The Sky Blanket - August

 I've found it pretty hard going this month.  I think there are two reasons.

1. I had hoped, as it's August, that there would be lots more blue in this months additions.  I've found all the grey a little wearing.

2. I've been distracted by knitting a jumper.  I'd much rather spend my time on something that is nearing completion and I want to start wearing!

But I got there in the end.  Only 5 months and 7 rows to go!

Pink Memories Jumper

 

I really want to knit myself jumpers that I can wear every day.  But my first attempt, although it fitted was too tight and not quite what I had it mind.  So while I've had this pattern (the original design is in pink, hence the pink title, I'm tempted to try a pink one soon) for a while now, I've been a bit put off trying it due to that first experience.

However since then I have made my friend a jumper that did fit, and several cardigans that also fitted nicely.  I'd also fallen in love with the light grey wool I've been using in the sky blanket.  It's Stylecraft Special DK in silver and it's so soft and a lovely colour.  I just had to try it. 

This time I took my pattern into the local wool shop and spoke to the lovely lady there.  She talked me though measuements and doing a proper tension square.  I ended up doing three as the suggested needle size was way too small for my knitting style!

 

Then with everything ready I got going.  And it came out so well!  I am totally in love with this jumper.  The drape is lovely and it feels so soft.  I also love how swapping between garter stitch and stocking stitch makes the back just a little longer naturally as you knit in the round. 

 

I've got several patterns from this designer and now I know its possible to knit a beautiful jumper, they are going to be much higher up my list of projects.  It's very exciting, I can't wait to knit more.

A Bonsai Tool Roll

 

As I've started to do more bonsai, so my collection of bonsai tools has grown.  So I decided to make a tool roll for them to make it easy when I want to go out into the garden and use them, rather than having to pick up a selection of loose tools.

I had an old pair of jeans which a hole in the bum - the legs made a perfect 'sheet' of denim, once I'd sewn them together.  And I found a ribben from a past Christmas gift to act as a tie.

It's not perfect, but it does the job nicely, keeping all my tools safe together, and making it easy to take everything with me when I next need to work on my bonsai.  I've even left space knowing I'm likely to add to my collection in the future.

The Sky Blanket - July

The blanket is growing, as you would expect.  As its July I had hoped for a bit more blue, but other than one week of heat wave it's mostly been sunshine and showers. 

One week of a heat wave

I thought I should record how I've been joining the squares.

I start by leaving a long tail when I finish a square - about 20cm long.

With right sides facing I then use the tail from the left hand square to sew them together.

I then continue along the line until the row is finished - always using the tail from the left hand square.

When I start the next row below, I use what is left of the tail from the left hand square above to join the square below.

I then repeat for this row - using the tail from the left hand square to join the next square, and so on.  Easy when you know how.

 

A Lotus Tunic

Last weekend I was due to be a participant on a map reading course but it got cancelled due to low numbers.  I was notified a couple of weeks ahead of time so had a decision to make.  I could cancel the annual leave that I'd already booked and just have a normal weekend, or I could find something else to do with my time.

I decided on the latter.  I bought the Amy Butler Lotus Tunic sewing pattern maybe 10 years ago.  When I started reading the pattern I freaked out a bit and gave up - it looked really complicated and included a lining - something I'd never done before.  But I've made all sorts of clothing since then, the Coco dress, a pair of trousers, a t-shirt, the joni dress, and a whole bunch of other things.  So I was starting to feel a little more confident.

I'd found some lovely capri peach skin fabric (it really does feel like a peach skin) from Lulou Designs for the dress and I'd meant to try making the dress at Easter 2020, but lockdown stopped that (we got locked down before I could get all the other things needed).  But we're out of lockdown now and the shops are back open so I paid a visit to my local sewing show and the lady there was so helpful and found me a pale green cotton lawn to make the lining with. 

So last weekend, with everything prepared, fabric washed and ironed and all the other things I needed collected I started making the dress.  It was actually much easier that I thought it was going to be.  I did make a couple of mistakes where I had to unpick bits, but in general it came together very well.  I also added some pockets following a Tilly and the Buttons tutorial - they worked very well too.

