Monday, March 26, 2012

Two steps forward, many steps back...

Okay, I've been procrastinating on this post for a while, but with good reason.

Basically, I had some WIPs and an FO to show you, but I haven't been able to get decent photos of them yet, and I know that, spectacular wordsmith though I am, you're probably not really here for the words, right? It's the pictures, be honest!

My Debbie Bliss Paloma is all nicely knitted up (has been for a while, actually), and it is my intention to post a good picture. Which requires daylight. Which requires someone else being in the house (or at the very least out of bed) during daylight hours to take the picture. That, and it's a cowl, and I have a spectacular cluster of pimples on my chin. They're not even doing anything, they're just THERE, have been for over a week, and I can't figure a way of working around them. I've tried. Really.

(And no, half a stick of concealer doesn't work. I've tried that too).

Also, this is my first invented-from-scratch pattern. First ever. I've it written up (though it is insultingly simple), and just need to do it in PDF format to finish. Which involves the resident computer expert here at Insanity Central to at least be out of bed at some point during the day (as opposed to getting up an hour before I go to bed and staying up all night, then going back to bed half an hour before I get up. Damn his schedule. Damn insensitive of him!). Oh yeah, and I need a photo for that, too. See above. In the meantime, a teaser. This yarn was made for moss stitch...


...isn't it yummy? Don't you just want to smoosh your face in it? Yes you do. Yes you do!!

Anyway, as soon as I get the PDF thing and the photos sorted, I promise. Jaysus, it's going to be such an anti-climax after all this build-up! I loves it though. It's all mine!

So anyway, in other work... that yummy Malabrigo Silky Merino I got a couple of weeks back is on its way to becoming another pair of Miss Potters...


...yes, it's only one so far. No, I haven't done the thumb yet. Yes, I did the plain bind-off because I always set fire to the picots when lighting my cigarette, and then and only then remembered that I've quit smoking and picots will never again be that kind of nightmare for me! Early days with the smoking thing, old habits to be broken, so we shall see how things work out.

So a couple of steps forward - a whole project completed (check). Another one almost (well, 50% ish) completed (check). More yarn being knit up than you could shake a stick at (though I'm limiting it to shaking my knitting needles at - check). So we're making a good dent in the stash, yes?

Well, kinda. Not really. Dents would be more evident if I perhaps didn't keep filling them in with more stash. Though on the plus side, that's the end of happy happy store-credit for the moment, so unless the shop sells out of my stitchmarkers any time REAL SOON, I won't be acquiring anything new. I'll jsut have to knit from stash.

(Go buy stitchmarkers. Now. Fast. GO BUY STITCHMARKERS!!! Pleeeeeeease! Aw, don't make me beg. Please nicely?).

Aherm.

Anyway, acquisitions for this week included an extra two skeins of the fabulous Rialto Lace I got last time. It is truly beautiful, but the sheer yardage of it is starting to freak me out somewhat. 1558 metres. What the hell do I do with that? I has ideas, lots even, but it has basically come down to this - one big-ass lace project that'll impress the pants off everyone, or two smaller ones that I'm way more likely to finish (and have room to block!)? What do we think? I have ear-marked projects, I just can't decide. Big or small? One project or two? Huh? Huh?

The Rialto was yarn that had been set aside for me, so I was just going to collect it and leave (no, I didn't think I'd quite be able to pull that off either. And guess what?). Then I saw the sale bins, and it was kinda downhill from there...

These babies...


...are going to be mittens. I think. Plain mittens. Maybe with a cable on them. Or something.

Then this...


...oh it's so pretty! This is going to become another Lava Flow cowl. I've made one already (different yarn), it's a beautiful pattern. This time I'm making it with the recommended yarn, and on a smaller needle, and with two less repeats, so it's slightly stiffer and shorter and snugglier. I am truly in love with this yarn though, I can't believe it was in the SALE BIN!! Obviously I was meant to have it. Obviously.

This baby was right beside (okay, kinda close to) the till, so I nabbed him too, loved the colour...


