Flibbertygibbet

Oh my dear...

**Edited to add - these are all gone apparently, according to the nice man at Paperchase's mail order department**

Further to yesterday's rampant consumerism (today was even better, actually, lots of pretty clothes) I have a favour to ask...

I am trying to track down some Paperchase decorations. I've tried Tottenham Court Road (the flagship store) and Covent Garden to no avail.

Not the best pic, sorry, the tag says '"22.5 cm Reindeer Head Ornament" and they come in black or white, with a smooth finish (not part of the flock range they had been doing)  I'm looking for two more in any colour/s - if you spot any in a Paperchase near you, would you let me know and I'll get right on the phone?  Thanks!!

Are you out there?

Anyone having techie issues with Typepad?  I'm experiencing some bizarro things - like I don't always get emails to say that there's been a comment - never for some people and only occasionally for others.  Also the stats for last week are a bit wierd, with peculiar peaks and troughs.  Is this happening to anyone else? If you do pop in here can you leave a comment so I can see if your visit shows up?  Ta muchly!  Will try to get this sorted out!

Confession time

There were a lot of rubbery arms in Liberty.  Knitterooney's arm got twisted into snaking forwards and grabbing some beautiful deep red Kidsilk Haze, amongst other bits and pieces, though it did take us a while - she was sticking to her "I have given up yarn for Lent" vow most devoutly until Dollie Daydream 'explained' that Lent wasn't about giving things up, rather it's about doing good deeds.  Being kind of karmic, you know.  Knitterooney will be out feeding stray little old ladies, watering kittens, and helping plants to cross the road for the next week (or something like that) in penance - I'm just hoping she got home in time to stash the stash before it was spotted.  I did offer to shelter it at my place for a while, till the heat dies down...

Dollie was actually very restrained in her purchases, and came back bearing a medium-to-large sized bag, I was impressed. 
Then she caved and snared the fabulous birdie fabric, hah!

I was probably the worst of the lot.  Though this morning I rationalised that I did actually stick to my budget because the biggest piece of material is actually a gift for someone else - for G's baby's dress.

I bought the piece in the middle - a Kaffe Fassett print to tie in both my Swap Strips from the January Strip (arranged around the top right/right) and the Purl Soho fabrics that Helen brought back from New York.  There's more to be liberated from the stash for this but I'm very excited about my quilt now!

Because I am obsessed by cupcakes at the moment, but resisting making two dozen for myself (though it was suggested at knitting that I shouldn't hold back, I could just go for it and then bring them into Foyle's on the Tuesday morning - which I am considering, if I can figure out a way to transport them safely) I went for this low-fat option instead:

It's going to be an apron.  I'm pretty sure of that.

Hey, question:  I'm trying to find jumbo ric rac, for the new Tie One On apron theme. I have seen the skinny stuff, in Liberty funnily enough, but I'd like to get some of the chunky one.  Does anyone know anywhere in London or any UK online sellers that stock the thicker versions?  I have seen it on US websites and that's probably where I'll end up, but if anyone knows anywhere local, please shout.  I wonder if VV Rouleaux does it...

And I'm slowly getting this crochet business on the go: I've got the yarn (see below - plus there's some cotton in the stash that might work too.)  I've got the venue (round our kitchen table).  I've got the tutor and the participants.  Now I just need to put them all together.

A trip to the post office is almost overdue, there's about eight separate things to go out - just a few more bits to put  together for the fabric swap.  Here's the sneakiest of sneak previews...

Conversion

Ok, I'm not saying I won't ever go back to top-down, particularly as I've only knit one toe so far, but thanks to Helen and Sara I have discovered the Figure Eight cast on and with one darnable, forgiveable exception, it's going pretty well. I didn't get the hang of the crochet cast on, and made things rather difficult for myself.  But this is so much easier.  Just watch me become a sock geek  even more of a sock geek.

XH is moving out today - or moving a percentage of his possessions somewhere else, at any rate.  He isn't calling it moving out. Well, whatever works for him, I guess.

Off to do a workshop tomorrow, at this wonderful place with this very talented lady, you may have seen her cushion contribution to the Guardian Craft supplement last week.  As we'll be refashioning shirts into cushions tomorrow, she suggested I might like to take one of XH's favourites and use that. Damn, he's packed them all already.    

Any ideas?

Some treats (for more sock knitting, I'm obsessed):

Colinette Jitterbug in "Florentina"

Self-striping Lana Grossa 

I've got a ton of Jaeger extra fine merino Aran that I bought in the Liberty Sale.  So here is the question:
I've got a Jaeger book but actually I'm not mad about any of the patterns.  In fact the only pattern that I liked so far is the Tempting one in Knitty and it's all rib - and I don't get on so well with rib.  Doing an entire jumper in it might kill me.

So I'm looking for an easy pattern for a long cardi or for two garments - like a wraparound cardi, a v neck jumper... any suggestions, ladies?

Also a couple of people have promised me simple patterns for the sock yarn, but if you've any suggestions again, please do let me know!

And a little PS - anyone know of good yarn shops in Berlin, preferably as near to Charlottenstrasse as possible?

What do you think?

I've been considering setting up a swap - just a simple one, for starters.  The idea is that you send your swap partner/s three coordinating strips of 100% cotton fabric,  3in x 42/44in (44in being the entire width of the fabric, most cotton and quilting material seems to come that wide) which can be used to make a block for a small Rail Fence quilt,or a Log Cabin pillow, perhaps.  Or whatever other crafty project you might like, of course.

So my questions are:

1. Do you think it's a good idea, in principle?
2. Should I do it as a private swap on Swap-bot, i.e. I've got to supply the password to anyone who is interested and contacts me, or put it on there as a public one? (anyone got any tales to tell about being a Swap Bot coordinator?)
3. How many people would you be happy sending to - 1, 2 or 3?
4. I reckoned 3in wasn't too much of anyone's stash to part with - is it wide enough though?

Please do let me know what you think, I'd really appreciate your feedback - thanks girls!