Let's talk about Leo

Remember about a year ago, I was falling asleep while boring you with knitting Leo for my beloved Fiver?

For anyone contemplating making this jumper in the round, I have a few pointers based on my own errors in doing the same.

Kristi Porter, the designer of Leo (published in the Fall 2004 issue of Knitty), really thought about every single detail in designing this jumper, and paid particular attention to the detail of the armhole shaping. You will see the shaping note near the top of the pattern, which gives instructions that all decreases take place 3 stitches in from the edge:
On RS rows, decreases are worked: K3, work 2 tog tbl, work in pattern to last 5 sts, work 2 tog, k3. On WS rows, the decreases are switched accordingly, and the first and last three sts of the row are p3 instead of k3.

In order to establish this 3-stitch column of knit stitches along the armhole shaping on both sides (and, importantly, in order to centre a column of 5 knit sts at the exact middle of both the front and back of the jumper), the rib pattern for both the front and back is set up at the very beginning of the work as K3, (p3, K5) to last 6 sts, then p3, k3. It is important to note that the pattern is not simply 3x5 rib over a multiple of 8 stitches, it is actually 3x5 rib over a multiple of 8 sts PLUS 9.

This has ramifications for modifying the jumper to knit in the round. Normally, when converting a pattern knit back and forth in flat pieces to knit in the round, you deduct a number of stitches, usually 4, because you won't need those stitches for seaming. Then you cast on the remaining number of stitches and start knitting around. So, for example, if the front and back of a pattern require you to cast on 52 stitches each, you can assume (unless mentioned otherwise) that one stitch on either side of each piece is intended to be used in seaming the pieces together. Since you will be working in the round and not requiring a seam, you deduct one stitch at each side of each piece (2 sts for each piece) and cast on a total of 100 sts in order to work the front and back together in the round.

If you follow the same logic when casting on to work Leo in the round, you will not wind up with a multiple of 8 sts PLUS 9. You will wind up with a multiple of 8 sts PLUS 6.

Since I didn't realise this and just bolted off knitting away to my little heart's content, the centre column of 5 knit stitches on Fiver's Leo is off by a bit, as it is on the back. Also, more subtly, although I belatedly established the pattern of 3 knit sts at the edges of the armhole shaping, the column of 3 knit sts does not 'flow' out of the edge column of three knit stitches.

You can see here that the ribbing is not exactly centred on the neckline. (Compare to this photo on Knitty.)

This is the front armhole shaping. If I had followed the instructions, the knit stitches would have flowed up from the ribbing in the area below the armhole. Instead, I had to change a column of purl stitches to knit stitches for the decreases.

The back armhole shaping - here I ended up with too many knit stitches together on the shaping.

These are minor problems and I'm happy to live with them. Fiver probably has never even noticed them. But if you want to do things right from the start, I recommend the following procudures:

1. Disregard the deduction for seam allowance stitches and knit in the round with one column of 6 knit stitches where the seam would be at both sidese. The drawback to this is it interrupts the flow of 5x3 rib that you will otherwise be knitting. The other minor drawback is that the circumference of the body of the jumper will be 4 stitches larger than intended by the pattern, but in an all-over rib pattern such as this, there is enough give-and-take to make this a minor consideration.

2. Although I haven't thought this out in great detail (and it might not work, you might want to give it some thought before trying it), you could cast on a multiple of 8 stitches only, then start the front with p3, k5 etc, ending the front with a p3; then working the back starting and ending with a k5. As far as I can see on paper, this would result in a centered column of 5 sts for the front, but the back would not have a centred column of 5. If you went with this option, you could somehow 'borrow' 2 knit stitches on either side of the back for your column of knit stitches along the armhole shaping.

3. Disregard all this tendency to perfectionism and knit it with an off-centre column of knit stitches at the middle of both sides and fudge the armhole shaping detail, like I did.

4. Knit it flat. This might help break up the monotony of knit 5, purl 3 (because at least half the time you'd get to purl 5 and knit 3). Also, the side seam does have its advantages in adding structure and stability to a garment that otherwise will have the tendency to grow in length over time.

I hope this has not made Leo sound overly complicated. I found it to be one of the most rewarding knits I've done in recent memory. The all-over rib pattern tested my patience, but the end result is very flattering to the wearer, not to mention comfortable for him, which is the main thing!

