abowerbirdsnest: knit

Showing posts with label knit. Show all posts

I discovered the ESK Yarnathon halfway through the year last year, so 2020 is the year I'm signing up to participate. It will be light participation for me, as there are quite a few other WIPs I want to work through, but I couldn't resist the lure of all the pretty badges to win and a fairy tale theme.

This page will track the badges won and projects completed - wish me luck!

FAIRY TALE LAND PROGRESS

I am currently at Wool Winder Mill with 1320/50,000 yards and 0 stars.

2020 KALs

Q1: Tiny Owl Knits

Q2: Rumpelsilkskein

Q3: Jack and the Beadstalk

Q4: Storybook Knits Year Long: Choose Your Own Adventure Stitch Sampler

BOOSTER CLUB BADGES

Mini-Mouse (5 points) - Complete a project that uses less than 50 yards.
Scrappy Camper (5 points) - Complete a project using only leftover yarn from other projects
5 O’Clock Somewhere (5 points) - Craft while enjoying your favorite alcoholic beverage or mocktail.
Accidental Moebius (5 points) - Accidentally twist when joining in the round, even though you rolled your eyes when the pattern designer explicitly stated you should “be careful not to twist.”
Breadcrumb Trail (5 points) - Add notes to a Ravelry project to help you remember what you did (or help someone else).
Cast Away (5 points) - Complete a project using a new-to-you cast-on or cast-off.
Froggarella (5 points) - Frog a project you don’t enjoy.
Diets Are Bad (5 points) - Break your self-proclaimed yarn diet with a purchase of 2 or more skeins for this badge.
Ding Dong (5 points) - Reach Wool Winder Mill in the Yarnathon. [20-01-2020]
Duds Win Too (5 points) - Collect 5 dud lotto tickets from 2020.
Extra! Extra! (5 points) - Subscribe to our newsletter. [20-01-2020]
High Turnover (5 points) - Cast on for a project during the same day you get your yarn.
I < 3 You Too (5 points) - Favourite at least 40 projects shared with the ESK Group.
Neat Freak (5 points) - Organise an element of your stash - yarn, needles, project bags, or anything else that could use some sprucing! Honor system.
Off Base (5 points) - Buy a skein of yarn in a base or brand you haven't tried before
Playing Chicken (5 points) - Complete a project with 5 or fewer yards of yarn remaining.
Queue Anonymous (5 points) - More than 150 items in your Ravelry queue.
Sick Stitches (5 points) - Take a sick day and work on your ESK projects. Whether you're really sick or not, we won't tell if you don't.
Suggestion Box (5 points) - Suggest a colorway, base, or dyer that you think ESK should carry by posting in this thread.
Swatchbuckler (5 points) - Actually complete a proper 4"x4" guage swatch befoe starting your project
Tag You're It (5 points) - Tag 3 ESK projects on Ravelry or Instagram with 'eatsleepknit'.
Tangled (5 points) - Ugh! This is the worst - your skein of yarn is hopelessly tangled. It counts for this badge regardless of who tangled it - you, the dyer, or your pet!
Wrong End (5 points) - Accidentally start knitting with the tail end of your long-tail cast-on. Ugh!