...guess what he's going to be! Single ball of silky DK? Aw go on, guess! ;o)

Finally, I had been perusing patterns online, trying to decide whether or not I should put them on my (ever-expanding) queue, when I came across this one, the Burberry Cowl. Very nice. Understated. Sleek, shiny, elegant. Neutral tones. Needed a yarn that would knit on 6mm. I found a version. Well, my version...


Ha! Started it this morning, was done in a few hours. It just needs grafting, and then it'll be done. Okay, maybe a couple of plain rows first, as, while it fits beautifully around my neck, getting it over my head is going to be a whole other kind of fun. Trust me though, it's pretty. Absolutely NOT sleek, elegant, subtle, swish, understated. More, urm, gregarious, in-your-face, if you will. Proper pics tomorrow when it's properly finished.

(Interesting conversation with my brother on this one. Check out my project notes). 

So to summarise...

Good thing: I've knit 2.7km of yarn so far this year.
Bad thing: Given that I started with over 46km of yarn, that's not really much of a dent. Especially given then a quarter of the year is gone already.
Even worse thing: I've acquired a whole new 10km of yarn since mid-January. That's a 21.4% increase overall. Not good.

Another bad thing: little yarn piles and WIPs were starting to build up all over my (very small) room. It was looking less like yarn skeins, more like tribbles. Tribbles with needles. More every time I looked.
Good thing: I tidied it up today. A place for everything, everything in it's place.
Even better thing: While tidying, I found a Dairy Milk Fruit & Nut, a packet of Tayto Cheese & Onion, and a Snickers. Score! (Snickers has been bequeathed to the babby brother, on the condition that tomorrow he takes pictures and installs PDF Edit).
Really bad thing: I have come to the worrying conclusion that in my haste to clear the yarn and put as much as possible back up in the attic, I may have accidentally tossed my blood glucose monitor in the wrong bag. Oops. Coma in 3.. 2.. 1.. where did I leave that chocolate?
:o)


Saturday, March 17, 2012

Ooh, an actual Finished Object!

Okay, so before the clock strikes midnight...

Lá fheile Pádraig shona dhiaibh go léir! Hope everyone had a great day, did not get annihilated by that big-ass hail/thunder storm that hit Dublin earlier (hey, there had to be some typical Irish weather in there somewhere, right? Wouldn't feel like a genuine Paddy's Day if the sun was shining!), that all little kiddies are worn out and asleep after a day at the parade, and that you, dear readers, are kicking back with your knitting needles and your beverage of choice!

So here at Insanity Central... not much to report, really, a fairly quiet day was had, not exactly according to plan, but quite pleasant nonetheless. For your viewing pleasure, I've another finished object:


Silk Garden Holden. Isn't it pretty? Finished on Thursday, blocked by Friday, it's also pretty big, too big for me to spread it out flat on my small bed and get a decent angle for a 'whole object' shot (teensy room, major levitation required), but this shot gives you a fair idea. A fair few extra repeats were worked to use up all the yarn, this pattern is great for that! Just keep on going!

Last week was fairly rain-free as well, which can only mean one thing...


...another cartoon character t-shirt!! And yes, I know they're not technically cartoon characters, but it falls into that general theme. :o)

So hopefully I'll have another post for you during the coming week that will illustrate just how much progress I'm making on my knitting (not holding your breath? No? Good, just checking), and hopefully a whole new FO that I'm currently working on. Almost done. The world's quickest knit, and entirely out of my head. And scrummy yarn...


...what could it be? Stay tuned. Toodles!
:o)



Monday, March 12, 2012

More stash. Oops.

Yes, having a real B. Spears moment here. But before I begin, allow me to qualify - it wasn't my fault. At all. Actually, I didn't even have a choice. Not really.

These sparkly pretties were dropped off to This Is Knit this morning:


as it turns out that all those nice silvery/black/grey ones I dropped off last week looked a little dull and morose in their container, all on their lonesome. Colour was needed to jazz things up a little, and fast.

