Central Park Hoodie all done and dry

The sun came out after all today, so you finally get to see a finished and dry Central Park Hoodie.

Yay, something green for project spectrum.

I love this pattern.

Once again I used Bendigo Rustic yarn in 12 ply, this time in Elm.

5.5mm Addi Turbos for the cuffs and body. I only changed to 4.5mm Addi's for the sleeve cuffs.

I used just under 4 balls ( they are 200gm balls) so I have a ball left to play with.

I am taking the fact that Miss B doesn't want to take it off as a sign that she likes it.

As a bonus you get to see Miss B in her cow pj's.

I have no idea why she couldn't put some jeans on, but she is 13, there doesn't have to be a reason.

Kit and Lucy think Miss B should decide what to wear.

Central Park Hoodie is done and washed and is now taking it's time drying.



Miss B wants to wear it 'right now', so of course the weather has decided to help by being wet and gray the last few days.

I have been working on Great Grandma's Knee Warmers. I have figured out the short rows, but am having problems with gaps. I am fine when increasing, no gaps at all. The wraps do their job perfectly.

As soon as I started decreasing there were huge gaps.

I think it has something to do with the huge markers I was using to mark my place, I may have knit a bit looser to accomodate the marker. Although I used the same markers for the increases with no problem.

I probably just need more practice. Hopefully the second one will come out better.

Lucy had claimed CPH as her personal blanket and really isn't happy about it being finished. It's no fun sitting on throw rugs that you are allowed to sit on.

Almost done

Central Park Hoodie is soooooo close to being done, just the button band to do.

What do I decide to do instead?

No. I didn't cast on for something else. I did start rearranging furniture though.

So of course I am now in the middle of it all and have furniture blocking all the doorways and haven't quite decided what to move next to make room for moving the next thing.
I figured I was just too tired last night so I went to bed thinking I would be able to make more sense of it all once I had had some sleep.

I got up this morning only to find that I feel crappy, all achy and nauseuous. Blah.

Miss B then decided to tell me she has a sore throat and a runny nose.

All I want to do is curl up on the couch with my knitting.

I have a wardrobe, three bookshelves and some other bits of furniture in between me and my knitting.

Temptation

It is bad enough that my last shade card from this place went missing.
( I think someone hid it from me in an effort to prevent yarn purchases and just so they know, no it didn't prevent yarn from finding a new home here).

A new shade card was sent out and drooled over and so far I have been resisting.

But now they have done it.

Bendigo Woolen Mills have an online store.

I don't think I can resist anymore.

Knitterly guilt?

I was reading I heart knitting where Amanda mentioned wanting a scarf from a store, but not feeling that she should not buy it as she knits, she could make one. She probably wouldn't ever make it, but she could.

I do this too.

I walk around in stores and see jumpers/ sweaters/ scarves that I figure I could make better/ a little longer/ cheaper/ in a nicer colour. Wool instead of acrylik. For whatever reason, the item stays in the store and I go home dreaming of knitting yet another item for Miss B and my wardrobes.

Thats where it has become a problem as it mostly stays a dream.

There is only so much knitting time in a day and the WIP list insists on growing.
The store bought knitwear in this house is slowly wearing out or being grown out of and since I decided I was smart enough to knit something wearable, these things haven't been replaced as they once would have been.

During the last two weeks while Miss B has had school holidays and was able to wear her normal clothes instead of her uniform I discovered that she has grown. A lot.

Her jumper status , once I remove the ones that now imitate 3/4 sleeve tops, is down to
- 1 school jumper
- 1 other jumper

Eeeeeeeeeeek! Knit faster?? Go shopping??

Do other knitters experience this?

Do you feel that since you now knit, that you shouldn't be buying store bought knitwear?

Is there a place for store bought knits in a knitters home?

Do you suffer knitterly guilt?

Something we did in the holidays that wasn't knitting

We dig out an old picture frame.

Ditch the glass.

Drill a heap of holes in the backing.

You could probably just poke holes through with a hammer and nail, but I didn't have any nails and the drill was much more fun.

Glue some fabric over the ugly backing.

Get lazy and decide to paint the frame later.

Put the frame back together and stick earings through holes.







