NotSoCarbonNeutral

Winter Warmers Catch-up

2009-01-07T11:34:00.003Z

I'm 3 or 4 weeks behind with the posts for the Winter Warmers swap so in case anyone is reading this and is interested (!) here goes.

Hands
So, what is your favourite winter warmer for your hands?
I have a lot of pairs of gloves - all of them leather and none of them knitted! I like the look of mittens and I'd enjoy knitting them, but they aren't very practical when you've got 3 children and you are always having to carry things, blow noses, dole out sweets, look for your keys - all at the same time. I also have a hatred of fingerless gloves - they remind me of Steptoe or Fagin. Handwarmers, Wristwarmers and cuffs are all nice though and very practical

Do you have a favourite pattern or finished object?
There are lots of patterns for mittens and gloves in my rav queue and these are my current favourites - Anenemoi
Druid Mittens
Paradoxical Mittens
Entangled Stitches
What is your favourite yarn for gloves/mittens/hand warmers?
Something soft - Merino, Cashmere, Alpaca, bamboo - i have sensitive skin so can't stand anything mohair, angora or even rough wool.

Are there any patterns out there you would love to own?
I have the patterns for Druid Mittens and Entangled Stitches already - Paradoxical Mittens would be top of my list.

Neck
I love scarves - I'm a real sucker for buying them though because I find knitting them very very boring. I'm going to buy a loom in order to WEAVE scarves instead - that's how much I love them.
I have never knitted a scarf - either for myself or for anyone else - I must be in a minority on Ravelry - there are some patterns in my queue but I think in my heart of hearts that I would rather someone knitted me a scarf as a present than I ever had to sit and do one for myself.

Feet
What is your favourite way of keeping your feet warm?
I love thick, cosy, very soft bed socks that are slightly too big. I get cold feet in bed so often wear socks to go to bed in and then kick them off in my sleep half way through the night.
Do you have a favourite pair of socks you reach for to keep your toes toasty?
I used to reach for my Fiesta Feet socks until the dye ran when I washed them and now I get upset looking at them. My second favourite pair are my Jaywalkers but they aren't quite as soft as I would like.
Is there a pair of socks/slippers you have been wanting to make for ages but haven't got around to?
So many sock patterns, so little time. I'd like to knit some knee length socks which would help to keep my legs warm.

My favourite yarn (that I have actually touched) is Natural Dye Studio Angel - Cashmere/Baby Alpaca & Silk. I don't get the chance to feel many yarns in the flesh so I'm not an expert but anything with those fibres in would get my vote. PS - I hate stripy sock yarns with a passion.

Blankets
These are by far my favourite warming project and very much needed in our cold house when the heating goes off. I have some woollen and some fleece blankets in the cupboard but I like the idea of knitting some throws and having them ready on the sofas downstairs for when I get cold.
I have only knitted one blanket - this one which looks lovely but has too many holes to be a lap blanket - i need something more solid.

Browsing Ravelry I found these which I like
Scrap Afghan
Curve of Pursuit
Curlicue
I have the first Mason Dixon Knitting book which contains alot of fun knitted blankets - this is probably my favourite. I adore the ones from the latest Mason Dixon book though - this one especially. Can't wait til Amazon.co.uk gets the book in stock.

As an afterthought - it's freezing outside and the best way I've found of really keeping warm has nothing to do with knitting - it's a laptop on your lap, very toasty!

Winter Warmers Kit Swap

2008-12-03T17:04:00.002Z

At least that's what I think I signed up for.... here's my answers:-

What kind of kit are you interested in receiving?
Mittens or lapghan would be my favourites.
Are you interested in any particular techniques?
I'm always up for anything challenging.
Do you knit, crochet, or both?
Both but I prefer knitting.
What is your favourite colour?
This week it's dark red or dark purple.
What is your least favourite colour?
Orange.
What’s your style? (elegant, traditional, glamourous, girly, natural, sporty, outgoing, etc.)
I'd like to think I'm elegant and glamorous with a bit of funky thrown in for good measure.
Do you have a favourite type of fiber or brand of yarn?
Anything soft and squishy - Merino, alpaca, that sort of thing.
Do you have a least favourite type of yarn?
Mohair, angora, anything scratchy.
Do you do any other crafts?
Hundreds of them when I have the time.
Are there any knitting accessories you are interested in receiving?
Something to stop me constantly losing darning needles.
What do you like to eat?
Curry, Chinese, Mexican, Thai - anything with a chili kick. Oh and dark chocolate!
Any allergies/preferences (fiber-wise or treat-wise)?
I HATE NUTS and stripy yarn!!!
Anything we missed that you’d like your partner to know?
If I think of anything - I'll add it here....

Too Many Projects

2008-11-16T22:51:00.003Z

A couple of weeks ago I was struggling to knit anything at all and now I find myself with way too many projects on the go at once....
Firstly I have a pair of socks for my SoSeSaSwa partner - they are pink and knitted in NDS Angel and that's all I can say until she has received them.
Secondly I have a completed Corsica Waistband.
Thirdly I have half a wristwarmer....It was freezing cold this week and I am trying not to put the Central Heating on during the day, my hands were like ice blocks and I could hardly type. I suddenly thought "I need handwarmers" and started scavenging Ravelry for suitable patterns. I don't like fingerless gloves, they remind me of Fagin, so I was looking for something a bit different. I came across these and printed the pattern off only to find that I didn't really have anything the right weight in my stash that I was prepared to use. My brain was too cold to begin to work out the maths required to make it work with the yarn I do have so I reluctantly gave up. I still want a pair though and have added it to my queue.
I scouted around for a few more hours (ravelry is great when you don't want to do any work) and then started to knit these in some beautiful cashmere aran from Hipknits. I got one skein in a mixed Sale Bag of blue and green yarn and I absolutely love it - shame they don't do it any more.... Anyway I knitted a few rows before realising that even though my gauge was fine, they wouldn't go over my hand - frogged and stared again and have now got up to the bottom of my fingers....but I don't like them. I've stopped knitting on them whilst I have a rethink. I definitely need something to cover my wrists and then flare out over my hands so that my fingers are still free - oh and I only have 75 yards of Aran Weight - any suggestions????

My son's school asked me to teach the children to knit and my son's class teacher said she wanted to knit doves for the Church Christmas Tree, which is being decorated in the theme of 'Peace'. Knitted Doves????? Of course - Alan Dart to the rescue and a few minutes later I had made one of these.
My son's teacher loved it and asked my son to make on for her, two girls in his class also wanted one. So this weekend I've made another three and am currently knitting up the pattern in chunky wool on 6mm needles so it will easier for the 10 and 11 year olds....wish me luck, I'm not that patient with kids.....
Oh and the new Twist Collective threw up yet more beautiful patterns to add to my queue - only one complaint though, they are almost all in Chunky weight yarn and there isn't really a cheap Chunky yarn available in the UK so I don't think I'll be able to knit them any time soon. But if you haven't seen Twist Collective yet - take a look, it's much much better than the Winter IK preview that has also just gone online.

Fish

2008-11-10T12:30:00.004Z

Monday is fish tank cleaning day. The Tropical Fish belong to my son but guess who has to clean the tank each week? It takes me anything from 30 mins to 1.5 hours depending on the number of jobs that need to be done and each week I dread doing it and then find myself being sucked in by the task, wanting to make the tank look perfect.

I siphon out 3 buckets of water, change the top layer of the filter, dismantle the pump and check it's clean, clean the algae from the front and side glass and remove any dead bits of plant. Then I make up 3 more buckets of clean water (with chemicals to make the water safe) and put the 30 litres of water back into the tank. Wipe the lights and put the pump back on and the job is done.

I'd like to have a beautiful planted tank like the ones in my son's Practical Fishkeeping magazines but it's much more difficult than it looks. My plants don't exactly thrive and there is always algae on them. Strange that I can rescue almost any house or garden plant and lovingly nurse it back to life, but aquatic plants don't seem to respond the same way.....

Oh and the Beastie at the top is my son's favourite fish - a Golden Nugget Plec. It eats most of the plants and produces masses of pooh out the other end - messy messy beast!

Not Knitting but Cooking

2008-10-15T09:38:00.002+01:00

Whilst (almost) everyone else was at Ally Pally this weekend, my husband decided it was time to make the Christmas Mincemeat. Since I was a child I have had an aversion to Mince Pies and would not eat them. By the time I was an adult I could just about manage to eat a small one politely without gagging but other than that - YEEEEUUUUKKK!
In the early 1990s Delia did her 'Christmas' series and I was hooked (I had serious cookery ambitions then). In the book is a recipe for Mincemeat with Delia's comment that 'once you've tried it, you'll never go back to shop bought Mincemeat'.......
That year I made an enormous amount of her recipe and then used ready made pastry to make Mince Pies. Everyone who tried one said they were delicious and my husband fell in love - not with me, with the Mince Pies. Encouraged by the flattery, I tried one myself and do you know what? They aren't my favourite food but they were actually edible without gagging - I too was in love with the Mince Pies.
Shop bought Mincemeat and Mince Pies are sickly sweet and for the most part, textureless gloop with too much filling in proportion to the pastry - Mr Kipling and Supermarket Own label being the worst offenders. Home made mincemeat is sweet but not overpowering and is full of Christmassy flavours, it retains all the texture of the ingredients and there is hardly any liquid in it - fabulous stuff. Delia was right, we've never gone back to shop bought Mincemeat and it's been 15 years now.
Anyway, it's normally MY job to make the Mincemeat and the Pies but last year I bought a new Food Processor and Husband decided to MAKE THE PASTRY HIMSELF - yes really! Every weekend he would whip up a new batch of pastry and bake some more pies......This year, he decided he would make the Mincemeat as well and sent me out on a shopping expedition for all the ingredients, oh and 'get me two new bun tins as well - the old one is rusty and I need more than one'. Typical man, can't do anything by halves - has to start his own Mince Pie factory instead.
He started weighing out the ingredients with our younger son, but after a while the child was bored and sloped off to watch TV. Then he decided he couldn't work the zester so got me zesting and juicing lemons and oranges whilst he sloped off the to shop for almonds......Needless to say I ended up finishing the Mincemeat. It's made now - complete with a very large slug of Brandy and is 'maturing' until the weekend when, I'm pretty sure, husband won't be able to leave it alone and will start making Mince Pies.
We have also been tempted to make our own Christmas Pudding this year - good ones are really expensive considering what's in them and the Times last week had some good links to recipes for microwaving them, thus avoiding the 6-8 hour steaming process which has always put me off. I'll let you know how we get on this weekend with that project!

I hate Ally Pally

2008-10-08T11:27:00.002+01:00

no not really, I'm just jealous. I went online yesterday in search of some luxury yarn for my SoSeSaSwa partners but every store I went to had cleared out their online inventory in order to take it all to Ally Pally!
There's nothing in my stash that I am prepared to part with so I am stuck until everyone updates their shops after the weekend - how cruel is that?

P.S. was trying to knit mittens for Operation Christmas Child last night but I've lost my sewing up needle again......ARGH!!!!

Busy Doing Nothing

2008-10-05T14:49:00.002+01:00

Well it feels like I am anyway. I could write a very long list of all the tedious little things I have been doing over the last week or so, but you wouldn't be interested, really you wouldn't. I have been VERY busy frogging though
First I cast on for these
And frogged them when I realised my palm was wider than the glove
And frogged again when I realised that the start of the fingers was way too low
And frogged for the final time when I realised that the fingers were going to be too short and that I really couldn't accommodate all these differences into the pattern because I don't get enough thinking time.
My question now is.....do I get three lots of Frogging Points on Knit Wars or just one?

Fresh from my success at Glove Knitting I moved on with enthusiasm to Corsica and after completing a swatch I plunged straight in to knitting the cabled waist panel. Each pattern repeat is supposed to be 4.5 inches wide and 6 inches long. Mine were 4.5 inches wide and 4 inches long!!! I frogged back to the beginning and started again - managed to get the length up to 5 inches per repeat. Frogged again and cast on with bigger needles - now I have 5.75 inches and I'm going to have to make do with that. I'm completely fed up with the damn cabling pattern now and can't wait to finish the waist band and move on to the rest of the sweater.
How many frogging points do I get for this?

And finally, they say troubles always come in threes, so here is my third knitting disaster of the week - Danbyholm. I'll add a photo or two shortly (issues with the camera and the USB ports again) but lets just say that although the finished sweater is a thing of true beauty on the hanger, once I put it on my body it looks fugly.....I cannot bear to wear it, the sweater will have to be frogged........more Knitwars points for me!

Bored of Raspberries

2008-09-29T22:01:00.002+01:00

It's official - I am bored to death of raspberries. I never thought I would see the day when I would look at a plate full of freshly picked raspberries and think - YUK but today it happened every time I opened the fridge.
I bought 5 canes of Autum Bliss 2 years ago and stuck them in the bare earth in January. By summer I had 3 feet tall plants with just a few raspberries. Last year I had more raspberries each day than I could eat and froze a lot of them. This year, despite the rain, we have been inundated with them - I can't face the sight of them now. If I shut my eyes, I can see raspberries - it's awful. I have made two lots of Oven Jam a la Nigella and given them away to friends. I have filled every empty ice cream container in the house and frozen them all, I've made raspberry sauce and raspberry cake and now I have run out of raspberry recipes.
This summer I planted a thornless blackberry so next year I shall be moaning about all the blackberries aswell - you have been warned!
P.S. As I have now lost 3lbs in 2 weeks with the dreaded Weightwatchers, I can't eat puddings (I need all my points for alcohol instead) The raspberries will have to stay in the freezer for a few more weeks but once I feel able, I will make Chocolate and Raspberry Mousse Cake, yum yum.

Where the Hell are all my Needles?

2008-09-22T12:12:00.002+01:00

I've finished knitting Danbyholm but I can't find a sewing up needle. Is there one lurking in the bottom of my Knitpicks Options bag? - Nope. Looked through the bag containing all my dpns - Nope. Is there one in the bottom of the knitting bag containing an unblocked but finished Skin of The Sea? - Nope. What about underneath all the Aran Weight Silk that's waiting for a suitable pattern? - Nope. In the sewing box with all the reels of thread? - Nope. In the tin containing all my pins?
I am reduced to wandering aimlessly around the house looking for places I might have left a sewing up needle.......
Where do you keep yours?

Socktopus

2008-09-22T11:54:00.002+01:00

Signed up for the Socktopus Secret Santa and here are my answers to the questionnaire:-
1. What are your favourite colours and fibres?
Colours - Blue, Purple, Dark Red, Baby Pink
Fibres - Merino, Silk - anything really really soft.
2. Anything that makes your toes curl? (Fibre, colour, other)
Day Glo Brights, Fuschia Pink, Mohair and Angora
3. Would you describe yourself as a beginner, intermediate or advanced knitter?
Advanced but not extreme - no two at a time socks on DPNs or double knitted bags!
4. Do you have an online wishlist? (Amazon or other)
Amazon
5. Any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Can't think of anything but I'll keep you posted.
6. What is your favourite:
Snack? - Chocolate, anything Coconut
Book? - Crime Novels are my Favourite but I am also a Sci-Fi Geek
Movie? - This is really hard becasue the only time I get to go to the Cinema is to see kids' movies. I like the original 3 Star Wars films, James Bond, Indiana Jones - that kind of thing.
Music? - I am forced to listen to my son's ipod in the car so we currently like The Feeling, Melee and Mika but his tastes change daily so it can be hard to keep up.
7. What are your favourite items to knit? Sweaters, jackets, cardigans.
8. Any patterns that are top of your queue? My Ravelery queue is long but not in any particular order - I tend to get swayed by the latest issue of Vogue or Interweave and am currently trying to find cheap Chunky Weight wool for this
9. Do you have any other hobbies? Gardening, Sewing, Cooking, Reading.
10. Tell us about yourself. When did you first pick up your needles? Who/what encouraged you to start knitting? How would you describe your knitting style? Are you a process knitter or a product knitter, etc.
I was forced to learn to knit as a child and hated it but was soon knitting little outfits for my teddies with my Mum's left overs. Didn't knit anything full size until I was a teenager and then stopped knitting for about 10 years in my thirties when I had too many other things to do with my time. I am both a Product and a Process Knitter - I knit jumpers and cardigans in order to wear them but will only knit something that is complicated or has an unusual construction. I sometimes knit socks but don't really like wearing home made socks much so I only knit socks that are difficult to knit!! I hate knitted hats, so I never knit them. Don't like shawls because they fall off all the time but love lace knitting because it needs concentration.
I am trying to reduce my stash - no I really mean it - I have enough yarn to make 9 sweaters and I really need to get cracking.

Ravelympics

2008-08-13T08:53:00.002+01:00

I signed up for Ravelympics - in THREE categories....I Must be mad.
Firstly we have WIP Wrestling which for me involves just 2 projects - Skin of the Sea which I recently re-started in a blue-green Aran Silk, a Pink Daisy Cardigan which has come out way too big (I misread the size of the needles required, translating the US size into millimetres!).
Secondly we have Designer Discus in which I am designing a pair of colourwork mittens with a theme of Glendurgan (a beautiful garden in Cornwall).
And finally we have bead wrangling which requires me to finish the beaded Mystery Stole 3.
Nothing too ambitious but I am conscious that the Games have been going for several days now and I haven't finished anything.....

I did however sign up for Mystery Stole 4 and Secret Stole in an effort to use up my Laceweight Stash. I absolutely love lace knitting but hate shawls so Stoles are a good way to get my fix. Need to go get beads.....

UK Swap Questions

2008-07-15T22:46:00.005+01:00

I've got really behind with these but now I've managed to combine my Blogger accounts, I can use this Blog without being logged out of my Gmail account.

Question 1

What are you doing to participate in WWKIP day on Saturday?

I can't participate in WWKIP - I am way too embarrassed to knit in public. I have no knitting friends who would share the embarrassment with me so I will be staying indoors. The last time I knit in public I was knitting through my eldest's school play and made a huge mistake in the pattern. Never again....

What is the strangest place you have ever knit?

See the above...

Picture Bonus: Post a picture of you knitting in public on Saturday, or if you don't get a chance to knit in public on Saturday, take a place of your favourite place to knit at home.

