With such a long break since my last blog post you'd think I'd have something to report but I don't. Ever feel like you've been knitting and knitting and only have an inch to show for it? That's been me for the past fortnight. I'm up to the armhole shaping on the second sleeve of the "Must Have" cardi. I've started Kitty from Rowan 27 with the Garnstudio Silke Tweed and I was a good way up the back before I read the pattern thoroughly and wished that I had done so before I had started. The SilkeTweed has a different gauge than the 4 ply cotton so I'm knitting a smaller size that what I would usually do and I ignored the row gauge which is fine if you're knitting to measurements instead of row numbers which Kitty is so I've had to knit an extra 22 rows to get a decent body length (yes, Silke Tweed is one of those annoying yarns that have less stitches per inch than the 4ply cotton but more rows per inch)this is going to mess up the neck shaping on the front. Another thing, I always start on the back and of course I should have started on the fronts as the instructions for the back has got "knit until it matches the front" so I've had to count the rows in the front then keep track of the numbers of rows I'm knitting - I can never remember to turn the row counter.
My reading is not faring too well either. I haven't finished a single book in March. It doesn't help that I'm reading various collections of short stories and I'm not a short story person - give me a 600 page tome and I'll finish it alot quicker than a 200 page book of short stories.

Feelin' weary

Of knitting the Must Have cardi. I'm on the last sleeve about halfway through the increases and it's giving me the knitting blaahs. Time for a change so keeping with my project list from the end of January:

1. Finish Retro-Prep.
2. Knit the last sleeve of Consuelo.
3. Knit up the 26 balls of green Patons DK for a button-up cardigan (Miriam from Rowan 28) and a hooded zippy (Mariah from Knitty).
4. Knit up the 17 balls of light green Garnstudio tweed. I'm thinking Foxy and Palm from Rowan 27.
5. Legwarmers from Mission Falls Decade booklet.
6. More Gifted mittens but using a tighter gauge.
7. A hat with earflaps.
8. Clapotis.

It's onto No. 4 and small needles. The Garnstudio Silk Tweed is supposed to be DK but it's more like 4ply.

I'd better start saving my pennies now. Woolfest 2005 is being held at Cockermouth on 24th & 25th of June. According to the website it is the first annual festival celebrating all aspects of natural fibres - their sources, uses and products.
AND it's
The first ever festival of it's kind to be held in the UK.

It's got a workshop by Jean Moss and also features a giant "spin-in" on Friday evening.

I'm going to try to be there - how about you?

The Must Have cardi is the only project I currently have on the go. I've done the back, one sleeve and am now on the left front. I like doing the fronts - they go so fast.

I need to knit another pair of the Gifted mitts. I lost one on Saturday on top of a hill with a gaile blowing and hailstones flaying the skin off my face (very painful). The wind just caught it and off it went:

This was the pair that I had knitted large and then shoved in the washing machine to shrink. This made them more windproof and when combined with my voodoo wristwarmers are quite cozy. Shrinking them had made the cuff too short so now I'll get a chance to knit another pair with a longer cuff and a longer thumb. See, losing the mitt was a good thing.

The grotty bathroom shot will just have to do. It's the brightest room in the house after dark and I can take photos without using the flash. If I was to use the flash you wouldn't see the cabling. At long last I've finished the modified Consuelo:

The sleeves could have done with being a wee bit longer but I like it.
You can see the original version here. I couldn't get row gauge with my recycled yarn so my cables are shorter in height than the original. I did a quick google search to see if anyone else out in blogland has knit Consuelo but I drew a blank. If you have come across one let me know.

Any takers for this fine collection of patterns? Photos here or here. They are all late 80's patterns except for a copy of Interweave Knits Summer 2001 issue. First pick goes to Jill who guessed correctly that I've been listening to Pat Benater - I've also been listening to A-Ha, Simple Minds, Heart and Level 42. Leave a comment with your email address and I'll get back to you.

Ears cold, needed new hat with big cuff:

Mmmm,nice and toastie now.
Pattern was from the same Patons leaflet that's got the Must Have cardigan in.