All Comes Out In The Wash (10 points) - Complete a felted project (does not include needle felting).
Captain Hook (10 points) - Complete the crochet option in a Flash KAL.
Charity Knits (10 points) - Complete a project for charity of your choice.
Fiber Friendship (10 points) - Complete a project with gifted yarn (includes yarn you’ve purchased with an ESK gift certificate).
Fill Your Boots (10 points) - Complete an adult-sized pair of socks.
I Fall to Pieces (10 points) - Knit or crochet a seamed garment.
Part of Your World (10 points) - Complete a project that makes a person look like an animal, such as a hat with antlers or a sweater with dinosaur spikes.
Stash Diver (10 points) - Complete a project entirely from your stash. Yarn should be at least three months old.
Suddenly Single (10 points) - Complete a project using any single-ply yarn.
10K Club (10 points) - Reach Fair Isle Fountain in the Yarnathon via any method
Alternator (10 points) - Complete a project alternating your skeins the whole time to ensure a perfectly blended hand-dyed knit!
Just Right (10 points) - Have at least 20 correct weekly puzzle answers
Magic Carpet Ride (10 points) - Post a photo of yourself knitting on a flying carpet, plane, boat, or train
Once Upon a Time (10 points) - Own at least two of the ESK special fairytale-themed colorways
Phone-A-Friend (10 points) - Introduce a friend to Eat.Sleep.Knit! This can also be a blog or public internet post. [21-01-2020]
Social Stalker (10 points) - Follow us on at least two forms of social media. [20-01-2020]
Special Delivery (10 points) - Order yarn on your birthday!

Advent-ageous (20 points) - Complete a project that uses your yarnvent or Tosh advent calendar.
Cross-Contamination (20 points) - Complete a project using yarn from three or more dyers.
Feel the Breeze (20 points) - Complete a sleeveless tank or tee.
Fill in the Blank-et (20 points) - Complete a 1000+ yard blanket.
Gift of Giving (20 points) - Complete three projects for gifting to others. (400 yard minimum total for all 3+ projects combined)
Handle with Care (20 points) - Complete a project with a non-superwash yarn.
High-Class Hooker (20 points) - Complete a crochet project of any kind.
It’s Magic (20 points) - Complete a project that uses illusion knitting or crochet.
Jumperoo (20 points) - Knit an adult-sized sweater.
Little Red (20 points) - Complete a project with a hood.
Long Haul (20 points) - Complete a project you’ve been working on for more than 9 months.
Silk Sweetheart (20 points) - Complete a project using more than 50% silk.
Speedy Crafter (20 points) - Complete an entire project from start to finish within one week.
Winter Wear (20 points) - Complete a cold-weather project using chunky weight (or heavier) yarn.
Happily Ever After (20 points) - Reach Cast-Off Castle in the Yarnathon via any method.
KAL Queen (20 points) - Complete all four 2020 quarterly KALs.
Scheherazade (20 points) - Post in the Eat.Sleep.Knit Ravelry group on 30 different days (any 30, can be non-consecutive).
Skein Saver (20 points) - Own 100 or more skeins of yarn from ESK.
Spin to Win (20 points) - Spin a minimum of 300 yards of handspun from ESK fiber.
Stash to 5K (20 points) - Knit the equivalent of 5km worth of ESK yarn (5, 468 yards) before the end of the year.
Sweater Stasher (20 points) - Order 6 or more skeins of the same base in a single order (can be different colours.

*All images were created by and belong to Eat.Sleep.Knit

ESK Yarnathon 2020

by Rebecca Johnson on Tuesday, January 21, 2020

I discovered the ESK Yarnathon halfway through the year last year, so 2020 is the year I'm signing up to participate. It will be li...

PHEW! Christmas is done! And that means the end (for now) of all the Christmas knitting. I must say, overall I was pretty successful with the Christmas knitting. The only thing I feel down on was a pair of socks (poor Ash had one gifted to him along with an IOU), but everything else was finished, had ends sewn in, and was even blocked! I know. I surprised even myself.

