grumpygirl

Little River

All wrapped up. The last white row has an extra stitch per repeat but I realised too late and I just couldn't be bothered frogging. I decreased stitches in the border instead. I must be growing as a person.

River progress

A little bit longer and then the border, methinks.

I had quite a few leftovers so I thought I'd make a little pram-sized one for WB's cousin Charlie. 

Memphis River

Er, it's November already.

I haven't been doing much I don't think. I've finished my online maths course thingo, now just have to wait for the selection committee to review my results, whatever that means. I'm not sure if I have enough energy to jump yet another hurdle if that's what they want. Anyhow I'll hear back in a week or so I guess.

In the meantime, I've just been resting. Good thing too, seeing as there has been the recovering from the flu which took weeks and now I have a cold. Whilst I had the flu I didn't think colds were all that bad, but now I'm not so sure. By 9am I was so over this being awake business.

I'm about 2/3rds through this blanket for BD. I love Rowan's Handknit Cotton.

I'm calling it River (original, yes) and it's basically a sort of random assortment of colours I got on sale over the years. In a sort of random order. Of course I had to go and buy some more yarns on Monday to finish it off. It'll be biggest one I've made for WB so far. Prob big enough to put on single bed, not that he'll ever be downgrading from his Queen-sized bed! He'll get to share it with his sister soon enough. Then the two of them can squash each other, instead of taking up most of our bed.

Speaking of the little monkey, a few weeks ago, we went to a birthday party and for some reason even though she isn't sitting up unsupported, we put her on this

Which she promptly then fell off onto her face, unseen by any adults. Yep, I'm a great parent. I think she was far more comfortable here.

She's 5 months now - growing up so fast!

I also finished this Memphis top for WB in Rowan Denim from stash yarn. It was only 3.5 balls. Love the denim, must buy more. At AUD9 and USD5, there's not really a choice about where to buy it.

I've yet to get a good pic of it.

But it fits him perfectly, even though I had to improvise lots and add lots of extra length to make up for the shrinkage factor.

What else? Xmas gifts almost done. Colinette Cadenza Baktus scarves for 3 of WB's teachers, calendars of the kids for the outlaws (40% off from Snapfish) and sets of knitted handtowels and washcloths for BD's siblings. I'm using double-ed up 8ply Bendigo cotton on 6mm needles so they're quite fast. Not sure why I didn't think of this before. I think our present to ourselves will be paint. So domestic.

Red

We're home and it's nice.

Here is a Lacy Baktus scarf I started ages back with the Prism Merino Mia in Cabernet sockyarn that I bought last year when were were in Ithaca, NY.

And gifted in Sydney:

Made in Bendigo Woollen Mills' Luxury 8ply in Brick.

August already

Not only is it August already but we're into the second week!

Here is the Whirley Fig hoodie on Miss EM. Pastel pink really suits her, huh? Sigh.

It's a bit long in the body and the sleeves, but note how it's snug around her big belly. She had one in utero and is obviously hanging onto it.

I'm back crocheting the Seville blanket that was on hiatis, I've got about 20 squares left to do I think, which is more than halfway through. I'm seaming strips as I go so it won't be such a horrendous task to do when I'm done with the squares. I haven't seamed the strips because I'm not sure whether 6x8 is long enough, so I'll assess the yarn situation when I'm done with the squares. I think I only bought 5 balls of the Bendigo Luxury 8ply in Brick. Love the 200g balls.

What else? I meant to start a crochet ripple blanket in Rowan Handknit Cotton for Miss EM because she really likes having something heavy on her at night (shhh!) but I wanted something that wasn't superwarm that she could push off. Plus summer is coming. Only the only colours in my stash were blues and greens, so it's going to be one for WB that they can share. Goodness only knows when I'll finish it though, as it's quite wide - 199 sts on a 4mm hook. A rather big swatch for Miss EM's one when I eventually get around to it. She's been using the Rowan Handknit Cotton grannie I made for WB before he was born and I think it's time to finally wash it. It's been over three years!

Wear

I finished this seamless yoked baby sweater (even though it's a cardigan) last night but still need to wash it and find/sew 5 buttons. Not quite sure what size it'll block out to be. I had planned on sleeves but once again ran out of yarn. I only had 2 balls that had been marinating in the stash for a very long time, so finding the same dyelot was going to be well nigh impossible, so I didn't bother looking.

