TangledFrog

Travels

2009-01-26T17:16:00.008Z

DH and I spent 5 days in Krakow last week. Five whole days! And it wasn't nearly enough. I'd never been there before, but after talking to numerous people who had been (and loved it), I knew I would fall in love with it. And I did. We both did, actually. There was something so charming about the city.

Maybe it was the beautiful architecture around Market Square

or the Palace and Cathedral on Wawel Hill

or one of the many pub/restaurants built into fabulously old underground tunnels

Most likely it was a combination of all of the above. So incredibly atmospheric! Are you getting the sense that I enjoyed myself immensely??

It probably helped that my knitty friend Emma just happened to be on the same flight over. She lived there for a year and happened to be going to visit friends at the same time. She was a wealth of information for things like non-touristy cafes (with amazing apple cake!!), unusual sites...and, of course....YARN SHOPS!

I behaved myself and only bought two 100g balls of some lovely, chunky Czech yarn

and just to try to show how utterly soft it is, here's a super close-up!

In news closer to home, I'm afraid I have to eat my words. Ok, I don't think I've actually ever written these words down, but I know I've said them on many occasions. You see, I like to knit. No, I LOVE to knit. The problem is, I also am required to pay the mortgage and work. Therefore, there are not enough hours in the day to knit as much as I would like. As a result, I have always said that, as much as some other crafty type things interest me, I'd rather not start, as it would leave me with fewer hours to knit.

Well, I'm now officially going to have fewer hours of my life to devote to knitting, as I've begun an introductory silversmithing/jewelry making course. I've only had one class so far, but it was so cool! It's held at a local community college in a workshop with lots of tools (I like tools!!) and even this blow-torchy kind of thing (ok, so I don't have all the lingo down yet), but it was so much fun!!

Here's what I've accomplished so far

And, yes, I realise it just looks like a ring of copper that I could have cut from a pipe under my kitchen sink, it actually started out as a flat rectangle of copper that I had to cut and turn into a ring that would actually fit my finger. It doesn't matter that the finger it fits on isn't the finger I was actually trying to size it for. And it's not actually finished yet, either. I think that will be this week's lesson. But I'm still really proud of it...

Huh?

2009-01-11T17:33:00.000Z

I've been struck by the need to comment on human communication and how easily we can misinterpret each other. And, on the flip-side, how difficult it can be to communicate our thoughts accurately. I even have a knitting-related example of this.

Last year, I knitted a pair of Ampersand socks and sent them to a friend in Michigan. She then

sent me this brilliant photo of the socks enjoying their new home to prove she was providing them with the life they deserved:

I still laugh every time I look at it!

A couple months later, I knitted a pair of Eyelet and Flame Chevron Socks for my mum and posted them off to her in California. I asked her to take a similar photo. Possibly putting on the socks, propping her feet up on the coffee table and taking a photo while she watched TV. Or sitting on the porch, with a view out over their garden. And I emailed her the above photo.

Well, after months of waiting, she and my dad put their heads together on New Year's Day and came up with this photo to send me:

Somehow, I don't think I got my point across very well! I can't say that I really understand what inspired the photo, but it certainly makes me laugh as much as the other one!

Yarn Sale!

2009-01-07T07:56:00.004Z

Important announcement!!

Found out from Lilith of Old Maiden Aunt Yarns that she's currently having a major clear out. All hand-dyed OMA yarns are on sale for 20% off in celebration of opening her new studio in West Kilbride.

If you haven't knitted with this yarn before, you really need to!

Catching up

2009-01-04T15:40:00.007Z

Finally have a some photos to share of a couple finished objects.

Do you remember the Fiddlehead Mitts I was absolutely over the moon to be knitting way back in June? Took less than 2 weeks to complete the first one. The second, however, took 6 months, as I just finished it a couple days before Christmas. Not sure what my problem was. Loved knitting the first one. The pattern is fab and they knit up so quickly! And it's so much fun to watch the colour pattern emerge during the knitting process. However, I guess "second mitt syndrome" must be very closely linked to "second sock syndrome". My timing was actually quite good, as we've had a bit of a cold snap in Glasgow since just before Christmas, with lots of frosty mornings and some days where the frost never completely clears, so I've gotten quite a bit of use out of them already.

And here are a couple photos of a Christmas pressie for a friend in Michigan.

I was headed to Liverpool for work for a week in November with two colleagues. I needed something that would be pretty much mindless to knit on the train, so I could be social and not completely consumed by my knitting. (The two colleagues of note are quite aware of my addiction and always do their best to look interested when ramble on about my projects, yarn, etc. And they might go so far as to think I was ill if I hadn't pulled out some sort of knitting during the journey. So I desperately needed a suitable project. Wouldn't want them to worry, you know...) I used Adrafil Knitcol self patterning yarn and improvised the pattern as I went along. I'm actually quite happy with how it turned out. Now I just need to actually SEND it. (Yes, I know Christmas was a while ago. Have I mentioned I'm rubbish with deadlines?)

And, just because I can, I'm including one gratuitous puppy-dog shot!

Resolved

2009-01-01T14:13:00.007Z

Could someone please tell me what happened after 10/10/08? It appears that I entered a perfectly normal post to my blog and then vanished. As I recall, I fully intended to continue updating fairly regularly, then...whoooosh!...suddenly it was November...December...and now January.

So, what's better to do on New Year's Day, then start fresh?!

I'm afraid I can't post any photos of FOs yet, as, ummm, I haven't taken any since October. However, I fully intend to enlist hubby as a photographer sometime this weekend, so I can do a proper blog update.

I would like to put my New Year's Knitting Resolutions to you all here, though...in writing. Last year, I remember reading everyone's blogs and seeing what they had resolved to accomplish in this wonderful world of knitting during the upcoming year. I had resolved to make at least one garment-type-object (sweater, cardi or the like) that I would be proud of. Just didn't want to put it in writing in case it was a horrible failure. As a result, I think I've actually achieved two.

So, this year, I figured I'd be as brave as my friends seem to be and actually "put it down on paper", so to speak. So, here are my two knitting goals for the upcoming year:

Beaded lacework. Beginning with Waves of Grain from Knitty, Fall 2008. I casted on this morning using some of Lilith's lovely Old Maiden Aunt Laceweight Merino.

After getting that one under my belt, I'd like to make Waves in the Square Shawl.

2. My second goal is to take another stab at continental style knitting.

I attempted to teach myself this about a year ago and spent an ENTIRE AFTERNOON trying to perfect it. To my astonishment, it didn't happen that quickly and I went back into my comfort zone of holding yarn in no specific manner, but just sort of what has always worked for me. I was recently knitting with Karie and marvelled at how easily the stitches seem to flow compared to my "less refined but works just fine" (groan) method. Think I will ask her to put her teaching hat on and take an extra dose of patience and attempt to teach an old dog (ok, not THAT old) new tricks.

That's the plan at least. I'll let you know how it goes!

15 seconds of fame

2008-10-10T07:17:00.004+01:00

I'm afraid I'm blogging old news today. Very old, but I haven't had a chance to write about it until now. My knitting group, Glasgow Knit 'n Stitch were on STV's Five-Thirty Show Monday evening. I think I mentioned we were filmed for it, but I didn't know when it would be shown. I didn't find out that it had been on until after the fact, but I was able to watch it online by going here . Go forward about 4 minutes and...there we are. One of the hosts actually said that knitting has become sexy...of course, his female sidekick was quick to shoot that one down, but the words were spoken nonetheless!!

My group met up on Tuesday evening, as per usual, and I found the chat about our TV debut quite interesting. I think we were all impressed with how well we (and knitting) were portrayed. We also thought everyone who appeared on camera came off as bright, articulate, composed, beautiful....except when looking at ourselves. We all had something negative to say about ourselves. Me included. I didn't like what I ended up saying at all, but didn't know what I was going to be asked and those were just the words that came out. That isn't to say I'm particularly unhappy about it. I love the finished clip and it was a lot of fun to do and I'd do it again at the drop of a hat! However, I do think it's funny that we are so often our own worst critic, when it's really unwarranted.

Enough of my ponderings! I've been playing around with some beads lately and have made my first set of stitch markers.

They are definitely a bit wonky, as I'm not very good and wrapping wire yet (there's that self-criticism raising it's ugly head again)! However, I'm proud enough of them to show them off here, as I think they're not too shabby for a first go!

