A knit free week?

We were at my niece and Felix's joint family birthday party on Sunday when my sister asked if I was still unemployed with sooooo much time on my hands. "Well, yes. Why?"

Some help was required for my niece, Eden, specifically for her dance group. Now my sister knows that I'd lay down in traffic for any of my nieces and nephews, so I said yes. How hard could helping out be?















There are 40 blue stars to sequin. Easy enough. It's the 105 pink ones I'm worried about.

So much for knitting this week.

Long? Not really. Lacy? Partly. Fun? Yes!

Today in Melbourne, summer is truly over. It started raining overnight and it's still bucketing down. To everyone getting soaked at Sound Relief - suffer. I couldn't afford tickets to the concert let alone buy my husband a birthday present. Oh yeah...Happy Birthday Felix!

It seems a round-up of my long lacy summer is necessary, so I shall recap what I managed to knit.














Technically I finished my Snowdrop Shawl in early November, but I'm counting it!














Next up was my Cascading Leaves Shawl, which I love because I know that Kaye - who owns it - loves it too.













Then I finished my Nosferatu Shawl in about two weeks - so fast!














Celtic Hearts was even faster. One week - I loved it.














Finally, my lace beret.

I don't feel that I stretched myself too hard making any of these, experience-wise. I've knitted lace before, and love it, but it's fun seeing just how many I managed to knit in such a short amount of time.

What to knit first...

Chantal once pointed out that the problem with pregnancy is that you have less than nine months to knit everything. As usual, she's right, so I'm taking advantage of my current unemployment to knit my fingers to the bone.

Recently I was worried because I didn't feel like knitting. Or reading. Or (shock horror) watching BBC dramas. This is when Felix started to worry. I asked my Divine J(udith) what was wrong with me and her reply was very comforting. "Koekie, you just moved back to Australia, you travelled for 50 hours straight, you're living on a sofa bed and you're pregnant. Just take the time you need to relax." I love Judith, especially after she promised to knit Podling presents in cotton. I loathe knitting in cotton - no give to it - but as Podling is due at the end of September, summer looms, so cotton it must be. Judith has taken a weight off my mind, and I have promised that the second I know the boy/girl question she'll be told.

I myself am a wool lover, but even I have made sacrifices. I have knitted a cotton tank top in Rowan Wool Cotton - *gasp*! That's about two hours from finishing, and once I find my camera again I can take pictures. It's somewhere around.

In the meantime, I've also started the Debbie Bliss Alphabet Blanket in Patons Merino Deluxe DK that was a present long ago from Damien from ACS. It's always great to put a lot of yarn to a great use, and this blanket is a one-of-a-kind.

Next up - a knitted christening gown?

6,561st reason to love Ravelry

I've been having a pretty rough time since we got home from Scotland. We arrived in time for the horrendous heatwaves (I fainted), the tragedy of the bushfires which brought back a lot of painful memories of 1983 for my family, and - selfish as this sounds while so many have nowhere to live - the torture of the pull out sofa bed. Which is the perfect size for one. Except that there's two of us.

Anyhoo, my rant on Ravelry about how some heartless sod had stolen my bag had caused many many lovely Ravellers to pop up and offer me wool and presents. The first offer (within minutes) cam from the very lovely Karen who offered me both a new diary and an anniversary present for my parents as part of the RAK (Random Acts of Kindness) group on Ravelry. I accepted happily and today my parcel arrived.

When you've been having a bad time, to see all of this makes you believe in the kindness of complete strangers.















Can you believe it? A bag, wind chimes, some beautiful soap from India, a worry doll (very necessary!), chocolate, a candle, incense, a charm with yarn dolls, a little wind turner, lots of tea (yum!) and - the ultimate - a Wedgewood picture frame!

I burst into tears and Felix just looked at it and pointed out - yet again - how fantastic Ravelry is. He's beyond right this time!

My mum has claimed the Wedgewood frame for herself, and is planning to save it for her 7th grandchild's picture, even though the baby isn't due until late September.

Oh, that's another reason for my bad mood - morning sickness. Because the 7th grandchild is coming from Felix and I.

Surprise!

