I Knit Therefore I Am

A moment of Madness

2011-07-23T03:42:00.000-07:00

I'm off on holiday soon with my family, most of whom are outdoorsie types who like nothing more than to be dripping wet, covered in mud and astride a bycicle with a seat like a razor blade! Me? not so much. I like my outdoor experience to be a little more civilised, leisurely walks, open air cafes, outdoor decks with stunning views where you can sit with your knitting and a drink (coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoon and gin in the evening) You get the picture.

The problem about being surrounded by people who spend most of their free time outdoors is that they have a permanent tan. I am a typical Scots lass, blue eyes fair skin which is prone to freckles (in fact the only thing that disqualifies me from being on a shortbread tin is that I have brown hair not red) I don't tan, I never have and I suspect I never will so this year I decided that I would get a "Fake Bake". Good idea? you'd think so wouldn't you.

I trotted into the salon full of the joys of spring got chatting to the very friendly young woman who was going to give me my treatment (hang on, treatment! it's all sounding a bit serious) I explained to her that I have never had a tan and I only wanted to look lightly sunkisses, a healthy glow (rather than being as palid as Golem) and that my skin was dry in some places and normal in others, she assured me that solution number 9 would achieve just that effect and that I wasn't to worry this product worked on all skin types.

So brimming with confidence was I that I happily stepped int to the little booth where the compressor powered equipment was all set up. 15 minutes later I emerged feeling like I had just been given a coat of shellac and looking alarmingly brown. Again I was told reassuringly that this was just the guide colour used so that the "technician" knew that all exposed areas had been coated. So I left the salon with a pamphlet of useful advice on how to care for may new tan, it would develop over night and in the morning all the brown stuff would wash off in the shower leaving me with the desired effect.

During the evening I watched in horror as I went from pasty to mahogany! I lasted all of 4 hours before I fled to the bathroom for a shower and oh boy am I glad that I did. Even after using soaps on the banned list because the oils in them remove the fake tan I still look like an Oompah Loompah (from the original film with Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka) causing great hillarity in the household. Oh and guess what, remember I said I had dry skin in places (namely my hands) they have turned out even darker than the rest of me!

Oh well at least I'm not at work and will spend most of my "Orange Period" in the company of complete strangers who I will likely never see again. From now on I'm sticking to my traditional blue/white complexion, and I don't care how many people go snow blind because of it. (there is no picture to accompany this post!)

52PPIV Total fail!

2011-07-08T06:48:00.000-07:00

24 pairs, that's all I managed to do in the space of a year :( Still, not to be deterred, I've signed up for the 26PPii. I should be able to get through 26 pairs in a year shouldn't I?

Anyhoo here are my first pair

Summer Spirals made with Opal Cotton.

Ear Worm

2010-09-22T06:13:00.000-07:00

"When you swim in the sea and an eel bites your knee, that's a moray."

I had to share this with you, its been going round in my head ever since I read it on someones Facebook status (thanks Ava)

52PP IV

2010-06-08T05:09:00.000-07:00

Well its the end of the first week of the 52 Pair Plunge IV, and I have been busy getting some submissions ready.

The idea of the Plunge is to knit a pair of socks every week for a year so that you end up with 52 completed pairs by the end of May. Now I know myself pretty well, and I know that I will be distracted by some shiny new pattern for a shawl/sweater/toy at some point so my strategy for getting the plunge finished successfully is to knit like a maniac early on so that if I do fall off the wagon I have at least a couple of pairs in hand (enough to give me time to finish a simple sweater for example)

Here are the first of the pairs

1/52

Emily's Socks

These are made for my DD and are a UK size 2. I used Knitting Goddess 4ply sock yarn in a semi solid pink colourway and had lots left over soooooo.....

I used it to knit these I made some mods to the pattern to give these a picot edged cuff.

And last but by no means least, I knit some baby socks (thanks goodness for pregnant friends, these little fellas knit up in no time)

I don't need a psychic to tell me that there will be a lot more of these in my immediate future LOL!