Decide a bigger frame would be better next time, but for now be happy with cheap holiday entertainment and cute earing storage.








Just to add to the knitterly chaos that my loungeroom has become, I decided there was someone else I wanted to make something for. My Mum.

The WIP list multiplied so quickly last week that I really don't think one more will hurt.


Here is kit with the start of some blue socks .


Now just remind me not to give the blog link to my Mum until these are done and gifted.

Funny things happen in school holidays. All the projects I have been thinking about casting on all term suddenly demand that I start them now. So of course I pick something. Something called "My So Called Scarf"

It feels really good to be working on something new.

Then something else happens. We have a few cooler nights and requests start sneaking in.

A brown beanie for one person. A beanie is a pretty small project, I can deal with that.

Miss B decides that if I can knit for that person, then it's about time I started her Central Park Hoodie. She is right, so Central Park Hoodie gets started.

Nanna looked like she would really like to run off with a pair of fetchings last time she was here, so she gets a pair made especially for her, colour chosen by Miss B.

We visit Nanna and drop off her Fetchings . Big grins and squishy hugs follow.

Nanna definately knows how to recieve a handknit and has ensured a place in the "people to knit for" list.

Later that night we speak to Great Grandma, recipitant of the Green Tree Frog Socks ( also on people to knit for list), and she explains that since having knee surgery her knees ache. The Doctor has recommended she keep her knees warm and could I please make her some knee warmers.

Of course I can.

Well, I could if I actually knew what they were.

Something like leg warmers I was imagining.

And this is where I love the internet so, so much.

http://www.sarahpeasley.com/freepatterns/philskneewarmer.pdf

A pattern. Already there. Exactly what I need. Perfect.

And that is how the WIP list grows.

Weekend happenings

Yesterday

Tigers and I attended Denise and Helen's commitment ceremony.

The weather was perfect, the waterfall was beautiful, the bubbles were fun and the couple are so obviously in love with each other.

It was an honour to be a part of it and to be reminded just how wonderful love is.

Today

I knit.

And Knit.

And Knit.

And then I cast off.

I am really, really happy with how Urban Aran has turned out.

I am a little worried about putting in a zipper.

Actually I think I am more worried about being able to find a zipper.

How Kit earns her keep........

Kit has decided some food shopping needs to be done.

It doesn't look like I will pry myself away from my yarn anytime soon,
she will just have to do it herself.

So she goes hunting.

Can you see what she brings in for diner?

Yep, it's a little lizard.

Yes it is all in one piece, it is just trying to get under the step and away from Kit.

Kit brings them inside quite often and meow's until I go and see what she has decided to gift us with.

Luckily she doesn't eat them or hurt them. Miss B takes them outside and sets them free.

I am grateful that she is only bringing in little lizards and not mice with all their icky germs.

Which is better?

Procrastination or frustration?

I can't decide.

I have now ripped back the top of an Urban Aran sleeve three times.
The math seems right but I am unable to follow my own instructions.
I keep going past the decrease rows without decreasing and wanting to decrease in the rows that I shouldn't.

I am begining to thing this yarn doesn't want to be a sleeve.

Things that induce procrastination.

Having to fix mistakes in knitting makes me procrastinate.
Not so much little things like a dropped stitch, but the ripping back and re knitting of sections of knitting. Definately something that can be done later.
While I'm at it I may as well start something new so that "fixing later" becomes even later.
You never know, if I leave it long enough it might just fix itself.





The lastest addidition to the frogpond was Urban Aran.





How did that happen? It was all knit, every last piece.










It was when I tried to sew it all together and I just couldn't get those sleeves to attatch to the body without being incredibly stretched accross the top that I realised something was wrong.



I tried again and again, and each time it came out looking a little worse.



Note: Chibi has resurfaced. Chibi was in the bottom of a bag. Appologies to kit.

Note: Must not always blame the cats.



So after much stretching and attempted sewing I did what I should have done to start with. I measured the sleeve. Ooooops.



That little thing called row guage meant that while the main part of the sleeve was ok, the shaped part on top, yes I know it has a name but I can't think of it right now, was too short.



Way too short.



So last night some ripping was done and the sleeves are back on needles.








