Episode 7 - It's Time to KAL!

Full show notes are always available at www.stitchedtogether.co.uk, under the Podcast button.

Plotting

Full rules of the Crafting Library KAL are up on the blog, along with details of the prizes.  Here is the button. Feel free to use it.

Join the Stitched Together Designs Ravelry group.

Earburning or Magic Linking on Ravelry will notify someone in a PM that you want them to read your comment.  Use this in the chat thread if you want to comment on someone's progress photos.

**I have just had it pointed out to me that I got my dates mixed up.  The KAL ends on 31st October and I will close the thread on 1st NOVEMBER!"  Sorry about that, I ended up having to record the podcast twice and I think I was getting tired the second time through.**

I had to do a second swatch for my Professoressa Cardigan as the first needle was too big.  I dropped down a size and the stitch count was bang on, but the row count isn't.  I need to do some calculations to see it will be a problem or not.  I also need to carefully look at sizing and any alterations needed.  I am happy with my revised swatch.

I'm also playing around with some stitch patterns and thinking about doing some design work.

Done & Dusted

Glitz at The Ritz is now a beautiful shawl that I adore.  The pattern is free in Knitty and by Helen Stewart. I have no idea when I'll wear it, but I love it.  It was knit in Wharfedale Woolworks 4ply Merino/Silk in the Creme de Menthe colourway.  The beads I used were clear, with a silver lining, in a size 6.  I got them from Charisma Beads.

Because I used Fleegle's technique for applying the beads with a tiger tail hook, I had my beading kit out and decided to make some new stitch markers.

I got my Minerva Crafts T-Shirt finished and I am reasonably happy as it is comfortable, but it isn't flattering. I blogged full details here.  I will definitely use the yarn again, but won't repeat the pattern without some serious re-writing to suit my shape.

My second finished shawl is Pogona by Stephen West.  The yarn used is Wollmeise 80/20 Twin in WD Gruenfink.  The yarn was a destash purchase so I'm not quite sure of the colourway.  It was my first time knitting Wollmeise and I can see why there is so much fuss now!

I will definitely knit this pattern again, probably in a variegated sock yarn - perhaps one of yarns from my Splashed Out section.

To match my new shawl I knit a new hat in a very similar shade of green.  The hat is Arkanoid by Woolly Wormhead from the Hatopia Collection.  I blogged about this project, full details can be found there.  The yarn used was Babylonglegs Semi-Precious in the Go colourway, that I had in stash.

I had been seeing Brickless by Martina Behm on lots of podcasts and decided that as I had the pattern I wanted to knit it too, especially as I had time before the start of the KAL.  I used Malabrigo Rastita in Arco Iris.  I added an extra repeat.  It is VAST.  Full details on Ravelry.

I have a monster for my nephew that has just been stuffed and sewn up.  It's Bea The Basement Monster from Rebecca Danger's book Big Book of Knitted Monsters.  I've knit this using Cascade 220 Superwash in turquoise and navy.  I highly recommend this book as this is the third monster I've knit from it, and I know there will be more!

Nose To The Grindstone

Concavus by Dena Stelly, in Malabrigo Sock in the Aguas Colourway.

My basic vanilla sock, which is toe-up with an fore-thought Sweet Tomato Heel, done with the stitch pattern from Hermione's Everyday Sock by Erica Lueder.  The yarn used is Regia Creativ in 1007, which a red-purple colour.  I'm using Hiya-Hiya sharps for the first time and I'm enjoying the experience.

Working my way through a selection of fibres that I got from Fibreholics that I blogged about here.

I'm using it as practice for spinning on my Tibetan Spindle.

The rest of my work is background stuff or preparation work, looking at sizing and designs.  I'm enjoying the calm before the KAL storm!

Splashed Out

I bought four skeins of Posh Yarn sock yarns.  I have to say, for the record, that not all four skeins of Posh Yarn were bought at the same update.  I honestly don't buy on every update, though I might want to.

Posh Yarn Elinor Sock in Going For Broke, 100% Merino (365m/400yds)

Posh Yarn Esme Sock in For You I Sigh colourway.  100% Merino (400m/440yds)

Posh Yarn Martha Sock in And Don't You Come Back No More. 80% Merino/10% Cashmere/10% Nylon (400m/440yds)

Posh Yarn Megan Sock in Why Does No One Ever Get My Jokes. 100% Superwash Blue Faced Leicester (400m/440yds).

There was sale on at Fyberspates, which I looked at, to my doom.  I bought two skeins of yarn and a braid of fibre.  I made good savings and got products I'd never used before, and I'm a fan of Fyberspates and I've never had a chance to use her hand-dyed range.

Fyberspates Sheila's Sock in the Stride With Pride colourway.  100% Merino (365m/400yds)

Fyberspates Nef Sock in the Verdigris colourway. 70% Alpaca/20% Silk/10% Cashmere (400m/440yds).

Fyberspates Sparkle Fibre in plum, gold and brown. 75% Merino/20% Silk/5% Sparkle (100g)

Malabrigo Rastita in Arco Iris.  100% Merino (283m/310yds) and I bought 2 skeins.

Twisted Limone Tangy Self-Striping Sock Yarn in Knock Your Socks Off. 75% Superwash Wool/25% Nylon (400m/440yds).  It's nice to find this sort of yarn in the UK.  It really is very beautiful and HAS to be socks.

I've just bought Big Foot Knits by Andi Smith, published by Co-Operative Press.  It's a book that has been spoken about on several podcasts, so I bought the digital version.  I will spend some time working on it and let you know what I think.

Online Community

Giveaway for one of Lara Smoot's pattern has been drawn today and the out of the 18 posts in the thread, the number chosen by the random number generator was 6, which was rosebob's post.

I shall get Lara to contact you, to confirm your choice of Wentletrap.

Countess Ablaze is one of my favourite dyers and she has just made the jump from ETSY to her own website.  The website is lovely and easy to use so I'm really happy for her.  To celebrate she is offering a discount of 10% using the code of HELLO10, until 15th September. I recommend checking her out, because she is very talented and does fibre too.  I might just have slipped up and bought some yarn and some fibre, but that hasn't got here yet!

Thank you so much to Stacie and Steph from the Must Stash Podcast for recommending me not only once, but in TWO episodes.  If you haven't seen their show - go and watch them immediately, and not just because they were nice to me!

Many thanks go to Gardening Witch and Red Panda for their reviews on iTunes.  I was also happy to see I have an average star rating on the US site, so thank you to those people whole gave me a rating, it means a lot.

The Stitched Together Designs Group on Ravelry has now hit 107 members.  It is wonderful to see you all there and it's been great chatting.