Postcards From Percy

Hello everyone. I'm off to Melbourne and then overseas for a month.

If you want to follow my journey and see where I go.... check me out on my very own blog.

Hoping to be able to post about my travels while away.

Socks & Jumper

Its been ages since I posted and its due to the lack of knitting. I had become lazy in the evenings and was vegging out on the lounge instead of knitting. I'm thinking of all the knitting I could have had finished and started in over the last month.

With the colder months here I got stuck into Debbie's sock yesterday afternoon and finished the first one off. If you remember I had a problem in the warmer months of a rash developing after I had been knitting with the yarn.

I put the sock away until now and the rash came back even with the long sleeve shirt on. Not as bad and I am thinking with the cooler weather, this stopped it irritating me as much as well.



I'll leave it a couple of days and then get stuck into the second sock, so its not a single sock for months on end.

I wore a pair of my home made socks up into the Barossa Valley on Saturday and my feet were so warm. So much warmer than the bought socks.




Yesterday it was wet and very cold here, I took the afternoon off and sat watching DVDs and knitted some of Pat's jumper after the sock was finished.

Now I know how my mum used to knock over our jumpers as kids so quickly. Firstly she's be knitting kids jumpers and they were stocking stitch like this one.

I knitted up 2 X 50 gram balls of "Jet" yarn yesterday and does my right arm know it today. After all these years of knitting Aran and heavy cable adult jumpers, boy this one is a walk in the park.

Said to Pat if I can knock over a ball minimum an evening, he will have this jumper in less than a month. Now that is scary stuff. Wonder if I can achieve this?

Sitting and watching the rain fall and a good movie on the TV on a Saturday afternoon is such a great tonic to get one's mojo back.

Until next time.....hoo roo

technorati tags: adult jumpers, hand knitting, men's jumpers, socks, stocking stitch, yarn

Pat's Jumper

Finally Pat's 20th hand jumper is finished and ready for him to wear. By the time the cats laid on it, if left unguarded or me trying it on when sewing it together.

Pat doesn't like to be on the blog and that's okay, so I have modeled the finished jumper.




Big and warm and lovely to look at. Jumpers not too bad either... This pattern is also available in lady sizes.




Close up of the cable pattern.




Close up of the sleeve pattern.

Now this one is out the way I can concentrate on other knitting projects at night.

Until next time.... hoo roo

technorati tags: 8 ply, adult jumpers, cable knits, wool, yarn

Patrick's Jumper

As far as I have gotten so far today with Pat's jumper. Amy called in and we went out for a few hours shopping. Lost a lot of this afternoon I was gong to use for sewing up the jumper.

All that is left to do is sew the sleeves and then sew those sleeves into the arm area. The Pat can wear his jumper.

Not sure if this will be done after dinner tonight or left until tomorrow.

Millie has been sticking close to the jumper and if given the chance..... she's on the knitted pieces that I am not yet using.

Until next time....hoo roo

technorati tags: 8 ply, adult jumpers, cable knits, wool, yarn

Now That it's Cold

We've had over 2 inches of rain and its lovely and cold. So this means I can now sit a whole sheep and a couple of cats on my lap and not over heat.

The sweater neck line is easy as to finish off, just 11 rows of knitting and then sew it all together. With some help from the fur kids.





Nothing excites the cats more than a woolen project being worked on when its cold. Millie grabbed the lap spot first and made herself comfy. This left poor Harley out in the cold.





I need to turn my knitting without disturbing the Grand-kitty......... what is a Nanna to do???

Eight of the eleven rows are now knitted and Pat is getting excited about wearing his new jumper.

Hope to have a photo up tomorrow of the finished sweater.

Until next time....hoo roo

technorati tags: 8 ply, adult jumpers, cable knits, men's jumper

Couple Of Finished UFO's

Finally finished tiding up the last sock of my "Raspberry" Monkey socks last night. So now they are ready for me to wear in the cooler months. Can't believe they sat in my knitting box for about 4 weeks.




Just love the colour and pattern of these socks. While they sat in my knitting box I was busy knitting at night and also sewing.

I also have finished off the "Cat's Paw" scarf for the stall.


Knitted with Moda Vera sentiments taking 2 skeins.



Only 6 rows of pattern to this scarf. And you can get the pattern free here .

Looking for a little lower in day temperature and I can spend the day in natural light, sewing up Pat's Aran jumper.

Next to finish off, is the little pink baby dress. In between I am slowly knitting Pat's sweater with "Jet" yarn.

Until next time.... hoo roo

technorati tags: craft stall, crafts, scarves, socks

Love It, Love It, Lurv It.

Oh yeah baby, I lurv my new sock.




Pattern is called Monkey. Just love the look, colour, feel and comfort of this pattern and how well it knitted up.

This is going to be a pair of socks picked first in my smalls draw, trust me.




Front look of the sock.


Sole of the foot and heel.

What I found so addictive about knitting up this sock is that fact its fun, easy and fast to knit.

Started on the 7th and finished on the 9th.

Hope the other sock is just as quick to complete.

Until next time....hoo roo

technorati tags: socks, sock wool

Raspberry Monkey Socks

Love knitting these Monkey socks. The pattern is very addictive. Very happy with the colourway and so can't wait until they are finished.

Even finding I am staying up late at night to knit my socks. If my knitting mojo had gone walk about.... its back now.

Until next time....hoo roo

technorati tags: socks, sock wool

Socks, Socks, Socks.

Love knitting socks and as the Jaywalkers are all finished, I thought I would start on a pair for my sister Deb. Knitting the Thuja, as Deb found these to be very comfy over the winter months in the outback.