My favourite place to knit is curled up at one end of the sofa, in front of the TV with a glass of wine resting precariously on the arm!

Question 2

Which three guests (alive or not) would you invite to a dinner party and why?

First two are easy - Stephen Fry, because he is just so interesting and clever. Despite the fact that I know he has an earpiece and a computer in QI, he is still amazingly funny and clever and provided he didn't monopolise the conversation, he'd be great company. Second is Patrick Stewart who I don't know that much about in real life but as I have been in love with Jean-Luc for 20 odd years I can't resist putting him next to me at my imaginary dinner table. The final choice is more difficult as I am not really a celebrity worshipper and would rather have somebody witty and clever than somebody famous - do you know anyone I could choose?

Question 3

Is there a TV programme you watch religiously?
Not anything that I would cry over....but I do REALLY like House, CSI (only Vegas), Dr Who and Bones. Sky+ is also set to record Criminal Minds, Without a Trace, Dexter.

What TV programme(s) do you avoid like the plague?

Big Brother. Anything with 'Celebrity' in the title. Any kind of Sporting Activity.

Is there a TV programme that you find works particularly well for knitting along to?
No, I can knit whilst (not) watching anything.

What was/is your favourite kids TV programme? Maid Marian & her Merry Men. Scooby Doo (the original series not the latest 'Get a Clue' series) Art Attack.

Question 4

What is your favourite thing that you have knit? (It might not be your favourite thing to wear but it was the most enjoyable to knit). I'm only half way through it - Mystery Stole 3 From Pink Lemon Twist - love the lace, the concentration required, the beads, love everything about it except the fact that I can't knit this project when the kids are around.
What is the worst thing you've ever knit? I have knit many awful socks that have almost all be frogged - I usually hate the way the hand-dyed yarns knit up and so I never knit the secodn sock.
What are your favourite knitblogs? I have lots on my Google Reader but prefer to read blogs written by people I actually 'know' from elsewhere on the web - e.g. Ravelry or Swaps.
What is the most amazing knitted thing you have seen (This Ravelry thread might help)
I've ploughed my way through that thread and now my head is buzzing with hundreds of things - can't make up my mind at all now. I'm leaning towards the lace projects though as I know they need concentration to knit.

What is your favourite knitted item to wear? Post a picture if you can.

I am super -critical of absolutely everything I knit and so although I wear all my sweaters I never fall in love with any of them. They are all too hot, too big or too small in a particular place, don't fasten, itchy etc. In fact, reading back through that list - why do I knit at all?

Question 5

Choose one - don't think just choose...

1. Stop or go? Stop.

2. Going out or Staying in? Staying In.

3. Small town or big city? Small Town.

4. Happy or sad? Sad.

5. Straights or Circulars? Straights.

6. Red or Blue? Blue.

7. Seaside or countryside? Seaside.

8. Fish or chips? Chips.

9. Surprises or plans? Surprises.

10. Wine or beer? Wine.

11. Sweaters or cardigans? Cardigans.

12. Pizza or Pasta? Pasta.

13. Chopsticks or fork? Chopsticks.

14. Early Bird or Night Owl? Night Owls.

15. Knitting or crochet? Knitting.

16. Hot or cold? Cold.

Soapnut Update!!

2008-07-14T13:23:00.002+01:00

Update - They're great, but not perfect.....
The underwear experiment is a success and they undies now come off the line soft enough to wear straight away. It makes you wonder what exactly is in the washing powder that makes your clothes go so stiff and scratchy!
The towels are better than they used to be but not as soft as the tumble drier. They are getting softer though so maybe I need to keep using the soapnuts for longer to get rid of the old stuff still lurking in the fibres.
The only disappointment is that they have almost no effect on tougher stains like grass, fruit juice, tomatoes etc. This is where a Biological Powder really wins the day. Despite using a stain remover stick and soaking for hours, these stains just won't come out. I have resorted to buying a small tub of 'Vanish' to use on my daughter's 'little accidents'. Still the whole laundry kit is much cheaper and much greener than it was so I'm happy for now with the Soapnuts and I'll be sticking to them from now on.

Soapnuts update

2008-06-23T11:49:00.002+01:00

Yesterday I finished the last of the Concentrated Washing Liquid so I had to take the plunge and use the Soapnuts. I put 6 of them into an old pair of tights and put them in the drum on top of the clothes. I can honestly say that so far I am very very impressed. Those 6 little nuts washed 3 whole loads of coloured clothes. Everything came out just as clean as it did with the ordinary washing powder or liquid and the clothes smelt of absolutely nothing.
This morning I am doing 2 further experiments - I have hung a load of underwear out on the line to air dry, this will test the theory that without chemicals, laundry should dry to a soft finish rather than like cardboard. The second experiment was on a 6o degree wash for a load of towels - this will be the fourth load of washing from just one lot of shells so I'm testing how far I can push them. It will also be the ultimate 'line-drying' challenge as I can't bear towels that have been dried outside and have been using the tumble drier on them come rain or shine.
Let you know later how I get on.....

Summer Reading (again)

2008-06-17T09:56:00.002+01:00

It's here again - The Richard & Judy Summer Reading List I mean. The book shops (and Amazon) are still promoting the last list of books but the new list of 8 is here:-
The Outcast by Sadie Jones
No Time for Goodbye by Linwood Barclay
East of the Sun by Julia Gregson
Down River by John Hart
Pirate's Daughter by Margaret Cezair-Thompson
Private Lives of Pippa Lee by Rebecca Miller
Addition by Toni Jordan
The Resurrectionist by James Bradley

I have trawled Amazon for the ISBN numbers and logged on to the Library Website - none of the books are stocked in my local library, 2 of them are not listed as being in ANY Cheshire library so I'll have to wait for the Library to catch up with reality..... Will put in my reservations today if I can but I still haven't finished the latest Dalziel & Pascoe - A Cure For All Illness and I have another book waiting behind it in the reading queue. DH doesn't like it if I stay awake all night reading either!

Going Greener

2008-06-11T09:59:00.002+01:00

Hubby came home yesterday talking about Soapnuts. Now neither of us are Monster Raving Loony Eco Warriers but he was obviously keen on the idea, so this morning I ordered some.
Soapnuts? Here's the blurb (shamefully stolen via Google, but hey why reinvent the wheel?)

In India and Nepal, the soapnut (sapindus trifoliatus) has been used as a vegetable washing detergent since time immemorial.
The soap nut tree grows mainly in South India. In March and April, the tree is adorned with white flowers, and the ripe soapnuts are harvested in October. When removed from the tree the soapnuts are sticky and golden in colour. They are dried and their colour becomes reddish-brown. Then the nuts are cracked and the black kernel, which can neither be eaten nor used for washing is removed and the shells, which contain saponine (a natural detergent), are packed up in cotton bags.

How does it work?
The somewhat sticky saponine in the shells of the soap nuts acts in a similar way to normal soap. As soon as the shells get in contact with water, this natural saponine soap is released and creates mild suds. Place 4 to 5 half shells in one of the provided cotton bags. Tie the bag and place it with your laundry in the washing machine. Start your machine as usual, with or without pre-wash. The remains of the soapnuts can be composted or be disposed of through organic refuse.
The soap nut can be easily used in your washing machine. Unlike common washing powders and liquids that contain considerable amounts of chemicals, the soapnut is environmentally friendly and is gentle on the skin.
Can be used for all fabrics and with all temperatures.

No need for fabric softeners
Works well with delicate fabrics such as silk and wool
When washing in cold to warm water, soapnuts can be used for a second time the same day
In the case of heavy stains, we recommend adding one tablespoon of stain remover.
For a fragrant wash add your favourite essential oils

These work out at about 6p per wash against 20p per wash for your standard powder. I have also read that your clothes don't go hard on the washing line either and anything that leads to reduced ironing is a winner as far as I am concerned. I plan to use Ecover to boost the Whites wash but since almost all our clothes are coloured, I don't think I'll need much. I'll report back and let you know how I get on with them.

UK Swap Round 2

2008-05-20T11:07:00.004+01:00

After a few 'difficult' swap experiences I have got over myself and signed up for more! This one is for UK participants only and is still open for signup - here if you are in the UK and interested in joining in. This swap is themed - you provide your unknown Spoiler with an image which sums you up and they have to base their swap package on the image.....wonder what the heck I'm going to choose!

Answers to the swap questionnaire then:-
Part One: Crafting
Do you knit, crochet, or both? - Both
What do you like to make? - Sweaters, Jackets, Cardigans mostly.
Do you have a favourite project? I am always super-critical of everything I make so no completed project is a particular favourite. I love my Rogue Cardigan though as it is currently not quite finished!
Do you have a favourite type of fiber or brand of yarn? I am a die-hard wool fan.
Do you have a least favourite type of yarn? I don't like novelty yarns but only because I can't find anything I want to make with them! I also hate self-striping sock yarns with a passion!
Do you do any other crafts? I can do lots but rarely get the time to indulge, my other crafts include painting, drawing, tapestry, embroidery, sewing (clothes and soft-furnishings), dyeing and anything else that's practical.
Do you knit in public? You must be joking! When do I ever have the time to sit down anywhere in public?
If so where do you like knitting and what is your "portable" project? I take a pair of socks to knit when we go on holiday but they rarely get touched!
What do you carry your "portable" knitting in? A plastic bag - the shame of it!!!
Are there any knitting gifts (book, toy, yarn, item, tool) that you have been lusting over? Not exactly lusting over this one but I am searching for a Hairpin Lace gadget that doesn't cost the earth, point me in the right direction if you know where to find one!

Part Two: Your Favourites
What is your favourite colour? Blue
What is your least favourite colour? Orange
What scents/smells do you like? Citrus, Tomatoes, Freshly Mown Grass
What don’t you like? Anything floral.
How do you like to pamper yourself? (bubble bath, hand creams, massage, manicure) What's pampering? I am a sucker for hand cream but I'm afraid it has to be Natural and free from Parabens or I won't use it.
What goodies to you like to eat? (chocolate, biscuits, sweets,crisps etc) Yes all of those, as much as possible. No seriously I love dark chocolate (No Nuts) the best.
Do you prefer tea or coffee while you knit? Either so long as I don't have to get up and make it!
Any particular kind? I drink plain Yorkshire Tea, the coffee tends to come from the Taylors of Harrogate range but I have been known to experiment with funny flavoured coffees, especially in Starbucks.
Do you listen to/watch anything while you knit?
I almost always watch TV whilst I'm knitting - CSI, House, Bones, Lost, Criminal Minds, Dalziel & Pascoe, Inspector Lynley - most Crime/Thriller type shows. I also watch Coronation Street whilst I am eating my tea!

Part Three: About you, Living & Past-times
If you were a specific kind of yarn, which brand and kind of yarn would you be (and why)?
OK I would be a slightly overweight handspun yarn, spun from organic or recycled fibre and with unusual eclectic items woven in to the yarn. P.S. I would hate knitting with something like this....
Where do you live in the UK? (General idea not address)
I live in the North West of England. I am not a WAG or a Footballer's Wife but there are an awful lot of them round here!
Have you always lived here, or did you grow up somewhere else?
I was born and bred in Yorkshire and did not leave until I was 23 when I went to Newcastle. I have also lived in Surrey, Oxfordshire, Staffordshire and Wiltshire before coming to rest in my current village.
What is your favourite place in the UK?
Cornwall
If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Iceland
What other hobbies do you have?
Gardening and Reading take up almost all the spare time I have.

Part Four: The Theme
This is a view of the inside of the Alhambra Palace. I chose it for the following reasons - I REALLY want to go there, the colours are fabulous, I love architecture and geometric patterns, the Islamic geometric patterns on the tiles and walls in the Palace are amazing, the gardens are also meant to be inspirational and some day I would like to have enough time to create something in the garden rather than just dig up weeds!

Final Part:Any allergies/preferences (fiber-wise or treat-wise)?
NO NUTS - I'm not allergic I just can't stand them (apart from Coconut which I'm not sure is even a proper nut....)

Quiz Answers

2008-03-15T11:43:00.004Z

Busy busy busy in my house - eldest son's 10th birthday yesterday and today his friends arrive for a sleepover. I'll be lucky to sit down at all never mind look for the Snitch but here are my answers to the quiz so at least I've done my bit for Ravenclaw!

1. When Rita Skeeter prints a bad articles about Hagrid in the Daily Prophet, which Professor teaches Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures class while he is away?
c. Professor Grubbly-Plank

2. What was the article Rita Skeeter wrote about Hagrid called?
c. Dumbledore's Giant Mistake

3. When the school champions were being chosen from the Goblet of Fire, whose name came out first?
c. Cedric Diggory

4. What is the spell Ludo Bagman says to magically magnify his voice when he commentates?a. Sonorus

5. What kind of dragon did Cedric have to face in the first task?
b. A Swedish Short-Snout

6. Who raised the trophy after winning the world cup?
b. Troy and Quigley

7. How many bedrooms did Mundungus Fletcher claim to have?
d. 12

8. For what did Moody mistake his birthday gift of a carriage clock?
b. A basilisk egg

9. What did Mr. Ollivander produce for the end of Cedric's wand?
a. A bunch of flowers

10. The dark mark is on Snape's left arm.
a. Yes

Picture Scavenger Hunt
Amos Diggory
a Basilisk
Karkaroff
Mundungus Fletcher (like this picture the best!!)

Can't Owls Carry A Lot?

2008-03-12T13:50:00.005Z

My HSKS 4 Swap Package arrived yesterday, I took photos and everything but we had a power cut in the afternoon and after that my computer just refused to recognise the camera was waiting to download. After several re-boots this morning, it is now OK and I can present to you my fantastic parcel from Millicent Brocklehurst!

Here it is in the box......

And here is what was inside the box - that box was like the Tardis - it held an amazing amount!

Two Sock Bug Sock Patterns, A set of Harmony DPNs, Stitch Markers, Fleece Artist Merino Sock Yarn, Tazo Tea, Stitch Holder, Post It notes, Jelly Beans and Dark Chocolate. What a lucky girl I am. And just look at that fantastic bag - very strong and exactly the right size for a Sock Project. Millicent has been very clever indeed, she's a typical Ravenclaw.

Here's a close-up of the stitch markers, handmade and from Etsy - the first thing I have ever had from Etsy, aren't they lovely?
And here's a close up of the yarn - blue and bronze, perfect! My first ever Merino and first ever Fleece Artist yarn. I'm looking forward to trying it but it will have to wait - I am test knitting the updated pattern for Sydney Socks and have a Master Coriolis on two circulars to finish first!
Here's a close-up of my lovely new bag. I haven't seen this pattern before so I'm off to Ravelry to find out what it is.
Thanks again CentyB - 100 House Points to you.....

Bettna, At last.....

2008-03-06T13:36:00.003Z

Excuse the threads hanging down off the jacket and the lack of an 'on the body shot' - I was in a rush and didn't have time to wait for Husband to come home and then ask him....

I really enjoyed knitting something that looks nice, knitted up quickly and that I am able to wear. I would knit another Bettna but not another Kureyon anything as there aren't really any other colourways I like and I think I prefer the more tweedy stripes of Silk Mountain....

Washing the Noro was scary though. I had already picked out a hundred pieces of thorn, straw, twig and other vegetable matter as I was knitting but when I put it into the water I was shocked to see so much more coming out. There was quite a lot of dye and also some very fine black particles that looked like metal dust. It took 3 rinses to get the majority of it out and was very time consuming.

Drying the jacket also took forever as I can only let it air dry and it's still cold and damp here - not exactly sweater drying weather. (Any tips of drying methods for damp, cold climates gratefully accepted.)

Anyway, just the loose ends to sew in and then I can wear it and I'll finally start to feel a little warmer for a change.

HSKS4 Ravenclaw House Quiz

2008-03-06T13:30:00.003Z

This one's tricky as I have to use my Creative Spells (not good at those, even on a good day). I've probably taken this way too seriously as I have really tried to make my spells sound genuine.....

Conjure up the correct spells for the following activities.

1. Do my homework for me. Pensum Scholasticum

2. Tidy up my bedroom. Cubiculum Elegansis

3. Make a delicious chocolate cake. Chocolato Delicioso (did you know there is no latin word for chocolate?)

4. Make my professor stay in bed today. Professorius Somnium

5. I would like breakfast in bed, please. Alimentum Dormitorius

6. Stick all my Quidditch opponents' feet to the floor. Adglutino Inimicus Pedimentis

7. Give everyone the giggles. Giggleum Ridiculum

8. Dye some yarn in my favorite color. Perfundo Versicoloris

9. Unravel the mess I've made with my yarn. Extrico Lanatus

10. Knit my Prefect the perfect bag! Texere Minerva Brea (bit of a cheat since there is no Latin word for Knit - Texere is Latin for Weave!!!)

J.K.Rowling eat your heart out!

February Failures

2008-02-29T20:35:00.002Z

OK, so my challenges for this month were...
Thrifty Knitters Sock Club - Earl Grey or Sydney. I managed to get one Sydney sock as far as the ankle but then realised that it wouldn't go past my instep/heel so I need to frog it and make the bigger size. March's patterns are both really interesting and I have ordered two Knitpicks circular needles to try socks on two circulars as one of them is a Cat Bordhi pattern.

Sock Stash Elimination Campaign - I have been unsuccessful with Bellatrix so thought about Nagini, but thinking was all I did and I'm ashamed to say that I did not even cast on for these socks. Will try harder in March!

Sock a Month KAL - nope I failed to finish a pair of socks throughout February so I won't win this one either!!

And the reason for all this failure? I was busy with Bettna and then JUST TOO TIRED TO KNIT, and believe me that's really, really tired. Bettna should be washed and blocked tomorrow ready for its photocall so I hope to post pictures soon.
Wish me luck for March, I need to finish something!

