So, Project Spectrum is over. If any of you have been following my blog for the last eight months or so, you’ll kow that I started out all excited about the project, did well for Fire, continued into Earth and then lost steam completely. After May, I don’t mention it at all. I started a couple of things for Air (most of which were finished a couple of months later) and ignored Water completely. This just about sums up my experience:
FIRE | EARTH | AIR
Yeah, no Water.
I’m hoping to do better next year, but for now I’m moving on to two other knitalongs: Socktoberfest and Southern Summer of Socks. I think it’s obvious what I’m enjoying knitting right now. And it’s a good thing too, since I have enough sock yarn for over 60 pairs! Hopefully, I’ll be able to keep up my interest a bit longer. Socktoberfest has the benefit of only being a month, but the Southern Summer of Socks runs for six full months and I wouldn’t be surprised if I drop out mid-way through. Still, it’s all part of the fun. Nobody’s going to go aroud policing these knitalongs and telling me off for ignoring my sock stash and knitting sweaters instead.
On the needles right now: three socks, including Through the Loops Mystery Sock.
Amy recently blogged about the lack of WIP blogging lately, and I definately agree. I’m going to try to get back to blogging my WIPs, but for now here’s another FO.
Ene’s Scarf Ene’s Scarf by Nancy Bush from Scarf Style knit with Lorna’s Laces Helen’s Lace in Sage {More}
I cast on for this a few weeks ago, but for a while it was lying abandonned because the progress was just so slow. I guess that’s what comes from casting on 375 stitches. Once I halved that number, the knitting went surprisingly quickly. {More}
I’m taking a break in the accessory FO parade (still 2 to go!) to bring you my finished Drops Jacket. The knitting took me only seven days, with another for blocking, seaming and picking out buttons.
103-1 Jacket in Silke-Alpaca from Drops Design knit with Rowan Yorkshire Tweed Aran in Muffin {More}
You’ve all seen it before, so I’m sure I don’t have to go into the details of the pattern. It’s a great quick knit and very wearable. In fact, I’ve barely taken it off since I sewed on the buttons last night. It’s cute and comfortable and looks great with a pair of jeans. It works well as a jacket over a thin layer which makes it perfect for Melbourne winter. Bonus points for the fact that I can wear it inside in our badly heated buildings without feeling like I’m actually wearing a coat. I chose 3/4 sleeves because they looked cute, even though long sleeves make much more sense for a jacket. My wrists haven’t gotten cold yet, so I’m pretty happy with my choice. But I think I might have to whip up a pair of fingerless gloves in a nice contrasting colour to wear with it. {More}
I might not have been knitting many sweaters lately, but I’ve been thinking about them. Remember those three swatches I posted a couple of weeks ago? Well, being the fickle and indecisive sweater knitter I am, I decided not to knit any of them. I will knit them, eventually, but not right now.
Instead, I decided to focus on this other yarn I’ve had in my stash for a couple of months: a bag of Rowan Yorkshire Tweed Aran in Muffin that I bought after seeing Melissa’s gorgeous Bubble Pullover. I decided pretty early on that the sweater wasn’t right for me or Melbourne weather, however, and the yarn went straight into the stash. I’ve had a few different ideas since then, but it wasn’t until last weekend when I was going through my queue that I realized I had a pattern that was perfect for it and with no other yarn attached to it. Yes, I’m jumping on the bandwagon with the Drops Jacket.
I cast on immediately to stop myself from more indecisiveness and I’ve been obsessively knitting it since Sunday. That’s the back and fronts blocking. I cast off the second sleeve today, but the sleeves might take a while to dry in this weather, even if I’ve pinned them out in front of the heater. The last week it’s suddenly felt like winter, albeit Melbourne winter, and I can’t wait to wear this jacket! {More}
Because I finished the socks from the last post. I’m passing them off as a Project Spectrum project because to me, the stripes are mostly green.
Stockinette Socks knit with Vesper Sock Yarn in Knit & Tonic {More}
I love the stripes in these little socks. Looking down at them poking out from under my jeans just makes me happy. And as much as I love fancy lace socks, there’s something nice and comforting about plain stockinette. Inspired by Ceylan, I decided to try an afterthought heel to avoid breaking up the striping pattern. It’s not the most attractive heel, but the fit is decent and being able to replace it might be useful (I’ve had to retire two pairs of handknit socks in the last couple of weeks because of holes!). I’m just happy to have another pair in the sock drawer in time for winter.
Full report on Frost Flowers tomorrow!