The Christmas line up

Pattern: Noro Striped Scarf by Jared Flood

Materials: Noro Silk Garden; 45% mohair, 45% silk, 10% wool

Amount: 2 skeins in 87; 2 skeins in 376; Approx. 206m/100g

Needles: US 7/4.50 mm

Start Date: 3 July 2014

Finish Date: 21 July 2014

For: Luke

Pattern: Isadora by Morris & Sons

Materials: Quartet; 70% wool, 30% soy

Amount: 4 skeins in 104 Wharf; Approx. 114m/50g

Needles: US 10.5/6.5 mm

Start Date: 13 September 2014

Finish Date: 13 November 2014

For: Jill

Pattern: Chevzam by Alex Tinsley

Materials: Malabrigo Yarn Merino Worsted; 100% merino

Amount: 1 skein in 22 Sauterne; 1 skein in 35 Frank Ochre; 1 skein in 36 Pearl; 1 skein in 63 Natural; Approx. 192m/100g

Needles: US 9/5.50 mm

Start Date: 8 December 2014

Finish Date: 19 December 2014

For: Nicole

Pattern: Hermione Hearts Ron by Christy Aylesworth

Materials: Patons Big Baby 4ply; 60% acrylic, 40% nylon (small)
Heirloom Merino Magic 5ply; 100% Merino (big)

Amount: 1 skein in 2565 (small); 1 skein in 206 (big)

Needles: US 2/2.75mm | US 2.5/3.0mm (small)
US 2.5/3.0mm | 3.50mm (big)

Dates: 2-4 November 2014 (small)

17-19 December 2014 (big)

For: Katie

Pattern: Song of the Sea by Louise Zass-Bangham

Materials: Heirloom Merino Magic 5ply; 100% merino

Amount: 4 skeins in 206; Approx. 119m/100g

Needles: US 6/4.0 mm

Start Date: 21 July 2014

Finish Date: 21 August 2014

For: Kira

Pattern: Vivace by Elizabeth Sullivan

Materials: Moda Vera Noir; 75% wool, 25% nylon

Amount: 1 skeins in Purple Mix; Approx. 400m/100g

Needles: US 2/2.75 mm

Start Date: 27 March 2014

Finish Date: 1 December 2014

For: Katie

Christmas Knitting

by Rebecca Johnson on Wednesday, December 31, 2014

PHEW! Christmas is done! And that means the end (for now) of all the Christmas knitting. I must say, overall I was pretty successfu...

Sometimes I engage in craft that is thoroughly weather inappropriate - such as the beanie I just finished. The pattern is called Icicle, happily prompting up images of icy winters, perhaps a little falling snow, all those lovely things - but I've managed to finish it off just in time for the Australian summer to start settling in. Into the draw it goes for next year, I'm afraid.

Pattern: Icicle by Irina Dmitrieva

Materials: madeline tosh dk; 100% merino

Amount: 1 skein in Maple Leaf; Approx. 206m/100g

Needles: US 4/3.5 mm | US 6/4.00 mm

Start Date: 6 September 2014

Finish Date: 23 September 2014

I have been hoarding this skein of madeline tosh dk for over a year now. Partly because I just really liked looking at the colourway, but mostly because madeline tosh yarn is my favourite of all yarn (it is just so soft and squishy) and just knowing that I had some on hand was lovely.

I finally caved and cast on however, safe in the knowledge that this knit was going to be all for myself (yes I broke the Christmas knitting roll) and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. madeline tosh yarn AND happy cables? That makes for some nice comforting knitting in my book. Plus, because of it's size, it was wonderfully transportable. It was knit in front of the TV...

AND it was knit happily chugging away up the mountains on the train...

And, I'm sure a few places in between. I know for sure it was knit over coffee in Katoomba, and sat by me while I got all made up for a wedding, so it did the rounds this one. This is, actually, one of my favourite aspects of knitting, the way in which it can absorb all the memories of everything going on around you.

I did manage to sneak in a few wears before today's weather took a decided turn for the season, so I can report that it is wonderfully comfortable!

Summer Icicles

by Rebecca Johnson on Monday, September 29, 2014

Sometimes I engage in craft that is thoroughly weather inappropriate - such as the beanie I just finished. The pattern is called Icicle, ha...

