Things I should know by now

There are a number of things I feel that I should know by now. For instance I know that any movie involving small children or animals in peril will reduce me to a sobbing mess (just typing Free Willy, Empire of the Sun and Precious has made me mist up); any garment involving gathers makes me look like the back of a bus; and a third cocktail is always a bad idea.

But there are also things I should know by now, but for some reason I feel faintly embarrassed that I dont. Like superannuation. Surely I should have more of a handle on this by now. More importantly, and interestingly and embarrassingly, I dont know what the difference is between worsted and aran weight yarn. Ok, so one is heavier than the other, but just when I thought I had a handle on it, I discovered the intriguing third category, heavy worsted.

My lack of knowledge about worsted versus aran manifested when I cast on the Berkshire Dolman sweater. Initially I cast on in the yarn formerly known as Madelinetosh Worsted, which has been reclassified as a dk weight. After knitting one side it was apparent that the Madtosh was waaaay to lightweight. My second attempt was in Valley Yarns Berkshire, which WEBS called a heavy worsted. While the weight was right, the colour was wrrrrrrong.

Finally I cast on in Jo Sharp Silk Road Aran, and as I slaved away I had a sneaking suspicion that the aran weight was too light too. Still I was determined, and on finishing and checking the pattern specs out on Ravelry, I saw that what I had thought of as an aran weight, was listed as bulky! Arrrrrgh! Now I have a lovely warm sweater, which I suspect is going to stretch like crazy.



But my sweater has secret power. I put it on and it transformed me. Can you see the similarity?

B is for buttons!

Is it so very wrong to start a new project purely because one has found the most gorgeous buttons?

Long time coming

Yes, its been a while between posts. Still in that time I've managed to produce three substantial finished objects!

All these FOs represent a substantial departure from the philosophy with which I started this blog. Back then it was all about the quick fix from a small object. But after knitting a bazillion (well it feels like a bazillion) socks, the turned heel no longer held any mystery. And now I've just finished two cardigans!

The first is Rosamund, made from Cascade 220. It was the first time I've used Cascade, and it softened pleasingly on blocking. I struggled with gauge on this project, and as a result the button placement is off. I need to sew a hook and eye onto the top of the collar to keep it sitting flat. But overall, this is nice and warm and allows easy access to the milk bar. More on that later.



The buttons are made of horn, and I especially like the way their slightly organic shape works with the cables.



The second cardigan is Manu. I was desperate to make this cardi, and it has lived up to my expectations. It is warm, stylish and the details are lovely! I'm so pleased that I'm waiting to make another. The yarn is Madtosh DK in Tart. It was lovely to work with and deserving of the hype surrounding it. While the pattern recommended using a yarn with a halo to disguise the short rows shaping the neckline, I think the fuzz-free dk coped well with the short rows.



I especially like the pleating around the neckline.



But the most important, and demanding FO at Casa Joy and Widower at the moment is B2! (I suppose he is more of a WIP, really. )



B2 arrived 11 March 2010. Mr Wriggly is taking his big brother role seriously and introducing him to all manner of dirt, earth moving equipment and dinosaurs.

Coraline completed!

Finally, buttons on and the slightly cooler weather has allowed this snap. Its still a bit of a mystery to me how this will look when my body shape is normal, but it seems to fit well around the neck!

A non-sweat FO

Finally, an FO I can blog about! Its been stinking here in Sydney, and being 9 months pregnant has meant that I currently spend most of my time sweating. We arent talking a little light lady glow here, we are talking the full athletic exertion style perspiration, except that something as un-athletic as turning the page of the newspaper causes it.

I've actually got two other finished objects, both cardigans, to blog about but I cant bring myself to put them on for photographs. Just typing that has inspired a fresh bout of sweating! They will have to wait till post birthday/the onset of more autumnal weather.

Instead I've finally finished B2's baby blanket! Its a Mirabilis in Eco Yarn's worsted weight organic cotton. The colour is called Serendipity.



