Birthday bonanza

Well let's get to the juicy stuff straight off...

This is the whole haul. Pooch gave me the boye needle master set of interchangables, which so far I've only played around with and stroked a lot.

Aren't they beautiful? But what I don't understand is how they can bring themselves to put such beautiful needles in such a fugly case.

What's with that? Plus he got me the pink knitlite needles that have little light bulbs in them for those cinema-dropped-stitch-episodes. Genius!

Pooch also took me out for a lovely sushi dinner, and while I was waiting for it to be time to meet him I just happened to be near Liberty. And I just happened to go into their wool department. Abd I just hapenned to come across some crazy bargains. That's what all that yarn is in the photo. But bearing in mind that I got 38 balls of jaeger for £50 I don't feel so bad about it, and I was due a day from stashalong anyway. So I came out with...

• 10 balls jaeger aqua in butter yellow
• 10 balls aqua in bright orange
• 8 balls jaeger siena in green
• 6 balls in purpley blue
• 6 balls in cream

Now I did not just go crazy, because believe me I could have bought at least another three colourways of the siena. Also I have a plan. Kind of. The yellow and orange is for a baby blanket. Am thinking squares and probably crochet. The green/purple/cream combo was inspired by the highly inspirational Nickerjac who was crocheting with those three colours at SkipNorth. She was using james c brett merino, which I still haven't seen any of so let me know if you know of a london pusher, or rather don't. Jan had made Nic a baby blanket that was quite stunning - you actually couldn't see where she'd joined the rounds. Has all prompted me to add the 200 blocks book to my wishlist.

I have been going great guns on the sideways sock adventure, and it ended recently with me wearing this.

Now I know my eagle eyed readers will have noticed the slight sag towards the toe end. Lets just look at that in more detail shall we?

That's the end of the toe folded over. This is the downside of a sideways sock. I made it about 2 inches too long and whereas with your conventional one you could just rip back, with this one you're stuck with it. I considered keeping it as a lesson for the future but then there was this as well:

That's the front of my ankle looking very much norah battyish. I had mitred the heel but not used any shaping there and so with two major design flaws I did the decent thing and frogged it out of existence. The mark 2 version is going along very nicely.

Finally, I've been making flowers for my wedding bouquet - and this one is definitely not going to be thrown to the crowd. I have been doing them on the tube on the way to and from work. These are all the tapestry ones. I do like this yarn although I have a feeling it would pill like crazy with wear. If anyone has any experiences of this let me know.

I did get lots of other presents which were all wonderful but haven't photographed them yet. Thanks to everyone who sent emails and things too. Horrah for birthdays!

Wooo hooo

Well we did have a lovely time yesterday. Took a mound of cake and sweets to work today to stop me eating it all myself. I'm leaving photos until I've had a chance to send the link round the attendees but I did want to share this cake, which Julie made, and was wonderfully tasty as well as generally wonderful!

Then I feel these photos are so splendid I'll have to show off a bit. This was my present to Nic, and fling me sideways if the second photo isn't worthy of yarnstorm herself.

So here in rain central it is, um, raining. Can you believe it is July? I am getting married in a month (one month today in fact) and here we are trudging around in wellies. Actually wellies would go quite well with the dress but the shoes I've got already will be much better.

I was hoping to get a podcast out last weekend but paypal decided to cancel my payment to podbean and the whole site got suspended. I'm pleased to say it is all up and running again but it means it'll be a few more days before I get round to that. Now.... I'm off to trawl blogs to read about Woolfest.

Baby Shower Count Down!

Have done the biggest shop ever for tomorrow. Need to warn people not to eat too much before they get here! I'm really looking forward to it though - will be great to see old friends and meet new ones and all with Nic's happy times ahead in mind. Which reminds me, still need to finish my gift!

In between baby showering, MBA, Pooch-maintenance and...what was that other thing? Oh yeah, working... I have been doing a cracking amount of knitting. Had a bit of a medication malfaunction this week and the mindless knitting on the EZ charity jumper really helped me calm things down. I've chosen saddle shoulders as I hadn't tried those before and it is working out OK. Almost up to the neck.

Also while I was at our summer staff meeting yesterday I finished the cherry blossom sock using th yarn my SP gave me in my first parcel.

Rubbish picture as the yarn is really divine and not at all dayglo. Cast on the second one on the tube home and managed to go three stops past where I was supposed to change so obviously a rather enthralling pattern!

Have also started something I've been rolling around in my mind for a while - a sideways sock. I had one attempt earlier in the year which turned out extremely malformed but this one is looking much better. I had found a couple of patterns on ravelry but one involved doing the straight bits then lots of grafting and the other put the seam under the foot, which I am never fond of. So I've ended up doing my own.
This is the heel...

