Purl Soho jumper
Posted: February 17, 2020 Filed under: Colourmart, Elizabeth Zimmerman, Knitting, Purl Soho | Tags: Colourmart, Elizabeth Zimmerman, Knitting, Purl Soho 13 Comments
I have been knitting this jumper for what feels like forever between other projects. It’s been finished a while, and waited patiently for a decent photo to be taken. Since that didn’t happen please forgive the quick picture taken with my Kindle.
In the interests of reducing stash I dug deep and found this lovely cashmere and wool mix bought at Colourmart way back in 2017 (post here). I wish I could say that it has reduced the stash by a large percentage but I’m afraid there’s still lots left. More fun for later 😉.
The pattern is the Ribbed Raglan Pullover by Purl Soho. I have used their patterns before and found them to be well written and easy to follow. This one was very appealing because, like some of the Elizabeth Zimmerman jumpers I’ve made, it starts from the neckline. When you aren’t entirely confident about the amount of yarn you have this seems like a good option as you can always make it shorter if needed. The pattern had options for different sleeve lengths too which I may use next time ….. because there will definitely be another of these made.
Despite the start to this post this isn’t a terribly difficult knit. It can occasionally get a little dull – there’s lots of ribbing to be knitted here – but once you’ve got below the arms it becomes a great tv project.
I didn’t want the cast offs to look like the usual ‘hand knits’Â on this so I spent a considerable time doing a sewn bind off. A considerable time. I’m glad to say it looks great, and I have worn this a fair amount since it was completed. If I’m being picky I could probably go down a size but I didn’t want the ribbing to be very stretched over my bust. Never a great look in my opinion.
I’m already looking hard at a jumper I knitted some time ago and haven’t really enjoyed as a candidate for unravelling and re knitting in this pattern. The Management will shudder to see that happening but understands my reasoning. I might still try to arrange to do the unravelling while he’s busy elsewhere 😂.
Just catching up….
Posted: April 15, 2018 Filed under: Colourmart, Elizabeth Zimmerman, Fabric, Knitting, Purl Soho, Sour dough cooking, WRE | Tags: Colourmart, Elizabeth Zimmerman, Fabric, Knitting, Purl Soho, Sourdough, WRE 34 CommentsI’m still in a ‘no-sew’ mode so progress on anything is very slow. I have started to feel just the merest stirrings of a sewing urge so I’m hopeful of something to show you guys sometime soon!
I have, however, been knitting. I have finished the Purl Soho Botanical Yoke sweater that I was making. Hurrah! Pictures and details….
Heath Robinson knitting
You may remember that back in the mists of time I bought this gorgeous yarn from Colourmart. It was very fine and needed to be ‘navajo plyed’. If you need information of this click HEREÂ . Basically this meant that the fine 80%Merino/20%Cashmere I had chosen was used three strands at once which brought the yarn weight up to be perfect for my sweater.
Now all of the yarn from Colourmart is actually intended for industry rather than hand knitting (not that that is an issue!) and comes on cones. After spending an unreasonable amount of time chasing the cone around the floor I came up with this rather odd looking but very effective way to cope. The cone is sitting on top of an egg cup, which in turn is sitting on top of my kitchen paper holder. Not pretty but very effective in allowing the cone to spin freely as I pulled on the yarn. That speeded things up significantly 🙂 .
Yoke detail
Happy? Yes!
Having said that, this isn’t a particularly ‘quick’ project. All of that knit 2 purl 2 rib gets old pretty quickly, and when you get to the exciting part on the cabled yoke it can get a bit tricky. Cabling ’24’ is a bit, well…… tricky. And not entirely easy to knit. Fortunately you only need to do that massive cable twice. Things get much easier after that.
Another feature of Colourmart yarns is that they are treated to run smoothly through industrial knitting machines. That makes them a bit firmer knitted up before they are given a bath. I did wear my sweater a few times before I washed it and found the polo neck a little bit ‘scratchy. I washed it by hand so that it didn’t all go horribly wrong in the machine and it has softened up nicely. It took AGES to dry as it has been so cold and damp here in the UK. I think we are all desperate for some consistently warm (and sunny… please!) weather. Anyway I am counting this as a win and I’m sure I will get lots of opportunities to wear it .Through our ENGLISH SUMMER 😦
Quilting progress
I have been trying to clear things around the house. You know, those odd jobs that I have been trying to ignore, all the things I would rather not do … so I haven’t. It’s been the equivalent of the ‘crate of shame’ or the ‘drawer of doom’ where sewing projects go to be ignored. Some of you with very good memories will remember the quilt I started to commemorate The Managements 60th birthday. I confess some time has passed since then and the quilt has been largely ignored. Actually not true, I snarl at it every time I have to move it to get to something I want in the sewing room. Well bullets needed to be bitten and I have got the whole lot out again into a much more prominent position so that I am totally shamed into getting on. It has grown fairly well over the last couple of weeks (hey! I have been sewing!) and I am starting to feel that it might actually become a functioning quilt. I did have a short time when I considered the whole thing ‘migraine inducing’ but the colours and patterns seem to be settling down as they get bigger. I still feel unbelievably stupid for taking on such a large and complicated project as my first attempt at quilting. Hey ho.
