small progress

after the disaster and the subsequent unravelling i have started again on trents jo sharp ribbed raglan jumper. this is the first 35 or so centimetres.



taken me eight days to get back to here, and i have been loyal to this one project i promise, despite people posting their fantastic socks and pringle scarves, and emails about the sales on at cassidys and the fact they sell my favourite needles (brittany) there now. thanks guys for the support!!

obviously i dont knit 24/7 but i spend at least a few hours a day on this and look where it gets me! of course, the pattern requires some thought, its knit the right side and then p3 k1 p1 rpt on the wrong side, so i have to watch what im doing. but i think i am quite a slow knitter.

now i am onto the stocking stitch part, which goes for another 10cm and then the decrease starts, its a 'sl1 k2tog psso' decrease which i dont think ive done before but it looks like it gives a nice effect. i have a debbie bliss book called How To Knit which is where i have taught myself from, and it has instructions for this kind of decrease. one thing i have learnt about knitting since blogging is this thing called blocking. because i didnt have anyone to teach me the tricks of the trade, i just followed the patterns instructions for making up and they never say anything about this groovy technique. but i will definitely be doing it from now on. if i ever finish anything again, that is.

speaking of learning things, that long ridged scarf i made out of cleckheaton country prints has been doing very well out in the cold paddocks until it fell in the dust. not just any old dust. sheep-pen dust. wool shed dust. mmmmm. so without thinking i threw it in the washing machine. lets just say its lucky i wash with cold water. a warning tho, the instructions on that wool say it can handle a gentle machine wash. id say only just. i have a new half-felt half-knit scarf. at least its soft.

on the bag front (see The Eternal Quest below), i have given up on the bag that i can take to uni/library/shopping/knitting all in one! a tote is just too big for all that and i couldnt find one i really liked that wasnt all leather and worth about $400. so i bought TWO new bags the other day, one a very stylish little red number for after dark (no knitting allowed) and the other an everyday over the shoulder, big enough for a small project, with lots of compartments etc but not too bulky. and when i want to carry a whole lot of stuff around its just going to have to be the basket or the canvas book bag. i did see a nice little tote pattern on the yarn magazine website from their sample issue, they felt it but i would like to keep it knit i think. i think that might be my next project. after the cardigan i want to make myself. there is a really nice one in the jo sharp knit mag with a shawl collar but needs some upsizing...will wait till i see taph's BGK book before embarking on that. thats if i dont get hooked on this sock fetish first, some of the things "people" (yes we know who you are) are doing is just amazing!

anyway better go start packing for the big road trip tomorrow. we are going out through the west rather than through sydney, stopping overnight at coonabarabran, then up through moree and into queensland on friday. my stepfathers family are from a little wheat belt truck stop called Gurley and i havent been there in 20 years and want to show trent what amazing country it is out there. will see what the droughts been up to. wont be back till next tuesday and will post photos of finished back of jumper. 12 hours in the car. perfect knitting time!

have a great long weekend.
k