The stitch is back (long post alert)

Dude....have I ever not blogged for this long? Goes to show the action/illness packed week I've been having I guess.

The headaches are finally subsiding. I think it probably was sinusitus so many thanks to Nickerjac for the sinutab tip. I still have a session booked in a flotation tank for Monday though (thanks Yvonne!) which I am really looking forward to. I'm also thinking it might be time to get my eyes tested again (thanks Nikki). In fact thanks everyone for all your suggestions.

So finally I have had some time for some knitting...so prepare to be bombarded with pictures. First up we have a swtch for the pinky hat using my handspun. The yarn is red with red sequins so I thought it would look best on a red background (dur).


Pooch chose his red yarn and the life aquatic hat just needs sewing up now. Here he is modelling the wip!

It's very simple 2x2 rib and I basically did it yesterday on the train down to canterbury and back.

Canterbury was very good. I was there to see my little-ist sister Freddie who is now a whopping 17, and my two best friends Lucy (left) and Louise (right).

We were best friends at school and are still really close now. Freddie and her girlfriend Becky were there too but Freddie doesn't do photos at all. It's such a shame because she's really pretty and it makes me feel so proud to see the family resemblance (we share Dad A) but then I hated pictures when I was younger so I can understand why. The 5 of us had lunch together and it made me the *happiest* person ever. This is going to sound all gushy but it was like we were 'proper' sisters with her hanging out with my mates and me hanging out with her and hers. The two of us sat next to each other and everyone was laughing and joking and...it was just wicked. God I am sad but I don't care! It was really really good. After lunch Freddie, Becky and I headed for the shops where I was relying on them to help me look cool and regain my lost youth but frankly they were rubbish at that so I bought a jumper I first saw 3/4 years ago and a t-shirt with 'Hurley' written on it. Is this good? Answers on a postcard to me please. I like it anyway. I feel also that the general opinion was that anything was better than the star trek t-shirt I ws wearing. But come on, cut me some slack, I have a physics degree. There's only so far one can get away from that fact before it all bounces back at you!

One place I did drag them to was 'Jems' by the cathedral gates.

Jems has had a 'cool' makeover (not that the shop has changed at all in the last 50 years - it's just the stock) and are now carrying needle fleting kits plus things for scrapbookers. Despite queries from Becky along the lines of "How long can you need to spend in a sewing shop?" (I know, she needs showing 'the way of the yarn') I only bought 3 balls plus added a skein of variegated viscose to the embroidery threads and silk I bought at Liberty the other day.


The sunbeam St ives is something I have't seen before but was in C&H Fabrics as well. Perhaps a kent brand?

I also managed one or two other little purchases for use with spinning.


The flowers are one of those fake hawaiin garlands that I wil occasionally include one of in another creation.

So basically an awesome day. I sat down with Pooch in the evening and pulled out the kaffe fasset vneck which was beginning to resemble a ufo rather than a wip. It is now definitely a wip although I have done something that some people might think of as 'wong'. Cause what happened right was I started the front with the fairisle pattern and it's quite complicated. And I was bemoaning this at goldres green when, I believe it was, Jane suggested I make the back simpler and do it in stripes. I feel sure I've posted about this before in the distant past but the result can be seen here:

I've been doing it quite randomly and I like it - plus it makes a nice break from the fairisle every now and again.

So what does today hold? Well it's raining (I prefer this to the sun but don't tell anyone that) so I guess I'll be hanging out indoors. Fortunately there is knitting to be done and maybe some spinning and there is Pooch to snuggle up to. There is also the provisionally titled SKIP North to be organised - this is what I have been hinting at recently (SKIP = spinnign and knitting in public). A weekend extravaganza at Haworth in Yorkshire next Feb where 30 spinners and knitters will come together to share, learn and enhance stash through specially organised workshops and shopping trips. Nickerjac and I are trying to keep the costs down as low as possible and it looks like we might be able to do it for about £100 including all meals, 2 nights accom and luxury coach hire and materials. I have been crafting the website so I'll let you know the address as soon as it's sorted.

