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I am a firm believer in promoting the wares of suppliers who are helpfull, generous and have a nice personality and a great sense of service. I have only lovely things to say about Danette Taylor - her yarns, colours and service, and I know a lot of people have loved the look of things I've knit up using her yarns. Danette is clearing her Ebay store, and I have to say there are some really lovely pieces in there. Go look, go buy.
If you've been keeping up with posts over the recent weeks, you would have noticed the appearance of Cari in the scheme of greater fibre goodness. If you've been really thorough, you'd have followed the carefully mapped out links, and would have been reading all about her life too. And if you've been paying attention, you'd have figured out exactly why she's become a staple fixture of this site.
This is my Secret Pal - the one I've been sending to. Cari revealed who I was a while ago on her blog, so really this shouldn't be any suprise. I just figured I'd keep it quiet till it was closer to the end of the SP3 thing. I have gained so much by sending this wonderful person stuff: A friend, I hope, a partner in knitting crime, someone who I have respect for, and have gained inspiration from, and a sense of shared joy at the same things whether that be wool, colour, music, life, adventure or coffee and chocolate. I have had so much fun sending her little packages, sorting out what to send and when, and finding stuff which I hope will inspire her and give her a little peek into my world.
About half way through all this, we decided to stop being formal, and from there Cari has amazed me with some reciprocated packages which have enabled me to become steadfastly hooked on spinning, and similarly opened a door onto her world as well. That to me sums up the whole idea behind SP3, and really I couldn't have asked for more.
Thanks - you're a joy to have around, and I hope you hang around for a little while yet and have a coffee with me.
Jury is still out on this one. I believe I am perilously close to falling either side still. Did it work? Yes, kind of, not really, maybe, hmmmm, I think so, but things could have been better.
And no there will not be any top of sleeve photos because I'm just not that stupid to show my 11 o'clock at night faults. It needs pressing, but the cardigan isn't finished yet, because there's still the little matter of the front ribbing/moss stitch to go, and buttons to buy and sew on.
It's still very cute, and will look great on The Dom. Ok, I admit I've not seen The Dom so he could look atrocious in it, but I'm willing to take the risk.
And Cari, the chanting worked wonders.
It's a fine line between sheer utter brilliance, and being a heathen in knitting circles. I think I'm standing perilously close to the line here, which is why there will be no photos to accompany this post. I could wobble and fall either side, and I'd like to know definately which side I will fall onto before posting pictures.
Somewhere along the line over the weekend, I decided upon a cunning plan which I believed in the heat induced stupor which befell me, that what I was about to do was brilliance of the most brilliant kind, and would surely earn me a very high ranking in the knit blog community. People would flock to my blog, waiting for more inspirational pearls of wisdom. It didn't take long to realise, that cunning plans usually require a cunning mind in peak physical condition.
Now, prepare to be amazed. Or bewildered. Whichever takes your fancy.
As you know, I am knitting what has to be the easiest, most simple little cardigan pattern for a baby. There is no trickery, no difficulty in this pattern. It is laid bare. It does not require any further tinkering. Honest. But I decided to tinker. I have this dread of sleeves. I just can't get sleeves to sit in place well, no matter what stitch I use. The smaller the article, the more pronounced it is. It annoyed the hell out of me when I did the first cardigan, and I really wanted to not repeat that annoyance in the second.
So I decided to tinker, big time. I decided, in the infinate wisdom which comes from delirium, that I would knit the sleeves in place, by casting on across the sleeve opening and knitting down towards the cuff. Which would make absolute perfect sense if you had made individual back and fronts, and had a side seam, thus knitting across the shoulder. But this little one is knit front and backs together, so there is no side seam and I would be knitting across the underarm part of the sleeve. I didn't think beyond this, because for some reason I didn't think I needed to (? huh? That should have been my first wake up call). I knit, I finish the sleeve, looked down and realised, hell, this will never do because I decreased in the wrong places. Instead of decreasing in the middle of the sleeve (which would be the underside of the sleeve), I decreased at the end. Stop screaming, yes I know this should have been blindingly obvious. My sleeve looked, well, dreadful. The next sleeve, I decreased in the right location, and it looks fab. I'm re-doing the first sleeve.
