Catch up round up thing

The first edition of the only UK crafty zine I know about is out and available (but tell me if you know of others as I want to read them!). I have already emailed a couple of you for addresses as this is one of the old-school paper varieties and not some downloadable didgery. The first edition is strictly limited to 50 copies which have a hand-stitched binding and is FREE! Whoopie for ‘free’! In return all you have to do is email me and let me know what you thought of it and what changes should be made. Be constructive in your criticism but make sure you’re honest.

I’ve been away all this time taking a week of very hard earned leave from work which has meant no internet for all that time. How did I survive? Well, actually it was hell! Not only did I have no access to blogging but also no email! So there has been loads going on that I have only just heard about. One thing is that we should all be sending much love to Woolly Wormhead at the moment as she has had a bit of a set-back. I’m hoping it will be a set forward though with her fibre business but I know how something like this can herald the darkness so big hugs going her way.

Having been away means there is a lot to catch up on chez byrne. I did manage to get a little shopping done while I was away. How is it that in London you, until recently, had just 2 knitting shops, 2 bead shops and 1 stamping shop within zone 1. Then you go to Penzance and believe me when I say – this place is small. This place is so small you can walk from one end of the town to the other in 10 minutes. And that’s at my pace. Pooch could do it in 5 and Joe in about 3. And in this tiny town there were…. 2 knitting shops, 1 beadshop, 1 papercraft extravaganza and 3 other shops that had floors or sizeable sections given over to all things crafty. St Ives had a knitting shop and that is even smaller. There must be some sort of inverse square law to do with shops per square millimetre or something like that. Let me just practice my physics and whip up a small graph in excel…

One of the knitting shops in Penzance was one some of you will have seen mentioned in Vogue and other mags called “KnitWits”. This is it.

It’s not all good though. They made me, right. They MADE ME. I came out with 6 balls of this stuff.

It is SWTC Karaoke and DAMN it’s good. Fortunately they only had 6 balls otherwise I would have been in real trouble. I got a few other little bits and pieces including a fairisle thimble that helps you keep the colours separate without needing to keep dropping one and picking up another. Pretty nifty. While I was away I also popped into Taunton and saw my muvver. On top of the usual filial joy this brings it also brought 3 Elizabeth Zimmemann books. Man, that woman is gold. I am half way through the Opinionated Knitter and it is bliss to read.

I also got a classic fairisle patterns book and a few other crafty jems in a second-hand place in St Ives.

While away I managed to gather up an impressive pile of post because of all the swaps I've been doping on Swapbot. Look at these envelopes:

I thought my efforts were quite good til I saw the trouble people go to on just the envelopes. Nevermind what's inside! I have now got some lovely ATCs though and some good ideas on what to do for xmas presents so I am very happy.

I think that is just about all people have the strength to read so I’ll leave it there. Except that I did have a little hair adventure. First I had a load lopped off then I did a home dye job. The eventual outcome was fortunately not comic but I did enjoy trying out various hairstyles, such as this one, along the way!

I almost forgot. I managed to put my back out again while I was away – too much rucksack carrying I suspect. It wasn’t as bad as last time but is taking ages to recover. It has meant I wasn’t able to do the sponsored walk on Saturday and I know it doesn’t sound like me to be bummered about missing exercise but I actually am really annoyed I missed this. Some people had sponsored me and so I feel like a bit of a woos. But we did sign up as a team (the NWKTog Group) and so the others bravely walked for me and for the Children’s Society. You can still sponsor the team here. Just £1 will count.

OK, all together.....

*sigh*

Hello Joe

This is what the view from my tube platform looks like.

Rather too much has happened in the last week. One of those things is that I have started a Zine. For those of you, like me up to about a week ago, who don’t know what this is think Blog being a web-log so Zine is a magazine. I used to do a physics dept one when I was at Uni but this is a loosely knitting based one with general crafty stuff and nonsense thrown in. It will have print run of 50 and the first issue is free. I’ll let you know when it becomes available and how you can get hold of it.

I haven’t been doing that much knitting recently although I am now the proud owner of one dubiously felted carrier bag holder. I think it needs some more hardcore washing though to shrink it better (innit) so we will see what the weekend brings.

