Last Minute News

Hey there - Jacob and I are flying off to the UK this afternoon for a six week holiday - sadly James is staying behind to earn the bread and butter ! But we are excited - I think it's going to be fun.

A friend of mine just hot footed a couple of photos to me of her daughter wearing a One Skein Wonder that I knitted for her and they were so fab I had to share them with you before we jetted off.






This little beauty is knitted in Wendy Cosmic I think - it was something that I picked up at a show last year and thought would be good as an edging (and it is I already used it to edge a lovely blue cotton jumper for a little girl) anyway - this was a bit of a blighter to knit and you have to do it all in one sitting otherwise there is no way of telling which is the right and the wrong side ! Picking up the stitches was - interesting - but I soldiered through and the recipient is delighted with it, so that is the main thing.

Right I'm off to have brekkie and finish the packing - see you later.

Ballerina

Look, look - that there Ballerina is almost done. She's blocking




I am so glad that I blocked this one before I knitted the cuffs. The pattern calls for 13 ridges on the bottom of the cuff - which is about 10 cm and after blocking her it is easy to see that she needs no more than 5 ridges - only a couple of cm. What a relief. If I had done the cuffs first it would have been way too long and my Mum would never have worn it.

This has been a really special knit for me. I started it when I moved to Oman, carried on when I found out I was pg and then through loosing my twins at 15 weeks. It has really helped me through a period of emotional and physical healing and it means a lot to me - I hope it will mean a lot to my Mum and that she will wear it and think of me. I'm sure she'll love it - I do - if she doesn't want it I'll have it !

Hanne Falkenberg kit observations would have to include -

The patterns are badly written / translated - it is so not clear what you are supposed to be doing a lot of the time and you have to use of a lot intuition. Which can be fun as well as frightening !

The text on the pattern is teeny tiny - really hard to read and on rubbish paper. I got a bit of water on mine and the pattern smudged, I couldn't read a bit and so had to post on the knit along to anyone else that had this pattern to help me out !

I had loads of yarn left over, so I think I might do my Mum a scarf to go with the cardy - not yet though - I'm running out of time.

The pattern was very difficult indeed - the most complicated thing I have done to date even though it is in garter stitch - there is a lot going on and you really have to concentrate to keep it all together. Plus of course - it's on 3mm circular needles - I must have been mad !

Don't be put of by one of these kits - as long as you concentrate and read the pattern really carefully you'll be fine !

I'll try to get a photo of my Mum wearing her Ballerina - but I'm not sure how successful I'll be !

One Word Meme

I got this little beauty from Anne's Blog and I love the idea of it being carried on around everyone. I hope you'll join in and please - be kind !

Please leave a one-word comment that you think best describes me – it can only be one word long. Then copy and paste this into your blog so that I may leave a word about you.

The Greatest Secret Agent's Side Kick in the World

I am currently watching Dangermouse, the best cartoon in the world ! All the better because in the opening scenes of this particular episode - Penfold was knitting a vest for his teddy whilst caddying for DM - what a star !

Exactly What IS The Point .......

...... of hanks of yarn - can someone tell me, anybody, please just tell me ? I cannot understand it. Sure they look pretty, but then you have to spend hours upon hours untangling the blasted things when they get all knotted up. I spend nearly two hours yesterday trying to untangle a skien of HipKnits silk - now don't get me wrong - I love the stuff but grrrrr to wasting my precious afternoon when Jacob is in bed - I ended up throwing most of the blasted thing away because I just could not get it undone. So please if you know of some valid reason why hanks exist enlighten me I'm waiting to be educated.

Aside from that some progress has been made in this here house.



I have finished Jacob's cosy socks and mighty fine they are too if I do say so myself. These are from Lucinda Guy's book the exact name of which escapes me, but which is full of lovely knits for kiddlies. This is the first thing I have knitted from this book and I have to say there was a little error in the pattern - not a big one, but all the same it was there - still I soldiered on and look at the result well worth it I think you'll agree - I think I shall be knitting these as little gifts for cold English kiddies for a while to come - Jacob on the other hand will get limited wear out of them - but who cares - who said knitting had to be practical ?!

I have also knitted a One Skien Wonder for myself and it is fab.



This is the aforementioned Hip Knits silk - which looks and feels wonderful but is a bugger to ball up ! I love this pattern, I have hummed and hawed about purchasing it for ages thinking that with my ample frame it may look a little daft (an indeed hubby said to me last night as I paraded around in my newly finished garment that it looked a little daft, but I think he meant in the fashion sense rather than the frame size sense and since he is stuck in a fashion time warp I don't take too much notice of him) but it is fabulousy. I have worn it today and had multitudonous compliments from all and sundry. It is the perfect garment for here as you can wear a vest top and cover your shoulders with the wonderful OSW and still be cool, of course if you knitted it in Cashmerino aran or something I'm sure it wouldn't be so cool, but in the silk, it's wonderful. Of course I have to say that I hate hate hate the use of circular needles and why oh why are all the American ladies that write patterns so facinated with them - how many times do I find myself looking at a pattern and thinking ohh that's nice, but oh it's on circulars on to the next - I just cannot get on with them - I can use them, but boy is it slow hard going and that is no fun for me and frankly what is the point of knitting if it's not fun ? none - exactly - so there !