Spoils

2008-10-02T09:07:00.003+01:00

Just wanted to report on the spoils obtained from my little journey to New Lanark on Monday. I'd never been there before and my goal was to buy yarn. I went with two friends from my knitting group and I think we all went with the same goal in mind. And, while we all achieved what we set out to, I now have a goal to go back and explore the area more thoroughly. New Lanark is an 18th century cotton/wool mill and village, so there's the obvious historic connection, but it's also set in the most beautiful, idyllic area. I think I could easily spend a day exploring, wandering and learning...with a few rows of knitting thrown in at the cafe!

So, what lovely yarn did I come home with?? 10 balls of fabulous aran weight 100% wool in a shade very appropriately called 'gritstone'. What am I going to make with this fabulous wool? This wool that feels like it just came off the sheep...it feels very hardy, warm and weather resistant to the touch. Well, I've just started Avast, which is a free pattern I recently came across on Knitty.

I fell in love with the cabled band which will go around the bottom and is a great stylistic feature on an otherwise stocking stitch zippered jacket/cardi. It also incorporates some lovely finishing techniques, which will be good practice for me and will, hopefully, result in quite a professional look. I've promised DH I will 'try' to have this completed before next summer, but reminded him that we do live in Scotland, so even if I don't finish it until next July, he may very well be able to wear it upon completion!

Time flies

2008-09-28T17:22:00.021+01:00

The past couple of weeks have been quite busy, but in a good way.

You may (or may not) remember me mentioning some time ago that, after being in Scotland for 3 years, it was time to get my driving license. I didn't blog about it much, because for quite a while I had an instructor who was just awful. He made fun of me, he insulted me. But I just though, "Hey, everyone hates learning to drive, this must be why." And I put up with it for several months. Finally got wise and sacked him. Then worked with a friend's hubby who teaches advanced driving just to get some confidence. AND....get ready....I passed my practical test last Wednesday! I'm SO, SO happy....that it's over.

And, the night before my exam (last Tues.), my knitting group - Glasgow Knit 'n Stitch - were filmed by STV for a segment on the Five-Thirty Show. It's supposed to be on sometime this week. I think it went off quite well. The whole evening ended up being far more fun than I had imagined. I was the main organiser for the event and I was quite stressed that others were being put in a situation that they might be uncomfortable with...being on TV and all...but everyone seemed to enjoy it and only one person said they were going to kill me (tee-hee...you know who you are) ;-)

And, if that wasn't enough excitement, DH and I drove to Anstruther yesterday to hike along the Fife coast. It was a gorgeous day and we saw stunning rock formations like this:

and this:

Ok, so it was windy and putting my head outside in the wind always results in scary-hair. We stopped at a pub during the afternoon for a bite to eat and I was frantically clawing at my hair before I went in. I asked DH how I looked and his response was, "Like someone who's been on a hike. Now get inside." Fair enough...

Tomorrow (a public holiday for me - yay!) brings a trip to the New Lanark Mill with a couple friends for some yarn shopping. It's my congratulatory gift to myself for passing my driving test. And if I hadn't passed, it was going to be a consolation gift. See? A win-win situation!

Two more pics before I sign off. This is my completed Twilley's Tank Top in Lang Mille Colori.

I'm so happy with the finished product! I'm now considering making Avast for DH. The problem is he's much bigger than me, which means this instant gratification girl has to put in more effort before finishing. Will have to think on it.

Raindrops keep fallin' on my head...

2008-09-16T06:41:00.013+01:00

Well, I've been a bit tardy in blogging about my travels. I could blame it on the fact that I came down with a cold while we were away, but it's probably more the fact that I tend to feel terribly sorry for myself when I have any degree of ailment. And I do tend to get really tired. Even a stuffy nose can make me fall asleep multiple times during the day. I'm really just a big baby when I'm sick.

Anyway, we arrived back from our travels last Friday morning, so I was able to lounge and feel sorry for myself through the weekend. I'm almost right as rain now, which is probably appropriate, seeing as the weather menu in Scotland at the mo' seems to be rain, rain, some more rain, and then a little more rain to top things off. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. I've probably mentioned before that I believe when you voluntarily choose to move to Scotland, you are not allowed to complain about the weather. So, while I may "comment" on the weather from time to time, it should in no way be confused with "complaining" about the weather...

Onto more exciting things...travels!! As you know, I went to London for the I-Knit day and what a treat it was. Even though I wasn't able to see Yarn Harlot, due to a ticket mix-up that would take far too long to explain here, and despite that fact that I couldn't find the other talks I'd wanted to attend, it was fabulous. The Royal Horticultural Halls were filled with swarms of knitters and vendors selling lovely knitterly items. It was really amazing to be in a huge hall filled with so many people who love to do what I love to do. And I can't believe I didn't take any pictures of it!!! Had my camera, didn't use it...except for the cute little angora bunny at one of the stalls....

And my limited purchases from the day (I was saving myself for Paris...)

That's a ball of Jade Sapphire Lacey Lamb laceweight yarn in a vibrant orange shade and I bought it for two reasons. 1) I'd never heard of it before, and 2)it's as soft as a cloud. Even DH openly fondled it in a pub later in the day!

Even though I was sorely lacking in the photo department, I just checked out my friend Paula's blog and she posted some fabulous photos from the weekend. Thanks Paula!!

So, DH and I were in London Friday and Saturday, then it was onto Paris via Eurostar on Sunday. I had booked a hotel online after doing some searching about. DH and I always travel on a (tight) budget, so I end up reading lots of reviews of inexpensive hotels. The one I booked for Paris sounded fine...but it wasn't, it was FABULOUS. And when I say fabulous I mean quirky, unique and wonderful. Nothing fancy, but the decor was so odd it was perfect.

I only wish I would have taken a photo of the toilet seat! It was bright blue with photos of bright yellow tropical fish! To add to the quirkiness all of the artwork on the walls related to golf. I spoke with the owner at one point to tell him how much I loved the place. He said people either love it or hate it, but they wanted to make something truly unique where no two rooms were the same, but they wanted a bit of quality as well, so they put a flat-screen TV in each room, free in-room WIFI, and there's also a computer in the reception area for guest use, and a lovely little garden out back for breakfast. It was the Hotel De La Loire . If you haven't already guessed, I highly recommend it if you're looking for something a bit different.

And now, for the yarn. Ahhhhh....La Droguerie. What a fabulous shop. Two interconnected rooms. One full of beautiful skeins of yarn hanging from the walls, the other full of ribbons, buttons and beads. Wowee! So much visual, tactile and olfactory (for those of us who sniff yarn...) stimulation! A bit intimidating to figure out just how to buy the stuff, as I don't speak French and they didn't speak English, however, tips from Lilith and Paula saved the day. I even managed to have them wind it into balls for me!! So, here's the proud little La Droguerie shopper...

I bought 200g (about 625m) of this lovely orangey 4ply (I think...), 100% alpaca. The camera just doesn't show off how soft this stuff is. And also 200g (about 410m) of an amazing grass-green 100% bamboo. Approx DK weight. It's so shiney and silky! Not yet sure what I'll do with either, but their could be some sort of lacey shawl/stole in store for the alpaca.

I then joined DH in the cafe next door to enjoy my yarn and some wine. What more could a girl want??

Bon Voyage

2008-09-04T15:19:00.005+01:00

I'm getting ready to set off for what I hope to be a fabulous holiday. Only a week, but lots to see and do in that time.

DH and I set off tonight on the Caledonia Sleeper train for London. The primary reason for heading there is the I-Knit day on Saturday. Lots of workshops, presentation and, of course, yummy yarns and yarn makers. In other words, a day of sheer bliss and excitement all wrapped into one.

Actually, the I-Knit day is the primary reason *I* want to go there. DH has other motivators. Give him a city with lots of :

1)Museums and

2)Pubs

and he could content for at least a week!

On Sunday we'll be off to Paris for a few days via Eurostar. Absolutely can't wait! We've never visited either city before. Lilith told me about a fabulous yarn shop called La droguerie where she did some shopping on a trip to Paris. I feel like a kid at Christmas with the anticipation of doing a little shopping there myself!

Before I go, though, I'll share a couple photos of a new project. I'm working on the Twilley's Tank Top pattern (aka a sweater vest). I'm using Lang Mille Colori, which is being recycled from a previous project gone horribly wrong. At first, I thought the yarn was a bit too damaged/fuzzy from the frogging, but knitted up it actually looks quite nice:

The striping of the ribbing ended up being far too precise for me, so once I got to the body, I switched to knitting off of two balls and alternating every couple/few rows for a more random look. So far, so good.

Ok, off to go over my check-lists for packing one last time...

Wheee!

