Double yarn haul, Plans for the haul, Slipstravaganza and sock progress

 The last 2 weekends there have been two different yarn shows giving me the chance to expand my stash.  The first was by a vendor that travels the country selling yarn from NZ indie dyers.  From her I bought:

Summer stitch markers:

Yarnsen - no name

Purrl Kitten " We're all mad here"

Two Bare Hands " I wasn't expecting that"

Purple Sprouting "Park Life"

 The second show was held by a spinners guild and opened to the public after the first couple of hours.  From there I bought

Strawberry Patches "Aubergine"

Strawberry Patches "Pine Forest"

Dye Happy"Josephine" - super sparkly bright orange - Loove

Gumtree Gully Alpacas "Monarch"

 I'm loving how some of these look together.  It wasn't until I got them home that I realised how well the Aubergine, Pine Forest and Park Life looked together, along with Sweet Sixteen and Liberty already in my stash.

These are the perfect amounts and weight to make Andrea Mowrey's "So Faded"

This pattern has entered my queue at number 1.

Also I love how the Byte and We're all mad here look together.  

I've had my eye on the Alaska hat for a while and at the back of my mind I've been keeping an eye out for a yarn that would work for Northern Lights in the background.  I think We're all Mad here will do the job and there will be some left over for some matching mittens in a similar pattern.

And I'm thinking Monarch and Josephine would look good together in a Spark sweater by Andrea Mowrey, possible with a grey as the contrast.

So onto progress.

I've been working exclusively on Slipstravaganza and hope to have it finished in around another 10 days.  I took my last progress picture at the end of clue 3.

A lot of people have finished their Slipstravaganza and it looks spectacular.  I saw it 'in the flesh' at this weekends wool show - amazing.  The last clue takes a very long time as there are over 900 stitches per row and to make it full size there are 48 rows, though there is the option to make it smaller.  I am going for the big option - provided I have enough of the main colour yarn - it is going to be close.

I don't think I've posted a photo of my Rievaulx sweater.  This has been on hold since starting Slipstravaganza, but the back is finished

I've made a little bit of progress on my sock.  I'm still working on the second sock of another pair but am up to the gusset, I wanted a sock I could just knit mindlessly so I cast on another.  I did a little bit when I needed a break from the very long rows of slipstravaganza.

Covid Level 1, knitting haul, MKAL, Vivace Dolman blouse

 Shortly after my last post, Auckland returned to Covid Level 1.  It feels so good to be able to live normally again.  The only differences between level 1 and level none being we should scan the QR code when entering any businesses/shops using the Covid tracker and hand sanitiser being everywhere.  As cases rocket internationally, we are so blessed to be here in New Zealand.  We have had no community cases for a few weeks now, only those being picked up at the border when in the quarantine hotels.

In some ways it feels like we are dodging a bullet.  How long can we stay covid free.  However I will enjoy and make the most of it while it lasts.

New Zealand also had its election.  In large part due to the way our Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern handled the pandemic, she was returned in record breaking numbers.  Her party, the Labour Party won by their biggest margin in 60 years.  We have had an MMP parliament since either 1993 or 1995 and this is the first time since then that a party has had enough numbers to not need to enter into coalition with any other parties.

October saw the second of my mystery subscription with Vintage Purls.   This month it was a beautiful pale green 4 ply sock yarn in the colour Liberty.

Also in the parcel was some fudge, 12 wooden buttons and a pattern to download on ravely for socks, the pattern is by Vintage Purls

Sock knitting for me is fairly mindless, but this is meant to be an easy to remember pattern and I do like it, so am tempted to try it.

Prosper Yarns is a Kiwi yarn dyer and has a studio in my suburb.  A few weeks ago she had a studio open day.  I bought this beautiful pink 4 ply from her in the colourway  PS I love you

Look how well it goes with the green from Vintage Purls.  I love this and want to make something, but don't know what.  I could do two pairs of socks with contrasting heels and toes.  However it seems a shame to hide such lovely colours on my feet where no one will see them.

This month saw the start of the Stephen West Mystery Knit Along:  The Slipstravaganza shawl.

Here is my progress so far

Clue 1

Clue 2

 I am nearly finished clue 3.  Clue 4, the final clue, came out last night and Stephen showed the finished shawl - it looks incredible.  

This is all I have knitted on this month.  I am loving doing it.

I've even thought that Vintage Purls Liberty, Prosper Yarns PS I Love You and Kiwiyarna Sweet Sixteen, paired with a pale grey would make a lovely slipstravaganza.  However as I will probably want to do another Stephen West MKAL next year I may hold onto those and see if they can be used next year.  I wear jumpers and cardigans more than shawls.

In sewing I made the Vivace Dolman blouse by Love Notions.  It started off as a dress, however I didn't check the length and I know I always have to lengthen dresses.  For some reason this time I didn't.  When I tried the dress on it was too short for my preference, so I shortened it to a top.    I'm happy with this, it was quite an easy make but doesn't look it, with the pleat and V neck.  It took around 3 1/2 hours sewing time, and that was with having to cut down to a top.

Ochre Cardigan finish, pandemic level 2, MKAL, Yarn club

 Auckland remains at level 2, over the last week I think we had just 3 community cases.  So far our numbers are just under 1500 positive cases and 25 deaths.  Hopefully next week we will move to level 1.

I finished knitting my Ochre cardigan by Ambah O'Brien

It is supposed to be open with a large gap at the front, though that is a style I'm not used to and keep trying to pull it closed.  However this will be a nice cardigan to slip on in summer when it gets a bit chillier in the evenings.  I like the lace details at the hem and sleeves   It definitely needed blocking as I was worried it would be too small.  With blocking it fits fine, though I could really have gone up another size.  I've got over a skein of wool left over, so it took less than 2 skeins of Sweet Sixteen yarn by Kiwi-yarn-a.  Really love the colours and the merino is so soft.

The pattern was easy to follow. This is the first garment I've knit in the round and the instructions were very clear.

I've decided to join in on a Mystery Knit along.  I've often thought why would someone spend all that time knitting something not knowing what it's going to look like, but I have got quite excited at the thought of the Stephen West mystery knit along. We know its a shawl, but that is all.  His designs are all stunning, so I'm sure I wont' be disappointed.

 I signed up for it last week on Ravelry.  You receive an initial PDF saying what quantities of yarn are needed and suggestions for colours.  He also has Instagram videos talking about it and how the colours are to work together.  

This was an excuse to buy more yarn.  There is a shop I've been interested in looking at but hadn't been to before, so I made a trip to Loopine Yarns in Parnell.  There is a wide selection of different yarns, many from NZ dyers. I bought the following

The Vintage Indigo will be the main colour and is by Cascade Yarns, Heritage.  The teal and pink are Peacock Plume and Fascinator by Manos del Uruguay Fino and the peachy one is Jackson, High Twist Merino by Kiwi-yarn-a.

This was my colour inspiration, a photo taken in a dress shop.

The clues are released in parts, the first clue being on 9 October 6pm Amsterdam time, which will be the morning of 10 October in NZ.  Very excited to start this.

I also received my first Yarn club from Vintage Purls.

 The parcel had a bar of salted caramel fudge - delicious. 10 stitch markers on a ring and with 2 row markers, a skein of sports weight yarn called Byte - a sort of petrol blue colour and a pattern download for a hat to make with the yarn.  That was lovely to receive.