I've been resisting the urge to start in on tiny owl knit's The Beekeeper's Quilt ever since I first saw it. I ignored the designer's enthusiasm over the squishiness of the hexipuffs. I pretended I had forgotten about the little bits of left over sock yarn I had been hoarding. I pretended I didn't absolutely love the look of the little embroidered puffs popping up all over Pinterest. I WOULD RESIST.

Clearly I didn't resist. I mean, have you seen that blanket? It's adorable.

I'm keeping track of my hexipuffs over on ravelry, where I shamelessly stole the stats layout from ravelry user velmalikevelvet - but I thought I'd copy my stats over here where I've got some room to play and add pictures.

Total: 18
Aug 2014: 10
Sep 2014: 1
Oct 2014: 7

Milestones
5% (64) reached
10% (128) reached
15% (192) reached
20% (256) reached
25% (320) reached
30% (384) reached
35% (448) reached
40% (512) reached
45% (576) reached
50% (640) reached
55% (703) reached
60% (768) reached
65% (832) reached
70% (896) reached
75% (960) reached
80% (1024) reached
85% (1088) reached
90% (1152) reached
95% (1216) reached
100% (1279) reached

(I used this to calculate how many of hexipuffs I’d need. Frankly I’d avoid doing that if I were you because now I’m scared and a little crazed.)

YARNS USED

Filatura Di Crosa
(unknown colourway - red/purple)
0.75 squares

Schoppel-Wolle Crazy Zauberball
1699 Lilac Breeze
1 square

Shepherd Baby Wool Merino 4 ply
2948 (pastel green)
3.75 squares

Unknown Yarns (not listed above)
(unknown remains from Sweetpea socks) - 3 squares
(unknown remains from First Socks) - 2.5 squares
(unknown - mustard) - 3.25 squares
(unknown - white) - 1.75 squares
(unknown - blue) 2 squares

All the squishy hexipuffs

by Rebecca Johnson on Monday, September 29, 2014

I've been resisting the urge to start in on tiny owl knit's The Beekeeper's Quilt ever since I first saw it. I ignored...

I've been reading my way through Stephanie Peal-McPhee (The Yarn Harlot)'s books this month, having just finished Free Range Knitter: The Yarn Harlot Writes Again. In it she writes that

"...it's a horrible tragedy that the period of your life in which you had the most money to spend on yarn (and did spend on yarn) also appears to be the time that you had the least amount of taste."

A more appropriate sentiment I could not find this week.

To be fair on myself, it's not that my taste has necessarily changed, or that my taste in yarn used to be inherently bad. Rather, I am now better able to see an unknit ball of yarn and know, pre-agony, that I am simply going to hate the way it knits up. This is all very well and good while procuring shiny new yarn - but is utterly useless in my attempt to knit my way through my stash.

I've been hoarding this one particularly skein of sock yarn for about four years now. It made me happy to see it amongst my stash because I thought the skein so pretty. But more and move over the past few months (as the skein came to rest on top of the stash mountain), I've found myself looking at it with increased wariness. Suddenly the colours, which I had previously thought so beautiful seemed too stark in contrast. My (granted limited) maths skills kicked in and I saw the gradient I had once imagined contract and disappear.

Biting the bullet I decided to see if I was merely paranoid. Picking out something from my queue, I cast on the Orchid Cowl, hoping that the sizable stockinette panels would absorb some of the colour changes. I may have been right, but I'll never know because I never made it through the first lace section. The colour changes came even quicker than I had anticipated and that colouration over a lace panel had my eyes hurting and my yarn rage fuming.

Some told me to stick with it, but when Lisa agreed with my pain that project was frogged quick smart.

Still, I was determined to win - mainly because I had two hours to fill in with nothing but this yarn. Clearly this colour was too bright for anything pattern intensive. Surely garter stitch was the answer - a nice simple shawl in garter stitch, then it could be as colourful as I liked. I hit up Ravelry and, surrounded as I was by the library's calming rows of books, I set aside my previous grievances and cast on something simple. But with each row I just felt stronger about how much I hated this yarn and it didn't last very long either.

