Blissed Out Knitting

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nearly finished one project - & already wondering about the next
2007-08-04 16:02:00
I'm onto the last sleeve of my cardigan. I think I must have the attention span of a very small insect because already I'm thinking about what to knit next. I've got some Rowan kidsilk Haze in a beautiful teal color which I could make a lovely scarf out of but it's still summer and feels too warm to be using mohair. Plus, I find it hard to get excited about mohair because I find it too scratchy to wear myself. I'm feeling far too selfish at present to be knitting gifts - that's something I have a real winder association with. Cole and I went fruit picking yesterday, which was fun-if prickly! We got a tub full of tayberries, which I don't think are 100% ripe so we're going to make jam with them. Having never made jam I'm swinging from blind optimism (obviously driven by total ignorance) to rigid fear (ditto!) Any jam making tips you have will be very gratefully received! Jo x
More About: Project , Nearly , Ready , Earl , Finish

sl2togK p2sso - a really nice effect
2007-07-29 17:16:00
I'm proceding with the cardigan in fits and starts. I had a lovley coaching session in work on Friday and I came up with some strategies for dealing with my feeling of total lack of direction at the moment. I had planned to paint our bedroom this weekend as I wanted to be busy as I'm missing Cole who's off on his holidays with his Dad for a week. But my coach suggested I did some nurtuting instead - and some clearing out. One of the things I've been struggling with recently is I feel very scattered mentally - I can't seem to focus on one thing at a time. I've also got a new laptop, with wireless broadband so that I can do things like my blog and bits of work more easily, without having to go and lock myself away in the office. But what I've found is that instead of making life easier, it's actually meaning that I'm struggling to concentrate on anything - it's hard when you've got one eye on the keyboard and the other on Dexter! So my coach and I decided that it wou...
More About: Effect , Nice , Really , Ally

time off - and manic knitting!
2007-07-23 23:52:00
I feel all giddy - I've not done any work - No university, no website stuff - nothing! And it feels great! I'm so used to being busy but I just haven't had it in me recently. I've spent lots of evenings knitting in front of the TV - I've finished the back of my cardigan - re done after realising I was using two different sized needles! But I've done it again and really enjoyed it. It's nothing taxing - stockinette stitch mainly. But I often like simple, repetitive knitting - it's very meditative. I went shopping at the sales yesterday. There's lots of great stuff around because our summer in the UK has been so rubbish that no one's been buying summer clothes. I got some holiday stuff - bikinis and a cut away swimsuit which I can't decide if it's sexy or silly! John said the former but he paused a bit too long before answering! I'm getting really excited about going away - even though it's 3 months away! I've been looking at the Kennedy Space Centre website ...
More About: Time , Knitting , Knit , Manic

Color knitting - what's the difference between Intarsia and fair isle?
2007-07-20 22:48:00
This is a question that used to fox me - what IS the difference between Intarsia and Fair Isle knitting?  Both are color knitting techniques, so is the difference just in the names? Well, in a  word - No!  Fair Isle is the name given to the technique of stranded color work.       It tends to be used for intricate patters using a number of colors and there are lots of 'traditional' fair isle patterns.  In fact, traditional fair isle patterns rarely had more than 3 consecutive stitches in the same color. These pictures give some good examples.  The technique and patterns originate from scandinavia and the north of scotland (In fact, it takes it's name from an island between shetland and the Orkney Islands.) There is a specific technique for working fair isle that invovles 'stranding' the yarn at the back of your knitting and traditionally uses no more than two colors in a row.  This means that you are carrying 2 colors across ...
More About: Color , Knitting , Difference , Ferenc

Rain-when will it stop?
2007-07-03 13:53:00
Ok, if you live in the UK you're probably sick of hearing about it - but I'm going to say it anyway!  When will it stop raining?  It seems to have been non stop for weeks and it's July for goodness sake!  It seems to be getting everyone down, and lots of poor people have been flooded out of their homes not too far away from here.  And still it rains. Isn't it funny how the weather affects our mood so much?  Last night I couldn't be bothered exercising once I'd got in from work because I just felt tired and damp and the last thing I wanted to do was go out in that horrible weather.  I'm reading the Attractor Factor by Joe Vitale which is all about the law of attraction so I'm trying to be really conscious of what I focus on and have a good moan about.  I have to say, I'm really struggling with the weather!  I know that I need to move my focus away from how damp and miserable it is and onto happier things (I don't have to worry abou...
More About: Rain , Stop

