Marta's knitblog

...and front started.

Here is the back of my Audrey:

block me please!

...and here is the progress on the front:

I would be further with the front if I hadn't make some mistakes again - this time with the decreases - so that I was compelled to rip out many rows.
But knitting Audrey is still fun (even if I feel guilty because my poncho is on his way to become a UFO).

Have a sunny weekend! |

Unfortunately I had a lot else to do in the weekend , so I just knitted for about two-three hours yesterday night. I made some progress on Audrey, now I have 20 rows to go before I cast off the back. I think I used the right method for the increases!
Even if I am not very good in ribbing, I love working on this sweater. The yarn is so soft and fun to knit.

Since it isn't worth to post pictures of Audrey yet, I will show you what I bought in Italy last week:



I was strong enough not to go to the LYS, but I bought some magazines, so that I have even MORE future projects (as if I really need some...).

Have a look at this wonderful purple sweater:

The pic is blurry, sorry....

And what about this crochet pattern?


This is not bad, too:


Well, I have a big stash and many ideas.... a pity that I do not have enough time to knit everything.

Have a nice week!


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I'm half the way in the back of Audrey. I would be much further if I hadn't to rip out so many rows! I hope I can manage the increases now.

Didone likes the softiness of Calmer, too:


And this came with the mail today:


I ordered it at amazon.com and I wasn't expecting it so early, since it was scheduled to come just in a couple of weeks.... I still haven't looked in it, but I hope it is worth the money.
(I know, I'm always complaining about money. I am not such a materialist, but I am going throu a financially not so positive period at the moment and I feel guilty when I spend too much on knitting stuff. ---> Talking about feeling guilty: read what Wendy wrote yesterday) |

No pictures today. I made a good progress with Audrey, but I seem to keep getting problems with the increases.... After having ripped almost everything out because of a mistake in the dicreases, yesterday evening - after 30 more rows or something similar - I had to rip out the whole increase part. The explanations in the pattern are nor really clear, as I find. HOW increase? Knit stitches? Purl stitches? I tried one method I thought was the right one... of course it was not. Rip, rip, rip.... tried another one. Also wrong. This is now the third try, I hope I took the right way. I will refer tomorrow....
I usually am too lazy to rip out and in my knitting life I often decided to keep some small mistakes which nobody would notice.... But in this case the mistakes are not that small - and the yarn is way too expensive to take the risk knitting something I will not wear.
Well, thanks God it's spring.... |

I'm back!
And I've not been lazy:



This project was fast and fun. In Italy I had time to knit, so I finished the chickami in just a couple of days. The advantage is that the kami is knitted in rounds but the last rows, and since I am slow particularly purling, this was a fast work for me.
Unluckily it is bigger than I wanted. I knitted the smallest size and though the gauge was corresponding, it became too big.... misteries of knitting. Anyway I can wear it, even if it is not tight.

And... SURPRISE! Calmer was in the mail!



I am looking forward to swatching it! |

Calmer did not arrive! I am so disappointed. I am living tomorrow for a six-day trip to Italy and I will not be able to begin with Audrey.
So I decided to knit a Chickami. I have some yellow cotton in my stash that could be nice.
Pictures will follow when I'm back.
Happy Easter to all of you! |

I am still waiting for my Rowan Calmer. I sent an e-mail to the yarn onlineshop yesterday, asking them when I can count on the delivery. They called back and told me they would send it out today, so that I hope I will receive it tomorrow. I hope so, since the day after tomorrow is Good Friday and on Saturday DPD does not deliver. If I don't have luck, I will not be able to begin with Audrey during my trip to Italy.

In the meantime I am knitting my poncho, but it is boring :-( |

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Yes, I got weak and ordered Rowan Calmer. I chose the colorshade Coral, the one used for the original pattern in the Rowan Magazine. I know, I said it is too expensive.... and I wanted to use some cotton yarn I have in my stash.
But the one I wanted to use had not the right gauge, and my husbund convinced me (I confess, he did not need much time to suceed) that it would be a pity to risk getting an unsatisfying result using something else than Calmer. So I ordered it in this internet shop - the only one selling it here in Germany.
I only hope to receive it before I travel to Italy (family visit) next week!
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The new Knitty for spring 04 is online!
I dicoverd it by chance, I did not know that it was scheduled to come out on April 1st.
There are some nice patterns, my favourite one is Grace. It is a pattern created by Karen, the same designer who created Kyoto. |

Yes, I have been tempted - and convinced. I will knit Audrey:


Today I sent an e-mail to Theresa, asking her to include me to the knitalong. Click on the button and have a look:


It is exciting to participate to a knitalong. I have already experimented it with Kyoto and it was really fun.
For Audrey, Theresa has created an extra-page where every knitalonger can contribute with blog entries and comments. I should have known I would not resist :-)

Now I am thinking about the right yarn. As I wrote yesterday, I do not intend to buy Rowan Calmer, because it is too expensive and, besides, I have huge quantities of yarn in my stash.
I have swatched some cotton yarn yesterday evening (poncho is getting boooooring...) and I have decided to use a wonderful egyptian cotton yarn in a very intense sky blue (---> pic tomorrow). Unfortunately, the gauge does not correspond to the one foreseen for Audrey, so I will try to make another one with other needles or I will be compelled to make some calculations.

Have a nice start in the weekend!
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The keyboard biologist is hosting a Audrey knitalong.

I am seriously thinking about participating, but I worry a little about some things:
1) I am not a multi-tasking-knitter. When I knit, I have to concentrate on one project. So, if I start Audrey, I will probably neglect the poncho*.
2) I am a slow knitter**, so I am afraid to be the last one finishing.
3) Rowan Calmer is way too expensive and I have so much cotton in my stash. But, even if I find a yarn with the same gauge, wouldn't it be a pity knitting this wonderful sweater with something else than with Rowan yarn?
What do you think?

*Poncho:
It seems to become a longer project than I thought :-(. I am knitting with 6 mm needles and it is just stockinette stitch in the round, but I have to encrease 4 to 8 stitches every second row, so I already have an unbelievable quantity of stitches on my needles.

**I am NOT a continental knitter. You will not believe it, but people in Italy usually knit English, holding the yarn with the right hand. I did not even know that there is another way to knit before I moved to Germany.

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