Looking like they have come from Ronald McDonald's wardrobe. I got to this stage after 1 evening's sitting that finished at about 11.30 pm. Had a quick shower and noticed my arms were stinging.




This is what came up overnight. Done some asking round as the only thing I have done different is knit with some different yarn that is still 100% wool by Patons. Wasn't itchy just hot and I could feel it on my arms.

So I am going to wait until its all cleared up, give it a couple of days clear and have another session with this yarn. If it happens again, we have the allergy pin pointed and I'll finish them off in the winter time when I am wearing long sleeves. It was suggested that the yarn may have more lanolin in it.

So what socks do I knit then??? A pair for me.



This yarn is by "Filatura Di Crosa" called "Maxine Print". The pattern I am knitting is called "Monkey". I have read a few posts about this pattern and thought when I went hunting for it, oh nice..........that'll do me just fine.

Easy as to knit, though I am wondering if the wool is going to be a bit heavy colour wise for it. I'll know more as it grows and then I'll see if I will continue or frog it.

I have some plain colours in cream sock wool..... maybe I could also knit a pair of these socks in 1 of those colour ways too.

Until next time....hoo roo

technorati tags: socks, sock wool

Finished Jaywalkers

Finally finished my Jaywalker socks.




Not sure why it took just a dash over 4 months to knit? Maybe the hot weather had something to do with it and getting out of the habit of knitting at night.

I have been concentrating on my UFOs over the last couple of weeks. Feels great when a UFO is finished off. Allows me to head straight for the yarn stash and pick out some more yarn to turn into something fabulous.






Lovely and comfy and I think they so look snazzy on my feet. After wearing my own socks, I tend to find bought sock can be a tad on the tight side.

Rubbing hands together as I am about to start searching for another pattern, for the next pair of socks.




This is the yarn I will be knitting them with. I have started a thread over on Rav on the sock forum, hoping to hear of people's fav sock pattern.

Until next time....hoo roo

technorati tags: sock wool, socks, UFO's

Me & Ewe

It's finished as of 5 pm this afternoon. All 4 pieces are knitted and packed away until the cooler weather kicks in.

No way I am sitting this ewe on me in this hot weather. I'm thinking late March to early April before I stitch it together and knit the neck up.

Until then it's packed away in a knitting box in the craft room. Pat is all smiles now that he knows the jumper is just about ready for this coming winter.

This time round I knitted the back, then sleeves and finally the front. Usually I knit the back, front then sleeves. By this time I arrived at the front neck area, knew the 28 rows of pattern off by heart.

I was mean and told Pat I couldn't find the sleeves, but found a pile of the yarn in a knitting box. Said I was sick of the jumper and so disappointed the jumper wasn't finished after all. Yeah, yeah I know a mean trick...... lol. Should of seen his face.

Anyway to make up for it, I gave him the men's Inca & men's Jet knitting books and he choose a pattern for his new wool I collected this week.

I'm going to start the blue colour way yarn in the Jet. Treating myself to a stocking stitch jumper as Pat liked it with a button collar.


Sorry about the flash reflection in the photo. The pattern can be found in....

• Patons book 1266.......... Style 20 (Raglan Button Collar Sweater)
  

Completely different to what Pat usually picks out for a jumper. I'll be able to knit this while asleep. Stocking stitch......... hope I don't get bored. So used to heavy cables and Aran jumpers for him.

I'll also start knitting my lizard ridge again and get a few of my other UFOs finished. Now the brown jumper is finished, I'm ready to relax and pick and choose what I knit at night.

Until next time....hoo roo

technorati tags: adult jumpers, knitting, knitting patterns, men's jumpers, stocking stitch

Slowly Getting There.

Fourteen rows left and them I start to decrease at the underarm area of the last piece for Pat's sweater. I started this sweater back in Nov 07 and I must admit I'll be glad when the cast off row is done. Mind you I have done a lot of knitting in other areas at the same time.

With all the hot weather we have had in Adelaide, its hard to knit. We've had temps that are cooler and so at night I am able to knit for a couple of hours. I am finding my arms ache by the time I put it down for the night.

I'm not sure what you do to keep track of your rows, I like to write it all down.

That way when I am able to make sure its spot on when it needs to be repeated on another piece, to match up.

I also photo copy the pattern, so I can "highlight" the rows if the pattern is "busy". Scribble notes and mark any areas on the paper, I need to be aware of.

Anyway, my mojo is back and the knitting box is next to my chair in the lounge room.

Until next time....hooo roo

technorati tags: 8 ply, adult jumpers, Aran knits, cable knits, men's jumper

I've Been Knitting.

No your not seeing things, I was actually sitting with knitting needles in my hands last night.

Cool enough to break the needles out and so I have been taking full advantage of this. Plodding away with Pat's jumper and surprisingly my arms were sore when I stopped a couple of hours later.

I have so enjoyed sitting and knitting again, missed it so much.

Hot weather is coming in again......bugger.

Until next time....hoo roo

technorati tags: wool, knitting needles

Is It 2009 Already??

OMG I can't believe its been so long since I posted here. Come to think of it, I haven't even been knitting either. Just so warm at the moment and so much happening here.

I have Pa visiting from Sydney, he's Pat's father. Such a lovely gentle man and we are sending so much time with him.

Been learning to sew and over on Stitch Selection, I have been busy.




Check out the crocheting book I won.

Yes!!!

I won 5 books all up valued at $170 in a sewing magazine I had bought to read and get ideas from.

How amazing is that!???!!!

I think you can tell I'm so excited about the win.

I have posted all 5 books over on my sewing blog if you'd like to see them all in their glory.