I didn't quite finish it last weekend, so I finished the sleeves and hemmed it this weekend.  I'm really please with how its turned out.  However it's a bit more formal that I thought it would be, it feels like something a charactor from a Jane Austen novel would wear, not something I would wear into the office.  Of course I haven't worn a dress for over a year, so anything is going to feel more formal than my standard jeans and t-shirt right now.  Not something I have to worry about right now I guess.

A New Running Hat

 When I first started running, years ago now, I wasn't sure how long I'd be doing it.  And as I didn't feel like a proper running I wasn't going to waste too much money buying proper running stuff.  So when it started getting cold and I realised I'd need a hat and some gloves for those early morning runs, I just got a cheap £10 set from Sainsburys when I did the weekly shop one week.

They were plain grey and did the job.  I could run in them all week then stick them in the wash with the rest of my running kit, no problems.  

But a couple of years ago the hat started to get a bit thread bare.  I'm a bit sad about that.  It was a good hat.  But I considered myself a runner now so how hard could it be to replace it?

 

Apparently pretty hard.  I don't know who designs them, but they don't seem to understand the concept of running and the fact it makes me sweat.  After a week of running that hat needs a wash, and yet all the hats I've bought so far have shrunk in the wash! 

So I knitted myself one.  I can't say if it will shrink yet, but it's machine washable yarn so I think it'll be ok.  Of course it's a bit warm for a hat right now, and I'm off running for a bit with a foot injury, but I'm sure I'll find out once it gets cold again.

Rather than keep it plain grey I added a little bit of detail with a yellow stripe.  I like it.  I might try some other colours next.

Carbeth Cardigan

 A few years ago I knitted the Carbeth Jumper for my friend Katie.  It's a lovely pattern and an easy knit and I added it to my list to knit myself one.  But I'm not that kean on a roll neck.  I find they itch, so I kept putting it off.

But then Kate Davies released a Carbeth Cardigan pattern.  Now the high neck wouldn't itch but I'd have the beauty of the rest of the jumper.  Win.  

So in January I got myself some wool - Paintbox Yarns in Chunky Mustard Yellow, and got knitting.  The cardigan is knitted in a different way from the jumper, but it was still an easy knit.  Until I ran out of wool in mid Feb, only to find they were out of stock and I couldn't get any more. 

I moved onto the Persian Tiles crochet blanket while I waited, and waited, and waited.

Finally in May I got more wool.  So I finished off the blanket before going back to the cardigan, which didn't take long to finish.  I then raided my button jar to find the perfect buttons, before giving it a rinse and blocking it out.

Normally I like a longer jumper/cardigan, and if I knit this again I might well add some length to the body, but I really love it and think its super cute.  It works just as well over a pair of jeans or a summer dress.  I'm looking forward to wearing it.

The Sky Blanket - June

 

And the Sky Blanket continues.  I'm still managing to keep up, but our social lives are starting to pick up again as lockdown is reduced.

I thought I'd explain how I make my bumpy cloud squares today.  All my squares are knitted with double strength DK - so two strands held together, which allows me to have more colour variety.  For these squares you need 4 strands of DK.  Two of blue to make your sky and two of cloud colour - white or white and grey or just grey.

 

So cast on 12 stitches in sky colour.

Row 1:  Knit in sky colour.

Row 2: Purl in sky colour.

Row 3: Knit 3 stitches in sky colour, add your cloud colour and purl 3 stitches.  Make sure you bring your cloud colour to the back of your work and knit 3 stitches in sky colour.  Purl the last 3 stitches in cloud colour.

Row 4: Purl 3 stitches in sky colour, knit 3 stitches in cloud colour, purl 3 stitches in sky colour and knit 3 stitches in cloud colour.

Repeat these 4 rows 2 more times.  

Row 13: Knit in sky colour.

Row 14: Purl in sky colour.

Row 15: Knit in sky colour.

Cast off all stitches and sew in all your ends.  Leave a nice long tail of sky colour to sew into the rest of the blanket.