Well, they're done...

I needed only enough yarn to knit a plain toe and once that was done I had no more excuses to not show them, so here are the Butteryarn Socks ("Nice pattern, butteryarn...?!").

The yarn is so impossibly chunky that a sock can almost stand up by itself. The pattern is "Log Cabin Socks" from "Handknit Holidays" and it was great fun. The fact that the first set of cables branch out and join up to make the next set was lots of fun but still kept me on my toes.

Felix actually likes his socks. Mind you, they're handknitted socks , so obviously he likes them. He seems to like the colour and yarn as well.

I think he's just being nice again...

PS: "They're really cool! They're like wearing armour!"

I give up.

The heater is on. In *January*.

When I woke up this morning it was 10°C. In January. This is quite odd, as today's finished object was finished on a 39°C day, just a few weeks ago.

My lounge room wreath isn't very fancy but it was fun to make. The pattern is from Good Knits, and while it wasn't easy crochting around a polystyrene wreath form, it was worth it in the end.

 

The roses are from the ever amazing Attic 24, and they eat a fair chunk of yarn, so if you're looking to kill off some stash, pick up a hook.

The most fun part for me was nuking some diced potatoes with water to make starch for the edging. I pinned out every loop on a blocking board, took it out onto the front verandah in the disgusting heat and sprayed until the edging was wet. Thirty minutes later it was dry and ready to decorate. Hot days have their uses sometimes!

Pretty girly things

Isn't it wonderful what nine hours sleep will do? It'll get you happy and bouncy and almost ready to clean up after a grarage sale.

Almost.

Last week I made two beanies for two little girls I'm not related to. My mum's best friend Marg knitted up a cardigan for her little grandaughter in Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran and gave me the leftovers, which was one and a half balls, both in a soft dusty pink. I found a spare ball in the samples box at Morris one weekend, so I decided to make Marg's two little grandaughters matching beanies.

Now Sadie and Lucy will look adorable in these. They're lovely little girls, who come round to play with Marcus, and they live up in the Dandenongs, where it gets pretty cold over winter (I plan to move up there yet). The pattern is The Able Cable Hat, and it's fantastic. Simple increase/decrease that looks like a massive cable, with clear instructions. I started these beanies for the Ravellenic Games, but the games got the better of me, so they've been languishing in a bag ever since.

The flower on top is from Solgrim, and it's a pretty easy crochet. The mismatching buttons means the girls will be able to tell whose beanie it is, which is very important to sisters. Trust me on that one.

My brain is fried

I spent the first half hour in bed last night going over the plans for our garage sale today, which means that when the kids woke me up at 4:50am, I'd had less than five hours sleep.

This is my Da's new St Kilda beanie for winter. The pattern is Lina. If you want more than that it'll have to wait. I need sleep more than anything in the world right now. Unless Joss Whedon wants to bring back "Firefly".

That'd be nice too.

Takin' care of business

We've been cleaning out the bungalow in anticipation of a garage sale on the Australia Day holiday. I ventured into the back room and surveyed my stash and a pile of bags, filled with unfinished projects and very determinably ran away.

Thirty minutes later I had a list of all of my unfinished projects and my future projects in an easy to understand order of progression, so I set about throwing stuff into boxes to sell.

Working out which unfinished project to continue on and which to kill off was at times fairly easy, yet other times it was all tears and excuses. The amount of time invested, the cost of the yarn, how it had the potential to be beautiful, really it did. Hours later and my list stood at fifty-four projects, but about six of those were projects to kill off. It's pretty easy to kill off a jumper that you've spent about fifity hours knitting but now realise you're two dress sizes smaller...

End result? Things are getting finished! Really! I can understand your hesitation in believing me, so I shall show you instead. One project a day, working days only mind, because that way I have weekends to catch up!

First up: cabled shawl collar jumper. I started this for Marcus when he was six months old and even then it was massive. I thought it would fit him at twelve months but it was still too big, plus I hadn't sewn the collar on. So I put it aside and promptly forgot about it.

