Thursday, November 23, 2006

Pictures! At last! And haven't I been busy...

You can tell I'm putting off an essay, can't you?


My socks *singing*
I love them, I love them, I need more!
(damn my thirsty soul)

The Jo Sharp cotton bag.

It's supposed to have a wash-cloth and hand towel to match, but I was reluctant to spend all at once (ha ha), so they might come later. I think this would make a nice present-set, especially if you bought some matching soap-holders, etc. A little pricey, but.



This is the Jo Sharp cardi that I started. I am making good progress, no? Not that it's much more exciting than knitting a cushion right now, but the end product is much more worth it. Can you see the shiny-ness?














Yum. I love this wool. I love Bendigo Woolen Mills! Am planning another wool-haul, some for chrissie stuff (I know, I'm a trifle tardy) but mostly for my Arwen knit along. Very exciting. Anyway, to break up the monotony of cardigan-ness, I've been working on My sister's scarf - Voila!











And whenever the incessent un-tangling gets too much for me, I switch back to the cardi. Actually, the scarf is going quite well, I rolled it up and pinned it, because the length was tangling with the threads dangling from my needles. So now progress is much faster. It's not almost finished, but it is almost almost finished. And i also remembered I had those fingerless gloves for her, too. Christmas, here I come!

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

A new project

OK, so le sister has apparently hidden her camera... how inconsiderate!

However, I was looking at some of the 'knit alongs', and I found this one, ArwenAlong, for the 'cardigan for Arwen' from the latest Interwieve Knits. I do not yet have said magazine, but just you wait until I get paid! I've wanted... neede to do this since I saw it on the Knitnbitch blog.

The problem is the wool. It needs about 17 50g balls. The wool called for in the pattern is more than $10 a ball. I simply can't afford that much for this, especially considering all the toher purchases I've made lately, mostly of wool...

So, back to the Bendigo Woolen Mills swatch card. I can't decide. It's either one of these:


Or one of these:
Technically it's supposed to be aran weight, but with a bit of swatching and adjustment I could probably get away with a DK - it's in the list of suggested yarn substituates at the Yahoo group.

The red tweed in the top pic is what I'm currently doing my cardigan in. Here is a look at the swatch - I can't take pics but I can scan!

You can't see the thing I love best about it - that is, the way it glints in the light. In fact, it looks kinda boring, doesn't it? Oh well. I'll photograph my WIP of it when I can, and maybe you'll be able to tell then?

So, back to the yarn choosing. I don't know if you can really see them. I'm thinking maybe one of the blues or greens. I hesitate to choose them because, well, the picture is blue, and I hate choosing the same colour as the picture. But I seem to be doing it a lot. My socks are not the same colour as the pic (the pic is 'Paris' and my socks are 'Orchid'... or was it 'Orchard'?) but they're both green. My cardi, even though not planned, is also red, as in the pic. However, I like blues and greens, and they also seem appropriate. I like the idea of 'green opal' or maybe 'mariner' from the 'Rustic' selection (first pic) I have the choice of 8 or twelve ply for those (that is, DK weight or bulky weight)

Well, I have plenty of time to choose. I can't get the magazine until at least Monday. But I'd like to order the wool, so's I can have it soon after I get the pattern. As soon as I joined the KAL I got the horrible sinking feeling - this little voice in my head, squeaking 'you're falling behind! you're falling behind!' Damn my competative streak!










Tuesday, November 21, 2006

No pics, some talking

Been meaning to blog, but have been unable to get my hot little hands of little sisters camera, which would enable me to take pictures for ya. However, it is my supreme pleasure to inform you that I ma now wearing my socks, and they are wonderful, and I love them so very, very much. I am hooked. I want more socks. I must have more!!!