Bleurgh

Current events have caused a knitting slowdown. More details somewhere around March at this point.

I hate lethargy.

News, of a kind

Many of you are regulars on Ravelry, so my most recent tale of disaster would be of little surprise to them. For those not on Ravelry, here goes.

Long story short - we came home. I missed everyone, it wasn't working out so well in Scotland and I nagged Felix until he agreed to come home (he'll tell you I didn't nag, but he's wrong and very sweet). The trip home was terrible.

First, the bus trip from Dundee to London - 12 hours, little room, heaters on full. Let us never speak of it again. We trained out to Heathrow where I went on a last minute present spree for my dad at Harrods and refused to buy me a 1974 Dalmore's single malt. I still think 400 pounds is a bargain. Heathrow did have a very very large advantage.















Here I am five minutes before boarding the plane. Knitting. I went through three security checks, and I'm knitting. Then on board guess what I did all flight - that's right. Knitting.

(NB: United needs to be less stingy with the alcomahol. US$6 for a very teeny beer is disgraceful.)

After staying awake for the next 10 hours flying over Iceland, Canada (hello Winnipeg!), the Grand Canyon, the salt plains of Utah (in the distance) we eventually landed in San Fransisco. It's not a very large airport, but we wandered up to security and passed through to the US on Inaugeration Day, no less. (Ask Felix about my reaction to the fingerpint scan. I went a bit silly.)

We had two hours before our connecting flight to LA, so we settled down, and I sent Felix away to find coffee. Sweet sweet coffee... He came back with the goods, and I reached between my feet for my backpack with my knitting. Wait...

Someone had taken my backpack.

This backpack was very dear to me, being both a birthday present from my parents and the cutest black leather backpack ever. The contents were variable:

• My wallet with my id’s, useful only for Australia, but no money at all
• My 2009 diary
• My mobile phone
• A ball of beautiful burgandy sock yarn, that was to become a pair of Earl Grey socks for my dad (yes, that burgandy sock yarn)
  
• 1.5 Incoming socks, knitted in Tofutsies for my mum.

They took my knitting. I had plans for the Incoming and Earl Grey Socks. They were to be a present for my parent's 47th wedding anniversary.

I was a bit confused at first - obviously I'd moved my bag elsewhere, because I knew it had been between my feet, and no-one sat next to me, so I must simply be confused. I'm good at losing things, ask any member of my family. But Felix saw me put it down, so it must be around. Eventually we worked out what had happened. Someone sat behind me and pulled it from beneath me to them and wandered off.

My first port of call, after reporting the loss, was a very very nice bar for a very very large G&T. Then I pulled out more knitting. (What? You don't have spares?) The flight from SFO to LA was swift, and didn't prepare us for the horror that awaited us. It turns out that United overbook their flights and one girl had been waiting for 6 days for an available seat, despite having already paid to be on the flight. Luckily, I had more knitting - the Prismatic Scarf using two balls of Noro Silk Garden, which I didn't really start for a good ten hours because I fell asleep while they doing the safety speech. Good thing we didn't crash...

Landed in Sydney early morning and had to transfer to Melbourne, so I was a bit worried about my carry on luggage with the second round of knitting in it. Check this out:















Me, knitting on the flight from Sydney to Melbourne. Apparently chunky plastic needles are fine. Who knew?

So we're back for good, and just in time for the Melbourne heatwave, Round 1 (Round 2 is this weekend). As you can imagine, I fared badly with Felix just cruising through. Gotta tell you, I'm so glad I'm back.

Cross your fingers for me!

My da is in hospital to be fitted with a pacemaker either today or tomorrow. He's had an irregular heartbeat for years, but because he's as fit as a Malley bull he's never needed one - he's signed up for the Australian Masters Games in two weeks, and he's in ten running events. Ten!!! One of them is on his birthday, when he turns 70! He looks a lot younger, I can tell you!

So, cross your fingers for me and hope that my mother doesn't smother him with a pillow as he tries to bribe the specialist into letting him compete in the Games after all! Oh Barry...

Smugness

My name is Andrea, and I'm a yarnaholic.

