knitabulous

More 2011 - this time with stats!

2012-01-10T22:01:00.002+11:00

In 2011 I accomplished something I have always wanted to do, but never thought I'd ever be able. I learned to run! Sure I do it in intervals, but still - I totally get there.

According to runkeeper, a gps tracking fitness program that tracks everything - I started in April 2011, and I ran 96 times and covered a distance of 507 km.

My busiest month was August, when I ran a total of 127 km. It was also my fastest average month, with an average pace of 7.59 min/km.

So now I feel confident in my ability to actually do running - it's time to work on different issues - my weight and my speed. So I signed up for something. It's a little cheesy. It's kind of embarrassing. But so many people have had such wonderful results, and it looks like a ton of fun.

I'm going to do Michelle Bridges' 12 Week Body Transformation program - the all singing all dancing social media integrated email based exercise and diet program that starts as a team and ends in a group workout and a big party. To be honest, it's the prospect of big party was probably the hook that got me the most. I fear it's going to be tough, but fun!

And hopefully, by the end of the 12 weeks, I'll be able to run 5k in under 30 mins, and by extension 10k in under an hour. That's my fitness goal.

And when I do the Blackmore's Half Marathon next year, I want to look equally as happy but not quite as heavy as I looked last year.

And all I want for Christmas in 2012 is some collarbones.

Rest and Repeat

2012-01-09T21:49:00.000+11:00

I love camping so much. For a family that spends most of it's time plugged into something electronic, I think we do okay in the great outdoors.

The wildlife and the scenery were outstanding this year - so wonderful to be able to witness these things in real life.

When the boys and kids pitched the tents, the day before I arrived (like blisters I arrived after the work was finished), they had to wait for a slow old echidna to get out of the way.

On one of our walks, we saw a massive sea eagle swooping dramatically overhead with TWO huge fish dangling from it's talons - must have had a family to feed somewhere.

The sea was teeming with whiting, toadfish and sea urchins. The birdlife was diverse and noisy, and mosquitos fierce like fire ants!

I like to hope the kids will remember these things as they grow older and the real world gets more complicated and intense for them.

There were hours of beachcombing, the discovery of ochres in bright colours for face painting, exploring the rocks, kayaking (did I tell you I finally got a KAYAK!! for Christmas?), fishing, boating and feasting from both the fire and the local cafes.

A side trip to Bermagui convinced me that if I could choose anywhere on earth to live, I'd choose the far south coast, with a little bolthole in Surry Hills!

Happy New Year Everyone.

And so are the days of our lives

2012-01-01T12:44:00.000+11:00

We're off camping down the coast for a week or so of relaxation. But before I go I'll share a few montages of 2011 to bid farewell to one of the most tumultuous years I've ever had.

The second half of 2011 trailed off miserably for me in more ways than knitting, but looking back there were more finished items than I would have thought in 2011. There were less cardigans, no shawls at all, more socks. Less purple, more yellow. More grey. Not enough red.

2011 the knit first half

1. sunny spread 1, 2. plain and simple pullover, 3. DSC_0134, 4. shurtugal, 5. kingscot2, 6. bubblewrap, 7. DSC_0226, 8. sugar and cream cowl, 9. pendragon 4

2011 the knits second half

1. tablecloth, 2. african flower crochet, 3. zpagetti cushion, 4. marlene, 5. ornamentowl, 6. vivien leigh gloves

Probably my favourite knit of all year is my manu. I call it supermanu - because I wore it all the time last winter. Love it.

I like to take some time at the beginning of each year to plan the knits for the year. I never end up sticking to the plan hardly at all (hello Morrigan! been in the plan for about four years now - and they've DISCONTINUED the calmer. Luckily I stocked up years ago for it.)

And so, I declare 2012 the year of knitting the difficult knits from my ravelry queue..

Even though I often swear that I'll never knit another triangular shawl - when you've had enough of something you've had enough of it, I also swear never say never! Damask has been on my wishlist since it was released. I even started it this year with some seasilk I bought from destash - but the colour was wrong. I think this may be calling out for some wollmeise, don't you?

Damask, by Kitman Figuera - image from the source. Speaking of Wollmeise - you MUST click here to see Kitman's beautiful photograph of her Wollmeise stash.

Bohus Forest Darkness - image from the incredible project made by the yarniad - the whole thing on 2mm needles, which I've mentioned before. I just can't stop thinking about this jumper. Even though it won't suit me, and I would never wear a jumper like it, I want to make one very badly. Maybe 2012 will be the year for it.

Chaleur, by Julie Hoover. Image from the Ravelry Pattern Page found at the link. Now it doesn't look difficult, but ask anyone who's attempted a Henry scarf or anything else in herringbone - that easy pattern is deceptively difficult to keep track of. When I mentioned this knit to my knitter buddies, Kris said "That is the most Ailsa thing. If I saw that in a shop I'd call you and tell you about it." Now, how often does someone say that to you? I definitely want to knit this top for winter 2012.

Morrigan. Gets a guernsey every year. Rowan tragically discontinued the Calmer, so luckily I stocked up a few years ago to make this jumper. I really want to knit this jumper. Every time I get the pattern out, the number, scale and sheer complexity of the charts put me off starting it. I know that once I got going it'd be ok, but taking the first step is the biggest obstacle!

Hollywood Herringbone Pullover by Kate Gagnan Osborn in Knitscene 2009. I don't have the pattern, and was excited when Kylie gave me the best of Knitscene book for my birthday, but alas, although it's featured as a story, the pattern isn't in there. The bonus of knitting this top is that it's a double whammy - not only do I want to knit the jumper, I want to try the Fibre Company Organic it's made from as well.

That's a pretty tall wishlist order isn't it? But I prefer high goals to low ones. I'm an all or nothing kind of person I suppose.

On that note, happy New Year to you all! I look forward to blogging more in 2012 about the house renovation, food, exercise as well as knitting - a big change from my deliberate stick to the knitting policy! I hope you don't mind ...

Be back in late Jan ...

What switched on the Christmas Spirit.

2011-12-23T17:40:00.000+11:00

I wasn't feeling very Christmassy this year. I was sad - I love Christmas usually but this year I haven't been able to muster the energy to get into it. There's a tree, there's some presents under it, there's some lights out the front, but apart from that I've been feeling a bit blah about the whole thing.

That was until the Office Secret Santa.

Highlights of the morning: Biggest guy in the office sits on santa's knee - santa says 'fuck me dead' - bad santa. A gift voucher to a pretty and quiet young thing elicited 'Cool. I'll probably buy cigarettes with that'. All that and a bbq chicken shop lunch and I was all set to get festive.

We decorated the Gingerbread House.

And I sat down and watched Love Actually on the telly. A big favourite of mine. I cry every time.

The cliched Christmas trifecta worked a treat for me. Bring it, bad santa!

ORNAMENTOWL

2011-12-16T18:48:00.003+11:00

Apparently, owls are hipster.

Blair, a hispter of the future if ever I saw one, tried 'owling' in a tree.

She went to the book week parade dressed as one. (made in an hour from a hoodie, foam felt and a glue gun - see here for tutorial)

Even I have been making them as christmas ornaments with leftover sock yarn. They're kind of cute.

(pattern from zoomy yummy - food and photography! a GREAT blog)

And it's gardenia time again. My total favourite.

Say hello to my little friend

2011-12-12T15:37:00.000+11:00

In the past few days, sometimes when I wander along the back verandah on my way to the laundry, this guy has arrives.

Pretty soon he's joined by his wife.

Their baby is in the tree crying with the 'kakaka' noises which mean I'm hungry mum.

They sit there, eyeballing me in the kitchen. Sometimes they even have worms in their mouths - so I know they can get their own food if they want to.

Against what I know is the right thing to do, I take them a morsel of mince or a smidge of sausage. They take it right from my hand, and swoop back into the tree to feed their baby.

Then they swoop back again for more. But the baby always comes first.

The remedy

2011-12-08T12:11:00.001+11:00

I've been having the knitting blahs for a while now. Started something, put it down. Trawled ravelry for something new, came up uninspired.

Ingrid prescribed Nuven for me, which at first I thought might have been a mothers little helper kind of pill, but turns out it's a gorgeous big wrap. Alas, I am not in possession of any Wollmeise Lace, although I'm sorely tempted by that magnificent emerald green that she made hers from, but it did get me thinking.

How do you get out of the knitting blahs? How do you re-ignite that spark, the flurry of excitement when you cast on that's enough to pull you through the hard yards in the middle until the flurry of excitement when you're near the end and the little 'tada' moment when you finally cast off?

I went to my ravelry queue and picked the one pattern that I've always badly wanted to knit but for some unknown self-sabotaging reason I've never started. Marlene Socks.

I went to the garage, where that half of my life is packed neatly up in boxes. I got some of the knitting books out, and put them in a bookcase in the garage where I could see them. I found the marlene pattern.

I got the yarn boxes out, and rotated them to a more accessible place. While I was there I noted on the boxes with a sharpie where the needles were, and the basic contents of the stashed yarn.

While I was in there, I stumbled upon three skeins of Madeline Tosh MCN Sport in Grenadine, a recent shipment from the Magnolia Society Club - in the jewel toned range. The colour was so similar to the Marlene's in the pattern, but with more interest in terms of variation in colour.

And then I cast on. BAZINGA! That yarn. Oh my god. It's like knitting with the actual pelt of a rabbit (without the eww and death of rabbit part). The fabric is as soft and squishy as a pair of flannelette pyjamas. The varigated yarn didn't pool, didn't flash, just mottled it's way through the easy and fun pattern repeats like it'd been created just for this sock.

I didn't work on them every day, and some days only for a few minutes, but it must have been kismet. Because here I am with a finished sock, and it's mate already on the needles. The sport weight yarn made for a very quick sock, and the twisted ribs with decreases that look like cables but aren't give great texture.

So just like that, hooked again. Maybe I'll have a crack at that Nuvem after all.

It's not easy

2011-11-30T15:38:00.001+11:00

settling in to a much smaller home. I've come to realise that I have long taken for granted the space I used to have for storage of crafty things, linen and clothes, paperwork and toys, and for working, for taking time out, for entertaining. I'm really dreading Christmas and a hot summer ahead - times which I have always loved, and I'm having two or three major meltdowns a week - frustrated with the slow progress of the renovation project. It's not the best around new chez knitabulous that's for sure.

I've even more or less stopped knitting. I can't seem to find anywhere well lit enough and private enough to do it. The knitting books, yarn and even my needles are still in the garage - if I can't do it on my knitpro dpn set or the one needle I have in a small basket in the living room, I can't seem to be bothered with it at all.

I've started so many little things since we moved here, but finished nothing - and I'm a finisher, I like to get things done and put away.

I can't even find the battery chargers for the cameras, so my photographs have been limited to dodgy iphone pics.

2012 can't come soon enough for me.

There are some glimmers of light though (thankfully):

The plans for the extension came back yesterday, and I'm working on the Development Application over the weekend with a view to submitting it to Council on Monday.

We're going to install half a kitchen on the only wall that's going to be in situ after the renovation - induction cooktop, underbench oven, lots of workspace. It'll look a bit weird against the 70's atrocity that's there now, but at least I'll be able to cook again.

And school holidays start soon, we're going to camp at Mystery Bay for a few weeks over Christmas - I feel so cramped in this tiny house that a week under the stars is going to be a complete luxury to me.

AND MY HAIRDRESSER WHO WENT ON TV AND THEN DISAPPEARED FOR YEARS IS BACK IN THE GONG! This could well be the best thing that's happened to me all year..

And the sun keeps on shining, even with all the rain we've had - here's a few little pics I took with my phone when I was out on a run the other night around sunset. It was beautiful out there ...

I picked a winner

2011-11-08T17:28:00.000+11:00

Well not in the Melbourne Cup. But in my choice of weekend venue for knitters of all persuasions.

A weekend at Sewjourn in Lancefield Victoria is an indulgence in itself.

But pony it up with a long languid lunch with knitting at Annie Smithers Bistrot in Kyneton, hilarious people, sunshine, golden gaytimes,(OH NOES!! I left mine in the freezer!) Nick Cave and Prince sandwiches, escapades at Hanging Rock, running out on a dirt track and having to be rescued, roquefort, tokay and a rump that didn't lie and what can I say?

Just what the doctor ordered.

Happy Anniversary, tablecloth. I made you a present.

2011-10-26T22:30:00.000+11:00

When I look back on my posts from one year ago, so much has changed in our lives I can barely beleive it.

It seems fitting then that the single indulgent splurge purchase from Paris last year has been given an anniversary present, a charcoal lace topper. I was hoping that even though it's definitely lace, the charcoal-ness might make it a little less nana. Now that it's on the table, I think maybe it could do with being a little larger. Luckily, being modular, that is entirely possible in the future.

In the meantime, project specs:

Pattern:
Dahlia Cardigan from Interweave Knits Fall 2011. The only knitting pattern resource I had for three weeks during the house move. I made four of the lace centres (meant to be the back of the cardigan).

Rav Project: Foursquare
Yarn:
Clever Country cotton from Hobbysew in charcoal. The stash was packed away, so I had to buy yarn. 6 balls, but there's almost a full one left.

Needles:
3.25 mm circ and then a 3.5mm hook to go round.

Modifications:

Well obviously I didn't make a cardigan. Four of the centre squares, cast off using a lace cast off method. Then crocheted around in a made up fashion, joined together on the fly, and one last crochet row around the whole thing to finish off.

I've started another project, which really is quite insane. A chevron blanket, made of fine laceweight linen. I'm trying not to think about how long this might take - I really wish I had a knitting machine. Honestly.

Waving , not drowning.

2011-10-22T20:41:00.000+11:00

We moved, and survived. Took us a while to get plugged back in, but everything seems to be back in order now, albeit a little squashed. The blog irony is of course that when your life is chocablock with stuff going on the blog is silent, whose got the time?

I feel like I'm taking part in some kind of experimental 70's project. The house is relatively featureless, except the doozy original fixtures such as:

Some very charming Jetson style light fittings

Epilepsy inducing bathroom tiles

Retro kitchen appliances

The saving grace is however, the aspect

And the massive backyard -

the block is just on 1000sqm, and backs straight onto the reserve. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) there is no fence at the moment, so we're playing host to picnickers, dog-walkers, dads and kids kicking the footy - even the postie comes through on his motorbike.

Planning has begun on the scope of the renovation, and meetings with the architect are imminent. One of the features is a large combined dye studio/laundry/bathroom, which I'm looking forward to. I've sadly neglected knitabulous yarn while the other house was on the market, so it'll be great to get back into the swing of the dyepots again.

But today I took some time out and spent it with some friends in the beautiful South Coast Dairy country. Glenora Weaving had their annual open day today, and Kylie, Catherine and I went along to the hot news is that apparently the owners are moving from the farm into the township of Gerringong. I'm so glad I went to see where they are now before the move, it's beautiful!

Did I buy anything? I did! I bought six cobs of linen yarn in a nice mix of retro muted colours, to do that missoni style throw I've been banging on about. It was one of those purchases that I just can't wait to start, I'm actually physically holding myself back and forcing myself to finish this tablecloth before I get started. But my eye, it keeps wandering over to those little cones, so enticing!

I'm running again, the spring weather has finally arrived, Melbourne Cup is around the corner and in two weekends time I'm taking more time out and spending it with some wonderful people at Sewjourn in Lancefield! Yay aeroplane ride! Yay swanky lunch!

It's been a tough year in a lot of ways, but I'm waving, not drowning.

Look - I got a thing ...

2011-09-30T16:27:00.000+10:00

My niece bought me a present when she left us to enter the next stage of her student life. I'll miss her, she kept me up to date with what 20 year olds like.

Where have all the flowers gone?

2011-09-29T18:06:00.003+10:00

The warm snap has been followed by a very cold snap, and the absence of furniture in the house it making is brrr! indeed. I wish I had my yarn stash to play in, but alas it's packed up until Tuesday at the earliest. Bah.

Instead I've been crocheting when I can, although I've struggled to find the motivation to do anything yarny for a while now. I hope it comes back .. What am I going to do with my time otherwise?

Anyway, the crochet scarf is finished, bar a bit of end weaving, my signature finishing technique - loose ends.

Project Specifications

Ravelry Project Link

I used the motif as described here.

The yarn is from a kit from Sackville and Lane (they used to have a website, now I can't find it) for a babette's blanket style alternative, which I did not like much. Kindly bought for me by Donna at Bendigo Sheep and Wool earlier this year.

It's 3 hexes wide and 21 long, plus two end fillers making a total of 65 african flower motifs. It's about 15cm wide and 145cm long.

