Two Pints Byrne

I drank two pints of beer last night.


I haven't done that ever. In fact I don't even like beer. I was out with friends, one of whom is editor of a beer journal (I'm not making this up) and he recommended this stuff called Boon which tasted of beer not at all. In fact I quite liked it. Apparently it is a spontaneously fermented beer (no I don't know what that means either) and has sour cherries in it. It was certainly a good pink.

I've woosed out of my date for tomorrow. I just wasn't feeling it. On the plus side I now have the whole day to play with my new sewing machine.


A is for ace.

Give me a Resin to Love you

Much time ago I bought a kit to make resin pendants. It was another phase I was going through and nothing would satisfy me til I had made one. Then of course the kit took a week or so to arrive from america (perfectly understandable - lovely seller) to arrive and by then I had moved on to my next obsession. I'm sure that is typical of how the craft addiction cycle works for so many of us. There's so much craft...and so little time...Except there isn't really. There's lots of time and no need to hug every cat or do every craft right now. But anyway.

By no means perfect - you can see the resin has soaked into the white one - but overall I am very happy with them.

The white lady is actually from the envelope Natalie made me for LetterMo. She said she used that page because she thought I'd like the topic and I liked it so much I've immortalised it! Despite multiple warnings with the instructions I wasn't careful enough about sealing the paper (hence it soaking in in that little semi circle) so that is a lesson for next time.

The thing I love about resin is the 3D effect even on a flat surface. Of course that is increased if you use a bevelled container (all of these ones came with the kit).

You can see there were a few teeny tiny air bubbles caught in the holes of the buttons but I can live with those. I think next time I will try sewing some cotton through the button holes so they look more sewn on.

I've got more of the resin left and have ordered a few bezelled ring blanks. I'm thinking a WWE series of rings :)

Seriously though - Can't Hug Every Cat. Everyone should watch this.

Start of a New Era

Bernie came to dinner last night - two person knit'n'natter, very good - and brought the embroidered sewing machine I'm possibly buying from a friend. I've got it on trial.

I have *always* wanted one of these.

I am slightly hamstrung by having been caught unawares with no suitable interfacing in the house. Seriously - I have how many cubic metres of craft supplies and I don't have even a hankie's worth of soluble interfacing? The shame.

Bernie asked me what I was going to use it on. Well for a start all my pyjamas and dressing gowns (hey, I have two, get over it) are getting monograms. Then all my underwear are having inappropriate words added to them. Then I might get a bit more serious and explore some of the Urban Threads designs.

My cold went into remission yesterday - I woke up feeling splendid and even went outside and everything. But by the time Bernie left last night I was full of it again and feel grotty this morning. So I guess it's a good time for catching up on correspondence.

I got two lovely #lettermo letters yesterday and read them both with interest. Natalie had posted about receiving mine on her blog

"two pages in italic-ish handwriting which made me slow down to absorb the information. We are so used to reading typeface in magazines, newspapers books and online and I found myself needing to take my time, not because it was hard to read, but it’s been a while since I read someone else’s script" 

I could relate to this completely when I sat down to read my two. But then one of them was shorter than the other BUT contained two photographs of wrestling! Talk about a bonus. I shall query their origin in my reply.

Snow Again

I never mentioned the snow we had over the weekend. Last night it fell again which coincides with my curling up at home with a cold. I've spent the day so far doing a cat impression on the sofa. I did wonder about going outside for some fresh air and even went as far as opening the window.

That's far enough - baby steps.

I have cast on my first ever piece of double knitting. This is the technique and not a reference to the DK weight of the yarn. It does make it difficult to google though. There is a clear tutorial by Phazelia, who I was swap partners with many moons ago, free on Ravelry.

It is definitely slower than your usual or even ribbing (which it basically is but with a slight change) but then we were all slow knitters when we first started and I have sped up already. I'm randomly adding a dot where I feel like it without worrying about an even pattern. Of course the last thing I needed was to start another project but bleh - don't be mean to me, I'm ill. If you can do 1x1 ribbing then you can double knit and the resulting fabric is deliciously spongy. Of course it will probably be summer by the time I finish the hat - but then maybe I'll go whale watching in Norway and need it.

LetterMo - blogged about here - is in full swing. I'm rather enjoying it! I've written five so far and am now out of stamps.

If you'd like to receive one from me then send me your address: littlelixieat hotmaildotcom.

Well That's Not Good

I have never pretended to be an athlete.

I would not have said that I even particularly liked running.

But I liked the feeling of fitness and the way it kept my bulges to mere hillocks rather than mighty mountains.

I'd been getting shin pain so I went to the Physio. He told me to stop running. I am downcast.

Come on guys! Aren't I due a bit of a break? I finally find something that's good for me and now I can't even do that! I'm really quite annoyed about it. He says I've got flat feet. Flat feet!! I thought that only happened to malingerers trying to get out of national service in the forties. So because the arches aren't doing their shock absorber thing my shins are baring the brunt of it.

