Weekend round-up

Had a lovely weekend with mi muvver marred rather somewhat by the goddamnfucking cricket.

The weather was rather nice and fresh and a trip to minehead revealed the LYS.

Theresa, the owner, was having a bit of a sale/clear out so these balls were all under £1.50 each.

Yes, it is all synthetic but I'll be dyeing some of it and makign wedding decorations with some of the rest. There's nothing crazily interesting there but it was a good shop and the owner was really nice.


This is the view oput of my Mum's garden. Exmoor National Park and this is the view on a bad day. On a good day you can see the quantocks. There are horses, sheep, cattle, cats, bees, all sorts of wildlife. The air is fresh and grade 3/4 lichen grows on the trees in the garden. So Pooch spent most of the weekend indoors watching the cricket.

"Where's Wally?" Can you spot him? He's in the armchair. This caused one or two or more little fractious episodes. When the tv wasn't on the radio was. Even when there wasn't any play there was random babbling to be listened to. Anyway, that's in the past now. Pooch is taking the day off to watch the last day. I'm accepting the fact that he told me he couldn't take any more days off this year under any circumstances. It all meant I got a lot of knitting done.

For example this is an 's' from the simple knits for elegant babies or elegant knits for simple babies or whatever. I'm really loving them. I did the s, i, a and am almost done on the 'n'. You see the sister who does not know about this blog is called Sian and I'm going to do a bit of module magic with them and make them into a shawl - which is what she wanted.

I did mention there were cats in somerset and here is a prime example. Enter stage right Artemis Finn.

'Soppy' just doesn't begin to describe this cat. She hasn't got a mean bone in her body which is something for a cat because I have in the past generally admired them for their cutting sarcasm. Pooch is allergic though so I couldn't play with her much. She's not actually my Mum's - she's kind of catknapped her off her neighbour or in other words Artemis knows that if she comes round in the evenings she gets extra cat biscuits, milk, and a warm windowsill to snooze on.

So it was just about a good weekend although it was touch and go there for a while. I've got some blog reading to catch up on although I do see that nickerjac has spun some more stunning yarn. I feel strangely apprehensive today about work but I can't think why. I have therapy today but it's not that. There is a word that I have known in the past that means a feeling of calm before imminent catastrophe. I always default to fey but it's not that. Anyway, that's how I feel.

SP6 Questionnaire

1. Are you a yarn snob? Yes I guess . I prefer wool and cotton to acrylic mixes. 100% acrylic is a no-no.
2. Do you spin? Crochet? I do spin and love it! No crocheting.
3. Do you have any allergies? Lavender, bio washing powder.
4. How long have you been knitting? Can you knit in the womb?
5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? No sorry.
6. What's your favorite scent? Vanilla
7. Do you have a sweet tooth? Yes! But no bits of nuts in the chocolate. I'm not allergic - I just don't like the combination.
8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? I make stitch markers with wire and beads. Love spinning too. Have tried most things.
9. What kind of music do you like? Nothing in particular - all very random. I listen to lost of audio books of old style detective stories.
10. Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? No.
11. What's your favorite color? I love red. Most colours are good apart from dark blue.
12. What is your family situation? I have a boyfriend. No kids, yet! No pets either although I do love cats.
13. What are your life dreams? That office politics ceases to exist!
14. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? Soft, chunky cotton.
15. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? None - apart from acrylic. Well - cat/dog hair too.
16. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s? Making pom poms although I don't have a pompom maker yet. Hint hint!
17. What are your favorite item/s to knit? Socks maybe? Blanket sqaures as well. One day I'll have the biggest afghan ever!
18. What are you knitting right now? Kaffe fasset v-neck, socks, blanket squares, cardigan...yes, I have one or two things on the go.
19. What do you think about ponchos? No, no, no.
20. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? I am in love with my denise needles. It's double points that I loathe.
21. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? Not fussed.
22. Are you a sock knitter? Yes - but on two straights. have tried all other methods and prefer this one.
23. How did you learn to knit? Mother
24. How old is your oldest UFO? Started it about 8 months ago - still gets a few rows done every now and again.
25. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird? Cats! especially Mr Tinkles from the film 'cats and dogs'
26. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas although I'nm not religous at all.
27. Is there anything that you collect? Everything, according to my boyfriend!
28. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? Interweave and am sorting one out for Vogue. I don't like the UK knitting mags.
29. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on? Have just bought one online - can't think of any although I do love detective stories.
30. Any patterns you have been coveting, but haven't bought for one reason or another?? Nope...I am a bit obsessive about patterns. I hoard them but hardly ever knit from them.