I had fantasies whilst making these hexes of a chevron blanket, a la US missoni from target,

or these gorgeous stars a la some free pattern website.

You could probably spend a lifetime putting perle cottons together and turning it into soft and drapey fabrics. It's a fun way to play with colour, that's for sure.

How to Move

2011-09-22T13:04:00.001+10:00

Apparently, people hate moving. So many people have said to me 'how are you going to do it?' with dread in their voices, and 'what are you going to do with all your stuff?'. It's been confusing for me, because on the whole I'm not too worried about it. But then again, I am ruthless in the culling, and I kind of thrive on stress.

Here's what I've done so far:

I booked a skip, a classified ad for a garage sale, a 'moving out' style cleaning contractor, a carpet shampoo, and a removalist.

I've tagged the bedroom furniture, one sofa and the dining table and chairs - they'll be coming with us.

I sold the majority of the rest of the furniture on ebay over the past few weeks.

I safeguarded the yarn stash and the knitting books first, by packing it solidly in boxes and taping them up and labelling carefully. First things first!

I've emptied the linen cubpoard into hong kong shopper bags and taken them to the Salvos, keeping only what's on the beds now and only the best of the towels and table linen.

I've culled everyone's clothing in much the same way. This process was made easier by the spectacularly cheap clothes we all have. If I were one of those people who only buy classic, expensive items of clothing referred to as 'pieces', I couldn't have been so ruthless with my culling of the clothes, but then again we may not have had so many either.

By my side in each of these steps I've had a strong garden plastic garbage bag on hand, and filled it with rubbish as I went. On the weekends, there have been numerous trips to the tip. The great thing about the tip is that on the way to the tip face there are checkpoints with recyclers and junkyard gypsy style businesses who are happy to avail themselves of the stuff before you actually get there. So I'm pleased to say that only on one trip was the actual tip face used.

The penultimate step will be the weekend's big garage sale. I've spent most of the morning arranging my unwanted items on tables in the garage in preparation for the weekend. To be honest, it's very cathartic leaving my 'bronze urn' period behind, I'm in optimistic anticipation of starting everything fresh! In particular I'm looking forward to shaping a new space into a whole new interior vibe (and beleive me it's a big renovation job) - I'm filling up my pinterest boards with ideas on the new place, but that's another story entirely.

I'll go through the kitchen cupboards this afternoon, eliminating all that stupid tupperware that seems to multiply in there and never get used. Any unmatching flatware and cutlery will be placed into cane baskets for the garage sale, as will obscure ktichen utensils and paraphanalia (I'm looking at you pasta machine. I've had you for 15 years and never once used you. You're so gone.)

Tomorrow I'll do the books, placing the ones we don't want into the bookcase in the garage (doesn't everyone have one of these?) for the garage sale. I'm going to place a basket of archive boxes next to the bookcase and sell a box of books for $5. That should shift most of them (?), any leftovers will be donated to the Lifeline book fair.

Here's how the garage sale is shaping up so far.

After that it's a case of packing room by room, making sure I do a little bit every day, and that I have enough right-sized boxed on hand. At this stage, if it's not coming with us it's going in the skip.

Really, it's not that hard!

Keep on keeping on

2011-09-21T13:31:00.001+10:00

I ran in the Blackmore's Half Marathon on Sunday. It was my first 'real' running event, and more than anything it was a learning experiece for me.

I learned the following:

Peking Duck is not a great choice for dinner the night before a 5am start, even if it is your favourite food of all time.

The ingestion of said Peking Duck, coupled with the jitters and nerves associated with being completely scared witless will require you to use a portaloo with 10 minutes to go before the start time.

The queue for the portaloo will be 25 minutes long, and while you're waiting you will be fail to realise that the race has already begun.

By the time you finally emerge from the portaloo, you will only have 2 minutes to get to the start line, which is 300m away at the top of a frigging very steep hill.

Sprinting up a steep hill and feeling completely parched in the heat before you begin your first half marathon isn't the best way to start.

Marathon photos will make you look nine months pregnant.

But like childbirth, the minute it's over you know you'd be happy to do it again.

Suprisingly satisfying

2011-09-07T15:57:00.000+10:00

I packed up my yarn stash yesterday with the intention of putting the whole thing out for destash as a single unit. For Sale: 1 instastash.

While I was packing it away, I realised I do actually really like a great deal of it, so I changed my mind. But there will be no starting of new projects now until after the move in early October, because I have imposed a 'nothing new in' rule on the household until then. It's going to be hard enough to pack what we already have without adding unnecessarily to it.

But that's not to say the wip's aren't getting a seeing to. The crochet kit I posted about a while ago has been a complete breath of fresh air to me, I'm enjoying it so much, after so many mentally taxing projects it feels like cheating to be crocheting mindless little hexagons night after night.

Using the 'african flower' motif, I crocheted about 60 hexagons. It might not be enough, and I still have some perle cotton left, but at this stage I really wanted to experiment with some joining techniques.

There are many ways to join hexagons together in crochet. I went for a very simple single crocheted joining technique which I made up out of my head, although I'm sure I'm not the first person to do it like this.

I'm so happy with the way it's turning out, I'm half inclined to buy 11 more perle cottons and just keep working on it until it's a bedspread. It won't feel like cheating then I'm sure.

It's keeping me occupied while I madly procrastinate about our impending house move.

Did I mention we're moving?

2011-08-22T11:40:00.000+10:00

Those of you who I know in real life (which is most of you) are probably aware that we finally sold our house.

We were going to go north to Austinmer or Thirroul. Or even into North Wollongong to an apartment.

But when it came to the crunch I just didn't want to leave my postcode, mainly because Louis is at school at the bottom of the road and Blair will start high school in Wollongong the year after next. I lived in the northern suburbs of Wollongong when I went to high school and I was mercilessly teased for my prissy uniform, as I walked to and from the bus stop at stupid-o-clock, by the local kids who had been home, changed and were already at the beach.

So I convinced my husband to hang on just a few years more, until they finish high school. And so, we bought something close by.

The interesting thing is that it's a wreck of a joint. ONE toilet (I've got four here), ONE bathroom (I'm used to three), ONE living area (there's five in this house). Termite damage. Needs underpinning. The back balcony is structurally unsound and unsafe. The kitchen looks like something from I dream of Jeannie.

But the aspect is gorgeous. It looks pretty from the street. The block is big. And, as I've said many times in the past, my dad's a builder. So we're going to embark on a massive renovation project. And I'm excited about it - even though it's a daunting job. I may document this adventure elsewhere on the net, if I do I'll let you know.

And who knows, when it's finally done, and the kids finish high school, we might take up residence in Surry Hills. I'd certainly like to.

I only saw dawn from the porch that one time.

No more knitting by the pool!

I'm sad to say that I've hosted my last dinner party here, but happy to say that I'll host plenty more in the new place too.

Here's what the new view is going to look like from the (yet to be built) deck and kitchen:

And here is a taste of what's inside!

But the good thing - the sunsets will look the same ...

Adorable Edibles

2011-08-20T16:30:00.001+10:00

I keep telling my vintage loving niece to get a blog. Everything she does is adorable, from her tiny little vegetarian non-leather wearing feet to her huge fifties pinup hair-in-a-scarf and her obsession with polka dots. And she's a such a generous little soul as well. What with that, the studying of law, and the, ahem, piercings, she really would be a massive online hit I'm sure.

She offered to help her newly-engaged to be married friend out in the catering for the engagement party, so today she's spent the entire day in the kitchen whipping up plates of too cute to eat goodies.

So now she's upstairs fixing her face, and I couldn't resist taking some photos of it all.

Crochet corner

2011-08-17T12:18:00.000+10:00

They're not the hexapuffs that I've been seeing all over the place, but they are similar.

Here's a sneak of my new favourite project..

And I had to get reading glasses! I've never worn glasses before, and I'm finding it a lot of fun. I feel smarter already.

Didn't we have a loverly day the day we went to Berrima

2011-08-06T11:52:00.000+10:00

A beautiful day.

Rhubarb and apple pie on a porch.

We admired the The Gumnut Bakery's impressive Easter Show Medal Tally.

But everywhere else businesses seem to be closing down or already abandoned.

How's this for a potentially beautiful yarn store?

Even the old stalwart Peppergreen Antiques is closing down, everything is 50% off. Whoever was working there on Wednesday seemed to be already over it. I rummaged through the embroidered napkins to find these six swedish style linen treasures. The colour of these old leather buttons really appealed to me.

And, look what I found in the old knitting patterns section! An original Weldon's Practial Knitter .. 'always in print'

It's so nice to remind yourself that these kinds of lovely places are just an hour or so away. I really should do more daytrips - I enjoy them so much.

Five ducks

2011-07-31T12:21:00.000+10:00

I had lunch before snb yesterday with the girls and ridiculously five out of six of us ordered exactly the same lunch. Guess which one?

While we were there, Zena and RoseRed played in a ladylike fashion with my new ladylike finished project, the Vivien Leigh Gloves.

They've taken such a long time to finish because I put them down in March with only the fingers on one hand to do, and didn't get back to them until last week.

Beautifully written pattern, with glorious little finishing details that elevate it from just knitting to a handmade treasure. For example, the edges of the button slits are incorporated icord, and the ribbon spaces are marvellously symmetrical. Clever.

Project Specifications:

PATTERN: Vivien Leigh Gloves by Miriam Felton
RAV PROJECT ID: Vivien Leigh Gloves
SIZE: Small
YARN: La Drougerie Alpaga bought in Paris last October
NEEDLE SIZE: 2mm

They're so dainty, and remarkably similar in colour to the Berocco Ultra Alpaca Light. So identical that I used the Berocco for the button loops, and even I can't tell the difference.

So now that my hands are super warn, I think spring is on it's way. It's certainly looked like it this week when I've been out on my runs. The year round lifeguards have come out of the tower.

The cutest thing evah

2011-07-27T12:18:00.000+10:00

The Wollmeise Downunder Group on ravelry is great. Discussion about wollmeise colours, availability and whatnot led to a consensus that wouldn't it be fun to see lots of wollmeise colours without buying a full skein of each. This led to 'how about we just do that' and with that the idea for this swap was born.

I must admit, even though I do have an electric skeiner, I didn't do any of the work for this swap. All the work was done by Evelyn, who has a very glam blog here.

Seven skeins were split into seven mini-skeins - one from each of seven of the colour families listed on the site. Instant sock blanket kit, or stripey something, or fair isle. The possibilities are endless.

Evelyn even took the time to label each of these tiny skeins too - and collectively they look so cute!

The iphone pictures are pretty rubbish, but if you want to read more about this inspired swap, here's the thread link. I can't wait for them to do it again!

My favourite colour

2011-07-26T21:42:00.001+10:00

It's late and I just don't have the energy for words.

Manu by Kate Davies

Yarn: Berocco Ultra Alpaca Light
Colour: Oceanic Mix - the most beautiful rich and complex duck feather teal ever.
Needles: lots

Buttons: I bought these gorgeous turquoise and gold glass buttons at the craft show - they are very special.

Modifications: None. No, tell a lie, I made the pockets slightly smaller because of the comments on rav that said they were huge. They're still pretty big, so I'm glad.

And here's one of me in it. When did I get so old?

Happiness Rating: Inn of the sixth.

Eating well

2011-07-10T14:22:00.001+10:00

I used to adore cooking, way back when my husband was just my boyfriend. The process fascinated me, and because I'm a bit of a purist, every night I'd happily make things the correct way, using the right ingredients. Restaurant dining was our passion, and we'd happily drop way too much money on a meal in a michelin star joint, or be there in the opening week when another hot spot opened up in London. Food and wine - I used to read about it, research it, do courses on it, plan travel arrangements based on it. My particular fascination was South East Asian food.

Then we got married, moved countries and built a house, and we more or less stopped going to restaurants and I became more interested in spending money on furniture. Then we had babies, and it suprised me to find that the spicy and exotic kind of things I wanted to cook was not the kind of thing they wanted to eat. Good Sydney restaurants were something we could splurge on only a few times a year, and sometimes the logistics and guilt associated with childcare arrangements outweighed the pleasure of going out at all.

After a few years of having my culinary efforts rejected night after night by the palates of the under fives, I came to view the evening meal as a horrible chore, one that only produced unnecessary washing up, and very little by way of appreciation. So I kind of abandoned my own food preferences, and just made what they'd eat, and what was easy, and my love of cooking and food stagnated into a distant memory of what seemed like someone else's life.

But now that they're older, and a lifetime of exposure to good tucker has led them to have relatively educated palates, I'm kind of drifting back into cooking.

So, in the absence of any knitting progress, let me share with you one of my kitchen adventures. There is a very cheap and cheerful studenty Asian restaurant here in Wollongong, called Chef's Choice. I'd thouroughly recommend it to any visitor looking for a cheap and decent Asian meal, complete with free jasmine tea from an airpot.

When I go there, I usually have Hainanese Chicken Rice. I remember getting all excited when Po made it on Masterchef, because by complete co-incidence I had bought it for dinner that very night. Last Saturday night I had a go at making it, using a mash up of Po's recipe from the Masterchef website, and the sbs food recipe here.

I got all the ingredients out.

The first step involves making a chicken stock.

The fat from the chicken skin is used to coat the rice in a pan, and then it is cooked in the stock. The local asian grocer that seems to have been bought by an indian family since last time I was there, and the rice selection was completely different. This par-boiled rice is something I haven't seen in there before, it had been hand poured into plastic bags with a label stuck on. It was a little strange, but worked really well, the grains were long and separated perfectly. But they had a completely different texture - almost like a risoni pasta. It reminded me of the old rice a riso we used to get when we were kids, and the purist in me was not impressed.

The eating part of the chicken is poached in aromatic acidulated water. Plenty of ginger, which is my favourite spice.

It was about this time that I set fire to the recipe by accident, so there was a bit of excitement when I had to put out a little fire in the sink!

The dipping sauce is full of ginger and garlic, and is so yummy Adriano Zumbo should make a macaron flavoured with it. Mine didn't turn out quite as perfect as the one at the restaurant though - and to me it is the best part.

By now it felt like hours had past, and I was pretty over the whole freaking thing. My parents rang and asked if the kids wanted to go to their house for a bonfire, sausage sizzle and marshmallow toasting - and no amount of hainanese chicken rice coaxing would talk them out of it.

So it ended up being a meal to go.

And then they ate so many sausages and marshmallows that they weren't interested in it anyway. Husband has always been rather ambivalent about it. Dad only liked the rice. Mum wouldn't touch 'that kind of thing' in a fit, and besides I made it, so it elicited a curled upper lip. So it was really only me who liked it.

Next time I feel like Hainanes Chicken Rice I will remember that for $7.50 someoene else will bring it to me AND do the washing up. And the rest of the family can bite me.

Zpagetti cushion

2011-07-03T11:55:00.004+10:00

The Stitches and Craft Fair was on at Darling Harbour last weekend, and once again, Random Knits and I helped promote the gentle art of knitting by manning the stand for the NSW knitters guild for a few hours.

A new exhibitor caught my eye - I'd been all excited about it when I saw it on 1funkyknitwit's blog, and I wasn't disappointed by the display. Unfortunately, the website doesn't really show the hoogliness of this stuff. It's great! It's called ZPAGETTI, and it's sold exclusively in Australia by a company called Hoooked. Sustainable, fashionable, fun - what's not to like?

I liked it so much in fact, that even though I had a fall when I was running the other day and had raw and stinging gravel rash on both my palms, I still managed to hoook up a circular cushion for the couch during the week.

It's murder on your hands, but sexy on the couch.

Project

Zpagetti Cushion

Pattern: Crochet an increasing circle until it's big enough,
(stitch used: double crochet in the back loop)
Go straight for a while.
Crochet a decreasing circle till you get to the middle.
Put your cushion insert in before the hole gets too small.

Zpagetti cushion, a photo by knitabulous on Flickr.

Bitter Cold

2011-06-25T12:17:00.000+10:00

It's been cold, rainy and blowing a howling gale up here on the hill.

I've been wearing handknits, fortifying myself with coffee, and desperately trying to find some winter sun.

Embarrassingly, I fell heavily on the road when I was running the other day, have a sprained wrist and very grazed palms - so I haven't been able to knit! This void has been filled by extreme iphone sudoku and plenty of sleep, two things which up to now I was sure I could live without.

This is what it's looked like up here in June.

Sad Family Matters

2011-06-11T17:57:00.000+10:00

Today is inner city guild meeting, which I am missing because my husband is in Ireland spending precious time with his gravely ill mother. It's an unspeakably sad situation. He was supposed to come back tomorrow but has had to extend his visit for a few more days.

