My new year got off to a ripping start - not really in a good way either! I signed up for the Knit Along with the Almanac on Ravelry and at The Knitting Parlour way back in November I think it was. Bought gorgeous Rico Essentials merino aran in a lovely teal colour to make a baby version of the aran sweater for my great nephew. Waited and waited for the BBC Big Ben Bongs - family kissing and hugging and fireworks display to finish so I could cast on! Knitting in the round away I went on the welt and managed to knit a few inches up through the welt and start cabling! It was amazing how quickly it was knitting up!! Now right here I have to admit that there was a little imbibing of champagne around midnight (as it was a very little I dont think it was the champagne I really dont . . .) however, in the light of new years day the little garment looked very little and no wonder it was knitting up super fast as I had cast on for a 3 to 6 month old and the intended recipient is already a year old! So I ripped back!
No worries it was only 1st January start again! I was using a basic sweater pattern for guidance on size only and was going to add my own cabling patterns and knit it in the round as per Elizabeth Z’s suggestions so I cast on again (the right size this time)! As I am getting towards the underarms I am really not liking my design it needed more purling on each side of the cables and a more intricate pattern and well just something else really so I half heartedly knit a bit more hoping it would be ok but it was no good it wasnt right, I wasnt happy with it. So I ripped back!
At this point I am still fond of the yarn and eager for great nephew to have a warm sweater while the weather is still cold so I cast on again but put the project in the sin bin and at the back of my mind while I soothed myself by knitting socks and handwarmers! I Kind of lost track of the time and realised half way through a pair of socks that I needed to sort out the aran and get it finished before February! So I dug it out - but cast on a tunic in noro for me (brain like a butterfly flitting from one project to the next)- but it is so lovely to be knitting with noro again and I have now completed the back of that and will keep on having a little knit of it even though I have lots and lots of other things I ought to be doing…..
So we come to today and it must be about 26th January I think and my little (very little) aran sweater is finally finished (except the buttons) all knitted up and sewn together and I am quite ok with it. I tried a couple of new to me techniques and it has turned out alright - but not fab.
I am amazed by and in awe of some of the other knitalongers projects though! (Not sure that knitalongers is a proper word but hope you understand). Some have managed adult sized complex aran sweaters knitted in the round and with steeking to come like Ruth:- or for little ones but knitted in dk so with lots of stitches and complicated patterns like Lesley:- or tunic style flared tops with complex shaping like Vicki’s; - they are all really super cool and genious - totally fab!
February calls for baby knitting but it was my intention to do the February Lady Jumper still in keeping with the spirit of the Almanac and by way of making up for doing a baby jumper in January. I have some lovely Amy Butler aran to use for that (it is currently being a kimono wrap top but I intend to rip that back to provide plenty of yarn for the February project)… some more ripping for me then……
Happy new year! I am taking part in a year long knitting challenge which was the brainchild of Ruth, our newest member of staff. We are knitting along with Elizabeth Zimmerman’s ‘Knitters Almanac’! January is an aran sweater which you could knit according to the book or as EZ encourages you to do, make up your own. I’m knitting a sweater dress for my 7 year old daughter in Stitch Nation Bamboo Ewe and for the first time in my life did a swatch to find out my guage and so far it is going well.
You can still join in, it’s not too late. The group is on Ravelry here. It’s really cool and we think the biggest challenge is knitting the items with a modern twist. They don’t have to be copies of what’s in the book. Keep checking in here for how everyone in the shop is doing with their almanac knitting!
shop front dec 2010 snowflake
This is our christmas window and eagle-eyed followers will notice that it is an exact copy of our 2007 one! We decided that instead of overwhelming ourselves we would use the time we normally spend on knitting for the window on our own christmas knitting so hopefully none of us will need to do any panic knitting on Christmas Eve!
I have just posted my christmas knitting to my best friend in Madrid for her new baby, not yet born but due on Christmas Eve I think. It is the first year that I have finished early but that’s only because it had to be posted today. I do have a bit of sewing to do and have an elf costume to make for the school christmas party on thursday. Luckily the other child wants to go as a reindeer for which there is a lot less making required.
Today in the shop people have been stocking up on wool ready for the return of actual snow on Thursday. It could be a white Christmas!
We have added our new hampers to the website in case you are after last-minute present ideas and our Knit-Pro needles, Stitch Nation yarns and new accessories like blocking wires are all on here now and are great gifts to yourself or a knitting buddy.
So happy Christmas knitting! If you’re short of ideas for the new year, we are hosting the ‘Knit the Almanac 2011′ group on Ravelry. Find us and join for a challenging knitting year in 2011!
For those of you visiting following our advert in Simply Knitting for the local Jacobs yarn, you can find it the other section in the yarn category.
I recently used this yarn to knit Elizabeth Zimmerman’s Adult Surprise Jacket and added in the odd couple of rows of Noro Silk Garden here and there. I LOVED knitting it and it didn’t take as long as you might think.
I am knitting with the new Rowan Renew at the moment. The pattern is Wild Saffron and it’s a longish jumper with knitted-in short sleeves and looks like a smocked effect on the top half. It will be perfect for layering in the winter. I’ve just finished the back, here is a pic of the lovely smocking…
We are lucky enough to be selling the new Stitch Nation yarn from Debbie Stoller of Stitch ‘n’ Bitch fame! It is being photographed as we speak and will be online from the weekend. It is gorgeous. Look out here soon!
Amy Butler is making her annual visit to us on Wednesday 18th August for a yarn-tasting evening. In a break from tradition, we are having the do at the shop because rather than a formal talk, Amy will be mingling and chatting and signing books instead. So we have a very limited number of tickets on sale for £3.50. This gets you in to the best party in town (!) plus a little goody bag of Amy’s yarn to try and endless wine and nibbles plus we will be offering discounts on all of Amy’s products for the evening. Please ring the shop on 01684 892079 to purchase a ticket or just call in to buy one. It will be entry by ticket only because of the space limitations.
It’s now officially the summer holidays and in the holiday spirit we are running a little contest. In fact, the winner will be randomly chosen so it’s not really a contest.
Pat and I recently went to Florida on a big family holiday and needless to say we took our knitting.
I didn’t actually take knitting to Disneyland, just the bag. I’m not that bad!
Email us a picture of you knitting on holiday and we will enter you into our draw to win some yummy yarn. It will be drawn on 31st August. Email to shop at theknittingparlour.co.uk with holiday knitting as the subject. We will put the best pics on the blog. Good luck!