I'm very pleased with this, not the least because now its done I feel like the baby can actually be born. Phew. Ten days to go (in theory anyway) today!

A Tale of Two Cardies (with apologies to Mr Dickens)

As mentioned before, I've become obsessed with cardigans. One of the questions that has seemed to be occupying my mind has been 'how many grey cardigans do I need?'. The answer appears to be 'at least two'.

One is Coraline. This has been a truly lovely knitting experience. The pattern is well written and the instructions were clear enough to get me through several new techniques (such as i cord edging and smocking) without any ripping back. I used Jo Sharp Alpaca Silk Georgette in Pebble, which was a dream to knit.

I made the medium and the only mods I made were to add an inch to the body and arms. If I were to make this again, I'd add an extra inch again to the arms (so 2 extra inches in total) but that's because I quite like my wrists to be warm. As it is, the ends of the sleeves sit just above my wrists, which is fine. At the moment its impossible to tell if the body length is ok and where the hem sits in relation to my waist, as my waist has long since disappeared. I guess finding out how it really looks will be a winter surprise.

Despite wearing it several times, and receiving lots of compliments, I still havent quite finished it. Yup, its the buttons that are yet to be attached. So until I triumph against button inertia, I havent got a proper photo to post. This one will have to do in the mean time.



After cruising through Coraline, Rosamund has proved a bit more willful. Gauge issues and my inability to read simple cable instructions lead to a couple of false starts, but now we are nicely in the groove. I have made a bit of a mistake with the cabling around the first button hole, but I am choosing to think of that as a 'feature' rather than a 'mistake'. Heres an in progress shot.



Its been very hot here in Sydney, so celebrate weather where only the lightest clothes are desirable, I've been laying in stocks of worsted weight yarn. Maybe I'm subliminally inspired by the exceptionally cold weather in the northern hemisphere. I've certainly been inspired by Madelinetosh and her colourways, and in a very short period of time I've managed to get three sweater quantities of yarn in Venetian, Tart worsted weight and Tart in a fingering weight. It seems the grey cycle has broken!



Lovely Tarty goodness! What will you be?



Beautiful Venetian, what gorgeous thing are you going to be?

Long time coming

Well, this blog post has been a long time coming. All sorts of reasons, but chief amongst them has been wips having repeated dunkings in the frog pond, having a sudden desire to make big (for me anyway) projects and most surprisingly of all, managing morning sickness.

Yes, Mr Wriggly will be joined by a sibling sometime in early March. Its been such an enormous surprise. It was a mighty victory for medical technology when Mr Wriggly arrived. So when I felt seedy, bloated and tired I just assumed that middle age was setting in. When the blood test for pregnancy came back positive, I secretly thought I was having some kind of powerful bout of wishful thinking. However ultrasounds and the passage of time have revealed to me that B2 really is floating around soaking up all the extra icecream I've needed to eat.

My Wriggly seems blissfully unaware. Phew. Here is a snap of the bathing beauty, personal styling courtesy of the Knit Widower.


On the knitting front, I seem to have been struck my a longing for cardigans. I forged ahead on Little Birds, but its been resting since I realised its going to be a looooong time before I can fit it around my waist. Still, its looking pretty and is at an interesting stage. Especially now that bloody never ending beaded ribbing is done!



I've also cast on a Coraline, which will be useful for next winter. Its great swathe of stocking stitch is also proving soothing television knitting. I'm quite looking forward to the construction of this cardigan. I'm loving the built in the icord edging and the knitted hem, but am hoping that that roll and pucker will block out.



I've never done a knitted yoke before. Anyone got any tips?

The reason why things have been quiet

Theres a reason why things have been quiet on the Joy front. I have a stack of ufos that only need a short burst of energy to finish - but can I summon it up? Not even with a stack of chocolate and some time to myself! Here they are:


Cancan gloves in Madtosh Crow - looking rather promising at this stage, so I'll probably concentrate my efforts here.


