Crafty Cocktail

Batts and Fibre

2011-07-29T12:57:00.002+01:00

So last weekend we had a family outing to Fibre East - Shelley, Emily and me went early and did a Batt course with Jill, then Sue, Pat, Nanny, her friend and Alice all joined us to wander around, watch sheep being sheared and buy stuff!
The batt workshop was great, getting ideas about colour, blending fibres, making batts on a theme and accidentally putting a deposit on a drum carder!?
Then we wandered around and bought lots of fibre, most of it for me to spin for Emily, but some from picperfic for me to spin for me!
Here are some pictures of the batts and the finished sample skeins - I guess my first art yarn!
Bad Day on the Motorway (complete with cars!)

Walk in the woods - think winter time

Then some lovely dyed fibre from Picperic - whose stuff I used for GTs shawl during the spintelligence course;
Twinkle - 70% superwash merino and 30% trilobal nylon - for Emily, two skeins

Susie - 75% organic merino, 25% mulberry silk - 3 skeins, probably for me

I will do another post soon to show all the natural, undyed stuff we also bought, including some fleece that needs washing and scouring - looks like I am getting a stash fit for a busy winter!

Wouldn't it be marvelous - if R Murdoch'd never been born?

2011-07-20T17:52:00.002+01:00

Spinning update

2011-06-17T09:15:00.003+01:00

So its been ages since I posted last and I have been spinning lots, but just keep forgetting to keep things updated - so here is a quick whistle stop tour of what I have been doing recently.

On herbie;
"Evening Lights" world of wool merino and silk blend bumble bee, and charcoal merino.
513 metres, 215 grams, 16 wpi, (largest on small whorl)

"Midnight Blue" world of wool merino blend and plain black. 153 metres, 165 grams, 10 wpi, (smallest on large whorl)

"Shetland Greens" 100% shetland from knit studio newcastle, maker sue's crafts for enthusiasts. 171 metres, 100 grams, 14 wpi. (largest on small whorl) fractal spun.

On spindles;
"charcoal gleams" wool and nylon mix for socks. singles spun on spindle, plied on ashford. 267 metres, 101 grams, 17 wpi

"Seaside pebbles" Some single colour merino I carded and spindle spun a while ago, 95 grams, 13 wpi

Current WIP;
mini trindle, aiming for lace weight 2 ply, 20 grams sample of BFL in gothic colourway from Freyalyn's Fibres.

Soon to come will be the Tour de Fleece, where I am competing for the spinnotts team, and the aim is to spin everyday of the tour, with challenges on specific days.

As a leaving picture - here is my current spindle family, including the new steampunk spindle from Knit in Nottingham, made by anglergifts.co.uk and my two trindles from trindleman on etsy - but the mini trindle is not in the family shot!

Spun loveliness blocking

2011-06-15T15:32:00.000+01:00

So pleased with this! I've weighed what's left - have 35, so presumably I used 65g in the shawl (but it's wet and blocking, so can't weigh it now).

Blocking:

See the lovely texture!

See the lace!

I'm really pleased with it, and think that GT will love it. Enough left for me to make a little cowl for me...

Using the spun loveliness

2011-06-03T18:07:00.000+01:00

Just a quicky to show you how the Maia is going - I'm loving the yarn Clare spun!

Isn't it a great pattern?

A couple of FOs and a new WIP

2011-06-01T20:56:00.000+01:00

Barb and I agreed to do the knitalong for Roxanne Mystery Shawl by Feministy and I decided to do it in Fleece artist sea wool, which I'd bought from Purlescence, in the colour 'earth'. It meant I was a bit short on yardage, but I just felt it would work.
Here's the start:

And here's the finish:

The blocking wasn't ideal - did it in this 'log cabin' in Scotland we stayed in for a week around Clare's Etape Caledonia bike race (81 miles in highland Perthshire). It was LOVELY! We had a hot tub on the balcony to sit in and toast the race afterwards (and perhaps get just a little - um - tired and emotional). Anyway, so the stripy towel - not so good for the pics!

We did a lot of driving and I cast on for another shawl - this time Taygete, by Romi. I'd thought I might, and so had yarn for it with me - the remains of the red Colinette Jitterbug I had from the millshop and used for Audrey in Unst, and some deep teal in the same. I'm really pleased with it!

And the WIP - well I only have pics of Clare's element - the spinning. It's yarn from her Spintelligence spinning club. The fibre came from Picperfic and is 50% 18.5micron superfine merino, 30% cashmere and 20% silk - so soft! Minniemoll has pics of her fibre and what she spun here for those of you on Ravelry.

I'm using it for another of Romi's 7 small Shawls - Maia. This yarn is much lighter weight, a laceweight single. I think it'll work out really well.

The lovely MissFee!

2011-06-01T20:00:00.000+01:00

The lovely Miss Fee sent me a present! It arrived while we were in Scotland, and though we've been back a week, our neighbour was then away so I've only just received the package. I knew I was getting a Folca box, because when Fee talked about them and I cheekily liked the orange - she said she'd send me one!

Being Fee - she generously sent me two different purple yarns too! How exciting :-)

The circle of varied colour yarn is Margaret Stove laceweight, and the other is Welsh Wool, also a laceweight twoply, slightly heavier than the other.

I've filled the little boxes within boxes.

See how neat it is! It opens out, and then folds back in, and safely stores all those lovely little tchotchkes!

Herbie

2011-02-20T11:55:00.003Z

So I have accidentally bought a spinning wheel - and given that we are feeling slightly anxious about the last payment on the house the timing seems a little off - but couldn't resist. Herbie is a ladybug bought from The Threshing Barn. I went there on a day of tying wheels - firstly an ashford joy, ashford traveller and kromski fantasia at Wingham Wool Works - great place for browsing and accidentally buying all sorts of fibre! Then, having not liked the joy which I thought I would, and liking the Kromski but recognising its limitations we went on to the threshing barn where I tried the Schacht ladybug and a louet julia. I really liked both, felt the Julia was a bit easier to spin - but it had been a trial machine for 6 months, unlike the bug which had been out for 2 weeks only! After oiling the bug and trying again I really liked it, and think with the option of double drive as well it will take me a lot further. So I bought it - with money I got from teaching 300 GPs!
It seems that wheels, like bikes need names, so I would like to introduce Herbie;

complete with tensioned Lazy Kate.
I have spun a variety of things over the last week - all very beginnerish, which is odd after having cracked things on the spindle - but part of the fun is learning more! Most of the stuff has been rather overspun, but I have managed one successful although somewhat uneven skein;

after a variety of rather shambolic few skeins!

Now might start on some of the fibre I got at Wingham wool works to see if I can be doing something slightly more successful for my fist Guild meeting this saturday - may have to go back to a spindle!?

joining in

2011-02-06T19:46:00.003Z

So having started to seriously get into spinning, and being involved in a couple of combined projects with Emily, I have been invited to join the blog!
This is just to say Hello, and I will see how I manage to be a part of this?!:)

To date I have mostly spindle spun on the 7 spindles I have, making a variety of yarns, a lot of which were samples. I have made the samples into 2 scarves, and am now doing Spintelligence challenges via Ravelry, and have started the monthly challenges on the Spindlers forum to get the skills to spin a host of different types of yarns. I have also sucumbed to the thought of a spinning wheel and am going to try out a few different ones at the end of the week, so we'll see what happens - Emily is coming along as moral support, and because there is fibre and yarn for sale too!

Blackberry Jewels

2011-02-05T20:31:00.000Z

Clare (she's ShortyC on Rav) has spun me some lovely yarn, which was part of her 4th challenge with Diane Mulholland and her Spintelligence club (see the last post). The challenge was to take 100g of 20% bamboo/80% merino and slightly overspin 2 singles, then slightly overply the yarn, to make a good wearing sock yarn. We counted rounds on the niddy-noddy, and made it 260m, not bad!

I made Elm Leaves for my godmother, and extrapolated a neckwarmer for Mum. (£.25mm for the former, doesn't show the lace that well, and 4mm for the latter).

two new projects (ummmm)

2011-01-15T15:26:00.000Z

So, I've finished my lovely Shur'tugal socks

Knitabulous yarn, socktopus pattern.

I really do love these socks, might knit them again.

Anyway, I followed these by casting on another Daybreak shawl for Clare from the Old Maiden Aunt yarn I bought in Stirling last year - superwash merino in Lon-dubh (blackbird) and jasper.

BUT I am going to knit something else first - new to my stash but not bought by me...

Clare is part of a brilliant scheme by Diane Mulholland, called Spintelligence. Clare gets a parcel of fibre every 2 months with instructions so she's learnt LOTS from Diane 9I think she may carry on for another 6/12 if she can).

Here's her yarn - it's 20bamboo/80merino fibre from Artist's Palette Yarns. She had to spin it then overply it as a two ply to try to make a strong sock yarn. She played with the colours - one ply is more striping than the other.
Here it is just skeined:

And here I've balled it.

I'm going to use it for my godmother's 60th birthday present (end of Jan!) in some cuffs - Anne Hanson's Elm Leaves, I think. Should be gorgeous.

Spacegirl finished!

2011-01-09T15:23:00.000Z

Really finished it a week or so before Xmas, but then needed to lengthen the sleeves and sew in the ends (there were lots!) All done now, and Clare's wearing it lots! It'll pill like a b*gger, I think, but what the heck...

Doesn't she look lovely????

Shur'tugal for S62011

2011-01-02T14:54:00.000Z

The yarn is Knitabulous Salwar kameez:

The sock is Socktopus' Shur'tugal (dragonrider). I really like this pattern, though it's bitten me a few times already! Just in sizing - I started off medium on 2.25mm - too small (I did 2 repeats after the ribbing); went up to the large size still 2.25mm - and still a bit small after 4 repeats! Success with 2.5mm in big size. BUt I've dropped to 2.25mm from the start of the heel flap (which I've done longer by 4 pairs of rows).

The s62011 sock-knitting KAL!

2010-12-11T14:39:00.000Z

A process has been going on on Ravelry in the Morris and Sons SnB group (which I used to attend) to decide a group personal sock club for 2011. A personal sock club is one wear you put aside sock yarn and patterns at the start of the year and then pick a bag at random at appointed dates and knit x no of socks over the year.
As a group club, this is a bit different - there's been voting, with various patterns frontrunners then dropping out, and the final list is:

Jan/Feb Shur’tugal Start 1 January Due 28 February
Mar/April Nutkin Start 1 March Due 30 April
May/Jun Leyburns Start 1 May Due 30 June
Jul/Aug Fox Faces Socks Start 1 July Due 21 August I'm NOT doing these!
Sep/Oct Nanner Start 1 September Due 31 October
Nov/Dec Boyfriend Socks Start 1 November Due 31 December for Clare

I may do Slant instead of Fox Faces, if so I'll use my Knittery 'Bloody Mary' yarn, I think. Or I could do Skew with my Hundertwasser Opal yarn. However, I may only do 2 or 3 of the socks over the year anyway, we'll see.

The important thing about this sock club, is to use yarn that you've already got - and I'm trying to use some of my Aussie-related yarns, too.

Mine are (front to back) Knitabulous Salwar Kameez (courtesy of Lyns) for Shur’tagal, Sundara Candied Chrome (given to me by Lara for Nanner, The Knittery Earth (also an Aussie yarn)for Leyburn, then Yarn Yard Cairn in ? colourway for nutkin, of course and Koigu Kpppm for the boyfriend socks - for my girlfriend!

2010-11-28T09:54:00.000Z

I've finished the Bellefleur (Mystery hat A KAL from Woolly Wormhead)! Enjoyable knit, I used yarn I bought in Stirling from Shilasdair - luxury 4ply (I think). Slightly worried I may be reacting to it, but shall not give in to such bodily weakness.

Clare doesn't like it (she doesn't like any beret/slouchy hats though, so fairly meaningless here). I'm pleased with the fit which is a smallish beret. Great colour, loved the cables coming from the ribbing all the way through, and enjoyed learning the 'alternate cable cast-on'.

I have also finished my sparkly stole, wore it to C's sister's wedding where it went down well. The yarn is Sea Wool by Fleece Artist in Angel Fish - lovely to knit with.
I took advantage of a cold snowy day here to take many many many many pics. Apologies!

Here you can see the end of our house - bedroom window and MUCH scaffolding still!

The danglers here are swarovski crystals and the beads are just clear with silvered insides. The crystals are more sparkly and multicoloured in that sparkle than this shows.

This is my innovation - not shown particularly well her. I knitted up the side portion and grafted to the other half of the stole, did the same on the other side, then I knitted across the middle of the stole picking up on either side.

Anyway, there I am! Now to continue with the robot tank, the space girl sweater, little birds etc etc etc.

Stirling Market* haul

2010-10-20T11:10:00.000+01:00

* ie Knit Camp, see here: http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/uk-knit-camp-rav-day-2010-social-group/1333148/1-25#1

From Di Gilpin, to make ME ME ME a tank top. Gorgeous, complex colour variation.

Also from Di (Barb bought this too). To make her Rose for Winter, which I tried on - was a beautiful part-felted tunic. Lovely shape, on, and a good outdoor hairy jumper!

For a daybreak for Clare

For an Irtfa'a for me
And sock, sock sock yarn!

October Update

2010-10-20T09:34:00.001+01:00

So some of my friends are doing a daily blogpost in October. I thought I'd do one at least!

I still need to take pics of the Embarrassing KC Haul (TM, and KC rather than the longer version as recognition of the sadness around what was for me a fabulous week).

BUT - I have been knitting!

While at KC I mainly knitted on a Salto sock, in lovely splotchy Koigu KPPPM. Sadly it a) didn't show the pattern well, and b) was too tight to comfortably go over my heel, so I've frogged it.

The other thing I knitted on while there was Cloud Chaser by Indigirl Amy , using some Grace hand-dyed by Louisa Harding. You can see here I've done the back, and just started on the R side. It has long drapy sides and then a collar added on last. I'm alternating skeins - you cna see how stripy that's made it!

