We have a jumper!

After two weeks of near-continuous knitting, I have finished my new jumper. The design changed quite a lot in the progress - it was going to have a bib front with a ruffle around it, but I realised it would be too difficult to fit it into the zig-zag lace pattern and it would also have become too busy. So I just continued in the pattern and made some yoke decreases, with a few purl rounds near around the shoulders. I think it has come out really well and that I'll get a lot of wear out of it. It only needs blocking now!



Mainly, I'm just relieved that now I've finished this project, I can stop watching quite so much TV for a while.

UPDATE:
Here it is after blocking, on me! I love it. It's really long, so finally a jumper that doesn't expose your muffintop, my mum will approve of the kidney protection. And quite flattering, I think. Thank you, Elizabeth Zimmermann!

GRRR.

My lovely plan of selling yarn, needles, patterns etc at St Nicks Market is probably dead. And that after I have already put so much effort into launching a viral word of mouth campaign... well, not really, I've just excitedly blabbed to everyone in earshot about my genius ideas. I didn't get a stall again this week so it isn't really worth buying any stock for the few weekends I'm still in Bristol before Christmas. Boo.

On the other hand, I may be back after Christmas if I get this awesome knitting job in Bath! And it's looking good - I got through the interview stage at least, and now have to proof read, correct and size-grade a couple of patterns. And sh*t the bed, it's a lot harder than I thought. I had this blasé attitude that it would just come naturally, but it's not that simple and takes a while to get into, also this one pattern seems to have more mistakes than correct instructions, so I'm starting to wonder if I'm correcting the right bits. Hmmmmm.

Better than Cath Kidston

In preparation for my possible market stall next saturday, I've been making some knitting needle cases:

(here you can see it rolled up and in another colourway) The consensus at yesterday's Stitch'n'Bitch was that people would pay in the region of 12 pounds for them (The Cath Kidston version costs 20 quid but is of course much less cute). Do you agree?

Scary baking

I've spent today making slightly crazy cupcakes for Halloween.
There are ones with apple pieces in and filled with custard, topped with white chocolate with a bit of mixed spice:



some more conservative chocolate ones:



and some rather crazy ones with blue dough, red and green chocolate topping, filled with jelly and topped with sweets! No idea if these will be edible, but they look fun:



Now I just have to be careful not to pick up my delicate lace knitting while my hands are still covered in food colouring.

Latest Developments

My plans for knitting world domination are coming along nicely.

Yesterday, I had an interview as technical editor for a yet-to-be-launched knitting magazine. Best. Interview. Ever. They asked me to bring samples of my knitting and were very appreciative and impressed. I love showing off my knitting. I really have no idea if they are considering me or not, my lack of any work experience may be a problem (like it always seems to be), but I enjoyed myself anyway, so that's good. But then my applications for two other jobs seem to be progressing nicely too. Exciting times.

I am also making more plans for my yarn stall at St Nicks market that I will hopefully get next week. Unfortunately I can't do much until I receive some wholesale price lists and they seem to be taking a while. Postman hasn't been today yet though so I have hope.

It may seem pathetic to you, but I subscribe to the Aldi Special Buys newsletter, and this week they were advertising a Barbie knitting machine. I've always been curious how these things really work so I went to have a look - they are only 15 quid. Turns out this knitting machine can only make tubes of exactly 20 stitches around. I might have bought it anyway if it hadn't been quite so.... well... pink...

Speed knitting

Being unemployed has meant that my knitting productivity has really shot up. I've not got a job yet, but I do have my first finished Christmas present. 2 months early, I've never been this organised before.

I started making the Emerald cardigan for my mum only a couple of weeks ago, and even though I also knitted a matching cowl as a birthday present in between, they are both finished now! And unbelievably soft and cuddly, I'm a big fan of James C Brett's Marble Chunky. I need to be careful I don't make everything from this actually - it's so cheap, too.




Then, I have finally frogged my infortunate attempt at the Lucky Clover wrap cardi from Stitch'n'Bitch - it was just much too wide, and my attempt at rescuing by re-knitting the back panel to be extremely narrow it was also unsuccessful - That just gave it a very strange fit. So now I'm turning it into a jumper of my own design. I want it to have slightly puffed sleeves, a zig zag lace pattern that I made up myself, and I will pick up some stitches on the front to give it a ruffle/bib effect. We shall see how effective this is. I think I may be overenthusiastic about knitting jumpers after making that extremely quick cardi, but chunky and DK are a world of difference...

Today's challenge is to find some matching fabric to rescue Alex's nice waistcoat ruined by a too-hot iron.

Now with extra Twee!

I decided it was a good idea to have a separate blog for all my knitting needs, especially now I am planning to start a world wide yarn and pattern emporium!
So here's Twee as Volk - Possibly the most convoluted and pointless pun ever. If anyone is seriously interested I could explain the evolution but it isn't really worth it, trust me.

I copied all my older knitting posts here so it wouldn't look so empty to begin with.
The latest news is of course that I am about to go to St Nicholas Market and hand in my application form to run a stall at the saturday market. I will try to get some normal cheapish commercial yarns, and probably also sell some from the Coldharbour Mill Textile Museum. I'm thinking about making some kits too, for example some really simple chunky scarves for beginners or maybe my bluebell mitts for slightly advanced knitters. Anyway, I'm pretty excited.