Which leads me to remember that last month at the meeting, I was presented with a prize that I'd won on PomPom's blog. I had forgotten about it, so it was a happy suprise when Sally gave it to me.

Look what was in the bag!

Sally had bought it when she herself was visiting the UK on sad family matters in May. It's a beautiful alpaca/wool/sparkle laceweight in the most gorgeous royal blue. Boxed and numbered in true limited edition tongue in cheek fashion. I love it!

Next weekend though, I'm escaping to the city with some friends, staying at the flash raddisonblu that I booked via mystery 5 star deal on wotif.com to enjoy the sights and nightlights of the big smoke, before heading off to yummy yumcha at sky phoenix, hopefully some shopping at zara, and then on to the whole point of the shebang - the Sydney WWKIP event.

World Wide Knit in Public - Sydney event (one of)

Location: Customs House, Circular Quay, Sydney
Time: 1 - 4 pm
Date: June 18, 2011

I beleive there will be giveaways and games, so really you should come along.

See? I did not tell a lie..

2011-06-09T17:08:00.000+10:00

Next Up - Manu, in the delicious Berocco Ultra Alpaca Light ..

Fit for a kingscot

2011-06-08T15:46:00.000+10:00

It is with huge relief that I am able to say the kingscot cardigan is finally complete.

I'd like to be able to say it was an enjoyable knit, but that wouldn't be telling the whole truth. The whole truth is this:

The cables were fun.

The shoulder shaping wasn't fun, even after I'd re-done it three times.

The setting-in of the sleeves was also done three times, and suprisingly I did my best work in this regard whilst I was inebriated.

I enjoyed the seaming.

I have no idea why the front bands are knit separately (in a vertical manner) and then sewn on. I wish I had have knit them at the same time.

The neckline pick up is perfect.

I am going to re-do the button band because it's a little wavy.

The buttonhole band is perfect too.

I don't know why this is, since they are essentially identical.

This is annoying me no end.

However, in spite of all this - I can see myself wearing it.

As a matter of fact, I can literally see myself wearing it right now!

I promise I'm going to take some pictures of me in it tomorrow. I know I say this all the time, but this time I really mean it.

Project Specifications:

Pattern: Kingscot
Designer: Norah Gaughan via Twist Collective Winter 2008 (was it really that long ago?)
Yarn: Filatura Di Crosa Zara - 1783 Dark Fuschia
Needle Size: I used 3.25 throughout

More details on the ravelry page here.

Totally new me

2011-05-30T16:33:00.001+10:00

On Sunday morning, I was up and showered and running in a fun run at 9am.

Seriously. And it was beautiful out there.

This is the second fun run I've done this month, but I've been training a bit too.

I was about seven minutes faster the second time. But afterwards I really thought I could have done better.

I wish today wasn't a rest day, even though my shins were sore yesterday.

I've been researching running technique, and apparently I'm doing it wrong. Delighted to discover there's a whole world of overthinking to be done in regards to jogging technique, from footwear selection to whether stretching the calves is necessary or not.

Running doesn't make one look particularly attractive, but it does make you feel AMAZING.

Still, I have managed to find time to do some more 'research' for another project.

There'll be knitting next time, I promise.

Quick check-in

2011-05-20T09:49:00.000+10:00

If you were to ask me how my week's going, I'd say I've been completely flat out.

And the photos I pulled off the camera this morning prove it.

I'm loathe to admit it, but this appears to be what I do.

By the way, if you're in the mood for a day trip at the weekend, there's a little knitting exhibition on at the old Kiama Fire Station. I'll be on the stall this afternoon, all day Saturday and Sunday too. On sale are some beautiful baby and toddler woolies, lots of hats and neckwarmers, lace shawls and bits and pieces - all knitted by friends of mine from one of my knitting groups.

The Kiama markets are on too, so you could make a day of it. It's absolutely beautiful down there this time of year, and the surf has been huge this week.

See you there!

Physician - Heal Thyself

2011-05-11T13:29:00.000+10:00

It seems, in spite of me being against the idea of 'self-help' in general, that I am spending 2011 on a journey of self improvement.

I didn't realise it, and it came as a shock to me when I was preparing for knitting camp last weekend, that I had barely had an alcoholic drink since New Year's Eve. I remedied that at camp of course, it's a self-improvement journey, not a road to sainthood.

I'm regularly getting my 7 fruit and veg a day. I stopped eating cake every single time there was some on offer, I cut down on white carbs and I reduced my portion sizes. You won't beleive what happened next. I lost weight!

About a month ago a lightbulb went on in my head. For years I've been wanting to learn to run. 'I would love to learn to run' I used to say to my running friends; champagne in one hand, blue cheese on a rice cracker in the other. But it took me years to click that the link between wanting to learn to run and being able to run is - doing running.

So I set a goal - I'm going to run a half marathon in September - and I downloaded a program - touch wood I've stuck to it. And guess what? I can run a little! I ran 5km in the Mother's Day Classic on Sunday morning - I was out of bed and registering alone at 7:30 (I never knew there were two of those in a day), and I ran the 5km race. And I got on the news! (for a split second, so I was told at work yesterday)

I've even been improving my intellect. Before knitting, when I was in London and before the kids, I used to read voraciously - both Alan and I would repair to parks or pubs with our books and while away many an afternoon in the sun happily, (including one beautiful one in a park in Amsterdam the weekend he proposed). But since the children, and more so the knitting, I haven't kept up with the releases and now I find myself overwhelmed with choice.

So I asked my learned friend with the phd to help me improve - she chooses the book for me to read from her serious book collection - I read it, and then we email our opinions to each other in highbrow fashion. This sidesteps the problem with real bookclubs that always go tits up because of that one pain in the arse control freak who thinks they're smarter than everyone one else and railroads all conversations into monologues about What They Think About It and won't let the group read books with any decent sex in them.

Anyway I read a book. 'Never Let Me Go' by Kasuo Ishiguro. I liked it I guess, although I found so much of it lacking in depth, which I suspect was part of the point of the whole thing in the first place. Anyway, I've got another one lined up now, a crime fiction, so let's see how I go with that.

And now, for all you who have lasted this long with all this personal crap which I usually avoid on the blog but might be changing my mind about - let's have some knitting shall we?

The phildar book came - mailed in Paris on the 5th, arrivee in Wollongong on the 10th - how good is that? I ditched the yarn from the order in the end for economic reasons - and I love so many things in it.

Here is a shot of my new wip. I have decided to approach this new project with the discipline of my new improved self, in a modular fashion. I'm knitting the back and the fronts up to the armholes, and then I'll do them all together from then so I know the rows are correct and all the pieces will finish at once. Going pretty good so far - lots of bobbles!

And now, I'm off to make a virtuous soup of brocolli and beans.

I fell in love with a top

2011-04-28T16:18:00.002+10:00

Like the white stripes said, I said it once before but it bears repeating. I fell in love with a top. Two actually.

Looking yesterday for some knitting inspiration, I stumbled upon the Phildar Autumn Book. It was love at first sight. So I bought it, and the yarn to make the stripey top on the right hand side.

I did this yesterday and promptly forgot. So I kind of had a happy suprise when I looked at the images today and remembered that the kit is on it's way..

Something you might like

2011-04-27T20:23:00.000+10:00

All those accessories I knit in March are coming together now, at the end of April.

I guess they took a little longer than I expected, plus I am working on a Very Big Thing, which I don't want to share yet in case it turns out ugly. And judging by it's progress, that's distinctly likely.

I'm not one for knitting hero worship, but Jared Flood, that guy really knows what he's doing doesn't he? I made a pair of Grove Mittens from ONE skein of Shelter, in he Hayloft Colourway.

Have a look. And then let me tell you something.

See that hand pattern? Not a cable in the whole thing. Amazing huh?

The other thing I finished is a big neck wrap - using a bubble stitch pattern and a wide repeat, and two skeins of my own Sportweight Merino (which I found to be very lofty and squishy, easily adaptable to different gauges, and satisfyingly wooly without being scratchy).

It has a lot of buttons and buttonholes, so you can wear it a lot of ways. I'm actually wearing it now in fact. I'll probably write it up as a pattern one day, and sell it as a kit on the yarn site - it does showcase the beautiful yarn really well and the stitch pattern is quick, fun and satisfying.

I took a LOT of pictures of the knitting at the Royal Easter Show on Monday, but my web connection is so unstable I can't get any more than three at a time loaded on flickr, so you'll have to wait a little longer for that ..

Easter time also means something else round these parts - the Annual Knitting Retreat! Only two more sleeps .. and I simply Can. Not. Wait.

What we've been up to

2011-04-22T20:05:00.000+10:00

I love school holidays, always have, always will.

From the day they were born I've always enjoyed spending time with my children. And whenever I possibly can, I grab my niece so she can hang out with us too, because as far as cousins go, there'll only ever be the three of them in this country, and it's good to know your family love you.

So while I can, I'm going to continue to love school holidays.

Because that boy - he's going to be a man soon, and won't find hanging out with his
mum quite so cool.

A Dreamy kind of Day

2011-04-18T15:19:00.000+10:00

I'm dreaming of a tree change today ...

Time was on my side

2011-04-17T17:10:00.002+10:00

It's been a rollercoaster around here the past few months - I worked fulltime for a while - had my gallbladder removed - the house went to auction - we thought we'd sold it and were excitedly planning on doing something completely different - but then it fell through so we were plunged back into this holding pattern - our car blew up (a 2004 bmw shouldn't have to have a completely new engine but it did) - and I had fiftyfifty club parcels to pack and mail - and then suddenly it was all over and school holidays were upon us.

It was all quite exciting for a while, but now has gone back to a nice chilled autumn school holiday break.

I have made a great deal of progress on the Irish Coffee - it seems to be morphing somewhat into a winter cape instead of a fitted tunic - but I hate posting wip pictures.

Instead, let me show you a finished item - Sugar and Cream Cowl by the lovely Never Not Knitting.

I knit this in a new to me yarn, the most divine Debbie Bliss Andes. I know, a single - pilly. I know, alpace, sheddy. I know, silk - smelly. But I don't care, the softness of this is indescribable. I am never taking it off.

Pattern
Sugar and Cream Cowl by Alana Dakos at Never Not Knitting - rav download

Yarn
Andes by Debbie Bliss - 2.1 skeins in silver.

Oh my god this yarn.

Needles
3.25mm circular and a cable needle

Modifications

I cast on 2 less repeats than the pattern called for because I wanted it to be less slouchy and closer to the neck. Everything else, same same.

I was disappointed I had to dip into the 3rd skein at the final ribbing, I should have cast on the right number of stitches I think it would have been an even three skeins then.

Maybe some mitts with the rest.

Next week, time will be on my side. 2KCBWDAY7

2011-04-03T17:56:00.001+10:00

Every night after I tuck my kids into bed (one of my life's great pleasures - not a hint of sarcasm!) I go downstairs, make a cup of black tea, and I knit.

Sometimes 1, sometimes 4 hours later I go to bed myself.

Sometimes I knit with twitter, but mostly I don't.

I don't watch TV (except this one show. OK, maybe two shows. Three tops.)

But this week I worked three full days, drove 150km to pick up the car from the mechanics on Friday, went to the gastroenterologist, had a pathology appointment, got the house ready for inspection twice, dyed several batches of club yarn, and did my best to keep up with the obligation of Knitting and Crochet Blog Week. Which was, by the way, a really great experience. Next year I'm going to do better!

But next week there's going to be more time for knitting. Because I'm going into hospital on Tuesday to have my gallbladder out. It's keyhole surgery, only an overnighter, so nothing to be concerned about.

I've requested no visitors (except my husband and the kids), because selfishly, I want to be left in peace so I can make some headway into the Irish Coffee tunic I cast on yesterday in the La Drouguerie Recup*. Is it weird to be looking forward to a little post-operative peace?

A BIG Thank You Eskimimi for once again organising Knitting and Crochet Blog Week, it's been a lot of fun. To all newcomers who commented (or not), hi! thank you!

It was exciting to see you here - and I really enjoyed visiting lots of your new blogs. I am looking forward to reading every one later this week when I'm (hopefully) in bed resting.

My reader was big before, but now it is out of control. I'm going to have to cull some food blogs to make room for all the new knitting blogs.

*That's right, spurred on by sharing my difficulties with this yarn the other day, I bit the bullet and cast on! Have gotten past the little v in the front, about to transition to the cable and so far so good! I'm forcing myself not to overthink it, and so far it's working!

Do you know where you're going sweetheart? 2KCBWDAY6

2011-04-03T10:48:00.001+10:00

When I was about 18, I went to the airport to pick one of my best friends up from an overseas trip. I had woken up that morning dreadfully hungover and late, so I didn't shower. I threw on a sarong (it was summer, and the eighties), pulled my hair up in a loose ponytail, jumped into my little red vw beetle named Veronica, and revved up the freeway. I had not looked in a mirror. And it wasn't until I was about halfway there that I realised I wasn't wearing any shoes.

Upon arriving at the airport, I was frantically scanning the arrivals board when I was approached by a middle aged (they were probably in their 20's, but I was only 18) couple wearing orange robes. I'm pretty sure they were rajneeshees - it was around that time.

Anyhow, they kept asking me all these questions - could they help me, was I hungry, did I have a boyfriend, was I studying, how old was I. Then the woman held my forearm, looked me deep in the eyes and said purposefully 'do you know where you're going sweetheart?'

There is only one emotion in an 18 year old - and that is mortal embarrassment. It suddenly occurred to me how bad I must look - shoeless, dirty hair, last night's makeup. I told them my dad was waiting for me in the carpark. They didn't beleive me, but they backed off a little.

I picked up my friend and we walked through the terminal to the carpark. Those two people didn't take their eyes of us for a second - we scrambled out of there in nervous hysterics and told the story for weeks.

To this day whenever I hear the phrase 'do you know where you're going?' I always think of that day, and I'm still embarrassed.

Anyway, where is this going? Oh right, where are you going with your knitting ....

MORRIGAN

I have wanted to knit this for so long I really can't remember why I haven't started it. I remember reading the blog post in 2007. I remember posting in the wanted thread for the book some time later. I remember a very kind person sending me the book. I remeber buying the yarn for it - twice in fact.

I opened the book and had a look at the pattern.

Now I remember. But I still want to knit it, the time just has to be right.

I'm participating in Knitting and Crochet Blog Week, this is day 6. A list of all posts can be found here, or type 2KCBWDAY6 into your search engine.

2KCBWDAY5 - April Fools Day

2011-04-02T16:20:00.001+11:00

And now for something completely different ... knitabulous shuts up for a change.

I've been dyeing ...

I'm participating in Knitting and Crochet Blog week, and this was supposed to be Day 5. For a list of all participating posts, please click here.

Whatever happened to that needle roll I made you? 2KCBWDAY4

2011-03-31T21:53:00.000+11:00

After posting yesterday about wanting Randomknits to make me a matching dpn roll for the lovely interchangeables case she made me for my birthday, I got the following email ...

From: RandomKnits
To: knitabulous

Subject: Search your house!!

I did make you a matching DPN roll! It matches your interchangeable case, and I gave it to you for Christmas, along with a lace book. But I gave it to you on NYE after you'd had a few wines...

Could be anywhere ;)

D x

Must have been after a many few wines, because I had no recollection of it whatsoever. So, I embarked upon a search of the house.

And guess what?

I found it!

And I'm now more than a little concerned about what else happened on NYE that I don't remember.

I'm participating in Knitting and Crochet Blog Week and this is day 4. A list of all participating posts can be found here.

Tidy Mind - Tidy Stitches - 2KCBWDAY3

2011-03-30T22:28:00.000+11:00

I know people are all different, but I'm one of those people who don't put sentimental value on personal possessions. I'm quite the antithesis of possessive. As a matter of fact, I strongly dislike possessiveness as a personality trait - I remember I just wouldn't stand for it in a boyfriend, way back when I had those.

I do wear a wedding and engagement ring, my husband doesn't (and I don't care). I still have my wedding dress, but if anyone wanted to borrow it I'd be nonplussed. I just don't hoard 'things'.

I'm not a clean freak by any stretch, but I do have high expectations when it comes to how my home looks when I entertain. If you can see it at my house, it's either because I use it a lot or I think it looks good. And even some ugly things that get used a lot have to be put away when people are coming round. I enjoy the reward of making the effort around the house (a bit like knitting really).

But anyway, that's the vagaries of my personality, and probably better left unsaid. I know not eveyone's the same, that some people aren't too bothered with the aesthetics of their home (and my husband is one of those!) and that's cool with me. But we probably shouldn't try living together.

