i heart knitting
Monday, June 26, 2006
 
Gee I have been slack! It has been over a week since my last post! Darn work. It really does get in the way of my life. A positive outcome of not blogging is that I have quite a lot to tell you . . .

I have finished my Opal socks, and here they are:



Those really are my feet and ankles. As you can see I have added a protective layer in order to get through these cold mornings! I like the socks, they are warm and nice and long, and quite successful for my first pair of toe up, short row heel socks. And, as they have so much blue, they are fine for Project Spectrum. I thought there would be more pink in them - I am sure one day I will be able to look at a ball of yarn and picture it knitted into something. I can't yet. I did manage to make them match though, so that's a bonus.

I knitted this on the weekend just gone, using Patons Jet and this pattern.



I love love it, it is so warm and squishy. And the colours are very nice. Mother loved it too and is knitting herself one. More on that later.

I turned the heel on a Jaywalker last night, toe up upside down style, and another short row heel. I am not going to make these very long, I am a bit bored with this yarn. I am developing a philosophy on hand knitted socks: If you are going to bother making them, they should at least be interesting, or pretty. I don't think these are either. Bad photo, sorry:



I received my Project Spectrum swap card some time ago, but forgot to mention it. Thanks Crazed Weasel! I have no idea who I am supposed to be swapping with this month, as I haven't received email about it yet. And it is only a few days until the end of June! Can you believe it?

How many of you headed to Spotlight today? Mother picked me up and we went this evening, leaving Little Purl in charge of the small people for half an hour. I selected a skein of Magicline cotton, two flesh colours balls for a doll, this pattern book (from which to knit said doll), and enough brown Country Silk for a Clapotis for Mother. Unfortunately I left my purse at home, and Mum paid for everything! How embarrassing. Never mind, I will pay her back in a couple of days.

I had better go and knit! Oh, I guess it would be unAustralian to end with anything other than
AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE OI OI OI.
(I can't believe I have done that!)
 
Sunday, June 18, 2006
  Rockin and rollin and what not
I quote Danny Zuko. And I guess this sums up what I have been doing. Not a lot thank goodness. Cindy has inspired me to have a rant, but I will talk knitting first. I have almost finished a vest all of my own creating. I hope to finish it tonight, to this end I will be quick. I just thought I would update while my hair cooks. I am dying it. Again. After a fairly disastrous dying incident yesterday, I am trying again. I am also worried it might all fall out. We'll see!

I am up to the heel bit of the second Opal sock, and am knitting a pair of Jaywalkers upside down with the ebay yarn I bought. They look terrific. I had hoped to have both of these pairs finished, but hey, I have to go out sometimes.

I have made many purchases this week, including some new shoes for work, an iron (to iron work clothes) and some clothes, also for work. I have bought no yarn whatsoever. Hmm. Oh, the vest is the wrappy thing reincarnate. Waste not want not. Or want not reknit!

Ah yes, the rant. I have been witness to two incidents lately which have almost driven me to pick up pen and write to management. Incident 1 occured some weeks ago but is still irking me. Little Purl and I were shopping for a new mobile phone and had entered a reputable establishment in our little city. As we were paying for said phone, a little upstart young man was laughing his empty head off about a little old lady who was in the store because her phone had ceased to work. Her phone looked a little like this:


I was concerned he might wet his pants. I was absolutely appalled and wished with all of my wishing that I was brave enough to tell him to shut up! Of course this woman has lived through a time where some things lasted longer than a year! Of course she would be expecting to walk into a shop and be treated with respect. Grr! It was not to be.

The second incident: Little Purl and I were again in a reputable establishment, this time in the 'burbs, having a prescription filled. As we wandered the pharmacy trying perfumes and looking at trinkets, we witnessed two little chippies behind the counter having a good old laugh at the expense of someone in a set of photos that had been developed!!! Look, I am not naive and despite my youthful appearance was not born yesterday. I know if you drop a roll of film off to be developed they will be viewed by various people and perhaps even snickered at - BUT PLEASE! In full view of the public! I was disgusted. And, the comments they were making were disgusting and related to people with disabilities. I was again, appalled.

What is the world coming to? Now, my head is cooked. If you don't hear from me again it means I have gone into hibernation while my hair grows back. Actually, even if this happens you will still hear from me - I will have to live vicariously through my blog.
 
Sunday, June 11, 2006
  I would like to issue a retraction . . .
It is not the Opal that stinks. It is the new needles I bought to knit it with! Can you believe it. Please do not sue - can someone translate that to German for me?

No photos today, but I will give you a bit of an update. I am on the leg of my Opal socks, which I am knitting toe up. I am converted, even though my short row heel is not the best. I then began doing a diagonal eyelet on the leg but the yarn did not need this, so I went back to the beginning of the leggy bit and have just made it back to where I was before this debacle. I have also finished the beanie Purl and I were doing for the Guardian appeal, and have done about half of another one. Man, I knit big. These will not be for toddlers, but there is no age limit on cold, I am sure someone will be able to wear them in Mongolia. They fit Number One Son, and he's six (but he has a BIG head!).

