Crochet Coral Reef

Went to see the Crochet Coral Reef at the Hayward Gallery on the South Bank last weekend. Completely incredible. Not to be missed.



Crafty Chick mailed me this link yesterday:
http://www.sarahillenberger.com/news_sz.html


Superb

Just started & coming soon

Rowan Saffron by Kim Hargreaves
Most recently started a cardi for Captain Eco's mum. I've had to wait 8 weeks for the yarn to arrive (Rowan Purelife Organic Cotton) - it feels amazing, but I had hoped to have it finished by now!

It's a substitution yarn and I've been a good girl and done all my tension squares. The yarn's thicker than the pattern recommends so I've had to get my maths hat on and rework the pattern to suit the tension I'm getting. Which is fine. Unless I try to work it out late at night when I'm tired. That'll be why I've started the back 3 times so far, forgetting that with a picot cast on you need to start with 3 times the stitches you want to end up with.

Annoyingly, I'd got it right first time around. Grrr... Still, 3rd time's allegedly the charm.
It's going ok so far. Finger's crossed I don't bugger up the embroidery at the end - sewing's not my strong point. Crafty Chick's a brilliant sewer and Knitting Queen's recently taken up free style embroidery so I'll seek advice nearer the time. Nothing like pushing your comfort zone a little now and then.


Talking of pushing comfort zones, will soon be embarking on a project for my best friend Flower Girl. She's getting married in November and I'm making her something to keep her shoulders warm. Quite ambitious but I'm up for the challenge - a combo of Pretty as a Peacock shawl for the lace pattern (left) and this kind of shape/size (right). Could take a while...

And just because I haven't quite got enough projects on the go at the moment, I came across a gorgeous little craft/wool/lovely things shop on the South Bank under the Oxo tower called Eco Annie. She creates her own eco yarns and stocks a whole selection of other ones. As usual my wooldar was on full beam (like gaydar but for wool) and didn't realise it stocked wool until Captain Eco pointed it out - I was too enthralled by the beaded things in the window to notice the wool at the back. Couldn't resist some silky soft chocolate bamboo which is for this Karabella pattern (left). I'm not going to start that until I've finished the Rowan Saffron cardi, the Knitty halterneck and am at least halfway through the prototype for Flower Girl's shawl. Promise.

On the needles

Been meaning to update what's on my fine Swiss Army Needles (my nickname for my Harmony interchangeable needles - my favourite bit of knitting kit.

VK Knitted Hoodie
This is my 'commuter train to work' project which gets an even blend of curious and 'crazy lady what a freak' type looks. I think most of the other commuter are gradually getting used to me knitting in the mornings. Occasionally it sparks a conversation with fellow knitters, which is always a good thing. It's coming along nicely, if slowly because of the complex lace panel:

hood and front panel

close up of Frost Flower lace pattern

Knitty Halterneck
Using a substitution yarn (I can never find the exact yarn for US patterns so using Patons DK cotton bought on ebay), measured my yardage carefully but got through it more quickly than I'd anticipated (pattern requires doubled up DK). Thought I might be able to get away with it but it's way too short. Have some 4ply in the dark purple I can triple up to get the same weight but that means ripping back the tummy section and extending the dark purple down. Which I haven't been able to bring myself to do yet - I'm too irritated with the fact it hasn't worked first time. We're going on holiday on Monday so I'd better get a move on if I'm going to wear it on hols...

This tickled me today

Telephonic Sheep — by Jean-Luc Cornec
Exhibited at the Frankfurt Museum of Communications in 2004.

The Sock Massive

This is the Legendary* Sock Massive.

One of Crafty Chick's first projects, knitted on double pointed needles with a great deal of swearing, several throws across her living room and a certain amount of unravelling. She's now a happy convert to the 2 circular needle school of sock knitting (as am I):
view the 'on two circular needles' video

To the right is her boyfriend's actual sock size. And an average banana (just so you know he doesn't have childs feet).

I like to think that so much love and effort have gone into that sock that it's swollen it to giant Shrek-like proportions. It gives us all the giggles everytime we see it.

*legendary within our Crafty group, at any rate.