Think Global. Act Local.

Or... boring, but important.

I've been looking for one central place to which I can send little knitted stuff that I've made throughout the year. I've now found it! It's called Big Knit and it's like a distribution centre for charities both in the UK and worldwide. At the moment, their big push if for 6" squares or 3 and 6 feet long 6" strips to sew into blankets to send to Kashmir, but they also collect for premmie babies and the like.

Here is what I have after a half a***ed days worth of knitting:


Roll Brim hat.


Garter stitch band hat.


Top of the roll brim hat.

Just think what I could have achieved if I'd actually applied myself!

(My thanks go to my model, Mr. Orange, who valiently stepped in when my usual baby hat/short-row-heel-model, Mr. Tennis Ball, went missing).

The pattern is my "Harry Hat" pattern (available to download for the super-cheap price of only £1.00 VBG!) and each hat took me about three hours from start to finish.

I'm now working on a little waistcoat for a wee bairn (or a wee-teeny as I call them).

Magknits item:



Done and dusted! The photo for the item is shown above in mosaic, Crimewatch-style! The item itself is actually a present, and I really don't want to give it away! I think I'll have to make it for myself soon. That actually might be a good idea anyway, just to test the pattern and iron out any kinks.

Amble:

Good gracious, I've finished a sock!









Hopefully the second one (which I've already cast on for) won't take me a further three months!

Geek stuff:

Found over at Boogaj's place was the top 20 geek books (thanks to the Guardian - a.k.a the Grudian because of all teh spullink mustiks it used ot hav)

1. The HitchHiker's Guide to the Galaxy -- Douglas Adams
2. Nineteen Eighty-Four -- George Orwell
3. Brave New World -- Aldous Huxley
4. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? -- Philip Dick
5. Neuromancer -- William Gibson
6. Dune -- Frank Herbert
7. I, Robot -- Isaac Asimov
8. Foundation -- Isaac Asimov
9. The Colour of Magic -- Terry Pratchett
10. Microserfs -- Douglas Coupland
11. Snow Crash -- Neal Stephenson
12. Watchmen -- Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons
13. Cryptonomicon -- Neal Stephenson
14. Consider Phlebas -- Iain M Banks
15. Stranger in a Strange Land -- Robert Heinlein
16. The Man in the High Castle -- Philip K Dick
17. American Gods -- Neil Gaiman
18. The Diamond Age -- Neal Stephenson
19. The Illuminatus! Trilogy -- Robert Shea & Robert Anton Wilson
20. Trouble with Lichen - John Wyndham

Shockingly, I've only read one of these books (number 9, although I've heard all of the original radio versions of H2G2). I'm going to have to get some serious reading done, and pretty sharpish, if I want to maintain my "geek" status.

Scary!

No words are appropriate here:

Thanks go to Simplicity for being able to out-scare this wimpy little bear over at Berroco!

Next time, I'll have some real progress to show on Arien (mum's cardigan) and I will have hopefully picked up the gazzilion stitches for the Mystery shawl. I need to knit some wool again, the cotton/acrylic mix is killing my hands!

ADDED: apparently there is some kind of shin-dig over in the USA? I understand it involves eating a lot of some kind of dead bird, potatoes and cranberries, fighting with your cousin over who should have the remote control for the telly and drinking alcohol. Sounds a bit like my childhood Christmases (minus the cousin - I don't have any). I would therefore like to wish you all good cheer!