Knit Knitty Knit Knit

Squeal!

2009-03-29T11:23:00.003+11:00

So I'm finally going to post Laminaria. The reason I haven't is that I wanted to get some photo's of the shawl being worn, and I just kept forgetting to get it done. So here it is at last:

And of course the knitter's perv shots:

And the details? Okay.

The pattern is Laminaria by Elizabeth Freeman from the Spring 2008 edition of Knitty (although I changed part of the pattern, which I now think was unnecessary).

The wool is Bendigo Woollen Mills 2 ply in Guava. It's 100% wool and incredibly inexpensive for what you get. I used 4mm needles because I wanted a nice open loopy lace.

So the pattern? I loved it absolutely and completely and utterly. It was an adventure for me, although of course the middle pattern which repeats 17 times did get a bit repetitive, but never dull, because each row of the pattern repeat is so different. Every type of double decrease that exists is in this baby: k3tog, sssk, sk2p and s2kp! There are subtle differences between all of them! We have turning 2 into 9 sts, 3 into 9 sts, and if you do the star pattern of the first part of the pattern, 1 into 3, 3 into 3 and 3 into 2! Having said all this, it certainly isn't difficult if you keep your wits about you. With the BWM 2 ply, the shawl has such a lovely drape and is quite elegant. Highly recommended!

I notice that Elizabeth Freeman has published another shawl pattern on Knitty, Aeolian. Looks beautiful too.

So I finished Laminaria quite a while ago now, and I haven't stopped knitting at all. I finally picked up my Sexy Guernsey again, which had been sitting 60% done in the stack for about 2 years. It's now 95% done:

Here's a detail shot of the cable and moss stitch:

This is a Frankenstein sort of a design. I love Elizabeth Zimmermann's seamless sweater with the percentage system, and have adapted it to several different patterns. My grandmother has been knitting traditional fisherman's guernseys and jerseys for many years with lovely complex patterning on the chest and upper arms. I suppose when I started this guernsey it was to give her ideas a go, except that I didn't want to do it the proper way! The proper way is to start at the bottom of the body working around and around, work up to the armpit, work the chest front and back back and forth, join at the shoulders, pick up stitches at the arm holes and knit the sleeves down from there. The result is of course a dropped sleeve, and I forgot to mention that there is an armpit gusset too. Well that's all well and good, but I just adore EZ's seamless raglan system, and I also like clothes to be fairly well fitted, so this is the result of this mish-mash. I stuck with a simple 2 by 2 cable on moss stitch background panels firstly because I wouldn't wear it if it was too busy, and secondly because there is a photo of a fellow wearing a guernsey with this pattern in Gladys Thompson's wonderful book Patterns for Guernseys, Jerseys, and Arans: Fishermen's Sweaters from the British Isles and for some reason the lovely texture of the moss stitch with the small cables really caught my eye. The idea of my particular design is that the body, 180 sts, worked plain up to just under my bust, would be about the right circumference to fit my lower torso, and the moss and cable design, which is only worked on the body over the boob area, not on the back as it is in the traditional design, would expand to fit my boobs since moss stitch creates a larger fabric per stich compared to plain knitting. Does that all make sense? Hopefully after a couple of reads!

I'm just coming up to the collar in a few more rows, then I'll graft the armpits together and away we go! I can't quite decide about the collar. I keep changing my mind between plain round collar or a square opening with a lower front. I think circular is the way to go. There are a couple more details of this particular jumper where I have tried to be a smarty pants, but I'll discuss them another time, because my brain is dissolving as I write. Just can't seem to work at the computer very long.
I have had so many ideas for knitting, all my own designs, and I can't seem to stop the ideas flowing, which is painful because I'm too busy! Next I have to make hubby's Norwegian sweater, as Winter is approaching. There won't be much in the way of design going into it, because it's modelled on a cardy he already has which his (Norwegian) great aunt knitted for his father many moons ago. It will be fun, as it will involve steeks and other such craziness, and it won't get boring because there'll always be colour patterns to keep track of, but I can't wait till that is over because I have so many exciting ideas I just want to squeal with excitement when I think about them!

Lace Love

2009-03-02T11:08:00.003+11:00

Firstly, congratualtions to Bells for her winning knitting in the Canberra Show! Couldn't have gone to anyone more deserving I say!
So the Long Lacy Summer is over, and what have I achieved? Where to begin? I'll start with tangible achievements. Finished items were Swallowtail Shawl #1, Coronet #1 and Coronet #2. All happy achievements. I particularly enjoyed the doilies. The rows are constantly changing, so there's always something to keep you on your toes. Swallowtail was good, but a little simple, especially once I had the pattern repeat drummed into my head through repetition. The nupps were a new challenge though, and I'm certainly not frightened of them any more.

Now unfinished items. Swallowtail #2 languishes miserably on the bottom shelf of my knitting shelf. I had accidentally done more repeats that I needed to, so I thought I would just make it a bit bigger instead, and then of course I ran out of yarn. I found more of it for sale on a few sites, two in Germany and one in France, but as it was just before xmas I just thought I'd wait till after when I would have money to spare, but whaddayaknow, I can no longer find those websites! So, either I'll be ripping it back to the correct number of repeats, or attempting to re-write the pattern again to fit in the yarn I have. Sigh. I'll just put it back on the shelf for the moment...

And the other unfinished, my beloved Laminaria! Oh I love this shawl so much. I did get a little tired of the seventeen repeats of the eight-row blossom pattern, which of course expands every row, but I am on the edging now and just loving it. In fact, I am only 9 rows away from the end!

I wish I could have had it finished by February 28, but of course life gets in the way. I love this shawl so much. I just can't wait to wear it. I'm planning to make a shawl pin to go with it. Have I mentioned that I'm a gold and silver smith? Well I am. I'll do a full blurb on the joys of this pattern when I finish it as well as what my next lacey plan is.

I have had so much fun knitting lace this Summer. I have learned amazing things and feel confident that I could knit anything now. I have been searching around for more challenging patterns and have started developing my own lace patterns. I'm hoping, when I find the time, to write up some patterns for people to try out. Lace knitting makes you really feel knitting. Individual stitches are like words in a language describing the shapes in the lace, and they all come together to form this apparently effortless whole. I really can not emphasise enough how much charts make life easier. I know there are people out there who refuse to use them; I used to be one of them! My god, charts are the most fantastic invention since dpns. I would never bother to knit lace without a chart again.

So, thanks Bells for motivating me to finally knit some lace! I'll never look back now. Let's do it again next Summer!

Now, while the lace will certainly not end with Summer, Winter will be upon us in no time, and I really must get on with some jumpers for me and my man. Our house is going to be freezing, and I never have enough Winter clothes. I'm also planning some nice felted house booties to keep us cozy through the icy months. So much knitting to do. I'm sure I'm not the only knitter who has been irritated at only having two arms. How much more knitting could be done with just one extra pair!

Needs

2009-02-22T22:51:00.002+11:00

I don't usually do this, but it seemed like a good laugh. I found this idea on this blog. Type your name followed by "needs" into Google and see what you need.
1. Disquina [not her real name] needs to be prompted to see a reproductive endocrinologist.
2. Disquina needs someone to buy her debt.
3. Disquina needs cheese.
4. Disquina needs to stop living vicariously through her daughter.
5. Disquina needs officers or will cease to exist.
6. Disquina needs to get her priorities straight.
7. Disquina needs to die.
8. Disquina needs to shut the fuck up [pardon me, just quoting Google].
After this they start to get dull.

Yummy

2009-02-17T18:27:00.004+11:00

I forgot a couple of things yesterday, a couple of tasty morsels.

Morsel #1:

Noro Kureyon Sock yarn. 4 ply, pretty colours. What on Earth am I going to do with it? So many possibilities. Lace? Perhaps. Hmm.

Morsel #2:

Terrible photo. It's actually chocolatey in colour. Lovely 8 ply Perendale from the guy at the Bus Depot Markets for hubby's jumper-to-be. One day. I just like to cuddle up to this stuff.

I have big time cat envy. All around me people are cuddling cats, and yet I am catless. My boy passed away in 2007: That's a little cat treat he's interrogating there. 15 years old and then bitten by a snake. Then when we moved into the share house we currently live in, we adopted the resident cat Kujo (as we re-named him) who had been abandoned by previous tenants and was unwanted by the current ones. He had lived at the house for several years, but about three weeks after we adopted him, and he was starting to enjoy sleeping in my armchair, he died from causes which looked suspiciously snake-biteesque. It's terrible, but I pine for a cat. I dream about them all the time, mostly my old boy coming back. I see them on just about every blog I look at, and I can't resist looking at them in the pet shops. The other week on the radio I heard an interview with a man who wrote a book about the grief he had resulting from the death of his cat Blackie (also the title of the book) who died from a brain tumour. Sometimes I think the universe is trying to punch me in the face. My boy died a month after my brother's death from a brain tumour. I feel so silly getting sad about not having a cat when life is so precious and beautiful!

I'm not always a miserable sod you know!

Universes

2009-02-16T11:41:00.003+11:00

Now I know that it would seem that I am slack, and if knitting is truly the centre of the universe, as I often suspect it is, then that would be entirely true. However, the world tells me that knitting is not in fact the centre of the universe, and that knitting is in fact a distraction from what one ought to be doing (which is why it is so enjoyable). I have been working quite hard on my research lately, and until an hour ago had not knitted a stitch for two weeks.
The knitting in question is Laminaria. I am perhaps a quarter of the way through it:

I decided not to do the star stitch repeat in the pattern because I wanted a more open lacey look, so I replaced it with honeycomb stitch. I'm not sure if it matches the look of the rest of the pattern really, but of course you can't tell until it's finished and blocked:

I'm sure it will be fine. I'm looking forward to having a lovely lacey shawl, especially now that the weather has gone mad here in Canberra. I have a lovely blue and green silk dress which this shawl will look spectacular with. I'll have to make hubby take me out for a fine meal at a respectable establishment so I have an excuse to wear them together.

I have been going a little mad. Well, I can't put it into words. I have "issues" which I won't bore anyone with, but I can be fine for a couple of months, quite happy and working well, and then within half an hour one day for no reason I turn into a mess. I panic, I can't sleep, I can't assess anything rationally, every dark thought becomes obsessively turned over and over in my mind. I know a lot of people have these sorts of problems. I think reading stories in the papers about the deaths of so many people in Victoria is bound to set these things off. Since my brother died, I take every death I hear about personally, and to see photo's of these people is heartbreaking. Grief is so incapacitating, and we are not allowed to talk about it openly. I don't know why. What I wanted to get to is that I think that knitting plays a large role in the control of my mental health. I knew when I woke up this morning that I couldn't possibly work today, so I finally picked up Laminaria again, and I really do feel better already. Perhaps it's the familiar comfort of one stitch after another, or the enforced rest and contemplation. Maybe I've been working too hard. I won't go on about it. Knitting good. Working bad.

