Where the hell did April go?

Jeez. It's the 26th already. I think I lost a couple of weeks somewhere. I got slightly broadsided by hurting my back, leading to working from home most of last week. It was nice, but annoying as I couldn't really do much around the place as I didn't want to aggravate my back. It was only a pulled muscle so all better now pretty much, but another sign of my increasing age :-) It was interesting to watch what goes on when I'm not normally at home, mainly the hens running riot in my front garden. If they carry on that game I'll put one in the pot. Probably the noisy cockerel first.

Anyway, apart from plotting the brutal murder of the livestock, I've managed to achieve a few things. I had a Project Spectrum moment, when I realised we're nearly into May and the next Cardinal Direction, and I haven't finished half the stuff I wanted to do for March - April. I may have to alter my timescales a bit, but that doesn't really alarm me too much. I did manage to snap a few photos for East already, we had a few really nice sunny days so I took full advantage. (I also did gardening which was what did for my back. Win some, lose some.) Of course the weather now has turned, it's raining, windy and I've had to light the heating again. So I started an afghan, for Project Spectrum North. This is all manmade fibres for easiness of care and because I wanted fluffy bits. I like fluffy bits in these sort of things, it adds a nice variety of texture both visual and tactile. I am an equal-opportunity yarn crafter.



I love green, which is why PS North has been good for me so far. Funny for someone who supports Hearts to like green, but hey. I can't help my tastes. There's also lots of springy new growth busting out all over, so photography has been really easy. PS North is actually put under Winter as its season, but I guess that's aimed more at people in the Northern US. Here Spring has definitely sprung.

I've one more project I'd like to do for North, which is a vest / sleeveless top in some gorgeous Scottish Tweed DK in a lovely sharp green. I think I've tracked down the pattern I want (finally!) - Vestish by Robin Dodge. It's very cute with the pockets and neckline flowing into the straps. I'll probably knit in the round up to the armholes though. Hate sewing up, you know? :-) It seems very wearable as well, I can picture this over a shirt for work, or over a flowery blouse with a cute twirly skirt.

I've also had a couple of distractions from Project Spectrum. One is lace. Remember I said I was going to do the Fountain Pen Shawl? Well I'm not. Let us speak no more of the matter. I've swapped over to the Large Rectangle in Leaf and Trellis Pattern (rav link) from Victorian Lace Today. I'm still using the Old Maiden Aunt laceweight merino in the Gothic colourway, which is gorgeous. I'm working it on a 4mm needle which, in all honesty, may be a little bit too large for this, but I am not frogging this yarn again as I don't think it would like it very much. The original pattern calls for a slightly heavier yarn, though I notice Rav has it listed as 4-ply which is interesting (and I think is a mistake - many people are workinging this in 2-ply / laceweights). I thought it was more like a 3-ply weight but meh. I'll just not block the finished article too hard. I don't have a picture as it currently looks like a small piece of tangled pinky-red-black spaghetti.

I also saw this on Flickr. Go on, click. I'm never too sure if I can post someone else's work on here, so I've just linked. This is inspired by the work of Anu Tuominen, a Finnish artist. She does some wicked things with crochet potholders. Seriously. Do a Flickr search and you'll see them. So of course, this has triggered a potholder kick, which in turn sparked off a general dishcloth / facecloth / tawashi exploration, which now means I have a load of dinky flower-shaped facecloths sitting in the bathroom. (Pattern here) I also may have bought some more crochet cotton. Ahem.



Mmm, Peaches 'n' Creme, finally available in the UK from here. The colours are to die for, however it is a true worsted weight which means it may not be suitable for UK patterns. It's between a DK and aran, I would say.

It's not been all yarn here either. Today I started a drawing for the first time since, well, I actually can't remember it's been that long. I will take some pictures once it's a bit more advanced. I've also been patchworking, piecing the top for my quilt. Experienced quilters may wish to look away now. There is no plan. no overall design, my seams are best not discussed in detail and I can't cut a straight line to save my life. However, I am enjoying the process. It's nice to work with fabric again.





