Flibbertygibbet

Wollmeise - I get it. I got it. Also - other stuff.

Well, where have I been?  Away! And now you're going to hear about it allllllllllllll in one fell swoop.  Perhaps pop off and make a cuppa now.  I've been a busy bee.  On yarn tourism trips. Writing and reading and knitting and crafting and getting fit and healthy. I'm in a very happy place right now.  Yay! That's mainly because I've been subtly changing things around in my work life to get some of that elusive 'balance' stuff.  That means not taking shit at work essentially and now that I have wrangled my conscience around so that it is now acceptable [to me] to do my contractual hours, work hard and then bugger off, life is better. Much better. Plus writing every day makes my life make so much more sense.  As does shedding the fat suit I'd been wearing for quite a while - am halfway there and feeling very bouncy.  It's all very very good.

First, some housekeeping!  Thank you to everyone who ran a Race for Life, who cheered on runners, and who supported the iKnit team on our particular night.  With Gift Aid we raised almost £5,000! The little thank you gift of some lovely EasyKnits yarn (plus a gift voucher for his site - I'm loving the new Skinny Semi Solids) goes to.... Monica! Please send me your address so I can send on the goodies.

What else have I been up to?

Writing.  About to embark on this in June. Those of you who know me IRL, I'll be allowed out again in July, with a couple of exceptions!

Crafting: 

• Knitting: The Misti socks are still on the go, almost at the toes on both.  Also working on an Ysolda Teague pattern for the Ariel Scarf (she is an AMAZING designer and check out her blog at the moment for details of tons of fun places to visit along the Eastern seaboard) though doing it wrap sized in Malabrigo lace - oh, the softness! It's the sort of thing that you touch and immediately want to draw to your cheek because it's gossamer-like.  Never mind that it will take a while to finish.  It will  be worth it.  And will also require considerable blocking.  Also - it's working!  It's only simple lace but it's a milestone for me.
  
  
• Two baby quilts about to be delivered so no pics yet. 
• Some quick-fix steampunk jewellery for White Mischief with the lovely Lotusen
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Also with Lotusen, there was a trip to the Secret Liberty Fabric Shop, which I rather thought I'd blogged but it just shows that the dementia is rearing its ugly head again.  I made this skirt from the stash however, using Sew What skirts and the front darts, are, I have to say, perfect.  Though as it turns out I have a natural bustle the back ones a bit freaky.  Should have spaced them out more. No, you're not seeing it, you just get a shot of the front:
  
  
  
  Stored up for summer dresses are the following fabrics:
  
  
  And finally, relating to the title of the post, I now get Wollmeise.  I remember Klozknitz brandishing some at me in a most excited manner at the last I Knit Day, which she'd just scored from the lovely Yarnissima, and me thinking 'Oh yes, that's nice dear'.  Ah, the innocence of it all.
  
  Quite a while ago, GingerLucy mooted a trip to Germany to visit a handcraft market. That's right folks, a trip to another country to look at wood-carvings. Or something like that. With us being the way we are, we all immediately said 'Sounds lovely. Have you looked into flights? When are we off?'
  
  The real reason for heading to Sindelfingen was the pursuit and trapping of the elusive Wool Tit - or Wollmeise.  Lucy's organisation was impeccable, coordinating us all on the London end, plus she managed to liaise with a local Raveller, the wonderful Doris.  Doris was a powerhouse of a woman whose main mission in life seems to be to share the Wollmeise joy.  She was like the German Tourist board personified - she suggested hotels, collected us from the airport, booked dinner for the first evening, gave us a guided tour of Stuttgart, took us in search of spargel (sidenote: I've never known a vegetable to be so controversial and such a source or national pride - with England, Germany and Holland all claiming right now to be producing the world's best asparagus) and also acted as official translator.  She made the trip so easy!  She was also acting as a yarn Samaritan - mainly buying at the market for other people. 
  
  For those of you still think 'eh? Yarn? Whassat? Whassa fuss alabout?' the Wollmeise's shop updates are sporadic and deliberately unannounced - because the volume of traffic so frequently causes the server to crash and therefore it's notoriously difficult to 'catch' an update and purchase anything from her - especially for anyone outside Europe as her updates generally happen in the wee hours of EST.  That's why there was also two other couples in our party - from Chicago and Calgary.  Intercontinental yarn tourism, which was great because as well as them being super-nice, they make us seem less crazy! (B&E - you've already been across the pond for yarn... London's Calling for September....)
  
  We arrived early the first day.
  
  We'd been told to. 
  
  We gawped. 
  
