Finally some finishes.

 It's been a while.  Gracie is growing and now she's fully vaccinated so we're enjoying going on walks together, well as much as possible in winter.  We've had one of our wettest ever July's. 

I finished The Frank Shawl by Joji Locatelli.   

I love the size of this.   I like wearing them like a blanket over my shoulders and due to the shaping it sits very nicely without slipping off. This was knit in yarn from Purple Sprouting. 

I also finished a couple of pairs of socks. 

 These are Morning Coffee from 52 Weeks of socks.  

I made these from various scraps of yarn.

Another finish was a pair of vanilla socks

You may have noticed my puppy got herself into both photos.   She is interested in everything .  

Speaking of which, here are some more photos of Gracie.

Day 104 of Lockdown. Sock finish and haul. 2021 the year that was and 2022 plans

 We finally come out of lockdown on Friday 2nd December.  By this time we will have been in lockdown for 107 days.  We are nearly at 90% full vaccinated.  However now there is a new variant Omicron to worry about.  So 2022 may not be any better.

Onto fun things.

I finished a pair of shortie vanilla socks.

Love the colours.  Also on my needles, but too lazy to take photos, are Suokatu - should finish them tomorrow.  A Soldotna in fingering that I want to make long sleeves, and a Ranunculus, fingering held with mohair.

I am preparing for 1st December as I have 2 advents to open.  With one I am going to make a Juxtaposition from Strands of Joy, using a grey as the MC and the advent from Yarntherapy for the colourwork.  For the Louie and Lola advent I was going to make the bubble cardigan by Stephen West, but have changed my mind and will make the stripes jumper by Andrea Mowrey instead.

I've realised there are a couple of finishes I haven't shared.  This Eddie Beanie in bulky yarn from Nanacindy

And these socks, Dear Bjorn from 52 weeks of socks in yarn I dyed myself

And Cragside from 52 weeks of shawls.

Looking back over the last 12 months I have made:

Socks = 12 pairs, including 2 from 52 weeks of socks

Shawls = 4, including 2 from 52 weeks of shawls

Hats = 3, including 1 from Strands of Joy

Cowl = 1

Mitts = 1

Toy - 1

Cardi - 2, both from Strands of Joy

Short sleeve t's/jumpers = 4

Sweaters = 1

Throw = 1

Dishcloths = 2

That is 32 items, or 2 1/2 items per month.

Looking ahead to 2023, I'm not going to specify too much as new patterns come out all the time that I want to make more than what I have queued   However I do want to try a brioche garment.  First of I'll do a brioche hat that is in a Pompom magazine I have.  If that works out OK, I'd like to try the Broadleaf sweater.

So lockdown haul has continued to be made.  Since my last post the following have arrived

sock ruler, knitting gauge, kitchener stitch guide and shawl clip, and a nose clip for face masks.

Broadway yarns, for the MC in Juxtaposition

Strawberry patches.

Strawberry patches

Lochanside alapacas for the Frank Shawl

Prosper Yarn

Purple Sprouting.  I'm thinking of these 2 for a Musselbrough hat for a friend

Treated myself to a project bag.  Even though I'm perfectly capable of making my own!.

week 8 of lockdown a finish and new starts

 Lockdown continues here in Auckland.  We had 5 weeks under level 4, and have now been in level 3 for 3 weeks.  From today restrictions have eased slightly and people can meet outdoors only in groups of up to 10 from a maximum of 2 households.   We can now also travel around Auckland for exercise - walks along beaches etc.  So really, for me sill nothing much changes from level 4.

I've been knitting quite a lot, not much else to do.

Since my last post I've started and finished the Dingley Dell tee by Isabelle Kraemer.

I enjoyed knitting it in a wool/cotton yarn by Garn Bio Balance.  I like the finished result, except the neckline is too low.  I will need to wear a singlet underneath.

I've started 2 new socks.

This is Suokatu from 52 weeks of socks.  It is knit in the colour Macaron by Marmalade Yarns.  I love the pattern and the colours of the yarn are gorgeous.  The 'cable' pattern is created by twisting the stitches.  I'm enjoying knitting these.

These are vanilla socks using a sock set from Mamawooling.  Again I love these colours.  These will be another pair of shorties.

I've started another Habitation throw.

I'm using scraps that are less than 20g in this project and holding double on 5mm needles.  Enjoying seeing how the marles are working out.

In purchases I've continued using lockdown savings to buy treats.

I never thought I'd buy sock blockers, something nice but not needed.   However using lockdown money to buy treats I decided these would be a great treat.  Love the llamas.

 Just because I need some neutral 4 ply, possibly for a colourwork jumper to use scraps, I go this from Skeinz.  Good value at 303m per ball for just $7.95 per ball.  This is called champagne.  Was worried from the photo on the website that it would be too yellowy, but it is a lovely cream.

The Stephen West MKAL starts this weekend (NZ time - Friday for most of the rest of the world).  I wound my yarn up and swatched.

Excited for the MKAL to start.