But seriously folks...

I was going to post about how I'd been to VV Rouleaux yesterday and got dissed again by the sloan ranger on checkout. But then someone sent me this link. (TURN DOWN SOUND OR WEAR HEADPHONES). I followed another link and ended up at this blog.

http://www.20six.co.uk/BLACKRAT/

This guy is amazing. A really good writer (he seems to be a journalist) and thoughtful etc - I'm very taken with it. He's prompted me to order Tim Collin's Rules of Engagement and to look up the text of the speech he made to his men before the Iraq war started. Now I'm not a political person - I like my life to be easy and full of wool. But I have really enjoyed reading this guy's current posts and it reminds me that getting dissed by a sloan ranger is just so petty and boring. They're silly expensive anyway - much better to wait for ally pally.

In general I have been having a very boring time but am off to Mum's for R&R this weekend so won't be posting. Pooch has made her promise to let him watch cricket the whole time. I have my alphabet blanket although I'm still on the same letter. It's a xmas present so can't tell you which one but it will spell their name.

As evidence of my boring life (and in an effort to hold true to Nickerjac's rule about not posting without having something to show....behold my office.

This is the view from my corner. Note how I have highlighted the sheer volume of Samir's hair. I mean, is it actually illegal to take pics of people in your office without telling them? Anyway, to continue...

This is Vishanti. She's not actually hurt we were just mucking about with the old bandages they were throwing away from the first aid packs.

This is my desk, containing the essential tool for living - a slinky spring. That thing keeps me going, seriously. But wait....what can this be.....

Believe me, this is the only fun thing about my job - the electric stapler dad 2 bought me about 4 years ago for xmas. Quite possibly the most useful present I have ever received.

Don't worry almost done. This is Hannibal. Because I also love it when a Plan comes together. He and I share a joke every now and again (and this is with me taking the pills). There is also debbie mcgee on another wall who is my icon for public understanding work - if debbie mcgee would understand that sentance then it's fine for public consumption etc etc. She is wearing a nice blue dress and silver shoes. And finally..... the view from my window.

My Director actually came down here this morning and asked me whether I thought we needed new blinds. I don't know though - if they were good enough for this desk owner 40 years ago should I really be criticising them in their off milk paleness now?

Oooo yeah

So there I was at NWKnit tog last night with that accursed teva durham cardi pattern and I'm at the point where it says 'after 1/2 an inch start to divide for sleeves' at which point it says 'join another ball of yarn'. JOIN ANOTHER BALL OF YARN????? I'm already knitting with 2 balls of yarn and this isn't intarsia, it's all one colour. So Teva wants me to have FOUR BALLS OF YARN enagaged at the same time. Yeah so I'm obviously carrying another two balls around with me.

You know what? I hate that cardigan.

It is afterall knitted with the drunk yarn. Which incidentally is shedding all over me. I hate it. From this day forth that is a ufo and I'm reclaiming my denises from it and putting it on a holder.

So instead I have inpetuously begun an alphabet blanket in the merino aran I got from coldspring. I won't forget that loop d bloody loop thing though.

my name is byrne...and i am funky

Hat finished and though I say so myself it looks rather fine as well as extremely mental.

In fact, it looks like my good self aha tra la. Now some people will tell you, the blaggards, that I only loathe dpn's because I can not use them. Aha, not so. But it is true I will avoid using them because I HATE them. Look at the suffering they cause me when I am forced to put them to work.


