Finish Line

Nearly a week late in posting, but I truly did finish my two Ravelympic projects on time!


Project #1: Glacier Ribbon Scarf
Lots of pictures thanks to Joe's good work with the camera!





Yarn: FlameTree Yarns silk single (Cystal Pool colourway) courtesy of Knitabulous
Pattern: Lace Ribbon Scarf
Needles: 4mm knitpicks options
Mods: A bit shorter than the pattern stipulates. Using a slightly heavier yarn means it's a little wider too.


I like that I can wear it scrunched up around my neck


Or opened out over my shoulders
This yarn has to be cuddled to be believed ... sooooo soft and (would you believe) silky!



Project #2 Pomotamus
These will be going to a good home.



Pattern: Pomotamus
Yarn: Patonyle (old style) in cream
Needles: 2.75 mm dpns ( a mix of grey and anodized green that I picked up from an op shop - sweet!)
Mods: Took inspiration from Princess Pea and used a rib cast on. The toes are totally different. With 48 sts remaining shifted to a decrease every row. Then grafted when there were 20 sts remaining (or something like that). I'm not a fan of pointy toed socks.



I love the stitch pattern. It's like there are 2 or three layers of knitting lurking in there.

In Training and the Real Event

Last week was training week for the Ravelympics.

I have two projects tagged for the Ravelympics, Pomatomus, and a scarf/stole (just in case I could be super efficient and finish two off).

I wanted to knit a scarf/stole in some dk silk I had purchased from Knitabulous. I totally fell in love with it as soon as I saw it. I figured it would make a lovely accessory to wear to my cousin's wedding, and help me feel a little less like a beached whale (I'll be around 35 weeks pregnant).

Initially I thought I might pick out a stitch pattern from my new book of knitting stitches (a yummy birthday pressie!), and tried one out on some left over cotton (figuring it wouldn't have much stretch in it, like the silk). It looked pretty good.

But the twist in the silk was not as tight, and I think a lot of the pattern was lost.

So that idea was scrapped (although I've kept going with the red swatch, I think it will end up as a face washer).

This week, I've been under house arrest. The cold I caught at the beginning of July is creeping up out of my chest, and is making friends with the brand new cold I caught at the end of last week. So I decided to listen to the doctors and accept the week off work.

This has meant that there's been quite a bit of time available for knitting. Here are pics of my two Ravelympics projects:

Pomatomus knitted in standard patonyle

The stitch definition is wonderful. And I used a k1 p1 rib cast on (found in a random book of Patons patterns) for a stretchy cuff.





and Veronik Avery's Lace Ribbon Scarf knitted in Knitabulous' hand dyed silk.


I think the colour is more like the blue in this second photo.

I keep switching between the two projects cause frankly, both patterns get a little repetitive after a while.

Problem Solved

I have been complaining much this winter that the tops for sale have stupid sleeve lengths. They stop just above the elbow, just below the elbow, just above the wrist, and anywhere in between. Finding long-sleeved tops to wear this winter was quite an exercise (luckily I did find some that I've been rotating through).


I decided that I'd had enough with all the complaining. And set out to do something about it. The answer was (of course) long fingerless mits. I settled on a pattern from one of the books I bought in Japan. After contemplating the pattern and figuring out what most of those Japanese symbols meant, swatching (that's right, I swatched!), switching hooks, getting halfway through the first one, before pulling it out (I don't have Japanese skinny arms and hands) they were finished!





I LOVE them! I think they're just a little more elegant than Fetching (I like to practise a royal wave when wearing them). The colour changes from grey to purple to brown depending on the light.


And so for specs:

Pattern: no idea what it's called, it's in Japanese
Yarn: Patonyle (a bit more than one ball)
Hook: 3.25 mm
Modifications: in the original pattern the elbow ends are more flared, as I've only decreased once (instead of four times). I've also added a pattern repeat (2 rows) between the thumb and the knuckle.