Somewhere I have a quilt that I never finished, that was falling apart because I didn't know about proper seam allowances. I must dig it out and see if anything can be done with it.

And finally, this big box arrived:



What could it be?

No, surely not. It's not a...



It is! It's Roomba's little brother, the Scooba!

Here it is in action:



I tell you, with a bad back it was a ruddy Godsend. Yes folks, I am the proud owner of a £300 mop. My parents now think I am insane, I dread to think what the bf will say when he sees it, but to be honest, I do not care. My floors are clean and that is awesome. I plonk it in the room to be done, shift any stuff out of the way, press "go" and off it potters. I can then go and do something else far more interesting. It even plays a little tune to tell you it's finished. Awesome. I reckon this saves me 2-3 hours work easily. At that rate it's paid for itself after a few uses, and it's far more effective than sloshing a mop around. Also it's rather compelling watching it. I have yet to introduce it to the cat. That could be quite funny.

~*~

I'm here, I'm here!

Oh god, that was fun. My computer decided to explode last week, but it has now been fixed and I'm slowly putting all my stuff back on to it. Gah. Actually it was overdue a rebuild, but it would have been nice not to have it inflicted on me. At least it sorted out my emails. I've also been away down south, visiting the parental units for their respective birthdays and then even further south to see my man who is in Essex at the moment. Which is a LOOOOOONG way from Ayrshire, believe me. I think I have corns on my backside from spending so long in the car.

Next time, I think I might have to catch a flight to Stansted. It will probably be cheaper!

All this gadding about and beating my PC with a brick means my house was ditched, I have a colossal amount of ironing to do, and there were dirty dishes sitting for a week before they got washed up. Housework avoidance? I haz it. My sink smells funny as well. Sort of like compost. Not much knitting was achieved either - I haven't figured how to knit and drive at the same time yet. However I did finish the Luna Moth shawl:



and as I seem to have gone into some sort of lace kick, I cast on for the Fountain Pen Shawl from IK, in Old Maiden Aunt laceweight.

I've done some sewing:



I maded a PINCUSHION! Yay me. I'm actually rather pleased.

I also did some Wardrobe Refashioning, more as an experiment than a serious attempt at something wearable. I turned this:



into this (along with hacking up the cream sweater)



which is not nearly as wonky as it looks. I'm not sure how practical a jersey skirt will be, but hey. Good practice.

I suffered my first sewing injury (warning - BLOOD!)



Them rotary cutters? They is SHARP lemme tell you. Ouch.

I found that Colchester has not one, but TWO fantastic haberdashers / fabric shop / yarn shops, so I am now skinted :-)

And finally I did some thrifting and scored a fantastic LK Bennett skirt and a madly funky top wich I may never wear but was too pretty to leave in the shop:



I haz teh Charity Shop love.

~*~

In Which I Uncover the Ravelry Curse

I think I have discovered something truly evil.

In the last couple of days, brung low with yukky cold germs from hell, I have been attempting to start my first lace shawl. Yes, I realise a cold-addled head is perhaps not the best thing to bring to a lace-knitting party, but I figured if I take it slow, it would take my mind off it.

So I pulled out some vintage Falcon DK, with which I had attempted the Woodland Shawl some time ago. No fault to the pattern, I had moved house and lost my place, so I'd pulled out the needles and left it. I decided to try the Heartland Shawl instead. Lovely and simple design by Evelyn Clark, who knows a thing or three about lace. OK.

I duly cast on, knit the funny tab to start, and got stuck in. After a bit, I put it down and went to see what was happening on Ravelry. After a little pointless and arbitrary posting, I popped by my projects and added the shawl.

I went back to the shawl, and discovered it looked like ass. I'd made a honking error, and the cast-on looked pants. Rip rip rip. Start again. Knit knit knit. OK. looking good. Breaktime. Back on Rav.