HSKS 4 - Ravenclaw House Quiz

2008-02-29T20:31:00.002Z

Well my Secret Swap email address is defunct but at least Blogger will still let me in!
Here are my answers to the Ravenclaw House Quiz:-
1. What colorless and odourless potion forces the drinker to tell the truth?
Veritaserum
2. If the spell to Apparate goes wrong and leaves half of you behind, you have been what?
Splinched
3. Who wrote the Standard Books of Spells Grades 1 and 2?
Miranda Goshawk
4. What is it called when brother wands meet?
Priori Incantatem
5. Name the charm used by Ludo at the World Cup to amplify his voice.
Sonorus
6. For what is the charm Aparecium used?
Makes Invisible Ink visible again
7. What charm requires the use of a Secret-Keeper?
Fidelius
8. What color should the Strengthening Potion be?
Turquoise
9. What plants are used in preparing a confusing potion?
Scurvy-grass, Lovage and Sneezewort
10. What condition is cured by Glumbumble?
Some forms of hysteria
11. What potion makes a werewolf safe so he can keep his mind when he transforms, and what substance makes it useless?
Wolfsbane Potion makes a werewolf safe but sugar makes it useless.
12. When does Fluxwood, an ingredient used in making Polyjuice Potion, have to be picked?
Full moon.
13. What color should a Shrinking Solution be?
Violet
14. What potion is made from asphodel and wormwood?
Felix Felicis
15. For what are Jobberknoll feathers used?
Memory potions and truth serums.
Fingers crossed ......

HSKS 4 Quidditch Round 2

2008-02-19T13:27:00.006Z

Here are my answers:-
1. With whom does Ginny go to the Yule Ball?
a. Neville
2. When Harry arrives at the Burrow and Mrs. Weasley makes them all dinner the night before they leave for the Quidditch World Cup, what does her wand turn into?
b. rubber chicken
3. Since some of the sixth-year girls didn't have any quills on them, what did they think Krum might sign their hats in?
c. lipstick
4. How old does the Quick Quotes Quill say that Rita Skeeter is?
a. 43
5. What color cloak is wormtail wearing in the Riddle house?
b. Black
6. What color is "Mad Eye" Moody's magical eye?
d. Blue
7. What color are the robes that Rita Skeeter was wearing when Harry meets her at the Weighing of the Wands ceremony?
b. Magenta
8. What does Sirius Black tell Harry, Ron and Hermione to call him when speaking around anyone else?
b. Snuffles
9. Which team beat Wales, disqualifying them from competing for the Quidditch World Cup?
c. Uganda
10. What does Madame Maxime say is the only thing her steeds will drink?
c. single-malt whisky (please note the Scottish spelling of Whisky) - Whiskey is Irish and I'm sure Madame Maxine drinks Scotch.

Picture Scavenger Hunt
Goblet of Fire
Madam Maxime
Dragon from first challenge
Viktor Krum
Madam Poppy Pomfrey

Ravenclaw House Quiz

2008-02-14T19:23:00.003Z

Not much knitting going on here - I have a pain up the inside of my right arm. Half-term holiday is nearly over and I haven't done half of the things I needed to.....

Here are my answers to the Ravenclaw House Quiz (with a bit of help from the HP Lexicon)
1. What is Professor McGonnagall's first name? Minerva
2. Who is the librarian of Hogwarts? Madam Irma Pince
3. What is Madam Rosmerta's job? Landlady of the Three Broomsticks
4. What is Rita Skeeter's secret? She's an unregistered animagus.
5. Madam Hooch is instructor of what subject? Games
6. Who is Parvati Patil's best friend? Lavender Brown
7. What Quidditch position does Cho Chang play? Seeker for Ravenclaw
8. What is the name of Fleur Delacour's little sister? Gabrielle
9. Who is professor of Divination? Sybill Trelawney
10. Who wrote "A History of Magic"? Bathilda Bagshot

February....

2008-02-07T14:35:00.000Z

As a helpful reminder to myself, this is what I need to do in February....

Thrifty Knitters Sock Club - Sydney in Panda Cotton Multi

Sock a Month - Pair of Socks (may try two at a time again for this as I am SICK of second sock syndrome - I just can't be bothered to knit the second one!)

Sock Stash Elimination Campaign - One of Mama Monkey's patterns, not sure which one yet.

I also need to finish one of these A Bettna cardigan in Noro Kureyon - this is the shade I am using and I have had it in my cupboard for about 10 months!
I only have one Sleeve/Body Panel left to go and then it's on to the sewing up.

And January's projects? Well I managed to complete Sock a Month and SSEC challenges but failed miserably in the Thrifty Knitters Sock Club. I completed 1 Cabletini sock and here it is. I like the colour but I got SO BORED with the little cables going round and round and round that I just can't face doing it again. So I think I will be frogging it and moving on to February's Pattern instead.

On the reading front I completed Notes From an Exhibition by Patrick Gale - excellent, really enjoyed it, Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones - truly dreadful, I wish I'd never read it but I can't tell you why without spoiling the plot, Visible World by Mark Slouka - OK but no great shakes and there are some pretty graphic passages about Nazi treatment of Jews during the Second World War that were not exactly bedtime reading, The Rose of Sebastopol by Katherine McMahon - would have been very good but it really falls apart at the end, none of the main characters is resolved and you are just left hanging nad guess what? this book also has lots of graphic description of the horrors of the Crimean War!!. The latest book I read was Random acts of Heroic Love by Danny Scheinmann which was good but not quite as good as Notes from an Exhibition. This is another book on the list with lots of gruesome stuff, mostly about the First World War and those bits really upset me. I got through to the end though and it has a very good, if somewhat predictable, ending.

I'm glad I'm following the list as I have read books I wouldn't otherwise touch with a bargepole but why, oh why, do almost all of them have to be about the horrors of war? Four out of the six contain pages and pages of human misery - now I'm no fan of light-hearted chick lit but I don't want to be reading such miserable stuff just as I'm about to go to bed, especially when you know that the books have been really well researched and that all the suffering really happened.

In February I have a Quiet Belief in Angels by R.J.Ellory and 2 others on order from the library so I'll probably have to dip into the pile of unopened books by the bed just to keep me going through the month.

Sock Stash Elimination Campaign

2008-02-01T20:20:00.000Z

This is the third and final group/KAL I intend to join in 2008 (note, I said 'intend' so I reserve the right to change my mind, especially if Pink Lemon Twist does another Mystery Stole.) You can join the Sock Stash Elimination Campaign group too by clicking on the link. Each month our Leader issues a set of 'Orders' telling us what kind of project to knit using Sock Yarn from our Stash. When you've finished you post your project to the Blog - there's a monthly prize too! There's also a group on Ravelry for sharing FO's and asking advice, chatting etc.

My effort for January is Swing Thing from Magknits January 2006. The main body is made with Patons Aran but the narrow coloured bands are made with Sophie's Toes - yes the same stuff that also made the Jaywalkers! I'm not sure if it will count but the 'Orders' for January were for something for a Baby and I don't know any Babies other than my own wee one!!

So here is the best shot of the finished coat/cardigan (I'll compain yet again about how bad Digital Cameras are at taking pictures of red things!!).

And here is a close-up of the sock yarn element for the record...

Typically, Miranda said 'Me no like it' when I tried to put it on her for the photo...I'm hoping she'll wear it soon though. It's a lovely coat/cardigan and was enjoyable knitting. I'd be happy to make another one if she eventually weras this one!

HSKS 4 Scavenger and Picture Hunt

2008-01-30T19:50:00.000Z

Here are my answers to the Scavenger and Picture Hunt.

1. What was Harry dreaming about the first time he woke up with his scar on fire?

b. Voldemort and Wormtail plotting to kill

2. What is the problem with leprechaun gold?

a. It vanishes after a few hours

3. Why did Mad-Eye Moody turn Malfoy into a ferret?

c. Malfoy attached Harry when Harry's back was turned

4. Sirius warns Harry to be careful around Karkaroff because he had been a Death Eater. Which one of the professors at Hogwarts, who also used to be a Death Eater, is frequently bothered by Karkaroff?

Answer is Snape

5. Voldemort could have used the blood from any foe to make the potion that revived him work, but he held out for Harry's blood. Why?

c. The special protection Harry received from his mother would also pass to Voldemort

6. How old would Frank have been on his next birthday?

d. 77

7. Amos Diggory works for?

b. The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures

8. Who shared a carriage with the three friends on the way from the train to Hogwarts?
Neville

9. What date in October did the delegates from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang arrive?

a. 30th

10. What color were Percy's dress robes at the Yule Ball?

a. Navy Blue

Picture Scavenger Hunt Links

Mr. Ollivander

Mad-Eye Moody

Cedric

World Cup Tournament

Dark Mark

HSKS 4

2008-01-28T20:58:00.000Z

I was in need of Retail Therapy this Saturday so I totally forgot that ITV were showing The Prisoner of Azkaban. I got home in time for the last 10 minutes! I'll have to try and watch my DVD copy before next Saturday when they are showing The Goblet of Fire!!!

I'm finding it really difficult to put together a package for my swap partner as she doesn't answer my emails (sorry, owls) and doesn't Blog much about knitting. So far I have selected the needles to send, chosen a bag pattern that EVERYONE will like (no offence there) and have narrowed the yarn choice down to 2 types. I'm not sure about the stitchmarkers yet and I am really stumped when it comes to the 'extras' as she has given me no clues......still there's plenty of time left in this swap for her to give out some useful information.

I am enjoying the swap though, patiently waiting each day for the Ravenclaw riddle, getting frustrated when it arrives whilst I am asleep or committed to Family things. I am also at the bottom of the leader board with just 1 point!!! Will have to try harder on that one. Quidditch starts this week and although I have some idea about what we are supposed to do, I really haven't got a clue and don't even know if the 4 hour window we've been given to play in, is a suitable time for Europeans - will have to try and find out.

Thrifty Knitters Sock Club

2008-01-25T17:01:00.000Z

I've joined this Group on Ravelry. It's a Sock Club for people who don't want or can't afford to join one of those Sock Clubs that sends out yarn and patterns each month to its members. In the Ravelry Group, two patterns are issued each month and you choose which one to knit.
January's patterns are Cabletini (toe-up) or Bellatrix (cuff down). I have chosen Cabletini because my first Bellatrix was not a success and, having frogged a whole sock, I couldn't face doing it again.
I am using a Red sock yarn, cheap and cheerful off ebay (about £2). My first attempt at photos wer not successful because of the light, I'll have another go during daylight at the weekend. I'm really bored with the pattern though and I'm beginning to wonder if I have enough energy to actually finish the pair before the end of the month. It's a very nice pattern and I'm sure I will wear the finished socks, they're just boring to knit.
Why not join us for February - patterns are Earl Grey and Sydney......

Time for Reading

2008-01-18T16:42:00.000Z

I haven't felt like knitting really so I decided to catch up on some reading. It's the Richard & Judy Book Club again and this time the 10 books are:-
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Random Acts of Heroic Love by Danny Scheinmann
Rose of Sebastopol by Katharine McMahon
A Quiet Belief in Angels by Roger Jon Ellory
Notes from an Exhibition by Patrick Gale
Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris
Visible World by Mark Slouka
Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones
Blood River by Tim Butcher
The Welsh Girl by Peter Ho Davies

The TV programme has already covered A Thousand Splendid Suns and although they loved it and Jeanne did too, I'm not all that interested in reading it so I'm skipping it.....I read Visible World by Mark Slouka instead as the back of the book said it was set in Prague and I really loved it there when I visited in 2006. I was really disappointed with the book though and found it hard to stick with until the end, it's very disjointed and because some parts of it deal with the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia there are some very sad and gruesome passages which are not nice to read.
The next book was much better - 'Notes from an Exhibition' by Patrick Gale. It's a complicated story to explain but it tells the story of a woman, Rachel, who is a highly gifted Artist but who also has Bi-Polar disorder. I loved every word of it.....
I've now started 'The Rose of Sebastopol' and I'll let you know what it's like after the weekend!

The Philosopher's Stone

2008-01-17T14:47:00.000Z

I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I haven't Blogged for days and I really meant to do it more often in 2008. I do have a good excuse though....On Saturday 12th I found myself with the Maxillo-Facial Surgeon having a tooth removed, the bone was infected and I can't tell you how much it all hurt. To add insult to injury, I will have to have a bone graft before I can have an implant and replace the tooth.
I was in pain Saturday/Sunday/Monday and then went back to the Dentist who decided it was infected and prescribed antibiotics. Today I went back again and had another 2.5 hours of Dental Work. I'm sure you'll understand why it's been quiet here on the GreenGreen Planet.

I spent Saturday afternoon wrapped up in a blanket watching Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Gosh they all look young. I also noticed a distinct lack of knitwear - hardly any gratuitous shots of knitted jumpers, scarves and hats in this film. The Order of the Phoenix is filled to the brim with knitwear but all we had in this film were the Christmas Letter Sweaters that Harry and Ron were given by Mrs Weasley. Next Saturday ITV are showing the Chamber of Secrets, I'm looking forward to it. (Yes even though we have them all on DVD and could, theoretically sit down and watch them at any time, I still make popcorn from scratch and provide fizzy drinks for the kids and we all watch together!)

Back soon....

Sock a Month KAL

2008-01-09T22:10:00.000Z

I must have been feeling guilty but last night I got out all of my Sock Yarn to see how much I had. I have enough for 16 pairs (not including the 3 single socks I have in the bag). I suppose that's quite small compared to some of my Knitting Friends but it seems awfully big to me....

I joined the Sock a Month KAL (sign-ups are closed now ) to help motivate me to use some of it.

Here is my first pair - Jaywalkers (yes I know I'm late to the party)

They appear much darker than they are in real life, the close-up below shows the lovely colours much better and it also shows just how well the hand painted yarn shows up in the zigzag pattern.
The yarn is Emilie Parsons Sophie's Toes, colourway Christmas Lights. It's a joy to knit with, really soft and with enough stretch to cope with the heel etc. Thanks Jeanne, I love this yarn!

To make the KAL a bit more interesting, I've added an extra challenge. I'll do one pair cuff down ( Jaywalker), 1 pair Toe-up, 1 Pair with an alternative sock architecture, 1 pair magic loop (i WILL master the magic loop) and 1 pair knitting both socks at the same time. I'll let you know how I get on!!

Harry Potter Sock Kit Swap 4

2008-01-08T09:56:00.000Z

Don't ask me why I'm joining another swap when I had TWO disappointing ones in 2007. Filled with hope and the realisation that, although I have read all 7 books and seen the movies many times, my knowledge of the books is miniscule compared to some of the other participants!

Anyway I've been sorted into Ravenclaw and been given a 'Harry Potter' name so now I can earn 5 House Points by adding a link in the sidebar. So I'm off to a reasonable start but if I could just get my head round how the rest of the swap works.....

Review of 2007

2008-01-03T14:01:00.000Z

A little late but what the heck, here's my review of 2007...
Firstly, was I Green enough? Well I'll bet I've been Greener than 95% of the planet this year (which doesn't say much for the human race really) but I know for a fact I haven't been anywhere near perfect. Here's what we did well on this year.....
1. All new light bulbs this year have been low energy ones. (now the living room is so dim in the evening that I'm going to have to buy one of those downlighters with a daylight bulb which kind of defeats the object doesn't it?)
2. We recycled almost everything in our household waste - Paper, cardboard, plastic, textiles, Green Waste etc. Waste food was composted in one of two heaps. Anything re-usable was Freecycled or taken to the Charity shop. Our bin was NEVER full so our contribution to the local landfill site was minimal.
3. We mended the tumble dryer instead of getting a new one.
4. We turned all the electrical appliances off every night instead of leaving things on standby - the exception of course is the Sky box because it really seems to hate being turned on and off and takes 3 hours to warm up.

Things I shouldn't have done but will carry on doing in 2008:-
1. Using the car to do the school run. If anyone would like to try to walk my 3 to and from school twice a day in the rain, wind and freezing cold they are welcome, it takes over an hour and you'd have to do it twice a day. Whilst you do it for me and save the planet, I'll put the kettle on!
2. Throw out food when I've bought too much of it. I really should freeze stuff and read up on leftover recipes.....I could try buying less but that usually means more trips in the car to the shop....difficult carbon footprint choice here.
3. Bought so many books that I still haven't read. I'm a sucker for Amazon and for 'real' book shops and I can't see myself giving up this little vice anytime soon.

Things we will be trying to do in 2008:-
1. Buy less stuff.
2. Give unwanted and unused stuff away - forget about ebay, land of the criminals and fraudsters, this year we'll just be charitable instead.
3. Compost all our waste food in a wormery or similar - the boys like the idea of the worms.....

No review would be complete without saying something about Knitting. Several of my online friends have completed variations on this end of year knitting meme and I've blatantly copied it from them.
Favourite yarn of 2007
Sophie's Toes, recently sent to me by Jeanne. It's a delight to look at, to touch and to knit with.
p.s. to anyone who sent me yarn in 2007, please don't be offended that I didn't pick yours as the favourite - I'm a yarn tart, I like whatever I can see in front of me....
Favourite needles
Gotta be the Knitpicks Harmony Circular set. It's breathtakingly beautiful and really well made. Now if only I could get the hang of magic loop....
Favourite new pattern
Skin of the Sea by Ilga Leja. I WILL knit this, I WILL knit this....
Favourite project of 2007
I haven't been as prolific as I would like to have been but I guess it's got to be Tilted Duster
Worst Project of 2007
Hummphhhhh. Glade was terrible, a real drag to finish and I've only worn it twice. I also have several single socks that need to be frogged in 2008.....
Favourite new technique
I learnt alot of things about knitting techniques this year - I knitted my first socks both toe-up and cuff down, I mastered beaded lace in the Mytery Stole, I did my first short rows in the dreaded Glade. It's no good I haven't got a favourite, maybe in 2008?
Favourite knitting website
Ravelry! I don't spend as much time on it as some people I know but I am finding it an increasingly pleasant waste of my spare time. This year I need to start using it to match up my stash with the right projects and make a list of yarn I need.
Favourite knitting book
Norah Gaughan Knitting Nature

Knitting Wish Lish for 2008 (please note, I did NOT say the word 'resolution'.)
Finish the Mystery Stole 3
Get the yarn stash down to just the two boxes that fit under the bed......
Make more sweaters and fewer socks!
Master Magic Loop, even if I then decide never to use it again!

Can a tumble dryer really kill the planet?

