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Sunday, July 29, 2007

Still here and knitting again

So, toddler = short knitting break.

thankfully it's over (the lack of knitting, that is), he's settled (the visitor, he is), and we're back in business (the knitting again!).

I am starting the mystery shawl knitalong I just need to choose a yarn or yarns. First I need to decide whether to use several colours - as suggested in the pattern or to use one variegated yarn. Dither Dither. That decision will help to eliminate some yarn possibilities but then if I choose many colours, as opposed to multi-coloured, I have to choose which colours.

Those who know me will now expect (and most probably receive) time for indecision to the point of complete halt. I have decided (!) not to knit the MS3 for now. But I am going to keep an eye on it and keep downloading the pattern instructions so that I can change my mind on that one too - at a later date. :o)

Finished 2 dishcloths last night, one lacy, one a picture. When I have decided which to send to my swap partner I'll photograph the other, maybe I'll send both! That way I wont have to choose!

BTW Tom didn't get that job :o(

Friday, July 27, 2007

Too tired to knit?

Well, yes, sometimes!

He slept for 10 hours (so that was a 5am wake up- ugh!) which cannot be complained about, especially in a strange bed with strange noises and smells all around.

But I lay awake and listened to make sure I didn't miss it if he cried - sigh!

Early night tonight then? Oh yes!

Quick sum on the Della says it took from the 20th June to the 25th July with 7 days off for my head-cold. So approx a month. Kerrie has it now and is taking the photos for the club launch. MS3? No, say this very quitely, but I don't like the pointy edge of the stole :o( maybe I should adapy it? Maybe I'll like it when I can see the whole thing? Maybe I should knit something completely different :o) Maybe I should just go to bed now!

Good Night!

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Too busy to blog?

Never!

But too busy to blog much!

Kerrie's shawl is finished and posted and the yarn is lovely to knit with and to wear - more on that once the design is revealed :o)

Our new 'visitor' is here, he's gorgeous and he went off to sleep without any problems at 7pm and I haven't heard a squeak since. Always a worry when he's in a new cot in a strange house surrounded by people he barley knows, but bless him, so far so good. I'm off to bed now myself in case he wakes me up in the middle of the night.

I need a new project, what shall I knit?

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Went AWOL and then the postman came

I really meant to post you some more yummy yarn photos yesterday, but the bambinos got in the way and by the time the new visitor had been returned to his lady (he'll be here to stay for 3 1/2 weeks from Thursday) and we had bathed read to and kissed goodnight to the smallest member of the house (human that is) it was already late. DD1 was on the speedy computer and I just didn't have time to wait for the slow one (I remember the 286 fondly but that was pre Internet for us).

I had to knit, knit, knit. And I am a worried woman. Not too worried that I'll finish in time, tonight is the last night and then I cast off and block so I can post it to Kerrie - Della that is. But worried about how it will turn out. I am not entirely happy with how the border looks on the needles so I am relying on blocking being a magical transformation. Too late to alter it now, eeck! Keep all your fingers and toes crossed! Well, the yarn at least is lovely and the main pattern of the scarf looks great too, but that border ... we shall see. It is nice a holey and will look as it should for the 'theme' of the shawl but it doesn't look like the intended border at this point. Have faith Jacqui, have faith!


Anyway, lace crisis apart, here's a pretty picture of yarn to cheer me up.


Damson, Emily PY.

Arrived this morning as my postie will not force yarn through my letter box but takes it away if I am not in and I have to wait even longer for it to arrive when redelivered!

This yarn is the nicest I have had for a while colour wise. Dee takes really lovely photographs for her shop. Today the reality is even nicer than the photo :o) Can we have this colour in every weight please?

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Middle Earth Yarns

Harry Potter fever has hit our house so it seems appropriate to show you my wizardy yarns today. I am half way through the book so shush, no clues!















Cairi only recently started dying yarn but she makes beautiful colour combinations, I am very tempted by the foamy seas she has in her shop right now, however, the 'show and tell' is helping me to control my buying! So, I am just looking at Middle Earth Yarn goodies. I thought you'd like to look too.

Friday, July 20, 2007

Here's Eva!

PY Eva, 45% cashmere, 55% silk. 365 metres (400 yards) per 55g




Apple







Cardinal










Fanfare









Hibiscus







Peacock









Please excuse the poor lighting, but we're waiting for the rain. Not in anticipation, but in resignation.

A clarification for the Sophia from the day before yesterday, the second 'Diva' is in fact 4 ply not 2 ply lace weight and I have no idea what I can make with it - I was seduced by the colours *blushes*

NAYY (but I should get a warehousing fee)

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

It's Sophia Day!