OK, I'm calm now. I have also finished a knitted bath bag from Jo Sharp, in cotton. It was my first knitting with cotton (yummy) my first moss stitch (surprisingly uninteresting. I could do it in my sleep. Oooh, how cocky I am) and also my first knitting-in-the-round (converted!) I have yet to make it up, because I need some buttons. Not to actually do anything, just for accent, you understand, but obviously it's impossible for me to do anything about it until I have the buttons. Obviously.

In other news, I have started on the wool from Bendigo Woolen Mills. It was supposed to be cushion covers from the last Creative Knitting. I decided to start it right after I'd finished my socks. I cast on the one hundred or so stitches. I knit one row. I pured another. I looked at the pattern - only 248 left... I frogged. Instead, I used the tweed wool to start a cardigan thing from Jo Sharp's Knit, Two. The wool is red, with deep blue through it so it looks kind of shimmery-purple, and lustrous. I probably wouldn't have chosen it for the project, but I think it's going to be stunning!

I'll try and get pics tomorrow, since I'm so proud, I can't help but show off.

In other news, I am now dreaming about knitting. Disturbing? Possibly. I also went to the library and completely borrowed all their knitting books. Am planning next haul from Bendigo Woollen Mills, and have numerous books in my Amazon cart... I think I'm in knitting overload...

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

New acquisitions and some forgotten talk


Look! I found the pattern (it's the red one on the left) and I bought the next season! So now I can finish that darned jumper, and if I hurry, I can catch up and watch the next season as it airs!

Sorry about the dodgy light...





Also, Look!




I got my package (I am now officially addicted to mail order) Snarky comments from my mother aside, about having too much money (no such thing,especially when it comes to yarn. or books.) I can't wait to get started on the wool, which, BTW, is gorgeous. And in huge 200gm balls.
















Very exciting. I spent most of the evening reorganising. Turns out I do have a stash. Look!




OK, so one laundry basket full isn't much to some of the veterans, but I certainly didn't think I had that much! Most of it's acrylic, I used to make toys from Jean Greenhowe's books when I was a kid, and I guess stuff just accumulated. But there's about 10 balls of really nice DK wool, and some other stuff I forgot I had. it's been living in here for the last 10 years or so:




Notice the knitting needles hanging out of a coles green bag on the left of the pic. Definately gotta do something about that.


Also, I forgot yesterday to talk about the alpaca lady at the market. Not that she looks like an alpaca, or anything. So, there's a market here in Lobethal every weekend called Heart of the Hills. It's pretty good, if you're around, you should check it out. I mean, it's hardly a day's outing, but it's good to potter around, there's some interesting stuff. Also, there are two stalls I am interested in, particularly. One is for a knitting/spinning group who sell their products there. There's a couple of older ladies who are always there, spinning and knitting as they man (person?) the stall. It's great to watch. the other a stall devoted to alpaca stuff, products made locally, imported and also... yarn!

A bunch of alpaca farms have popped up lately, it's like alpacas are the new grapes. People are metaphorically ripping up their sheep farms to put in alpacas. Pretty soon, there'll be a glut on the market. Or something. Anyway, I bought a pair of insoles from this place a while back, and they are sooooo comfortable. The only downside is that now they're worn in they shed on my socks, but I'll take that.

The reason this is pertinent is that I was looking at patterns and there was one which called for alpaca wool, and I thought of this stall. They have a bunch of great stuff, in all different weights, and its just lovely. I didn't buy any because, well, look above, I've done enough of that for one week. But I'll definately be back. I was talking to the lady running the stall about it all, and it sounds exciting. I'm jealous of her. Also, I'd get a nice rush from buying locally made stuff rather than overseas or even interstate.

The locally done stuff is all natural colours, not dyed. (I'm wondering now how hard it is to hand dye alpaca...) They have some imported stuff from peru, though, wool and products, and it's the softest, most yummy thing ever. Like mohair, but not itchy at all. I have a peruvian alpaca-wool hat I got at an Oxfam CAA store, and it's like chalk and cheese. My hat is the sort of thing you sell to people who are looking for Quaint Handicrafts, the ponchos wraps and scarves they had at the stall were like silk and cashmere. I'm in lust. So, I'm definately planning a project.

