I discovered I preferred using a fountain pen to write a loooooong time ago. It really helps my handwriting, and if I use a biro it goes all Pete Tong!
I now have to try and remain calm as I inform my neighbours what their 17 year old daughter has been up to whilst they've been on holiday for the past 2 weeks. This is not going to be easy.
Well, I couldn't very well say little prick, could I? Oops! Well, that bruise is the result of have four (or was it three?) vials of blood taken for a battery of tests. Yes, my good people I finally have a consultant! Woo hoo - happy dance! This neurologist is only the second specialist I've seen in fourteen years of being ill. The first one was a paediatritian. That's how long ago it was!
Knitting?
Bonny Charms is moving apace and I'm now on the armhole bit of the back. Have I mentioned that there's an error in the chart in the magazine, and the numbers you end up with after the ribbing don't add up to a full repeat.
This is the HORRENDOUSLY ORANGE YARN I got to do the arigu.. agium.. those wee Japanese crocheted thingys. All I have to do is teach myself to crochet and how to design those crocheted doll-things. Easy. Right?
Snake Skin socks have been started and put down frequently. The pattern is fairly easy to remember, but it's just finding the time and energy to work on them.
o:Etna ready to go "Boom!"
o:Is the Liang Bua "Hobbit" really a new species?
o: Cows have regional accents!
I love the library! Clockwise from top left: Sew Basic, Sashiko, M.E., Scottish Highlands and Islands, Making Knitwear Fit and 2oth Century Fashion.
For more views, go to Flickr using this link here.
Fabric: Striped stretch cotton
Fabric Source: Fabric.com
Pattern: Simplicity 4238 - view E (cropped trousers)
Pattern source: Local fabric/yarn shop
Modifications: Adjusted for my various sizes. Shortened the cropped trousers by about 8 cm (approx. 3.5") to make them "longs" rather than shorts!
Notes/comments: Even after I cut the waist to the smaller size, it was still too big and I had to take it in by 3 cm. Even now, they are a loose, relaxed fit, but this is OK because they make for very comfortable "longs". With thanks to Siliva and Becky for the inspiration.
The changes I made to the lace decreases:
The sole patterning from the yarn
Click on any of the photos for a larger view (external link to Flickr, as usual).
Yarn: ZwergerGarn Opal Cotton in "Lollipop" (strange colour for a lollipop!). 48% cotton, 39% new wool, 13% polyamide (Nylon).
Yarn Source: My Secret Pal 3 "Angel"
Pattern: Simply Lovely Lace socks by Karen Baumer from the Spring 2006 edition of Interweave Knits.
Needles: 2 mm bamboo double pointed needles.
Modifications: I changed the stitch pattern to eliminate the twisted stitches (I was having none of that) and modified the toe to end on 24 sts instead of 12 (it fits my toes better). I also increased the size of the sock (see next point).
Notes/Comments: These were originally intended for my mum (hence the dour colour) but despite increasing the size of the sock there is no way on this Earth that they were fitting my mum. They only just fit me (they are a bit tight). I may do these again (although I doubt it) and if I did I'd definitely do the sport weight version instead. The majority of the problems came from my too-tight tension/gauge and not the pattern itself.
I had the original idea of taking my own pictures, but time and health (lack of both) meant that I haven't been able to. Instead, I'll provide a lovely amount of links all about ...
The Pennines are a long chain of hills running more-or-less vertically down the country from the south of Scotland to the Peak District in the Midlands of England.
There is a famous walk you can do from one end of the Pennines to the other. Imaginatively, it's called "The Pennine Way", and it has its own little website.
I live within spitting distance of the south Pennines (yes, I've tried) and I love them - especially in the Winter when they go dark and moody.
The Bronte sisters are the most famous people to exploit this moodiness (although they're from the other side, and so we don't talk about them much!). Remind me to tell you who won the War of the Roses (hint: it was Lancashire. Yorkshire got whooped!)
Photos 'n' stuff:
I've uploaded a shed-load of photos from pre-Flickr times here. If you'd like to laugh at admire my early work it might be worth a look.
Bonny Charms:
The light quality is shocking at the moment, so I'm afraid this is the best I can do! I made some yarn bobbins out of a shoe box (bottom left of the picture). I'm doing two-handed colour work. There is a mistake in the chart, so if you buy the magazine just be aware of that.
SLLS:
Just finishing the toe on the second sock and then I've got to undo the toe on the first. If all goes according to plan, I should have these finished by Monday (as will the stripey shorts be).
Safety First!:
I have a terrible fear of breaking my birch and bamboo double-pointed needles (good to know you're not alone, hey April?!) so I bought this cute little box when I was out in town on Thursday.
Well, until Monday (at the earliest) when I should have some more finished stuff to show.
Click on any of the photos to go to Flickr where you can view larger versions and see more of my photos.
Back:
Front pleat detail:
Inside showing no exposed seams for the top band (very proud of this!):
Click on any of the thumbnails for a larger view (external links to Flickr)
Fabric: Stripey poly/cotton (1.5 m of 115cm wide)
Fabric source: Local fabric/yarn shop
Pattern: A tutorial over at craftster.
Time taken: About 2 or 3 days from start to finish (probably would have been less if it weren't for the bad knee/bad back thing!)
The result?: My mum loves it - yeah!
To make this:
For my brand spankin' new cousin!
I don't subscribe to the babies = pastels school of thought. Firstly, it's the parents that have to look at the kid, so pick stuff you like. Secondly, babies can't percieve pastel colours anyway, so what's the point?
This is the mock-up of the fair isle chart I did (the colours are way off from reality, but it's close enough):
I wanted to include red in the pattern because it's the Chinese colour of good fortune, wealth and happiness, and since baby F. is half Chinese accountant, half northern idiot (I love my uncle I really do, but he is quite useless) I thought it would be perfect.
I'm off to dose myself up again and celebrate the first assignment mark of 90% that I've had in years!
EDIT: I'm fiddling with my template again (ouch!) but I can only test it in Firefox and I.E. for Win XP, under 800x600 and 1024 x768 resolution. I know that the "archive" part (i.e. if you view an entry directly instead of going through the main page) has many problems, not least the fact that the title disappears! The web site of the person who designed the template no longer exists, so I'm on my own! If you have any ideas, feel free to have a look at my code and point me in the right direction!
and I'm still not sure if it's going to be crocheted or knitted. I'm thinking it could be like those Japanese crocheted dolls, Amigurumi. So, if anyone has any ideas, just leave me a comment or an email, and good crafting carma karma will come your way (plus you'll make my brother's little tiny mind very happy).
Sewing!
I have a desperate need for affirmation. Please vote, or I turn the fabric into fun fur-trimmed cushions. Of course, I may very well go against the popular opinion and do what I want anyway, but it's fun!
A knitting, crafting, science student with an unhealthy interest in science fiction.
