WWFY

KAL, WIP, FO* - if you're not a hardcore knitter, you're probably wondering what all those letters mean!  And now another one to add to the mix - WWFY.

WWFY stands for Will Work For Yarn.

Basically, if you have the yarn ready for a project but not the time to knit it you can ask to 'hire' a knitter.  Usually you pay in yarn (the equivalent yarn as that being knitted) or shop vouchers to the same value or even just any agreed upon payment for the service.

There's a group on Ravelry set up for Australian & NZ people that I've been keeping an eye on so I can score some "free" yarn.  And I've recently offered to knit someone the very funky Ashworth Scarf in exchange for a mystery baby knit kit.


Though, I'm hoping I haven't over-committed as the scarf is knit in laceweight (2ply) on 2.75mm needles!


Now, I say mystery knit kit because I'm discovering that I'm a very indecisive person when it comes to choosing yarn colours for projects.  I'm much happier letting other people decide for me (within general guidelines depending on the project - i.e. neutrals, bold, girly, etc) and said so to my partner.


So, anyway, yesterday I received in the post a lovely package from Tangled Yarns (the person I'm knitting for is in Australia), wrapped up really gorgeously.


And inside were four balls of Biggan Designs DK Merino in the colours Light Khaki and Crimson and a single button to match (it turns out that there were suppose to be 10 buttons, so I have 9 more on their way!)

I'm just waiting on my person's package of project yarn which she's told me has the mystery pattern that goes with this yarn.  Though, it does feel a bit strange to receive payment for a job before you've even started it!

And even though it looks like the scarf knitting is going to keep me busy for a while, I'm actually looking forward to it.  I really enjoy knitting in laceweight and it's mostly stocking stitch anyway so should be easy mindless knitting.


*KAL=Knit-A-Long, WIP=Work-In-Porgress, FO=Finished Object
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Knitting A-Long

On Ravelry, Red Riding Hood Yarns is having a KAL (Knit-A-Long) for the month of June (start and finish any project in RRHY during the month of June and share your projects on the way).  I was undecided if I was going to join in as I have so much knitting I should be doing and the plans I had for my RRHY skeins were not on my list of 'have-to's.

But then I finished my Billy vest (the re-knit) and had none of my planned knitting ready to go so I did a little swatching, then tweaking of pattern numbers and cast on (yet another) new design using the Nymph colourway (first installment in the Winter 2011 Yarn Club).


This club installment yarn came with a set of perfectly colour matched mermaid buttons so I had to design something that would use them both together.  The plan is for this to be a jacket with simple cable panels down the front and sleeves and pepped up with pockets and a belt.  I just have to make sure this size 5 uses exactly 5 buttons as that's all I have!

The picture shows the collar so far, which is where I was up to last week (and never got around to posting on here about at the time).  I'm a lot further on now, due in part to lots of driving on our weekend away to Taupo (being stuck in a car for hours is great for guilt-free knitting time!) but seem to have mis-placed the camera so can't show an updated progress photo just yet!

Joining in again with My Creative Space.
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More Baby Knitting

My hairdresser, who is lovely and I see quite often (I'm cursed with premature grey hair - I'd look older than my mother-in-law if I let it show!) had her first baby a little while ago.


And, in my usual fashion, I knit a baby gift for her that took me a month to actually give.


Though, in my defense, she did have the baby a whole month early!  So, technically the gift wasn't really that late.


I had wanted to give it to her at my last appointment before she went on maternity leave but hadn't sewn on the last three buttons and blocked it.  But she wasn't there for that last appointment anyway, because her little man had been impatient to meet his mum!


So, you want to know the pattern details of course!
The cardigan is Beyond Puerperium by Kelly Brooker; made in NB size; using Vintage Purls Sock in Abilene.  I didn't do the garter borders, but did all over stocking stitch using m1 increases (instead of the kfb) and bordered it with single crochet using left over VP Lace double-stranded.
The booties are Stream Baby Booties by Julia Noskova done in the same yarn to match.


And it's got me all a little nervous about how disorganised I'm am in preparation for our little one arriving - what if s/he decides to be early also?!  I don't even have clothes to bring him/her home in!
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Opps, I Knit too Much!

So, in the excitement of knitting out all my goodies in my Magic Yarn Ball, I didn't really pay enough attention* to how long my vest was getting and started the pockets too far down.


So now I have to frog it all the way back to 6cm above the pockets and do them all over again!

But I should look on the bright side - it'll give me a chance to get better photos of the pocket construction so I can include a tutorial for it in the pattern (I did take some, but they turned out really blurry).  And I'm thinking I might make the pockets a bit wider too.