...which I've done using mitering and then a bit of jiggling. Here it is again

and hell, let's not skimp. Let's have a third shot. This is of the whole thing laid out flat.

This is the toe. Not pointy like my usuals but then the feedback I've had is that you *can* have your socks too pointy, something personally I have never agreed with.

So I got so far and thought "Ha! Easy. Away I go for real." I dug out some Zitron Lifestyle that is german but which I bought in NY earlier this year (note: still knitting with stash like a good girl). I bought it and was then shown some small child knitting with it and looked on with horror at the fairly broad stripes of fair isle lookalike which put me right off it. But knitting sideways all stripes are thin and overall I am really pleased with it.

That is one side of the heel you can see there. Next comes the sole then the other heel side before doing the top. What is that part of the foot called anyway?

Am hoping to get another podcast out this weekend. Thanks to everyone who has been saying nice things about it! If there's a blog you think I should be mentioning just point me to it and I'll give it the once over.

Button button, who's got the button?

Here is one for my podcast: http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y193/littlelixie/podcastbutton.jpg

To get it to appear you need to use this little bit of html but get rid of all the asterisks as they're making it not appear as html
**<**a href="http://lixieknitsit.podbean.com" target="_blank"><**img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y193/littlelixie/podcastbutton.jpg" border="0" alt="Lixie Knits It - the podcast!"><**/a>

and one for my ravelry addiction:

I can send people the photoshop file for the latter if they want to sub their own name in it. littlelixieathotmaildotcom finds me.

Woo ha!

Ha!

Been mucking about on photobucket.com

Ravelry mania is gripping the nation

Or at least that bit of it that contains me. Have been coming round from a migraine today but have found a little time to go on ravelry.com and have a poke around. I am so hooked. Do you remember when you first started blogging? It's like that, only better. I've been putting on my current WIP and adding projects to my queue and making friends with people (I'm littlelixie - send me a message!). It is just so darn cool. Join the queue now to get involved - they're sending out a thousand invites a week but the waiting list is something crazy like 7000 so get in the line now.

Enough hysterics. I have a finished object.

Isn't it pretty? I want to wear it right now but am saving it for the wedding. And while we're at it, check out that cleavage. Yeah baby. This whole fat thing has some benefits anyway.

Friday saw me get a make over and I think I ended up looking like aunt sally. I think it is the lips.

Once I got home and got rid of the lips I think I looked a bit better.

Overall I think it's pretty good. I must have done really considering how much I spent on the make up. I could have bought sooooo much wool with that money! Here's the haul:

So anyway, I've been away from ravelry for long enough. Might just check back in there and see what's new...

Podcast and Knitting magazine

Busy week so far... A new podcast is on itunes or at the usual address of http://lixieknitsit.podbean.com. Hope you like it!

At the golders green knitting group last night Laura asked me whether I knew my blog was in 'Knitting' magazine. One short trip to tescos later and here I am...

Weird huh? Anyway if anyone knows the woman who writes that bit do ask her to get in touch and maybe we can share some lixie-love with a podcast interview?!

Quite a lot of knitting to display today. Firstly I am *still* slogging away on the trekking socks. They are very much a 'when-i-can't-thi9nk-of-anything-else-to-do' project.

I have now turned the heel of the second one so they should be finished by the time it gets cold again.

I started a little charity jumper in the round when Pooch and I went to see the fantastic 4 at the weekend. Is nice mindless tube knitting for the tube/bedtime (yes, dudes, I knit in bed).

Finally we've got what i broke my yarn diet for, although it's allowed as it is an i-need-it project. That doesn't quite include the two balls of tapestry that called my name but anyway, I'm counting it as the day of splurging I'm allowed under stashalong rules. The yarn is DB baby cashmerino and the pattern is the retro redux shrug from Lace Style, which Justine and I discuss on the podcast.

I love Debbie Bliss yarn. And most of her patterns. And she's nice too. What a gal. And as for the book, I looooooooooooooove it. Sooooooo many nice things.

Have now had my invite for ravelry and am totally hooked. you want to get your names down and go and have a look at the screenshots over there as it really is lovely!

Proust said...

...that there were only a finite number of faces. This has been really getting to me. For instance, I spent the last two days sitting between these men. Actually the one on the left was on my right and vice versa.

Everyone I see now reminds me of someone else. It is becoming a little offputting.