2006 project overview

Project: Sunrise Circle Jacket, designed by Kate Gilbert for Interweave Knits (pattern available on-line here)
Yarn: Recycled Vinnie's jumper (100% cotton), 880g
Needles: 4.5mm Addi turbos
Blog Entry: lazy summer holiday
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Project: Lady Eleanor Stole from Scarf Style
Yarn: La Lana Wools Forever Random Blends (60% wool 40% mohair), Faerie Queen colourway, 15 skeins
Needles: 6.5mm Addi turbos
Blog Entry: A long piece of work
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Project: Fetching from Knitty
Yarn: Cleckheaton something or other from stash
Needles: 4.0mm Addi turbo's
Blog Entry: Yes, alright, just a little bit more
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Project: Buttonhole Bag ("un-pattern" from Mason Dixon Knitting)
Yarn: Salvaged Vinnie's wool (also used for the French Market Bag)
Needles: ???
Blog Entry: Yes, alright, just a little bit more
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Project: Baltic Sea Stole (Faina M. Letoutchaia for Fibertrends)
Yarn: Jaggerspun zephyr in Sage
Needles: 3mm addi turbos
Blog Entry: The paparrazzi have coughed up the goods
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Project: The rabbit from Last Minute Knitted Gifts for an expecting co-worker
Yarn: Odds n ends including Cleckheaton Merino Supreme left over from this and Paton's Powder Puff for the ears.
Needles: I have already forgotten!
Blog Entry: Oscar the Rabbit
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Project: Pomatamus socks by Cookie A from Knitty (Summer 2006) for my mum (a mother's day gift)
Yarn: Sundara's Sock Yarn in the Mixed Berry colourway
Needles: 2.5mm Addi turbos, magic loop
Modifications: None. I stuck to that pattern like glue!
Blog entry: Socks and stoles, oh my

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project: Pea Pod Baby Set by Kate Gilbert in Interweave Knits Summer 2006, for Pantoufle's brother
Yarn: Jo Sharp Summer Soho cotton in Paprika (colour 231) (I used only about 3 balls for the set)
Needles: 3.75mm Addi turbos
Constant companions while knitting: Booker prize longlisted books and the AFL finals series
Blog entry: Nothing says get going with the baby knits

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project: Leaf Lace Shawl from Fibertrends
yarn: Lana Gatto Feeling (70% merino, 20% silk, 10% cashmere)in colour Port (10107)
knitting specs: 5mm Addi turbos (though there was some agony over this decision, I'm happy with the look of the finished product. I think 6mm needles, as called for in the pattern, would have resulted in unreasonably large holes)
modifications: None apart from using smaller needles and doing more pattern repeats, resulting in a shawl which fell neatly between the 'small' and 'large' sizes offered in the pattern.
blog entry: Leaf Lace Shawl Leaves Lace Race Lacking
interesting fact: Here is an interesting method for calculating the number of leaves on a tree!

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project: Fiery Bolero by Debbie Bliss from Interweave Knits Summer 2005 (There are 'expanded instructions' here for the short rows.)
yarn: Salvaged yarn unravelled from a Vinnie's jumper. The fibre content is 70% lambswool, 20% angora, and 10% nylon. This means the bolero is lots fuzzier and woollier and has less stitch definition than the original (which was made from Debblie Bliss Cathay) - but I like it, it's soft and warm.
knitting specs: 4mm and 3.75mm Addi turbos
modifications: Apart from the yarn sub, none.
blog entry: Need a quick fix? Enter the Blob...
interesting fact: Maurice Ravel's composition Bolero was the music ice chosen by legendary ice dancers Torvill and Dean in their 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics gold-medal performance, the only Olympics ice dancing performance to receive a perfect score from every judge.

