Knitwear catch up

A jumper for my daughter.  

This jumper crops up on Pinterest from time to time, sometimes a jumper sometimes a jacket.  I thought it the most beautiful lace I'd seen in a long time and had to try it.

The pattern comes in one size (small) so I did some adjustments to get extra width.

We decided to go with the scoop hemline and I knitted to the armhole of the back and the bottom of the scoop came to just below daughter's waist which would mean the front, which was straight across would be somewhat higher, so back to drawing board.  Finished the back at the end of LAST winter, took one look at it and threw it aside carefully placed it back in the knitting bag.  I thought the shape was completely unworkable.  A trip to stay with daughter prompted me to take another look,  I knitted front and sleeves on  the knitting machine, did some stitching and pinning and tried it on her.  We both decided it looked pretty good but would be better with a longer scooped front hem to match the back.  Back home to the machine and now it is smashing.  

If you want to play this is where I printed the pattern from:

http://liuxiaoben1.blog.163.com/blog/static/5752898220139299424961/

And this is what I knitted from the replaced front, all except the hem and sleeves.

Another pattern from the internet, Little Miss Myra's Sweater, designed by Lara Simonson of Knot Enuf Knitting.  The pattern comes in sizes 3 months to 10 years.  This is knitted in size 4 years but about 2 inches longer in length.

You may recall this blanket from last year called Kea which I gave my grandson at Christmas time.  

In one stripe there were 10 threads of velour and with use through this winter they have riggled out to huge loops.

I've brought it home and replaced them with wool.  I tied a weavers knot and in stages of about 50 cm pulled the new threads through.  Its looking pretty good now.

The colours were very attractive and I'm reluctant to throw them out.

This has happened to me before using velour, even in crochet; it riggles and moves.  I don't know how other folks weave successful velour scarves etc.  Maybe the sett has to be a lot closer than normal.

A busy time

So to back up a bit I sacrificed a long weekend in Auckland with family and grand kids to finish exhibition work on time.  I am delighted with the end result but was it worth what I gave up.  I doubt it, I miss the kids hugs and kisses, but I kept my promise.  Exhibition opens in Pataka Gallery, Porirua in June, pictures then.

The following weekend (long again), Thursday through Sunday, we were off to Napier, the New Zealand Art Deco city, to attend a wedding.  On the way down we stayed a night in Taupo and walked around the edge of the lake.  No, not all the way around, just a couple of kilometres and back again, very picturesque.

 Barely got my suitcase unpacked and the laundry done and I was off again to the annual Professional Weavers Network Seminar at the Rob Waddell Lodge, Lake Karapiro.  Bay of Plenty members had had a little input in the organising early in the piece but in the end we were asked to bring the essentials.  This is about half of refreshments.

 Going through the tiny country town of Hinuera, population about 5, we came to a police check point.  At least the bottles had stopped rattling by the time we stopped.  May I see your license please Madam.  Sure I said its in the back and started to open my door.  He took a look in the back, said, sure you have one.  Oh yes, its in the back.  We got waved on with smiles and thank you's.  Actually population of Hinuera is 891.

We had a wonderful weekend with more talking than you could believe.  We spent a morning at the Fashion Department of the Unitech seeing what the students do in the degree program.  There was a forum discussing where craft fits versus art.  We discussed a future exhibition.  There was a pop up workshop on network drafting using graph paper with Agnes followed by Rene showing us how to adjust patterns for different fits and looks.  Monday morning it was my turn to share some of the knowledge I have re shibori both hand stitched and loom controlled.  Have to say it was disappointing the number who stayed for the workshop considering the weeks I had spent preparing new ideas to show.

The commitments weren't over yet as Rene and I had the delightful job of looking through the portfolios of 5 new weavers for the New Weavers Award to be announced at the Creative Fibre Festival at the end of April.  Isn't it wonderful, 5 new weavers to support and encourage.

And, of course, I still have my business to keep ticking over.  This poncho is made of fabric woven on the knitting machine.  I couldn't face the thought of stitching in all the ends so made a feature of them.

 My first day back on duty at the Cargo Shed in Tauranga I discovered a note in the day book that said I had been appointed the display person even though I had said I was hopeless at it!!  So I took the bull by the horns, so to speak, and took the opportunity to have a major shift around.  Its a work in progress and I'm thinking each time I go in there will be more things to change.

Before leaving for Lake Karapiro I had put a warp on the loom for 5 metres of fabric, tied onto the previous warp but a change of tieup and treadling, this time 4 colour double weave.  This first pic of fabric still on the loom is the nearest to true shades.  It looks like old tapestry fabric to me.  I'm thinking a jacket.

 But was it a pig to weave, very sticky yarns, the weft wouldn't beat in properly and I'd have to stop and ease out the humps and if I missed one I'd have a loop sticking up out of the fabric.  Had to unweave back to the loop or use a needle and ease it out to the selvedge.  One warp thread is called aubergine the other was hand dyed in several shades of red including burgundy (a long time ago) and the weft of mid grey and red, Tex 110/2 wool.

Now I have a few tea towels to make to fill an order then its on to a big scarf order, to say nothing of blankets being asked for.

This one is for Jack.  Look who comes for breakfast and dinner on my back lawn.

For Him

He wanted stripes, he got 'em.
Main yarn taupe and olive 110/2 tex threaded together, plated with darkish blue boucle the loops of which show through the stripes sort of blending it all.  Rib also plated with the dark blue.  Neck and armhole full fashion shaping.  Will find out on 25th if it fits.