Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Fireworks for Finished Objects!

Not really! I'm very lucky to have great scenery on my drive to and from my knitting group. Some people may not agree with me, especially when I say that I have to drive through Birkenhead's Dock area but it really does have lovely urban scenery and I've seen some fantastic sunsets over the docks on my way to knitting on many an occasion.
And in addition to this there is the views over the River Mersey to Liverpool which really has a great waterfront. And on Tuesday night as I was coming home from knitting I had an extra special treat. I got myself front row seats (well standing room) at a Birthday celebration. If you weren't aware the City of Liverpool is 800 years old and really celebrated '800 day' in style with one of the largest fireworks displays on the river in years. And boy was it spectacular - they even had fireworks that burst open to say '800' which I am seriously impressed with!

It also gave me a chance to test my cameras 'firework' setting and try and capture the atmosphere.

You can't really tell but the orange blur to the lower left is actually the Liver Building home to Liverpool's famous Liver Birds. It sounded like they were bombing Liverpool with all the blasts and bangs and combined with all the smoke and searchlights they had it almost felt like having gone back in time and watching a wartime air raid. Anyway, I thought I'd share this little bit of local news with you all as it really was a fun night out!

Back to the knitting I've a flurry of knitting to share with you and, sit yourself down, some more FO's. Recent ones. And another half done WIP. Yes, there has been some concentrated knitting time (OK - due to being full of cold but it's still results!)

Exhibit A - Angora Fetchings. Based on the pattern from Knitty, I used some Louisa Harding Kimono Angora and 3.75mm dpns and lenghtened them to make skinny hand versions as a (belated) birthday present for my brothers girlfriend. They've gone down well and I did promise her some mittens last Winter so at least they'll be in time for this year! She's bunny mad as well hence the angora yarn which is insanely light and fluffy. These were knitted from one 25g ball and I've got a load of left overs!

Exhibit B - Finally I've gotten round to completing my Devon Holiday socks which was a silly UFO having only about 1" to knit up before casting off for the toe. Needless to say these took next to no time to whip off the needles and near enough straight on the feet! The pattern was from 'Sensational Knitted Socks' and if I ever find where I've put the book I'll tell you exactly what pattern it was. Yarn is as usual some Colinette 4ply wool from the Mill shop sale room. You can see slight colour variations - on the right foot the toe area is a little redder than the rest and on the left the cuff is redder. I realised what was happening and switched back to another section of yarn so I could end up with mostly matching socks.

So far they're lovely and snug and cosy and was a simple lace pattern to do, even if the colours in the yarn don't really show this up much!

No sooner had I grafted the toe of these, stitches were rapidly cast on for Monkey which started zooming along, so much so that I've already finished one sock and am halfway down the next leg! Must say it's a great pattern and I'm glad to be finally knitting them and am probably the last person globally to be knitting them. I can see myself knitting more of these and I'm really pleased with how the yarn is knitting up as well. This is some of my holiday yarn namely some Lana Grossa Meilenweit Mega Boots Stretch which feels lovely and woolly and has lovely soft colour changes which don't seem to distract from the pattern. This photo is pretty accurate colour wise except just before the heel flap on the leg.

You can also see my latest lucky acquisition - my very own set of 'Tony Toes' sock blockers! I'm trying to persuade Mum's DH that he could start earning a bit of pocket money making these sock blockers to sell and have decided that he should brand them 'Tony Toes' but I'm not sure if he's convinced yet! But bless him they are great and have been a godsend recently as my DH accidentally washed a pair of my 100% wool socks. In the Washing Machine. Softly felted socks anyone? Thank goodness I can still get my foot in them and they are on the blockers being stretched. I just seem to have lost a bit of length in the leg (of the socks - not me!) and somehow managed to get a hole in them in the lace section. Thankfully I've plenty of that yarn left so I'll darn the hole and it needs be I'll knit another pair - why though does this have to happen to your favorite pair?!

19 comments:

dreamcatcher said...

Pretty FOs - I really love the Fetchings in the rainbow angora :-)

Sarah said...

So nice of them to celebrate the good work you've done :)

florencemary said...

What beautiful FOs, Kath! And I absolutely love the Louisa Harding angora - the mitts look lovely in it. I'm now off to try to track some down!

Ang said...

Oh what lovely fireworks, I haven't been to Liverpool for years, I used to visit the Tate a lot when I was a student.

I adore those mitts, and the Devon socks have such wonderful colours in them.

You're not the last to knt the Monkeys, they are still on my "todo" list!

Oh and I woud definitely buy some "Tony's Toes"!

Artis-Anne said...

Great shots of the firworks Kath and I too agree that the best views of Liverpool are along that dock road . Love the mittens and glad that Danielle like them also :)I wish I had bought some of that yarn when I had a chance :(
Love the socks especially Monkey ; the yarn look great with it. Must make another pair as I think its such a great pattern too :)
'Tony Toes' LOL , mind I think he's playing with the idea as he is looking for thiner perspex !!

ra said...

mmmmmmmm, angora. yum.
Enjoy the monkeys, I think they're the nicest pair of socks that I've knitted.

Piglottie said...

The camera seems to be working fine as the fireworks pic is great! I love the Fetching - the yarn looks gorgeous. And your socks are brilliant :)

Linda said...

Lovely knits. the sock blockers are very good.

Nicola said...

You have been productive! Well done you. I especially love the Monkeys - great colourway :)

RoxyK said...

Ooh - those are the nicest Fetchings I've seen! Lovely. As are the socks too - my holiday started socks took forever to finish too. Weird huh?

And you're not the last to do Monkey's. They're still on my list after I my froggings with them and the Silkie yarn. Your Monkey is very pretty. I am quite jealous ;)

Hope your IK & VK mags have arrived now. I love them both, especially the anniversary VK issue which is just huge!

Joanna said...

Great fireworks photos Kath, and those angora Fetchings are really pretty too! I really like the yarn in those holiday socks, great colours, and you're not the last person in the knitty world to knit monkeys, honest, they are on my list, but I don't know if I'll ever get there, I've gone off knitting socks at the moment!

belaybunny said...

Great mittens and socks. I love fireworks too!!

Hellbelle said...

Love the FO pics, the socks are really lovely.

Cool firework shot too!

Anonymous said...

Wow! That pic of the fireworks is absolutely awesome! I tried to take pics of ours at last New Year's Evening, but they turned out all blurry and blah - yours is amazing indeed!
And so are your knits - you've been so productive lately! The mitts look so cozy and comfy and warm, and your socks are stunning as usual! Fantastic work!

gonga said...

Your angora mits are georgeous, they look as though they are inspired by the firework display.
My husband has been banned from washing ANYTHING that I have made, thanks to a few accidents, my house of hemp cardi which is now a limp floppy discoloured mess, and my wool cardi which now fits my Daughter, So disheartening!!!
I have yet to do Monkey socks, maybe they will be the next ones after Pomatomus?

Anonymous said...

"Haven't you always wanted a monkey"!!!

Anonymous said...

The Angora Fletching look so soft and warm. Very tempting!

You've most likely finished the Monkeys. I've gotten as far as downloading the pattern and having the yarn on hand...one of these days...

What's on your needles these days?

SueJ said...

Nice knits Kath! Must knit Monkey socks soon!

Caroline M said...

I have some of the Mega boots stretch in a brown/green colourway. I hadn't realised that it would look so lovely knitted up or I would have used it already. Watch mine be nowhere near as lovely as yours now!