Flibbertygibbet

My heart beats for...

Made at the Make Lounge.  Just in time for me to wear my heart on my sleeve this weekend.   Kisses to you all for Valentine's Day... xx

Sofa time

For one reason or another, I've been spending quite a lot of time on the sofa. 

I'm persevering with the bellatrix socks though they're not turning out like I expected (I thought they'd be more Lizard Ridges-ish, like some of the photos.  I think that some knitters modded it to 5 stitches between the repeats which would make it more bobbly, less space in between.) 

I also finally finished this, to curl up under whilst on the sofa:


Yes, my first bed sized quilt, all for me.  Contrary to what the cats think.  They pounce on it (and by extension, on me) whenever they can.  My only regret is sticking to my 'use what you have dictum' and using a lightweight wadding on the inside.  Won't make that mistake again. It's definitely more of a summer weight.  I machined it all, apart from the second side of the binding which I did by hand.  I used this tutorial, which makes it so easy.  It's about double-size I guess, the bed it's on is super-king.


"Nice.  When do you get one?"

I've been taking it easy after having a very minor procedure at the doctor on Friday -  sensible women get suspect moles removed.  I went back and forth on whether it was necessary; and where to get it done, at my local surgery's dermatology clinic or at a private hospital using my insurance and went local in the end.  While I can't say for sure yet that it was or wasn't a good choice, I have some reservations about the care and certainly the bedside manner.  My internal conversation was turning remarkably rude and increasingly frantic as he said things like:

"It will certainly leave a scar.  More stitches might make that better.  Or it might not." Ok.  So stitch more. In for a penny...

"Oh, well I said it wouldn't hurt but it turns out I didn't mean it."  WFT?  Is anesthetic on the 'cutbacks' list?

"You can have stitches without any anesthetic at all you know."  Yes well I've seen enough episodes of Casualty and ER to know that you can also do a tracheotomy with a pen but that's not necessarily the option you choose.

Home to the sofa and feeling punched in the chest for two days now.  I ventured out to the cinema to catch up on some movies (Bolt is funny;  watching in 3D is surprisingly fun.  Bride Wars - well I know, what was I thinking...) and purchase a huge pile of  books, my equivalent of the 'I was Good at the Doctor's' lollipop i.e. I didn't tell him just what I thought of his handiwork.
Warmed by the thoughts of all the lovely friends who offered to come around, to pick me up from the doc, who checked in with me. I'm fine.  And about to curl up under a new quilt.

Oh, the weather outside is frightful...

Ok, it's actually rather delightful, from where I'm watching.  So the commute tomorrow could be a little squidgy, but that's what wellies are for (oh yes, I will).  I'd like to be out there now too.  There's construction work underway, a snowball fight and a football game.  At midnight on a Sunday.  Bring it on.

The Sockalong

I started a sock knitalong (KAL) on Ravelry, if you want to join in.  Come on down.  If you're not already a Rav member, just sign up for an invitation and it will be through in a couple of days.

 

Here's the Bellatrix socks, being helped along by the lovely stitch markers which were a gift from the even more lovely Denise who's probably too busy to join a KAL at the moment unless it's for very little pink socks, mwah. 

As usual with my wayof knitting something, I've screwed up the pattern on the first one, so I've started on the second one; then I'll go back and fix the first one.  Probably.  Must learn to count. 

To house these, I've got one of Sue Moon's fabulous sock bags.  It appears she still has a couple on sale - they are so beautifully made so go in and snap one up if you can. I made the mistake of buying three that I really liked as presents - and then didn't want to give any of them away.  It's got lots of useful pockets and interiors 'straps' so your store needles.  So clever.

I've also got a Cotton and Clouds bag that I love. 

I haven't got much time for knitting really, finishing up some freelance work that's doing my head in as these things always do, especially after work.  Someone decided I could make time though...

My feline paperweight. 

Bueller?

Can't believe it's flown by so quickly, this weekend.  A mixture of working and socialising, and a little bit of knitting.  Yesterday I met up with two lovely ladies, Ruth and Abi.  We stopped into Loop quickly and yet it took me a suprisingly short amount of time to do a considerable amount of damage to my credit card.