Ocean









Diva










Also Diva
See each dye lot is unique.









Naiad








Sunbeam






Ruby Slippers








Aqua









Chuckle









Cream








Delicate







PY, Sophia. A lace weight yarn, made from pure cashmere. 365 metres (400 yards) per 55g.

Yum! Hmmm 11,600yds or 1595gms - er, 1.5 KG (well, nearly 1.6 really) I must knit faster, I must knit faster.

Tomorrow is Eva day :o)

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Dishcloth?


A lovely surprise from the postman. Well, he delivered it, doesn't strike me as a knitter, but who knows? Maybe Postie has seen so many yarny parcels now that he has decided to pick up his pointy sticks and join us - for some reason that is a very funny idea LOL


Anyway, I digress!


Donna sent me this lovely dishcloth.

But could I use it for dishes? Never, far too pretty for that. It is lovely Donna, thank you, it must have taken ages in the 4 ply, and it is lovely. I think I'll use it as a face cloth , then everyone will see how pretty it is.

Donna also included a lovely little summer solstice soap, what a treat. S

Since I lost my sense of smell I stopped buying myself such indulgences, but it is lovely to be spoilt even if I can't fully appreciate the fragrance. Some of my sense is coming back albeit in a changed form and as time goes on I am forgetting what things should smell like and learning their new muted smells. Sadly natural fragrances are the slowest to return, which still makes me very sad. Less sad than it used to though, so I guess I am getting used to it. On the positive side there are lots of nasty smells I don't get too, so cleaning the cat litter tray is much less unpleasant :o)

This was part of a dishcloth swap organised on the AY Forum. Of course I forgot to take a photo of the one I sent, and it wasn't nearly as nice as this one :o)

Possum Lace!


cthpossum1
Originally uploaded by Jam_mam.

A beautifully soft laceweight yarn from Cherry Tree Hill, colourway Tropical Storm, 70% superwash merino 30% possum, 440 yds / 50gms. It's sort of fluffy but not mohair fluffy, possum fluffy :o)

Whatever this one wants to become, it will be for me, love these colours, and , dear reader, Woolly Workshop has it on sale, I couldn't say 'no', now could I?

I have 3 of these so a nice big shawl, something simple that doesn't fight the variegation, maybe Shoalwater?

Monday, July 16, 2007

A whole lot of Lace



Still cataloguing the stash - Lane Borgosesia, Cashwool, 1 each of Olive and Wine Heather, and 2 of White. 100% Extra Fine Merino 100gm/1251m - 1375 yards approx, that's a whole lot of lace!

I'd like to make a beautiful Shetland square baby shawl with the white and some of the spectacular stoles from VLT with the colours.

Annette, thank you for the yarn composition (from yesterday), I am hopeless so it's a good job someone else isn't and that's you :o) The whole cataloguing thing is (as well as an excuse to fondle the stash) supposed to get me more organised and give me a demonstration that I don't need any more yarn, but hey, I knew that already. Doesn't seem to be having a noticeable effect so far *rolls eyes*

Queen of the froggers, yes it was from you :o) it's gorgeous and I will use it for something beautiful, I love Lavender.

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Something of a Serial or should that be Saga?

The stash cataloguing continues over on Ravelry so why not here too? Lol.
Arabella
Laceweight 100g/1590yds
Lavender
I don't know the fibre content of this yarn as it is no longer listed on Dee's site and there's no info on the tag, but it is super fine. Maybe I'll make it into an Unst Stole or similar

Saturday, July 14, 2007

More Stash wants to Play - or how the Knitting Goddess came to stay.



A hand dyed 4 ply weight 100% cashmere yarn. Approx. 560m/75g

Loved the colours and watched it on eBay for several days and then made an offer at slightly under the asking price which was accepted.

Since I made the Shoalwater Shawl I have wanted to do another but this time for me, so this may well end up as that. i am thinking of adapting the Soalwater to do a more Faroese style/shape shawl instead of a triangular one.

Lots more knitting to so before then, coming along really nicely with the Della shawl for Kerrie's Project Club, the centre back is measuring 28" now so should be starting the edging any day now. Pattern is firmly in my head now and I can tell within a couple of stitches if I've made a mistake so that makes tinking much easier and also makes for a much more relaxed pleasurable knit. It is actually the simplicity of this lace which makes it difficult if that's not a contradiction. I will explain more once the pattern is revealed next month.

