Month: February 2006

Ok, perhaps not so much hoorah, as huzzah. Maybe. I have to go and collect a parcel tomorrow morning before work from the post office, as I wasn’t in when they tried to deliver something. And given that I have been good and not ordered anything, and also that my secret pal emailed me this week to say something was in the post, I can safely bet that it is something from her 😀 That will be a very good way to start an otherwise dreary looking week ahead.
Why is it so dreary? Because it looks like there will be barely any knitting – gasp! I have to be very very controlled this week, and get something on paper for my research so that I don’t have to think about writing too much up later on, and only think about analysing my results etc. I have lots of articles to read through and cite, which is good – I am one of those people who find the introductory section the worst to write. Anyone who has done any kind of research at any level knows that the intro is where you have to show how clever and knowledgable you are and that no one has ever done what you plan to do in the way you plan to do it. Or at least that you will be doing it in a better way and fixing all the rubbish bits in their research methodology. Now this might sound like a really cool way of looking at work that you may not have read before and reading something you are interested in, but trust me, you have to wade through a lot of crap to get to the good bits sometimes, and by that point you could well be totally brain dead and too thick to realise it is the section you want… And at my level of study, there will be plenty of stuff that I don’t understand. Do you realise that in the library and information industry there are actually formula based theories and models for how people should research and study, and use library resources? Who’d have thought that information studies would bring in so much theoretical fear inducing writing… Apart from clever bastards.
Anyway, having complained about that bit far too much (and please believe me, I do feel at home for 99% of the time in the library environment), I will mention some more knitting things. I reduced my stash a little yesterday by handing out some of it to DB’s mum. She does a lot of charity knitting, and will gladly take unwanted yarn from anyone offering, as long as it is suitable for knitting up. She has a lot of questionable stuff at the moment to knit, and appreciates it being offered out, but I think she also could do with something lovely. I gave her the Kureyon I had leftover from those multiple projects, as it certainly wouldn’t have been knitted up anytime soon, and the Jaeger Como I bought. The latter has been knitted and frogged numerous times, and I think that, for the sake of moving something from behind the sofa into the stash boxes, and for someone to use it who will really appreciate the end result (whether personal or charity use), it is a loss well taken. And it was dirt cheap (don’t worry, I told her how much I paid for it!).
Also, I’ve been working on the Last Minute Knitted Gifts (hereafter and evermore known as LMKG) Noro scarf, and used up 40 out of 100g already, in not very much knitting time in the grand scheme of things. I like knowing it could be finished in a couple of days dedicated knitting, as it makes it seem quicker to make even when I might only manage 30 mins of knitting. Seeing that drop in grams is pretty cool, when I haven’t really given much time to it (maybe one solid evening and a bit). It will definitely need a good wash and blocking, as mistake rib combined with knitting stripes makes for a rather wobbly knit, and it will need a little softening up before wearing (again because of the pattern I think – the yarn seems supersoft and silky in the ball but not on the purl stitches). And just to annoy you even more than I have already today, there will be no pics till either later today or if I get time on the day I work the late shift. Stupid Brit weather usual rubbish, and I intent to take pics of the sleeves I don’t like on Angelica too.
I’ll say this though – I really must try and persuade my mate Sue to set up a blog and put some pics of her knitting up – she has made some fab stuff, and is like a knitting machine (despite all the work she has to do for her teaching job outside of school hours). And she is the chunky knitter to my sock yarn and Rowan 4 ply. Which explains the speed, most likely 😀 And she has the most gorgeous dog for eye candy too. I have just sent a petition to her saying that I think she should do it, but as yet I am the only name on it. I signed it for all you guys too though 😉
Finally, you wonder how people get to be so fat? Read this story of a recipe. Rather disturbing that this would cover nearly a whole day’s calories and excessive fat. I’d rather have a plate of good fish and chips (which is another dish that covers the whole day for calories). At least you’d be full up afterwards…

