Category: Uncategorized

beads, knitting, Uncategorized

Knitted Luella Top with beads!

christinahopgood

This knitting project has been a long time coming.  It was on my needles since August 2017!

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Details

Pattern: Luella Top by Suzie Sparkles

Yarn: Wollmeise Lace yarn

My notes available on Ravelry here

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I bought this yarn at the Oslo Knitting Festival in October, 2016.  It was a 300g laceweight skein, which was a one-of-a-kind.  For this top, I held the yarn double as it’s written for a sock-weight yarn.  As a result, this whole top was one big game of yarn chicken!fullsizeoutput_5bac

The pattern itself is very straightforward, a top-down round-yoke jumper which is the same back and front.  That’s nice, as I don’t need to worry about which way to put it on!  Of course the biggest change I made was to add beads into the lace yoke instead of the bobbles that the pattern calls for.  I guess this saved me some yardage which was added to the bottom of the jumper!  Initially I bought one packet of 125 beads thinking it would be plenty… I waws wrong! This jumper required about 500 beads and I had none left at the end!IMG_0459

This picture kind of looks like it has and ombre effect but it doesn’t seem to in real life.  If I’d had more yarn I would have made the top a bit longer in both the body and the sleeves.  As it is, it hits me right at the elbow and the hip.  It works fine with mid-rise pants but I would have liked it a bit longer. I used every scrap of yarn, even the swatch!IMG_0460

The yarn itself is very smooth and feels almost like cotton, although it is 100% wool.  It was really lovely to knit with and feels smooth and soft against the skin.  Before it was blocked the fabric felt a bit stiff, but after blocking it’s got a lovely drape and handle.fullsizeoutput_5ba8

I highly recommend this pattern if you’re looking for a simple top-down top, with a bit of lace interest.  It would look beautiful with bobbles too.  The pattern would be a good basis for a plain jumper too, if you left off the lace!  I’m looking forward to wearing this top once the weather warms up a bit.  Right now it’s still too cold in Norway to even contemplate!

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Wool Milano Cape

christinahopgood

Apologies for slightly blurry photos… Using my front camera on my phone is a bit blurry, oh well!

This latest make is the Milano cape by Papercut Patterns.  It’s only availble as a paper pattern, unfortunately.  The pattern is in 3 sizes, and the main difference between sizes is the length. I cut the smallest size.

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The fabric is some wool coat fabric I bought years ago in Melbourne.  It’s quite thick, and has a nice heft and warmth to it.IMG_0455

However, as shown, it also picks up every particle of white dust in the vicinity.  Hopefully as the fabric wears and smooths out that will happen less?  A bit doubtful. IMG_0372

This pattern features a lovely Peter Pan collar with no undercollar.  It got a bit cumbersome and thick sewing the collar area on my little machine!IMG_0371

This pattern also has single welt pockets.  These are a bit scary to do, and were kind of hard to place evenly.  I also found that the welt pattern pieces were not the same length as the mark on the front pieces.  They were significantly different, not just a little, and it took a lot of checking and measuring to get it right myself.  IMG_0458

The pocket bags are some other wool suiting I had, and to prevent it from fraying I used a fusible hemming tape to glue some bias binding over the raw edges.  I could have just finished the edges before sewing them on but I didn’t think of it at the time!fullsizeoutput_5bf2

Who knows if I’ll wear this really.  I’m not a cape kind of person, yet.  I’d like to be one of those women who just swoosh around in a cape and look so cool, but so far I’m not quite convinced!fullsizeoutput_5bf4fullsizeoutput_5bf5fullsizeoutput_5bf6

It is very swishy, though 🙂

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A Knitter’s Night Before Christmas

christinahopgood

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and sat in my chair,
I was frantically knitting a scarf of mohair. 
I’d planned to knit everyone’s presents this year,
Despite the concerns raised by my husband dear.

As a faithful never not knitting subscriber,
I had spent many hours considering fibre,
Angora, alpaca, merino, mohair,
Cashmeres and cottons, and camel so rare.

At least this year I was making small pieces.
A hat for my nephew, some scarves for my nieces.
Last year I made a huge Christmas sweater!
This year I swore i’d just write him a letter. 

Then guilt overcame me, I started to doubt:
At Christmas nobody should feel left out!
This year there won’t be a missing link!
If I’m seen to show favourites, what will people think?

Still left to do – at least one more sock,
And piles of things still yet to block.
There’s rows of blocked items still soaking wet!
They won’t be ready tomorrow, I bet.

The Knitmore girls say to start in May,
Or else your Christmas will end in dismay.
I began in October, all ease and no worry,
And by mid-November I started to hurry.

The husband was nestled all snug in his bed,
While I ignored hand cramps and tired eyes instead. 
If I just close my eyes for a minute or two,
Then I’ll feel fresh to start the next project anew…

I bound off one hat, dumped it into the sink,
And cast on another before I could blink.
My knitting was reaching a feverish pitch,
As I blazed through inches of stockinette stitch.

Cables? No problem. Lace? A delight.
The end of the colour-work hat was in sight
My eyes were glinting a devilish gleam,
And in ten seconds flat I had sewed up a seam.

I was finishing projects as fast as could be!
And they magically wrapped themselves under the tree!
But I’m not complaining, I thought to myself.
I’m just being helped by a jolly old elf.

“A jumper! A beanie! A mitten and cowl!
A shawlette! Some wristers! A hat with an owl!
Now write them a card in a hurried scrawl!
Now weave away! Block away! Wrap away all!”

The production line blurred with the speed of my knitting,
As on my chair I was comfortably sitting.
My hands were relaxing, my knitting went slack.
The scene started fading to absolute black.

I sprang from my sleep, and looked round in dismay:
Christmas was over, it was now Boxing Day!
It had all been a dream and I’d knit not a row!
The tree had no presents all wrapped up below.

Not a thing could be done, it had all been too late,
The best I could do was own up to my fate. 
So then I exclaimed, and all ‘round me could hear,
“Maybe you’ll get your gifts in the New Year!”

By Christina Hopgood, 2015.