Back to shawl. Knit knit knit. Hang on. Again, something had gone awry, and I realised the yarn just blew goats in this pattern. Buggrit. Rip rip rip, put yarn away. Stomped over to Rav and deleted the project.

I shopped the stash. Jaeger Matchmaker 4-ply in a soft grey called to me, so I scooped it up, stopped by Rav and pattern-surfed until I came up with one from Elann - the Luna Moth. Yep. Likes that. Not too sure about the moth reference, but we'll go with it.

Cast on, knit knit knit. Looking very nice. Liking the yarn lots. Knit knit knit bed.
Got up, knit knit knit. Count count count. All good. Yay me.

Stopped by Rav and loaded in the project. Knit knit knit. Count count oh. I've got the wrong number of stitches. Study knitting carefully. Count again. Yep. I'm one short on one side, and something's way wrong on the other. Tink tink tink. Pick up, count. Count again. Crochet hook comes out. Count. Correct. Finally. Continue.

So. Why is it as soon as I put a project into Ravelry it goes tits-up? I think we should be told. This is also I suppose karmic vengeance for laughing so hard at the Yarn Harlot's escapades with her Estonian shawl. Karma can be such a bitch sometimes, especially when it's delayed.

In other news, I haz some sewing books, and I have set up a sewing corner upstairs in the spare bedroom. I'd show you a picture but, as usual when I am being creative, it is an utter tip and totally embarrassing. Also I am full of cold and do not want to trek up the stairs. I have even sewn something. A sweater (shop-bought, don't get excited) was far too big for me. So, in a spirit of "what the hell" I took the seam ripper to it. Out came the sleeves and I stitched up each side taking about 2" off the width. I deliberately stitched on the right side so I got raw edges. I now have a close-fitting sleeveless top to wear! It's actually not too bad, I want to wash it to bed in the sewing then there may be a modelled picture. I have now realised what I really need is a pincushion or two, so that will probably be the next project while I save up for some skirt fabric and some more fat quarters for the quilt I'm plotting.

By the way, have you all seen what Google have added to their maps? You can now "walk around" a load of British cities, including Edinburgh and Glasgow. I have spent a few happy, if snotty, hours strolling virtually around Edinburgh this afternoon. I should really get out more I think.

Right, I am going to go and look for cute pincushion patterns. Later folks.

Aaachoo!

~*~

Sweaters, sewing and polycraftual leanings

I'll get to the sweater in a bit. This is a long rambly post. You might want to scroll down to the sweater bit, where I explain why I think Elizabeth Zimmermann may have been at the sherry when she wrote up one of her patterns.

First, sewing.

I have known for a long time that I have Issues when it comes to sewing. I never really understood why - I like to think that I am an intelligent woman, I have a degree, I can change the sparkplugs in a Land Rover, make a roux...but sewing? Not so much. This has been bugging me for quite some time. Particularly when I see bloggers making their own fantastic clothes (even underwear!), pledging to not buy any clothes last year (that's a really interesting post by the way, and very thought-provoking if you're of a mind to read) and generally re-fashioning, recycling and making from scratch lovely things. As an aside, where the hell are the charity shops these people are getting these amazing items from? All I ever see is polyester granny-frocks and shirts with suspicious armpit stains. Anyway. I am very aware that my wardrobe, well, hanging rails, are full of a varied selection of the good, the bad, and the downright unwearable, much of it is too big, doesn't suit or I simply am unlikely to wear. My fashion sense (and I use the term very loosely) is changing and much of what I have does not really fit into it any more, if it ever did.

So. What to do? I could go and buy lots of lovely new clothes. However, I'm finding I have a small problem with this. Firstly, my tastes are changing, but I'm not sure they've settled yet. I'm not about to turn into twinset-and-pearls-lady, nor am I 18 any more. Much haute couture leaves me cold, at the moment anyway, and therefore much of the high street too, but I'm tired of slobbing in a fleece and wearing the same old trousers and shirt combo at work. Secondly, I'm starting to get more uncomfortable with excess consumerism, for want of a better term. I'm not about to stop consuming (imagine what would happen to the economy if we all did that!) but I guess I'm starting to consider more what I spend my money on and where. I'm becoming more interested in the quality than the price tag, and whether I really love the item. I'm not even going to go down the ethical route just now, although it's in the back of my mind, as I'd probably never buy clothes ever again :-) however, it's there and I can't deny that it bothers me.

