Flibbertygibbet

Result

When I met up with Helen and Ting at The Big Chill House Hootenanny, Helen asked me what I'd been up to for the weekend.  And my mind went blank. 

Seriously, what had I spent my Saturday doing?  Raise eyes from navel, young lady!

Oh yeah.  Working on freelance stuff.  Making the prize for the little competition that will be appearing shortly - because I like the irony of announcing a game of chance on an 'unlucky' date - even though it won't be a Friday this month.  I've been reminded how superstitious I am recently by the growing collection of lucky pennies that I've been accumulating, which are rattling around in my coat pocket.  What can I say, the old rhyme has stayed with me:

Find a penny,
Pick it up,
All day long
You'll have a penny good luck

I sort of rewrote the last line when I was a child, because by then a penny had literally lost much of its value, and was exchangeable only for the smallest of sweeties and I remember when my favourites, Fizzle Sticks, went from a penny to 2p to 3p and the harsh realities of inflation hit me, as my 10p sweetie money went from buying ten fizzle sticks to five to... you get the picture.  My teeth probably thanked me though.

We Irish are a pretty superstitious lot generally, it's fairly well ingrained in our culture, which may be why I do feel compelled to pick up those pennies.  It's also something I've been thinking about for the theme of some of the small quilts I'm working on, and well as reading a book of relatively disturbing Irish fairy tales (they have much more in common with the grim Brothers Grimm original works than the Disneyfied versions we usually get nowadays.)

So hopefully someone can back me up on this - recently I was out for a walk in the park with Pauline and Jen,  and I saw a single magpie.  So I sort of pretended to spit, and waved at him.   
And they looked at me like I was sort of acting crazy.  Crazier than normal crazy.  But it's not like I asked him how his wife was, which is obviously just silly.

The Big Chill House - great venue.  Fab pies. Enticing burlesque, great music, frequently hysterical comedy, particularly Phil the Naked Canadian Comedian.  No, that's not his stage name but it probably should be, and that's how he ended up by the end of the evening.  Trying to start a 'Nude Farm' up on the balcony.  Classic "you had to be there" comedy but it was just brilliant.  I was laughing too hard most of the time to remember the names of the rest of the comedians - or indeed the bands -  so I'm hoping Ting will remind me later.

And contrary to my recent spate of showing stash and supplies rather than finished pieces, here's the necklaces I made from the semi-precious beads I bought last week.  Hell, they barely even made it into stash.  It's a record for me.

Rosequartz beads and 'hisbiscus flower' pendant

Dyed mother of pearl 'polo mints'.

Now I just need to get cracking on the rest of the wardrobe.

More like it

I decided to do top-down because I was casting-on on the tube journey and didn't think I'd manage the Figure 8 - basically I just wanted to get these underway.  In order to knit them pretty quickly, I'll be doing afterthought heels again.

Saw XH yesterday, it was fine at the time but I was quite upset last night.  It's time to start the plans for moving on - or actually doing something about them, rather than just vaguely identifying what needs to be done.  I'm definitely swimming through treacle at the moment.

Here Kitty

I'm going to a christening tomorrow, and this is Charlotte's present.

A bit like the bunnies, the kitty's back is made of leftover quilt squares.  These ones are leftover from Charlotte's quilt which was the first one I made. I first saw prairie points on Thimbleanna's blog in a February post - and realised they would make perfect kitty ears.  And the tutorials on Primrose Design were an ideal refresher in basic stitches, as I haven't done any embroidery since - primary school?

I had some supervision - wedged in behind me,  "helping".

No Change

Well, my mood is much improved by the sweet comments from you people, and I was encouraged to finish the socks.

And I still loathe them.  Despise them and detest them.  Maybe even resent them somewhat.  In fact I'm a little surprised by the vehemence of my reaction to them.

1.  They're not long enough, admittedly I had a little wool left over and could probably have made them a couple of centimetres longer.  That wouldn't have stopped them from being ugly as hell.

2.  All of the vibrant pink ended up in the left sock.  To me it looks like it's two different balls which came from different dye lots, when in fact it's one hank divided in two.

3.  The hank looked so promising. I expected to knit up more like the heel:

Yes, I will wear them around the house.  Grudgingly.  Because I am too chronologically parsimonious not to, after spending all that time on them (world's slowest knitter here). Yes, I learned about the Figure 8 toe cast on, the  Afterthought Heel and the Three Needle Cast off.  Hooray, long live learning and new experiences, blah blah blah grumble mutter [insert expletive of choice].  Now give me some pretty socks.  Let's get some Lana Grossa on the pointy sticks and see if we can't improve on this.  It can't be hard. 