Fast forward to tidying up and now it's done. Buttons added and it's the perfect size for Dot this winter. She'll need a tartan wool skirt, obviously, and shiny boots. I love me some shiny boots.
The yarn is silky wool from Shiloh Wool Mills, and the pattern was a Patons one I found in an old edition of "Creative Knitting". I'm helpful, aren't I? I'd show you a photo of Dot wearing it, but in 31°C you can forget that!

---

If you do happen to be in the Ferntree Gully area on Monday, drop into Gerald Street. We want to get a lot of stuff out of our lives, so we're selling most of our books and most of my yarn (they seem to take up the most space). Kid's toys, clothes, the works. It's pretty much all $2 and under, so a jumper for $30 is possible!

Post-Christmas Joy

As I have previously mentioned, I have a pretty wonderful mother-in-law. Sue is a quilter, so I know she understands the need for stash and something to store it in. When I found out that she was my Kris Kringle giver last Christmas I was pretty happy knowing it'd be something good.

But it wasn't.

It was amazing.

My BagSmith Project bag was late coming over from the US, but worth the wait. It's just beautiful.

 

Look at the pockets! Six mesh pockets on this side...

Lots for needles and tools on this side.

Why do I love it so much? The frame.

It folds out to stand up. It's a freestanding knitting bag/basket.

Sue, you've excelled youself this time, truly you have. *mwah*

Happy New Year!

Welcome to another year past any Apocalypses! (A bigger load of rubbish I'd never heard of, and showing "Deep Impact" on tv was just insensitive...)

Another year gone past, another set of New Year's Resolution, which almost all seem to be "I must knit more". Funny that.

Instead, I hand over to you a year of very meagre pickings and present my finished projects of 2012:

• January Cal Square #1
• January Cal Square #2
• Felix's Cider Cozy
• Snuffles the Dragon
• Cameron's Van Halen Cozy
• Microbat
• Baby Blu Jeans
• Marcus' Green Cardigan
• Crocheted Cowboy Boots

That resolution is starting to look pretty necessary now. On the other hand I did knit full jumpers for my customers, so I'm not totally hopeless.

Have a great year this year, dear knitters, and positively RUN to Detail-Oriented Diva to download and print out this fantastic picture. How encouraging is it?!

For my mother-in-law

Dear Sue,

There isn't a waking hour that I'm not glad that I married your son. I keep forgetting that I get you as an added bonus.

When you make me something as brilliant as this wall hanging for my birthday:

Well, then, I'm extra glad I married your son. I absolutely love it!

Andrea

It'a a very crochet Christmas!

I had a lovely 38th birthday last week. Spoiled with pancakes in bed after a sleep in, if you can qualify 8:30 as a sleep in! Felix gave me a new iron, which is just what I wanted/needed/whimpered for, and the kidlets gave me a new ironing board to match. The board is brilliant - the highest setting is too high to iron but it's perfect for sewing up seams. Just excellent!

On Monday night we set up the Christmas tree while watching "Home Alone", because Christmas movies are mandatory for such activities. We've never has a tree up, apart from a metal one that holds tea lights, so I was pretty excited.

It's teeeeeeny and pretty and I adore it. The kids love the bell ornaments and I have to keep replacing the silver one constantly.

Crochet baubles were a given, once I saw this pattern by Pip from Meet Me at Mike's. An easy follow and look how awesome it is! I'm planning another red, and two white. I figure four ornaments of each type seeing as there's only four of us. Logical? Not really, but it works for me.

Today the kidlets are in their pjs for the entire day due to diseased-ness (is that a word? It can be, right?) and I'm not too fab either. Marcus has sinus pain and is snuffling constantly, while Dot has THREE molars coming through. THREE.At the same time. 

It's times like these I regret giving up alcohol...

Almost there

Today I've started my final project for a customer this year. Bliss!

Once I've finished this cardigan I can work on my own knitting. I have so many half-finished projects that need finishing that I have a list.

Sadly, Felix's Butteryarn socks are next.

Nice pattern,  but her yarn? *shudder*

A pretty snoozy Sunday

Apart from getting up stupidly late for a Sunday, followed by nummy berry pancakes (thanks Felix!) it has been a pretty quiet day.