I worked out some math that I think will make it all work out.



Then what did I do?



Procrastinated.........



I raided the stash and debated some projects for project spectrum.

Rustic 12 ply yarn in Elm from Bendigo

Patons Jet from Spotlight

Finally

Blogger actually let me in. I have only been trying on and off since 8 am this morning.
I guess blogger felt I had other things to get done first.


I still haven't found my chibi, but I did buy myself a new wool needle from Spotlight.
I grafted the toes and now have two finished pairs of socks.

Thuja socks in Cleckheaton Country - storm colourway.


Patonyle socks in unknown colourway - I lost the ball bands - but it reminds me of candy almonds.


After all this finishing I am really wanting to cast on something new.

An almost done WIP or where did the chibi go?

An almost finished pair of Thuja socks.




I just need to kitchener that last toe and of course now I can't find my chibi.

I had it out on the coffee tabe only days ago to do the other toe, so you wouldn't think it could have wandered too far away.

I have searched but can't find it. I am thinking perhaps it has been hidden.



Kit pretends she doesn't know what I am talking about.

The start of the patonyle socks.

Spotlight are currently stocking patonyle again. They don't seem to have a huge amount in stock and I don't know if they will be ordering more in. I say grab some while you can.

Stripey Socks are done.

The Lion Brand Magic stripes socks are done. I can't say I particularly like these, but it was good to try out a new (to me) yarn.





After knitting socks on 2.25mm or 2.5mm needles I found it felt really wrong to be knitting these on 3.25mm needles. The knitting felt all sloppy.
I am looking forward to working with some patonyle again soon.

And in UFO news I have decided that seeing as March is already halfway over, this months project will be one that doesn't involve a great deal of work.
In fact it wont involve any knitting at all.

The lotus blossum tank has been sitting in the basket untouched for months.

Everytime I pick it up to work on it I am doubtful. I don't like how it sits on the model in the picture. And in person it looks really big. Wide big. Wide like it could go around me twice.

Solution: frog and reclaim yarn. Some knits are just not meant to be.

Knitty

Yes, the new Knitty is out and I totally love Dashing.

I have managed to resist casting on immediately, but that doesn't mean I didn't hunt through the stash for a suitable yarn. :)

Public Speaking

I am a very shy person and generally don't have much to say for myself until I get to know people and feel comfortable. This is often misinterpreted as me being standoffish, rude and snobby.
Crazy Aunt Purl does a fantastic job of explaining the fears and anxieties of meeting new people, of entering a room full of people and feeling they will judge you that you should go and read her and then come back here.

Most people have some fear of public speaking, but seeing as normal speaking can be scary for me, public speaking is just HUGE.


I completed Certificate IV of my studies last year but the graduation ceremony wasn't held until this week.
It was at this ceremony that they wanted me to speak.
Not only did they want me to speak, I was to present some of my work.
Share it for all the world (ok not the world, 60 or so people) to see.
Shall we just say denial.......
For weeks I have been living in denial, not reading through my work, not practicing presenting it.
Stubborn, hope it all goes away, denial.

Just as stubbornly the date of the ceremony got closer.
And closer.

Until the 8th of March showed up in my face and it was just there.
I considered not going.
But I really wanted to see my classmates and see what direction everyone had gone in.
I figured I could go and if it got too bad I could just leave...

So I went and I got my certificate from the minister of education and training.

And I sat, and listened to the rest of the stuff that goes on at these ceremonies.

And I waited....( they seem to think it's funny to put me last so I have to sit terrified and shaking even longer.)

And finally ( it always feels longer when you are waiting)
it was my turn.

I went up there, I found my page, I said my stuff.

It flowed. I didn't mix up my words. They were listening.

They were paying attention and taking in what I had to say.
They were understanding what I was saying and laughing where they were supposed to. And in that moment I forgot to be scared.
I was almost a little bit excited......... ( I said almost).

And then it was done.
I had spoken in front of all those people, and the people with titles and I was still alive.

And the best part......
was when people, people I don't know, people who came there to support other students, came up to me to say they had liked my work.

I had feared and done it anyway.
I went home on such a high.
I couldn't sleep for hours.

