Mental round up of 2010….

So 2010 is coming to an end and like most people I’ve been looking back over the year and reflecting.  Craft wise for me it’s been a mixed bag.

I think this is fairly normal in the land of us mere mortals.  I know some knitters that appear to only ever have successful, beautiful and well fitting projects.  I’m not one of them and I secretly wonder how many failed projects they have hidden in draws or buried in the garden.  Looking in my wardrobe I can see some lovely knits which I have worn and can see me wearing again in the future.  I’m proud to wear them and they fit just as I imagined they would when I started them.  Unfortunately next to some of these there are some, ahem, not so successful garments. 

This includes the blue ribbed top out of a Debbie Bliss magazine which I so carefully adapted for a different yarn and oh so carefully knitted up.  I finished it off at one of the local meet ups and eagerly tried it on.  Only to discover that even though others liked it - I hated it.  Had the yarn substitution worked?  Yes.  Did my adaption to allow me to knit it in the round rather than as a front and back work?  Yes.  Did my boobs fit?  Yes (this is often where projects fall down as despite knitting being stretchy it often isn’t stretchy enough for that ample part of my anatomy)  So what was the problem?  It wasn’t long enough.  Another few inches down onto my hips would have made it perfect…. but finishing at my waist simple made me feel dumpy.  The substitute yarn was Rowan Bamboo Tape which has a reputation for ‘growing’ and so since I didn’t have the will to look for a more imaginative way to fix the issue (or frog it,) I simply hung it up in the wardrobe in the hopes that it would grow.  I can’t actually report if this worked as I’ve not had the will to even take it out and try it on again.  Needless to say there is no photo of this particular project for your viewing hilarity.

However looking for that silver lining I was told by several of the girls at the knitting group that they have had trouble with sizing of Debbie Bliss patterns.  Add in that I’m quite a loose knitter (I knit socks on smaller needles and smaller sizes to get them to fit) and I approached my next Debbie Bliss pattern with trepidation.  Yet this one worked out wonderfully.

A long cardigan I once again substituted a different yarn.  The plan was to do it in a cheap yarn as a test knit since that much aran in a more expensive yarn could prove a very expensive mistake.  Yet I’ve ended up liking it so much I’ve yet to start on the next one.  I’ve worn it quite a bit, even into work.  I don’t tend to wear much knit wear to work because of the job I do, so this says a huge amount about how much I like this cardigan and how comfortable it is.

I like long flowing type tops that you can just drape round your shoulders.  So I was pleased when I found a free pattern on Ravelry called Abalone by Beata Jezek.  I was a little dubious because of how skinny the model was in the photos leading to a suspicion that it might make my rear look a bit big.

I had some Rowan Tapestry in the Heather colourway sitting in my stash looking for a nice project so I downloaded the pattern and cast on. 

 

I’m still a little concerned that it drapes round my bum in an unflattering way.  But in the end I decided – hey I don’t have to look at my own rear. 

I also love variegated yarn for the love of the colour…  but I’m not a fan of stripes.  Lets be honest here, stripes are not often flattering when horizontal.

So why aren’t there not more patterns for sideways knits.  I think I shall have to investigate this next year.

Of course this isn’t all I created this year (and I’ve not even started waffling on about dyeing or spinning) but the household chores are calling me away from the computer, not to mention Pebbles the dog patiently waiting for her walkies…