2007-11-30T14:14:00.000Z

Our tumble dryer broke last weekend - the drum stopped turning and there was a smell of burning rubber. I seriously considered not replacing it - after all we are always being told not to use them - dry your clothes outside (not in this part of the country where it's always raining), get a clothes horse (my kids would soon have that on the floor and anyway, where the heck would I put it?) or use the radiators (have you noticed how stuff that is dried on the radiator ends up feeling like cardboard?). No-one ever mentions the fact that one you have used one of these methods to dry your clothes, use of the steam iron is then compulsory to remove that cardboard feeling.
So all you eco clever clogs out there...which is worse the tumble dryer or the steam iron? After just 4 days without a dryer and therefore almost without a washing machine (no point washing if you can't dry and yes it has been raining almost all week) I've decided that in a house with 3 children, a tumble dryer is ESSENTIAL.
So how did I rescue my green credentials? I went to espares.co.uk and ordered the spare parts needed to fix the tumble dryer. Cost? About £25 and in a couple of days time the Dryer will be like new and I will be happily drying all the clothes by machine again.
Tumble Driers have very few parts and almost all of them are easily accessible once the back of the machine is off. SO, if your tumble dryer breaks - at least think about repairing it yourself. It isn't hard (not if I can do it, it isn't) and it's got to be better to repair than fill a landfill site with a large hunk of metal.

There must be another way...

2007-11-19T20:45:00.000Z

I finished my duaghter's Pinwheel Jacket but I'm not going to blog it....yet. Her verdict? 'Me no like it' once I had finally got her to try it on I could see that the arms are way too small - the pattern says 'knit until sleeve measures 12 inches'. Well my daughter must have arms like a baboon because she's only 2 but the sleeves are still too short. I didn't like the way the yarnovers ended up being HUGE holes around the arms either - they look OK on the circle for the body but once you pick up and start knitting the sleeves, well bleughhh.
Anyway, I didn't like knitting it and I don't like the finished result either. I'm too fed up to rip out the sleeves and work on it so I've put it away for a while.

Which brings me to my next topic....
I've got really tired of the whole cast-on, photograph, finish, photograph, blog, Ravelry thing. Knitting is supposed to be a hobby, something that keeps me busy, keeps my mind occupied and my hands off the chocolate. Lately it's become about buying more yarn than I need, casting on for things in too much of a rush and feeling pressurised into blogging when I don't want to.
I'm glad there's going to be a break before SP12 because I need one. Blogging is supposed to be a hobby too - not a chore.
I'll blog again when I've got something decent to show you - and not before!

Can't Finish Anything....

2007-11-13T10:37:00.000Z

It's really frustrating but I can't finish anything. I have more half-finished projects now than I have EVER had in my life. What's wrong with me?

I finished this Tilted Duster weeks ago but I'm just not happy with it....I got round to sewing on a hook and eye to try to close the front properly but it's still not right. I'm also not happy with the neatness of the knitting and the way it hangs. See how wrinkly the bottom is? I've steamed it twice but it's just not right.

If you knit a Tilted Duster I would also say DON'T block or even press the collar ribbing - when the cardigan is on your body you need the flex of the ribbing to allow the collar to mould round your shoulders and neck. If you press the ribbing all you'll get is a flapping mess.

Also on the needles I have Bellatrix socks - one finished but not overjoyed with it so who know when I'll do the second.

The ribbed cuff was WAY too small - only 60 stitches and the socks are quite long - mid calf on me - so extra width was needed. i had to cut the cuff off and re-knit it, adding some increases and a few rows of stocking stitch at the top to make a roll. I've still not found a sock pattern than I want to knit more than once and with most of them I struggle to knit the second. Anyone want to leave suggestions of socks that are fun to knit, fit properly and look nice so you acutally want to wear them?

I have knitted pieces for 3 Alan Dart Snowme snowmen from Simply Knitting but they look like a pile of fluff at the moment so not worth photographing yet. And finally (well not quite but I'll leave the other UFOs for another day) a baby Pinwheel Jacket for Miranda. The Cotton was a bargain - 50p a ball and the whole cardigan will only take 2 balls.

Here's the center of it - it's really fiddly to start with and drove me mad. Would be easier to knit in wool or something else with some stretch. The red stripe is the waste yarn marking where the sleeve will go - the BEST thing aboout this cardigan is that there's no sewing up to do - when it's done it's done....

So don't forget, I'm looking for suggestions for socks that are fun to knit and great to wear.

The Best Thing about a Postal Strike

2007-10-22T13:40:00.000+01:00

Is that all your packages arrive at once! Here at last is my Fall Felted Bag from my partner Penny Here's the HUGE bag she made for me and it's full of goodies! Question is, will my laptop fit inside?
You bet it will and Penny has sewn in an extra pocket on the inside which is exactly the right size for the mouse! Well done Penny, it's a really great, useful bag, thanks a million. But wait, Penny sent more...
The dark yarn you can't quite see is Hacho 100% Merino which is SO soft, Regia Bamboo and a thick single from DuraSport with some Canadian Kool-Aid for dyeing with. How fabulous is this? But wait there's more...
Clods (apparently addictive so I haven't opened them yet!) Cadbury's Dark Chocolate and some handcream(Penny, how did you know I had just finished my last tube?) And a really pretty beaded bag - isn't this lovely? Inside is a necklace and a pair of earrings which are beautiful but can I take a decent picture of them? No of course not. I'll keep trying though as you deserve to see them - they're great.
So thanks to my new friend in Canada who sent me a wonderful package that was definitely worth the wait. I love it all and don't worry I won't be giving any of it away Penny!!

Oh yeah, the worst thing about a Postal Strike? Is people who buy something from you on eBay (or via your website) in the middle of a Postal Strike and then complain that their parcel hasn't arrived..... Messages vary from ' bk not arrvd...problem? thnx' (I kid you not, people really do use text language to complain.) to the longwinded letter of meticulous complaint spanning several paragraphs. It's been impossible not to write sarcastic replies beginning with 'Yes, there's a problem - it's called a Postal Strike, it's beyond my control.' or ' You may not be aware but we have been having a series of Postal Strikes.....' I'm at the end of my tether with them and I don't think I can bear to write anymore replies.

Off to try and finish my Tilted Duster....

SP11 First Package - How Lucky am I this week?

2007-10-13T15:36:00.001+01:00

How I hate the Royal Mail - first they kept me and my Knit1Tea2 package apart for far too long and today I found out that they have also been 'storing' this fantastic hoard for me until they could get off their striking rear-ends for long enough to deliver some mail.....

My SP11 Pal is in Seattle - ooh Grey's Anatomy - and I have another clue as to her identity but I'm not going to try too hard to follow up on it as I don't want to know who she is just yet... Her package has a pink theme so here we have pink hand-made stitch markers, pink grapefruit soap and cherries covered in chocolate (they won't last long as cherries are my favourite fruit).

Next we have Loony Boony in very pale cream. SP11 says it's for Hanami - I have it on my Ravelry queue - I'm gonna have a hard time choosing which of my queue projects to do first!

But wait, there's more. I had said I wanted a pale pink Hanami to match the Japanese Cherry blossom so SP sent some hanks of undyed yarn and some Jaquard Dye in pink!! Now I can't decide whether to dye the yarn pale pink, dip dye the yarn so it's pink at one end and cream at the other or even to knit the Hanami and hand-dye the finished stole.... Decisions, Decisions....

And finally something I never thought that I would get to call my own - a SIGNED copy of this.
And it isn't just signed, it's dedicated TO ME by the Yarn Harlot herself. Wonder how early I can go to bed so I can read it?

Aren't I a lucky girl? Thank you, thank you whoever you are!

Knit 1 Tea 2 Package Arrived

2007-10-13T15:16:00.000+01:00

Finally the Royal Mail is not on strike and manages to deliver some post.... My KnitOne TeaTwo package all the way from the US.

Here is the all important tea - I have never tried Black or Green Tea so those will be first to try next week. The Yorkshire Tea is packaged just a few miles away so it has been all the way to the US and back again!!
Next we have an ENORMOUS mug with beautiful flowers on it - definitely a real mug size, there is a rabbit tape measure, sheep magnet (my youngest has stolen it already!) and two bars of chocolate which I've never seen before. The chocolate will have to be hidden before the kids see it.
And if all that wasn't enough, then I have all natural soap and chocolate orange lip balm, a lovely card with an Owl on it and some hand made....wash cloths? They are far too soft to be coasters so unless Katie emails and tells me I'm wrong, I have decided that they are washcloths.

Why is it that Digital Cameras can't take decent pictures of anything red? This is Koigu (I have never seen it in the flesh before so I'm so pleased to have this yarn.) The colour on here looks purple and lilac but the actual yarn is shade P859 and is Dark Red. I didn't even use the flash and the camera still got it wrong. I'll have to try to edit the photo manually.

Anyway, a huge thank you to Katie who sent me all these lovely things and made a dismal Saturday much easier to bear.

Fall Felted Bag Exchange Weekly Topic

2007-10-02T10:47:00.000+01:00

I may be too late on this one, but here we go....

As of this weekend, the season has officially changed on the calendar - but what makes Autumn feel like Autumn to you, and why?

Firstly, these - Autumn Bliss Raspberries. I grow them as bushes behind my garage and this is the first year I have had a full crop. They start Fruiting in September and will carry on until the first frosts come. If I'm picking these it must be Autumn.

I freeze them for puddings - cheesecake, cakes and crumbles. I make them into jam and cook them with sugar to make a sauce for my eldest son's Ice Cream.

There is also a large Damson tree in the garden which produces far more Damsons than I can use. This year I gave lots away to other people and there were still masses left.

And finally I also have one of these....

A Pear tree. I bought it when my eldest son was born in 1998 and it is planted in a very large pot so we can take it with us whenever we move house (three different places so far). Some years it produces nothing and others it is laden. This year was a good year and I will be poaching the pears in syrup and then freezing them. They get put into crumbles with Blueberries (I grow those too but they have finished fruiting by the end of August) or smothered in dark chocolate sauce. Nigella has just done a recipe for Pear and Ginger Muffins, so this year I will trying those.

For me, Autumn means fruit picking, jam making and freezing. Every day gets a little bit colder and every morning gets a little bit darker.

A Public Apology

2007-10-01T22:16:00.001+01:00

I would like to write a public apology to my Secret Pall 11 Upstream pal for not blogging at the required level of 4 posts per month. My son has ADHD and is very ill at the moment - his meds are not working, my husband has lost his job so we have no salary to speak of and bills to pay. Please forgive me for not posting - Blogging is currently the last thing on my mind....

I am knitting though - in the spare moments I have. I was knitting a scarf for my downstream SP until I found out she doesn't like purple - project now on hold. I am knitting a Felted Bag for the Fall Felted Bag Exchange and it is almost ready to send out but of course I cannot blog the bag until my partner has received it. My favourite project of the moment is the Norah Gaughan Tilted Duster from Interweave Knits Fall 2007. I am using Drops Alaska in Dark Red and have completed the bodice and sleeves. When I can find the camera and charge the batteries - I will blog a picture of it. I got the yarn from this website and they were absolutely fantastic - not only is the yarn very reasonably priced but I got the yarn the day after I ordered it. FANTASTIC CUSTOMER SERVICE - if you are in the UK then please visit Scandinavian Knitting Design for DROPS and HP Love yarns.

I need to go now as it is 22:30pm and my son is still awake upstairs singing at the top of his voice. He is going to wake up his Brother and Sister in a minute!!

A Blatant Plug...

2007-09-14T12:17:00.000+01:00

I make no apologies for doing this - I need to sell more from my website (see link on the right of this blog to GreenGreenPlanet.com) and what could be nicer than a new Knitting Project Bag? Fairly Traded, all hand made in Madagascar from sustainable sources...every one of them is unique.

These are imaginatively called 'Polka' and also come in bright pink and in Lavender. Plenty of room in one of these for a good sized project and all your other belongings - take one to Knitting Group maybe? p.s. Kerrie Allman of Hipknits has one of the Chocolate Coloured ones....

This one is called 'Jacaranda' and is a LARGE basket for large projects (or your shopping). I love the design on the front , don't you?

How Eco-Friendly would you like to be? These Handbags are made from really soft woven hemp and each one has a hand-carved horn decoration on the front. No two bags are the same. These are also fully-lined and come with zipped pockets inside.

There are more details of sizes and prices here and if you are outside the UK and would like one of my lovely bags, please email me for Shipping Costs - sales [at] greengreenplanet [dot] com.
You can also find lots of other lovely eco-friendly, All Natural gifts and treats on the same Website at very good prices.

Plug over (for now, I may be forced to do this again sometime) now back to the Knitting/Dyeing/Felting......

Interweave Knits Honeycomb Socks

2007-09-02T21:24:00.000+01:00

From the Fall 2007 edition - this is one of the staff projects (you can download the pattern and 6 more toe-up patterns here Knitted in Silkwood 4 ply Sock Yarn, Bluebells colourway. The yarn is 100% wool and isn't particularly soft but the finished socks will be good for winter.

I like the colourway - all blues and purples - and the fact that this yarn produces subtle stripes and no pooling. Unfortunately there are 3 reasons I don't like the pattern. Firstly, the honeycomb stitch around the leg produces a tight fabric with little stretch and the sock is VERY difficult to put on as it won't stretch round my heel. Secondly, I don't like the fact that the honeycomb has the purl stitches in front, I prefer one with the knit stitches in front instead. Thirdly, I am a bit of a perfectionist and I don't like the way that the rib pattern on the foot morphs into the honeycomb stitch - the two patterns don't line up properly. (See photo 2) On the positive side, this is now the basis for a sock pattern of my own that really fits my foot....

Watch this space - this sock is going to be frogged back to the beginning of the leg and redone (in my opinion) properly.

FFBE Contest

2007-09-01T22:11:00.000+01:00

What is your favourite yarn for felting and why? I haven't done much felting, that's one of the reasons I joined this swap. So far my favourite is Noro Kureyon because I like the way it stripes during the knitting and they way they look after felting.

1 person not from the USA - Katie B is from New Brunswick, Canada - she is here.

1 person with a dog - Laurie D has a dog called Bailey - she is here.

1 person with a child - Tonia, she is here

Do you prefer October or November and why? November I think because it's usually colder and crisper than October which can be just horribly damp. I'm also a sucker for Guy Fawkes - Toffee Apples, Parkin, Tomato Soup drunk from a plastic cup next to a HUGE bonfire and best of all - the fireworks. I love fireworks!

Holiday Stress.....

2007-08-27T20:52:00.000+01:00

I don't know why I do it, but I do it every year and regret it....I'm talking about going on holiday with my family - 3 kids and an ADHD husband plus (this year only - I've promised myself) my Mother.

About a week before we go the stress level starts to rise as I try to wash, iron and pack for 3 children plus myself. This being England, it could rain, hail, snow, shine, blow a hurricane or any combination of the above; I have also known it to be three of those IN ONE DAY. This means I need to pack 3 times the amount of clothes that you would normally take on holiday - waterproof clothes, hot weather clothes, beach wear, fleeces and wellies, smartish clothes to go out for a meal, scruffy clothes for Rock-Pooling in the rain.....the list of possibilities seems endless.

All this packing has to be done at the last minute since they don't have a lot of clothes so, unless I let them wander round in pyjamas for 3 days, I can only finalise the packing the day before we go.

After I've finished with the children's packing I have to start on mine. Same problem as before - 'What shall I take? Will it rain, snow or shine?' coupled with the questions 'Will this fit? Will my bum look big in this?' I haul my summer clothes out of storage and commence a mammoth 'trying on' session in front of a full length mirror. Anything that looks too grim is relegated to the floor. Two hours later I am left with what I think they call a 'capsule wardrobe' aka 'the only clothes that fit and don't look too bad'.

Then there are all the 'must haves' that my children can't last the week without - surf boards, buckets, spades, books, games, story tapes, DVDs etc etc and they can't possibly share any of it so everything is times 2 (or sometimes 3 if the littlest one sees what the other two have got). Before very long there is a HUGE pile of suitcases, bags and equipment stacked on the living room floor. My husband sees the pile and says - 'How come the pile is bigger than the size of our boot? It's not going to fit in'. Two boys start shouting and crying because they can't go on holiday without <<.....insert name of any object here......>>

Dammit - I've forgotten to book the restaurants....my Mother has said she will babysit one night provided I book a meal in a REALLY nice restaurant so she can go out one night too. There is more than one Michelin Starred restaurant in Cornwall but most of them are fully booked, finally manage to get a table in a restaurant that will be swanky enough and then have to start the process all over again to book a 'last night' meal for the 6 of us. The restaurant can only fit us in at 5:30pm or 6pm which is a lot earlier than I like and means dragging the kids off the beach at 4pm....Note to self: book restaurants for next year's holiday in February to ensure satisfactory choice of restaurant and dining time.

By some miracle the whole kit and caboodle is ready by 10pm Thursday and we open the wine. It takes us until 10am the next morning to actually fit it all into the car - we have a large Saab estate and it is full to the brim by the time we set off. I have about 6 inches of leg room and not enough space to knit or even to find a book, I am also bored of playing 'I Spy' by the time we reach the motorway.

Another note for next year - TAKE LESS STUFF.

Part 2 - The Holiday

Friday - Plymouth: Raining
You don't want to see a picture of Plymouth in the rain surely.

Saturday - Truro:Raining
Didn't take any photos of Truro in the rain either but here are two happy boys in their holiday bedroom.

Sunday - St Michael's Mount: Not Raining but blowing a Gale, Grey Skies and Freezing Cold.

Monday - Portreath: Hail, Wind, Sunny Spells - here is one of the sunny spells.

Tuesday - St Ives, Porthminster Beach - At last the sun comes out

Wednesday - St Austell, The Eden Project - Sunshine and Clouds

Thursday - Portreath Again: Very Windy but also sunny.

Here is King Canute, failing to hold back the tide .

Friday - Lappa Valley - Cloudy, Sunny and Windy

And that 'last night' meal - here's my Princess enjoying her Pasta Bolognese.

Saturday - Portreath for the Last Time: Roasting

ADHD Husband forgot the sun was shining and forgot to put any suncream on - he came home looking like a lobster!

