Tag: shawl

Shawl, socks and too small clothes

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It’s taken a while to get round to documenting, but this was the shawl I’ve been knitting being blocked, on 1 April 2024. Since then I’ve been wearing it, and I must say, the yarn – De rerum natura ulysse – is really soft. I like it it. It’s also nice and light, which was another thing I wanted, seeing as the Almina shawl is so heavy. That said, as the Almina shawl is more of a solid colour, the stitch definition is much better.

(Although this happens to be the one photo where the definition on the new shawl looks ok…) I really wish the new shawl was a little longer, but as I ran out of yarn (and started it in 2023!) I thought it was probably sensible to call it quits. Actually, I am wearing it now, and it feels so soft I wish every garment I own was knitted in the same yarn.

Over Easter I darned 6 socks – for the record, that is a lot of socks to darn. By the end of it, I never wanted to see another sock again. I used the knitted patch method again, via this video, which is super helpful. The patches have kind of worn themselves in now, so they’re comfortable enough.

Yesterday I knitted these little pantaloons for this bunny, because her dress is too short. But actually the pantaloons are tiny, and really don’t fit. As this is a gift – and a late one – the choice was to make a smaller bunny or larger dress (and quit moaning), so I made a larger dress.

Must remember, small Little Cotton Rabbits knitted in Cascade 220 potentially with a strand of fluff too, will not fit the small rabbit clothes, if they’re knitted in Krea Deluxe on 2.50 needles. Not the way I knit. Use the pattern for a full size rabbit. Cascade 220 does make for quite a chunky rabbit actually, but still, I think she turned out nicely in the end.

And she does seem to look quite comfortable wrapped up in my shawls.

I’m mid-way through a second sock, and I probably will make another smaller animal to make the most of the clothes, but aside from that, I’m not sure what to make next. I did just buy a pattern for a nice looking short sleeved cardigan, but it looks quite complicated! Also… will I make that tiny too? Who knows. I hope not.

Never ending story

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I gave myself a break yesterday and knitted another strawberry. I’ve been trying really hard to knit this shawl but I still have a ball and a half of wool to go. I’m knitting it on carbon fibre needles which I bought after two different cable needles came to sticky ends. I think the cable snapped on one and just popped out of the needle on the other. It’s a 3.5mm needle.

Ideally it would be finished now. Now is the perfect time to wear it. The only reason I’m knitting it is because I love my Almina shawl (finished in 2020) but, as I think I’ve said before, it’s a bit heavy to take out of the house. I kind of fancied making another one I could put in my bag and use a bit like a cardigan. (I’m too scared to make a cardigan). I knitted it over xmas and new year, and it’s grown a lot, but it’s still not there. Gah. Soon.

Also, my eyesight is all over the place. Better to knit it without glasses or contact lenses at the moment. If I wear contact lenses then I have to wear glasses to fix my vision for close up work. I’ve become one of those people who can only see a menu if someone holds it up the other side of the restaurant. Well, not quite, but you know what I mean. I went out with a friend last week and the restaurant was so dark, I used the torch on my phone. Ten minutes later a couple came in and sat on the table next to us. Unprompted, one of them did the same thing. Vindication.

I’m not sure what’s going on at the moment. Time spent making things (well… knitting) doesn’t feel quite right. I keep feeling like I ought to be doing something else. Even reading, actually. Hard to relax. That said, my boss is pregnant so I should probably knit something for her, so… best figure out what.

(Sorry this isn’t a very exciting post, but one day, maybe I’ll be glad to look back and think ‘Yep, this shawl that you are currently wearing and looking fabulous in, really did take a long time. Do not make another one.)