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I've joined a new ring: knitting scientists.

I've completed the front, back and neckband of Nothin' but a T-shirt.



Front blocking (with rolled-up towel under short rows)


The moss-stitch neckband (worked in the round)


..and a teeny mistake..

shit


My clematis is flowering


Yeah!

I've swatched for the Lotus Blossom Shawl (loving the colours)



My Star Trek socks are nearly done (and the Six Sox KAL will be continuing for another 12 months).

I'm beginning to love Oceanography more than I love Infectious Diseases!

Must learn to write in complete sentences. Will bring pictures of top-down sleeves and Martha next time. Star Trek socks will be done. Must study "Rossby waves" and try and understand it all!

You love it!

Boring stuff first, then on to the goodies!

I've almost finished with Nothin' but a T-shirt's frontage (click on any/all of the pictures for a bigger view):


V-neck shaping



A closer look


And using nona's Japanese short rows technique:







Now for the good stuff:


Sock it to me Esprit, Skacel Sirenetta and some Brittany Birch 5" d.p. in 3.5 mm. (from Elann)



Regia Mini Ringel


Reiga Silk (for my mum's cold little feet) (both from here)


Assorted sock yarn - hmmm.... (some from Elann, some from Mavis Crafts, some from The Knitting Zone and the rest from the Secret Pal 3 programme)

Still nada on the Secret Pal 4 parcel - I'm now assuming one of the following: it went surface instead of air, it got lost, or it's stuck in customs Heck*. Either way, I'm sure that my still-mysterious SP is peeved just as much as I am!

Martha progress: not much, although I'm now done with the decreases and it works up faster than I was anticipating.

Go Team Star Trek socks: I'm nearly done with the gusset increases and I know that it'll go faster from here on in.

Ta-ta!


*you know Heck, one level up from Hell. Ruled by Phil, the Prince of Insufficent Light. Fans of Dilbert will already be laughing. For those of you who aren't, go here.

So sue me!

Gosh, that was awfully American. I am sorry! I would use the traditional Northern alternative to that, but I didn't want to offend*.

Anyway, what this refers to is ... ponchos. I know that some people have take the "No Poncho Pledge", and for a lot of the things on the Lion Brand site, I can see why. However, for examples like this, I can make an exception. For me, the poncho/cape/capelet/poncho-lette is a really practical garment. When I'm sitting at my desk studying, I don't want to have to worry about dipping the ends of a shawl in my coffee, it stays on my shoulders (as opposed to my arms, waist, chair) and I'm not going to loose it in a gust of wind when I'm out in the garden.

With all that in mind, I present to you the Clapotis poncho!


I always wore it like this anyway, just fastened with a brooch. The Silk Garden is just a little bit to itchy for me to wear it around my neck, but worn like this it's perfect.

I'm also a knat's whisker away from casting on for the Canadian Living/Patons Poncho (the one in the link above). I've even gone so far as to set up a project page for it!

I caved in and got myself some Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport from The Knitting Zone, for the Fiddlesticks Lotus Blossom Shawl pattern I got last week.

I chose the colourway Iris Garden, because it contained the colours I associate with the lotus blossom itself:



My original plan was to get some yarn (Fleece Artist) via the Yarn Co-op on Yahoo, but that's not going through now, and I'd rather not wait for three plus months for everything to get sorted.

My Star Trek socks are motoring on (spot the mistake with the pattern near the toe on the second sock?):



and I'm almost ready to cast on for the Cabled Sandal Socks from the Socks, Socks, Socks book, as soon as I've double-checked my tension.

I lurve knitting socks! They are the perfect medium for trying out new techniques and, if you work reasonably fast, they are quick to finish.

Next time: cuppage for the Nothin' but a T-shirt, gratuitous yarn p0rn, and hopefully that blinking secret pal package will have arrived!

*highlight this next bit to see the alternative: Bugger off, I'll do what the bloody hell I like!*

SP4 reveal - part 1

I wasn't in a big hurry to do this because the person I was gifting went on holiday before I could reveal myself, and the final package from the person who was gifting me still hasn't arrived (flipping Royal Mail, grumble, grumble...).

So, I was sending lovely things to Sooze in NYC.

I'm sitting out SP5 but for those that want, sign up is over here (by the 29th of May).

In happier news, my "Nothin' but a T-shirt" now has a back!



I always block stocking stitch "wrong side up" so the edges don't curl under, but rather curl over. I think it looks like one of those animal pelts, all stretched out and drying.

I also have a second toe for my Go Team! socks, but since it looks just the same as the first toe I didn't think there was much point in taking a picture.

I'm on the fourth pattern repeat of Martha, but it's killing my left arm. It's probably because I'm incredibly tense about my tension!

Anyway, hopefully my next post will bring happier news on the secret pal parcel front (although this one has gone a lot better than SP3, where my original pal fell off the face of the Earth) and also some photo-worthy progress on socks, Martha and Nothin'.

Swatch-a-roo!

So, two swatches and a 40 degree wash later (all pictures can be clicked on to enlarge them):



It turns out that cotton shrinks. Who knew?! Armed with this knowledge I have been ploughing on at the incredible rate of a row every two minutes. I've a feeling that this project is going to be a case of heart over head. My head says: "You have got to be kidding me? 28 stitches over 4", and in a knit/purl lace pattern!". My heart says: "Awww, but it will look so purdy, and I've always wanted a lacy 4-ply cotton cardigan. It will be so practical!"

Progress so far:

Right Side



And, because I love this kind of stuff, the wrong side (oooohhhh!)



Nothin' but a Shirt news:



See - I told it was going quickly. And, yes, that really is the shape of my body. Wait until you see the front (there will be a lot of short row shaping).

I've also done a teeny swatch for the modified Honeymoon Cami I'll be doing.

[flash image]


[no flash image]


And look what I got in post this morning, from The Knitting Zone (NAYY):



In there was a row counter (the kind that you hit to count on one), a Fiddlesticks Lotus Blossom shawl pattern, Fiber Trends Bella lace poncho pattern and two balls of Lana Grossa cotton/wool/nylon sock yarn. I'm now looking for a lace weight/light sport weight yarn in either merino wool, or cotton/viscose mix, for the Lotus Blossom shawl, that wont cripple me financially.

EDIT: I had a look at a yarn-comparison chart I had and it turns out the Country Silk (described as a "light sportweight") is approximately equivalent to UK 4-ply. Therefore, it isn't going to be as difficult as I thought to get hold of the right kind of yarn!

I'm getting into some heavy biochemistry in my work now, so my knitting is taking more of a back seat than normal. I'd recommend if you pop by here on a semi-regular basis to subscribe via Bloglines or BlogRoll just to make your life easier.

Next time:
I hope to show you progress on my Star Trek Go Team! socks, a completed t-shirt back, a few more rows on Martha, and the start of a self-designed pattern for a cotton Aran cardigan for my mum.