Small but steady

Small but steady has been the motto of the last week, at least as far as knitting goes. I've finally started knitting my xmas ornaments for the swap on swapbot. The post date isn't for another 4 weeks but i want to make sure I get some good ones made and have some left over for me too. These are the first three.

I've also been working on the knob socks and my zigzag bag, but the knob socks are a present so I can't blog them anymore and the bag is basically just a zig bigger than it was last time I blogged so not much more to show.

The main excitement of the week has been the boiler. It's been leaking and a kind of soap opera saga has begun revolving around me with the kind plumber, alan, the sinister building agent, Leo, and the absentee landlord in Dubai, Tariq, all pirouetting around me. The plumber knows what needs to be done but the manufacturer just went into receivership and it could be two weeks before anyone can get another one. The landlord is awol and not responding to emails. Leo is freaking out in case the water leaks downstairs and there's another insurance claim. Meanwhile the water keeps leaking and here is what it is doing to the laminate in the front room.

Where you can see the ends of the planks that's where the water has reached and caused them to curl upwards. And there's water seeping out. And any minute now it's going to start smelling really baaaaaaaaaad.

Met up with my sister in Horsham yesterday. Did a good round of the charity shops and came across this:

Very sweet isn't it? But I couldn't help wondering what it was actually for. Bit random, having a knitting sheep holding cocktail sticks. Plus it was £5 so I left it where it was.

That's about it for this week. Work has been dire but that's a whole other blog post. But before I forget I offered some Noro sock yarn and the recipients are....

• Nita
• Daisy - except I don't have your address so email me at littlelixieathotmaildotcom and I'll send it along.

Sew Hip it's not even happening

One of the things I bought at Ally Pally was a copy of the brand new 'Sew Hip' magazine. It's a british magazine brought to us by the same people who bought the dubious 'Yarn Forward' from HipKnits. I had seen some trailers for it online and my eye was caught by the cover project - a heart quilted quilt. You can see pics here. Now bearing in mind that this is a british magazine I would kind of expect it to be full of british goings on. The cover project is not applique or fabric painting as I had assumed it must be - it centres around a printed fabric produced by an australian company without a UK distributor. The fabric is AUD $75 per metre and you need 1.7m to make the quilt. They only sell whole metres so that's 2 x $75 + $33 postage to the UK = $183 which is £73 pounds according to xe.com. £73. Seventy three pounds, for 2 metres of cotton fabric. And that's just one bit of the list of things you need to make the cover project. And that's without the hit you take when customs charge you VAT + handling charge.

In the rest of the magazine there are a few cute projects, a profile of Amy Butler, noticeable not british, and some pattern reviews for patterns from two indie sellers - one australian and one american. There is also a designer profile on the inside back page - of an american.

Now I am not against international magazines - I read Interweave, VK, Knitters, Knit Today etc with reckless abandon. But this is a british magazine created entirely in england. Wouldn't this have been a good opportunity to showcase british talent? To have the cover project using fabric only available via mail order from australia seems demented as even if this is meant to grab the american market as a cutesy-british-thing-but-with-an-international-outlook they are going to be as unimpressed as I am at the postage. And I know I don't sew that much but £30 a metre seems a bit steep for fabric. Especially for an unknown brand. Cath Kidston and Liberty are less than that.

Anyway, as you might by now be able to tell - I didn't think that much of it. The only thing that tempts me is the pillowcase totes but once someone has said to you - hey, you could make a tote out of a pillowcase - you don't really need a pattern to make it happen.

Now here in Maison Doom'n'Gloom there have also been some rays of sunshine as well as me moaning about magazines. There has in fact been a fair wodge of knitting going on. I have started and finished a felted cat basket since I last blogged. It is for my Mum's cat. I have been wondering whether it would be possible to make a me sized one. It's very tempting to try and get in.

I wanted to get that done before I started anything else but the moment it was in the washing machine I cast on a stocking. Not just any stocking either - this is for pete-with-the-dancing-feet. It's going ratehr nicely although I have been a bit worried about my tension. Fairisle on magic loop in cotton mix yarn was never going to be easy but it is working out well and I think blocking will even it out.

The other project I have cast on is the ripple-me-this bag from the Fall 08 Knitters mag.