  Oh the beauty!  Her dyeing process results in an unheard of vibrancy for the sort of base yarns she uses, plus she has scrupulous quality control and is extremely exacting about what she offers for sale. I didn't really understand the names, what was rare and therefore sought-after and good for trading, or the bases, come to it. I just understood The Pretty.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  See, we weren't alone. I can say I didn't know anyone in the shot above.  Mind you by then we'd purchased as much as we could probably carry and were sated for the day. 
  
  I'm lying, of course.  Next stop on the yarntinerary was a trip to the Opal Factory shop.  Although the shot below looks like Lucy is running into the shop, we were actually quite relaxed at this point having already secured the day's* score. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  After that we headed into Stuttgart to drop off Lotusen who was off to an important birthday celebration and a even more important gift delivery, which happily coincided with our trip. Later that evening we found a bar in which to watch the Eurovision which I'll totally own up to as my idea (ok, one point - the amazing Dita Von Teese doing a Debbie McGee during Germany's entry and they only scored 12 points... WTF??  Also generally we felt collectively that Germany woz robbed.)
  
  Sunday dawned and what happened - oh yes, Groundhog Day. *We did it all again. Well, there was always the possibility of different stuff... oh hell, we just wanted to go back.  Twice.  That day.  In my defence, m'lud, all of the stuff from the second trip that day was gifts for others. Not just pressies for me.
  
  

See that face?  That's after the second - ok third, technically - purchase. That's the face of happy, and it's not just from yarn.  It's always a good sign when you wake in the morning to find that your stomach muscles are still sore from laughing so hard for so long the previous night.  Finding that those whose company you generally very much enjoy also make perfect travelling companions is a gift. Where are we going next?

Baby steps

You might remember that I had grand hopes for doing some fundraising running this year.  These haven't totally faded but I've had some technical issues - with my feet. I'm going to take myself to the doc this week to get it sorted. 

So lets start off with baby steps, which will still be plenty of effort - the I Knit Ravelry Group are putting a team together for the Race for Life on the 6th of May and the sponsorship page is here . 'Race' is a fairly elastic description of the event as I personally expect to be sauntering with perhaps a short burst of plodding towards the finish line if all goes well. Whilst knitting. This will be interesting.  Ooh, what should I knit? I know what I'll be knitting with - see below... and with whom, hopefully if she gets let out to play early enough...

I think it's going to be really good fun and it will be great to do something with knitters to support knitterly friends who've been affected by cancer. If you fancy joining in, coming along on the day, joining us in the pub afterwards (that's part of the plan, right??) or adding some cash to the total, then please do!

As a little incentive to encourage you to mosey on over to the fundraising page, I'm doing a little pink giveaway.  **Leave a comment to enter**.

The main attraction is a skein of super squooshy lovely sock yarn - produced by the very talented Jon at EasyKnits and he has very generously thrown in a £10 gift voucher for the winner too! In theory I'll be knitting socks on the course using the skein I bought for myself. 

I'll do the draw after the race on the 6th of May. Should my sewing machine recover soon (mutter mutter growl) there will also be a non-knitterly something. In pink, natch. 

Bellatrix toes

And the rest of them.

I love the Misti Alpaca yarn.  It's squooshy and lovely.  These are my first completed pair of patterned socks though looking at the sole, I kind of wish I'd used this yarn for  stocking stitch socks because I love the colours on the plain part. Also I should really learn about things like gauge or alternatively remember to switch to smaller needles at appropriate points as they are a little loose in the foot. They'll make fine bedsocks though.

I've been having a frankly crappy time recently - couple of people I trusted have let me down badly on some rather crucial issues and these have come to a head after many months.  I think I've worked through what to do and there's still the slimmest of chances for one very major issue to be resolved according to the original plan though I've already resigned myself to that being the remotest of possibilities.  The upside is that once one door closes you get to decide which other one to go through. Maybe wearing new socks.

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?

All over, creation*

There's been much making going on around here lately.  When I am supposed to be doing something [writing] I find it only works when I can also procrastinate doing other stuff. Thankfully this time around, mostly creative stuff rather than watching TV.

In the midst of Nano, I decided that my daddy is too lovely and indeed too good to me to not get socks for Christmas.  Here's hoping he actually does like the ones he's had in the past because he's getting another pair. I asked lovely Jon of Easyknits some very silly questions about yardage trying to work out how to do my normal top-downs before finally giving in and going for toe ups.  I'm trying the Sherman heel - really, Lucy, I'm trying, I promise. Hating it.  Having lousy problems with the k enc and p enc stitches, I think I'll need a live tutorial.  The good thing is that I'm being a supercheat and these have gone up really quickly on 3.5mm needles.  Here's Dad's chocolate lime socks.