The answer? Well, why not take a leaf out of the books of other bloggers, and whip up my own stuff? Now, believe me, I am fully aware this is not the budget option. Unless I can find that charity shop. Fabric, patterns and notions are Expensive. This is a luxury, but I think a useful one. I would (surely?) be more thoughtful about what I like, about cut and fabric. I would undoubtedly learn some new stuff. I can find the time, I have most if not all of the equipment. However. The aforementioned Issues raise their ugly head at this point, and I have finally twigged why they're there in the first place. School needlework classes. Yes folks, it's all rooted in my childhood (hello, cod-psychology!) My school, looking back, was probably suffering from something of an identity crisis when I was there. It had, for many years, specialised in churning out well-disciplined, well-elocuted Good Catholic Girls with a view to creating eligible young ladies who would make good wives and brood mares. A reasonably broad education was provided to ensure said Young Lady could hold a respectable dinner party conversation with her husband's work colleagues. I sound like I'm taking the piss, and I am to an extent, but it was actually a good school when I was there, and a damn sight better than the local comprehensive (was there ever a more inaccurate use of the term?) where my accent, which was slightly North of where the school was located, would probably have led to me being knifed within a week. That, and being a fat swot wouldn't have helped :-)

Anyway, when I arrived at the school, they had obviously realised that the new generation of Young Ladies were generally not destined to early wifehood or taking the habit. They were more likely to go to Uni and become engineers, TV presenters or climb Everest. This was A Conundrum, and led to some slightly odd lesson combinations. Needlework and cooking were still on the curriculum (and rightly so) but the lessons had suffered terribly from a worldview stuck somewhere in the nineteenth century. We had to sew a skirt. The teacher obviously still believed that we learned needlework at our mothers' knees, and that all of this was actually just practising skills we already had. It was a torment. With virtually no instruction, we had to make what was quite possibly the most ugly-ass skirt in history, with sewing machines that had not been serviced that century. I took it home to my mother, and to my Granny's Singer (the same one I have now.) "Muuuuuuuum! Help!" Together, we sewed up this monstrosity, mainly by utterly ignoring the convoluted pattern and the teacher's instructions to "tailor-tack" everything. WTF is a tailor-tack? Even Granny didn't know, and she had learned proper dressmaking. Mum and I stood back and viewed the creation. Mum had, in fact, made some subtle improvements to the pattern, being pretty handy if somewhat "make-it-up-as-you-go" with a needle, but it was still mind-bogglingly hideous. Imagine a busy black-and-white print, cut into a circle. Hem it. Add a top casing for elastic. Thread elastic, pull up and finish. What resulted was something that even the tall, willowy, elegant girls couldn't make look decent. On me, short, dumpy and bespectacled, it looked like I was wearing a potato sack with a hem, with a cushion shoved up the front. It was truly awful. Even my mum, fount of wonderfulness that she is, couldn't find much positive to say. I was scarred for life. This was even worse than the frilly, Victorian sentimental cross-stitch cushion that I'd been forced to make.

Is it any wonder that I have Sewing Trauma?

My books don't help:



Charmingly retro as they are, they are definitely written for a different generation, who must have received needlework skills along with their breast milk. There's probably tips in here for what to do with all that parachute silk that landed in your back garden after the last bombing raid. It probably doesn't mention what you could get up to with the nice RAF airman attached to it mind. Probably knit him airforce blue socks. They're those kind of books, where it suggests what outfits you should be wearing at different times of day, and how to dye your shoes to match your handbag and gloves. I think I need more of the Dummies' Guide, or possibly a Haynes manual. I shall shortly be perusing the internets for suitable publications, and hang the expense. It's an investment, right?

