Scotland

I splurged.

Just returned yesterday from a family trip to Scotland! We had an amazing time and actually relaxed a lot more than we usually do on trips since there weren't too many things we absolutely had to go see while we were there (as opposed to say... Paris, where there's some historical monument or statue every other step), and my feet are forever grateful we skipped the walking tours suggested by the guidebooks. Last time we did those walking tours I actually gained leg muscle. My calves looked more fit than they had in probably my entire life. Honest.

Eden Cottage Yarns BFL Sock in Autumn & Night Sky

I took a lot of pictures while we were there, but none of them were digital as I had decided to lug around 2 film SLR cameras with me already, so the only pictures I can show right now are of my acquisitions from Scotland. Of which there are quite a number, so there is no shortage of photos in this post, at least! I'll sort through the film once it's all been developed - the colour ones at least, the black and whites and redscale will take a bit longer - and see what, if any, to show after. But we did finish off a lot of film while we were there! In fact, we were afraid we might have to purchase more while we were there. Fortunately we didn't run out, and we returned home with a canister in each of our cameras to finish off here before developing and printing.

Leather wallet from Iona

 We stayed a couple of days or so in 4 places before coming home. First was Glasgow, where we took the city sightseeing double-decker buses to see the sights and get around in general.We didn't do much in terms of shopping here (in fact, I did zero shopping here and only got the PEOPLE MAKE GLASGOW pin above), but I loved the general atmosphere of the place! The people there, and everywhere else in Scotland, were so friendly that I was a bit surprised at first. Not saying that people here aren't friendly, but it was noticeably different. It may have to do with population density.

From there we went to Oban via the rail. If there was a place I would've liked to stay a little bit longer in, it would be here. All the food we tried here (and just about all throughout our trip, actually) was delicious, from seafood (fresh!) to pastries (and the accompanying coffee). I only wish we made it in time for the waffles from the Chocolate Company (we were about 15 minutes too late for them). We went on a cruise from Oban to a couple of the islands nearby as well: Mull, where we saw sheep and cows wandering around while we were on the bus tour, to Staffa, which was as beautiful as it was terrifying when trying to take pictures at the edge of the cliffs, then finally to Iona, from whence I got my new wallet (above), before heading back to Oban.

Souvenirs from a leather store in Kyle of Lochalsh

On our way to Inverness we took a little detour to Kyle of Lochalsh for a couple of hours. We heard the scenery from the train would be stunning, and it definitely was! I have a tendency to fall asleep on moving vehicles though, so I only got the beginning and a couple of glimpses during my waking moments. I also got these adorable piggy banks for my friends from Kyle of Lochalsh (I'm keeping the owl for myself). There was some yarn I was very tempted to get from the store next to the leather store, but I had yarn stores marked out in Edinburgh and wanted to be sure I didn't overspend and add too much to my stash. I'm afraid I may already have a SABLE.

They're piggy banks! So adorable!

Next was Inverness, home to Nessie of Loch Ness. To be perfectly honest, I would rather have spent another day in Oban and taken out a full day in Inverness. We got there around midday, checked into the hotel, walked the River Ness to the island in the middle and back, ate at a pub (delicious! And cheap!), and retired for the day. Then the next day we went for a cruise on the Loch Ness. I must be honest and say it was rather boring. The scenery was lovely for the first couple of minutes and the sheep caught my attention, but the castle at the end of the cruise was a huge let down - we didn't go into the castle, but it was so tiny and nondescript we had to ask each other if that was what we came all the way there for! - and I napped a bit on our way back. Needless to say, no Nessie appeared.

Harley of Scotland sweater!

We took the first train we could to Edinburgh the next morning and toured the Old Town. Since it was a Sunday, it was pretty busy, with lots of stalls along the sidewalk. I wandered into Canongate Jerseys & Crafts Ltd and saw this beautiful Harley of Scotland sweater in petrel blue in my size! Well it has a tiny bit more positive ease than I usually wear, but I'd probably wear long sleeves under it anyway, so it all works out. The sterling silver ring (above, with wallet) was purchased from one of the numerous stalls selling Celtic jewellery, and it's nice and thin so I don't even feel it when I wear it about. Then, of course, my last purchase had to be something knitting-related (I suppose the sweater is knitting-related too though), so I visited Kathy's Knits after discovering that K1 no longer has (or maybe never had? I'm not sure anymore) a brick and mortar store, and perusing McAree Brothers with nothing to show for it. I was looking for something made in the UK and preferably something I had never seen before and that was not, to my knowledge, being offered in my LYSs. So I walked out with 5 skeins of Eden Cottage Yarns, 4 Autumn and 1 Night Sky. Not sure what I'll be knitting with it, but I'm pretty sure I have enough to do something big, so I'm not too worried.

Overall, had a really nice time, and would love to go back, especially to Oban (I would really like to try those waffles). I would probably also visit some other places while I'm at it instead of just staying in Scotland next time though, unless I had something in particular to attend or keep me busy. You can tell how pleased I am with this trip:

One more shot.

Last one. Really.