I'm thinking of knitting a skirt. Yes, you heard me, knitting a skirt. I know, I know. I was just saying to my sister how, you know, some things you don't need to knit. Belts, for instance. Or, i don't know, a wedding dress... unless, of course, that's the point. But I was looking at blue sky alpacas for some alpaca patterns, and I saw this:



How can you not want to look like that? I know I do. I won't, but I'd like to. Also, I saw this version on knit and tonic and I was sold. What the hey, I already walk around town with a huge pair of ridiculous headphones on, I don't think I can really worry about what people are thinking.

And then I thought, sure, I want to look good. I mean, I don't want to walk around with my knickers hanging out or anything. But, in order to look good as most people see it, I have to be boring. And I'm really, really sick of being boring. So, I'm going to knit that skirt. (although not in white. I am not the sort of person who should be wearing white) And I'm going to wear it, and I don't care what my sister says or how many strange looks I get. What's the point of making nice stuff if you can't wear it? Or if you get too scared of making something cool you like because you think you wont? I think that's why I mostly make presents, so I don't have to worry about that. Well, no more!

Anyway, I had a bunch of stuff more I wanted to talk about, musings and that, but I have an essay due tommorrow, and I'm only halfway through, so I'll just leave it at that.

Monday, November 13, 2006

Weekend summary



Well, how was your weekend? Mine was pretty good. Went down and spent the day in town with my cousins on Saturday. Went to the library and overloaded.. some good fiction, but I hit their knitting section pretty hard. There were a couple of books I was thinking about buying, and I've since decided against one and for another, on the strength of what use I might get out of them. Saw Private Lives with two of them and my grandma (it was hilarious), and then hung around at their place until late. There was a fantastic thunderstorm, and it rained big, fat heavy rain all night. Lovely. Just lovely. Check this out for a pic or two. It put paid to my one rose, but there's another just come out.


I'd thought about taking some knitting with me, but my sock didn't seem very mobile, given the trouble I'd been ahving, and I didn't think I'd get time to do it. however, there was an hour or so that evening when I was just hanging around, and my fingers positively itched. I didn't get home till late, but even so, I had to knit a few rows before I went to bed. And then the next morning, we got this:


Sorry about the shine, but it's my sock. Or almost. I have to detatch it from it's umbilical cord, and then I can wear it. Just the one, I don't care. I'm so excited. I think I might be hooked on socks. The best thing is, I worked it out all by myself. I just feel so clever, I'm almost glad I made all those mistakes!

I thought about starting the next one, but by that time my cupcake hat was on the needles I would have needed. I knitted that in one day: yesterday, Sunday, in between doing other things. And I knitted furiously in the evening, once it got close to finishing I couldn't stop till it was done. My fingers hurt.


Here it is, doesn't it look scrumptious? Raspberry chocolate, good enough to eat. I bought the wool on Saturday, it was $1 a ball. I'm thinking a chocolate pompom and some choc sprinkles in the form of tube beads. I think this one will be a chrissie present for one of my younger cousins, but it does fit me, and I love it so much I'm going to have to make one for myself. I'm also wondering how hard it would be to make it into a tea cosy...

I sort of wish I'd made the ribbing longer. Nevermind, there's always next time.




Today it was lovely and drippy and misty when I got up. Here's a photo, although by the time I took it I'd missed the mist. (How poetic of me)


It's all cleared up now, and it's quite sunny.

The lawn has almost dried off. I know, because I just went and sat on it to cast on my next project. 101 stitches, and now my bottom's damp.




Had some nice native birds singing. Our garden's been infested with Starlings, which start out sounding pretty, but they've begun to drive me crazy. But, yesterday the magpies were out in force. That's got to be one of my most favourite sounds ever. They're absolutely beautiful, especially in the early morning or just when the sun's going down. Althought there'e one around here that seems to think that the hour between midnight and one in the morning is the perfect time to be singing.


