In mid-winter, we craved something warm and hearty – like chicken pie.
It’s quite easy to make up – just white sauce with sauteed chicken and your choice of vegetables – but it was just the thing on a cold winter’s evening.
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Late Autumn Knitting Ventures
Just catching up on the posting my finished objects from the end of Autumn.
First off the rank is this simple top for autumn/spring, or whenever one does not need long sleeves on a jumper. I used this pattern, which was very clear and simple – good for someone who would like to know how to knit in the round.
The jumper had some great use on our outback trip, when we were camping out for 9 days and the night temperatures were quite nippy.
I made use of the leftover yarn and knitted another cowl for my friend Fran. Unfortunately even though her birthday was mid June, she didn’t get it until yesterday when the winter’s almost over!
Socking It
I recently completed some socks for Hubby using this pattern. It took me quite awhile to pick up the new techniques in the pattern, particularly for the toes and heel, hence a lot of frogging back and rework. But I liked doing the socks toe-up – a lot neater looking than top-down – and I liked the colours of the yarn. Most importantly, hubby liked it too.
Birthday Cowl
I knitted this for my friend Nina’s birthday – a belated present since her birthday was all the way back in November. She feels the cold so I thought that this cowl would be great for her. I used leftovers of my favourite yarn, in my favourite colour, and got to practise some cables and the kitchener stitch.
It looks and feels so good that my other friends want one too.
Buns!
We interrupt our geological excursion for a food break.
Once again, we made our own hot cross buns this Easter. This time it was more of a team effort – hubby made and brushed on the sugar glaze – and we added dark choc chips along with dried cranberries. It was super yum!
Blue Shalom
I made my first cardigan in blue, hence the name Blue Shalom. The pattern is very popular on Ravelry, and not too hard for a semi-beginner like me, though the twisted rib stitch yoke (that's the shoulder area for non-knitters) nearly drove me around the bend. After wet blocking the cardi was rather log (draping over my derriere), but that's ok for me. I even found a good button in my button jar for the single button closure.
Crumbs
Hello again, it’s Bridie Beagle here, to talk about my favourite subject – food. My parents say that I’m obsessed with food. Well, they’re completely right. I live, and more importantly, breathe food. Breathe, because my breed are gifted with a wonderful sense of smell. That’s why my kin work as food detection dogs at the airport.
Meanwhile, I’m a lady of leisure, but I’m not leisurely when food is around. I get excited and possessive. Like in this instance, when I have my eye on the remnants of some cookies that Mummy made.
My parents say that I become Ms. Jekyll around food, when I am usually Lady Hyde. I say it’s because they never ever give me enough. A lady needs more than just one cup of dry food a day when there are soo many wonderful things to eat out there. I must admit they do give me the odd treat (toast crusts, yoghurt containers, bones, fat, to name a few things), but I want to eat all the time.
“You can’t eat all the time,” they say, “You’ll get really fat and sick.”
They must be wrong though, as I’ve never been sick from eating too much, not even when I ate a whole round of brie and a block of cheddar in one sitting. Besides, isn’t it rude to call someone fat? I have and will always be shapely, but unlike some humans, I love my curves.
A jar of cookies…
… Never lasts long. Not when there are hungry people about. It was quite a feat to make this batch of choc chip and nut cookies last more than a day.
Jumper Joy
From vests, I did transition to jumpers. I used this clever pattern where the jumper is knitted top-down on circular needles and thus is completely seamless.
Hubby’s jumper was the first cab off the rank. Even though it’s plain, plain, plain, I certainly learned a lot knitting it. And I got the sizing right with him.
My jumper is a lot looser, so I guess I won’t be wearing it to ‘formal’ occasions. That said, it is very comfortable and nice on the skin. Not too bad for some first efforts.
Vested Interest
I was itching to get out of ‘accesories’ territory (hats, mittens, socks, booties etc etc), and the humble vest was the perfect garment to make the transition with. It’s good to wear on cooler days, under jackets, around the office, and on first sight, manageable enough. So I set to work.
My first vest was this little number. It was in my favourite colour, and had lovely cables! They are the plaits down the middle.
It wasn’t enough though because I had to straight away knit another vest. Knitting up all those colours drove me a little nuts (all those ends to weave…) but I think did it ok.
The good thing about vests is that:
a) It doesn’t take a long time to make (I averaged about 2 weeks each) and
b) It doesn’t cost the earth in yarn.
Each vest took about 7 balls of yarn – that’s $35 worth, which is still comparable to what you might pay in the shops. But nothing can compare to the satisfaction of making something for yourself (or other people) – priceless!
Static and Silence 