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project: Leo by Kristi Porter from Knitty Autumn 2004
yarn: Eki Riva superbaby alpaca 4-ply in colour 2259 (olive green). Used 8.5 50g balls (200m per 50g).
knitting specs: 2.5mm and 3mm Addi turbos
modifications: lots, due to drastically different gauge from specified yarn. Would knowing my recalculations help anyone? I could post them if you like. I also knit the body in the round.
blog entry: Leo: challenging the curse
eta: There are a few tips for making Leo in the round posted here.
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project: French Market Bag by Polly from Knitty Winter 2003 (This is my second Polly-designed FO for 2006. Maybe I should declare it "Year of the Polly")
yarn: Reclaimed 100% wool from a Vinnie's jumper, originally that sort of traditional Aran cream/white colour, dyed 'saxon'. This was my first unravelling project and I learned that this fiber wasn't going to be good enough to use for anything that wasn't felted or processed in some way. The twist (don't know the technical term) had all gone out of the yarn (if it was ever there in the first place - the jumper was a machine knit thing made in China).
knitting specs: 4.5 or 5mm (?? memory fails me... it was last year!) Addi turbos (magic loop method to start out with for the base)
blog entry: A feeling french market bag

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project: Black lace kneehighs from Interweave Knits Winter 2004. Many thanks are due to Kris for professional advice in the planning stages of this project.
size: Size? whatever came out in the end... luckily they fit like a dream.
modifications: the pattern contains some errors which were addressed in this errata. However, I corrected the errata and worked the additional repeat of Chart 2 for the extra length. This required some adjustment of the 'border' lace pattern, but nothing too mentally taxing...
yarn: Grignasco Bambi Merino Extrafine 4ply (225m/50g) in black. I know this is not the most practical selection for socks, but - these weren't meant to be hard-wearing necessarily. Incidentally, the yarn is left over from the most horrible knitting mistake I have ever made, which shall not be discussed here, at least until after I've gone through 100s of dollars worth of therapy. Suffice to say there are still numerous, oh, too many to count, balls of this stuff in my stash. Each sock used just under one 50g ball. Despite the huge mistake I committed with this yarn, it continues to be one of my favourites - it has made an appearance in these pages previously as an Ene's Scarf.
knitting specs: 3mm Addi turbos in magic loop method
blog entry: They're black, they're lacy, they're...socks
(See also Sock it to me Summer entries on this project)

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project: Kiri shawl, design by Polly of All Tangled Up
size: about the same size pictured in the pattern - approx 1.5m across the neck edge
yarn: Lana Gatto Mohair Royale in a woodsy green (215m per 25g ball) - 2.5 balls used
knitting specs: 3.75mm Addi turbos
blog entry: First FO for O6

Leo: challenging the curse

Don't get me wrong, I do not usually have such a cavalier attitude toward these old tried and true superstitions. So late last year, when everything still seemed to be going well between myself and Fiver after I made him a football scarf (go swannies), it was not a decision we took lightly when we decided that it was time for me to knit a jumper for his Fiverness.

Since we had already decided to buy a house I figured I may as well bring on the breakup vibes sooner rather than later, if a breakup was indeed imminent. What better way for a knitter to really put the relationship to the test?! Of course, as you know the house purchase went ahead before the jumper was finished, but things are still looking good chez Fiver & Meg. While I don't pretend to have the secret to happy relationships, I think a key to surviving the curse of the boyfriend jumper is recognising just how annoying the process is for the recipient. Here are just a few of the matters Fiver had to patiently endure as part of my knitter's peskiness:

1. Constant emails with links to patterns demanding instant detailed responses. Do you like this pattern. If not, why not? If so, why?

2. After a pattern was [finally] selected, a second barrage of emails regarding yarn types and colours. More questions such as "Did you REALLY look at the shade card?!"

3. Enduring explanations of the compositions of various yarns, why certain shades of brown are just WRONG, and the finer mysteries of gauge and why it means you just can't have the yarn you want.

4. Numerouse trips to yarn shops to visit shortlisted yarns in person to squeeze and rub yarn against cheek, and to confirm colour choice matches perception of colour afforded by computer monitro.

5. Enduring ravings of girlfriend when perfect yarn (baby 4-ply alpaca) is located for an amazing sale price, but desired colour not available in the quantities required.

6. Trip across town to another yarn shop for price comparison and to see if required quantity of first choice colour is in stock. Decisions as to whether desired colour justified astronomical price difference.

7. Return to yarn shop with big sale to purchase second choice colour (aka, the colour foisted upon you by excited knitter).