Have had a good but busy weekend. Pooch and I have a new flat sorted. Got it on Saturday and it's near Canada Water in docklands and even bigger than the current one. I went to Barnes to see Nikerjac in the afternoon. I know I keep saying it but I do love it down there. She also thinks that it is an actual wedding (the cast off thing) with the two named individuals who's names I can't recall actually tying (or perhaps 'knitting' fnah fnah) the knot. My flower garland yarn should be waiting for me at work today. Other things waiting for me are a hellishly busy day and news of the new job as the deadline was Friday.

Yesterday was a momentous occasion but to understand quite how momentus I need to prepare you with a little history. Mum and Dad divorce when I am 4 - Dad goes off with his secretary and in due course have 2 kids. The eldest is Freddie (female, 17), the youngest is Piers (male, 13). Alex and sister spend alternate weekends with Dad up to about age 14 maybe? Then Johanna (secretary) and Sian (original sister, 25) fall out big style and no more home visits allowed. End to seeing Freddie and Piers who has just been born. Piers seen once when 3 weeks old when accidentally bumped into them. Skip forward 12 years (last summer). Alex goes mental big style and is hospitalised, gets out and starts campaign to see siblings basically in case she tops herself big style in the near future. So...phew... meeting takes place on neatral ground between F, P, me, Johanna and dad. Is extraordinaryly wonderful and mentions are made of a visit to their house for bbq's and whatnot. Skip forward a year to a month ago. Me reminding dad big style that it's been a year and no visit has happened. Skip forward to yesterday and there is a nervous me plus the reassuring prescence of Mr Pooch heading down to Canterbury to visit the house they've lived in for about 10 years for the first time and to spend a family day with my extended family.

IT WAS WICKED! I had such a good time. Freddie I have seen a couple of times recently and she was on good form doing physics summerwork as school starts again today. I was running round their gorgeous garden making plane noises and Pooch was lapping up the gorgeous views. We had lunch, sat about and chatted and then Piers, who had been umpiring some cricket, got home with Johanna. You know those strings of firecrackers where you set one off and then the rest catch and you get a series of explosions. That's kind of like Piers. I have no experience of teenage boys so I don't know if this is normal but he is SO energetic! Pooch was running round the garden as well after a while and there was lots of playing catch and stuff. And then there was a bbq which Piers and Pooch cooked between them. That was lovely too with gorgeous salads and the 6 of us all sitting round the table in the garden. Ooo I can't really describe it but it was so so wonderful. It may have taken decades to come but it well, I was going to say it was worth the wait wich it wasn't but then it did go someway to making up for it. I just hope it continues - I'll need to keep up the momentum with Dad. I love my Dad x

Set a knitter to catch a knitter, or sheep.

Baaaaaaaaaa!

First let up reflect on the beauty os sequins. For lo! Is there a sequin that is not as beautiful as a summer's day or as round as a circle. I love sequins but only subtly - not in those sequin cardigans or anything. So in my long-term plan to knit a lengthways scarf I am including beautiful pink sequins. Because, as I might have mentioned, I love sequins.

I might be repeating myself, but I like sequins. Hence my decision to spin yarn with the 'love' sequins in it. And even though it is only in its early stages the hat knitted of the aforementioned yarn is already adorning my head.


It has been a week of good post this week and what could be better than the first parcel form my secret pal arriving after being sent to me, returned to her as undeliverable, and sent back to me. And in it was some divine linen/viscose mix in blues.

Now I know I'm getting obsessed, but does this also say socks to you? Garter stitch or lengthways maybe? But then that would be to hide them away. I know what you're thinking now though - mitred square, dude. I have been meaning to knit one or two of these and make them into a stonking great something for ages but still haven't. Then make the squares into a bag perhaps? Dude, I don't know. But you can be damn sure it'll be good. There was also a chocolate bar!!!!!!! and a lovely notepad with a pencil. I love my pal.....I'm going to find out who she is with the next parcel - can't wait!