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.    

For the birthday girl

At Christmas, when I was suffering from a severe case of thumbyitis, I couldn't for the life of me get the arms and legs on my Mini Moopy bunnies, designed by Moopy & Me, to turn out.  I finally got down to it today, in antipation of a little girl's birthday. Which was in fact today, but you know what, I was okay with skipping the trip to Topsy-Turvy Land (I kid you not. Topysy-Turvy Land. Remember what I said about being broody?  It's nicely counterbalanced by the thought of spending a day at an amusement park with seventeen three- and four-year-olds.)  I'll make a special visit tomorrow instead.

There's one bunny for the birthday girl and another for her little sister - though I'm a little concerned that Bunny No 1 has a severe case of clubfoot.  Hey, will a four-year-old notice - actually yeah, she probably will. But I do like their multicoloured backs, they're made from spare patchwork squares.  I altered the design a little, and added in a hint of a smile.

The other pressie is my first real attempt at freezer paper stencilling, along with a little hand embellishment. It may get some beading before it gets wrapped too...

There's three knitting WIPs ongoing at the moment: the tanktop, the Louisa Harding mittens and a pair of toe down socks, because just as I was saying at knitting last week that I'd attempt the toe-downs, Pauline magically produced a pattern from her bag like a rabbit out of a hat.  I think I might be making a bit of a bit of a mess of the first one (slightly curiously shaped at the moment - it's working, kind of, possibly, but in fact looks a bit like it's for the clubfoot bunny above) but to quote the Beautiful South, I'll carry on regardless.  Mainly because my feet are so disgustingly cold at the moment, and not only deserve to be toasty, but in lieu of a much needed pedicure should really be covered up.  Also the tanktop may be ooh, a size or three too big but again, I'll keep going.  And block it very gently...

Finally, look at this bundle of absolute gorgeousness!  Helen went to NYC on a flying visit and was brave enough to ask at knitting one evening whether she could get anything for any of us...So I contributed to the murder of her credit card.  My brother has a stash of FQs for me too, from Colorado.  So I promise once it arrives, I will actually cut into some of this stuff.  Just too many decisions about how to do the quilt.  Alternating pattern with cream squares, random scrappyness, log cabin, something like this Denyse Schmidt - I have option paralysis.

In other news:  a second interview with the same company which went ok, waiting to hear what they think next week.  Also loads more freelancing.  Ironic that I'm getting busy now...

All I needed was a carpet bag

Oy, what a day!

Copyright Trevor Leighton, Times Online Gallery

Ok, so it wasn't quite like this at Waterloo today - but it wasn't far off.  After a stop-start journey en route which stressed me a little, I was hoping for a good day for my only market this week as the organisers had put a lot of effort into getting a full programme of events for the day, culminating in the switching on of the Christmas lights at 6pm with activities afterwards.  Apparently.

I was long gone by then.  From ten o'clock until about eleven I was happily setting up, chatting with the stallholders beside me, ignoring the cars driving past, the gentle drizzle and the general banging and clattering.  At one point I thought I heard thunder, but then told myself not to be silly, I'd checked every conceivable weather forecast and the worst prospect was some light rain. 

It came out of nowhere - a rapid darkening of the skies, a gush of wind - then all hell broke loose as four stalls, despite being weighted down with steel blocks as well as our various treasures, simply took to the pavements and damn near took out passing pedestrians.  Ah ha ha, how I had laughed when I was taking out my product and public liability insurance and the broker told me that I'd be covered for everything, "...even the stall falling on someone".  Gulp. Luckily there were two guys standing on the pavement and they jumped in, each one grabbing a canopy and holding them down (actually, pushing them back) while we scrabbled about picking things up.  The woman beside me from Jinx's Cat lost a lot of stock, but what was even worse was the woman who had a beautiful selection of teacups and china - all wiped out.  I've just had the washing machine on overload this evening and I'll have to redo all the labels but it could have been much worse.

After discussion with the organisers I agreed to stay as they provided a sturdier stall - a bit like this one, from Eastenders.  Minus the fruit and veg, obviously.  And the sunshine, unfortunately. The blusteriness continued and it didn't make for a convivial shopping experience for the few people who scurried past in the wind.

About three o'clock it looked like it might all happen again.  I thought to myself - I need a sign, stay or go... and the drops started to fall.  Like auditory neon, I suddenly heard someone calling my name - Caroline!  A pal from knitting.  We managed to get everything packed away in about ten minutes and ran over to the pub just as it really started to wee down.  I'm home, exhausted, sitting on the couch, flanked by two cats.  In a house that's intact, unlike those poor people in Kensal Rise where some houses lost walls, not only roofs.  But we're still here, and counting our blessings.  Happy and snug, all us three.