For the more sophisticated knitter (or those with magpie tendencies), the new stock includes a limited number of these babies:


Trust me, this is not the best picture (actually, it's total crap), they're WAY nicer in person, without a camera flash blaring in their little faces. You're welcome.

Anyway, new stitch markers means new store credit, so the following acquisitions were, well, acquired:


Some Debbie Bliss Paloma, the colour of which I couldn't resist (if it's turquoise or purple, it's mine), and which will probably be turned into some sort of a cowl at some point. Hopefully before next winter.


Sublime Cashmere Merino Silk (fabulous sheen, fabulous colour - hello, purple!), which will become another pair of Miss Potters (the yarn I got last time to make new Miss Potters doesn't go with my other coat. Well okay, it kinda does, but I like my mittens to be coat-specific. And a girl can NEVER have too many pairs of these!).

And finally...


Rialto Lace. Yay! I've been eyeing up this yarn for a long long time (at least it seems like a long time), and today, it is finally mine! All mine! I will give it a wonderful home, and love it for all eternity. And someday, I might even knit something out of it. :o)

(Again, please excuse the crappy-ass photography. The sun went behind a cloud as I clicked, and I didn't cop it until I'd uploaded the pics here. By which time I'd put the yarn away. Feck it anyway, you get the jist).

So not a bad day of 'acquiring', huh? Obviously, the next several posts are going to be all about the physical knitting of these items, instead of being about, urm, getting new items. Honest. I promise. I'll do my bestest. Though given my track record, maybe I should hold back on the promises... ;o)

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Startitis

So all those good stashdown/WIPdown intentions that were looking so wobbly on Friday night? Nosedived completely over this weekend.

Do not judge me, I am but a mere mortal (except when I'm invincible and kicking ass and stuff, but that doesn't happen so much these days) and all these yarns and projects are all purty and stuff and make me happy and warm and fluffy inside and on the outside too, or at least they would, if I ever actually finished knitting anything, and, and, and...

Anyhoo. Saturday was a long overdue visit to Rosemary & Co. at The Constant Knitter. Where, obviously, more stash was acquired. (Don't look at me like that, it would have been rude of me not to buy something. Stop it).

First up, a totally legitimate purchase, and technically it's not even stash, as it was purpose-bought for a shawl I've been asked to knit for someone, so doesn't count. At all. Ooh no.


Isn't it pretty? Fabulous greeny-bluey-turquoise colour combination, and a thoroughly reliable yarn. I've used it before on the same project that I intend knitting this into, and that came out pretty fabulous, so fingers crossed this one does too. I have six weeks (ish) to get it done. Heh!

Next up was sock yarn. Impossible to resist, as again I'd used it lots, and it's easily one of the best sock yarns I've ever worked with. Bought a single skein of the blue-green colourway when I first saw it in the shop in January, and made footies out of it. Was so in love with the colour and feel of it that I decided full-blown socks were called for. Which obviously necessitated a purchase of more of the yarn:


The orangey-red one I got because it was pretty. And it reminded me of tigers. And fire.So it'll basically give me really warm, possibly scowling feet.

Anyway, everyone knows that sock yarn isn't really stash yarn! These babies will be cast on and knit up so fast that they won't even have time to get comfortable. Y'know, once I get around to finishing the other socks I have on the go at the moment...


Yes, started in January. I got bored. This is a hobby, and supposed to be fun, there's no rule that says I have to finish everything I start. It's a bonus when it happens, but not a requirement! :o)
Which is just as well, considering I also have these babies on the go...


Yes, they've been going a while too, but I only knit them when I'm out and about, which I haven't been much at all recently.

Obviously then there was the fab 'on sale' yarn I acquired last week...


...which, following suggestions from my Twitter peeps (elvin, I'm looking at you!) was rapidly cast on to become this (so far)...


When it grows up, it'll be Summer Flies, with a mod to the edging.

(I know 'Summer Flies' is meant as like 'time flies', but is anyone else thinking feckin bluebottles and those nasty fecky little black buzzy yokes that wreck your head here all summer long when you read that title? Or is it just me?).