No I don't want to do it again, speaking in public still terrifies me; but that rush of getting past the fear, for even that moment..... maybe bungee jumping isn't such a bad thing.

What does this mean?

A few stitchmarkers and the remnants of a ball of Rowan Calmer, what does it mean?

It means that I finished Shedir. All of it. Every last twist. Every last stitch.

I really don't enjoy knitting all those cables.

I love how it has turned out and all those cables are worth it.

This was my main project for Project Spectrum this month aswell as my UFO for February. It is really nice to be able to cross this one off the list.

Catching up

It feels like it has been so long since I have actually had a decent chunk of knitting time let alone actually finished anything, so it is with a feeling of relief that I have managed to finish the happy feet socks.




Cleckheaton Marino Bambino knit on 2.5mm circs.

All yarn was from the same dyelot, yet one sock pooled and the other didn't.

The softness of this yarn more than makes up for any misbehaviour of the colours.

Bright and cheerful, a nice contrast to the gray of Shedir.

I came home from tafe on Friday to find one of thos little slips in the letterbox saying I had to go to the post office and pick up a parcel. I am expecting a few things soonish but nothing just right now so spent all night wondering what it was.
I ended up deciding it must be some promotional materials from Yarn magazine for a display I am putting together for my studies. Yes I managed to include knitting in an assignment :).

Miss B and I went to the post office Saturday morning to find it wasn't what I was thinking at all. It wasn't any of the things I thought it might have been.

Kimberly had sent me a belated birthday present. I had no idea this was coming which made opening the parcel even more fun. Of course Miss B insisted I open it all before we got home and is now trying to claim the knitting notebook.

Coffee, Lindt chocolate, notebook with divided sections for notes on needles and patterns, tea and yarn.

Yummy Yummy alpaca/silk yarn from Misti Alpaca. This is one of those yarns I have been seen about on line and have been dreaming about. Now I have my very own to to go and pet every 5 minutes. It is so, so soft. Thankyou so much Kimberly.

Something else I bought a few weeks ago, but is still in hiding as it is to be a gift, was some yarn from Lynne. As much as I can't show you the yarn right now and the colours are not what I would have chosen personally, I love the yarn. It is soft and there are lots of colours I want. The service was friendly and fast, with Lynne happily responding to my request of using money order.

I have been avoiding this site purely because I don't trust myself not to order any more yarn from her now that I know just how nice it is. But that doesn't mean I can't send you over there :P Go on, have a look.

Happy Shopping.

Knitting has a life of it's own.

Blue yarn for project spectrum.

Classic 5 ply in Aztec from Bendigo Woolen Mills.




I started the Lace Leaf Shawl and I am loving how it is knitting up.







Until I look properly and see all the mistakes.

10 of them, already.

Time to make a cup of tea and start over.

Busy Busy Busy

Classes have started up again and so of course the knitting seems to be making only minute progress. A row here and there but hardly worth blogging about.

So far I am excited by my classes, a big change from some of the classes I was doing last year, and am really looking forward to learning new things. Things that were problems before seem to be slowly resolving or turning out not to be as much of a problem as I had anticipated. Having said that this is still the first week, ask me about it all at the end of the term.

This week seems to be a time of catching up with people I haven't seen much of lately, one person in particular I hadn't seen for 11 years, and there have been lots of discussions of the 'you have changesd so much variety'. I have to say it's rather weird chatting to someone who knew me before I had Miss B and who I didn't see as much of once Miss B was born. Someone who is able to remind me of the teenage person I was and who I apparently no longer resemble. ( I am hoping that is a good thing). I have decided that some teenage things are just not meant to be remebered. ( The haircuts, the clothes, the boyfriend, etc.)

My life has changed so much in the last few months and yet the past has snuck up on me and part of me feels like I am right back there. Almost a circle, but when I think about it, it's not really a circle as everything else has changed.
It has been good to look at where I was and realise how far I have come. It's nice to look back on the people who helped along the way and to now be able to really see how much their input actually impacted on different levels. It would seem I still have a few people to catch up with and thank.

It still amazes me that it is sometimes the person you had the briefest contact with can be the person who made the biggest difference.


Who made the biggest difference in your life?