Back at Last

2009-01-15T11:14:00.004+11:00

Well I'm back from the Victorian countryside. So much green it hurts. It's always brown or grey here at home. I didn't knit a single stitch! I had Laminaria with me the whole time, but I was so busy or exhausted I didn't even cast on. I did however finish the second Coronet for hubby's grandmother. 'ere 'tis:

I'm quite happy with it, more so than with the purple one. The mercerised cotton looks lovely and shiny. It's got me so excited that I want to knit doilys for everything! I've never understood doilys, what the hell you're supposed to do with them, but now I realise that it doesn't matter what you do with them, they're just fun to make! I'm keen to do the Primula design in the same book now, but I really must start Laminaria. I'll cast on tonight! I've been so busy since I got home making jam and jelly and beer, because it's the season for these types of things! So much fruit around so cheap. The blackberries will be out soon, and I'm planning blackberry jam, blackberry wine and whole blackberries in syrup for winter desserts! Last year me and hub picked two buckets, and that was only one day. We didn't get around to going back for more. Anyway, these are topics which probably require their own blog, but since I'm so slack about updating this one, I'm not sure it's a good idea to take on another.
Well I did have a little bit of a fibre-lover's holiday, thanks to hubby being such an angel who thinks that knitting is cool rather than boring. We stopped off at an alpaca farm in West Gippsland called something like Candeleraine. They were very nice, and even offered me work handknitting shawls from their 2 ply to sell in their shop! I said yes of course, although I'm not sure that I can really fit knitting shawls for money into a full time PhD schedule... We also stopped at the National Wool Museum in Geelong. Unfortunately it was a real disappointment. Especially since we went to Geelong especially for it, and paid $110 for our motel room and everything. It could have been so good, there was so much potential. I guess wool museums don't get much funding hey? There were definitely parts I liked, like the carpet machine demonstration, and some of the demo knitting machines. I think the shop could have had a lot more stuff too. I was expecting to have to make painful decisions about what wool I could and couldn't live without, but they didn't actually have any wool I wanted to buy at all. There were some lovely jumpers and shawls and things though. Australia is the biggest exporter of wool in the world. Surely there could have been more Australian wool products? (The little toy sheep were made in China, the second largest wool exporter). I did buy a handy little wool directory though, which lists heaps of wool-related companies and organisations. We were going to stop at Bendigo Woollen Mills, but they were closed. In the height of holiday season. We almost considered staying in Bendigo overnight so we could go the next day, but then I found out from the tourist info place that you can't actually see the mill itself, just the shop, and I thought well I can buy from them on the internet. I know about the famous back room and everything, but it wasn't worth staying a whole extra night, especially since funds were low by this time (thankyou Geelong). However, I learned about the Australian Sheep and Wool Show held in Bendigo in July, and I thought that would be a good opportunity to see BWM instead. I think I might saving now for that trip!

In which Disquina makes more work for herself.

2008-12-22T13:03:00.005+11:00

Time for a monster post.

So, what's news?
Well, by now one would expect me to be posting about a lovely finished Swallowtail Shawl, because in the last post I was saying how I had finally finished the repeats on the budding lace. However. Because I had only just finished the same shawl not long ago, I didn't look at the pattern for some reason, and when I tried the first row of the lily of the valley pattern and found the stitches didn't add up, I realised that instead of doing 14 repeats of the budding lace repeat, I had done 16. Well I contemplated ripping back to the 14th repeat, but then thought "ah bugger it, the shawl is too small anyway, I'll make it larger!". So I pulled out the calculator and worked out how many repeats of this that and the other etc., and then found that someone on Ravelry had already worked it all out, which is a relief, because when I alter patterns I have anxiety attacks the whole time I'm knitting in case I've buggered it up.

So I kept knitting, but in the back of my mind a wise voice was telling me "you don't have enough yarn, idjit, what are you doing?". And of course the voices were right, as usual. So now I have to order more of the Regia, and have found that I can only get this colourway from Germany or France. So, after Christmas when money is less scarce I'll order another ball and hope that the dyelot difference isn't really obvious.

Next: Why I haven't posted lately - finished objects:

Pattern: Coronet Design doilie/doiley/doyley from The First Book of Modern Lace Knitting by Marianne Kinzel.
Yarn: Some cheap maroon cotton I bought from Spotlight many years ago. They don't seem to have it anymore. It's about a 4 ply or size 8.
Needles: 2.75mm.
I reckon: This was fun. I've never knitted flat in the round before, and it was a great learning experience. This doilie is quite large, about 40cm across.
It's a Christmas present for my beloved grandmother. I starched it (which I've never done in my life). I boiled some cornflour in water and soaked the doilie for a couple of minutes and then pinned it out. It sure is solid. I'm not sure how solid doilies are supposed to be! This one was actually just going to be a trial, and I was just going to do a couple of rows before starting a white one in mercerised cotton, but you know how it goes, I couldn't put it down, so I just finished it.

Next:

Pattern: Extermiknit
Yarn: Lincraft Cozy Wool (grey) and Cleckheaton Country 8 ply (black).
Needles: 3mm
I reckon: Very fun to knit. Weighted with a homemade sandbag in the bottom. I don't think I'll do the sandbag again, it makes it less cuddly. Xmas present for hubby's cousin.

So, what about that order from Bendigo Woollen Mills?

mmmmmmmm.......

aaaaaahhhhhhhhh........

The green 2 ply (Guava) is about to become Laminaria as soon as xmas knitting is over. As for the Cherry Red 2 ply, well I keep changing my mind. I was thinking of various lacey shawls, but I've also been contemplating a design of my own. That one is still on the backburner.

As for the Red Tweed fibre, well it'll wait around for a while, but depending on how well the spinning comes out, it'll probably be a jumper or something. There is a kilo of the stuff! So cheap! I was a bit annoyed that BWM overcharged me, although it was only by $1.50 or something. The wool is all so cheap that it really would be ridiculous to complain. They've really expanded their colour range since the last sample card I got in 2006. The colours are much more usable I think.

So there's just one more piece of xmas knitting to finish as quickly as possible before we go on our travels around beautiful Victoria (during which we'll drop in on BWM in case there's anything I missed...), Coronet #2. This one's in DMC Cébélia (size 10) on 2.25mm needles:

I was worried about using mercerised cotton, because the last time I tried to knit with it, it was so slippery it just drove me nuts, but I'm knitting this on some cheap plastic dpns, and the cotton sticks to them quite well. This one is for Hubby's grandmother whom we're having xmas with this year. I thought a doilie and a jar of homemade strawberry jam would be a nice present for a fine elderly lady I hardly know.

Hubby's present. I have no pictures yet, but I can talk about it freely because he doesn't read this. There's a guy at the Kingston Bus Depot Markets who sells these lovely skeins of several types of wool, some dyed, some natural. I bought three 300g skeins of brown perendale 8 ply which will become a Norwegian Lusekofta jumper with the patterning in natural white from the same guy. This is one project I'm really looking forward to. I've squished the skeins into a box and wrapped it up. I chucked a few heavy candles in there too so he doesn't guess what it is from the weight. He's completely mystefied, which is exactly how it should be!

One last thing. Lately I've been hearing a lot of bad-mouthing about blogs. I don't know why anyone even bothers to complain about them. If you don't like it, don't read it! I know that the idea of reading what some stranger thinks or does seems boring to the average smarty pants, but the amount of knowledge I have picked up from blogs is phenomenal. We learn from eachother, we interact with eachother and we learn even more. Perhaps 50-90% of what I write here is boring, but somebody somewhere may learn something new and expand their world, and that is the most important thing I can think of.

Bits and Bobs

2008-12-09T11:32:00.006+11:00

So, what have I been up to?
Well, I finished the last repeat of the budding lace repeat on Swallowtail #2 at the Tilley's Stitch and Bitch last night. I'm glad to be done with that, it was getting quite tiresome:

I'm still not sure that I like the yarn choice, except of course it always looks much better after blocking.

I've been to the 2 northside S&B's and they were great. It turns out that other people are not as scary as they're cracked up to be! It was lovely to be sharing knitting with other people. In a way, there doesn't seem to be much point if there's no one to share it with. I've been going to see my grandmother in the hospital to show her what I'm working on, and she looks approvingly at my work, but can't speak. She was looking closely at Swallowtail #1 and having a good feel of it, so at least we can still share knitting in one direction...

I've been planning future projects. I'm keen to try the Spring Shawl from Heirloom Knitting. It'll be a challenge, but if I just take my time and take it easy, I'll get there eventually. So I've been trying to find an economical way to do the shawl, and trying to use what I have instead of buying more and more yarn, so I was thinking of dyeing that 31 wpi merino I showed off last post, and in an effort to be really cheap, I was thinking of dyeing it with food colouring, because I've had some success with it in the past. So here is a sample of "Pillar Box Red", and I think it's pretty much the colour I want.

Of course the problem with cutting too many corners expense-wise is that you're at risk of spending many months of your life making a pile of crap. I should probably do this properly and just spend the money. But what the hell am I going to do with that lovely merino? I keep changing my mind.

Another piece in the works is an asymmetrical cardigan in Cleckheaton Vintage Hues. Spotlight was having a sale, and there they were, bags and bags of the stuff for $3 a ball. I just couldn't bear to walk away. I almost did, and 10 metres later I turned back again and jumped in. I got 20 balls, which should be more than enough for a nice cardy. I'm getting a bit sick of my tatty old handspun altered Central Park Hoodie which I've been wearing for 2 Winters now. So here's a sample of Vintage Hues in moss stitch:

The transition looks lovely and soft in moss stitch, but I know that on the cardie they're going to be quite narrow stripes, and I'm not sure how flattering that will be for my, um, voluptuous proportions... Nonetheless, I've measured it up after washing, and it's 15 st/inch, and of course moss stitch is so incredibly flexible anyway. So next I just need to sit down with the calculator and work out how many stitches I need etc. and where to do the waist shaping. I got this idea after seeing Buttony. Looking forward to the finished product.

Ooh, ooh, I'm sitting out on the front porch writing this, and the postie just arrived with my sample card from Bendigo Woollen Mills! I'm so excited I have to look at them right now!
Mmmmmm, drool.... (excuse me while I wipe the keyboard). It's all too much! So many beautiful colours!! Aaaaaarrrgghhhh!!! I get paid on Thursday, and now all of it is already spoken for! I guess it's porridge and rice again for the next fortnight. I am definitely getting the 2 ply in Guava for Laminaria! It's heavenly.....

Anyway, where was I? Ah yes. Here are some close-ups of the nupps on Swallowtail #1 for Bells:

They weren't really very hard, just a bit cumbersome at first until you get the tension right. Think of it this way, if you think they're pretty loose, make them looser. It can be really hard to get the needle through them all on the purl row if they're not really loose. After a couple of rows of them, they fly by, and they really do look quite nice really.

One final thing:

I bought this cute little guy at the Gormon House Markets in the early months of the year. He has a zip on top and is lined with fabric and is just perfect for my camera to stay safe in. He's so gorgeous I just wanted to share him.

By the way, I've finished my annual report, so I'm not being naughty!