Lockdown knitting

 After over 6 months of no community cases, we had a case of the Delta variant in the community on 17 August.  We had already been told that as soon as there was any Delta we would be in lockdown.  6 hours after the announcement we were in the hardest level of lockdown.  Only essential workers can go out to work, and trips out are limited to essentials - supermarkets, pharmacies, doctors, testing and vaccinations.  You can walk for an hour in your area but only with people in your bubble.  People living alone can only form a bubble with one other person who also lives alone.

It was good that we went into lockdown early as the affected case had been to a lot of highly populated places, these people have become infected who have also been to a lot of places.  After 2 weeks the majority of cases are in Auckland with a few in Wellington.  From Wednesday the rest of the country goes to level 3 with Auckland and Northland remaining in level 4, probably for another 2 weeks.

I've been trying to maintain my fitness regime by joining a 6 week challenge through Les Mills on Demand.  Also the trainers at my own gym are running regular facebook training, done from their homes.  Nice to see familiar faces when you live on your own and aren't going to see anyone for weeks.

And of course, I've got lots of knitting done.

I have a HO.  

This is a shorty vanilla sock that I just had the toe in last time.  I've started the second sock, have done the toe and part way up the foot.

I have progress on my other Dear Bjorn sock

Misurina is coming along

As is Ranunculus

And Cragside

Stephen West's mystery shawl starts in October.  I wasn't going to do it this year as I have the 52 Weeks of Shawls and there are a lot in there I want to make.  However being in lockdown has given me the urge to join in the MKAL.  Though I hope we'll be at level 2 by October.  Another reason to do it, is I should finish Cragside by then so will be looking at another shawl to cast on.  

He starts releasing clues next week.  I'm hoping that even though I am in Level 4, if I order yarn from someone in Level 3 it can be delivered.  Not sure what the rules are around that.  I'll be keeping an eye out for NZ dyers that are doing kits.

Finishes, hos and new starts

 It's been a while since my last post and I've got quite a different rotation on my needles.

Off the needles is the Pirta cardigan

I shoud have made a size bigger.  However it is perfectly wearable. However I am disappointed in the Passioknits yarn as it is pilling terribly after just a few wears.  I am wearing it as an around the house cardi so it doesn't matter too much.

Also off the needles is a long term scrappy project, the Modular Inlay Wrap by Stephen West.

The colours are a bit crazy as it was made from leftovers, but this is for around the house. It is a large wrap so I can wrap up very warmly in this.

So with a few finishes, I could cast on some more

My main project is the Misurina top by Boyland knitworks aka Caitlin Hunter.

The golden yarn for this is Mitch in Legacy from Skeinz, the purply/red is Sangria by Ashford.

I did my first tubular cast on in this.  I'm loving that it has lace, cables and colourwork.  But done in fingering, I feel like this yoke is taking forever.  This is progress after 2 weeks.

Another sweater cast on is the ever popular Ranunculus.  I've seen so many beautiful makes of this and there seem to be so many knitalongs going on, I thought I really needed to try it.  It can be made short sleeve, long sleeve, in summer weight or winter weight, or fingering and mohair.  So many options.

I am again using Ashford 4 ply in Sangria for this.  This is progress after 2 weeks.

I cast on another shawl from 52 Weeks of Shawls.  This is Cragside.

Cragside is named after a country estate in Northumberland.  I lived in Newcastle until I was 18 and visited Cragside.  After emigrating my mother returned to the UK for a holiday and visited Cragside and bought me back a metal engraving from Cragside.  It still hangs in my home.  So other than the fact that I loved the shawl, I had a sentimental reason for wanting to knit it.  

This is knit in yarn from YeahYeah yarn.

I have a HO from 52 Weeks of Socks.  This is Dear Bjorn and second sock is started.

And another vanilla sock is started.

This is in the colourway Penzance by Kiwiyarna.  Something about her yarns that I love.

new cast ons, wip update

 After starting the Milo for Baby D I decided I wasn't happy with the yarn choice.  So I unravelled, bought some new yarn (an acrylic so parents can wash it)  and cast on Gidday Baby Cardi

Another new cast on was Maija from Strands of Joy

This is knit in stash yarn from Passioknits, a pure wool.

I had some fun trying dyeing yarn with food colouring.  I was aiming for a mint green but instead got emerald green.  I think I put too much food colouring in.  After the colour had taken up I put a few splashes of red directly onto the yarn to give a bit of extra interest. I am happy with it.  The yarn was Donegal nep.

I've already cast on a pair of socks.  These are Dear Bjorn from 52 weeks of socks.

Another cast on  is Wild Flowers shawl from  52 weeks of Shawls.

This is knit with yarn from Roxy Fibres that I bought at Woolfest.  It was cast on as soon as I got home from Woolfest.  The yarn is undyed and is fawn merino 80% and white alpaca 20%.  It is deliciously soft.

Out of my 7 wips, 3 are from Laine magazines!

I've made progress on my vanilla socks.

And my Habitation throw

And my modular inlay wrap.  Both of the last long edges are completed.