D. I. Why?
Having spent the better part of a week with this little lot
I have discovered that sometimes it really, really matters if your spirit level looks like this
If you have a shelf measuring 62 cm by 110 cm the spirit level being out by that small amount matters when it comes to fitting sliding doors.
Ugh.
In good, knitting-related news, my bag pattern seems to have been well-recieved (thank you for your kind words) as was this yarn I got in a swap on Ravelry:
You can see it reclining on my design notebook with not a care in the world!
Little does it know it’s going to be subjected to yet another of my attempts at a mystery lace knit along!
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Free Pattern: Traeth bag from The Inside Loop
I love all those knitted and crochet market shopping bags I’ve seen around, but I wanted something I can use that will still leave my hands free.
The drop stitch pattern and the cotton yarn means the bag has some give and will stretch to accommodate your shopping or your beach essentials.
The webbing straps wont stretch out of shape, even with all your summer market purchases on board, and add a nice contrast to the yarn.
As for the name? Traeth is Welsh for beach.
Larger view: Medium (500 x 447)/ Large (1000 x 893)
Pattern: Traeth from The Inside Loop Summer 2008
Ravelry: 
Yarn: Patons (UK) Cotton DK in colour 2710 (Purple)
Needles: Denise Interchangeable needle set in sizes US7 and US8
Knitting Style: Continental
Notes: I know it’s not very modest, but I really like this bag! I use it a fair amount and it’s proved useful for shopping and for carting stuff around the house, too.
The theme for this issue of The Inside Loop was “The British Summer” and for me this means the beach, market-day shopping, and rain!
I styled the bag on a mouldy deckchair stuffed with the essentials for a day on the beach in Britain; sunglasses, sunscreen, a towel, a book (Jane Eyre, in this case) and an umbrella!
With thanks to my neighbour for allowing me to use her gravel-garden to stand in as a pebble beach (I don’t leave near enough to the coast to warrant a photoshoot by the sea!).
And dudes – I made the front cover!
Tags: Traeth, bag, beach bag, knitting, The Inside Loop, free pattern, free knitting pattern
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FO: Bill
Name: Gansey cardigan for my dad’s birthday 2008 (Ravelry project page)
Modelled by me, for scale!
Pattern: (name, author, source) Bill, by Debbie Bliss from the Rowan 28 magazine
Size(s): (to fit, finished size) To fit: 44″ chest. Actual measurement: 50″
Yarn: (name, fibre, weight, colour) King Cole Fashion Aran in “Granery”, Wool/acrylic mix yarn. Approx. 700g used.
Needles: (size, material, style) US 6, 7 and 8 plastic Denise Interchangeable set.
Knitting style: (for stitch patterns) Combination (yarn in left hand, purl stitches wrapped clockwise around needle) throughout.
Modifications: Knit a size smaller than recommended for a less baggy fit. Converted from a pullover into a v-neck cardigan. Substituted the Rowan All Seasons Cotton in the pattern for a wool/acrylic mix.
Notes: This was a really well-written pattern and I didn’t find any errors for the size I knit.
I encounted some tricky times when I was designing the v-neck, but I ripped out and it was all good!
I have two small concerns: (1) the buttons may be a little too small for the buttonholes and (2) it may be a little on the short side (see the cardigan on me for an idea why!) I’ll report back on this issues once it’s been given to my dad on his birthday in a few days time.
I increased two stitches every other row for the v-neck in the buttonband, and decreased at the same rate for the intersection of the fronts and backs. This was to allow the band to follow the contours of the garment and hopefully to allow it to lay flat.
This yarn originally started out as an Aran (cabled) cardigan that I was designing myself. I made a real mess of it and I didn’t like it at all. I ripped out and went looking for a more suitable pattern to turn into a cardigan. I found Bill!
Tags: Bill, Rowan 28, Rowan, Debbie Bliss, knitting, Gansey, Ganseys
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Show me more of this Earth-thing called “Blogging”
So, apparently I forgot how to blog. You know, for someone who doesn’t go out anywhere or do anything, a lot seems to happen to fill the time.
A quick synopsis:
Last Monday: got stung by nettles up my right arm when harvesting rhubarb. Swore. A lot. The rhubarb crumble was totally worth it.
Tuesday – Thursday: spent my time NOT SCRATCHING the rash I got. Experimented with camomile tea bags, comfrey and sage leaves. Went back to the hydrocortisone cream.
Friday: HEAVEN! Got some calamine lotion. Spend today slathering it on my right and left forearms (because apparently what’s good for the goose is good for the gander, and my rash has spread)
Saturday: An old family friend is visiting the area from Scotland so spend a couple of hours chatting and laughing. She plants a dwarf holly bush for me that’s been waiting to be put in the ground for 4 years! She used to be George Harrison’s gardener, when he was still living in this country, but never mentions it. She and her husband are really nice. Make moussaka. Takes ages. Watch Dr Who and Pushing Daises. Knackered, but still can’t sleep.
Sunday: Too. Hot. Try knitting. Give up and sit in the shade reading the paper and following the cricket on the computer for the 20 seconds per half hour that the internet is up. Stupid weather. Knit the first row of the button band on my dad’s cardigan. Whilst knitting the second row realise I screwed up almost half way around and did P2, K4, P2 instead of 2/2 rib. Swear (a lot, again) and spend several hours with a crochet hook undoing the stitches.
Today:
Larger photo (375 x 500)
I’ve done the buttonholes (test piece with button shown below), which means I’m nearly finished. I may cry!
I decided on 7 buttons rather than 5 because I thought my dad would put less strain (per button) on 7 than 5!
There’s a bird somewhere outside that I swear sounds like a comedy Mexeeecaaann Bandeeeetoooh. It makes that exact sound. Not half as funny as some other birds who imitate mobile phone ring tones!
Note: extra Geek-points if you can tell me which word I substituted from a line in a TV programme, in the title for this post. Uber-Geek-points if you know where the quote comes from and what said it to whom?
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Dum dum, dumdum, dum dum, dumdum
Da da daaaaaaa …. da da daaaaaa …. da da daaaaaa …. da-dum… dum dum dum …
DA-DAAAAAA!!!!
[Mission Impossible Theme tune, for those not already singing along!]
Armed only with this yarn …
this notebook …
and this brain …
My mission, should I chose to accept it, is to create a Vintage-inspired knitted item in 6 weeks.
Your nerves will self-destruct in 10 seconds …
Tags: design, designing, knitting, vintage
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