Advice

 

I am trying to avoid pontificating on my blog, but this has been coming to a bit of a head of steam. Don't read on if you are after a bit of knitting content in this entry - there isn't any!

I kind of like that bit in The Lord of The Rings (well, I like ALL of the bits, actually)where someone (?Sam) says something like 'Go not to the elves for advice, for they shall say both yes and no'. Freyalynn, if you read this I have no doubt you can give me the exact quote :0)

Advice IS a tricky thing. Each person can only do what THEY feel is best. However, it is frustrating to find that someone will not take advice from a neutral, 3rd party who has no personal interest in naffing them off. No, I don't mean me! Why do some people not listen to advice that is hard to take. Ok, because it is hard to take. I know that!! But dismissing it out of hand seems pretty pointless. What doesn't help is when other people jump in with comments like 'What elephant in the room? I can't see an elephant - erm, could someone get this big grey thing off my foot.'

While it can be almost impossible to say a hard thing to a friend, however well meant, surely a true friend DOES NOT aid and abet the denial process. Surely being a friend is about being truthful, kind and supportive?

OK. Rant over

Hiccup

 

Here is my first ever design. Ok, I know it is no Jaywalker or Potomatus. But it's mine, and I like it.

This sock is called 'Hiccup' for two reasons: firstly, the panels of slip stitch are like little 'hiccups' in the rib pattern; secondly, the yarn is from my not-so-secret-pal Jenn who 'hiccuped' twice, managing to out herself :0)

,p> Thanks not-so-Secret-Pal. I'm lovin' this yarn

Thank you, Sock bug

 

What else can I say - I really enjoyed sock one, number two is on its way - find more patterns at Sock Bug

In between bouts of sock knitting, I am eating Oaty Vanilla Cookies - and when I can remember the blog that they originated from, I shall let you know.

Shame this isn't taste-a-wwhat the heck! Who just stole my cookie?! - they were all there when I uploaded this picture!

And...

 

a clock - gonna be late for work!

Gimme your stuff!

 

So, I'm gonna make available - a ouple of skeins of Jamieson's of Shetland lacewight yarn, a ball of Orkney Angora yarn, some Edinburgh Rock, a copy of the Glasgow Herald, a packet of shortbread and can negotiate other things. What would I like? Some unusual sock yarn or prepared fibre, such a BFL or Como (Cormo?) for spinning and, if possible, a JApanese knitting pattern (no, I can't speak Japanese)

Wanted: photographer

 

Taking pictures on ones own socks is deeply frustrating. Mr INdia is working today, so here is the best I could manage. As you will no doubt realise, the white paper is to try to give a better background to see the sock against, rather than the red chair. Now I just need to do the second one....

Secret Pal goodness!

 

On the down side - the parcel which I had hoped contained something I need to send to my SP didn't. On the totally selfish upside, it contained 'stuff' for me - woo hoo! Thank you SP - Thank you, thank you and, once again, thank you! A very thoughtful box that is much appreciated.

Cop a look at this, Elaine , Kool Aid for dyeing. Guess where my SP lives :0) So, what glorious goodies do we have? Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin..... Lorna's Laces, 2 skeins (fantastic given that I am really getting into socks now; Karaoke soy silk/merino ( never used it, so that will be a new treat); stitch markers - already in use, as you will see; knitting notecards; yummy chocolate eatables and last, but by no means least, a shed-load of Kool Aid.

At the bottom right-hand corner, you can just see one of those gorgeous stitch markers - here they are in close up. So much nicer than the bits of plastic and scrap that I am using ( since I managed to , erm, misplace the other stitchmarkers that were part of my my birthday basket ( the markers can be found under Dec 18th posting - if they turn up at your place hungry and thirsty, give 'em a good feed and tell 'em to get right back where they belong). Here are the dinky little numbers from SP

I love the way this yarn looks in the slip-stitch heel. In fact, it has inspired me to make my first original sock pattern. OK - it will not be in the league of Jaywalkers but it is a small start. I am going to have broad-ish panels of stocking stitch and slip-stitch separated by one or two purl stitches. So, essentially, a rib pattern with slip-stitch panels. As I said, it won't set the heather alight, but I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes.

There has also been some spinning activity here. Some beautiful Lorna's Laces fibre in the Desert Flower colourway. For once, my picture is quite close to the true colourway. The sample on the Jimmy Beans link above does not do it justice. I am very pleased with this skein. It is still a bit inconsistent - a bit too thick and thin. That in itself may not be a problem, but I want to knit socks with it. Tonight I am going to split the roving lenghtways, into really narrow strips. That way, not much drafting will be needed and it will be easier for me to control; the thickness of the yarn. I know my drafting etc should be better, but this is how I have decided to tackle this lot. My plying has definitely improved and I think this makes such an important contribution to the finished yarn. I am not too prescriptive - some areas need more plying than others, so I pay careful attention as it goes along. This isn't a perfectly balanced yarn, but it's not bad at all!

call the yarn police - there's been a moiduh

 

