American Today

Hello all !
I do hope you who are reading this are finding yourselves quite perky and happy in life.
I myself am working now on three sweaters !!
This first little beauty i showed you just last week, it is a Veera child's sweater. I have stuffed up the neck cuff, but we won't talk about that just now. Birthday Boy has chosen silky green stripes. I can't wait to get to the stripes. I love stripes.

Just cast on this week is a  garter stitch sweater for my self.  I bought a case {can i say a case?} of this yarn over a year ago, so it feels nice to give it purpose now. The dk weight yarn and I are really getting along. It is going fast. I do like fast sweaters. The lanolin was left in this yarn also, making it very nice to knit with. Soft and silky, no splits, coiled and springy. It reminds me of Colinette Jitterbug.

Now for my favorite special sweater.
Veera's got several new sweater patterns coming out in the new few weeks, so get your wool stashes organized. This cabled up cardigan makes me so happy. Knit in a sturdy worsted Madelinetosh Vintage. This yarn is amazing. Just as it's name implies, the soft feel and colour is very 'worn' yet rugged. The sturdy yet gentle twist of the yarn gives great stitch definition and is perfect for cabled cardigans. Oh Madelinetosh !
And now.... a stash update this week !! 
{ I buy all of my yarn online, there are no craft shops within a plane flight of where i live.}

If you click on the yarn pictures, the name should pop up. Or maybe not?

Anyway, some Madelinetosh sock ( which i've never used )

and some more MadTosh Vintage in thunderstorm -

which looks to die for and i'm going to make this

and some gorgeous Wollmeise which does

not yet have a purpose

but believe me

it

will.

And guess where I'm going today?

To Broome, to take my Australian Citizenship Test !!!

If I should pass , I'll carry a dual citizenship.

American today, maybe American/Australian tomorrow !

Yarn Along and a Winner

Hello good people !
Hoping your week has gone along smoothingly....with lots of good things.
Here ---- lots of knitting ( i'm sure you non knitters are sooo bored with my blogging as of late?)
also lots of cuddling and nose wiping and such, two little ones with colds.
Some of the Monsoon weather is back with us this week, i love the rainy season.
It's great for bird watching !
And just look up there ,,,, my bird watching shawl is nearly done. This is a truly addictive knit. If i'm not madly working on it, i am thinking about working on it. It is the last thing i put down at night , and the first thing i pick up , after coffee of course. Some more knitting you say, oh yes then !

Look at this little tater tot. Peanut butter face and all, modeling the 'other shawl'  ( its a test knit in progress ).  We've hit a bump this week, this shawl and myself. It is measuring several inches bigger than intended. I did think of doing it over, but that is alot of work to rip, aint it? So after speaking with the designer, she and I both agree to keep it going as it is. I think it may be the MadTosh Vintage giving me extra length? Who has used this yarn,,,,its my first time. Does it work a bit bigger? Please don't say it grows lots with blocking.

My latest cast on ( and the book I am reading ) is Jane Austen's Knits .
This is the Yak cottage shrug. So far so good. It's the first time I've ever knit -purl - knit in the same stitch.
It's making a bit of a hole, but I guess that 's what it's suppose to be doing?
I checked out Jane Austen's Persuasion from the library, and haven't read enough to comment ;)
Who can read and knit? What's that,,, you want to see more of the magazine? Ok then..

I know I know I know

and now for the drawing........

# 5 Emma you won last weeks giveaway , congratulations !
I'll be in touch shortly .
Happy yarn along !

Needled

                        Needled ::   (in order of appearance)

• Jane Austens Knits Magazine arrived in my post this week. Oh my goodness....Diving right in to this. Lace Yak ? [Has anyone knitted with lace yak?] Can you believe I successfully caked a skein of lace yak?
• Madelinetosh Vintage pattern testing for Nell on ravelry. This is super fun, and dazzlingly soft. My first project with Rowan's Kidsilk Haze. But today , I saw THIS.  [queued]
• Another of Veera's very smart garter stitch shawls. In all greens so I can successfully bird watch in camo.
• My  Lispenard Pattern giveaway is still open for all. Put your name in once or twice for the drawing next week.
• Linking up with the lovely Linda today. Have a great weekend !

Knitting a Fool

My new years resolution?

To knit like a fool.

I finished my study shawl  !!!!
It is so lovely i've been wearing it round the house.
Veera has some lovely striking designs, doesn't she.
ps. Test knitting coming up soon :))
Also, do you see how my sunny day scarf is growing !?
I am so encouraged by that lace ball slowly getting smaller, smaller, smaller.
Truth be known, the only reason I am working on this one is because I am
waiting for more exciting things to arrive in the mail !
Test knitting times two :: COWLS.
With that beautiful blue MadTosh Vintage you see there..
Joining up today with Ginny's yarn along  - (my word there are alot of link to get thru nowdays)
xo