8. Suffering many evenings of worrying over rewriting pattern for different gauge achieved with purchased yarn.

9. Agreeing to purchase of additional 2 balls of yarn at non-sale prices once knitter decides the amount purchased ("You already have more than 1.5 kilometers of yarn!") will be insufficient.

10. Witnessing the agony of a knitter who realises after knitting an entire sleeve that the re-calculations to adjust for different gauge are, in fact, incorrect.

11. More of #8 above

12. Driving large removalist van while knitter happily works on sleeve version 2 even though you say you need knitter to follow along in the street directory so we don't get lost and look for cars in the blind spot so we don't crash.

13. Sitting through hours of Olympic and Commonwealth Games television coverage, including the figure skating and gymnastics, because knitter has decided televisised sporting events make good motivational factors to attain knitting goals.

14. Consoling knitter when said deadlines are missed.

15. Wooing knitter to come to pub for the evening by agreeing that the knitting came come too.

16. Being dragged out of the house while coming down with a cold in order to pose for blog photograph.

But I think he would say it's worth it in the end. (click for larger piccie.)


(Fiver actually does have a head. He's just a little shy about showing his face to everyone.)
More project details here.

eta: There are a few tips for making Leo in the round posted here.

As close as Cherono

What a weekend it has been in the Commonwealth Games! Knitting athletes are flocking in droves to become part of this special event. Our reporter-on-the-street in Melbourne, Jacqueline, was there in the stands to witness the finish of the Women's Marathon event on Saturday - the closest women's marathon finish ever on history! (and, I'm told, if you take into account the men, the 3rd closest finish ever!)

Meanwhile, back on my couch, I am oh-so-close to finishing the body of Fiver's Leo. I'm as close as Hellen Cherono, the Kenyan runner who took silver in the women's marathon. I'm so close I could try on the jumper myself last night. (Fiver had already gone to bed. Seems women's weightlifting isn't really his cup of tea. Come to think of it, maybe that's a good thing - he might start expecting me to lift really heavy things around the house...) The good news is, I think Leo fit Fiver just fine. The bad news is, it's a little too big for me, so no sneaking in and borrowing particular pieces of alpaca clothing. ("But I made it!" seems perfect justification to me for that kind of behaviour. Especially when it gets cold out, like it was hinting at this morning in the pre-dawn hours. When are the clocks falling back anyway!? Oh yeah, that's right, they've extended daylight savings for the Commonwealth Games...)

But before there is too much dancing in the streets, a quick look at the Games Calendar reminded me that this is no drawn-out 16-day Olympic affair - oh no, this is a snappy little ELEVEN DAY-er. So completion by the closing ceremony is not a foregone conclusion by any means. Now that I have you on the edge of your seat, stay tuned for all the latest Leo developments as they unfold.....

It's not a track and field event, but there's a hurdle

You know how there was that Knitting Olympics thingy going on... how I didn't really consider myself a participant even though I did have a goal related to the Olympics timeframe... You know how I was foiled in the last official measurement and fell 1 inch short of my goal in the final stretch...
Well, all of it has left me feeling a bit flat. Just like when you live in an Olympic host city - things seem eerily quiet when all the neighbours go home and life has to get back to normal. The television sits in the corner, turned off... silently challenging my 'it's ok to mindlessly watch tv because the Olympics are on' rationale.
The time has come to admit it... I don't think I'm going to finish Fiver's Leo by his birthday on 11th March. I did finish that last inch the very day AFTER the Olympics ended. But since then I have done all of 2 rows on the back. I pushed myself to the knitting limit getting the 16.5 inches of ribbing done for the body, and now I feel like I am lying in the recovery tent sucking energy drinks in an attempt to replenish my depleted energy.
So what's a sports fan to do? Obvious: move the hurdle. wind back the clock. call a rematch. That's why I'm here to announce what will be (I'm sure) the most unanticipated and wildly unpopular follow-up to the Knitting Olympics: the Knitting Commonwealth Games.
Commonweath readers will have heard vague murmurs about the approaching Commonwealth Games. In fact, Melbourne readers might even have a clue as to what the Commonwealth Games involve, since the Games are being held there this year. Myself, I had to do a google search just to find out the starting and ending dates. I have never really paid attention to the Commonwealth Games and could not even name half the events or competing nations at a pub quiz. What I do know is that such sports as Lawn Bowls (see Figure 1) and Badminton really make for an interesting alternative to the Olympics. That, and the random exclusion of all other nations on earth which have shunned or otherwise rejected the colonial lingerings of our monarch, The Queen.
So, a new personal challenge is to be had. The Commonwealth Games run for two weeks from March 15th (opening ceremony) to March 26th. Yes, you heard it here first sports fans! I will finish Fiver's Leo by the end of the Commonwealth Games!
(And, don't worry - I've already checked it out - if I don't finish Leo during the Commonwealth Games, I will finish it during the Soccer World Cup.)

