Digital Knitting Gadgets

About four weeks ago I got the iphone. Mostly thanks to my husband. My cell phone contract was up for renewal and he has been talking about the iphone for a while.
After I got it I typed in 'knitting' in the search engine of the itunes store.
I could not believe that there are knitting related applications.
I first got myself the stitch minder.
I don't often use a stitch counter, I usually count rows or pattern repeats. Yes and sometimes I count them over and over again.
The stitch minder lets me track four different things. At the moment I am counting: rows, pattern repeats and increase rows. It lets me change the settings, on offer are: rows completed, pattern row. pattern repeats. increase row, increase repeat, decrease row and decrease repeat.
Next I bought myself the Knit Gauge for 59 pence.
This is great to check tension without having to look for a tape measure. It calculates the tension directly for 2, 5 or 10cm.
I am right on track with Twist & Shout.
Since I printed out the pattern when it first came out there have been a few erratas. I can check them directly on the phone as well. The differences are highlighted in red and are easy to spot. A little bit of paper saved. OK, I could mark it all out on my copy.
There are more knitting related applications available for the iphone, I have just found a yarn calculator and a needle sizer.
I am off to go and look at them.

Gone Twisting and Shouting

In one of her books the Yarn Harlot talks about the different levels of yarn stash.
Since 2009 is the year where I want to use up a lot of my stash, I have started to look at what she calls 'Core Stash'. Yarn that we love a lot and have had for some time and maybe have no intention of ever using.
I have a cone of dark green Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran. I bought it a few years ago. Since I then I have been looking for the perfect pattern.
Last September I found it in the shape of Twist & Shout.
I have wanted to cast on a few times, but I wanted to finish all other projects first.
I love knitting this, the back took me only a week. The pattern is easy to follow, but I have seen that there are some erratas. I printed my copy the day the pattern came out.
Lucky I can check up on the pattern on my new gadget - the Iphone, no matter where I am.

Busy looking what kind of mischief these two get up to.

Fontaine

My Fontaine is finished.
The pattern can be found in the Rowan magazine number 44.
I used Rowan Classic Yarn Cashsoft 4ply. No other reason than that my local yarn stores sells this 4ply yarn and not the Rowan 4ply.
I started to knit this on 15. November. It has taken me almost 4 month to finish this garment.

The cardigan has some very nice features. One of them is the back. It has a little pretend belt. There was a lot of shaping.
Knitting was never boring.
I am very happy with the finished result and I am sure I will wear this a lot.
But knitting with 4ply has been hard, at times it felt like I was not getting ahead at all.
I have now started another jacket for myself.
The twist and shout from Knitty. I am using up more of my stash, my cone of Cashmerino aran.

Adam and Eve Unisex Jacket

Progress on any projects has been slow this week.
I am happy to report that one has hit the finishing line.
It is the Adam and Eve unisex jacket.
I got the pattern in her ravelry shop.
The yarn I used is Wendy Merino DK in the colour called blue sky.
The size is 12-18 months.
Lucky I have the perfect sized model at home.
This jacket is intended as a gift for a little baby boy called Dylan.
Sadly my local yarn store is closed on a Thursday otherwise I would have finished yesterday.
The buttons are wooden turtles.
The jacket is knitted without any seam sewing. The body is knitted in one piece and the sleeves are done from the shoulders on DP's. The instructions are well written but do require a good understanding of knitting techniques. The sleeve caps are done using short row shaping and so are the shoulders.
It's a perfect baby patterns and I am sure I will knit more.
Speaking about my model. She is used to wearing hand knits.
She loves reading books, I just can't understand why they all have to come off the shelve.
I also thought I had put them high enough. I had not thought about the little step stool, it can be taken from the bathroom and be used to get higher in other rooms.