So, of course having a very serious knitting habit does pose some challenges for me around the house. But here are two solutions that work for me:

YOU CAN NEVER HAVE TOO MANY PROJECT BAGS

My most firmly held beleif is that you can never have too many project bags.

I love handmade fabric ones, I get them from etsy, from markets, from friends.
Randomknits makes sturdy and beautifully made ones.

If there's a magazine with a free tote bag attached to it I buy it.

There are these little scrapbooking totes that are sold in the cheap shops, sometimes they're only $5 (so you know someone's being exploited somewhere don't you?). I buy them too, they're really handy for going to places where you might need a few bits and pieces and you're knitting is going to be on the floor. For $5 they make really great knitting gifts too - for swaps or secret santas or whatevers.

I keep them in a plastic handbag hanger that I bought at Howard's Storage World - it's strong and clear, and right next to the circular needle hanger.

So every project gets placed in it's own bag, with the pattern and the notions, and then hung up or stacked in the big double built-in wardrobe I have for that purpose. You never have to empty a wip out of a bag if you always have an empty bag waiting for the project you just cast on this minute.

The other thing that I really really love is my

CIRCULAR NEEDLE HOLDER and INTERCHANGEABLES CASE

If there were one storage solution that I just simply could not live without, it's the prototype of my friend Randomknit's extremely useful and sturdy circular needle holder.

I used a sharpie to write the sizes on the pockets, and I tied a needle sizer to the top. And it's changed my life!

And the interchangeables pocket that she made me for my birthday (and filled it too), I don't know how I survived so long without these.

DPN'S - NOT SO GOOD

I think the most challenging storage issue I've had to face (and have not yet conquered) is what to do with my dpn's. Or, more to the point, where my dpn's go. I've tried several solutions, a little zip linen pencil case for my favourite clover bamboo 2.5's and 2.25's, a ring bound cosmetic case with a clear plastic zippered sleeve, all sorts of things.

Over the years I have bought sets of 2.25mm and 2.5mm dpn's over and over and over again. For some reason, they just disappear into some black hole in my uncluttered house. Once, I went on ebay and bought an entire set of knitpicks metal dpn's from 2.00 through to 3.50 (back in the days when you couldn't get a set in a sleeve). I kept them in their sleeves in the office drawer. Do you think I can find any of them now? Nope - gone.

Just last week I was wanting to knit a sock, I went looking for my favourite sock needles and couldn't find ANY of them. Two new sets of lovely clover bamboo dpn's vanished. Not even any knitpicks metals ones as substitutes. Just vanished.

I was so annoyed that on the spot, I used some money I made destashing some yarn and bought myself a brand new knitpro wood sock needle set, it came today. I'm going to get Donna to make me a matching one of these dpn rolls - and I've got everything crossed that this will work for my runaway dpn problem.

And having now written all about my needle storage - I guess you could say I have a system! I never thought of it like that before.

I'm participating in the Knitting and Crochet Blog Week, and this is Day 3. For all participants posts, see this list.

Annual Performance Review - aka 'the Talk' 2KCBWDAY2

2011-03-29T22:32:00.002+11:00

Do you work somewhere where every year you have to have 'the talk'? You know the one where you sit down with your senior officer, neither of you want to be there, you bang on about the strengths and challenges you have faced in your career in the past 12 months and then the senior officer feigns an interest in your future, everyone signs the paperwork and you get a paltry pay increase?

What would it be like if, instead of 'the talk' being about your work performance, it was about your knitting performance. Of course it'd have to be conducted by the Knitting Police, wouldn't it?

KNITTING POLICE: So, knitabulous, tell us about your most recent twelve months of knitting experience, which areas do you think you have developed the most?

KNITABULOUS: Thanks for asking officers.
I'd have to look to the areas of original design, in particular these two projects:
The Mariska Cardigan

I love the puffed sleeves, and the tiny waist in this cardigan. I think it suits my niece so well, and she seems to think so too! At least that's what she says to me anyway, and I appreciate that.

And the Muji Inspired Tunic

I am so pleased with how both of these projects turned out, especially the tunic (because it's for me). I can't wait to get some photos of me wearing it as the winter sets in.

Also, I'm so glad I overcame my reluctance to knit 'whimsy'. I sometimes take my knitting projects too seriously. So even though this is a toy, it's a very serious knitting pattern - the shaping, the short rows, the multiple grafting, the tiny icord - everything about this pattern is perfectly detailed and requires precision finishing skills.

But above all, he's just adorable.

KNITTING POLICE: OK, so enough about your achievements. Tell us about your aspirations over the next year.

KNITABULOUS: Well, I would like one day to have your job, but in the meantime I'd like to make

a bottom up set in sleeve in the round cardigan, I've been blown away by this gorgeous thing which is now finished made by my friend Zena (in my very own knitabulous fiftyfifty yarn no less!).

a dress (this has been on my to do list for years. Hopefully this year I'll do it)

And I'd really like to get to the bottom of my 'how do you change colour in a pinwheel crochet hexagon spoke' dilemma. Is it more common to turn the work instead of working in the round, or would you pass the coloured yarn back and crochet over it to hide it in each round? I've searched ravelry, but the only examples I can find are in a language I don't understand. It's becoming my 2011 knitting quest.

KNITTING POLICE: So that's all you got? Hmm. Let's go to the pub for lunch and call this a wrap on 2KCBWDAY2.

KNITABULOUS: I thought you'd never ask.

The knitabulous economic stash theory 2kcbwday1

2011-03-28T17:35:00.007+11:00

I'm not, in the main, a fan of stashing yarn. I think this is because my knitting is so pattern driven. I like to choose a pattern, then select yarn that goes with it. I think in order for a yarn stash to be successful, you have to like knitting the other way around - yarn first, pattern second.

But I have yet to learn that when a good yarn deal comes along, it's not always best to take advantage of it, even if it is a bargain price.

Take, for example, the great sunk costs of 2010 - the Brooklyn Tweed Shelter and the La Drouguerie Recup.

Never in my knitting days have so few yarns caused me such cognitive dissonance and buyer's remorse. No matter how much ravelry trawling and twitter begging I do, I just can not come to a good decision as to what to do with these yarns.

I would dearly love to cast both of them on today! yesterday! even, but for the life of me I cannot decide what to make.

Exhibit 1: Shelter

I can imagine if you're American, it must have a lot of feelgood factor, buying an all American Yarn. To me, it feels a little traitorous, and more than a little depressing that the prospect of having the same kind of thing happen in Australia (the birthplace of the Merino) is an unviable economic option, for many reasons. So when this arrived, although I loved the colour, it didn't make my heart sing as much as I imagine it does to other hearts.

I think this yarn would be great for a tunic style short winter dress - like a longer version of the grapevine or this impossible to get pattern or this, with nowhere near as much volume , or the lovely irish coffee - but it's a bit Goldilocks and the three bears ... neckline possibly too big, not enough shaping, only suitable for the very slim person. I have twelve skeins in thistle, one hayloft and one natural coloured skein. And seriously, they're giving me a headache just thinking about them.

Exhibit 2: Recup from La Drouguerie

And the recup - I was in Paris when I bought it, and it evokes lots of wonderfully romantic and happy memories when I see it. I had to wait a whole hour in the tiny la drouguerie shop while the sales assistant went out the back to wind the yarn, and it was plenty of time to savour the Parisian Yarn Store Purchase Moment.

I have enough of it for a jacket or a cabled pullover - but it wouldn't even be an exaggeration to say that in the hundreds of cabled pullovers and jackets I've looked at, none of them seem exactly right for this green (and green) yarn.

I love both of these yarns but I wish they were on the needles, and not in the stash!!

Exhibit 3: The Paradox of Stash

But there is also the theory of The Stash Paradox - not all stash is equal, some stash is more equal than others. For example, there is this other yarn, I have 32 unwound skeins, and about 4 caked skeins, and it's not bothering me at all. I can not explain this, but it is a fact notwithstanding - I could happily have another 32 skeins of this yarn in that stash cupboard and I wouldn't be in the slightest bit perturbed. It's like a palette of artist oil pastels that one day, when I learn to draw, I'll be more than happy to use.

But in the meantime - what will I do with that Shelter and that Recup? And is there anything in your stash you want to knit so bad but can't decode what to make?

I'm participating in the Knitting and Crochet Blog Week - this is day 1 and here are all the participants posts.

2KCBWDAY1

Pendragons

2011-03-25T17:25:00.002+11:00

TA DA!

Project: Pendragon Socks
Pattern: Pendragon Socks by Erica Lueder
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino
Needles: 2.75

Musings:

They're very fiddly, with all those two stitch twisted cables. And cashmerino isn't a good choice for a sock such as this because 's' twist in the yarn means that two symmetrical sides of a pattern like this are impossible. (Here's why, if you're interested). I probably should have gone with a normal plied yarn like wollmeise or patonyle.

But I like the colour, the yarn is quite thick and so they're a springy and warm pair of socks.

The very best thing about them is that they're finished. And it's still March!

You never know, the productivity of this month might redeem itself yet.

Life mimics art

2011-03-17T18:25:00.007+11:00

Or is it vice versa?

My plan for March was to knit only accessories. Small, quick little knits that come in so handy when winter starts to draw in. In my mind, that meant brisk and regular blog posts showing you little finished item after finished item, and a nice sense of productivity - just the ticket for getting my head down in April for some more cardigan and lace knitting.

But there have been, as in life, some unexpected complications.

In May, I am involved in an exhibition of sorts at the old Kiama Fire Station. I don't have anything to sell, so I thought I'd make a few brightly solid coloured baby blankets.

I made one in February.

But it used way too much of the cotton/microfibre blend yarn, and was therefore quite expensive to complete.

So I tried a different plan - this time with a cheaper yarn and the very popular and free tiramisu blanket. I went with a bright watermelon with a chocolate satin ribbon. But the pattern proved so slow growing and boring that I abandoned it within days.

Went back to the sunny spread idea:

Problem. This cheap yarn is horrible. I just don't like crocheting with it.

On to plan C - a plain heirloom cotton shetland fir cone stitch blanket.

This is the go! I thought ... But I was almost immediately distracted by the lure of a crocheted dress.

DISTRACTION 1

I got carried away with that crocheted dress I posted about last month and I swatched a couple of spiral hexagons.

I hit a stumbling block with not knowing how to change colours in these hexagons and not really having any idea how to shape a dress in crochet.

So the question of colour led me to another distraction - the Kaffe Fasset sock yarn crochet blanket.

DISTRACTION 2

There is the skipping stones blanket from lion brand via ravelry that I like very much. So, I crocheted a few of the motifs in Kaffe Fasset's regia sock yarn.

But my motifs aren't circles, they're more like octagons. Not happy with that, I was distracted again with some beautiful yarn.

DISTRACTION 3

Beatiful yarn. ooohhh my god. Debbie Bliss Andes, from my little trip to Calico and Ivy. Like a siren's song - I was captivated by it ...

I wanted a cowl. A supersoft cowl so light you didn't even know you were wearing it. I began something I thought I could make up as I went along but soon realised that designing on the fly with such delicate yarn isn't such a great idea.

I frogged and re-knit part of one ball three times, and so afraid of ruining the soft single strand yarn I put it away until I'm sure I know what to do with it.

DISTRACTION 4

I'm in this knitalong thing. I'm not keeping up. I finished the first sock, but even if I did have enough yarn to finish a second (which I don't), I wasn't that keen on it. In keeping with the dragon theme, I thought I'd knit the pendragon socks.

I tried a new technique for me, knitting them both at the same time. And at first, they were coming along just fine ..

Until about a week ago, when I discovered a big mistake in the cable just where it splits for the heel flap. And because I can't knowingly live with a mistake in my knitting, it's going to have to come out back to that point.

I don't like knitting socks that much at the best of times, so I put it away for a time out period, while I got back to my cowl idea.

DISTRACTION 5

About that time, I got some new base yarns in the store, a superwash sport weight merino, and a superwash merino/silk single. So I had to dye some, didn't I?

DISTRACTION 6

So, back to the cowl idea. Wanting to try the new sport weight merino, I dyed some up in a lovely silvery grey and began designing a simple wide cowl. After a few false starts mathematically, it's proving to be an addictive and easy to remember little stitch pattern, with garter stitch edges, the plan is to have some big buttons and strategically placed buttonholes so it can be worn a few different ways.

And I really thought I could commit to this, right through to the end.

But .. something just wouldn't let go ..

DISTRACTION 7

Those pesky socks kept playing on my mind. I had to get them sorted out. So, last night, I pulled out the project bag and made some progress on the sock that doesn't have a mistake in it.

And I got past the gussets and partway down the foot. It was going great, but there's a stumbling block ahead..

That's all the yarn left in the ball. It's going to run out.

(I think I have one more ball of it though, fingers crossed.)

So, I've concluded in what feels like a productive month so far that has spectacularly failed to produce a single thing - for me, knitting monogamy is best.

So when I get these socks and this cowl finished - it's back to one thing at a time for me.

Oh, and give yourself a round of applause if you've lasted this long. Long silences = long posts I guess.

Home made polyvore

2011-02-27T14:03:00.003+11:00

When I cast on for this top I was so in love with it. Almost immediately though, the s-l-o-w 4ply rounds almost did my head in.

It was saved by a Big Knitting Day at Inner City Guild which included a train trip - where I was able to get a good many straight hours into it and feel like I was making some headway into the body.

The divide for the sleeves came at a time where I was still 'in like' with it. Strangely, the yoke section seemed to take longer than the entire body section, no more knitting in the round.

'In like' was moving on to 'goodnatured tolerance'.

Measuring the correct depth of the armholes was a little tricky, because one side has a buttonband which means that you don't knit the two the same depth. By this stage I was no longer feeling the love.

And then, just when I thought I was on the home stretch, there was 18cm of ribbing for the collar. I plugged away; cursing, twitterwhingeing, stretching it to measure and wishing the days away. In the end, I succumbed to the Yarn Harlot theory of rib (which Kylie told me of) - I knit until I could not stand it any longer, and that's how I knew it was long enough.

At this stage I was not in love with the top any longer.

However, since blocking and pressing and trying it on, it's growing on me again.

I am particularly pleased with the three needle bind-off shoulder, and the poker straight sewn on buttonhole placket on the sleeve.

So now we're heading into MARCH (does time speed up when you're over 40 or what?) - where I will knit nothing but accessories. I'm urgently in need of some no-brainer knitting.

Inspiring Colour Combinations

2011-02-19T12:22:00.005+11:00

newsfeed for knitabulous : I'm plugging away at a top in beautiful but slow 4ply which should be finished next week, I've been doing a lot of dyeing and have a lot of dyeing to do in March for the final FiftyFifty swansong, I'm working fulltime for a few weeks, having my gallbladder out in April and we'll more than likely be auctioning our house in April too.

But I do like to find time to be inspired, even if it's difficult to find time to blog about it.

You all read design*sponge, don't you? After all, literally millions of people do. Blink and you'll miss the thick and fast posts.

Early this week, I swooned over this image of the 'magma fireplace' by the UK company Flying Cavalries. I think there is nothing so unique, quirky and original as the modern eccentric English design. They have this completely original spark of creativity - in this item it's the graduation of colours that really captured my heart.

And so, armed with a mental image and a few measly dollars, I raided the embroidery floss at my lys. A crochet hook, a little improvisation and a few hours later, I had the makings of a pretty cardigan clasp or headband.

The silent concentration required to knit (or crochet in this case) is such a meditative balm when all around seems so chaotic. There are so many things I cannot control, but I can always create. I really like that.

A glove, a sock and one amazing dress

2011-02-04T10:43:00.006+11:00

My son went to high school this week. I feel acutely that his childhood days are over, and that his adolescent days lie before him in one big hot sticky pimply self-conscious mess. It's a kind of sadness and excitement mixed emotion for me, and I don't like it one bit.

Meanwhile, my chronic and debilitating insomnia is back with a vengeance. It's not the heat either, we have an air-conditioned house. It's something else, a personal thing.

So today I'm taking some me time - I've packed my towel, my hat, my sunglasses and my dog and I'm going to lie on the beach for a few hours. I'll pretend I'm single and childless until the 3 o clock school pickup.

I will show you one thing though before I go - I was admiring some interior design blogs yesterday and I came across this photograph of a hot NYC interior decorating duo.

Well that's all very nice, I hear you say, and the apartment pictures are mouthwatering but I was struck dumb by something else.

Look at that goddamn beautiful dress.

It has been made using the same motif as the rowan carnival shawl as featured in the 2005 Rowan Classic Holiday, and possibly copied by jojoland (assuming the rowan is the original, I suspect variations on this swirl motif have been around for a lot longer) for their melody gradient yarn. I've wanted to make it ever since I saw it. I even have the pattern. And I've always wanted to knit a dress. And I'm not above the process of crochet, so it is very appealing.

The question is, do I have the fortitude to have a crack?

(oh, and I've knit one glove and one sock in January. I have second sock and second glove syndrome)

Just quickly

2011-01-27T13:15:00.003+11:00

cos I gotta be showered and out of here in about ten minutes.

but look.. i designed something new. it's a tunic style shirt-tail bottom top. knit side to side. madelinetosh merino light.

It's even reversible, if you're feeling avant-garde.

will get photographs of it on somebodies body soon, but not until it cools down a little.

do you like it?

i do.

Calico and Ivy in Balmain

2011-01-23T11:01:00.005+11:00

We had a great day on Friday, Donna showed me around her new workplace. I forgot my camera, so she kindly lent me her good iphone. It was lovely to meet one of the co-owners Sarah, and Amy, who showed us her gorgeous fabric combination that she spoke of here.

Calico and Ivy in Balmain is the sister shop to the one in Perth. The Balmain store looks for all the world like a renovated boatshed, and is located in Birchgrove Road, a leafy street just off the hustle of Darling Street.

It is a cornucopia of treasures for the mindful sewer or knitter. Liberty lawn, japanese linens, kaffe fasset fabrics, Rowan and Debbie Bliss yarns and lots more.

There is so much there, but the three things that got me really excited were:

Rowan Felted Tweed. I just swooned over the huge range Felted Tweed colours - and with the explosion of sport weight cardigan and pullover patterns - I loved the pearly oystery pinks, lilacs and mushroom shades. I'll be back for a cardigan's worth as soon as I can decide on a colour.

Sophie Digard crocheted scarves and shawls. I saw these items on display at Alexandra Palace knitting and stitching show in London in October, and had I been more flush or had more luggage space, I totally would have bought one. These airy organic peices are hand-crocheted (for there is no other way to crochet, it is impossible to machine-crochet) in wonderful earthy natural colours. They really are breathtaking. I want one as a throw for the raspberry french style chair I have in my bedroom.

Kaffe Fasset rugs - these riots of colour mimic his effusive style - I thought they were perfect for girls bedrooms, or to give a little pop to a white on white colour scheme in a sunroom or bathroom. And very reasonably priced too. When I go back for my Felted Tweed, one of these might fall into the basket.

But, lets face it, the visit to Calico and Ivy was maybe just an excuse to go to another place round the corner. This place here.

(I'm besotted with Balmain now, I've even looked at property listings in the area. I can't afford them.)

Having a thing for the doily

2011-01-16T17:59:00.003+11:00

Yesterday, Bells blogged about knitting a doily and how she was enjoying being absorbed in such fine work. Personally, I have never knitted a doily, but I have knitted quite a few circular shawls that I use as tablecloths, so presumably they constitute doilies on a very large scale.

But I do have a 'thing' for them. Whenever I am in an opshop, I always look at the pile of handmade doilies that are invariably there in a corner.

I fossick through them, picking out the ones that are of interest because they're very fine, use a different technique, are particularly beautiful, or particularly old. And when I see them, I have to save them.

So many of them are done in that awful tonal crochet thread, or worse, with a mettallic thread through them. But, every so often, I come across one or even better, a set, and I buy them for pennies. I wash them and re-block or press if necessary, and sometimes I frame them.

They sit under the vintage tea-set china that I have laying around.

This one is very unusually constructed.

And this one is embroidered - AND there were two others matching that day.

They sit under the pieces of china and glass that I have kept from the children's younger days, and some things I've collected over the years too. (Actually, these ones were a gift from Randomknits - she buys the most awesome presents.)

They sit under the embarrassingly dirty decanters. Let's pretend they add something to the dusty vintage charm of the doilies, will we?

Here are some on a coffee table and sit atop the shetland tea shawl I knitted a few years back. I know I should really do something about those awful wall and carpet colours.

I just can't bear that these beautiful handmade things ended up in a rag bag, or worse, in a skip when their maker died, and I just can't leave them there!

I wonder what will happen to all this stuff when I go? One thing is for sure - I won't have any say in it.

And that's the story of my thing for the doily.

It's criminal

2011-01-15T11:56:00.004+11:00

(image from ravelry pattern page)

That this pattern has only four projects on ravelry.

I am about to rectify that post-haste.

Because sure as there are floods and drought, winter 2011 is coming.

Which, by the way, would be made all the groovier if they didn't sell out of Caninja's so quickly. I only just met you, but caninja I think I love you.

Aim high - even if you don't make it

2011-01-09T20:13:00.009+11:00

It's not that I don't make resolutions, I invariably do - it's that I don't really like to use my blog as a personal billboard for everything that I do/see/think. It's a knitting blog, so I mainly keep it about knitting. Which is probably just as well, because I've started myself off to a spectacularly disastrous personal year so far. What I wouldn't do to start 2011 off all over again.

But, since there's not much knitting (half of nothing is still nothing) to show for 2011, I will share a few of the things I'd like to have a crack at/stop doing/start doing/experience/wish I could buy this year.

Number one thing is to eat more vegetables. I saw this post today and thought it was a great, simple and effective way of getting more of those green leaves into my body. I love all the leaves - all herbs, lettuces, spinach, rocket, cabbage, kale - I just don't eat enough of them. So, there's an easy one to start - The Big Bag of Salad.

On the subject of green leaves, I'm fascinated by these vertical gardens I see cropping up from place to place. Inspired by the one I saw in real life in the Anthropologie store in London, and appalled by the FAKE PLASTIC one in a surf shop in the new Westfield Centrepoint in Sydney - I wouldn't mind having a crack at this kind of gardening. Who can kill a succulent, right?

Winter's coming - and I think I'll invest in a camel coat. I have an old one from my life in a cold climate - it's almost vintage now - but it's too warm for my skin tone and blonde hair. I'd like a cooler beige one, not unlike this one here that I spotted on a fashion blog.

I love, no adore, no, am completely addicted to coffee. So much so that it was a problem when I travelled - there is hardly any good coffee around in unfamiliar places where tourists congregate! I was reduced to ****bucks (i know, the shame!) on more than one occasion. And although we have an espresso machine, I find this a little too much hassle when I'm on my own. I love the idea of a drip filter system, and then today when I saw this one, my heart skipped a beat. Oh the beautifulness of it. I want to be the person who makes her coffee in this thing wearing her camel coat.

I cleaned out my studio downstairs today, and was wholly unimpressed with it's pale green walls and general dankiness. Not much to inspire in that place. So I decided that this year it's going to have a revamp - mulberry and stone walls, a couple of cheap kitchen units from Bunnings down one side to hold the dyes and the stocks, and some new flooring (courtesy of the NRMA, we had a leak down there a few weeks ago). I am looking forward to doing this all by myself - I've never tackled a DIY project before!

Every body deserves a little respect, and so does mine! I intend to get used to some physical activity in 2011, and vow to even try to enjoy it.

There are always travel plans - our spontaneous European adventure in October has really done what travel always does, makes you want more. Husband wants to go back to Italy - I'm hoping for a searing hot summer experience in Spain, and all four of us would like to go back to Paris! Also, in a pie in the sky dream, knitabulous yarn is going to take me to America in 2012. For that, I need a business plan. So I plan on making a plan Stan.

What about you? Do you have any high hopes for 2011?

Finished Objects 2010

2011-01-01T17:31:00.002+11:00

And here they all are.

There are actually two more - hats - but I gave them away before I took photos of them.

1. goodale goodshot 2, 2. baby merry janes, 3. Mountain Fold, 4. summer solstice door 3, 5. vine yoke, 6. gradient dyed shawl, 7. textureweigth cardigan, 8. gloves, 9. experimental 3, 10. DSC_0541_edited-1, 11. audrey 3, 12. P1000181, 13. Mariska 5, 14. elephant 2, 15. shantaram, 16. jackalope 2, 17. shantaram 2, 18. Blanket 1, 19. sage remedy, 20. whisper cardigan 1, 21. Veyla, 22. Herbivore, 23. daybreak2, 24. new shawl, 25. featherweight 2

And now to think about 2011.

There's time for one more, then 2010 you have to go

2010-12-30T14:50:00.004+11:00

Last Thursday, as I was sitting having coffee with DrK, getting a rundown of her awesome yarn crawl across the USA and petting all the pretties a parcel arrived in my letterbox.

It was the Madelinetosh Club package for December - three skeins of Merino DK in a colour called 'mica'. It was love at first sight. I had to cast on immediately.

Being only three skeins, I had to be judicious in my selection of what to make with it. I went for a Goodale - and I used every last skerrick of the yarn. It's only just long enough too, but what are you gonna do?

Pattern: Goodale
Yarn: 3 skeins Madelinetosh Merino DK December Neutrals - Mica
Needle: 4.00mm (but I'm a very loose knitter)
Modifications: I alternated the 3 skeins every row, but tried to mask it by doing it after the i-cord edge at the fourth stitch. The result is not invisible, but at least it's consistent.

I also ran out of yarn and only got five rows of rib at the bottom. So I couldn't do the knitted cord for the buttonhole. I just plaited the ends sewed it in.

The raglan increases are just beautiful.

And I used my beautiful Red Button that I bought in Bendigo.

And that, as they say in the classics, is the end of that.

Tomorrow I do the year of knitting roundup. I'm pleased to say that it's so much better than 2009. Yay for GAAK!

We Three Things

2010-12-26T12:39:00.011+11:00

THREE GREAT CHRISTMAS SONGS FOR ATHEISTS or ATHEIST SYMPATHISERS

The Hives and Cyndi Lauper - A Christmas Duel

Fairytale in New York - It still astounds me that she's dead and he's not - and it still makes it to Number 1 in Ireland at Christmas.

White Wine in the Sun - sentimental and atheist at the same time. For my sister, who almost didn't make it into Ireland (and completely didn't make it into Dublin) for Christmas with her in-laws.

THREE THINGS I LOVE (other than knitting)

Incredibly Generous Design Bloggers

(from Hi, I'm Francesca - you can download one here)

Packaging

Image of Seasonal T-shirt packaging from MIT for Lega-Lega from Lovely Package (tm)

Typography

I could spend all day over at typographica, I can't believe it's free to view.

By the way - I got the most amazing Christmas present from my mother. I've been eyeing these off for ten years. And finally, they're mine!

So she's forgiven for having too much to drink and putting on a performance yesterday. Cos the snow keeps on fallin, even though we've been bad.

Merry Christmas from my little friend

2010-12-23T17:09:00.003+11:00

When I showed him to my beloved Tuesday night knitting group, one lady said 'you really do have too much time on your hands, don't you?' To which I replied, kindly, 'I have exactly the same amount of time as you. I just don't watch TV.'

But I have to admit, she's got a point.

Pattern: Jackalope, Antelrabbit or Stagbunny
Designer: Hansi Singh - and most incredibly designed he is too. His little bum and haunches are just meltingly cute!
Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool
Needles: 2.75mm

And even though he was as fiddly as a very fiddly thing, and I re-knit the front legs three times before I realised I was looking at them upside down, he was a lot of fun to knit.

Have a I might even make another one. I think he needs a mate.

Yeah. No.

2010-12-22T13:56:00.004+11:00

This is a phrase I hear myself saying a lot. I find it quite ironic.

The table was too pared back for me. Even with the charcoal linen base saying 'don't overdo it' I couldn't help myself. I added a bit.

And here, finally, is my Christmas table.

And tomorrow, if all goes to plan, I may have me a finished Jackalope, a little bit like this guy ...

Our Christmas Table

2010-12-19T16:12:00.003+11:00

As usual it's usually a work in progress, I add bits and take bits away during the holiday period - right now I'm thinking about adding some paper lanterns from the ceiling.

Some of you may remember that I bought the tablecloth in Paris in October at Le Bon Marche - it was an indulgence to say the least - but I really love it and have used it a few times already. Unironed charcoal linen, what's not to like about that?

The ornaments were all reduced in Myer, I just love the silver partridges. They only had a few left when I was there, and I bought all of them, but I wish I had more.

My favourite thing though, is the wreath I made from paper doilies. Using this tutorial (I've linked to the tutorial page - you'll die of love over there and don't worry, I'll wait), I whipped it up in minutes. Isn't this a great idea for a kid's Cristmas craft?

I'm really excited about seeing all the Christmas preparations on the blogs right now - especially the freezing cold snap in the US - can you imagine living somewhere that ICES OVER in winter? I just cannot imagine it. It sounds so exciting and glamourous to me. I imagine it would look like this:

Now for the food planning. What are you eating at Christmas?

Super Six

2010-12-18T11:13:00.006+11:00

Thanks to the super organiser Jody and Fee, the Personal Sock Club phenomenon has morped into a proper knitalong.

It's simple really - after nominations and voting, six patterns were chosen for the knitalong. Participants are to select six sock yarns from their stash, pack them up in bags and open them one at a time in accord with the pattern schedule.

Simple? You would think so. But do you think I could choose the yarns for my six socks? No way! Half of my sock yarn I couldn't bear to part with (now that was a suprise, I didn't think I was like that), the other half I didn't even like.

In the end I managed it, but I really wish I had a nice yellow sock yarn. One that I can bear to part with that is.

The pattern schedule, and sign-ups are here, there are only six pairs of socks for the year so it's not too demanding. Plus there's a chance to win free yarn..

Knitabulous yarn will be awarding a sock club package for each round of the event. Finished picture on the ravelry group and they will be put in a draw and a winner selected. Each winner will receive a sock club package from knitabulous yarn containing a skein of supertwist merino in a suprise semi-solid and a treat or two.

So if you want to be in the running to receive free yarn, or you want to knit some of the sock yarn you already have, head on over and sign up.

No good deed goes unpunished

2010-12-12T14:03:00.002+11:00

Title has nothing to do with post. It's my Christmas sentiment.

I haven't talked about my knitting for a little while, not because I'm not doing it, but because I've picked up the Medeterranean Shawl again, and it's beautiful, but not the most exciting thing to photograph and talk about. I'll give you a quick precis -

knit a huge diamond shaped shawl.

Pick up one side and knit a huge rectangular stole.

Do that again.

Now you're about to start the actual knitting.

Pick up around the huge stole, the diamond, the other huge stole and the rest of the diamond and knit a border equivalent to twice the knitting of the biggest shawl you've ever made.

According to the book you should then 'do a modest but triumphant jig'. I won't be jigging for some time though, as I've just started the first huge stole, having taken a year to finish the huge diamond.

See? I told you it was boring.

To distract me, and perhaps because it's Christmas - I made an amigurumi elephant. Here she is settling into her new surrounds.

At first they didn't know what to make of her.

Then she met someone. She couldn't beleive how much they had in common.

It really was love at first sight.

And they lived happily ever after.

The end.

(This yarn is Brooklyn Tweed Shelter. It's great yarn.)

Trinkets

2010-12-08T11:32:00.004+11:00

I have the best family and the greatest friends, the past month has proven that to me over and over again. The past six months have been so great, today I have been thinking about how thankful I am for the people around me.

Not only that - but I've received some great presents too - let me show you some of the wonderful things that have been showered upon my lately - and these are just the tangibles! The edibles got ate I'm afraid.

A chair for my bedroom.

My favourite perfume. And a charm bracelet.

Some really good new knitting books.

Interchangeables! (I never got round to getting any) and a perfectly chosen and sewn case to keep them tidy.

Cult yarn.

Somewhere to sit by the pool in the shade and knit with friends.

Masses of hydrangeas.

And so for Christmas, all I want is good weather, no arguments, and a moist turkey.

An affair in Paris

2010-11-30T19:25:00.004+11:00

No I didn't have one, but since I've been back I've been knitting a little romantic cardigan for my niece, with a very puffy elbow length sleeve and a forties pin-up style silhouette.

It's the kind of cardigan that looks as though it might have been worn by a very stylish and lovestruck girl in Paris in the forties, and then kept in pristine condition for a very long time, only to be re-discovered with rapture by her very stylish and lovestruck young grand-daughter in the present day.

The cardigan has a deepish ribbed bottom, cinching a tiny forties waist, the body is fuller than you might expect on a cardigan of this size, giving a blouson effect to the top of the garment. Simple lace panels flank the pearl button front.

The sleeves are short-rowed in, a technique which I adore, and they were deliberately kept wide and full until the elbow where the ribbing brings it sharply into a slim opening.

And the neckband is finished with an i-cord bind off, another fabulous technique.

I knit this cardigan in the delicious fibrespates scrumptious that I bought from iknit in London. This is the most wonderful yarn, a little crunchy from the silk but with a softness and weightlessness that you'd expect from such a luxurious blend. It won't be the last time I use Scrumptious - it really is scrumptious!

Anyway, enough of me crapping on. Take a look at it - enormous thanks to Kashaya for sitting still long enough to model this cardigan, it only took a week to pin her down!

If I had any confidence in my ability to re-size this garment, I'd write a pattern. But I don't, so I don't even know why I mentioned it really. Seems stupid to blog about something you're not going to do. You don't happen to know anyone do you? Email me if you do.

For my next trick, I am trying to replicate something I bought in Muji.

Another gardenia love post

2010-11-25T21:13:00.004+11:00

I've been seeing a lot of gardenias on the Australian blogs lately. While the US are celebrating thanksgiving and the onset of colder weather, our summer flowers are bursting all over the place.

Today I cut my first Gardenia for the year.

I love all the white fragrant flowers - big and small - the gardenia, the sandalwood, the jasmine, the chinese star jasmine, the phalaenopsis orchid. I even love the tiny humble honey scented sweet alyssum. As a matter of fact, in my dream courtyard garden - there are only white flowers.

As for the knitting, I'm trying to pin down a model for a cardigan I've just finished, but she's never home!

I did have another model put to work in the house today though - see?

**Does everyone HATE the new flickr format? What a PITA!**

Fair Trade Napkins

2010-11-20T12:20:00.003+11:00

Sewing is almost fun when you've got a seamstress for company!

She pinned, I sewed, and in no time at all I had the set of Liberty tana lawn afternoon tea napkins that I'd envisaged.

They're not perfect, but I love them nonetheless. I'm so glad I used the beautiful fabric sooner rather than later, because now I will see it and admire it much more frequently than if it were folded in the cupboard.

That's what she thinks

2010-11-19T17:41:00.003+11:00

My friend Donna will be here soon. It's Emily's formal tonight, which is being held at a secret venue near where I live, and Donna and David have to hang around until it's finished so they can drive her home. So I invited them over here.

Now Donna asked me a while back if I'd crochet a ruffle edge around a cardigan for her, and being Donna, it took her about a week to knit the whole thing. So she's bringing that, and I'm going to get started on that tonight.

I said we'd have a thai dinner somewhere, but I have to pick up and drop off my own kids to various things and won't be completely free until after 8pm. So I thought we'd do a takeaway instead.

I'm sure Donna thinks that her and David are in for a lovely relaxing evening with some good food and a little w(h)ine or two, sitting on the couch, possibly knitting.

That's what she thinks.

No way. I have plans for her. I even set it up ready.

I know they're only shops

2010-11-12T12:18:00.004+11:00

Oh but the shops! ...

You really know you're not in Sydney when you're walking down a random street window shopping and you come across a Damien Hirst exhibition in a tiny shop. Manolo Blahnik is making a personal appearance in the shoe department in the evening. There's a pet spa opening in October in the Department Store, where you can also pick up an elvis costume for the pooch while you're there. There's a hatted restaurant that looks for all the world like hole in the wall dumpling bar just down past where they sell the guns, and they're queuing for ugg boots in Covent Garden.

I find all this quite confusing - a mix of excitement and alienation - as though I actually come from another planet, in a galaxy far, far away ...

How to find iknit london without your GPS

2010-11-12T12:11:00.007+11:00

First you take the family on the London Eye, just to butter them up.

Then you have lunch in all bar one, making sure your husband has at least one pint.

Then you suggest a walk through the tunnel and witness a grafitti artist at work.

Then you find a post office where they will tell you that they don't know how to look up an address. Something I conveniently forgot about England, but was reminded almost immediately upon my arrival - Computer Says No is barely exaggerated, that's why it's so funny.

Then you find a library where they tell you that the shop is practically next door and you are about to walk past it.

And suddenly there it is in it's grubby glory.

I liked this shop, it was exciting to see a range of yarns that you would never see in yarn stores in Australia, like fibrespates Scrumptious. Which I may have fallen for quite heavily - in baby pink and gold. When I took it to the counter, the person behind the counter said, in deference to the beautiful yarn - 'ooh, you're going to make something lovely'. And indeed, I hope to make something lovely with it.

Don't lose your head

2010-11-01T09:29:00.004+11:00

Not one of the British Museum's conventional sculpture classifications, but one I found quite amusing anyway.

(One of these is actually from the Louvre. Do you know which one?)

I'm home now, but I'm posting in denial for a week or so. Hope you don't mind ...

Stitch a sheep at Stitch London

2010-10-23T03:27:00.002+11:00

Last night I got together with Katie and Sarah (erstwhile Wollongong snb buddies) for a drink and a knit at Stitch London. And boy did we stumble upon the right night to go! It was great to see Katie and Sarah, they're clearly loving their London life ..

It co-incided with a book launch! A comic book launch no less. By a very lovely and talented illustrator and writer, Sarah McIntyre.

So there was free champagne! and cupcakes! And a competition to knit a sheep with the materials on the table, which we all entered. I must make a notable mention to Don, the website builder, who sat across from me. Each table had a 'designated teacher' attached to it, but ours was occupied so I kind of stepped in. Under some rudimentary tutelage, Don not only got the hang of it, he fashioned himself a very charming little blue sheep. He told me he had a Masters in Graphic Arts. I told him that was the minimum requirement to learn to knit.

I made a sheep too - I cut a t-shirt remnant that was on the table up and used it for yarn. For the face I used a snip of a brown and camel chevron knitted fabric, and for the legs I used the twiglets from the nibblies bowl.

I named him Wandsworth (after the bridge over the Thames) and he won a prize! Best coiffured sheep. And he's had a minor mention on Sarah McIntyre's blog today.

A great night, and many thanks to Katie for the picture from the phone.

We met up with Alan's old schoolfriend and his family today. They have two children identical ages to ours, and so it was a great opportunity to wander the British Museum. The children have suprisingly a lot in common, and Alan and I have a lot of catching up to do with our old friends. So we've adjourned our meeting to tonight - in about half an hour in fact - to the Texas Embassy in Trafalgar Square - a very familiar old haunt of ours from a time way back when. I am looking forward to it very much ..

Moments in Paris

2010-10-18T08:08:00.006+11:00

What's in the La Drougerie bag? Enough recoup (recycled wool, cotton and viscose tweed) for a jacket for me, and three gorgeous 100g skeins of alpaca in a deep teal, lovely red and a muted purple. Not excessive, but just enough.

In the end there was no time for daily blog posts, or I was too exhausted when I got home from our sightseeing missions. And of course, we ran out of time to do everything we wanted to do.

We did get to do some of the things that I really wanted to do - we went to the Luxumbourg Gardens for a picnic, we went through the little flea market at Montmartre, sat on the steps of the Sacre Cour and watched the puppetshow, we went to Le Bon Marche, and saw the Monet waterlilies in the Orangerie, the Louvre, des Invalides. We didn't see as much art as we would have liked, ahh next time perhaps!

While we were in Bon Marche, I must admit I spent a little money. I bought a gorgeous dark grey linen tablecloth, with contrasting napkins in pale grey and deep fuschia - I can not wait to go home and set a table with them!

I also ogled the shoes. Prada, Jimmy Choo, Chanel, Marc Jacobs, Valentino - you name it they had them. I was bemused by the stylish parisian women who genuinely looked like buyers - such a contrast from the tough times so obvious on the streets of Dublin last week - but they did have one thing in common. I noticed these boots on the feet of many a well-heeled young Dubliner, but didn't think much of it. But when I investigated the source of the gaggle of shoppers crowding around one shoe department, by far the busiest, I was struck dumb. Ugg Australia. Somehow, some marketing genius has made them hip. We always knew they were comfortable, but these boots are serious fashion. Can you beleive it?

The top floor has a haberdashery department, where a vast array of buttons, trims, fabrics, yarns, sewing accessories and all kinds of curiosities are sold. The layout is a dream, and I was pleased to see it was very busy there. Parisians take their shopping so seriously, a lot of effort being made to looking fashionable even in the yarn section. They had Rowan, Arucania, Anny Blatt, Bouton Dor, Phildar, Debbie Bliss - some was reduced - but I resisted because we're going to London on Tuesday and I'm saving myself for Liberty et al. Still, it was so heartwarming to see an old fashioned section like this doing well enough to stay afloat.

I liked Bon Marche so much more than Galleries Lafayette - the building has so much charm, and not so crowded. As a bonus, it was full of dogs. It is true what you hear, dogs are everywhere in Paris; they're in the restaurants, in the metro, in the department stores, in the street. Life is so much better with dogs! (What a co-incidence, this post has been sitting in draft form for days, and DrK has since posted about life being good with dogs too.)

Our apartment managers provided us with a trolley shopper - such a good idea - so we stocked up on pre-made savouries, dumplings, cheese and hams, baguettes, tiny macarons and chocolates - and wine of course and headed off for our picnic at the Luxembourg Gardens.

It was like stepping back in time. The park is filled with iron chairs, some with arms, some without, some with short back legs for reclining in the sun around the most picturesque of fountains, flanked with manicured lawn and garden beds, topiary and the beautiful palace as a backdrop. It was so beautiful - relaxing and invigorating at the same time.

From what I've observed, Parisian children are incredibly well behaved - and the old-fashioned pastimes of riding the hand-cranked carousels and racing the boats in the fountain are still popular today. Indeed my own playstation addicted media junkies also partook of these activities and declared it the best day ever. The Paris Tourist Authority must be followong me, placing little archetypical Parisian scenes in front of me. A little boy was racing the boats (actually he brought his own boat!) dressed in brown shorts and matching jacket - like a little safari suit, and a few girls in pinafores and swing coats were frolicking there. What I missed in good photographs I gained in sheer enjoyment - it was an hour of complete escapism.

We then played in the park a little, had a go on the carousel, and headed back home for dinner near the Champ de Mars. Dinner wasn't the best we've had, but we were exhausted and not really in the mood for a gourmet experience.

And the next day - I had to go to Disneyland Paris.

Now we've been in London for two days - the Natural History museum and the V & A were first on our list, and today we went to Liberty and Hamleys. We had lunch in a noodle bar off Carnaby Street, where I stumbled upon All the Fun of the Fair (a yarn store!) and sat on a table next to a supermodel beautiful young girl in a superchunky mustardy olive handknit scarf and superchunky handknit jumper. We talked a little about knitting; she learned to knit from You Tube.

Tonight though, I went to stitch London. It was a big event, a book launch - and the place was full of knitters, comic book illustrators and publishers. And I won a prize! But I'll post more on that tomorrow, after our trip to the British Museum.

I'm uploading pictures onto Flickr. Head on over and have a look if you're so inclined.

Paris is Sweet

2010-10-16T04:51:00.003+11:00

Yesterday we took the lift to the top of the Eiffel Tower. When we got there, I was delighted to see this.

Well, it'd be rude not to, wouldn't it?

And so we shared a lifetime memory 'moment' with about a thousand other people.

After a reverent stroll through the Notre Dame Cathedral, another moment shared with about a thousand other people - the kids were bored out of their skulls.

Behind the cathedral is a small island called Ile Saint Louis, you cross a little footbridge where buskers play sad songs on the accordion, and one even on a piano on the back of a trailer, and suddenly you feel like you've been transported into a fifties movie set in Paris.

The narrow cobblestone streets are lined with tiny but perfectly decorated specialty shops selling quintessentially French ingredients - the boucherie has fowl complete with heads and feathers, there's a shop selling only fois gras, a chocolate shop the likes of which would melt the hardest of hearts, fromagerie complete with the intense ammonia hum, fishmongers with an astounding range of fish and shellfish on an iced trolley under an awning in the street, and all manner of galleries, expensive clothing and antiquities shops.

As if put there by the Paris Tourist Authority, the cutest of schoolboys wearing blazers and riding bicycles went into the boulangerie and came out with a baguette, ripping it in two and munching away while they continued on their journey home from school.

And between every few shops is an alleyway, leading into a courtyard, with white shuttered windows and windowboxes full of flowers - they're bed and breakfasts, boutique hotels, vacation apartments and presumably normal Parisian residences. The butcher was packed, as was the fromagerie, so although it is touristy, there are definitely local people doing everyday things there too.

There is a particular claim to fame that the Ile Saint Louis has that I wanted to test. They say that the best ice cream in the world is sold there.

It's called Berthillon, and being a huge ice cream fan I can solemnly say that if it isn't the best ice cream in the world, it certainly tasted like it to me yesterday. (I had caramel au buerre salle - it had the grown up bitter flavour of a creme brulee crust - a very small scoop was an elegant sufficiency. But I wanted to go back and have another one all afternoon.)

The rest of my family agreed that it was seriously fine ice cream.

And now it appears that I've filled another post about yesterday, when what I really wanted to tell you about TODAY, where we visited the Louvre, then La Drougerie, got kind of lost in the seediest part of town (where there are alleyways between every few shops too, but the activities in there are of an entirely different nature), and stumbled into the Galleries Lafayette during a storewide 30-50% off sale (and stumbled out again pretty quick - the crowds were horrible).

I'll wait till tomorrow - because La Drougerie does deserve it's own post. If I had to wait half an hour for them to wind my yarn (which they did tell me was about to happen, so it wasn't a shock), you'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out about what's in the bag..

Bonsoir mes amis. (stop rolling your eyes)

Paris - Day 1

2010-10-14T08:47:00.002+11:00

So we arrived in Paris after lunchtime today - after losing an hour crossing the channel. We got the RER into the city from Charles De Gaulle (in spite of their being strikes, which we read about in the UK) - and found our way to the apartment. In retrospect, a taxi would have been far more convenient and possibly not that more expensive, but some old backpacking habits are hard to shrug off I guess.

We were greeted by Phillipe, who showed us around the place - I paid particular attention to the workings of the espresso machine, less so to that of the cooktop and oven. Having said that, the first thing I got organised was a load of laundry, unavoidable even on holiday.

The apartment block is pretty boring, built in wings around a central courtyard garden. It reminds me somewhat of a university campus - but appears to have a wide range of residents of all ages. It's in the 7th Arrondissemetn, very close to the Champs de Mars, and therefore, the Eiffel Tower. On the inside though, it's compact but comfortable - the bathroom in particular is very nice - and the view is pretty amazing.

There's a very chatty and comprehensive guide to our area in the apartment, and they've included lots of information on local restaurants and food markets where the owners and their friends like to frequent and recommend. Listed in their top five is the corner brasserie - Cafe Suffren - so that's where we headed out for dinner tonight.

It's a typical corner style cafe, with awnings and outdoor seating. A pedestrian was hit by a motorcycle as we were crossing the road,the motorcyclist swore and hurled abuse at the pedestrian who shrugged and kept walking, whilst in the centre of the chaotic intersection a tiny ancient car was stalled fatally and the driver was frantically trying to start it up again, causing all kinds of horn-blowing and swearing and fist waving - it was a quintessentially Parisian kind of traffic scene - shambolic and starkly dangerous, but with pretty harmless outcome. In any case, the kids were astounded at the spectacle.

In a way it's great that they're at an age now where they just order off the normal menu, because we all get to try different things - but of course there is the corresponding expense that goes with it. However, we all treated ourselves tonight to two courses, and shared some starters as well.

We shared two starters - a country style chicken pate and a saucisson brioche - the pate came typically with a bitter leaf salad raddicchio, cornichons and brown rye bread toast. It was delicious; a chunky and rich with a rustic terrine-like texture. The saucisson brioche was like a posh toad in the hole, with a lovely deep onioney verjuice reduction sauce.

Our main courses were hearty cuts of meat with frites or garlicky roasted potatoes. There were some lovely girelle mushrooms on one of the beef dishes - and the side salads were beautifully dressed and the mother in me was pleased to see they all got eaten.

For dessert, I had what was described as a 'sweet coffee' - which was an espresso with a selection of very cute petite fours. The tiny macaron was hardly as wide as my thumb - and the raspberry tartlet was divine, rasperries are in season at the moment and are only one euro per punnet in the market .. I see a lot of raspberries during the next week ..

After dinner we had a lovely post-prandial stroll around the park. It was late, almost ten o clock, and even though the elevators were still working in the tower pediments, the crowds and the hawkers were pretty much dwindled by then.

We stopped along to way to savour the moment - 'are we really here?' - and when we got to the centre we didn't forget to look up.

We haven't fully decided what we're going to do tomorrow yet - we might get a picnic together and head off to Versailles, or maybe we'll see the Mona Lisa, or perhaps race paper boats in the Luxembourg Gardens. Whatever we do, I'll try and check in again, even if it's just to tell you what we ate again!

From the Sublime to the Ridiculous

2010-10-10T09:14:00.004+11:00

Here I am in Dublin at my mother in law's house. The children have gone for a sleepover at their cousin's place and husband has gone to the pub for a drink with his brother. I opted to stay at home and upload some pictures and knit a little.

The Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace was fantastic, although I do admit to feeling a little lonely while I was looking at the exhibits and textile art installations. At times I found myself talking to no-one in particular, and then feeling a little sheepish when nobody answered me back.

The venue itself is spectacular, and I was lucky enough to go in the morning of the first day and the crowds weren't too bad. Maybe a few more schoolgirl groups than I'd like, but not a jostling crowd like I've seen at the Darling Harbour shows.

The huge popularity of knitting and yarn was clear - most women were talking about only being there for the knitting - and there were many many yarn stands. I was particularly starstruck by the Jamieson and Smith display - the whole range, all the colours, and the lovely scottish women working there. The Rowan stand had the lot; fabric, patterns, buttons, yarn - it took up four spaces. I met the koigu people (who were lovely), the habu people (from the New York store), the Buffalo Gold man (with his £30 a skein bison yarn) and saw lots of yarn I'vee never seen before; like Spud and Chloe, there was also some fibrespates, and a beautiful English longwool with the most gorgeous lustre that I'm kicking myself I didn't buy.

One of the busiest yarn stalls was a pretty rudimentary affair, presentation wise anyway. Piled on the floor were bags and bags of discontinued Rowan, Sublime, Debbie Bliss, Mirasol and many others. I picked up two bags of Sublime baby cashmere/merino/silk dk for £22.99 per bag.

From another stall I got two zauberball - one lace and one fish - and from koigu, two skeins of koigu in the most amazing purple and gold combination.

I also picked up some fabulous buttons with bees on them, but I didn't take a photo of them.

The textile art installations and exhibits were out of this world. I didn't have a lot of time to really look at them, but they were like nothing I'd ever seen before. And there was an entire wing of artisans chosen by a group called 'craft guerillas' - I haven't done any research about them but the stalls in that wing were the most innovative and fresh textile wearable art peices I've ever seen or imagined.

But, dear readers, I have a confession to make. I've left it right to the end to say it, in the hope that not all of you have read this far.

I succumbed to the lure of a novelty yarn.

But can you really blame me when, just hours after casting it on (you just push the needle through the yarn in a few places to cast on) I had this gorgeous thing?

Ridiculous, I know .. But I love it anyway ..

And, last but not least - do you want to know what everyone is wearing? One of the big trends is - not only in clothing but evidently in everything including yarn in the UK - it's vintage/my fair lady style (or military) - kind of post-war fifties British style of making do - which includes knitting. Everyone is all over wool - they've even yarn bombed Browns Focus!

All the high street fashion shops like topshop, h&m, zara - even M & S - the whole range of clothes have been made made to look old and second hand - it's all crushed velvet, aged denim, tiny floral patterns on dresses, lace up brogues. And chuck out the ghd - straight hair is dead.

Anyway, I'm off to the Irish countryside tomorrow for a pub lunch with the rest of my husband's big family. Sorry about the long post!

Bon Voyage Cardigan

2010-10-02T18:06:00.003+10:00

If there's one thing I appreciate about a knitting designer, it's when they don't treat their audience like fools. A simply shaped predominantly stocking stitch cardigan with set in sleeves can be a clumsy looking thing, or it can be transformed into something special by the elegance of good finishing, and great detailing.

I'm no master knitter, but with a pattern as good as audrey in unst, and a yarn as lovely as wollmeise lavendel, I couldn't really go too wrong. It still needs buttons,(hello la drougerie!) but the knitting is done.

Pattern: Audrey in Unst
Source: Twist Collective
Yarn: Wollmeise we're different lavandel, a smidge over two skeins
Needle size: 2.75mm, 3.0mm and 2.5mm (I've got the slackest tenstion in knitting)
Size Made: The seventh largest size
Modifications: The sleeve ribbing is a little shorter for my short arms. Not because I'm lazy and wanted to finish them early, no not that at all.

My favourite bits are the knitted on i-cord around the neckline, really making it looked polished, and the beautiful way a set-in sleeve looks when you pick it up round the armhole and short row it in.

The colour is off in the pictures, it's more purple in real life. I just wanted to get it photographed and write this up now, because I might not get time to take better shots before we fly out on Tuesday.

If all goes well, the next post from me will be from London, about the knitting and stitching show at Alexandra Palace, and I'll have crocheted a teal silk cloche.

Then Dublin for a few days to see Alan's family, then Paris for a week, then London for a week, then Hong Kong for a few days before coming home just in time for the Melbourne Cup!

PS: knitabulous yarn orders can still be made after the 4th October but they won't be mailed until 1st November.

Are we going for a walk soon?

2010-09-29T12:33:00.001+10:00

Blair and Storm
Originally uploaded by knitabulous

I swear, this animal has no idea he's not a person.

The power of two

2010-09-23T12:19:00.002+10:00

Just playing in the stash sandpit.

Girly Swot

2010-09-16T14:10:00.004+10:00

I finished my Daybreak Shawl - more of a cape really - just in time for, um, spring. I was inspired to knit this wrap when I saw Margarita's one made from (among others) knitabulous Sacred Forest from the Black Japan Club.

I'm so glad I did too because I really really really love it, and I'm going to wear it to death when I'm overseas next month.

Pattern: Daybreak Shawl - Stephen West
Yarn: Sundara Sock Yarn - from the 2009 Napa Valley Yarn Club
Cabernet Grapes (2 skeins)
Aged Oak Barrell (1 skein)
Turning Leaves (30 g or so - just used here and there)
Needles: 3.50 mm
Modifications:
None except that I just kept going until the Aged Oak Barrell ran out, which led to a bigger wrap. And I added a stripe here and there of a third colour - not in the instructions.

I tried it on to show my mother and she pursed her lips and said 'I really hate capes', so I think I might have to give it to her for Christmas .. hehehe.

So bouyed have I been by this success, and the recent workshop I did with Liz Gemmell where she said there really were no shortcuts to knitting for proper fit (I knew this. I just wanted it not to be true.), I have begun a new project. But this time, for the first time, I'm really doing it properly..

I put a label on the swatch so I remember what it is. What a girly swot I am..

well I tried ...

2010-09-14T16:44:00.003+10:00

I tried to get this apartment for our four nights in Paris.

But unfortunately it was booked, and they really prefer full week reservations.

Oh well. It was a good dream while it lasted.

Having settled on an apartment somewhat inferior in decor but massively lower in price, I plan on spending the difference on yarn, saucisson and champagne!

Experimental or just mental?

2010-09-08T13:11:00.004+10:00

So I kind of had this idea for a shawl.

Loosely based on the Japanese Design here, I started with almost a full ball of black Heirloom Cashmino, and so I began using a very simple eyelet pattern and increasing for a regular triangular shawl.

When that ran out, I introduced the feather and fan pattern in the Jawoll Magic yarn, and just kept going with the increases until the ball ran out.

And then I joined the black laceweight and continued (without increases) in the 'even daintier chevron' pattern from the Red Barbara Walker stitch dictionary (the best one imo).

Block like a middle aged trophy wife's face.

Et voila! Quite pleased, not 100% - the difference in the yarn weights means that it doesn't have the most horizontal of top edges, so it slips a little on the shoulders, so next time I'll have to work on that..

I think it must be the colours, or maybe the weather, but this project has really piqued my creative juices. I'm thinking a wrap, missoni home style, in another colourway of this yarn.

The postal system is amazing

2010-09-01T12:49:00.003+10:00

This arrived on my doorstep yesterday. After being packed in the Netherlands, it was taken to a post office, where human hands deciphered the country, it was loaded onto at least one plane, arrived somewhere in Australia, more human hands sorted it and human eyes read the label, identified the postcode, then another human found the right street, the right house, the right door - I can't think of a service really that offers better value for money. I think postage is amazing.

These kits are just astounding, not just because of the great yarn and pattern (and the little laminated card with the salient part of the chart for travelling), but because of the ingenuity of the packaging and the fizz of the little suprises.

La Digitessa came to me with a supercute clutch of handmade stitch markers, a generous sample of what I believe is the wollmeise laceweight in an intense orange, a chocolate, a gift card, a cute badge 'friends don't let friends knit drunk' (which isn't photographed), and lovely little embellishments all packed into a cellophane cone with a hot pink ribbon.

Looking at the projects on ravelry, my digitessa colourway is a lot more burgundy than the original batches. I got my skein of dunkle kirsch twin out and put them together - they're very similar. So I don't think I'll knit the la digitessa with digitessa, I think I'll use one of the knitabulous yarn colours instead.

So that's my plane knitting sorted for my trip overseas in October - at least I've got my priorities straight!

The next compelling issue is this : what am I going to wear in PARIS? (I can hardly beleive I am saying that - we're going to Paris). Apart from the tourist stops - Any must-do suggestions for Paris anyone? Yarn stores? Cheese shops? Restaurants? I'd love to hear from you ..

Meanwhile back at the ranch

2010-08-25T09:16:00.004+10:00

After talking about these bags with a friend, I stumbled across them on etsy and I just had to have one. If the bag itself wasn't cute enough, check out the adorable swing tag! I can't bring myself to take it off, it's so sweet. It is from JennieGee on Etsy.

On the knitting front I've cast aside the almost-completed jumper and started some new projects.

In October, we're taking a little trip overseas to visit Alan's family in Ireland. I saw this spectacular yarn at my local yarn shop and thought it would make a great shawl for my mother in law for the winter months ahead.

Partially inspired by the lovely Japanese shawl in this book here (the pink one on the right) , I decided to do a triangular shawl with a simple black centre, a nice wide border of good old feather and fan (which sets off the long colour repeats of the yarn so well) - it's coming along fine so far.

When the bright yarn runs out, I'm going to add a simple but very open second border in black laceweight - like the edging in the pictured shawl. I'm in the process of deciphering the Japanese instructions, luckily they're in chart form or I'd have no hope whatsoever.

I also managed to acquire a yarnissima la digitessa kit, after years of hit and miss site stalking, so I'm pretty pleased with myself.

And on that fine and optimistic note, I shall leave you with a picture from our family life today - oh frabjous day! - it's the Book Week Parade.

(As my daughter ran up the path to the bus she said 'I'm late!' and I said 'no, you're not' and she said 'I'm Alice! I'm always late!' and away she went. It's her tenth birthday today and it feels to her that the whole school is dressing up just for her birthday.)

Been a good year for the roses

2010-08-22T11:01:00.006+10:00

I know I've been quiet lately, I haven't lost interest, I've just been very very busy with something that is no longer a secret ..

It's officially open for business, the new knitabulous yarn site.

All prices in Australian Dollars, free postage for Australian orders over $50, everyone else free postage over $150.

There's lots of sock yarn and FiftyFifty there right now and coming soon will be some gorgeous project bags and pouches, lots of silken thread for summer lace.

So, come on over and have a look around, I hope you see something you like..

I love Wednesdays

2010-08-04T10:03:00.004+10:00

I really love Wednesdays. It's like my own private Saturday morning. It's the day I get to press the snooze button twice, and still have enough time to get the kids off to the school bus in a reasonably calm manner at 8:30.

Then I make a pot of coffee and think about what I'm going to get done this week. The possibilities stretch out before me and I love the feeling of freedom and anticipation. It's been six years since I left my fulltime job, and I still feel like I'm wagging school! It's a strange feeling of guilt and pleasure wrapped into one.

I've been obsessing lately about jewel tones. And macarons - a local girl is making them and they've been popping up in my favourite cafes all over town. It's exciting to see them, it reminds me of the 80's when Wollongong finally woke up to focaccia (and some places haven't let it go yet) - although I must admit I think the macaron looks a great deal more enticing than it tastes.

The knitabulous yarn website is getting very close to launch - I've got a few little things to iron out with the template but fingers crossed it will be this week. I'm working furiously on photography this week, capturing colours in the yarn is the bane of my life!

I've also been collaborating with an amazing US designer on a new shawl design - she's done the design and I'm doing the yarn colours to match - the concept of the whole thing is blowing my mind and I just can't wait to unveil it to you.

I'm trying to come up with innovative launch ideas - there'll more than likely be prizes involved - so I encourage you to join the mailing list over there on the right sidebar if you haven't already.

(Almost finished baby cables and big ones too - hopefully by the weekend I can post pictures ...)

Can you see the macaron obsession here?

Bendigo Sheep, Wool and Women of Wool

2010-07-25T16:58:00.003+10:00

I've left it so long to post about Bendigo that it almost seems redundant now, but punctuality has never been my strong point anyway ..

This was my third visit to Bendigo, second time at the show, and once again it was country Victoria that really stole all the limelight. I love the whole feel of Bendigo, the grand old buildings, wide streets, the sophisticated restaurants and bars and the seemingly vibrant art culture. And, once again, I felt like I just didn't have the time to explore it enough.

When we arrived, after a quick brunch in Daylesford and slight detour to the mills of chocolate and yarn, we quickly found Bells and Kylie at the Shamrock Hotel, and were soon joined by Jody and her lovely mum. A few champagnes, red wine and a steak later, I found myself quaffing lychee martinis in the dispensary, an uber cool bar in down an alleyway. I'm a complete lightweight mind you, because it completely did me in for the rest of the weekend. I had a headache until Monday!

I had hired a small car from the airport for Donna and I, and to our great pleasure we were upgraded to a Falcon - so we hooned it all the way to Bendigo. Lucky too, because with two additional passengers (the more the merrier) on the return trip and all the luggage, we certainly would have put a little Hyundai Getz through it's paces!

On the way back, we were delightfully suprised by the charm of Kyneton, especially the gorgeous craft shop pick up stitches. I was very taken by Annie Smither's Bistrot and over delicious coffee in luxurious surrounds of yet another of country Victoria's sophisticated cafes, we planned our next Bendigo Trip, involving a few days in Melbourne, a few days in Bendigo and a night in Kyneton on the way home.

Then it was back home with a bump, after arriving at the airport with hours to spare we knitted for a while before being shunted into our seats on tiger air for the short trip home.

What did I buy? Not much actually - some buttons, some habu linen, some Irish Linen thread and some t-pins. Some sock yarn as a gift. Some truffles. A bit of Alpaca from BWM and some luxury 4 ply via an impassioned twitter plea from Miss Fee, which I hope to deliver as an excuse to see her new house.

The highlight of my trip was bumping into one of my knitting heroes, RiotousAssembly. I fear I made a dreadful starstruck fool of myself, but I was completely thrilled to meet her!

Also up there was being tackled by an effervescent and gorgeous DrCris - and her lovely Angus - she is just as awesome irl as I thought she would be, on the Friday night I saw her drop spindling with a weight assisted spindle talking of muscle memory - and even though I was still so hungover I could hardly talk - I was fascinated!

I've been completely immersed in knitting and dyeing this week, here's a picture of my knitting what seems like an endless yoke but loving how it's coming out.

Also been dyeing a 'jewel toned' set of yarns - coming this week into the shop. The hardest thing about this project has been the photography - I seriously need some advice in that area.

And I bought a website today! Now to work out how to use it!

Are we there yet?

2010-07-14T23:26:00.002+10:00

I love packing. It brings out the inner methodical in me, and lord knows she doesn't get out much.

I also love my new gloves.

Off to Bendigo Sheep and Wool, hope to see some of you there.

Learning to knit

2010-07-09T11:59:00.006+10:00

I've been knitting a long time, but the truth is, I hardly ever wear anything I knit. I like to think I'm a process knitter, and to a large extent that's true, but in all honesty I wouldn't mind wearing some of my hand knits, like so many of my friends do.

One of the main reasons that I don't wear what I make boils down to me not being happy with my shape. But I won't really talk about that because it's self-pitying and boring.

Another reason is poor project choice. Take for example the Autumn Rose pullover. I wanted to knit a Fair Isle, but I knew even before I knit a jumper that was miles too big around the waist, not long enough and had way too much scoop in the scooped neckline that I would never wear it. Just not my style.

Ditto the Ivel Coat. Won first prize in the Royal Easter Show in 8 ply knitting. Have I ever worn it? Maybe once. It's too long, and just isn't me.

Then, this year, I made a conscious effort to knit things that I would definitely want to wear, so I made a conscious effort to choose only flattering knits. So, out went the complicated lace, and intricate stitchwork, and in came simple lines and good detailing.