Ok. Sweater. I'm on with the Noro seamless raglan, and I'd reached the point where the sainted Elizabeth instructed to start neck shaping. "Really?" I thought. "Seems a bit early. Well, she knows a lot better than humble me." So I duly purled back, and put stitches on threads, and faffed a bit more, picked up and ribbed round and then stopped. "This neck looks freaking huge." Stitches onto a thread, upstairs to the big mirror, sweater on. The neck is freaking huge. OK. "Decrease a bit maybe?" Return downstairs, pick up stitches, work some funky decreases and continue. "Hmmm. This still doesn't look quite right. I'll stitch up the armpits then try it on again."



It's hard to tell from this, but this neck is wrong in So Many Ways it is untrue. It starts somewhere around my bra straps. My neck, however, does not. It starts too low in the front. It's just nasty. Elizabeth, maybe your yarn was waaaaaay different to mine, maybe I am misunderstanding your pithy instructions, but WTF?

I have ripped. I am re-knitting. I will keep you posted on this matter. If anyone knows any really good sewing books for Stupid People who do not understand facings and blind hems, let me know will you?

~*~

Chop chop

Well, I was very brave on Thursday. I bought a chainsaw. An electric one, before you all swoon with amazement at my upper body strength and mad machine-handling skillz. I had a busy day a week or so past, and I went logging:



But the problem is, I have a decidedly dodgy elbow, which has been brought on shovelling coal, sawing logs and chopping kindling. (Nothing to do with knitting. Nope. Definitely. Shut up at the back.)So bowsawing that lot was pretty much out of the question - and no I don't have a burly, axe-wielding, log-chopping, kilt-sporting hunky Scotsman around (unfortunately) so a chainsaw it is.

Well, I can report I have all my fingers, limbs and other appendages intact, and I have a nice heap of kindling and logs to show for my efforts. Its darned noisy though, so I'll be purchasing a visor and ear defenders pretty soon, along with chain oil - the blasted thing drinks the stuff and Bosch were not exactly generous when they included it in the box!

Well I know you're all gripped by my adventures living a more simple, rustic life, but onto fibre-y pursuits. :-)

Dad's sweater update: One sleeve COMPLETE apart from hem (yay) I just hope its long enough / not too long... I've cast on the second sleeve and I'm about 2" into it already so I'm quite pleased, I shall do a little more tonight then pick up the body and get another chunk of that done. I'm putting short rows in the back to stop it riding up. I've not got a picture because, well, it looks pretty similar to all the others - grey stocking stitch :-) I've resisted casting on the Noro that I picked up in Glasgow, even though there are four extra skeins sitting on the dining table looking alluringly at me. Swines. The big brioche scarf is nearly done, a few more inches then I shall do a fringe and its finished. Big Wool is unbelievably quick compared to a mansize DK-weight sweater!

Although the sewing machine has been returned, having had a lovely break in Ayr from which it has come back well rested and refreshed, I have resisted the call of the Quilt so far. I did have to hide the sewing machine in the other room though. I keep telling myself that I do not have nearly enough fabric yet, I don't have a design in mind and I don't have the spare cash to splash on more material just now. Also I have seen a bitchin' purple coat in Glasgow, sort of brocade fabric, cut in a peacoat or slightly military style, that I have a serious penchant for, that I may have to go and buy next week so... :-)

bullet points

Brief Update as things are busy busy Chez Moi.

Friend visiting for a week from Sunday…here are my current preoccupations:

· Much cleaning is ensuing…place was getting a little Withnail-ish for my liking
· I am concerned about the lack of heating upstairs
· terrible rattling noises are coming from the dormer in the bedroom which she will be sleeping, mainly because of the howling maelstrom outside
· the window in there is still letting the rain in (thankyou my efficient landlords)
· I need to scrub the bath, even though it will still look like a hippo has been wallowing in it because the enamel’s worn away, at least I know it is clean even if it doesn’t look it

At least I thought to get some curtains for the window in her temporary bedroom, which cost me £3 (love you charity shop!) and have been washed today, so just ironing and hanging them to do tomorrow, all being well. I’ve mopped the floors, hoovered half the house (other half tomorrow) and shaken out all of the rugs:



Dad’s sweater is coming on, albeit a little slowly, but there is only so much grey stocking stitch a girl can stand in one session.