Wine and knitting do NOT go!
2007-07-01 20:57:00
John was away last night and as I was working all day yesterday (and stuck on the motorway getting home for 2 HOURS getting home!) I was in the mood for a chill out last night. I hardly ever drink alcohol - I'll have the occassional glass if I'm out with the girls but as John doesn't drink at all we rarely have any in the house and, to be honest, I don't miss it at all. However, some friends had come over last weekend and brought a couple of bottles of wine and there was one left over. I thought, 'why not, just have a glass'. I settled down, glass in had, to watch Doctor Who - yes I know it's a bit sad as Cole wasn't even here, but I couldn't wait to find out what happenned! The first glass of wine went down very well and I was knitting away, thinking how lovely the cardigan was going to look on little Alice. By the time I was on my second glass I was caring less and less about the cardigan, and by the time I'd polished off my third I realised I was knitting with one...
More About: Wine , Knitting , Knit

Wheeeey! It's the weekend!
2007-06-29 22:53:00
It's friday and I SO have that Friday feeling (even though I'm actually working tomorrow morning!) I had a great day today because I sent the invoice in for the University tutoring I did and it felt GREAT! This has been a very abundant week - I got my bank charges back, I've invoiced for my tutoring AND for the work I sometimes do on a Saturday. AND we've booked the flights for Florida! I'm so excited, especially as we saw some friends at the weekend and they were telling us all about it (as they were there a few months ago); the best deals to get on park tickets, shopping discounts, what to buy, where to go - the three of us were SO excited by the time they'd left that we could barely sleep. Cole is giddy about seeing Spiderman and I'm giddy about the whole thing. I had NO work to do last night so I knitted for about 3 hours watching TV and 'the Notorious Better Paige', which I liked but I don't think John really got into - he seemed to spend a looong time doing the...
More About: Weekend

Wish I was more techie
2007-06-28 10:49:00
I bought a macbook yesterday! I've needed a new machine for ages as my old PC has been running slowly and falling over regularly for a while now. It's about 6 years old so has done well but is definately a bit of a dinosaur now. So I visited the Apple store yesterday and decided on a mac book for lots of reasons - but the large student discout they offer (14% in the uk) swung it for me. I was really impressed at how helpful they were in the shop - if a little evangelical about mac vs pc (am I the only person in the world who finds those adverts a bit smug?) I'm busy trying to get used to the new commands and interface after years of using a pc. I'm tempted to buy a mac for dummies book - I felt like I was bashing my head against a brick wall last night - I couldn't work any of it out! I'm sure I'll get there. I was on a presentations skills course on Monday and Tuesday. Very 'stretching!' I'm an unusual person in that I enjoy presenting (well, in a training room ...
More About: Techie

favorite yarns
2007-06-27 09:49:00
Firstly, if anyone can tell me if there's a way to reply to comments rather than starting a new post (this seems a bit of a 'formal' way to do it, if you see what I mean!) Anyway, Juicy fairy asked how much the cotton cashmere yarn cost me - £1.50 (around $3) for 50gms.  I think full price it's around twice that.  I love all kinds of yarn but do tend to go all giddy over supersoft natural yarns -I love some of the bamboo yarns that are around at the moment for example.  I'm turned off by anything scratchy or prickly - knitting is SO tactile for me that I couldn't stand working with something that I was irritating. I'm a huge fan of Rowan for their colors and the huge range of patterns (and I live not far from their headquarters in Yorkshire so we get a good stock around here.)  Debbie Bliss is another favorite as is Louisa Harding who does some beautiful, imaginiative yarns without being garish or too 'novelty'.  I've made some beautiful garment...
More About: Favorite , Favor

One Chilled Out Knitter!
2007-06-23 14:29:00
Today I feel FINE!  I've had a lie in, breakfast made for me, and a whole day stretching out ahead of me with NO WORK TO DO!!!  I'm doing a fine job of ignoring the housework that needs to be done and I'm having a totally self-indulgent day designed to recharge my batteries and soothe my frazzled nerves! I was so tired and worn out by yesterday and felt rubbish because I know I've been a bit of a b**** this week.  I can put it down to lack of time, relaxation and sleep but whatever my excuse, it's out of order.  I was snappy with John and Cole and just not really present - even when I was taking a break from my work. I'm too good at throwing myself into things and pushing myself to achieve that I can get a bit past myself and I know it's becoming overwhelming.  When it gets like that and I'm not really nurturing myself or keeping my stress levels in check then I know it's time for a break.  I know there are LOADS of things I could be doing to...
More About: Chill , Knit

