FO: Seaberry Shell

I have just finished my mini-shawl, and it is totally awesome! Hopefully tomorrow will be a nice photo day. It's so beautiful, and so clever and I'm so happy! Earlier today I bought this pattern from Sivia Harding: the Victorian Shoulderette which I've been admiring for the past week or so. The mini-shawl will actually do up with a brooch in a similar way to the VS, so that's a bonus too, as that's something I liked about the VS. Plus, I have too lovely little brooches I haven't had a chance to wear yet.

Talking of FOs - here's the one I made back in the end of June. Amazingly I completed it over two weekends - but it is a rather large gague. Unfortunately, like all other knitted garments I appear to have made (bar my lovely mini-shawl!), I'm just not sure about it. My body has grown very quickly recently, and I'm still not quite used to dealing with my new bosomses. So not quite used to them, in fact, that I am not posting a photo of me wearing this top, since it seems to, erm, emphasise them.

I think maybe if I had a tight, longsleeved top on under it I might feel a little more comfortable. Or maybe I should stop eating so many pies (gah - but then I'd need to buy more new bras ;) ).

Anyway:

From this:

To this:

To this:

Did I mention that I'd managed to get hold of some Interweave Knits? I think I have them all going back to Spring last year now, or maybe Summer.

Anyway, this is the Seaberry Shell from IK Summer 2006, by Wenlan Chia. I think this was the issue with an interview with her, and it talked about how she likes to use fat yarns, etc. I was taken by the idea of making something quickly, and liked the look of the Shell. Amazingly enough, one of the to-be-frogged-charity-shop-jumpers I'd bought last year fit the gauge to a T, and was cotton too (the pattern yarn was a cotton/silk mix). Seemed perfect, and it worked out really well!

I have enough of the jumper left over to make another one of Chia's patterns that is on my knit-imminently list, the Tea Rose Halter from, I think, IK Spring 07.

Pattern: Seaberry Shell from IK Summer 2006, by Wenlan Chia
Yarn: Recycled navy blue cotton jumper.
Needles: US11 Denises
Modifications: I cast on 40 stitches instead, which I think was 4 more than the pattern stated. I possible could've gone with more. I also had to get a few more repeats in to get it to the right length.
Button: The pattern calls for something crazy like a 1.75" button. The largest one I could find was about 1.5" and looked like a dinner plate! It took a while, going through my nanny's* button box, to find the perfect button, but I really like this dusky blue - it really sets off the navy of the knitting.


* I had a paternal grandma and a maternal nanny; I did not have an au pair.

Update

Well, it's been all quiet on the blogging front recently, but I can assure you it hasn't been on the fibre front!

The other weekend I had a veritable obsession with sewing cushion covers, churning out about 6 covers, 2 cushions, and cutting up loads of scraps to make a patchwork skirt (unsurprisingly, 3 of the covers still need buttons, and I still need to make another 2. Oh, and the 'skirt' is a pile of squares. I am equal in my distribution of start-itis).

Then I managed to knit an entire garment in two weekends! I'll have an FO report on that sharpish.

And finally, this weekend was spent at Woolfest! Right now I need to go and watch all the things we've recorded over the weekend before our box-thing runs out of space (and maybe get started on some knitting), but here's a teaser photo of my goodies: