Habu Stainless Steel Silk and Cotton Cardigan

The Habu Stainless Steel Silk Cardigan by Sestuko Torii has enthralled me for years. When I bought the book and opened it up the japanese patterns well and truly scared me enough to sit and ponder the thought of making the Cardigan. But not straight away.

When Inge-Lise spotted the book at my place over a year ago, we sat and talked about what sort of colours she would choose for her own jacket that I would knit for her.

We decided on smokey grey cotton and black stainless steel. A lovely combination together with just enough to be a little different from other kits/cardigans we had seen. The yarns came in January. It’s now November. But it’s done. And I couldn’t be more pleased with a garment if I tried.

Knitting the cardigan has been quite a journey. Knitting two strands of stainless steel is like knitting with two strands of live fishing wire. I didn’t read the pattern properly. Twice. I had to frog the first sleeve right back to the start, and had to do the same with the front.

It got thrown in the naughty corner.

And I pondered what I could do to make it less painful for myself.

So…..

I knit the sleeves in the round with the magic loop method and then when it came to the body of the garment I decided to cast on the left front, the back, and the right front all at the same time and knit the whole body in one piece. This actually solved a lot of my angst about seaming with the leeeetle teeeeeeeeny tinnnnnny stainless steel thread.

Once I got started (plus with a good bit of time dedicated on the ‘road trip’, I wondered why I had waited so long. I finished it fairly soon after I really committed in my head to finish it. And after a fair bit of pondering I went with one button only.

Japanese patterns = unfamiliarity = simplicity = sheer genius.

When I tried it on to make sure it would fit Inge-Lise (she is smaller than I) I was amazed. It looks so good. I asked another two friends to try it on (both various sizes) and it looked great on them too.  I am sure it has so much to do with the stainless steel silk moulding to whatever shape is needed.

Now it gets packaged up and sent off to the other side of the world for Christmas. I must admit a little sadness to see it go.

But I can’t wait to cast on for another for myself.

 

TOO HOT

to put on the Cardi and do a photo shoot

As I type, it’s 42c/107.6F at 4.30pm. AND IT’S NOT EVEN HIGH SUMMER!

We just washed both dogs and the first one was dry before we had finished the 2nd.

I have just escaped back inside to hide under the air-con.

Normal life will resume once the blood in my head has stopped boiling.

 

 

Spin Stuff

I’ve been playing around with the stuff that I dyed up….in-between all other stuff. Thought I would show you what happened with them.

Winter wonderland is very very very soft and I love the colours.  I decided there was really only one way to spin this so it became a skein of thick and thin – where the flashes of colour wended its way through the bamboo/viscose.

The colours are brighter but it’s had to get a good balance of colours on the photos. (I am selling it if anyone is interested.)

Next – Rustic Rose – Margaret Peel superfine merino, spun like a dream, although the colour is not quite what I wanted I have decided to spin it and over dye it later. I even did a swatch! Amazing.

The lovely pickled cucumber – my favourite I think.  A merino/silk blend in all shades of green and flashes of white.

I had a spin on a sample and it turned out like this. I have to knit it up into ANOTHER swatch (what is happening to me?)

 

 

Jumble of stuff

Firstly – here’s Kaela (bad iPhone photo) squirming just a little whilst a neighbouring table at the local Thai restaurant sang Happy Birthday (Thanks for all the comments – I had to read them out to her – she was SO impressed).

Secondly – Ori Ami Knits have opened their subscription to their book coming via PDF in January and hard print in March.  I am all about the Habu at the moment so can’t wait.

Thirdly – drumroll please – I finished the Habu Cardigan last night. I couldn’t resist snapping a quick photo but will do a bigger photo ’session’ on the weekend. And more of a post too. LOVE IT.

I would cast on RIGHT NOW  to make another as it is just so cool (to me at least), but have other stuff to get into. But then again…..one for me?

 

 

GIVE ME

that epidural.

I was laying in bed last night around 10.30pm, ‘fondly’ looking back 9 years ago when I was in the midst of bringing the oldest child into the world.

Seeing as I had been pushing for 10.5 hours (don’t read this RR) I was ready for anything. And really, when the epidural worked, for all my fear of such a thing, I wanted to kiss the anaesthetist. I remember saying something like “Viva La Spania” (He was Spanish)(Oh the things that come out of your mouth during that time).

No-one, however prepared me for that gobsmacking rush of love that I got when that baby looked at me. Wonderful.
 

(At five – and at 8 )

Today – she’s 9.

I don’t know if you remember me waffling on about Kaela and her learning paths. It’s been a struggle but this year she has come into her own. Her teacher is VERY relaxed. And that’s worked for her. Last week she finally reached her ‘expected level’ for her age for her reading. She is slightly above her level for maths. She did as well as we hoped for in her NAPLAN tests, and weirdly she was right at the top of the School level for the punctuation and grammer section of the NAPLAN test.

She tells me she’s the funniest girl in her class. She daydreams about all sorts of things, and wants to be a fashion designer (this week).

She is thoughtful and polite. And we talk and share lots of time with each other.

And I love her even more than when I first met her.

MY GiST for today is, of course, my Daughter.