I met Ruth after we'd commented on each other's blogs, a couple of years ago now, and I went up and introduced myself to her at Origin.  I then got a bit embarrassed as it occurred to me that it was perhaps a slightly stalkerish thing to do.  Similarly, Abi and I met after I mentioned I was doing a market stall, she popped by and introduced herself. Her young daughters pointed out "Mum, if we said we were going to meet someone from the internet, you wouldn't let us out.'  Fair point, well made. I'm am glad, however, that all of these introductions did take place, and which led to coffee, cake and chatting about vintage handbags yesterday. 

Here's the last knitting project that will be completed for a while:

Easy ribbed handwarmers in SkeinQueen Cashmere Silk for a friend's birthday.  One of them is very late and the other one is only a little bit late.

In Loop yesterday I asked Abi when she was going to start knitting socks and she was more than game, so left with some very lovely Jitterbug. It's her first pair of socks, and we're going to have a bit of a KnitAlong.  I'm going to try my first pair of patterned socks (well, the horrendous garter rib ones don't count because they got frogged, even though they'd met the Yarn Harlot...)

Anyone else fancy joining in?  The idea would be to do something sockish that you haven't done before - either your first pair; magic loop when you've only knit with dpns; toe-up instead of top-down or vice versa...  leave a comment if you're interested.  There's no deadline for completion - well ok, let's say the end of the year. 

I'm going to try to Bellatrix socks in the new skein of Misti Alpaca. I'm also going to cast on with Lucy's handdyed because I just can't wait, and really want to see how they come out.  Also they will be stocking stitch so I should be able to work on them in company:  the Bellatrix will take more concentration from me so I'll be able to work on them on the tube etc but probably not when out.  That should keep me busy for a while.  Two pairs of socks running concurrently is just about right for me.

The other question I wanted to float out again was the idea of running the fabric swap again as a couple of people have asked about it. Details of the last one here - again, leave a comment if you're interested!

The Is-It-Or-Isn't-It-A-Mushroom beret

Yeah, more knitting.  Really, what's going on around here?  I'm having problems with my sewing project, that's what's happening.

This is for a friend - long story about it initially being her Christmas present and then I went for the scarf instead because she'd scored an adorable beret from her flatmate who works for a fashion retailer, it's a one-off sample and very cute. 

But then she said she'd love another one.

Sorry for the blurry 'traditional dirty myspace photo', as Lucy calls it.

It's knit in Rowan Big Wool, a freebie pattern from Simply Knitting I think - the issue that came with the 20mm needles that the pattern calls for. It knitted up like a pointy fairy toadstool, so then I blocked it with a dinner plate inside and it developed magic elastic tendencies and would have fitted a small child inside. But miraculously it sprang back rather nicely to more of a Portobello shape.  Once the ends are woven in, it will be delivered to complement the scarf. 

I am also the very lucky recipient of the remainder of the beeyoutiful scientifically-handdyed yarn that Lucy made her gorgeous socks from - I'm really intrigued to see how my version will knit up with my tension and ahem, lack of general knitting precision, plus the fact that they will be on much smaller needles than my last couple of pairs.  But they will be the most beautiful treat for me.  Thank you Lucy! My plan for knitting this year is to cast on a number of smaller projects and be able to bounce around between them, ideally always with something small ready to pop into my bag. 

A very knowledgeable friend kindly helped me out with my tax return this past weekend which is another load off my mind and to-do list.  We've tentatively agreed to do the next one in April, as soon as it's due, to get it done and dusted - how very grown up.  I'll trade her expertise for her choice of yarn, possibly from Art Fibers, and get my boss to mule it back from San Francisco the next time he goes over for work (their store is relocating; but their website remains open during the move) or from somewhere else that doesn't ship outside the US perhaps.

A little scheduling around here is doing me the world of good - earth-shattering changes are yet to be discerned but I feel like I'm making a little bit of solid progress towards all the big things I mentioned before.  Managing to bring lunch to work four out of five days this week (good for finances and healthy eating); finishing projects; working insane hours but with a purpose.  Almost running a few miles - with some walk breaks to protect my poor shins - almost every other day is tiring but really making things easier overall.  I'm attempting to plan time around working and freelancing to see friends and I'm looking forward to a meet-up with a couple of particularly favourite ladies this weekend, and also getting to visit some precious new and almost-new babies soon.  Long may it last. Hope whatever you have grabbed on to for this year is working for you too.

2009: The Year of DIY

DIY - Don't Involve Yourself, Do It (for) Yourself.