My niece and nephew have early autumn birthdays - and we had them to stay the first weekend we were in the new house. Their main birthday present was a trip to Stomp, but I knitted Alice a double-knit cowl with moon and stars, in a blue and a yellow from Posh YArns many years ago that she chose last December. She loved it, and wore it constantly, but I took no pics! Will try to remember to. Ben is VERY into knights, swords etc. I've knit him a helmet - it's Black Prince by Annie Modesitt, a very well-written pattern.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21548594@N00/5098477137/
I'm moving on well with Heidi Kirrmaier's Space Girl for Clare. Thanks to Reecie for bringing me an extra two balls of the black yarn from Sydney!

Naturally, I couldn't just stick to what I was already knitting. I saw Norovirus on Rav and loved the name. I happened to have 2 balls of silk garden sock in a colour I thought would work well for Clare. BUT I decided that this pattern wasn't right for her, and the shape was too loose - so I drew some robots with her help and charted them, did a swatch (!!!!!) and started with corrugated rib. Here you go!

I'm hoping the robots WILL be visible, and will amuse some of C's patients!

And I decided to knit myself a stole to wear to C's sister's wedding in a month. I decided in July, and checked through all my laceweights and sock weights. Found this lovely Sea Wool in Angelfish, bought in a Purlescence sale as part of a sea baby kit. Anyway, PERFECT colours. But not enough - so I ordered 2 more skeins, one came straight away but was much lighter and brighter - I tried alternating skeins, but it wasn't ideal. I'm still waiting for the other skein - should be any day now... The pattern is Iris via P/HOP and I'm using swarovski mega-sparkly danglers for the ends and some plain glass seed beads for the meat of the stole (but only about 1/20th as many as the designer specifies!)

I'm starting to get sorted with my yarn store
and with doors

Lucky sod, aren't I?

Congratulations Andrew!

2010-08-16T09:44:00.000+01:00

(Just a quickie, need to take pics of my embarrassing haul from KnitCamp and then I'll post about that great time).

So, once there was a rather tired and bizarre knitting shop in a place called Newtown in the lovely city of Sydney. The yarn rolled on the floor, as did the pets - kind of sneezy!

Then along came Morris and Sons, and took over the place. Now, M&S have a big shop in the CBD, and one in Melbourne - but this was to be a little different, and is called The Granny Square. How to make it perfect? Oh yes - get The Other Andrew to sort it out!

He's done them proud. Have a look at these pics on Flickr and see if you don't agree.

sadly no pics - I lied! There are some!

2010-07-07T11:09:00.000+01:00

~~Because I am illicitly posting from work - and we all know that if I procrastinate to get pics, this'll never happen!~~ I've taken pics! Here you go...

Anyway - I have been knitting! I've almost finished a Summer Solstice (by Heidi Kirrmaier), which I've been doing in background Rowan silky tweed in 'tabby' - dark brown with orangey and other flecks - and silk/merino stripes in 5 colours SPUN BY CLARE for my Xmas present on her drop-spindles, from Yarn Yard fibre (Natalie sadly doesn't seem to be doing fibre any more). It's SO nearly finished...
Here are lots of pics:

I've also started a jumper for Clare herself - Space Girl , also by Heidi Kirrmaier!
Some pics:

I've nearly finished a version of Daybreak using 2 yarns that are more-or-less the same clour, but one's a handspun cashmere and the other a boucle silk, both bought from Posh Yarn about 4 years ago. I think it's working well.

And I've swatched for a Baby Cables and Big Ones Too, using rowan Calmer so I don't overheat in it! I like big warm jumpers, but this one is low necked and fitted, so more of a jersey top, I think. I really like this green.

Shock!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-04-09T18:20:00.000+01:00

I'm posting - and in orange!

This is Damson, by Ysolda Teague, in Campari by Wollmeise (which the lovely Maria enabled me to buy). It's beautiful, just the right sort of thing for this time of year. I'm particularly loving the full sweeping curve of it, and the rings that edge it. I can throw it round my shoulders to keep me warm now it's spring here (finally).

Mmmmm.

Date shenanigans

2009-05-21T16:42:00.004+01:00

I've just noticed that blogger has posted that as Friday 22nd May. Which it isn't yet, not here in UK! I think the world of google is struggling with the fact that we've moved - it keeps giving me google.com.au, not very useful here! I have changed everything in google and onmy computer to stop it - but no!

Anybody know what to do?

I've sorted it! At least for blogger!

And my mac has the right google coming up now, while the iphone (which has not left the UK since it arrived in packing at O2) is showing .com.au! Have contacted google....

About time I thought

2009-05-21T16:15:00.004+01:00

to get back on here!

I've been knitting away, but don't seem to have any more pics of how all that is going.
I'm still knitting the Gytha from Twist which is Nanny Ogg on my Ravelry page - the body is done, one sleeve complete and the other pretty close, so only that and the hood to go. I think it'll be lovely and snug once done.
Then, I'm onto the second of the Emily the Car socks - the yarn is FABULOUS, striping in several reds and pinks and a greenish black which works beautifully however it sounds! It's the braided socks from the book Bex sent me - so altogether a very Bex project!
I haven't really done much at all on the Pi Are Squared shawl this month - busy, somehow.

Otherwise - well, we had guests and took them to Wollaton Park, a big (500 acres) park with deer etc and Wollaton Hall within it. Great for running around, ducks, geese, a camellia room, beautiful old buildings, an old-fashioned natural history museum, and an industrial museum. We just walked and ran (guess who did which?)
There were beautiful bluebells - can you see them?

For Clare's birthday we went to the seaside - lovely B&B, great food, and wonderful weather over the enormous beaches. The pictures form the last post were in Western Australia, these are England - but with iphone quality camera, I'm afraid. No kiting as it was still as anything (though not quite the millpond we experienced in Busselton!)

Clarey disappears into the distance

Thought I should prove there were a few clouds...

And just wanted to mention - now on Skype, if anyone wants to phone us!

Happy Birthday dear Clarey!!!!!!!

2009-04-29T06:40:00.006+01:00

Have a wonderful day!

I'm looking forward to seeing you kite on the sparkling waters of Norfolk. I'll even help chuck the kite in the air for you!

I want to say thanks for you generously not minding me not working for that last year - and taking me to Sydney; what a wonderful experience!

New adventures now in our new city and new jobs; more time for you to enjoy all your other interests - starting today!

Much love xxxxxxxxxxxx

New podcast and a measuring

2009-04-27T17:02:00.003+01:00

OK, so I've found a new podcast - 'Gives Good Knit'. I really enjoy this one; she's literate, interesting and DOESN'T HAVE AN IRRITATING VOICE! Hur-blooming-ray!

Tika's blog is Largely Unrepeatable, and I like that too. She's challenged herself to knit and spin 12 miles this year - and I thought I'd see what I've done to date (anything finished after 1/1/09 counts):

Mamluke socks - 380 yds
Hemp jacket - 1952yds
Jaali - 1200yds
Cable socks - 360 yds

total 3892 yds

divide by 1760 (that's how many yards in a mile, apparently - who knew? Us UK people of my age at least are confused - think in imperial, but learn metric. Hmmm).

gives 2.21 miles knit so far. Not including the yards in the Nanny Ogg sweater.

I'm not challenging myself here, just intrigued.

Nanny Ogg progress

2009-04-24T17:10:00.003+01:00

Here's a view of where I was with the knitting yesterday - and today I tried it on; I'm almost at 15" (of 18" for this size, 17" for the next one down - not certain which to do, given that I am not v tall, but shall want to block a little wider, I think, and I don't want the shaping to be too low (would NOT flatter the middle of me at all!) Hmmm. 17.5" seems like a good compromise!

You can see the colours well in this pic - if the green had come out a little lighter I think that would have been better, but what the heck, not bad for a quick bodge dyeing job.

I was planning to get some pics of the area and the house up today, but we're both knackered, after C went out with colleagues last night. She expected to be back about 11 or not much later, but it was 1.30am and she wasn't answering her phone, so I felt I had to stay up in case. So I was pretty p'd off when she did get in (rather drunk) and we're both tired today. Just for the record, NO probs with her staying out as late as she likes, but if there's been a plan and she's hours later in the middle of the night... I reckon it's my job to have a moment of anxiety.

Anyway, she's hungover today, and I'm not. Ho hum.

The weekend is likely to be fun one - Saturday at Airbossworld for kiting, before C's ps arrive and we explore a new-tous restaurant that is proud of it's local ingredients (the Larder on Goosegate) - hope to get lots of tips for local foods!

But a part of me is wishing I was in Wollongong this weekend - or at the Courthouse!

Getting in the habit.

2009-04-17T14:57:00.003+01:00

A few pics of the things I've finished and those I'm starting:

First lots of pics of the Dratted Hemp Jacket (TM) - which I'm counting as finished though in fact I have yet to sew in ends, graft underarms and sew in a zip. A mere bagatelle, i'm sure you'll agree!

Whole

Seamless Hybrid construction of back to add just a leetle interest to the project without deviating form the dullness requested by the recipient.

A detail of the front where the travelling stitch zig-zag is reflected rather than identical on each side.

Detail of collar.

Up close and personal with indigo dyed hemp.

To prove there are two (I thought I had completed the second a day or two ago, then realised I had in fact omitted the MMMM (or WWWW) pattern just before the toe, and had to rip out. Oh well, thank heavens for spit splicing.

So now I've started the Gytha hooded top from the Twist Collective winter edition. I'm using Treliske organic rich dark brown merino from NZ for my main colour, with the donkey Bio Natur dyed dark green and rust (and undyed) held with Colinette Parisienne in Velvet Leaf, Ginger and Moss for the contrast colours. Working well, I'm pleased. (I actually bought the Merino from Ecoyarns in Oz, BTW, v helpful).

Detail of Gytha - you can see the colours reasonably accurately here, but in fact the final garment will be mainly dark brown.

Lara - yes, I'll do some pics of the house and neighbourhood soon (but not over the weekend, I'm off to Bristol for a reminder course for GP...).

Finally

2009-04-15T13:57:00.002+01:00

A quick blog post from blighty.

We've been 'home' (more of that!) since 21st February, and yet - I haven't posted here. Sorry! It's been a long 7 weeks or so, with lots of catching up with people (and sleeping on their floors) and house hassle. We're in a nice little two up two down terrace in an area of Nottingham called Sherwood, chosen for it's lovely traditional butcher's shop, and the greengrocers, and the Textile Workshop, all just round the corner. The house is unfurnished, so we have more of our own stuff than we did in Sydney, but it still feels only approximate to being a home.

Anyway - I'm knitting like a dervish (do they knit or only spin?) Have just completed a pair of Mamluke socks from the same Nancy Bush Folk Socks book as Lyn is enjoying back in Redfern. Mine a re long-promised 40th birthday presents for Kate, and have been a speedy knit due to the 5ply yarn and 2.75mm dpns (I usually use 2.25mm for socks), as well as the stranded pattern - I kept having to get to the end of a shape in the pattern.

An easy knit, but fun, and a good break after the dratted hemp jacket (also a 40th present, this time for my brother, and completed almost on time, though needs a zip and grafting the underarms. I'm yet to see if he ever wears it!) Here's a bit of a pic from early in the knit:

I had a fun trip to the Colinette millshop in Powys, Wales - Miss Fee, you'd have loved it!
Anyway, I shall stop now - I'd better keep things low and cool so I don't wear myself out, don't you think?
(Listening to Lou Reed Walk on the Wild Side in a pub on a Wednesday lunchtime before going home to do some dyeing).

Trying to keep up

2009-01-15T08:15:00.002Z

Just a quick post - today I had another lovely meet-up with Cath, a pleasure caused by my leaving-behind of Clare's bag of dragon-boating clothes on Saturday (when I got home from the Central Coast after midnight), and a Waterloo Junction arrangement.
It was very hot (39*C in Hornsby, where we met, and apparently only 33 in Sydney, though it felt very much hotter in the un-airconditioned train from Hornsby south, and waiting on platforms). Fortunately, Cath knew of a tea shop inside the massive COOL shopping centre; I usually do not like such things, but today any chance of cool was welcome - though even this air-conditioned leviathon of a Westfield was pretty warm today as we sweated over our iced tea and knitted.
We've hatched a plan to encourage each other to be outward-looking and creative that I feel very positive about. Thanks, Cath.

I got back to Newtown eventually, to ok Han's bag desig at crumpler (Han, they've done the main sewing and it looks BRILLIANT! Very pleased, and hope you will be too) and to try to get braces for Clare. Retro Spec'd had a notice on the door saying 'back at 4.30'. They lied - I hung around sweating in an internet caff and returned at that time; waited 40 minutes and then gave up. Pretty irked!

Anyway - here I am writing again so soon. Don't hurt your neck from the whiplash when you fall, Sally!

Plans

2009-01-13T04:17:00.007Z

Knitting I have planned.

1st and foremost - complete John's jacket in time for his 40th birthday, 21st March.
Complete Honey Bee stole (not started).
Mamluke socks - for Kate's 40th (was November 2007!)
Complete Pi Are Squared shawl in Lost Flock Fibers yarn About 1/3 or 1/4 complete).
Estes vest in black Cleckheaton Merino Supreme
Baby Cables and Big Ones Too in Bio Natur
Gytha in Treliske organic merino with Bio Natur for colour-work
Little Birds with the Rowan Yorkshire Tweed 4ply
Mermaid kit, Hanne Falkenberg
Winter wonderland coat - cream Cleckheaton Merino Supreme to be dyed in pieces
Falling water stole for Clare
Through the Keyhole
Intoxicating with the Knitwitches silk dk
Dainty pinstripes with the 4ply soft I bought on sale with JoVE!
Vivian (with the Rowan Yorkshire Tweed Aran)

That's most of the things I have in my head/in my queue on Ravelry, etc etc. We'll see. I'm not saying I'll knit them all this year!
I shall also do some plainish socks, as they're good to have on the go when around and about.

Life, meanwhile

2009-01-13T03:36:00.005Z

So - the trip home in November resulted in a consultant job (that's Attending in US, and Staff Specialist in Oz) in Paediatric A+E for Clare, in Nottingham. Several happy, happy things about this
- it seems like a great department
- she and a friend, Lynda, have managed to wangle a job-share - so she'll have lots of time for kiting, cello, bread-making, doing up a crap house, cycling, dragon-boating etc etc.
- we've got EXCELLENT friends in Nottingham
- Nottingham is the best place in the UK (arguably, I'm sure!) for dragon-boating, with the National Watersports Centre in Holme Pierrepont
- it's also good for kite-buggying, as there's the Airbossworld kite field at an old air field nearby
- knitting - there are several interesting-looking groups, one of which I attended while we were there - very welcoming they were too! THis was in that rare bird - a lovely independent yarn shop!
- Nottingham is no further from John, Shell and the kids and not very far from Birmingha, so easy to stay in touch with people.