Flashing the stash

I didn't know this but apparently April 1st is the annual day to expose oneself (or at least one's stash) to the light of day. I realise this is probably a topic of very little interest to all of my readers, who are waiting on the edges of their seats for photos of Fiver's Leo (oh yes, just you wait, my pretties) but I thought now was as good a time as any to stop and take stock of just what is in these white plastic boxes: (little, but lots of piccies...click for biggies)
The 4 boxes contain 4 different stashes:
top - origami stash
second from top - very small and pathetic fabric stash as well as some clothes which one day need to be altered or mended
third from top - YARN
bottom - various little bits of memorabilia from life (don't worry I'm not exposing all of my stashes here today, you won't have to sit through all the school photos and report cards)

Here is what is revealed when one lifts the lid on the YARN stash box.

First of all, I present the yarns which are truly stash. In my mind, this includes all yarn which was purchased for no specific reason other than it was pretty, or yarn which was acquired for a purpose but is, for whatever reason, not going to be used for that purpose.

The most recent stash acquisition is the red ball and variegated blue ball at centre, both purchased under Jacqueline's supervision at Marta's Yarns in Melbourne last November.

Behind the Marta's stash is some handpainted JJ's mohair which would have made a lovely Clapotis except I only realised after knitting up the first ball that it had been mis-labelled in the shop and was in fact a different colourway from the other 2 balls. I wasn't too happy with how it was knitting up anyway, so I ripped it and haven't decided what to do with it. Any good ideas for how to use 2 balls of mohair in a nice colourway and a third ball in a different (and not entirely compatible) colourway??? Suffice to say I will be checking ALL handpainted yarns very carefully in future. Or actually I am more likely to stay well away from the handpainted for the rest of my life after this completely dumb experience.

In the upper left we have 5 balls of the unmistakable Noro Kureyon in a highly lurid colour. This was completely an impulse buy, spurred on by my frustration, at the time, with our unsuccessful house hunt. I played around with it for a little thinking I would make a scarf, but decided that just wasn't going to work. Next plan for the ugly Kureyon will be a felted striped bag. Watch this space.

In front of the Kureyon are 2 balls of some lovely 2ply I bought at some craft show last year. I really love the colourway, I think it's called 'Forest Floor' which doesn't show up very nicely here. However, try as I might, I just can't bring myself to actually knit this into something. It's just too pretty.

And the light blue in the lower right corner is some boring old Cleckheaton crepe I got at a vinnie's for like 50 cents. No idea why, it was just cheap so I got it.

Moving right along now to the next category of stash, the yarns which are actually dedicated to something:

The Lorna's Laces obviously will become socks (I can't wait, this is the first thing I'll cast on once Leo is done and dusted) and the large pile of other stuff is about 10 skeins of La Lana Forever Random which is being used in my long-neglected Lady Eleanor, which is currently on the needles, but got put down for summer as it was too hot to work on. Actually, this category of stash could also be renamed 'yarn I have received as a gift'. Close readers of Days Full will recognise that the LL came from Fiver for Christmas and the La Lana came from mum for my birthday last year.

Next category of stash, the leftovers. I am pretty fastidious about keeping leftovers although I rarely find a use for them. (except for the stripey elephant I made for my nephew for christmas). Recognise anything? We have small amounts of leftovers from Rogue, Leo, Mum's purple post-yoga jumper, two Backyard Leaves scarves, Ene, a vest (see below), Fiver's Swannies Scarf, and various pre-blog projects.

There are also substantial leftovers from my step-father's Christmas vest from last year:


And from Kiri:


A random presence in the stash is a collection of mercerised cotton which was thrown in with a box of knitting needles and one tiny crochet hook I got at a market last year for $2.

