Rambling Rose

I finished Rambling Rose.

Needles: 2mm and 2.75mm addis
Yarn: recycled sienna, in some pink colour (I've had it for years, please don't ask what it is exactly as I have no idea).
Mods: smaller needles & slightly off yarn (see below), I made the roses slightly smaller but other than that I followed the pattern almost exactly.


Verdict? I should have taken the time to skein up and wash the yarn before re-knitting with it, even blocked, it's pretty kinky with slightly uneven tension. Plus cotton glace is maybe a little heavier than the 4ply suggested. I compensated by using slightly smaller needles, but I still think it would have been neater at a smaller gauge.

The pattern was nice enough to knit, lots of st st, but I wanted a break after lace. There's a mistake in the start of the sleeves, but its pretty obvious (so obvious in fact that I've now forgotten what it was...).

It's not especially flattering done up, but with the ribbon tied at the back, all Matilda Jane style, and it's about perfect. I love the flower panel, I may make a scarf or socks based on it.

studies in pink and green

As I went through the photos I'd taken this weekend, a rhyme my mother used to say kept ringing in my ears: "pink and green should never be worn, except upon a fairy queen*". But I like pink and green together, probably because (like many others) I like to imagine I really am a fairy queen**.

First up is a classic in pink-green combinations: rhubarb. This is mixed with some pear to bulk out the fruit, sitting waiting for crumble topping.


We made it yesterday, as part of a feast for Saturday night knitting in front of the telly (and, oh my, how good was Dr Who?) but stuffed ourselves on homemade pizza, so left it for breakfast instead. Leftover crumble for breakfast always makes me think of a line in the Railway children - "apple pie for breakfast, we can't be poor" - and so feel very decedent.

But onto knitting. The current state of my stash (click on the photo for the flickr version with labels).



It does seem to be very green-orientated. I'm not sure how this has happened, but I must be on a bit of a green kick as I noticed a similar effect in my wardrobe. I think it's a sub-conscious attempt to counter-act the pink kick I was on previously. As evidence of said pink-kick, some roses, waiting to be sewn onto the front the panel of my current WIP:



The yarn tails are all kinky because it's recycled yarn and I was too lazy to wash it between knitting (it used to be this). And lastly, a study in pinks removed from away from any green and taken to extreme (i.e. red). Strawberry Jam! Made by my flatmate yesterday. Inspired by a Nigella Lawson recipe, she used balsamic vinegar. Very yummy.

* EDIT As Heather suggests, there is also "Blue and green should not be seen, except with something inbetween" and, thinking back, I think my mum's version was a mix (i.e. fairy queens only wear blue and green) - I remember a friend convincing me it was pink and green when we were at school. Mmmm, I guess it's the sort of thing everyone has their own varient of.
** Did anyone else have adult-sized dress-up wings when they were 18? Or was that just around the bubble-blowing punkish-goth crowds of the late 90s?

Grrrrr: New Knitty

*Waves at anyone who's come over from Knitty* For those who haven't, the pattern's here.

Normal blogging will resume at the weekend. I've been ill, and busy at work. But I have a WIP (a summer cotton cardi) and a lovely bit of stash enhancement to show off, all of which I'll post about soon.