Beginnings and endings

I spent a fantastic day shopping at the LYS with Tigers yesterday. We spent the day shopping and talking yarn as you do. The discussion got around to our current projects and why we can't wait to finish some things and others are left sitting there untouched for unspeakable amounts of time.

One of my untouched projects has been Rogue.
I love it and I want it finnished so I can wear it.
But I am hating the striping I am getting from trying to blend the two dyelots.
For a while I was trying to talk myself into believing it would all be ok when it's finished. But I am not even working on it let alone finishing it.
So to the frogpond it is going. The yarn will be seperated into the different dyelots and then can be reassigned a few smaller projects.

Of course as soon as there is a place cleared in the que something else needs to be started. Diamond Fantasy Shawl has been started.
With lots of frogging I am almost done with chart A.

Lace totally befuddles me and I seem to loose yarn overs consistantly.
I spend more time counting my stitches than doing any actual knitting.
But it's soooooooo pretty. I will just have to keep practicing.

Fetching 3

All finished!!! Miss B's blue fetchings are done!!

So of course I am itching to start on something new ( Like the Diamond Fantasy Shawl) but have been trying to work on some of the stuff sitting on the list. I spent a couple of hours last night working on the shawl I currently have going. The rows are really long now and take forever. It seems I am not getting very far and will more than likely cast on very soon.

Why is it that at the start of a project you can see a lot of progress and yet once you get just over halfway done it doesn't seem to matter how much you knit it doesn't grow??

Totally awed....

I will never cease to be in total awe of knitterly peoples generousity. They share their time and their knowledge, they let us learn in our own way and they listen.

It seems knitters are amongst the people who believe in sending surprise packages just because.

Donna
was the source of some amazing surprise kindness and Kit just had to check it out.

Sorry about the bright flash/colour distortion but I had to take it before Kit ran away.... she is really camera shy.

In there is some Zarina and fluffy stuff to make Miss B a pair of socks. That's if I don't run off with the purple yarn myself he he.

The pattern for the Diamond Fantasy Shawl I have been drooling over at Cara's. And to leave me totally speachless Donna also sent some Twinkletoes yarn so I could start right away. How is that for enabling???

I do have one problem...... I can't see through the happy tears to cast on.

Oh and the chocolate......... it was yummy :)

Thankyou so much Donna.

Fetching 2

Fetching 2 off my hands for 2 seconds so I could quickly take a pic.
The colours appear a bit more muted in person but I love them. I can see myself making more of these later as I am going to want some for when these are in the wash. They may need constant washing as the cats have already tried to spill a cup of tea all over them this morning.



Off to start Miss B's pair and try and sqeeze in an appointment at the Dr's.
Miss B has an ingrown toenail..... surgery was recommended.
Now that the surgery date is near it seems to be pretty much healed of it's own accord. Typical. The infection has gone but it's still a bit lumpy. So I want to see if it will be ok on it's own now or if she still needs the surgery. I am hoping the former for her sake as well as mine. I really don't think I can sit in the room with her and watch them cut her toe up. I know she will want me in the room with her, but I just want to be far away so I don't have to watch.

I can happily watch Doctors give me needles and things but not on my little girl.

A little housekeeping....

Finally. My progress bars are fixed and I have added some more to the list of things I want to make. The list is of course longer but these are the things I really really want to make.

What I really need to do is some housekeeping in the house instead of just on the computer. But of course knitting is more fun, so I have the second pair of fetching finished. I put them on to see how they fit and haven't taken them off since.

Now that I have made something for myself of course Miss B has put an order in. I kind of feel like making something different now but I guess I better make her a pair or she will just steal mine. Maybe if I just start hers, she won't notice when I put it down to work on something else.

What I want to start is a scarf. I have one that I made a while ago but it is very drapey and squishes down and doesn't keep my neck warm so it doesn't get a lot of wear.




So I am thinking of frogging it and coming up with something a bit chunkier and warmer. Maybe an Irish hiking scarf to keep with the cable theme of the fetchings but I haven't decided yet. Suggestions are welcome.

And ooooops, I think I just mentally added to the "I want one list"
Over on 2paws blog is her finished Bolshoi and it's making me want to rush out and buy yarn and start one right now.

Quick before blgger is nasty again

Here are the first finished Fetching mitts.

Using 1 ball of Debbie Bliss Aran Cashmerino

And started is the second pair using Jet.

The cables dissappear in the mix of colours and you end up with a slightly longer mitt using this yarn.

fetching........

Would be really pretty if I could actually show you. Blooger as I am calling it today just isn't playing nicely.

Fetching is finished ( appart from a few ends that need to be sewn in shhhh) and I liked them so much I have started another pair in Patons Jet Col 6 which isn't really a colour. It is an incredible mix of colours that is knitting with a rustic look to it.

It's not as impressive as the single colour in the Debbie Bliss yarn, the cables are a bit hidden, but it's still a lot of fun.

Argh!

Pictures would be a good thing, yet it seems blogger thinks you all need to use your imaginations a little.