Train in to Morris & Sons, hanging out with Bec and looking at what the customers are knitting today.

First up, we have an odd rooster tea cosy from "Really Wild Rea Cosies" by Loani Pryor.

A hat and bootees set in Silk Garden - spoiled babies!

Little baby owlets. The epitome of squee.

Bec's amazing peacock granny square rug that she started today.

I was tempted by the Maya 8ply alpaca...

...but I held strong knowing I have another 85 gazillion WIP's at home.

Four good things

1. I went out shopping today, specifically to buy the gorgeous crocheted dress that's being sold in Coles of all places. It's completely sold out online but there were heaps at Burwood. I bought it in black and in white and made a brilliant discovery.

It's not crochet. 5 smugness points to Gryffindor!

2. My lovely friend Ros read my last post and suggested I try out her spare DyakCraft interchangeable needle set instead.

I haven't been brave enough to try them yet but they are the most beautiful needles I've ever seen. They're chestnut for mercy's sake!

I'm still not sure if I should thank Ros or be afraid.

3. My mum bought me a book of short stories but decided to start it herself (BIG surprise).Apparently it involves knitting, and Mum was telling Da and I that the first story was so funny, and how much she was enjoying it. Mum looked at me and said "Apparently she's a very famous knitter,  you've probably heard of her, oh what's her name again?". That's when I realised she meant Stephanie Pearl-McPhee.

My mum bough me a Yarn Harlot book, but I don't think I'll be seeing it for a few days.

4. I'm blocking my cushion crochet, just in case you thought I'd forgotten it.

It will be a small cushion.

Not a new project

Another lovely day spent at Morris & Sons, chatting to customers and drooling over new books, new yarn and the KnitPro Rosewood set.

My birthday is at the end of the month, so hope springs eternal.

I accidentally opened up a crochet book, next thing I'm in the middle of a cushion for our lounge room.

I'm beginning to think the customer's enthusiasm is contagious.

Ravellenic Games: Day 3 and 4

After a happy start yesterday, blocking my new beret, I sat down to knit up one ball of yarn for the jumper. It took all day. ALL day. It reached the point where I was up late trying to finish off the ball of yarn. I was almost there when Marcus woke up and I gave up.

Today I was going to sit down, finish yesterday's ball and start a new one. I had a delivery and a pick-up for the business, so that cut into my knitting time. Then the kidlets and I went for a walk. Can't knit while you push a pram, so that cut into my knitting time. Felix reminded me that I had a rug to crochet up for a customer, so that cut into my knitting time.

I was rather dispirited this evening, so I did the only thing anyone could do.

I cast on a hat.

---

As requested by a friend, here follows more photos of my lovely new beret.

A close up of the lace section.

A close up of the knitter, to give you all an idea of the size.

It's really huge, even for my huge head. Which is great, considering how often I wear my hair up.

Ravellenic Games: Day 2

I took the train in to work, furiously working on a beret for myself. I entered the Hat dash competition, because I thought it would be fast and easy.

I really have to stop picking hats that are complicated.

Portia by Louisa Harding is a lovely lacey beret, and I only had to tink back on the lace once, which might be a record. I did misread during the decreasing which meant I added two rows I shouldn't have, but I pulled them back and kept going.

 

While it's blocking I only have a shot of the top, but that's enough to make me happy. You know why? I actually finished a Ravellenic Games project. In a day.


I'm surprised there aren't a choir of angels following me all day, singing the Hallelujah chorus. Perhaps they'll sing after I knit up another ball on my jumper today.

---

So, what else has been going on? Well, I had Dot cut some more teeth (I think I'm raising a baby shark), Marcus got a hair cut and the entire family went to the Bendigo Wool and Sheep Show.

Felix drove us up while I sat and knitted in the front seat, a cotton (bleurgh!) project sample for a customer. We got there at the same time as Dorothy's lovely godmother Joex who was on her first Wool Show trip. She even had a budget of $100.

Isn't that adorable?