Then there was further nice Noro yarn that I had acquired on Friday, which was cast on that night...


...destined to become another Holden. (You know it's definitely Noro yarn, by the way, because there's a fluorescent lime green stripe coming up. Which seems to be in all their colourways. Stand-out hideous, yet somehow 'goes' with everything. I love it)!

And did I mention that I may also have cast on for this queued item? Only just started...


...more details to follow as I progress.

So yeah, tomorrow I think I'll go cast on some socks... :oD

Saturday, March 10, 2012

So about that "stashdown" thing...

...yes, I absolutely fell off the wagon today, and in spectacular fashion, even if I do say so myself. Actually, I didn't so much 'fall off' as 'fling myself wholeheartedly'.

Obviously, my aim for today was to try and leave the house. Yesterday had been a pretty god-awful flashback to last year's months-on-end of being too sick to get out and about. The upshot of this was that when I awoke this morning feeling moderately functional, I was absolutely hell-bent on making the most of it.

And sure if you're going to make leaving the house worth your while, where better to go than to your local friendly LYS??

Depending on your perspective, it was either uphill or downhill from there! Lots and lots of pretty new acquisitions...


Pretty, huh? I had used this colourway before, in the DK-weight Silky Merino, and completely fallen in love. When I saw this sock-weight one today, I grabbed! I think it may become an Ashton shawlette, but of course the possibility does exist that I'll change my mind another 15 times or so before I eventually cast on!

Next up... and yes, it's probably going to become yet another pair of Miss Potters (which, if you've never knit this pattern, you really REALLY should. Now. Instant yarny happiness, trust me)...


Here, the perfect illustration to the Noro novice (assuming there are any left!) that what you first see is not always what you get...


Have a little (discreet) poke around in the ball-end first, because the colours may throw up some surprises when you wind it up...


Yes, I swear, these are the same two balls of yarn! This is part of the whole fun with Noro - even if the knit itself gets boring, the anticipation of what colour is coming next keeps you knitting. (And yes, I knew those colours were coming, I've been poking around the ends of these particular balls for quite some time now)!

Next up was a pure 'ooh-I've-never-knit-with-that-one-before' impulse buy:


which I think is destined to become (again, yet another) Luna Moth, I think the colours and shading evoke nice lunar-mothy-type images (that said, I do hallucinate on a regular basis, so probably best not to take my word for it. I can see it, and it's my knitting, so that's all that matters)!

And yet, for all the fabulously high-end yarny goodness I acquired today, there was one simple little unassuming ball that made my day complete...


Allow me to explain. Quite some time ago (actually, almost three years ago), I came across a nice, though very boringly coloured, circular shawl pattern. I decided I'd like to make one, but totally different, in a full rainbow spectrum of colour. All colours were sourced and purchased (which involved a lengthy session of sitting in the middle of the floor of my LYS with a certain member of staff who shall remain nameless, clearing the ENTIRE shelf of Nature Spun onto aforementioned floor, and rearranging/repositioning the little piles of yarny colour around us. Fun times! Freaked the crap out of the newbie customers, though).

The only problem was my green. There was this one (too limey). Followed by this one (too mossy). I could not find my perfect green. I was vaguely aware of its existence, but I just couldn't get my hands on it. Until today. It was just THERE, looking at me, waiting for me to bring it home!

Which means I now no longer have any excuse, I have got to start this project! Y'know, when all my other WIPs are done. And I've worked through my 2012 'to-do' list as well. So some day, real soon, I swear!

So yeah, end note? Should you see me around over the coming weeks, please please PLEASE don't ask me how the stashdown is coming along... especially given that there's another yarn store trip vaguely planned for the coming days... no, I'm not just slutty with my stitches, I'll go anywhere for wool!

...although I have to say, I do think it says something for my knitterly commitment that every last piece of yarn bought today has already been assigned a project. Especially the one that I've just cast on...

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Progress report? Urm...

So a lot of people have been asking me over the last few weeks how this whole 'stashdown 2012' target of mine is coming along.

