Not that I particularly needed cheering up to be fair. I had a lovely three days off. Boyf got it into his head that we should go to Gotham. I think it's because it's one of the first news article-y things we read together on the BBC site (this one in fact). Thing is, Gotham is just a load of houses, a Spar and a few pubs as far as we could see as we were driving through. So I made him carry on and we ended up at a nature reserve-y type thing which he made me walk around whilst I kept exclaiming how cleeeeeeear the water was and how I could just jump right in. Apparently he's not been swimming since he moved to Nottingham which was five maybe six years ago. HOW?! It's all I can think about, yes, swimming is on the menu in the near future for me. In fact - in about a month if I don't go sooner because I am OFF to Weston-Super-Mare for my annual coach trip! Lovely. :)
Once we'd finished at the nature reserve I made him take me to a garden centre where we had a lovely pot of tea and the most delicious millionaire shortbread EVER! EVER! But then he wouldn't let me buy anything because he's gone away for a while so we have to go back and I get more shortbread! I call this a win.
On the way back we stopped off at one of the pubs in Gotham and I finished my Sophia Loren sweater:
In Cottonsoft in Oyster, Cherry and Coral.
It's one of those sweaters that you knit in the round up to the arm pits, the sleeves the same, then join together and do some major decreasing for the yoke. I love knitting this style but you can't really try it on before finishing unless you do some fiddling with two circular needles or putting some stitches on a hold. So I didn't bother, I just worried and nattered at myself until I'd finished and sewn half the ends in before I tried it on. Boyf isn't very excited about photoshoots (I wonder why!!?) so he took a horrendous one where he was sat down so I look like a looming monster but even then the jumper looked so good I was shocked! I made him stand up for this one and did as nice a smile as I could muster and I literally love it!
I deffo need to block it because some of the stranded work is a little touch and go. I struggled a little with the cotton because it's got so little give, I ended up reverting back to knitting just with one hand, dropping each colour as you go rather than holding each colour in one hand. Odd. But it worked.
I also added just a little length in the body (and in the arms at the appropriate spaces). I did an extra row before and after the cherry on oyster fairisle at the bottom. I also separated the zig zag-y bits - when you introduced the second contrast colour there you do a couple of rows with all three colours but I can't stand that in stranded work because it's. just. not. proper. (imho...). And also, I knew I wanted the length so I just finished one zig zag before starting the next so adding six rows over the whole jumper. BUT. Just after the cherry on oyster diamonds at the bottom, there's six rows of coral in plain stocking stitch - I did four. No reason, I'm just a bit of a tit. So overall I actually only added four rows which is probably 2/3 of an inch maybe. Not much but it can make the difference. And then with the drop from the cotton and the garter stitch bands I'm dead pleased with the length.
I also forgot a 4mm needle for the neck so I just carried on with a 4.5mm and it seems to work - maybe it makes the neck a little wider which as far as I'm concerned in no great problem and might work out for the best. But if it starts to sag a little with wear then it's not too much to just whip it out and do it again.
I think I'm going to get a lot of wear out of this! It's perfect for this time of year and I already have a kind of beige and black heavily pattern skirt that I think it will look amazing with. Also the black dress that I bought a few weeks ago from Asda because it's just a canvas for my knitwear (obsessive much??).
Also, I ought to add, if you want to try fairisle and you like sweaters, bloody do it! It's dead simple and the fairisle bits are only tiny so once you've finished a little bit then you can have a breather with some stocking stitch and garter stitch and then you can get right back into it once you've built up the courage again. Perfect for beginners. :)
And then! Remember this?!
My big baggy cardi in the Moods DK that was going horrendously wrong?
Finished! I finished it last night after a bit of marathon sewing up. I'd lost the back of it in a big tidy up I'd had and thought I might have to reknit it which I wasn't looking forward to seeing as I'd done it in a bigger size than usual but I didn't! I found the back and I only had to knit the sleeves and sew the thing together yesterday so I did and I'm wearing it today (without blocking, tut, tut) and I am pleased! It's just what I thought it would be and I keep putting my hands in my pockets and tissues and lighters and chewing gum. And it's warm! I'll probably write a blog about it soon but nobody's been here to take my photo so I'll leave that for another day.
And then!!!! Remember when I had sock finishitis?! And I finished three socks in a week!??! Well, I finished some more socks. These:
And then!!!! Remember when I had sock finishitis?! And I finished three socks in a week!??! Well, I finished some more socks. These:
Apparently, I haven't taken a proper photo of the finished socks but they're totes boring so it's not a problem. But, it meant that I had to start some more but I didn't have the wool for Verity's socks with me so I started more in the same colour. They might be for me or they might be for dad or the might be for Boyf:
It's a nice little pattern that I did on another pair of green socks. Essentially two rows stocking, two rows 2 by 2 rib all the way down. Dead easy but enough that you have to keep thinking and it makes it easy to keep a track of how much more you have to do. Lovely. It's also, perhaps, the start of a new obsession (and blog thread) which is to make a pair of socks in each colour of the Truly Wool Rich 4ply! IMAGINE!
Now, the ones I've just finished could be part of that... I suppose... but they have a little stripe of another colour and therefore they're not actually Truly Wool Rich are they? And I had this idea that I could do a lovely photo shoot with all the pairs in a rainbow circle or in hanging in a tree in spring blossom or photoshop them onto a millipede or something. Wouldn't that be amazing?!!?!
I am deffo not starting a big project though because I have two biggun's to finish and finishitis is still hanging around. The first is a monster that I'm going to write a blog about in a second and the second is the many rainbow blankets I'm crocheting - I talked about it here and in some other places that I can't find. Anyway, photo:
Amazing yes? I've set Boyf to work whilst he's away making more squares for me. He's a proper little hooker now! I want it finished this year preferably!
Right, that's all you're getting for now, I want to write my next blog about my monster project!
Love Eleanor. xxx
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