The minute I decided to stop buying yarn was the minute I was extremely tempted to buy yarn. I wandered by Tricoterie's etsy store, where I constantly drool over what I might buy, especially the laceweight. I geared myself up for a session of drooling over my keyboard, and what happened?

She has Twilight Yarn. I ended up in tears of laughter.

If you ever want a giggle, tell Felix you loved the Twilight book series. He rants. It's really funny, but also familiar. Mention airlines and knitting rules and the Australian government, and I rant. But Felix is really fuuny when he does it.

The yarn crisis averted I turned back to what I have. So, here's my birthday present from Chantal.














Here Be Dragons shawl and two skeins of Alpaca with a Twist Fino! I LOVE Chantal so much. She is very very good with knitting presents. Very good.

So, as soon as I finish my Incoming socks and my Garden Shawl, I have my next project already waiting.

Yarn shopping unnecessary.

An aim, not a resolution - Part 2

Just a few points to clear up.

1. Felix will not be buying yarn on my behalf, not even with unsubtle hints or outright begging. He is buying the yarn for a Doctor Who scarf for me to knit up, but believe me that's definitely not through my begging for it. Who'd beg to knit up 14 feet of scarf?!?
2. All yarn related emails will be deleted from my inbox - sorry, but temptation is far too great sometimes, and I really don't want to risk it.
3. No yarn expeditions, no matter what. Just walking in to the places causes my purse to come out and next thing I know I have yarn and less money, all because EFTPos is too easy.

Hope that clears it up. Now to go away and put on my hair shirt.

---

Currently I'm knitting a scarf. A long scarf. A scarf with 398 stitches. This is not my scarf, it is the work of Jade, my knitting conspirator. It's her third project and it's a (belated) Christmas present for one of her friends. So now it's late and I also want my Clover 4.5mm circular back (it's Clover for pity's sake!).

It's not exactly my kind of colour range either. Imagine if Rainbow Brite was run over by a massive ball of acrylic...

An aim, not a resolution

Due to a massive party last night, today's post is a day late. I would like to apologise, and also to speak on those rumours about myself, Jade and Yutika and the Twister mat: no comment.

Today was a yarny sort of a day with a trip to buy the loveliest burgandy sock yarn for my da, to be knitted up in the Yarn Harlot's Earl Grey pattern. For solid colour sock yarn lovers, visit here. Fabulous range of straight, non-pooling yarn - perfect! I wended my way back to show my prize to Felix who promptly asked "Don't you have enough sock yarn?"

After my initial shock and response of "Are you INSANE?!?!?!?" I calmed down and thought about it a bit. I don't own that much sock yarn, actually. I have another 4 balls of Patonyle, some leftovers from my Entrelac Socks, some Wired for Fibre Rita and one rare ball of Opal Ladybird. Compared to some, that's quite minor. I also have yarn that could be used as sock yarn, various DK's etc, but still not that much.

Rose Red is having her own personal Sock of the Month Club, and I thought it was a fabulous idea - take 12 sock yarns, put them in brown paper bags and pull one out each month to make a pair of socks. I was planning my own version, where my mum will send me some sock yarn each month from my stash, having already had a head start with my Incoming!!! socks - I brought the ball of Tofutsies with me.

Felix's comment gave me pause for thought. I own an awfully large amount of yarn, almost all of it in plastic bags with the pattern I have planned for it inclosed. So, I've had an idea I'd like to suggest. This is a New Year aim not a resolution - no guilt for breaking it.

I, Andrea of Let Me Knit, hereby swear to try and live a year without buying more yarn.

I swear that when I feel the need to start a new project I shall send for a plastic stash bag and knit whatever is chosen for me. I declare that any purchases by others for me do not count and are therefore not only welcomed, but highly encouraged. I promise that I shall have a full 48 hours of amnesty for the Bendigo Wool and Sheep Show, but not to go over the top with shopping frenzy.

So it is written, so it shall be done. Well, hopefully!

Finished Objects 2009 - #2

I like my new beret - for 'tis slouchy.














(Felix is working tonight, so I'm afraid the only pictures I have of the beret in use are very MySpace-y)














The third repeat that I added on made the difference. The beret is deep enough to be loose, but the brim is perfect for my gianormous skull. Feel free to add any jokes you deem appropriate.