Joining in with the crafty makings over here.




*It was actually an error in my measuring rather than a 'just kept knitting' mistake - I measured from the underarm instead of from the back neck!
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More Goodies for Me!

Remember my MYB swap?

I've been really good and knit out my goodies rather than just unwinding the yarn to see what I got.

And here's what I got:


  • Three very cool Ravelry stickers
  • A tube of yummy smelling hand creme
  • An envirosax bag
  • A set of six kiwi buttons to match the yarn
  • A set of six 'Owl and the Pussycat' buttons from The Bird and the Fish (in case bubs is a girl)
  • A set of six spaceman-themed buttons from Buttons by Robin (in case bubs is a boy)
  • A set of ten stitch markers from Velvet Hippo
  • A gift pattern of my choice from Ravelry (I chose the wee Austin Hoodie pattern)
And just to prove I did actually knit it all out:


That's my in-progress Billy vest for the baby.

I'm loving the yarn - it's from Little Plum Yarns in 'Mocha' on Superwash Merino DK.  I definitely think I will be wanting to purchase more in future - this yarn is so soft!
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Breaking a Record

I'm sure it must be breaking a record, for me anyway that's for sure!

I cast off a size 10yrs cardigan test knit last night.  Then I actually sewed in all the ends and blocked it straight away!  (That's the first record - sewing in ends and blocking immediately.)


Then the BigMiss got to wear it to mufti day at school, after I'd taken quick 5-mins-before-having-to-leave-the-house photos of her modelling it.  I uploaded the photos to my Ravelry project page and the testing forum.  (That's the second record - updating my project page on the same day of finishing.)


And now here I am, telling you all about it on the very same day also!! (Amazing, I know!)


So, you want the details, right?

The pattern is the soon-to-be-released Suzanne by the infamous Tikki (aka Georgie Hallam) and is the third in the sister pattern series which currently includes Jane and Elizabeth (check out the next one ready for testing, Anne).

The yarn is Unicorn Tail from the Red Riding Hood Yarn's Winter Yarn Club 2011 - I managed to score a second skein from a de-stash on Ravelry.  And, even though I did need that second skein, this cardigan is very light on the yarn - this size 10yrs used 270g before I lengthened the sleeves (madam decided that 3/4 sleeves were not for her, thank you very much!)  I've yet to weigh it to get the final usage with the full length sleeves, but 270g equates to approx 690yds/630m of 8ply/DK yarn!

It was such a fun pattern to knit.  You start with the sleeves and then pick up and work the body down.  And the cute daisy stitch she used as the borders is a perfect dress-it-up feature also.

And did I mention, it only took me just over two weeks from start to finish?  Surely that must be record number four!  (I think it was helped by the weekend away that consisted of lots knitting while driving and sitting yakking when visiting.)
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Oh, Goody! Presents for Me!

Did you know it's my birthday today?

So far I've been nicely spoiled and thought I'd quickly show everyone some of the gifts I got before I head off to work.

The first one came last week:

Can you see the Magic Yarn Ball ready to go off to my swappee?  I don't think she's guessed it's from me yet, so I won't post a proper picture of it!

A set of seagrass chairs to go in front of the fire.

You can tell the fire has been going because the cat is there!

Even though I had a hand in the purchasing decision, we're calling them my present as I was greatly in need of somewhere comfortable to sit.  My current getting-rounder condition means that the second-hand-when-we-got-it-ten-years-ago, very low couch is terrible to sit in and hard to get out of!  And they pass the knitting test (i.e. I can comfortably knit in them!)

From J and the girls I got some more useful presents, the best ones being the mortar and pestle and this really cool clock:

Apparently LittleMiss chose it - she has good taste!

Still in it's box at the moment, but it will go somewhere in the kitchen area, of course!

Then a courier knocked on the door and dropped off a huge box, though this was addressed to both J and I but did include a birthday card for me.  In it was this:


A very cool new quilt for our bed!  Made specially for us by my Nana to replace the one she made me for my 21st:


It's been well loved in the ten years we've had it and was greatly in need of replacement.

See?

We happened to mention this to Nana when we visited over summer and she offered to make a new one for us.  Though the old one will still get used I'm sure!  Especially on the cold frosty nights when we need that extra layer - like last night was!

And you can even get your own quilt made by my Nana as she has a little website where she sells them, as well as other crafty stuff she makes - check it out, there's some cool stuff there!  I'm sure she'll even post overseas if you ask her nicely!

Sharing with the lovely folk over here.  (Though not technically My Creative Space, you can click through to check out my Nana's!)
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