I'm actually a full ripple further on now. It's delightfully simple and is also using the wool I got at ally pally. The colours are jewel-like and yummy. It's going to be a great bag.

I had hoped to get out another podcast this weekend but I've been catching up on sleep for most of it. I have some time off the week after next so hopefully I'll do one then. Meanwhile susetheslowknitter has won the woolmeise - the lucky thing. It is such gorgeous stuff. I've emailed you for your address. I also need to send out the leftover Noro sockyarn. I need to check who asked first so will be in touch with them shortly.

Ally Pally 2008

Torben is going to be ok. They're operating again tomorrow but the outlook is good.

So trying to get back to normality, here is my ally pally report...

Overall it was pretty good. I went on sunday and it was really pretty dead which meant that I could actually get at the stands and fondle things without having to use my elbows (not that I ever do, ahem) and also got to chat to some people I haven't seen for ages. I read Yvonne's post with interest and I'd have to agree - there wasn't that much there that really grabbed my interest. Here is my haul:

I have to admit that my favourite purchase are probably these from Back Door Shoes.

I had a hard time choosing between these and the tomato print. He was a lovely guy and told me they would be producing a wool print one later next year. Am bookmarking the site!

This is the only yarn that I got.

The wool is worsted and for the ripple bag from the most recent Knitters mag. The panda is for a neck scarf like the ripple one by the Clapotis woman. You know the one I mean. However I have determined not to cast on anything else until I have finished the mobius cat bed for Artemis. Apparently she has taken to sitting on my step-dad and manipulating him into her preferred position while not letting him read a book. Mum thinks a bed will stop her as she'll have somewhere else to go.

I also got some lovely beads, buttons and fabric.

I adore the marbled fabric. I love marbling. I want to find out how to do this for myself. Plus check out the little octopus buttons - so cool!

I didn't spend my budget and so when I got home I got ordering some soft touch crochet hooks from web of wool (their stand, incidentally, was pretty amazing - a riot of self-patterning sock yarn - pic below) and some denise accessories from Woolly Workshop.

There is one other thing I have been sorely tempted by. I saw it at IKnit Day too and put it back then. If I've resisted it twice does that mean it isn't meant to be? But then if I keep thinking about it, does that I mean I should?

It is here at Purlescense. Should I.....shouldn't I....? It looks completely impractical.

Outside the main halls there was an interesting display of the hyperbolic coral reef, including this one, made from a crisp packet!

Was very interesting and gave me a chance to chat to Rosie too. She has taken over as Editor of Slipknot and I know is going to do amazing things. I also liked this:

I saw several little-old-ladies having their photos taken under the needles like a woolly guard of honour. There was also the usual sweet stand outside the main hall which brings me to my favourite picture of the day.

I seriously love strawberry bootlaces. When I was living with BoyAlex we used to buy packets from woolworths and eat them til we felt sick. Happy days.

To finish, I finally met up with Alice at Socktopus and as well as exchanging news she gave me to the skein of Wollmeise that was donated as the podcast prize. Isn't it gorgeous?

Seriously, I want it. Would anyone mind if I just kept it and gave some regia out instead? No? Oh. OK then. I'll be announcing the winner soon! And am tentatively planning another episode for next weekend.

Pause for Thought

I was uploading photos to blog about Ally Pally when I got a voicemail from my Mum telling me that my sister's cheating scumbag ex-boyfriend had been ambushed in helman province and was being operated on to remove grenade shrapnel from his leg. He hasn't lost any limbs and his outlook is good but...jeez. It's a real reality check. She's still close to his brother and her wife so she is round there with them. Am really shocked. Will hold off blogging until tomorrow when I should know more.

Chocolate and knitting - perfect combination, and a give away!

Suse asked how the slippers look on...

They're pretty comfy and I think look kind of elfin.

In July Pooch got me a voucher for a chocolate making workshop for my birthday. And last weekend I finally went - it was awesome! There was tasting and history and then the making of 4 different recipes and then hands-on decoration. I came out with tonnes, of which these are just a small selection.

A week later they are gone, but by no means forgotten!

I've finished three socks since I last blogged. One pair is a christmas present so are on ravelry but not on here. The third sock is also a xmas present so I won't blog about it too much but seriously, look at this.