Holidays have started and appart from having Miss B home and in my face 24 hours a day it's been ok. Knitting has been happening.
Waffle socks are done.
Shawl has grown oh about 3 rows .

It's not my fault......... the new knitty is up.
http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEsummer06/PATTfetching.html


Serendipity has hit.
I have the yarn, I have the right size needles and I have cold hands.

And it's over for another term.....

I spent a lot of time not knitting this week as I had to turn this

into typed notes that actually made some kind of sense.

Then I spent a horribly terrifying 20 minutes in front of the class doing what was hopefully an understandable presentation.

I don't remember much I just felt sick. I still feel sick even thinking about it.

But I did get this at the end of it:

That little PA in the corner is a pass achieved.

Seems like a bit of a let down considering how much effort and stress were involved.

A yarn purchase is definately in order.

Just so you know

In responce to Donna's comment and her spotlight staff's ignorance.

Cleckheaton country does NOT felt.

I have tried it and all it does is get bigger and bigger and produce more and more fluffballs. Actually by the end of it I am surprised there was any yarn left as I had removed so much fluff from the washing machine and dryer.
Yep I tried everything I could think of to make it felt and it just wouldn't.

3 times through the whole wash cycle in hot water. With cold rinse.
Extremes in temperature alone should have done something if it was gonna felt.
Water straight from the kettle added to make the water hotter.
Whole thing thrown in the dryer and left on the hot dry cycle.
Nope not one bit of felting happened.

I just ended up with a huge yarny thing which I ended up undoing....... yes I was able to unravel this yarn no problem, just fluffy bits coming off all over the place as I unwound it.

So nope it doesn't felt................ but panda woolbale does as does lincraft's cozy wool.

Spotlight Knitting Party

I went to the Port Adelaide store and there were people turning up all day.

They had put aside 4 tables that normally have their sewing machine displays on them and yes the yarn was acrylic and the needles were the cheap bamboo ones and most were knitting squares for charity.
But others had brought in their own projects and were more than happy to share patterns and teach new methods.

The staff happily photocopied for us and provided continuous tea, coffee and hot chocolate (which Miss B loved).
They also gave demonstrations on invisible cast ons and how to change colours in your work. As well as a raffle where you had to guess the meterage of an unseen 10 balls of yarn.

Appart from having to finalise it with management they are also looking at having a knitting group of their own on the first saturday of the month.

People were constantly coming in as others left so there was a continual state of the tables being occupied and I did manage to interest one lady into some felting and others want sock yarn so not everyone wanted acrylic.

One of their staff members said she wants to come to our group on Sunday so I hope she does. She is one of the ones who also wants to knit with nicer yarns and will be trying to get some sock yarn into the stores .

Others were giving demonstrations of crotchet and explaining hwo they make particular blankets.. sounds like a lot of work to me and another lady was teaching tricot, no idea how you spell that but anyway this used a needle that looks like a big knitting needle with a crotchet hook on the end. Looked like it could be fun.

So considering what I thought it may turn out to be I had a great time and learnt lots and Miss B has turned into a hot chocolate.

They say nothing

Not much happening with Mr Pervert man, he seems to be hiding for now. The school sent home a pathetic letter about not using certain gates but not saying why at all. I spent thurday and friday afternoons talking to other parents letting them know what is going on and walking the looooooooong way around to avoid the gates we are no longer allowed to use. I'm sorry but not using gates doesn't remove Mr Pervert. Perhaps a petition of some sort will???
How would I go about wording that??
Suggestions please.


And knitting........ one waffle sock done and one black beanie done.

And school... one presentation still floating about in my head and nothing much of it done. 5% perhaps eeekk!!!

Pervert man update

Unfortunately no one had a camera of anysort on them except pervert man.

The mas was arrested................ and is now out on bail. BLAH

The man lives almost right next to the school so the protection order stating he must not enter the school or approach any students seems totally irrelevant........ toilet paper has more value.

The school have disscussed the issue with all students in all classes but weren't too keen on letting parents have much information.

I pointed out all the parents that now work or study ( thanks John Howard) that are now unable to walk their kids to school and won't know what has happend as kids don't always come home and tell their parents these things, they forget or they don't always understand the importance or they just want to go and play.

So I finally got them to say they will send out a basic letter but it may not state all the information due to legalities.

Huh??? Who cares about legalities? He is the one doing something wrong.

But anyways that's all good for now but if I am not happy with whatever letter makes it home or no letter makes it home, I will be making sure parents get told what really happened and that this man lives right there and wont be going away. That this is an ongoing danger for their kids........... the school wasn't too happy with that but agreed that I can do that as I am not tied up in their legality crap.

I was there, I saw him, I saw what he did and I have the right to tell whoever I want. To be honest it's not even a right, it's a duty to protect the kids and parents can't protect their kids if they don't know what is going on.

I'm sure every other parent at that school would rather know about it than have something happen later and find out the school knew about this guy but didn't warn them.