There has been lots going on chezbyrnesoontobewhittaker. I have been catching up a little bit on my studying which is good. And the secret knitting project is going ok although it is going to be a bit tight to finish it in time. And I have decided it is going to be cold on 2nd aug so I need to knit a shrug. I've found one in lace style though, which i bought after talking to justine about it. Justine, incidentally, will be appearing on a podcast near you any day now. I'm planning to put out another episode this weekend.

Work this week has been quite appallingly awful. It is starting to get me down somewhat, but not enough to actually do anything about it. We'll see what happens when the meds get cut i guess.

I've just thought - the yarn for the shrug means I have to break my yarn diet. Hmmmm, so if I'm going to anyway then....no. Slippery slope.

Well I'm back

Really rather a weird week in italy. It rained a lot and Pooch and I discovered a number of humorous differences in our attitudes to things, such as sitting around reading or shooting the breeze. The train ride there was odd with our own little cabin on the sleeper fromparis to milan. We arrived in the morning very tired and so the first day was a bit of a daze, especially as it was pouring with rain for most of it.

There were some good bits though with scenes like this around most corners.

The ride back was during the day and equally tiring. We had a weird afternoon in milan first and I slept really badly that night so was already tired before next door decided to have their loudest party yet last night, so today I've been walking around in a daze. Combine that with finding I have gained another 4 pounds and am now at my most heaviest ever and having my first assignment due for the MBA and being behind with my studying and I'm not in the best of moods.

I did do some holiday knitting using the knit 1 crochet too cotton I bought in new york. I am rather pleased with it.

Close up of colour change and basketweave front.

It would have been a pic of it in situ but I find images of myself physically revolting as I am now a full 3 stone heavier than I was before I went mad 3.5 years ago.

There was no stash enhancement at all (stashalongstashalongstashalong) but I did pick up these in milan.

Pooch is his usual self, sitting next to me reading about italian cookery. I took about 10 pictures of him sitting in chairs during the week but this first one remains my favourite. In the first class lounge in paris before boarding the sleeper to milan.

Secret Pal Task 2

With the weather turning warmer, many of you are thinking of traveling (though some of you have just returned, you can play along). 1) What do you pack to knit?

• I am off to italy on friday and this question has been weighing heavy on me. What to knit? Cotton as it will be hot? But then if you get a bit sweaty cotton becomes hard to manipulate. Wool? But then might be too hot. Lace? But what if I get into difficulties? Should I then pack loads of emergency accessories in case of this?
  
• Do I take all my denise needles or just the ones I need for the projects I've got in hand? Oh so many possibilities.
• In reality - I'll be taking my cherry socks I've started with my SP yarn, another set of plain socks and then some other as yet undefined stuff. Plus maybe some crochet. Maybe.
  

and 2) What do you hope to shop for?

• I am on a YARN DIET!!! So nothing.
  
• Well, maybe. Patterns don't count. And maybe sock yarn. I dunno. Unlike america am not looking to see if there are any yarn shops nearby.
  

Bonus: Where would you go on a "knitting holiday"?

• Japan. I really want to go to japan anyway but would love to be able to explore their yarn shops and all the masses of gorgeous books I keep ogling on amazon.jp.

7 Random Facts

Here are the rules: Each person tagged gives 7 random facts about themselves. Those tagged need to write in their blogs the 7 facts, as well as the rules of the game. You need to tag seven others and list their names on your blog. You have to leave those you plan on tagging a note in their comments so they know that they have been tagged and to read your blog.

1. When I was 3 I got run over by a Lehane 50+ seater coach outside my house. I went between the two back wheels when it was reversing.


2. I believe I'm allergic to sweetcorn but this may not be true.


3. Once I feel comfortable with someone I become completely trusting of what they tell me. This leads to many wind ups which are oh so fricking funny and always leave me swearing I'll never trust anyone again. But I still keep falling for it.


4. My left foot is bigger than my right.


5. I think I would make a great martial artists if only I could be bothered to get off my arse.


6. I don't think I'm very good at anything much but am just reeeeeaaaaalllly good at fooling people.


7. I think that everyone was born for a reason and therefore has purpose or a role to fulfil or maybe even a destiny. A turning point in my teenage years was learning about the concept of 'planned obsolescence' and I decided this applied to me as well as lightbulbs. I worry that my 'point' has already happened and I'm therefore obsolete and pointless. Yeah, you can see where this is going....bleh

So let's cheer this up a minute. I wanted to share this with people because I think it's hilarious although in my mind the bride is swatting the others with her bouquet.

