This is the Kureyon. In fact my partner seems to have dibs on the sock yarn. grab you

Kureyon colour 128, front and back. They are really a bit less violently orange - but only a bit!

Cool Poi, nephew, and in-progress shots

A picture of C performing with fire poi in her parents garden at their party

(celebrating their 60ths and 35th wedding anniversary, like the weekend in Cornwall). Very popular show, everyone was dead impressed. If you've never been near a live fire-poi exhibition, you won't know that one of the most impressive things is the amazing NOISE it all makes - a rushing wind noise.

A little pic of my nephew, Ben, with his cute curly topknot. He's just started crawling very efficiently!

And lastly, wanted to get in a pic of the progress on my bamboo (SWTC) Lotus Blossom Tank (from IK summer 06). I've done an extra couple of lace pattern repeats to make it a more flattering length, I hope. I'm a bit further on now (took this on the train on Sunday on my way back from babysitting for ben and Alice, his big sister who doesn't stay still long enough to get a pic!) I've finished the front and about a 1/4 of the back. I want to wear it to Woolfest on Saturday - we'll see if it's done and blocked in time!

And here's a detail (no detail - perhaps in a separate post???) showing the yarn in all it's plant-fibrey glory! Neither picture show the colour quite right.. But I've tried it on now, and I think it'll fit and not be too girly for this mildly girly dyke.

Mim's link

Please leave a one-word comment that you think best describes me — it can only be one word long. Then copy and paste this into your blog so that I may leave a word to describe you.

I described Mim as inventive (cos of the socks I'm knitting, and the Icarus shawl in IK). What will she say of me????

Jaywalkers, Glass needles

I finished these a while ago, but was prompted by Grumperina's recent post (June 15th/16th) to take pics and send her one for her gallery. A beautiful day to take some pics.

I am almost finished on the brioche tank-top from Summer Interweave, in grey and multi-muted wigwam by Colinette. Quite fun. We'll see how it looks on.

I'm part way through lots of things, but going to the South of France in a few weeks, so I plan to spend time on Joe (see previous post, stripey hemp top) and the Lotus Blossom Top from Summer interweave (in red bamboo, from getknitted) as I reckon these plant fibres may be more standable in the heat. Oh, and maybe glampyre's Angelica tunic in Hipknits silk, in reds and blues. And the sock.

I may have mentioned the knitlist I am on; well it has many joys (except when people go right off at a tangent, and end up rowing. That's rowing like 'now', not like 'toe'). A recent one is meeting (on-line) Martha Kauppi, a glass artist. She makes glass knitting needles (and uses them herself, too). Couldn't resist - so I've bought myself two beeyootiful sets of DPNS: one size 7US (just under 4.5mm) in an amazing black/brown, white and glowing green barberpole in clear glass, and the other size 3US ( just under 3.25mm) in just the glowing green spiralling on itself. Luscious.

Cardiff Castle

Just a couple of pics (I hope) of a meet-up with knit-sibs at Cardiff Castle last Tuesday. Leigh, Brenda from my knitlist, her partner Tonia and I all spent a great afternoon chatting in dappled shade surrounded by LOUD, beautiful peacocks. We knat and talked very happily, ate Welsh waffles in the lovely warm afternoon. (Brenda is standing, and the pic of Leigh won't load. Bloody Blogger!).
This is the start of the Eleonora sock by Miriam (of Mim's Knitting Frenzy), in sock yarn named 'Charcoal' by Carol at Black Bunny Fibers. Love the yarn and the pattern! (It's my foot too, and the hammock in our garden).

30 things

So, Kerrie wants us to write 30 things about us. Here goes:

