adventures in knitting

FO – Sockhead

Posted on February 17, 2012February 14, 2012 by bekswhoknits

I have one more hat in my collection now.
Its a .
It’s too cute.

The warns us that there is a lot of sockinette (a lot), but I didn’t mind that as much as the rib. I don’t know if there’s a technique that I need to learn, but rib takes me ages. Maybe if I switch to continental it would be easier? I don’t know. I should do some research.
But everytime I do research on knitting I end up getting distracted by pretty colours, or pretty patterns. And end up forgetting what I was researching in the first place.

Anyway, I love this hat, and can see many more in my future. Even just because it was the perfect project to take on the road.
This hat has seen a few awesome bands () and was .
Now for the weather to get a little colder. It’s going to be perfect to put my hair up into, it has plenty of room in the back.

Slouch away!

4 day weekend has passed with a whimper

Posted on January 31, 2012 by bekswhoknits

Australia day, we drank Aussie beer, watched cricket, and listened to the hottest 100.

The day after Australia day (hangover day), I resigned myself to my hangover and watched an entire season on My Family and had some quality bonding time with my couch.
Air con was appreciated, particularly as it was pretty hot (42 I think) outside.

Saturday we went shopping for a new tv, and some more lazy viewing.
I bought a crepe maker (guess what we had for dinner) and we watched the Perth Scorchers lose the grand final (boo).

Sunday I finished my sockhead hat, and started a new sock, Scylla.
And started watching series 1 of Buffy. (and since bought the box set). I thought I’d have nightmares about creepy ventriloquist dolls but thank fully I didn’t.

And look what arrived Monday afternoon. The books I thought I’d read on the long weekend.

Guest Post – Her Name Was Greta

Posted on January 27, 2012January 27, 2012 by bekswhoknits

I am so happy today, to bring you a guest post by the lovely Miss Stina.

It’s inspired me to get out my crochet hooks and learn a new skill. Thanks so much!

~~~~~
Hi!
My name is Stina and I have a blog called Her Name Was Greta. Beks made a great guest post at my blog during the xmas craze, which was a total blessing, and now I got the chance to give back a little. I’m very excited to be sharing my wrist warmer pattern with you, the readers of Polka-dots & Sparkles. The pattern is pretty basic and can easily be adapted to your personal taste. It’s not too hard to figure out if you’re a beginner and only uses two different stitches. I hope you’ll like the pattern and if you make a pair, or 20, please share links or photos! I’d love to see your take on it!

Materials needed:
1-2 skeins of DK yarn
a thin yarn in your colour of choice
4 mm hook
needle

If you are new to crochet, here are some videos to get you started:
how to start
how to chain
how to single crochet

Wrist Warmers Pattern

Chain 35

Join to a ring, be careful not to twist!

Single crochet around and around and around, until the tube is long enough to reach to your thumb.

To make sure your tube is wide enough to fit your wrist comfortably, test is after a few rows. If it’s too tight, start over and chain a few more stitches, if it’s too loose, chain a few less.

Chain 7, skip 7 stitches and continue single crochet for 6 rows.

Cut the yarn and fasten.
Single crochet 1 row with the scrap yarn.
Chain 3, skip 1 stitch, sc 1. repeat all the way around.
Cut the yarn and fasten.

Crochet another one!

This is what mine look like in this fake action shot. Yes, that is water in my teacup.

My hands get cold sometimes

Posted on January 20, 2012January 19, 2012 by bekswhoknits

Even if it is the middle of summer, I work in an air conditioned office.
It’s actually a new office as I changed jobs late last year. As its a bigger office there’s more people, and more people means more air con.
I love the Aussie summer. I prefer to be hot than cold. I don’t think I’d survive in a climate which goes below 10degrees too often.
But I do agree it’s easier to rug up and get warm, than force an entire floor of people to drop to air con levels.
So in the middle of summer, when it’s 40 degrees outside, I’m dressed in thick stockings, cardigans, and fingerless mittens.
And these are the cutest I’ve made.

They’re a Ravelry pattern, (surprise, surprise) and I knitted them up over my new years holidays.

The yarn is Moda Vera Ella, and the pattern is thesebuttoned fingerless mittens.

I didn’t put the buttons on as they didn’t look right. But the colour looks like fairy floss to me and I love them.

Sockhead Hat – wip

Posted on January 13, 2012January 13, 2012 by bekswhoknits

This is my in progress item.
It’s the sock head hat. It was chosen for its mindless quality, given that it’s 5 inches of 2×2 rib and then 9 inches of sockinette, knitted in the round, it’s perfect for stop start knitting.
It’s called sockhead because it’s made from sock yarn on 2mm needles (well the pattern says 3 but I only have 2 so they’ll have to do; I have a feeling it’s a very forgiving pattern). I’m using Moda Vera Noir in Purple.
It was started on the Thursday before Southbound, and is still going now.
Here’s a couple of in progress shots.

It’s very pretty so far.

FO- Toe up socks.

Posted on January 6, 2012January 6, 2012 by bekswhoknits

So, toe up socks are awesome.

These waterfall socks were recommended to me by knitting on circular needles when I was having a twitter conversation regarding socks. Now I don’t think I’ll go back. I learnt the turkish cast on for a trio of baby socks for my nephew (I’ll have to show you those, they are adorable), and then went chasing patterns for grown-up toe up socks.

And I love these socks. Albeit they don’t quite match as it took me a while to read the pattern properly. But it won’t take me long to knit up another one. Maybe in a different colour, just for something different (I love odd socks).
And the beauty of toe-up socks is they eliminate one of (what I find) the most annoying parts of a cuff-down sock and that’s picking up all the stiches after you finish turning the heel.
All the information I’ve read about cuff-down socks is that turning the heel is the tricky part, and the rest is straightforward. Well it’s a lie I tell you… Picking up those pesky stiches is very annoying, and it’s always looks like the most unfinished section of my socks.

So toe-up socks is the answer.

The yarn is Moda Vera Noir, in blue. And they’re going to remind me of Christmas, Wuthering Hights, and holidays.

Guest Post – Her Name Was Greta

Posted on December 16, 2011December 16, 2011 by bekswhoknits

Everyone head on over to her name was greta.

The lovely Stina let me guest post for her.

And while you’re over there spend some time looking at all the beautiful things Stina does.

She crochets, and bakes and has gorgeous cats to drool over.

Go on.
I’ll still be here when you get back.

Christmas knits – FO scarf

Posted on December 13, 2011 by bekswhoknits

Oh dear lord this took a long time to knit.
And photos are not going to do it justice.

3 months ago I cast on a scarf for my mum for Christmas.

However I made (what I think would be a pretty common mistake) a choice based on colour and not on fibre.
It looked so pretty in the shop, but working with it was a NIGHTMARE!

Moda Vera Noemi is designed for people with more patience and experience than I have.
It’s so finicky and furry.

It took me three attempts to find a pattern to accommodate the yarn. I ended up with the one row lace pattern (yo k2tog k1 k1tb )
K1tb is my abbreviation for knit through the back loop. I found this worked the best to create a nice gap in the pattern.

My mum is going to love it.
But I will be happy if I never work with fuzzy yarn ever again.

FO – socks!!!

Posted on November 24, 2011November 23, 2011 by bekswhoknits

a bow headband

Posted on November 16, 2011November 16, 2011 by bekswhoknits

There are so many cute headbands around at the moment.

inspired by a bow headband that I found in one of those ‘oh so trendy’ shops which keep popping up around where I live, I took the design and went “I can totally recreate that!”

The original design looked something like bow headband