A few less good things:
- NOT a good time to be trying to sell a house in Birmingham!
- not as near the sea (which would be right next to it) as CLare would like. Closer than Brum, though!

In other news:
We've shipped all our stuff and are now living out of suitcases in Summer Hill, courtesy of Bex and Fin.

We're hoping to get a tourist visa for Feb, stay here till 29th Jan and then trip on over to Perth, rent a campervan and explore the kitesufing spots (and hopefully wineries etc too) of the south-west, while gettig to visit my lovely cousins and aunt in Albany and Perth.

Clare's worrying she won't be busy enough working part-time.

I'm worrying I won't get a job, and/or I won't remember how to be a GP.

We're both worrying about money and houses and so on! We'll need to rent a tiny place in Nottingham pro tem while we try to sell or house in Brum, then find somewhere to buy in Nottingham. All fun.

Still - I went to the theatre twice last week (Rabbit and Being Harold Pinter - both good, the latter hard work with surtitles on a pretty wordy play, but intriguing). And tonight we splash out and go to Tetsuya's for a degustation that promises to be amazing. Tomorrow is the STC War of the Roses marathon - that's made from Shakespear's Rich ll, Hen lV, Hen V, Hen Vl, and Rich lll. Two parts, each almost 4 hours long. Wow!

And in two weeks we have Camille, can't wait! (Interesting French singer).

Backlog of FOs

2009-01-13T02:32:00.004Z

I'm going to do several posts today/this week, to make up for the MONTHS of absence. No good reason, I'm afraid, I just haven't posted, so there you go.

I've finished quite a few things since I last wrote, so I'll add pics and see how that goes.
First up, Secret of Chrysopolis:

This took 3 and a bit skeins of Malabrigo lace. Oh, and over a year of knitting (not quite true - I half finished it last year, and knocked out the second half in August, September and October, just in time to use it to snuggle on a November trip to the UK, of which more anon).

It's the Secret of Chrysopolis pattern, and these photos were taken AFTER the trip home, hence the crumpled nature. Oh well! (D'you like the traditional shawl-on-bike shots, first tried with Tuscany?)

While I was in the UK (less than a week) I quickly knocked out the Meret, a beret mystery knitalong by Woolly Wormhead. This is a lace beret pattern, and I used some of the remaining yarn (Rowanspun aran in Hardy, discontinued) from the Silver Chunks. Fun to do. Here it is, rather closely matching my hair colour!

The next thing I finished was just before New Year - and this was a project I started after my bro and family left in August, but I got bored part way through a sleeve, and put it down (I hadn't finished the body but had 3 balls left and wanted to judge it right). This is Liesl, by Ysolda. I did her free Cloud Bolero a couple of years ago, and this is a development of that same idea. Easy, worked well. I used 6.5 balls of RYC cashsoft aran, which worked really well, and I think it'll be very wearable cardigan (for work, maybe?) I plan to put 2 or 3 buttons, but there won't be one at the top as I forgot to do the buttonhole there!
Clare took the pics - it was 30*C and I wanted her to GET ON WITH IT but she likes to do things properly.

And from the side....

I finally finished Clare's water-lover socks (well, I do have to darn in the ends, but that counts, doesn't it?) No pics of them completed, but:

Next up, is Jaali - this is a pattern by Alison Green Will, published in Twist Collective (a great new resource!) I love this. And I couldn't imagine it in any colour other than orange (one of my favourites, but uncommon for me not to change from the pattern colour).
The yarn was a bit of a saga - I ended up getting 17 skeins (of which I used less than 15) of Bella Baby Layette bamboo80%/merino20% (vom-y name, I know) from Spotlight for under $100AU. I bought it in various dyelots of cream, and then dyed it in the laundry sink using Dylon Multi-purpose, 1 pot of scarlet and lots of tangerine. Success!
The instructions were excellent, I thought - though JoVE found a few errors, they were pretty obvious things easy to correct (and corrected by TC very quickly). JoVE's Jaali, of course, was purple, and looks great.

I should be able to wear it over something (as here) or without - that's why I chose the bamboo mix so as not to be too hot.

(Talking of JoVE, I could do with a bit of posture work, no?)

So, Jaali was the first completed object of 2009. And I am now working on John's 40th birthday jacket (fingers crossed I have enough yarn!) - done a lot of designing, and I've started the first arm. Going to use EZ's seamless hybrid idea, but my own workings, I think.
I'm also knitting Fine cabled socks - using stitch counts and cable from Knitfreak, here, but knitting them toe-up a la Widdershins. The Trekking XXL yarn is a delight. I've got the yarn and pattern for the Honeybee Stole by Anne Hanson using Fyberspates old laceweight silk. I started this back in Feb, but fell done on the whole 'read the instructions' part - I didn't do a provisional cast on. I think I'll rip it out and start again.

OK, enough for now!

Fifififi is done - and I'm posting!

2008-11-02T08:24:00.003Z

I'm vaguely intending to post more often this month. Not the real NaBloPoMo job - but more than once (poor old October got nothing at all!)

Just a few pics today of my Fifififi by French Girl Knits. KNit with 5 skeins of Calmer by Rowan (cotton and 'microfibre' - ie some stretch) dyed last year from nasty pale tangerine to this brick.

Quite quickly knit, and a good, wearable spring/UK summer tee shirt. Love the colour!

Normal day

2008-09-28T03:41:00.006+01:00

JoVE linked me to a new blog I'll be following longterm, I think. It's called Handmade Homeschool, but has knitting and other creative stuff, and I like her writing and pics.

Anyway, she did a half-marathon in Budapest, with her husband who does triathlons, earlier this year. She did it - trained, ran and enjoyed it - because she couldn't resist the idea of running there through that beautiful city. That's what made me do the Bridge run, so it resonated with me +++.

She writes about the whole thing here.

I thought I'd done with writing about my amazing feat (for me!) but then I read her (not sure what her name is!) post about normal days, and wanted to add the quote with which she started here. Wonderful.

“Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart. Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow. Let me hold you while I may, for it may not always be so. One day I shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in the pillow, or stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky and want, more than all the world, your return.”

Mary Jean Iron

This made me think, too, of the Book Show I heard this morning, where Christina Thompson was interviewed. She's a US academic and editor of the Harvard Review, who is married to a Maori man, and who has used their relationship as a hook to bring people to the history of the Maori/European relations in NZ in her book "Come on Shore and We Will Kill and Eat You All: An Unlikely Love Story". She spoke about her husband (named Seven)'s inability and lack of interest in thinking about the future at all, to the extent that he once said to her 'I think about food all the time', but then suggested that he might feel that way because he was hungry right now. (CT doesn't claim that all the differences between her and her husband are to do with him being Maori, BTW). I found it interesting and challenging!

Running

2008-09-26T04:56:00.002+01:00

I ran the bridge! OK, it's old news - see Fee and Kris for more up-to-date details...

I did the 9k version (Clare did the half marathon, mad fool), and ran with Fee in a 5mins run, 3 mins walk pattern, that gave us a time of 1 hour 5 mins and 27 seconds. I'm so v pleased!

Have been out once since, and starting to do 8minute batches (much harder!)

Orange is a theme

2008-09-26T03:51:00.002+01:00

So, Fifififi is now about half done - I did a few inches of the 33" size (it's meant to have negative ease, I haven't shrunk nor gone mad), and was getting a much smaller gauge than the pattern suggested. So I went up to the 37" size, and that's going beautifully. I'm onto my third skein only, of 7, so I should be able to make it nice and long, which I much prefer!

And now I'm starting to think about what's next... I've had Jaali on my mind for quite a while. It's another Twist Collective pattern, this time by Alison Green Will. I love the shape - and the colour! BUT I've been thinking that a merino/cashmere blend isn't very friendly for lots of wearing (particularly a jumper that can be worn without anything under it, potentially) Also a bit hot. So I thought a cotton/wool blend would be good (and I'd been hearing Kris' ecstatic response to her cotton Fleece).

I then had a (lovely) day with Lara and her spawn (tip o' the nib to your, I!) on Tuesday, and we went to Spotlight (big box craft and homewares shop). Before we even went Lara was setting me up to check out something called Bella Baby Layette (I know. Terrible name!) It's 20% wool, 80% bamboo, sheeny and, she said, a delight to knit with. Hmmm.

Got there and they had just the right amount of white-ish stuff, had the same manufacturer's-suggested-gauge as the original yarn (though Alison has knit a little tighter for Jaali). I bought dye (Dylon multi-purpose) in Mandarin and scarlet.

And when I got home - I knit a swatch. And another. And then another... At 4mm my gauge seemed unlikely to be right after a wash and block. 3.75mm - maybe. Washed both - both too large a gauge, but I also hung the dry 3.75mm swatch with a light weight on the bottom (a teaspoon) to see if it would a) stretch, and b) spring back. It did!

And now I've done another swatch on 3.5mm needles. The yarn is lovely, I like the hand on 3.75mm, and shall decide between the two later. But it dyed beautifully!

Here are my skeins drying in the garden. The colour is wrong - they're much more of an orange and less of a scarlet than this suggests, but lovely. And the sheen remains! (BTW, I did the dyeing in a stainless steel sink, not on the stove, just with v hot water. I think it'll hold).

So that's been my knitting fun!

Start of Fifififi

2008-09-19T06:55:00.006+01:00

I'm starting the lovely cotton-mix Calmer (lovely cos it's now hot and sweaty here) to make the French Girl Knits Fifi. I'm using slightly smaller needles (4mm rather than 4.5mm) and making the 2nd size - 33", I'm 37" ish, but negative ease is an essential part of this mix. We'll see! I haven't done masses of re-swatching (I swatched a year or two ago), but shall launch and potentially re-knit as needed.

Love the colour I got from double over-dyeing the manky pale tangerine yarn that was so cheap (discontinued) at Cucumberpatch!

Buonissima complete!

2008-09-19T06:55:00.003+01:00

Hope you noticed the Catalogue Man pose in the middle of the mosaic? Very C....

And I'm thrilled! It fits Clare to a T, and is just her sort of thing - asymmetry, cables, blue.... A great pattern. I'm surprised more people haven't rushed to make it!

When I blocked each piece it was easy to match the schematics for the size (36" bust) I made.

I used Bendigo aran in dusty blue, and bought 4 of their humungous 200g balls (300m each). A good match! (I have very little yarn left, and that's fair enough - the quoted 16 balls of 78m each comes to 1248m, and I had only 1200m).

This yarn was nice to use and I think it'll wear and wash well - this is to be an every-day kind of jumper, rather than a keep-for-special.

Finally Finished this Round...

2008-09-10T08:27:00.006+01:00

So, today (that's Wednesday 10th September) I finally finished casting off and weaving in the few ends on my Twisted Float Shrug - it was in the Fall 2005 Vogue Knitting, and I think I started it fairly immediately - according to my Ravelry documentation, in December 2005. So nearly 3 years. I probably did about half - or more - in the last 3 weeks! (Thanks, Clare, for getting me going again on this).

I've used skeins and skeins of Debbie Bliss Maya, sadly discontinued, and bought in various lumps from Getknitted while I was in Birmingham. I do like this yarn, a very intensely kettle-dyed single thick/thin spun in Latin America (can't remember where, sorry). I used a blue/green as the contrast throughout (thanks so much, Maria, I used EVERY LAST INCH of those skeins you gave me... those last rounds just ate up the metreage), and changed the main colour every pattern repeat. I think it worked well, for me - I like colourful clothes!

I pinned it out on my lovely Cocoknits Knitter's Block, and steamed it (on low heat) through the wet cloths that come with the kit. It's now drapey and lovely.

Not sure when I'll manage to upload pics of it - I've taken one of it blocking, and shall get C to take some of me wearing it over the next few days. Very pleased!

(Like the Seahorse brooch? A Perl Grey beauty from Robynn at Purlescence).

And on that colourful note, I'm off to module 2 of the C+G course. Wish me luck - or rather, wish me a dearth of procrastination!

A quick one

2008-09-08T07:41:00.002+01:00

I've had guests, and then ISP probs (ie we have only a tiny download allowance, which I didn't realise as we are subletting that along with the house, and hence used up in only an Hour. I blame the podcasts!)

Anyway - I've finished a couple of things, and started some too. here we go:

Oriental Lily for Alice, which went down well! Used Barb's lost flock fibers in blue held with multicoloured from Fybrespates, both superwash sockyarns. Adjusted size upwards. Might do it again!

Heffalump, for Ben - form Ysolda's Elijah pattern

I've started Fiona Ellis' Bonnie, from Twist Collective -using Bendigo Aran wool, for Clare. love the asymmetry!

And I've swatched for Veronik Avery's Linden, also Twist Collective, in Treliske Bio-Natur, organic sheepswool in Donkey. Loving it - shall use the yarn doubled on 6mm needles as in the topmost swatch.

A lovely August with family! I'll try to post again soon....

Endpapered

2008-07-28T02:41:00.004+01:00

So I've finished my lovely warm mitts! Plenty of the silk garden left - might make something with which to hang my ipod round my neck. Or not!

Very pleased with the colours and shape. If your arms are not spindly, you might want larger needles or more stoitches - this fabric is relatively stiff, I think larger needles would be fine.

A calorimetry - not for me, of course (not my colour!) In fact, the colour is a deeper, better, purpler pink than this, but oh well, not going to take another pic, that's for sure!

It's cold!

2008-07-23T01:40:00.002+01:00

...so I'm knitting myself some fingerless mitts, quickly so I can wear them before it gets hot!

That's Noro Silk Garden sock, 2.25mm needles, vaguely using the Endpaper Mitts from See Eunny Knit! as a direction (faster tahn thinking this up myself!) I think I'll finish one today.

The Oriental Lily dress for Alice comes on apace - arrested briefly just now as I await extra blue yarn from Barb, who is having a pretty rough time just now. No worries, plenty of time before A gets here.

