“As long as you're still smiling…”

“…there's nothing more I need”

SECRET PROJECT ALERT

CB started his new job a few weeks before we moved house, which means his commute was stupidly long for a while. That, combined with my stupidly short commute, meant I had roughly an hour and a half each day to myself before he would arrive home and we could have dinner.

Other than eating as much watermelon as I could in that time, I wanted to use it productively. Also, as we fly home from our holidays on his birthday, any knitted presents would have to be completed super early!

So I put two and two together and have started knitting a Honey Cowl by Antonia Shankland (Ravelry link here)

© madelinetosh

I’m using the Rowan Summerlite DK  I have in my stash (colourway Ocean). I bought this originally to knit a Kim Hargreaves top, but decided not to in the end (can’t remember why now though) and have since used some of the wool on a cowl for my Dad (blogged about here) so it’s nice to be using up the rest. It’s a lovely yarn to work with, nice a soft, and creates a good drape.

The pattern is good, quite repetitive though. I’m using a lighter weight wool than the pattern calls for which means I’ll be knitting more rounds (annoyingly) but hopefully it will; be worth the effort in the end.

*Quote from David Bowie

“Oh, Edmund... can it be true? That I hold here, in my mortal hand…”

“…a nugget of purest Green?”

Slightly paralysed from too much choice, I spent some quality time with my stash. I keep it in a cardboard box full of multiple mesh bags which separates my wool by type/weight/arbitrary reasons and I upended this on the living room floor and sat and stared at it. I weighed bits of balls, re-bagged a few, and did a lot of wool-squishing........Aaaaand I was no closer to choosing. Then I had a bit of tantrum.

When I came to, I had cast on Gidday Baby (Ravelry link here) in two shades of Hayfield Bonus DK, which I have since completed:

It has used up all the dark green – yay! It was only a semi-successful game of yarn chicken though, I didn’t have enough for the final row of the left sleeve, a frustratingly teeny amount but thankfully not noticeable unless you were trying to find it.

It was a good knit, really quick as you do the garter edging as you go along. As ever I hate knitting sleeves (and I have a couple of ladders if you’re looking for ‘em) but at least on such a small jumper they go quickly.

If I knitted this again I would pick up stitches for the increases rather than using yarn overs. The holes just don’t look deliberate or like they are a design feature. They add a little intrigue perhaps, but not enough to counteract the “did you mean to have these holes here?” factor.

Well anyway, I’ve made inroads into the stash - huzzah! 

This is a good start and all, but it’s the Sirdar Snuggly collection I’m frozen by. I think I want to knit Viktoria (Ravelry link here) but with which colours??

One bag of several.

I don’t know why I get so wound up by decisions like this. I know ultimately it doesn’t really matter – ultimately Baby will outgrow whatever I knit in a matter of months!

*Quote from Blackadder

“Colour my life…”

“…with the chaos of trouble.”

I have returned to CB’s second sock. Urgh.

I finished off the ankle, knitted the heel flap and turned the heel. I now need to work on the gusset, the foot, and the toe before I’m done.

It’s not that hard. It’s only a few days dedicated knitting, maybe a week. But I am dragging my heels.
And of course I could go back to Navigate, but I’m scared of it.

The only other things on my Time Sensitive Knitting List are baby things for a couple of friends who are expecting at the end of the year. I’d love to use stash wool to knit them jumpers, and I’ve found a few patterns that might work. I bring you the options:

#1 - Lillen Top by MillaMia Sweden (Ravelry link here)

© MillaMia 2009

Thoughts: Different to previous baby clothes I’ve knitted, and can use ball I’ve been wondering what the hell to do with. However, that wool is coral coloured and I don’t think my friends would want for boy children, and I have no idea what sex the babies will be. It’s a risk.

#2 - Viktoria Cardigan by MillaMia Sweden (Ravelry link here)

© MillaMia 2009

Thoughts: Different to previous baby clothes, but I’m not sure what colours to use, and I’m not sure if lack of buttons is odd.

#3 -  Gidday Baby by Georgie Nicolson (Ravelry link here)

© Georgie Hallam 2014

Thoughts: Nice enough but I’m not sure what colours to use.

#4 - Quick Oats by Taiga Hilliard Designs (Ravelry link here)

© cashmerejunkie

Thoughts: Very similar to previous option, just without stripes. Same issue regarding colours!

#5 - Sweet Bunting by Laura Chau (Ravelry link here)

by laurachau  Flickr

Thoughts: Love this one but think it would work better for a little girl, and I can’t knit for one particular sex. Plus this one costs money! Will definitely knit at some point, but probably not for these bubs.

#6 - Baby Sophisticate by Linden Down (Ravelry link here)

© Linden Heflin

Thoughts: This one is a definite yes for my friend Greg’s baby, but I would want to knit it in grey like the picture (so it kind of looks like a formal jacket) and I don’t think I have enough grey in my stash.

#7 - Fuss Free Baby Cardigan by Louise Tilbrook (Ravelry link here)

© LouiseTilbrookDesigns

Thoughts: I love this one for stash-busting reasons, but I worry it’s not interesting enough to be a present.

#8 – Gramps by tincanknits (Ravelry link here)

© Tin Can Knits

Thoughts: I love love love this design, but the problem here is that I am a cheapskate. This pattern costs money, and as it’s so similar to #6 above (which is free) I would have to knit that one first before I bought this one.

Conclusion: I think I need to spend some quality time with my stash, squishing it and listening to what it wants to be. I’ve also just remembered I normally knit clothes for my niblings, so make that two newborns and two 3 year olds I have to knit before the end of the year. Goddammit.