Off to paint the little bedroom. Sigh! Looking forward to sitting down tonight to knit. :o)

Friday, July 13, 2007

Flash the Stash Friday

Just so my yarn knows I still love it and will one day make something breathtaking beautiful with it, here's the first of my Flash the Stash Friday skeins.
i was going to just photograph the purple one but the ivory insisted on coming out to play too :o)


The Ivory is Posh Yarn, Cecilia and I believe the bluey/purple one is too. Sadly it has no tag - I think it was a Lace Club yarn from way back when. Anyone who can confirm it is Cecilia and who can give me the correct colourway will be rewarded with my gratitude and a virtual hug :o)
Cecilia, cobweb lace weight 50% silk / 50% cashmere yarn. Each skein is 100g / 1440 yards
Despite it being 'Flash the Stash Day' the sun decided to stay away so please forgive the poor quality (or lack of it) of the photographs.
I have also uploaded my photos to Flickr so I can get them onto Ravelry easily - and I am super pleased like you wouldn't believe that Ravelry has asked to use my photo as the one for the Shawl/stole thingy from VLT- http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/miss-lamberts-shetland-pattern-for-a-shawl I do know it's just because I was there first, but it feels like i am clever *Smug grins abound*. I am liking Ravelry more and more hehehehehe
Maybe next Friday we'll have some sunshine too?!

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Updating and Dating.

Tom did well in his interview. It's a good thing Jackie from Connexions went with him though as getting information from him about something once it is finished is like getting blood from a stone. "But why would you want to get blood from a stone!" Anyway, she said he gave some good answers and she only needed to prompt him a little bit on a very few occasions when he didn't quite understand the question [probably because it was phrased in non-autistic speak and he took it literally].

Anyway we have to wait for 2 to 3 weeks and then he'll get a letter. It will be a 'yes, start in September', 'Maybe - your on the reserve list' or a 'No- not this time, thank you.' He also has to get a driving license if he gets the job! Eeck! Don't go there! Everyone else should get off the road, NOW! Sorry, does everyone think their kids can't drive, shouldn't drive, must not drive? Or is that just me?!

So meanwhile I started with the contingency planning and went to an information evening about university places so that if it's 'No - not this time, thank you.' then I can start the long and tedious process of nursing him through another year of A levels when he really never wants to set foot in that building ever again. Sigh! Meanwhile DS2 is as miserable as sin, trials of being 15 and girl trouble, and DD1 is happy! Shock! Yes, I know - pass me the smelling salts. Sadly it is related to a boy (wouldn't you know it) and largely about the validation of her worth that this liaison affords her. Doesn't matter how many times I spell out that we should not find our worth through the opinions of others, she's nearly 14 and that is where her head is at. DS2 and DD1 may well reverse positions on the whole 'mood' thing depending on the fortunes of their respective dalliances with the opposite sex. I wish I could give them the wisdom of my experience by telepathic graft, but they are immune, I've tried!

Little Miss 4 years seems very easy, level, and undemanding (if a little noisy) by comparison.

Family bulletin over.

Normal knitting service will be resumed shortly. (I'll let you know what happens in 2 or 3 weeks with the BT thing)

Starting tomorrow I will be 'Flashing the Stash' on Fridays. Each week I will choose a skein or ball at random from my gigantic stash and share it with you. The idea is that as well as recovering long lost goodies from the bottom of Stash Mountain I will be able to revisit whatever it was that I thought i might do with it when I bought it. :o) Who knows I might even knit some of it. More smelling salts, dear reader? I know it is a radical idea but I will knit with the beautiful damned stuff, I will!

In addition I will be going through the 'upstairs' (read unloved) stash and deciding which items can go up for sale. There just aren't enough years in one lifetime and I need to be able to breath more easily about all this hoarding. Anyone would think yarn was about to be banned! Perish the thought. I need to get organised.

Which brings me to my final thoughts for today, in exactly 2 weeks time we are having another temporary visitor whilst his carer goes on holiday (complicated, don't ask, but not what she wants to do - still, needs must ...). He's 18 months old so I think I need to a) get that room decorated - it is only 2 weeks, yes, I did say 2 weeks, b) plan for my holiday which starts the day he goes back as I don't expect to have any 'free' time whilst he's here c) finish the Della Shawl for the hipknits project club as I can't see there being any knitting time (that's right no knitting time - Eeck!) whilst he's here. Now you begin to see why I need another lifetime, sadly I also need it condensed into the next 2 weeks. Hum! That which does not kill us ...

I love it, really! :o)

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

It's OK the postman has been!


Posh Yarn, Allegra, Slate, Sage Bush, Hyacinth.
I'm feeling a bit better :o)
m

My, hasn't he grown!