I specifically took Felix with me to control the monies, and I was very VERY restrained. I made it out of the Show with only three purchases, for a total of 300g. VERY restrained.

I bought a skein of Road to China Silken Jewels worseted weight  in Blue Tourmaline.  The composition is 65% baby alpaca, 10% cashmere, 10% camel, 15% silk and 100% heavenly. The halo around the blue is a beautiful purple, so slight you have to squint to see it. Chantal tried to steal it, but now she's decided to get some into stock at Stitch Culture instead.

Stranded in Oz was at the Show, and I can't resist yarn with glitter in it. Oooo, shiny! I had to pick between the purple and the red, but the purple won out (big shock, I know). The yarn is called "Glinda the Good Wool" and it will become some bedsocks for me. Now that is a shock.

Lastly I hit the Shiloh stand and bought three balls of Silky Dream, which is the amazing Silky Wool (stretched merino) with Thai Silk added in. It's just gorgeous to touch and I'm planning a small cardigan for Dot with it.

Did I mention "restrained"?

Ravellenic Games: Day 1

As I may have mentioned before, I have an addictive personality. When I like something, I really like something.* Sherlock Holmes, Anne of Green Gables, anything by Jane Austen, Jack the Ripper, alcohol and - of course - knitting. I've been addicted to all of these at one point or another, and it's not necessarily a bad thing. Unless you also have an overly competitive nature.

*waves* Helloooooo!

So when I saw the games previously known as the Ravelympics were on again, I thought "Oooo, no, bad idea. I've got two jumpers to knit for Andy, so no time left... Unless I enter them in the Sweater Triathlon..."

Good thing only one qualified. Yesterday morning I got up at 5:30 to watch the ceremony (Kenneth Branagh! Drool bucket please!) and cast on my new jumper when the flame was lit. Well, half an hour later, actually, but who's counting?

I managed to knit up a whole ball of yarn yesterday, 12cm of the jumper back done. Now, as the jumper only needs 14 balls I'll be finished before the end of the games, easy!

Well, I would be if only I hadn't joined the Hat Dash as well... Oops.

*Btw, to any guy I dated, I'm really really sorry. Except that one guy, you totally deserved the crazy.

Seriously? Now?

I spent quite a chunk of today listening to Anne of Green Gables on my phone and knitting on my Lover's Lane beret. It was just perfect (if you ignore the children, obviously).

I'm up to row 22 and look! There's an obvious leaf! I'm pretty excited about how this knit is going, except for one thing.

Look at what my knitting is hanging on. That's our lounge room heater. It's not turned on.

It's broken.

It's winter, we're in a house with louver windows and the room we spend most of our day in has no heater.

Good thing we have lots of knitwear.

A walk down Lover's Lane

My Lover's Lane beret knitalong (KAL) began today. To describe me as excited doesn't quite cover it. I downloaded the Librivox version of Anne to listen to as I knit, I picked out two fabulous eggplant-y coloured yarns - a 4ply and a 6ply to make it up to worsted weight - and I cast on.

I went out to Chadstone to catch up with Chantal and drink hot chocolate at the Lindt cafe, so I took my new knitting with me. Finished off the ribbing and was pretty much stuck, but luckily we both had to leave anyway.

I was stuck because I'd left my mobile at home. So no Anne to listen to on the way there or back, no idea what the next row after the ribbing was, nothing. I drove home with plans to sit down and knit and knit and knit...

Marcus is awake. Marcus is not tired. Marcus won't let me knit. Marcus wants Wiggles. Oh, and my mobile.

I've finished the ribbing, and I think that's as far as I'll get tonight. Sick kids are the pits.

Happy baking!

Pinterest lied to me! I saw the hint that if you put a marshmallow on top of your cupcakes five minutes before they finish the marshmallow will melt, giving the cupcake a nice even gooey topping.

Do these look even to you? Me neither. Good thing they still taste okay!

Back from the couch

Whew! What a weekend! I forced Felix to drive me to drop-offs and pick-ups just so I could go straight back to bed on Saturday, and I was so sick I couldn't even go to Morris & Sons on Sunday, so you can guess just how miserable I've been.

