A Ta-Dah!

Hello Folks!

I have had a good knitty week.  I've finished my Purl Soho Sweater.   Blocking was a little hit and miss without any blocking boards or pins and just a few damp towels but it came out fairly well.  The jumper is a bottom up knit, knit the body, then the sleeves and join them all on the yoke, grafting the underarm stitches at the end.   There is no ribbing, just roll back cuffs and neck.

The shoulder shaping was simple to do but looks lovely.

Although the pattern has no waist shaping, I most definitely do, so it looks quite curvy when I am wearing it.

Can I wear it right now?  No, because, of course, the weather has warmed up too much!  I'm not really complaining, I sat on our balcony enjoying the sun this morning, although folks south of Chicago had more snow today.

I am currently working on another top up pattern.  This is a Drops pattern, a cardigan in 4ply; Drops Delight and Drops Alpaca.  This is the body, I'm on the second sleeve.

I also have some plane knitting socks on the go.  I made the one in the top of the picture last year, Drops Fabel in the guacamole colourway.  I'm making another pair but with cerise pink for toes, heels and tops thus enabling me to get two pairs from one ball of yarn.  I am using magic loop rather than five needles for these, and I have decided that magic loop is (for me) the best way of knitting on a plane because you can't drop a needle down the side of seat.  2.5mm needles are really difficult to fish out of a seat mechanism, ask me how I know.

The pink guacamole socks will be in my bag for a trip we are taking next weekend to San Diego.   It's a five hour flight so I will need something to keep me busy.  I'm hoping for sunshine when we arrive but to be honest, I'll take anything over 15 degrees F (60 Celsius).  

That's me for now, have a good week.

Clicky Needles

Knitting To Keep The Cold Away

Hello All.

I arrived safely in Chicago O'Hare last weekend although I could have done without a two hour wait in immigration.  I have never seen the hall so full of people and so few staff to deal with them.   It has been really cold here, one day -20 degrees C (-4 F) incidentally, the coldest March day on record, so I have been keeping cosy inside our apartment.   The piles of ploughed snow from the polar vortex are still around.

I bought some Drops yarn in the alpaca sale before Christmas from Woolwarehouse and got it shipped here, so had a lovely parcel to open when I arrived.  Contained within was, Nord in various colours, for something stripy

some Nepal for something cabley

and some more Nepal for something plain.  

As you can see I am quite a long way through on this one.  It is a Purl Soho pattern, rather imaginatively named Purl Soho Pullover.  I started it right away because I certainly need a thick jumper.  The yarn is a really deep inky purple and has some interesting shaping on the sleeves and shoulders.

I've also been doing lots of reading and listening to Radio 4 plays to fill my days whilst Mr Clicky is at work.  Mr Clicky and me even went to the gym in our complex today.  If you know me I'm sure you will be laughing at that, I'm even a bit surprised myself.  We had it to ourselves and spent half an hour getting sweaty, I might be back there tomorrow.

That's me for now, I've just realised I now have stash both sides of The Atlantic!

See you soon........................Clicky Needles.

Some Finished Things and Some Not.

Hello Folks!

It seems quite a while since I actually finished something large, here I present my aran slipover.  It's made in Patons Wool Blend Aran 63% Wool 37% Acrylic, which had been in my stash for a while.   It is warm and comfy and lovely.   The pattern from Sirdar.

The yarn isn't particularly soft and squishy but it's not harsh either and it it has a lovely sheepy smell.

This is the second slipover I have made to this pattern the first being in 2010 before I was even blogging ~ was there really a time? 

I made the neck shorter this time. 

I made the ribbing a bit longer and didn't join it.  Next time I make this pattern, and I'm sure there will be a next time, I will knit the ribbing much longer.  It was a pleasure to make and is also a pleasure to wear.  Nothing fancy but sometimes that's just what you need.

 I have worn it loads already and it is already packed to go to Chicago with me, as temperatures out there are chilly, nothing like the springlike sunshine we've been having.  I depart tomorrow morning and I'm all packed and ready to go.

I have also finished my Groovy Shawl.  Made in one ball of Stylecraft Batik Swirl,  I just love the colours.   I've blocked it lightly as I didn't want to loose the grooves too much.  

The thing not finished is a jigsaw of London that I started.  I very much enjoyed sitting down with  cup of tea and popping a piece or two in.  Mr Clicky and me lived in South London for four years and I was trying to complete it without looking at the picture.  As you can see I made the River Thames in the middle but didn't complete the rest, so I've put it away to do another day.

 My flight is at 12 noon tomorrow but I need to leave here at 6.30 am, so an early start.   I have, of course, a sock started for airport/plane knitting, a book to read and some Radio 4 plays downloaded to listen to on my iPad.  I have three jumpers worth of yarn waiting for me at our apartment ~ good old Woolwarehouse and a Drops Alpaca sale ~ and I am also packing a half completed cardigan so I should be well occupied when I get there.   I will spend a month there and then come back to The UK to help with Miss Clicky's Wedding, and then at the end of July for 18 months or so.  Well that's the plan, but things might change.

My next post will be Stateside, I'm off to see what else I can cram into my suitcase and as I'm well under the weight allowance, more wool perhaps?

See you soon..................Clicky Needles.