I have various things on ebay at the moment including some Koigu. Take a look by clicking on the ‘lixie’ icon in the sidebar.

And lastly I don’t really know what this is. I just felt like it.

Guys, you gotta help me

because I have an urge. It's a disgusting, nasty, dispicable urge to go onto ebay and BUY things. preferably things that are 'buy it now' so I can get them NOW and they will be MINE. God. Someone stop me. Phew. Forgot I was going out to a leaving lunch. But hey. Don't go anywhere because I'll be back in an hour and then I'll be in trouble again.

....

Blogalogadoodah

I imagine saying this to the tune of 'shackalackababy'. I apologise to those of you who don't know this epic but you should strike out and find it as it could just change your life.

I was going to blog mightily about knitting and such but when I downloaded my camera just now I found only one even slightly crafty and that is of the ATCs I am so obsessed with. Here it is.

The reason for this could be that instead of just sitting at home knitting this bank holiday weekened (not that there is ANYTHING wrong with that, oh dear me no, I went out to the City Farm in Mudchute (no I didn't just make that placename up - it is in Docklands). Those of you who have similar mental make-ups to my own (you lucky devils) will find this as amusing as I do. The commentary, though sparse, is genuine 'Pooch'.
Click here to view movie.

Hope that link works. Couldn't embed the movie as photobucket is being daft.

So anyway. I started a new therapist today. Her name is janet as in 'dammit janet' except I really can't imagine her sighing for any guy called Brad. I have had about 37million therapists before and so I know the drill. Family history, mental history, timeline of decline to putrid state now seated infront of them etc etc but wait....what can this be.....Janet is more akin to one of those vets who don't hang about waiting to be offered tea. They're straight in there up to the armpit telling you exactly what's wrong with your cow. So it was quite new and invigorating. But d'you know, I do love hearing people tell me about myself.

At least I kind of do.

I do when they are coming up with new and exciting names for whatever is wrong with me at that moment in time and when they put it in interesting ways. I like it when they take the metaphors and similes that I've been using (because I do, a lot) and develop them to their own ends. I like being told I'm a mixture of complete opposites and that I am complicated and am going to need to be really thought about. It's just so.....indulgent. It's like being told you have unusual eyes by an admirer or rare blood by a doner nurse. Like a man saying he can't work you out (in an admiring tone of voice) or that your doctor has never seen a rash quite like it. Maybe. It's just so..... me

Of course it's not all fun. But today I indulged in being talked about. She basically concluded that I don't trust myself and that I bottle everything up still and use therapy as a release valve rather that knowing how to release tension myself. Which is all true so next week we start doing something about it.

Penny left a comment about meeting up at the NEC knit show - I was so bummered to have missed you all - would have been great to meet up. I won't be at the NEC one as I have time off work booked to indulge in the Ally Pally one (talk about 'me' time. Oooo baby.)

Tonight I am off to a book group which is a new experience for me. We will be discussing "A Farewell to Arms" by Hemmingway. I don't want to put anyone off but my review could be summed up thus:

1. Well-written
2. Excellent descriptive passages
3. Predictable, and disappointingly so at the end

I am the new bod so I get to choose the next book. It will be 'Spanking Watson' by Kinky Friedman in case anyone feels like joining in in an internet type way... Trust me! It's a classic.

Let us commence

We will begin with the baby cardiagn which is finally finished.

It actually looks much nicer in the photo than it does in real life. I have taken badly against these colours. The yarn is from the regia brasil range and Bernie (in the office) LOVES them while I LOATHE them. Just goes to show. It's a funny old world.

My world now officially contains ATCs. These two are the first ones for the swap I have set up on swap bot. The first is 'just' textile (front then back below).

And the second (front only as the back is quite boring).

That's silk ribbon sewn trhough it that is. I have plans for lots more at the weekend and in true Byrne style have been on ebay and found a set of those holding pouches to keep what I plan to develop into a large collection in. Oh yes. (Poor pooch)

My swap bot addiction has replaced my ebay one which I guess is good in that I only have to spend minimally on the swap and there are a limited number of them. This is what I sent in my second swap - the girly box swap.

My buddy's fave colours are yellow and blue so I tried to get pampering things that were those colours. She is also a knitter so I included a couple of the postcards I was hawking on ebay. I have set up another swap for knitting magazines as I tend to buy them and then be a bit disappointed.