Blah, now to go and walk past where this guy lives ( no I don't know specific house number but I know within which block) hope he is outside so I can slap him ( ok maybe not, I don't actually want to touch him) and go and pick up Miss B from school.

I WILL be taking my camera!!!!!

And my mobile.

Scarey Times

After obsessing and being told I am being overprotective by certain people I had almost decided that at nearly 13 Miss B could possibly be let walk to and from school on her own.

Realistically Miss B is responsible enough to do this although I do have concerns about one of the busy roads between our house and the school.
This was all settling in my brain as being something I have to let her do in order to let her grow up and become independant.

That was until I picked her up from school today.

There was a man standing by the school fence as I walked through the gate. As I met up with Miss B,
I was also approached by two teachers who had come out to make sure the kids left ok as this man had been taking pictures of the kids and making inappropriate suggestions to them.
The police were called but meanwhile the man was still standing there and had decided to put his hand down his pants and have a play right there in front of us. He had no problem that we knew what he was doing and seemed in no rush to leave. He had this big smile on his face. Ewwwwwwwwww.


I left with Miss B and somehow the walking home from school on her own doesn't look like it will be happening anytime soon.

Miss B suddenly seems more than happy to have an overprotective mother who picks her up and embarrasses her in front of her friends as she is totally aware of what sorts of things this man may have decided to do if there were no other adults around. He really scared her.

I will also be making a request to the school that teachers watch this exit point to the school as it is often left unsupervised as fewer children seem to use it................ all the more reason to watch it.

Ok Knitting.......... um a little more of the beanie got done..... I normally would have finished it but a book distrated me........ funny about that.

Sneaky knitterly things

Knitting seems to be incredibly sneaky at the moment. Seemingly all on it's own a beanie has been started, nothing to do with the fact that I have a couple of busses to catch later and want something I don't need to concentrate on........

And resurfacing from wherever it was hiding is the blue opal sock.

I'm still not sure that I totally love this but I am liking how it looked knitted in rib a lot more than I liked it plain.


Even more sneaky was the book that followed me home on Sunday and insisted I start reading it straight away.

I am loving this book, I love how it is all what I would say about knitting, but said so much better than I could ever say it.

Go and say hi to Helen and Denise, they are new to blogland and I am hoping they are going to teach their cat to knit. ( Just so then it can teach my cats to knit and they can then do all the boring bits like cast on and sew up)

Studying = Startitis???

Studying sure seems to equal not much knitting and even less blogging. One essay is done, one presentation still needs to be done and a few other smaller pieces are still floating about. Hurry up holidays.

I also have a really strong desire to catch a million buses and go drool over some really nice yarn. I have more than enough yarn here and not enough time to knit it all, and yet this really wants to take priority over any study regardless of impending deadlines. EEEK!

Stolen from the fisherperson and ends sewn in we have finished mittens




And started instead of studying are the waffle socks




Another thing that seems to happen when I am studying is that I loose things and leave things behind in strange places.
So far this week I have lost my 4.5 mm dpn's, my blue opal socks and I have left my new magnetic board at the counter when I bought a hotdog.

Funny how I only seem to be loosing knitterly related things.............

Knitting in Public

I spent Sunday afternoon upstairs in the state library knitting for wwkipday. Lots of knitting got done and the shawl has grown.
I was inspired by other knitters and have a few more items in my possible to do list. Em was making some really cozy looking slippers and I want some.Tigers was making a scarf in some really scrummy looking yarn, the sort you just want to run off with and cuddle up to. Others were using colours I wouldn't normally choose myself, but I liked how they looked knitted up. All in all definately a day to consider new projects and I came home and reassessed the stash. Some yarn I wasn't so keen on may be resurected yet.

Mittens are done!

No I didn't run out of yarn, but I did stay up late to get them done so C could wear them fishing.
The seaming was horrid, one day I will learn how, till then I think I will stick with making things in the round.
Having said that, C loved them so much I didn't get a pic before he ran off with them, a couple of metres of yarn still attached and not one end sewn in. He just shoved any excess bits into the mitten and off he went.
I guess fish don't need impressing.

Men have big hands..........

I am making a pair of mittens for C and am only half way through the first one and look like I will be running out of yarn.

It seems I am trying to race the yarn to the finish............. eeek.

Quick pics _ trade swap possibilities

It seems Wednesday is to be our swap meet here in Adelaide.
So of course I have been raiding the stash and trying to decide what can be sold or traded and what I really really have to keep. Shhhhhhh about the stuff I am too embarrassed to admit I own.

Cleckheaton Fabfur 2 balls
I made Miss B a hat from this once, she loved it so much I went and bought more, then of course never got around to making another. I still have part of a ball from the first hat left .


Cleckheaton Taboo 3 balls Grey
I think I was thinking a scarf for this and then decided it was too dark for what I wanted.

Panda Finesse 10 balls

Enough to make a jumper/cardi

I like red...... but on other people.

For some reason I still buy it every now and again, I just don't ever wear it.

There is probably more if I dig around but I haven't totaly decided what I am ready to part with.