I'm not yet quite sure of how I'll finish off the sleeves - the look we're going for here is that of a pinafore. I'm tending towards blue (to go with the waistband) in moss stitch (to go with the enck edging). We'll see.

Thought I'd throw up a quick daylight pic of my knitted gifts, to show the lovely colours better:

And a last pic - this is the sheep window decoration made by (previously mentioned) Hecate-pec (her bro made a wonderful blue subject-of-conversation - is it a spider? a crab? what could it be?) But the sheep - well who does it remind you of?

And in a more menacing view:

Rearrangement

2008-07-21T09:59:00.003+01:00

I've just found my friend Lyn's new blog, and it has stimulated me to review and renew my blog sidebar - so the list of blogs I read and podcasts I listen to, while not exhaustive, is at least up-to-date.

I've had a stimulating week or so, as my life goes - I received an exciting parcel on Friday, with beautiful arm-warmers (which seem to be known as gauntlets here - to me, those are gloves with large, wide arm parts, but whatever) knit just for ME and fitting perfectly, a champagne bottle cosy WITH A BOTTLE INSIDE IT! AndreaOD was the thoughtful sender of the parcel, part of the 3rd Aussie swap through Ravelry. She wrapped all the elements in green tissue paper, and also enclosed chocolate and wine glass charms.

I need to get pics of the arm-warmers/gauntlets in the light of day, and actually on my arms - they kept me nice and warm all evening after our Christmas in July meal, for which I thank you, Andrea (the Champagne warmed me from the inside...).Sorry 'bout the dark pics, Andrea. It was night-time!

The Christmas in July went well - though the oven was a bit slow for the spuds (I've never come across a gas oven with centigrade, only gas marks. We're not convinced, whatever it says, that it ever reached 200*C, let alone 220!) Still, we enjoyed Turkey (Nigella's super-juicy one; I recommend the prior brining as it really didn't get dry, though I'm unconvinced that we'd have noticed the lack of allspice berries et al in the water), gingerbread stuffing, roast spuds and parsnips, red cabbage, bashed neeps, sprouts with chestnuts and pancetta, Cumberland sauce, lovely gravy... not sure what I've forgotten. I knocked up a few mince-pies (channelling Han, I think) and Kris brought delicious pumpkin pie. (Which C and I had for the next two breakfasts, and I have to admit, I had for lunch as well yesterday). Yum!

My knitting is zooming along at the mo - the Oriental Lily has up-sized pretty well, I hope, for a not-very-huge six-year-old (my currently-toothless niece A); the original is for a 2yo. I'm using some Fyberspates very brightly variegated superwash 4ply I bought as a huge 250g skein at Unravel in October 06, with a vague plan to make Hecate-pec a cardigan; however, she didn't seem too keen on the colours, so it has marinated in the stash (plus, her grandmother knitted her two cardigans so her need was small!)

Discussion with Shelley, my s-i-l and A's mum, suggested that I should go for a pinafore dress of some kind, as she misses the lovely one my Mum made her when she was littler. So I'm holding this 4ply together with some 'A+E' (=amethysts and emeralds, not casualty) superwash sock yarn from my good friend Barb of Lost Flock Fibers. Working beautifully so far. I'll take pics tomorrow (ish) in the light of day.

What I do have a couple of photos of is the new house. Here goes:

Back from Glasgow, Sydney Craft Show

2008-07-03T05:02:00.004+01:00

So, we had an interesting 10 days or so seeing family etc, and checking out Glasgow (it's lovely). Would you have bet that this pic was right in the West End of the 3rd largest (depending how you count it) city in the UK?

Taken from the bridge over the Kelvin, looking away from the Botanical Gardens, and near the lovely, lovely K1 Yarns Knitting Boutique. Where I may have dropped a few quid - couldn't help it, Katharine was so very lovely, and she had so much wonderful stuff, so beautifully arranged!

I managed to only buy one ball of Kureyon in a colourwayI haven't seen before (for the snoozing Lizard Ridge), and a cone of Habu Copper A-160 1/21, or undyed laceweight bamboo spirally wrapped in fine copper wire. That's the opposite of the Habu stainless steel and wool/silk yarns, where the metal is wrapped in the fibre, and it results in a fine shell-pink yarn, which Katharine and I posited might turn green with wear and moisture (verdigris).

The cone:

And further detail:

I think I might hold it with the Alchemy Silken Straw in Spruce I bought from Prudence Mappstone's stall at the Sydney Craft Show and make a slightly sculptural Ice Queen.

I also bought 2 skeins of Jitterbug - it's the new put-up, more length for your 100g. I got Velvet Olive(more sprucey, if you ask me) and Ginger Cinnabar(deeper colour in the flesh).

The KGNSW stall went brilliantly, thanks largely to the work of Veronica! Here she is, pointing something out to Bex.

I had fun, much better than the Easter Show!

Stripey! And Canadian glories.

2008-07-03T04:26:00.003+01:00

I haven't got round to blogging this tank-top I made for C to keep her warm in the Sydney air-con and winter. She wears it lots for work. And here is my favourite model -

Look at those muscles!

Anyway, today I went to the post office to send a parcel to Canada, and to pick up a mysterious parcel I'd been left a note for - hey, Joline, we've almost crossed in the post - it was your parcel I was posting! (I've got another North American parcel in the pipeline, but incomplete, so not yet posted).

What a parcel! packs of pringles (in my favourite flavour) Grizzly Bear Coffee can't wait!) and chocs, as well as Buffalo Gals yarn - a 2ply in 70% bison and 30% merino. I think it'll be WARM! Haven't quite decide what to do with it yet - but here it is, in all it's soft green glory.

And a delicious skein of Great Big Sea by Handmaiden Fine Yarns! So fine, I've already cast on, so no pics of the skein, just of the ball I've wound and the Ceriantharian I've cast on.

Up close and personal:

And the start of the cowl:

How lucky am I?

The Photo Mosaic Meme

2008-06-30T02:12:00.003+01:00

My creation, originally uploaded by GinnyUK.

Just some fun here, and I quite like the resulting picture. If I could be arsed I'd reorganise the order of some of the pictures, but obviously, I can't!

Just over jetlag, will post properly any day now.

If you'd like to do this 'meme' yourself, here's how:
a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.

1. What is your first name? Emily
2. What is your favorite food? Can't remember what I put!
3. What high school did you go to? CGS
4. What is your favorite color? Green (again, in this moment - could have been red/orange)
5. Who is your celebrity crush? Maggie Gyllenhaal, how thou art lovely!
6. Favorite drink? martini! (v dry, Hendricks, since you asked)
7. Dream vacation? Watergate Bay - that's that beautiful beach 3rd row left, it's in Cornwall
8. Favorite dessert? Cheese (I like lots of others, too).
9. What do you want to be when you grow up? eccentric
10. What do you love most in life? Clare
11. One word to describe you. procrastinator (could have added extraordinaire, but didn't).
12. Your Flickr name. Ginny

Don´t Let It All Unravel

2008-06-28T09:46:00.001+01:00

I liked this - got it from Edinburgh's own http://chronicknittingsyndrome.blogspot.com/

Have a watch!

Mosaic fun

2008-06-10T07:27:00.001+01:00

1. Silver Chunks, 2. IMG_1919, 3. IMG_1905, 4. Pi-Are-Squared Shawl 2, 5. Clare's socks, 6. Fiesta socks heel detail, 7. Kureyon socks, 8. Amy's Stubbyholder, 9. Pi-Are-Squared Shawl 4, 10. Twisted Float Shrug sleeve, 11. Fiesta socks dorsum detail, 12. Twisted Float Shrug back 2, 13. Silver Chunks, 14. Amy's stubby-holder, 15. Waterlover sock, 16. Fiesta socks

WIPs I'm aware of

2008-06-09T05:54:00.006+01:00

I thought I'd post a bit about the things that are currently in progress (other than the Pi R Squared), and make some vague plans re: what I will be working on next!

1) The Twisted Float Shrug from Annie Modesitt (scroll down and you can download the pattern from her site). Here it is on Ravelry, and here are some pics of where I'm up to - 1.25 sleeves complete, and I think I need to do 3 more pattern repeats on the main rounds. Which doesn't sound too bad, except it keeps on getting bigger! I'm loving the colours of Debbie Bliss MAya that I'm using, it will of course end up subtle and understated as is my wont.

2) Silver Chunks - this is mainly based on Miss Twiss's Knit in Chunks version of a popular Pringle sweater from a year or so ago; however, I used different cables, different yarns, increased differently etc. I also used 3 needle sizes - 4mm with a single strand of Rowanspun Aran (in Hardy) for the yoke cable with which it starts; double-stranded yarn and 4.5mm for the neck portion, and double stranded with 5mm for the body. I used cables from the Silver Belle Debbie Bliss freebie pattern from the VK silver anniversary edition, but reworked them and changed them somewhat. Very pleased! And this is all but done - I need to remove the gorgeous big wooden button (courtesy of C's parents and a lovely shop in Leura, Blue Mountains) and re-sew it more tightly so it doesn't droop. Then, ta-da!

3) Noro Kureyon sock yarn socks - reworking of the toe-up purl-less Monkey's I've done before. But longer. And looser (using 2.75mm needles, unheard of for me - this is not a v elastic yarn). ! am 1.5 socks through - these are my carry-around knitting./div>

4) Honeybee Stol e - from Anne Hanson of Knitspot. Using Fybrespates silk laceweight (which Jen doesn't seem to have any more, though she has the same caramel choc colourway in her Faerywool cobweb merino, which looks luscious). This is really on hold for the warmer months.

5) Secret of Chrysopolis - half way through this before I left home in January, and had to leave it behind among other things as our cases were seriously overweight. Has just come out with C's ps, needs re-commencing. half way through, with luscious Malabrigo laceweight.

6) Water-lover socks for C - Kate Gilbert's Marina Piccola pattern. Lovely.Haven't finished first sock. Needs to be next carry-around sock. My own koolaid dyed opal sock yarn.

7) Fiesta socks from a pattern by Lucy Neatby. I am doing these in Opal Uni dark brown and a Cherry tree Hill poltuck. Lovely, mad, will probably wear them...

8)Ellie the Elephant, Ysolda's lovely pattern. Just one leg and two arms to go... Using mondiale bizzarre in greys and browns. I love him!

9) Mitred Rainbow (Mags Kandis) has totally ground to a halt. So boring to do! I might adapt and do some garter stripes etc. as not sure I have Brenda's staying power.

10) Joe is a pattern from the House of Hemp in Cornwall. I WILL do it...

And I have so many things part thought through etc. I do plan to get going now!

Pi are squared

2008-06-05T13:46:00.003+01:00

Some time ago I became smitten by the idea of making this Elizabeth Zimmerman shawl. It's one recently republished in Vogue Knitting, hence I own the pattern. The idea is an extension of her pi shawl, and for me, much more appealing. You start off with some stitches for the back of the neck, and increase. The whole thing is done in garter stitch, so the increases are every x rows, where the stitch count is doubled in the descendants of the original stitches. Meanwhile, paired increases create the front cornered effect.

Enough - I'm using yarns from my good friend Barb of Lost flock fibers on Etsy. Her we've got claret, good dirt, and wood rose. Delicious! The pic is meant to show a little of the lace I've chosen for the 12 ridge (outermost wood rose) section and the 24 ridge (claret) section, but also how I plan to continue. Complete the current, 24 row section in claret, then go on to a different lace pattern in good dirt and then do a knitted on lace edging in the wood rose again. Think it'll work? I do! And then I'll do the blocking magic and have a light and colourful but not garish cover-up for all seasons!

More details:

ETA: OK, so the stitch pattern in the wood rose (12 ridge) bit is the versailles border, p 349 2nd Barbara Walker Treasury, except done in garter; the stitch pattern in the claret that has just got going is Scroll Lace, p 220 in the first treasury; the pattern you may/may not be able to see is the Janus one, 2nd book p310 and that's the one traveling down each side of the square edge of the shawl, if you see what I mean.

All changed to garter stitch.

If you haven't got the stitch dictionaries, they're great - I got mine from Schoolhouse Press, and they marked them educational books so I paid no duty! $108US just now...

This is what a feminist drinks like

2008-06-04T06:22:00.003+01:00

Knitting. Yup, I've done a fair bit of that, too. Felix spoke recently about making something for her friend, and said things so well - but here goes me!

It was my lovely, lovely, much-missed friend Toots' birthday recently - and a special one, at that, though she's still not as old as me (no, I know, she'll never catch up). And like the last one, 10 years ago - here I am in Oz! I'm being altruistically pleased that she had a great party without me, though I'm not sure it really counts.

Anyway, suffice to say, T is someone who has always come through for me (her partner H has been pretty splendid, too, but isn't the subject of this post). Kept me going when I was depressed, is honest with me, wickedly gossipy with me, challenges me in my feminism etc etc. So I minded not being there.

I kept finding things to add to her parcel - an art hankie by Third Drawer Down, an Australian beeswax candle, a CD from a strange local clubnight, a book about getting old wickedly, etc. But I needed to MAKE something to express how I feel about T, my bestest friend. What to make, what to make - ah, a stubbyholder! Typically Australian, and I could knit it...

Much planning, swatching (ie doing a little square and seeing if it could be red, felting, measuring etc) was done. Then I plotted an appropriate message, tried lots of fonts - and knitted. Started at the top of the writing, knitted down (green is Rowanspun 4ply, sadly discontinued, orange and yellow are Scottish Tweed 4ply, freebies from a Di Gilpin Workshop at 2007's Wonderwool) and then picked up again from the top and knitted an inner tube on smaller needles. Lastly, picked up both at the bottom and did a flat base. did I say lastly - the felting took AGES because our washing machine died just then... and I did it by hand. Resulted in very smooth fingers and palms for a while, and certainly clean under my nails!

And a detail of a cocktail glass....

Why, hello! Yes, I am still alive.

2008-06-04T04:47:00.002+01:00

Here I am knitting while C practiced poi after work on a sunny evening. Must be 6 weeks ago now! Today it is rainy and cool, and hard to imagine this chilled out picnic supper. Although we don't get the really late or really early evenings I amused to at home (summer vs winter) it is now getting dark much earlier then it was, and though warm in the sun, cold in the shade (or the rain!) Still way warmer than autumn at home, though!

Anyway, lots has happened since I last spoke - so I'll do several posts, I think.