Honey Wickerwork

Honey marmalade sweater

More photos on my ravelry page.
I finished my first sskal14 sweater! Hurrah! I didn't follow the pattern at all, just took the stitch pattern and ran with it. The end result is nice and comfy (not yet blocked, so the body will probably be even comfier after blocking when there'll be a bit of positive ease), so I'm extremely pleased with it. All my other sweaters have been knit using zero ease calculations, so this is a nice deviation from all those, especially with autumn coming around soon. I believe it's my first time mattress stitching a sweater together (instead of backstitching) and I think I did a pretty fine job, if I do say so myself.

Detail of the side seam - can't even tell!

The side ribbing was a nice detail, I think, and I'm glad I deviated from the original design. For the sleevecap calculations, I used the formula from LeeWards Complete Library of Needlecraft since I just knitted the armhole for the body until it was about long enough. One thing I wish I did differently (not enough for me to rip it out and reknit it though) is that I knit the ssp incorrectly. I slipped them the wrong way before purling them through the back loops. Oh well.

SSKAL14

Sherwood. Since 2013.

I forgot to mention that I am participating in Very Shannon's Summer Sweater KAL this year! It's my first KAL, and I really hope that this will be the motivating factor for me to finish up a sweater or two (I'm looking at you two, sheep sweater and Sherwood). If I had to be honest with myself, I think the sheep sweater may never ever get finished. The body has zero ease whereas the sleeve I'm halfway done knitting has about 3~4" positive ease maybe? I haven't taken measurements of how big it is, but it's pretty roomy. So I might even just scrap the sleeves and make it a vest in the end. Not that I wear vests - ever - but as long as it's off the needles, I'd be chuffed. Sherwood stands a chance, since it knits up pretty quickly once I actually pick it up and start knitting. The problem is that before I start knitting, I have to spread out the chart so I can read it, which requires me to clear my little drawer-top. The little drawer-top that happens to have a bunch of little stuff on it that I use to make notes a I'm knitting other stuff or even just planning other stuff to knit in the future. Clearing that off - and keeping it cleared - will not be a fun task.

Sheep sweater. Since... 2012.

I don't have more recent photos of the main sweater I'm working on right now, which is a Wickerwork inspired sweater, but it's coming along quickly enough for me rethink knitting with fingering and lace-weight yarns all the time. I am one sleevecap and collar away from being completely done the knitting portion and starting on seaming, blocking, and weaving in ends, and I only started this in July! The colour reminds me of honey whenever I look at it - those dark honey biscuits shaped like a bear - and it's really a lovely yarn. A bit difficult once you poke through it and split it, but if you don't try to stab it in the back, it won't do the same to you, so I think that's fair. I got 12 balls of this yarn (Sublime Yarns Cashmere Merino Silk DK) at Loop last year, and while I was knitting up the body, I was afraid that maybe it wasn't enough, but the sleeves are eating up much less yarn than the body did (no duh. Stockinette vs. Cables), so I think there'll be just enough with one ball left over, even! Phew.

Honey marmalade sweater. Started July 2014. Almost done.

Photo Evidence

Oops. Didn't quite make it.

That's what my photo sessions typically consist of. I don't post the behind-the-scenes stuff, so you don't see it, but that's what happens when you do self-portraits with a haphazardly angled camera sitting precariously on two stacks of books to aim it at the right level.
Here's some photo evidence that I actually did finish some stuff!

 

Drunken stupor blanket for Dad.

My first large project.

  

Swathed in brick!

And all of this was with newly acquired yarn, so I think you can safely say that there's no way I can possibly fulfil one of my new year's resolutions already. Ha! As if there was any chance to begin with. But well, at least I did get to tick one of them off with my published pattern! So all's well.

Pattern Highlights (Ravelry)

So ravelry has pattern highlights that show you a bunch of patterns you might be interested in based on a couple of things, right? Guess what showed up on my list as something I might be interested in immediately after I published my Frost Flowers Dress pattern?

Very interested, yes.

Just thought that was kind of funny.

Frost Flowers Bloom!

I've released my first pattern! Fully written up and available in my ravelry store with a 20% discount from now until August 8 23:59 EST to celebrate the release!

With this, I have at last completed one of my new year's resolutions for 2014! Hurrah! I've already strayed completely off the road for another one of those resolutions (it was bound to happen, really...), so I'm pretty excited that I have kept to something.

I have also finished my disastrous blanket, so just need to get that photographed along with the first scarf I have been neglecting to document. I have worn it out and about though, and the colour has - rather magically - fit with everything so far! It crinkles pretty easily, but I think that just gives it character.

The blanket is actually now not quite so disastrous as it seemed to me then (mostly because I'm finished with it and will no longer need to work another one of them again), and I quite like the end result. I couldn't stuff one last thin clasped-weft section at the end, but that's fine. It looks fine as is, and I'm happy with the results, especially considering all the trials I had to pass to get to it! I counted all the broken warp threads afterwards and they totalled 23. 5 of which were all within centimetres of each other. So I wove them all in, and now it's done! I've given it to my father, and it's lying across the couch now, waiting for winter to settle in...

7 Months Along...

It's getting close. Really close.

And it's looking good!

There's still a bit left to do before I let it out into the world, but it's coming along, and I'm so incredibly excited! This is my first one, and I've already learned so much from the experience (and it hasn't even come out yet!), but I really hope the future is bright for this one. And any others to come, of course! But let's focus on this one first. I'll get to the others when I get to them.