Sockmonster

I owe you some pics

Hi everyone - I owe you some pictures

Rogue - Sleeves are a bit further along probably around 35 pattern rows up the cables.  But here is the rest - hoping to overcome my fear of doing something wrong on the right front on the weekend whilst away with some very talented knitters for the Bendigo Sheep and Wool Show

I also went away over the past weekend with some dear friends of mine for a mutual friends 40th birthday - 9 gaggling girls off for the weekend and we chatted, slept, walked, ate and marketed our way through the weekend.  We stayed at the most divine set up I have ever seen and can HIGHLY recommend it to anyone looking for a restful time away.  I'm sure this place would look different in different seasons but we had a magic mid winter getaway - go look at it it's called The Potager and run by Jayne a lovely lady and very gracious host.

So next weekend we are staying at Barnard House and anticipate another lovely weekend except that I will be run off my legs by day at the sheep show with my Sockmonsters stall and lots of lovely scrummy sock yarn to sell.  So I hope to see some of you there.  I'm anticipating it will be a lovely place to unwind at the end of the day.

Some pics now:

Fronts and back knit back and forth on a circular needle

throat cable detail on left side

Side cable detail (you can just see it - mid picture)

Rogue update and olive process

Rogue is progressing well but I have hit a bit of a wall on the right front of the cardiganised Rogue.

I have joined the second front and am about ot do the cabling up the side but I'm not sure what row of the chart I'm on.  I just probably need to sit and think about it quietly for a while but do you think I've had a quiet moment to do that so I started the sleeves instead.  I'm up to Row 18 of the Sleeve chart and always love to look at the progress of those Celtic cables - I am really enjoying knitting this and am really going to enjoy wearing it.

For the stats I did a small hem facing and am cardiganising it.

Typepad doesn't want to download pics at the moment so I'll try again tomorrow.

Olives are all harvested and off to be processed in Lara - apparently we have over 100 litres of olive oil.  We were so stuffed afterwards.  We only have a small grove but hope to expand it eventually.

Oh I am aching all over!

Well all day today I have been picking olives from our small plot of 100 trees.  My hands are hot and puffy and my back and legs are stiff as.  The worst thing about all of this is there is a repeat performance as we only picked 40 of them and they are all supposed to be harvested by tomorrow night!!!  Not very good news for knitting.

The Grove!

Life is very busy with lots of activities for this and the next three weekends including the Bendigo Sheep and wool Show in mid July.  I won't be selling the Lornas as they have decided because I don't have a retail store or dedicated online store that they won't be supplying me for the time being - we are still friends but it does mean my foray into Lornas Laces has been all to brief.

Meantime I have had a rush of blood and done lots of stash enhancement egged on by some blogging friends.  The Simply Stunning Collection by Heirloom Knitting was added although I haven't had a chance to drool yet as its still at GG's place.  Next was some Dale of Norway patterns and a few balls of their Teflon coated Hauk for the snow.

Next on the list was this Soft Cotton by Lana Grossafrom my lovely German sockwool supplier Connie.  In Pink and Brown for Em on 7mm needles - thats what I like!  I'll be doing the pattern below and the body will be in the chocolate colour and the sleeves, number (2 she wants) and trim in the pale pink.

This should be pretty easy and straightoforward although the bottom of the sleeves is in reib and she wants stocking stitch with a slightly bell sleeve.

Next on the list was some yarn I have been waiting to purchase for the last 12 months - Rowan Felted Tweed.  Cucumberpatch has an online store but this purchase was through her Ebay store.  It was FREE SHIPPING to Australia which I think is a BIG deal.  I got 8 balls of Whisper and 8 of Herb and would love to make Salina and I have some ideas for the Whisper involving Lace.

This deserves a BIG picture as it makes me REALLY HAPPY!!! this yarn.

I'll leave the knitting content for tomorrow if I can lift my fingers to type.  Rogue is coming along well and I have discovered that Alison and I are doing the exact same thing at the same time - Rogue in Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran tweed in Dusk!! HAve a lovely weekend and to all those involved in KNit In at Fed Square today hope you had a good one!

Happy knitting

Other bits and pieces - Happy Birthday Bro!

Beanie - modelled on my head!

HAPPY Birthday to my brother for today - he is SOOOO hard to buy for, very fussy about what he likes and doesn't like so on a whim I started and finished a beanie for him this week.  I used the beautiful Wendy Dennis Polwarth in a natural dark brown

I left this woollen thing hanging on his doorhandle yesterday and my SIL took a bit to work out what it was!

It was done on 4mm needles starting with 92 stitches and it was around an 8 ply or worsted weight (maybe even sport).  He is a great brother and turns 37 today so I hope he likes to wear it out in his garden or taking his girls up to the park!

On other knitty things at the moment I am still pressing on with the ridiculously cabled Shedir from Knitty - No progress to show you because I have only done about 3 rows in as many weeks.  I have a great urge to start another Birch and would love some Helens Lace to do something with as well.

I have started a hat using the free Harlequin pattern from Elann in Regia Sock yarn.  You use a provisional cast on and knit one side and then pick up stitches from the provisional cast on and knit another cap - you end up with double fabric of 4 ply, very warm as it traps heat between the layers and the cuff detail looks great too.

Finally I have started Rogue by Jenna in Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran - can't remember the shade, very earthy though.  I've taken the mod of cardiganising the sweater and of using a small hem at the bottom.  I'm on Row 13 and the side panel cables are just starting to pop out.  This is going to be a bit of a slow project with nearly 200 stitches on the needles going back and forth too, not all in the round. 

I've included a pic of the hem detail as well for you to see.

Click on the pic to enlarge it a bit

I forgot I'm also doing another little  project as I wanted to see how the Lornas Laces Shepherd sock knitted up as a lace.  So I'm doing the Leaf lace scarf (the pink one) in the Shepherd Sock.

I really like how its coming up and it should be a fun little scarf when its all blocked out.  Don't know how I will go grafting two sections together - as that would be the biggest lot of grafting I've ever done - Ah well I'm sure I will have plenty of willing voices when the time comes.  The colourway is Mother Lode.

Knitting so far on the left and detail - albeit a bit washed out on the right!

Thats probably all I have for now, I hope everyone is having a good day.  Just a note about the Sockmonster Sales site - I haven't got it going properly yet - a combination of continually changing my mind as to how it should look and a lack of available time so I hope you do forgive me.

Happy knitting!