I was already a little concerned about the next week or two. I've had psychotic PMT the last couple of times and what with breaking up with Gordon I was not looking forward to this month's instalment. I've been reading up and calcium is supposed to help so I've been knocking back milk and supplements. Exercise is the other essential and now, kaboom, out that goes. I'm going to try swimming. But. No matter what those bloody adverts say. There are some times of the month when I would not feel comfortable going swimming.

Bah.

I made a necklace.

It didn't really cheer me up so I went back to admiring my embroidery.

Just a shame my photography skills aren't quite as good.

Letter Mo

I've not done very well with challenges recently. But coincidentally having written a letter to my ickle brother last week I was thinking maybe it would be nice to have a penpal or something. Not in the Brownie sense. More like in the 'thought you might find this interesting' sense.

Natalie has pointed this out to her Twitter followers. I've signed up and find myself 6 letters behind already! I'd better get writing. Would anyone like a letter from me? I'll post internationally. My email address is on the contact page (tab just below my header) so send me your postal address.

Bye bye baby, baby goodbye

Single again. Again. Ah well. Flash was my third relationship since I left the marital home and I've learnt a lot from all of them. Onward and upward.

I've been tidying up as I'm joining the Exchange Away website for swapping houses with people for holidays. In case anyone reading does have a property in Amsterdam, America, Peru or somewhere else interesting I have a one bed flat with an additional sofa bed which could sleep 4 at a pinch but more like 2 comfortably which is 10 mins from Canary Wharf. You will find it here.

While tidying I wound the skeins of wool I dyed for the cloud jumper. Here they are.

I'm very pleased with how it came out. I used Kemtex acid dyes in grey, navy blue and ultramarine, all quite watered down and then had set aside 2 cakes worth of undyed for the clouds themselves.

I also took some photos of WIP. This is the Minnie the Minx jumper which is approaching the armpits.

I was making it reversible but have decided to stick with the 'right side' of the stocking stitch. I just adore the sequins.

During the week I went to Sheffield for work and had time for a trip to the Wool Baa while I was there. A very lovely shop, crammed to the rafters and with an excellent selection. Bus stops abound or it is about a half hour walk from the train station.

I got some lovely things. The Cascade 220 is for a felted bag. I was planning one in fabric but couldn't find the right fabric. When I saw the heather green and the grey I knew a felted bag would do the job.

I'll write up the pattern once I see if the concept works out. It's a bit tricky because the shrinkage is so different top to bottom and left to right (yes - I actually swatched AND felted the swatch). I adore the colours though.

Sheffield itself was fecking freezing but as well as the shop I popped into the Millennium Gallery where the Crocheted Coral Reef was coincidentally in residence.

Just after taking the photo I was very politely told photos weren't allowed because of copyright. I didn't point out I'd crocheted some of it. And no - I couldn't spot my bit! It's reached massive proportions now. Of course Sheffield is famous for its metalwork. My eye was drawn to a display of scissors which included some HUGE shears...

...juxtaposed with these tiny little things.

They reminded me of the baby crabs we used to find on the beach when I was little. A tiny yet perfectly proportioned version of the fully grown adult. They were perhaps 15mm tall...The cafe at the Gallery is very nice and would make a good knitting group venue. They had an amazing "mix it yourself" hot chocolate where they brought you jugs of chocolate, milk and marshmallows and then left you to it.

Very nice. The setting was equally pleasant. Beautiful palms abounded.

And then there was the background hum. Actually it was more than a hum in this case. I felt like I was in some sort of Alan Bennett monologue as the woman sitting at the table next to me and who is leaning into the picture was amazingly annoyed and outraged by how she had been treated by an outlying branch of her family and was telling her companion all about it. In retrospect, I don't remember the companion saying anything at all.

Lixie Makes It - the Shop!

I've started adding things to my etsy shop. I've got just a few bracelets so far and some of the stitchmarker kits. Let me have your feedback - all constructive criticism is welcomed!

Use Coupon Code OPEN20 to get 20% off!

Busy

I have quite an active weekend. Firstly I was making jewellery. Not unknown I know but this is different - inspired by Nickerjac's success I am opening a little etsy shop. Photos are not my forte but here are some samples...

I've not listed them yet but when I do I shall post the shop link here and .... a coupon code. I do love a discount.

My next little endeavour was dyeing the yarn for my cloud jumper. I had dyed samples of an aran weight but have ended up with 4-ply. I'm also considering intarsia instead of fairisle to make it less bulky. I've unvented (in the Zimmermann sense) a way of doing intarsia in the round. I need to experiment to see if it will work properly though.

The yarn is still drying but looks rather nice. Flash thought the jumper would be just out of this stuff but I have some undyed from the same skeins put aside for clouds. This is all after having originally tried this with some Kauni back in June 2011. My crafting speed may be more glacier creep than pyroclastic flow but I get there in the end.

Lastly I am on stripe 8 of my minnie the minx jumper. I adore the sequins! I'm using russian joins so it can be reversible if it needs to be. They are the next best thing after spit splicing and the yarn is only 30% wool so that wouldn't work. I know that sequins and beads on yarns with bits in always gravitate to the reverse side but I do so much prefer the look of the front of stocking stitch. So I am going to aim to have the whole thing reversible so I can decide which looks best at the last possible minute.

