Yarn Harlot liked my t-shirt

She said if I put them on ebay she would absolutely buy one. Thinks "I should put these t-shirts on etsy".

Anyway...

Yesterday really was brill. The organisation was excellent. Great stands and shopping. Fashion shows and catering. Places to sit. Charity projects. I'm very very happy. I caught up with loads of people I haven't seen for ages, met Gill from WoollyWorkshop and, most exciting, Stephanie Pearl McPhee was awesome AND she liked my t-shirt. It doesn't get much better than that.

I got some lovely things. Sock yarn x4:

Herdy t-shirt and notecards.

Denise organiser - this was my big buy. I told myself I'd wait til I got paid but then it was there and kind of wicked and so I just did it.

The buttons are ones I ordered from WoollyWorkshop for the bad cardi. I'm thinking the green leaf ones will be the best.

Lovely keyrings from the people who did the knitted gingerbread house.

And then there was this...

Yeeha! She was really lovely. And she had something real to say to everyone.

A great day.

Then I got back and last night and this morning I finished off Pooch's jumper. Ta da!

I am very pleased with it. All the details are on ravelry. Got the yarn at SkipNorth. It fits him nicely and the colours are perfect for him. Very happy with it!

A number of people asked me about the podcast yesterday, and have been messaging me about it on ravelry. So....I am going to do another one. I've got a day off in about a week's time so I'm going to plan it for then. It would be good to get back to them again.

Quickie pictures

Had an excellent day at the IKnit event in London. It really was brilliant. Here are a few pics. I'll blog more tomorrow.

Plus gratuitous Pooch shot wearing the bottom half of him jumper. It's a lot further on now - might even have it finished tomorrow.

Pooch's jumper

Not much to report here. Pooch's jumper continues nicely. It was my first meeting as a Director of the KCG yesterday and as the Birmingham trains from Euston weren't running it was 2.5 hours each way plus knitting at the meeting (even though I was taking minutes!). I finished the body and a whole sleeve and started on the second one. But I haven't bothered with a picture since blue and green stripes - well, they're basically just stripes aren't they. I did get a chance to have a good look at everyone else's projects though and a pair of gorgeous cat mittens are hovering on the edge of being added to my ravelry queue.

Next week I'm hoping to get the SkipNorth website up and running and also announce the pricing. It's all coming together very nicely and once again we've been able to keep the price down to a very reasonable amount. More next week though...

Hey Royal Mail, why don't you go screw yourselves?

Fucking c*nts.....I wish, I just wish, there was some alternative. I hate them. I goddamn hate them. Every single chance they get to misinform and waste my time...AAAARRRGGHHHHH!

Happy thoughts. Calm thoughts. Kittens. Balloons. Buttons. Ahhhhhh, buttons.

Look what arrived (at work of course - this is the only place post is getting to me at any more).

Loads of lovely buttons. It is the Ravelry button group travelling button box. I had it once before a few months ago and it has been round the world since then before coming back to me. Anyone can join so hop on the discussion board if you fancy it. These are what I took out:

And what I put in, including some lovely handpainted ceramic ones:

There have been more stitchmarkers being produced too. Green and purple themes. The green ones are as an angel since their real partner bailed on them.

After some frustration and a certain amount of panic (stitch holder sprung open anyone? Eeek)

The bad cardi is done! I've got buttons on order from Woolly Workshop so it won't be properly finished til the IKnit day but the body is all done.

I'm really happy with it!

I've also been working on a present for my sister and a christmas present too! I know it's a bit early but I'm wondering about how many presents to try and knit this year vs buy and thought I'd do this one while I felt like it. I've also started a jumper for Pooch which I've had the yarn for since SkipNorth 2008. I love it and Pooch has solemnly promised to love it too and not tumble dry it. I'll be taking it on the train to the KCG Directors meeting on Saturday.

The green is greener than it looks - a kind of moss green which matches his lovely eyes.

The first cardigan was too small, the second cardigan was too big, but the third cardigan was just right, right?

Except I haven't made it yet. The too big cardi is still on the hook but look, it's too big right?

The word that comes to mind when I try it on is 'matronly'. It makes me think of the Queen. Not because she'd wear it but because she doesn't wear tight fit things.

I really like the idea and the combination of the two stitches. And I really like the idea of not ripping it out, but still....it's too big.

I'm going to leave it on one side for a few days and see if it gets any smaller. Knitters will recognise this as a common tactic.

Meanwhile I have made some more stitchmarkers for another swap-bot swap.

This time the colour was 'orange' and yes, they are perhaps more red and yellow than truly orange but I think they'll pass muster.