I don't usually blog family stuff so feel free to skip this bit if you'd rather just do knitting. Sometimes I'd rather do knitting too!



My little boy has just left the house for his first job interview. He's 17.



I can't begin to tell you how this makes me feel. A mixture of surprise and hope and worry, I guess, is a start, but that's only the beginning.


My, hasn't the time flown!



Will they 'like' him?



Can he do it if he gets it?



Will their prejudice about Asperger's Syndrome stop him at the first hurdle? The interview will be so hard for him?




A million questions, and we'll have to wait for the answers.



Tom's being interviewed for the BT Technician Apprenticeship and he is capable of doing the work, no worries, it's the people who might be the problem.

He's been taking electrical things apart since he was 2. When he was little I used to joke that if i slammed the front room door everything in the house would fall to bits. He was forever with a screwdriver in his hands. I found screws all over the place and never knew where they'd come from. One summer we went to a playscheme for disabled kids where they had loads of craft activities that Tom wasn't remotely interested in. But a very switched on Youth Worker got him a tv to take to pieces and he was as happy as Larry. In fact friends used to knock on the door and we'd 'recycle' their old video players and radios.



More recently he's become the computer geek kid of the Aspie stereotype. The job he's applied for also involves designing communication networks (broadband, wi-fi, and so forth). Right up his street. If he can get past this first extremely high hurdle.



So there he was this morning, all dressed up and looking smart with the first shirt and tie he's ever worn (we lost the school one within days as it was either be strangled all day or try to do school - couldn't do both). Proper shoes too (slip on ones) He can't do laces. Brain the size of a planet, teacher at college says he's the best computing 'A' level student he's ever taught, got 100% in his AS modular exam , but he can't do shoelaces! Mainly, I suspect, because he never wanted to do them enough to put the effort in to learn how. He can do most things that he wants to do. It's getting the motivation that's the big battle.



Jackie, from Connexions (careers service to you and me) has gone to the interview with him. Well, it's a bit lame to take your Mum! The woman at the recruitment people had obviously never been asked if a candidate could have someone go into an interview with them before. She was completely confused and had to ring me back to double check that that was what i was actually asking for before ringing the interviewer to ask him if it was ok and then letting me know. It would have been funny, if I hadn't been worrying that I'd done the wrong thing in getting him support. Well, they said they'd make adjustments for disabled applicants! ?



In ten minutes time he'll be meeting the Line Manager who is doing the interview and then ... oh my, I think I need to go put the kettle on, hoover, load the washing machine. It must be bad if I'm doing housework!

Think positive thoughts for my special boy. Fingers crossed!

BTW Tom's website is http://www.ericmushroomwilson.co.uk

Monday, July 09, 2007

A funny old week.

That was a funny old week and I don't mean funny 'hahaha'.

Just a cold, nothing much to write home about. Everybody has them, from time to time. But boy was it a doozy! Talk about fuddle headed! Happily I am writing about it in the past tense as although it lingers around the edges and I am not as sharp witted as is my usual high standard :o) I am returning to normal. I have actually been knitting!

You know you've got it bad when you can't even knit. *shock*

So where am I up to and with what?

HipKnits Project Club Shawl - coming along nicely, rows getting longer know, but pattern firmly in my head and it's easy to spot any errors quickly *touches wood* and undo small sections rather than tinking back row after row.

Dishcloth Swap - patterns investigated and found to be ... unimpressive. Well, probably better to say there just wasn't anything that caught my eye. I've decided to make it a usable item rather than a decorative one (solely) so I'm using the dishcloth cotton. I toyed with all the lovely bright colours and buying new yarn (Mwahahaha) but decided to be frugal and use stash ans proper traditional dishcloth cotton I have! So tonight I sit down with my lace books and pick some pretty patterns and make a sampler I think. Wash your dishes with out sampler Madame, you'll find the sparkle mighty brightly!

Other knitting stuff - mainly stash enhancement whilst the Project Club Shawl goes on. I have the patterns for the MS3 but dither still over yarn and as I haven't got the capacity/time for two new shawl patterns at once I think that can wait, maybe I'll take it all on holiday with me in August to get caught up :o) The yarn for the multicoloured jumper sits by whilst I wait for more time and patience to embark on knitting with two balls. The crochet baby blanket comes along nicely, it sits by my chair and I pick it up to add a few rows every now and then during the day when a 4yr old prevents shawl knitting by bouncing on the sofa next to me. I found a different shade of pink to add to it when my first ball runs out so we could be here for some time yet :o) The stash is PY and I am contemplating knitting up some of that sock yarn with EZ patterns, baby surprise? baby blankets, Totem, bog etc. Lots of things I want to try, and plenty of yarn to experiment with, but no recipients in mind as I have no idea what size things will turn out :o)

Anyway, enough, for now, I hope your knitting is going well and that you're sharper witted than I, with no befuddlement clouding you knitting reflexes. No piccies this time, but if the sun keeps shining I'll share the stash enhancement with you next time. Chin up, things can only get better!