Its been a while

2010-06-02T05:45:00.000-07:00

Abject apologies, I have been missing in action for months now and its due to nothing more than my lazyness.

I have been knitting (They will have to prize my needles from my cold dead hands!) and cooking most of my spare time away.

I knitted this little fella with left over sock yarn, I think he turned out pretty well.

I've signed up for the 52 Pair Plunge IV, and as the name applies I will have to churn out a pair of socks every week for a year!! That along side all the other works I have in progress ( finally started a February Lady Sweater) should keep me amused for the foreseeable future and should provide a suitable amount of Blog Fodder.

As for the cooking, cupcakes have become a passion in our house since DD had a bake sale at school. They are so simple yet look so impressive. Also confectionery has been a theme with fudge, toffee and peppermint creams being the most requested items. I had a bash at a home made BBQ sauce which turned out really rather well, and should I be able to recreate it I'll share the recipe here.

Swallowtail Shawl

2009-08-26T03:07:00.000-07:00

I made this Swallowtail Shawl (Evelyn Clark Designs) for my daughter using Wendy Happy 4ply, its the second one I have made and I prefer it to the first. Why? well its a matter of using the right yarn. The first one has yarn which has pooled instead of striped and I don't like it as much. Having said that, its 100% cashmere which makes it very cozy so it will be worn when the colder weather comes.

Disaster!!

2009-07-11T02:44:00.000-07:00

My brand new spindle and slivers arrived yesterday (Yipee). Unfortunately, I was out watching our dear daughter in her drama group show and stupidly left my unopened (eagerly awaited) parcel on the kitchen table. Whilst I was out our dog decided that because she had been left on her own badness was the order of the day and ate the parcel!!!

I returned home to find the previously beautifully carded slivers of merino strewn hither and yon and the spindle chewed into several bits.

Am I impressed? NO I AM NOT!

A new hobby

2009-07-08T03:51:00.000-07:00

There is something very satisfying about being involved in things from the beginning, I can totally understand why some people give up their modern rat race lifestyles and go native in the country (no funny remarks about small holdings please) Now I'm not saying that I'm ready to eat bark and knit my own shoes, in fact I enjoy the fast pace of my working life, but at home I have a hankering to take things easy and to create things from scratch. I have no artistic talent, I can't paint (apart from emulsion) or sculpt for example but I can knit and the sense of achievement when a garment, toy or pair of socks is completed fills that little creative area in my soul.

So I think I am now ready to take this creative process a step further, its time to play with the big girls and boys and learn to spin!

I have long listened to my Plurk Pals and Ravelry Chums waxing lyrical about the joy of spinning and using your own hand spun yarn so I've taken the plunge and ordered one of the drop spindle starter kits from http://handspinner.co.uk/index.html

I'm eagerly awaiting its arrival and will share my "roving" adventures.

Happy New Year?

2009-01-21T02:41:00.000-08:00

Well here we are in 2009, and we are off to something of a vain glorious start. The world economy is in meltdown, the Middle East is in chaos and my knitting stash is in uproar. Ok the last of the three will not impact on anyone else's life but when the puppy gets hold of the Funky Fur your dear daughter begged you to buy and makes the worlds largest knot it turns into something of a minor crisis.

On the subject of disasters, dear daughter was bitten by her pony during the holidays and her confidence to be in its presence has taken something of a knock (bloody Shetland ponies bad tempered little bas***ds) still she loves the little brute so it has escaped the glue factory this time. Its partly my fault, we have not been doing any riding since the weather started to turn icy at the beginning of December due to my paranoia about horses slipping and injuring themselves or their rider (been there done that got the scars to prove it) so the horses have had very little exercise or contact with the children for months. Hopefully by the time the weather turns for the better she will have forgotten the whole affair and be ready to interact with it again.

In other news, I seem to have started many projects over the festive season but been particularly bad at getting anything finished! I did manage a pair of gloves using Opal Harry Potter sock wool in the Dumbledore colourway

and a Republic hat using Rico Designs Roxy wool/acrylic chunky

Not much to show for almost three months is it.