Poochwise things are good. Not even a cross word for almost two weeks now. Madwise things are looking sideways. I had a leetle bit of a problem 2 weeks ago (nothing to worry mum about Sian) and saw Dr P for the second time in 3 weeks to admit I'd been fibbing when I told him before that everything was fine. That man is such a dude. I have designed some intarsia socks for him and cast on last night. They will be sublime. He and I had the most amazingly frank conversation about all the hardcore side of being mad and he didn't turn a whisker with me spouting out all this stuff. In the end he recommended I cut the fluoxetine to 40mg a day and start taking 15mg mirtazapine at night. That is the one I was on about 5 years ago so I feel pretty comfy taking it. The only thing is the pharmacist only had the ones that dissolve on your tongue. They have artificial flavourings so taste OK except it wasn't til about 10am that I got any kind of proper taste back. Made my morning cuppa of hot orange squash distinctly lousy. I have to be careful and watch out for signs of seratonin syndrome as now I am taking two sources at once. Most of the symptoms sound like my normal existence though so I'm not worried.

So plans fos the bank holiday people? Mine include a massive tidying operation which includes carting about 8 bags of charity stuff to the nearest charity shop which is about 20 mins away by bus. 'How can one A Byrne be that far from a charity shop?' you ask? Yes, I know. Mistifies me too. There will also be a lot of photographing for ebay and making of ATCs and in my spare time I will be knittign profusely and planning more xmas presents. Oooooooo 3 days of time all to myself! Hoorah! Hope you all have a good one too. See you Tuesday.

ATCs and quilts (lots of photos)

I know what you're thinking - what the hell is an ATC? Is it some weird cash machine? Well click here and find out all about it and then join the associated swap. It's going to be fun!

Now let us get to sturdier matters. Let us speak of quilts and men. I've got some rather lovely photos which have mostly turned out reasonable and so this post should really be retitled 'quilt porn'.

Quilt Porn

Isn't the handbag rather cute? They had a lovely range of handles on display that I am determined to take advantage of as soon as I create a bag worthy of some.

So what did I actually splurge on (while keeping to budget)? This rather nice collection of fat quarters:

Some very cute charms:

Some quite insane felt:

Plus a load of stuff designed to make life easier if slightly more cluttered.

I have sent off my stitch markers for the first swapbot swap I've joined. This is them:

I had been saving the beads for ages to do these for me but then realised that half the time I lose them as soon as I make them and end up using a hairband so my recipient would be better off with them.

I've been doing the early waking thing - this morning at 3am with food poisoning but that's an exception - and one morning at 4am cast on a scarf modelled on Nickerjac's kits. I have collecting the motley bits for ages and this is it in close up:

Here it is on:

I cast on 100 stitches on 15mm and used about 20 rows of different bits and pieces. It is super long and I really like it even though I can see that some of the rows don't quite work. It is astonishingly warm as well although I think there's only 3 rows of wool in it. People not wanting to end up with a weird version should hot foot it to Woolly Workshop to buy one of Nic's kits as she really is a goodess when it comes to colour (and many other things of course!). Actually i can't see them there at the mo but hop over to her blog and maybe she'll sell you one direct.

Yarn Porn

Look away now people. Actually before I get going the people that do this amazing stuff have a waiting list. If you email them and ask to be put on it they will email you about 24 hours before more stock goes on sale. They are really good about postage too and the yarn was packed perfectly.

Sadly I can't remember what all these are called but baby....who cares....

Coming Pooch's way we have:

Originally intended for Robbie but due to some over zealous knitting (I was enjoying knitting it so much I went a bit crazy on the foot length of my first toe-up effort) for Sian's extra-sized boyf Brown.

Possibly the Robbie replacement is a zingier shade of green....

Or maybe this in blue and pale cream....

And then am I not worth it? One for me....

Oh yeahhhhhhhh baby.

Here they are again all cuddling each other.


There is something really rather dirty about how much I like this yarn. Maybe if I did stashalong more often I'd appreciate all my yarn like this. Speaking of which my sister Sian took the piss at the weekend whenI turrned up with a felted bag on each shoulder and queried why I didn't just make a bigger bag. From the mouth of babes etc etc... So have finally tucked into that stash of DB Maya I got half price about 18 months ago. One large bag in deep reds with metallic threads and sequins woven in coming this way.