2008-08-31T09:50:00.001+01:00

I've decided that in my knitting life, it's okay to be a bit of a show-off. It's actually the only part of my life where I don't feel like I'm being arrogant if I say, "Hey world, look at this! I made it and it's amazing!". Ok, that's a lie. I generally say, "Hey, fellow knitters..." not "Hey world..." and I do still fell a little self-conscious bragging, but I do it anyway.

So, what am I bragging about today? It's my Drops A-Line Jacket. It makes me glad that I live in Scotland. Why, you ask? Because Michigan (USA) where I'm from is still dealing with the heat of summer. The cool (...yeah, ok...and damp) climate in the country I now call home has already allowed me to get some use out of this lovely cardi! I finished it a couple weeks ago, but only just managed to get some photos to unveil it to the world:

It's not that often I feel the yarn and pattern are a perfect match, but this is one of those times. I used Rowan Scottish Tweed Aran and I was gushing about it in a previous post here. It's got such a lovely drape and is really soft. Plus the fact that it's aran weight means it knitted up quickly. I'm kind of an instant gratification sort of gal, so that's a big bonus in my book!

Ok, off to start the Sunday chores so I have the evening free to knit!

Update

2008-08-24T17:36:00.005+01:00

So my last blog post told of tales yet to come at K1 Yarns in Edinburgh for Lilith's trunk show with her Old Maiden Aunt yarns. And, alas, a week has now gone by since this great even and I wish I would have updated here more promptly! Time does seem to get away very easily. Anyway...the trunk show...wow! What a fun day. I saw some familiar faces. I met some new lovely knitters. I even got to meet, chat and knit with Ysolda, who I was happy to find out is just as lovely in person as she comes across on her blog.

Best of all, I got to watch lots of people buying armloads of Lilith's Old Maiden Aunt yarns. Plus, early in the day, I even got to play with them as we put on price stickers and displayed them about the shop. Didn't really get any photos that could do the even justice, but here's a little sample what I was surrounded by all day...
Ok, I also recall promising to update here about my Ravelympic project and it would appear that I failed to do so (except for one quick post moaning about difficulties incurred).

Well, the Olympics closing ceremony was held the afternoon, and with it came the closing of the Ravelympics. And, I'm happy to report that I managed to finish my Hat Dash project, which coincidentally was Gretel by Ysolda. I initially chose absolutely the wrong yarn for this project, but Lilith came to my rescue by gifting me a skein of Malabrigo worsted merino in Azul colourway. Mmmmmmm...Malabrigo is the kind of knitting luxury that I don't often treat myself to, but it's now apparent that I really should! The yarn complimented the pattern perfectly.

(Please excuse the really bad model in the photo, but we took at least 20 shots of her and that's the best of the lot. She's none to pleased to have this posted, but was willing to sacrifice herself for the sake of Gretel...)

Eye Candy

2008-08-15T20:10:00.006+01:00

Well, here are the photos I promised. I spent Tuesday with my friend Lilith who is preparing for her Trunk Show at K1 Yarns in Edinburgh. What I found at her place that day was a feast for the eyes...amazing amounts of Old Maiden Aunt yarns some hand dyed, some hand spun. All gorgeous! Like bags and bags of colourful, exquisite yarns all ready for the show...

...and some almost ready...

My contribution was to make a Old Maiden Aunt key chains...

...so Lilith could focus on spinning yet more of her lovely yarn...

...while her pup Finn snored contentedly in his doggie bed. Put them all together and you have my recommendation for how to spend a fabulous day off work!

Hmmph!

2008-08-13T22:26:00.002+01:00

Oh, dear! My Ravelympic project is not progressing nearly as well as I would like. I'm on my third yarn...the first two were absolutely wrong for the pattern. Lilith rescued me with a skein of Malabrigo Merino Worsted. Finally, 5 days into the challenge I was able to get underway!

Even more exciting than my somewhat feeble attempt to compete on the world stage of knitting (Some knitters have already finished entire shawls/jumpers/pairs of socks...I have 1.5" completed on a hat!!) is what will be happening this Saturday. Lilith of Old Maiden Aunt yarns has been invited by the K1 Yarn shop to do a trunk show at their Edinburgh location. She has been spinning and dying up a storm for this event. If you have a chance to get there, it would be well worth the visit, as her yarns are simply stunning!

I have photos, but no time at the moment to transfer them from the camera to here. Will try to post them before Saturday!

Significance

2008-08-10T17:49:00.004+01:00

Friday was a day of significance, as it marked the beginning of the first official Ravelympics. Now most of you reading this will probably know just what I’m talking about, however, there might be some concerned individuals who think I’ve just invented a new word. Actually, Ravelympic really is a new word, it just wasn’t invented by me.

Those who are a member of Ravelry, which is the single most amazing knitting site on the web, can participate in the knitting/crocheting version of the Olympics. (Not to be confused with the Knitting Olympics, though, which are a winter sport hosted by the Yarn Harlot.) A brief explanation for those not familiar with the Ravelympics….I believe some 3000 knitters/crocheters signed up to cast on a project (or projects) during the opening ceremony of the Olympics and have it/them completed by the time the flame goes out. There are no size or difficulty requirements…just that the chosen project(s) should be a challenge to complete during the time allotted.

I have only signed up in the “hat dash” category and I’ll be making Gretel by Ysolda using New Lanark Silk Tweed in a lovely plummy. I toyed with attempting to do more than one project during the 2 weeks (which includes 3 weekends…), however, I seem to have lots going on AND I really want to make a bit of progress on a couple other projects during this time frame.

So, here’s my yarn, needles and pattern all ready to go...

I’d better get cracking if I’m going to win a medal in the Ravelympics. Who knew that the act of flopping down in front of the telly to watch the Olympics (while knitting up a storm, course)could actually win a medal? Will post my progress soon!

Rejuvenated

2008-07-24T18:22:00.011+01:00

I'm so pleased! I recently had that wonderful feeling of completing a project. You know...a sense of satisfaction, a bit of pride. However, this particular project was actually finished a year ago, but I guess I didn't realise that it just needed one more step to officially be complete. Clear as mud?

Lemme 'splain. Last summer, I jumped on the Pinwheel Sweater bandwagon. Such a unique but simple pattern. However, I had two issues with the finished product:

1) It just didn't fit. It was quite big. Wouldn't stay on my shoulders. Hung crooked. Felt like I was always conscious of it hanging funny, so I was continuously pulling, tugging, adjusting.

2) The yarn I used first began to pill, I think, when I just looked at it with intention of wearing. Ok, ok, I'm being a bit dramatic, but seriously, pills were spotted within 30 minutes of the first wearing!

As a result, I wore it in public twice, then hid it at the back of my wardrobe. I recently woke up one Sunday morning and, literally as my feet hit the floor, wondered if felting my Pinwheel might bring it back to life. And guess what? It worked!

Lookee here!

The fit still isn't as nice as I would like, but overall, I'm quite pleased and now intend to get some wear out of it this autumn. We had a cool-ish day right soon after the felting/drying process was complete, so I wore it to my knitting meetup. On the way out, my friend Karie was walking behind me and said that it made her feel happy. Umm...not walking behind me...my Pinwheel made her feel happy. ;-) Awwww - is there any better compliment than that?

I now wish I would have taken a photo of it prior to felting, so you could see the before and after. Quite honestly, though, I expected my little experiment to fail horrendously. This is now the second time I've felted a garment to save it and found success. Probably don't want to rely on this method too often, though. I'm quite certain it would be better to just knit it properly in the first place, so such drastic measures need not be called upon...

Summer

2008-07-24T17:46:00.006+01:00

Well, it appears summer may have finally arrived in Scotland. We've lately had some sun and...brace yourself...I've even been spotted outdoors without a jacket! Fab!

I know it's been a few weeks since my last post and, while I have been knitting, I've not had time to knit nearly as much as I would like. Though I suppose I could say that almost any time. I did manage to fit a short break in recently to Oban, though, so I thought I'd share some pics of the journey.

First off, let me just say that I LOVE Oban and each time I go just confirms that more. It's so picturesque. While there, we enjoyed lovely views such as these....

...while out for a walk one afternoon. And this....

...at nearby Dunstaffnage Castle.

And I must say that a morning spent at the Sea Life Sanctuary was probably the highlight of the trip. Let me introduce to you Lorne the grey seal....

....and Fingal the North American Otter...

It just doesn't get any cuter than that!

As you can see, I'm having a lovely summer. I hope you are enjoying your summer, as well. More posts about knitting soon!

Cheers!

