Throws and Things

The big throw is finished. It has ended up being much longer than I thought it would be because 180 stitches stretches quite a bit lengthways . As I cast off, it changed from a flared mini-skirt on the needles to a great long wrap or throw. There was a bit of wool left over which I'm now struggling to turn into a cushion facade/sham to go with it. I have made the purple stuff into a throw and a cushion and there is more purple stuff to knit up still, but I'm sick of home decor for now.
I'm now onto a little evening bag made of Paton's Moonlight. I could only afford a couple of balls but I've been lusting after it for ages and it knits up beautifully into a metallic lustre with a soft feel like angora. It's quite amazing and very regular. I'm using a Crystal Palace Yarns free pattern. I got a swatch of metallic fabric from the Op-Shop to line it with. I also have my eyes on Robert's old work shorts and t-shirt. They have been worn and washed so much they will cut up into the most usable strands of fabric to knit with. Watch this space.
On the chutney front, I made some "Mediterranean Chutney" from my lovely new recipe book to use up the glut of food in the garden and thickened it up with flour a la the tomato relish recipe and it seems to be fine.
I will have to do something marvelous with nectarines next. They are ripening and falling off the tree. I have a relish recipe but they are such good eating I shall give bags away to the neighbours too.

Trial jams and relishes

I bought a lovely new book on jams and chutneys and have been experimenting with some of the recipes. I made some Plum, Port and Cardamom jelly and some Bloody Mary Relish. I had no vodka so the relish is zapped with tabasco and Worcester sauce and I had no red grape juice so the jelly was made with port. I shall let you know how they taste at a later date or on request. This afternoon I intend to have a go at putting together some knitted cushion covers. I'm keen to get all the knitting done so that I can start on a braided rug and some more rag knitting. I'll post pics of the successful ones.

Karak the Cockatoo/Commonwealth Games Emblem

I bought a cockie's cage on ebay and we had a lovely drive up to Bendigo to pick it up and that means I also got to visit the Bendigo Knitting Mill factory shop. I bought lots of stash and am still using it in stuff for the stall but I was going to get some white and knit a sulphur crested cockatoo, to go in the cage. There's no way I could put a real one in although people still do. Then I spotted Karak for sale and bought him. He's a bit cheeky-looking for the setting but I've grown quite fond of him and bring him in if it rains. Behind me is nextdoor's leaking rain water tank. I love it's rustic look as a backdrop to my verandah.
My knitting is slowing down. Perhaps my whim is to write instead. 

Guess What?

O.K. It's something you have on a bench top or sideboard, and when you have a lot of visitors coming, you think "Hey!, better cover that up a bit and pretend we drink vintage stuff".
I was going to add some pompoms but decided that it would make the object stand out instead of camouflaging it.
Cask-cosies, my new xmas present and stall item! 

Throws are slow

The throw is progressing slowly, mainly because there are over 180 stitches per row. It still looks like a flared mini skirt on the needles because it hasn't had a chance to stretch out fully lengthways. That's the really exciting part of doing one of these width-way throws. You never know what you've really got till the end. The colours are a bit christmassy so I may have to add some crochet flowers to give it a rose-garden impression, from a distance.
Anyway, the colours look really good on my doona cover so I'll put it on the market stall once a month and in the meantime it can decorate my bed with a price tag on it.

ikea transformed

This is a wonderful double bed sofa made by Ikea and usually covered in a bright red or blue nylon slip cover. I managed to make a more traditional cover and cushion and knitted a throw for it. Dear husband sat on it all to show you it was for real. The poinsettias are forced to produce red leaves in December/January in Australia which makes them look good against the new upholstery. The knitted throw was done with a combination of yarns on very big needles. Great to do but pricey. 

Lunch

Not much knitting done this day but lots of champagne drunk and wonderful foods eaten. Great company and enormous noise. 

SOLO

I have actually started my own blog, taken my own picture and publishe it al, WOW. 

campbellknit

campbellknit
I can add photos to the family blog at www.campbelblog.com if you really need to see pictures of this art work.

campbellknit

campbellknit
I offered my family a bag I had knitted out of a pair of old pyjamas for the first person to claim them but obviously they didnt want it. It was only a small bag because it was only a shortie pair of pyjamas. If you can tell me ho to show you a picture of this bag I will send it to you FREE

campbellknit

campbellknitThis is amazing freedom. Write what you like when you like and who cares. It's fantastic. My other Blog is at www.campbellblog.com but it contains generally family info and pics. I'm the only one with the knitting need which is out of control. My mum, who taught me to knit before I went to school, is well into her eighties and has bad arthritis in her hands and the other two sisters weren't taught, because all of a sudden Mum had three kids aged four and under as well as me.
My first triumph was a knitted swim suit for my English equivalent of a Barbie doll. I woke early one morning and as usual needed to keep quiet until the others roused. I started with a few stitches which fitted round her waist at the back, knitted down to the crutch and decreased and then matched it increasing back up the front and in and out until I reached a decent top shape. I sewed it together and made twist wool straps and had her in her costume before breakfast.
I still have problems with patterns and guage (or gauge, or gage etc.)
I love yarn and I really like knitting that grows quickly without having to feel like you're knitting with yarn as thick as an elephant's trunk. At the moment I'm still on a mixed yarn throw or shawl in multi yarns on big needles (10mm) but using a mixture of double knitting and slightly thicker wool.
It is one of those ones which is cast on loosely at the long edge and each new yarn is tied on to make a fringe length and cut off at the other end to do the same.
When I get the hang of how to load a picture I will put one on. Anyone with advice or questions , please write, thanks ferg.

One blog too many

How many blogs can the average person handle. One for family news and pics and now one for knitting brought on by a desire to write something witty on the http://youknitwhat.blogspot.com site. The knitting projects resemble some of the things on my knitting stall at the market and are wonderful to waste some time groaning at.