I also of course was at Festival Of Quilts on Friday (sorry about not meeting up with the blogger posse but only saw your email on saturday) but will write a separate report about that when have calmed down a bit.

No wait I forgot...

SNAKES ON A PLANE

You just have to go see this movie. It is better than sock-hop-sock-yarn. Maybe.

SSsssssssock-hop sock yarn

I really shouldn’t blog without pics but I’m just so excited. I picked up my order of sock-hop yarn from the post office this morning. Before the bus had come I had opened the box to cop a feel. It is BEAUTIFUL. I can’t remember now which was for who but frankly it doesn’t matter now because it is mine all mine!!!!!! No, not really. This folks is the wool responsible for near bankrupting me but my god it was worth it. Oooooo

WARNING: Do not follow this link if you have similar willpower to me. DANGEROUS_LINK (you'll need to scroll down once you get to the page as the formatting has gone skew wiff)

Every ball of wool starts with a sheep shearer

This is something SPM had in one of her books. You can't get wool without a person taking a sheep and shearing it by hand because there aren't any machines that can do this properly. I think that's kind of nice.

Have a headache today. Still not caught up ons leep from the weekend and work is just one disaster after another. Fortunately I don't mean that what I am doing is a disaster it's just stuff like....

• CEO blaming everyone apart from himself for stuff
• Directors arguing publicly about policy
• Scorecards being actively avoided by senior staff
• Gossip flying about inconsistencies and favouritism
• Bitching in the lunch room
• People leaving phones to ring and ring and ring and ring and ring....

This last one is the most annoying as if there is one thing that annoys me it is ringing phones. Nails on a blackboard? Fine. Ringing phone? Dear God no.

Knitting as always makes everything seem better and here we have the coco bag base with stitches picked up around the edges on something like a 48" denise needle which is blatantly more than twice as long as would be useful.

Now the thing about denise needle sets is that you get lots of different length cords and you get lots of different size needles and you can slot them all together. This all comes in a nice box and everyone who gets one insists they will keep everything in the box and not leave bits lying about to get lost. This is my box.

You will notice the complete dearth of cables, no cable ends (should be 4), no connectors (should be two) and 4 pairs of needle ends missing. Hmph. A quick raid later and the situation was not much improved.

But at least I had a cable suitable for the bag so I did about 20cm of body last night alternating the orange and pink/red wools every 2/3 rows.

Here is a belated pic of the cotton mix socks from the yarn I got in Philadelphia (I think).

Note the pointy toes. I love socks with pointy toes and generally always make them like this. It makes them extra fun! I haven't worn these yet as I've still got to sew up the second one. I'm a bit worried they mgiht be a bit tough on the byrne-tootsies as cotton can be a bit unforgiving but will wait and see.

Now I am being a very good stashalong type person but I was on Taj yarns website (ONLY TO UPDATE MY ADDRESS ON A MAG SUBSCRIPTION) and saw these. Aren't they lovely? Keep scrolling down for the girlie ones but the cats are lovely too.

Stashalong - am so proud

It is all going rather nicely chez stash at the moment. I haven't been tempted to spend at all even when I spied a whole pile of vintage knitting mags at a shop a weekend or so ago. Mind you, having no cash is bound to be some help. However, I do seem to have gained a new compulsion which is signing up for swaps at swap-bot.

The latest one I have joined is the magic yarn ball which just sounds like an excellent idea. You get a ball of yarn and rewind it wrapping in all sorts of little goodies and fun things. You can see pictures of previous ones here. Aren't they lovely? I love the idea of unwrapping and the before/after usefulness.

In case anyone feels similarly drawn I have also joined...Mark those Stitches (sign up deadline is tomorrow), Felt Pin Fantasy Swap and What's In A Purse. Some are US only but most are worldwide.

The weekend was a little bit oooo, a little bit ahhhhh, but thanks to you all for your comments and emails. Thw weird thing is Pooch and I really love each other and don't mean to keep hurting each other (I give as good/bad as I get, let's be honest). Anyway...