I felt the need for a little pizzazz in my life, a little less “working to a pattern” and fretting about gauge, so:



I’ve gone a bit freeform. It’s scarily addictive. This will hopefully be a hanging to go over the fire in the lounge, I’ve decided much as I love the picture of Inverie Bay, it doesn’t work where it is currently. As soon as I work out where its new spot is, I’ll shift it.

Other stuff:

· Sewing machine died, in the middle of making a case for my DPNs. Not amused, but I finished the case by hand, and sent the machine off for a wee holiday to Ayr with a nice man called Sandy. He told me the foot pedal was full of spiders. How embarrassing. :-)
· I’ve begun stocking up on quilting kit (see above for minor hiccup in timing.) Because what I need in my life is another fibre hobby, naturally. Ahem.

· I haz a sofa! Well, sort of. I picked up a sofa and two armchairs last week in the village saleroom. I must admit, it is as ugly as sin. However that’s what throws were invented for, it is comfy and I am not short of a crocheted blankie or two to throw over it. How much? £40. For the lot. I also snaffled two bedside cupboards FINALLY, another £40 then a tenner for delivery. £90 total – yay me. Credit crunch? Moi? Only thing is, because the sales and deliveries and that are all run by the Initiative volunteers, they’ve not been able to deliver it yet. Fingers crossed it arrives tomorrow…

· My train packed up yesterday on the way home from work. Arrived at Saltcoats, after coming past some fairly dramatic waves, the sort that make me want to make a hearty donation to the RNLI and thank my lucky stars I’m not a fisherman. We pulled in at the station, usual OP, then *click* out went the lights. Eventually they were restored, and we proceeded on our way. A sheepish announcement came over the Tannoy from the guard – “We would like to apologise for the delay. This was caused by a wave breaking over the train and cutting off the power.”

So…let me get this straight. This is First ScotRail we’re talking about, and this line is one of many that runs close to the sea up here. You’d think they would have come across this problem and sorted it by now, surely... So anyway, my train had a fit of the vapours because it got wet. That is kinda funny J but it does make me hope a nice tasty job comes up closer to home soon, because if the train is going to die each time the sea looks at it sideways, it could be a very long winter of commuting ahead…

· Speaking of the “W” word (work, that is, you with the dirty mind at the back, stop it) they’ve announced redundancies. Oh great. The guy who sits almost opposite me is one of them. He doesn’t seem to be too worried, but even so. Gulp. I hope its not catching. I have visions of having to return to Staffordshire and live in Mum and Dad’s shed, condemned to endless evenings watching EastEnders. Either that or packing the yarn and moving to some semi-derelict black house on a wee island somewhere where I can survive on a barter economy and maybe growing vegetables, with the wind howling and me huddled round a peat fire at night-times to stave off hypothermia.

· My hair has gone insane. I think it’s the weather.

· It is raining. Again. I know this is Western Scotland and it rains a lot, but really? It’s a miracle the whole western half of the country hasn’t rotted away or dissolved. However, on the positive side, I think I am becoming more accustomed to it. I am growing webs between my toes and my gills are coming on a treat.

· I have burned my way through almost half a ton of solid fuel and almost quarter of a ton of coal in an alarmingly short space of time. I need to devote some time to timber-hunting on the estate (I can help myself to any fallen wood) and I also need to knit faster so I have more woolly jumpers and hats.

· I think I have tennis elbow from shovelling coal (coalman’s elbow?)

Enough already…time for more freeforming before bed. Night all.