Part 3 - Post-Holiday Stress

We always do the journey south in two parts, staying over night in Plymouth to break up the journey. But for some reason we never break the journey back and try to do it in one long slog. Because we had stayed on the beach until 4pm, it was almost midnight when we got home. The kids had no clue what time of day or night it was and all refused to go to bed, we adults we desperate for sleep but they wanted to watch Cartoon Network all night...

Now comes the fun part - unload the car, hoover up half a ton of sand, wash suncream/ice cream/juice and God knows what off the seats and carpets, clean the sticky hand prints off all the windows, door handles and buttons. I unpack all the bags and suitcases onto the kitchen floor only to find that they all have another half ton of sand in them - there is now a mini-beach on the floor. Make a small mountain (and I mean a mountain, it's bigger than my two year old) of washing and stack another pile of toys, books, unworn clothes etc at the bottom of the stairs. How the hell did all of this fit in the car? and why did we take it?

No-one has any clean clothes to wear so for the next two days the kids wear pyjamas and things that don't fit. I do 11 loads of washing and then iron it all, fold it and put it all away. I'm completely shattered - I need a holiday

Oh yeah and holiday knitting? I completed ONE SOCK TOE in 12 days.
I'll be back when I have the energy to type.

Fall Felted Bag Exchange

2007-08-15T23:05:00.001+01:00

Have signed up for this one to help me (hopefully) bust my (very small) stash.....here are my questionnaire answers.

How long have you been knitting or crocheting? How did you learn? or from whom?

I knit and crochet and have been doing it for almost 30 years. My mother taught me to knit dishcloths and I learned most of the more advanced skills from books and patterns. My teacher taught me to crochet when I was 9.

What was your first felted object, and why did you decide to try felting?

I felted a 'One Skein Bag' using Noro Silk Garden. I decided to try it because I had seen such lovely things on other people's Blogs and I like to try new techniques whenever I can.

What are your favorite colors? Any you hate?

My favourite colours are Blue, Purple, Baby Pink, Slate Grey. I hate acid bright colours - hot pink, lime, yellow, orange etc.

What are your favorite styles\types of bags? (Long straps? Short handles? Handbags? Totes? Embellished? Plain? Include links to patterns or photos if you’d like – give your pal an idea of what you enjoy!)

I like bags that are very practical as I tend to use them for storage or for knitting 'on the move'. So short handled totes, messenger bags, laptop bags, craft bags - embellished or plain. I am on Ravelry - ID =BatOutOfHell and have linked to some bag patterns on there. Other than that I like almost all Noni bags especially the embellished ones. I have the pattern for the Lattice but haven't been brave enough to try it yet.

What handbag or bag are you carrying today? Do you use a separate bag to carry your knitting?

I only have ONE bag - it's a black leather one that carries lots of 'stuff' for my 3 children. My knitting gets to travel in a plastic carrier bag or a paper grocery type bag with handles!!

What other things do you enjoy knitting or crocheting?

Jumpers, cardigans, wraps and socks are my projects of choice.

What sort of needles do you enjoy working with? (straights vs circs, bamboo vs aluminum)

Straight for most things, like metal needles as they feel much sturdier. I use circs for knitting sweaters in the round and for large projects that won't fit on straights e.g. shawls. I knit socks with dpns - I only have metal ones and have never tried anything else.

What’s one project you’ve not yet tried but are dying to make?

This

What’s one yarn you’ve not yet tried but are dying to work with?

Koigu PPPM

What other hobbies do you have? Do you spin? Sew? Garden?

I love dyeing yarn and finished projects especially hand-painting them. I sew bags, scrap quilts, clothes and soft furnishings whenever I get the time. I have a large garden and don't get anywhere near enough time to look after it properly.

Besides yarn, do you collect anything?

Owls

What kind of goodies do you enjoy? Sweets? Salty? Anything you hate or are allergic to?

I have a huge Sweet Tooth and like anything sweet EXCEPT toffee. I hate nuts, aniseed and liquorice.

Do you have any kiddos? (Furry kind count!)

3 children - elder son aged 9.5, younger son aged 5, daughter aged 2. No pets (yet!)

What kind of project best personifies you and why?

Tricky one...anything unusual in terms of construction or design. I like to be different and don't follow the crowd if I can help it.

What is your favorite part of Autumn? You can also share a special Autumn memory if you'd prefer!

I love the colours of the leaves more than anything else and have memories from my childhood of kicking through HUGE piles of them on my way to school. By the time I got there I had leaves stuck to my socks all the way up to my knees.

Tell us 3 things you would do if you won 10 million dollars in the lottery.

Pay off my mortgage and other debts.

Buy some new clothes for my husband and then for me.

Take a 'Round the World' trip to Peru, Mauritius, Madagascar, New Zealand and a few more places besides.

Some Finished Objects At Last!!!

2007-08-15T22:17:00.000+01:00

First we have Rowan Glade from the Spring Edition of 'Simply Knitting'. This was easily the worst pattern I have ever knitted - I had to make so many modifications to the pattern to get it to fit. The fronts are knitted at a Size 14, the back at a Size 10. I had to remove the frills on the end of the sleeves because a) they were past my fingertips - not very practical and b) I ran out of yarn and this shade is discontinued. I also crocheted an edging as I didn't like the idea of knitting one 5 stitched wide and 230 rows long and then sewing it on - yuk!
I don't know whether to be pleased with it or not - it took so much effort that I can hardly bear to wear it. Oh yes and I've decided I also don't like knitting with cotton so, once my balls of Rowan Cotton Glace have been used up, I won't be buying any more.

And here is the obligatory - foot/leg/sock shot that everyone else's blog seems to have. This is a Lucy Neatby Fiesta Feet sock (I have actually completed the pair of them). Knitted in Panda Wool (Cream) and Panda Cotton (Fruit Salad). Had to use the cotton because they don't do the Panda Wool in Fruit Salad but as it is blended with nylon, the yarn is very elastic and not like the dreaded cotton at all.
I loved every minute of this pattern - it's a challenging knit that produces a lovely comfy sock. I'll be knitting it again but next time will make a few pattern modifications....

Fall Felted Bag Exchange

2007-08-14T11:05:00.000+01:00

I have been thinking about felting bags since I took up knitting again - this is something new that seems to have sprung out of nowhere whilst I have 'been away'. I am not a handbag kind of gal (I've said that many times before, sorry if I'm boring you with it now) but I do use them for storing my knitting, craft projects, shopping etc.

I think I'll be signing up to this swap. If you want to join in - sign-ups start August 15th.

SP11 Questionnaire

2007-08-10T13:29:00.000+01:00

Here are my answers for this round and here are my answers for SP10 just so you can see how much I've changed in the last few months!

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
Wool is my absolute favourite, Merino or wool mixed with something like silk or Alpaca to make it soft.
What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
Mohair makes me itch. I don't like eyelash yarns either.
2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I have a zip-up case that my husband bought me years and years ago. It contains a full set of metal 30cm needles from 3mm to 6mm. My fabulous SP10 pal WanderlustKnits made me a needle case and in it I keep the Namaste Glass Needles she gave me and the thicker needles. Hooks and Circular needles get thrown into whatever I can find - they don't have a special place.
3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
My mother taught me when I was about 9 with dishcloth string and a pair of wooden needles. I think I am an advanced knitter and I love a challenge.
4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
I have an Amazon wish list and an Angel Yarns wish list too! I'm not expecting my SP to send ANY of these things but at least it gives an idea of the kinds of yarns, patterns and colours I like.
5. What's your favorite scent?
I wear Anais Anais but I like the smell of Freesia and Lilies.
6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
I have the worst sweet tooth in the Western World. I love chocolate especially Plain Chocolate and I also like it with 'additions' like cherries, orange, mint, raisins etc. I HATE NUTS. I love old-fashioned English boiled sweets (hard candy I think in the US) my favourites are 'Rhubarb and Custard' and 'Yorkshire Mixture', Pineapple Cubes and Cherry Drops.
7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I like to sew (with a machine) and make bags, clothes, scrap quilts, soft furnishings etc. I like to draw and paint but don't get the time. My current obsession is dyeing and I would love to try the new ranges of 'Natural Dyes' that are appearing. I don't spin and don't really want to!
8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I like all sorts of music - Queen, Genesis, Meatloaf oh and somebody's Blog reminded me about the Cocteau Twins the other day and so I found myself rummaging through boxes of old records... I remembered then that I like The Smiths, The Cure and a load of other Indie Bands from the late 1980s.
9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
My favourite colours are Blue, Cherry Red, Dark Purple and Pale Pink. I just can't stand fuchsia pink, orange or any other acid bright colour.
10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I am married with 3 children, no pets.
11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
I wear scarves/wraps/stoles.
12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
I knit jumpers and cardigans the most but I also enjoy socks.
13. What are you knitting right now?
I am finishing up Glade and then will be finishing Mystery Stole 3 before starting on a pair of socks, probably Pomatomus.
14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Yes
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
I prefer straight needles for most things but really like knitting sweaters in the round on circulars. I own one pair of glass needles which are great - the rest are all metal.
16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
I own a swift (my fab SP10 AGAIN) but am currently borrowing a ball winder from a friend.
17. How old is your oldest UFO?
I have been trying to knit Glade since April - I just have to sew it up now!
18. What is your favorite holiday?
Christmas
19. Is there anything that you collect?
Owls
20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
Where do I start? Loads of books are on my Amazon Wish List. I would love to try Louet or Koigu. I have a long list of Patterns that I love on Ravelry - probably too many for me ever to finish knitting them all. I have subs to Vogue Knitting and Interweave Knits but these only started recently - Vogue with the Capecho issue (think it's Winter 2006) and Interweave with Spring 2007. I'm always happy to have back issues especially second-hand ones. I like the look of Interweave Crochet but have never seen an issue 'in the flesh'.
21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Hairpin Lace
22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
More of a sock knitter than I was a few months ago - I do enjoy knitting them but I like to keep a mix of projects going. I have a UK size 5.5 foot, if you need other measurements then please ask!
23. When is your birthday?
December (after the swap has finished!)
24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?
YES, I love Ravelry and have been spending far too much time on it these last few weeks. My ID is BatOutOfHell.

Knit 1 Tea 2 Color Swap Questionnaire

2007-08-03T19:05:00.000+01:00

I wasn't put off by the disastrous Dye-No-Mite swap - I've signed up for this one so I can spread the word about Scones globally.... Sign-ups are still open, get yourself over there and join in!

Here's my questionnaire answers:-

Do you like loose tea or bags, or both – something you want to try?
Bags please - loose tea makes far too much mess!!

What is your favorite kind of tea (Brand, flavor, variety, etc)?
For everyday drinking - Taylor's Yorkshire Tea. This is a blend of Indian teas specially made for the hard water found in most of Yorkshire.

Favorite color in regards to tea or one you would like to try? (black, green, red, and white) (keeping in mind that this is how this swap is set up).
Black is my favourite but I'm willing to try other kinds....

Would you say you were a tea pot kind of person or just a hot water heater kind?
What the heck is a hot water heater? We Brits have electric kettles with which to ensure our water is properly boiled! I am too lazy to use a teapot for one person and just pour boiling water on a teabag in the mug.

What tea accessories would you like but have never purchased for yourself?
I've always wanted a traditional English teapot actually - we only have one of those fancy glass Bodum ones.

How do you prefer to be pampered? (examples: mani/pedi, bubble bath, yummy treat, etc).
Manicures, long bubble baths, chocolate.

If you were a kind of yarn what would you be and why?
Well I'd like to be a slim 4 ply but in reality I'm more like a light weight Aran (worsted). Definitely a one off hand-painted colourway though with many different hues - unexpected or unconventional - the kind of colourway that makes you look at it in the yarn shop.

If you had to knit/crochet baby booties, a fun fur scarf, or a fair isle sweater, which would you choose and why?
A Fair-isle jumper because it's complicated and interesting to knit. Satisfying when it's finished and will last a lifetime if you take care of it.

What other event would make you skip a tea party? (A garden party? A book club meeting? A yoga class? Opening night for a new action thriller? etc?)
I wouldn't skip something I'd been invited to but I would go to any of the above if it meant getting a few hours away from the children and the house!

What treat would you consider essential at your tea party? (Sweet? Salty? Scones? Those petite pastry trays with a couple of all sorts of things? Little crust less sandwiches?)
A 3 tier Cake Stand a bit like this. The bottom tier is for crustless sandwiches, the middle tier is for Scones or other Savoury items and the top is for the sweet pastries and cakes - I like handmade mini chocolate eclairs best.
Unfortunately the one I have has only two tiers so I don't bother with the sandwiches!

When buying yarn for a project how do you choose - do you buy the one called for or do you substitute?
I buy the specified yarn if I can, otherwise I use Yarndex and substitute like mad especially for something cheaper!

What do you carry your knitting/crocheting in when on the go?
Plastic Bags, brown paper bags - anything to keep the project and yarn clean.

Favorite movie to watch while knitting/crocheting?
Star Trek, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings or anything I've seen many times before so I don't have to watch it properly. (I can't knit anything other than stocking stitch without looking at the knitting).

Are you a traditional tea cup kind of person or a mug type of person? Do you care if they match?
I like mugs because you get more tea and that also means that the tea stays hotter for longer. My pet hate is lukewarm tea.

Favorite childhood birthday party?
I can only remember having ONE childhood birthday party and it wasn't exactly a success - probably best forgotten in fact. Let's not go there.....

Favorite type of scone and jam?
Classic English All Butter Scone - no fancy additions. Raspberry jam is my favourite even though Cream Teas here always come with Strawberry.

If you use candles, what is your favorite scent?
Citrus - lemon, lime, grapefruit, mandarin - that kind of refreshing smell.

If you could choose 3 people to have 'tea' with, who would they be and why? (famous or not, living or dead).
Margaret Thatcher, Stephen Hawking and Patrick Stewart (yes that's right Jean-Luc Picard!). Perhaps not all at the same time - Patrick Stewart supports Tony Blair....

You've been invited to a tea party, what 'props' will you wear (formal or casual)?
Well I'd have to wear a 'tea dress' and a little cardigan over the top!

Any allergies/preferences you have or are willing to admit to?
I find Mohair very difficult to wear as it makes me itch. No real allergies although I do ABSOLUTELY HATE nuts.

Anything we missed that you want your pal to know?
Don't think so - my pal can always ask me!!

And the Winner is....

2007-07-31T18:30:00.000+01:00

Phoebe

As you might be able to see in the photo, Thomas' rain collector collected 2.7 inches or 66mm of rain during La Tour. The official weather station for our village recorded 91mm so some of the rain must have been horizontal and didn't make it in to our tube!!!

Well done Phoebe - you get to choose one of the following as your prize!

Washed and Softened Recycled Sari Silk - 200g, enough for a tote, shawl or scarf.

Schaefer Ann Sock Yarn (not a bad likeness of the colour on my monitor as least) Merino/Mohair/Nylon blend.

500g of Green & Blacks Organic Chocolate in any of these flavours.

Or a copy of Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitting Almanac (new copy).

Thanks to everyone for joining in, the kids enjoyed watching the rain and counting up the days and the Weather Station is now permanently attached to our fence post!

The winner of La Lanterne Rouge is 5elementknitr
and she wins Une Parapluie! Let's hope she has some use for it over there in Colorado (or perhaps she can take it on holiday with her to somewhere wetter).

Tour De France KAL

2007-07-31T13:32:00.000+01:00

I can't quite decide whether to be proud or not, after all 'Skin of the Sea' is still in a ball awaiting a decision on over-dyeing, hand painting or 'try another colourway instead'. The back of Glade is up to its armpits but no further and I am a few (about 15) rows off completing Clue 4 of MS3. I've worked on this so hard that I have RSI in my right hand again so even though it isn't quite there yet, I'm taking a break from it until after Clue 5 comes out .

I was right about it being a boring slog - all those repetitive motifs in the middle and the cable motif up the sides which I still need to refer to the chart for...... the pattern should change for the next clue so I'm looking forward to Friday and finding out the theme and what that lifeline's for.

Le Competition

2007-07-30T01:00:00.000+01:00

Number of days on which it has rained during the tour

There are two people with the correct answer - Debby and Phoebe.

Here is your tie-break question (you can all join in!) - How much rain fell on my house during La TDF? Answer in Millimetres or Inches whichever you prefer - nearest answer gets the prize.

Clue: it was ALOT - over 2 inches/50mm but we weren't flooded so don't go over the top with your guess!

Mystery Stole 3 Update!

2007-07-27T20:53:00.000+01:00

Clue 3 is now finished. Now for the boring slog up clue 4 - unfortunately I saw a picture of a Clue 4 stole on somebody's blog and I know from the photo and also from looking at the Chart, that this is where it gets repetitive. There is some Mystery left in the Mystery Stole however, we have have been instructed to put in a lifeline at row 287 which is in the middle of clue 4. Nobody know why and we've got to wait until at least August 4th to find out!

Glade has reached the armhole shaping so who knows, I may be able to sprint my way to half a Glade and Half a Stole by the time les cyclists arrivent a L'Arc de Triomphe a dimanche!!!

Picked up the Needles again....

2007-07-25T20:17:00.000+01:00

the knitting diet lasted about as long as one of my 'normal' diets and as soon as I could park the kids in front of a DVD, out they came. Glade is now 35 rows tall and as soon as they go to bed, MS3 will come out of its plastic bag. Tonight I will knit until my eyes close for tomorrow I have another day of 'Mommy Hell' to face - 3 children and the school holidays!

P.S. On the subject of Swap Etiquette...
If your swap partner failed to send you anything at all in a swap and you happened to find out who she was, would you a) 'name and shame' her on your blog b) boil quietly and wait for Universal Karma to restore the balance or c) something else? Your input would be appreciated - I just can't decide how long to be English and Polite!

Not Much Knitting Going On

2007-07-25T05:14:00.000+01:00

Because of this...... Miranda was 2 on the 24th of July and here she is after her 'party' in Pizza Hut (her favourite food after chocolate) opening her presents. No Knitting needles were picked up in honour of her birthday.... Tour de France KAL you will have to wait until tomorrow.