Angelica has blocked, and I’m not too impressed with my short sleeves. They seem to take away from the neckline, and make the whole thing look a little sad, and frumpify the whole garment. I’m very tempted to undo them again and take it back to the body, and just do one row and bind off, because it seemed to look rather cute when I tried it on while knitting that way. Anyway, I can’t post any pics – the light thing again (I can do little things, but full body shots are bad), so I’ll see what I can knock up later this week.
Have played with the Eye Toy Kinetic twice since I got it yesterday, and it is fabbooooo! Who’d believe that I’d have so much fun while at home working out? Yesterday’s session was quite easy, apart from a few problems I had getting the camera to read my movements properly – largely because it was set to bright room, which our lounge is not. Today worked much better on the dim setting, and I burned off a large amount in excess of the Mars bar I accidentally ate at dinnertime… Anyway, if you are thinking about getting one to help your fitness do it (especially if it saves you from going out in the dark on your own to the gym or anything like that).
Oh, and the hourglass sweater is on the needles at a vote of 3 to 1. Sorry Heatherfeather! Maybe next time… Although this is already irritating me a bit. I’ve spent a fair bit of time on it (well, relative to the amount of free time I’ve had), and all I’ve got knitted is the first 6 rows which form the seam of the lower body. Which bums me out a little. But, I have high hopes for this pattern in this yarn. Or maybe I shouldn’t given my luck with knitting tops. But I don’t think I’ve seen a bad one yet, except where someone has knitted the wrong size. Please don’t let me be knitting the wrong size! I’m making the second largest, because the largest would be way, way too big for something that is supposed to be form fitting, but the second largest may be a little snug at the bust. However, the waist and hip measurements should be spot on considering ease, so overall it might balance out 😉
I’m sure I had something else to say, but my brain is frazzled – I’ve been knackered for most of the day, with a couple of rough nights catching up on me, but I should be ok in time for the weekend ;D I’d go to bed if Eleventh Hour wasn’t on (it is cheesy as anything, but ok for a Thursday braindead night).

Today there is a little anthology of things. Hopefully interesting. 🙂 And there are pics.
Firstly, my mate Sue declared that I should make the hourglass sweater, if only because so many people love it. That makes 2 votes to one for hourglass, which is cool by me! BUT, my interest has been scuppered by the next item.
I was browsing through a magazine the other day, when I saw this, quite a tasty looking cardi. Very cute I think, but also remarkably easy… It is just reverse garter stitch with stripes using a change of stitch. Warehouse think they can charge 39 quid, but I reckon some of that Jaeger Mohair Art and a bit of fiddling around with a standard cardi pattern, and I could knock that up fairly easily. I don’t think I’d make it curvy around the edges because that might be hard. Or maybe I will, but frogging MA might be a bit nasty, so we will see.
Next up, a finished object. The Jaywalkers are done!

Spot which sock had the colour pooling… And that is using 2 rows of each yarn as well! I have a little yarn left over, so I think I might use it to make mini sweaters or something like that, for the sake of stash busting. Any sock yarn stash busting suggestions are very welcome though! I love the Fyberspates yarn, and I suspect the colour pooling problem might have occured before – I bought two 50g hanks for the socks, but they now make 100g hanks of their sock yarn and seem to have scrapped the 50g. The hanks I had had two different numbers on them, so I’m also not sure if I ended up with different dyelots. Anyway, I still love them – they are supercosy, and kept me toasty last night in bed. It is freezing here – if I go in the bathroom I can see my breath 🙁 Poop. Next socks planned? Ones using up the blue Lorna’s Laces on my first 2 circ socks…
What else? Ermm, ooo yeah! The secret pal thing is going well – the person I’m spoiling just got her first parcel, and seems to like it, which is rather nice. I also got an email from my pal this morning saying that she has sent my first parcel out too! I’m very excited to find out what it is – she’s been rather subtle and has given no hints, although she has asked some interesting questions 😀 Hoorah!
Am loving the new Magknits edition – naturally Grumperina’s hat rocks big time, but the socks are cool, and Ziggy is lovely, so I might use that Kaalund set I got to knit Ziggy. You see – time finds a purpose for all yarns, so purchases are ALWAYS useful. ALWAYS 😀 Even spontaneous unplanned ones. And no, I haven’t purchased anything else, but it feels good to justify all the other purchases!
I got my new Rowan magazine on Monday too, and I love quite a few things in it, which makes it even harder to commit to hourglass. There is another Kid Acne design (remember the foggy panda?) of a seahorse on a vest top, a short sleeved cardi called Rambling Rose which is tempting me to use the 4ply cotton on it instead of on Martha, but perhaps with less rosyness. Seems silly to make it without them and the cables, but at the same time I can’t decide whether I’d prefer it plain or fancy. What else? Most of the Provence collection is very cute, but also would make me feel like I’m dressing too old for my age. Us Yorkshire lasses can’t really carry off the south of France look… The Aqua Marine collection is largely a bit blah, with one or two patterns that leap out at me. Finally, I really hope they give up the Tribal thing soon – the styling overwhelms the designs and patterns so much that you can’t see how they would apply in the real world. Again there are a couple in this section that I like – Jinny is quite pretty and wearable and the bag is something I could see myself knitting once I know how to do fair isle.
And finally, something silly. MVC are closing down in town, and everything is on sale, so I went and got an Eye Toy for my PS2, with the Kinetic ‘game’. It does a 12 week exercise plan for you, and I’ve heard good things about it, plus it is considerably cheaper than a gym membership, especially half price. Anything that stops me from going out in this horrible cold is good by me!