Visiting hours

2008-07-06T13:00:00.005+01:00

I spent a lovely morning recently visiting Nan and David at Stitching Time in Hamilton recently. I have to say, it's nice to know people who run a yarn shop. Not just because I enjoy chatting and catching up with them each time I visit, but also because they don't seem to mind if I just linger endlessly over the yarn, pattern books, buttons and needles. I must sometimes look like I'm wandering aimlessly and I usually am. But I'm also enjoying listening to the various customers chatting with each other (ok, ok, so I do a bit of evesdropping...) and I usually chat briefly with some of them myself. It's also brilliant to watch Nan and David helping their clients, asking questions and pointing them in the right direction. They seem to know almost everyone who walks through the door, which makes for such a nice atmosphere.

And I've just noticed that I always refer to the fact that I'm "visiting" Nan and David, as opposed to going "shopping". Must admit that I kinda like that! However, I never seem to depart without buying more than I went in for. And I'm sure NONE of you can relate to that, right?

My unexpected purchase this time was quite restrained, actually. One ball of Lang Super Soxx Cotton 4-ply yarn in this great blue/green/brown/grey colourway.

And I'm already putting this it to good use by knitting hubby a scarf:You may remember that I was knitting hubby Viking Socks, but I seem to have lost that luvin' feelin' (not for hubby, just lost it for the socks). I still think the cable pattern is outstanding, however, I'm so bored with the yarn (colour and texture) that I actually reorganised my wardrobe to avoid knitting them. That's when you know it's time to just walk away...

Let's talk yarn

2008-06-29T16:56:00.005+01:00

Ok, so I'm working on a new project. I've become somewhat obsessed with it and really hope it turns out as fabulous as I'd like. In other words, it has a lot to live up to! Fingers crossed!

Not going to tell you what it is just yet, as I'd rather talk about the yarn I'm using to knit it. It's Rowan Scottish Tweed Aran in this georgeous soft green, with flecks of yellow and blue. This is the first time I've used this particular yarn and I'm in love!

Up to this point, I've always thought of luxurious yarns as cashmere, angora, silk...you get the idea. Well, this is just 100% pure wool tweed-y luxury. It's absolutely exquisite. I love the feel during knitting and the texture once knitted; love the colour, the smell. Yes, the smell...

More about the actual project in upcoming posts, I'm sure. Right now I'm just going to enjoy the yarn I'm using to knit it.

Progress!

2008-06-21T16:50:00.001+01:00

Hey....guess who actually made some knitting progress??! Here's my 2nd shawl!!!

Again, it's DROPS Shawl with Leaf Pattern knitted in Arucania Ranco Solid 4-ply.

I'd like to thank Mother Nature with holding off on the rain this morning, so DH & I could go out and click some photos at our local park.

I'm SO pleased with the final result. I even managed to crochet a simple chain border around the lower edge (and I'm desperately trying NOT to break my arm patting myself on the back for that one)! Those of you who know me well, know that I'm crochet-impaired, so I'm really tickled with this (minor) accomplishment.

Now, of course, I realise that I have NOTHING in my wardrobe to match turquoise. A bit of shopping might be in order, so I can show this baby off in public a wee bit!

Not fun

2008-06-04T19:55:00.000+01:00

Ok, so being sick was not fun (I'm much better now, thankyouverymuch!), but that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about "not fun" knitting. I'm working on a lace shawl I'm quite excited about:

It's DROPS Design Shawl with Leaf Pattern and I'm knitting it in Arucania Ranco solid 4-ply. The not fun part is that fact that, the pattern, when knitted as written, does not look like the photo. It's too short. So, in between coughing fits last week, I ripped out 6 inches of it and then continued on. Not fun.

I'm also working on a pair of socks for DH:

They are Viking Socks by Lykkefanten . The problem was that the large size was still too tight for my sweetie... which I discovered after getting about 4 inches into the first sock. That was ripped out entirely last Friday and started again. Again, not fun.

My last not fun knit is my Fiddlehead Mitten.

I've finished one. LOVE IT, however, the inside lining is about 4 rows too short, so I'll need to rip it out from the top down to the body and knit 4 more rows before starting to decrease again.

In a nutshell, all of this is making me feel like I'm going nowhere fast, but the end result(s) will be well worth it, right???

Crud

2008-05-23T16:09:00.002+01:00

Managed to come down with a major case of crud last weekend. As a result, not much knitting has been happening this week. Was managing to crawl into work for most of the week and by the time I'd crawled back home, I crawled straight into bed. It got so bad (just LOTS of coughing and snotting about) that I was off work yesterday and had today off anyway. And you know what? I think I've only knitted for about 30 minutes total these last two days in between naps. I've noticed that when I'm ill, not even knitting makes me feel better...very annoying! Well, I'm off for another nap before dinner.

Love at first sight

2008-05-15T10:00:00.001+01:00

When I found the pattern for Adrian Bizilia's Fiddlehead Mittens, it was love at first sight. I realise that most people don't choose warm, woolly mittens as their summertime knitting project, but these are more than just mittens. I swear this is a pattern for little works of art.

Look, look, look!

Even though I've completed one mitt, I'm only 25% finished, as I'm now knitting another (single colour) mitt for the lining. The pattern calls for an i-cord cast on, which was new to me and quite fiddly, however, it's very neat & tidy with a lovely finished edge.

I've also finished the pair of Eyelet and Flame Chevron socks I was working on. These will be a gift for my mom for Mother's Day. Which was last Sunday in the US. She was warned from the start that they would be late. I've said before that I'm not good with knitting deadlines. Besides, isn't it enough that I have to remember to buy a card in March (UK Mother's Day), remember where I put it, then remember to send it in May?! Not that I'm getting defensive or anything...

Yippeeeeee!

2008-05-12T08:29:00.008+01:00

You may remember I mentioned being involved in the UK Swap. Well today was a very exciting day for me, as I received my swap parcel in the post and I have to say that I think my swap partner is completely fabulous! I was so excited that I unwrapped everything before taking pics, but here's the lovely box of goodies I received:

Wowee!! There's a lovely knitting book titled, "Knit: handmade style" and as a result, it looks like there will be some more projects added to my list of projects! Another book, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" I actually really wanted to see the movie, but had heard the book was even better than the film. (How did she know I wanted to read the book?) And two skeins of gorgeous yarn....Mirasol Sulka in a stunning orangey-red and Rowanspun Chunky in a tweedy black. I'm feeling completely pampered and I'm only half-way through the box! Then there was a cute little box of organic Rooibos tea. (Don't think I mentioned to her that I've lately been keeping a box of Rooibos in my desk drawer at work for my afternoon tea. Mind reader!) To accompany a lovely cup of tea, she provided pack of chocolate shortbread, which I managed not to dive into until exactly 2.3 seconds after the 'click' of the camera for the picture above. She also said there was a little 'joke' gift, which I suspect was the "Pet Heaven" knitting booklet, however, I LOVE this. Don't know that I'll be making anything for my dog from it (...see previous post for a detailed explanation), but it's a great laugh with absolutely adorable photos!

I just want to say a big thank you to Manda, my swap partner for her generosity! She obviously took the time to get to know me through my blog and our emails, as her gifts to me hit the mark spot on. Thank you Manda...I feel truly spoiled!! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm in need of another shortbread...

You asked for it

2008-05-07T12:33:00.005+01:00

Ok, not all of you, but Mhairi specifically asked how I know Kippen (my doggie) would eat and then throw up anything I might, perhaps choose to knit for him. First of all, let me just say that I have NEVER knitted anything for my dog. Primarily for the reason stated above. I'd love to be an eccentric dog-lady who hand-knits fair isle sweaters for her dog and proudly prances him about the neighborhood. Let me just say...not gonna happen. Not with this dog.

But I love him to bits. Can't imagine life without him, though someday that will happen. Can you even imagine that with a face like this:

...a demon lurks within? He's a bit of a manipulator, as well. I suppose all dogs that are "well-linked" with their people are manipulators. It's just part of their nature and I love them for it! DH took a photo last year as we were getting ready to go on holiday. EVERY time we bring out the suitcases and start to pack, Kippen assume this position:

At the packing stage, he has figured out that he's going to the kennel the next day and decides to look pathetic. As you can see, he's very good at this. And, as his reward, we always let him sleep on the bed the night before we go on holiday and he heads to the kennel. Not that he minds the kennel in any way, shape or form. They love him and spoil him rotten there. He doesn't give us a second glance as he (all too willingly) romps away at warp speed in their care.