My Jumping on the Bandwagon Ishbel in Colinette Jitterbug Velvet Plum. Only needs another two lace repeats - which I think is the grand total of eight rows.


Entomology, which is coming along rather nicely. Its in Wired for Fiber Hero.

There is an FO in the midst of this embarrassment of UFOs. Here is a Naughtie for Hugo Moller.



But the real reason for the inactivity has been because Mr Wriggly has been doing some knitting all of his own. Can you see where?



NB: I didnt make his jumper, a friend of my Mum's did. Its a lovely one isnt it?

It was a one eyed one horned flying purple people eater

It was my Mum's birthday recently, so I made her some Tadpole socks in Colinette Jittterbug Purple Passion. They were such a victorious, unrepentant shade of purple they reminded me irresistibly of the old song about the purple people eater. Here they are in action with Mr Wriggly, who was pretty keen on them too.

Speed knitting

I do like my hairdresser, but recently she sheared me. When I went to get a trim last week, the word 'short' must have been mentioned at some stage (eg "my, what a short skirt", or "yes please, a short black would be great"). Regardless of the context though, I came away with very, very short hair. The shaver was even used!

I walked in the front door, thanked the Knit Widower for his supportive gasp because clearly it could only be a gasp of admiration, not, for example, shock, and immediately cast on a Thermis.


Once the Thermis was off the needles, it was clear it needed some mates, so I whipped up yet another pair of Evangelines with the left over yarn (Sundara, Royal Footguards worsted weight).


Now I am much toastier, but still quite shorn.

The amada fights back!

Not only is the UFO amada fighting back, with me casting on the lovely Marlene despite two looming birthday deadlines, but its ally, the stash, is also growing! Eeeeee!


Yes, I had some stash enhancement at the Craft Fair at Darling Harbour this week. It was pretty amazing, I hadnt been before and I hadnt realised just how huuuuge paper crafting is. Luckily I was able to find what I wanted pretty quickly and leave before the crowds starting heaving. More on the stash reinforcements later.

Treats! And and FO (take that amada!)

When I was little, I loved lucky dips with an unbridled devotion. At any school fete, local show or gymkhana I could locate the lucky dip and blow all my money in one hard core session. Its probably just as well I never figured out to work the pokies*.

This seems to have translated into a passion yarn clubs. After all, there is a large element of luck dip about a yarn club. Sometimes the yarns are sensational, sometimes they end up on a Ravelry destash thread quicker than you can say "Jeezus!" when you get your credit card bill (which is always a strong possibility with our exchange rate).

This week brought two lucky dips into my home. The first (which actually arrived more than a week ago, and been carried from room to room to look at in different lights) is from Knitting Inspirations's Lace Club. Its a beautiful skein of Cashlana in Ocean. I guess it doesnt strictly fit the lucky dip analogy, you get to choose your colourway in this club, but as I'd never seen the yarn before, it felt like a lucky dip winner to me! The yarn package also included some gorgeous stitch markers and a tape measure with which Mr Wriggly has fallen in love.


Today's arrival was from the Needle Food Sock Club. Out of New Zealand comes this beautiful, hand dyed sock yarn and treats! Stitch markers, Freddos, an exotic woolwash and some bamboo dpns hiding up the back of the photo. Cant wait for next month's shipment!



And finally an FO, from the aforeblogged UFO amada. The Hot Flush Rock and Weave socks. Made for Liza, modeled by Liza. I suspect she is wearing them this very moment, while snacking on ruburb crumble and watching Friday night crime.




*slot machines

Its a space armada!

How many UFOs does it take to make an invasion force? I reckon I'm getting pretty close to a battalion here.


Here are my three socks in progress. Waterfall Socks in Hero, Rozas Socks in Serenity and Rock and Weave Socks in Hot Flash (which I keep calling Hot Flush). There is a rather special project on the end, Heathers Mitts.