I should be clear - the yarn itself was lovely to work with. It was soft and the colours were vibrant. it did not split, nor fray (even despite the multiple restarts). It just wasn't the colourway for me. Thankfully, in an act of kindness (and perhaps concern for my mental well being), Wendy has taken the yarn away. I wish her better luck with it!

Rage Yarn

by Rebecca Johnson on Tuesday, August 05, 2014

I've been reading my way through Stephanie Peal-McPhee ( The Yarn Harlot )'s books this month, having just finished Free Ra...

Pattern: Lacy Baktus by Terhi Montonen

Materials: Schoppel-Wolle Crazy Zauberball; 75% wool | 25% nylon

Amount: 1 skein in Lilac Breeze; Approx. 419m/100g

Needles: US 3/3.25 mm

Start Date: 27 June 2014

Finish Date: 2 July 2014

Nothing like a road trip and some nice cosy down time with friends to shoot through a quick shawl in a week! A couple hours in the car, a high percentage of garter stitch, and no work in the morning; it's rare that all those elements line up so well, but I'll enjoy it when they do.

I bought two zauberballs (this one in the Lilac Breeze colourway, and another in Little Fox) on a whim quite some time ago and, during some stash diving last week, they resurfaced and made their way to my coffee table. Just in time for this month's School Librarian Knitting Group meet up and it was pretty well claimed by my friend Jenny. It was pointed out to me that it was, after all, in her colour, and who could argue with that?

I was surprised by the colour transition when I knitted it up, which, I suppose, is the fun of a variegated yarn. I had expected it to be darker with far less white woven through, but now that it's done, I rather like the effect and think that Jenny will make it work well. Now the real question will be whether she lets it sit in my house until Christmas or if she shall be knocking on my door before school starts back.

Lacy Baktus

by Rebecca Johnson on Thursday, July 10, 2014

Pattern: Lacy Baktus by Terhi Montonen Materials: Schoppel-Wolle Crazy Zauberball; 75% wool | 25% nylon Amount: 1 skein in Li...

I kind of took the wind out of my knitting sales with my last post, undermining my own sense of progress, but I still have two projects to happily report as finished so I shall enjoy those.

Pattern: Honey Cowl by Antonia Shankland

Materials: madeline tosh dk; 100% merino

Amount: 1 skein in Golden Hickory; Approx. 205m/100g

Needles: US 8/5 mm Knit Pro Symfonie

Dimensions: Approximately 30cm in width and 55cm in length, unblocked

Start Date: 1 June 2014

Finish Date: 26 June 2014

I'm a huge fan of madeline tosh yarn. I love the colours, I love the texture, but most of all, I just love how squishy it feels! I've used it a few times now, and I've never regretted it for one moment. This pattern, the honey cowl, is likewise a favourite of mine. I knitted the longer version of this cowl last year, again in madeline tosh (two skeins, in Vermillion).

(model: ren22a, image: smasharazzi)

It's an excellent on-the-go knit, with a quickly memorised four row pattern. Because of this it became my work knitting and was completed in brief snatches around the lunch table. It seriously knits up so quickly, with such a smooth feeling pattern that I could happily knit this pattern over and over again (so be warned, everyone in existence may be getting this for Christmas).

Speaking of Christmas, this one is sitting here on the cusp of being Christmas-gifted. I didn't start it with any one particular person in mind and now that it's knitted up I rather like it. So for right now it's sitting safely on my bookshelf - not in the Christmas gift box, nor in with my own scarves. I shall just have to see if anyone lays claim to it before I cave and start wearing it.

Honey Cowl

by Rebecca Johnson on Wednesday, July 09, 2014

I kind of took the wind out of my knitting sales with my last post , undermining my own sense of progress, but I still have two projects to...

