My logo is missing....

My logo has disappeared from the top of my blog page. I will recover it shortly but need help from my expert who is still at work. A nice little job for him when he gets home.

for now
Ruby xx

Springtime projects

The sun is out
The sky is blue
There's not a cloud to spoil the view

and I want to knit something that makes me feel the same. Have spent two days searching through my patterns and have decided project one will be Frolic:



Knitted in Rowan 4 ply cotton on 3mm needles. I'm going to make a couple of adjustments to the pattern. I'm going to knit in the round and am not going to cast off so I can knit the stitches for the neckline instead of having to pick them up.

I have a pack of Rowan 4 ply in cooking apple which is a discontinued colour but I love it



which I'm going to knit most of Frolic in, but I'm going to work the first 4 rounds in cream and the rib neckband in cream aswell and possibly the sleeve cast on - we shall see. The neck might be a bit fiddly but we shall see when we get there.

I am impatiently waiting for the postman to bring me my set of Denise interchangeable circular needles that I have ordered in the special pink case but they haven't arrived yet.



When they do I can use them for Frolic.

I have had a bit of an internet splurge today and shall post photos when everything arrives.

Oh, Frolic is from Rowan book 29. Not one of my favorites initially, but have since knitted loads out of it. A grower,



For now

Ruby

Review in Knitting magazine May 2007

Other exciting news. I received a text late this afternoon from a friend who had just been reading the new Knitting magazine. And in their blog reviews there I am. The assistant editor Katie Allen, has written a lovely review of my blog. I'm really flattered. I think she must have caught me in my 'blue' period when I didnt blog for a few weeks as she kindly asked me to start blogging again. So glad I did. What a fab day its been. Very very happy.

for now,

Ruby x

So much to blog about, so little time...

This has ended up being a week with a lot to talk about. First of all, did I finish Sahara? NO. I knitted all weekend. It was wonderful. However, a couple of design issues meant I had to frog, which has slowed me down no end. First of all, I decided to go with the cap sleeve version of Sahara, but when I tried it on the sleeve was much to loose round the top of my arm. So out it had to come. I was going to figure out some decreasing but as the sleeve is knitted from the shoulder down in short rows, I didn't really want to start messing with what was supposed to be a pain free project, so I'm now doing the sleeveless version. All I now have left to do is the sleeve edging.

The other problem I had was with the hem edging at the bottom of the garment. I initially cast off loosely as suggested on the pattern but still found the edge didn't have enough give - especially for those of us with shapely bottoms! So I frogged again. I have now knit the edging on 3.75mm needles and cast off with a 5mm needle and it sits so much better.



This is how it looks at the moment, modelled by the lovely, new Dita Von Dummy, not replacing Marilyn Mannequin, just offering a different look.



I was worried the front might have been too low, but it has worked out beautifully.



I am really pleased with the finished result. The fit is exquisite. This is one I think I will definately knit again. I may even try and stretch to the original Tilli Thomas yarn.

I also received a lovely, lovely, parcel from my lovely, lovely SP10 friend. The photos I have taken of the yarn have come out all blurred, but I received 2 beautiful hanks of yarn from the Natural Dye Studio in the most glorious shade of GREEN - my favorite. My SP10 tells me that all the dyes used are completely natural, so I'm going to investigate this company further. I also received a hank of Lorna's Laces yarn in a beautiful colourway, which I will try and photograph again to do it justice. I then also received a tin box of buttons. Fantastic. Not only do I collect buttons, but unbeknownst to my SP10 I collect tin boxes. It couldn't have been better.



It goes on. I also got a fab mug, which also wouldn't photograph with the words 'life is nothing without friendship' How true. Friends make the world go round. Thank you Emma, my SP10 you made my day.

OOh, she also sent me a recipe for the best cup cakes ever so I am going to have a go this weekend and shall let you all know.

for now

Ruby x

The Sahara, my back garden & chocolate from my SP10

Sahara continued in fits and bursts over the weekend. By Saturday evening she looked like this -



The fit is obviously a little difficult to gauge with no front panel in place but the shaping seems to have worked beautifully.



And the back shaping looks like its going to give an absolutely gorgeous fit.



She has actually grown quite considerably since these photos but will wait now until body is cast off before taking any more pics.

If you don't know where to find the pattern this is the page link http://www.stitchdiva.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=SDS-031

I received a lovely present of chocolate ladybirds from my SP10 aswell which are so lovely I don't want to eat them. Photos to follow. Talking of SP10's I am packing up my first parcel today to send to my pal. I hope she likes her goodies.

And finally, in between knitting, we started on our house extension at the weekend, which is extremely exciting. We did lots of ground work and preparations and the extension size and shape is now all pegged out in the garden. I'll post some pics of progress when there's actually something worth seeing, but the first step has been taken. I've currently got the smallest kitchen in the world, which for a cook is very depressing. So I will have a bigger kitchen and room for a kitchen table which is so important to family life I think. I've got so many ideas as this is the start of the whole house renovation and THEN studio in the garden!!!!!! can't wait.

We are going to our caravan in the lake district at the weekend so won't be posting till I come back but intend to knit and knit and knit, so we shall see if Sahara is finished on my return.

for now,
have a lovely weekend

Ruby xxx

4 days off, sunshine, food and knitting

Who could ask for more. What a glorious start to this Easter break. The sun is shining and the air smells of summer. I bought lots of goodies on Thursday to feed us for the weekend and to cook lots of lovely things. I have just got my lollie makers out of the outhouse to make some pure juice lollies. There is a lovely lolly in a Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall book where you add vodka or gin to the lollies. Rather nice, but for adults only. I got my lolly makers in the depths of winter in a sale at Laura Ashley and they cost about £1 for 4. They are pink and blue with flowers on. So lovely. And now I can actually use them.



As for knitting, this weekend I am knitting totally selfishly and have started on Sahara for the Sexy Knitters club knitalong. I couldnt take part in the last one as I had so much to do. This time I'm going to get it done. I am using a Louisa Harding silk and wool yarn called grace, in a lovely shade of green. Going well so far. The method is interesting. You cast on at shoulders and back neck using a provisional cast on and knit down to the underarm. Then you pick the shoulder stitches back up from the provisional cast on and did the two fronts seperately but at the same time again down to the underarm, then you join it all together. I'm just about to progress to the main body and start the bust shaping so have to put some markers in place.



The yarn is lovely on the whole but is possibly that little bit too soft and may pill a bit. I shall just have to see. When I get to the neckline I have some bronze beads I am going to add here and there to look like the Tilli Thomas yarn it was done in on the pattern. Lovely stuff but beyond my budget.



I'm going for the cap sleeve version. Will try to get as much done this weekend as possible. Will let you know more next week.

Have a lovely easter.

for now
Ruby x

New designs on www.knitonthenet.com

I have three new patterns featured in the new issue of www.knitonthenet.com. Here is my long planned unshaped shrug, which I designed several months ago but have had to keep under wraps until the magazine was published.

I had been having an online discussion with someone who was a new knitter and was scared of making the move to garment knitting because of shaping and garment construction.

I designed the unshaped shrug with her in mind, creating a rectangle that folds round the arms to give a 3 dimensional fabric. The softness of the yarn, Rowan Little Big Wool ensures the garment drapes softly around the neck and shoulders and yet sits flat against the back. If you wish you can knit it without the eyelets and just have a stocking stitch fabric or you could swap it for other patterns with a stitch repeat of 4 stitches and a similar tension.

I think the photos this time are even more fab than last. See the photo below for the back of the unshaped shrug.