Saturday, December 27, 2008

Prezzies!

I never did finish the tea set for Avery - too many of the pieces started with crochet, which I don't do and have no idea how to, and a fellow teacher was going to show me but we didn't have time before the break. But I can finally post a pic of the mittens I made for Deanna! She loved them - even wanted to eat turkey dinner in them! Well, they are sort of opera mittens, extra long! Now I can make a pair for myself! The pattern is Pagliacci from Vogue Knitting fall/winter 2008. They are the mittens that are being used as a sample picture on the Vogue Knitting Ravelry page! Woo hoo!

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Another reason to take a break from knitting

Readers, meet Rosebud. Rosebud is my birthday/Christmas present to myself and I love her to bits. She's the cutest thing ever, but the Idiot isn't sure at all. Rosebud wants to play with her, but so far has only received some warning taps on the nose from Bronte. It's a waiting game, I guess.


Anyway, Rosebud needs to go out pretty much every 5 minutes so I need to keep a constant eye on her. Difficult to do that and knit at the same time. So this means a bit of a break from the knitting until she's more housebroken. No finishing Cromarty or casting on my other new sweater from the Debbie Bliss magazine. Poo. Oh well. I'll be knitting Rosebud a sweater, too. Poor thing shivers like crazy in the snow, even with her little red coat on. Makes me feel bad for throwing her out, but training is training, no matter what the weather.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Funniest S**t Ever

The new Knitty is up. Lots of socks and some great sweater patterns and an unbelievably gorgeous jewellery designer on the home page.
That's not the funny part. The funny part is when I linked to Mags Kandis' site and saw the funniest video ever. It's from YouTube and I have no idea how to post the video, but here is the link : http://harperdictatorship.ca/ It's a scene from Downfall, a German film about the last days in Hitler's bunker, and the subtitles have, instead of a losing it Hitler, an equally maniacal, delusional Steven Harper talking about the (now unfortunately failed) coalition government. Seriously. Watch it. You'll be killing yourself. Great video also about Michael Ignatieff seizing the Liberal leadership in the underhanded manner that he did.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Strangling the Kitten

No, not a euphemism for something kinky. It's what our 'beloved' (can you sense the sarcasm??) Prime Minister is doing in this photo. It's also what he's trying to do in Ottawa. We're the kittens. He's all up in arms about a proposed coalition government, which is just hysterical for many reasons. First - he tried to do the exact same thing to the former 'beloved' Prime Minister Paul Martin when Martin was in office. Second - he has only himself to blame. He gave a Throne Speech that there was no way in hell the other parties were going to approve. He acted like he had a majority. And now he's got to pay the piper. And for all those out there who are whining about the opposition being undemocratic - bollocks! This is a viable alternative under the Constitution. There is absolutely nothing undemocratic or underhanded about it. The undemocratic action here was Harper trying to force his right wing agenda on a country that did not vote him into power, no matter what he says. If he had been given the power, he would have gotten a majority in October, not another minority. What an ass.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Frogged and started again

Last year I had planned to do this lovely Norwegian dress for my niece, but I didn't get it done in time. Then my mum had the brilliant idea that this year I could just frog back to the start of the bodice and do the larger size.
We hadn't counted on the child being a giant. So I have started from scratch. I just hope that I can get it done in time this year!!
The pattern is 'Hedda' from Dalegarn, using Baby Ull wool, which is an insane 32 stitches/10cm on 2 1/2 mm needles. So if I'm blind by Christmas, you'll understand why.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Oooh - online treatsies!

Just discovered some lovely new ezines.

First off, we have Popknits. It's a site dedicated to vintage knitting - in modern, easy to follow pattern form! Ever tried to knit from a vintage pattern? If you can see the teeny weeny typeface, then you have to unravel the riddle that is vintage pattern writing. And there is never a picture to help you! Not fun. And the yarn specified no longer exists. If you're lucky, they do give you a tension guide, but usually not. So you're pretty much blind on finding a yarn that you can substitute. So thank the knitting goddesses for Popknits! Here's a lovely sweater called Buttercup:


Then, I found the amazing new Twist Collective. Oh. My. Knitting. God. Just chockablock full of scrummy patterns. The Twist Collective is the brainchild of one of my favourite designers, Kate Gilbert (Clopatis notwithstanding). Designers (some very well known ones, like Ysolda Teague and Marnie MacLean) join the collective to spread the joy of knitting - such a noble cause! There is an incredible hat called Dietrich by Marnie (her hats are fantastic) that I'm dying to do - but it must wait until after Christmas. Boo hoo. Yet another thing to add to the queue. The downside to the Twist Collective? No freebies.


Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Woo hoo!! Yes we did!!

Well, at least one election on this continent went the right way. Yay Obama! What a man - I can't wait to see how he does, considering the freaking mess that the village idiot is leaving him. There was a really moving scene tonight in Chicago - the Reverend Jesse Jackson, tears pouring down his face when Obama was declared. I'm not a huge fan of Jackson - I think he tends to go a little overboard on the rhetoric, but how nice for him to see a black president, something he's worked towards all his life.
And the funniest part of the night? No, not Sarah Palin, amazingly enough (but lucky her, coming away with a $150,000 wardrobe!), but Washington university students congregating on the street in front of the White House and serenading Dubya with the chorus of 'hey, hey, hey, goodbye!'.
Too bad Canadians weren't smart enough to get rid of our right-wing idiot a couple of weeks ago. Oh well. It's a minority - his time will come.
Rather tellingly - when McCain did his concession speech and mentioned Obama, the crowd booed. When Obama mentioned McCain, the crowd applauded the man himself. There would be the difference between Republicans and Democrats.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Pumpkin Girl


Here is the cutest, sweetest niece ever in her pumpkin costume. The hood (she's not wearing it) is the stem. I'm mighty proud of it, iffen I do say so meself.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Spot the Pumpkin



Here's the Pumpkin wearing her pumpkin - horrible pictures, but it was the end of a long Thanksgiving family day, and the poor thing was tired. I'll post more pics after Hallowe'en when she's all done up properly.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Oh, boy, do I have a problem


And they say the first step is admitting you have one.
But then again, I am a knitter. I'm sure that 2 baskets and 3 bags of WIPs and planned projects is perfectly normal.
Right?Right?
Anybody?
Please?

Oy.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

OMG!!!

The woman who contacted me through Ravelry was actually doing it on behalf of Vogue Knitting!! VK wants to use my pic in their gallery!!! OMG OMG OMG!!!
For those of you who don't knit and don't understand why I'm so fussy, why the heck are you reading my blog??
Eeeeeeeeeeeek!!!!!!!!
It's not up yet, but OMG OMG OMG!! And I can only post the link if the big sister promises she won't look.
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!!!

Monday, September 29, 2008

Wow, does Ravelry know me!

I have been officially classified as a 'chatterbox' on Ravelry because of all the posting I do. Tee hee. And they've never even met me in person!
I also got a request from one of the editors to use a photo of a finished Christmas present. I am so honoured! And I soooo wish I could share it on my blog, but my sister reads it and it's her gift - so suffice it to say, Hey D! Your prezzie rocks!!! Bwa ha ha ha ha!!!

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Prezzie #2 on the needles!

I decided to do another quickie gift instead of the tea set. I hope all my Christmas prezzies go this quickly! And, once again, I cannot post pictures until after Christmas so that the giftees can't see. Poo.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Massive knitting slow-down

It's September. So knitting slows down. It's just a fact of life. School begins and I get oh so tired. But maybe not this year - I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea and now I have to wear a breathing mask to bed. It's quite scary. The vision of me in the mask, I mean.
But I have already finished 1 Christmas item! Of course, I can't post pics of it lest the giftee sees them. Suffice it to say that the item was a big hit with coworkers and coknitters. Can't wait for the sister to see them!
Next cast on - tea set for the adorable and too-smart-for-her-own-good nieceypoo.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

ANTI CLAPOTIS!!

I think I am the only knitter in the world who doesn't like Clapotis. Google it. I dare you. Over 300,000 hits. Most of them knit-alongs. But I don't like it! In general, I love Kate Gilbert's designs. Arwen is my one of my favourite patterns ever, and it's inspired me to design something similar for my niece. But clapotis? Seriously over rated.
So I think I'm going to create an anti-clapotis group on Ravelry. I'm sure I wouldn't be alone. At least I hope so! I know knitters love sheep, but I would hope that there are some who don't follow the flock.

Friday, September 5, 2008

Ooo- Debbie Bliss Magazine!


I adore Debbie Bliss' designs - I was hunting on a magazine rack for Knitscene magazine (which I still haven't found!) and I saw it. Oh so exciting.
Boy, I'm a knitting geek.
But knitting geeks rule, so nyah!

Knitter's Christmas Countdown begins!