Tour De France Mystery Stole

2007-07-23T11:56:00.001+01:00

I just can't face re-knitting the back of that Glade so here is my new Tour De France project - Mystery Stole 3! I know I've started very very late but here I am at the end of Clue 2 now. It's easy enough to knit but it can't be done at the same time as looking after children as they interrupt my counting.... Hoping to start clue 3 tonight and be caught up to the rest of the group by the time the next clue is out on August 4th.
Knitted in Jaggerspun Zephyr Wool/Silk in Ebony colourway with size 8 beads that I am now threading on using the 'dental floss' method but using thread instead of dental floss!!!
Wish me luck!

Ribbit Ribbit

2007-07-21T09:07:00.001+01:00

It seems a little frivolous to be laughing at the number of days it has rained when people have been evacuated from their homes, trapped in their cars overnight on the Motorway and had their holidays ruined.....but the rain just doesn't want to stop - it's raining as I write this. There were two days this week without rain and we managed to get the grass cut and I got sunburnt but on Friday the rain started all over again and it hasn't stopped since......

As far as Le Tour is concerned 'Les grenouilles sont arrivee encore!' I completed the back of Glade and whip stitched it to the two fronts to check for fit. It's a good size and length and I'm happy with the sizing. Unfortunately I had forgotten that cotton doesn't knit up neatly after it has been frogged and the stitch sizes were horribly uneven. So, reluctantly, I frogged the back for the second time, skeined up the yarn and dampened it. Now the skein is dry and straight and 'all' I need to do is knit the back for the third time. I'd better get cracking - I've only got a week and at this rate I'll finish Le Tour with NO finished objects to show for my trouble. To add to all that, the postman just delivered Harry Potter...............

Are you getting 'antsy' waiting for Ravelry?

2007-07-17T12:45:00.000+01:00

then check here and you can see exactly where you are in the list..... I only have 384 people ahead of me in the queue and they send out about 1200 invites a week so I should be getting my invite SOON!!!!!

Back in the Race

2007-07-16T19:04:00.000+01:00

Betcha any money I don't win a prize in the TDF KAL draw this week but I'll keep mentioning the knitalong and keep hoping that as I'm offering such LOVELY prizes in my competition, the yarn fairies will smile on me and I'll finally win something....
This weekend I wasted a whole day trying to dye the silk for my 'Skin of the Sea' only to discover that neither Food Grade nor Acid dyes will give strong colours on silk - what I need are Cold Water Reactive dyes so 'Skin of the Sea' will have to wait until I get hold of some.
So I decided to find an 'old bike' aka Glade and finish it.

Here's the story so far - I knitted the fronts, back and both sleeves in record time before reading about all the problems other knitters were having with gauge, getting the edging to fit and using too much yarn. I blocked and measured and measured again and weighed the yarn I had left. Conclusion? My tension had loosened after blocking so my pieces were too big, the length of the arms was way too long and I wasn't going to have enough yarn to finish.... I frogged the back piece and put Glade in a plastic bag upstairs.

I had already endured one evening with no knitting and it was terrible - I suffered real withdrawal symptoms and drank too much alcohol. Glade was resurrected on Friday 13th and I have re-knitted almost the whole back. This time I am knitting two sizes smaller to compensate for my tension and I was hoping that this would also generate some extra yarn with which to complete the edging. Looks like I was wrong..... The amount of extra yarn required for a Size 14 vs a Size 10 is almost zilch so I will have to consider a) frogging the sleeves and knitting them shorter (at least that way they won't be too long) and/or b) shortening the edging on the sleeves so as to use less yarn.

Either way Glade could take until the end of the Tour de France to complete so it is now my official Green Jersey project. I will also be dyeing my silk though and my Zephyr Laceweight has arrived so I must catch up with Mystery Stole 3 - there is no clue this Friday in honour of Harry Potter and although I pre-ordered my copy and it will be delivered on SATURDAY morning ( if the Royal Mail decide to deliver on time this week of course) I must take advantage of the spare week to catch up. With all these projects on the go maybe I should swap to 'King of the Mountains' group instead...
Keep checking back - the competition statistics are updated daily along with a new photo every time I take one that's amusing or interesting enough to warrant being posted.

I Think I've Crashed.....

2007-07-11T16:15:00.001+01:00

Allow me to start at the beginning (that's a very fine place to start....)

I ordered this - Aran Weight 100% Silk - Colourway - Vibrant - just look at those wonderful rich colours; a deep red, pale aqua, a little dark orange and maybe some grey/purple. Breathtaking.

I received this.....

Yes I know the photo is upside down but you can see what the colours are like can't you; Bright Orange, Fuschia Pink, Purple and Blue. That orange is scary. I rewound one skein to see if I could make it less scary....

Well that's a whole lot less scary now, in fact it looks great, I'm going to join the Tour De France KAL and knit a Skin of the Sea waistcoat - won't I be the bee's knees in it????

Last night at 10pm I finished the back of the waistcoat, I'd used less than one skein so I was feeling pretty damn smug. Not only was I going to finish way ahead of those pesky cyclists but I was even going to have enough yarn!!! THEN.... oh b*******ks (and lots of other words that are far too rude to type here) There was a mistake in my knitting.

Now really ladies, this mistake is huge, I mean HUGE and you can plainly see it on the last photo I posted - so why didn't any of you tell me before I carried on knitting?? Call yourselves knitters? Can't you see what I've done???? The knitting was banished to the back of the sofa for the rest of the night under the 'Sleep On It' rule of frogging decisions. When I saw it again this morning I just knew I couldn't live with the mistake - it has to be ripped, frogged, undone or whatever.

And another thing, I just can't wear these colours. I held it up against my face and against black and against white and I held it this way and that way but the bottom line is:- I just can't wear these colours - it needs to be more like the photo on the website, I just can't tolerate fuschia pink and orange.

So I've really crashed my bike - now the decision I have to make is this; Do I try to repair my Bike and get back on to finish the race (aka overdye the skeins to make something more acceptable) or do I Buy a new bike (aka start a new project for the KAL). What shall I do???

P.S. Yes it really has rained every day since the Tour started. So far 3 people (including you Meg!) are out of the running and there are still 31 of you still in the race. Keep checking the blog - the top post gets updated every day!!

2007-07-10T11:31:00.000+01:00

I'm in a huge rush today......

I have to go to the Supermarket
Wrap 6 or 7 books that I sold on eBay and post them
Update the competition
Blog my Tour de France progress
Aattend my eldest's School Production of the Wizard of Oz
Sneak out of that before the end to pick-up my younger son from Nursery
Sneak back in to the Wizard of Oz before the end and clap like mad

and all before 3:30pm

Here's my 'Skin of the Sea', I'm about half way across the back piece and I apologise for the colour changes - that's the electric light.

Here's a close-up of the stitch pattern, which I am really enjoying, although after knitting socks for a couple of weeks this is like knitting with string and broomstick handles and I can't believe how fast it's growing!

Right that's all I've got time for - gotta earn that Green Jersey today!!

L'echantillon.....The Swatch

2007-07-08T16:11:00.000+01:00

L'enchantillon est finis!!
Got gauge too so I'm chuffed. The colours are very scary - a lot brighter than I would normally choose but I'll go with them for now.

Il Pleut - Le Competition de La Tour de France

2007-07-07T20:36:00.000+01:00

In honour of the Tour de France KAL I am holding my very first Blog competition......

It has rained here every day for the last 14 days - I don't mean that it is raining all the time, just that every day we have had some and I am getting tired of it. So let's add some fun to the rain!!!
All you have to do to enter is guess how many days, during the Tour de France race, rain will fall on my house....

The Prizes
For some lucky people in the world it is not raining, in fact it is very hot so you may choose one of the following as your prize.....
1. Green & Blacks Organic Chocolate in 2 flavours of your choice. Absolutely gorgeous.
2. Schaefer Ann Sock Yarn in Burgundy/Wine colourway.
3. 200g of Top Quality Sari Silk - washed and softened and NOT smelly!
4. A copy of Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitting Almanac.

Et 'Un Prix pour La Lanterne Rouge'....as suggested by Meg for the person who gets it most wrong. Une parapluie!!!

The Rules
1. Email your answers - whole numbers only please, there are no fractions of rain - to me at Nikki[at] greengreenplanet [dot] com. Entries by July 7th Midnight BST (British Summer Time- that's 11pm GMT)
2. My children will be keeping a chart from 3pm July 7th (start of the race) to July 29th (whatever time the winner crosses the line) logging the rainfall. At night they will be leaving a 'Rain Collector' in the garden in case it rains during the night.
3. My eldest son's word on whether or not it rained is final!!
4. In the event of a tie there will be a tie-break question also to do with the weather.

Gobsmacked.....

2007-07-06T10:14:00.000+01:00

Allow me to introduce you to my friend's home made Swift. She made it herself out of pieces of softwood from the DIY store and some tools. It all comes to pieces so it can be stored flat. She lent it to me because I was dyeing and having to hand wind the skeins round the end of my kitchen table and it wobbles a bit but it works and I think it's great.

So when my husband saw it he said "I can make you one of those" and I said, "Thanks, that would be fantastic." So a few minutes later he came downstairs with this hilarious offering.......

Made out of the kids' Meccano. It isn't a square - more a trapezoid but it does actually work and the spindle in the middle rotates really smoothly and it doesn't wobble. Both boys thought it was hilarious and took it upstairs to play with it, winding some of my cheap and nasty acrylic round and round.

But then yesterday I received a package from my SP - she'd said it was going to be small and after her brilliant, way over the top 2nd package I wasn't surprised. After all everybody has a budget and sometimes bills just have to be paid and you can't spend money on your stash or on your SP. But the postman brought a bulky, heavy package and in it was this...

A truly generous, totally unnecessary, brought tears to my eyes gift - A handmade Swift from Sublime Spindles. Made from ethically sourced hardwood with a brass spindle, felt on the bottom so it doesn't slip across my table, the arms even fold up so I can store it neatly (although I don't belong in the same sentence as the word neat).

And there was chocolate - real plain dark organic chocolate and a handmade card she had made herself. Words fail me, I can't thank her enough for her generosity. I've emailed her on both her email addresses but she must be offline - so WanderLust Knits, if you are reading this a) check your email addresses, b) I nominated you for Best Pal and you so deserve to win and c) I've sent you something in the post as a thank you, it doesn't come anywhere near what you've just sent me but I'm hoping it will make you happy for a little while.

P.S. Can you see how dark and dingy these photos are? They were taken next to a floor to ceiling window in what passes for natural daylight in these parts - yes it's raining again!!!

SP11 Sign-ups are Open!!

2007-07-03T10:40:00.000+01:00

Here

Swapping starts in September so it won't clash with any Summer Activities I might organise.
SP10 has been great although I still don't know who Secret Squirrel is and I haven't tried very hard to find out either as that would spoil the surprise.
I'm guessing that she's American as she uses phrases that are definitely not 'The Queen's English' e.g. gussied up and there is something about her written English and handwriting that just says she's not a Native Brit. She does live here though as her parcels come by Royal Mail from London.
Secret Squirrel is good at taking close-up photos of flowers - she has sent me some great ones.
Secret Squirrel doesn't have kids - she hand embroidered my needle case with complicated Celtic knotwork and it must have taken hours - far longer than knitting something so she must have 'time on her hands' (lucky lucky person).
That's about all I've managed to come up with and she's done a good job of hiding her identity so WELL DONE Secret Squirrel. Can't wait until her last gift arrives and I find out who she is.

And my own Secret Pal? Well I can't say just yet as her final package hasn't arrived yet.....

Joining In

2007-07-03T10:17:00.000+01:00

I'm not one of life's 'Joiners'. I prefer to do my own thing.

BUT I have joined two KALs for the summer so I have something to do on the knitting front.

I'm in the Tour de France KAL as a Green Jersey - this means that I have undertaken to start and finish a project during the race. I'll be knitting this......Skin of the Sea by Ilga Leja

in this..... Hipknits Aran Silk - colourway Vibrant.

I have also signed up for Mystery Stole 3 after Knitting Nanny (my Secret Summer Santa) suggested it. I made a 1.5hr round trip in the rain yesterday to fetch the beads and a crochet hook from Hobbycraft but almost cried when I got home and found that the hook won't go through the beads. The size of hooks being used by others in the group varies through 1mm, 0.9mm and 0.75mm - all with 8/0 beads and having no problems - others are having to use 0.6mm hooks. If the size of the bead is fixed at 8/0 why aren't the holes the same size for every bead? I've been in Manufacturing all my working life - making parts for cars (amongst other things) that are measured in MICRONS and every part you make has to be exactly the same. So why can't the bead manufacturers do the same thing????? Today I'll be making my own hook out of fuse wire and ordering the Jaggerspun Zephyr in Ebony as I want a black stole.

Sign-ups for both close 6th July so get in quick if you want to have a little KAL fun.

Summer Readalong

2007-06-27T16:12:00.000+01:00

If I ever go into a 'real' bookshop I'm hopeless at choosing new books, I almost always read Crime Novels and I have my favourite Authors plugged in to Amazon anyway so that I can keep up with the new releases. In order to introduce a little variety I decided that I would 'Read Along with Richard & Judy' and for the last two years have been reading their chosen book selections.
Overall it's a really good experience as I've read books by authors I'd never heard of and books with subject matter that I wouldn't normally touch with a barge pole. I think it's good for the soul as well as the mind to try new things.
The Summer Reading List for 2007 (Starts Wed 4th July) has just been released and the books are:-
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
Relentless by Simon Kernick
The House at Riverton by Kate Morton
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen by Paul Torday
Getting Rid of Matthew by Jane Fallon
The Savage Garden by Mark Mills
How To Talk To A Widower by Jonathan Tropper
The Other Side of the Bridge by Mary Lawson

I have a few self-imposed rules for the ReadAlong:-
1. Books may be read in any order - the point here is to expand your reading horizons not keep up with the Joneses.
2. Books may be read at any speed - I have 3 children, do Richard & Judy really think I've got time to read a book a week, even on holiday?
3. You must read at least the first chapter of each book. If it's so awful that you can't bear to continue then you may give up but please recycle the book! This has only happened to me once with a book set in the Deep South of the US at the time of the Civil War and I'm sorry but despite the fact that Richard raved about it - it was deadly dull and it had to go.
4.Books should be obtained from a) the shelf of the library (cost-nil) b) Library Reservations (cost - 80p per book) c) http://www.readitswapit.co.uk/ (cost - 2nd class postage) d) Charity Shops e) ebay or GreenMetropolis.com for a SECONDHAND COPY and finally you are allowed to buy a new copy if all other options have been exhausted.

So I'm starting with Relentless because it's a thriller and so ought to be an easy first read. I found it on the shelf of the village library so I grabbed it before Richard and Judy start talking about it - once they mention a book it goes out of my library for months on end.....

Want to Join In?

Bill Gates You Should Be ASHAMED.....

2007-06-26T09:44:00.000+01:00

....taking my money, making your products almost indispensable and then fobbing me off when I have a problem. Well actually it's not just me, there are hundreds if not thousands of other people around the globe with exactly the same problem as me and Microsoft can't be bothered to fix it.

I'll start at the beginning. I have a Dell Desktop - over 4 years old now and a real workhorse, not the fastest machine and no fancy sound or graphics but it has worked all day every day for the past 4 years and I don't think you can ask more than that. But recently my USB ports have only worked intermittently - some days I can upload photos from the Camera and some days I can't, the Memory Stick sometimes works in the ports on the front of the machine and other days it will only work in the ones on the rear. Some days the Scanner won't start, some days the Colour Printer and on some glorious days NOTHING WORKS AT ALL.

I have tried every possible combination of equipment and ports and every combination of having things plugged in at Boot Up and plugged in after Booting up - the result? never the same on two consecutive days. I Googled to see if anyone else had the same problem....
Ooh look, lots of people have the same problem!! What did they do to fix it?

Tried tweaking the Registry, Un-installing and Re-installing Drivers etc etc and nothing worked. So I went to the Microsoft site and looked for their answer.
Guess what they say? Along the lines of 'We are aware that Users are experiencing intermittent problems with USB ports' BUT as the problem is intermittent and it doesn't affect everybody's machine in the whole wide world and because we're unlikely to get sued by anybody - WE'RE GOING TO DO NOTHING ABOUT IT.

I've bought a new laptop so I've got backup now but that brings it's own problems - it runs Vista and I didn't want to swap over and some of my favourite free utilities - AVG, ZoneAlarm etc are rumoured not to work properly under Vista. I will also have to look at a Wireless Network for the house as we only have one phone line. No time to knit this week - too busy cursing Bill.....

It's Been a Good Week for......

2007-06-19T09:40:00.001+01:00

.....Fiesta Feet Socks (Pattern by Lucy Neatby) The heel flap is in a honeycomb stitch which looks great - my only complaint is that one side has a stocking stitch edge to it which makes picking up the stitches easy and neat, the other side of the flap is all slip stitches and by comparison looks a mess. The pattern on the sole is lovely - will do a close-up when I have some better daylight but if I'm honest I don't like the 'jog' in the pattern at the end of each round - I think it needs to be moved a couple of stitches over. Still, I'm now on the long slog up (or should that be down?) the foot towards the toe.

.... Finally Starting to Sell Online

I have had a website selling eco-friendly gifts for 18 months now and things have been moving VERY slowly. This week things finally started to move a bit faster and I actually had to re-order. These fairly traded baskets come from Madagascar and make GREAT summer knitting bags - they are all lined and have a drawstring or zip closure - room in there for a book and suntan lotion too. PLEASE check them out and tell your friends www.GreenGreenPlanet.com and there are plenty of other lovely little gifts.....

....Tidying up my life.
The downstairs rooms all all pretty clear now apart from the books which we are still trying to sell on ebay or exchange on ReadItSwapIt. That just leaves me with the mess and the clutter upstairs. I've been reading a book by Dawna Walters - the woman who started 'The Holding Company' selling all kinds of things to put your 'stuff' in. Now of course she has realised that the root of the problem is actually 'the stuff' and she advocates getting rid of it rather than buying storage for it. I can see her point but I don't think my kids are ready for it yet.
I have written myself a computer program that will match up the patterns I want to knit with the yarns I now have in my cupboard. I'm on the waiting list for Ravelry but in the meantime I need to get my house in order. The advantage of MY version of Ravelry is that I don't have to photograph my stash - after all I know perfectly well what it looks like, it's only upstairs!!