In contrast to this poultry amount of finished objects my "works in progress" pile is huge! Currently on the needles are a Stephanie Japel Thick and Thin Cardigan Coat http://www.ravelry.com/projects/MaryModern/thick-and-thin-cardigan-coat ,a pair of Urban Necessity Gloves http://www.subwayknitter.com/uphtml/urban%20necessity.pdf, a pair of two at once socks (making these up as I go along, wish me luck), an Isadora cardigan and a pair or grinch gloves.

Will keep you posted on progress (if any) as it happens.

I really hope that everyone managed to have a lovely festive season (despite all the gloom and doom) and that the new year brings great joy and prosperity to you.

Slacking?

2008-11-27T10:53:00.000-08:00

No as it happens, I may not have shared any of my knitting projects lately but that does not mean that there have not been any.

With the run up to Christmas, I have been busting my stash with small one ball items to augment peoples Xmas prezzies. I tried to think of things which would be useful, (no point in making a crochet bikini for someone who lives in the North East of Scotland) unusual and attractive. I've been doing quite well with the women and children but the men are a real pain in the rear. Every man I know has mega large feet, so socks are out of the question as I would still be knitting rounds in July, I can't find a gents glove pattern I like and hats are dull! (end of rant)

So, to share what I have done so far:

The Flower Scarf

These scarfs are great, you can have one knitted up in an evening using a single skein of yarn. I used double knitting yarn (worsted weight 8ply) but the pattern calls for 4ply (fingering) I like the DK version, it makes the finished article so cozy yet still retains a modicum of style. I can see a few of these in my immediate future

The Tamarind Cowl

Another easy knit, this time using aran weight yarn. The yarn I used is Debbie Bliss Pure Cotton which I reclaimed from a tank top I knitted and hated , so never wore. Its amazing just how many projects I will get from the reclaimed yarn from my frankenknit.

Knotty Gloves

I rather think I missed the point with these, I should have used a plain dye yarn instead of the self patterning so that the cable work on the wrist could be seen. They are a good fit though and I will be making further pairs in the near future when I lay my hands on a suitable yarn. These are made using Wendy Happy 4ply in the Pisces colourway, I only used half a skein because of its generous length so I may make another pair of Knotty but miss out the pattern section.

So as you can see, I have been working away quietly trying to make a stack of stocking fillers before Santa comes.

Gotta Love It

2008-11-26T07:54:00.000-08:00

OK, take a deep breath in through your nose, hold it for a second, and let it out

Aaaaaaahhhhhhhh.

Can you smell the sea air, hear the waves lapping upon the shore, feel the crisp bite of the wind stinging your face? No, well we could.

You really do have to love Aberdeen. There are not many cities in this world where you can walk for 10 minutes from the city centre and be greeted with scenes like this.

Yet here are the little stars sledging, and the only footprints we can see are our own

Its not often that the North Sea looks like a mill pond either but it did on Sunday.

The little stars had great fun sledging, they were given these Ski-Doo boards last year for Christmas and never got the chance to use them.

It felt like there was not another living soul for miles around, yet there is a huge housing area right behind the hill, thousands of families going about their daily lives yet from this side of the hill you could be in the countryside not in the centre of town.

It was good for the little stars to get some fresh air into their lungs and some healthy exercise running back up the hill every two minutes only to come whooshing back down in under 5 seconds.

It was a Happy Hallowe'en

2008-11-01T04:09:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd share the pumpkin photos:

This is my sons pumpkin, its a skeleton looking out from behind a grave stone.

and my daughter made a spider in its web.

The kids had great fun making these, and my thanks go to

http://www.pumpkinlady.com/pattern.htm#2008

for the terrific patterns.

knitting update

2008-10-28T05:55:00.000-07:00

Do you remember the toe up socks I was trying earlier this month? Well here they are

Loud aren't they!

