Eagle

Yesterday afternoon I had a little making session and made this cute little eagle. 

It only took a few hours to make and was easy to do. 

I made it to surprise Grace when she came home from work.  It's actually her own pattern, so she was really thrilled when she saw I had made it.  You can find the pattern on her blog, The Smiling Robot, here for free. 

She hasn't made any of my patterns yet - something I pointed out to her - no harm in giving her a guilty conscience!!

I haven't given the eagle a name yet - lacking inspiration - so at the moment he is just 'Eagle'. 

Marcus Pattern

PDF version
A fitted men’s sweater with Fair Isle pattern.

It is knitted in the flat with double knitting weight yarn.

To fit sizes small/medium, (medium/ large)

Knitted sizes

Chest 102 (112) cm / 40(44) inches

Length to shoulder 66(68)cm / 26(27)inches

Sleeve seam 51(53) cm / 20(21) inches

(Please note that I have only knitted up the small/medium size.  The medium/large size pattern hasn't been tested by me.)

Materials
I used Sirdar Balmoral wool, silk,alpaca mix double knitting yarn (125m/135yds per ball).
9 (9) x 50g balls in main shade in black (ms).
1 x 50g ball in grey (cs1)
1 x 50g ball in navy (cs2)
1 x 50g ball in dark red (cs3)
1 x 50g ball in cream (cs4)

3.75mm (US 5) straight needles
4mm (US 6) straight needles
3.25mm (US 3) straight needles

Tension
22 sts and 31 rows to 10cm (4 inches) measured over plain stocking stitch using 3.75 mm needles.

Abbreviations
k = knit
p = purl
sts = stitches
tog = together
tbl = through back of loops
ms = main shade
cs = contrast shade
RS = right side
WS = wrong side
RH = right hand

BACK
Using 3.25mm needles and ms, cast on 116 (128) sts.
Row 1 (RS): (k2, p2) to end.
This row forms the rib. Repeat this row until work measures 6 cm, ending with a WS row and increasing 1 st at the end of the last row. 117 (129) sts
Change to 3.75mm needles and work in stocking stitch until work measures 31 cm.
Change to 4mm needles and work from chart to row 38, joining in and breaking off colours as required.

Shape armholes
Cast off 6 sts at the beginning of the next 2 rows (rows 39 and 40 of chart). 105 (117) sts
Decrease 1 st at each end of next 9 rows (up to and including row 49 of chart). 87 (99) sts
Complete last two rows of chart. *
Change back to 3.75mm needles and working in ms and stocking stitch continue straight until armhole measures 23 (25) cm.

Shape shoulders
Cast off 7 (8) sts at beg of next 2 rows.
Cast off 7(8) sts at beginning of next row and then knit until 12 sts are on RH needle, turn.
Working on 12 sts only, cast off 4 sts at beg of next row, purl to end.
Cast off remaining 8 sts.

With RS facing, place centre 35 (43) sts on a holder. Rejoin yarn to remaining 19 (20) sts, knit to end.
Cast off 7 (8) sts at beg of next row.
Cast off 4 sts at beginning of next row.
Cast off remaining 8 sts.

FRONT
Work as given for back to * (end of chart). Change back to 3.75mm needles and working in ms and stocking stitch continue straight until you have worked 20 rows less than on back to start of shoulder shaping.
With RS facing for next row, knit until there are 35 (37) sts on RH needle, turn, leaving remaining sts on a spare needle. Working on 35 (37) sts only, cast off 3 sts at beg of next row. 32 (34) sts
Decrease 1 st at neck edge on next 5 rows. 27 (29) sts
Dec 1 st at neck edge on 4 following alternate rows. 23 (25) sts
Dec 1 sts at neck edge on following 4th row. 22 (24) sts
Work a row, ending with a WS row.

Shape shoulders
Cast off 7 (8) sts at beg of next row and following alternate row.
Work 1 row.
Cast off remaining 8 sts.
With RS facing, place centre 17 (25) sts on a holder. Rejoin yarn to remaining 35 (37) sts and knit to end.
Complete to match first side, reversing shaping.

SLEEVES
With 3.25 needles and ms, cast on 60 (64) sts.
Row 1 (RS): (k2, p2) to end.
This row forms the rib. Repeat this row until work measures 6 cm, ending with a WS row and increasing 1 st at the end of the last row. 61 (65) sts
Change to 3.75mm needles and commence stocking stitch, work 2 rows.
Increase 1 st at each end of next row and 10 following 6th rows, and then on 5 (6) following 5th rows. 93 (99) sts
Continue straight until work measures 35 (37) cm.
Change to 4mm needles and work from chart to row 38, joining in and breaking off colours as required.
NOTE - the pattern for the medium/large sleeve has to accommodate the extra stitches into the pattern and so has a different starting and finishing point within the chart. 