In other knitting news I am but a toe shaping away from finishing sock #1 in my "Incoming!!!" socks. Fine yarn, small needles, 64 stitches per row. There was some bribery involved to make me knit these so swiftly.














Zenses Rainforest and Jewel Masters, both on the DS. 5 minutes knitting, 1 brief game. 5 minutes knitting, 1 brief game. Seemed to work, actually. Odd.

What next?

Yesterday I managed to knock myself out using a ceiling beam. It's a lot easier than you think. The result was a lazy day, full of knitting - the best kind.

I worked tirelessly on my Meret (Mystery Beret) and succeeded in wrapping it up by 9pm. Then I tried it on. Then I ripped it back.















I added one repeat "for extra slouch". Turns out if you have a freakishly large head -as I do - an extra two or three repeats might be better. I'll see if I can get the stupid thing finished by the end of today.

I also came to a very hard decision about my SoleSilkSkein (One-Skein Wonder). It's a great pattern, easy to follow, and I'm glad I bought it. I was using Noro Silk Garden, in the most wonderful colours and it's a fantastic yarn.



















But not together. So I'm frogging the project and saving my two balls of Silk Garden for something else. For some reason, I feel like a nice cabled tea cosy.

As I need another small project until I can get a 3.5mm circular for my Garden Shawl (no-one around here has one!) I started a set of Tidal Wave socks for my mum. I had bought the yarn specifically with me to make her a pair, so socks it is. The cast on was probably the most fun - Twisted German Cast On. It's a new skill, and I'm rather chuffed about it.














I keep getting images of Goethe in my head as I say "Twisted German Cast On". Or Armin Meiwes.

Messing about in blogs

Self explanitory, really. I'd do more, but it's 2:16am and I'm thinking sleep will help.

Finished Objects 2009 - #1

Feel the smugness! Less than a week in and I'm one project down.


















This is the Celtic Hearts Shawl, by Simple Knits, and it is fast. Really fast. I finished it in a week, with two days off in the middle - ridiculous! It's an 8-ply (DK) knit, and the pattern is easy to follow. I'd recommend this to anyone.



















It's a birthday present for my nana at the end of the month, so I'm posting it out on Friday. We're planning a jaunt up to Glamis Castle on Thursday, and my two grandmothers will need photos and details about that, so I'll send it all together.

My Garden Shawl is currently is hiatus, all because I don't have a circular knitting needle. The nearest wool store doesn't have a 3.5mm circular, and it's a 20 minute walk to the next store. I wouldn't mind, but it's snowing intermittently today. Walking whilst being snowed upon is far less fun than you'd think. Snowflakes are pointy when they hit your eyeball.

New year, new knits!

Thus begins a new year of knitting, and I hope you all had a lovely safe New Year celebration, wherever you are. Mine was cold. Very very cold.

I had to wait until the 2nd to start my first project for the year, my Garden Shawl. It is beautiful and very very scary. 180 rows isn't too much, unless you're increasing every row, each row has some form of patterning, and you can never ever stop counting rows (two different row counts at all times).


















I was feeling rather confident after the set up rows, but now the enthusiasm is flagging, the adrenalin is wearing down and the long slog is before me. I like the long slog because it affords you those lovely moments, the ones where you suddenly remember how much you love the patten, or the yarn becomes even softer, or you get the rhythm just right and suddenly you're flying through the rows.

I'm so looking forward to that bit.

What a difference a year makes

Last New Year's Eve in Melbourne the temperature didn't drop below 30 degrees until after midnight. Tonight, Felix and I are off to celebrate Hogmaney in Edinburgh with the expected temperature of -4. Felix is looking forward to any excuse that allows him to wear his Ni beanie.

I've been working on my nana's birthday shawl since Saturday night and I plan to get up to the border rows today, which is pretty great considering I added a repeat.


















I'm pretty happy with the progress I've been making.

Looking back, this has been a fantastic year for my knitting. I've been very prolific, 40 finished items (yes I know it said #39, but I helped Jade knit a scarf so I'm counting that as well) although a lot of them were beanies. For Felix.

