Why is it…

that when there is vacuuming, tidying, dish washing and a little light shopping to be done, I find myself glancing longingly at my knitting? Why on other days, when there is knitting or finishing to be done, do I find myself  finding cupboards to clear out, counters to almost wipe the pattern off and bookshelves to dust and reorganise? Or indeed coffee machines to take apart and clean..?

Today I have house stuff to do, a friend is coming over the flat looks like a bomb has gone off (and not even a yarn bomb.. although there are 4 projects lying around that I can see from where I’m sitting).  I am not even washed and dressed yet, second coffee is sitting half drunk and no cleaning, tidying or any related activity has happened.

The thing that is happening is that I am looking at the neat, folded, blocked pieces of the Fire and Brimstone and thinking I could just sew that shoulder seam… then dragging my eyes away, my gaze falls on the unfinished back of the Kataranarina and I think, it wouldn’t take much time to finish, it’s already passed the armhole decreases… I am then quite stern with myself, I force myself to think about cleaning the stove. I think about my undrunk coffee and as I turn to look at it, my eyes slide over the Fire and Brimstone and I am back in the loop.

If only I got round to drinking the coffee I might manage to drag myself off the sofa.

Going with the flow.

The front and back of the Fire and Brimstone are pinned out and blocking. Coffee was drunk, toast was eaten. I’m tired and sore now so it’s time to just sit and knit..and possibly time for painkillers.

I knit and blocked a swatch of the Heb yesterday, the gauge is pretty good (half a stitch out, which will only make a difference of about two and a half stitches across the back, and the rows were spot on).

The fuzziness of the yarn and the dark colour made it pretty hard to see the stitches to count, but I got there eventually.

The Katarina or as mine is called Kataranarina will be more of a jacket than a cardigan as the Heb has knit into quite a dense springy fabric. I do love the dark bitter chocolate colour of it though and the natural subtle variation of the undyed yarn is lovely.

I *think* I have a decision.

I thought I’d try a Katarina in my Heb (the discontinued aran wt).

My other choice was to knit something in some Noro Silk Garden I have, which has already been frogged as I thought the cardi was yuck.. Now I’m not so sure it’s not just the Noro colourway that I don’t like.

I like it balled up, but not so sure about knitted

Other than that, all I have is odd skeins or lots of sock yarn.

All of this faffing is of course a way for me to procrastinate, NOT block the Fire and Brimstone and waste time sitting at the computer writing when I should be doing. Then again I haven’t even finished my first cup of coffee yet, so maybe a little procrastination is allowed.

Oh heck, now I’m going to have to decide what to knit next

All the pieces of the Fire and Brimstone are done. I might do some blocking tonight, but I might be too tired.

By the end of the week the whole thing *should* be done and on my back.

This of course means I’m going to have to decide what to knit next… Feels like hard work..

Wow, Manos goes for miles!

When I subbed Manos in the Pina sweater, I used a LOT less yarn than I expected. Looks like the Fire and Brimstone will be the same. I still have about 500g left with only one sleeve to go which I reckon will take a half skein. that leaves me with 4 full balls and a few little balls.. enough for another little sweater maybe?

The Leo is such a beautiful colourway I’d love to have more things knit in it.

Insomnia is knitting’s friend

My current sleeplessness gives me time to knit. That is until I get too tired to see straight (and still can’t sleep).

Last night I managed to finish the front of the Fire & Brimstone, and managed to cast on, and knit a few rows of the first sleeve. I then succumbed to fatigue and watched the Mens’ Freestyle Skating until I was tired enough to pass out. Today, after sleeping for about 5 hours, I am trying to work out if I’m *with it* enough to attempt the simple chevron repeats, perhaps after some coffee.

It’s a miracle!!!

Surf the Waves is finished.

I need to get a picture of it on, I really like it, even if it is bigger than it was meant to be..

I’m glad I went with seaming the shoulders to the outside, and I did a little more crochet on the neck and hem than the pattern said.

It inspired me to even knit a few rows of the Fire and Brimstone last night, who knows I might even knit a bit more today.

Blocking Fail… or is that Swatching Fail?

For the second time although my swatch has been the correct tension – even when washed – the garment will end up rather larger than anticipated. I guess this is what happens when you use a different yarn sometimes, or maybe I’m bad at washing the pieces.

I’m confident that the Surf the Waves will still be gorgeous, it will have drape… just a little more than I’d originally planned and I may never see my hands whilst wearing it…

Once it’s dry I’ll finish it and take a picture.