So, how do I know he would devour and then throw up any hand-knitted toy I might toss his way? Well, we adopted him from a rescue in 2001 when he was a year old. When I picked him up from his lovely foster mum, she was quite disappointed. She had given him a soft toy to play with not 5 minutes earlier, and had planned to send him home with it. She looked high and low and couldn't find it. She sighed and said it would probably turn up later. Which it did. Two hours later to be exact. On our living room sofa. I left the room for not 2 minutes and returned to find the remains of a teddy he had thrown up. Eyes, nose, hand, feet, arms and all. In the 7 1/2 years we've owned him, these tendencies have not eased. This is a doggie with issues...baggage. We lived in a 100 year old farm house in Michigan before moving to Scotland and he once caught a mouse, ate it and threw it up on the living room floor. I won't go into any more graphic examples of life with this dog. If you can still believe me, despite his flaws, he really is pure delight.

Deadlines...

2008-04-29T12:25:00.000+01:00

I think I mentioned in my last post that I'm not very good with knitting deadlines. Apparently, that's a lie. I'll be meeting up with a friend on Thurs. who just had a baby boy in March. I started knitting a jumper about two and a half weeks ago for him, finished and washed it last night, and it's drying as I type. Whew!

I've noticed lately that I seem to gift many of my FO's. And to non-knitters at that. I'm very fortunate that most people I've knitted for have gushed repeatedly...which, of course, is the appropriate thing to do. For example, I knitted a couple baby hats for this aforementioned friend while she was pregnant. She couldn't wait to tell me when she packed her bag for the eventual trip to hospital that the hats were the first thing to go in! Then she said she wanted her baby's first pics to be taken in one of the hats, and he would certainly leave hospital to go home wearing one of them. Awwwwww! How great do you think I felt about that?

So here's the the jumper I've knitted for the little lad:

It's Celestial Baby Sweater by Lucy Neatby in Regia Die Sockenwolle (Kaffe Fassett colourway). Those of you who know me well, probably know that I'm really not into all things baby, however, I do think this is really cute! And when I say I'm not into all things baby, I mean that I'd probably rather knit stuff for my dog if it wasn't for the fact that he'd just eat it and then throw it up on the sofa. (...ask me how I know this.)

Weekends

2008-04-21T08:35:00.007+01:00

Don't you just love the weekend? And, if you're anywhere near the west of Scotland, you must have LOVED this past weekend. Actually, the whole week was full of sunshine and blue skies, which rarely happens for that many consecutive days, here. DH and I decided Saturday evening, as we were watching a DVD of Disney's Lady and the Tramp (one of my favs...and I didn't hear him complaining!) to head off for a hike Sunday morning, as it looked like the weather was going to continue to be fabulous.

We drove in our newly acquired motorized vehicle to Balmaha - on the shores of Loch Lomond - and hiked up Conic Hill. The elevation was about 350 meters, so a good workout, but not exhausting. It took about 2 1/2 hours, though it would have been less if we hadn't stopped so frequently in awe of the view:

On the knitting front, I've finished one of the Eyelet and Flame Chevron Socks by Edina Tien. This was yet another free pattern I found through Ravelry! The yarn is Cherry Tree Hill merino sock yarn in Blossom colourway. So far, I think these are the prettiest socks I've knitted to date. And the pattern was actually quite easy to memorize, which is always good for knitting on the go!

I've decided these will be a Mother's Day gift to my mom in California. However, seeing as Mother's Day is only a few weeks away, and the post generally takes 7-10 days to get there, AND I've only been knitting these on my commute and sometimes at my knitting group....I've warned her they may be just a wee bit late.

Besides, I'm not very good with knitting deadlines...

On location

2008-04-18T10:08:00.003+01:00

Can't believe it's been almost 2 weeks since my last post. Feels like only a few days. I know time flies when you're having fun, but it also flies when you're just crazy-busy! A brief driving update...passed my driving theory test last weekend! Whew! Bought a used car, which we procured into our possession last weekend! Whew, again! (DH got his license last year, so he's my chauffeur for the time being...) Now I'll just continue with my driving lessons until my very nice instructor thinks I'm ready for the practical test.

Now for a quick (sort of) knitting update. Remember my reference to my friend GAK (Genuine Appreciator of Knitting)? Well, she was kind enough to send a photo of the Ampersand socks I sent her "on location" on the shores of Lake Michigan.

I must say, they truly look like they are enjoying themselves...sunbathing at the beach and enjoying some quality leisure time. Hmmm...my (gifted) socks are living a better life than me. Must go...I have a sudden urge to search for holidays online.

Knitting Dilemma

2008-04-06T16:07:00.001+01:00

Before I present my knitting dilemma, I'm happy to report that I managed NOT to run anyone down during my driving lesson for two consecutive weeks! And I think I've discovered I might be capable of learning to adapt my driving to UK standards. The jury's still out as to whether I can retain what I learn from week to week, though...

As for my knitting dilemma, I've been knitting Pipkin cropped cardi, but I'm not loving it. Did a gauge swatch and the measurements are all coming out as they should. However, I don't think the yarn is actually a good compliment for the pattern. I feel like it's going to look more like I shrunk it in the wash than a "stylishly" cropped cardi. I'm at the point where I should give up and frog, however, the yarn doesn't frog well. It kind of binds together when knitted, sort of like mohair or angora, but then looks rather pathetic after being pulled back. I keep trying to forge ahead, but really want to give up, I just don't want to have to bin all of this beautiful yarn.

Think I'll have to let it lie for a while until I can't stand to look at it anymore. Wait until I'm inspired by the knitting gods to deal with it.

Full of surprises

2008-04-02T18:26:00.003+01:00

So, just after I posted photos of my lovely gifts this morning, yet ANOTHER one worked it's way through the slot in my door...

This one is from Nan and David at Stitching Time in Hamilton. Two balls of luscious Laines du Nord 100% cashmere. Wowee! Plus some marking pins, as well as handmade card with knitted pressie on the front.

So, I said earlier that I'd been spoiled. It's now gone beyond spoiled. I've been thinking all day what I'm going to do with each of these and I've decided that I need to quickly become independently wealthy, so I can quit my job and spend more time planning and knitting all of the projects that are floating around in my head!

Thank you so much to everyone who treated me!!

More birthday news

2008-04-02T09:11:00.000+01:00

First off, let me say that I’m happy to report that there were no road casualties near where I live on Saturday. In other words, my driving lesson went surprisingly well. AND I remembered to drive on the LEFT! We’ll see how things go next Saturday…

Ok just to drag my birthday out a bit longer, I want to show off some of my pressies! Let me tell ya, I made out quite well!

First of all, India sent me an online voucher to Amazon, which was my excuse to go a bit wild (ok, so my definition of "wild" had changed over the years...) and purchase these three lovely knitting books for myself:

Next, Lilith gave me some of her amazing Old Maiden Aunt Silk(55%)/Cashmere (45%) 2 ply in this stunning hand-dyed purple colourway, as well as a big bag of matching beads, with accompanying Waves in the Square shawl pattern. I wish you could just reach into the screen and feel how amazingly soft it is this yarn is!

AND to top things off, Kathleen gave me two balls of Habu Silk Mohair Kusa (60% mohair, 40%silk) And just look at that colour! I love earth tones and the peachy/apricot colour is just gorgeous! Perfect for spring! This is especially exciting, because I hadn't even heard of Habu yarn before. This just gives me yet another yarn company to explore!

All in all I've been quite spoiled. I should turn 40 again next year...

On the road again

2008-03-29T11:05:00.003Z

A few weeks ago I commented on how life had been a bit crazy-busy and had taken me away from knitting and blogging a bit. Well, I've been distracted again this week and one of the things keeping me from my preferred activities is the fact that I'm working on getting a driving license. Not that I haven't driven before. Actually drove for (gulp) 22 years prior to moving to Scotland. (Can't believe I can actually say that!!) But now it's been almost 3 years since I've driven, as DH & I liked the environmentally friendly idea of using public transport when we moved here. Now, I think some things will be changing that will actually require me to have a car...oh yeah, and a license to drive.

Been studying diligently for the theory exam and I have my first driving lesson this afternoon. (Note to self: Drive on the LEFT.) I'm really curious how it will feel to be behind the wheel after nearly 3 years! (Plus I have to remember to drive on the LEFT.) Please keep your fingers crossed that old habits are NOT hard to break and that I remember to drive on the LEFT...

Will report back soon. Hopefully will not be banned from the streets! (leftleftleftleftleft....)

Thanks!

2008-03-25T09:19:00.014Z

Just wanted to say thanks for all of the kind birthday wishes! I'm happy to report that, yes, I did turn 40 last Friday. I'm even happier to report that I'm not phased by that number. I was curious if turning 40 would bother me, but it hasn't. Not yet, at least...