~*~

I ain't dead

Well, I’m still here. I’ve still got no internet, but the boys from Fast are on the case, BT have been advised and hopefully things are moving. I hope so, I miss Ravelry (the intertoobs at work filters it out can you believe!!!) I spent last night unscrewing phone sockets and poking in them, I now know more about my telephone wiring than I really wanted to. Mind you, if I feel like a career change, I could always go for BT engineer I suppose :-)

I’m finishing the one job today, and hopefully start the new one on the 4th August but I’m still (!) waiting for confirmation of that. Wish they’d hurry up…what this means is potentially no internet for a wee while, I don’t know what the new job’s internet access is, at this rate I will be resorting to the local library. Mind you, that’s not so bad, the librarians are very nice and yesterday we were having a nice chitchat about how good Jeffery Deaver is. They need to get some knitting books in though. I might have a word with them about that.

So what’s new? Well, *touch wood* the cooker is fixed!!! *happydance* Of course I’m now away for a few days so I won’t be there to use it, but at least when I get back I can eat proper food again. Mmm, stew, casseroles, roasts, stir fry, baked fish, VEGETABLES oh god I miss vegetables SO MUCH. I swear I’ve got scurvy.

Fibrey news:
I’ve stocked up on the New Lanark Mills’ aran in Woodland for the Must-Have Cardigan. I just hope I noted on my Ravelry entry what needle size I used, otherwise I’ll have to swatch again (curses!) I’m ploughing on well with the Sonnet cardi, although I had to pause to dye some more yarn to match. I need buttons for it, which I might get this weekend, and once it’s finished I think I’ll cast on for the Must-Have. It’s about time I got my head around cabling I think. I might do a little practicing first. I’ve just bought the Cables Untangled book which is very good by the way, loads of nice stitch patterns at the back and some attractive projects too, and I think it will be quite helpful. I’ll probably do the “cabling without a cable needle” thing though, I find maneuvering the cable needle a pain in the butt. The wool is “sticky” enough to hold the stitches in position.

The whole cabling thing is part of my Fearless Knitter thing for this year. I’ve been eyeballing it for ages, and I reckon it’ll be like using DPNs – not nearly as complicated as it looks. I’m trying to challenge myself a little bit with my fibre work and expand my repertoire. At the minute I’m a pretty basic knitter, not that there’s anything wrong with that, but there’s stuff I want to be able to do so I need to get off my backside and learn. I thought I’d note them down here and see where we are at the end of the year. I’ll probably have forgotten about this list by then, so remind me will ya?

• Cables
• Lace
• Colourwork – intarsia and Fair Isle
• Knitting a sweater in the round and steeking it (oh, the terror)

The other thing I really want to do is learn to spin. I must try and get a class or something. I’d be happy with a drop spindle, though I would like to learn how to use a wheel as well.

On a slightly different fibrey note, I have been fighting a tremendous urge to make a quilt. I don’t know what triggered this, (but it may be Jane Brocket’s fault) but I’ve resisted so far, mainly because I don’t have a table to work on or any fabric – or the spare cash to splash on either. I’m also worried about taking time away from knitting and crochet. The itch isn’t going away though, so I’ll have to scratch it sooner or later.

I’m thinking about renaming the blog as well. I’m not sure why, but the name doesn’t sit as well as it once did. Any suggestions? I’m basically waiting for inspiration on this one…

I’ve been drawing (a bit) – I need to do more, the flow isn’t there yet but it felt good putting pen and brush to paper again. I really need to work on my confidence in this area and start making work that makes me happy, without worrying about the opinions of others. I’m still very “down” on my work, not really happy with it or where it’s going (same with the ceramics) but I think the best way out of that place is to draw my way out. The more I draw the better I get, I’ve noticed this before, so I just need to get my head down and do more of it.