Phew right I think that's my lot for now!

Goddamn spam and flotation tanks

Have had to change the comment setting to registered users only. I didn't want to have to do this because I respect people's right to anonymity but then its been abused.

Thanks for all the advice about headaches. I remember seeing some 4head stuff in boots that I think is like tiger balm. Will go and have a go. And a flotation tank? Oooo I fancy that. Plus I like the head massage idea - let's face it they were all good. Thanks everyone x

My head hurts

And, friends, that just about sums up my life recently. Have had headaches for the last couple of days. Off work today as everything makes it hurt more. Ibuprofen gets rid of it for about an hour - paracetamol does nothing. Am allergic to lavender but open to suggestions if anyone knows of a non-pill cure. It's an old joke but I like it - if I jumped up and down I'd rattle. So nothing much to blog recently.

Plans have been developing well with Nikerjac. Anyone free first or last weekend of Feb? You'll hear it here first....

Apology and spam

Becky! So sorry - the sequins are from you not purlpower. I get confused when I see people's 'real' names. Purlpower has sent me soemthing else that hasn't yet materialised. Mind like a sieve - sorry. Needless to say I *adore* the sequins and am looking forward to knitting pinky with them x

Spam - guys.....I don't want a ceiling fan, anything to grow bigger, a laptop or a new job. I'm sorted for all that stuff. Don't want to have to alter the comment status but really....

Lixie Spins It

I am still knitting though, honest. As proof, here is the wip - dreamcatcher cardigan from loop-d-loop.

That big hole in the middle is what you put the cobwebby bit in. Knitting with two balls of wool is no particular fun, although I am now aware that it is easier if the balls are smaller.

But actually that's the most knitting you're going to read about now because Byrne has the spinning bug, and she's got it bad. A little trip to handweavers studio yesterday yielded excellent results....
I love Wendslydale curls. There's just something *SO* "look at me" beautiful about them. I'm yet to actually knit anything that includes me but, hey, what's the rush?

And then I got lots of lovely merino (lots of red for my pinky hat - and I thinks I have spun enough for that today.
Lots (200g) of blue faced leicester and more camel for my first knitted homespun item - a scarf. Although now I feel compelled to spin some sequins or something into. I shall try to resist though. Spun some of this up at nickerjac's.

Lots of glittery and generally lovely stuff, plus some mohair.


And some random stuff to experiment with.

As I dropped in there earlier I was at Nickerjac's lovely studio yesterday and...an idea was born. Under the codename Nickerlix it is currently being churned over in my tiny mind. With my organisational and Nik's people skills and contacts we've got it sorted - I'll keep you updated as things develop.

On the way back from Nik's got terrible stomach ache and have been wiped out since then with a summer cold. Really sore throat, oh, poor alex. Luckily Pooch came home with a surprise for me to cheer me up...

It's the first time he's had his hair shaved since we got together and it is *so* soft and strokable. Like a beautiful cat. He has just said I just want to spin from him. But nah, would need too much washing.

So let's see, how's life at the mo. Well, madwise everything is all stable and well. Poochwise all is good. Jobwise the future looks rosy. Housewise we're moving in a month and searching is under control. Having said that the neanderthals downstair have just put the boom boom techno on. And people like them will actually breed. Yuck. Anyway, where was I...

Yeah anyway, stuff's fine. Bring it on, tomorrow.

Stitch Markers for Sale

All of these are £2 for 4. P&P is free within the UK. £1 within Europe and £1.50 for the rest of the world. Email me at littlelixieathotmaildotcom with the description of the ones you want and what size needles you want them to fit on (in mm up to 25mm) and I'll make sure I've got some in stock! Posted within 7 days of payment receipt. Payment by paypal, cheque or postal order. Please don't post me cash but feel free to throw wads of it at me if you see me in person. All are about 1cm square apart from the rose petals which are more like an inch, the dragonflys which are an inch across the wings and the sewing ones - the tape measure ribbon is about 3cm square. The semi-precious stone ones come in purple (amethyst) or orangy-red (red agate) or a mix of the two.