Then we had a couple of kookaburras. One even landed on the electric pole. Can you see it? Not really, huh. I didn't want to get too close and scare it off, but I needen't have worried, he was quite unconcerned with me.


Had two Jehova's witnesses today, they scared the bejeezus out of me when they knocked on the door. Two middle aged women. Very enthusiastic. last time it was two very cute young men (well, they were. Don't look at em like that!) and the time before that, two angry looking women. I hate having a Kingdom hall nearby, I just don't want to know, but I feel bad for them, which I'm sure they'd be very surprised to know. They have to go around doing this, I'm sure some of them feel as awkward about it as I do. So I just nod my head and be polite when I really would like to disagree... only then they'd never go away. And if you knew me you'd know how hard it is for me not to argue ;P It's all very character building, I expect.

I hit podcast alley this morning to see if there were any knitting podcasts. I am now subscribed to about a million of them... I'll let you know if they're any good! I love my podcasts, and I aspecially love to sit down with my knitting and my headphones and listen to something interesting or educational or diverting while I make something beautiful. So I'm looking forward to discovering some interesting new people to like.

Well, that's the miscellania. I'm going to go get some more material for my nascent quilt tommorrow, which is exciting. I'm hoping I will be able to restrain myself money wise. Also, I'm hoping my order from Bedigo woolen mills will be here today. Can't wait!

Sunday, November 12, 2006

This was my second google quote today:

"To be able to fill leisure intelligently is the last product of civilization, and at present very few people have reached this level."
- Bertrand Russell

I thought it was appropriate...

In other news, I hope everyone else had a good armistice day/anniversary of Ned Kelly;s death/anniversary of Gough Whitlam's deposition... what a bundle of good memories we have for Novermber the 11th, I don't think.

My sort-of quilt

This is a pic of the quilt cover I did for my sister years ago, that I mentioned earlier on. I made it the year I graduated from high school, when I had started holidays but no one else had yet, so I had the house to myself.

It was Lord of the Rings themed, since the first movie had just come out
and we were both on a Tolkien kick. See, there's the ring in the middle, painstakingly copied out.




A better shot of the ring picture:



You can't really see, but in the red part, I painted on the runes or whatever they are that say "one ring to etc etc" It was hard. I did the same on the pillowcase I made to match. I originally wanted to embroider it, at least on the pillow, but it got too hard. I might give it a go if I was doing it again now, and I had enough time.



The thing I loved best (apart from having the final product all done) was choosing the fabrics. Check them out:

You can't really see very well. The top looks all fiery and lava-like. The red on the bottom looks like tangled branches. The idea was to sort of describe the journey they had to take to get rid of the ring, with the ring in the centre. The picture below shows it better.
I was thinking of putting some foresty fabrics on the edge, but I ran out of room, and the colours didn't really go.

My sister still uses it on her bed, although with different pillowceses now. Which is pretty flattering if you think about it. Or maybe not - she did use a fairy quilt set she got when she was tiny up until just a few years ago when it fell apart...

Anyway, I'm surprised by how good it still looks. It was my first proper project, and still my only really big one. Hmmmm... I'm being tempted into doing something similar... cos I totally need new project, I don't think.

Friday, November 10, 2006

Some Musings



So, in my enthusiasm about all the cool stuff I've uncovered on the net, I sent a link to one of my friends (it was the anticraft website, which is way cool, if'n you don't know yet.) and then I gave her the link to this blog. She said some nice things about it - actually, now that I re-read it, she mostly said she was surprised, and wasn't I clever to have a blog? And then she said (and I haven't asked if I could use this, so I wont use her name or anything, although she's the only one who's seen the blog, anyway)


WTF – where do you get the time to keep a diary, girl??!?!? You are supposed to be in your most stressful (not sock-stressful, but study-stressful) year – your honours year! Or at least having lunches+going shopping with me, but you are conquering the web!!!