There's so much to be finished around here and I really hope to be able to share some of that soon.  A typical Aries loves bouncing into shiny new things but projects that take weeks or indeed months to complete don't always get finished, or not within the original timeframe.  Then I beat myself up about it, as I loathe missing deadlines (I almost never do this at work - this is mainly in terms of doing things for myself in the best cobbler's shoes tradition).  Towards the middle of last year I started thinking about how I might change my spots, and Nanowrimo cemented this because I was really pleased to win it but wished I'd planned in advance and written something more structured during the time I had.  I wonder if I'm reluctant to finish things in case they don't pan out the way I was hoping.  Anyway, enough sofa psychology.

So in 09, I've got essentially:

• a three to six month project (something ambitious for my current knowledge level,  and for someone else, but I'll have professional help and I'm really excited about the possibilities involved)
• a six month target (encompassing two tasks during two different periods of the year; somewhat career-orientated; but I have everything I need for this one),
• a ten month long progressive goal (already on the go)

These will overlap, are all demanding, yet potentially so rewarding.  I'm going to try to plan to meet these goals.  I actually don't really quite know how yet.  But everything on the horizon is very personal and intensely important to me. 2009 has potential to be... well, interesting.  Busy, for sure.  It will mean saying no to some - possibly many - things, but hopefully not missing out in the long run.   

Already I'm coming up against trying to clear up projects from last year; more lurgy; (exciting) work related demands; trying to spend time with family and friends; and knowing far too many Capricorns, hah (hello to the two new little ones under that sign, Darcy E and Lewis R! Lovely names, peeps).

This is a supremely bad picture even by my standards (but the "learn to take better photographs" has been put off until 2010 or 11) but it's a birthday gift for one of the Capricorns who said she was cold in the office.  I got the idea from the Purl Bee's Eleventh Hour Scarf and used 12mm needles and some chunky yarn doubled, which Claire scored at Adrienne Stash Doyenne's last yarn swap for me. It's long enough to knot once and sit cosily.  It's bit like a seagrass mat made of yarn but very warm and snuggly at the same time and the good news is that the b-day girl loves it. 

I am Queen of Unattractive Pooling

However, you do know what pooling means.... yes, there has been crafting!

Socks.  Socks for ME.  One of my resolutions (of which there are oh so many) with which I shall undoubtedly bore you anon, is to make projects for myself.  Yes, there's still a big list of baby presents to be completed but they are slightly more in hand than before.  As long as none of the babies are out of the 0-3 month bracket by the time I make and deliver the gift, ahem, then we're fine. 

So these are knitted in Jon EasyKnitter's beautiful BFL, same as Dad's Christmas socks which were in Choc Lime.  I have these noted down as Plums and Custard but I really don't think that can be right as the P&C on the site looks much more purple and yellow, as the name would suggest and not this supercool cherry red.

 

I used the Sherman heel again with varying results, the heel itself is fine but I mucked up the end and have a gap and also managed to somehow drop one stitch on one heel.  I can live with it. (I can darn).  Not sure how I got this crappy pooling but I suppose I should have rejoined the yarn or something, but um...  I did 2x2 rib for most of the leg then reversed it for the very top of the cuff.  They look kind of fugly on my milk bottle calves but they're delightfully sproingy and warm. (And cold it is here - roll on finishing the quilt so I can curl up under that on the sofa) I seem to have lots and lots of yarn left.  I have a plan for that though, as I remembered a gift from Claire that will come in very useful...

This is a Climbing Lace Trellis scarf for my grandmother who turns 90 next week.  She's given us a few scares lately, and it makes me really wish that I was at home to do my share of the helping out.

It's knitted on 20mm needles in some of the Lamb's Pride Bulky that came from the Tash Stash.  I was trying to do some rearranging in the flat the other day and came eye to eye with the little knitted jumper that was a Christmas gift from Tash last year, which rests on a hook on the notice board that is usually higher out of my eyeline. Hard to believe she's been gone since May. 

Which brings me on to resolutions.  One of them is to blog more often so that I remember what's been going on, as much as anything else, and also to keep in touch with people both near and far. Not that everyone in my life knows about the blog.  I often wonder about how much personal stuff to put on here and every once in a while decide that it's primarily supposed to be a craft blog.  So I'm not going to go into much detail about my main resolution on here as it's health and fitness focussed (precis: lose 10k and run a marathon for charity) but will be blogging my progress over here and Flibbertygibbet will return to its regular programming of craft-angst.

Guess what this is?