Ok it's a little late

I finished January's UFO Project ( Shhhhhhhh about it being halfway through February)
The pattern was not something I would normally choose. I don't really like the triangles of knit and purl stitches, but I did want to play about with beads, so this was a good project to try that out on. I learnt how to thread the beads on with some fine wire and then I learnt it was even easier to get beads threaded if I let Miss B do it for me. So finally finished are the Rolling Thunder socks.

Slow progress

Here I was wondering why Shedir has been sitting around for so long. After knitting all of about 6 rows I remember why I put her aside in the first place. Cables, lots and lots of cables and small needles hurt my hands. Other knitters seem to fly through this knit, but me, I just have to crawl.



Knitterly progress was dramatically slowed by visitors as chatting, catching up and drinking tea took over. Athough at the end of the day I do have this.







A pile of pieces ready to be washed and seamed together. Then a collar to be added and a zipper.
Hmmmmm zipper.......... procrastination.........
Maybe I'll go and start another sock.

Starting Project Spectrum

I missed out on Project Spectrum last year and so was determined to join this year. With the February/March colours being blue, white and gray I had assumed I would pick something blue.


I hunted through my WIP's thinking they were mostly purple and that I had nothing going in the right colours and that I would have to cast on something new, then I found Shedir.





Poor Shedir has been sitting neglected for way too long and needs some attention. The gray is perfect for Project Spectrum and can double as my February UFO .

It is 40C or 104F here today so I don't know how much actual knitting will be happening today.

Would it hurt the knitting if I took it for a swim???

UFO Update

January's UFO project isn't complete but it has definately transformed and grown from it's beginings of a shawl and changed into a sock and a half. Only some foot and a toe to go.

The fetchings are done!!! So a Fo for January.

I had really, really wanted Urban Aran to be my FO for January but it just didn't happen. Too many days spent hunting around for back to school stuff and uniforms and generally just being busier than I had anticipated got in the way.

It's funny how quickly holidays go and how little of that holiday time you actually end up getting to yourself.

I am almost certain I get more knitting time when I am in the middle of an assignmnet.

Coming or going?

It seems I don't know what I am doing....... I am flitting from project to project and dropping one to cast on yet another. I can't seem to make up my mind. I started something else.

Another pair of Fetchings, this time in Cleckheaton country silk. This is the first one and it still needs a thumb.

My knitting behaviour seems to be reflecting my state of mind in other areas too. Unsettled and debating the decisions I have made as well as the ones I need to make.

Miss B started High School today, she went off all on her own and suddenly seems quite grown up. ( Don't remind me I said that when she is overtired at the end of the first week and starts behaving like a two year old.)

I enroll in the city on Thursday for my new course. I start next week. New course, new campus, new people, new everything and all very scary.

Moving on from a relationship that was rather toxic. It left me drained physically and mentally and generally made me feel crappy. I kept holding on longer than I should have, I guess I was hoping I was wrong and that things were OK.... but they are not.

You get comfortable being with someone when you have been with them for a few years and it's scary to suddenly be on your own again.

Although being single is having it's advantages.... no one hogging the computer, no one complaining about the amount of yarn I purchase or how many projects I start.

Urban Mistake

You know that funny feeling......... the one that tells you your knitting has something wrong with it........... it surfaced last night. I ignored it for a little while and kept on knitting.

I made a cup of tea and kept on knitting, all the while wondering what was wrong.

Dodgy Knitting How it should look

I looked at my knitting and couldn't figure out why I was trying to decrease in the cabled section. Then I got out the other front piece and went OOOOOPS!!!

Somehow in between cups of tea and conversation I had missed the part about putting those cabled stitched on a stitch holder.

Guess what I will be doing today....................

Ummm

I am still messing about with the blog, I have tried several colour changes to the background and didn't like any so far so I am back with the white ......... for now.

Tigers has given me a few hints on how to make a few other changes, all of which involve me taking pictures, making decisions and not deleting the wrong things. We will see what happens there.......

When it comes to anything involving sewing and pins I am hopeless.
Miss B doesn't want to wear crooked uniforms so yesterday we bribed Nanna into taking up the hems.
Lots of cups of tea and chocolate chip cookies were involved.