Now we get to the unravelling projects. Here are the not insubstantial leftovers from the first unravelling project I undertook. There may be a few more French Market Bags to get out of this batch.

Lots leftover from my second unravelling project, including a large piece still yet to be unravelled. No idea what this will become but in its last appearance this yarn became a One Skein Wonder.

Here are the jumpers which are still awaiting unravelling. As you can see, I laid in plenty of stores for the long belt-tightening period I was anticipating before buying the house.

And perhaps the saddest category, things I have knit which for one reason or another will be ripped and the yarn reused elsewhere, some day. These were all pre-blog, and their sad stories as to why they must be ripped will be told whenever that day comes that I rip them. But here's a hint as to why the vest is hitting the dust after one winter of wear.

Even though exposing my stash like this makes me feel like I have an enormous amount of stash, I am sure I will see much larger stashes on my travels through the stash-flashers today. My REAL weakness is origami paper. Luckily for me, this stash takes up much less space and can occupy an accordian file.

Not goal-less

Just in case you were thinking that choosing to be a spectator for the knitting olympics meant that I didn't have olympic-related knitting goals, I am here to show you what could possibly be the most slowly-progressing knitting project of my blogging life: Fiver's Leo.
Yes, 'Leo' has been sitting over there in the 'currently knitting' sidebar for quite some time now. There are reasons for that, but thankfully the reason is not that I've totally given it up. As I mentioned previously, the yarn I chose required some rewriting of the pattern because of the drastically different gauge I was getting. I knitted one sleeve up to the cap shaping, only to discover that I had miscalculated, and the sleeve was much too large. It will be frogged, but hasn't been just yet. When I decide to cut loose on the frogging I'll be sure to photographically document that in painful detail for you.
Instead, I set that half sleeve aside and worked on other things... for several months.
Now I'm back with a goal, a deadline, and a silly one at that. Fiver's birthday is March 11th. Can I finish his jumper in time?!?! To test how quickly I could work this project up, I set a little time trial for myself: knit the revised sleeve in a week. I whipped up a little Excel spreadsheet to generate new stitch counts and increases and decreases

and away I went. In the end, I crossed the finish line in 9 days. Considering that I moved house during those 9 days, I figured I was pretty much on track.
The body of the jumper calls for 16.5 inches length to the arm shaping. Hmmmm, 16.5 inches...16 days of Olympics... sounds like a perfect little personal olympic challenge. I decided ultimately not to get mixed up in the organised events because I was not going to cast on during the opening ceremony, nor was I going to complete anything by the closing ceremony. So this is just between me, the Addi's, and you. Don't tell Fiver! He knows I'm working on it but doesn't know about the goal. If I do eventually get close to achieving the goal, I'll have to work out how to finish knitting and sewing up in secrecy, but that's a bridge I'll cross on March 10th.
So, in fact, I did cast on during the opening ceremony. And I achieved my first inch, worked on 2.5mms. When switching to the 3mms, just as the athletes' oath was being taken, I realised that I initially (1 inch ago) twisted the stitches when joining up to work in the round. (Thud...sound of knitting needles + weight of world hitting the floor when knitting dropped in total horror). So I re-cast-on on Day 1 of the olympics. As of Day 3 of the Olympics, I was back on track: 4 inches completed.

By my reckoning, however, we are on Day 5 of the Olympics, and I should have 6 inches, but alas, I am about 20 rows (and 2 inches) short. Fingers crossed I will make up some lenth over the weekend. This is all beginning to look a lot to me like the high jump in extreme slow motion.

Daysfull Digest November volume 1

You know those photocopied inserts you get (or send) in your Christmas cards telling you what fabulous things your friends have been up to in the past year and promising that we should all get together soon and happy holidays and so on? I thought something like that was in order here. So here's the skivvy on the latest goings-on.

Ravelry.
I have been playing around in the big ol' Ravelry and it is heaps of fun and admittedly the fun of maintaining a blog has been a little lost amongst the sand castles, pails, and shovels of the Ravelry sandbox. But I think I'll try to stick with this here blog for a while, if intermittently. Where else will you get reviews of Sydney's finest lavatories? Where else could I publish said reviews?