Remind you of anything? Honestly, I couldn't knit it in public. I had to wait til I got far enough along to invert the toe inside the rest of the sock and then keep it hidden like that. The finished sock is on ravelry. It looks truly awful until you put it on, then it all makes sense. This is the free pattern.

My final finished object is the bathmat, using the pattern from the previous issue of KCG's Slipknot. It was quite an ingenious pattern which worked out very nicely. I used some aran weight cotton held double so it is thick and pretty heavy but very soft and lovely to stand on.

Part of the reason I got so much knitting done is because I have been to Edinburgh on the train to give another seminar on mentoring. It was the best one yet, though I say so myself, with about 30+ in the audience and very well received. I do like doing that kind of thing - going out of the office and meeting the people I otherwise only email and helping them - making their career development a little easier. Overall I have been enjoying my new job since it began in Jan. There have been a lot of challenges and certainly the current economic shinnanigans are creating some interesting times but it's been pretty good. The only fly in the ointment is my immediate boss who is terribly overworked and also planning her wedding and I suspect is not well and combination of all three is making her a little bit difficult. Mood swings, changing her mind, wanting things now then stressing at you for expecting her to have read them. I really sympathise and I'd love to make things easier for her but she's not an easy person to help and the rest of us are all up to our eyes doing our normal work and keeping up with her demands. It all leads to a situation that takes up far too much of my time - time when I could be thinking about knitting!

Fortunately tomorrow brings a visit to Ally Pally. Like many my budget is less than half what it has been in previous years. Saving for a deposit and the rising cost of everything makes it essential to rein things in a bit. On the plus side I don't have anything particular in mind that I need so the budget I do have I can have fun with. I'm really looking forward to it!

Now finally, I had some comments from people about the noro sock yarn. I have a load leftover from making my socks so I've divided it into two lumps and if two people want to have some to play with just let me know. The only thing is you have to be in the UK. Email me at littlelixie at hotmaildotcom with the address you want me to post it to and the first two will get it. Here are the two batches.

Crazy slippers

I rather rashly offered to knit slippers for a very stressed colleague. I thought I'd give the 8 square ones a go because they looked quite interesting. I guess it was wrong of me to assume that I could work it out even though it was in finnish. I have since discovered one or two things that will help me in future but I kid you not when I say that three competent adults took 15 minutes to work out how to fold them. I'm going to make a video and put it on youtube. The first ones were too small but the second are just right. So the first pair will be for his son. Unfortunately his son is a twin and therefore I need to make another pair for his sister and it would then be mean just to exclude the mum so I've gone from one to four pairs in a very short space of time. At least I'll not be forgetting the folding technique after doing it 8 times.

They're not exactly elegant but they are comfy and a good way of using up leftovers.

I also finished the noro socks. I washed them and they have got a bit softer but not enough for me to think about using it again.

The colours are nice though and I like the long colour changes and it just happened I was on Ravelry (now there's a suprise) and I came across a link to this site. She sells the sock blanks that Easy Knits had on their stand at IKnit Day and you can dye them yourself. So a little purchase later and there is one in the post to me. I shall dye my own long colour changes!

Ravelry really is dangerous. I also saw the most amazing needles on someone's Ravatar and so had to ask where they came from. I haven't splurged yet - I shall wait and see what Ally Pally brings, but I have listed them as another of my many favourite sellers!

Christmas Ornament Swap

I always mean to make some and never get round to it. So I thought that if I was in a swap to make them I'd make some extras and get to keep them. Plus the ones others send me. Hoorah! Click on the image below to join in.

Anyone can join in and SwapBot is free.

Knitting bag bonanza

Off I went yesterday, on the bus to lewisham to visit the most amazing fabric shop called 'Rolls n Rems'. There are three of them, I think, in London, but I've only ever been to this one. I really love it. I came out with some clear plastic sheeting, two cottons, a stretch cotton for a skirt, curtain fabric, iron-on interlining, 4oz wadding, buttons and a fabric marker for less than £25. Take a look at the fabric:

and some of the buttons.

These are for my button-up socks as they are all quite small.

Nearby are a couple of charity shops and one had patterns so i got these three.