Treasures, Arrrr

2008-12-04T16:07:00.004+11:00

Well this isn't so much of a treasure (arrr). This is the Regia I'm doing Swallowtail #2 in. It really is a sock yarn, it just doesn't feel quite right for a lacy shawl, but I've had it hanging around for years, and I may as well just do something with it. By the way, it seems that Blogger only does pictures in giganto mode. I'm working on a solution!

This is a treasure, have a look at this baby!

It's probably not obvious, but this is about 4km of 31 wpi merino which I bought from the Salvo's for......$3!!!!!! Holy Moses that was a good find. I don't expect anything like that to happen ever again. Sigh. My only problem is that I covet it so much that I can't bear to use it. I look up patterns, or attempt to design patterns, and none of them seem worthy! I would really have to dye it if I were to wear it, because I just don't do white, but how can I possibly dye it when the next day I might change my mind? I know I know, I could always buy something similar. I was considering possibly using it to make Margaret Stove's Flowering Eucalyptus Shawl and dyeing it a eucalypt or olive green, so I tried to find one on Ravelry knitted by someone else, but no one seems to have done it on there, and it would be good to see how it turns out, because I can't get much of an impression from the photo's in the book (Creating Original Hand-Knitted Lace). I guess the only thing to do is knit some samples and see if I like how it looks...but still, that wool is so gorgeous.... Another option I've though of is to knit some gorgeous amazing baby shawl of my own design for the baby (-ies) I will one day have, but I don't know if I can capture the zeitgeist required for such a sentimental undertaking. Maybe that sort of thing ought to be done when the baby is known to be coming to harness then necessary emotions to create something amazing.

Well I think I'm going to Stitch and Bitch tonight. I'm pretty nervous, going all alone, but the automatically generated reminder email was encouraging to newbies!

Woopidoo

2008-12-03T15:14:00.004+11:00

Well I'm back at last, and I've finished the Swallowtail Shawl. Here it is just after casting off, before blocking:

Being blocked (on a blanket wrapped around a huge piece of cardboard from a recent Ikea acquisition - unfortunately the main blanket is grey, the same grey as the wool):

And some close-ups of course:

And me wearing it, front:

Back:

Whew. Talk about procrastination of a lifetime. I've been frantically knitting this in order to avoid writing my Annual Report and Thesis Proposal Review. I'm trying to be half good, so I haven't allowed myself to blog, hence why I haven't posted recently.

What I think about working this pattern:
Nupps - At first I was wondering "why the hell make nupps? They're a pain in the arse and look like a mess", but now I see why. They were a bit painful at first, but if you just allow heaps of slack, it's not too much of a drama.

Cast-off - I love the cast-off used in this pattern, I've never seen it before - k1, *k1, k2tog*, repeat to end. It's a lovely springy edge, not tight and ugly as they often are.

Size - it's a bit small, but I knew it was going to be.

Wool - not the best colour, a bit scratchy, and fibres seem to come off, float around and make me sneeze, but I guess you can't expect too much for a $5 handspun bargain. I weighed the shawl when it was done - 152g - I weighed the remains of the ball - 153g - a bit creepy.
The pattern - once I used my brain, it was really easy and clear to follow.

So I was thinking that next I would finish that Versatility adaptation I mentioned in the last post, but it keeps buggering up! Very irritating. So, for the moment, I'm going to do something I didn't plan to do, I'm going to knit the shawl again! I have this variegated sock yarn in blues and greens made by Regia (the photo of which I have temporarily misplaced). It's just to fill in the gap until I can afford some yarn for something more substantial. I'm in the mood for lace at the moment, and I just don't feel like working on the other projects waiting in line...

Speaking of lace, I've joined in on A Long Lacy Summer on Bells's blog to keep me motivated, although it's all casual, so I won't get too worked up. I'm considering making a doilie or a lace tablecloth from Marianne Kinzel's First Book of Modern Lace Knitting which is funny, because Bells is too. I need to get some cotton though, so next payday will be the decider.

Something else new for me is that I may, possibly, go to Stitch and Bitch tomorrow night in Civic. I'm scared. I tried to get someone to come with me, but to no avail. The message says newbies are welcome and all that, but I'm not accustomed to new people and all that. I'm such a coward. I really will try to go, although it is on Uni Pub kebab night, which is breaking my heart.

I've also joined Ravelry, and am terrified of the potential it has to suck entire weeks out of my life. There is just so much candy to taste that I'm at risk of becoming morbidly obese with knitty treasures. Lordy me.

One last thing, because I really have to get back to writing that report. The shawl I wore for my wedding. It was knitted by my grandmother for my mum to wear at my parents' wedding, which was in about 1973 I believe. I was married back in April this year. The pictures don't show the shawl all that well:

Hubby looks pretty freaked out in the last one. Well he was freaked out. He wouldn't look at me for the first half of the ceremony because he thought he might cry! In a good way though!

The shawl is a lovely length, made from handspun silk. It feels like heaven and is nice and warm for a mid-Autumn afternoon. I gave it back to Mum, and don't have any decent photo's of it. I'll see if I can get some. In case you were wondering, the dress was made by my favourite clothes designer in the universe, High Tea with Mrs. Woo, a Newcastle (Australia) designer.

Blogger is an effing pain in the arse to use.

Back to work!

Gee Whiz

2008-11-26T18:54:00.000+11:00

Holy Smokes! I just discovered that there are a bunch of Canberra knitting bloggers. I'm exhilarated and terrified. Dare I enter the world of Other People? Anonymity is so warm and cozy...

Catching Up

2008-11-26T12:32:00.000+11:00

Okay, my latest projects, in rough chronological order. I did once have a rule that I am only allowed to do one knitting project at a time, but I decided that was boring. Why have one mess lying around when you can have dozens?

#1 Hmm, started this some time early 2007 I think. My version of a fisherman's guernsey. Here it is up to the armpits, in the round Zimmerman style:

And a close-up of that decorated panel:

This jumper/sweater/whatever is designed to fit around my rather large bust without being a sack. The moss stitch and cables panel begins below my boobs and up to the shoulders, and below the boob region it's just plain knit. Unlike traditional guernseys, the pattern doesn't go around the back. The idea is that because the moss stitch is stretchy it will stretch over the lumpy region while the plain parts stay where they are. You'll get what I mean when I finish it....one day. I've started the first sleeve, but I put it down a long time ago and haven't picked it up again. I have to remember all the numbers and wotnot and just haven't got my arse into gear yet. The wool is from a lambswool op-shop jumper I ripped.

#2 Started October 2007. Norwegian patterned socks.

These were supposed to be hubby's birthday present last year. He has two gorgeous Norwegian cardigans, one hand-knitted by his great-aunt for his father. I've been promising for quite a while that I would knit him a jumper version (steeks and all) of the handknit cardie so he could wear it around without fear of damaging the heirloom. Well it's an expensive exercise for us struggling artist/academics, so I started a pair of socks to whet our appetites using the patterns on the cardie, but I guess I just got sick of knitting more bloody socks, so I put them down, one day to be finished, maybe. I don't really like them all that much. I actually hate this shade of grey. It looks so artificial. When I eventually get around to the jumper, I'll use Rainbow Wools. Their colours are just lovely, and last time I checked they had a nice realistic grey!

#3 November 2008: Ugly Knee Rug

I knitted quite a nice scarf in this pattern a while back. A few weeks ago I decided to knit something, anything. We had just moved and I was organising my (surprisingly small) stash, and I decided to use up all of the tail ends of the 8-ply wools. I just started this because I knew it would be brainless. I'm not sure that I like it much either, but I'll keep plugging on.

#4 November 2008: My own version of Amanda Williams' Versatility in the recent issue of Knitty.

Long story. I fell in love with this pattern, mostly for the concept. So clever. My only problem is getting wool which is 114g/113m. That is huge. I found some very close, but in hideous colours and variegations. I'm not too keen on buying yarn unseen over the internet unless it is very cheap, so instead I bought a colour I could live with (Patons Inca, can't remember the colour) in a fairly heavy weight and designed my own more lacy version, a hybrid of Versatility and Susan Pierce Lawrence's Branching Out. However I keep making booboos with numbers, so I have to rip out the latest attempt, re-chart and start again. In the meantime we have...

#5 November 2008: Evelyn Clark's Swallowtail Shawl.

And a close-up:

It has actually progressed a fair bit since this photo was taken. I've finished the budding lace repeats and am up to the beginning of the end. I saw this on Franklin's* blog and decided I would just jump to it. I'm using some handspun I bought at a garage sale. I couldn't believe it when I found this stuff, about a kilo of handspun, 18 wpi, for $5! I'm sure the woman selling it couldn't have been the spinner. The other stuff she had was all odds and ends of acrylic.

I'm not sure exactly what the fibre is. My aunt thinks perhaps mohair or something goaty, because it has lots of longer black hairs, and it is quite fluffy, although not too much so. It's not terribly silky, a bit rough in fact. Anyway, this should be finished within the next couple of days.

Well now we're all up to speed, the blogging process can begin. Next time we will look at what is on my to-do list.
I have been very naughty, because I've been working on this entry for over an hour, and I really should have been writing my Annual Report. Sigh. By the way, I apologise for the terrible quality of the images. I shall endeavour to do something about it. I'm also having trouble with the consistency of blogger's layout. I'll see what I can do, because I loathe bad formatting!

*Isn't it funny how if you read someone's blog for long enough, you feel entitled to refer to him by the first name, even when the person in question doesn't know you from a stalker? I'm not a stalker by the way.

Holy Mackeral and a History

2008-11-24T16:27:00.000+11:00

I simply can not believe that this blog is still here! I'm going to start 'er up again. I also can't believe that I made this blog pink! Must fix that. I've been knitting lately, and have been feeling the urge to share it. Maybe one day someone will actually read this.
It's been a long time, and so much has happened since I last updated. I'm going to just get it all out right now, and maybe it won't come up again, or maybe it will.
Well....
Soon after my last entry, I knitted a guernsey for my beloved brother Alex, who a few days after I had started this blog was diagnosed with a brain tumour. I had taken time out of my studies to help my mother care for him, getting him to his treatments etc. His tumour shrank and we got back to life as usual. I knitted that guernsey in 4 or 5 weeks in order to get it to him for his 30th birthday. I learned to knit while walking (ball under the arm) and knitted my brains out. I got it done and got it to him, and he loved it and wore it happily. Four months later, a new tumour had grown, and within a few weeks, Alex died, on the 20th of September 2007 at 4.10am. There is absolutely no point at all in me trying to express anything about the whole issue. There is nothing that humans can say which means anything in the face of death. All I will say is that it has been hard, life is completely different, and I will never ever get over it. A few weeks later my cat Pussal died at 15 years old of a snake bite.
On the 3rd of March 2008 I started a PhD on metal vessel manufacturing technology of the Bronze Age Aegean (don't ask, please!). On the 26th of April I got married to Bubbadoo (not his real name). About a month ago my 90 year old grandmother had a stroke. Last weekend my new cat Kujo died three weeks after I acquired him! Soooo.... the universe has twisted my life into something entirely unrecogniseable. However, I have recently started knitting again because I have spent long hours sitting with my grandmother in hospital. She can't talk, is half paralysed and sleeps most of the time, but it's comforting to be with her, and I hope she gets something out of it too! The doctors say her higher functions are gone, but that's bollocks. I have a few projects on the go, and I need to share them, so there will be piccies to follow.
Another thing. I am an extremely shy person, terribly introverted and embarassed over the most ridiculously minuscule issues. I love writing, but am always horrified by anything I write as soon as I write it, especially once it is in the public sphere. This blog will hopefully force me to just write and let it be, and maybe that will bring me out of my shell. I will not edit anything after I've written it, and hopefully one day I will use my real name. You may think I'm being ridiculous. Part of me knows that I am, another part wants to scrunch into the foetal position rocking back and forth just at the thought of thinking about writing for other people! Please be kind!