*Quote from Belle & Sebastian

“You never know what worse luck…”

“…your bad luck has saved you from.”

I started Navigate – Hurrah!

I fumbled my way through the first few rows of the cast on…and then I dropped a stitch and threw a massive tantrum.

Attempt number 1 = frogged. 

I re-started Navigate – Hurrah!

I fumbled through the cast on successfully, and worked the first 30 odd rows of the pattern chart. I dropped and picked-back-up numerous stiches, had tight bits and loose bits, but I was making my way through.

Then I stopped to count my stiches. One too many. That might explain why the whole thing looks a little….off.

Debated whether or not to frog, thinking I probably should but that I didn’t know if I had it in me to try again.

Then I noticed that I had neglected to knit the TWO FULL INCHES of ribbing BEFORE starting the cable pattern. I skipped that line entirely and just didn’t notice.

Luckily this made the whole decision about whether to frog painfully simple, plus it was pretty funny that my heat-addled brain could make such a huge error and just not realise for so long!

Attempt number 2 = frogged.

Will I re-start Navigate again?

What this space, Phillyphiles.

*Quote from Cormac McCarthy

“Words belong in contexts…”

“…not pegged out like biological specimens.”

Latest in the completed reading pile is La Belle Sauvage, the first in the Book of Dust trilogy by Philip Pullman.

I reread His Dark Materials a few months ago in preparation for this book. I was given it at Christmas and have been itching to read it, but I wanted to do it justice. I originally read His Dark Materials when I was a teenager so although I remembered the basics of Lyra, Dust, Mrs Coulter, Will and Mary, I didn’t remember all the details and how things had ended up.

The reread was better than I remembered, and La Belle Sauvage similarly did not disappoint.
As ever with Pullman, he effortlessly creates characters you feel you know. They have flaws, desires, and weaknesses to juxtapose their strengths. The plot zips along and you quickly get caught in the current of the action and the unfolding mysteries.

As ever with my reviews, there will be no spoilers. All I will say is things get a little weird at one point (which I’m hoping will be explained/developed in the next two books in the trilogy) and the ending comes a bit too quickly. You build up pace, the tension rises – and smack! It’s over and you’re closing the back cover.

Speaking of covers, the dust cover is pretty enough by itself:

But underneath it is just as lovely – I particularly like the quote on the spine rather than just the book title and author as usual:

My only other criticism was at one point I swear an adult’s ferret daemon changed into a mouse daemon, which shouldn’t be possible.

All in all, however, I highly recommend this book and I personally cannot wait for the next book to be released.

*Quote from Philip Pullman

“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies…”

“I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.”

So I have finished Saco Stripes:

I really enjoyed knitting this. The wool felt nice, the pattern was simple enough that I could watch TV whilst knitting (yet another re-watch of Gilmore Girls) but interesting enough to keep me from getting bored.

The problem reared its ugly head at the end…

I wanted to knit a baggy vest top, but I didn’t appreciate that the ease is written into the pattern, so I’ve knitted one exactly my size. Instead of a few inches of positive ease, I’ve probably done it with a couple of inches negative ease.

*Facepalm*

Not the end of the world. It still fits, it still looks nice, I can still wear it as I planned, plus I’m sure it will stretch a bit after a few wears. Plus it gives me an excuse to knit another one at some point!
The other issue I have with it are the edges. Once I had joined my two pieces my edges were a bit uneven. No problem, I thought, I’ve yet to do the edging. That will neaten things right up!

Except…it hasn’t really. It looks different, but not massively neater.

Again, not the end of the world as it’s just a casual holiday vest top, but I am disappointed. I made the extra effort to finish it and it feels like a bit of a waste really.

Actually those pictures don’t look too bad. Maybe blocking has helped more than I thought!

*Quote from F. Scott Fitzgerald

“You can lead a horticulture…”

“…but you can't make her think.”

Ooh you know what? I think I’m late for my Resolutions update!

So I made 7 resolutions in January (blogged about here) and talked about my total of books read/films watched/knitted things knitted.

So where are we with those?

1. Read 26 books (one every fortnight).
Chugging along VERY nicely with this one as you’ll see in the totals below. I’m reading at least one chapter every day. That just keeps me in the habit of reading and my love of the activity and the stories keeps it from ever being a chore.

2. Knit myself a jumper. 
COMPLETE! Peloponnese blogged about here.

3. Knit CB a jumper. 
Yeah. Still working on that one. It’s the next to be cast on, I swear!

4. Knit myself a pair of socks.
COMPLETE! Socks (and an Easter bird) blogged about here.

5. Knit CB a pair of socks.
I have started these. I’ve knitted one sock…and a bit….and then I ran out of steam. I am still aiming to finish by the end of the year, but I can’t say I see many more socks in my future.

6. Remain the right size to fit into my wedding dress.
Huh. I should probably check that… But I sincerely doubt I can. FAIL.

7. Moisturise after showering.
I have missed doing this a couple of times, but I’m calling this one CURRENTLY BEING ACHIEVED because I do it 9 times out of 10. Well, maybe 8 times out of 10. Still a win!

Now on to the totals! As a recap, 2017 came in at:

• I read 23 books 
• I watched 67 films 
• I knitted 33 items 

So far in 2018 we’re at:

• I’ve read 36 books (plus 3 short stories) 
• I’ve watched 37 films 
• I’ve knitted 7 items

Absolutely smashing that book goal, but I'm a bit disappointed by the number of knitted things. I doubt that will go up by much by Christmas as I’ll be working on a complicated jumper and I’m going on holiday for a month!

*Quote from Dorothy Parker