Crafting update

Cinnabar is close. It only needs the sleeves sewn on. I spent a good few hours on the weekend seaming, but I had to redo the placket a couple times, and after that I was sort of over it. And I haven’t really been in the mood to do thge sleeves since. I really need an hour or so where I can sit down and concentrate, since it’s something that requires care and attention, if not a huge amount of thought power.

Which is also the reason that I haven’t yet made up my pattern blocks. They are not hard, they just need attention (to basic maths and things like ruling straight lines) and I haven’t had the time and the attention at the same time. This is partly due to general business of life, but mostly I think it’s fair to say, due to the fact that I have just started seeing someone. Now, this is not something I am complaining about, don’t get me wrong! But it certainly does reduce my weekend crafting time!

That said, the knitting is going pretty well. Been doing lots of bus knitting. I’m up to the lace bit on Damson – unsure how complicated it is because I haven’t even looked at the destructions yet. Instead I picked up the Peaks Island Hood (above), which I want to knit for my sister to take to Ireland. I also would like to make her the Snapdragon mitts (below, also from Whimsical little knits 2 by Ysolda Teaue) to match? Or in a different yarn? I can’t decide – I will have to order different yarn anyway, as the hood is 12 ply and the mitts are 8 (although annoyingly Ravelry says that both are worsted weight. Grrr). Will rifle the stash. Something mustard would be nice, she LURVES mustard. Anyway, the point is, that the sister is leaving in a month and a bit, so I want to get a head start.

The hood is moss stitch, which I hate knitting. Although in chunky yarn it is knitting up pretty fast, and it’s actually surprisingly soothing bus knitting. I think the rows are only 30 stitches accross or something like that, which makes it pretty satisfying. And the yarn is smooshy (just Bendigo rustic) and the moss stitch is smooshy and I keep stopping to pat it. Maybe I’ll make the bird in hand mittens to match the hood, because the colourwork will make it less super matchy.

I am keen to knit for the sister because 1) she is a good knitwear recipient, she likes things and she wears them 2) she has been a (mostly) excellent housemate and I will miss her 3) it will be cold in Ireland and I would like to keep her warm 4) connecting 2 & 3 in our family we have trouble saying nice things to each other. So I knit for people. That’s why I made my cousin Zoe a lace stole instead of giving a terrible speech at her wedding and 5) when ELSE am I going to have an excuse to make mittens!

Although I would quite like to have a pair of flip tops for me. It’s COLD! Which makes it hard to knit while waiting for the bus, as my fingers get cold.