13 February 2022 by itwasjudith

Sustainable life and what else is going on

In knitting matters, I completed the sleeves and border on the mohair Sunday Cardigan. I’m debating on whether to add a contrast border along the vertical edges (akin to a button band). When I showed it to a friend, I don’t think he was very impressed with it – he muttered “fluffy” as a feedback, lol..

Another knitting endeavour, in a quest for a more sustainable life, is the making of dishclothes. To move away from disposable sponges that go to landfill waste, we tried coconut-made ones. They are ok but understandably tend to fall apart quite soon.

So we’re giving a try to dishclothes, which can be machine washed and hopefully will last long. These are made from cotton yarn I had in my stash, which was purchased from a charity shop (thrift store). I think I will make some smaller ones too, for washing smaller things like crystal glasses.

I finished the first one. The pattern is Checkerboard by Allison Griffith (free pattern).

The second one is WIP, using the free pattern Squishy Facecloth or Dishcloth by Rowan Watts.

Checkerboard on the left, Squishy Dishcloth on the right

In life news, a lot is going on at the moment – mostly things that need to be dealt with. Not much fun is happening.

Notably, I’m in the process of applying for British citizenship. I’ve been living in the UK for a long time and wasn’t contemplating applying until Brexit happened. I finally decided to put mine in. The application process is not straight forward, so is taking time and lot of work.

Yesterday one of my friends visited us to provide support as one of the referees. It was the first dinner with guest we had in the flat – where we have been for almost 6 years. It was a joy to have him around, chat and have a meal together. I cooked vegetarian lasagne – an improvisation on a loose lasagne recipe. I had never made lasagne and as usual applied a “freestyle” approach to the ingredients and instructions. Luckily it turned out rather fine. We had a lovely organic Italian wine, sipped in fancy vintage glasses.

I hope life is treating you well, and health is steady. Love & peace & salutations.

1 January 2022 by itwasjudith

Let there be peace

Happy New Year!

Yesterday I finally knit the tubular bind off row for my Let There Be Peace jumper! Today I wove the ends in and worn it.

The project notes are on my Ravelry project. Here are some photos (before washing and blocking)

The pattern is In Stillness by Alicia Plummer – nice and not very difficult. I would definitely knit this pattern again because it’s a very wearable one.

I substituted the required yarn with one from my stash; the fabric in my sweater appears denser than the one shown in the original pattern, but it’s still nice and soft. The wool I used didn’t match the pattern gauge, so I did a little swatch and went to town. In order to achieve my size (approx 36 inches, 92 cm, UK 12-14, or Medium) I followed the instructions for the smallest size (29.25 inches or 74 cm).

The jumper was started in April 2020 and really dragged on more than necessary – mostly due to long breaks in between.

Although there are a few less-than-perfect details in my making, I do like the result, the fit and the colour, which from afar it looks like gray but it’s a melange of beige, light and dark blue. The fabric gently hugs the figure without being tight.

Overall a very wearable piece. And it’s nice to make one’s own clothing 🙂

I wish you peace and health in 2022.

24 December 2021 by itwasjudith

Merry Christmas, may it bring peace, wisdom and joy

Christmas day is upon us, hopefully bringing joyful moments and time with beloved ones.

We will be spending it in England.

We just received our provision delivery, and I will be making quince jam later today.

There will be tranquil time, good food, a little drink and maybe time for watching tv, knitting and some technical learning (we both work in software development).

Sadly it won’t be possible to attend Mass this time.

The Nativity shown in a stained glass window in the famous Rosslyn Chapel, near Edinburgh in Scotland.

Fortnum & Mason department store near Piccadilly Circus in London

Above is a picture of the decorations at Fortnum and Mason department store in London, the home of many delicious foods and drinks. I purchased some fancy teas for myself and the family, including my all-times favourite “Dragon Pearls” (rolled green tea leaves with jasmine, very gentle flavour).

Below, photos from a few days ago, taken on our way to the Christmas stalls along the Southbank of the Thames river.

At the market we got mulled wine, eggnog and bought a couple of vintage books. Then walked back home in the evening lights and fresh air. It was a nice thing to do, and one of the first festive breaks we had. The first break was a weekend trip to Edinburgh & Stirling in Scotland – more on it in another post.

Waterloo Bridge in London, on the way to the Christmas stalls on the Southbank

Finally, my Sunday Cardigan has seen good progress and the yoke is done, reaching the point where body and sleeves are separated. I hope to do that part tonight – last night i was too tired and didn’t want to risk messing it up.

Sunday Cardigan. The yoke just before dividing for the body and sleeves.

I send you my very best wishes for a safe and merry time. May it bring a bit of magic and some peace for us all.

May you spend this time with beloved ones, or have them in your thoughts for those who are far or no longer with us.

Lots of love

22 December 2021 by itwasjudith

Jumper projects

Today is the jumper edition with updates on the sweaters currently in progress.

The first is almost done: it’s my Let There Be Peace jumper (In Stillness).

It only needs one last row that I keep procrastinating on because it’s the bind off in tubular stretch bind off method…

Let There Be Peace jumper (pattern: In Stillness by Alicia Plummer)

The other WIP project is something I cast on a few days ago: Sunday Cardigan Mohair by PetiteKnit.

I had some funky vintage mohair yarn in my stash and decided to give it a go. The cardigan is without buttons and is knit from the top down, so its length can be adjusted as needed.

I hope to have enough yarn. The sleeves are quite puffy and I might reduce them a bit. Also, the pattern entails a significant ease and I didn’t want it to be that wide, so I’m knitting an XS in smaller needles. I did a swatch but mainly to see how the fabric would look, without checking gauge, so it’s a bit of a shot in the dark…

Here’s a photo from a couple of days ago, it has grown a bit more in the meanwhile. The jumper has reached a width that it now needs to be moved to cord needles.

I love the pattern, a sort of camo in blue shades. It has a 1980s vibe, don’t you think?

Have a lovely day and keep safe!

20 December 2021 by itwasjudith

Antler stitch cowl

“It’s a Wrap Cowl” by Melissa Littlefield (aka KnittingTheStash) is done and ready to be posted.

It’s an easy and beautiful free pattern, and I loved knitting it. The designer is very kind to give the pattern for free.

Although in the pattern the stitch is called a ‘wrapped stitch’, I renamed it because for me it conjures thoughts of stylised antlers. I’m sure there is some other name for the stitch as well.

This was made with the same yarn as the Acorn Hat, using as much yarn (59 grams, just short of 2 oz). They will be a present for a friend abroad.