This program will be resumed shortly...

2007-06-15T02:17:00.000+10:00

Never fear legions of fans and admirers, Disquina will soon be back in action after she finally finishes her 7.5 years of university on Thursday the 21st of June at 12pm! Stay tuned for more rivetting tales of knitting and self-righteous bitching!

2006-11-07T14:12:00.000+11:00

I'm really bad. Haven't updated in a long time. BUT I'm still being constructive and creating stuff. I've learned crochet! At least some very simple crochet, and I'm making a veil for belly dancing! Here's the progress so far:

And I know you can't see what I've done to the edge. so here it is:

So simple yet effective. I'm putting on another row with some coins so that it jingles a little bit. My grandmother showed me how to do it, and now that I know, I reckon I could make entire dancing outfits. My next feat will be a coin belt with gold-flecked maroon thread on red or purple velvet (haven't decided yet). I think the veil will be finished by tomorrow.

The veil is actually a royal purple chiffon, though of course you can't see it in the shot, and the crochet is this lovely glossy cherry-coloured thread; it reminds me of that Beatrix Potter story, I think it was The Tailor of Gloucester or something like that, and the tailor is freaking out, because he's run out of cherry-coloured twist (actually, the cat hid it).

And next:

Oooooooooh!!

Aaaaaaaaaaah!

I am so spoiled! Madeline you are a legend! It's funny to be getting these pressies from the other side of the planet, and then find they're being sent by an Australian! Everything is beautiful. I can't believe you told me I could rip out the panta. I love it! It's a bit warm to wear it for too long at the moment, but it'll be perfect for Winter. Nice and big, almost hides my new short hair (good for greasy days)! I liked it so much that I looked up the pattern and knitted another one, but somehow the shape isn't as good as your one. I forgot to take a piccie before the batteries died in my camera. Next time! As for the wash cloth, it is so beautiful that I don't want to wash my filthy face with it! The Rowan cotton feels lovely and soft. One day I'll knit something in cotton. The stitch markers will be good too. I've made some for others, but the only ones I've used myself are these little plastic rings from spotlight, half of which are broken before you open the packet. And that soap is humungous. It smells lovely.

I've had such a great time with this secret pal business, but I've been so busy that I feel I haven't had enough time to do it justice. Who would have thought that the day I started this blog, May 11 I think, that my brother would be diagnosed with a brain tumour and my whole world, and that of everyone I love, would be turned upside down. It's been almost 6 months since then, and I feel like a completely different person. I would never have survived without the support of my lovely boy Luke, and having knitting there to keep me busy when I started to become obsessive with grief. I've taken up belly dancing, which I love so much, and I started running three days a week, and have lost over 10kg as a result, and regained my self-esteem, I've quit smoking and I now only eat beautiful food made by nature, not man, and my body is loving it. Watching someone struggle for their life makes you re-evaluate your own, and I've discovered that life is absolutely fucking fantastic.

Enough drivel. The Melbourne Cup is about to start, and I've got some crocheting to get on with.

Damn Buggeration

2006-10-22T13:00:00.000+10:00

Alas, I've decided to rip the sock and start again. Ladders! Freakin' ladders are forming between the needles, and it doesn't matter how tight I pull the stitches at the ends of the needles, they just won't go away:

I've never had this trouble before, and I've decided that it must be that the tension is too loose, so it's getting ripped and I'll start again on 2.25 needles with 60 sts round, instead of 48 sts on 3mm. I did actually notice earlier on that it seemed a bit loose, but I chose to ignore it, and now I pay the price! Very slow progress, but I've just been busy doing other things. It's getting pretty hot these days - was 33C the other day. Not natural knitting weather I suppose. We'll get there though.

Hair 'n' Stuff

2006-10-10T17:17:00.000+10:00

Here we go, a bona fide blog entry!
Well after 20 years of long hair, I've finally had the chop. In this pic I look pretty haggard, but it's really not that bad!

I think maybe I look older, but like I'm having more fun! I did actually cry a little when she cut it off, which was pretty embarressing, but the haridresser had been a bit snappy with me before, and after I cried she was a lot nicer. That's terrible isn't it? It makes me sound like a sooky lala! Anyway, that's how I am I guess. Crybaby at the drop of a hat.

And in other news, I have been knitting again! I went to the Canberra Spinners and Weavers group this morning with my grandmother, which we usually do every week, but lately I've been busy travelling with my bro, getting him to appointments etc., but today I finally started those socks with the Fyberspates sock wool generously bestowed upon me by my lovely one skein pal. While the exchange is supposed to be over, I have the excitement of having it drawn out a little longer. It's funny, but I feel this strange connection to you secret pal, although I have no idea what your name is, what your sex is, what you look like, anything. Despite this, it's nice to send off or receive a friendly email. It seems you're like a guardian angel watching over my shoulder - or at least my blog! Well I'm sure that's all silly. Here is the beginning:

This one is a toe-up, which I've never done before. I've knitted so many top-down socks that I'm sick of them, so I thought that I could learn something new this way, plus I can use up all of the wool and make the socks as long as possible. I started the sock using the toe cast on from Anna Zilboorg's Fancy Feet (a book I love and adore and am dying to get a copy of), but I don't like how she does the heel - leaving a gap and putting it in afterwards - so I'm trying a heel from Wiseneedle.com. At the top of the sock I'll be doing some entrelac like on Dad's socks, but this time I'll try to avoid making them bulge so much. The width of the foot and leg is 48 stitches on 3mm needles, so they're about 18cm around. Seems to be working out so far. I absolutely hated starting on the toe - so few stitches on so many damn needles! But now I'm on to the brainless knit, knit, knit. I can't wait to see what the entrelac will look like with this wool.

I'm having a bit of an issue at the moment. Knitwankers. People who think that they're king shit because of how they knit. I've had several knitters mention to me that they don't use patterns when they're doing this that or the other, as though that makes you amazing, a genius ahead of your time! Sometimes I use patterns, sometimes I don't, but who gives a crap? Knitting is a creative process which people do for their own entertainment. It doesn't matter how you do it, and thinking you can piss all over other people who are enjoying themselves anyway is pretty pathetic. Besides, there is always someone better than you at anything you do, no matter how good you are at it. Comparing your skills to others is just pointless and soul destroying. Do it for the love of the art, not to make you feel that you're better than others.

Sorry, bit of a rant there. We're all equal. That's all. Man, I wish I had some kindred spirited knitters to talk to. The spinners group is okay, but often some ladies just sit around complaining about the younger generations (of which I am helplessly part, no matter how hard I try to be 50 years older!). Last time I went I was getting so offended that I had to go and sit outside with another lady who was on her own in the sunshine, and we had a lovely chat. Life is so beautiful, aren't there better things to do other than complain about everything? I guess I'm a bit of a hypocrite hey? One good thing I've noticed about the older ladies is that (most of them) actually listen when you talk, pay attention to what you say and remember it for later reference instead of just waiting for you to finish so that they can talk about themselves!

Ah, enough bitching. Better go before I become annoying.

I'm in Trouble

2006-10-04T12:42:00.000+10:00

Whoops, haven't updated for almost a month and I got in trouble with the Aussie web ring dudes. I just haven't been knitting! I'm a very changeable person, and I have about a trillion hobbies. I've been sewing new clothes, which I desperately need, and working on my Kombi, which needs a hell of a lot of work. I didn't really think knitters would be interested at all! I'm also about to get my hair chopped off. It's been long for as long as I can remember, so I'm a bit freaked. Sigh. I'll try to do something knit-related to update with. Not enough bloody hours in the day.

Holy Balloony, Batman

2006-09-07T09:34:00.000+10:00

Wow, I don't know where to start.
I just realised that people have left comments on this blog. I had no idea! I'll have a look at them when I've finished this. I can't believe that anyone is actually reading this!

Well, maybe I'll start with this!:

Yes! It's me and Bubby about to take off in a balloon! And here's proof that we did:

I particularly like this photo. We had to drive around for about an hour to find the right spot to take off from, and I was sure that the wind would be wrong and we'd have to wait till the next day, but then it just happenned!

Bubby was very snap-happy. And before you say it yourself, I know that I look like some kind of freakish gypsy witch or something. Here I am on my broomstick! Cackle cackle.

Well I didn't finish the socks in time for Father's Day, so Iwrapped up the first sock and gave it to Dad, and the other should be finished soon. Everything's been so crazy. I just found out that one of my friends has just bought a house, and my best friend from primary school has just had a baby! Jeez, and I still feel like a little kid messing around and having fun. Apparently I'm supposed to be all growed up now! Well I can tell you, I ain't doin' either of those things for quite some time.

Anyway, now on to the grand finale. I got a box from Mr. Postman. I opened it a little bit and there was a box within the box...

So I opened it a little bit more, and discovered a little treasure trove of red goodness!

And then I just went apeshit and opened all of the little packages and squealed with delight at each one!

Well Jeanne, this is absolutely beautiful! You put so much thought into it, and it was so exciting! Oh yeah, and Pussal enjoyed his part in the excitement!:

Mmmmm, Tasty Morsel!!

Pussal is so unaccustomed to receiving gifts that he wasn't quite sure what to do at first, but he soon made short work of that morsel!

I'm starting to feel a bit guilty that maybe my packages aren't quite up to scratch! I loved how every little parcel had red stars on it! I'm wearing the lipbalm and earrings right now, I've eaten half of the skittles (whoops) and I've drooled over the magazine several times already. I love this world, where you can receive a beautiful gift from someone on the other side of the planet who you've never met and there's so much thought put into it! Sorry, I sometimes go all gooey over the beauty of life.

Thank you once again Jeanne, and I hope that the present you receive from your pal makes all your care and attention worthwhile!

One sock down

2006-08-28T12:16:00.000+10:00

Well, it's been quite a while. I've just been so busy. It's funny how life always has lots of stuff happening to keep you busy all the time. I went to Newcastle for a few days last weekend, and back home I've been making meals, cleaning up and washing clothes. That stuff keeps me busy all week, and then on the weekend I have back logs of people who want to see me. I seem to be forever running around for other people. It doesn't really matter, I have a good time anyway.
Tomorrow I'll be sending off the last package to my one skein secret pal, and the package for my favourite colour swap pal. Other than that, all I've managed to do is finish the first father's day sock.