Something I also need to do – declutter. Big time. I’ve been following Laurie’s progress with curbing her consumerism and sorting out her life with great interest and sympathy. I need to do something similar. A good while ago I had a big rethink about what I spent money on, and now have a much reduced scale of spending (not that my Dad believes that, but actually it’s true.) I’ve had to spend a fair whack on the house, but I’m keen now to not fill it with junk. (By the way, yarn and books do NOT count as clutter.) I won’t be going all minimalist and Zen anytime soon – I love my books too much for that, but I don’t want it to be a total tip either. So I’ll be down at my Mum’s going through boxes of stuff and unloading all the bits I don’t want or need onto her so she can have a pick through. Anything she doesn’t want will get carted to the charity shop. I’m going to be fairly brutal as well. It’s possible that even books may be parted with, which is virtually unheard of. I have a rake of books on art and related subjects, some of which have never been opened. Generally I picked them up for a song, and they were on my Uni reading list or are standard texts. I’m thinking I might isolate these in one area, and if I haven’t read them in six months time, out they go. I do something similar with clothes, and it’s about time for another serious sort-out. I ran out of coathangers, which is always a bad sign…

Well, that’s all folks, for now. Not sure when I’ll get chance to blog again, but I’ve not forgotten I owe you lots of pictures. Mind you, my Ravelry is so far behind it’ll take me a week to catch up my projects and reorganize my queue, and that’s first job as soon as the internet starts working.

Catch-Up Time

Well, now I got the previous post off my chest, it's time to catch up with happier stuff. Firstly, shopping :-) I've succumbed to the lure of the Must-Have Cardigan and the Urban Aran (Ravelry links) courtesy of the Harlot and Brooklyntweed. So I've been swatching a few yarns...







The last one is the aran from New Lanark Mills, and very nice it is too. It's currently favourite, I like the "woolliness" of it, it's coming out spot-on for gauge and the colour is delicious. It's also the cheapest!!! I'm just waiting for one more delivery of another yarn before I commit myself to an order. I've never knit an aran before, though I've done a teeny bit of cabling, and I'll be trying it out without a cable needle. Eek.

Of course, a new project could only mean one thing (apart from new yarn that is) - new needles! And, after much cogitating and doing of sums and hankering after Lantern Moon straights (not so struck on their circs though) common sense prevailed and...



nom nom nom. Knitpicks Options, from Get Knitted (where else???) and they're lovely. I was tempted to the wooden ones, but decided to go with these and I've no regrets. They're just right for pointiness, slippyness and the cables are AMAZINGLY good. I picked up a couple of extra tips and cables while I was at it.

As promised, here's the vintage sewing machine. As anticipated, after the initial flurry I've not touched the poor girl, but I'm plotting new needle and hook cases, especially after seeing what people are charging for them *gulp*




Lastly, I had a stash sort-out and reorganise. Considering the current situation, I think it was a good idea...







It's a lot more compact now and a carrier bag full went to my Mum. That's the start of the decluttering...

Can I have my life back please?

Jeez. Still more stuff going on in your correspondent's life that she could TOTALLY. DO. WITHOUT. if you know what I mean. Mind you, it could have been a hell of a lot worse. Anyhoo. Just so y'all know blogging is still down the priority list a bit.

Good stuff: I joined the Scottish Youth Hostels Association with the intention of spending some more time up there, but on a bit of a budget. I'm toying with trying to visit every hostel, but I don't think that's going to happen any time soon ;-) I'm leafing through the little booklet, oohing and aahing over all the places I could go. What's the betting I don't go to any??? Probably come over all shy and scared about travelling on my own. Pillock.

I have obtained a sewing machine! *gulp* It's actually my granny's, but as she's 92 her eyes aren't what they once were, so she hasn't used it for years, so I've got it on loan. It's probably older than me, but after some fiddling and oiling, it's working pretty good. (I've not tried filling a bobbin yet, that may be a problem...) It's a Singer 514, I'll take a piccy later. It HAS reminded me that I am crap at sewing, and really need to buck my ideas up. It's really not hard, and I need to make cases for my crochet hooks and knitting needles. I did knock something together, but it was so irredeemably awful I'm not showing it to you. I'll have another go over the weekend hopefully.

Well, that'd best be it for now, I'm at work and I'm up to my earholes, so time to go and earn a crust...