A finished piece of the Action & a new hobby?

Okay bad joke, but I'm like, so funny..

The first completed piece of Action, from Rowan Denim People.

It's interesting construction the front and back are both pieced from two pieces, with a seam that runs down the 1/3 mark or so (length ways).

So this is the right back piece.


And this is going to be a patchwork dolly blanket, to see if I like this patchwork/quilting thingo. I bought the fabric at last year's craft show in Perth (which was otherwise nearly a complete waste of time. I went for yarn. There was little of interest. But it does show I've been fiddling with this idea for rather a long time..)
If I enjoy it, I'll give myself permission to buy enough Amy Butler/Echino/Liberty etc. to make a throw for my room in the new place. Purples/blues and greens most likely. We'll see.

Yup, winter definitely on its way!

The dead giveaway? I'm wearing my first ever grown-up sized sweater.

This is my own special variant on Skully, from Debbie Stoller's Stitch and Bitch book.

It's knit in Jo Sharp Silkroad Ultra, which is which is warm, and squishy and pills like a bastard, making it no longer going-out wear. That, and its boxy unflattering shaping ;-)

In other news, its my birthday soon. And this means I get to "suggest" (read pick) my birthday pressie from my lovely Dad and step-mum. Now normally, there's plenty a thing I am coveting.

But. Yarn is obviously normally high on the list, but as I have not one, but two jumpers on the needles, and one/two pairs of socks.. I just don't want to risk getting the yarn for something in particular, getting to the end of my project list and then deciding I really want to knit something else entirely.

I am also vaguely fighting a desire to pick up a new hobby - quilting. Not so much of the country style stuff, more like Amy Butler's quilts, and Denyse Schmidt's quilts.. Contemporary modern stuff with beautiful fabrics a la Florence Broadhurst.

Current hold ups include: lack of time, needing to borrow Mum's sewing machine (at her house, no room in this tiny apartment) and money. Oh, and a nagging sense that I sucked at sewing clothing when younger. But then quilts are a) straight lines which I expect I can manage and b) maths, which I can do.

I've decided I'm nesting in a major way (not the baby-sense family, don't panic!) but in the I-want-a-proper-house sense. I haven't decided whether to ignore it or go with it yet. I'll let you know when I do ;-)

Oh, and action continues on Action (that denim gift-to-be-jumper). Nearly up to arm shaping on the first panel. I didn't bother photographing it, because its just a big blue square of knitted stuff. You can visualise that, right?

Making progress on the Action jumper - Rowan Denim People

38cm into the first of the two front pieces. I need to check the intended length on the recipient on the weekend, to work out how much it needs to be shorteneded by (length sense and my 18% shrinking versus the Rowan measurement of 20%.)

Good progress, I'm happy with that. The colour is Nashville - a darker shade than my Raspy.

My cool links of the day: Cut + Paste & Whip-up

www.cutxpaste.com

Lots of neat stuff. Which I found through this brilliant craft related feed:

whipup.net

New yarn arrives.. and a better photo of Diamond Stitch Top

The Nashville denim arrived.
And, a better photo of that Diamond Stitch Top (very slightly photoshopped - but only to hide the messy house that neither I nor the photographer didn't notice at the time).
Pretty cute, huh?

Raspy knitting.

Well, Knitting Camp (and several taped episodes of Heroes) makes for excellent knitting progress.

Below you can see that I'm up to the arm scythes on Raspy.


Unfortunately, while I knitted about 2 inches at Stitch and Bitch last night, it got ripped out this afternoon.

Why?The pattern calls for k2togtbl. Clearly, this is very untidy. It also does not match the k2togs on the other side. How dumb is that? Anyway, I've ripped it back to do the proper paired decreases.

I am also doing an awful lot of reading about the construction of round necked raglan sleeves. I have some ideas and plans so far, but it'll probably end up a try-it-and-see thing.

Warning: long, non-knitting related ramble/rant

Well, it's happened.

Not that I'd really noticed it was an issue before now, which shows how rarely I actually make use of their area, but...

I am now officially too old to shop in Miss Shop. I know, most of their stuff is crap.