I did get a lot of knitting done on the couch, though. Since Thursday I've sewn up a cabled saddle shoulder ladies jumper (handed over Saturday), knitted the collar and sewn up a ladies cardigan (handed over Saturday)...

...added a neck placket and re-knit a collar for a kid's jumper...

...finished sewing up a Noro tunic for a Morris & Sons customer (after re-knitting from the basketweave down, plus the sleeves)...

...and cast on for The Boyfriend jumper. Not for myself, but for a customer. Thank goodness it's on 8mm needles and using two strands of 8ply, otherwise I'd run screaming.


Soon I'll be able to breathe through my nose again and all will be well!

The view from the couch

Another day in the House of the Undying saw Marcus get sicker, Dot become less snotty and Mummy and Daddy collapsing with alarming regularity. Every so often we'd have a burst of energy, rush and do something (housework, cup of tea, ice-cream run) and then we'd remember we were sick and have to sit down. Loads of fun.

Luckily for me the kidlets went off to bed early-ish so I've had a nice evening on the couch. Mostly I've been slaving away at a customer's cardigan (birthday gift for her daughter, due Saturday) but every four rows I put it down and pick up my Granny Poncho and hook up a quarter. Turns out chocolate isn't my reward system, crochet is.

Happy baking!

Due to Dot being renamed "The Snot Monster", Marcus never changing out of his pj's and Felix staying home inhaling tea all day baking has been cancelled for the day.

Instead I'm off to find some Demezin and a squishy pillow.

My first big crush

It was July, 1987, twenty-five years ago. Can it really be so long? My whole family sat down to watch. The opening scene, then my sisters started quoted along with the show. "Willows whiten, aspens quiver..." I had no idea what they reciting, but I wanted in. Two days later my da bought me Tennyson's collected works and I caught up.

Welcome to my "Anne of Green Gables" addiction.

I own six copies of Anne, an Anne pop-up book, paper doll set, the dvds, the audio books, dolls, yarn and more. I loved the books so much for a while there I never read anything else. The television series was watched constantly, especially when I was unwell. I was sixteen and on the couch and I could watch the full 3.5 hours twice a day. With a large teapot beside me I was in heaven. I suspect my mother may have hated the mini-series after a while (except for the line "Mrs Hammond told me God made my hair red on purpose and I've never cared for Him since").

There's a few knits out there dedicated to Anne. "Green Gable" is incredibly popular, as is the "Anne Shirley" scarf. Nearly every knitter who's read the books has wondered how to make an apple-leaf cotton warp quilt, just like Mrs Lynde, and Franklin Habit made a Star Counterpane Block based on it at Knitty.com.The most desired is the blue cardigan from the mini-series.The number of whimpers when it appears on screen is ridiculous.

Last night while browsing Ravelry, a new shawl pattern was listed in the top 20 and it's name caught my eye straight away. "Call Me Cordelia" is an amazing shawl, and I might have to add it to my future knits list (plus, it's in purple!). The magic words "The second of my LM Montgomery inspired patterns." caught my eye and sent me off to look.

Anyone else want to join in a knit along for the "Lover's Lane" beret?

(First big crush? Jonathan Crombie, just like every other girl who watched the series. His successor was a cute guy on the cover of a knitting pattern book.)

A lazy Sunday

Sunday is usually hectic for me. Get up, get dressed, take care of kids, grab Dot and head for 8:00am service, come home, late breakfast, get ready, head off to Morris & Sons.

Today, wake up at 7:00am, realise the headache is going to kill me, go back to sleep. Felix wakes me at 8:00, feeds me Panadol and a cup of tea and leaves me asleep until 9:00am, while feeding and dressing two kids. Beyond the call of duty? Absolutely.

I did make it in to M&S, full of tea and happiness. 12 degrees is brisk for me, and I had another great day at work. Best moment was when a customer asked me if I recognised a pattern and I could say "Oh, that's Bubbles! I love that!" Pulled the pattern up on Ravelry and she liked the third picture on display. Yep, the one by Andrea. My ego got a teensy bit bigger after that (it's almost grape size now).