The weekend saw me in Lancashire with the in-laws. All those jokes you hear just don't apply at all. I really love going there. This time I was once again fed to within an inch of my life and Pooch's sister helped me buy my first pair of tap shoes. I never knew she was an expert. I've signed up for lessons starting in September. So excited!

I can't sign off without mentioning Royal Mail. Ahhh, royal mail...how do I hate thee? Let me count the ways. I should have known that having screwed up in my favour by marking my account as paid when I hadn't they would find a way to rectify it. They cancelled my PO Box even though their compuer was showing it as paid and have returned all my post to sender. I called them this morning and they apologised profusely and have promised to reinstate it. Meanwhile all my post has returned to sender whereupon you can be sure it will never ever be seen again. I hate them. I really, really, really hate them. Has any company ever been so loathed? Why has Mr Branson not set up a rival? Pleeeeeease Mr Branson.

Massaged to within an inch of my life

I can not quite understand why, but since I last went to see Timo at the Pineapple Studio so much time has elapsed that he and his wife have had another child who is now 6 months old. I really don't know why I hadn't visited for so long because the man is a genuine genius. He's so nice too and has an excellent memory so he was asking me about things I must have told him 18 months ago. It was like seeing an old friend. This morning I woke up with twinges from muscles I had forgotten I had but with my back ache much less than it has been for weeks. I would strongly recommend him if anyone in london is looking for an expert massage. Bliss.

Meanwhile the wretched henley continues. This is the cause of my bad cardi blues. I've lengthened all the bits apart from one arm which I am still slogging away on. I am starting to hate it though. There's nothing so ghastly as thinking you've finished something and then have to rip it back and do more on it.

To alleviate the monotony I have started something else. It's the crochet crop cardigan which I spotted to Ravelry. It's very simple and is going along quite nicely. Makes a relaxing change to the henley.

I'm using some generic purple wool I got at Coldspring Mill during SkipNorth. 500g skein for £6 DK and very nice it is too. And speaking of SkipNorth....anyone free 20-22nd March 2009? Because that is when we will next be going there. You can join the discussion group here or the Ravelry group here.

I also treated myself to some Tapestry. I've got a soft spot for this stuff even though it seems to pill awfully. I've been planning a clapotis hybrid in my head and I think 4 balls will do very nicely. I love rainbows even though the yellows make me look ill but the yellow in this is quite muted.

We're off to Pooch's parents this weekend for some extended family fun. Pooch is going to watch the football on sunday so I'll be coming back by myself. There are engineering works on the way back though so the journey will be 4+ hours. But then what is that to a knitter? I just need to remember to pack an extra ball or two!

Afternoon to fill, with...

So I've spent the morning watching the first four episodes of Studio 60 on the Sunset strip, but I've now got the whole afternoon ahead of me to do something in. But what...

I think part of the problem is I had quite an energetic and productive day yesterday. Lots of house stuff in the morning, a visit to Nic, Andy and Pete in the afternoon and then socialising in the evening. I hadn't seen Nic and co for ages so a visit was long overdue, but we were also planning the next SkipNorth. Those of you in the ravelry group for this reknowned knitting holiday will have seen some discussions already. Hopefully we should have a date in another week or two. It's also a certain gents birthday next week. I can't believe he is 1 already. He is really just the most amazing little boy. So happy and lively. So aware of what is going on and interested in everything. It's a real treat to spend time with him. But all that moving about has made me feel I should be similarly active now.

I'm back in the swing of the durrow jumper for my step-dad. I gave up on the cabling of the original pattern which meant paying attention to every single row and went with a more traditional one instead. It's only on the sleeve - all the rest is 4x2 rib.

So one of my options is to carry on with the other sleeve and get it finished. His birthday isn't until November but considering I first offered to make him a jumper about 5 years ago it's probably just as well to get on with it.

Another option is to get on with ripping the necessary bits of the bad cardi blues cardi. I need to do it in daylight really.

Another otion is to take some photos for my spoonflower fabric. Have you signed up to Spoonflower? It's a waiting list, like Ravelry used to be, but it only took a week or so to get my invite. They print whatever you want on swatches, fat quarters or yards of fabric. The blog has videos of designs they've printed. Some are simply amazing. I was thinking of taking a photos of my pastel metallic knitting needles or maybe some yarn. Not original, but then it's my obsession. But then I am not sure what I'll do with the fabric, and I feel I ought to have a project in mind before I decide on a design.

Another option is to start another button t-shirt. This one is for a friend who is going to do an Masters in Wales next month. I was going to sew the buttons on in the shape of a tree. Not terribly original, but I think she'll like it.

Another option is to start on my next set of stitchmarkers to swap. I've been running swaps for them in all different colours on swap-bot. Now it's orange. I've done red, yellow, blue and green and so there is only that and purple left. Here are the green ones, which went out last week.