I went back to the usual cuff down method for my next pair. I don't like the way I have cast these off the dpn's its far too tight. I like the yarn to work with though (even if I'm not too sure about the colour scheme)

Talking of the next pair,

I don't have a photo of the finished pair, but you get the idea. This is also Wendy Happy 4ply, I much prefer these colours ( this is the Aquarius colour way), and that its not just self striping, it pools in pattern too. I can't wait to try the other colour ways in this yarn range to see what they do.

I also knitted an Irish Hiking Scarf for the Knitting Purls Winter Warmies KAL on Ravelry

I am quite pleased with this, so much so in fact that I might even give it to someone as a gift (I don't normally inflict my knitted items on other sentient beings).

I am in the middle of yet another pair of socks ( honestly sock knitting is more addictive than crack) and I am going to look for a pattern for a dog jumper for the new puppy.

So much to do, so little time!

What have I agreed to?

2008-10-28T05:17:00.000-07:00

After years of begging, pleading, and throwing of tantrums I have caved in. The kids are getting a dog!

What kind of dog I hear you cry, is it a sweet little lap dog that will fit neatly into a pocket? NO! its a great big Deer Hound Bearded Collie cross which, at 9 weeks old, is already 3 feet tall when standing on it back legs. In fairness, she is very cute and seems quite calm.

We went to see the puppies last Saturday, so she is reserved and waiting for us to collect her this Saturday. The little stars wanted to take her there and then but I still refuse to have a dog in the house when they are at school and we are at work, so we had to buy a kennel for the garden before she could come to stay.

Here are the little stars picking the puppy:

The one on the left is the one they chose, the larger one of course

And here a better photo of the puppy the little stars eventually chose:

The excitement in the house is incredible, and the sole topic of conversation is the puppy and what to call her (Holly look to be the favorite at the moment) .

If I am to be completely honest, I am looking forward to having her in the family too ( but don't tell the little stars, it will ruin my credibility)

Toe-UP

2008-10-11T03:42:00.000-07:00

Several months ago I decided that I would like to learn how to knit socks. I had been reading other peoples blogs extolling the virtues of sock knitting and wanted to see what all the fuss was about.

So after searching Ravelry for a suitable starter pattern I decided to try http://www.cometosilver.com/socks/

I can highly recommend these tutorials they are well written and so easy to follow.

Anyhoo, I have just about got the hang of cuff down socks on 4DPN's and have knitted several pairs with varying degrees of success, so, its time to try toe-up.

So far so good (although the first round after the cast on is a bit difficult to get the hang of) I am using Wendy Happy 4ply in the Capricorn colour way. This is lovely yarn 75% Bamboo and 25% Nylon and because I took the photo at work (it was lunch time) the ugly strip lighting does not do the colours justice.

This is another work in progress to add to the ever growing pile but Hay Ho I'll get through it all in the end.

Spooky!

2008-10-10T05:59:00.000-07:00

With Halloween just around the corner, my two little stars ( MonStar and DisaStar) have been on my case to make pumpkin lanterns. We have the same performance every year, they want their lanterns so early that by the time halloween comes I have to help them make new ones because the original ones are soft and stinky!

This year however I found a kit (lurking in the back of a drawer, don't know how long it has been there) which gives you templates to work from. I am rather impressed with the results.

Little MonStar chose this one because "Witches are girls mummy" Its such a shame that pumpkins don't come in pink it would just make her day if they did.

This is the one chosen by Little DisaStar, he being more of a mans' man he had to have something kind of scary.

Still, I'm pretty impressed usually these kits which promise fantastic results are disappointing but not this time.

I hope that the second lot we make will be as good.

This is New

2008-10-09T05:09:00.000-07:00

Well I've finally done it!

For ages I have been threatening to "Get me a Blog" and here it is. The one thing that I didn't bank on is how difficult it would be to fill. Usually, I can talk the hind legs off a donkey, I have opinions on just about everything (including people who are opinionated) and can cause a riot in an empty room when the mood takes me, but today when I finally get around to doing this - Nada, nothing, zilch, zip!

I will get better (I promise) I will get a life, I will have things to say, but for now I think I will go and find some pretty pictures for you to look at.

TTFN