Chocolate Martinis

Denise is indeed correct.  Chocolate Martinis are quite wonderful.  So are Apple and Cinnamon Martinis, and Pear and Ginger Martinis, at this place...

However, I have decided to skip on to the next stage which is Sod It, Get On With It, It's Time to Start the Diet [Tomorrow]. 

My textbooks for the next month.  I got as far as Week 8 of TAW so I'm going to resume and then get into YBYY with a group of online friends.  It was great to see the parents, lots of straight talking and there are things to attend to now in the short term which will help 2007 to be my BBY.

Here's what I spent today doing:

Two of the dozen pairs of earrings I made today, from sequins, bugle beads, Swarovksi crystals, iolites, silver chain and antique beads.  Little light-catchers for the party season.  They're actually quite delicate wee things - the bowl of the martini glass is about two inches high, just little liquer glasses.  Perfect for miniature chocolate martinis!  Only kidding...probably...

Hiding away...

My crafting companion - also hiding away

Yes, I've been hiding and things have been rollercoastering, as is to be expected.  But there have also been a few unexpected things. 

I had a very minor lottery win - about £70, which was just about the same amount I'd spent on materials earlier that day, hurrah!

The second market day wasn't great either - heavy showers meant the dismal footfall of last week was decreased further, plus the organisers started to put the lighting up at about 4.00pm - just in time for packing up.  I think that because there are no sides or back to the canopies the products don't stand out so well, which was made worse by the lack of lighting.  Though my visual merchandising skills grow each week, you still have to be able to dismantle things and move them out of the rain, as yesterday...plus as it's all handmade, I don't have tons and tons of stuff to display. But it does get better every week.  I've been offered another stall at a Christmas market which I'm going to do, details to follow, and may do one day at Camden market.  Apparently if you make your own stuff you get priority.  Must get a sign for 'Flibbertygibbet's Parlour'.  Also a couple talked to me for a long time about a bed-sized quilt for their little girl, which would be a really big commission.  I do hope they get back in touch with me.  I'm determined to press on with it until Christmas and have also started to properly research a connected business proposal that has been at the back of my mind for a long time.

Big conversations chez Flib this morning.  STBXH (Soon To Be Ex-Husband - hereafter XH) is going away for the New Year and I can't say I blame him.  I joked that if I could find a residential embroidery course I'd be gone too.  Does anyone know of any workshop type courses over the new year, in the UK?  Do let me know if you do, for any sort of crafting. Distraction would be great.  Lots of practical things to think about, such as who's going to mind the mogs over Christmas, as if they go to XH's mother they wouldn't be back until the middle of January and I'd miss them too much.

Lots more ideas for things for the shop, wristlets (which Emilia Fox was looking at on Saturday, but I didn't get the chance to talk to her as another woman was chatting away about what I was knitting - still the same scarf for Mum - and then her friend called her away to look at the organic vegetables, dammit) which are made out of some of the famous Ethel stash, and finished with either pearl snaps or vintage buttons - probably vintage buttons for the rest of them, actually.  There are a couple of things which are still under wraps for another few days, but if they work out the way I'm hoping I'll be very excited. 

And in the spirit of our friends across the pond this week, things I'm thankful for:

Alphabet friends - C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K  who've all been great this week.

Scissor Sisters - going to see them tonight, and as most of the second album seems to be about break-ups  - or at least that's the way I'm hearing it - it will be good to sing along.

Parents - coming to see me next week. Better finish the scarf.  Mum's birthday is on Tuesday.

Bags of fun

Lots of crafty goodness happened yesterday.  It's mostly for the stall next week, but will also post them on my other website

Shoe bags!  This is a small one, for pumps or flats.

For your Manolos, Jimmy Choos, Emma Hopes... longer and sewn into two separate pockets to avoid them damaging each other.  The trim goes around the back too. 

Another shoe bag - pretty slippers.  Again sewn into two pockets.

And these are my 'Dirty Weekend' laundry bags - no more stuffing your dainties into a crappy plastic bag when you're packing to come home. Both these and the shoe bags are approximately 30cm x 44cm so big enough but not too big.

I just love these novelty fabrics, mostly ordered from the US.  There's a gap in the market here, I tell you...

I forgot to wish him a happy birthday this morning.  Whoops.  I feel really mean now.  It may be me unconsciously acting on my [hopping mad] grandmother's earlier outburst of 'I hope she doesn't even wish him a happy birthday'...