Apparently Father's Day is next Sunday, so I'd better get cracking on that other one!
Gotta go and make lunch.

Flaming Pants

2006-08-11T17:38:00.000+10:00

I'm a liar, thus my pants must be on fire. I didn't update the next day, nor the day after, or even after that. Sorry.
Anyway. This is going to be a long post, but I have to be quick because I have to cook a lamb roast tonight for my grandmother's 88th birthday. That's insane, 88. May we all be blessed to live so long. FO's, there are a couple. The chevron scarf as promised:

And a close-up:

It's quite long but I love it. I wanted to have a photo of me wearing it to give an idea of scale, but I feel funny asking people to take photo's of me, and the best I could get myself was this:

That's me looking shitty because I couldn't get a decent photo. Lovely, isn't it?

Then there are my purple pots - my felting (fulling) experiment:

I felted some handspun and threaded it through for a little coin pouch. I think they're cute. Everyone laughs at them. People are stupid. I guess I'm just a misunderstood genius. Sigh.

I don't have enough time left to say everything else damn it. Well I'll try. I've been dyeing again, this time with food colouring. It works really well. I don't know how fast it is, but according to my source, it's no worse than other dyes:

A bit blotchy, but a bit more attention will sort that out. I was so excited by them that I went out and bought every colour I could find (except black). Then I bought some spun silk from the Spinners and Weavers shop so I can have some more dyeing fun with it:

I also borrwed this:

People are always going on about this book, so when I saw it I thought I'd better have a look. It's a nice book to read, chatty and laid back. I've decided that I'll be starting a sweater soon for next winter. Speaking of Winter, it's crazy, look at this:

Violets! And Winter hasn't finished yet! Well if the violets think it's Spring, then I will too. They smell fantastic. Pussal helped me photograph them:

Pussal likes me to take photo's of his bum.

Anyway, in the meantime I've started some socks for father's day for my Daddio:

More insane socks. I'll tell him that's they're just bed socks so he doesn't feel obligated to wear them to work and get picked on by the macho wankers he works with. My dad is such a legend.

And of course, last but definitely not least, the moment you've all been waiting for - well the moment I've been waiting for - the second package from my one skein secret pal!:

Thank you once again, secret pal for a lovely present. The yarn is sock yarn by Fyberspates in Wales. I already know what to do with it. After I started the socks above for my Daddio, which were inspired by some Tibetan entrelac socks from a special sock edition of Spin Off, I decided that I'm going to make entrelac socks with the yarn, because I think the effect of the striping on the entrelac will be really interesting. Another project to start! Oh well, I'll finish the socks for Dad first. I really must start that jumper too. Anyway, the magazine is fun. There's a nice ribbed camisole I'll try out some time. I love looking at ads in magazines from other countries. Maybe I'm a bit weird. No, it's that misunderstood genius coming out again. I just find it fascinating to see what people can buy overseas. We're so deprived of quality here in Australia, especially Canberra. All of the independent small manufacturers and shops are pushed out of business by huge chain stores who sell the cheapest nastiest crap they can find. I'm so jealous of the variety overseas. Back to the point. The pencil case is great, especially now with my new-found interest in felting. I'll fill it with knitting crap soo enough! At the moment I use this really annoying box for my stitch markers and wotnot, so now I have something groovy to use instead! Lots of fun. It's from Paris! I find that very exciting, since I've never been out of Australia. I find the whole concept of just being able to pop overseas for the weekend fascinating! We're so isolated here that it costs thousands of dollars to get anywhere, even to the other side of the country. I think it's quite cheap to go to New Zealand. I will one day! Actually, I just discovered a 22 day textiles tour to Peru. You get to learn Andean textile crafts from the locals, and it includes trips to Lima, Cusco and Macchu Picchu. I am so going there! The tour itself costs $3,900 US, the flight there is separate, so I'll be saving for a while I guess. It's called Puchka Peru.

I just noticed that I've been moaning a bit about my country. Well the goverment is fucked, but the land itself is absolutely beautiful. Some of the people are okay too!

In other news, I've been collecting for my favourite colour pal. I hope he/she/it likes what I've collected. I think I would explode with ecstasy if I receieved it, but I guess that's because it's all to my personal taste! Besides, a surprise is always much more exciting than something you choose yourself.
Ah, all finished. Better get going.

Excitement and productivity

2006-08-08T21:22:00.000+10:00

Oh so much to be excited about. I think I'll have to make them a list so I don't forget anything:
#1: The package slip has arrived for the package from my one skein secret pal has arrived. I'll have to wait till tomorrow to pick it up, but I'm getting pretty excited! More news on that tomorrow.
#2: I've been collecting some treasures for my favourite colour swap pal. I hope that this person will enjoy what I'm putting together. It's definitely more expensive than it's supposed to be, but I just can't stand the thought of sending someone a crap package. I just hope that I've chosen the right shades of this person's favourite colour. There's a lot more to a colour than its name!
#3: I've been dyeing wool with food colouring! The colours are fantastic, and so cheap. I'll have to see how fade resistant they are. I'm once again left wondering how people can eat this stuff - what is it doing to our insides? So far I've been dyeing these skeins of 12 ply Merino that have been hanging around for years, just annoying me. I had 3 skeins which were white and a few more that had suffered from a bad dyeing job some years ago with a eucalypt I can't remember. I overdyed those ones and got some lovely orangey shades. Tomorrow I'm going to see if I can find some big bottles of the stuff. It goes so far! At the moment I'm going for 5ml dye per skein, and there's still a little colour left in the pot.
#4: The chevron scarf was completed several days ago, and I think it's fantastic. I'm going to try and get a really good shot of it tomorrow in the sunlight.
#5: I've been felting! Although apparently to the purists it's called fulling. A rose by any other name still smells as sweet (or something like that). I've knitted up three little pouches and chucked them in the washing machine on hot (shock horror!) and I think I rather like the results, although everyone around me responds with polite silence.

That's it for now. Back with pictures tomorrow!

Stupid Happy Girl

2006-08-02T15:08:00.000+10:00

Here I am at last. I've moved house, back to Mum and Dad's place; I swore I wouldn't ever do it, but you would never predict the situation that has arisen in our lives at the moment.
The bamboo scarf is finished.

Yes, sorry, it's an extremely crappy picture. There's a problem. It's far too long. In fact it's about twice the length it should be. I was so keen to finish the ball that it didn't occur to me that maybe I didn't need to finish it. So you know what I'm going to do - I'm going to rip out half of it. I haven't gathered the courage to do it yet, and new projects have kept me from thinking about it too much, but if I don't do it, I'm just going to have this beautiful scarf hanging in the cupboard for the rest of my days, and it would be such a waste. Anyway, it'll mean having more bamboo yarn to do something with. When I get this done then I'll take a proper photo.

The chevron scarf is on its way.

Here it is after one row was completed - all 453 stitches (it's knitted lengthwise). I spent hours casting on and doing that first row (the first row is always the worst) and the next day realised that I had made a great error, and ripped it all and started over, only to realise once I had cast on all 453 stitches again that I hadn't actually done anything wrong in the first place! Stupid girl! You live and you learn. So here it is about 10 rows in:

And you can already see the zigs and zags coming through:

I'm having great fun with this one. Do you like my colours? Well I do. I don't know why it's suddenly come to me that I have to knit all these scarves. This one should be done pretty quickly, and then I have a couple more projects up my sleeve.

Guess what I got for my birthday?

eep! So pretty. Noro Silk Garden. 45% silk, 45% kid mohair, 10% lambswool. I chose two different colours so I could use the beautiful slip-stitch pattern in Boo, Too from Knitty. I have to use them wisely, as this is all I could get. I'm thinking of mitten-type thingo's which go up the arm for as long as I can get the balls to go. Arm-warmers I suppose. The other option is of course a scarf, but I already have more than I can use, and Winter only lasts for one more month. Oh I am ever so happy.

The other project in the pipes is Snowball's Chance in Hell from The AntiCraft for a friend of mine who I think would love them. She's one of my favourite people, and I thought she deserves something funky. Only problem is that you have to measure the person who's going to wear them. How will I manage that? Maybe I'll have to get her really drunk.

IOU 1 Real Blog Entry

2006-07-29T21:54:00.000+10:00

I'll get to it soon. Just a quick update. The bamboo Branching Out scarf is finally done. It needs to be blocked, then the piccies will be forthcoming. Tonight I'm starting the chevron scarf I mentioned earlier, but decided to use some stuff from my stash rather than buying some new stuff. It'll be a nice fun quick project to ease me up from the seemingly endless Branching Out scarf, a bit of a relax before I do something more interesting. It was my birthday on Wednesday and I had the best birthday ever. My lovely boy bought me a ride on a hot air balloon, which I've been wanting to do for about 15 years (there's a bit of a balloon fetish in Canberra), and Mum said she'll take me to one of my favourite yarn shops and we'll get whatever I want... she should be careful what she says... there's some Noro there with my name on it I think...or this handpainted merino...or this blue and green mohair........
Well, I've been moving house, which is why there are no piccies and no progress. Have to be out by Monday, so after that, the entries will be back to their usual sporadic selves. I've been so busy that I forgot that my driving licence would expire yesterday and I should get another one, but the motor registry is closed till Monday, and I have to move my crap by then, and I don't legally have a licence!!! Damn bureaucracy!!

Favourite Colour Swap Questionnaire

2006-07-27T11:43:00.000+10:00

I've been having so much fun with the One Skein Exchange that I've joined the Favourite Colour Swap.
Favorite Color Swap Questionnaire

1. What are your top three favorite colors?
Scarlet/bright red, sea-tone bluey-greens, and royal purple.

2. What crafts do you really enjoy?
Knitting, spinning, dyeing with plants, simple weaving.

3. What products do you really covet?
I mostly really enjoy handmade things or things which are quirky or unusual

4. What other activities do you enjoy besides your favorite crafty things?
I love bushwalking and hiking, silversmithing (which is my trade), sewing, baking, eating, reading, lounging around, patting my cat.

5. Is there anything you collect?
Natural yarns for knitting up, cat figures, unusual handmade jewellery.

6. What is your zodiac sign and/or Chinese zodiac symbol?
Leo and Year of the Dog

7.What are your favorite……scents/smells?
Rose, Jonquils, coconut oil and Lily of the Valley

…types of music and/or bands?
So many I can't even think where to begin. My latest favourites are Elbow, Queens of the Stoneage and Supergrass.

…authors?
I like Sci-Fi, particularly the older classics such as HG Wells and Jules Verne. In fact I love lots of ninteenth century English authors such as Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes) and Oscar Wilde. I also adore Jane Austen. I really prefer novels to poetry. I'm actually also a graduate with a Classics degree in Latin and Ancient Greek, and I love Homer in particular.

…animals?
Puss Cats

…places to shop?
Anywhere that sells non-mass-produced things. I really love objects which have a touch of the maker in them.