We had a trip to Tuncurry-Forster for C to have lessons (kitesurfing) with Xshore, who were great at the teaching and gear (though I don't think phone/email is their fave thing to do!) She had a great lesson in a wonderful lagoon on the Saturday (despite not much wind at all), but Sunday was rained off, sadly. Never mind, we drove back down to Sydney more slowly than we'd travelled up, and got to see the wonder that is The Entrance (no really, it's a place!) Sort of like Weston-super-Mare but better sand....

Anyway, here's the Kite C used - look at that big sky!

Since then we've had Tuesday and Wednesday, as they are known in the family - C's sis and her BF - t stay for a week, which was great fun - we did a course at the Seafood School (seafood barbecue, was great and delicious. We all learned lots); we had a party for C and T's birthdays; we went to the beach lots and swam, trip to Manly. All in all, great fun.

Then a couple of weeks later, C's Ps came - stayed in a nearby (and v nice) B+B called Verona Guesthouse - L and P recommend it, great breakfasts, comfortable room, beautiful house. The trip to the Blue Mountains was wonderful - we shall definitely do that again (can't believe we haven't gone to stay with M+L yet, astounding!) The ferry out to Parramatta was good, too. It was lovely to see all these peeps from home.

I've had a haircut, quite a bit shorter now, and that's where I shall end for this post!

WWKIP day Sydney 14th June 2008

2008-05-13T07:54:00.001+01:00

Details here. I shall be there!

part two really about module one

2008-03-28T10:29:00.003Z

A few more pics to show Loraine (should she be watching) that I am really getting there with module one!

I've done the 3 samples of stocking stitch - in bamboo (grey), 'Australian wool' and a 50:50 acrylic nylon mix, which resists all attempts at blocking to prevent curl! I've dampened and pinned it - curled dreadfully - so I soaked and washed it, rinsed it, and pinned it out again carefully. Both times - completely dry by the end. Didn't want to steam block it because of that acrylic.

Curly as a curly thing in a curly world eating curly fries.

Pics (it's still pinne dout here, I was too depressed to take it after the pins came out:

And some ribbing samples. I'm hoping this really is the most boring element of the course... I know it is very Good for Me to do all this practice, actually pin myself down to exploring these differences, but it isn't very thrilling and takes a surprisingly long time.

I'm also looking for an aerial view to explore texture in one of the design elements of the course. Loraine kindly splits up the Expected Outcomes for the two strands of the Handknitting 7922 course - she's put lots fo work into the modules, and their are strands of design in each as well as strands of exploring fibres (wool this time - I've got that to do too) and technical knitting skills and finishing.

Module one seriously under way

2008-03-28T10:07:00.002Z

So, finally I am really getting somewhere with module one of my City and Guilds course, from Loraine at WS Touchbase.

City and Guilds is a major organisation in the UK - here are a few relevant quotes: And a bit of history:

City & Guilds offers learners over 500 qualifications in 28 industry areas – so that they can learn skills that equip them to fulfil their career ambitions or enrich their leisure time.

F'rinstance:

100% of craft plumbers in the UK have a qualifications jointly awarded by us.

And a bit of history:

1878 - City & Guilds was established following a meeting of 17 of the City ofLondon’s livery companies, the traditional guardians of apprenticeships and work place training. Its aim was to establish a national system of technical education.

1887 - We hold the first international City & Guilds examination – in New South Wales, Australia

1900 - We are granted a Royal Charter of Incorporation which denoted City & Guilds acceptance as a recognised part of the constitution and national life of theUnited Kingdom.

1907 - Imperial College founded – made up of City & Guilds College, Royal College of Science and Royal School of Mines

So you see, it's a major, internationally recognised organisation. (I'm putting some of this info here for Barb who's checking it out). Imperial College is now a (Science based) college of the university of London.

From the C&G, the course contains two parts - a common unit 'Design for craft', the same as you'd do if you were doing say, pottery, as I understand it. The expected outcomes are:

1 research and select sources of inspiration and develop design ideas

2 research and use contextual studies – contemporary, historical and cultural

3 use a range of materials, mediums and techniques

4 use a range of styles and sizes of presentation methods

5 produce and present exploratory and finished design projects

6 operate tools and equipment safely and effectively

7 appreciate the application of general design development studies to the craft.

The second unit is that specific to handknitting, and the expected outcomes are: I hope

1 apply innovative and complex design ideas to planning and making for the craft

2 plan, prepare and manage the making of complex craft items to a design brief

3 operate tools and equipment carefully, safely and effectively for complex techniques applicable

to this craft

4 make complex craft items to a high standard of craftsmanship, to a design brief

5 appreciate the contextual influences relating to the craft at this level

6 use effective presentation skills to display completed items.

I hope that's useful, Barb!

I'm going to post photos in a separate post, or else the fonts etc go haywire, turning into randomly enormous and tiny writing. hope it works this way!

Lace ribbon scarf for Torie

2008-03-28T09:44:00.003Z

I've finished the scarf for Tor - from the Lace Ribbon Scarf, Knitty Spring 08 by Veronik Avery.

I did fewer repeats across, and sued some Hipknits laceweight silk I found very wiry, but a beautiful rich pink.

Blocking shots - sorry, I used similar coloured towels to minimise stains! (There was a bit of colour leakage in the wash, and I had pink fingers after blocking though not while knitting). So there's less contrast than might be ideal.

Birthday loveliness

2008-03-25T21:09:00.003Z

Yep, it was over a week ago. I never said I was organised, or a prompt poster, but I am a grateful and happy recipient of various delights.

Fin made me a wonderful Pavlova (which I promptly pronounced incorrectly, he told me!) - My first, with passion-fruit. Delicious. No pics, we scoffed it rapidly! He also provided a rather beautiful handkerchief from India (one of his passions) properly hand-printed and everything (and apt as a I was having one of my snuffly allergy days).

Bex dyed me some yarn - 'Emily the Car' colourway, which is funny if you realise that Kris thought I was car the first time Bex mentioned me.

Some of the dark areas are greener than you can see here.

Sally and Lara gave me 1200m of this lovely two-ply/laceweight from Rubi and Lana

ass well as some beautiful knitty-themed fabric and a ?30s style needlework tin!

Sandra, whose partner Mary-Helen was in NZ so not at my birthday Indian feast, introduced me to the ABC shop with a card for there - another place I keep on browsing now!

What a lucky jammer I am!

Messy - um Tues-ish-day

2008-03-25T20:50:00.003Z

Sorry for blurry pic.

How I spent my Tuesday: making mess at the dining table - plunging into the C&G knitting course, module one. So far, a lots of talk, very little action, but today - ACTION! I'm going to enjoy this, Loraine.

Why, no, I haven't unpacked the shopping bags. Oh, you think that's a good idea to avoid tripping? Hmmm... I'll give it some thought.

I cooked rather lovely boiled chicken with veg and rice in one pot, made Nigella's Mum's saffron lemon sauce (a sort of hollandaise) and made lots of delicious banana bread. AND managed to scuffle round doing a quick tidy, hoovered under the bed (I promised this morning. Tried to take a pic of the dust levels there, but too dark), and washed up before Clare got back. She now phones from Central station (if she doesn't cycle) where she's about 25 minutes away; the perfect time for a procrastinator. A quick re-organise of stuff so that there are some clear spaces to eat and sit, and she feels happier coming in and the evening is happier too!

This is what JoVE talked about in her post yesterday (well, a bit of what she wrote) - negotiating shared household space and tidiness/mess.

I'll include a pic of what Clare naturally just does with her potential mess when she gets in :

Amazing to me!

Consistency (in blogging as elsewhere) is clearly my middle name.

2008-03-24T09:03:00.004Z

So - well, Sally and JoVE re the silly youtube thing - can't remember where I found it. Has the hallmarks of a web-wander from Kris's blog, land of the entertaining link, but I'm not sure. I wouldn't know how to find such things independently, honest!

Anyway - Felix, I really will post further mess tomorrow (when it is Tuesday). I am meant to be having a massive clear-up, including hoovering under the bed (Clare says it's vile; I protect myself by not looking). We'll see what delights I find for everyone. The whole tidy side/messy side is played out in our whole lives, works at the dinner table, on the sofa (where I nest with projects surrounding me. Where's the camera? I ask - on the sofa says the long-suffering C).

I've decided not to feel guilty, c'est moi, and I am now officially middle-aged and unlikely to change such ingrained habits. Neither of my parents is very tidy, Mum perhaps worse in the creating-piles dept (or at least she was when she was stressed out working-woman). There was a famous occasion when Dad went spare (not uncommon for any of us in our household, we row, rather than stiff-upper-lipping like proper Brits should) over the massive piles of crappy post in the hall. Eventually he threw it down the garden path; whereat Mum stepped delicately over it and went to work.

I must say I quite like her style! (Dad's wasn't bad, either; at least it wasn't passive-aggressive!)

Anyway: knitting. I have been. What is more, I have Swatched. Against my nature, but actually quite fun, I've been finding! Here is the evidence:

The pink is in progress (2/3rds done perhaps?) to be a Lace Ribbon Scarf a la Veronik Avery in Knitty, except I've used a laceweight and done fewer pattern repeats across. I plan a knitted on edging to fan out a bit at each end. This is for Torie, the beautiful Lil' Miss Chievous the Burly Babe, who's had a recent unfortunate incident involving a disc in her neck. She is now Officially Bionic, with a prosthetic disc, and plans to channel Isadora Duncan in the way of neckwear (though more safely, I trust). Hence:

My other swatches are for Pinnacle Chevron Rib, seen in Molecular Knitting's scarf here and charted here by Angela Hahn of Knititude, where she has a plethora of patterns using interesting stitch patterns and -often - not wool (or at least compounds of wool and Other, suitable for the Souther Hemisphere knitter). Lutea Lace Shell and Wave skirt, both in recent Interweave Knits magazines are hers. I'm going to use some dark sheep yarn, from New Zealand for this - and plan on a plain jumper (or maybe cardigan) with shaping by changing needle size. My swatch includes 2 needles sizes here:

which doesn't quite do justice to the beauty of the yarn.

Then, i've been wittering on about doing Knit in Chunks by Miss Twiss as she says, a sort-of knock-off of the Pringle sweater that has influenced so many designers (even Lion Brand, I gather!) I'm actually going to do KIC but using cables from Silver Belle, Debbie Bliss's freebie contribution to the 25th anniversary issue of Vogue Knitting. I don't like that overall nearly as much, but I do enjoy the twisting cable. See the green swatch above (started at the bottom with 6mm needles, then 5mm, ended up with 4.5mm, so that's what I think I'll use, certainly for the cable around the bodice so that it doesn't stretch too much sideways). It perhaps looks plumper in the cable in the 5mm, so may use that for the vertical cables that have less pull on them.The yarn is Rownspun Aran tweed, discontinued and available for £3.50 a 100g skein from the wonderful Cucumberpatch in Stoke.

Have I already written about all this? I feel I may have...

Maria - how's the Socks that Rock? I have never met this yarn in person, but a massive (£1800AUD) order has been sent by Australia to BMFA, the dyers, so I hope to soon (no, didn't order). I have, however, ordered some yarn from my mate Barb of Lost Flock Fibers on Etsy - some called Good Dirt I couldn't resist! What a name!

My current knit-while-Clare-practises-Poi-at-the-foreshore, or knit-at-groups project is my bodged-together pattern socks here:

I'm rather enjoying the spiralling effect. This is the Glacier Lake colourway in Down Home sock from Knitivity, which I'm finding a beautifully, intensely dyed great work-horse of a yarn.

I prefer to buy yarns like this from Ray and barb, knitters I've met online with small operations - STR seems a bit too popular for me! (Inverse snobbery? Discuss!)

Amusing to me, anyway!

2008-03-15T00:38:00.001Z

Messy Tuesdays

2008-03-13T10:22:00.003Z

The entertaining and thoughtful blogger, Felix, of Felix's blog and the Missability Radio Show has come up with the idea of posting pictures of our messes on Tuesdays - me being messy is practically a feminist act, dontchaknow, not just idleness! (you've no idea how affirming I find this - I'm 40 and have totally failed to come up with a way to be tidy. V hard for C, who is!) I shall quote Felix herself:

Tired of balancing career, housework, self-care, social life, blog-life and knitting-projects beneath a veneer of carefully groomed perfection, Messy Tuesdays are a strike in the direction of The Unideal Home Blog: a celebration of things as-they-are and an affirmative reminder to everyone out there who despairs of the state of their sink/bedroom/laundry-pile thatyou are not alone! I say to hell with perfection and the careful disguising of reality in the blog. I say to hell with isolation and the negative psychological effects of aspiring constantly towards unattainable standards of domestic perfection.

A friend of mine who has a lengthy and horrific commute daily, who rises at 5am every morning to get into work, who is home by 7pm on a good day, who sews, knits, blogs etc. on TOP of this job and commute was recently, in spite of this extreme industriousness, ashamed of her untidy home when I last saw her. I found myself exclaiming that I love her messy pots, her pan full of mould and her disarrayed knitting projects covering every surface. I love them because they signify that my friend does not come into the house after a long day of work and immediately subject herself to tiring housework. I love the mess because it is the result of my friend choosing to do stuff that is pleasurable to her, rather than feeling obliged to perform tasks that are not fun during the small amount of free time available to her. When I look at the mess I see all the other stuff my friend has been doing with her time; activities that aren't cleaning and cooking and tidying and sweeping. Because let's face it, we could spend our entire lives cleaning! And why should we?! Enough of the oppressive idea that one is less of a woman somehow if one's house is not spotless. Bring on the mess. We know it always gets tidied away (if badly and hurriedly) at some point.

So here's my side of the bed - and this is how it always is apart form brief spates of tidiness when I feel guilty or whatever. There are manky hankies next to the bed and everything.

And Clare's side. This happens naturally....

And a quickie pic of one of the many things I am doing instead of tidying. This is the cablenet sock from Knitty (have you seen the new Spring one? I love the Salto sock! And the Laminaria Shawl (makes me want to dye yarn just that green), and the Lace Ribbon Scarf. The feature articles seem pretty good, too!) Anyway - the cablenet socks - started for Mum's birthday January 2007, finishe done in time was too short - and now I've finished that one! You see it here (with the benefit of free, added mess, lucky you!) practically nearly almost done, but it is now done indeed.

