got her buttons on before the end of the month - I only used it for a week before adding the buttons.

Afternoon Tea Bag design by Ann Francene Dimmer from Handmade Vol 24 No9 

I made this pattern a couple of years ago in different fabrics and use it for my work bag. Interesting how the fabric choices give it a very different feel.

The scrappy squares I was playing with became a new knitting home.

Extra large triangle pouch perfect for hiding knitting projects.

Last week I received a special request for a beanie similar to the one I made here but as the yarn has been discontinued I needed to be creative and added stripes in two colours of brown that complimented the original yarn, of which I had a little left over. 

I think I like the second beanie better. I duplicate stitched the kangaroos, which makes them stand out more.

Hopefully the recipient will be pleased with their new beanie.

Thanks to Peg and Kris for hosting OPAM again this year, there are always lots of lovelies to see around blogland at the end of the month.

Happy July.