I have 5 projects planned for Christmas. And, of course, since only my family (I think! Although my counter say 199 right now - woo hoo!) reads my blog, I can't post in-progress pictures, or even say what I'm doing. For the adults, that is.
So half of one thing is half done- figure that one out!
I can't wait to start on one of the gifts for my niece - a knit tea set! It even comes with little knit sugar cubes! Too cute for words. Can't find a pic of it anywhere on the web, though.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

When you're right, you're right!

I took the Spanky outfit to Nat's place today and she put it on Sophia (quite hilarious trying to find a wee hand & arm in that sweater that won't fit her for at least 4 months!). And I was right - the colour is amazing on her. Proud papa put the hat on her - and it goes over her entire head! She didn't like that at all.
Sophia has the most amazing eyes- they're a strange combination of Alberto's dark-brown-almost-black and Natalie's greyish green - in certain light they almost look purple. That girl is going to be a stunner!

Friday, August 22, 2008

Knitters for Knockers

Doesn't that grab your attention?
What a creative way to raise money for breast cancer research! On the Knitters for Knockers site, there is a pattern for the loveliest pair of socks, done in a lace pattern called 'hibiscus'. You pay for the pattern, and it goes toward the designer's fundraising for the Weekend to End Breast Cancer in Toronto on September 6-7.
I'm still at the parents'. As soon as I get home on Sunday, I'm taking a credit card from the secret hidey-no-usey place and buying the pattern. Beautiful socks and a great cause!

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Woo hoo!


Am officially finished my Olympic events. Here are the finished gloves. Me likey!

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Could this be any sexier?


Here's the first Criss-Cross glove from Naughty Needles. I chose hot pink ribbon - I think it gives it that certain je ne sais quoi. Actually, je sais exactement quoi, but I don't think it needs to be vocalized.

Monday, August 18, 2008

sickiepoo

Accompanied my sister, her husband & my niece to the Toronto Zoo on Saturday. Much fun had for all. Avery's favourite animal is the monkey, and they've taught her baby sign language, so she does the sign for 'monkey', scratching under her arms and making little 'hoo hoo' noises. Too funny. She did it at the baboon habitat and won over all that were there. Of course.
Leaving the gift shop, I said to Deanna, 'my throat hurts'. Woke up Sunday morning feeling like absolute poo. The big elephant kind that we saw at the zoo. So I slept pretty much all day, but I'm feeling better.
Also feeling better because I was flipping through the latest Vogue Knitting magazine I picked up (amazing mitten patterns!) and there's a whole focus on Canadian knitting/knitters. One of the designers called herself a typical Canadian knitter, saying she has about 8 projects on the go. I don't feel bad now for having 3 or 4 on the go and more in the planning stages! I'm actually below average - must pull up my socks. Or at least cast them on.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

One down, one to go!


I'm no Michael Phelps, but here is my first finished event object for the Ravelry Ravelympics! Cute little outfit for my friend Natalie's baby Sophia Belle, born at the end of June. I hope she likes it! Wee Sophia is a hottie latina already, with dark skin, hair and eyes, so I think the colour will be amazing on her.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Why reading the instructions is essential

So I'm working on my WIP for the Ravelympics. Finished the hat, pieced the sweater and started to do the French knots when I realized that I was supposed to pick up & knit the neckband before stitching both shoulder seams. Grrr...
So no big deal, I'll just do it on double-pointed needles, right? Yeah, well, I'm down at my parents' place and my mum doesn't have the needle collection that I do. I'm hoping she's got a set of 4 1/2 dps, but I have my doubts. Thinking I'll be shopping for needles tomorrow!
In the meantime, I'm winding a skein of my Berocco alpaca into a ball to start my Naughty Needles criss-cross gloves for my Glove Decathlon event. Black fingerless long gloves with hot pink ribbon lace up. Oh yeah. And matching garter. Ooo baby.

Monday, August 11, 2008

Why do I bother?

Got my new issue of Interweave Knits today in the mail. I don't know why I bothered to subscribe. It is, as usual, full of interesting articles and amazing patterns to drool over.
My problem? I already have too many things on the go! It just makes me sad because I don't knit fast enough, or have enough arms. I wish I were the Hindu goddess Lakshmi - she has many arms with which to knit! Lucky her. I only have 2, and 2 hours at the hospital today informed me that I have severe tendonitis in one. Knitting is very slow today, even with massive doses of ibuprofen and constant icing.
Off to the parents' tomorrow. My dad had hip replacement surgery on Friday, and he gets out tomorrow. Can you believe it? So I'm heading down to help out. Was supposed to go down yesterday, but I had a very sore throat, and I didn't want to take any germies down to dad.