I also splashed out on a huge bouquet of thistles and these pinky orange things. I can't remember what they are now.

And why was I buying all this fabric? As I said on the podcast (which I know has stopped working again - I am very annoyed with the hosts and have complained again - why do I have to spend so much time complaining? I really hate doing it) I have been spending quite a lot of time thinking about knitting bags. For many years I've been using tesco ziplock type things. They're efficient but not exactly sexy. I also have some drawstring type things that I've sewn in the past or bought. The problem with those is that you can't see what's in them and, if you have such a terrible number of UFOs as me that can be quite a hindrance. So, some thinking and many comments from people later and here we are.

I made 4 prototypes. My frist thought was to make a couple of half plastic and half fabric. These are the ones made of the yellow star fabric. I did wonder how to get these to close since the plastic is a bit thick to ruffle properly. And sure enough, exhibit A.

And exhibit B which wouldn't close properly at all.

I do love the fabric though - £3.60 a metre I think.

So then I moved on to the idea of using reverse applique to create windows. This is the first prototype.

The fabric is furnishing stuff and so quite thick. Not ideal but works pretty well. So being happy with this one I refined it a bit. I wanted to make the edges look neater while not having to do too much fiddling about. Plus I was wondering what would happen with a shaped window. Ta da!

I'm going to write up a pattern for people in case anyone wants to make their own! I'll definitely be making more.

As well as this sudden burst of sewing I've also been knitting away. The Noro socks continue, curse them.

The colours are (mostly) good but the yarn is just horrible. If only there was something like a cross between this and kauni but in sock yarn. Closest I've found is this but the colours get blurred when the plies don't match. I have got some of this stuff, incidentally, and it's pretty nice. Cheap too.

I've also started knitting a bathmat after deciding I don't like mine. I'm using the 10-stitch pattern from an old issue of SlipKnot. Going pretty nicely!

Using some aran cotton I got on ebay, held double. Pooch is very doubtful about this and thinks it will never stand up to his use. I told him that another knitter on ravelry said it was used by her and her husband and their two teenage sons. Pooch says his usage is equivalent to that of 5 fully grown men so I guess time will tell.

Thinking Time

I've been on a flying trip to Belfast. Literally flying actually - first time in about 18 months and the security stuff was rather a drag. Leaving belfast all my stuff got fingertip searched because I'd forgotten a can of deodorant. And then once I'd repacked everything I had to go back through security again. The posters at City Airport had a list of things you couldn't have in your bag and one of them was knitting needles. But during the minute search of everything she rummaged in my knitting bag and never said a word. I knitted on the plane there and back so all was well really.

They say travelling expands the mind, and it certainly gives you time to think. I have been spending much time thinking about the Kauni jumper. I got this lot out of the bookcase and had a rummage for ideas, answers and inspiration.

I ended up finding this in the Designing Knitwear book.

So that gave me the neckline and how many stitches to cast on IF I was going to go top down. But then while I was away I got thinking. It went something like this...

1. I'll knit it top down - then I can try it on as I go.
2. That means I'll need to map out the pattern including the increases from the neck down.
3. Ah. That's quite complicated.
4. Wait, this is a steeked cardigan, so trying it on as I go is going to be difficult.
5. What am I going to do about the arms? Whether I go top down or bottom up I'll need to get the colours to match where the arms join the body.
6. I'll probably need an extra ball to get this to work. But I've got 600g so that might be enough. Maybe.
7. So wait - if going top down doesn't bring the benefits I thought, should I just go bottom up. I've already worked out the waist and bust inc/dec to do that.
8. I still need to map out the pattern, but can play it a bit more by ear with the shaping.
9. If I do a fake side seam of a purl stitch I can use that to disguise mismatches in the pattern. ...Or I could forget that and have the pattern matching all the way round.
10. Oh my god. We're all going to die.

Which reminds me - remembering my previous post, has anyone seen this? http://www.hasthelargehadroncolliderdestroyedtheworldyet.com/

Meanwhile I've been slogging away on the noro socks. I really really don't like the yarn. I had a knot which changed purple to turquoise - and my opposing stripe was already turquoise so it wasn't working on so many levels.

