Frustrating Farewell

Well, this is it for a little while as I traipse around the globe and have a bit of a holiday! Unfortunately, I am both very excited (about the holiday and seeing my folks) and very frustrated - I have something like tennis elbow and my physio friend said I need to rest my arm! Including no knitting!! We'll see....she also said no typing, so I'll keep this short and promise interesting pictures not from my garden when I get back!

Secret Pal 10 Competition 2!

Ok, so Hostess Bobbi asked us what we would pack to knit when going on our summer holiday, and what do we hope to shop for?
As I am conveniently heading off on a lovely holiday in just 3 days (!!!) it didn't take too much imagination.
Firstly I hope to be taking a finished pair of fetchings in lovely blue green colour, but at this stage, they might not be quite done. They are for a friend that I am seeing later in the holiday so that is fine.
Secondly, I am taking stuff to knit for my Secret Pal! I figured holiday time would give me that little bit extra to knit something especially nice.
Finally, I am going to take the yarn that my other Secret Pal sent me in my first parcel, and a pattern for some lacey-ish socks. I think I have decided. I am not totally sure> I will make a last minute executive decision on Saturday, in the midst of the rest of the mad packing.

The shopping bit...well, I am not really going anywhere that I know has good yarn shops, but I am hoping to pick up some more of the lovely handmade wooden knitting needles my mum got me for Christmas - they are made in Tasmania and are beautiful to use (fetchings are currently on them). Also I am going to try and get hold of some possum-merino (sometimes known as merino mink in that part of the world!), maybe in Australia, or maybe I will ask my dearest to get me some when he pops over to New Zealand. And apart from that...who knows? There is a lot of unknitting related shopping to do in Melbourne, as we are planning to update our wardrobes completely, given the good shopping and the excellent exchange rate!

Ideal knitting holiday....maybe a week in a cottage on the coast in Sweden, just with my dearest and good seafood and mushrooms and great wine and a huge stash, and just knit myself silly! One can purchase things any time, but getting the time to actually knit, that would be great!

ECF Scandal!

Ok Ok, you got me. That picture is definately not recent. It was taken on our Christmas holiday when we went skiing in Bad Gastein. Its just that at 7am this morning, with two seconds to guiltily post a pic for the whole Friday thing, it was the nicest thing I could see in my photo album - maybe cause it reminds me of being on holiday! Also, I like the light.
So no, no snow in Oxford! Just lots and lots of wind and rain....

Eye Candy Friday

Finished Object!

Look! Well, don't look too close, cause the pictures are appalling! Truly terrible, and I am very sorry. Turns out it is alot harder to take pictures of yourself in a mirror in the rainy day half dark than you would think. So, I promise I will try and get a better picture, maybe in situ at some point.
Until then....my shrug!
I used the construction and dimensions of the sleeves & back of the Fable shrug pattern, and worked it to suit me and the yarn - lovely Patons Jet that Simon's mum sent me for christmas. I really like it. Simon thinks that maybe it doesn't look like an actual garment. He'll get used to it.
























I really should have cleaned the mirror first.
Anyway, the yarn was beautiful to knit - no splitting, no bits of fluff all over your clothes like other alpaca blends can, great loft, very very nice. The colour is lovely too - very rich. I ended up using almost all of the 5 balls that I was given. It needs a wash & block - you can see from the back that it is still a bit 'lumpy', but given what my week is shapipng up like, that could be some time!

Eye Candy Friday

I know, more flowers - but these are just so pretty! I even stood in the rain to get these pics























Yay! Friday!

Crap blogging

Apologies for the crap formatting of the previous blog. I am just can't get it right today!

Good Stuff in Bad Times

Well, maybe not bad...how about, stressful and frustrating and .....anyway, not where I like to be. Interesting how even when everything else in my life is great, really great, that work being awful can ruin it all. Anyway, enough bitching. I made sure I had some time today to post, but it is raining! Can you believe it?! In England! No, seriously, we struggled getting enough water to our seeds & plants through april - no rain for weeks and weeks, so I shouldn't complain. The only problem I have is the lack of light for pics! So I apologise for the nasty indoor pics.

So the good stuff - the postman brought me a parcel this morning! It was from my lovely Sound Swap pal, Chris, all the way from the USA! Check it out:

Cool stuff hey! Chocolate (which I am saving! yep, I am that weird), a supercool tape measure, some excellent yarn, and a great CD which I have listened to right through already and is great! Really great! Thanks Chris!! (Also, check out her great website)

Also, there has been some knitting! Its not ready for showing in total yet, but its looking good....I like it! Lucky, cause it is for me Also, check out how well the new yarn goes with the new knitting! Once you get to see the finished thing, I will tell you my plans for the new yarn...can't let a coincidence like that go to waste! Good choice, Sound Swap Pal!

And finally, a finished object! It is a big ugly baby blanket! Turns out that sometimes when you swatch, you should swatch in the colours you intend to use too, not just what you have on hand in the same yarn. Cause sometimes those colours don't work out so well together. But nonetheless, here is a big new blanket for my new nephew, Thomas.

Pattern: Big Bad Baby Blanket, from Stitch & Bitch (written by Lisa Shobhana Mason! I love her blog!), but bigger, for some reason. I think I overestimated the size of a baby somewhat.

Yarn: Debbie Bliss baby cashmerino, two strands in cream & apple green

Needles: Addi Turbo bamboo cable in 5.00mm