Meanwhile my last parcel reached my own pal and she has left a comment here! Here she is...She is very cool - I'm really glad she's liked the bits I've sent. I have of course signed up for secret pal 6 and the new button will be appearing to the left of the screen very shortly. Wooha!

I did say it had been a week of good post because I finally crumbled and bought myself the dolly mixture bracelet and necklace from firefly gifts.

This is just the bracelet but the necklace is just as good. Everyone keeps asking if they are real ones.

I was thinking about patterns today and how everyone else I know seems to have some coherent plan about what they want to knit and when. I just have whims. And I did buy that little red notebook for a reason - my knitting notebook which I do carry with me everywhere but have yet to actually write anything about knitting in. So - reformed as I am - I shall make a list. Tomorrow. Maybe. It's probably a good idea anyway.

Lastly, I promise, I'm sorry some people who read regularly can't coment anymore. It was the spam that drove me to it.

Repeat after me....

"I do not need chocolate. I may want chocolate. I may fear my life will end if I don't eat chocolate very soon. But this is not the case. The desire for chocolate is just that - a desire and not a need. You are a strong and knitterish woman. You do not have to obey every request your body makes. You can say no to this desire."

Or I could say yes - would that make me any less strong or knitterish?

So it would seem SecretPal6 is already getting underway (gah, signup deadline is the 3rd - why don't they tell people these things?!). I don't know though...I have really enjoyed this one but then there is the sock-a-long and christmas presents and so on. But then they do have some good buttons...Ooooo I just don't know (but as with chocolate I know I will do it eventually).

Bashed out a couple more rows on the dreamcatcher cardi last night at golders green group and then sat back to read the next chunk of the pattern. Teva, my dear, what do you think you're doing? I read ahead. I read the damn pattern and noted all the 'AND AT THE SAME TIME' bits BUT I did not expect that 'at the same time' referred to the whole of the rest of the pattern and not just the paragraph it initiated. Jane had an 'at the same time' pattern and it was written much more clearly. Ripped 4 inches and was quite disgruntled.

The Golders Green posse have received an invite to the cast-off-knitted-wedding on 9th Oct and boy am I going. I've also just ordered some white, pink, yellow and green chunky acrylic from Dianne's knitting yarns (link in list on the left) to make a flower garland. May also make some cupcakes. The invite says 'bring your own food because all the food there will be knitted' Ought to knit myself something snazzy to wear to it and I think maybe Picovoli from Magknits might be the answer. I was never particularly aware of magknits but it looks like good stuff and I do like this pattern. Alright goddammit I'll admit that I happen also to have got a ball of gypsy from Dianne too so I thought I might use that round the neck and hem. I can't help it people - I just love Gypsy. I know it's wrong but it's like the chocolate - I am powerless to resist. Ahem....anyway.....

Am going to join Jane on her next Elann order so something else to occupy me later on is choosing what I want - the denise extended cable is a must but I'm sure there are one or two others things I could bear to have in la stash as well.

And finally...there is this. The Dulaan project. I think I might get involved. Will ponder that too. Hey you know whatever happened to my list of words that I like? I'm over using ponder and I'm sure there were other good ones on there just begging to be used. Will dig it out.

Sock Knitting Exchange

Yippee. Go to http://socks2005.blogspot.com

Hum hum hum, pinch him on the bum

Am just watching 'The Sting' on TV. This is definitely one of my top five films. What are the others I hear you think. I can't tell you. You'd stop reading.

So anyway, Pooch and I have had a jolly nice day lolling about and going to Greenwich via a very long route. You see someone had left their pda on the DLR. And I know that if I lost mine I would have to go through some *serious* sarcasm from John, never mind the expense and data loss and stuff. So anyway I ring the person who is marked as 'work' on the PDA address book and tell them I'll leve it at Canary Wharf. So get off at CW and there's no staff anywhere, cause it's the DLR and it's all automated. So then we (I am with the Pooch) trawl all the way across some place and past a load of shops to get to the tube station and give it in. And then we decide to have lunch in this one place called Itsu which is all the way back across the other side and right at the top except we get there and it's closed. So then we go right back to the other side again for italian. I feel like I'm doing laps byt the time we get there. Anyway, enough moaning. As Pooch says it just goes to show doing the right thing has its consequences.

