Surprise Packages

A cold is doing it's second round of our household presently. Cohen's spirits remain high, though I have been feeling rather miserable and poor Emerson is comforted only by being held. Everywhere there are tissues. The weather is overcast and rainy. Making for quiet, pyjama clad days indeed.

Yesterday the postman left a brown box on my door step. Inside the kraft paper there was most certainly a book, though which book I could not say. I only knew that Kylie mentioned she'd sent me a gift. I wiped a nose, settled a baby, made a cup of tea and extracted the contents with anticipation. I was not disappointed. I have long admired Kylie's taste and sense of style. Though strangers in real life, we have been reading each others blogs the past three years. She has chosen for me perfectly.

'Labour of Love: Knitting patterns for treasured girls,' by Danish knitwear designer Vibe Sondergaard is full of special knitting patterns. The following three are among my favourites. Sweet, feminine and not too childish, each knit would surely be a treasure.

Thank you Kylie! I am looking forward to knitting something for you in return.

Yarn Along

Since last weeks Yarn Along I have managed to knit my first heel flap, turn the heel and work the heel gusset. I felt quite pleased once I managed it. Though I have struggled a little with this pattern. The directions do not always seem clear to me. I'm not sure if it is the way it is written or my inexperience. (If you have Moda Vera 'Noir' sock yarn and intend to knit the pattern on the band, my Ravelry notes might help.)

I have only a couple of chapters left of 'The Book Thief,' and I shall be sorry to finish it. Though the book sits beside our bed, I have been listening to the audio version. It makes for wonderful multi-tasking. This week I have been folding the laundry on the bed, while Emerson kicks her chubby legs and we listen to Allan Corduner read. His expressiveness and pronunciation of the German words are not without value either.

I have downloaded my next audio book and wonder how it shall compare.

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Joining in with Ginny's Yarn Along.

Ravelry.

Magic Tree

"Let's check the tree Mama," he suggests again, taking my hand as he skips to the cabinet. "Lift me up pease!"

From his position on my hip, Cohen peers at the blotting paper tree. The magic tree with it's magic crystals. We ooh and ahhh. I share new words with him which mean little now, though he mimics them and feels them in his mouth regardless. Capillary. Gravity. Evaporation. He recounts the colours. His fingers itch to touch the crystals, though he knows he mustn't. He knows they will fall off. 

I recall longing for a crystal tree as a child. A longing which remained unfulfilled until this past weekend, when I happened upon a kit in the GOMA store. I brought it for myself as much as for Cohen. Little does he know, I've been checking on it more than he has.

I do believe it $4.95 well spent. 

Weekending

Sometimes, I stay up late at night while the rest of the house sleeps. Sometimes I read, sometimes I write, sometimes I reminisce with an old movie. At such times I feel I have the whole house to myself. Though I am equally comforted knowing that my loves lay dreaming beneath their blankets not far from me. There is peace and quiet late at night. The cat sleeps beside me and I sacrifice an hour or two of sleep in return for quiet concentration. 

It's times like this that I can slowly unravel the secrets of turning a heel when knitting a sock. I tuck myself in satisfied with my efforts. When the children wake me earlier than usual those mornings following, I sometimes regret having stayed so long from bed the night before. 

But not when I have a heel as evidence of my evening.

"I can like the City"

I remember my excitement when Cohen was learning to talk, yet people often commented that I would eventually wish he wouldn't talk so much. I couldn't even imagine such a thing. Oh, how I understand these sentiments now. Toddler speak. I love it. But at times my brain reaches saturation point and I begin to tune out to the incessant chatter. Cohen is like his own commentator and talk back radio host rolled in to one.

But there are many moments where his grasp on language surprises me, and times where he applies his logic and his vocabulary and comes out with some sweetness. For instance, recently he pointed to a ink stain on a thrifted wool blanket and asked, "What's that bruise on the blanket for?" He uses "all days" to mean all the time or always. And lately he lets you know his opinion with either an "I can't like that Mama," or an "I can like that."

