Quelle disaster!

Over the Easter holidays, we took a lovely long weekend trip over to Paris, via the ever-fabulous Eurostar. On our previous trip to Gay Paree, the girls were three years younger, and it was the end of July (which means the end of Le Tour!), so the city was hot and mobbed. It's a much nicer and calmer place to visit in late April (with a 5 and 7 year old vs. a 2 and 4 year old), and spring was everywhere.

Devil had so much energy that she managed to get caught on some ironwork outside of Notre Dame, and tore a hole in her Sprout Tappan Zee that her Mummy so lovingly knit for her last summer. Argh!


She managed to not only put a hole in it, but also to snag and snap the bind off in several different places...


We came home and the sweater sat on the shelf in my wardrobe for about five weeks - I just couldn't face it. Then, last week, on the eve of a trip to chilly, rainy Somerset for part of the half-term holiday, I decided to get on with it already and fix the damn thing.

First step: remove wee hedgehog button and insert a circular needle through a row of stitches above the hole (note appropriate beverage companion).

Second step: unravel the bottom edge, picking out the little scraps of unusable yarn, and spit-splicing (with appropriate beverage) the rest.


Third step: pause and admire your handiwork (conveniently not documenting how off you were in the row of stitches you picked up).

Fourth step: reknit the bottom two inches of cardigan. Don't forget button hole. Reblock, and then pack still damp sweater in the back of the car to finish drying on the way southwest.

Wiktory! I had a big ball of yarn left over that I had ready to draft into the bind off if needed, but I think I ended up knitting a couple of rows less this time around, so I had plenty for the bind off.

Dev still seems enamored of the sweater, and Boo is looking longingly for another cardigan, made of softer yarn. Must sort through handspun stash and see what would work for her.

Question: does this count as an FO post? Methinks so...

Wool + 28 degrees = never mind

After loads of grey, wet weather, the sun finally burst on to the scene here in southeast England, bringing with it steamy temperatures and vast fields of newly exposed pale skin. The weather also made working with wool something of a trial, so my crafty energies have been redirected for the moment. After a trip to Dorney Lake in the sweltering sun, I decided that the girls needed new hats for the summer. Enter a bunch of cotton scraps and a lovely free hat pattern (link will download the pdf).

I managed to whip up a couple of these, including the cutting (which I hate with the firey passion of Mount Doom) in an evening. They were so quick and easy, that I've cut out pieces for three more, two for friends of the girls, and one for an impending baby addition to our circle.

Getting photos was a bit tough. First, the bad nighttime shots (I love that these are reversible, and that frog fabric gets me every time).

Then, the unwilling children shot.

And finally, a few candid shots.

Of course, having finished these, the past four days have been grey clouds interspersed with pouring rain. Just the thing for new sun hats and the half-term holiday!

Jubilee!

The bunting is hung, the flags are out, and everything (except the weather forecast!) is lined up for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebration this weekend. It's an amazing time to be in London, particularly as someone who grew up in the royal-obsessed States. I've come up with my own celebratory knit for the event:

Introducing the Jubilee Mitts, a quick-to-knit lacy fingerless glove, perfect for the "changeable" summer weather here in the UK (or anywhere else for that matter). The pattern includes three sizes (small [medium, large], approximately 6 [7, 8] inches in circumference, unstretched) and requires 160 yds/146 m of sport-weight yarn.

The pair above are worked in The Fiber Company Canopy Sport (now called Fingering), which is an absolutely divine alpaca/merino/bamboo blend. The lace pattern is an easily memorized 6 stitch/6 row repeat; thumb gussets are worked in stockinette. All hems are worked in garter stitch for a clean finish.

Many thanks to Knitosphere, WoolyTanis, knitsign and PixieEars in the Ravelry Free Pattern Testers group for their test knitting and excellent suggestions.

As a special offer, from now until midnight BST on 5th June, 2012, buy the Jubilee Mitts for only £0.60! After that, the pattern will be available for $5.00*.


* Because life is more interesting in multiple currencies...

Update now live!

Head on over to the shop for some gorgeous new stuff! Fibers include BFL, Corriedale, Dorset Horn, Falkland and Wensleydale. Happy spinning!

Here comes the sun

It has been an absolutely spectacular week here in southeast England, which has lifted the spirits of all concerned. Except for on the way home from school, when the girls moan about it being "Toooooo hoooooot Mummy!" The poor things, you'd think they'd never lived in Hell Houston.

Anyway, the improved weather has inspired me to do two things. One: to finish the knitting part of my Gemini tee...

Still needed: weaving in of many ends (damn stinkin' hemp yarn with lots of knots!) and a good wet blocking. Maybe tonight.

I've also gone on a total run and done a bunch of dyeing.

That's four out of six colorways drying in the glorious sunshine. The other two will be joining them in the next few hours, and I'm hoping to get an update posted on Sunday afternoon. As long as the weather and the photography gods smile on me!

I hope everyone has a glorious, sunshine filled weekend!