This is the two of us having done 'the right thing'.

Pooch had taken me to Greenwich for a shopping trip on him following the ridiculous bonus he got so I stung him for.....£11. What is it with me and taking money off people? I know it is a good thing really but then 'good' has you doing laps of canary wharf. Anyway, it's quality that counts and I came out of it with a lovely felt needlebook which is already housing all the needles that were previously 'put on that bit of carpet for safety' and so on. Or at least the ones I could find anyway...

I also have a heart shaped red felt badge from the same place. And then a red beaded rope necklace and some 'Alex' sequins. Which kind of brings me to....

Handspun stuff with the love sequins. Thought I'd felt the swatch I did and friends, looks yuk. So note to self do not felt this stuff - just knit and go. Also machine washed two swatches using the koolaid-dyed stuff and the darker one came through fine. The one that I've already knitted a sock out of bled a bit. Hmmmmmmm.



Have been feeling a bit lost knit wise - think it is all these socks - so thought I'd whip off a quick needle felted heart for the Poochster. And also maybe it would help to confess. It seems to help Catholics afterall. So....I am being sorely tempted oh knit-god-of-the-stash. I know it is wrong....I know it is wicked....but you see that jumper on the sheet behind the heart? It obviously needs dpn's but despite this I find myself....wanting to knit it. I know I know....what's come over me? I also want the circular cardigan on the cover of Vogue knitting. What has happened to me? Afterall, we all know my life mantra - 2 needles good, four needles bad. Perhaps this is a midlife crisis?

So anyway, like, whatever dude. Had something really important to share but can't think what it was now. So this is not goodbye, it's aurevoir....

Pondering....

I have had quite a lot of time to think today...because the fricking cricket has replaced me as Pooch's main love. We were going to go out this afternoon but then we started bickering at lunch so we both decided we shouldn't go out in case one of us got annoyed. I am quite pleased about how we handle stuff like this.

So I have had lots of knitting and internet time. I have set up a shop at spreadshirt.net, done all sorts of things with socks and wrapped up parcels for my secret pal and my secret-pal-angel-style-person who got neglected the first time round. Been meaning to post stuff for a week already.

So with the socks...I went off the red/green dyed wool this morning so decided to swatch it and wait til I had put it through a machine wash before forming a conclusion.

So then naturally about 2 hours later later I decided I couldn't wait til tomorrow to see how the swatch turned out and knitted a sock with it. Is really cool stuff although I have had that problem where the repeat length means the colours don't distribute that evenly. I remember this from my 'spinning designer yarns' book so slap wrist byrne for not thinking of that. This is the private side of the sock that has the seam.

I would like to point out that the seam isn't that visible, is smooth and doesn't stretch apart when worn. Feel my seaming has really come on leaps and bounds this weekend. Then this is the right side.

Needless to say I totally love the colours some 10 hours after going off them.

So what has Pooch been doing today? Well, you know how glass is a fluid at room temperature and does flow very very slowly which is why really old windows are thicker at the botom than the top (seriously, I'm not making this up). In the same way Pooch has assumed his liquid form and he and the beanbag are becoming a single entity.

I believe that might actually be shane warne on the tv.

I have been giving some thought to the whole thing about using dyes (feel weird writing the word 'dying') and feel I have concentrated too much on the act of changing the colour of the yarn rather than considering what colour I am actually changing it to. So the byrne head will be more given to colour than conquests when it comes to using dye in the future. Or that's how i feel at the moment. Give me 10 hours and I might have changed my mind.