And timely, as Pooch and I are getting wed, again*. This time it is 2nd August and after that I will be taking his name so it will be bye bye byrney bye bye. I'll be Mrs Whittaker, which is a little weird but I guess I'll get used to it. We've actually been planning for this for months so it's not a short notice as it might seem. The actual wedding is going to be jolly tiny but there will be a family and friends party about a month later which I will be sending out invites for after we get back from Italy.

So back to the meme....I always feel a bit guilty naming others but in the spriti of it.. I name And all that stash, Catmum, craftydramaqueen, heathersdoodles, janesprobablyknitting, http://knittingatnumber9.blogspot.com/, WoollyWormhead.

*Not that Pooch and I have been married before, but we've got to this stage before. The last wedding date we planned was coincidentally next weekend and that got called off because....yadda yadda. Check the blog posts from about a year ago for the whole sorry history. It's all sorted now though. Yaroo for Pooches!

Gimme some blanket love...

and this is still my favourite square out of all of them. The FO is about double bed sized and amazingly warm. Pattern from sping 06 interweave crochet and it used shed loads of elann peruvian highland wool.

So a jolly nice weekend really, apart from the coughing and sniffing my head off. Is on the way out though. So now wondering whether to start something new (but knitting from the stash of course) of finish off another UFO. I know what I 'should' do but I have a hankering for a felted bag using the aussie wool I got in new york. Hmmm, quick dip in the pattern stash I think.

Theme of the day

Bleh. Have been on a real downer recently. Have had a heavy cold too which hasn't helped. But I do have some knitting and even some crochet to report.

I finished the blue socks with the subtle rib. I haven't heard from the recipient yet but I was happy with them anyway.

I also finished the opal ones that were my first ever magic loop socks which I cast on at skipnorth. I feel quite sorry for sian as this is not a good pic of her but this is the only one I have of the socks in situ.

I have also made major inroads on the kaffe homage afghan from the interweave crochet my SP bought me from secret pal 6 or 7. I hope she's still checking in here. There's just one more panle to go which is already 2/3 done and then an edging.

I'm pretty pleased with it.

These were a real find when Pooch and I went to Leeds last weekend. These are my all time favourite sweets from my cholhood. Little choc fondant type things in colourful metal cases. I can still remember paying 2p each for these when spending my pocket money as a nipper.

They were a real blast from the past and tasted even better than I remembered. Pooch and I had a great time in Leeds, and had a box to see Rigoleto.

Sadly when I'm glum one of the things that makes me feel better is chocolate. And one of the things that makes me feel down is my weight. Can anyone see a conflict here? But hey ho. I did think this set up looked particularly appealing.

Orange squash anyone?

Nickerjac's meme

Was just wondering how to get back to blogging after leaving such a long gap and saw this mem over at Nickerjac's blog. Have had a visit from the ol'black dog so have been feeling rather pants the last few days. Took a day off work today though to catch up on study (for, oh yes, the MBA starteth) and am feeling much more balanced now.

Edit the list, bold for stuff you’ve done, italics for stuff you plan to do one day, and normal for stuff you’re not planning on doing.

Afghan/Blanket
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting (modular knitting)
Twisted stitch pattern
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
CardiganToy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit
American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Knitting to make money
Button holes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dying with plant colors
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cozies…)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars
Olympic knitting
Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
Knitting with DPNs
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener BO
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
EntrelacKnitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self-patterning/self-striping/variegating yarn
Stuffed toys
Baby items
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mitts/arm warmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

Episode 6 of the podcast

is up at lixieknitsit.podbean.com. Yeeha!

New York Knitting

All shops can be seen on this google map. Let me know if you're having any trouble seeing it and I can email you a copy.

1. Stitches East - a shop near to MOMA and the "Radical Lace and Subversive Knitting" exhibition, review at the end of this post. This was an early introduction to the mixture of uses any building in new york is likely to have. What might look like a residential block may actually have a shop on the 5th and 9th floors. Or, as in this case, what looks like a posh corporate headquarters may actually be a mini mall with offices above it. So if you find the building don't get put off - it's in there, you just have to dig around a bit. Now at this point I was rather travel fatigued so may not have been at my most receptive but nothing here jumped out at me. Also I couldn't see prices on things which I always find amazingly off putting, even if it's just in a corner shop, so I left empty handed. But the woman there was vwery nice so would be worth a look if you are in the area.

2. Yarn Connection - 218 Madison Avenue near where it crosses 37th st. You had to buzz to get in and go through what looked like a residential entrance but the shop upstairs was really lovely. It was what I think of as a UK rural shop being quite jumbled with skeins hanging from the ceiling and magazines dating back many years with curled pages on the cluttered table. There were two women there when I went in, both knitting merrilly, but who very nicely helped me out when I looked a bit overwhelmed. The stock is not huge but what they do have is very nice and they seemed to have the full collection of noro and a very decent selection in the $5 bargain bin. Lovely selection of accessories too. Definitely a good one.