 

One of the coolest Christmas presents I got.  My lovely mummy knitted me this from ubersoft Colourmart cashmere and I've worn it almost every single day since (apparently I sent her the pattern, probably found on Ravelry, but I've no idea what it is.  Mother, you can email me back the link if you can still find it?)

She did a slightly more narrow one for herself and still has lots of yarn left too.  Perhaps we should swap. I was cheeky and rather than knit something for her for Christmas, I gave her three skeins of Manos Silk Blend in the 6610 colourway and the instructions for the Clapotis. She seems totally hooked though I did nearly cause her a nervous breakdown by making a mistake in the grid I created for her, so she couldn't work out why she was so wrong on the stitch count at the end of the second section (a dozen stitches out).  I helpfully came home from the pub about 1:00am and wrote her a note saying 'What have you done to the clap?" meaning 'why have you stopped, looks fine to me' and then didn't get up until about noon at which point she'd nearly ripped it back. Oops, my bad.  But she hadn't!  It's going to be fab.

And this is the quickest recent make: more on the other site.

 

I'm making a dress as well but that's under wraps for the moment.  Working on a list of resolutions.  Hanging out with the cats (part of the "live within my means" resolution).  All good.Tonight it's staying in, cooking yummy food, watching silly telly and and perhaps a little more knitting.

Do you think that soon I'll be having the 'this isn't just a knitting blog' conversation in my head?

Bye bye 08

Another year down.

To summarise since the last post:  have loved being off work for so long.  In no hurry to go back.  But slightly anxious about the state of things to come, both in my job and generally around us.  Some forward planning might be a good idea. Must figure out how to do that.  Last year's tax return is a bigger priority right now though.

Christmas was completely lovely, at home in Ireland, filled with all the people that I wanted to see and just the right mixture of socialising and relaxing. 

I've been back in London since Saturday, and mostly tidied the flat - you'd think it was a mansion with the amount of time required; and shopped for stuff in the sales. This morning brought a threat of the recurring lurgy that's being passed around at the moment, starting with a roaring sore throat which has improved a little over the day but will probably be back with a vengeance tomorrow.  Bah.

I received so many supercool crafted Christmas presents this year, I feel very lucky.  Some of Lucy's soap, which she has blogged about, a pair of Lotta's lovely birds

and another great pressie from Abi (photo later) and the most wonderfully inventive present that made me literally roar with laughter when I opened it, from lovely Lucy and now stored carefully in a shadow box until I figure out how to display them because I don't want them to turn into little kitty voodoo dolls:

That's right, needle felted versions of the girls.  Just brilliant.

There will be a knitting update later on.  I've been spending a lot of time wondering what the hell happened to the past year and I'm going to try to make sure that next year I have more of a plan - a plan to get home more often, to take a holiday, to make a better job of remembering birthdays, and some other goals, some of which I'll probably mention on here as time goes on.  Blogging more might be one of them.  There's a corset and a quilt to be finished, a dress to be made, freelancing on the table which gives some indication of what the year might be like.  Right now it's time to hit the shower then go out to ring in the new year. Whereever you are, whether you're already in 09 or it's yet to come, I hope it's full of love, laughter and happiness for you xx

Warm toes

What a pity they aren't for me (well they're a bit big anyway.  And luckily quite a loose fabric so that they will hopefully stretch to fit Dad) because they are snuggly.

 

In answer to the question about how long a pair of socks I'd get out of the a skein of easyknitter's BFL, the answer is 'more than enough so that you'll get bored and stop long before the yarn runs out with a perfectly long pair of socks'. So there we go. 

Been busy - as you can see in the background the tree is up so there's a little Christmassing happening around here; there's a quilt done but no photos in this terrible light; been out adventuring with Abi to this great exhibition (on until June 2009) but battling a lurgy that won't go away and that's meant no fun today with lovely people.  Didn't even leave the flat today but got little done apart from finishing the socks.  

 

My fudgy brain is not letting me remember all the rest of the things I was going to post about... but one of them is this very fun book, Catalog by Robin Cherry.  It's all about the history of mail-order and it's funny to look through and find familiar products, brands and also actors who obviously went on to much greater things. 

I find myself with a spare copy of it, so if you would like it then please leave me a comment or email me telling me either the best thing that you ever found under your Christmas tree; or what you are hoping to find this year. Given the postage deadlines I think I'll have to say that it's for UK residents only, and please leave your comment before midnight on Tuesday.