It's amazing how a few days away really recharges the batteries. As I mentioned in my last post, DH & I headed off to Wales for 4 nights to celebrate the big occasion. We stayed at a B&B in the town of Betws-y-Coed in northern Snowdonia. DH had arranged for a lovely bottle of Champagne and flowers upon our arrival:

And the entire trip was fabulous. Except, of course, for the fact that I phoned the Colinette factory store on the way to Wales, only to be told that they were closed until after Easter. Let me just say that Easter rarely falls so close to my birthday. I allowed myself just a twinge of self-pity that the two coincided so closely THIS year. Just a twinge. And then, somehow, I managed to enjoy myself. And, just to prove it, here is a picture of me exploring Dolwyddelan Castle, no yarn in site, yet I still appear to be smiling!

I even managed a bit of knitting while away. Heather has arranged a flower swap in honour of spring for Glasgow Knit 'n Stitch. I decided to make this flower my "car project", though I forgot to bring any sort of pattern along. I'm actually quite shocked it turned out, because, in addition to having no pattern, as I was also required to navigate and, at times, found myself paying far more attention to road maps than what was happening on my needles!

Lordy, Lordy, look who's 40

2008-03-18T11:16:00.000Z

Um, yeah, that would be me. And I'm about to head off to Wales for a few days to celebrate the big event. Snowdonia to be (somewhat) exact. Haven't been to Wales yet, since moving here in Aug. 2005, so I'm really looking forward to it. And, as luck would have it, the Colinette Mill Shop is on the way. Well, it's on the way if you head about 53 miles south of where we're staying to stretch your legs before heading on to the B & B...

Before I go, here's a photo of my finished Ampersand Socks in Crystal Palace Yarns Panda Cotton.

Love how soft the yarn is and it really holds the shape well. The problem is that the finished product is just a wee bit tight on my foot. That's why I decided to send them to a good friend of mine in Michigan (USA). She's a Genuine Appreciator of Knitting (GAK)! I know a lot of knitters prefer to knit things only for other knitters, as so many non-knitters don't really understand what goes into each project. However, my buddy GAK is still raving about socks I gave her 18 months ago and a scarf I sent her for Christmas in 2006. When she's not wearing the socks, I think she may sleep with them under her pillow. At least that's the impression she's given me. I guess if she wants me to make more stuff for her, that's the right impression to give, as I've decided to send the Ampersand socks her way seeing as her foot is 1/2 size smaller than mine.

Ok, I'm off. Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me...

Completion

2008-03-09T11:04:00.005Z

I'm happy to report that I have two more FOs! I love starting new projects, but I like finishing even more. I admire people who have a dozen or more projects on the go at any one time, however, I need the gratification of finishing something fairly often to keep myself going. Maybe I have a fear of commitment? Can't commit to any project for too long.

Here's the completed Shetland Triangle!!! Wheee!

I blocked it last weekend, which was an amazing process. I held my crumpled little pile of stitched up for my husband and asked if he thought it could amount to much and he replied, "not much more than a kerchief". Then the blocking took place...what a fabulous process to watch all those little stitches set into their place and come to life. As a first lace project, I'm pleased with it. I just wish it was 100% perfect, which it's not. And neither am I, I just want what I create to be perfect. I do absolutely love how the colourway looks with this pattern, though. I know I said this before, but it is Old Maiden Aunt merino laceweight yarn, which was hand died by my friend TigerLilith. Isn't it beautiful?!

Well, I'm running out of time, so I'll have to post photos of my (finally) finished Ampersand Socks next time!

Resurfacing

2008-03-09T10:54:00.008Z

Ok, so life became really crazy for any number of reasons recently and I've been neglecting my blog (obviously). Though life is still a bit crazy, I'm feeling a bit more in control of it. Nothing horrible going on, but not stuff that I want to announce to all the world here at this point.

One item of craziness this week was the death of our beloved boiler. The only reason I refer to our boiler as "beloved" is that we were damn cold and in need of a shower for the few days we were without it! It's no wonder they can charge so much for those things. After a few days of no heat or hot water, you're willing to pay anything to get them back!

Ok, first item of business, in may last post, I was lamenting the outcome of my first hand-dyed yarn project. Once I was able to step back from it for a few days, I decided it wasn't all that bad after all. It just wasn't anything like what I was going for. Anyway, here it is:

The downside is that when I knitted sock-sized swatch, all of the yellow lined up on top of itself, as did the orange, with brown interspersed. I even measured the length of yarn per row prior to dying to try to randomize the pattern as much as possible, but certainly failed on that count. I definitely want to try again (and again and again), though, as there's something quite gratifying about the whole process.

I've managed to make some progress on a couple knitting projects as well. Just need to take photos to post next time!

The Learning Process

2008-02-08T16:37:00.000Z

Before I go on about myself, if you haven't already, check out what TigerLilith is up to! There's some really cool fund raising going on for cancer research and fabulous knitterly prizes to those who contribute!

I've been admiring so many hand-dyed yarns, both up close and personal and on-line that I've been wanting to experiment with this myself. This week I received a shipment of (cheap) superwash wool sock yarn and a sampler kit of Jacquard acid dyes. I had today off work, so I decided to lock myself away and have at it, which is actually a bit of a shame, as it was quite bright and sunny for most of the day and I missed it - and you never know when the bright sunshine will present itself again this time of year!

Anyway, here's what it looked like just before all of the action started:

And what did it look like after the fact? Well, you'll just have to wait and see, as my yarn is "cooking" even as I type. Here are some things I learned today:

1) This was not nearly as messy as I'd expected, which was one reason for my not having attempted this sooner. If anyone is capable of making a mess, it's me.
2) I thought it would be difficult to keep the colours from bleeding together in the colourway. It wasn't.
3) I thought it might be difficult to get the colours to "meet" without overlapping or leaving small bits of yarn undyed. It wasn't.
4) Most importantly, I learned that the colour of the dye on paper looks vastly different when mixed in the cup, and even more vastly different on the yarn.

I had this amazing colourway I'd been visualising and putting together in my mind all week. It's still in my head...it's gorgeous! What is actually on the yarn is quite hideous. Seriously. I think this will be the most difficult thing to master. Getting the colours on the yarn to match what I see in my head.

I promise to post a picture when the yarn is dry and skeined. Just please don't laugh. Actually, laughing might be ok, I already have...

A Cap and a Cuppa

2008-02-03T14:18:00.000Z

It is a grey, windy, rainy afternoon in the west of Scotland, so I'm quite happy to be sitting here with a cup of tea knitting and blogging about knitting. I'm also happy to report that the cabled chemo cap I was working on is well and truly finished. Seemed to take ages for a number of reasons. 1) I did a gauge swatch and it lied. 2) The centre band required 5 cables every other row. 3)I started the centre band in the wrong colour, had to frog and start again. 4)I came down with a mild version of the plague and spent a few early evenings lying in bed feeling sorry for myself.

So, here is the completed hat.

I have to say, I'm really pleased with the outcome. The cabling on the centre band forced me to finally take that leap of faith and try cabling without a cable needle. Of course now, as with many things, I'm wondering why I didn't try this sooner.

Now to bring you up to date on my other projects.

This pile of Shetland Triangle stitches

has grown into this pile of Shetland Triangle stitches

However, when stretched just so, it does appear that it might actually emerge into lace someday.

And I've managed to complete one Ampersand sock.

I've also completed the back of my Pipkin cropped cardi, however, I forgot to take a photo, so I'm afraid that one will just have to wait, as blogger and I have been in a bit of a battle today regarding where the photos will be placed on my page. Thus, this has taken me much longer than planned and, right now I'm winning, which means it's time to stop and head back to the sofa with my cuppa and a project or two!

UK Swap Quesionnaire

2008-01-28T08:25:00.000Z

Well, I'm very excited today, as I've signed up for my first swap. For those of you reading who aren't familiar with this, here's the deal. Everybody who signs up is assigned someone to spoil by sending a package with some yummy yarn and other treats. So I, of course, will know who I am sending my spoils to, but will have no idea who is going to be spoiling me until I receive a package. Clear as mud?

As part of this, I need to post answers to a questionnaire here, so my swap partner can get to know me a bit and, by default, so will the rest of you! Here we go:

Part One:

CraftingDo you knit, crochet, or both?
Knitknitknit. I think I'm a bit defective when it comes to crochet, but I'd like to learn enough to be able to do some nice border work for knitted projects.