Now, I have to sew up the shoulder seams, which I know I can do very neatly and it looks lovely done as mattress stitch. But I also have to sew up the sleeves - and the seam will be on the top.
Which could look fine. Or could tip me over the edge into heathen knitter land. A sleeve seam at the top of a sleeve? This time, I've really gone too far.
If I don't melt before the end of tonight, I should get it finished. There's no way I'm knitting tomorrow in 42 degree heat. I thought I showed remarkable dedication to my craft by knitting yesterday in 38 degree heat. I'm on a clearing the decks mission, to get everything unfinished, finished, so I can feel free to knit up a new storm.
I haven't blocked yet, but here is Clapotis.
And just to show how versatile this little number is:
Various people have asked me questions about the scarf, and I've put what 'technical info' (ok, I don't really do technical info, but it's as close as I get) I have for it in the photo album.
These little wonders of Koigu fibreness arrived today too, for the Koigu Patch of Berries pattern.
I can either use both colours and do 2 scarves, or use 1 colour and make some socks.
Choices, choices.
I'm only going to ask once, that's fair isn't it? I'm not angry - really, I'm not. I just want to know the truth, and to move on. Please don't tell me it was the cats. I know they're very clever, but even I know they're not capable of this.
So Please, tell me how this ball of green/grey wool ended up here, on the shelf in the living room at the other end of the house to where it was last left and last seen? Hmmm? Well? For christ's sake it doesn't even colour coordinate with the rest of the wool on there. *
I finished Clapotis. I feel cleansed. I feel, like, I don't know, like I could start a new project right here, right now, and the urge is great to cast on for something, so wrapped up in post finishing bliss am I. I think I really really like this one. I think, that maybe, this may become my favourite scarf/shawl/wrap thing. I can see others, oh yes sirree I can. Because I know at this point in time it's beautiful and fulfilling, and so very french that I can be back in Paris in a flash with all the wonderful memories I have of it (we'll neglect the memories of stressed out late night crawlings back to empty hotel rooms while I worked and slaved to get submissions finished or to present colour boards to people who had no idea).
My batteries went as soon as this was taken, so I didn't have a great selection to draw from. I'll get something better and more luscious tomorrow.
I've been cleaning the blog. I hoovered into the corners, dusted the shelves down, and scrubbed the floors. I'm still defining what it is to Blog, and what I want to achieve and portray through it. I hate the concept that it becomes static, collecting used buttons and 'stuff' which is no longer relevant. So anything not current has gone, and my blog list has been altered. This doesn't mean, if you've been deleted, that I'm snubbing you. Just that I want it to be more of a reflection of the projects, people and things which I'm finding interesting, inspiring, or amazing at this point in time.
I feel a little like I'm at a crossroads here too. I have this stash, which seems to be rather all encompassing in the spare room, but by no means larger than a lot of people who have an entire wall devoted to wool (colour coordinated too, I might add), and it's kind of like an addiction, and so needs to be nipped in the bud. Memorising my credit card details was so not a good idea. Margene is doing a YNBA - a Yarn Non-Buying Agreement. It's not really a yarn diet, more an agreement not to buy yarn. I want to, I need to, but, OMG, no yarn till Feb 2005? I'm faltering. The button would look colour coordinated on the site, but, OMG, no yarn till Feb 2005? I just don't think I can commit to that. I'll think about it. Would you be suprised to read I actually counted out the number of weeks it is till Feb 2005, just to see how long that actually is. Nope. I just don't think I can commit to that.
* For the purposes of family relations, I will not labour the point it was the nanny, aka Max's Uncle, who decided to hem the sleeve of a shirt I said I would do, oh, about a month ago (really? that long?) and hadn't yet had a chance to do. He grabbed the wool, grabbed a wool needle, managed to thread the needle, but didn't get too far (wonder why), gave up and announced he would staple the sleeve hem. I'm hemming the shirt this weekend.
The week has just slipped by so quickly. I did announce to a friend that this week was going to be the week of finished objects - clearing the decks for new projects. But so far, despite my best efforts, I have yet to finish anything.
But I'm close, boy am I close. I even debated whether to stay up really late and finish Clapotis, but decided sleep was more important. I am sooooo close to finishing Clapotis, it would amaze you all to think I actually did choose sleep over finishing it.