What next now? Well, my Bendigo Luxury 8ply in Brick has finally arrived so once I decide on a motif I can start crocheting away. I've missed crochet. So portable and easy to put down at a moment's notice.

I need another baby knitting project though. Maybe a hoodie with the purple Jo Sharp? Need to find a seamless pattern. Even though I would love to make this. ok, maybe I'd prefer to wear it rather than knit it.

Bad light for taking photos

Some FO pics finished a while back.

A February baby cardi in Malabrigo. Buttons and labels yet to come.

A Little Sister's Dress without the front buttons in Collinette Jitterbug in the Florentina colourway.

An Edgar scarf from Knitty.com with a skein and a bit of Noro Silk Garden.

And this behemoth Wedding Blanket od Bendigo's Luxury wool. So huge. And it took forever to get a shot with the right colours that was not blury.

I finished the border of the Atlantis Circles Blankie last night but need to block it still.

Show and tell

For those of you not on Ravelry, here are some pics I took this morning of some FOs.

The Greeny Circles Blanket (ravlink).

I gifted it to the BiL's wife this afternoon. She's in hospital and will only be allowed to go until 35 weeks so hopefully all goes well.

The circles in this pattern are quite dense, so you really wouldn't want to make it any bigger. It's 75x100cm and weighs 727g. The Luxury wool from Bendigo Woollen Mills means it's really soft and machine washable.

I also have some premie socks made with Malabrigo (socks on 4mm needles rock!) and what I think are premie-sized hats. Haven't given these to her yet because I wasn't sure how big the baby would be. Also holding onto them so I have something to gift when the baby actually comes. I hadn't thought beyond the baby actually arriving. I hadn't realised that the baby might not be able to go home with her when she's discharged, which is a little sad. I wouldn't take it very well. Nor would I appreciate having to share a room with 3 other people and their babies. She's obviously far more patient than I am, excusing the pun.

And I was originally thinking of keeping the cadmium socks and hat and giving her the verdes ones, but if I have a big fat baby then she'd be too big for them.

Next we have the Sunset Circles blankie (ravlink). I think I'm keeping this one for #2 Bump. She's definitely a she, going by yesterday's ultrasound.

And lastly, 3 beanies, also made from Malabrigo in the Red Mahogany colourway. They're all from the one skein. I'm not sure if it was a full one. One of them is WB's.

Beanies photograph much bigger on heads. These have 6 decrease spirals which makes it a smidge bumpy at the top. Maybe I'll try for 7 decreases instead. I just love knitting with variegated yarn. Anything else seems a bit boring at the moment.

Labels

My labels have arrived!

(names removed to protect the innocent)

Now I can affix them to EVERYTHING! I might need to retro-sew them onto some things I've already gifted, since I've now got like 100 of these things, but we'll see.

They'll look like this in situ.

I've been meaning to look for labels like this for ages. Woven fabric, narrow and long enough to fold over so that I can sew the edges together inbetween the knitting without having to sew the knitting itself, if that makes any sense.

It was hard to pick a picture. And text. I couldn't use knitting needles because it's for crochet too. It needed to go with all sorts of colours and be ok for adults and children, and both sexes. So I ended up with a "Handmade by me" and a sheep.

A better name

So WB only slept for 30 minutes today, more than half of which was in the car, but I did get to finish seaming the second of the Kureyon Sock blankies. Quite a lot softer than the pinky one, but I like it just as much. I should come up with a better name than Green Kureyon Blankie.

Seaming teeny tiny 4ply, even on a 3.75mm hook is eggstremely boring. I have a third one to seam together, a purply one, but I have no motivation. This third one is my least favourite colourwise of the three Kureyon blankies, and I have no plannied recipient for it, so I might leave it to marinate a little longer. Plus, it's taken so much time I don't think I can give it away. Maybe someone will offer to buy it for a crazy amount.

I've finished another February Baby Cardigan, this time in Malabrigo, but it's in the to-be-washed pile, along with a rather large Malabrigo beanie for WB.

Also on the needles is a slightly bigger Little Sister's Dress. It's just plain stocking stitch with side increases every 9th row now, so makes a good on-the-go project.

It's out of Colinette Jitterbug sockyarn also, this time in the Florentina colourway. I might just keep on knitting until I run out of yarn or it starts to pool badly, we'll see.

Lastly, I was flicking through the Saturday newspaper when the following sentence caught my eye:

"Even in Dunedin, however, a psychopathic psychiatrist stands out."