It's finished, It's finished, it's finished!
2007-06-22 14:52:00
At last - I've finished my mammoth marking!  I ended up working ALL last weekend and every night this week - I remarked them twice just to make sure I was happy with the marks (I felt such a big responsibility - gettting it wrong will have a serious impact on these kid's final degree marks).  I was up to 1.30 last night and got up at 6 this morning to finish them off.  John has been a star and driven them over today to hand in because I'm in work (at the day job) - next year (persuming I get asked to do it again - they might think I'm rubbish once they see the marks!) I'm going to have to take a couple of days leave to do it - it's WAY too much otherwise. Tonight I'm going to a make up party and my friend's house and then flopping on the sofa with a glass of wine - which I don't usually want to do but I'm so tired all I want to do this weekend is a big NOTHING! I'm enjoying filling in the inovice too - Disneyland here we come!
More About: Finish , Nish

SOooooo tired!
2007-06-19 11:24:00
It was a busy weekend - I managed to mark 17 of my 23 assignments - My eyes were sooooo tired and I was definately verging on the grumpy by Sunday night. John was a rock and sorted out Sunday lunch and keeping Cole entertained which was fantastic. I had a break to watch Dr. Who with Cole - it's our regular 'date' and it was fantastic - I know it's aimed at kids but I really think it's brilliant. This week was a real cliffhanger - I'm SO sad because I'm more excited about next week's epidsode than Cole is! John Simm as the Master - come on! I also spent half an hour with him teaching him how to cast on with his new kids needles and multicolored wool. He got really into it and concentrated fanctastically - usually not his strongpoint. The plastic kids needles are not very practical - they're incrediably slippery and because he's chosen some synthetic multi coloured yarn with a real silky texture, it was quite tricky keeping the stitches on them without slipping off. ...
More About: Tired , Tire

I must be crazy!
2007-06-16 13:42:00
I must be completely stark raving bonkers!  Not only do I work full time, have a 7 year old, am doing an MA (assignment handed in on Monday - at last!) but I'm doing some freelance work for the University.  I've been tutoring a group of undergraduates during a work placement module - and now I've got to mark their 4000 word assignments - 23 of them!  This parcel arrived this morning (note tin of tomatoes to show scale - in case this isn't quite clear - it's bloody big!)  Part of me wanted to rip it open straight away and get stuck in, and the other part of me wanted to hide under the covers until it had gone away! I'm going to spend the weekend getting the bulk of them done as I've got to have sent a selection off by Tuesday for double marking.  If I don't do it today and tomorrow, I'm going to be up until midnight and beyond next week - hey, I might be anyway, but I'm doing my best to avoid that. I keep chanting my mantra: "Remember disn...
More About: Crazy , Must

whimsical knitting - adding a picot edge
2007-06-15 23:14:00
It's a lovely thing to be able to take a basic pattern shape and make it your own -adding different buttons, ribbons or embroidery can really release your creative juices and allows you to customise your knitting to suit your own individual style.  Adding a fancy edging can be a simple but very effective way of transforming a simple pattern into something really special.  One of the simplest edgings is a picot.  The cardigan I'm currently knitting is based around a Rowan pattern from their new magazine, but I've decided to add a picot edge instead on the crocheted one recommended in the pattern - I know, how rock & roll!  But seriously, many people do get really worried about going 'off pattern' when really it's nothing to worry about - especially things like adding embellishments and edgings. Pico ts are a combination of casting on and off stitches - play around with different numbers to create your own effects. This stitch is deceptively simple t...
More About: Edge , Knitting , Knit

bamboo vs metal knitting needles
2007-06-10 12:52:00
I'm currently knitting in Rowan handknit cotton and whilst it's a lovely yarn to use, I'm finding the metal needles I usually use a bit too slippery. Bamboo needles have a slightly rougher finish, making them grip the yarn better than metal or plastic.  I'm really tempted to get some fancy ones - with coloured beads on the ends - but I'm a bit reticent as they're around 2.5 times the price of ordinary bamboo needles - frivolous expense?  I'm visiting my one of my favorite yarn shops in Chester on Monday as I'm over that way for my freelance work, so I might have a pop in and see what they've got.  The cardigan is coming along great though and it's been lovely to sink into some regular knitting again.  My mental health really benefits for it.  I may even post a picture later.
More About: Metal , Knitting , Knit