I thought the results so far were pretty good, certainly an improvement anyway. I have worn my featherweight, and I wear the Summer Solstice and the Sage Remedy all the time.

Then I saw this:

And I vowed NEVER to wear that top in public again. It's so not flattering. And that's putting it mildly.

But last week sometime, I came across something from Ingrid's blog that has changed the way I look at my knitting forever.

What a revelation! Something I'd never considered, but often considered - if that makes any sense. I've talked about it so many times with people - why does the fls look hideous on some people and good on others - why masking bulges in swathes of floaty fabric works a treat for some people but not for others - why a cropped cardi works so well for her but not for her - so may conversations had about this kind of thing, but I've never really thought much more about it.

Then I had a look at Fit to Flatter, over at Stash, Knit, Repeat. Suddenly - it became a little clearer - I'm still not positive I've assessed myself properly - but what a great little e-book!

I learned two things straight off - what I think is going to suit me and what actually suits me are two different things. And that clothes that I like are usually not the clothes that are going to suit me. I've had it pretty much all wrong all along ..

The mistake I made on the Sage Remedy was leaving the bottom rib off my version, leaving it to swing around my widest part, making it look like I'm bigger than I really am! (and who needs that when they're not small to start with??!) I want to go back and do another one now, not so oversized, and with the rib on the bottom - I can see it will look much better..

I have knitted two vests - I've really wanted to wear them to work over white shirts - but even though I thought they'd look crisp and neat, they make my top half look so shapeless, even though I have a waist .. and looking at this book, I can now see why, and how I might fix it.

I think I'll have to re-think my re-think - and learn to knit all over again ...

Knitting it up in time for Bendigo

2010-07-04T18:11:00.005+10:00

In about ten days time I'll be heading off to Bendigo Sheep and Wool Show with my friend Donna from Randomknits. We're really looking forward to getting together with friends for a few days of rnr, knitting, drinking and eating and absorbing the energy that is so invigorating at these kinds of events.

(Note: 'absorbing the energy' is euphemism for 'shopping a lot')

Since finishing the textureweight cardigan, I've been loathe to start another big project, although I've been looking at colour schemes and motif designs for the fair isle project I mentioned a few posts ago.

Being a project monogomist, I don't want to take a big project with me on my trip away. With all that travelling from place to place, coffee here, dinner there, drinks in the afternoon (here's hoping!) and so on, I'll need a little discreet mindless project that can fit in my bag. The kind you can stop and start whenever, without having to worry about making a mistake. Plain socks will be ideal, and if I play my cards right I may be able to finish one on the trip like I did last time, and they can be their own little memento of the trip.

So I've been shopping the stash and trying to get some little warm things that I can wear before I go.

The first is an ishbel beret, which I made with a single skein of Jo Sharp Alpaca Silk Georgette - a simply gorgeous yarn and a simply gorgeous pattern (once I worked out what not to do, we got along fine).

I am working on one more project, which I really hope I'll get done in time, but in truth I think I'll be pushing it. They're Miss Sophie's Hands, which I'm doing in zephyr laceweight held double. They're ambitious, but aren't they great?!

Picture from Yasmin and Winged

Textureweight Hybrid Cardigan

2010-06-30T14:37:00.006+10:00

In the spirit of Masterchef, I performed a little invention test.

My friend DrK recently made a gorgeous clapotis from Malabrigo Silky Merino. When I saw it, I remembered a had a few skeins of it stashed, and I began to wonder what I might do with it.

So I turned to ravelry to look at shawls. Most popular shawl, with a heart rating of 4,643 was made by 83 people in silky merino and they all look good. So that was the starting point.

I'm still suffering from a bit of cardigan fever from autumn, and I'm still not over my love for the top down raglan cardigan.

So I did this:

Cast on for the smallest size of the featherweight cardigan.
Knit a few rows stocking stitch from the pattern.
Switched to the textured stitch pattern from the shawl (enter challenge 1) and kept that going through the increases to the split for the underarms. I tried it on to determine when to stop increasing, the pattern abandoned completely by this stage.

Continued in stocking stitch until it was long enough, finished in a few rows of the textured pattern again.

Picked up all around the collar and fronts in one piece, knit two bands and a collar using short rows and the textured stitch. The front bands are twice as wide as the back collar (enter challenge 2).

Went back and finished the sleeves with the remaining yarn.

Sewed on a little wooden heart button for a simple embellishment (embellishment. something I need to explore further I think, as I think embellishment is very underused in my knitting).

The result?

See for yourself!

Cute button.

Increases worked well incorporating the stitch pattern - I had to think about this as I was doing it.

Short rows even disappeared into the textured stitch pattern (I had to think about this also)

And it even fits!

Not all invention tests are a success of course, but this time I think it's a cracker of a dish! I'm calling it the textureweight cardigan recipe.

Now tell me what you want what you really really want

2010-06-25T18:57:00.005+10:00

Why is it that the night before snb I always find myself with nothing on the needles?

I plan on finishing the final sleeve on my improvised whisper cardigan/textured shawl recipe hybrid in malabrigo silky merino in front of masterchef tonight - which will effectively leave me with nothing to take to snb tomorrow.

This happens to me a lot actually. I spend most of my time at snb casting on the wrong number of stitches twenty times, getting the setup row wrong, reading the wrong chart and frogging the whole thing when I get home.

It's the chatting, and I am very easily distracted.

I could look to the unfinished projects, of which there is this:

This is the beginnings of an Adrift cardigan by stolen stitches - in the nefariously delicious Tardwarncoort (have you ever heard of such an awkward sounding name?!) Polwarth Silk - I bought this as a treat to myself at the Canberra Wool Day.

The problem is: I can't find it. I've put it away somewhere and I can't find it.

But I'm not positive I really want to find it. With the acres of stocking stitch this cardigan entails, I'm going to really have to want a finished adrift cardigan something fierce before I can contemplate knitting much more of it. There's 280 stitches there already, and I haven't even started INCREASING for the fronts.

Really, I don't want to start thinking about how many there are before you finally split for the armholes. I'm not sure I can do it to be honest.

But you know what I want, what I really really want?

I really wanna build my own fair-isle pullover. From scratch.

There. I've said it.

Watch this space.

20% off everything at knitabulous yarn

2010-06-24T00:40:00.004+10:00

After doing a proper stock take and a little extra dyeing of Ultimate Sock and some more FiftyFifty, I am going to have a clearance sale for the end of the financial year..

I've reduced the price of everything at knitabulous yarn by 20%.

And postage is still free for Australian destinations, and cheap for everyone else.

I can't wait to start fresh in July with some new yarns, hopefully a new website launch with fantastic prizes and giveaways.

Don't forget to join the mailing list (over there ----------------------> and up a bit) and also join the knitabulous ravelry group..

But enough of the promo - I hope to be able to show you my new finished project by the weekend, I knit a cardigan in malabrigo silky merino. It's as soft and warm as a feather quilt!

Gradient Dyeing a finished lace shawl

2010-06-18T20:18:00.004+10:00

Today, I did a little experimental gradient dyeing with the WINGS shawl.

I used an asparagus steamer, which is a slimmish cylinder and nice and high, and also has a steaming basket which is handy for taking the item out of the dyebath to add more water. I used about half a teaspoon of dye and two cups of water to start with.

I wet the shawl and wrung out the excess moisture, and used a hair elastic to tie off the first section (the collar) that I wanted the darkest.

Then, I wrapped the rest of the shawl in cling wrap and twisted it around the handle of the steamer basket to keep it out of the dyebath.

I put the pot with the shawl on the stove, and simmered it for about five minutes.

Then I took it out, marked off another section with the elastic (by this stage I got rid of the cling wrap because it wasn't really achieving anything).

I added two cups of water to the dyebath, and immersed the shawl up to the new marker.

I did this twice more, taking it out, moving the elastic up the shawl a little, and then adding two cups of water. I also ditched the steamer basket and just draped it over the side of the pot once the length wasn't in danger of catching alight from the gas burner flame.

For the final section, I added another two cups of water and submerged the whole thing. At this stage I added a big splash of vinegar to fully exhaust the dye.

Then, I put it over the verandah railing and waited for a good looking person to
walk in my front door for a photoshoot!

Luckily, I didn't have to wait long, for my sister popped in at just the right time. Unfortunately, the shots I took didn't seem to show the graduation very well, so I took some more pictures in the bathroom.

All in all I was quite pleased with how it came out, except I accidentally had some of the folded shawl in the first dyebath so there's a bit of dark where it shouldn't be - but I learned from that and would be more careful next time.

Wings

2010-06-14T17:10:00.004+10:00

For the past few months, I have been working on a very simple design for a laceweight stole for the final instalment of the Black Japan Club. And I finally finished knitting it just minutes before these pictures were taken.

It's called Wings.

It's based on the very popular Japanese Feather stitch motif, and has some shaping down the sides to give it a trapezium shape. A horizontal border is attached at the neck edge at the end, and this forms a collar like edging which is pretty near the face.

My very beautiful and very intelligent niece kindly modelled for me at the Botanic Gardens, and I can honestly say I'm completely delighted with how it came out.

For Black Japan members this pattern will be free with your final package this week, I'm not yet sure whether I'll make it available through ravelry.

And there ends a wonderful long weekend of knitting - I'll post about WWKIP during the week, it was amazing!

What are you doing this weekend?

2010-06-10T16:16:00.002+10:00

I'm going through a stage where everything is insanely busy - I've got about four blog posts lined up that I'd love to share but there are all sorts of other distractions cropping up that I just haven't been able to get to them.

So, let's start with this weekend coming up. As you probably know, WWKIP runs for a week this year, and I'll be attending two KIP events.

The first one is in Sydney - hosted by the inimitable PomPom Sally who in spite of breaking her hip very recently has still managed to pull off a great event.

There are some fantastic door prizes and competitions - including some knitabulous yarn (and lots of other yummy yarns too).

Details here:

Location: Abraham Mott Hall, Argyle Place, Millers Point (The Rocks)
Time: 1.30 - 5.00pm
Date: June 12, 2010

How to get there:
About 10 minutes walk from Circular Quay. Bus Terminus outside Hall for Routes 431, 432, 433, 434 and 343.

Please bring:

Your knitting or crocheting, of course. Plus a few grams of 4-8ply if you'd like to enter a fun competition. You're welcome to bring food - hot and cold drinks will be available for a contribution to cost. Loads of competition and door prizes!

The backup plan is:
No backup plan necessary

This KIP is not knitting exclusive
There are free bathrooms available nearby

And then again on Monday June 14, some local Wollongong knitters are having a KIP event at Belmore Basin in Wollongong, across the road from the old Courthouse from about 10:00am. Food and drinks available from cafe's close by or bring your own, playground is right there for the kids - it's a family friendly event!

See you there!

And the shop has been updated with lots of yummy fiftyfifty - why don't you head on over and have a squizz?

And the Winner is..

2010-06-04T10:57:00.002+10:00

Thank you guys so much for the great responses - it was genuinely a tough decision because they were all so good. It was a lot of fun reading your responses, comments are always great but the best ones are when you get some insight into the people behind the typeface, don't you think?

THE WINNER

25. Tokyo Rose - WINNER! - Charisse from knitting on the chaise lounge - come on down!! *

THE LONG SHORTLIST
1. Kamakaze *
2. Sakura * - winner of random number draw - Shelley
3. Daruma Doll *
4. Rising Sun *
5. Memoirs of a Geisha *
6. Geisha's Kiss *
7. Moshi Moshi *
8. Suikajusu *
9. Red Lantern *
10. Red Lacquer - winner of random number draw - betty *
11. Geisha's Pout *
12. Kimchi *
13. Rising Sun *
14. Ichigo *
15. Fuji *
16. Geisha Blush *

AND THE HONOURABLE MENTIONS

17. Berry Gin Sling
18. Umeboshi
19. Beni Shoga
20. Akajiso - winner of random number draw - Audrey
21. Hanami
22. Geisha Lips
23. Hello Kitty
24. Harajuku Girls
25. Summer Sunshine in Japan - winner of random number draw - Rosalia
26. Red Rain
27. Geisha
28. Akai
29. Momoiro
30. Aishiteru
31. Pomegranate Pearls
32. Crimson Queen
33. Red Embers
34. Aka-chouchin
29. Berry Hara-kiri - gang of dishonoured strawberries who 'jam' themselves in the samurai tradition - honourable mention for being hilarious and winner of BONUS random draw - Alrischa!
35. Gochujang
36. Sango-Shoku
37. Johanna
38. Japonica
39. Kurenai
40. Niiro
41. Manga Girl
42. Akashingou
43. Oriental Red
44. Dark kirsche
45. shanghai cerise
46. cinnabar coral
47. Ikura
48. (Blowing)Raspberries in Roppongi

Isn't that a great list!?

I'll be in touch with the winners via email (if you left one in the comment) to get your addresses for the sending of the prizes.

What great fun. I think I'll have to do more of these competition thingies.

An important thing will not forget.

2010-05-28T16:44:00.004+10:00

Now that the second instalment of the Black Japan Yarn Club has been mailed and recieved, I'd like to make a confession.

I couldn't think of a good name for the colour.

Can you help me think of a name?

Here's what it looks like

Put your suggestion in the comments box and you will win not only the yarn, but a bonus inclusion of your choice of the following cute little Japanese plastic products I gathered for the quest.

The only criteria is that it must allude in some way to a Japanese or Oriental theme, and preferably not cherry blossoms (but I wouldn't rule it out if you can think of a clever twist on it).

I'll pick my favourite, the winner will recieve the yarn and the plastic thing of their choice, and I'll give the remaining plastic things to three random comments.

COMPETITION OPEN UNTIL SUNDAY MAY 30th AT MIDNIGHT EST

PRIZE SELECTIONS:

No 1. - A Folca Box

This natty little box has seven compartments perfect for stitch-markers, pins, a little tape measure and tapestry needle. It's perfectly Japanese, cute and well-designed and has even a little strange lost in translation message written on it. It really is a very rare and handy thing, the folca box!

Can you read it? "If it always has folca an important thing will not forget."

No. 2 - a sushi rice mold

You can pack your kid the coolest lunch in the school (or your own for the office) with this little sushi rice mold. There's a star, a heart and a little teddy bear face - it's properly designed with a press and a mesh base to squeeze out moisture - complete with easy to understand (for some) Japanese pictorial instructions.

No. 3 - a personal sushi cutlery kit. Knife, fork and chopsticks all in a little plastic box. Cute and useful!

No. 4 - a bento box. Two compartments, each with a lid that doubles as a tray for the contents of the compartment.

So - away you go. I look forward to seeing your names.

Something red at long last

2010-05-24T13:44:00.000+10:00

In the nerve-wracking lead up to the OBDM markets, and following the tragedy of the dog and the silk lace (which I'm almost ready to rectify) - I started (and finished) a very quick knit.

It was a perfect combination of mindless meditative knitting and fun pattern changes - with great details like short row yoke shaping, i-cord edging, genius raglan seams and side to side construction.

It was an impulse cast-on, and before I knew it, it was done! I would highly recommend this knit to anyone. In fact I'd like to do another one myself in Malabrigo Pearl Ten. Or Bendigo Luxury 10 ply in that nice steely blue colour.

Project Details

Pattern: Vine Yoke Cardigan by Ysolda Teague published in the Fall 2009 Twist Collective.

Yarn: Bendigo Woollen Mills Luxury 8 ply in Brick Red. Gorgeous yarn.

Needles: 4.5mm

Modifications: I knit the 40" size, but because my gauge was a bit tighter than the pattern allowed, I added a few repeats across the sleeves. Then I had to add a few short short rows to get the yoke and the edge patterns to stay on the same line. Then I had to remember how many repeats I added for the other sleeve. Then I had to fudge the other sleeve the same way as the first, which wasn't entirely successful. Note to self: try taking notes next time.

I met a new man!

2010-05-22T13:45:00.003+10:00

And he looks just like his father.

I was my great pleasure to meet RoseRed's baby Connor yesterday. I was quite overwhelmed with emotion when I saw him, I must be getting old.

She's doing really well - the place was an oasis of calm. I think she's got post-natal elation!

Get it while it's hot

2010-05-20T08:15:00.004+10:00

At long last, the etsy shop has been populated.

The new Merino base is just delicious, super twisty and great with colours. Here's a few of them ..

And what update would be complete without a pink or two?

But this time, my absolute favourites turned out to be the cheapies!
Limes Softsock

And Pink Salt

So, head on over and have a browse, I hope you like them!