And I sort of justified myself, but in an embarrased sort of way. Which, now that I think about it, WTF? I did point out, in a previous email to her, that it's very depressing, as a femminist, being only really very good at girly stuff. I mean, I do fine at other stuff, but what I'm really good at, better than other people good at, is baking, knitting, sewing and embroidery. Yick.

Only not. As I said to her, the thing I have got so excited and motivated about on finding this fantastic net-presence of crafters out there is that you don't have to stitch pictures of kittens or quilt lovely pink rose fabrics, or knit pastel smoking jackets and bobbly hats, although if that's what you want to do, why the hell not? But if that's not your thing, you can go to the Anticraft website, and find a pattern for a twisted doll, or you could just knit something that's nice and you can be proud of it and you know that someone didn't get paid 2 cents a piece to make it for you. So there.

And yes, I am a femminist, thankyou very much. I happen to think that I'm my own person, and that I have more to offer than reproduction and cooking, although if I want to do those things too, you'd just better let me, that's all I'm saying. I'm not hugely militant or anything, although in today's society that's a very relative thing, but I do try to keep in mind how easy I have it compared to almost every woman ever born, and while I don't always make the most of that (note, I'm blogging, not doing my history essay which will get me a nice shiny honours degree) I happen to appreciate it.

This isn't a rant at my friend, per se, its just that I felt so guilty and embarrassed, and why should I? I can't draw much, nad I certainly can't sing, but I can knit and sew and bake, and if that's how I want to be creative, that should be a good thing. So why is a part of me dry wretching. If I wanted to make sculptures out of car parts, would I feel guilty? Well, maybe. I am good at feeling guilty. It's my catholic upbringing, I tells ya.

So, the conclusion is, I refuse to feel guilty since I'm making something while I watch TV, which is better than most people can say. And now, since I like pictures and you've (maybe) sat through my mini-rant, here's a nice girly photo of the rose on my rose bush.

A forgotten project

So, in rummaging through my stash of UFO's I found this jumper I have had for about 3 years. I bought all the wool ages ago, and sort of started knitting it, but it's too small for me, so I had to adjust the pattern, which I am not good at. Several phone calls to mum later, I started it. Then, when I got halfway through the first side, I couldn't really remember what I had done, alterations-wise, so I just put it away rather than figure it out.

The wool. And also, my knee, whoops!
Lovely and chunky, is it not. I mean
the wool, thankyou!


Then, when I was in China last year I had this sudden, uncontrollable urge to knit. My mum had sent me a bunch of cross-stitch (I fully intend to have some pics of that sort of stuff soon, since I have stacks) but I wanted something to knit. So she sent me the wool, needles and patterns, and I finished the front. Then I put it away again, and brought it back home with me.

About 6 months ago or more, on my last major knitting kick, I pulled it out again and thought 'to hell with the adjustments. I'm just going to knit the pattern, and maybe it will fit someone I know.' It's got a garter-stitch slashed neckline, which i don't think would be that flattering on me anyhow. So I knitted it, front and back, while working my way through my West Wing DVDs.

The front and the back

Unfortunately, I only have up until season 4, and I was halfway through the first sleeve when I ran out, and I just couldn't seem to keep going. I'd be tempted to pick it up again - it's so close to being finished, and the the thick wool and chunky needles would make a nice texture-change from this dratted 8-ply-4mm-needles sock. However, in trying to organise a pic of the pattern for you, I realised... the book is completely AWOL. and now, of course, because I can't, I'm dying to finish it! Aaargh!



The old front, to be unpicked. Oh, and my
knee again.



Well, on the bright side, at least this blog is living up to its name!




Sock of DOOOOOOM!

Nnnnngh! So close! See how far I got? I even started shaping the toe, but it still wasn't right. Guess what I did? No, go on, guess? I mixed up the needles, I thought that needle one was needle three, so the decreasing was all in the wrong places, and the sock was all twisted...













can you see?