Celias Hot Cross buns
Perfection 🙂
One of the things I have been enjoying very much of late is baking sourdough bread. Celia recommended ‘Artisan Sourdough made Simple’ by Emilie Raffa a while back and I really love this book. If you love sourdough and don’t have it yet I heartily recommend it. There hasn’t been a dud recipe yet, and Emilie blogs as The Clever Carrot so you can check her out there before investing if you don;t want to take my word! Not in the book but absolutely delicious were Celias Hot Cross Buns. Shared with friends (those that didn’t get scarfed down disgracefully quickly by Himself and I) they were a roaring success and will be made throughout the year without crosses and just called ‘buns’!
A few things have made my bread making more pleasurable recently. Firstly I reclaimed a electric heated pad which was bought years ago for an elderly Siamese cat I was slave to. She felt the cold something chronic so during the day (when she couldn’t sneak into bed and be my furry hot water bottle substitute) she enjoyed this. It did go off to my mothers elderly cat until her recent demise when it was returned. Mine looks a bit like this one and makes a great job of the ‘overnight rise’ when my kitchen is freezing. I do use it for the other rises at the moment as its still cold here. Once the sun starts to show its face again maybe the bread will manage without it. The next thing is the  Lékué bread maker. No, not electric. This is a silicon bowl which you can use right from the start – measuring and mixing the dough, kneading, leaving to rise AND COOKING! Yup, this baby goes in the oven. And the dishwasher – I’m officially in love. Finally is a Lakeland Magic tray liner. Fabulous. Absolutely non-stick – even for the filled focaccia from Emilies book which stuck like to the tray like it would never come off just slid off this baby. Reusable and dishwasher friendly if needed – but it’s unlikely as it is so slippy and any residue just wipes off mine. I’ve used it about a dozen times at least and it still looks great. I would definitely buy this again but think it will be a while before I need to!
EZ and Alpaca
I have started knitting again. This time I’m knitting one of the basic Elizabeth Zimmerman yoked jumpers that I became aware of from Kate. I would have loved to join in her knit along but had other projects that made it difficult. I’m using some beautiful alpaca DK that I bought from the WRE It’s knitting up beautifully, and The Management (who has been helpful winding those skeins into balls) says he likes it because ‘it’s not a girly pink’. It’s still for me.
Wax Cloth I shouldn’t have bought….. but did.
I had a lovely day out in Birmingham yesterday with Fairy and friends. It was unusually clement – sunshiny even (sadly didn’t last) – and we were able to enjoy a walk round the markets. Neither Fairy or I really needed to buy anything. We had both said so. So why did I come home with this length of African Wax Cloth? Other than the fact that the colours are absolutley fabulous, and will mix with a number of the fabrics already in my stash? Anyway it’s home now and I just have to locate that sewing mojo. Do send it back if you find it 😉
Enjoy life out there
Kim x
July Round-up
Posted: August 10, 2017 Filed under: Balenciaga, Books, Colourmart, Exhibitions, Knitting, Meet ups, Pink Floyd, Purl Soho, Savage Coco, Sounds in the City, V&A | Tags: Balenciaga, Books, Colourmart, Exhibitions, Knitting, Meet ups, Pink Floyd, Purl Soho, Savage Coco, Sounds in the City, V&A 25 CommentsBack again – and still in an uber relaxed frame of mind with what seemed like very little done until I decided to start a post. My sewing mojo is still missing but I’m assuming that it’s a reaction to being obliged to ‘sew to order’ for so long. It will be back. I think.
The Management and I spent a lovely few days early in the month in London. This had been planned for an age so the fact that I was hobbling around in a protective boot wasn’t going to stop us – we just rejigged the plans a bit.
What noise does rain make?
We started with a  trip to the London Transport Museum. This was largely for himself but I really enjoyed it. This was helped by there being a lovely art exhibition called ‘Sounds of the City’. Loads of gorgeous pictures but I particularly liked this one – I’m still wondering what noise rain would make when you drag something across it. Any ideas?
What no seagulls!?
The other great find was a picture depicting my closest city – Worcester! I’m a bit put out that the resident inland seagulls aren’t in there – they are definitely one of the most obvious noises almost anywhere in Worcester. They seem to be moving into Bewdley too so it sometimes sounds as though you are at the seaside here too. More pictures in the Flickr album.
The following day was spent almost entirely at the V&A. We had members early entry into the Pink Floyd exhibition. This was well worth booking – and almost worth paying membership just to get in on a quiet time. The Management really enjoyed this, and I was surprised quite much I enjoyed too. I can’t claim to be the biggest Floyd fan – I do enjoy the music but it’s rarely something I pick out myself – but I thoroughly  enjoyed the whole ‘art and music’ ethos that they seem to have. I have put more photographs onto my Flickr page here but for a quick squint here are three of my favourites. You have until 1st October if you want to get along to see this.