It is actually rather lovely!

The big boxes you can see in the back of this picture are full of STUFF sent from Birmingham in January, and shipped via several long rests at the shipping company and then here - landed on 12th feb, got through customs and AQIS by 7th March and arrived here on the 11th. Extraordinary.

We are both very happy to be reunited with our stashes - mine is yarn and knitting books, C's is work books and KITES (and bike tyres and spare wheels, three more water bottles etc etc). Suddenly mine feels entirely fine! Perhaps I'll reintroduce you to it over the next few weeks as I pick back up on various projects started and planned.

Replies, yarn

2008-02-28T03:08:00.002Z

This is the Glacier LAke and Cygnus the swan. I've just spent several hours doing what I almost NEVER do, starting, unpicking and restarting a sock with the Glacier Lake (after giving myself backache winding it from my knees onto a loo roll while awkwardly reading my blogroll). I cast one 70 stitches on 2.5mm needles, though I usually use fewer stitches and 2.25mm needles. Couldn't remember my favourite tubular cast-on (and of course have no books), so just did a backward loop. That was loose enough, but I felt the whole thing was knit too loosely, and it was really pooling for me. I took the chance to try various stitch patterns - I know I want something I can knit and chat, so simple, but I'm against stocking stitch socks (not necessarily for rational reasons!) I tried Bex's GliB socks and liked the pattern, but not sure it and the yarn go well together; then tried this Nine-to-five pattern - needs plain yarn.

Then I went online, to Ysolda's blog where she has a great video of a different method of tubular cast-on. I obviously was so stressed about doing it right, it was really tight on 2.25mm! I shall try again (casting on on larger needles) and try the Mad Colour Weave socks, I think.

Anyway, Hi Kathryn, Jo and Ruth, good to see you here, glad you like Josephine, I do too. Yep, Jo, the list is long and utterly unrealistic, you know me. I care not a jot, cos I do it for fun! (And of course I have a secret hope that I will get all these things done...). Ruth - I have enjoyed the fiesta socks so far very much (oh, yes, they're not finished either and are in transit) - and I fancy those Herringbone ones from Knitty too.

I'll stop wittering on like someone who hasn't talked to anyone for 24 hours now, shall I?

(Company tonight, though - out for a meal at the Universal restaurant - for the Friends of Dorothy (ha, ha) lunar night do. Christine Manfield's new restaurant - she had East @ West in London, winner of many awards, so my expectations are high!)

Josephine's done (hello again!)

2008-02-27T03:52:00.002Z

So, I've finished Josephine, and all the details are Ravel'd. It was quite an easy knit, really, and I'm pleased with it. It is growing, as expected, and the only hope is that it grows no more than I allowed for (ok after 1 day's wear, fingers well and truly crossed).

The Sisters who indulged us as part of a history of Queer Sydney yesterday were happy to be pictured with old Josie, too...

I suppose it might be an idea to write here about my knitting plans, though they are being somewhat kiboshed at the moment by the non-arrival of all our shipped stuff. I'm assured it arrived in Sydney on 12th February, and we were warned it would be 2-3 weeks till it would be delivered to us, but - well, I have to admit to having bought some yarn in the meantime. Two balls of reduced something-or-other superwash heavy DK/aran from Tapestrycraft to make my Ellie, pictured here armless and one-legged, reclining on the deck. Not sure what came over me, I'm usually pretty much agin the cutesy-pie stuffed toy thing - but I suppose Ysolda managed a not-too cute but rather appealing elephant with her Elijah pattern, and the grey/brownness helps too!

Not sure who'll get him...

I've also accidentally bought some organic wool in dark sheep colour from Ecoyarns, a site I'd stalked before coming here. I've always wanted a black sheep coloured jumper, and this is going to be it! I think it'll be a combo of Knit in Chunks and Silver Belle; that is, the construction of KIC (but in DK as this yarn is, rather than aran) but with the cable around the yoke from SB, and probably the cables form there for the skirt/body part, too. We'll see! I do plan to leave it with just capped sleeves, as I think that'll be a good temperature for here in the winter, and home in the Spring/Autumn.

My Ravelry queue shows all sorts of plans, such as Intoxicating from No Sheep for You (awaiting yarn in shipping= AYIS); Fifi from French Girl Knits in Calmer (overdyed by me) (AYIS); Mamluke socks by Nancy Bush for Kate's 40th birthday present (AYIS); a very bright (coral, orange, tomato) Mermaid by Hanne Falkenberg (AYIS); a lightweight jumper in Kauni effektgarn EQ and (I think) Rowan Yorkshire Tweed 4ply, in black with coloured flecks - perhaps Venezia? Or a self-written pattern. Might use the Kauni against itself, alternatively, so rainbows in 2 directions (AYIS)....

Etc, etc. I have got a bit of sock-yarn here, from Knitivity (in Glacier Lake for Clare and Cygnus the Swan for me) and I do have all my needles (except those actually committed in the dratted shipping to the Twisted Float Shrug (one arm and a few more repeats of the pattern in the HUGE circle to go) and the Cablenet socks). Harrumph.

Notre Dame was done - on boxing day...

2008-01-21T22:34:00.000Z

And here it is, shown off by my lovely assistant, C. Toys and general chaos, courtesy of niecephews.

The colour is rather brighter and less subtle than in real life, but that was in in the UK winter, gloomy and dark. Oh, here's another, with C in motion, shows the collar better. I'm pleased with the whole thing, really. Details on Ravelry.

Notre Dame bleeds and blocks

2007-11-20T14:09:00.000Z

So - here are the front and back pieces of C's Notre Dame rinsing - and bleeding!!!
- and then blocking to match a sweater of hers. I'm relieved that it has easily blocked out flatter and therefore wider and more drapily than it seemed as I knit it (as did the swatch, but we all know that Swatches can Lie, so I am relieved). I notice that the rinsing shot looks darker than it really is, and the blocking paler - there wasn't that much obvious change in colour, to be honest.

And I accidentally started swatching for the Josephine top from IK Summer 2007 - with RYC bamboo soft - a little heavier than the yarn called for, but we'll see how the gauge compares when washed and blocked. Probably shouldn't just have run on from the 'all over pattern' to the lace, but WTF! Lucky I'm swatching at all! These ebony Destiny needles, by Lantern Moon, are from Purlescence, and perfect for this rather splitty yarn (the cable is delightfully flexible, too). BTW, have you seen that Robynn's planning a surprise for the New Year? (Not sure I should be telling the buying competition, but...)

2007-11-19T14:32:00.000Z

Josephine and Kipling

2007-11-17T16:07:00.000Z

OK, so I have a cousin (beloved) who, with his lovely partner, is ahving a baby. Just after Chrsitmas. Need to knit something! (Did Devan for his brother's kid, but I haven't started yet, and rather busy!) I found some lovely DK superwash from Fyberspates at the UK Stitch 'n Bitch day.

I hunted for patterns - thought I might do the Baby Albert from the Knit Stitch, but that's at my Mum's. Then I found the Kipling sweater. (From Yarn Abuse). It's lovely! I've gone up some needle sizes, and have added extra stitches and a little extra length (the extra stitches are 8 under each arm, in moss stitch). The striping is lovely! I'll show you when it's done, but here's a pic (sideways, it seems!) of the yarn.

When I was with Brenda a few weeks ago I bought some Rowan bamboo soft from colourway (think I spoke about it). Colour Gypsum - I'd have called it graphite, though, like the lead in a pencil. I think I'm going to make the Josephine top from IK Summer 07. I'll have to get 2-3 more balls, and they won't be the same Lot, but I reckon I could use the different ball for the bodice and the current ones for the bottom part and the sleeves - we'll see!

I've also got the Woodland BFL from Natalie at the Yarn Yard - see how she's spun it (Scroll down)! Mine will be much more basic, but I think I'll enjoy the colours lots as they run through my hands. We'll see how I do!. Very soft and intense, anyway, which is what I was after.

UK Stitch'n Bitch

2007-11-14T16:35:00.000Z

Had a great time at this day put on by Knitonthenet and the Iknit London peeps. I went with my S-i-L (her birthday treat) and we had a cool time.

Here's the marketplace (S bought a 5 skeins of scrumptious - 45% silk, 55% BFL - from Jen of Fyberspates in red/purple, and my Ps (in the guise of me) bought her another 5 in in a beautiful blue/green. I got 4 skeins of DK superwash merino in rust/teal/pink to make a jumper for a new baby due at the end of the year.

S also got a skein of sock weight yarn in a wonderful wedgwood blue from the Oxford Kitchen yarns stall - which was beautiful BTW - the top left skein just here... They're all natural dye colours, and they go together bee-yootifully, like Edinburgh rock.

Jane Waller was present with all the jumpers from her 1940s book - she was very friendly and helpful, and I was enthused to knit some of the patterns form the book (which I have).

I also really enjoyed the Missability stall in the project area - I've written before about this website and podcast - do go, download the podcasts and consider joining the competition to design and knit a walking stick cosy - either purely practical but individual, or as wacky as you like! The ones they had on the stall were fabulous and inspiring. S is going to knit a cosy for her Nan's stick so she can show off in her Residential Home, and I want to develop one too. Have a few ideas...

The entertainment was great - though sometimes hard to hear, being just at one end of the large hall form the Marketplace - we missed the poet and the start of Girl and Dean, the comedy duo, but loved the part of their show that we did hear, as well as the wonderful Shellac Sisters - a

40s-dressed glamourous group who have a series of wind up gramophones and old music on original 78s - but run them together like modern DJs. Cool and inspiring!

A Shellac Sister knits...

All in all a great day!

A wonderful parcel

2007-11-07T09:42:00.000Z

So, I went to get my shoes out of the shoe stand in the porch, and - there was a parcel stuffed in there! Who did that? C denies (and why would she?) - so, maybe the postman? No idea how long it's been there, but I'd been expecting it for a while.

Barb, the friend I made through the Knitter's letter swap, sent me a Swan from Threadbear Fiber studio, a lovely drop spindle. And here it is!
Well, that's the box with the two spindles she sent (one is a practice spindle she felt she didn't want) and the skein of Jubilee by Misty Mountain Farm in colourway Virginia Creeper - isn't it beautiful? Feels lovely too (all 400yds superwash merino sockyarn of it), quite bouncey!

Here's the Swan though - Barb chose the 'Timberland' wood - a beautifully dyed composite, she sussed me out totally - colour is my metier!

Also in here - a yarn tasting booklet from Threadbear Fiber - a wonderful idea, they do evenings when people can try new yarns and see patterns made up (I think) and take away a little booklet talking about both and with yarn samples stuck inside.

Thanks very much Barb! Your box is filling up too, BTW...

Organising the knitting (and the life)

2007-11-04T17:18:00.000Z

So, we're in the throws of sorting out our lives for the move to Australia (which C has just informed me is 9 1/12 weeks away. Gulp!) One thing I want to sort is my knitting - we're going to ship a bit of stuff (some books and yarn and kites and so on) and have big cases to take with us too. My needles have lived in a drawer in rather a tangled mess (due in large part to my preference for circs) , and this seemed an impractical way to transport them!

Nona talked about her Ashland Sky "Stick Sacks", and they seemed a good plan! I looked for the links to UK suppliers - and KCG Trading carry the full range - but KnitnCaboodle sell easily online - and had most of the ones I wanted with a limited edition edging hand-dyed by the Twisted Sisters - so of course I went for those! And very efficient they are too.

Here they are opened out, so you can see the 'Ocean' and 'Fire' colourways, and how much space there is in the circs pack (enough for at least 20 needles), the short dpn sack (14 sets) and the long dpn sack (also 14 sets).

And packed up neat for travel!

It's a secret

2007-11-04T17:08:00.000Z

Mum and I seem to be racing at half way through clue 3 - but we're not, it just turns out we're going at about the same pace. I'm v pleased to have hers to show you too, as it shows up very much better than mine in these pics - they're both lovely!

Here's Mum's in more detail - she's mortified that I didn't give her the time to remove the dental floss security line about 1/4 through from the right (though it's almost invisible here, I think) - she hasn't needed one since, and has found that she can read her knititng and see whether all is well without too much difficulty.

... And here's mine waving in the breeze!

IK Winter 2007 Preview

2007-10-24T15:24:00.000+01:00

It's here.

Some thoughts and favourites. Bear in mind I'm off to Australia in January, which is making me keener on the light-weight stuff overall!

Alicia Tabbard - might look good on tall, boyish physiques, but not on mine!
Refined Aran Jacket - nice enough. I like the saddle shoulder detail. Probably not for me.
Bonbon pullover - don't like the name (shallow, me?) Nice enough, interesting nexk details, but not me.
Brushed Lace Cardigan looks good, but rather feminine for me. Would probably get lots of wear, though.
Selva Skirt - Um, no. Looks ok with the jacket, but bad without IMHO. Though might be better with *more* curves.
Henley Perfected - quite like it. Alpaca would make it pretty warm, but - pretty.
Sweater Girl Pullover - if you call it this, surely the model should have breasts? I think in a very different fit (ie negative ease) *could* qualify as a sweater girl sweater, but I think it'd drive me mad to knit it.
Forbes Forest Pullover - bobbles, schmobbles.
Bubble Cable Dolman - too batwingy for my taste.
Colette Pullover - nearly just said yuck. But look at the extra pics - it's a bit big for the model, which detracts from it. Interesting to have cat faces (I'm *not* a cat person, though) but I like seeing them disappear in the decreases....
Puffed Wheat Pullover - never. too short, too wide in the body for such fitted sleeves. too boring. And a horrible colour! (I know that's not your fault, Kate).
Citrus Yoke Pullover - not really.
Celtic Tote - I like how the contrast yarn is used. like it. Probably won't ever knit it (knitted bags - not so good, most of the time).
Tilting Cable Socks - I think I like them. hard to see with the colour variation.
Ivy League Vest - yum. I like the edging detail, and the different patterns. And so wearable, and fitted. - could fit my wardrobe, I think.
Subway Mittens - aren't these her CharlieCard mittens? Fair enough. Not a very complex pattern, though a good idea. Might work well for peeps in London with their Oystercards, except it's not often cold enough outside, and once you're on the tube - there's a great stripping off required, it's so warm!
Kilm Gloves - nice enough. Not my colours, and it would rarely be cold enough here for such fairly bulky gloves (and if it were, I'd wear mittens). Could look great, though.
Logan River Wrap - Hmm. Not very exciting.
El Sol Pullover - too big for her? Doing that dreaded droop around the armpits - I think a good hoick up would help - like Brenda spoke of recently, pulling back tyhe yoke of something and making it *much shorter*!
Farrow Rib Cardigan - just *not* my cup of tea at all.
Ruched Shell - now this I like! (Though I've never understood this 'shell' word in this contacxt. something from the beach, in my book). Alpaca might be rather hot for a sleeveless pullover, but something could be Worked Out, methinks. I'd like to make it.
Gathered Pullover - love it! Really like the slightly unfinished, shrunken favourite teeshirt look it has, and the flattering detail. Yup, I'd like to make this.
Rosemary's Swing Jacket - quite nice. I'd like to see it undone, as I rarely wear things done up around the neck. how would it hang? The gleam of the silk is well shown.
Jess’s Gansey: The Gutter Gansey Revisited - I'm intrigued, but don't really like it. Interested by the history, but the actual garment not my scene, I think. Too girlified, I like the gansey/Guernsey better in its native style ( saddle shoulders, dense knitting, fitted shape anyone?) and habitat. And I *really* don't like this model in any of her pics.