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Baby Geniuses and Co-ordinated Knitting


My older sister and her sweet little girl were up this week. So here is a pic of Avery performing her first scientific experiment - is dog food magnetic? Results were negative. Her writeup and following of scientific method require some practice, though. She won't be seen in Scientific American for a while.



Zooming away tonight on my WIPs Wrestling for the Ravelympics, and I noticed something funny - I'm totally coordinated tonight! The flash makes the nail polish a wee bit green, but it's actually closer to the yarn colour. Tee hee!

Sunday, August 3, 2008

When the cat's away...

I love it when my landlords are away. Don't get me wrong; I love my landlords. They're amazing. But in the summer I'm a night owl, and they have small children. So I need to be quiet at 2 in the morning. But not this weekend!!
So it's nearly 2am and since midnight I've done laundry, cleaned the bathroom, washed dishes and I'm currently on a very loud Eddie Izzard marathon whilst knitting. Clang, clang, clang, quack.
I think in a moment I will reheat my leftover sushi from yesterday (yes, you read that right, reheat. It was a cooked one) without worrying about stopping the microwave before that superloudannoying BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
My boygirlfriend is talking about the grocery store right now (evil trolleys, actually), but it's made me remember that the A&P is open 24 hours now, so I can shop without evil tourists running up my legs with their trolleys. Do I need anything? Really need, not just ice cream. No. Eddie's on.
OMG, this is the funniest. I only shaved one leg! How on earth did I do that? Now it's going to drive me nuts.

Friday, August 1, 2008

Not Related to Knitting in the Least

I'm on an Eddie Izzard kick right now - watching Dress to Kill and peeing myself I'm laughing so hard. It's at the Great Escape bit. Man, this guy is hilarious.
My gossip bitch, Lainey finally added names to the Freebie 5 so I could do my authentic 5. For those of you unfamiliar with the concept of the Freebie 5, it is not actually a Lainey original, but has been around for a long time. They are the 5 men (or women, if you prefer. It's Canada, it's allowed) that, if given the chance, you could shag with absolutely no repercussions from your partner. I have no partner, but I do have a Freebie 5. And my top 2 were never on Lainey's list. I told her she needed to add my #1, but #2 is a new one - he was always in the top 10, but now I'm on an Eddie kick, so he's there. So here, because I know you want this information, is my Freebie 5:


1. Richard Armitage - first introduced to me as John Thornton in the BBC adaptation of North & South (that would be Victorian novelist Elizabeth Gaskell's North & South, not the american civil war version). This man smoulders so well he kicked Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy right off my 5! Then, later, he married the vicar (deliciously funny Dawn French) in the Vicar of Dibley.
2. Eddie Izzard. Fantastic transvestite male lesbian British comedian/actor. Here's a pic of him in male guise. See yesterday for him in his glorious lingerie. You may have seen him in Mystery Men, Ocean's Twelve/Thirteen, or on tv in The Riches. Brilliantly intelligent and ever so funny.
3. Johnny Depp. If you haven't heard of him, you don't live on this planet. Lainey doesn't have him on her 5, because she says that Johnny is forever. I see her point, but I ain't looking for forever. (edit: I feel the need to add, as the intellectual snob that I am, that I have been in love with Johnny since Edward Scissorhands. So for those of you who have only loved him since Captain Jack Sparrow, BIG RASPBERRY!!)
4. George Clooney. Never got it when he was on ER, then I saw him in Out of Sight with the hideous Jennifer Lopez. Now I get it. When I finally get my Basset Hound, he will be named George. I think it's the puppy eyes.
5. Sean Bean. I've been in love with him since seeing him in the Sharpe's series. Most of you know him as Boromir in LOTR. He's generally the hero in his British stuff, and the bad guy in Hollywood. He has been described as 'the thinking woman's bit of rough'. Yum! But he is rough - he just got arrested for hitting his latest wife, but she's saying it was blown out of proportion. Yeah, right. His first wife left him because he loved football more than her. But hey, the 5 is only for 1 night. I could deal with that.

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Rave on, Ravelry!


