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.