Knitting.
That's what you're here for, I won't pretend otherwise. There have been a few
projects simmering along with all good intentions, most of them are of hush-hush status. However, I do have one thing to show you, my Geelong Memorial Witterings Hat, so called because I coincidentally cast on for it during the 2007 AFL Grand Final in September(which Geelong won) and it is in colours which convincingly approximate Geelong's team colours. I'm not a Geelong supporter (and I was even barracking for the underdog, Port Adelaide, in the Grand Final. Nevertheless, their season was an amazing one and so I'm happy to honour them with a hat (even if the hat is more likely to be worn to the cricket than the footy.)


I didn't bother counting how many stitches I ended up with when the brim was a satisfactory width but it sure is a bl**dy lot of them. The tubular/sewn cast off was frankly demoralising after only 1/8 of the stitches were done. So I cast it aside (rather than off) where it patiently awaits a more patient finisher. Curses batman! And I so wanted to finish that hat in time for Melbourne Cup!

As much casting off as I could handle...

Melbourne Cup.
Recently I had the pleasure of meeting this fine horse recently, so there's even a horsey photo for you! This year in my office sweep I drew Railings who, at $201, was the bookies' least favourite to win. I wasn't too upset because at least my office sweep pays $2 for the wooden spoon, aka last place - which means you get your money back and you get some bragging rights. But my dumb horse came in second last. Last place was the early leader, Tungsten Strike, who obviously could not sustain his early pace. Oh well, at least Fiver drew the 2nd place winner so we haven't lost the farm yet.

Christmas knitting.
You're doing it, I'm doing it, everybody's doing it. This year we have four projects on the boil. I'm fairly sure none of the recipients can get past the gatekeeper at Ravelry yet, so here's links to the goods for the initiated:
1. Secret project #1. Finished.
2. Secret project #2. Finished 50%.
3. Secret project #3. Only just started.
4. A Montego Bay scarf for my brother-in-law's girlfriend (who definitely does not read the lavatory reviews, book rants, and occasional knitting updates chez Daysfull). Recently started and going quickly. Here 'tis:

The yarn is Knitpicks Gossamer in the Sunrise colourway, which I won as a prize in the Knitty Professor's 'Name This Puking Animal Creamer' contest. In addition to this skein, plus another skein of yarn, my prize included my very own Puking Animal Creamer, which you can see above. Who knew such a thing existed?! Certainly not me. Now I am enlightened. Thanks Michaele!

Cricket.
It's my favourite time of year, the cricket season. In honour of this, I have started up a group on Ravelry for cricket tragics, Knit Before Wicket. Please come join us! There's no sledging allowed and even fans of England may join.

Books.
I recently finished another 2007 Booker shortlisted book, Animal's People by Indra Sinha. It was a challenging read and very enjoyable. I thought narrative voice (a fellow called "Animal") was a literary achievement unrivalled by the other contenders this year. I had the opportunity to purchase a copy of this book prior to the shortlist being announced and turned it down because of the cover image and the short quotation featured on the back cover, which made it sound like a human-child-raised-by-wolves kind of story. In fact, this is far from the case and just goes to show (everybody together) "You can't judge a book by its cover." However, you can probably sell more books if you have an appealing cover.

I have just started Darkmans, the last one of the shortlisted books from 2007 I have yet to read. It is a hefty tome of over 800 pages I don't expect to finish it anytime soon. First impression? The length is gratuitous. But I'm giving it a red hot go.

Movies.
A new Australian film called September is in advance release. I had the opportunity to see it last week. It is fantastic and I recommend it highly.

Holidays.
Fiver and I took our gorgeous Guinness to a dog-friendly guest house in the Snowy Mountains for a week last month. It was Guinness's first trip to the bush and it is with some consternation that I report his new-found love of all things wombat, particularly wombat poo. We had a very stinky dog for most of the holiday.

Here's HRH Guinness admiring his identical twin in the window of the Criterion Hotel in Gundagai, where we also took in the Dog on the Tucker Box.


There really is snow in the Snowy Mountains. It was heaps of fun to reacquaint myself with the flurry stuff after about a decade of snowless existence! Here is Australia's highest peak:

Clearly no sherpas were required to reach this peak.

