WOYWW Spring knitting Down Under

It is not Autumn here, or even Fall. It is Spring. And fast heading towards Summer, but there's still time for some knitting, right? Recently, I came across a lovely blog hosting a knitting get together called Yarn Along. Of course the main purpose of posting on Wednesday is to meet up with all the WOYWWers and their desks. And you can do this via Julia at The Stamping Ground.  And last week I met with (for the first time), a group of ladies at my local library for their fortnightly knitting group. I'll probably go again, and who knows, this may be the incentive I need to work my way through an unseemly amount of wool. So hence, my preoccupation with knitting this week.

At the moment I am having another attempt at a snug fitting neck warmer (suitable for snow cold). You can see the original attempt behind. Yes, it's pretty, but useless for it's intended purpose. I won't pull it apart, at the moment, but may very well later. (Although I'm thinking about felting it. We'll see.)  I kept the pattern simple on this attempt and I think it is going to fit properly this time.

I can't tell you much about the novel. I have only just started it. I think it will be good.
And I really, really, really want to knit socks. Soon.

 Knitting : Shepherd 4 ply pure wool, knit on circular needles

Books : Girl in the Afternoon by Serena Burdick &

The Knitter's Book of Socks by Clara Parkes

WOYWW inspiration needed

I'm making a wedding card. You can tell, can't you?

 I'm just toying with vague ideas. Nothing's coming of any of them ... ho hum.

And there's some of the last winter camellias.  

Oh well, at least my knitting presents no creative problems ...

Wednesday's world-wide desk viewing comes to you via Julia's Stamping Ground.

WOYWW goodbye winter

Although we still have plenty of snow here in Oz, spring is definitely in the air. And spring is very acceptable, but it will, all too soon, turn into unbearable summer heat. So, my desk offering today will include the last knitted beanie for this season and something new for next year. But first, the "desk" ...

Yesterday I had a quick trip to a craft shop, where they had put aside that butterfly die for me and I picked up that House Mouse stamp (I don't really do a lot of "cute" but who can resist those HM stamps?) and a new pair of scissors. The shop was large and absolutely full of so much stock (mainly dies), it was all a bit overwhelming, so that's all the shopping I did! (Those lovely Spellbinders dies are new too, but so far, not a great deal of success with the cutting procedure.)

Anyway, you really wanted to see that knitting finished ... right?

And now, I thought the knitting was all over for this season, but then I found a pattern for a neck warmer ...

It's been a few weeks, but woyww goes on and you can find out all about it over at Julia's Stamping Ground.  So ... I'll catch up with you soon. 

WOYWW What can I say?

Once again, things have got out of control. And here's proof ...

Not one, but two, disaster zones!  The top one has a growing pile of recently new and unused stamps. Therefore, my next self-imposed challenge will be to ink them up and Make Something! My stamp challenge with Shaz in Oz has barely got off the ground and there is nothing worth showing ... yet.
There's some brand new gemstone glue there which I bought especially to mend my sunglasses where the "diamond-like" bling needs replacing. And I found the exact diamond-like stones here.
And the bottom pic remains much the same as previously, except I've probably done a few more rows of knitting and I feel sure that it really will be finished any day now :) :)

As the above photos were taken at about 7.30am, I then had a mini tidy up ... sort of ...

Ah, but now you can spot the Regal Rooster card in the background, so you'd better have a close-up look ... pretty cool, eh?  You'll find the back story here.

Why am I showing you all this? And with more photos than normal :) 
All will be explained by Julia at the Stamping Ground.  Hope to catch up with you soon.

WOYWW whirlwind Wednesday

Yes, Wednesday has whirled around once again!  And apart from acquiring more stuff (see previous post), not a great deal has happened. However, that knitting has come along nicely and I expect it to be finished in the next few days.  Some random objects have made their way on to my "desk" and they really need to be relocated to somewhere more appropriate.

I did manage to play with those new dies (thanks Shaz Silverwolf and Shaz in Oz).

They're very pretty dies, aren't they? But more experimentation is required.

 

Sorry, if I missed you last week, but there was at least one (Wordpress) blog which I could not leave a comment on. There was no way to sign in to it. Very strange.

 

Anyway, catch you sooner or later, here or there, today or tomorrow ... eventually,

but always via Julia at the Stamping Ground.

 

WOYWW a surplus of supplies

The idea that this should be "The Year of Not Buying Lots of Stash" (to add to the already vast accumulation), has flown out the window. Due to various circumstances, there is very little creativity happening at the moment ...

Hopefully, I can finish that knitting this winter. It's perfectly possible. And there's a new pattern off to the right that I would like to try. It uses lace weight 2 ply, and I just happen to have plenty of that ... in the wool stash!

Anyway, you like to have a sticky beak at new stuff, right?  Here 'tis ...

L-R: Modern Moroccan and fence dies, snowflake stamp and large tree background stamp (from Gill's Crafty Cards). TH stencil, snowflake stencil (which looks too delicate to actually use), Happy Birthday die ("enabled" by Julia), Spellbinders border dies ("enabled" by Shazsilverwolf) (from Bizzy Bec's)

L-R: Glimmer Chips and skating scene die - Christmas in July goodies, from my friend!
Tree stencil, Gorjuss stamp and Brilliance Inks ("enabled" by Shaz in Oz).

Now, if only I could find time to play with all of the above!

I am hoping to visit as many woyww desks as possible, but I may not get there for a few days. You can visit them too. We will all be linked up with Julia at her Stamping Ground.

