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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Massaged to within an inch of my life

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

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

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

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

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

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

Afternoon to fill, with...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Or I could dye my hair.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bad Cardi Blues

My cardi don't fit me

Armholes are too tight

I worked on this baby

Sometimes real late at night

To make it better

I'd need to rip out the seams

All that fricking mattress stitch

Can't face it again

I've got the bad cardi blues

Cause the arrrrrrrrms are too tight

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

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

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

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

Fastenign is very simple. Just two hooks.

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

Lovely stuff

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

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

The first side is dreams...

Isn't it beautiful?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WIP and FO round up

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

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

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

It's a definite comfort cardigan!

St Ives

Pooch and I were there last week for 5 nights and it was loooooooovely. The weather was mixed but no out and out rain and we managed to fit in quite a lot as well as some of the yummiest food I've had in ages.

St Ives itself is just magical - all this has been said in a zillion tourist info leaflets but the light is amazing, the weather seems different to everywhere else in cornwall and it's easy to see why it's a magnet for artists. You just gotta love it.

This was our hotel. Dating to 1420 or something.

Visited the Tate and the Barbara Hepworth sculpture garden. That was amazing. So peaceful.

We took a boat trip to see the seals, one of which then followed us back to the harbour.

There were walks by the sea and even paddling.

There was also extensive studying of menus as we both ate tonnes of fresh as can be seafood.

And then we took a trip to the Eden Project, which was a real highlight. This was also the best day weatherwise. It was gobsmackingly great.

The wholeplace was landscaped perfectly. There weren't any screaming kids (something we couldn't avoid in st ives) because there is so much for them to do. And plenty for the bigger kids too.

For me the Rainforest Biome was the highlight. It was huuuuuge. And steamy and boiling hot. And the plants ranged from tiny to staggeringly large and there were birds in there too.

Gratuitous flower pics....

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone.

So overall an excellent week. The only downside was the screaming kids - one in particular called Olivia particularly sticks in my mind as ruining the most amazing lunch of fresh crab mayonnaise on bread warm from the oven. But then you can't seem to avoid that.

Finally this is a knitting blog afterall...I have ditched the EZ adult surprise plan and instead gone for the Herrick baby coat which should be rights be as famous as the EZ one since it is kind of the same but easier. And free. Here on ravelry.

Give away! All free.

Am having a clear out. Send me an email to littlelixieathotmaildotcom saying which you want. I'll give it til Monday to let people have a chance of seeing the things then if there's more than one for each I'll draw a name at random. I'll only send these to the UK or Ireland though I'm afraid.

First up...t-shirt short-sleeved size L (approx 14).

Black jeans. Size 16 bootcut long length from Next with hand embroidery. Machine washable.

Free sock pattern from Get Knitted plus gift pouch. I don't know where I got these from but I've got two copies.

Random spinning bits - some very bad handspun (probably about 50g) and some bats ready to be spun but not very well made.

I'll post properly tomorrow about St Ives and so on. Woo ha!

One small step for Byrne, one giant mess for Royal Mail

Hey look, my post from the last two weeks...

To my absolute astonishment it actually was at the delivery office when we went to collect it this morning. Then when I got back the postman handed me three more red cards for things they "couldn't deliver". Unbelievable. Actually, bearing in mind that this is royal mail, believable.

On the plus side I basically got a second birthday since I finally got cards and presents! I got some awesome stuff. The big thing was an amazing edwardian glass necklace from my Mum, which can be seen here on top of the cupcake book from my sister.

Sister Sian also got me some lovely Noro sock yarn to try out. I know I always hate noro because of the knots but I thought I'd give it another go.

As well as the birthday presents I got parcels from a few swaps I've been doing. Blue stitchmarkers. These are amazing.

Red stitchmarkers.

Also some books from Bookmooch (see left sidebar). Two japanese knit books and crochet hats.

I can't believe more people haven't joined Boookmooch. I got all these for FREE! Just posted some of my used books off to others who wanted them. Genius.

There were also a few things I got myself as birthday presents. I've been wanting this for quite a while...

Am going to take it on holiday with me next week. Pooch and I are off to St Ives for 5 nights. While away I'll be working on my cable socks for the Ravelry Interweave Group July KAL. I've dyed up this yarn especially since I thought they really needed pink.

My final self-present was 600g of Kauni. All 4 balls are the rainbow colourway. So lurvellllyyyy.

Very finally, I've found a hexagon I like so am thinking of another afghan. Here's the pattern. This is my first attempt.

I like it!