I am just sooo in love with Ravelry. I found yet another group to join today - Covered in Bees! A (support?) group for those of us in love with that wee sexie beast, Eddie Izzard. I would so knit him a sweater. That shows you my level of commitment to him. Actually, shouldn't that be 'I'd knit him lingerie'? White Lies Designs has a lovely selection that he'd rock.
My mother is going to read this post and see this pic and just shake her head. I don't think her generation would get Eddie. I think when I'm down next I should bring her Dress to Kill and try to broaden her horizons.
TEA AND CAKE OR DEATH!!!

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

No, your eyes do not decieve you

Yes. That is what you think it is. Gold lame yarn. I am not kidding. Do not adjust your set.
I don't even know where one would buy this crap. A woman gave my mother a sweater that she had knit and won 1st prize at some county fair. In her defense, it was amazingly well done, the seams were invisible, yada yada yada. But it was a v-neck cardigan, with gold trim all around the ribbing and - get this - gold argyle down the front. Oy. The main yarn is a beautiful cotton that she told my mum she got in Ireland. So I liberated it. As I ripped the sweater apart, I felt rather guilty. Then I'd get to the gold, and I reminded myself that anyone who knits with gold lame without being ironic deserves to have their work ripped apart.

Monday, July 28, 2008

Knock knock! Cable repairman!

Don't you just hate it when you're knitting happily away and then you notice that you made a mistake on your cable - 4 carries ago? Grrrrrr. But it actually didn't take too much to fix. Serves me right for watching Battlestar Galactica while I was knitting. Can't take my eyes of Helo (Tahmoh Penikett). Ooo baby! He can be my cable repairman any day!

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Gotta love the Harlot!

I made a mistake on Cromarty. I had my parents, especially my knitter mother, look over it to see if it was as obvious to them as it was to me. They couldn't see it. It still jumps out at me, though. But I just read a great quote from the Yarn Harlot: no matter how well you knit, looking at your work too closely isn't helpful. It's like kissing with your eyes open. Nobody looks good that close up.
Ha! Now, I need to follow the advice I give to my uber-competitive students: let it go.

Ravelry is the best & a new wool goddess

I just luuuuurve Ravelry!! I posted on the ISO board (in search of) that I was hunting desperately for wool for Cromarty - and a new wool goddess has emerged!
Nancy in B.C. has - get this - not only the same colour, but the same freaking dye lot!! She is sending it my way. Nancy hereby joins my LYS goddess Karen as wool goddess. If I weren't held back by killer cramps, I would totally be dancing a jig right now. Even though I have never been taught how to jig. Although we were forced to sing that horrible squid jigging song in elementary school. I don't think they're related, though. Somehow I can't see manly Newfie fisherman making squid dance until they died.
But there's a Far Side cartoon in there, isn't there?

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Oh too cool!


Ravelry has a knitting Olympics set to take place during the Beijing Olympics. The Ravelympics! Competing knithletes must undertake to start and finish items during the 17 days of the Olympics. I have signed up for the Glove Decathlon and WIP Wrestling, which is a bit of a cheat, because WIP stands for Works in Progress. I'll finish the sweater and hat that I've barely started for my friend Nat's baby girl Sophia, born at the end of July.
I'm also thinking about doing the Freehand Felting, but I haven't decided. I'm also on Team Browncoat!! Yay!! More knitting geeks! Shiny! But who will be Captain Tightpants, is the question. Ooh, Nathan Fillion. Yummy.

Cromarty progress update!


So here is Cromarty - front, sleeves, and the bit of the back I've finished. Am starting to majorly panic about not having enough wool. Cross those fingers and toes for me! Because, of course, it's been in my stash so long that it's been discontinued, so not even my yarn goddess Karen could get any more in for me. Eeek!

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Dial-up RULES!!!

All this time I've been trash talking and whining about having dial-up Internet (living in the middle of Practically and Nowhere), and tonight I found something out - it ROCKS!!
The pages take so long to load that I can knit while I wait. I bet you people with hi-speed can't say that! Oh, sure, you can download songs and movies, and you don't disconnect every 3 minutes.....
I just remembered. Dial-up sucks.

I have been sitting on my lazy a$$ knitting all week. I have a Homer Simpson butt print in my couch. But man, is the sweater moving along nicely! On the down side, I have been talking to myself rather animatedly and the few times I have left the house, I haven't remembered to remove the cable needle from the top of my head. Gets me rather strange looks. Maybe I should get out tomorrow.

Nah. Knitting to be done.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Ah, summer!