I went to see Tropic Thunder at the cinema this afternoon. It was brilliant. The premise is one that has been done before but they did it well. I do like a lot of Ben Stiller's films and this was definitely his film. I don't mean in terms of screentime because everyone got a good amount, but he directed, wrote, produced, created, thought up etc etc the whole thing, although I did see one of the coen brothers credited for something at some point. They very cunningly got you to watch the end credits by having them accompanied by a dance. Not just any dance either. This is the dance of dances. And the dancer is someone so unexpected - the biggest surprise is that he doesn't just not appear on the posters, even as a name, but isn't menioned on the imdb site either. It's staggering since he's known for having a high profile even though he has gone a bit weird recently. I won't say anymore - but look out for him and his hairy knuckles. I didn't believe it was him the first time he appeared on the screen. Took a few minutes for me to finally believe it. Genius casting. Robert Downey Jr was very good too. I watched Kiss Kiss Bang Bang the other day too - I really rather like his acting.

The walk back from the cinema was rather lovely as it was just starting to get dark and the dock looked lovely.

It's been a lovely warm day. Guess there won't be many more, although on the plus side this means more scope for wearing handknits!

Podcast Working Now

I dunno. But whatever it was it is fixed now! Here or on Itunes. Hoorah!

Podcast and more

Let us forget about the buttocks and move on...

I had a day off today and spent it in style getting the rather delayed episode 16 of my podcast out. Sadly it's not downloading so you can't actually listen to it. Tsk. Have submitted a plea to the podbean site owners to fix it so will let you know when it is fixed.

I've also been dyeing my hair, catching up on my trash tv and pondering whether a top down raglan fairisle would work. What do you think? I can't help thinking it is chavvy but I can't think what has put that into my mind. I need to do some googling and see what's out there. Now this is nice. And as for this - if Eunny Jang thinks it's ok to do fair isle raglan then it must be ok. OK, I'm convinced. Now I just need to decide on a neckline. Kauni here I come.

My sister Sianybo got me a skein of noro sockyarn for my birthday in July. I finally got on with some socks in it after seeing some nice stripey ones on Ravelry. But...not loving it. The texture is pretty rough and the yarn changes from lace weight to DK with annoying frequency.

I'm glad I've used it though. It's an experience.

After I blogged on sunday I got a bit crafty and finished off my diary cover. This sucker has been hanging around since 2006. It was going to be a tanktop but I ran out of yarn. So some hardcore felting and trimming later...

I *love* it! It's so tactile and gorgeous. Very, very happy.

I also made a needlebook for a swap on swap-bot. The recipient listed daffodils as one of her favourite flowers.

To get my day of rest off to a good start I had a massage last night. This meant I was in Covent Garden so I popped into ArtBox, my latest favourite shop.

I really love the Happy Panda line. Don't ask me why. It just makes me laugh when I see it.

My miss-shapen buttocks

I got this lovely book from a Raveler after asking whether anyone had one to sell on the ISO group.

I got it from america with postage for £5 less than the Amazon UK listed price. I have never made a mobius out of knitting before so I decided to start with something a bit more basic than the knitters bowl that I have my eye on. So I went for the 'Fanny Basket'. Cat Bordhi describes how after she'd made it she realised it looked like a bottom. The result of a few hours knitting, using the aran left over from Pooch's jumper, was this:

Which after a go in the washing machine has ended up as this rather unlovely creation:

It's just not sexy. I might try felting it more but I don't see it getting any better. Ah well, let us not be discouraged. Onwards and upwards!

The SkipNorth website will be going live within the next hour or so. I'll be posting on the Ravelry Group and the Yahoo list when it actually happens. Very exciting!

Edited: Here it is!

SkipNorth 2009

Book Now!

Are we dead yet?

It's zero hour at CERN today, and it looks like we're not dead. As a person with a physics degree I've been asked to explain what the deal is with the black holes and stuff. Frankly, I don't know. I did my degree 7 years ago. I just dunno. The point is though, that it's cool. And if they find the Higgs Boson that's good and if they don't there's a whole lot of PhDs to be funded. But more importantly, Google have a good animation for it.

I clicked on it, just for fun, and you know on the right of the screen, where they have the paid for advertising? Well, I saw this one:

Genius.