What do you like to make?
Just getting into lace knitting and loving it! Want to make more sweaters, as I finally had a positive sweater experience. Need instant gratification projects like socks (somewhat addicted), mittens, and scarves to keep me going when committed to bigger projects.

Do you have a favourite project?
Every time I finish something that turns out well, I get all excited and it becomes my favorite for a while. Currently, my favorite is my Summer Lace Shawlette.

Do you have a favourite type of fiber or brand of yarn?
I tend to prefer natural fibers. Don't really have a favorite brand, as I feel like I'm always wanting to try something new. I'm quite happy with a nice, soft merino wool, but like to splash out on something indulgent for myself once in a while.

Do you have a least favourite type of yarn?
Not really into knitting with novelty yarns.

Do you do any other crafts?
I would if there were more hours in the day.

What knitting do you bring ‘on the go’?
Socks, mittens, gloves

What do you carry your ‘on the go’ knitting in? Do you want something new?
A ziplock bag because it fits well into the bag I carry to work (I knit on the train to and from work.) Something new? Now there's an idea! You mean I could use something else?? ;-)

Are there any knitting gifts (book, toy, yarn, item, tool) that you have been lusting over?

Books - The Best of Interweave Knits, Victorian Lace Today, Sensational Knitted Socks, The Knitters Handy Book of Sweater Patterns, Latvian Mittens. Whew!
Toy - Ball winder
Yarn - Anything soft and cushy

Part Two: Your Favourites

What is your favourite colour?
Earth tones - orange, rust, brown, gold, yellow, green

What is your least favourite colour?
Pink

What scents/smells do you like?
Love the smell of baking bread or cookies, vanilla, cinnamon. Also natural scents like lavender, rose, bergamot, citrus.

What don’t you like?
Allergic to most perfumes

How do you like to pamper yourself? (bubble bath, hand creams, massage, manicure)
Curling up on the sofa with my knitting or a good book and a cup of hot chocolate on a rainy day.

What goodies to you like to treat your tummy with? (chocolate, biscuits, truffles, etc.)
White chocolate is an obsession, love truffles and liqueur chocolates.

Do you prefer tea or coffee while you knit? Any particular kind? Favourite mug/cup?
Yogi Licorice herbal tea (or any decaf herbal tea).

Do you listen to/watch anything while you knit? (TVshow-Along, movies, music, podcasts)
Generally watch TV, but getting into podcasts.

Part Three: Living & Past-times

Where do you live in the UK? (General idea not address)
Glasgow, Scotland

Have you always lived here, or did you grow up somewhere else?
Have lived here for 2 1/2 years. Grew up in Michigan, USA. Also lived in California and New York.

If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Put a map on the wall and throw a dart! I want to go everywhere! If I had to narrow it down, I'd probably focus on European countries, so it's very convenient that I live where I do, eh?

If you couldn’t go to a knitting group, what other kind of gathering would you go to? (book club, tea party, yoga class, jewelery class, etc.)
What?? No knitting group? Ummm...book club, gourmet cooking classes and wine tasting classes would probably be at the top of the list.

What’s your style? (elegant, traditional, glamourous, girly, natural, sporty, outgoing, etc.)

Ha! My style is that I have no sense of style...really! Looking at the list above, I'd say I'm definitely not elegant, glamorous, or girly. I guess I'd say I'm quite natural. Though I do wear some makeup, I'm most comfortable in jeans and a sweater or simple top.

Final Part:Any allergies/preferences (fiber-wise or treat-wise)?
No fiber allergies. Allergic to most perfumes. No food allergies.

Anything we missed that you’d like your partner to know?
Just want to say thank you for taking the time to read this and wanting to put together a little package of goodies for me!

I've been tagged...

2008-01-25T19:50:00.001Z

Ok, so I said I wasn't going to blog again until I'd finished the hat I mentioned in my last post, but I've been tagged by Heather! However, there's really no way I can do justice to this task, after viewing her blog on this subject. Check it out, if you haven't already!

Here are the rules:
Link to the person that tagged you.
Post the rules on your blog.
Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.
Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.

ONE:
When I eat a sandwich, I eat around it, crust first, to save the inner-most and best part for last.

TWO:
Come to think of it, I eat all of my meals that way. Whatever part of the meal I like least, I eat first, pushing the best bits around the plate until there's nothing left but the best bits, then I savour them at the end. (Of course, sometimes I'm then too full to eat the best bits, which puts me in a foul mood for the rest of the day...)

THREE:
When I go to bed during the colder months of the year, my nose whistles for about 30 minutes when I breath and I can't fall asleep until it stops.

FOUR:
Thanks to Kathleen, on my next birthday, I will suddenly regress 19 years and turn 21.

FIVE:
I like the weather in Scotland better than where I came from in Michigan, USA, where it was too hot in summer and cold in winter. I do miss the snow a bit, but hot sunny days make me break out in a rash and frequently one of my eyes will become red, irritated, and swell shut.

...I'm painting an attractive picture of myself, aren't I?

SIX:
I'm not really into shopping, unless it's for yarn and other various knitting supplies. My least favourite form of shopping is for clothes and shoes.

Ok, time for me to tag six people, however, I'm still new to this blogging thing, so I've got four I'll tag: Kathleen, Elaine, Mhairi, and Lilith. (I'd tag India, but I think she might still be buried under boxes.)

Perspective

2008-01-23T17:37:00.000Z

On a somber note, I have a colleague who was diagnosed with breast cancer 3 days after Christmas. She went through surgery last week and will soon start chemotherapy and radiation. I’m not close enough to this person to call her a friend outside of work, but I’ve worked with her for almost 3 years and she’s a delight. Every time I know someone who is diagnosed with cancer, it makes me take a step back and examine what’s really important in life. It could just as easily have been me.

I also find in these situations that I really want to do something, but realistically, there’s not much I can do. It is likely that with chemotherapy that she will lose her hair. Therefore, one very small token gesture I can contribute is a soft, snugly cap she can wear around the house and at night. I went out today and purchased
some Rowan Calmer from John Lewis in Glasgow. I did some reading on Ravelry and discovered that many people receiving chemotherapy become quite sensitive to animal fibers, even if they’ve had no previous skin allergies. Rowan Calmer was one of the recommended yarns to knit with for those receiving chemo. At this point, the other projects I’m working on (and blogging) will be set to the back burner for a few days while I make a little cap and then pop it into the post with warm wishes for a full recovery.

The pattern I am going to use is for this chemotherapy cap designed by Anne Miller.

I also visited Nan at Stitching Time in Hamilton today. Nan is a fellow Glasgow Knit 'n Stitch-er, though we rarely attend the same meetups, so I don't see her very often which I think is a fabulous excuse to go visit her at her shop periodically! I was fortunate enough to receive a voucher to Stitching time from a (non-knitting) friend for Christmas, so I spent it and a little bit more on some Louise Harding Kimono Angora for a scarf that I indend to make for her as a thank you for the voucher. She may not get it until next Christmas, though...

My Weekend

2008-01-20T19:32:00.000Z

I just emailed this little story to a friend of mine and decided I would post it here, as it so typically represents my life. Hope it makes you laugh just a little...

A couple months ago, Ichanged my hair colour. I was going for dark auburn, but ended up with super-dark brown with a hint of auburn when the light hit it just right. Actually, it was a lovely colour, just not on someone as pastey pale as me. Kind of made me look like a vampire.

I tried twice to lighten it with light-auburn shades, but it just went darker.

I decided this was the weekend to conquer my hair. I stopped at Morrison's on my way to the train station Friday night after work. DH texted me that he got on the wrong train home and was thoroughly annoyed. So I picked up a cake for after dinner to make him feel better. Grabbed a box of BLONDE hair colour in an attempt to force my hair to lighten a little. Then walked by a display of red wine, normally £8 on sale for £3. Never one to pass a good bargain, I grabbed a bottle. Got to the checkout and realised that I was purchasing a cake, a bottle of wine, and a box of "drastic" hair colour. Plus, I'm not allowed to wear rings at work (hospital hand-hygiene thing), so no wedding ring on. WOW, to those around me, I must have looked like I'd been dumped by a boyfriend, so I was going home to get drunk, eat a whole cake, and turn myself into a blonde!

Coloured my hair Friday night...NO CHANGE. Grrrrrr!