Not Knitting Glade.....

2007-06-12T17:12:00.001+01:00

So what's happening with Glade?? I'm sick to death of it that's what. I'm normally a 1 project person - slogging away at each thing until it's completed. But Glade just gets to me. I can't bear to frog it and forget it because I REALLY like the finished article but I just can't face it for a while. Here's the bottom edging 3.5 of 8 pattern repeats in and I still don't know if I'll have enough yarn. It's gone in a Carrier Bag for now until......Christmas??
Have cast on for Fiesta Feet Socks by Lucy Neatby instead - using Panda Wool in Ivory for the main colour and Panda Cotton for the variegated. I would have preferred to use Wool for the variegated part as well but it doesn't come in this colourway - Fruit Salad. Anyway you cast on and knit garter stitch stripes until the piece fits round your leg without stretching. Here's mine...

Then you graft the two ends together to make the cuff and pick up stitches along one edge. You then start knitting various textured stitches. Here I am having just divided for the heel.
I'm really pleased with the colours and with the level of difficulty of the pattern - it just looks enormous after the last pair of socks I knitted but it fits really well and the yarn is soft and comfy. A very welcome break from the Dreaded Glade.

Thoroughly Spoiled....

2007-06-12T16:48:00.000+01:00

TWICE in a couple of days... First a Brown Box containing all sorts of goodies from my Angel Yarns Secret Summer Santa - Knitting Nanny. She says I was difficult to shop for but she really did a good job for me - I'm thrilled. The theme was 'The Sea' and everything came wrapped in beautiful blue and silver paper with a load of seashells to add to my collection. Inside the parcels I got... Merino Laceweight in a lovely Baby Blue and a Fiddlesticks Inky-Dinky Spider Stole pattern that I love the look of.
A paua shell bracelet, M&S Organic Chocolate with Rose, A Ball of JamiePossum DK in 'Ocean' and some iridescent beads (these last two came with the suggestion to knit Odessa from Magknits.)
Even the children got presents from KnittingNanny - what a star. It was a lovely ending to a yukky week.

On Monday I got ANOTHER parcel, this time from my SP10 pal and I still have no idea who it is although the return address said London. The box was ginormous and here's what was in it...

*With apologies for not rotating the photo before uploading it
On the bottom is a handmade needle case - the outside is a soft chenille and it's padded too. On the top of the inside flap is a Celtic Design that my Pal embroidered herself! Talented or what. Poking out of one of the pockets is a pair of Namaste Glass needles - drools......
Then there's a heart shaped box of fabulous chocolates with no nuts, a scented candle and finally two skeins of Colinette Tao Silk. What a treat - she's a great pal and I'm really itching to find out who she is.

Eco Tip - Number 1

2007-06-10T11:01:00.000+01:00

I decided that there isn't enough 'Green' content on here so I'm going to publish ONE eco tip per week - something small and easy to do, nothing strenuous. Think about it - can you change your life one little green step at a time?

Tips Number 1 - Get a Fly Swat (You didn't expect me to be TOO serious did you?)
It's almost summer and as the weather in the UK improves, out come all the flies - big ones, little ones, ones that buzz, ones that bite. We're really lucky in England not to have the midges that they have in Scotland and not to have anything seriously gruesome like they have in hotter countries.
But still those little buzzy things are dead annoying not to say downright unhygenic. Before you reach for that can of Fly Spray or hang those sticky traps, have you stopped to think what's in them and just how they kill the insects????
I won't go into details here, you can Google for the answers, suffice to say that the chemicals in insect killer sprays are NASTY. Nasty for you, nasty for your children, nasty for your home oh and of course nasty for the insects. Spray enough in a room and close the door and you too would choke to death.
A plain old fly swat is the cheap and fun alternative. Round here they cost 50p - £1 (that's $1 to $2) and it's a lot of fun swatting and very satisfying to despatch the insect quickly and stop it from buzzing around your head. (Apologies to any Buddhists - I promise I say a prayer for each and every one I kill and no, i don't want to come back as a Housefly.) Even my children like to swat the flies and now if they see one in the room they come running for the fly swat so they can 'have a go'.
So this week's eco tip is ' Stop using chemical insect killers on a regular basis, either learn to live with them or SWAT them!'

P.S. Don't forget to clean your fly swat regularly - no NOT with bleach - hot soapy water will be fine!!

No More Dyeing Then.....

2007-06-07T19:57:00.000+01:00

....sorry about the pun but I'm a big fan of Ruth Rendell and I have been doing a lot of dyeing this week. Without giving too much away as it was all for swap partners - I did two 1200 yard skeins of Laceweight BFL, one I called 'Strawberry Ripple' and the other I christened Summer Meadow because it is green. One has gone to a swap partner and the other is waiting for some other items to join it for another Swap Package.

I also dyed 250g (8oz) of British BFL Tops for yet another Swap. I was really pleased with the colours so I hope she likes it as much as I do - good job I can't spin or I might have been tempted to keep it for myself.

The fibres came from Wingham Wool Work which has a workshop that looks like this

lovely isn't it? and it's only a few miles from where my Mother lives in Yorkshire.

And otherwise my only knitting is the dreaded Glade. I have successfully knitted up two cuff edgings now - both had to have extra plain rows on each end to make them fit the bottom of the stocking stitch sleeve. Then I realised that I wasn't going to have anywhere near enough yarn to complete the edging.
Having measured the back I have realised that it is way too big and so I had no choice but to unravel it all. I've now worked out how many stitches to cast on to make the back the correct size and hopefully with the spare yarn generated by knitting it smaller, I'll have enough to finish the cuff.
I'm really sick of Glade now and wish to God that I hadn't started.

Knitters Treat Exchange

2007-06-01T20:51:00.000+01:00

I've benn waiting for so long but it finally arrive - my Knitters Treat Exchange package. My Treater was Lucy at Zebraknits and it came by Surface Mail all the way from the US. A big big thank you to Lucy for wrapping everything so well - nothing escaped from the package or got damaged. Here's what I got....

Quilting Arts magazine - hope there'll be some inspiration in here for using up my VERY large stash of fabrics.
Food Magazine which I haven't had time to look at yet but the cover looks good.
Body Shop Coconut Body Butter - now how on earth did Lucy know that I love this stuff - I have two pots of it upstairs. I was also surprised to find out that you could get Body Shop in the US - you learn something new every day.
Body & Bath Works Coconut Bath Gel
and finally - the yarn - Knitpicks Elegance Alpaca Silk in Lilac (their colour name not mine - it's darker than any Lilac bush I ever saw).
Have spent what little free time I've had this week looking up the yarn on Knitpicks' website and seeing what I could make with it. Lucy suggested a scarf but I'm still hoping that Summer will arrive in England soon so I'm very tempted to buy some more yarn and make at least a waistcoat if not a fully fledged jumper. Only problem is Knitpicks don't ship to the UK so I will have to hunt for some on ebay.com or find a compatible yarn in the UK. Someday soon I've promised myself that I'll take a day off from the chores and the tidying......

Thanks again to Lucy - this was her first exchange - Lucy, I've added your Blog to my Feed Reader so I'll be keeping an eye on your quilting and your knitting.

Things I Am In Love With

2007-05-24T14:29:00.000+01:00

I am totally sick of 'Glade', more on that topic tomorrow - I can't bring myself to Blog about it today- so I have been surfing the web looking for lovely things to knit. Some day soon I'll finish the dreaded 'Glade' and feel able to move on to one of these lovely things.....

P.S. Note to any of my Knitting Buddies in the US - Shibui patterns are NOT available here in the UK so if anyone is wondering what to put in a Swap Package for me then one of these would make my year - the shipping on them costs more than the patterns!!!

Shibui Knits Icosa Ball - I just know the kids would use it as a football and it doesn't look like a comfortable cushion but you've got to admire the geometry of it.

Shibui Knits Half Circle Cardigan - the colour is vile but gasp at the construction of it - who thought of that???

Noni Bags - Now I'm not a handbag kinda girl - I only have one bag - a large black leather one in which goes everything including spare nappies, milk, dummies, book, sweets, money etc. If I go out with my husband I never carry more than a handkerchief because I don't have an evening bag. These bags are so breathtakingly beautiful that they would be perfect for going out. I also love the Lattice Bag, the Cherry Blossom, the one covered in flowers etc etc.

I like a challenge. I've bought this pattern - Fiesta Feet by Lucy Neatby. It's knitted in two colours so you've got the added complication of coping with two balls of wool as well as the complicated stitch patterns. Have bought the cream yarn but can't decide on what to use for the coloured bit. The pattern says you can use up your stash but since I don't have one I have to buy something....

And finally - I saw this on someone else's Blog and went straight to Woolly Workshop to order it - Skin Sea by Ilga Leja knitted in Worsted weight. I think my Hipknits Aran Silk is going to look great knitted up into this.

Links to any other seriously inspirational patterns are always appreciated!

Handpainted Yarn

2007-05-24T14:18:00.000+01:00

Secret Squirrel sent me some undyed Trekking yarn and some food colouring in my April SP10 package and I decided I was sick of ebay and sick of tidying up so I got busy.

I soaked the yarn for about an hour in 8 pints of water and 1 cup of white vinegar. Then I painted on blue and yellow food colouring with a paint brush. Left it to sit for another hour or so and then cooked it for 5 minutes in my microwave. Here is my very first attempt at dyeing in the sink having a wash after it had cooked - look how clear the water is - the dye must have stuck fast!!!

I gave it a gentle wring and hung it up overnight to dry. This morning, since I don't have a swift and it looked pretty gruesome in its stripy hank, I used the kitchen table to rewind the skein into this rather pretty looking hank.

What do you think?

May SP10 Competition

2007-05-21T17:42:00.000+01:00

Now my chances of winning this month's SP10 competition, set by our hostess Bobbi, are zero. You see I'm about to give totally the wrong answer. The question is about going on a foreign holiday for 10 days to a place with some great knitting locations - 'What do you pack to knit?'.
ANSWER: Nothing - I NEVER knit on holiday.....
Knitting is something I do to stop me thinking about 'things' too much - on holiday I can read a book or be distracted by shopping, eating, sightseeing etc so I don't need to knit.
Knitting is something I do to stop me eating too much in the evenings whilst watching TV - well a) I don't watch TV on holiday and b) I don't mind how much I eat on holiday, so I don't need to knit.
Knitting is something I do at home that is relatively easy to pick up and put down again in the snatches of free time I have during the day - on holiday I've got acres of free time that I'd rather use to read or sleep, so I don't need to knit.

The second part is easier - 'What do you hope to shop for?' Well, like everyone else I'll bet, I like to shop for locally produced yarns that I've never seen before and can't get at home or yarn bargains if things are cheaper than the UK.

And finally, 'Where would you go on a knitting holiday?' Assuming that I could actually get to go on such a thing (I would have to go without OH and without children of course!) then I would choose to go somewhere with a strong knitting tradition - Iceland or Peru I think. (I've already done Norway which was brilliant.)

Toe-Up Socks from Interweave Knits

2007-05-18T14:10:00.000+01:00

LaurieC sent me a ball of Trekking XXL in a beautiful blue that I couldn't wait to try. I saw this month's Interweave Knits had a Toe-Up sock pattern and decided to use the Trekking as the pattern is simple and won't detract from the stripes in the yarn. So here is a very odd looking sock on the table......

The sock is knitted in 2 x 2 rib which is why it pulls in so tight and then frills out at the top. There was some yarn left over but I had knitted the sock to just the right length for me so I'm happy to leave an oddment - maybe there'll be enough for Toddler socks.

Here's a photo of the sock actually on my foot.....

Looks good apart from that wee hole at the top of the heel shaping, the pattern does say to tighten it up after you've cast off so I'll have to remember to do that. I'm now on the second sock and I'm knitting the next pattern size up as I think the first one might be a bit tight, especially if it shrinks in the wash.

The Eastern Cast on was fiddly but produces a nice neat seamless toe and I really like the shaped heel so I would definitely knit socks this way again but using a stitch or cable pattern to liven things up. Thanks again Laurie - good choice of yarn, look out for pictures of my second sock soon!!

My first Meme

2007-05-16T12:11:00.000+01:00

This one seemed to be going round like wildfire yesterday when I read all by Blog feeds. Thought my answers might be interesting for any Secret Pals or Swap Partners out there.
Feel free to copy it to your blog but please leave a comment!!

Edit the list, bold for stuff you've done,
italics for stuff you plan to do one day
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 patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting - What's this????
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/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 - Not sure what this is - yarn held in the left hand???
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book - I wish.....
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 - I wish......
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking - never thought about this, must investigate
Dying yarn
Steeks
Knitting art - all my knitting is art.....
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener BO
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting 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 - don't know what this is....
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho - I don't think these are flattering for those of us with a 'larger' chest!!
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

I have no idea what some of these things are so I will have to try and find out and maybe change some of the highlights to match.

Has it really been so long.....

2007-05-16T11:55:00.000+01:00

....since I blogged? 11 days, I wonder if anyone noticed that I had been 'missing' for a while. I've been tagged by Laurie C to give 7 random facts about myself and then tag 7 other people to do the same. Well, Laurie I just don't have that many blogging contacts that haven't already been tagged so I promise to tag as many as I can think of but can't promise that it'll be 7, OK?

So 7 random (interesting) facts about myself.....

1. When I read a newspaper with several sections I always have to read them in number order and I always put the paper back how I found it i.e. page 1 at the front. I NEVER fold a newspaper in half to make reading easier.

2. I have more fillings in my mouth than teeth. Yes, I can hear all you Americans screaming in horror but I just have really soft teeth and so do both my parents, so there.

3. I have two First Class Honours degrees - one BA in Architecture and one BSc in Mathematics.

4. I am neither an Architect nor a Mathematician - I stay at home all day doing chores whilst my brain turns to jelly.

5. If I ever let myself eat a Mars Bar I always nibble the chocolate off the outside edges first, then I tear the chocolate and caramel strip off the top and eat that. Last to get eaten is the fluffy bit on the bottom. Don't ask me why I do this, I've done it since I was a child and I eat Bounty bars the same way - taking all the chocolate off before allowing myself to eat the coconut.

6. Life is too short to read a book twice no matter how good it is. So why do I collect them then?

7. I put the milk in my tea LAST and yes I can taste the difference if someone puts the milk in first.

Now I'm off the find some people to tag.....

Far too busy to Blog

2007-05-05T13:52:00.000+01:00

I've been far too busy to Blog this week.....here's a catch up.

1. Have put another 200 books on ebay - it was half price listing day on Thursday making it just 2p per book - an opportunity too good to miss. Fingers crossed that I actually get rid of some of them this time.

2. Took No. 1 Son to see Consultant - he has now had his meds changed to Strattera. All sorts of paperwork and leaflets came with the prescription and this morning the actual medication arrived at the Pharmacy. Plan to give his first dose tonight and then it's fingers crossed that we don't get any major side effects. He has to take this for 6-8 weeks before it will be at an effective level so we can see if it's working. IF it works then it will be the first time in 9 years that we haven't had to deal with full on ADHD for at least 16 hours per day.

3. Got my Knitters Treat package posted off to the US. All colour themed and wrapped - it looked lovely and I really hope Jeanne likes the things I made for her.

4. Cast on Glade, not in the recommended Rowan Bamboo (way too expensive for me at the moment) but in Patons Soft Cotton at about 1/3 of the price and knits up to the same gauge.

Have completed the back, both fronts and part of one sleeve in the very boring stocking stitch. Then it's on to the edging - knitted sideways and causing no end of problems for others. Seems that Rowan might have quoted the wrong needle size for the edging so I'll need to be careful to swatch and measure carefully. What did we all do before the Internet? Presumably everyone else thought the same thing as me i.e. it must be my fault it's not working out. Nowadays of course we Google the pattern name and find at least a dozen other people struggling!!

5. As my April Sp10, Magic Yarn Ball and KTE parcels have all gone, I am now left with my Dye-No-Mite challenge. I ordered some goodies from Wingham Wool Work and they arrived 2 days after ordering - FABULOUS! Have already decided on the colours to use BUT my utility room still looks like a bomb-site so this week I must get it tidied or I will have no room to work.

My First Sock

2007-04-26T11:17:00.000+01:00

What were you expecting? Miracles?

This was knitted on cocktail sticks to start with and GarnStudio Fabel Sock Yarn which I absolutely love. I got annoyed with the cocktail sticks after the 3 rows of ribbing (they were cheap ones and even though I'd sanded them down with an emery board they were still too rough - Note to Self: buy good quality cocktail sticks next time.) so I switched to 3 x 2mm and 1 x unknown size of DPN. According to the video I watched online EZ says that you can use 1 dpn that's a different size to the others and that the difference in gauge with even out as you knit the sock - happy to report she's absolutely right!!

Isn't this lovely? I'm going to turn it into a Key Ring for one of my Swap Buddies although my sons both wanted to have it and were absolutely fascinated.

Losing Heart

2007-04-26T10:57:00.000+01:00

Part 1 - De Cluttering Failure
We had a really good weekend in terms of getting jobs done and things tidied away. My MIL looked after the children and we managed to send 6 large boxes to the Charity Shop and organise 485 books into boxes for selling/swapping/giving away.

But now I'm losing heart with the whole exercise - I put 90 books onto eBay at 99p each and only 11 of them sold, we just about broke even if you don't count the cost of my time listing, wrapping and posting them. At that rate it will take a YEAR to get rid of all these books and that's if they sell at all.

OH went to a Car Boot on Sunday and reported back that hardly anyone was managing to sell their books, even though there were plenty of people with lots to sell.

We had to finally agree that they may just have to go to the Lions' Charity Book Sale and we will have to admit defeat on this one. It will break my heart to see them all go - I love my books!

Part 2 - Knitting Failure

I've been admiring this wool in my box for several weeks now - bought on a whim from the Natural Dye Studio - it's Alpaca/Merino and the colours are just beautiful. I spent an hour browsing sock patterns on the web, looking for something that would show off the colours and settled on Razor Shell Socks. Went to the needle case - NO small DPNs - only had 3 x 2mm and the next biggest were 4mm and 30cm long!! Decided to try Magic Loop as there was a 3mm circular. Watched the video online of Magic Loop a couple of times and cast on to give it a try. Yuck!! Magic Loop just doesn't suit me, I really like knitting with circulars but all the pulling and sliding as the stiches go on and off the needles - well I found it really slow and I couldn't get gauge either so I ripped it out in frustration. That's a whole evening of surfing/knitting and CSI time wasted. BAH HUMBUG.

