So what exactly does 5 kilometres of yarn look like...

when worked up into fun (or not so fun) projects?

Stashdash is a fun challenge organised by the KnitGirlllspodcast.

Red cowl/scarf in Bendigo woollen mills vintage

Just like any fun challenge there are various goals – this year the choices included, 3k, 5k and for the organised dashers there was a 10k. The challenge includes WIP's so those in the know line up a whole lot of almost done projects for finishing during the 7 week challenge. 

As a new comer this year I was very unprepared with only a couple of small projects on the needles at the beginning of the challenge, but a little crochet project put me in the running for the 5k so I just knitted through all the hours to make the goal a reality.

I know you've seen this before - Pastel star blanket in Patons Big baby 4ply

The rules are simple, there are no restrictions on using old yarn or finishing old projects, any yarn in your possession is considered stash, no matter that it came into your possession during the challenge.

The white collar - fluffly like a bunny - Bella baby angora mix - beautiful

I was pleased with my finish including finishing The Father's socks which pushed me over the finish line on the last day.

Diamonds on a sock for The Father - Bendigo woollen mills Luxury 4ply Denim colour

 Everybody has their own strategy for keeping up the momentum over the challenge period.

Red Vest - in Moda Vera Faith

I could have made the challenge a whole lot easier by working on tried and tested patterns instead of playing around with new designs.

Next year I may even be ready with several WIP's lined up at the starting line.

Diamonds for Helen in Bendigo Woollen mills Luxury 4ply - Lake colour

13 - Projects completed – Diamonds were a huge part of it – Dad's Diamond socks, Diamonds for Helen shawl, Diamonds in a Hat, there were diamonds on a headband (or four), Moon beams, Holiday Affection, Pastel star blanket, Fluffy like a bunny collar, a red cable cowl, my new red vest, my socks with hearts, the second sand tracks scarf, and a headband featuring the cable design.

All together here - lots of squishy yarn fun and no serious dent in the stash

Love me some yarny fun.

Hope your Wednesday is wonderful.

Round and Round

That's what I've been doing on my pretty new red top. This is my first project for my new needles and they are lovely to work with- smooth and light to match the fluffy, airy yarn.

The green project belongs to Myki and is a fun Amigurumi, she managed to finish the all the legs even with an injured hand. It will be very cute when done.

Just because playing with colours is fun and I wanted to an easy to pick up and put down project for working while out and about for the next two weeks I chose these from three to play together for a new Colour Affection. 

Bendigo Woollen Mills Luxury 4 ply in African Violet, Leaf and Sangria

The sun is shining in my window this morning and I have a whiole day to play with yarn Yay!

Hope the sun shines on your day too.

The Late report

Friday night I worked my needles alongside all the other FNWF participants.

First up there was some finishing: The Pink Layna socks were so close, after some mid week social knitting that most of the knitting was completed while waiting for dinner to cook.

This is a good representation of the gorgeous Cerise colour.

After dinner all that was required was the grafting of the toes. Yay, nice new socks all ready for next winter.

Next up was the finishing touches on a sewing project that has been taking more time than is necessary - I got to play in the button tins, looking for just the right ones to adorn the bags that I have been sewing.

Always fun playing with buttons - even if sometimes frustrating when all my first choices turned out to be the wrong size.

Look All Done.

These bags are a good size and quite useful for lots of things but especially -  

for toting giant balls of yarn with attached projects. 

These two bags were gifted to knitting friends Saturday.

After all that finishing there was time for a few rows on my vest which is edging towards the armhole where I get to divide off the fronts and back, when I will get a clearer picture of the design. I'm eager to see how this will look done. Need to knit faster!

Tumbleweed by Jennifer Thompson

The little green knitting is the beginning of The Fathers Christmas sock, lots of knitting to get done in the next couple of weeks, but I think I will make it this year. Oh, and its the yarn from the previous picture it really is a lovely pine green colour not this washed out grey/green.

I hope everyone had a successful Friday night and a pleasant weekend.

Knitting all the things

The yarn from last week did not get to rest in the balls for long, I made a start on my new vest on the weekend.

So far I think knitting is a much better match for this yarn than crochet.