I'm casting on a second pair - in plums and custard - for the present pile.  Maybe a present to me.

I stayed up far too late on Friday night trying to work out the heel.  The next morning I was probably a bit distracted when I was packing up for the long awaited quilting course. I'd thought the sewing machine would fit in my wheelie bag, but no. So a big blue bag from the nation's favourite Swedish retailer came to the rescue.  I repacked everything and jumped on a train around to Kew Gardens.  Tikki Patchwork is a lovely little shop, worth the hour long train trip each way even if I spent the journey there screwing up the crochet cast on for the the Plums and Custard sock, just too tired. 

So I arrived on time, even after getting a little lost out the wrong side of the station.  Started unpacking and realised I'd forgotten something rather important - yup, you guessed it.  The bloody quilt top.  The tutor suggested I get my husband to run it over and it took quite the limit of my self-restraint to politely say "that's not an option". 
As for the class itself,  I had used most of the techniques before but it was a nice group of girls with some lovely projects to look at and would be great for beginners.   You can probably find most of the stuff on the internet but sometimes you need someone to show you in person (see Sherman heel above).   I don't think I picked up very much that I didn't know before but the whole point was that I spent some time on the quilt and feel inspired to do the next steps.

I trimmed, cut and basted it when I came home.  I'll give machine quilting another go.

Tiina helped me to cut the binding.  I think it's going to be very cute.

In the background of the first photo, you might see the fabric that's for another baby quilt.  I'm thrilled to say that four more beautiful bouuncing bambinos have arrived this week.  Hello to JR and Kelly (same day, in Munich and Blackpool), Mia and Sophie! All here safe now after some difficult births. Can't wait to meet them.

The other thing that sprang to life this month?  I won Nano.  My fingers are sore. But I'm happy.

*Almost the title of a novel by one of my favourite authors, Ruth Ozeki.  (she seems to have lost the middle initial between her first and second books)

Sleep-in Sunday

I kind of wish it was a sleep in day, but there's so much to do. Though it's a nasty, windy day so I'm most glad I food-shopped yesterday and don't have to go out today, even though I'd like to get a cinema trip in with Claire...

My Nano mojo sort of disappeared.  Back at work this week and was trying to settle back into it.  Also got out to see the girls on Wednesdays. On Thursday I was told that a job change/promotion that's been under discussion since June is now definitively on hold as there's a headcount freeze across the company. While I'm telling myself that I'm lucky to have a job and need to hold on to it, it irks me that they will also use this as a rationale to refuse a deserved payrise.  By now I expected as much but am still extremely disappointed and wish they'd never started discussing the promotion with me in the first place. However it has brought some clarity - I'm not saying it'll be work to rule but the beyond-the-call stuff is certainly out the window now.  Using my lunchbreak to write is a strong possibility too, so is actually taking a lunchbreak.   

Yesterday I picked up my machine (cotton caught underneath the hook race, all better) and got into the quilting ahead of next week.  I'm about halfway through the top now.  The section on the left is sewn, and the right side has been rearranged yet again since the photo was taken.  As you can tell it has been put together randomly and I think I've probably subconsciously placed the same fabrics beside each other in the strips. Would a plan have been better?  Probably.  Would that have been me?  Almost certainly not.  I'm reasonably pleased with it, as much as I ever am with something I'm making for myself. Of course the quilting, binding etc makes a big difference too.

 

There's been some knitting. 

Socks that have been on the needles for ever are just about done.  Just some Kitchener stitch required. I'd decided to give these to my grandmother for Christmas as she was thrilled with the last pair and she hasn't been very well of late. I've decided to send them on early because tiny granny feet are just as cold in early December as later on that month. 

There are other WIPs on the needles.

A:  Kusha Kusha scarf, and thanks to Thimbleanna for procuring the Habu Superfine Merino from Purl for me.

B:  Secret for the moment

C:  Those bloody bootees

This creation is still underway, I won't get it finished this term... more photos of the process when it's all done:

It's quite a small size and there's a lot of work yet to do but the process is fascinating. 

Now, I have a question for all of you.  When Thimbleanna and I met up, we were talking about the Fabric Swap, as that was how we 'met' (though I think it was Round 1) and she wondered if I was going to do it again.  So - is there anyone interested?  Details are in the link above but it would involve sending three fabric strips to two separate partners, often shipping internationally.  I'd envisage it taking place in January again, because of upcoming holidays and holiday post.  One additional rule - you have to have a blog that is regularly updated to participate.  I was burned by someone relatively well known on the last swap who turned out to be quite notorious and so I'd use my discretion this time.

Ok, almost 10:30.  Time to get typing. On nano.