I know that it's a chunky knit but I'm so pleased that the Point Five sweater is almost done. Knit both sleeves yesterday and now just need to get one more skein to finish. Yes it's mixing dye lots time, but as it's Colinette I don't think that mixing will look too bad. Anyway, I've already mixed in one skein from another lot already!

Knitting in the round is so quick and easy that I think I'm going to knit the rest of my sweater projects that way. Perhaps I'll be able to finish some more before Xmas. I'm still hoping that I'll be able to take my knitting on the plane when we go to San Francisco next month.

Today I started a raglan v-necked cardigan in Wendy Wild Spice. It's an acrylic/wool mix and has a tweedy look. Since it's chunky, knits up on 9mm (US 13), I've made great progress just this evening. With luck I'll have it almost done by next week when I plan on starting a Rowan Big Wool cardigan.

Check out these great new patterns from Colinette!


posted by Marie Irshad at 11:41 PM

I'm pleased to say that the frustration is over and my circular knitted stocking stitch Point Five sweater is going very well. I'm now a firm convert to knitting in the round, it's just so much easier and faster.

Of course no sooner do I start one project than I begin thinking about the next one and we won't talk about the various UFOs in my knitting bags. Nor will we discuss the yarn stash especially not the £50 of Rowan Cork that I bought last week. No, I'm now dreaming of a long Point Five cardigan in Velvet Plum from Colinette. I simply must have it and of course I'll knit it up straight away........No, really I will.........;-)
posted by Marie Irshad at 11:24 PM

Frustration
I frogged the front of the Point Five sweater and put the sleeve on hold. Found a stocking stitch pattern d thought that it would be easy enough to knit in the round. Well it would have been easy if I could have managed to join a round without twisting the stitches. I spent about five hours and frogged it twice. Finally I had to stop because my 12mm circulars broke. They've been stuck back together with superglue and are drying off in the living room overnight. I may just do some sewing tomorrow instead.
posted by Marie Irshad at 1:42 AM

I've gone back to the Point Five sweater and have finished the back and am half way through one sleeve. I'm not sure that the back is big enough. It looks slightly too small. Probably my gauge is a bit off.

Two knitting books arrived in the post for me yesterday - One is The Yarn Girls' Guide to Simple Knits by Julie Carles and Jordana Jacobs, the other Hip to Knit by Judith L.Swartz. I've flicked though them both a couple of times and think that I prefer Hip to Knit. It's a bit more flexible on yarns used offering a type of yarn to use rather than a specific brand. Clara at Knitters Review has written an excellent review of The Yarn Girls' Guide to Simple Knits. Her review is here. That said I still like a lot of their patterns it's just that being in the UK I can't get hold of all of the yarns they use.

Rowan Cork - The yarn section of David Morgan in Cardiff was running a special offer on Saturday. Buy five balls of Cork and get the pattern book free. I'd been thinking of buying some cork for a while and this was the perfect excuse. Of course five balls isn't enough to make Bonne Marie's Three Times Chic over at Knitty so I'll have to buy some more!
posted by Marie Irshad at 12:53 AM