But I used to be able to pick up reasonably priced casual clothes and some workwear from their Tokito brand.

Anyway I went there yesterday and realised it's just all too "trendy" (read short and in weird colours and far too teeny-bopper styles) for me.

Which leaves me with a significant issue.

At 32, it seems I have reached clothing no-mans-land. At least that I can afford.

I am too old for the Miss Shop/Sportsgirl/Portmans range. Styles don't flatter and I get annoyed at the cheap & nasty fabircs and styles so fashion NOW-RIGHT-THIS-INSTANT-GOING-TO-BE-UNWEARABLE-IN-A-WEEK! That I, with limited funds can't justify the relatively cheap costs. Younger clothing section in Target also meets here.

I am too young (and, I hope, personal style conscious) for Katies/Suzanne Grae/Jaquie E etc.
I look there, get disheartened and leave, feeling about a million years old.

I have a relatively fixed income, which means that clothes that I like and are appropriate, I can't always afford. Review brand, for example.

I can buy work clothes in Myer etc from Basque, but seem at a loss for affordable priced age-suitable clothing for casual at-home and casual going out. (I don't do a lot of dressy-going out these days).

While this is a somewhat revelation, reflection leads me to recall that I haven't been happy shopping for a long while. I'm left with this awful feeling, like it just shouldn't be this hard to care somewhat about how I look (It's not even like I am uber-image obsessed). [At this point my friends are no doubt falling about laughing at me, but yes, I do care how I look!]

So, thoughts? Do I give up and dress dowdy and dull? Do I overspend and wear my-life-inappropriate-but-beautiful clothing?

And, yes, there is knitting happening, and Kntting Camp was a blast. And I have photos. Which I will post once I clear the permission from the people in them.

One of the coolest Australian sites I've ever seen.

And I've barely scratched the surface of it!

http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/electronicswatchbook/

(Yes, I have lots of other stuff to post, but it's late and hot and I need to (try to) sleep..)

New project? But you just..

Well, I finished the Diamond Stitch top, and so was knitting up a storm on Raspy.

I have thus far decided on one thing. I will knit it 6 rows shorter. I washed and dried my swatch in hot wash/hot drier to test the shrinkage. My shrinkage is about 17.6% - which is pretty much what the tests I have seen online found.

The pattern is written for 20% (I counted all the rows and checked.. obsessive? how so?). So I worked out I need to take out 6 rows to meet the same length - which is already a little long on me, but good for the style of jumper. I haven't done the calculations for the sleeves yet, but will in due course.

However.

I have now ordered some new Rowan Denim. Yes, really.

I had a gentle prod from my man about starting a gift project I promised a long.. well, really long time ago. Not for him, but a good friend. (Really, really good friend. Good enough to justify a whole jumper, despite not technically being related to me. I have rules about these things.)

Gift recipient and I'd even recently agreed on a pattern. So, (realising my darling man is right, dammit!) I bit the bullet, called the gift recipient-to-be and got his measurements and ordered the yarn.

I'm knitting the pattern on the left, Action from Rowan's Denim People, just like Raspy. Pretty much as shown on the left, but without the bleached stripes.

I actually really like the construction, I think the seam that runs vertically down the front and back is really visually interesting on what is otherwise a plain jumper.

And, since it's the same yarn/tension as Raspy I'll be able to use my new Addis.

Did I mention how much I am in love with my new Addis. I didn't own any before. I don't know how this travesty could happen. I like them so much I want to run out and buy one to replace every pair in my collection and a few spares just in case. Damn you lack of disposable income!

Oh, and the darling man has decided on his new beanie. (He likes beanies, looks yummy in them and I like knitting them. It's all good.)

This: Red Light Special, by the fabulously talented BrooklynTweed. But in Western Force colours. So black background, two colours of blue and a tiny bit of white.

Only downside is the pattern is written for Telemark, by Knitpicks at a gauge not replicated in other yarn. So buy I will be, via kind US based people. (sigh). I really wish the Knitpicks people would realise our money works there, too! (grumble, grumble).

Off for the long-weekend tomorrow. Hurrah! Knitting goodness!