If you’ve read my ‘About’ page you’ll know that I like my shoes to match what I am wearing if it’s possible. This winter because it is my first with short hair I have worn a hat every day and I’ve realised that I’m not happy unless it matches my scarf and gloves (and coat if it can). I have my green ‘Sam’s Hat’ that I knitted last year which I wear with the apple green gloves and scarf. I have a purple hat bought from M&S last winter which I wear with a velvet purple/pink/green/blue scarf and purple leather gloves. I also have a pair of black and white wrist warmers that were my first attempt at knitting in the round with dpns. I made them in October 2006 and designed them myself – I haven’t blogged about them before as they are BB (Before Blog).
Unfortunately I don’t have a hat or scarf that matches which bothers me so last weekend I decided to fix this. I bought one ball of black and one of white Patons Serenity DK (50% bamboo 50% cotton) to knit myself a striped scarf. I’ve had a play and knitted it up in stripes on some 4mm needles in garter stitch and stocking stitch but I’m not sure how I want to make it yet. I want it to be a quick knit and only need the two balls of yarn. I’d like it to look as nice on the back as the front but I don’t want to knit a rib as I’m not very keen on knitting rib. And to top it all off I’d really like it to be striped longways not across the scarf so I think I’m going to have to knit it sideways. So now I have the dilemma of how many stitches to cast on so that it’s the length I want but so that I don’t run out of yarn in a stupid place. Part of me is prepared to have to frog it all when I realise that I’ve cast on too many stitches and there’s not enough yarn and I haven’t even cast on yet!!! Talk about crossing a bridge before I get to it.
This week I’ve been listening to David Reidy’s Sticks And String podcast, it’s a similar format to Cast On but only 30 minutes long usually. David lives just outside Sydney, Australia and has started knitting again a couple of years ago to use the time on the train to work more productively. It’s really interesting listening to his progress as his knitting skills develop and grow, especially as I began knitting properly at about the same time. I also like hearing about knitting in Australia and from a male perspective. I’m very jealous of all the knitting groups and workshops he is able to attend as there’s a lack of them where I live. But I do like that he says jumper when he means a jumper and cardigan when he means a cardigan as in the US these are both called sweaters when to me they are quiet different. This week I’ve heard David’s review of Knitting Without Tears by Elizabeth Zimmerman and it’s pretty much persuaded me that it’s a book that I would benefit from owning. I’d not ordered it from Amazon previously as I’d not seen it in any bookshop I’ve been in and it’s been around for so long I’d not heard a review of it before.
And the spiral socks are still going….. it feels like the end of the ball is infinitessimally long as it’s looked like I’m almost at the end of it all week and it still looks like that. I’m hoping to finish them over Easter.
Tags: David Reidy