After all of that sugar my brain couldn't focus on anything patterned so a pair of plain socks were cast on

Lost sidebar

Once again in the process of updating my sidebar I seem to have managed to make it dissapear.Me being me, I hadn't got the sidebar to a point I was happy with from last time and so of course hadn't saved it.
At least the posts are still there and it gives me a chance to mess about with templates and decide if I want a change.

Progress

Finally, one of my projects has gotten past the 50% mark. It feels like it has been a really long time since that has happened.

I have finished the beaded section on the second Rolling Thunder sock and I have finished the left front for the Urban Aran cardie. Who knows maybe I will get something finished and off that list this month.

Comparing yarns

I had a birthday this week and therefore have some money to buy yarn.

All is good as I go hunting about on line. I had almost decided what I wanted to buy and was just debating between two colours.

The problem came when I checked out the same yarn on another website. The colours look totally different and I don't like either of them on the second site.

How do I work out which is the true representation of the yarn?

I don't want to order something and then have to mess about with returning it if I hate the colour when it gets here.

What do you do???

One sock done

The first Rolling Thunder sock is all done and ready to be grafted. Progress on this sock seems incredibly slow....... possibly something to do with the garter rib?

Or perhaps it is due to me being distracted by an
other knit. Another knit called Urban Aran

The colour is a little more pink than this and I am loving how it is knitting up. Rustic 12 ply in Pink Opal from Bendigo Woolen Mills

UFO Resurrection for January

I have joined UFO Resurrection 2007 over at Kat with a K's.

I need some motivation to finish some of the things just sitting about instead of starting more and more things. Having all those things sitting over there in the sidebar is gatting a little overwhelming. I need to be honest about what I am actually going to finish and what just isn't working.

So each month I have to pick one thing and work on it, thereby taking it out of the UFO pile or frog it and reclaim the yarn.

So first up is the Diamond Fantasy Shawl, that as much as I love and I still want to make one, this yarn just isn't working for me.



Yarn was frogged and reclaimed.


Rolling Thunder Socks from Knitty.

Joining.....

I've just joined up for project spectrum over on Lolly's Blog. I like the idea of working with colours I wouldn't normally use and this seems the perfect way to try it out.

Also new are the Rolling Thunder Socks. This yarn started out as the beginings of a Diamond Fantasy Shawl.

The diamonds were being hidden in the colours and I have decided to try the shawl in a solid colour instead.

I am loving how the socks are going and I love the beads.

Edit: I would love it if blogger would load pics too.

A knitter without a row counter.........

My mum has knit forever.

Ok, not forever, but since she was five.
I don't remember a winter that she didn't knit while I was growing up.
She doesn't knit as often now, work takes away knitting time, but when she does find time her work is beautiful, especially her aran jumpers.

In all the years I have watched her knit I have never seen her use a stitch marker like what are used now, it was always just a scrap of yarn.

So I made her a set of stitchmarkers and also included one with a row counter attached. I figured she probably already had one but figured it wouldn't hurt to have another. I know I like having extra for when I start yet another project.

But no, Mum has never had a row counter either.

I am now wondering what other knitting gadgetry has Mum missed out on.

It's 2007

We were woken up by a car crashing on the corner at the end of our street just before 7 am. By the time I had stumbled outside along with a few other neighbours the driver had already run off. Stolen car? Drunk driver? Both are probably likely.

Not a Happy New Years for someone.

As for Miss B and I it is a good day.

Changes have been happening in our situation and I am still up in the air with a lot of what will be happening for us this year. Decisions need to be made, school, transport, relationship etc, but I am now feeling confident I will be able to make the right ones.

Knitting..... No I haven't started an Afghan, I don't even have the yarn yet (notice the yet), but I do want to make one.

And today is really good, either that or Miss B is just in a really good mood. Here is Miss B modelling Tubey for me.





Although the sleeves are a tiny bit long and the body is a couple of cm's too long on her, she could get away with wearing it out. It's frightening when your child fits into your clothes.
And dammit, she looks good in that green.
Anyone get the feeling this may no longer be my Tubey???

Tubey 2

The final FO for 2006.