Shape sleeve top
Cast off 6 sts at beginning of next two rows. (rows 39 and 40 of chart)
Decrease 1 st at each end of next 5 rows. (up to and including chart row 45)
Dec 1 st at each end of next 3 (4) alternate rows. (up to and including chart row 51). 65 (69) sts
Change back to 3.75mm needles and working in ms and stocking stitch, dec 1 st at each end of following 4th row.
Dec 1 st at each end of next 12 (13) alternate rows.
Dec 1 sts at each end of next 5 (6) rows.
Cast off remaining 29 sts.

NECKBAND
Join right shoulder seam.
With 3.25mm needles and RS facing, pick up and knit 22 sts down right front neck, knit across 17 (25) sts on holder, pick up and knit 22 sts up left front, pick up 4 sts from back left neck edge, knit across 35 (43) sts on holder, pick up and knit 4 sts from back right neck edge. 104 (120) sts
Work in K2 P2 rib for 10 rows. Cast off.

MAKING UP
Fasten off and neaten all loose ends. Join left hand shoulder seam. Set in sleeves and sew up sleeve and side seams.

Visit to Cambridge

Just got back from our visit to Cambridge University Open Day.  Well, it was actually two days - we stayed overnight because of the distant.  Even so we had to get up at 4 in the morning on Thursday to make sure we were there by 10! 

Eve stayed in one of the colleges, whilst we stayed in a B&B.  Here's the view from the window of her room. 

All very quaint and atmospheric - just what she wanted. 

We spent the two days wandering around as many colleges as we could - but after a while they all start to merge into each other and it becomes hard to remember which was which. 

Cambridge is a lovely city - a good size - not too big and not too small.  Lots of beautiful buildings and plenty of open green spaces.  We all loved it there.  The weather was erratic - one minute it was umbrellas and jackets but then the sun would come out and the layers came off - just as the next shower arrived. 

Here's some photos I took - yes I remembered to take the camera out of my bag this time!

Eve was impressed with the sound of the history course and was fell in love with a number of colleges.  However, only 1 in 5 people who apply get a place, it's very competitive - so we'll just have to wait and see.  In the meantime, we will probably go and look round a few more universities in the school holidays and maybe attend some more open days in September or October.  Now all I've got to do is to find somewhere to stash all the brochure, pamphlets and leaflets we've accumulated in the last few weeks!!

Happy 4th of July

I can't believe it's a whole year since we were in Philadelphia.  What a great time we had.

To celebrate the day I decided in join in Megan's CAL (from Crochet Every Day) and make some star coasters. 

They were really quick to make and look really cheerful.  I made the four coasters in under an hour in between cooking the evening meal!  The pattern is available for free and can be found here.

Eve has treated herself to a new sweater to wear when she gets home from school this afternoon. 

Have a great day everyone.

Trip to Durham

The second of our university open days was to Durham University.  I think it was the hottest, most humid day of the week - not ideal conditions for a car journey, 3 hours each way. 

The city of Durham is lovely - so picturesque.  I took the camera but forgot to use it!  So here are some pictures taken by better photographers than me. 

The city centre is made up of narrow streets and old buildings.

The cathedral dominates the centre - it is awe inspiring in its size and simplicity of design - it's my favourite cathedral - it moves me everytime I visit it. 

We had lunch sitting on the grass outside the cathedral in the shade of the trees - perfect. 

We visited Van Mildert college - a typical modern-style residential college - it didn't have a great deal of character - but the duck pond helped.

Eve loved the sound of the history course, but wasn't wowed by English. 

Here's the history department building in the centre of Durham. 

We liked how green everywhere was and it definitely has possibilities.  We're now accumulating a collection of university bags which seem to have been left in the living room together with the pile of prospectuses!

Next week we're off to Cambridge - so an even longer car joureny to look forward to!

At least the knitting is making progress - although on the Durham trip the heat made it impossible to get a lot done. 

As a treat I made sticky gingerbread muffins when we got home.

Delicious!

Marcus Finished

At last, it's done. 

The sweater for my husband is finally finished - and has received his approval!

I really pleased with the fit - just as I had planned it - but you never know until they try it on. 

The Sirdar Balmoral was a real treat to knit with - such a lovely quality to it.  You can see full details of the project on my Ravelry page, here. 

The timing of finishing the sweater was not good.  I finished stitching it up just as the heatwave arrived - but he'll get plenty of wear from it in the winter. 

I'll post the pattern for the sweater once I've typed it up and made all the calculations for sizing. 

Now, back to knitting for me!!!

On Our Travels

Open days for the universities are upon us and we're off travelling around the country to see which university Eve would like to go to.  On Friday we went to Nottingham. 

It's a beautiful campus - we loved it there.  Lots of green spaces, a lake and lovely buildings. 

This one is the history building which apparently used to be a coach house. 

Everyone was very helpful and friendly, the accommodation looked good.  Eve could definitely see herself here.  The only probelm was that she wasn't impressed with the course for the subject she is most interested in. 

So this coming week, it's Durham University and then the following week it's Cambridge. 