Police Officer: Soco, you get a photo of that?
SOco: Sure Inspector, just before the Doc arrived.
Police Officer: Ah, Dr Double-point, I didn't see you there....
Doc: Hmmm, I think there may be a serial knitter involved>
Police Officer: Surely knit, I mean, not. What gives you that idea?
Doc: Well, there was that case that Professor Crochet unraveled a coupla months ago - the Britanny hook embedded in a KSH flower. Last month Doctor Silvie Circular had to deal with a particularly harrowing situation when a shawl was found hanging off the Erskine Bridge, held up only by an Addi Turbo.
Police Officer: C'mon, what's your double-point, Dr Double-Point?
Doc: That's exactly my Double-point! Look at the victim, officer!:
Police Officer: Ah, double points....See what you mean. Cashmere, too....
Doc; A heinous crime - seems to be committed by someone who knows the doctor's duty rosters....
Police Officer: sergeant! Any witnesses?
Sergeant: Knit really, but a woman was seen rushing from the scene, leaving a trail of stitch markers in her wake. Seems there was provocation, so maybe this isn't the serial knitter...
Police Officer:?
Sergeant: Well, the neighbours say that the woman at clickety-click pointy sticks, I mean sixty-six, had cast-on for this Smoke ring THREE times.Then, to cap it all, she started working the last pattern first..
Police Officer:So, whatya sayin'? The knitting deserved it?
sergeant: Knit at all, but there were 178 stitches in each round. The cashmere is 4-ply. She'd done 8 rows,....
Police Officer: See what you mean...

voting with my feet mouse

 

There's a blog that I read from time to time because I like the knitting content, but there is a fair bit about it that winds me up. I think this person is a bit of a hypocrite and fairly manipulative.

But then I got to thinking. Why AM I reading this blog? For the KNITTING content? Hmmm. Aren't we all a bit hypocritical at times? Ok. Maybe I am reading this blog so that I can get on my high horse about it......So, I have decided that I do not like what I read in the main, (taking account of the fact that this is only a small view of the person via the internet, and not the sum total of who they are), and i have only myself to blame if I don't like what I read. So, I am going to climb down off my pedestal and simply not go there.

Only one question. While I am awaiting the perfection of my Buddhahood, as it were, what WILL I do when I feel the need to feel superior....well, I am only human....

bring it on

 

Well, I 've had my day of chillin' out and doing nothing. NOw it's time to face up to reallity - the next assignment. I'm not exactly looking forward to this one any more than the last. This time it's Gaelic. And, due to other , erm, commitments I haven't done the work for this that I would like to...

The knitting is poddling along.In addition to River and the smoke ring, I have cast on for Lady Eleanor's Shawl, as seen here . I have been less 'careful' in my choice of Silk Garden than Ms FigandPlum - I'm using up stash, and frogging something. So, mine may well end up more like the Court Jester's Scarf! Here's an idea of progress so far. Neither of these pics gives much indication of the actual colours

Mr India has been busy - and Athyr decided to put her paw in and give him some welcome assistance.

(missing) the obvious

 

Why is it that I'm darn good at stating the bleedin' obvious ,but quite frequently I fail to spot it? I quite like lace knitting, but I get disheartened when I make a mistake and have to go back to the beginning of a godzillion stitches, working my way along mumbling to myself 'K2 tog, yo, p2, s1 knitwise, p5' yada yada yada. A huge lightbulb bloomed above my head today as I read the info for this smoke ring . "I find it helpful to place additional markers between each of the repeats to correspond to the chart sections." So, why the heck could I not have worked that one out for myself.....

So, anyway. This smoke ring is being knit in 100% cashmere. Yep, that's right ONE HUNDRED PER CENT CASHMERE. I have 'A' who comes to The Big Knit Out to thank for my latest aquisition. ColourMart is an online seller providing a variety of great yarn 'leftovers' from commercial companies. GO check them out. I ordered my cone of cashmere on Thursday evening and it arrived this morning. Not bad, eh?

I cast on for the smoke ring. Twice. Despite my best efforts, I have still managed to come up with a mobieous smoke ring. It'll just have to be like that - I'm not going for a third attempt.

I have foolishly decided to try my hand at dressmaking - again- this summer. Skirtmaking, actually. I have purchased a pattern that says it is 'easy'. We shall see.Anyway, I'm off to sit in the sun - we don't get too much in this part of the wprld, so I shall make the most of it.Cya

Just in case you didn't notice....

 

Peace like a River....?

 

Hmmm. Not Quite. Not when I kept getting the pattern just a little bit wrong, but enough to make a big difference. Not when I had an assignment screaming to me from the study. And most definitely not after this - Silly so-and-so that I ma, took this pic and then LEFT THE KNITTING WHERE IT WAS. My blood ran cold when I read about a furry friend (or maybe it was two?) destroying a whole load of knit up KSH.And I had left River on the radiator in the company of these two gals........ . Fortunately I did not break any bones as I hurtled down the (very narrow) stairs. Even more fortunately, les filles hadn't noticed the temptation staring them in the face.Whew. If you look (not even too closely) you will see where I had made the mistakes near the beginning. Ho hum. It's for me, it's good enough.

By the way, where have you guys put my blog entries? What? Not you? Well, a couple have gone somewhere. They're not under the bed with the dust bunnies. They're not sunning themselves in the garden (well, they couldn't - it's raining). So. WHere are they? Guess that'll remain a mystery, then