Saturday, decided I had to buy stripper to remove the dye from my hair. It's basically a combination of bleach and peroxide that you're supposed to leave on your hair for an hour. That scared the crap out of me. I did it, but kept checking how light it was getting, expecting it to just fall out after all of the colouring I'd done to it. After about 35-40 min, I panicked and thought it was getting too light, so washed it out. Unfortunately, it left me with hair the colour of a neon carrot. Worse still, the roots which had grown out about 1" ended up being almost platinum blonde. I had a another box of colour that I'd collected during this saga, sort of a golden blonde, and spent 45 minutes applying it to my roots and hyperventilating. Well, I did manage to at least match my roots to the rest of my head, but it still meant that my head was orange! AND, at this point, Bruce and I needed to be heading out, as we had a dinner booking and tickets to a concert. So, off I went with glowing carrot coloured hair. Not one of my better moments in life.

Besides all of this, DH was sanding walls in the kitchen Saturday and Sunday to smooth out the plaster. He taped drop cloths over the doorway, counter-tops and cabinets. However, as we discovered this afternoon, copious amounts of dust still managed to settle in all of the cupboards and drawers. We then spent the next 4 hours not only cleaning dust from every surface, crack, and crevasse in the kitchen, but then had to remove every item from every cabinet/drawer and then clean said items and inside cabinets. Dear GOD.

Early in the day, I'd managed to procure yet another box of hair colour...drab light brown...and, after clearing the plaster-dust from my lungs, eyes, and nasal passages, I slopped this over my over-processed head. And guess what??? I now have my own natural hair colour back! Plain, ordinary brown!! Never been so happy with my own hair colour!

Now I need a glass of that wine I bought Friday night...

Blind Date

2008-01-17T08:25:00.000Z

What do you think might happen if we introduced the pattern Pipkin ...

...to this pile of Lang Mille Colori?

To be honest, I’m not quite sure *exactly* what will happen when these two get to know each other well, however, their initial response to each other seems quite positive...

Let's hope this is the beginning of a beeeeuuutiful friendship!

I bought his yarn at Fankle’s closing sale in December (tearful sniffles). Got it at 40% off (joyous squeals)! Of course, I'm never organised enough about these things. Yarn sales, that is. Had a couple patterns in the back of my mind for which I was considering buying yarn.

Did I look at the pattern before I left the house?? Nope.

Did I check yarn quantities required?? Nope.

It's probably obvious from this narration that I didn't buy enough Lang Mille Colori to make what I'd originally intended. Hence, Pipkin (by Jane Ellison in the book Naturally Noro)...a cropped, 3/4 sleeve cardi came onto the scene. Do really like it, though. Unfortunately, I'm not even 100% sure I have enough yarn to make this. Sooooo...if someday when Pipkin is complete, you see photos with a solid colour yarn making up the lower part of the sleeve or collar, you'll realise just how lacking my yarn quantity calculations really are.

Back to Reality

2008-01-13T11:06:00.001Z

I must say that I had some time off over the holidays and thoroughly enjoyed the extra knitting time. Well, the holiday’s are now officially over and I’ve been officially back to my normal work schedule. That means less knitting time. Yes, it’s a sad truth in life that I must work and contribute to paying the mortgage/bills. As much as I’d love knitting to be a full time venture, I’m afraid it would lead to us being homeless…AND I’d have no money for yarn. Better keep that paycheck coming in!

Here’s another project I have on the go. It’s my current “train knitting” project for the commute to/from work. It’s sock number one of Ampersand and I’m knitting it in Crystal Palace Panda Cotton (55% bamboo, 25% cotton, 20% nylon) in the Fall Herbs colourway. This is a really soft yarn and such nice colours!The nice thing about this project is that it’s really quite versatile! Not only is it my train knitting project, it easily adapts itself to become my knitting group project. Basically, that just means it doesn’t take much brain-power, so I can be social. I’ve tried semi-challenging projects at knitting group and I usually go home with less on the needles than I started with. I have, however, managed to master walking and chewing gum at the same time, but haven't managed to translate that skill into reading a pattern, knitting it, and chatting all at once.

The photos above aren't current, as I've managed to turn the heel and do a bit of the gusset shaping, just don't have time at the moment to update the photo, but will in a future post!

Confidence

2008-01-09T19:03:00.000Z

I’ve been considering my last post and I’m thinking it sounds a little lacking in the confidence area. Now, I don’t have self-esteem issues or general confidence problems. It’s just that, when it comes to knitting, I look at each and every stitch and almost can’t believe I made it. With each project I complete I want to show it off and shout to the world, “Look what I did! Me! All by myself!” And I don’t think that desire is ever going to wear off. But, as we all know, the world at large doesn’t understand the satisfaction gained from a knitting job well done. Sigh… That’s why I love my knitting group (Glasgow Knit ‘n Stitch). Well, I love my group for many reasons, but a biggie is the fact that we genuinely “ooooo” and “ahhhhh” over each others’ creations and appreciate each and every little wrap of yarn that went into their development.

When I grow up...

2008-01-07T08:54:00.000Z

Ok, so I mentioned last time that I want to hone my knitting skills in the area of lace knitting. I’ve started working on my first beautiful lace shawl. Well, that statement may be a bit premature. Actually, I’m working on what I’m hoping will grow up to be my first beautiful lace shawl.

I almost don’t believe for a minute that this pile of stitches

could possibly grow up to be this in adulthood

That stunning shawl was created by my friend over at twelfthknit. Doesn't she do amazing work? It’s Shetland Triangle by Evelyn Clark, from the book Wrap Style. I just keep telling myself that my little caterpillar may one day emerge as a beautiful butterfly.

The yarn I'm using is Old Maiden Aunt merino laceweight, which was hand dyed by my friend Lilith. It was a little luxury I treated myself to a few months ago. It's super-soft...kind of like knitting a cloud!

The concern I have with knitting this pattern is that I'm very much an instant gratification knitter. Long-term commitment is not really my thing (except when it comes to my hubby and my dog)! I'm having to knit this on 3.25mm needles, which means I may be at it for the next decade. Sighs and chains self to sofa to work on shawl for the entire day. (And pretends to be upset about it...)

That's Cheating!

2008-01-04T11:54:00.000Z

Ok, so I’m going to cheat just a wee bit here by saying that my Summer Lace Shaw let te by Sandi Wiseheart (Interweave Knits, summer 2006) is my first FO of 2008. I have to confess that saying I finished it in 2008 might be considered by some to be an eensy-bit deceptive, as I officially finished the knitting on 30/12/07 and washed-conditioned-blocked it on 31/12/07. However, it wasn’t dry until 2/1/08 and there were a few ends that I needed to re-weave in.

So I am going to say that it wasn’t officially finished until 2/1/08 because I want to have the whole year to think of this as my first FO of the year!

The yarn is Louisa Harding Kimono Angora and it’s so luscious and soft, and the colours are so fantastic that I want to make many, many things with it. Pure heaven!

I’m hoping to use this project as my stepping stone into the world of lace knitting. Of course, I’ve knitted feather and fan, and similar stitch patterns, but I want to conquer more intricate, beautiful lace shawls. Stay tuned to find out if this dream turns into reality…

Happy New Year

2008-01-01T11:01:00.000Z

Well, here it is. The first day of 2008. Last night I held a little conversation with myself that involved me promising myself not to make any resolutions or take on any new challenges just because it's a new year. So, what was the first thought that entered my head when my eyes opened this morning?

Let's start a blog!

What?? Where did this thought come from. I've been determined not to do just that, as I feel like my free time (aka, time used to knit) is limited as it is and a blog would just eat into that free (knitting) time. Right? So, for me, this is a challenge, a commitment. Just what I promised myself less than 24 hours ago I wouldn't jump into. Sigh...

Now, I don't expect that I will be particularly good at this. Nor do I expect I will be terribly consistent. But it does intrigue me, so I'm going to give it a go. Essentially, I expect most of my posts to be related to knitting, a craft to which I've become somewhat, if not entirely, addicted to over the past couple of years. My fear with writing this blog is that I may not have nearly enough in the way of projects to post or topics of interest to discuss, as I never really have that much on the go at any one time.

I'll kick things off with two photos of recent FOs that I'm quite proud of. You see, I've known the basics of knitting for many years. It's only in the past 2 years that I've attempted anything with SHAPE (i.e., items that aren't 4 sided such as scarves, throws, face cloths, etc.). Not sure what took me so long, though best not to analyze too deeply as I might not like what I see!

The mittens were just kind of funky and fun. They may be worn out by the end of winter, as I wear them every single day! As for the sweater, it fits, the yarn is fabulous (Jaeger Extra Fine Merino Aran) and the pattern was great (used the sweater calculator on http://www.knittingfool.com/). I've only made two other sweaters and they just didn't work out as planned, so the fact that this one is exactly what I wanted has motivated me to commit to more, more, more!