I couldn't take the sweater I'm knitting for my husband in the car with me as the Fair Isle is too messy for car journeys.  Instead I started a new cardi for myself.  I have had the balls of wool sitting in front of me for the past week, in order to motivate myself to finish my DH's sweater.  Nottingham and back enabled me to easily complete the ribbing for the back on this new one. 

The main colour is actually more green than in the picture and the red is a lot brighter.  For the journey to Durham I plan to do the ribbing for the fronts and as much of the sleeve cuffs as I can.  The main body of the cardi will be Fair Isle. 
Never fear, the sweater for my DH is now knitted, it just needs making up. 

There's a Formula 1 race today, from Valencia, so a few hours in front of the television should see this finished.  The irony is that following the weeks of cold and miserable weather, there's a heat wave predicted for today and tomorrow - so wearing a warm sweater will be the last thing on his mind. 

Canal Walk

Today is our wedding anniversary.  I must say, this past year has gone very quickly.  Was it really twelve months since our 25th anniversary? 

Today we decided to go for a peaceful stroll along the Leeds to Liverpool canal. 

On previous outings, we've walked the stretch of the canal around Lydiate, Maghull, Melling and Aintree, so today we decided to walk towards Liverpool itself. 

We started our walk at Waterloo, went through Seaforth, Litherland and ended up in Bootle. 

Despite going through some very built-up areas, the canal was lovely and peaceful.

There were plenty of coots and moorhens with their babies. 

The canal itself was mostly clean and looked after, but it was spoilt in a few places by swathes of plastic bottles and cans.  It always makes me sad when I see such ugliness. 

All in all it was a lovely morning.  I need to rest my feet for a while now, but we're off out later for a romantic evening together!

Our Newest Driver

Grace has passed her driving test.  After many months of lessons she finally plucked up courage to put in for her test.  I thought she would be nervous but she said the test was more relaxing than the lessons. 

I didn't make her a good luck card, instead I made her this. 

It's based on the pattern Tiny Wheels Crazee Carz by Christal friend and is available for free here. 

I modified the bottom part of the car to make it more chubby, left off all the crochet trimmings and added buttons for the wheel trims.  Grace liked the car and took it with her on the test.  Obviously having the good luck car with her made all the difference. 

Eve made a pie to celebrate her success. 

Summer fruits - delicious. 

Colour Co-ordination

I have a wonderful selection of knitting needles - mostly bamboos. 

The problem is the size that is printed on them wears off after a few uses and then you can't easily tell which size it is. 

Fortunately I have a handy little gadget that belonged to my grandmother that is great for determining the sizes. 

It isn't in metric but the old imperial sizes so it's a case of remembering the conversions. 

Today I decided to make life easier by colour co-ordinating the needles.  My lovely girls have many interesting shades of nail polish -

-so I used these to paint the tops of the needles. 

My favourite needles sizes, 3.75mm and 3.25mm are pink and yellow - so I should remember them.  I'll just have to make sure I don't forget what the other colours stand for. 

Now it's all very colourful and jolly.

Slow Progress

Every morning, as soon as I get up, I go for a long walk around the park or along the beach.  This is my thinking time.  I can plan what I'm going to do that day, think about ideas for knitting and crochet projects, daydream and enjoy the solitude and scenery. 

This morning the weather was still miserable, no sunshine, not very warm and quite windy.  It made me think of warm sweaters and that reminded me of the sweater I'm knitting my DH.  So now it's back to work - only the sleeves to finish - c'mon girl! One last push!

No Motivation!

It may seem as though all is quiet on the knitting front but I do have a project on the go at the moment.  Unfortunately it isn't for me.  I'm knitting a sweater for my DH - I rashly suggested I knit him something but as always I am now regretting the offer. 

Firstly I find it difficult to motivate myself if the finished article isn't for me - basically I'm a selfish knitter. 

Secondly, my DH usually finds something wrong with anything I knit him - too big, too short, too long etc etc.  This time I decided to customise a sweater for him rather than using a purchased pattern.  So I'm having to write a pattern for this sweater as I go along. 

Thirdly, obviously men's sweaters are bigger than women's - so take longer to do. 

Here's a peak at the work in progress. 

I have today forced myself to sit and finish the front.  I'm trying to whip up some enthusiasm by planning an interesting cardi I can start when this sweater is finished.  What a martyr I am!!

Grace - some beginnings

An exciting day for Grace today - she starts her first ever job!!  She's working for an electronics company for four months over the summer - a great experience for her.  I'm sure she'll enjoy it.  Unfortunately she has a long train journey each way but we've bought her lots of interesting books to read and she'll be able to do loads of knitting and crocheting. 

She promised herself that when her exams were out of the way she would start her own blog - and in the last few days she has got it up and running.  It's called The Smiling Robot. 

Give it a visit - she'll appreciate it. 

Ada

How exciting - I've just bought a mannequin, to help me with my designing. 

This is how she looks in the flesh, so to speak. 

And here she is wearing a pretty dress. 

We've named her Ada.  She's currently looming over us in the living room but I'll have to find a more suitable place for her to stand because she's quite intimidating.