Miss B and I spent Friday visiting Tigers and Miss A. We spent the day knitting in her craft room with her working on her Central Park Hoodie and me on Tubey.
I had cast off by the time I left, but had cast off too loosly and needed to redo the cast off.

I was sent home with orders to finish Tubey as it was so close to being done. What did I do? I came home got distracted and ignored poor Tubey. So today I decided to get it done and I did. Tubey is all done and ready to be washed.

Tigers has got the idea of knitting an afghan planted in my head. I really, really want one and I know I would love it when it's done. I also know how often I change projects and that I am not likely to finish something that big. Doesn't stop me from wanting to try anyway.

I am dreaming of this in a green to go with my lounge.

I am also dreaming of it knitting itself.

And I was dreaming to think I wouldn't want to buy any more yarn.

Well I wont be buying any more yarn this year.

Happy New Years!!!

Loving Thuja socks.

Unfortunately Cindy didn't want to knit these for me so I had to do it myself. Not hard at all considering Miss B has come down with a virus and we are now housebound. The complete opposite of the mad rushing about all over the place we were doing only a couple of days ago.

So Thuja socks are done, but sending a few things like cards and other bits are not.



Finishing something always makes me want to start something new. Then of course I look at my list of UFO's and figure I really should work on some of them. Then I start thinking I really should work through some of the stash.

It seems a lot of people are feeling the same way about knitting from the stash if you read the comments over at Wendy's. Scroll down to the December 16th entry and she talks about knitting from the stash 2007. Something she intends doing for nine months.

I'm not sure that is something I could stick to,nine months is a long time and as soon as I decide not to buy any more yarn I seem to accumulate three times as much as I would normally.
I think for now I will at least go through the stash, perhaps write a list of some sort so I know what I actually have and generally tidy it all up. The cats love swiping ziplocked bags of yarn off the shelves when I'm not home and there are a few sitting at the bottom of the shelves that I just got sick of picking up. Maybe someone is telling me to knit them.

Holidays

It's school holiday time here and of course I was hoping this would mean that some knitting would happen.
All that has happened so far has been a mad rush around the shops in an attempt to do some christmas shopping, and then another day spent doing food shopping.

What I really want to do is go yarn shopping, maybe after christmas is all done.

I am slowly working on the Thuja socks and I am loving them, I just keep being called away to do other things.
Cindy is able to knit these socks a lot faster than me and I am thinking of sending them over to her :P

Miss B and I took a peek over at the new Knitty. Argosy is my favourite and I am contemplating adding Rolling Thunder to my 'one day' list. Adding beads to my socks is something I have wanted to try since seeing some of Donna's socks.

Time for a cup of tea and some knitting I think.

Scarves or socks.......

I was going to start on the Grape Hyacinth Scarf.

I did start.

I did the begining and one repeat and hated every single p2tog- tbl.

I ripped it out and started these socks instead.

Thuja socks from Knitty. These I am loving. Loving them so much I may just have to make myself some more later on.





I am also loving that classes are over until next year.

My 1 hour presentation was graded, my essay was graded, all the other bits and pieces are all done and graded.

Distinction!!!

I love that word.
I have officially completed Certificate 4.

Now I can enjoy the holidays and knit and maybe even finish a few things.

And now I can breathe...

It really feels like I have been holding my breath for weeks, waiting, working and wondering if I would manage to meet assignment deadlines. As usual I procrastinate and as usual this causes me ridiculous amounts of stress. I really don't know why this happens as I alocate plenty of time to study, I just don't seem to get much done in that time . For some reason I need that intense deadline of something being due immediately before I can actually get going and have my work start to make any sense. The other downside to working under intense deadlines is the tendancy to make stupid mistakes.

Anyway it's done and handed in and I can't do anything about it now.

But I can finally knit, and I have been.
Tubey has grown





And of course I started something else




And I want to start another something else with this




Any guesses what?

And so it goes

Tubey is growing rather slowly, a bit like my essay.

Mindless 3x1 rib for the rest of the body, perfect for getting my thoughts together in my head.

I just need to learn how to keep knitting while I type everything up.

Everything is due this week and then I just have one more class next week.

I can see some knitting actually happening around here then.