Start of Tempting and an update on Sonnet

Well I've started Tempting. I'm taking it slowly - no knitting on the bus anymore, and when I knit watching TV I stop during the adverts and roll my shoulders and wrists. So far it's not too bad, but then I am using very light circular needles. I'm saving myself for this weekend when I've got hours in a van as we're moving house. I think my problem before was due to Sonnet being so heavy and on long, straight needles. Anyway, I've got about 3-4 inches of Tempting done so far, in my German wool. I'm getting 2.75" per ball of wool, which is quite short really. I have 10 balls though, so hopefully I'll have enough.

Anyway, back to Sonnet. I sewed it up last week. As I cast off really tightly (must sort that out for in future), as because Sonnet is knit sideways, one side of the front (the side with the buttonholes) is shorter than the other. Last weekend I attempted blocking. The Wendy Pampas is only 30% wool though, 70% acrylic. I spritzed the front wet and pinned it in place.

I have to say I was very dubious, but it did seem to work - the cast off edge loosened up quite a lot. However, it's still about half an inch too short, so it doesn't match up.

I've been pondering what to do, and finally decided. I'm going to cross the front over the other way, which means that the edges will line up. Obviously the buttonholes will be useless, but I'm going to go with a frog fastening instead - hopefully some silver/grey ones.

I think this will really work with the way I've knitted Sonnet. I was becoming apprehensive that it was going to look awful, the pattern of the yarn strangled by the too small needles... But instead it has worked just as I had hoped! The tight gauge has made the garter stitch stiff and boxy, but the box stitch gives the structure some ease, and also a 'poofy' aspect to the sleeves. I think it looks like an Elizabethan short jacket, or a Russian noblewoman's coat from a few centuries ago. Frogs will really bring it together - and the buttons looked naff anyway.

Now to search for silver frogs!

rsi sad :(

i am in so much pain & have been for a week now. can't knit or type. i want to get better :(

good news is i sewed up sonnet today - it's not too bad. needs buttons. i just hope it's worth all this pain.

New Knitty!

Yesterday I finished reading through every one of the pages on Knitty (and printing any patterns I might try and knit). And guess what - new Knitty out today! So I don't get Knitty withdrawal symptoms for at least a day ;)

Sadly I have knitting withdrawal symptoms :( I didn't start Tempting 2 days ago as I've got RSI in my left hand :( I don't know whether this is due to knitting or typing or both. Yesterday my hand felt better so I finished knitting Sonnet - though by the end my hand did hurt. Today I've felt fine but it's hurting right now - must be from typing today I guess. So no more knitting until tomorrow I fear - but it means I can fully finish Sonnet instead!

I've also read through both the knitalongs for Tempting, so I should be ready to tackle that when I travel tomorrow.

It's all gone pear-shaped

For future reference my body measurements (measured by moi over clothes) are:

Fullest part of bust: 33"
Waist: 28.5"
Hips: 37"

I've always been an apple shape - guess I'm now an appley pear or a peary apple!

Anyway, it looks like I certainly need to make the smallest size availble for Tempting - size small is a 32" bust. I've done a 3" long gague swatch (which I haven't cast off). I'm getting 19 stitches to 4" mainly, sometimes 18. I think I got tighter as I knitted on.

But the good thing about going out with a mathematician is that he can calculate your gauge for you. So apparently I can either cast on 152 stitches instead of the required 144, and then I'll be making exactly the right size. Or if I stick to the pattern it'll probably be 1.5" smaller. My row gauge is also 1 row off I think, but row gauge isn't an issue in this pattern. I think I'm going to go with the pattern as written, rather than try and adjust it. From what I can make out it is a 144 stitch long tube from the waist to the bust. So if I knit 5 inches I can try it around my bust and check it doesn't stretch too much - if it does then I can unravel it and try 152 stitches.

And yes. I know I should really be finishing Sonnet :P

Needle Happy!

My Denise needles were waiting for me when I got home today - hoorah!

I will do a full review when I've used them more, but from some initial swatching this evening I am impressed. The joins are very smooth, and the needles are so light! I don't know whether it's because I'm still working on the Sonnet sleeves with 7mm bamboo needles with very heavy knitting hanging off the ends that this is a welcome alternative, or whether they are just really light. Of course it's not as swift to push the knitting along the needle as it has to go over the join, but I'll get used to that in no time I'm sure.

Anyway. Although I know I should finish Sonnet - especially as I'm so close - how could I resist using my new needles? So I've spent a couple of hours this evening swatching for Tempting. I started with the designated size 8US (5mm), stockinetted a few rows and checked my stitch count - too low. So I went down to 7US, repeated the process, still too low. Went down to 6US (4mm), repeated, and it still seemed like too few stitches. So I did a few more rows then cast off (all but the last stitch so I can unravel) - when I measured this I had the stitch count spot on. So tomorrow on the bus I will knit a proper gauge swatch with the 6US needles to make sure, and also knit some ribbing to make sure that looks nice on those needles (I tried the ribbing on 4.5mm / 7US a while ago and it's lovely).

Within Temptation last night were awesome, but I am now utterly knackered after only 3 hours sleep, so I must go to bed.

I'm so confused!

I swear when I bought my wool from Germany the name of the colour was 'petrol'. I remember thinking it was odd that it was in English (unless the German for petrol is petrol). I've just checked over the band of every ball and there is no 'petrol' at all - I must've made it up!!! And the colour is looking more green now, but I still love it and can't wait to use it.

It's quite disappointing as it's honestly the nicest wool I've come across. Obviously I haven't knit any more than a small swatch, but it's cheap, it's merino-mix, the colours are amazing, the texture... And only available in shops in Germany. Doh!

I've spent a while on Google, but it does seem to be available in the Rodel Wolle shops on (Rodel has an umlaut over the 'o', so Roedel is the thing to search for). They do have a website listing all their shops, but no online ordering sadly.

Ah well - I'll just have to make visiting wool shops the highlight of any future German trips!

Still no needles. Though the Within Temptation tickets arrived today - luckily as I'd completely forgotten and would've gone away for the weekend without them! I still don't know what knitting to take with me for the journey. I feel that the Sonnet sleeves are too big - the bamboo needles are very long. It doesn't matter for the train (3.5 hours tomorrow and Monday morning), but we'll be driving to London (5 hours round trip for the gig) and I'd like to have something small for then. Or maybe I don't take anything :-0

I've got an hour or so to decide - better get packing!

I've just found it - it says 'petrol' on the receipt!