Rose and Trellis Sweater

So this is a hoody which I designed back in 2010. It was actually the very first thing I ever designed from scratch, and looking back it was definitely fairly adventurous to say I had only been knitting a bit over a year.

I have always intended to write the pattern up and grade it into a few sizes and either try and submit it to a magazine or just publish it via Rav. Now I've been saying since the end of 2010 that I would get it written up. But let's face it, this is me I procrastinate like mad! There are always new and shiny things to cast on, or learn, oh and let's not forget I had begun my university course by then. Actually I'm surprised I didn't write up the pattern simply to avoid doing coursework....

Here is a (terrible) picture of the sweater, taken just after I finished it. I will most certainly be taking other pictures of it in order to make the pattern more appealing!

I'll talk you through the inspiration and the basics of the pattern. My friend Kyla from Glasgow had this gorgeous Aran weight hoody with a really flattering cable and lace pattern on it that she often wore. It was a shop bought item but I always liked it and I decided I would use it as inspiration for my first garment designed by me, especially when after searching through Rav I couldn't find anything which looked like it.

So after looking in pattern books for a hoody design to base the basics shape on and using a stitchonary or two I cobbled it together with I feel a lot of success. I knew I wanted a very fitted hoody, even though Kyla's was really quite baggy (approx 6 inches positive ease). I wanted the stitch pattern to open up and to mold nicely to my body. As a result the body of the hoody has no waist shaping. I have lost weight since I designed/knit this and currently have a more distinguishable waist, which due to the pure wool fibre and the stretchiness of the stitch pattern, it shows my curves well and doesn't appear baggy.

The hoody is called Rose and Trellis after the stitch pattern which reminds me of a wooden trellis framework and a cable reminded me of roses, plus the fact I happened to knit it in red helped a lot with that association.

The Knitter magazine used to get knit groups to send in finished objects they wished to show off. Our group was contacted our items were published in issue 24, I sent this is and it was photographed really nicely. I wish I could use it for my pattern but you know, copy write is a bugger ;). However here's a wee picture of the article

Even on this lassy, who is a good size or two smaller than me, the hoody sits so well on her (even if I do say so myself....)

After this article I got a lot of feedback from people through Rav, but also the magazine forwarded on some really nice feedback they had gotten about asking me if I was intending to write the pattern up.

So anyway lot ramble short, I'm nearly there!! I started a few weeks ago, when after finishing my uni course, moving back home, and being totally bored out of my face, I figured I really ought to be a bit more productive. I have been really stuck for a few days about the armholes. But I think today a lot of things just slotted into place and I had a good solid 5/6 hours at it. I also decided to have a fiddle around with writing it up with the option of a hood and with a shawl collar (no hood) as well, as I figure many people won't really want to wear a hoody dependant on age/personality. ETA: This is definitely going to be incorporated in the final pattern. So after some test knitting, ironing the pattern out, and a bit of editing, hopefully I'll be able to publish it in the new year! Fingers crossed, wish me luck!!

General update

So I haven't posted I ages. Generally haven't felt like I've had that much to write about! But I guess there are a few things that have been going on.

Finishing Uni 

I guess this is really a big one. Second university course I've completed, both undergraduate ones. This wasn't an honours one so you don't get classifications, just a straight pass or fail. Well I passed! So that's all good :). Being the class rep for the year I helped to organise the graduation ball. Well I say helped, thankfully two of the four other branches of the course had already organised and let us join in! It would have been murder otherwise! However, I'll not even be attending the ball, or the graduation ceremony itself, as its all too costly and a bit of a trek now that I'm back in Yorkshire! I'm a bit sad about not going, as it would be nice on the day to see people. But there are cheaper and funner way to do it! One of the things ill be most gutted of missing are the pictures! I wish our uni had done what Glasgow Uni did, and those graduating in absentia still got pics done! Oh well. Will I regret it if I don't go? I just remember my first graduation being a total pain in the arse & the hall being so warm I almost fainted. I'm sure a group of my fiends are going to be organising a big get together around the time, and that'll be much cheaper, funner and involve a lot more alcohol... ;)

Moving back home:

Well that was and still is a bit gutting. I miss Glasgow so much! All the friends I've made up there, the city itself and just the feel to it. I miss living with my other half, and until we're both settled into jobs, which is probably not going to be before the middle of next year, as I still don't have anything lined up. Luckily my other half has managed to get himself a graduate training post, which i am very proud of him for! I miss just being able to walk down to the botanics on a nice day. Living back at home is fine though, I get on with my parents, it's just hard since contact with various friends down here isn't what it used to be. Although there are some that I'm still as close to as the day I left, there are some which I wonder if we even have much if anything in common any longer. Although the knitting side of things isn't what it really was in Glasgow, it does exist down here, how could it not, it's Yorkshire! And as I'm writing this it's actually Yorkshire Wool Week, and the little knit group I and a few other ravelry friends started in a local pub (The Sportsman, in Huddersfield) were in the local paper! Here's the link, although I didn't say what I'm quoted as saying!