I do so love summer. As much as I love teaching & I love my students, they do seem to get in the way of my knitting! No pics to post right now - nothing new. I've finished both sleeves of Cromarty, and I've just started the back, so I'll post that when it's something worth seeing. And I've almost finished something for a coworker whose lovely little girl was born at the end of July, so I'll post it when I've finished.
Note to Schank: Hope you're having a good summer! Say hi to mum and give Mary a hug for me.

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Oy freakin' vey

Apologies, apologies, apologies. Rather pathetically, I was distracted from knitting by an evil man. Evil man is now gone (sigh of combination relief and sadnosity), so knitting shall resume.

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Monet Pattern

Well, apparently, blogger doesn't allow you to post word documents. How strange! So here's the deal: If you wish to have a copy of the Monet pattern, leave your email in a comment, and I'll email it to you! This will have to do until I can get around this somehow.

Earth Hour and Knitting

I tried to knit. But it was just too dark. I don't have any mindless, 'movie theatre' projects on the go. So I wound up organizing my patterns. And that actually took up nearly the whole hour!
The 'Monet' pattern is up and ready to go! Feel free to download it - make sure you get both parts - the lily pad chart is a pdf posted separately.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

My First Design!















Check out the beautiful (if I do say so myself) sweater that I designed and made for my beautiful (everyone says) niece! It's made of Bernat (of all things) Bamboo and I call it 'Monet'. I was inspired by the colours. It reminded me of Monet's waterlily paintings. I will post the pattern as soon as I type it up.
**EDIT** - I can't seem to post the pattern on blogspot. If you wish to have a copy of the pattern, leave your email in a comment and I'll send it to you.

Monday, March 3, 2008

All work and no knitting make the Queen a dull girl

I hate it when life gets in the way of knitting. But now, report cards are done (yay!) so knitting may begin again (double yay!!).

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Cable till you die - or your fingers fall off

Here is the finished front of Cromarty, and one almost finished sleeve. The sleeve is at the point where I need to cast off the sides and continue the saddle up the shoulder. I've never done that technique before; should be interesting. I really need to stretch out the front when I'm blocking; it's waaay to short for my taste. Or maybe not. Maybe when the saddles are put in it won't be so short. Check out the detail on the cabling. I can't wait to wear it and tell people oh-so-arrogantly: I made it!

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Knitting on steroids!

I have a bit of a chest infection, so I have to use a steroid inhaler twice a day. I thought, cool, steroids! Maybe they'll make me knit faster like they make athletes perform better!
Alas, all that happens is that I get the shakes so badly that I can't even get the needle into the loop. Pathetico.

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Feline Hazards

Let me preface this with: I am NOT a cat person. I'd much rather have a dog, but my days are long and cats have litter boxes. I am not one of those pathetic single cat women.
So, when the dumbest cat in the world, the half-brained Bronte, does this to my wool, it gives me even more reason to try and send her off into the big world on her own. I've tried, often, but she always seems to come back. Like that children's book, The Cat Came Back.
And why is it that I can give her a ball of yarn for her own little toy, but she needs to attack the stuff that I'm using? Are all cats this feeble minded, or just my idjit? I imagine that the whole Bronte clan is collectively spinning in their graves at having such a brainless twit named after them. If we could harness the energy from their spinning, we'd no longer depend on fossil fuels!

Thursday, January 3, 2008

GRRR!!!

Again with the Turkish Socks. I've been working on them for a Very, Very Long Time. They're kind of my in-between project. Whenever I get bored of working on something, or I haven't started anything new, I pick them up and do a bit. Over the holidays at my parents I finally finished one of them. I was working on the heel, and then I tried it on. Bleearghie! I pulled too tightly across the instep after putting the heel stitches on a holder, and I could barely pull it on. My foot would have fallen asleep wearing them. So I pulled them apart down to where I put the heel stitches on the holder, and will start again. Maybe they'll be done in another 2 years...

Xmas prezzies!

Here's a pic of my darling niece in the vair vair marv Viking Hat. Isn't that the cutest thing you've ever seen in your life? The hat, not the kid. No, wait, she's the cutest thing. The hat's a close second.
I made a spiral scarf for my little sister, but she had it on and off so fast that I didn't get a picture. I hope she liked it!
The socks for my dad turned out great, considering it was my first design, but I forgot to take his giant calves (we all inherited them, thanks dad) into account and add more stitches onto the ribbing, so I'm going to knit him a new pair and then I'll post a pic of those ones.