I was talking about stashalong. Last night I delved into the stash and cast on The little Coco bag. Is going to be orange and red striped althought he colours are both cascade 220 quatro so are a kind of plied tweed effect. The stripes won't be that noticeable. Photos soon....

Hum.

Somebody asked CAP whether she ever worried about the ex reading her blog and she replied that she was sure he didn't. However, it is different for me because I know Pooch uses my blog to see how things are with me from time to time. So there are things I want to write about that I don't because of not wanting him to see them. I tried keeping a diary again but it has never really satisfied me and it seems dumb to keep one when the only time you use it is when you have boy-bovver. It's not exactly a good record of your life when that's the case.

From this it might be apparent that domestic bliss didn't last long chez byrnepooch. People who read this keep emailing me to tell me he's basically a shit. But then he gets annoyed about that because he says they only have my side of the story and so it all reinforces however I describe things. Which is fair comment but does assume I'm biased, which of course I am. But am I completely self-deluded as well? Do I really have such unreasonable expectations of behaviour and attitude or is he actually unreasonable? I have been in relationships before where these kind of things wouldn't have been done or tolerated.

Is every relationship a never ending story of angst and emotional suffering where you constantly question whether someone can really think that what they just did/said is reasonable. Do other relationships cause one half to question whether their whole view of life is wrong because if what is being said is true it must be. Or that one person has unreasonable views on what is or isn't acceptable when, applying the usual social norm that it's normal til someone tells you it's weird, no one ever thought so before.

What do you do when your partner thinks you are complete irrational and unreasonable as well as being slightly mental when at the same time you have this tiny fear inside you that maybe you are being totally cuckoo and you just haven't realised it yet. Can I really be being totally unreasonable without realising? Without anyone realising. Without anyone thinking to mention it. Have any of you held back from mentioning it because you thought someone else would have done?

How to look good naked

Did anyone else see this programme last night? It gave me pause for thought. The conclusion of my thinking was rude words in Pooch's general direction.

I am fricking gorgeous and anyone who gets to see me naked is damn lucky.

Love me, love my belly.

If...

If your boyfriend/fiance/husband told you he found you less attractive now than when you met because you had put on some weight what would you do? Do let me know. Am trying to work out what 'reasonable force' would mean in such a situation.

I have been waking up horribly early recently and so was about to witness this little spectacle on the grass outside our living room. It went on for quite some time but I don't want to bore you or anything.

Have been knitting squares for iknit and his river project. Decided to use novelty yarn as I don't normally go near it so here we have...

... top right is some sort of weird eyelash that just has lashes on one side and knits up a bit like velvet. At the bottom is some of your wendy magic or something like that. Then the left is the weirdest one which defies description. But they all knit up pretty quickly and are blue so they meet my requirements.

Xmas and gift knitting continues at a good pace. Here we have three lost of sock yarn. The grey/borwn are for Pooch's Dad. The bright stripe bottom right is a baby cardigan. And then the

Little hint on the top right is some stuff I hand dyed for someone and the second sock of which will be cast off as soon as I finish this blogging. Thanks god. Am quite sick of them. In fact as I mentioned before I was thinking about jazzing things up a bit with some crazy cables and so started doodling.

It's not much to look at but is an idea. I knit my socks flat so from that point of view its easier to plot a design onto them.

I'm thinking about makign my Mum this for xmas but I'm not really sure if she'd like it. Sian - if you happen to be dropping by let me know what you think.

Has anyone else knit it? It's from the Scarf Style book.

I have had some green/blue 4-ply wool from silkwood for about 2 years maybe now - since just after I started blogging in fact. It was also the first time I met nickerjac. I prize this highly as I love the colours but I've never been sure what to do with it. Thinking along the same lines as the woollywormhead hat I have decided on a freeform bag in spirals which I think show the colours off rather nicely. I think I will felt it but I need to see how that turns out first before doing anything hasty.

Aren't they lovely? Well, I think they are!

I have been spending rather a lot of time with my stash recently - generally sorting and caressing it, as you do. So Pooch resorted to some drastic action to try and get my attention. This is the hound-dog himself cuddling up to a bag of stash with some of it artistically arranged over his head.

I believe his plan was to get me to lie on the bed to hug the stash and end up having to hug him too. He's devious.