I have decided to give you as vague an overview as possible, as opposed to going into any real detail, as real detail would only serve to show my plan for the disaster that it is.

There has been knitting. Some of it has indeed been stuff that was on my queue in January, and some of that has even been from wool I already owned in January. However, some of it has been as a result of new additions, to both queue and stash. No, I do not have any willpower. At all. And I never said I did. So if anyone out there is feeling particularly let down at the overall spectacularness of my inactivity to date, two things - (a) I never made any promises, and (b) thanks for reading and all, but you should probably go get out more! ;o)

Ah no, come back, you know I didn't mean that! Seriously though, I have found myself wondering, what the hell was I thinking? I know how fast I knit, and I know I need to knit a hell of a lot faster to cover even half of what I've lined up. Oh, and I need to stop doing everything else, too, that's proving a distraction (e.g. sleeping, eating, working).

In the interim though, there have been a couple of things done, and I do think it important to acknowledge the acheivements, instead of just focusing on what's not getting done! First up, a lovely purpley Schoppelwolle Holden. Yes, I've done this before. Yes, it's on my queue and linked to another (already-in-my-stash) yarn. Yes, I bought this new yarn intending to make socks out of it. Right now, I'm not caring about any of that, because this is pretty pretty loveliness...


I loves the colours, and the yarn itself is lovely to knit with, nice and 'rounded'...


(Any wrinkles in the background are not the fault of the knitting or the knitter, more because the knitter couldn't be arsed quite making the bed completely smoothly and properly before she took these pictures earlier).



Oh, and, finally finally finally, I made me some stitchmarkers...


I have a significant bunch of these babies done (70 in total), and it is my intention to have them into This Is Knit at some stage tomorrow. Original intention had been to get them in today, but I'm not at all well, so I'm having a bonding session with my duvet. And this yarn...


...which is, I think, shortly to become this pattern. I think. Maybe! Fun so far, though it was only twenty rows in that I realised... dark fluffy fluffy mohair? White white duvet cover? Not AT ALL a good mix (otherwise known as 'what the HELL was I thinking?!?').

Anyhoo, I've probably been upright for a bit longer than intended now, but sure feck it, aren't ye worth it! I'm off back to bed now (and not to knit night >sniffle!<), my Kidsilk awaits... this could be interesting...
:oD



Friday, March 2, 2012

PANIC!!!!

Okay, maybe don't panic. Maybe. Some inadvertent panic may have been kicked off yesterday when I mentioned the 's' word (white and fluffy, really really cold), and I didn't mean to, honest!

To calm you all down, here's your weather -


(Picture courtesy of Met Eireann)

Anyhoo, that's Saturday. Saturday looks ikky. Somewhere Saturday night/early Sunday morning, all that rain may well turn to sleet and/or snow, but only if you're stuck high up a mountain in the north of the country. Otherwise we're all perfectly safe! Temps will drop to freezing for Sunday & Monday night though, regardless of location. At least that's my understanding of it. So put away the snow-shoes!

Therefore, my Cookie Monster t-shirt will only get a limited airing this week, me-thinks, not time to pack away the warm jumpers just yet (is it ever in this country?).

Right, back to my knitting. And a proper post at some stage over the next day or so. Honest!

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Interim Ramblings

Okay, I know, it has been a ridiculously long time. Almost a whole month.

And I was going really quite well (by my standards anyway), with regard to the regularity of my posts and all. While I told myself this thing was purely therapeutic and I didn't care whether anyone would read it or not, I have to admit to being a little fuzzy and warm on the inside when I found out that some people have actually read this stuff. And left comments! Hee! :o)

Anyway, it's late, this is the 'staller' post til I can get a decent one strung together. Today had nice weather. Beautiful sunny weather. Mild too. Which, on my planet, can only mean one thing...


CARTOON CHARACHTER T-SHIRTS!!! YAAAAAY!!!
I've a whole summer's worth of them! Bring it on!

(okay, before we get too excited - I only have four types, and we're scheduled to have snow this weekend. Brace yourself. Don't pack away the woolly coats just yet...)