Lest you fear I shall become big-headed with my new found awesomeness, I gift you a photo of how I repaired the hole in Felix's sock.

I tied a knot in it.

This week's knitting

Here's what I have:

Five headbands for a customer, with #6 being finished while I wait for my niece's debutante ball to begin tonight (they never start on time). I've also picked up three finishing projects to drop off next Saturday.

Dress? What dress? No idea what you're talking about...

Hook-ing, not hook-...

Crochet is what I do when I want something made up quickly. I'm fast at knitting but I seem to be ridiculously fast at crochet. On the other hand, cut me in half and you'll read the word "knitter" running through me like rings through a tree.*

I suggested to Felix that he might need a hat with earflaps. The current weather is pretty terrible here in Melbourne, and now that he's growing his hair out I worry about him out in the early morning cold with wet hair. Yes, I am turning into my mother.

I chose the Granny in a Flap hat from UK Lass in US, and he loved it.I suggested grown up colours and he loved the idea even more. I then changed my mind completely and decided to make him a Turn A Square in greys instead. I'm not all that constant, really. The kidlets are now getting matching Granny hats, because I like torturing them. Dot pulls every hat off and Marcus just won't let me try to put one on his head, but I shall persevere. Because I like torturing them.

My next crochet idea is the Caracol's Granny Poncho in light grey and charcoal, with maybe some red in there. I have some grey pants with a red pinstripe, and I need to wear more handmade items to work on Sundays. Last week I wore the Elsie cardigan from Rowan "Vintage Style" and customers kept asking where it was from and how great it was and what a beautiful colour etc. It was pretty fun, actually. Now I need some 10ply.

If only I worked at a knitting store...

* Please don't cut me in half.

Happy Baking!

Even when it's not Easter I could live off hot cross buns. However, I only eat them at Easter, because otherwise they're not special.

Of course, if you don't add the crosses, they're fruit buns. You can eat them anytime - yay!

(Psssst! If you would like to be very very lovely, please visit my profile here. Basically, I'm begging for votes for the Healthy Life Awards with Weight Watchers. Pretty please?)

Back on track (sorry)

Knitting on a train.

We shall now resume our normal schedule of staying up until 3am, knitting like a fiend possessed.

(Sorry my thumb looks so manky)

A knitting disaster

I'm still working away on the pink dress, with about two weeks to go. It's a hard slog mostly because I loathe the yarn. Still, money helps the world go round, so I'll just have to keep knitting. Except I can't.

Last night while I was chopping up an onion for dinner I slipped. At first I thought I was fine, but then the bleeding started. Not a big cut, but a bit deep.

About twenty minutes ago I settled into my seat on the train to head off to my Sunday job at Morris & Sons (I shall pause while you all squeal with jealousy) and I pulled out my knitting.

Do you know how useful your left thumb is when knitting? Especially the left side, where the cut is?

Until I can work out a way around this, I'm in pretty deep trouble.

Train trips are really boring when you can't knit.

One day. Maybe. I'll get around to it.

I bought my knitting needle roll in 2003 when I first started going to a regular knitting group. After a few incidents of mistaken identity (someone else swapped their roll for mine as they were identical) I decided to make sure that never happened again.

Good thing about felt, you can embroider it.

Fast forward 9 years later and I finally added the needle size numbers inside.

When it comes to procrastination, I could play for my country, but only if I didn't have to do it right away.

I must be insane

Really, there's no other explanation for it. Why else would I tell the lovely ladies at Wondoflex that "Oh, sure. I'll knit on spec, certainly."

...

#$@&*%$& idiot!!!

...

Okay, a bit calmer now. In the meantime, I have a dress to knit. Yes, an actual dress. For an adult. It won't knit up on a knitting machine. It has taken over my life. Tomorrow I'm meeting a customer about a child's cardigan, and I just had a phone call about a few jumpers for a girl up in the country.

If you need me, I'll be knitting. A pink dress. A lot of pink dress.

(Yep, it's all my own fault and I shall never have a social life ever again.