I have begun to obsess about what to do with two balls of bluey variegated Patonyle that does not involve socks. I think I might make a skinny stocking stitch scarf, even though it will roll. I would like a skinny cable scarf but I am not sure how the fairisle pattern will translate to cables. Oh, the problems I encounter in life are so deep.

We had friends around last night and she was knitting a dinosaur for her nephew using Country Silk. It promises to look wonderful. I knitted so many toys when I was younger I just can't bring myself to do it any more. Too many bits to sew together I think.

Little Purl is quite sick - again - with a terrible sore throat. It has been a very quiet day and as Number One Son said, "It's just not a proper day when Little Purl isn't around". I do hope my kids always love each other this much. I don't hold out a lot of hope though! Sibling relationships can be so . . . interesting.

GUESS WHAT??? I finished both of my assignments! Yes, I have done it. Well, apart from the Reference list for one of them. I am so pleased with myself! Now I get to stress out about passing! I have found this self-directed learning business to be a bit of a slog. I NEED FEEDBACK! I NEED OUTSIDE DIRECTION! I will let you know how I go.
 
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
  a good day
I am very pleased with myself today. I have done over 5000 words now, so only about 6000 to go! I worked most of yesterday and will do more tonight so I think one assignment should be finished TODAY! Hoo flippin' ray.


My ebay purchase arrived today, so quick! It is lovely Regia, not photographed well at all here by me, but I hope you can get the idea. Still no idea what I will do with this. Pat it and smell it for a few days I think.


Speaking of smell, I went into the old LYS this morning, and bought me a skein of Opal. It STINKS. I started knitting some sox for Tiny Madam, and the smell is disgusting! I don't mind a hint of lanolin, but this stuff smells more like sheep droppings. Hmm. I like the colours though. What do you think? I also bought some 2.25mm dpns, which I quite like. Not as nice as my bamboo ones, but they are grippier than other steel needles I have used.


Look what I made! Isn't it cute? This is two toothpicks, some embroidery cotton, a couple of beads and some glue. I will wear this with pride. So tiny and so quick to make. I will consider making these for some knitting friends. If I can find any.


And finally, my new spectacles. Are they not cool? I love them. I think I may be having a 1/3 life crisis. If you knew what I was going to do in the morning you would agree. Don't worry mother, it is nothing that can't be reversed!! But seriously, these specs are worth it just for the funky Mambo case that they came it. And I need some rose-coloured glasses right now, so there.

In my eagerness to finish the Patonyle socks I made them too small, so Little Purl is the happy recipient of these. Or that, as I have still only done one. I will put down the stinky Opal until this sock is finished. I promise Purl, I promise. STOP ASKING ME!

Thanks for your support regarding my Brady Bunch identity. I am coming to terms with it.
 
Sunday, June 04, 2006
  what a busy weekend
I have been knitting like a fiend for the last few days. School holidays have arrived which is fan-blinking-tastic. I finished Clapotis and it is as wonderful as I hoped it would be. Zhivago works really well for this pattern. That't my hot tip for the day.


Here is a picture of the green curly scarf:


I have also been working on a beanie for the Guardian Angel appeal. Little Purl has also been doing some of this.

I received an email from my postcard swap partner for Project Spectrum, apologising for not sending my postcard. Ahem. I had not sent hers either, so this afternoon I spent a couple of hours whipping something together. Paper craft is not my forte, I am not very creative at all. However, I am pretty pleased with the end result. I made a couple of little additions, and I hope she likes them! I had plans of getting a real postcard with some green scenery but, um, I have not been getting out much lately.










Last night I spent hours on an assignment for Uni, I will be doing that for the next few days as I have to write 11500 words by next Tuesday. No sweat. I have done about 2000 of them. *thud*

I have also turned the heel and am powering towards the end of the first bright sock. AND I won an auction on ebay for some Regia which will be posted tomorrow so I will be thinking about what I will make with that. I really need to step outside my comfort zone with this one, and perhaps try some lace. The colours are quite dark, I am not sure that lace would suit. Maybe I will play it safe and make some variation on the Mata Hari socks. I am also planning on using up some little bits and pieces with some baby socks. And some toe up blue variegated Patonyle socks, probably just rib for these, to try doing them 'backwards'.

I have had a brainwave re Christmas presents. I am going to make felted Christmas stockings for the nieces and nephews and include a small gift. This will last them forever!!

I watched the Wedding Date last night. It was okay, your standard RomCom. Tonight I am going to get nostalgic and watch Mermaids. I remember loving this when I was younger and will watch it with Little Purl.

Edited to add:
Me: Cool - here's a quiz that tells you what Brady you are.
SS: You don't wanna be Jan!
Result:
You Are Jan Brady

Brainy and a little introverted, you tend to think life is a lot worse than it actually is.
And while you may think you're a little goofy looking, most people consider you to be a major babe.
What Brady Are You?

Er, I am Jan. Marcia Marcia Marcia. SS now tells me Cindy was much more annoying!
Thee Ya!
 
Knitting . . . creating something from not much at all.

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Location: Tasmania, Australia

Too busy to knit but can't help myself.

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