I plan to challenge myself further next year. Thanks to Bells and her Long Lacy Summer, I've become a lace addict. The fun of watching something that looks like uncooked 2 minute noodles become art as soon as you drop it in water and block it? Indescribable.

That's why I've already planned next year's first knit.


















Insanity, thy name is "Andrea".

Have a great New Year's Eve, and I'll catch you all next year.

Finished Objects 2008

• Entrelac Socks
• Jogging Gloves
• Moss Stitch Washcloth
• Jade's Christmas Bedsocks
• Nosferatu Shawl
• The CARdigan
• Cascading Leaves Shawl
• Cobblestone Jumper
• The Ni! Beanie
• Amelia's Shawl
• Felix's Gloves
• Cat Toys
• Trinity Stitch Beret
• Ice Queen
• Really Easy Booties
• Baby Hat
• Baby Surprise Jacket - Greens
• Felix's Surprise Beanie
• Saartje's Booties
• Felix's Grey Socks
• Mum's Birthday Socks
• Baby Raglan
• Mum's Pot Holders
• Da's Fingerless Gloves
• Nana's 90th Birthday Socks
• Baby Jacket
• Chunky Red Shawl
• Matisse's Shawl
• Drunken Argyle
• Passepartout's Beret
• Rosy Cosy
• Kitri Socks
• Grey Knee High Stockings
• Sammy's Scholar Collar
• B.S. Johnson
• Beanie for Felix
• Diadem
• Quantified
• Pedicure Socks
  

Finished Objects 2008 - #37, #38 and #39

Saturday was a daemon day for knitting (doesn't "daemon" look cooler than "demon"?). I finished my cleaning up bright and early and settled down to block my Entrelac Socks and see what else I could finish.

While the socks were drying I finished off a moss stitch washcloth. No pictures, because it put to good use a few hours later! Then I decided that I needed some plain fingerless gloves for walking around outside and knitting, so I whipped up some Jogging Gloves.



















That took me past three episodes of "Dexter" and on to the beginning of a new shawl (yes, another one), this time Celtic Hearts again from Simple Knits. This is fast, so I'm hoping I can knock it off before the end of next week as that's when I'll need to post it to Australia for my nana's birthday.

Yesterday was another day of knitting in the afternoon, and I finished off my Entrelac Socks.






















I am completely overwhelmed by these socks. They took two months of knitting here and there and they were worth it.


















I knitted them while watching "History of Britain" in the mornings and "History of Scotland" in the afternoons. Lots of history and lots of knitting.



















The part I'm most proud of is that I did all of my entrelac squares without turning the knitting. I purled backwards. I did a p2tog backwards! It's easier to purl backwards than knit backwards and it did help me speed things up.


















The tassels make it.

Finished Objects 2008 - #35 and #36

Due to work commitments I've been far too busy to do anything. This is what happens when you volunteer to decorate the hostel. And make a gingerbread house.


















And a winter village. And hand sew 12 felt stockings.


















Mad.

However, I did find time to finish my Nosferatu shawl.
















This was a fabulously easy knit - just knit the plain/eyelet base until you think it's wide enough, then knit the lace pattern.



















Not too much lace, but just enough to make it interesting. I think this still counts as a lace piece for the Long Lacy Summer - what do you think, Bells?


















I completely stuffed up pinning out the fish tail. It's very full, and ripples, so I think I'll claim it as a design feature, rather than a flaw.

This will be my reading in bed/slobbing on the couch (in style)/wandering the moors looking for my lost love shawl. It has that kind of vibe.

Another delay to my posting and knitting was the hostel's Secret Santa lists. I picked the first name and got the uber-awesome Jade, who is a knitting convert. Couldn't have been easier.

A yarn zombie keyring, two packets of red string licorice to make 302 Calories and these.
























Clafoutis Bedsocks. If they were any easier it'd be illegal. I made them in ten hours. TEN HOURS. Be warned - these are my new present staple...

Merry Yarnmas!

From the lovely climes of Scotland,
























may your Christmas be filled with love, laughter, figgy pudding and fibre-related presents!