…season?
Hmm, difficult, they're all beautiful in their own ways. I think it's probably Spring, because I love flowers and life and fresh new beauty.

…yarn/fabric/paper/other craft supplies?
I'm not so fussed, I look for beauty and uniqueness, although I'm not all that hot on synthetics, but I can live with them!

…candies or goodies?
Oh it's all good!

8. Do you have any wish lists?
Only in my head!

9. Are you allergic to anything?
No.

10. Do you have any pets? What are they?
Pussal - have a guess! (He says "meow")

11. Please include anything else you would like your secret pal to know about you- anything that would be helpful in finding you little gifts that you will really enjoy.
Well, it's obvious by now that I really love handmade things, even simple things. I also love receiving things from places which are unique to that place - for example a lolly which can only be found there, or something produced by a local industry which you would never see in little old Canberra, Australia.

This has been a really fun questionnaire!

Observations from my Sick Bed

2006-07-25T17:10:00.000+10:00

Okay, so I don't really have any observations from my sick bed, because the last few days in said sick bed have been spent puking, grasping my stomach in agony, running from sick bed to the toilet to, well, release my bowels, in a very severe and (sorry) runny manner, and then sleep and wish the whole thing would just f*** off. It wasn't pleasant at all, as you may have gathered. I did a few rows on Branching Out, and I have a photo to prove it:

Pretty exciting huh? You can tell how it's progressed hey? And it's blurry to prove that I really was sick. Just for good measure, here's a picture out of my bedroom window/door:
It's the middle of Winter here, so it probably doesn't look too impressive, but right in the middle is a rose I planted about 10 years ago, Queen Elizabeth, and behind that is an apple tree planted at the same time which has the most delicious apples I've ever tasted.
So that's why I haven't posted recently. Tomorrow is my birthday, and I've decided that I want to finish this scarf by tomorrow. I don't know if it'll happen. I've done about 4 and a half repeats today, and the ball is getting quite small. I'm desperate to knit something else. I am getting so bored.
I'll update soon, when this damn thing is finished!

The Wonders of Golden Hands

2006-07-17T23:08:00.000+10:00

Well, I can finally get on with this blog. I've just spent the last eternity uploading pictures for this entry. I think that I am possibly on the slowest broadband connection ever. I swear dial-up isn't as slow as this.
First, I thought there should be a proper piccie of my finished Eucalyptus cinerea Scarf:

Well, it's good enough. You get the idea. Maybe I should have smiled or something... You also get to see the lower half of my ugly mug (face) and my new earrings I just finished making today. Did I mention that I'm a silversmith? Well I am, so there you go. Actually, the earrings and the scarf go well together. I'll have to remember that. I'm kind of tossing up whether or not to block this scarf. I think it looks fine as it is. I guess it could be a bit longer. I'll just leave it for the moment I think.

Next is the progress of Branching Out:

I'm pretty sure I'm not half-way yet. I've done 19 repeats and there's heaps of yarn to go. I'm starting to get a bit tired of it, but I really want to finish before I start anything else. I just know that I won't finish it otherwise. By now you may be aware that I always have a million projects up my sleeve... Oh yeah, in the picture the scarf is draped on a pedal organ. It was the only dark thing around. The pattern shows up so much better on a dark background.

Next up, some friends gave me this for my birthday (which, incidentally, is coming up on the 26th of July):

A good old Golden Hands publication from 1976. I've already decided that I am definitely making that zig-zag scarf on the cover. I've been against making scarves in the past because they seemed so boring, but I'm getting into them like crazy at the moment. They can really make an outfit if they're good. I'm thinking I'll try it in autumnal colours - someone once told me that those colours are my natural match, whatever that means. I'm thinking of red, maybe maroon, yellow, a chocolatey brown and plum purple. Maybe that combination sounds rough, but it works in my head. I'll have to try to find the colours.

Of course, as comes with any old publication of this type, there are some god-awful patterns. Exhibit A:

This thing is so ghastly that I've decided to learn how to crochet just so I can make this monster. I think that just about every household has one of those rugs that looks like this, and it doesn't seem to matter what colour combination is involved, they still look rank. But there's also a kind of familiarity about them, that every single one you see looks practically identical, even though they represent hours of work by an individual who was trying to make something great. In the radio oncology waiting room where we go every day for my brother to have his treatment, slung over the back of every chair in the room is a knee rug made up of these squares. While they are a bit depressing, more so because I've never seen anyone in the waiting room actually use one, they do warrant some respect because someone, probably a patient or the relative of one, decided that the patients here needed something warm and comfortable, something handmade and given with love from a complete stranger. It's a small expression of how beautiful humans can be when we're not screwing eachother over.

Another pattern from this book:

I actually really like this one. Maybe it's the romantic fuzzy focus, the unbound silky hair and the spring-time meadow, but it's just so pretty. Of course I would have to change the colour scheme. I'm thinking mohair in grape for the patterned section and red (again, the colour I can never escape from) for the ribbed parts. I think it could work, if I can get past the sizing. The largest size is for a 106.5cm bust. I'm pretty sure that mine's at least 120. I am, how do I say it...fairly well endowed. Might have to jig this pattern a bit.
That's it for today kiddies.

Lace Nuts

2006-07-14T13:05:00.000+10:00

I have just found the most insane knitted lace here. It is absolutely incredible. I just don't understand doyleys and lace tablescloths though. They're beautiful and must be so rewarding to make, but I know that I would just end up having them folded up in a drawer somewhere for decades. Maybe if I had a mansion with millions of tables which need covering and vases to put on doyleys. I really prefer to wear my knitted stuff - I guess so I can show it off....
There are so many knitting podcasts now. I really wish I had time to download and listen to them all. I haven't even had time to listen to Cast On for a couple of months, which is my absolutely favouritest thing in the world to listen to. I love Brenda Dayne. I want to give her a big warm hug. When my brother was diagnosed with a brain tumour, he was in Newcastle, about 5 hours north of Canberra where I live. I stayed in Newcastle for about 2 weeks, miles away from everything I know: my home, my friends, my partner, everything familiar. I had no one to comfort me or to cry to. I'd had about 5 minutes to pack my bag before the plane left, and I had no idea that I was going for more than a couple of days - I'd thought we could bring him home immediately - so I had about 2 changes of clothes and my iPod, and just by chance that day I had uploaded about a dozen episodes of Cast On to it. Well I stayed at the hospital all that time, and my life seemed to be falling apart. My brother is 5 years older than me and we've always been very close. He's my hero, always has been. I can continue living through anything that gets thrown at me as long as I have my lovely brother. Words can't express it, you know what I mean. Some things are too profound even to contemplate. I spent most waking hours sitting by my brother, trying not to cry in front of him, while my family sent me crazy with their bizaare antics. During rest periods I would walk or run in the beautiful forest around the John Hunter Hospital and just listen to Cast On. I swear Brenda saved my sanity - she took me out of my situation and reminded me of the rest of the world at a time when the rest of the world didn't seem to exist, or matter particularly.
I knew I said this wouldn't be a journal, but I really had to explain how much I love Cast On! I really want to listen to It's a Purl, Man. I find male knitters fascinating. I've never met one. I bet they're really attractive. Actually, while I'm on the topic, have a look at Menknit Magazine. They have some great patterns, which, once again, I will have to try out some day. I really should put all these links up the side. Next time I have a while to spare to fool around with html I'll do that. Actually, just quickly, before I forget, there's also The Panopticon and Crazy Aunt Purl. See ya!

A Clean(er) Slate

2006-07-12T21:15:00.000+10:00

I just went through that last entry from yesterday and deleted some crap. This blog is not about my personal life, it's about knitting and spinning!
Just bought some fine undyed 1 ply silk and some purple 2 ply silk from eBay.

The undyed stuff is apparently about 3000m long! That's 3 km! I'm planning to divide it into separate skeins and dye them different colours. Never dyed silk before, or used synthetic dyes (other than Kool-Aid!). Have to try not to screw it up. I want to use it to do more plying with dyed handspun wool. It's just so fun and looks beautiful.
For the purple 2 ply I'm thinking of something really luxurious, like a fine lace shawl. I'm getting into Branching Out, I'm not getting lost anymore, and I don't have to concentrate so hard. I am starting to get a wee bit bored, because there's no variation. At least each repeat is 10 rows. I think I've finished 11 or 12 repeats, and I'm nowhere near even halfway through the bamboo yarn. It's so lovely and silky. I found some for sale on eBay for far more than I'm willing to pay. Anyway, I think I could enjoy a larger lace project, and I think a lovely dark purple shawl would be just the thing.
Had a look at Knitty today, and there's a new issue out with some beautiful socks and glove-type things. I am so grateful that there are some beautiful and funky patterns out there for free. There's just no chance at all of finding any good patterns in the shops around here.
I need to bite the bullet and knit up this beautiful green handspun which my grandmother gave me. I want to make something beautiful and worthy of the wool. There's this New Zealand company called Possumdown who make absolutely beautiful knitwear. There was a particular cardie kind of thing with a zipper which I was thinking of trying to copy. I went to find a picture of it on their web page and I found this instead:

Okay, so it's a bad picture, but you get the gist. I've never really been one for asymmetrical collars, but this thing really works. It's a pity it costs NZ$330. Possumdown has this amazing look. I can't begin to describe it. So I thought I might try something like this. I'll probably change my mind soon enough.
That's it for today I reckon.

Rushing...

2006-07-11T15:33:00.000+10:00

Here I am at last. I lied about updating the next day. Sorry.
First I must show you the grape Kool-Aid dye batch:

You can't really see the colour terribly well, but it's reasonably close. It smells like wool and bubblegum. I must think of a one skein project to use it for. My skeins tend to be really short too...

Next, my Eucalyptus cinerea scarf:

I couldn't get a better picture. The light today is terrible - really overcast and miserable. You can kind of get the gist of the colour and design here. It's a little more red, and the scarf is about 30cm wide and 150cm long. It had to be pretty short because I only had 5 skeins, and as I said, they're pretty short. The stitches are very large, so the scarf is a bit like a net. On Thursday night I'm off to the exhibition opening of a friend, and I'm intending to wear it. I'll see how it goes.

Lastly, bamboo scarf:

This is Branching Out from Knitty. I haven't really tried any lace before, and this pattern is supposed to be a good one for knitters who want to get a start into lace. The thing is, I think this pattern hates me. I can be going along just fine, thinking that everything is working out, and then I discover that I've screwed up big time! In the first repeat I somehow got a stitch reversed or something, so one stitch looks a bit wrong, and in the third repeat I somehow managed to drop a stitch without even noticing! I've never had that happen before. It has been so infuriating! I managed to fix it though by undoing several rows to get to the root of the problem - it wasn't just a simple matter of pulling the stitches back through with a crochet hook! The yarn itself is lovely, but I think it might be why I'm having so much trouble. It's lovely and soft and smooth, which means that the stitches happily drop off the needle. It acts a little like cotton, with no stretch like wool has, but it's so lovely and smooth. I definitely want to get more of it! I had a look at the website of the supplier, http://www.soysilk.com, and they also have fibre made of soy and corn, all in beautiful colours. There are also some lovely patterns which I'll have to attend to some day...