Today is a funny old day in Oman I have to say - look at this



Where has the sun gone ?! I have to say this is a bit of an event here the sky is normally beautifully blue with a blazing sun hanging in it, but today - cloudy, windy and very dusty - do you think we are having a sand storm - do you think I should put towels under the doors to stop it coming in the house ? How dramatic.

Here is another shot of our road.



It's all quite exciting really - am I very sad ? I'm off to knit and keep looking out the window to see what's happening. Oh I forgot to say I purchased two lovely books the other day in our local haberdashers - one is all cross stitch patterns, they are all fairy tale characters, it's got dragons and witches and all sorts of fab things in it and the other is a very basic introductory book on machine quilting - I will get around to doing it - I will I promise - well don't hold me to it.

And Breathe !

Well a good night's sleep has helped to calm the circular needle crisis. I hate when my knitting doesn't go as I'd like and Circulars just seem like such hard work to me - still I will triumph - as Meg Ryan says whilst standing in front of the Arc de Triomphe in French Kiss - I love that film - although Meg Ryan has slipped down my list of icons in recent years I must admit - what was that all about with Russel Crowe - I mean how could she ? the man is a wally !

I have been galavanting rather in recent weeks, which is why posting has not been all that regular. Firstly we went for a weekend at the the new Shangri-la resort here in Oman, with a group of friends, it was fabidosy - so relaxing and great fun and the best thing was that Jacob learnt to swim. He has been on the verge for ages and ages, but he just wouldn't make that leap of faith, but during our little break he did it and he's fab. All he has to do now is remember to come up for air ! So here is Jacob, worn out after a swimming session.



To reward him for this mammoth event - I took him to the shops yesterday and bought him a new pair of fab goggles .

They are green with sharks on them - so they are now his army shark goggles - he can't wait to use them. Ever since I caved in and bought him a pair of camoflage shorts he has been mad about anything camoflage or army green - I fear his wardrobe is going to become somewhat limited with army green and spiderman - I may need to put my foot down and insist on some pink - still I'll be buying his clothes when we are back in the UK and I will not be taking him with me !

We have also been to a Ceiligh - I am so not sure if that is how you spell it ! It's a scottish party anyway with lots of organised dancing and lots of disorganised drinking ! It was great fun, we had such a laugh.

Well on to knitting. I finished my pink dream ages ago and I have been asking James to take a picture of me in it for ages - he's useless so I've attempted to take some pictures myself, they aren't great, but I think you can get the idea.

The first one is on me.





and the second one is the draped on the bed shot - if you know what I mean !







I have also done a little hat for my friend Michelle - well it's not for her, it's for her little girl who is the most gorgeous little person you could imagine. She will be going back to the UK for the summer and since they are from Glasgow, I thought they were bound to get some cool days that would definately call for a little hat that went with the little cardy that I did - I love knitting baby stuff, it's so cute and so quick, such instant gratification.





I am well underway with the little cosy socks for Jacob - I just need to sew up the second sock and then pop them into his flight bag ready for the off. Ballerina just needs the final triangle on the front doing and then it's edging and finishing off blocking etc - shouldn't take too long I hope. My next little project is a couple of mobile phone covers for my sister in law - she asked me for these back in January and I promised to deliver - I hope she understands that quite a lot has happened since then - I'm sure she will she's lovely. Don't panic Kate they will be done !

Finally let me say that whilst I have been doing this I have been listening to Jack Johnson - In Between Dreams and it just the best album - so easy and happy and relaxing - I love it, it always makes me feel better - if you haven't listened to it, you must do so immediately - and that is an order from the house of the army shorts.

Right nearly time to go and get Jacob - no time to do any knitting this morning - bummer!

Circle Crazy

God I hate knitting with Circular needles - especially large ones. I'm knitting the wonderful One Skein Wonder and I think it's going to be great when it's done, but grrrrr I hate cirs so much - I wish I could stick to straights. How do you stop your circular needle curling around and getting caught in your fingers ? How do you get any speed up ? How do you knit with circs.

I've been busy doing lots of knitting - Pink Dream is finished and I've done a baby hat and the second cosy sock for Jacob, but it's late and I'm tired so I'm going to bed and I'll do a proper update tomorrow. Just needed to get out my frustration at those bloomin' needles - someone pass me the bin !