1 I knit
2 I buy yarn
3 I buy patterns
no surprises so far...
4 I am very messy. No really, really messy. Worse than you are imagining.
5 I love reading, but seem to knit instead these days.
6 I spent summers in Wales as a kid, and remember it being warm and sunny most of the time.
7 I got an ipod nano for Christmas - so I could listen to Brenda while I knit. Or books on the ipod.
8 I love the martinis my father-in-law makes. So dry they barely pour, and made from vodka (though I prefer gin usually).
9 I am a major gin snob. Won't drink Gordons any more (which limits pub G&Ts), cos I just don't finish them! Favourites are Hendricks, Tanqueray Ten and Plymouth (for old times' sake). Very cold, with a trifle of tonic (not slim!) and 1 ice cube. Fussy? Moi?
10 I drive an orange smart car (mine's nicer, the silver bits are black which goes better with the orange).
11 I am a bodger. I VERY rarely rip, and tink only as much as I have to. It's home-made, isn't it?
12 I Like going for walks (hiking to North Americans), but - perhaps later? I need encouragement to get started!
13 I'm very hot and sweaty at night.
14 I only get my hair cut about 4 times a year. And coloured once. I like it growing out :-)
15 I can be quite shy.
16 Before I came out, I thought lesbians lived in Paris and had long cigarette holders and trousers like Katherine Hepburn. Turns out, I was wrong.
17 I am considering learning to spin. Don't tell C. But Mum has a wheel she doesn't want any more.... - gifthorse - mouth - what do you think?
18 I'll be 40 next year. Voddy will be 30 (sorry V).
19 I love to ski, it's the only sport at which I am remotely skilled. Learnt in the Cairngorms, so weather in the Alps holds no fears....
20 I write lists. Then lose them.
21 I am really irritable. Door slamming etc.
22 I can waste time fabulously well. Gold medal level.
23 the closest person to me to have died (so far) is my grandmother; she was 2 weeks off 90, and waited till I had just got to Australia. She did warn me she wasn't going all out to hang around, didn't enjoy not being able to do 12 mile walks. I loved her, we fought lots and cried and kissed lots, too.
24 I've just discovered making mayonnaise (and similar bearnaise etc) is easy and DELICIOUS.
25 I used to prefer knitting with cotton (weird?) as wool put my fingers on edge. Now I like all sorts, but definitely high end!
26 I still haven't given my goddaughter her Christmas present.
27 I never want to be a mother, but I love having other people's kids in my life.
28 We got our partnership registered very quietly last month, but in 2001 had a fantabulous 'Thing' where we made promises to each other infront of family and friends. And our parents organised it together and funded it for us. How lucky are we?
29 I like the concept of all matching beautiful underwear, but can't quite be bothered to be that organised. Though I do have some beautiful Agent Provocateur bras, can't bring myself to spend the dosh on the knickers!
30 I love beautiful shoes, but when it comes down to it, the ones I actually wear come down to comfort all the way.....

last weekend

So, C, Voddy and I had an excellent time last weekend getting slightly burnt in Cornwall with their Mum and Dad (as I've said before, their birthdays and Wedding Anniversary). We all drove down together, had a wonderful French picnic on the Beach at Bude (Crooklets Beach) then shot bows and arrows up on the headland, looking out at the blu, blue sea,a nd trying to avoid taking out walkers. Fun!

This is C about to shoot - she's a lefty, it's not transposed.

We then drove on to the secret location, near Padstow, for the main part of the parental surprise. We drove up to the gates and saw a beautiful old grey stone rectory (here ->) with a lovely lawn etc. The bedrooms while not my taste were very beautiful - and comfortable, well decorated and thought out. There was a cafetiere with 2 types of coffee, several teas, hot chocolate. but none of this required - the owners came to our doors with glasses of Camel Valley sparkling (which was delicious) and home-made chocolates, one chocoalet ganache and one passionfruit, and both excellent.

We all chilled before dinner, which took us from 8.30 to 11.30 to eat. Quite sublime. There are 2 tasting menus (which will take into account allergies etc they are warned of, I am told they have previously done vegan versions too), one at £45 and one at £65. C, her Dad and I had the more expensive one - asparagus, smoked mayonnaise and a fried quail's egg; divine lobster risotto (with big pieces of fantastic lobster), apparently flavoured with orange and basil, and topped with a lobster bisque froth; turbot on a chicory tart with grapefruit and pistachio (subtle!); then perfectly cooked lamb on cornish earlies (spuds) and artichoke, with olives and tarragon (worked so well together I couldn't have separated out each flavour, but it tasted marvellously simple); Passionfruit curd with natural yoghurt ice cream (a perfect palate cleanser); then a bitter chocolate pudding, with an espresso wafer and malted milk ice cream, and a trickle of syrup flavoured with crushed coffee beans around it. Generally, perfection, we all felt one of (if not the) best meals we'd had, ever, and we all love food. While we were all too full to have cheese or petits fours, each dish was delicate, so the whoe was not overwhelming in flavours or volume. Mmmmm. reccommend!

****blogger tells me it has uploaded pics of the pudding, but he lies!****

Received with joy

So, my parcel from the lovely Devorah arrived on Monday - I tore it open in excitement, which was a good move! First, out came a beautiful rosy scarf ; then Ms sheep and a sweater.








But the big ta-dah!!!! is for the yarn - beautifully woody for me, self striping, and generally calling to me!