Dyeing to use a bad pun...

2006-07-05T12:56:00.000+10:00

Okay, where do I begin? I have no pictures at the moment, but I've been dyeing like mad. I did several batches of Eucalyptus cinerea which worked beautifully. I got the most gorgeous rich oranges. The other day I looked at them and decided that they would look very nice as a scarf worn with black, for when I need to look a little classy for exhibition openings and wotnot. So I just did a simple scarf in garter stitch but with gigantic needles, about 15mm. It came out beautifully. Really simple but effective. I'm certain that the key to elegance is simplicity. I'll post a picture tomorrow or so. Maybe, just maybe, I'll model it for the camera...maybe...
I have a couple of branches of E. nicholii, another eucalypt that produces oranges, I'll try them soon, but I have to spin some more now, since my skein collection is running low.
I've tried out the grape flavoured Kool-Aid (thank you secret pal) and have a lovely purple (which smells like bubble gum). I'll try the watermelon-cherry flavour after a bit of spinning. I can't believe people give this stuff to their children to consume. I really like having teeth, they enable me to eat solids. Anyway, my aunt got excited about the Kool-Aid and checked it out on the net, and discovered that you can also dye wool with jelly! Well, that's readily available here, so I'll give it a go. The wool must get a bit gooey, but some of the colours would be fun. I discovered one source of Kool-Aid for Australia, but it only seems to have the sweetened varieties, and I hear that you shouldn't use them for dyeing.
Yesterday I acquired some madder root from my grandmother's spinning group. I'm excited about trying that out too. It seems fairly straight forward. Not like using indigo, which I read about last night. Complicated. You can't even drip anything into the dye bath. I don't know how the hell I'm going to manage that.
Anyway. I need to have a bit of a whinge. I don't want this blog to become my diary, because reading people's diaries is somewhat akin to having bamboo shoots shoved under your fingernails. However, stuff isn't so good. I've been evicted from my lovely flat. I have to be out a couple of days after my birthday (happy birthday Dina, now get the hell out). I can't find anywhere to move that I can afford, so I have to go back to my parents' house for a while, which I swore I would never do. I also found out today that I have to take leave from uni until next year. I am going to be stuck in a hell hole with my two angry f---ed up parents, one with a superiority complex, the other with an alcohol problem, with my poor brother who can't do anything for himself, or get away at all. I won't be able to go to uni and do my work or enjoy my friends, I won't have any space of my own at all. The only way I can get out is to stay with my boyfriend who never cleans up after himself, whose room smells of dirty clothes and has dirty cups and used tissues all over the floor.
Okay, I'll calm down now. I'm hoping to rent a studio to share with a friend, where I can go and make stuff from time to time. Maybe there'll be room for a couch and a fridge with some beer. I have my life and my health, I live in a country where I can get an education, good health care, and I won't get shot, raped or mugged when I walk down the street. Life is great.
Piccies and happiness next blog.

Blah Blah Blah Kiss!!

2006-06-24T16:34:00.000+10:00

Well, I'm going to see if this works.
The computer I'm forced to use at the moment doesn't seem to like blogger at all, and whenever I've tried to blog, it logs me out and I lose what I've written, but it seems to be okay so far, so let's see how it goes.
I have so much to say. Have to get everything in order. First thing, skull bag. All the knitting is finished, or has been for a while. After going my own way and just making up bits of the pattern, I decided that it looked awful, so I frogged the bottoms of the bag itself and the unas and did them all flat instead of three-dimensional, and I think it looks a lot better:

And here's the back, with the hidden una revealed under the large una:

As for the shoulder strap, well I just can't seem to be bothered to hurry up and finish it, so I do about a centimetre a day before I get bored and do something else. Here it is so far:

I'm not enjoying it at all, I just have to finish the damn thing and then I can use the bag - at least after I've woven in the ends and sewn up the floats. So that's just around the corner.

Next thing, dyeing. Every two or three years I get a sudden enthusiasm for dyeing with native Australian plants. There are some amazing colours, especially from eucalypts, so I've been doing some of that, but I'm not doing very well so far. I've been using lichen, and I know that once I managed to get the most beautiful dark brown from rock lichen, but I've never managed it again. Maybe the lichen around here has absorbed too much pollution. So these were my attempts without a mordant:

Wow, you would not believe that 24 hours has passed since I wrote that last sentence. I have had that much trouble just getting this picture to show. Anyway, back to the point. So I ended up with two revolting colours. The one on the left could possibly end up okay if used amongst more interesting colours. The one on the right is about as beautiful as jute twine. So today I finished dyeing a couple of skeins with alum and Argyle Apple, a type of eucalypt. It's well known, at least in my family, for its dyeing properties. I got the most beautiful bright orange from it, but tomorrow I'm going to double the amount of material and try for something closer to crimson. Here's the pot on the stove:

I've gone a bit crazy with the dyes lately, and it's good to finally see some good results.
In other news, I bought a lace knitting book on eBay. It mostly has doyleys and stuff and these beautiful lace tablecloths which I think would make great shawls, so here's the one I think I'll knit one day, when I've knitted the millions of other things I want to knit:

I hope it won't just look like I'm wearing a tablecloth...
The book is called First Book of Modern Lace Knitting, and it's by Marianne Kinzel.
And finally, there's my day yesterday. My brother had headaches and nausea at the breakfast table, which were the problems he was having before they discovered the tumour, and then he discovered some pus on his head. We all started freaking out a bit, wondering what was going on. He starts radiotherapy on Monday, so something going wrong right now is just not good. So mum drove poor Alex to the GP, while I drove my aunt and grandmother to their thing they had to go to, and then I got a call from the girl I live with saying that the landlord had given us one month's notice to leave! So I went over to my place. I live in a sort of granny flat thingo out the back of the house which my friends live in. The flat is all mine, and I love it. It's rundown and is freezing in Winter and boiling in Summer, but it's so cute and funky. Maybe I'll put up some pics sometime. So I talked to Cara and Miguel, and they said that the landlord was either going to sell the place, or raise the rent, but he was going to come around and look some time. We were all upset, because we really enjoy it there. So I was pretty bummed, and I went to my front door...and there was a package...a package from the UK...a package with squishy things and hard things inside, so I opened it and.....

Eeeeeep! You just made my day secret pal!!! I was so touched with how well thought out the presents were. You could obviously tell that I'm a bit of a daggy old hippy, at least it seems you could, because there's this amazing 100% bamboo yarn, which is really right up my alley, and organic chocolate - I'm constantly trying to move to the organic lifestyle, and failing when I realise I'm too poor, and Kool-Aid! I've heard so much about this mysterious Kool-Aid stuff, about dyeing wool with it, and I'm pretty sure you can't get it in Australia; Whenever I see stuff about it on the net, I just pass it off as another weird American junk food, but now I can give it a go! Thank you so much. Even though I've been expecting the package, I didn't realise how wonderful it would be to get a present from someone I don't know on the other side of the planet. This whole experience is ten times better than I imagined it would be. The bamboo yarn is amazingly soft, like silk, and the colours are so subtle and beautiful. I've showed it to all of my family, and they're amazed. My dad in particular just can't get over it. Whenever he sees it he just goes "wow, that's incredible, how do they make that?". It's quite a feat, because my dad is rarely amazed by "girly stuff" as he would think of it. I should get him knitting, I'm sure he'd find it much more fun than he imagines. Maybe when he's old and grey and I'm looking after him, I'll threaten him with a nursing home unless he takes up knitting. Sorry, getting a bit side-tracked here. I've decided what I'm going to knit with the bamboo yarn, I just decided then. Of course I could change my mind, because I'm a pretty inconsistent person. I think I'll try Branching Out from Knitty. I've been wanting to do it for a while, but now I'm pretty sure this yarn would be perfect. It'll make a beautiful Spring scarf.
The point is, secret pal, I want to kiss you, I couldn't be grumpy after that. And in the end it turned out that Alex (my bro) just had a bit of an infection from the brain surgery, and after some antibiotics, it's cleared up reasonably, so he can start his treatment tomorrow just fine. As for my flat, well I'll just have to wait and see.

And another thing...

2006-06-10T15:36:00.000+10:00

I particularly like this chart.

Aaargh!

2006-06-10T14:56:00.000+10:00

You wouldn't believe it, I just wrote a really long and fascinating blog, and then somehow the browser screws up, so I just spent the last 45 minutes trying to fix the problem, and now I've forgotten what I was talking about. Hmph. Here goes again.

Here's where I'm up to with the skull bag:

There are these pockets on the outside which the Andeans call unas. Basically, while you're knitting the body of the main bag, where you want the una openings you knit in a bit of scrap yarn. When the body's finished, you pull out the scrap yarn, pick up the stitches and knit the una/pocket. The opening's on the inside, and the una's on the outside. They look a bit like testicles (sorry). So, all I have left is two and a half unas, drawstrings, shoulder strap, skull beads, and I need to sew down the floats so they don't catch on things when I use the bag. Quite a bit to go, but it's all good fun.

Now for a bit of a whine:

Whine No. 1: Badly written patterns. Andean Folk Knits is a fantastic book, I love it to bits, it has the most fascinating patterns and social history and customs etc., but the patterns are really badly written. Or I shoud say, drawn. They're all charts, which is fine, since all of the patterns are so intricately decorated, but the chapter on techniques just isn't detailed enough, and there are some major flaws, which I wrote into the post that didn't work, but I think that it was really a bit boring, so it's just as well it's gone forever. Anyway, the result of this was that I basically ended up re-designing the whole bag, which is pretty cool, because it's much more fun to design your own stuff than just follow someone's directions. Well, I think it's more fun anyway. So, after much stuffing around, I decided to just do whatever I wanted with the pattern, so I did this to the bottom of the bag:

Yes, it's that star thingo, where you K2tog evenly spaced around each and every row. I love it. So simple, yet effective. Also looks great on sock toes. You can hardly see it in this photo, which brings me to:

Whine No. 2: Crappy digital camera lighting and colours. Just look at the state of those two photos! I can't get the damn things right! That last pic was the best of about 20! 'Nuff said.

Oh yeah, and you may have noticed that I've put up a piccie of me. Scary stuff! Luckily the photo's too small to be too offensive!

Back At Last

2006-06-06T18:49:00.000+10:00

Here I am again. What a bad start to a blog. I get a few days in and my brother gets a brain tumour up in Newcastle and I leave town for 2 weeks and have no access to computers at all. By the time I get back, I am so behind at uni and the rest of my life that everything is far too hectic to update, much less knit. I couldn't take my knitting to Newcastle because I had 2 seconds to pack and could only take hand luggage, so I figured I probably couldn't take my lovely steel needles. However, while I was there I knitted my bro a horrible beanie to cover up his lovely scars and new haircut. Everyone else insists that the beanie is great, but I loathe it. Every time I see it I just want to rip it. I started a pair of socks for him, but they are too big and I hate them anyway. I had grand plans of the most incredible socks the world has ever seen, but they just turned to crap, and what with the trauma of waiting for the operation, watching his recovery and just generally wanting to scream, I just didn't have the heart to knit! Can you believe it? Anyway, I'm going to rip that sock half and start again with a much less planned, more instinctive design. I realise that from now on I have to trust my instinct when it comes to design.
So, there are no lovely piccies, because there's nothing worth showing. I want to finish my skull bag, because I desperately need a handbag. I might get on to that in just a sec.