Heres a little close up of them. They are killers, 2mm needles. At this rate, I reckon they might be ready by next winter.

Hanami, finally

Finally, almost a year to the day of casting on, I have finished the Hanami Stole. I started it a few days before Mr Wriggly was born, thinking that I'd have a shot at finishing it because he was never ever going to come out. Ha. Boy, did he show me.

It was only two weeks ago that I felt mentally able to cope with the basket weave pattern again, which was a complete grind. The cherry blossom pattern just flew by though. I'm so pleased with how it turned out. The Sea Silk Handmaiden yarn is wonderful to knit with and the stitch definition is superb.


Here are the specs: two skeins of Sea Silk Handmaiden in Ebony. The idea for a Hanami in this yarn in this colour is totally ripped off from Splityarn. The skein used for the basket weave end was darker than the cherry blossom end. The cherry blossom skein had more copper highlights, and dare I say it, the odd undyed fleck. I beaded the ends with tiny, pinkish, glass beads, that are almost impossible to photograph. If I knew then what I know now, I'd have used larger beads as they have been mostly swallowed by the yarn. Of course, in searching for the link to Splityarn's Hanami, I just found her tutorial about how to do a beaded cast off. Hey ho.


Its destined to be the divine Ms N's birthday present. I'll try and get a shot of her modeling it.

I'm starting back at work on Monday, four days a week. The Knit Widower is going to be Mr Wriggly's primary parent. Its all a bit daunting really. I ran into Six and a Half Stitches in the newsagents this morning and she gave me some comforting words about managing the work-family-knitting-life balance. Thank you SaaHS! I'm sure once its all happening, it will all be ok.

As requested

Its hard to tell where most of the food went - on his top, around his mouth or into his mouth. Unusually, he doesnt seem to have wiped any through his hair.

We're back!

Hurrah for informed camera advice from you all (both blog comments and other advice), hurrah for ebay and a lovely man who actually delivered the camera to my home, hurrah for photogenic children, hurrah for knitting and an even bigger hurrah for a fab camera.

It can do this:


And this:



And it even shows that scientists are wrong. Dinosaurs did not evolve, they were knitted....

Its a Cannon G10 Powershot, and despite having a name like a drink an underage girl would overindulge in, it is fantastic.

(Photos top to bottom: Hanami, Rockin' Hot Flush, Prehistoric Pals Braciosaurus and Triceratops)

Normal transmission will resume shortly

Normal transmission will resume shortly, once I've sorted out my camera issues. Any suggestions for a new one?

In the meantime, Mr Wriggly has agreed to be my test pattern.

(Copyright Pia Solberg)

What madness is this?

For some reason, my rapidly approaching return to work has caused me to undertake some crazy stash enhancement. Below are the most recent acquisitions.

Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn in Fall Foliage bought from Bec (Becboo on Ravelry)


Bruised Bloodwood 100% Baby Alpaca by Yarn Cakes


Merino Chubby Sock Yarn in Smoke from The Knittery's closing down sale - alas.


And a group shot including two yarns from Wired for Fibre in Hero and Baroque. My crappy camera cant capture the beauty of the dark purple of Hero and the plummy shade of Baroque.



Now the fun begins - what to make with all these lovelies?

Best foot forward

There has been some knitting progress in Casa Joy and Widower. I've managed a whole Escher sock from the amazing Knitting Socks With Handpainted Yarn. Its a cornucopia of fabulousness and I havent been able to get the Escher off my needles quick enough. There are so many wonderful socks to make!

The amazing case of the vanishing Bijou

Here is my Bijou, coming along very nicely thank you very much.



Here is my Bijou with the three needle bind off completed for the shoulder seams.


Decency laws prevented me from putting up a snap of me trying it on. (OK and my vanity too).

Current state of my Bijou, ready for round two in the next size up.



(Just so you know, the top photo has the truest colour.)