Yesterday we spent a family day making the most of the delights of the cultural precinct in the City. We explored Southbank, visited the galleries, made paper birds in the children's art center at GOMA, ate by the river and wandered through the museum. Cohen assured us as we walked back to the car, "I can like the City."

Me too.

Anyone can knit Part II

Recently Grace left a comment about learning to knit and I thought it was probably relevant to many new knitters and wanted to share it with you and respond.

"Hey Christina, I am drooling over all your wonderful knitting lately. You are doing such a great job. You made a post saying anyone can knit but when you use all this knitting 'speak' I have no idea what you are talking about. I would love to knit something, not just a square. Do you have any suggestions on an easy beginners project that will become something, like a hat or jumper/cardigan for my little ones?
Grace"

Anyone can knit for sure, you just have to learn one step at a time. I'm not an expert, but this is how I have learnt. With each step you will master a bit of the knitting speak. Knitting abbreviations looked like a foreign language to me at first, but they are just a way to condense the information in a pattern. Now I understand a lot more and this knitting short hand doesn't look so strange. Most patterns have a list of Abbreviations at the start of the pattern, so you can refer back to them. Like -

K - knit

P - purl

Sl - slip

RS - right side

CO - cast on

sts - stitches

So if the pattern tells you to 'CO 20 sts', it wants you to cast on 20 stitches. If it says to 'K10, P10', it wants you to knit the first ten stitches and then purl the next ten stitches. You will quickly pick up the abbreviations and if you come across one you don't understand, like P2tog (purl 2 stitches together) then just look it up on you tube to see how it is done. Nearly all stitches are based on the good old knit or purl. You need only learn one new stitch at a time.

Asterisks and brackets can be confusing in knitting patterns. They are used to group stitches together that are to be repeated. For instance *K2, P2; repeat from * across, end K2. This means you need to knit the first two stitches, purl the next two stitches and then keep knitting two then purling two until the last two stitches, which you will knit. Brackets are usually used if you need to repeat a section a certain amount of times. For instance (K2, P2) 5 times.

The first thing apart from squares and scarves that I made was a simple vest for Cohen. The pattern is no longer available though. I have however found some cute girls patterns that look like a great place to begin knitting something more than squares.

First things first, set yourself up a free Ravelry account. This way you can access to numerous patterns and keep track of your work, yarn, needles etc. And it's fun. :)

Then check out these patterns - 

In threes

Chloe

Like Sleeves Vest

Pick a pattern, print it out and read through it. Patterns usually have a few sizes. Like small, medium and large. So they will say 'CO 50 (60, 70)'. If you are knitting the medium size, you always use the middle number. It helps to circle or highlight those numbers before you start.  Buy your materials - use the same thickness yarn and needles they suggest. If it ends up a bit big kids will grow into it. If it ends up too small, put it away for the next baby. :) 

Then cast on and start knitting until you get to a part you don't understand, then go back to you tube. Or knit until you make a mistake. This is a great way to learn. I was so scared of making mistakes at first! One way to help avoid mistakes was never to put my knitting down in the middle of a row, but to always get to the end. The next way was to keep a note book beside me to take notes of where I was up to in the pattern. If you need to knit a certain amount of rows, make a mark on your paper each time you finish the row. Don't think you will remember when you come back to it. Print out or photocopy your pattern and feel free to write on your pattern. If a stitch was confusing I would write it out on my pattern step by step.

Count your stitches at the end of each row while you are learning. If you drop a stitch you will know before you have gone on too far and you can pick it up again. If you make a mistake you can go backwards and un-knit. That was one of the best things I learnt, how to go backwards without having to unravel everything. 

Anyone can knit! Just take one step at a time. It takes patience and practice.

Your knitting doesn't have to be perfect. It will improve with time and you will have beautiful, handmade pieces that you will want to keep forever.

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Any other tips you more experienced knitters would care to share with beginners keen to learn?
Any patterns you would suggest?

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Anyone can knit Part I

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