There is something else that I have been giving a lot of thought to but it's kind of hard to write about without giving the wrong impression. I have met a man, although he's only 22 so more like a boy, who I really like and we have loads to talk about but it's a platonic friendship in its early stages rather than anything remotely sexual. This is quite a weird thing for me because platonic stuff with men of my own age (or about an aeon younger - I am now feeling all of the 27 years. I think maybe my body never meant to make it this far so it's experiencing some sort of culture shock that those chocolate biscuits don't get metabolised as they used to. Anyway I digress...) Where was I? Ah Yes "...platonic stuff with men of my own age...." never used to happen. This may sound weird but it's all part of the madness and so I'm not used to being friends with a guy without either fancying them or thinking they fancy me. And I'm quite big headed so this was never an issue before (Think "you're annoying/upsetting me but then you're ugly so maybe you can't help it" and other such twisted thinking). So anyway this guy is called Samir and he's just started work at the Institute. He has an afro which I think is very cool because he's half arabic or something like that so hasn't the appearance one would normally associate with such a hairdo. We had a long chat on Friday and his tag name is Afronaut which others gave him because he did physics with space science or something at Uni. I think this name is wicked. Anyway, apart from the platonic nature of this being new I am also curious to see whether he's actually playing me in some way. He has this whole shy-thing he does and it could so easily be a ruse. So another first is the fact that I am entering this friendship with a healthy disregard for any exclamations of truthfullness or innocence he makes. I must remember to tell therapist Louise what an excellent job she has done.

Another thought that has been bugging me is this - you know in cartoons when someone has a raining-cloud over their head....if they put up an umbrella would the cloud move under the umbrella with them and carry on raining? Yes I know, there's more to life than trying to find logic in cartoons but I can't stop wondering about this one.

Can hear another sock calling to me and surely...but surely...the cricket must end soon. I wonder what Daniel's up to. Haven't seen him for ages and he's another young man I have a platonic friendship with although that didn't happen til we'd done all the naughty stuff first. He reminds me of Keanu Reeves although he would be outraged to hear me say so. If I catch up with him I will take a pic to show you all!

And Pooch, I know you'll read this, the toothbrush is still in the boots bag in the front room and you are the bestest boyfriend ever and not even Keanu himself could tempt me away x

Wool Masher Monthly

Isn't that a great name for a magazine? If I weren't so busy fighting crime while weaing spandex in my spare time I'd probably start it up. But then I would only make another million and lose it after having my heart broken by an unscrupulous nogooddirtydawg.

So here we go, in this first and only edition of Wool Masher Monthly.

Have had a busy day over he old dye pot. Or saucepan. You see, dude, that's the good thing about koolaid - it's nontoxic so you can change the colour of your old grey pants without needing to keep a special saucepan for it. Not that that is what I was doing. Oh dear me no.

So here is what we started off with - 300g of superwash wool all together. 100g each of white, aran cream and pale heathery green. All soaked and in 50g skeins.

Here is what we ended up with at the half way point. One of the green ones suspended over 'grape' and the two white skeins half in and out of 'lemon and lime' and 'cherry'. I love that cherry red colour.

And what happened to the two aran skeins? Well....I thought I would try something Nickerjac showed me about sprinkling the dye onto wet wool then steaming it. Except this is koolaid not proper dye and it didn't exactly work. There were a number of obstacles to be overcome.

1. The only colours I had left were ones I hadn't used before so I wasn't sure of the colours that would come out.
2. The wool wasn't wet enough.
3. The koolaid doesn't have the same permeating powers as dye.
   

Here is me trying to overcome obstacle three.

Yes folks, it's a potato masher. It came to me as if in a dream. It didn't work but it made me laugh for a while.

Anyway after about 2 hours of fidgeting about here is what I ended up with, drying off.

The grape and green. I'm liking the colours.

The cherry and lime. This one I really love.

The 'what-the-hell-dude' that obviously didn't work that well.


Does everyone else own a copy of this book. If not you seriously need to. This woman, this goddess amongst women, is the bees knees. I located the joining technique I was after and socks....socks abounded. My cup runeth over with socks. (You know I'm going to have to abbreviate this episode of Wool Masher Monthly as Pooch is getting the hump with me tapping away while we watch 'Enter the Dragon')


This is the complete pair I am wearing as my fingers strum the keyboard.

These are some for christmas presents.

And then there's these.