It is the 25th WWE Royal Rumble tonight. I won't be watching it live because of the timing but I should have it in time for tomorrow night. I am VERY much looking forward to it.

Books 2012, #4-6

Clicking on the pics will take you to the relevant amazon page.

#4 "The Old Fox Deceiv'd" by Martha Grimes

This is the second of this series which I've been reading out of order for about 5 years now. Something that astonishes me everytime I remember is that the author is an american woman, living in america. Yet she has these books *so* perfectly set in both london and more rural parts of england in the early nineties. The key characters are Chief Inspector Jury who is one of those men you just want to take care of. He's fine by himself and has various relationships as the series develops but you can't help feeling that you'd get on. He is friends with Melrose Plant, who should be an Earl but has given up the title much to the annoyance of his Aunt who is very believably ghastly. All the books are named after traditional english pubs. In this one, where Melrose and Jury have only met once before, you see the relationship between them develop while Jury resolves a local murder and an ancient mystery. The books are very well written and very engaging. I'd definitely recommend them.

#5 "Appleby's Other Story" by Michael Innes

Another series I'm reading out of order but this time set a bit further back in maybe the fifties. There is no mention of the war or of things being "groovy" so it must be somewhere round then. Innes's writing is very wordy. There are double negatives and sub clauses all over the place. In that respect it is quite like Edmund Crispin and as a result these are not flippant books to be read lightly. You need a certain amount of concentration. Whether you enjoy this or not will depend on whether you can accept that a knighthood and age entitles a man to a certain amount of respect, which I guess it did at that time. The books are a nostalgic dip into a politer age and the solutions are usually pretty fiendish and so you're usually surprised at the outcome. This one is the same and if you like traditional character observed whodunnits you'll enjoy this. 

#6 "Singing in the Shrouds" by Ngaio Marsh

This was the unabridged audiobook read by James Saxon. I've listened to this before and it's one I keep coming back to. The "Flower Murderer" has been strangling women and leaving flowers on their bodies. Another victim is found just as a ship with ten passengers on board pulls out of the dock en route to warmer climes. Could the murderer be on board? Inspector Alleyn joins the ship to find out. This is a rarity for Marsh's books as there is no mention of New Zealand or the theatre, but it is still a great example of her work and very entertaining. 

I'm always banging on about this but if, like me, you get through a fair few books I would recommend Bookmooch. If I kept all the books I read I'd be on a Channel 5 hoarder documentary. Bookmooch costs nothing and you have books you want sent to you in the post in return for you posting books you don't want to a new home. Considering the postage I probably end up spending a pound with royal mail for each book I receive. So it's boot sale prices without needing to have a boot sale filled with like minded readers nearby. You can get any of the books below just by signing up and listing 10 books in your inventory.

Swap books at BookMooch.com

Dramatically Buttony

A rather deathly photo of me in my new Buttony.

I wore it to work today since I managed to give myself food poisoning the day before and felt in need of comfort. You know that feeling when you snuggle down inside a warm blanket? It's felt like that all day. Snuggly.

Cat snuggly.

I fell off the wagon a week or so ago and bought some purple and red Galaxy. I loved it for my Hitchhiker and tried to resist the brighter colours and was sucessful for months!

Red and purple. I've cast on a stripey jumper. Wheeee!

There is a beautiful moon tonight - it looks like the Cheshire Cat's smile hanging there in the sky. Which reminds me of this graffiti I saw in Brick Lane at New Year.

Mow.

Mama's got a brand new....hat

Not really. Mater and I did try on many hats though this weekend. For sister's wedding. This was my favourite on her.

The photos of me came out a little blurry. In any case I have been on etsy. How do you like these apples?

Source: etsy.com via Alex on Pinterest

I love this shop - the things are so delicate and beautiful looking. I broadened my search a bit and came across this. Isn't it astounding?

Source: etsy.com via Alex on Pinterest

I know it wouldn't suit me but...wow! It's practically got free-floating polka dots. My outfit is not yet confirmed so I won't buy anything yet, but that peacock one is certainly quite astonishing.

My book reviews (and thanks to those of you who have enjoyed them!) have reminded me of the usefulness of Bookmooch (I didn't buy any of the books I reviewed) and introduced me to Goodreads.com. They're both free and both very handy. For instance, these are just a few of the books I'm currently offering free to new homes on Bookmooch:

On Goodreads I list and rate the books I've read and get suggestions for more. I am a sucker for Amazon recommendations and so this is like that without then asking for my credit card details. Hoorah! By adding the Goodreads suggestions to my Bookmooch wishlist I widen my reading horizons without having to buy the books. Winning. 

While trying on hats I saw this coat hanging up. 

Definitely not my colours but I liked the appliqué dots and when I took a closer look...

Sashiko! I haven't done any for ages. Maybe it's time to dig it out again....