But, the good news is, once I frogged right back to the gorram heel, it seems to be going fine. Voila:



A pretty, pretty, nicely shaping heel. Now all I need to do is knit 15 centimetres or so of so-exciting stocking stitch, and then I can start shaping the toe... can you feel my excitement emanating from your computer screen?

Every time I've had to rip out all the stitches, I think of a conversation I had with my sister about 5 months ago now. We were watching TV together, and I was trying to turn the heel for the first time - as far as I knew it was going surprisingly well, but the needles were clinking all over the place, and I was narrowly avoiding taking an eye out - mostly because I wear glasses.

Sister: that looks soooo stupid.
Me: Oh yeah?
Sister: (laughing) yeah.
Me: Yeah, well, you'll look stupid when I have a sock!
Sister: (uncontrollable snorting)



*sigh* never mind, look at my lovely neat decrease I have now. I guess practice does make perfect...

Thursday, November 09, 2006

Warning! Sock alert!

This is a sock I am knitting. Again. It's a Jo Sharpe, from Knit, Issue One, and it's driving me nuts!!! The first time I knit it, a couple of months back, I turned the heel perfectly, got to the toes, and ended up with what looked like a tumour growing out the end. So I unpicked all the way back to before the heel before I could find a spot to restart where I knew where I was. Now I can't do the heel right. I don't know if the instructions are just plain wrong (they are a little vague) or I have simply slipped into the parallel universe known as SOCK HELL.

I will make another running jump at them, and let you know if my sanity's gone walkabout or not. In the meantime, here's what the damned thigns are supposed to look like.

I dream of quilting...

I don't know if this counts as a project, yet. It's still in the planning stages. My mother gets quilting magazines and fairly regularly she buys doubles by accident or there's a 'bonus' package which she alreay has (don't you hate that?) so I end up with the extras. I've never tried quilting before, although technically I can sew. And I also made a quilt cover for my sis about 5 years ago now, using semi-quilting techniques. Semi-using quilting techniques. Whatever.

Anyway, I saw this, and I just had to have it. I'm sure you all know the feeling. It's flannel, and I know this isn't the season (at least in this hemisphere) but maybe if I start it now, it'll be ready for winter (Yeah, right. Winter what year?)

A friend of my mother's has said she'll help me/us work out how to go about it, so this could launch me into the world of quilting, although it's not as comforting as knitting. I can't wait to get my hands on the finished product, it's going to be so snuggly and wonderful.




Here's the fabric I've bought for it so far. The only flannel I could find in the all-purpose craft-sew-whatever stored in town was the red check at the back. The fabrics on the right aren't even flannel - just boring old cotton. The left is flannel, a jackpot was found at a local quilting store, but I ran out of dough, so I will be revisiting the Patchwork Apple when next I get payed. *excitement!*

It's a texture party!


Here is a super-easy project from my copy of Creative Knitting. They're the pair of fingerless gloves from page 29, and they are so quick and easy. Unfortunately I didn't read the materials properly, and I'm one ball short. Until this fact pulled me up, I happily knitted three of the four pieces in a bit over an hour, I'd guestimate. And yes, they're for my sister (gee, I took the quiz in the back of the same magazine and it said I always knit for others. I guess they were right... should I be worried?)

They're quite long, about twice the length of my hand. If the sister doesn't like them, I can always make another pair shorter. I could probably fit it from the new ball I'll be buying.

They're quite pretty and lacy, and that makes them fun to knit. The palm-side (right of photo) is ribbed.


Ooooh, pretty... It's actually black, though.

It's free for a reason...


This is a beanie-and-fingerless-gloves pattern I got for free from spotlight. I now know why it was free. I got it cos le sister wanted fingerless gloves, and the wool I got is sort of school colours for her - but isn't it ugly?