In Jindabyne, one of the main towns in the mountains, we were thrilled to discover this local landmark -

Leo Barry Park?!

If you can't see the sign, it says Leo Barry Park. We could only conclude that the park was named in honour of the Sydney Swan. I took about 10 photos of Fiver trying to re-enact "The Mark" with no success. Other than about 10 hilarious photos.

The Garden.
Through very little effort of my own (and a lot of effort by Fiver), we actually have some things flourishing in the garden! The miracle of life occurs in the front garden, where we have a real live capsicum growing!! This is just a total marvel to me!

Don't tell it we're going to eat it...

And in the back garden, I don't think it's too early to get excited about this little bud (and promise of several more) on the passionfruit vine.

What did the big flower say to the little flower?
What's up bud!

I think the technical term for what our garden, and particularly this vine, has been doing the past month is 'going berzerko', thanks to healthy rainfalls and of course Fiver's careful ministrations.

Conclusion.
Hey! We should really catch up again before the silly season sets in!

I'm published!! and a secret is revealed...

Have you seen Yarnival? It's one of those blog carnival thingies.

I had never heard of the Yarnival until Cara called for submissions for issue 3 which she (so magnificently!) edited. And holey moley - my submission was accepted! My post about Fiver's Leo is included in the Features section, along with others who have faced the Curse of the Boyfriend Sweater.

So this seems an opportune time to come clean with you. That Baltic Sea Stole? The one that's finished, blocked, and carefully folded away and wrapped lightly in some tissue paper? The one I've NEVER shown you as a finished object? It's going to be debuted on Saturday afternoon when I will become the one and only Mrs Fiver in what promises to be the biggest coming out party for a knitted stole this town has ever seen!

I hope this explains a bit my recent lack of blogging and the introduction of lots of (gasp) non-knitting content here as of late.

And now that I've got your attention, please wander over and say hello to Rebecca, the one and only bridesmaid. She's been working her eyeballs out on some special wedding related things which are sure to amaze you.

After that, you can go grab a cuppa and read the rest of Yarnival !

Need a quick fix? Enter the Blob...

Here is my completed Black Blob (OK OK, the actual name of the pattern is Fiery Bolero), looking a little less blobby since the last time you saw it.
Credit where it's due: Jacqueline inspired me to make this Blob after she made one last year. I have even modelled it here with a pink shirt underneath. Don't we all wanna be Just Like Jac? Fiver took these photos in the kitchen while making dinner last night. (Doesn't everyone cook in garments named after saucy Latin dances?) Here's the back:
Here's Fiver's favourite detail, and probably mine as well - the curved collar and side ribbed band, which is short-rowed to create a wider collar than front band. Rather graceful.
This jacket was just the ticket for what I needed in my knitting life post-Leo. Something quick, something easy. Something that is not a classic fashion, something that will probably be completely out of style next month. (or is it already out of style?) Something for myself, something I didn't have to think about too much. Something girlie, something to wear. More project details and an interesting fact about the Bolero are here.

Now that's out of my system I can get back to my usual agenda. But wait! Stop the presses! What's this?
Something received in the post today, all the way from Norway. Rather similar to something I set off in the post last week. Like all good continuing dramas, I will leave you hanging there until next time!

An observation

What is happening with the stylist's budget at Interweave Knits?

I ask this because I have been looking through the past few issues as part of the wonderfully world's-your-oyster process of post-Leo-next-project-selection.

How about Kate Gilbert's beautiful Pearl Buck Swing Jacket. Pearl Buck used to live in my state and we visited the Pearl Buck House Museum numerous times in my childhood. I have read the book which inspired the design... just something about the jacket makes me think it's not really my style. To start with, I don't have a nice tweedy skirt like the model's wearing.

Sigh...keep on looking...flip, flip, flip. Now I know THIS is definitely NOT my style, because I don't have THAT skirt either:

Hang on a minute, those two skirts are exactly the same!!

Look what happens in the current issue:

The same skirt appears not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES in the magazine.

Do we need to be organising a charity ebay auction so these models don't all have to share the same skirt?!

Needless to say, this revelation has not really helped me decide which project shall be next. I'm enjoying the thought process so much I might just not make a decision. In the meantime, I have been reunited with the Lovely Lady E and will show you some progress pics of that on the weekend.