Pic right after I changed to the circular for the main pattern

Knit in one piece to the armhole makes for some long rows but the ribbing went quickly and I crammed all the stitches onto my Casein straight needles, what a luxury to knit with these lovely needles. 

Tumbleweed by Jennifer Thompson

I love the cables and the little 3D bobbles (I know you can't see them very well here), and the asymmetrical design. You can only see the right front here but the pretty marker identifies the 'side seam', it buttons up on the left side and that is where most of the cable detail is on both the front and back. I'm a little further along than this now but haven't updated the picture as this yarn is difficult to capture in artificial light.

My slippers are finished, except for a few stray ends! Oh sure they are conveniently tucked out of the way in this picture.

Excuse the weird sun tan stripe!

There was plenty of reversing up on these, mostly as my feet are just large in all the places. The finished slippers fit well and do not work their way off my feet when walking around which is better than I've achieved in the past when making slippers without a strap.

Joining in with the ladies stitching up their Friday night, (FNWF tonight), planning to finish the socks on the needles and put the finishing touches on a sewing project or two. We'll see how that goes?

Enjoy the sun in your creative space today.

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.

Something different

So I've done a little preparation today and signed up with Cheryl to sew along with all the clever people tonight.

After my little finishing spree last weekend this week has mostly been about small and quick projects, tonights sewing projects should work in well with that arrangement.

It's true there is some knitting in the picture too. I'm almost done with that one and these two should go together nicely if I am successful with the sewing machine.

I didn't just pull out the supplies either, I cut out my fabric and cleared space on the table for Nomee to come out and play.

I will sew and am hopeful there will be something to show tomorrow.

Are you sewing along tonight?

Going Green

It just so happened that all my finished projects in the last week were green.

The shawl from the mystery lace weight yarn is done I even did a kind of average job of blocking it so you can see the shape it is meant to be. It probably wasn't one of my best ideas to do a whole bunch on the same day as I ran out of floor space really quickly.

Ethereal Triangular shawl design by Lakshmi Juneja

Here's a close up of the diamond pattern on the body of the shawl and a gratuitous shot of my new sock project in the yarn I picked up at Unwind Craft Cafe.

An out of focus, but the best I could manage shot of the shawl draped over my pink shirt. The design really is pretty. 

Unfortunately there is still enough of the yarn left to make another shawl so I'll be casting that on within the next week, I don't want my hands to forget how to work with this slippery slidey yarn and I really want it used up.

Next finish was the Vivien Bolero that I have been working on intermittently since November, I started this project on my plane ride. More yarn that refuses to be used up, gotta be something about green yarn.

I chose this project to use the yarn that was left over from my tunic (which I finished 2 years ago and wear a lot), as I used a different yarn to that specified in the pattern I calculated required yardage and brought the requisite number in my preferred yarn. Obviously someone can't count because I had more than half of the yarn left over when I finished my tunic. 

Vivien design by Drops Design

The bolero front above and the back below, a very clever design that is worked in one piece so there were just a few tails to weave in at the end. (More sad photography)

The collar sits down but I have it up here so you can see the pretty pattern on the back.

This bolero did not use all of the remaining yarn - there is still one 50g ball left!

I knitted up this dragonfly washcloth on Saturday night just to use up some of the leftover bits and I'm thinking there may be a couple more from that last ball.

Dragonfly washcloth design by Jackie Jones

Why will the green yarn just not be gone?

Hope there is some green in your week.

Happy creating

Woolly goodness

While the clouds gathered outside I stayed warm inside surrounded by my gorgeous projects.

There was a little tea time stitching - the table is now ready. I wonder who is coming.

A lovely design from Bronwyn Hayes of Red Brolly. 

During the week I cast off the grey vest. The body is done, just the bands to complete.

Then some hooking Saturday at the monthly knitting group, which ended when the yarn ran out - oops.

I started over with the hooking and I picked up stitches to knit the arm bands on the vest.

Same design with a smaller hook and  less pattern repeats - I think the sizing will be better and I will have sufficient yarn as I am using an odd ball from the stash, Yippee!

Hope there was time for some stitches in your weekend.