Other craft news:

I've finally started writing up the rose and trellis hoody pattern, it's taken so much to get the 'get up and go for it'. I'm doing it 5 sizes, 4" increments from 32" to 48". I've got up to the armholes tough and I'm totally stumped! So after a lot of research I have ordered Sweater Design in Plain English by Maggie Righetti. So hopefully when that arrives, I'll be able to crack on, and then no doubt I'll get totally stumped on the hood....

I've also been asked to be a godmother, this will be my third godchild, first god daughter, and the first of their christenings I will have actually attended, which will be nice! As a result I am planning to knit Leaves of Grass by Jared Flood  it's bloody stunning. I've chosen this pattern as the third pattern in it is the pattern which was used on the wedding shawl I knit for the mother :) so I thought it would be a nice touch. So today I am off to my LYS, Spun in the Byram Arcade to find something beautiful for it!

ETA. It's a few days after this post was drafted and I bought some lovely cygnet 4 ply in cream. I had hoped for white, but this cream is lovely and the shawl so far has knitted up really quick. Although I'm nearing the next section of MAHOOOOOSIVE increasing, and I think it may grow in turtle pace from then on....

I can't really think of anything else to write about. Although it appears I am in the local newspaper again today after me sister, Hayley (also in the knitting feature) and I had our picture taken whilst out last Saturday dress all 50's style for a friends birthday. So I must pick up one of them whilst I am out aswell!

Tour de Fleece 2012: Day 6-20 "The Second Leg"

For the second leg of the tour I decided to work on 100g of beautiful fibre I bought from Texere in Bradford, UK. It was maybe the first stuff I bought in an actual shop rather than online. It's a beautiful mix and not something which tends to be available on their website. The fibre is merino 64's with white Tussah Silk. The merino is a lovely blend of different olive greens.


I really wanted to be able to spin this as thing as possible. Previous attempts have been more a 3 ply weight. My targets for TDF were to spin 15g per aday and if that wasn't possible for me to spin that among on top on the 15g of another day. This really didn't happen in this second stage! I was away from day 13 to day day 17, and there was no way I could catch up that much! Here is a wee collage with pics from different states and notes of the amount spun on what days.


Now, you may wonder why there is such a massive gap in the project! Especially with my targets for the tour. When I agreed to it I had kinda forgotten I would be away back home for a long weekend for Chris' birthday. It was his big 3-0 and there was lots arranged for it. I went down home on Thursday the 12th. On Friday his birthday his sister had organised a lovely surprise birthday meal for him at Meze in Brighouse (West Yorkshire) there were 18 of us. He figured out that a few of his extended family were going to be there, but had no idea that any of my family would be! So it was really nice surprise for him. The food was beautiful aswell, the only problem was was that they had two tables for us! This essentially meant that the two families were split up. But other than that it was a lovely evening.

The following day we had a meal with friends in Leeds at Las Iguanas, a mexican restaurant, again nice food and a good fathering of people, then we went for some drinks at a few local pubs. We had planned a lunch thing because we were planning to go on a hot air balloon ride for his birthday, my present to him. I bought the flights from Goballooning.com, but although the weather had been rubbish all week, Sunday looked promising, actual sunshine! However, it was really windy, so that was cancelled. The company did inform us on the Friday though so at least we had fair warning. So I'm going to look into rebooking for August/September when I'm back home.

So yeah anyway, sorry for rambling, but that's why there's a big gap!

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Tour de Fleece 2012 Day 1-6

So for those of you not on Ravelry, or not in the fibre game, the Tour de Fleece is a spinning event which runs alongside the Tour de Fleece. Not literly mind you until we can get spinning wheels to work in conjunction with bikes.....ooooooo now there's an idea...! Anyway, no, spinners set themselves targets for their spinning and aim to spin ever day during the Tour.

My aims are....
-To spin every day, or on days when I can't, for what ever reason, make up for it by doing double my target on the following day.
-to spin consistently and try to aim for 2/3ply weight.
-spin at least 15g a day.

So here is my progress so far!
Day 1: eeeeeer I miss behaved and was at a BBQ, and eating and drinking in combination with no wheel meant I couldn't very much do anything.
Day 2: I started spinning up a beautiful plait of "Floop" by a local indie dyer, friend and fellow knit nighter Helen, who sells currently solely to The Yarn Cake. The yarn is 100% falkland, meaning this was my first non merino experience! I made up for day 1 and spun about 40g (48g on each bobbin aimed for)


Day 3: I spun 25g, well over my 15g target!


Day 4: I finished spinning the rest of fibre (97g total) and plied it, well I got 3/4 done before my bleeding brake band snapped


Day 5: Finished plying. Lazy day, really should have done more!
But I took a reet pretty pic to make up for it!


Day 6: I skeined it up, soaked it, and dried it. Here's a finished pic


Day 6 continued: I then had to decide what I wanted to spin next. I went for some beautiful olive green merino 64's & tussah silk which I bought from http://www.texere-yarns.co.uk.


And spun 15g of that, it spins up sooooo thin :D


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Yey! Final essay handed in!

My university course is coming to a close! Just handed my final essay in and now I just have to pass this final placement! So, as I now have a good month and a bit stretch till that happens I will have a good bit of spare time on my hands when I finish placement for the day. Which means I finally might get some more designing done!