WOYWW knitting, UFOs and ladies do lunch

Following on from last week, I sorted through the layers, (after a fashion), finished the beanie, and unearthed some knitting UFOs. Nothing unusual about finding UFOs here, I probably saw something shiny and got distracted.

Happy with the beanie. It fits really well and it only took about a week to make. With some minor tweaking, I will certainly use the pattern again. (It's 5ply, BTW, if you are interested.)
That little purple punch I found (at the shops), is exactly the same as one I mentioned ages ago which required a special punch handle to use it with and the handle broke, so all the punches that went with it were useless :(  Anyway, the snowflake one was my favourite, so I snapped this new one up :)

But wait, there's more ...

Now, does two Woywwers having lunch constitute an official Woyww Function?

In a country where the next closest Woywwer is hundreds of miles away,

 Sandra and I think it does.

For all the essential Woyww details, please visit Julia  who is actually on holidays,
 but still steering the good ship "WOYWW".
 

Re-cap (or re-beanie) on last Wednesday

Last Wednesday a few interested viewers commented on my mention of an "advanced" method of cast on. You are probably already familiar with one or more useful methods of casting on and maybe like me, you just stick to the one you find easiest. Some years ago I was shown this method, but at the time I just thought, "too, too hard"! Then recently I came across a similar method (which turned out to be not just similar, but the same) and thought I would give it a go. It's not too hard, after all. A bit fiddly til you get the hang of it. A little more time consuming, but well worth it.

Here's a pic of where I'm up to ...

 

 

 

almost finished, in fact :)  I don't know if you can see how nice that cast on edge is, maybe you will have to just try it out. I guess the main advantage is that it is quite elastic, more so than my normal cast on using the thumb method.  Here's a link to some instructions from Knitty.  Start reading from the heading "Backwards loop cast on".  But here's one tip which is not mentioned, and, I think, is crucial. You must start off using a larger needle than what the pattern calls for, at least 2 sizes larger, and 3 is even better. You change to your smaller needle size when picking up the loops. Now you will have to read those instructions, to know what I am talking about :)

Note: I have no idea why the pink looks so bright. Another photographic lighting mystery :)

WOYWW layer upon layer

... upon layer. Like a hastily constructed cake. (Not that I can claim to have baked any cakes in recent times.) There's too many layers here now and they need to be sorted out.

Because the cold weather is now upon us, my thoughts turn to knitting and I need a project of a manageable size (eg. new beanie for skiing) but I want to use a more advanced cast on method which results in a very, very nice finish so I have to find the instructions (once again) and actually follow them! Which I did this morning (before work). However, if you look closely you will see underneath some instruction for Coptic Stitch book binding, so somewhere in the layers are some folded signatures waiting for some book covers to be made (they are elsewhere, with a layer of gesso, drying). And there is the latest UK Craft Stamper, which I am savouring ... slowly.
You'd be excused for wondering if I ever finish anything. But I do, eventually.

And here's a close-up of the knitting, a little further advanced ...

Sorry, unless you're a knitter, of very little interest, I suspect :)  That darker wool is temporary.  It is removed to give the aforementioned neat, tidy and very elastic ribbing.

OK, let's connect up with Julia, and all share desks!

WOYWW canvas capers and instant gratification

Mmm, did that grab your attention? Maybe.

Once again, on account of it's Wednesday, I present my "desk" for your perusal.

I've just started recycling this canvas. The "right" side was just not looking "right". 

Perhaps I will show you that side next time. Already I am much happier with the "wrong" side. I don't know what will happen next, inspiration is elusive at the moment.

 

And this is where the "instant gratification" comes in ...

Beanie (from last week) is finished. It only took a few days to make which is nice when I want everything done yesterday.

And, now, because I am sooooo busy sitting here, staring into space, waiting for inspiration to strike, I think you should visit Julia at the Stamping Ground

and she will explain why today is WOYWW.

WOYWW more woolly yarns

It's Wednesday again and time for another therapeutic dose of desk visiting. 

Here's mine ...

It's not really a desk, but it's where I do most stuff, except knitting. Last week's beanie (black and pink), as you can see, is finished, and there is another one nearly finished. And, no, it's not really cold enough to need lots of them, it's just nice to have a selection.

Yes, PJ, for visiting the cold, white stuff  :)

With Spring here now, normal paper transmission will resume shortly.

Now I'm off to visit Julia and you can too.



WOYWW woolly wafflings

My "normal workspace" is having an overhaul, hence no "art" happening at the moment. And I am having withdrawal symptoms so this must be completed with all haste. To fill in the time, I have started one more ski hat, a small project, which will be finished very shortly. I have placed it where you would normally see "art". (Obviously, I do not stand there to knit, I "stand to art" but I "sit to knit".)

Must hurry, I'm already late. Will catch you some other Wednesday.
If you are wondering why I am showing off a bit of knitting and not much else, just pop over and visit Julia who will explain all. Bye for now.

WOYWW 27 April

There's nothing new happening on my "workspace" this week.

Just struggling with this apothecary page for the HOH project.

(And it needs to be finished and in the mail

and preferably received by the end of the month!)

So, I am just going to show you some knitting I started while away over Easter ...

You can see I have no qualms about leaving it in the middle of a row either. 

And here's my latest ebay bargain

but I won't be able to play with them until that HOH is out of the way.

NOTE: to visitors ...
I love hearing your comments and I try to visit you all
but sometimes I just run out of time.
 Please be assured that I really do appreciate your input.

Don't forget to go visit Julia who will give you a list of WOYWW participants.