I don't know if you can tell that those two blobs are gloves. They're just two knitted blocks, folded over and then you sew to make the fingerholes. simple as can be. I ahd half a ball elft, so I started on the hat. Now I have to buy another abll to finish it, which will also be left unfinished... curses!

Can you tell they're gloves now?

One scarf to despair over

Here is a variation on the purple scarf from the last post. It's DK Tweed, of course, in Beach and Brindle. Looks cool, huh? It was also supposed to be ready for my sister's August birthday, but it's so darned fiddly. It's the allowed colours for her school, so I thought I'd be all clever and tricky.

Since the scarf is 9 'blocks' of knit/purl alternation, (5 stitches wide, 12 rows high) I decided to do it in four seperate strips and whip it together when it was done.

Whenever I get to the 12th row, I have to go through a bizarre ritual of passing the other colour along the block as I knit so I can use it to start the next row. That's not very clear, but it's hard to explain. Anyway.

As you can see from the photo, I knitted the first two sections fairly quickly - they're only four accross, so it wasn't too tricky. However....



Here we see the trickiness that ensued when I had to add another ball of wool. Everytime I change the verticak block they get ridiculourly tangled, and it's driving me nuts! I pick it up every now and then, knit two blocjks, grit my teeth and knit another two, and then, very carefully not hurling it against the wall, put it away again.

If I ever get it done, I bought enough 'Beach' (the lighter colour) that I could do another one, just in that colour. Which would be nice. And easy.


If she's very, very lucky, my sister will get this for christmas, but it's not looking good.

Two scarves to gloat over

Here are two scarves that I finished this last winter. Both are Jo Sharpe patterns, from Knit Issue one.




The one on the Left used up most of the 3 balls of Alpaca Silk Georgette that the instructions demanded. The wool is delicious to work with, it's so smooth, although it probably would have been better with bamboo needles, the metal ones I used made for some slippy times. It's also delicious knit up, you just want to keep touching it. Definately luxurious.





I made it for my sister's birthday in August, and I whipped it up in about two weeks, probably about 20 hours of knitting. Does that sound like too much? I wasn't counting at the time. The scarf's quite short - as per instructions and also my sister's request - but the silk is so fine that it takes a lot.

Here's a pic from the magazine, with a closer view...



The purple scarf on the right in the first pic is done in Silkroad DK Tweed in Eden, and was for me. The pattern says 3 balls, but I still have one and a bit left over - nevermind, I can always use more wool!


The pic on the left is a closeup of Jo's version from the book, to show you the texture. It's yummy to wear, and the colour is all wintry and nice. That whole range has beautiful washed-out colours that are perfect for winter.

Numero Uno

So, I've been sucked into the knitting blogs the last few days. Sucked in, I tells ya. It all started off innocently enough... it always does.

I was saw the latest Jo Sharpe pattern book in a newsagent. So of course I had to buy it. And while I was there, another $10 for Creative Knitting didn't seem like that much. (Ok, so I stood in the store reading it until I was sure there were at least 3 things I wanted to make in it. So sue me)

So then I found a bunch of stuff I wanted, and lots of it had websites, so I thought 'well, I'll just look'. Yes, I know. Foolish. 4 hours later, I have a sheaf of free patterns (but the materials aren't free, are they, noooo) a headache, and an invoice from the Wool Shack. Actually, the last bit I'm not so worried about. I'd been hanging around there waiting until my next pay for a week now, and I'm so excited to get my order in the mail, it's just pathetic. Also, I greatly enjoyed Emma's knitnbitch blog. She's the owner of the Wool Shack, and it's nice to know that your supplier is as addicted as you. Very reassuring. Was is worrying is the amount of knitting books in my shopping cart at Amazon... it's just a good thing I can't afford them.

So, to cut a long story short, I got very excited about all the pretty blogs, and decided to create one of my own. I'll try and keep it fairly regular, because I just can't take any more guilt, but we'll see. For now, I have to work out how to make it as pretty as possible, and put pictures of my small craftiness up.