Part 3 - Secret Pal Failure
I've been knitting something for my Secret Pal (can't tell you what as I WILL do it eventually) and I've been trying different things for over a week now - different yarns, needle sizes, stitch patterns - I've tried all sorts of different things to make this project work and it just doesn't want to co-operate with me. In the end I had to admit to myself that 'The Project' wasn't going to make it into April's package and instead I wrapped up lots of other things and posted them off with a heavy heart and a feeling that I'm not being a good enough Pal - some of the packages people have received are stunning!! Now the pressure is on to try and make it for my Knitter's Treat Pal instead.

Off now to find that bottle of Prozac and, as my MIL would say, 'Count My Blessings'.

My FIRST Swap Parcel has arrived!!

2007-04-23T19:58:00.000+01:00

It arrived at last - my first SP10 package from Secret Squirrel and in fact, my first ever Swap package.

OK so Secret Squirrel must be British or at least living/working here as this is a Royal Mail jiffy bag with British postage label. The return address has been covered up with a Post-It note and I'm not going to spoil the surprise by removing it - it's fun to keep guessing.

Purple paper and a Greetings card.....

Wow - 200g of Undyed Trekking, Food Colouring, CHOCOLATE, Wool Fat soap and some really cute Wishing Sheep from the Lake District. Now I can experiment to my heart's content with the yarn and the only person who has to suffer the results is me!!! A huge thank you to Secret Squirrel, whoever she may be. I've ordered Dyeing to Knit from Amazon and as soon as it arrives I'll be busy wrapping the kitchen table in cling film ready for my handpainting experiments.

Ella Shawl

2007-04-17T18:09:00.000+01:00

I've finally finished the Ella Shawl from Knitty.com. It was meant to be a birthday present for my Mother but I'm not sure she'll like it so I might have to keep it! It was knitted on 4mm needles using Natural Dye Studio Cobweb weight Mohair, Colourway - Plum Mist. Here it is before it was blocked:-

And here it is pinned out on the stripy sheet.

It's already starting to dry along the bottom edge which is pulling the pins out of line....

Here's a close-up of the stitch pattern after blocking. I really enjoyed knitting this one - there was a rhythm and order to it and it was tricky enough to be interesting to knit. I still think that the finished shawl is too stripy though and if/when i knit another shawl, it will definitely be in a plain yarn.

SP10 Contest Questions

2007-04-14T23:10:00.000+01:00

I'm sorry to have to admit that I have no idea what 'Socks That Rock Yarn' might look like but I do know that other Bloggers and sock knitters rave about the stuff so it must be good!!

The answers to my SP10 Contest questions are.....

How Old Were You When You Learnt to Knit?

When I was first given a pair of thick wooden needles and a ball of dishcloth cotton, I was about 8 years old. My Mother's bright idea was that I should knit dishcloths as Christmas presents for elderly relatives. She cast on enough stitches and then showed me how to do Garter Stitch. I have to say that I was useless at it and completely bored. I kept dropping stitches and asking her for help, then when she'd picked the stitches up I'd drop some more and keep looking at the TV instead of the knitting. Before long she'd lost her temper with me and I was banished to the freezing cold dining room and told not to come out until I had knitted 3 rows without dropping a stitch.

I can't remember whether I ever finished the dishcloths but I do know that I didn't do any knitting after that for at least a year!!

Who Taught You to Knit?

Well, my Mother taught me to cast on and off and to knit and purl but I didn't knit anything from a pattern until I was in my teens. My Mother had a serious yarn buying habit and was always knitting complicated sweaters - Scandanavian Skiing Sweaters for my Dad, Picture Sweaters with about 20 colours for me (remember those? all the rage in the 80s!) Xmas pressies for older relatives. I got all the leftovers and used to use them to knit clothes for my teddy bears. I made them up as I went along and worked out how to increase and decrease through trial and error (some day I must read and book and find out how to do it properly).

My School teacher Miss Rutherford taught me to crochet. Boy, did that woman hate me with a passion - I had her for two years in Junior School and I don't think she had a kind word to say to me - I was always being sent outside or kept in at playtime and I could just tell she didn't like me. Handwork was compulsory twice a week and when I was 10 we had to learn to crochet - first a potholder and then a bag made of triangles. I was always being shouted at for doing it wrong or doing it too slowly but at least she taught me what to do and I've never forgotten.

For years and years I had no-one to teach me anything. I bought a pattern I liked and the yarn it recommended and followed the instructions. I learnt to do fair isle, cables, lace, swiss darning and loads of other things just by reading.

In the early 90s my husband and I went to visit his cousins in Norway and they are all knitters. Anna-Liese took me to a Norwegian Yarn Store and helped me pick a traditional pattern and the right yarns. We also bought needles and each day whilst we were there she would show me how to knit the complicated pattern in the round. I wasn't there long enough to finish the sweater so she had to translate the pattern from Norwegian into English and write down for me how to cut the holes for the arms. I've never been so frightened in my life as when I took a pair of scissors to a piece of knitting that had taken me months! Her instructions were good ones though and the sweater has never unravelled.

Its a piece of art isn't it!

Now in the age of the Internet I learn more from forums, blogs and websites than anything else. This week I learnt to block properly from Eunny Jang's blog (having never blocked anything in my entire life) and soon I'll be learning to dye using the Internet. I love computers!!!

Back from my visit to the Easter Bunny!

2007-04-12T10:22:00.000+01:00

I'm back. It rained for almost the entire week but I still managed to take almost 250 photos and had to go and buy a new memory card for my camera as I had run out of space. Most of the photos were of patterns, shapes and colours etc - meant to be inspiration for future projects rather than a record of our holidays.

Once I've got through the post holiday mountain of washing, ironing, unread mail, emails and lawn mowing, I'll be able to get busy again!!

Here are a few small photos to whet your appetite....

Knitters Treat Exchange

2007-03-27T19:21:00.000+01:00

I must be mad, having just written about how little spare time I have, I've signed up for a 3rd swap - this will have to be the last one until one of them ends. It's Knitters Treat Exchange and here are the answers to their questionnaire.

1. What's your favourite type of yarn? Anything woolly - alpaca, cashmere, lambswool.
2. What's your least favourite type of yarn? Eyelash or any of those strange acrylic 'novelty yarns'.
3. What's the first thing you do when you visit a new yarn shop? Look in the bargain basket.
4. What other crafts do you do / would like to do? I do knitting, crochet, dressmaking, embroidery, card making, origami - hundreds of things really, depending on what takes my fancy. I'm looking for ways to use up my HUGE stash of fabrics and leftovers so I might make Bags or Quilts next.
5. What magazines do you currently subscribe to? Interweave Knits and Vogue Knitting
6. Put this type of magazine in order of preference:
Knitting
Crochet
Home
Garden
Other Craft
Fashion
Celebrity Gossip
7. What items do you like to knit / crochet? I like to knit items that you can't find in the shops so I won't waste my time on plain jumpers and cardigans - I knit things in the round or sideways or with unusual construction/patterns that you couldn't get in Marks & Spencers. I also like a challenge so I like to knit things that are really tricky and need concentration, that way I find myself thinking about the knitting and not about all the other c**p in my life.
8. Are you allergic to anything? No
9. What do you like to* smell of?(*This is not a typo. The question is: What do you like to smell of) I like to smell of nothing but my husband likes me to smell of Anais Anais or Angel or Coconut Body Butter!!
10. What's your favourite way to relax? Reading in a quiet room, preferably for several hours at time with chocolate or cake and mugs of tea.
11. You're stood in front of a Victorian style sweetshop, an Italian cafe, an old fashioned bakery and a dainty tea room. Where do you go first? Am I on my own or with 3 screaming kids? If I'm on my own I'd go the sweetshop, if I'm with the rest of the family then I'd go in the Bakery.
12. What do you come out with? From the sweetshop I would buy Rhubarb & Custard, Tooty Frooties, Pineapple Chunks, Pear Drops and Yorkshire Mixture (you'd have to be British to understand any of that!!!) They're all the sweets I would buy from the sweet shop on the way home from school - 2 ounces at a time and sucked very slowly to make them last the whole bus ride.
13. Where do you go next? In the Italian Cafe for Latte and a sticky bun. (Oh and a read of the paper or perhaps several papers......)
14. Any other words of wisdom for your pal? Happiness is not a destination but a mode of travel. (Apparently)

Not Enough Time to Go Round

2007-03-27T18:57:00.000+01:00

Well there isn't, is there? On Friday mornings I do the Supermarket shop with my daughter, Friday Afternoons I try to find some child centred activity for the two youngest. Saturdays we do Family Shopping (clothes, shoes etc) and housework. Sundays we do Car Boots, Sunday Market and Family Outings. There's no time to go near the computer let alone pick up the needles so hobbies seem to be limited to Monday to Friday Evenings once the kids have gone to bed.
Having spent Friday afternoon trying to keep the two children amused, by teatime my daughter was vomiting violently and I was trying to keep up with the cleaning up. By bedtime I had a car and 3 car seats, 3 lots of clothes, 1 lot of pyjamas, two sheets and a blanket to be cleaned - YUK.
Spent Saturday morning cleaning the stinky car and seats and then left the kids to clean the outside with buckets and sponges.
By Sunday teatime Son No. 2 was vomiting violently and then I had to clean up 2 carpets, 1 bathroom, 1 duvet & cover, 1 sheet, 2 pillows, 3 lots of clothes and dozens of towels that I used to clean up with. By bedtime I was throwing up violently too, but I'm a grown-up and I can get to the bathroom in time so no extra cleaning required!!
By Monday morning I had run out of clean sheets, duvet covers and towels and had to phone my Mum to come and help with the clearing up as I was too ill to even think about it. Fortunately she came, even though she lives 2 hrs drive away, and did the cleaning and most of the washing for me whilst I lay, feeling abysmal, on the sofa.

So after all that - no knitting, no hobbies of any kind. Just cleaning, washing, ironing and more cleaning. Tomorrow they are all going back to Nursery and God help anyone who is sick tonight!!

Popcorn Bear

2007-03-21T14:39:00.000Z

He's finally finished. I bought this kit after falling in love with him on QVC and wanted to give him to my daughter when she was born as he comes with a little Adoption Certificate that you can fill in. Needless the say, the knitting part got done really quickly but I left the dreaded sewing up for months.

My daughter is now 20 months old and Popcorn bear is finally finished - here he is and he looks so cute that I have now added him to some of the pictures on my website as a kind of Mascot.

I think I need to trim the fur around the eyes a bit don't you?

On a technical note - knitting with the eyelash yarn was horrible as I couldn't see the increases and decreases clearly enough - even counting the rows was difficult. I don't normally use row counters or stitch markers but if I ever do anything in this kind of yarn again, I'm going to use both. I can't tell you how many times I dropped stitches and couldn't find them, nor how many times I lost count of the row number and had to start the piece again!! Still he's really cute and has his own little blankie to cuddle too!!

Signed up for another swap!!

2007-03-20T13:31:00.000Z

I have 2007 Knit-Alongs and Swaps set up as a feed into my Blog Reader as I want to do more swapping. I've joined an Easter themed magic yarn ball swap as it sounded fun and a little different to SP10. Here are the answers to the swap's Questionnaire (i thought it might help my SP10 Pal a little!!!)

My favorite colors - Blue, Pale Pink, Cherry Red, Aqua, Emerald Green, Slate Grey, Purple. I hate acid, bright and neon colours.

My hobbies - well knitting, reading and I'd really like to spend more time gardening but it's son cold and windy here that I'd rather stay indoors instead.

My kitchen theme and colors - I don't do themed rooms but my kitchen has pale cream cupboards, slate floor and black granite worktops. Stainless Steel appliances & cream walls. Does that help?

My bathroom theme and colors - our en-suite bathroom is limestone so pale yellow/beige/cream and it has a chocolate tiled border and chrome fixtures.

My dislikes - nuts, fish, loud noises, argumentative people, trashy TV.

My crafts - knitting crochet, origami, card-making, painting, drawing, dressmaking, soft-furnishings, baking cakes.
My allergies - none.

My favorite pets - grew up with 3 dogs and 13 cats so I don't dislike animals but I would NEVER have another one in my house again!!

My favorite scents - Freesia, Lilies, Jasmine, Hyacinth.

Other stuff about me - i would like to fill my life with more.....
Silence (my kids make too much noise)
Tidiness (my cluttered house makes me depressed)
Plants (I find them very restful and they are always grateful for tender loving care)
Chocolate (can't get enough of it, so long as it doesn't have any nuts in it)
Books (but I really shouldn't get any more)
Beautiful Things (especially if I have made them myself)
Sleep

Mason-Dixon Knitting

2007-03-15T16:37:00.000Z

Yeah I know, I said I wasn't going to get any more books but we needed a map for our holiday and to save on shipping costs from Amazon I had to order another book. (well I didn't HAVE to but it seemed a shame not to) I ordered Mason Dixon Knitting and I'm glad I did, although it wasn't cheap!
When I first opened it I thought I'd made a huge mistake and that it was going to have to go back but when I settled down later with a cup of tea and looked more carefully, I found that I couldn't stop looking at it. Now I'm not a knitted dishcloth kinda gal really. I mean who on earth would sit and knit a dishcloth - that's what J-Cloths were invented for, and anyway we have a dishwasher so cloths are used for cleaning not dishwashing, but I still enjoyed looking at the dishcloths they had knitted (and the knitted towels? well for goodness sake who needs them!!)

So having thought it was going to be way too shabby chic for my tastes, I kept going and I found that I enjoyed the banter and the style of the storytelling so I carried on reading. Then I got to the bit about knitted quilts and that was much better - It was something totally new for me, I'd never really thought about making a blanket the way they described it and it looks like fun.

There is plenty to read and lovely pictures to drool over and out of this book I will probably make:-
The Baby Kimono (but larger for my 20 month old) - I love things knitted all in one piece cuff to cuff.
The Decorated Denim Jacket (also for my 20 month old daughter but I'm tempted to decorate my own now too!)
A Tilted Log Cabin Blanket (not sure what I'll do with it but it looks so beautiful) .

Things I DEFINITELY WON'T be knitting are the Dishcloths, Hand Towels, Washcloths and Baby Bibs - far too utilitarian and no fun to knit either.

Other projects and photos in the book have inspired me to research other Knitting Designers and Websites so this book will keep me going for a while yet. I'm glad I bought it, I didn't need another knitting book but this one is more fun than a pattern book and I know I'll be keeping it and reading it again and again.

Retail Therapy

2007-03-15T11:58:00.000Z

I mentioned that I was going for some Retail Therapy .... I drove to the nearest place with not 1 but 3 (!!!) Yarn Shops and forced myself to browse around the whole shop in each case rather than just doing a quick recce. As a result I was tempted into buying two more skeins of Noro Silk Garden (well they were in the Reduced Basket so who could resist), a packet of seed beads to embellish the Ella Shawl, a Knitting Needle Gauge because I've found a pile of needles with no size marked on them and a whole stack of ideas for my Secret Pal.

Have decided that Yarn as a gift is going to be tricky as I don't have a big stash of yarn anymore - it all got put into the blanket. Quality yarn (as preferred by my Secret Pal) is expensive and takes up a large portion of the suggested budget so I've decided to go down the 'Spoiling' route and have come up with a long list of lovely 'nice to have' things that you probably wouldn't buy yourself AND they fit better with the budget. It's a shame I can't say any more to help any fellow SP10ers who are also struggling to come up with suitable suggestions. Perhaps I'll put some photos and lists up when it's finished.

Ella Shawl Update

2007-03-15T11:42:00.000Z

I've finished the first 25g skein of yarn and pinned it out to see if I could make a decision as to its fate.. Here is a close-up of the overall effect.

I can't quite get the correct colour on the screen - in real life the pink colour is darker and contains colour variations within in but I'm sure you get the idea. Here is a close-up of an area I really like where the colours have mixed beautifully.

I think that's really, really pretty. However, this yarn has teeth - here are two close-ups of areas where it is pooling. One pool is grey and the other pink.Hmmm what to do about it? Can't see myself knitting from two skeins really as the edge is too delicate to carry the yarns up and I hate the thought of weaving hundreds of ends in.

So tonight I'm going to wind the other skein into a ball and get the crochet hook out to see if I can come up with a more forgiving lace pattern.

Birthday Boy!!

2007-03-15T10:57:00.000Z

Nothing to do with Knitting - here's the Birthday Boy - Son No.1 is 9 today!!! Here he is with his best geeky smile.

A Difficult Morning

2007-03-13T11:15:00.000Z

I knew it would happen, but I was powerless to stop it.... this morning Son 1 announced he wanted a Birthday Party. What's so unusual about that? Well for a start, it's his birthday TOMORROW and we've been asking him for about 3 weeks now whether he wanted a party or not and he wouldn't answer.
So this morning there were floods of tears and temper tantrums as it finally dawned on him that it is now TOO LATE to organise a party. So what do we do now? (Apart from feeling guilty of course) I've sent him to school with a piece of paper on which to write the names of the boys he wants to invite - total so far.....3 names (minimum 12 required for the party at the Soft Play Centre). He refuses to invite any more people because he doesn't like them (or they are mean to him, fair enough) so we are at an impasse.
Life is tough when your 9 year old has the emotional intelligence of a 3 year old and you just can't help him. Maybe he'll have forgotten all about it when he comes home from school (I should be so lucky).
In the meantime I'm going out shopping and to look for Secret Pal gift ideas. I'm not in the mood to clean, tidy up or list on eBay so I think a little Retail Therapy is called for.....

It's Official - SP10 Has Started!

2007-03-13T11:12:00.000Z

Yesterday I was allocated a Secret Pal to spoil, no clues here as to who she is though - that would spoil the fun! My own 'Spoiler' has also contacted me (she's probably the only one reading this) and so a big HELLO to Secret Squirrel.