So there you have it. Not that I'm opinionated!

Yarn Forward Autumn 2007

2007-10-17T21:24:00.000+01:00

Kerrie's really done us proud this time, I think (along with her team, of course). The issue looks and feels professional and beautiful.

Lovely paperstock; great, clear and stylish design; attractive pictures; appealing patterns.

After a troubled year, I'm so pleased to have paid for a subscription, and really hope that the mag will now go from strength to strength.

Yarn Forward - the new UK knitting magazine. Because we're worth it!

Books

2007-10-15T12:31:00.000+01:00

From Robynn at Purlescence:

"this is apparently a Librarything list of the most common unread books."

Bold = read, italics = started but not finished, smallest = couldn't stand.

# Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
# Anna Karenina
# Crime and punishment
# Catch-22
# One hundred years of solitude
# Wuthering Heights
# Life of Pi : a novel
# The name of the rose
# Don Quixote
# Moby Dick
# Ulysses
# Madame Bovary
# The Odyssey
# Pride and prejudice
# Jane Eyre
# A tale of two cities
# The brothers Karamazov
# Guns, Germs, and Steel: the fates of human societies
# War and peace
# Vanity fair
# The time traveler’s wife
# The Iliad
# Emma
# The Blind Assassin
# The kite runner
# Mrs. Dalloway
# Great expectations
# American gods : a novel
# A heartbreaking work of staggering genius
# Atlas shrugged
# Reading Lolita in Tehran : a memoir in books
# Memoirs of a Geisha
# Middlesex {this one is great!}
# Quicksilver
# Wicked : the life and times of the wicked witch of the West …
# The Canterbury tales [bits of, English class]
# The historian : a novel
# A portrait of the artist as a young man
# Love in the time of cholera
# Brave new world
# The Fountainhead
# Foucault’s pendulum
# Middlemarch
# Frankenstein
# The Count of Monte Cristo
# Dracula
# A clockwork orange
# Anansi boys : a novel
# The once and future king
# The grapes of wrath
# The poisonwood Bible : a novel {another great one}
# 1984
# Angels & demons
# The inferno
# The satanic verses
# Sense and sensibility
# The picture of Dorian Gray
# Mansfield Park
# One flew over the cuckoo’s nest
# To the lighthouse
# Tess of the D’Urbervilles
# Oliver Twist {Nancy very much disappointed me! Read when I was 12}
# Gulliver’s travels
# Les misérables
# The corrections
# The amazing adventures of Kavalier and Clay : a novel
# The curious incident of the dog in the night-time
# Dune
# The prince
# The sound and the fury
# Angela’s ashes : a memoir
# The god of small things
# A people’s history of the United States : 1492-present
# Cryptonomicon
# Neverwhere [but it's on my shelf, awaiting its turn]
# A confederacy of dunces
# A short history of nearly everything
# Dubliners
# The unbearable lightness of being
# Beloved : a novel
# Slaughterhouse-five
# The scarlet letter
# Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation
# The mists of Avalon
# Oryx and Crake : a novel
# Collapse : how societies choose to fail or succeed
# Cloud atlas : a novel
# The confusion
# Lolita
# Persuasion
# Northanger abbey
# The catcher in the rye
# On the road
# The hunchback of Notre Dame
# Freakonomics
# Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance
# The Aeneid
# Watership Down
# Gravity’s rainbow
# In cold blood
# White teeth
# Treasure Island
# David Copperfield
# The three musketeers
# Cold mountain
# Robinson Crusoe
# The bell jar
# The secret life of bees
# Beowulf : a new verse translation
# The plague
# The Master and Margarita
# Atonement
# The handmaid’s tale
# Lady Chatterley’s lover
# Underworld
# Little Women
# A brief history of time : from the big bang to black holes
# Stardust
# Jude the obscure
# The chronicles of Narnia
# Possession : a romance
# Fast food nation : the dark side of the all-American meal
# Never let me go
# The trial
# Kafka on the shore
# Bleak House
# Sons and lovers
# Alias Grace
# The Arabian nights
# Baudolino
# Confessions
# The great Gatsby
# To kill a mockingbird
# Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass
# The alchemist
# Candide, or, Optimism
# Snow falling on cedars
# Midnight in the garden of good and evil : a Savannah story {yawn}
# Midnight’s children
# White Oleander
# A passage to India
# The elegant universe : superstrings, hidden dimensions, and …
# The house of the seven gables
# The lovely bones : a novel
# Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
# The amber spyglass
# The histories# Swann’s way
# The shadow of the wind
# Fahrenheit 451
# Good omens
# Running with scissors : a memoir
# Everything is illuminated : a novel
# The divine comedy
# Paradise lost
# The English patient
# Uncle Tom’s cabin
# The Origin of Species

A swan is coming!

2007-10-14T14:01:00.000+01:00

So, when I stayed with Brenda a couple of weeks ago, she taught me to spin on a drop spindle. She has been determined over the last times we have met that I should try spinning, and I do long to make that barber-pole type stuff (like pigeonroof studios does so well) that I have lusted after since getting the Twisted Sisters' sock book.

Anyway, I was pretty rubbish, but it was fun, and I made yarn! Brenda says to get some BFL, and I plan to (form Fyberspates, I expect) as it is nice and long stapled too, so fairly easy to start off with. She also said I should get a Grafton Fibers spindle as they are wonderful! Who am I to argue....

I googled a bit, and found them available from Threadbear Fiberarts Studio, a place I've heard about on lots of blogs over the last few years - and would love to visit. Bit of a long way for just a spindle. But wait! I was involved in Domesticraft's Knitterly Letter Swap way back in March of this year, and have been keeping in touch with Barb with great pleaseure ever since (she's fed my desire for Diego Rivera mural pics, among other things). And Barb was waxing lyrical about Threadbear Fiberarts Studio. And said - 'do ask if you want me to get you anything'. So I did! I asked for a Swan/ Mala spindle, for her to decide.

And she's chosen a Swan, and it's bought and posted!

(And Barb will get some KSH from here in exchange, for the Modern Quilt wrap. Perfect all round!)

Thought this pic of C doing fire poi waas appropriate for discussion of spinning!

Secret of Chrysopolis clue 1 (and a bit)

2007-10-14T13:43:00.000+01:00

Here's my progress so far. I was hoping to get pics of the progress of all my team, but haven't quite got round to it. Will try in the future (that's Mum with Malabrigo burgundy - actually a reddy brown; Shelley with Azul Bolita - an intense blue like blue glass; and Nanny with a blue green, can't remember which). I gather progress is rather varied - as is experience; Shelley has done lace before, and Mum's been doing quite a lot of knititng recently; I think Nanny's progress is the steepest.

I realised that I'd used ~ 75g by the time I'd done 116 rows; I've got 4 skeins, 50g each, and there are 8 clues of ~ 90 rows each. I've ordered 2 more skeins in a delayed security anxiety! (Better check with the others). I think my stole will be huge, as the original using 4 skeins should be 2 metres long! However, I'm with Anne, of Knitspot, who likes a stole she can put round her shoulders and over her legs when she's chilling in the evenings. So I don't really mind.

Brenda Spoke

2007-09-30T14:24:00.000+01:00

And I am answering her call to blog!

It's been ages, mostly because I've been busy and also not knitting that much, but now I have blue hands from the hand dyed Lopi I'm using for the Notre Dame de Grace sweater (Veronik Avery, Interweave Knits Summer 2007) for C. The back seems a bit narrow, and I'm getting 17.5 stitches to 4" rather than 17stitches; however, I know that when I washed and blocked my swatch it loosened up and flattened out considerably, so I'm going to assume it'll be ok!

I love the colour, which really glows, but I suspect will end up considerably lighter once washed (or C with a blue neck). I'll try additional vinegar in the rinse.

I've also started on the Secret of Chrysopolis stole - the first clue was out on Friday. I must check that my team are going ok! (That's my Mum, aunt and S-i-L). I noticed that the 2 garter stitches at each edge of the stole were only represented by 1 box at each side of the chart. the chart looks big for one week's clue, but it is all pretty straightforward stuff, and repetitive enough to use stitch markers if wanted. We'll see how we go! The Malabrigo is incredibly soft, I'm loving that.

I'm still hoping to do the Honeybee Stole in my Fyberspates yarn after the Chrysopolis one, and took this pic out of the passenger window in Moseley, Birmingham - it's on the wall of a business, ? solicitors' (attorney). Rather sweet, n'est-ce pas?

Mitred Rainbow

2007-09-11T13:14:00.000+01:00

When I saw the Modern Quilt Wrap on Knitting Daily I knew I had the replacement I wanted for my beloved, lost River. And a use for all those part balls of KSH!

Unfortunately, lots of other people felt the same, so mine won't be the only scarf like this. Also, I actually have all the right yarns except I think my Rose might in fact be Candy Girl.

Of course, my squares are not terribly square, but WTF, I think it'll look great either way (and if necessary, I'll pick up all the way round to neaten it).

Secret of Chrysopolis swatch

2007-09-05T11:17:00.000+01:00

I'm just not up there with cool names for my posts, am I? Anyway, here's the swatch, on 3.5 mm needles as suggested, using Malabrigo laceweight in Verde Adriana colour 117.

I've measured it (vaguely!). It's supposed to be 10cm for 3 repeats wide (it's 13cm) and 10cm for 5 repeats tall (it's 9cm for 3 repeats). Do I care? I think the stocking stitch areas may be a bit too open, so I might swap to 3.25mm without further swatching; we'll see how it looks and feels when dry. I might see what Brenda reckons when she comes to stay.

The colour is more accurate in the brighter, unblocked shot, and the stripes are a little less obvious in the flesh, as it were. They'll change with a larger stole, anyway - this is only 29 stitches wide!

Other than this, I've been a bit stuck with my knitting. I didn't do any while I was in Wales last week, too busy, and too much wet paint and small sticky kids. I have planty on the go, though I am keen to start on something with the lovely speckled Koigu P70726 sent by Selma. I need to go to work, so no pics of that now. I'm thinking about Pomatomus, I think that would show off the beautiful deep speckles floating in the muted background rather well. (See Wanderlustlost's version, if you're in Ravelry). On the other hand, I had also thought of this for some bamboo sock yarn I have. Hmmmmmm.

Mysterious Swan Lake unveiled

2007-08-21T14:39:00.000+01:00

Here are a few pics of my MS3, completed. Mine is a less-delicate version than many I've seen, with my relatively-sturdy, lofty Shetland laceweight, which means it is warm. no beads for me, as I thought they'd irritate and not go with my yarn, and I'm pleased about that decision too. Looks way better on the boady than on the floor! Quite balanced, whereas near the end of knititng the wing I was rather hating the abrupt transition between the straight part of the stole and the wing.

Looking forward to my next lace project!

Here

The feathers blocking and draped...

de-stash

2007-08-19T16:28:00.000+01:00

I'm sorting through my stash with a view to sorting myself out for Australia - make me an offer by email if you'd be interested in either of these.

1 Colinette Lasso Velvet Leaf
100% polyamide
tension 10 cm: 19 sts to 28 rows
Comes in 100g hanks
205 metres per hank
needles_4mm

(I've wound these into centre-pull cakes, but used none)

2 Hipknits Aran Silk in Citrus

500g

180m/100g

Bee Fields Stole

2007-08-09T18:42:00.001+01:00

Fyberspates silk lace toffee chocolate, originally uploaded by GinnyUK.

This is an Anne Hanson of Knitspot design - in some ways I like the Bee Fields triangular Shawl better (I think the panels with the strips of bees and the otehr pattern between are preferable on that) but I'm not a great triangular shawl person - also can't bear those long rows!

The yarn is wonderful Chocolate Toffee from Jen at Fyberspates - and most delightful it is! Jen has *very* good customer service - she sent me 2 skeins that had conned her they were dry (silk will do this) but were in fatc just very slightly damp. by the time they arrived here they stank most awfully. I tried just drying them - no good - and ended up washing them several times, which spoilt the lustre quite a bit. I let her know - she said 'snap' the yarn and the sheen will return - and I think it is getting better! However, she also sent me two more skeins. The match is pretty good (I thought I'd lost lots of colour from the 2 I'd washed, but not so!)
And doesn't it have a honeyed look? Perfect for this bumble bee broth?

By the way - if you wonder why the yarn looks good - it's because I realised I have a perfect light box. It's the bath! There is a long window next to the bath, but it faces another building and north-ish, so almost never any direct sun,but very light. And the bath itself is white but slightly matt. What d'you think - better?

Secret of Chrysopolis

2007-08-09T18:04:00.001+01:00

malabrigo verde adriana 117, originally uploaded by GinnyUK.

This is the LOVELY malabrigo laceweight I'm going to use - more or less Uru-wolle, as it is 400m in 50g and from Uruguay, just like the Uru.
Mum bought some bricky dark yarn to do the same secret stole by Moni. Should be fun!