Obviously as I was at the V&A I wasn’t going to miss the current Balenciaga exhibition. The Management went off to do his own thing while I spent time in here. I had just read the wonderful book Balenciaga, The making of a Master (HOW MUCH FOR THE BOOK !?!) so I was looking forward to seeing the actual garments. Sadly my pictures weren’t great but I have put a few here, and again a link to more on Flickr.
It was pretty busy, and I was still in my boot, so I was running out of steam by the end of this exhibition. There were some fabulous garments – and videos running to show the method of cutting the patterns or adding the hidden support. All of the downstairs was dedicated to the man himself and was wonderful. Lots of inspirational garments – something which was born out when I got upstairs and found it full of garments inspired by him. Some were too close to being a ‘copy’ in my opinion but many were absolutely gorgeous – and although very different you could see the influence there. My favourite was probably the almost unwearable ‘snake dress’ – how gorgeous is that?( I won’t be offended if you say not at all!). The exhibition is going to be in place until February 2018 so I am hoping to be able to go again and maybe get more out of another visit.
A brace of Presto Popovers
Any sewing yourself Kim? Well actually yes. But only a little bit. I have been wearing a load of t-shirts (well, not just t-shirts if I’m honest) that are a bit too big and I have been getting a bit fed up about it. After all, I’m a bl**dy dressmaker! Anyhoo, I knew I had this fine jersey in the stash which had been waiting an unreasonable time to be made up and decided it was time. These have both been worn and washed multiple times now. Having a couple of well fitting t-shirts now just makes me aware of how big the others are. Prepare for a major clear out.
That has been the only sewing I have done but I have actually done a fair quantity of knitting and have finished the Purl Soho Circular Yoke Summer Shirt. I used the cashmere yarn set that I bought at Colourmart a while back and I have to say I love it. It was a joy to knit (two strands at once makes it 4 ply) and was so light it seemed to last forever. In fact I had intended to blend the colours up through the yoke but ended up making it all in the mulberry colour. Sadly I have just realised I don’t have a picture so you will have to take my word for the moment about how lovely it is.
As a fabulous finale to the month I went here…….
Can you see what I see?
…….to meet someone very special.
NO….not a bear!
No. I didn’t go on a bear hunt – I was searching a very different and altogether more secretive animal. More news in my next post.
What’s been going on?
Posted: June 21, 2017 Filed under: Colourmart, Fabric, Knitting, Linton Tweed, Running, Vogue Patterns | Tags: Colourmart, Fabric, Knitting, Linton Tweed, Running, vogue pattern 25 CommentsHmmm. It’s been a while (again). I wish I could say I had noticed the time going by but I really hadn’t. However, an update since I was last here.
I have done what seems like a vast amount of gardening – not my strong point but I’m trying harder now I have more time. I have been inspired by the amazing talent shown at Serendipity Revisited where an astonishing amount of work has gone into their Tasmanian garden. We had been discussing the possibility of turmeric growing in the UK. Filled with enthusiasm I took an age to track down some tubers(?) in an organic deli and bunged them in a pot, inside a plastic bag to simulate a greenhouse even though they were indoors, and waited. And waited. I planted four and was going to be happy if one sprouted but all four did! Check this out!
I had a lovely extended weekend in Northumberland, Edinburgh, and Cumbria at the end of May. I checked in with my mother, sister, and mother-in-law before carrying on to run a half marathon in Edinburgh. (More info about this in the Old Bat blog). We carried on from there to Carlisle which many of you know is the home of Linton Tweed. It would have been rude to have been so close and not called in – I got off fairly lightly buying only one remnant piece in a lovely kingfisher blue.
I made up the Vogue 1410 again – this time in the yellow cotton stuff that I bought in Birmingham. The weather over the last week has been unexpectedly hot – everyone knows we Brits melt at above 25°C and it has been over 30 some days this week. As a result I have been very happy to have had this available (and both pairs of scrousers). I repeated the Epaulet top in the leftover cotton which worked well (The Management likes it) but I think it could do with a tiny FBA when made up in a woven rather than knit. Sorry, no photo. I’ve been cracking on with The Managements quilt too. I really hadn’t appreciated how long this would take! And I ran short of fabric.
Another trip to Shrewsbury was needed (Hurrah!) to buy the extra quilt fabric so I had the opportunity to make the order I wanted from Colourmart. But I added some. I bought the navy/black that is to make the Botanical Yoke sweater again, but I added a lovely cream cashmere blend double knit (Backbone maybe?) and a 300g pack of mixed cashmere lace weight. All gorgeous and I can’t wait to start. Off to Shrewsbury and I might have bought some more sock yarn. What can I say?
And what about the brown Larry Junior I hear you ask?
Finished! And if it wasn’t so bloomin’ hot I would have enjoyed modeling this!
Stay cool out there ’til next time!
Kim
The Material Lady 