OK, Pooch severaly miffed now. Got to go my sweets x

Crimes against Jumpers

Behold... http://www.berroco.com/exclusives/gypsy/gypsy_lg.html

The formatting toolbar isn't working at the moment so I can't make this a link but copy and paste only when sitting down - this one is a baddy.

Plans for the weekend anyone? Personally I have dying on my mind. No, not a return to the bad old days but with Koolaid! Hooray for koolaid! I bought a load of superwash merino yesterday and plan to have my wicked way with it tomorrow. You see I am in a sock knitting frenzy and have been furiously knitting one pair that need sewing up, half of a regia 6-ply jacquard, 2/3 of a regia 4-ply stripey which I realise I have been knitting on one 2.25 and one 3.25 needle (i.e. one of each) since forgetting to substitute the second needles after finishing the first 5 rows of rib. I am now part way down the foot. Doh! I kept thinking the fabric seemed a little on the firm side.

3 whole days. 3 days! Yay. Oh I forgot to blog yesterday - but at lunchtime during a 'kung fu physics' demo I chopped a block of wood in half with my bare hand. It was terribly exciting and I have hardly stopped talking about it since. Really made me feel I had achieved something.

Have given up on the making-a-backpack idea and am instead focussed on the waiting-for-it-to-be-delivered-from-ebay idea instead. A bog standard pale blue one for a fiver which should be slightly better for me.

Do you know I feel far too doolally to actually write anything else coherent here. Sorry peeps - I'm off!

Eye candy part 2

Thanks for the comments and suggestions people - although there is one I want to discuss with you. Nick from CSI. Now Nick you would have thought meets my criteria - beefy, dark hair, fairly chisseled but NO! There is something just a little bit pathetic about him so on my list he will not go. Warwick however...now you're talking. So to continue...

• Warrick from CSI - yeah I could have found out his real name but that really isn't the point here you know. Just look and enjoy.
  
• Johnny Depp - believe me the king of kings was only left off through lack of time before. I actually found the whole pirate thing very attractive but hell you know. I'm now thinking this list is starting to reveal too much about me.
  
• The Rock - can you tell what he's cooking?Yep, another buff wrestler but this one acts too!
• Ok this really is quite shallow. Enough said I reckon.
  

Eye candy

Is that a derogatory title? I just mean these people are lovely to look at.

• Tom Ward - Silent Witness plus a voice to go all crinkly about.
• Keanu Reeves - obviously
• John Cena - WWE wrestling champion and badass
• Pooch - image to follow
• Angelina Jolie - as a straight woman I am not ashamed to say I fancy Angelina Jolie. But I never knew how hard it was to find a picture of her with her clothes on.

To be continued.....

Floating

I went and bobbed about in a flotation tank last night in London Bridge called Floatworks. I've never done that before and the experience was very worthwhile although I didn't manage to switch off that much. I do feel much more relaxed generally though today so I'll see whether that lasts.

In other news Pooch has taken to wearing his red hat...and nothing else....around the house. I thought about posting a picture and then thought how many of you it would upset and decided against.

Told my boss yesterday that I was going to do this other job and he was rather annoyed. He kept saying he wasn't annoyed with me and it was a great opportunity for me but..... He ended by advising me not to let Sean get away with it cheaply and to insist the MBA was from Cranfield or London Business School and on a massive payrise.

I've done a two needle sock in the variegated brown mercerised cotton I bought at the weekend. A lot of people think it's too rough for socks but I'm ok with it. I'm trying it out too as I quite fancy it for a jumper and this is a good way of swatching on a large scale and really trying it out. I feel I might be entering another sock knitting phase (on 2 needles of course) so it's a good time to start bashing out the xmas presents. When I was with Lucy and Lou they both complained I had never knitted them anything and Freddie started in too. Freddie has now been going out with Becky for 8 months so I think she might be a fixture for some time to come - better find out how big her feet are too.

So sorry no pictures this time....the SkipNorth website is almost ready though so if you want to be told when it goes live email me at skipnorth@hotmail.co.uk It's going to be a wicked holiday!

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.