Friday, July 06, 2007

Confession


By way of an aid memoir (sp?) I have not yet started my dishcloth for the dishcloth swap *Rolls eyes* Not because I don't want to or have forgotten, I just haven't made the time.


I like the idea of making time, I just need to do it more often, I'll get a shed at the end of the yard and I'll go down there to 'make time'. I wonder what the ingredients are, is it a hammer and nails job a la Santa's little helpers, do you sew it, knit it, bake it? Hmmm! i wonder.


Anyway, for now I haven't time to make time, off to do the perfect mummy stuff and run round after all the sproglets. Maybe that should be, make time for me!

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

www.ravelry.com

I've been meaning to blog about ravelry for a while now,. I put my name down and waited and I've been in for ages now, but... I just don't have time to use it. There is so much to go into it, yarn, projects, patterns and where do I get the hours and hours I'd need to learn how to use all the 'stuff' it can do? Where? I feel I am missing out on a great resource, I know it could be great and do wonderful things for my organisational ability. But, frankly I don't have the organisational ability needed to take full advantage of it, there's too much, it's too good, and I am too disorganised.



I have only begun to scratch the surface of what I can use it for. I got bogged down in trying to use it to catalogue stuff and I need a couple of weeks of child free work free time to do that. So my next plan, ah ha a plan B, is to use it to spy on how organised everyone else is. So I will be trying to work out how I get to know what pattern I should use which yarn for and whom else is doing the same pattern so i can follow their blog to find out where the mistakes and fixes are. Sounds like a plan! Come back in a year and I might have figured it out ... a bit ... or maybe not.

There's a forum there too - and I just don't have time.. Argh! My pc is eating my knitting time. I know, I'll just have to learn to type with my toes so that I can knit whilst i surf.

I know, I need more chocolate . Ah that's better.

Monday, July 02, 2007

Funny old world - lots of little bits 'n' stuff

There's a lovely buzz around the HipKnits Project Club - check out the blog and see if you can see anyone you know. I recognise some 'faces' and there are several new names too. Having a blog for the club is great - it makes it so much more personal and intimate - oh er Mrs! Of course to keep it like that we need lots of people to contribute, so put a bit of lippy on and come over and say 'hello' I'm the one at the bar asking if they do coffee :o)

Meanwhile back at the ranch, the stashalong is definitely over as Posh Dee tempted me back into buying with some gorgeous 'Night' mohair. Sadly I didn't get that particular item Grrrr! But whilst I was there I bought some more Emily. I've made several things with this now and i love how quickly it knits up and how soft it is.

As the cashmere shawl Della is taking up so much of my knitting time I have been casting around for other quick finishes for when I need a break from lace (what, 'break from Lace?' I hear you cry! But yes, one must rest one's brain occasionally, especially when befuddled with a 'code id da node').

I have started a baby blanket as a stash buster for the baby backpack project and i am crocheting it. Tess' book has inspired me to pick up my hook and although I haven't time to pay attention to a pattern, I can crochet a blankie in my sleep - useful when there aren't enough hours in the day. Truthfully, I find my hands feel funny when they're empty and I need a little project I can pick up and put down without too much bother. I get all fidgety and dissatisfied too. Bright pink acrylic, wash and wash and wash again! I'm hoping it will get lots of use and still look presentable.

In addition I decided to frog the baby blanket. Oh no! But wait, don't worry when I got it out to start ripping those stitches I just couldn't bring myself to do it. It was so very soft and gorgeous and so many hours had already gone into it. So I have ripped back just enough (I hope, fingers crossed) to finish the border this time, and vowed to learn lessons of proportion for my next baby shawl. This one will be finished as originally conceived and I'll put it in my Etsy shop for sale. It really is ideal as an heirloom project of the 21st century, traditional Shetland designs in organic merino, so very soft that you just want to dive into and wrap yourself up in it. Funny that I think of organic as been very up to date, really I suppose it's the ultimate tradition and we've just found it again after years in the chemical wilderness.

Right I'm off to knit, all I need now is to get the proper use of my nose back and .... atishoo, pass the hankies :o)