Librivox, Swap-Bot, ... and some other stuff (picture heavy)

I have finally got on with my part in a collaborative project on Librivox. It is a knitting book from 1800 and something called Exercises in Knitting by Cornelia Mee. Project Gutenberg freetext version is here for anyone to look at but it is written in old-school words and certainly isn't easy to decipher for modern knitters. Plus no pictures. So the Librivox group is updating the patterns and swatching and then recording. Deadline is 1st Oct and I am really excited about it! I've taken number 30, swiss pattern for edging mittens. Initial swatch without matched decreases...

Second, and my favourite, pairing k2tog and psso.

Lastly I tried pairing k2tog with k2 tog through back of loop.

I'm going to record on sunday. Woo ha!

Other things making me happy are the packages I've had from swap-bot. The all things red swap...

The socks are awesome - have worn them already.
Pants swap (well, we all need them right?) (mostly)

Newbie swap

I also took part in a swap on Ravelry for Tawashi. This is what my partner sent me.

So cool!!! Check out this little buddy...now lurking on the side of the bath looking menacing but cute at the same time.

I have been doing some proper knitting too though. I had a bit of an anticlimax when I finished the main knitting on Mermaid. I'm still not sure about it. I haven't sewn in ends or sorted the bottom edge or the fastening yet. I've bundled it up to think about for a while. This is it on me.

and then Pooch took a fancy to it.

Bit gappy at the back though.

I've also been to Edinburgh this week and so used the most useful google map in the world to see where I should go. Jenners is basically John Lewis when it comes to knitting. But McAree Brothers (also online as McA Direct) is another kettle of fish. That place is basically what every knitting shop should be. 3 charming staff, one male (shock), helped me out. Great selection. Good prices. Lots of specials. Lots of notions. Lots of buttons! i.e.

They also had a good selection of models knitted up and there was one I just fell in love with. It doesn't happen often to me but I immediately bought the pattern book and even the recommended yarn. Here it is.

I have cast on but not having swatched I think I need to go up a needle size so am going to frog and start again.

So yeah, phew, hadn't realised how much I'd done since I last blogged. Almost forgot - I also went to the stitch n bitch world knit in public event. Here we are in Soho Square.

It was good but as I joined later in the day it seemed a bit of an anticlimax. Didn't know anyone there but soon got chatting - you know how an enquiry about a sock pattern can bring people together!