I'm somebody's pal...

2006-05-11T13:22:00.000+10:00

At last the details of my secret pal have arrived. Obviously I can't say anything (not that anyone actually reads this blog anyway) but I can answer the questionnaire for myself:

1. Which yarn is most like your personality (you can be specific or general with your answer- brand, type, color, fiber, whatever)?
Handspun wool. Warm, smells nice, a bit lumpy. That's me alright.

2. What is your favorite color yarn to knit/crochet with?
Well I seem to knit with red a lot, but I really like blues and greens.

3. Have you ever used variegated, or magic, yarns?
Not that I'm aware of.

4. Do you tend to favor certain fibers when choosing yarns?
I always buy 100% wool (except for my most recent project). I come from a family with a background in sheep farming, so I guess it was bred into me. I also choose wool because I can't really afford anything fancier! Really I just prefer natural animal fibres, whatever the animal may be.

5. Do you prefer to work with center-pull or traditionally wound balls of yarn?
I really don't mind as long as the yarn is good!

6. Have you ever worked with organic yarns or are you interested in trying them?
Yeah why not?

7. How many and what projects have you made in the last year?
Trying to remember... a basket stitch scarf for Babe (my boyfriend, not the little pig), red socks, skull socks, insane socks I II and III, skull bag. That's all I can remember. I'm sure there's more.

8. Will you be knitting any gifts this year?
Would like to knit something for my grandmother who taught me to knit when I was eight and has knitted so much for me. Actually I also want to knit socks for mum and dad and maybe my brother and anyone else I like!

9. What is your favorite one skein project?
Not sure if I've ever knitted anything with just one skein. Maybe a beanie, but it has to be a cool one.

10. How much yarn do you have in your stash and how do you store it?
Oh Lordi me. Actually, I don't have nearly as much as some people (yet). I have all of my bought yarns in a plastic storage container next to my armchair. All of my own handspun stuff is stuffed into a cardboard box and my storage trunk, and I have a big plastic bag with some handspun of my grandmother's.

11. Do you have a yarn in your stash that you love so much you can never use it or part with it?
Well I have the above-mentioned handspun of my grandmother's. I'm actually trying to design the perfect hoodie/cardigan to knit it up into, but it has to be perfect!

12. Do you knit less or differently in the summer?
I probably knit more in Summer because I have more time. Maybe I'm more inclined to knit practical things in Winter.

13. Do you belong to any knitting groups (online or offline)?
Sadly no, not yet.

And that's that. In other news, I decided to go crazy and buy another set of dpns for the bag. I found some for three bucks, and they are this crappy plastic which is really frickin' hard to knit on, but it's better than my stitches falling off I guess. I actually finished the body of the bag (no piccie yet), and next is the little pockets, then the strap.
I'm a little distracted today, because it feels like someone is punching me in the womb.

Sigh. As I read over this blog, I wonder why I'm doing it. There are millions of blogs out there, and I just can't see any point to adding another one, especially since I'm not witty and sophisticated like some people. I don't have the time to do it properly and create funky graphics, so I have to make do with this pre-fabricated girly pink thing because it was the least ugly thing available. Anyway. Here is my not-terribly-interesting-to-anyone-but-me life on display for you to yawn at. Enjoy.

Spinning, Skulls and Procrastination

2006-05-09T13:23:00.000+10:00

Well, as promised, here's a piccie of my latest spinning adventure:
Of course the colours never come out right in these pictures. I took about 20 and just had to make do with this one. Both are Merino. The one on the left was spun from some prepared and dyed fleece that my aunt bought for me from the Canberra Spinners and Weavers shop. It turned into this almost navy blue with greenish and purple highlights. The one on the right was from some fleece that a girl called Monica gave me. She was a housemate of a friend who I was visiting. I saw her spinning wheel in the lounge room and asked her about it and we started yakking for a bit and she ended up giving me this lovely Merino which she had dyed herself. I forgot to give her my phone number so we could get together and have some knitting sessions, and now she's moved out of my friend's house. I'm trying to track her down, because it gets lonely knitting on my lonesome!
Anyway, I spun them both and then plied them with this lovely lime green silk I bought on eBay. You can't tell from the photo, but both of the skeins have a kind of irridescent quality. I'm thinking up plans for each of them. I have about two small skeins of the navy, and I'm planning to try out Branching Out, a lacy scarf from Knitty. I know it won't look quite how it was intended to look, since my handspun is a little bulky and lumpy, but I thought it couldn't hurt to try, and I think that this wool just has to be used for lace, it just has that kind of quality about it.
The greener skein I have only a tiny bit of, quite a small skein. I wasn't sure what exactly to do with it, and I showed it to someone and she said that the colours reminded her of the sea, and I immediately pictured the yarn in wave stitch. So, I'm going to see if I have enough to make myself a lacy wave stitch beanie/cap thingo. The weather's starting to get absolutely freezing here in Canberra (Australia), so any useful beanie should be nice and thick, but I was never one for being practical. So they're projects for the future.
Here's some progress on the bag:
I've finished my second repeat of the skull motif, and I just need to knit four more rows then start reducing for the bottom of the bag. That little bit of green in the middle there is some scrap yarn to be pulled out so a pocket can be knitted in next. Getting there. Actually, I really wish I had one more dpn for this project. To allow for the skulls I had to increase 10 stitches more than the pattern, and the stitches are constantly almost falling off the ends of the needles. It makes me nervous! I've never seen sets of 5 dpn's here in Australia, and I'm sure as Hell not going to go and buy another set. Eight bucks? I need to eat God damn it!

I seem to be very rare as a knitter in that I usually only have one project going at a time. You see I am a perpetual dropper of projects, and I just know that if I stop one to start another, it's more than likely that I'll never finish the first. I have to force myself to keep dreaming of the next projects while I soldier on with what I've started. If I do start a new project in the middle of another one, it's usually because I hate what I was doing anyway, so it usually ends up getting ripped out. I also don't really have time to knit. I do it, but I'm not supposed to be doing it. You see I'm actually in my honours year at uni, and I just can't afford the time to knit, even though I do it anyway. My mid-year review comes up soon, so I'm freaking out a bit, but I just keep on knitting. Lordy me I'm terrible.

A little bit extra...

2006-05-07T19:20:00.000+10:00

After that last post I remembered some more stuff I wanted to say. I've joined up with the Interweave One Skein Secret Pal Exchange. It's my first ever secret pal exchange thingo, so I'm a bit nervous, a bit excited. Actually, the driving force behind starting this blog was joining up. I was thinking, how could I properly enjoy a secret pal exchange if I couldn't share my excitement with the knitting community out there? I love to read knitters' blogs and see the fun of receiving a present from a complete stranger who may be on the other side of the planet, as well as sending presents to strangers! I'm really excited about the whole thing, and I've been thinking about all the skeins I've seen and drooled over, and how much someone else might enjoy them. Deary me, I'm getting all excited now. Anyhow, here's the button, just because it's so damn pretty:

Ahhh. Getting my yarn fix just thinking about it. So, I've been practicing spinning again so I could possibly send my own skein. It's funny, I started spinning about 14 years ago, but because I do it so intermittently, I'm just crap at it. I'm trying my best, getting a bit better every time. I've just finished spinning some lovely Merino which I've plied with a fine silk thread, and I want to post a picture, but I'll have to wait until daylight to try to catch the colours with the camera.

Okay, enough excitement for one day.

Second beginning...

2006-05-07T17:49:00.000+10:00

Oh me oh my I have so much to show. Today we might not get further than my beloved socks.
Ok, so here's the good stuff. Piccies! I'm still getting the hang of this blogging business, so let's see how this works:

Ha! So that's how that works! Anyway, these are the first of my series of "Insane Socks" (and before you ask, yes those are my lovely hairy legs...hairy and proud baby!). They aren't insane to knit, they just tend to alarm people. I love to knit these, just making up patterns as I go - I find it much more exciting than following a pattern. I guess I just have a short attention span. The problem is that if you want to have the second sock the same, it's not as fun to knit, but there you go. I knitted these for my good friend Sam, just for the hell of it.

These socks I knitted for myself, because I always seem to be knitting socks for other people! I went a little more crazy with the colours and the patterns because I didn't have to worry about someone else getting beaten up for wearing freaky socks (I can look after myself).

And these ones I finished just the other day for Halie, another great friend of mine.

So now I've decided I have to stop knitting socks...for a little bit. I just keep going back to them because they're so much fun. But there's a universe of patterns and yarns out there! So the next project is my Andean Skull Bag:

This is a mish-mash of a few things. The basic structure of the bag (with a few minor alterations) comes from Andean Folk Knits by Marcia Lewandowski. Wow I love this book. The patterns are fun, heaps of funky bags, and information about the knitters of the Andes, who are amazing. However, I'm not really a girl for wearing items decorated with llamas and dancing figures, so I went for the Jolly Roger motif - a particular favourite of mine. I stole the above skull pattern from a wonderful skull scarf pattern I found here. I hope the designer doesn't mind too much. I'm no good at designing anything but geometric patterns. Here is another skull pattern I'll be using later on for the pockets and shoulder strap.

I'm knitting this bag in acrylic yarn. This is new for me. I don't like acrylic, I really tend to use natural fibres because they're just so much nicer, friendlier, warmer, softer. They have life. Acrylic has none. Anyway, after debating with myself for a couple of weeks, I decided to use acrylic because a) I'm very poor and b) it's only a bag, it doesn't have to keep me warm, and its not likely to pill like a wearable would. What's more, I thought perhaps it would be stronger. I always put all sorts of crap into my handbag, and I'm sick of bags which fall apart. So there, I've made my excuses.

The changes I've made to the structure itself are mostly minor. A few extra rows and increases here and there to accomodate the Jolly Roger, and the main change which is a shoulder strap. The pattern doesn't include one, but I have to have one, I absolutely HATE carrying a handbag in my hand! So there you go. I'm also considering lining the bag. I don't know yet. I'll try to scan the picture from the book some time to show what it's supposed to look like.

And that is the end of my first real blog entry.

The Beginning...

2006-05-06T21:15:00.000+10:00

Okay, so here's another knitting blog. I don't know exactly why I decided that the world needed yet another one, but here it is. What's more, I couldn't even think of a decent name, so I just put down the first thing that came to my head. Hopefully I won't rue the day...
Anyway, this isn't going to be worth looking at until I've taken a few piccies of my recent and current knits, so should anyone happen to somehow stumble across this blog within the next 24 hours and find it this bland, I urge you to return in (hopefully) another 24 hours by which time there will be something worth looking at!