Currently my designing plans are to do a matching hat and glove set for the butterfly and lemniscate socks, and to finally write up the pattern for my rose and trellis hoody which I designed about a year ago.

The hoody featured in the section of "The Knitter" magazine where knit groups sent items in which they had recently worked on, or what they were most proud of. Needless to say as this was the first item I had conjured up I sent it in. I got a lot of good feedback for it through the magazine, and from people who saw me wearing it in university and other fellow knitters.

It's something I have been meaning to do for ages, but always put it off and never fully got round to getting focused enough thinking it would be such a big job. But after helpful tips and gentle shoves from other knit wear designers I have met I think I might be able to tackle it! Here's hoping!!!

Mini Paul and Rache's Mini-moon!!

Hello out there! We thought we would write a little post to show you what we got up to on our honeymoon, well mini-moon (we go on our proper one during the summer holidays. Then again I wonder if big us will take mini us with them, customs might get confused, and our mummy might get a bit upset if they broke us. It has been a while now since our wedding and in fact our mini-moon but our mummy has been a bit busy and neglected to share our fantastic little holiday with you. She tells us the previous post on her is all about her making us, we didn't want to read that because it seems a little weird, and we don't want to think about things like that!

So after our amazing wedding on the 12th April at one of the most beautiful settings, with such brilliant weather and with barely any hic-ups on the day, bar our mummy's wedding favour chocolates going walkies and kind of being ruined, she still gets grumpy about it. Two days later we set of to Bath.

This is the first picture of us, big us put us on the parcel shelf so we could look at the beautiful countryside. Its a good thing we can't get travel sick, doing backwards can make some people feel a bit sick (so we've heard....)

After a long drive, and a detour to big Paul's parents for a lovely brunch a'la Mummy B (because she stole Big Rache's makeup bag, the cheeky mare), we eventually got to where we would spend most of our mini-moon, Haptree Court........... Isn't it grand?! We didn't stay in this building, we got a tree house! And look what was waiting in our tree house! We do like our bubbly!

The following day after enjoying our lovely treehouse (no pictures of that!) we went for another trip and went to Stonehenge! Big Rachael was naughty and nudged us past the sign which says you shouldn't go any further so she could take this picture of us. It was a beautiful place and the weather was perfect aswell. It just a shame you have to pay to see it and you can't even get close to it! But it was worth it ;)

The next day we went for a boat ride on the river Cherwell in Oxford. It was brilliant! We just got to sit back and relax while big Paul did all the hard work. We did offer to help but he wouldn't let us!

Needless to say after this boat ride we were all famished, especially big Paul who was a deft hand at punting, (see even though we were perched on the boat edge we didn't fall in once!), so we went for a spot of afternoon tea! Until we had experienced this we didn't really understand big Paul and big Rache's fascination with these scones with cream and jam. At the wedding we noticed people eating these too, it seemed all a bit odd to us, but we were intrigued! When big Paul and Rachael weren't looking we stole a taste of one of these delightful looking scones. We couldn't help it! Look how close they left us to it! We knew we couldn't ask for a bite, big Paul likes his afternoon tea far to much to ever let us share ;)

After the afternoon tea we went to do a bit of exploring around Oxford. We went to Balliol College, the grounds were very splendid.

Parts of it were so quite that it looks all deserted and makes us look like were in a model town :)

 

We had a great time, all four of us. It was good to get away and relax and wind down after the busy run up to the wedding. If you want to have a further read about what the wedding was link there is a fantastic post in a wedding blog about it here. There's even a picture of us in it! Here's looking forward to the big honeymoon, and the rest of their married life.

Inbetweeny moving stage (aka pain in the ass)

So as from previous posts you will know we are planning to move back down to Yorkshire. Last weekend we did the first stage of the move, of which there will be three. The other half moved back, with all his stuff and we sent much of my stuff back too. Primarily all my books (craft books included, thank fook for Ravelry!) and DVDs along with a few book cases. This means my flat now looks half naked! There's odd bits of furniture gone that don't get used that often.

However, I must say that the lack of stuff in the flat does not really seem to have impacted upon my ability to be untidy :s.

The original plan was for me to just be in here till the end of June and move in with a few friends. However, it then transpired that we had to give our landlords two months notice! What a pain in the ass! Then again I didn't know that it would be possible to move in with the aforesaid friends two months prior to this, therefore it wouldn't have made much difference. It's our own fault, it's there in bold print on the first page of our lease. We ought to have read it earlier! So this now means I'm stuck in the flat on my own for two whole months! Well till the 27th of July, and then friends will only have put up with me for a couple of weeks. Which will no doubt be better for them.

All this on top of final essays, job searching, and general worries about the future! Oh and to top it off, me living on my own.....might end in disaster! I fell out of the bath the other day and nearly knocked myself out! Now that's something to give you a huge shock and make you consider, what would have happened had I broken my leg/knocked myself out/broken my neck! Yeah I know I'm exaggerating but I did get a bit of a fright :(. Needless to say I'm going to have to mind my clumsiness from now on it seems.