You know that feeling you get when you finish two projects in quick succession? The one where you feel like you're on the biggest of all rolls - watch out craft pile, I am conquering you! It's such a good feeling. Unfortunately, at least in my case, it's usually a misleading one. It's a false sense of success that, when looked at more closely, is revealed to be a complete lie.

While still enjoying this short-lived high I decided to lay out all my projects - I mean, if I'm going to fly through projects so quickly, I should capitalise on this and finish up everything in my cupboard, right? Right? With every incomplete project I piled up I felt that feeling of accomplishment drop away a little more, until all I was left with was a very unbalanced finished/wip ratio and a sad feeling.

But still, there is a part of me that really wants to reclaim that victorious feeling, and so I am going to own my crafting shame, list every incomplete item and vow to finish them!* On the plus side, they're all already under way so they should go past pretty quick right? Right?

Noro Striped Scarf

I'm starting off easy with something that is only newly started and so the guilt level is pretty low! I'm working on this one for Christmas, so there's no up close photo today, but it is sitting next to be right now and is my current take-everywhere knitting due to it's simplicity. I am very nearly 50% done.

No-Fuss Shade-Loving Shawl

I'm at the awkward part of this project where I'm still loving the beautiful colour changes and dreading the part where the stripes will get thinner. It's at this part of any project that I remember why I secretly hate using variegated yarn. I have three balls of Noro for this scarf, and I'm about 3/4 of the way through the first ball.

Geek Blanket-a-long

I had some ambition for this project. I loved it (still do) so much and foolishly thought I would get it done by Christmas. And then I learnt that I hate, hate, HATE double knitting. So much. Which is why I'm only half way through a single square. Ellen has suggested that I ditch the double knitting entirely and just line it with some fabric, and I'm thinking she's right.

Vivace Socks

As is the way with all socks, I completed one whole sock before the project languished away in the drawer. This should be a relatively quick finish, so I'm hopeful for this one.

2014 Mood Blanket

I almost didn't list this one here as it's ongoing for the remainder of the year, but I'm a little behind in my squares (thankfully I've kept a chart!) so it's here to prod me along.

Naturally Yarns Cardigan and Hat K611

Of all the projects on this list, this one is probably the oldest (I say 'probably' because that air of uncertainty makes me feel better than knowing it's been sitting there for nearly two years). I put it away because I got stuck on the finishing and put it away in frustration. I pulled it out again last night (right before I had dinner with the now toddler I initially cast it on for. Ouch.) and was annoyed to see that the finishing was actually quite easy and it's now nearly done.

Mysterious Lace Reversible Scarf

Okay, maybe this one has been in the drawer for the longest. I'm not really sure why this one was abandoned. I remember it being a relatively easy project. Unfortunately, I haven't done much on this one, so it's not much of a head start.

February Lady Sweater

This one is just a massive pile of garter stitch at this point - more interesting photos as I progress.

*Note that I sidestepped the whole 'by a certain date' part of that vow.

False Progress

by Rebecca Johnson on Tuesday, July 08, 2014

You know that feeling you get when you finish two projects in quick succession? The one where you feel like you're on the biggest of al...

As of today there are 60 days until Christmas.

Okay, who had a little bit of a heart attack? Surely not just me?

Thankfully, my Christmas knitting list is fairly short. I don’t knit/make a lot of gifts as I don’t have a great deal of crafty friends and making for non crafties is always a bit hit-and-miss. Having said that, there are a few extra things that have snuck onto the list for 2011 and I’m going to have to knit with a superhuman speed to get it all done… and I think we’re all aware that I don’t have that degree of speed.

Let’s just call it a challenge, shall we?

Since I am therefore supposed to be knitting, I shall bid you a quick adieu and leave you with this glimpse of the wool I received in the post this morning and will be starting work with this afternoon. I would tell you what for but I know that one of the recipients is likely to see this post sooner or later and I wouldn’t want to spoil (yes Lisa, I do mean you, try to guess which colour is yours).