Blue Tops Week

Remember this?



Well, it was my Mam's birthday yesterday and I am finally going to give her the the wrapover I made for her birthday. I saw her the weekend before Mother's Day and it was so tempting to give it to her then.

The BF persuaded me to leave it until her birthday, along with a bottle or raspberry liquer (is that how you spell it? she wonders) and a box of chocs from my bellydancing weekend in Jersey.

Hope she likes it.

...and here's the progress so far on "Tulip". I finished one of the front's last night and started the other, which really isn't bad progress for a week, especially when I've also been touching up the grout in the bathroom and planting flowers in the garden to make the house look nice for selling.



In a fit of enthusiasm, I almost blocked the back...before finishing the fronts, which need to be sized up against the back for the measurements.

That would not have been clever.

More on "Tulip"

Wrap-over tops are becoming a new favourite. This is where I'm up to on the left front.



I was up over an hour earlier than I needed to be this morning so I knitted up a good chunk whilst sitting in the sunshine. This isn't the greatest shot - I just wanted to show how sunny it was. (There's a blue-tit watching me through the bedroom window, now).

There is a mistake on this pattern - where it tells you to decrease...and increase on the same row at the same end as you're decreasing, at the same time. I've just ignored that and increased at the opposite end of the row: i.e. not on the slope. So, I don't think it's a major problem. The decreases are at pretty much the same 'rate' (every row for x number and then on alternative rows for x number) as on the "Twilleys Freedom Spirit" wrap I made.

One of the ladies on the Angel Yarns knitting forum was talking about a sizing problem yesterday which concerned me a little. I had sized up the back as I was making it, against myself and other tops to make sure it was ok. After reading her comments, I had another check and I think it's fine. Blocking can always help.

Fast Knitting

"Tulip" is knitting up at a fair old rate of knots *grimaces at the pun*. I finished the back last night and started one of the front pieces, getting as far as doing the trim I'm such a fan of.



As there are no sleeves, this is going to be finished in no time at all. Yes, there are the trims to add to the "neck" line and the armholes, but knitting those up will be a doddle. They then have to be knitted to the garment, which should be interesting, for me, at any rate. I'm well used to sewing finished collars and trims on, but knitting them on is a new one for me.

I'm really pleased with the progress as the BF and I spent the weekend getting the house ready to sell. The floorboards upstairs had been a problem - various DIY/cowboy builders in the past had patched up various parts of the floor, leaving some of the boards needing to be replaced. So, the BF was hard at work with that when he hammered a nail through a water pipe...

Fortunately, it was the pipe from the boiler and as the heating wasn't on, there wasn't much water to come out. In addition, as it's that horrible push-fit stuff (that's also under our kitchen sink and pushes itself OUT when the tap runs too fast!) we were able to fix it after a very quick trip to B&Q.

So, the floorboards are fixed. I emptied two carloads of stuff to charity shops. (Not so long ago my entire belongings would have taken just two carloads). All that's left is a bit of painting, some new carpets and the pointing on the house. Then we can put the house on the market and get a new place... somewhere with lots of stash storage. :-)

After I got bored with the hat...

I decided I was going to treat myself and this is stash reduction - knitting a top for myself uses up more wool than a sock. So here's the first of what I hope will be a number of nice new tops for yours truly. It's "Tulip" (Rowan 41) in the lovely, lovely "Rowan Damask - Basalt". It's so soft and silky. Not really squeezable on the ball as there's a tube of card in the middle, but the reward is in the knitting up.



Above, is the start of the back. After six rows of stocking stitch, it asks you (for the next row) to knit six, then rotate the left needle at 360 degrees. Not being the brightest bunny on the block it took me some time to work this out... did 'rotate' mean to do something weird and cable-like with the stitch?

So I had a look at the picture and noticed the lovely trim on "Tulip". Rotating the needle creates a simple but effective ruffle effect. I was delighted and waxed lyrical to the BF about the joys of knitting - how such a simple technique can result in a really impressive (to me at any rate) finish.

He got bored and went to play computer games.



I continued knitting, whilst watching "Men in Black 2", again... and this (above) is where I got to after two hours. I love the way the colours merge and blend, and that there's some purple mixed in with the blues - simple things... I think this will knit up quite fast - not only because I'm looking forward to having a new top.

Sock Yarn Shopping

Because I really need more sock yarn, I bought some more from the Angel Yarns sale. The justification is... well, who needs a justification?



This is one ball of "Trekking Sock Yarn" in varying shades of purple because I have neither purple socks, nor "Trekking" socks. There are two balls of "Trendsetter Stripe" - "Fireball" and "Fall Leaves". I don't have any "Trendsetter" socks either.

So, there's the future justifications sorted. If it's a yarn I don't have or have never tried, I can and shall buy it.

I'm now hoping that I can get a pair of socks out of each ball of "Trendsetter" or that would be some seriously expensive socks. I have ordered a pattern. The answer will be revealed as soon as the postie delivers it.

Stash Busting Progress

So, I finally finished off the ball of "Opal - Magic Sugar Almond" with these baby booties. I think they're quite cute but I'm just relieved to have used up the yarn, which by this point, I had gone right off.



One ball down... several more to go.



And, above is the start of a hat in what was left of the "Opal - Rainforest Flamingo". Then I got bored, so I stopped.

Knitting up the left overs

Last Christmas, my Mam got three pairs of socks from me... start of the craze...and there was a substantial amount of wool left over. It has been sitting there, waiting for me to do something with it.



Well, now I have. Using the left over "Opal - Sugar Almond" (yellow) I've made a pair of gloves for a small child, and there's certainly enough yarn left over from just that ball to make some baby socks.



The blue hats came from some yarn left over for a jacket I made for my baby nephew. (I'm ever so chuffed with the pom-poms). These are for a charity based in Manchester called the Wood Street Mission (http://www.woodstreetmission.org.uk/) which aims to help out families who are having a tough time financially. They have collections throughout the year and at particular times for celebrations (at the minute it's Easter Eggs - deadline March 22nd). I'm going to aim to knit up my leftover yarn by Christmas.

(That in no way suggests I won't be knitting up "Tulip" or any of the other lovely things I plan to make this year).