3. Gotta Knit, 468 on 6th avenue near where it crosses with 13th st. This was somewhere I actually went to three times. Which annoys me in retrospect. I went there twice when it was closed, following almost identical confusions on my part, and the third time I guess could partly have been down to my raised expectations but I left quickly having been very underwhelmed. Very little stock and no prices. All a bit too quiet. But if you do go there is a smoothie place next door called Jamba Juice which is worth a go. Only open 11-5 weekdays and 11-4 sat and sun.

4. Purl - 137 sullivan street near the cross with W Houston St. A real piece of eye candy. There are in fact two shops. The Purl knitting shop seems to be a bit of a legend and is posh in the same way that Loop in Islington is posh - you don't go there expecting the cheap stuff and there was quite a bit of luxourious tillie thomas type silk and lornas laces in colours exclusive to purl and so on. Lots of young hipsters hanging out. The real find was the cloth sister shop a few days which was filled with bolts of divine cotton, the least colourful of which would be the kaffe fasset for Rowan prints. I was quite blown away and could have spent a great deal had I not got far too much fabric already.

5. Downtown Yarns - 45 Avenue A, near cross with 4th st. This was probably my favourite place. It was just what a yarn shop would be like if I owned one. Inside wasn't huge but there was plenty of space to look at all the yummy yarns that were literally floor to ceiling. The owners were lovely and having a funny conversation about english scones as I walked in which I was able to help them out with. They had some lovely needles (I finally splurged on some lantern moon ebony ones here) and there was a big old fashioned kitchen table crammed with casual passers by of all ages knitting and crocheting and two dogs. I'm not praising the dogs, I'm just trying to convey it was a relaxed, all-welcome type place. I spent rather a lot of money here and could have spent the same agin very easily.

6. Seaport Yarns - near world trade centre site 135 william st. I almost didn't go in. What an opportunity I would have wasted! This place was astonishing. I walked in very dubious thinking it must be a wholesaler and almost turned round and walked out a couple of times. When I got in the owner was lovely and took me for a tour through the eleventy seven rooms crammed with yarn of all types from all over the globe. I was handed a lantern moon knitting basket and away I went to fill it up, more or less to the brim. I spent a whooooole lot of cash here but this is where I got all the cherry tree hill and the aussie yarn and the square needles and and and...

8. String - recently moved from madison ave to 130 E 32nd St between Park and Lex. Another top end posh one. Lots of silk, cashmere, laceweight, all sorts but not much under $20 a skein. It was an experience to visit and a very beautiful shop but I was quite content to come out with just one skein of laceweight.

9. School Products - I got here and couldn't find it and gave up. I have since been made thoroughly miserable with tales of such yarny goodness that it apparently contains. All I can say is - try harder peeps.

10. Lion and Lamb - depsite being listed on all knitting shop lists for new york this legendary place has closed down. I got this confirmed from a couple of sources.

Here are two small pics of my annotated (scribbled on) map that I doggedly carried around with me like every good tourist should. Along with a big forehead sticker that says 'mug me'. Click on the small ones and you'll get to the larger versions.

Radical Lace and Subversive Knitting - Hmmmm. I hadn't expected to visit this as I hadn't quite connected the dots in my head that would have lead me to realise I was going to be in new york while it was on. So I went in not expecting it and came out thinking... "I'm glad I hadn't looked forward to seeing that, because it was a bit pants'. Many will disagree with me and I should say first off that I think it's good that knitting and lace are getting out there in the big wide world but most of what was in this exhibition wasn't even remotely lace or knitting and wasn't subversive as much as a bit useless. Some people say that to take something as utilitarian as knitting and make it impractical is zen or art or something or other. But what does it actually say or show about anything if you get a load of old zimmer frames, weld them together and cover them in duct tape? I came out of the exhibition was a moment of clarity about the whole what-is-art debate and decided that art was first what people will pay for and second what people will pay to go and see. And considering that some people will buy anything (I once bought some beer mats on ebay when I got over excited about the thrill of the bid when I first discovered it all) you could say that everything in that exhibition was art. It was certainly 'arty' although that word seems to be becoming rather derogatory.

Here is the leaflet from the exhibition. I thought about the ethics of reproducing it here but as far as I know the exhibition won't be coming to these shores so I consider it fair game. Just no printing it out and selling it, unless you're calling it art. Click on the littl'uns to get the big'uns.