Giving blood followed by knitting group tomorrow so another action packed day. Think there might be some work or something to fit in inbetween but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

LOUISE CAMERON - LOVING YOUR STYLE

You see Louise is one of the greatest people ever to have walked the earth as well as my best mate and was joking about how i should write more about her.

On to other news. I have signed up for stashalong. Many of you will think this is well, well overdue. And basically you would be right. So my promise....

Not to buy any yarn, patterns, books, needles or anything knitting or crochet related for 1 month.

I think committing to not buy yarn has got me a bit confused as I have cast on about 4 different things in the last 4-5 days. All small things like socks and baby clothes but still, I have knit anxiety.

No photos today as haven't finished anything. But let us just revel in the fact that I am now a stashalong stashee and repeat after me "It will all be OK."

Stash and cash

Put togethee the new stash box at the weekend and very lovely it looks too. BUT. Not everything fits into it. Man, I have way too much yarn. Was looking at A Mingled Yarn and she showed her stash which was micro. How does she manage that? Because she knits like a dervish.

The blue bag and paper carrier bag are what is left over that won't go in. Here is the box content all snuggled up warmly together.

I've been knitting socks something like a dervish myself recently. Here is a detail of the slipstitch rib pair I made Pooch.

And very happy he is with them too. I dyed the red yarn especially for him. I've also knit one of Tom's pair and almost done one of a pair of xmas socks: probably heading to Pooch's Dad.

This burst of xmas knitting is because I am really enjoying one of SPM's book where she tells a tale about xmas knitting and how desperate it all gets before the deadline dawns. All night knitting and so on. Ghastly. I will not be doing that. Oh no!

The Pooch-Byrne reunion went very nicely on saturday night. We had dinner with friends round and they all welcomed me back. On sunday the two of us conspired to make pot au chocolat which were thoroughly villainous in their loveliness.

MmmmmMmmmm, baby. A Rick Stein recipe and not at all fishy.

Am missing knitting group tomorrow because Freddie and Becky are up. Still no idea what to do with them but I'm hoping they'll have some ideas. I am making up for it though by getting my work colleagues to start knitting. In a terribly tedious tale we have got new phones that are portable and people have asked for holsters (yes, my colleagues are needy and helpless). I've also had requests for knitting lessons so in a slight of hand I have offered lessons that result in your own felted knitting pocket for attaching to a belt or use with a shoulder strap. Isn't life just weird? If only I could actually knit all day and just get paid for that instead of trolling about here with balanced scorecards and similar yuck.

Pah.

The other part of today's title is 'cash' which is what I have none of. I only got paid a week ago and am already worryingly broke. I am such a schmuk. I have downloaded crazy aunt purl's budget and my bank statements for the last 3 months (isn't it great that you can download bank statements and then re arrange them in excel - so handy). The thing is work have jut decided to start offering sabbaticals to peeps such as me and I really think 3 months would be about the right length of time to take off for. But this means I need to save 3 months rent and bills plus spending money. I have always been awful with money but the last couple of months have really brought it home to me. There's so much I could do if I just spent wisely and stopped stockpiling 'stuff'. Pooch got a whopping payrise yesterday and we want to buy a house. Need to get thinking and work out what my priorities are really.

I have a yarn problem

I just found myself on cpu-enterprises stalking sirdar snuggly for a baby blanket. Geez. I did it without thinking.

I was actually thinking about this last night. I buy things in order to do them later. I then end up having to sit amongst all my hasty purchases long after the desire to do XYZ has passed. Doing a bit of self-analysis this could be put down to a couple of different things.

• Addicted to shopping
• Forget already have X zillion things to do
• Bored and entertains me to do this (see 1)
• Fear of having nothing to do

There are probably more. It's the last one that worries me a little. Therapist Louise has gone AWOL so I'm having to do my own diagnosis which is always a bit suspect because my diagnosis is inevitably 'lacking in chocolate'.

Popped in on my SP recipient yesterday and she is very sweet. She has made good use of the bits I sent her last time. I was thinking there would be two more parcels but now I think it will be one bumper one in a week or two plus the big unveiling.

SkipNorth will be 9-11 March 2007. You heard it here first! I will let you know when the website is updated and I have more information. Will be able to take bookings within the next month I should think.