It's been hard parting with some of them but then I've had some lovely ones in return so that makes it easier.

Or I could dye my hair.

Eek, just not sure. May have to toss a coin or something.

Of course I'd intended the three-quarter-length sleeves all along...

The adult baby jacket is finished. I'm really happy with it.

I was going to pick up at the ends of the sleeves and knit down but I decided I liked the 3/4 effect. The only thing I can't decide on is buttons. Despite having more buttons than sense I don't seem to have the right ones in my collection. Will have to ponder somemore. Am going to declare it finished anyway. Blurry freak shot...

I love making this for babies at it knits up quick and is visually fun without being difficult.

Had a fun sunday being a photographers aide (or an 'umbrella bitch' as my sister lovingly put it) while she who must be obeyed practised her photography. I haven't seen the pics except on the camera's mini viewer but all the changing of lenses and explanation about filters was very impressive. Here we are taking a well earned rest.

We are always discussing whether we look similar or not and I think we definitely do in this one. Last time I posted a pic of Sian someone left a comment asking how I'd lost so much weight so just for clarification I am the one on the right. I have actually lost 1 stone 6 pounds now but she is into all sorts of energetic stuff (comes from having a crazily buff army boy I think - he's a cross between a viking and a brick poo house) so has the edge on fitting into designer jeans.

The aforementioned viking-house will shortly be leaving for a stay in one of the world's less salubrious army destinations where I am told it reaches 52 degrees during the day. Sian therefore tells me I shouldn't send him anything knitted. Can this be true? One small facecloth surely wouldn't hurt? Perhaps I will have to hold out til we declare war on Iceland. Then I'll be in my element.

Bad Cardi Blues

My cardi don't fit me

Armholes are too tight

I worked on this baby

Sometimes real late at night

To make it better

I'd need to rip out the seams

All that fricking mattress stitch

Can't face it again

I've got the bad cardi blues

Cause the arrrrrrrrms are too tight

.....................

Feel my pain. I need to add at least an inch to the left front, right front, back and both arms. At the very least I need to undo the 3 needle bind off on the shoulders and the seams putting the armholes in place.

The armholes are definitely all wrong. The lace pattern is pretty though.

I also finished off another project. Ironically this one is too big. When I started it I was 1.5 stone heavier and I thbink it would have been a perfect fit then. Anyway, I sewed in all the ends and sorted out the collar and fastening.

Fastenign is very simple. Just two hooks.

I am feeling a strong need to finish off some things after ruminating on the 22 unfinished projects on Ravelry. It really is too many!

Lovely stuff

So much good stuff. The most amazing has to be this pillow which was a surprise present earlier this week. It is astonishing.

It's called 'Thoughts and Dreams' and is by the artist Louise Riley, and it was her that gave it to me. I met Louise through working with her mum and she is such an amazing person as well as artist. I was gobsmacked when I saw it.

The first side is dreams...

Isn't it beautiful?

Then naturally the second side is for writing down thoughts. And look at what you write it on...

Isn't that amazing? Look at the detailed sewing she's done to get it to look like a real page.

I just adore it. I keep picking it up and stroking it.

Another present although of a rather different genre also arrived last night. Pooch got me some shoes for my birthday but they didn't fit (not his fault - right size but just too small for some weird reason) and so I finally took them back. I didn't get the same ones but I did get these, which he keeps suggesting might fit him with a bit of 'stretching'. Hands off dude...

What will they go with? Who cares, it was love at first sight!

And as they say on the news, on a happier note, I knocked out one of these little buggers a few nights ago.

It's a free pattern for doing two on 2-needles and then seaming. There is also a pattern on ravelry for doing them in the round but it wasn't working on magic loop and there's no way I was breaking out the dpns after all this time free of them. Plus the seaming went pretty well. The recipient got it yesterday and loves it. She's having a bit of a stress at the moment so I wanted something to cheer her up and remind her she's my best friend x

Yikes, sorry for getting soppy there for a minute. Stiff upper lip, Byrne!

WIP and FO round up

I've been pondering Ravelry and find that I have no less than 13 WIP and 9 UFOs. 22 projects lying around unfinished! That's some serious bad knitting karma. One might think at this point that I wouldn't start a new one but you'd be so wrong. (This kind of thing would never occur to a knitter, but a Pooch might think it.) My best friend has announced her engagement and so the swatching should begin. I'm not going to be blogging about it though so Ravelers will see the action evolving on there.

This is doubly good because my main project has been the adult surprise and as that has reached these proportions...

It's a like a fluffy lap blanket and definitely not suiting the current climate which is decidedly scorchio. It folds up quite presentably.

It's a definite comfort cardigan!