A Wing'd Mystery

2007-08-08T08:19:00.002+01:00

Here's the end of clue 5 - like a knitted on edging, we are forming a wing.
I would prefer it if there were a greater link between the first 4 clues and this one - but I am hopeful that there will be more linkage in terms of sitch pattern and arrangement in the last 2 clues. Perhaps more wing of swan as a knitted on edging with feathers off it? I'm one of those hoping agin hope for no frills!

I have a close-up pic, but blogger is declining - this is my first time using it on my new Mac using Camino as a web browser- mostly seems more successful than Safari, but.....

I worked it out! See above.

The Tale of a Swallow

2007-08-01T09:03:00.001+01:00

Here's my swallowtail, completed and blocking on my new heirloom-knitting wires. They make it

so much easier!

Jaeger (sadly finishing) discontinued 4ply silk - the same yarn, different colourway, as Tuscany. The colour is closest in the first picture, above, it's a very pale silvery grey. I now have 1.5 balls of each colour left, and I'm not sure what I'll use them for.

Knit with Addi lace needles, 3.5mm. Lovely!

Goodbye, Little Orange

2007-07-31T13:12:00.000+01:00

Oh, how I miss thee....... JKD's car was written off last week (as in - small accident - insurance company giving him a little money instead of mending it). We had discussed him maybe buying the car in January, as they have a GIANT people carrier (from S's work) and he wanted something with less of a footprint for him too-ing and fro-ing to work. C and I chatted - and we think we'll be able to cope with just one car. She'll have to commute sometimes by bike (14 miles) and we'll have to do complex swaps when I need it for work and she needs it to get to niights etc, but we'll have NO car in Oz - so good practice.

Every so often I just think - Orange doesn't live here any more. I've had it for 7 years (practically almost) - having bought it new in the first week of one of the first 5 Smart car garages opening in the UK. it is left hand drive,a s at that time there were no factory-made right hand drives. This was great for getting out straight onto the pavement on busy roads when visiting patients.

Oh well, sniff, at least Orange is still in the family!

Garden sculpture and a mystery contimues.

2007-07-28T19:10:00.000+01:00

Friends have given us a sculpture for our garden - belated, for our birthdays (March and April, since you ask!). They came round in overalls and made us not look out the back window till they had placed all the parts. Lovely!
Anyway, I felt this - along with the hand-hewn bench, made by one of the same friends - made a great MS3 backdrop/vehicle.

Agree?

I think this unblocked pic really looks like a snake. It'll be totally different when I block it with my lovely new dressing wires from Heirloom Knitting (who couldn't have been faster or more helpful, by the way). I'm still loving it, and zipping along. Have checked out the local bead shop for seed beads for if I repeat MS3, too.

p.s. Word is that Getknitted will have stuff from Knitpicks imminently.

p.p.s. Melanie is getting more and more mysterious about clue five - not due out till next Friday.

p.p.s. Did I say I won a reduction on some yarn from Jen of Fybrespates? I chose the chocolate toffee in laceweight silk, and I think if Anne's Bee Fields rectangular stole is as successful as her triangular shawl of the same name, I might well use if for that. it is rather like a dark honey!

Mysteriouser and mysteriouser (to misquote the Cheshire cat)...

2007-07-18T11:22:00.000+01:00

Clue 3 - finished it on Saturday or Sunday, surprisingly quickly, anyway! i'm very much enjoying this knit, finding it pretty straightforward so far. of course, I have the advantage of the Addi lace needles (3.5mm) and good yarn that's is a smidge thicker than the zephyr peoplpe seem so keen on.This will certainly be a more rural - not silk-shiney- version of Melanie's stole.

I found I couldn't wait till Friday for my next lace fix, so cast on the Swallowtail shawl from IK - 2006? in the other colour of Jaeger lace (discontinued) that I have. This is the yarn I used for the Amy Singer NSFY Tuscany shawl.

More Mystery stole

2007-07-13T17:56:00.000+01:00

Well, I managed to finish clue 2 at lunchtime today, so only an hour or so after the third clue was posted. I'm really enjoying it, and not finding it too hard so far - someone's idea of writing the number of plain knit stitches in each batch of them in the right-most square of said batch is working very well for me - keeps me on target, and aware if I'm not as it doesn't all fit. Here's a couple of details - is that a stagbeetle to the left? And the start of honeycomb underneath - with a writhing edging?

My first ball of this Ultra by Jamieson's (about 188yds, I think, in 25g) has lasted j-u-s-t past the end of Clue two - should help me know later on if my 5 balls will mean a full length shawl or a shorter one!

More Sally Bowles...

2007-07-09T06:59:00.000+01:00

So I went to my cousin Daniel's lovely wedding on Saturday, and wore my hat.

As expected it was a stylish do (the bride wore a halter-necked red dress, with LOTS of petticoats, and had red roses in her hair; the adult bridesmaid wore black with red petticoats and the 2 younger ones black with white spots! Daniel looked good, too). The ceremony was in a beautiful Council chamber in London.

Anyway, my bowler was much admired, and people were very surprised that i had knocked it up myself. It was comfortable to wear too, despite being filled with bubble wrap in order to keep it's shape! Folded up in my handbag nicely for the train home. BTW, I sewed narrow ribbon in around the brim with a sideways backstitch every 2cm or so, so as to have something for my hairgrips to grip, and this worked well, though it was a two person job in the loos of a bar nearby the town hall!

Tour de France...

2007-07-04T11:54:00.001+01:00

This is BIG in our household - Clare's a mad cyclist, competing in 100mile cyclosportives around the UK (most recent: Devin - in diabolical rain) as well as 10 mile trials locally. So I was intrigued when I found there is a Tour de France KAL. Here's an amusing video of the Aussie contender in the dodgy shorts competition (aka the real T de F).

***ETA: JoVE has commented about the Tour de Fleece which she came across on Knitterguy Ted's blog - it looks like a great spinning challenge (for those of you who already partake of such things - I haven't *yet*).***

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnUqjEdfBC0 (might come up on a separate posting)

I don't think I'll join, but watch from the sideline - I am planning to do the Mystery Stole 3 from Pinklemontwist's Melanie. There have been 2 previous shawls, Leda's Dream and Scheherazade - I gather Melanie picks a theme and designs to that. So far the clues are that it would be most appropriately knit in black or white, and NOT an appropriate wedding stole. Intriguing!

I've ordered Shaela, a charcoaly grey in Ultra Shetland/lambswool yarn from Jamieson's,
which I hope will work with either my 3.5mm or 3.25mm Addi lace needles. Can't wait to get the yarn and start! I don't think I'm going to use beads, as I usually find they irritate me in a finished garment.

Sign-ups finish on Friday 6th July.

Sally Bowles

2007-07-04T11:27:00.000+01:00

I decided I wanted to try to make a mini bowler hat to wear to my cousin's wedding (at a rakish angle!)

Here it is drying with bubble-wrap in the brim. And here's how I bodged it!

I started with Emily Ocker's cast-on and EZ's instructions for the start of her Pi shawl from the Almanac book. When I felt I'd done enough flat, I reduced slightly (one in every 9 stitches) and then continued to knit down the sides. Then I did a series of increases over several rows, with some plain rows inbetween - 1 in 3, one in 4, 1 in 5 stitches increased etc. (Probably overdid this! Hence the slight gathering in the base of the brim). I did several (/3 - ?4) rows plain, then started to do decreases in a similar way to the increases before. Once more, probably over-decreased. I tried to hand felt - not enough, looked like a beret for a Sacha doll!Washed in our front-loader on 90*C with some old trousers - and viola! I trimmed off the cast off )too tight). I'll try to get a pic of me wearing it (if it is stiff enough to work - that's my worry!)

Christmas 2005

2007-06-09T12:31:00.000+01:00

C bought me this great bagful of yarns from Di Gilpin's shop in St Andrews (a wonderful den!) I was planning to make a coat, knit tight (nicking stitch patterns from Jean Frost's Jackets book) so it wouldn't sag, and arranged interestingly. Voddy kindly helped me to make a calico tacked version to use as a pattern guide, and I swatched then kind of launched into the left shoulder bit. Haven't done any now for about 15 months... I really must!

These (above and right) are some of the yarns - above is handspun Wensleydale locks; right is handspun baby alpaca and some Yorkshire tweed aran; the long swatch above is also yorkshire tweed aran, as is the above right start of L shoulder in YTA with a boucle from Texere held with it.

daftness

2007-06-02T17:34:00.000+01:00

Your Vocabulary Score: A+

Congratulations on your multifarious vocabulary!You must be quite an erudite person.

How's" Your Vocabulary?

Drapey

2007-06-02T12:46:00.000+01:00

Just a quick extra post - I knitted this on biggish needles, on a deadline to wear it to a wedding in August 2005 - and just started knitting from the middle back out, leaving a big U out at one side where I later picked up the sleeve, increased the lower edge lots ot make a drapey, wrappy tail, then picked back up from the beginning to do the other side the same (ish, of course I made no notes).

Corset Companion

2007-06-02T12:24:00.001+01:00

I've shown this - much more recent - garment before, but just lying on a towel, with its companion, my beautiful tiger corset.

Here it is on me - better this way, I think. This is made from Dee's beautful cashmere sock yarn, in the Safari I had to fight tooth and nail to nab. (By the way - have you seen her new Kid Silk Lace? It's a 30% silk, 70% kid mohair laceweight, with 450 yards per 50g skein, priced at £8.00. Have a look at her blog to see some of the upcoming colourways in this limited stock yarn... (Yes, I am trying to get you all there - I must stop buying yarn - so much - so if you do, I cant!)

I've been all Ravelled up...

2007-06-02T12:02:00.000+01:00

...but now I have got most of my stash (not all) and projects current and past on there - back here I come!

Taking pictures of old projects is pretty entertaining - and I see I have, in fact, knitted quite a bit over the last couple of years particularly. I'm going to do a few posts now about different knitted items.

First one - this cotton rowan thing I made in 1990? 1988? Something like that. I remember it was on the back of the summer magazine, with a beautiful Black girl - in front of a tree, maybe? and I loved it. Might have been a Fasset, not sure, I no longer have that magazine.

I think it was meant to be in Rowan cotton glace - or a precursor - but I was a student, and all those balls of different colours would have been EXPENSIVE. So - I went to John Lewis in Sheffield, a department store, and rummaged. I ended up with two rowan yarns - a dark and a lighter teal - two Jaeger - black and red - and then some Jonelle, an own brand they used to do. This is where the error happened - I went with a dark peach and a lighter one, as well as an off white. Hmmm. It was quite a square jumper (of course, of its time), with one row stripes of different colours to start, then what i know now is stranded knitting doing zigzags with the pale teal and white. The bulk of the sweater was then made in intarsia blocks, with zig-zag edges - all the same, so that I didn't need the pattern with me all the time, as I could copy from prior rows. the neck had a stand up collar (not very tall) that would have been better if I had changed down a needle size, but worked, and the cuffs were like the hem of the body.

I'm pretty pleased with the knitting I did then - I don't think I'd ever heard of intarsia or stranded knitting, so I just did what seemed to make sense, and it came out really very well, not pulled in by the colours, no holes etc. A few knots on the back, but what the heck! I think I did pretty well!

I did wear it, but not as much as I would have if I had used lovely rather than cheap collars overall! I carried it round Australia for 5 months, almost never wearing it (a fleece was much easier and lighter). So recently, I thought - I'll overdye it, that'll work, then I'll be able to wear it all the time! Hmmmm. Orange. Looks much worse, and I took no pictures of it before dyeing it. I'm so sorry about that, as (retrospectively) I loved the light summeriness of it!

I might try to reproduce it in lighter weight yarn - cotton, or hemp, or maybe wool. One day, when I'm over the self-induced tragedy.

7 random things

2007-05-22T17:29:00.000+01:00

Dee got me! I've been tagged for the latest meme - specifically: each person tagged tells seven random facts about themselves in their blog (and at the same time, reiterate the rules). Then you tag seven others, naming them on your blog, and leaving a comment on their blog so they know that they have been tagged. I've been tagged by Dee.

I drive around Birmingham in an orange splotchy smart car (love it!)

I don't like dry sandwiches, or soggy ones. Very picky about them.

I only get my hair cut about 3-4 times a year - it takes me several months to get used to each time.

I have got all of Georgetter Heyer's romances in crappy old paperbacks, and periodically re-read them.

I've been friends with my bestest friend since we were both babies - and our Dads were friends from their babyhood too.

My maximum heart rate is 195bpm (as tested on a static bike this morning, in preparation for a fitness campaign).

Although I am two years older than my brother, I always say 'when we were about 7' etc, as if we were twins!

Feel free to be tagged - DIY style...

My knit list

2007-05-21T14:10:00.000+01:00

(Nicked from http://acunningplan.typepad.com/andsheknitstoo/ )

Bold for stuff you’ve done, italics for stuff you plan to do one day, and normal for stuff you’re not planning on doing.

Afghan/Blanket (baby)
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting (modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Knitting with your own handspun yarn (have to learn to spin first)
Slippers
Graffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)
Continental Knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book (you never know...)
Scarf
American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Knitting to make money
Button holes
Knitting with alpaca (My hands are still tingling!)
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dying with plant colors
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cozies…)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars
Olympic knitting
Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
Knitting with DPNs
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dyeing yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener BO
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self-patterning/self-striping/variegating yarn
Stuffed toys
Baby items
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mitts/arm warmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair (why?)
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

I'll be back soon - probably tomorrow - I've just been away for 10 days. And went to Wonderwool - lovely! Of course, no pictures.

2007-05-03T15:00:00.001+01:00

New Name - and Ravelry

2007-05-03T15:00:00.000+01:00

Just a note to say - I've changed to my Real World name - easier all round. So that's Emily - I was using Ginny as an alias..... but I've got over myself.

Also, I've just logged on to Ravelry - the brainchild of Frecklegirl and her partner. I think I'll find it a very useful site on which to keep info about my horde - yarns, needles, patterns, books, queueing projects - and also to check out what other people have used a yarn for, or what a pattern has looked like. Of course, I can do all this with google, searching blogs and other sites, but this seems a very neat way of managing it all easily. And it'll move with me to Australia.

It's all good! I gather they are gradually sending out more and more invites to join - doing it that way in order not to suddenly crash as the partner is the only techguy, and he has a real job!