And then there's the other projects which stare at me from the shelf, feeling abandoned. I need to finish Eloise, and the Quick (not so anymore), Great and Cute cardigan, and a sock to make a pair.
I need to make lists, lots of lists, and strike things off them, then I'll feel better. Yes, I think things will be more in control if I make some lists. And cross lots of things off the lists. And then do some more lists. Just to be sure.
And at the top of the list will be - Clapotis. And this time tomorrow, I hope the list will read:
1. Finish Clapotis
How embarrassed do you think I was?This much? Maybe t h i s much? How about T H I S much?
It wasn't nearly so embarrassing as throwing up all over a photographers studio on Sunday, but let's just say, I was mighty pleased I'm not blonde.
The incident involved: A car park pay ticket. Another car park ticket. A boom gate ticket collection point at the exit to the carpark. A slightly confused, bewildered woman. A call to security. The polite security woman telling the slightly confused woman she was using a ticket for Sydney Airport in a shopping centre.
It's been really hot here for the last few days, which is great, but also zaps you of energy pretty quickly. The same does not apply to children under the age of 2. They seem to go and go and go, a bit like Duracell batteries. I gave up today, got the paddling pool out, stripped the boy naked and let him run amok through the backgarden. I went and got a tub of pringles, a cold drink, and my knitting, and sat knitting watching over my child as he played happily in the pool, and in the sandpit (which ended up in the pool anyway. Who knew bulldozers are aquatic vehicles). So Clapotis grows, and is really pretty - kind of in a 'pritty pritty' way, but kind of in a very chic way too.
And look, see, I'm even getting the hang of deliberately dropping stitches. I feel a bit 'naughty' dropping them, and have to supress a girlish giggle each time I do it.
The reason I had a Sydney Airport car parking ticket right next to me in the car, was that yesterday I spent the day helping a friend recover from an ordeal involving a taxi driver who refused to help her, her baby, her dog, her luggage and the stroller into his cab as she went to the airport to start a new life elsewhere in the country. She was late (oh, the taxi driver started driving in the opposite direction to the airport as well) for check in for the dog (which has an earlier check in to a normal check in) by a few minutes. So the airline refused to check her in at all.....back she comes to an empty house, because, see, the removalists have taken all her furniture earlier in the day and she was a little 'distressed'. Poor, sweet, thing. We step in and take control, and get her all sorted out, and I baby sit, feed her, give her bedding, feed her child, and run her to the airport the next day and make sure she gets to her hubby in one piece. She's a great gal. And her son is cute - angelic curls aplenty. And his name is Tiger, which is pretty cool. And she bought us flowers, which was unnecessary, but damn it's a nice bunch of flowers.
I'm going to miss her, and miss knowing there's someone right across the street.
Still feeling like the world is collapsing in on my stomach and head, so I've been lurking, and getting inspired.
Kate's been tripping back in time and creating warmth for her neck which is just so lovely I wish I lived somewhere colder.
Knitting Zone have new Koigu, and a cute new pattern - Charlotte? Who is she? We like Patches Of Berries now. And the yarn diet is in serious jeopardy.
Do you need proof Clapotis is The Thing Of Beauty to knit? Em's is lovely. I started dropping stitches on mine last night. Weird, weird feeling dropping stitches deliberately. It just didn't feel right at all.
Axelle's handdyed yarns. And looky here at how they knit up. Do I need to say more? No, I didn't think so.
I think I've linked enough. Tea, give me tea, and a bed, and someone to do all my work for me.
Dreaded lurgies all around in our house. Shall we just say we've become very well aquainted with various bathrooms suites. And I'm not the happiest of campers. I don't do nausea very well - anyone who was around me while pregnant will testify to my lack of cohesion under the influence of permanent morning sickness. It says a lot about how ill I feel when I can't even get the needles going. I did manage to pick them up briefly this afternoon/evening to get a move on with Clapotis.
I'm thinking ahead, and thinking, damn this will look great wrapped around my neck next November when I go to Paris and London. I'm allowed to say that, I made it. And it will probably take me till then to finish it. Nothing like a good deadline, I say.
