Knecklace

Could this be the cutest SP gift ever [woman's knecklace]? As seen via a link from Beverly's blog - as it states this necklace could fit all types of personalities depending on the yarn used -a clever idea for a wee something to give my SP Knecklace

Stumbleupon

The latest findings using knitting/crochet on Stumbleupon - the best site for when you just want to wander through random knitting/crochet pages

A pattern for a crochet nun! Cool or what!?

You just download the Stumbleupon toolbar and then hit Stumble! button for random hits on the most interesting sites for you - as rated by other Stumble users!

*later*

I just stumbled onto Knitpicks *drool* much coveting of beautiful sock yarns - ship to the UK pur-lease!!!

Am proscrastinating whilst listening to Cast On again .... must knit the sock... byeeee!

SP8

Have sent in my app. for SP8 - whoop!
Am all excited and can't wait to get started :)

And I also thought I add a note of appreciation to I for funky blog gadget things which I have added to my own blog! They're cool!!

Tuesday 25th April cont...

So I KIP'd twice this week - once in the doctor's surgery on Friday and yesterday in Starbuck's on Byres Road - the sock is so addictive that all other people melt away from my mind/vision when I am working on it - I think socks maybe my newest crafting addiction!

Oh and I have to show off the delish bag that I commissioned SeabreezeStudio's to make for me - from Japan, Yukiko is currently living in the UK and makes the highest quality bags - her stuff is just lovely - I can't praise her highly enough. She made my bag and sent it about a week after I requested it

The link incase the image doesn't work - this is the perfect knitting bag!

So I think that's me for this week - I'm trying to get into the habit of updating my blog weekly so that I can join secretpal8, and also cos I think it is good for me to organise the mess in my head that is all my WIPs/ideas etc!

Tuesday 25th April

On my sticks this week:
Still plodding on with the sock and baby blanket - spent a lot of time preparing for the stall last Saturday [read about that here once I update it]

I have made a 'work' blog to talk about the stuff I make to sell - I feel a bit uncomfortable writing about what's going on with that section of my creative life here - I always feel the need not to go on about it too much, feeling like it's self-promotion-y and sales-woman-ish.

I am filling in my app. form to join secretpal8 - thank you Jen for leaving the info :)

I have not yet attached the sleeves to my Bella - perhaps I will take it to this Sunday's Stitch n Bitch meetup for help. I have a meetup tonight where we are all to take along our cast on methods and teach each other different cast on techniques. I have noticed with our wide range of European and international members that there are many different ways of casting on - yet most people seem to stick to their one cast on method for all projects.

Most coveted at the moment:
These absolutely stunning glass buttons [which seem to have been stuck at the top of my post...] from bauble - currently being sold through Laughing Hens. I've never ordered anything from Laughing Hens before but something tells me that I might soon...
and
Koigu Yarn which ever since I saw L holding aloft her stunning sock at the last meetup I have desired most fiercly - it is mmmm-mmm! Delish! The colourways are divine - esp. the greens!

Most listened to at the moment:
Still Brenda Dayne's podcast - she has recently gained funding from the Art Council for Wales and is about to go out and about - also to Woolfest - my Mecca and place of desire following I's raves about it last year. I am branching out to other knitting podcasts, but at the moment my fav. is still Cast On.
Incidentally I would like to get a few crafty podcasts for my mum ot listen to - she is a keen paper and card crafter - does anyone know of any podcasts catering specifically to paper craft?

So whats on my sticks?

Well with the craft fair looming of Saturday I of course am working on my sock! [In denial that Saturday is so near].

Thanks to I for sending me her groovy toe pattern - I am having to frog the first sock as it is too big. Am currently emotionally unable to do it yet, so have cast on 2nd smaller sock until I can face the challenge.

Right ... the boy is home, so back to the sock! I have more to chat about - esp Brenda Dayne's Cast On podcast - does anyone have any idea how to access the shownotes?

And also, Secret Knitty Pal - this sounds like much fun, the brief snippet that I head about it on the aformentioned podcast - does anyone have a link/more details about this?

Baby blanket

Baby blanket for my work colleague - going rather well out of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran from K1Yarns - it's so soft I wish there was touch-vision on computers so you could just feel how delicious this is.

Seed stitch at the edges with straight knit in the middle. Is seed stitch and moss stitch the same?

I also had an accident at John Lewis and bought 2 balls of Kidsilk Haze in the bargain bin for Branching Out [my 3rd Branching out] I haven't yet finished a repeat so there was no point taking a photo yet...

Bella

Well Bella is going quite well now - I refrogged the front over and over til I got it right, and now have seamed that side seams, the sleeves and joined fronts to the back at the neck.

Thanks to L for helping my with the drop stithc guide idea by suggesting that I also yo to keep the same number of stitches.

The last thing left is to 'set the sleeves'. Have no idea how to do this, and so will have to take it to a meet and see if anyone can help.

The only problem is that it is curently covered in cat hair and crumpled up, so I will need to make it look a bit neater so I don't look like such a knitting slob!

Retro & non-knitting

I had a retro weekend last weekend and decided that I needed to make these ‘vintage’ fairy cakes with pastel butter icing.

Delish they were too!

I got a ‘make-your’own’ Easter egg from the boy to play with next Sunday too!

Magknits Vest top and not enough time!

Loving this vest top from this months Magknits - added to [long long long!] list of works in the queue.

I received the Stitch n Bitch journal for my Christmas - which should be the perfect place to keep up with planned projects, planned projects for which yarn has been bought, WIPs, yarn looking for projects and so on and so on!

But my knitting life moves faster than I can possibly catalogue it!

And then there is the full intention of updating my blog on a weekly basis ...

The problem is that too many hours are wasted earning money for my knitting life!

A discussion at last Tuesday's Stitch N Bitch meet - maybe I could have a baby, then I could stay at home. I could name my baby Rowan if it is a boy, and Noro Blossom if it is a girl.

Ok, so there are a few holes in my grand plan - babies cost money, take alot [alot alot!] of time, make a lot of noise which would make me lose my place in a pattern... and I don't have a single tiny insy-bitsy maternal bone in my entire body!

Hmmm... the boys response was to question why the baby couldnt be called Anakin or Leah ... Geeks together we are!

Wooowwweeee!

Yay! I had a sale today on etsy - just what I needed to give me a bit more motivation for my stall :)

Off for dinner - then back to making stuff for my stall - it's on the 22nd April in Hillhead Library, Byres Road, Glasgow.

Theres gonna be loads of cool crafty folks there - I'm particularly coveting this necklace from Hannah Zakari.

the best laid plans of knitters and yarn ...

OK ... so dropping the stitches early so that i can compare the lines when the pattern tells me to drop them ...

such a simple idea...

but i've already dropped the stitches - they dont come back ! a somewhat obvious point that escaped me.

Bloody hell!

Frog number two

And so it continues ...

And so the right front has been frogged this evening... New plan. To knit a few inches - match the dropped stitch ladders with the left front and drop them early.

Then later on at the reverse shaping stage where I believe I should be dropping a stitch in accordance with the pattern I can simply run my eye down to double check that it is in fact correct.

My only worry now lies with row that states:
"cast off 3 stitches at beg. of next row" <-- now how do you reverse the shapings on that? you can't cast off at the end of a row [believe me - I tried!] anyone?!

I've been listening to my first podcast tonight on iTunes - Cast On by Brenda Dayne - brilliant!

The boy is away at an [enforced by his work] evening class every tuesday for the next 12 or so weeks so I have taken over the 'couple couch' with knitting and listened to knitting radio. Very cool!

Episode 10 "Bitch and Bitch" she talks specifically about the whole Sew Fast Sew Easy / Stitch n Bitch saga. Very interesting.

What else have i been up to this evening - well I frogged my hat - bollocks'ed it up. I seem to have lost the ability to knit at the moment - everything I knit ends up being frogged *sigh*

I also seem to be in total denial about the fact that I have a craft stall in 3 weeks. I havent knitted any covers for ages - for reasons I cannot go into on a public blogs [but which my fellow stitch n bitchers will be aware] things in my private life are a bit challenging to say the least at the moment - and all I want to do is knit for myself. Selfish - but I need it!

And i'm coveting a hooded jumper from 'Simply Noro' - it only takes 1000g of Noro Kochoran ... at approx £106 ... anyone got any good substitute ideas? I'm currently thinking Colinette One Zero - I think it will substitute well but given my current knitting trend can anyone confirm this? I have lost all knitting confidence...

Anyway - back to the right front of Bella and Friends.

"Keeping position of dropped sts correct as now set, complete to match left front, reversing shapings" says Rowan of Bella....

"&*(&&*^%^!!!" say I!

Look at the pictures!

To save but 1/2 a column of instructions...! Arg!

I can't do it backwards and keep the dropped stitches in the right place! I can't! My brain hurts and i'm so close!

Anyone help? *goes off to Google my ass off!*
*sob sob*

Bella Blows!