FO: Honeycomb Vest

I finally have a photo of my finished Honeycomb :D I am very very happy with this project, not least because I finished it within the Ravelympics deadline. The yarn is Rowan Purelife Organic DK - my birthday present from the BF, a mere 300g of it. I knit it pretty much to the pattern, apart from adding an inch at the hem, and it fits wonderfully - better than in the photo in fact. It looks somewhat lumpy around the middle for some reason. I swear it's not. Nor am I (My lumps are beginning to position themselves on my hips instead - too much cake). I think this is probably a result of it being scrumpled up into wrinkles at the foot of my bed. I CAN'T HELP IT! It gets very hot in this bedroom, there is much flinging off of jumpers.



Also lookee! New haircut! I got a fringe cut last Tuesday for the first time in about 8 years. I regretted it so much when I first had it, probably just because I felt I didn't look like me, but I really like it now. It has a bit of a split personality too, sometimes it's wispy (as above), sometimes it's straight. I prefer the wisps, they are more friendly to people who miss being able to see their foreheads, but I'm getting used to the straight fringe as well though (it's more fashionable - I'm not accustomed to being fashionable). It looks cute with hats too :D I think I may be brave enough to knit a beret next time.

Watch this space for me experimenting with more wooly hats and passing out because the sun has now decided to come back to England.

My heels do not need hats.

I just saw a kitchen fire in the block of flats opposite me. I could see the guy looking unconcerned in the next room while the grill got more and more insane so I called the fire brigade and they were already on the way! The family in the flat knew! They were perfectly aware that their kitchen was burning and they were just....standing there. Making no effort to usher their YOUNG CHILDREN out of the building. People astonish me.

(They are all fine now. Fireman Sam arrived and they have a very black kitchen but nothing worse.)

Anyhoooooo, I got my vest finished the day before the end of the Olympics and it looks fabby. Still haven't bothered to get photos taken. I'm not fond of posing - despite the fact the America's Next Top Model is my latest guilty pleasure. I unironically love that show. Oh the shame.

In the mean time, I have an older finished object.



These are the Hat-Heel socks from Knitty, knit up in stripy Regia. They were quick - I started on my way up to my parents at the beginning of January and I think I was finished by the end of the month, but I'm not entirely convinced I like them. I don't thinkt he heel's the right shape for me, it's a little baggy and I don't like the pick up ridges. Interesting to knit, but not something I'd repeat. I will repeat the Surprising stretchy bind off though, that's brilliant.

I have moved on to bigger and better things now with little purple lacey wotsits from the Cookie A. book!

Whoosh

I'm not really quite sure how I've managed to knit this so fast, but I no longer have any worries about finishing this before the end of the Olympics (of course, I've now jinxed it, so four of my fingers will fall off today). Admittedly I haven't been watching much of the Games. I had planned to but, egad there are a lot of different ways to move over frozen water. I got behind and it was clogging up the Sky Plus box, so I've given up and I'm just watching the twirly girly ice skating and ignoring the rest now.

Since I've been zipping through the vest so fast, Iive also entered the Aerial Unwind event to frog old project fails (getting a headstart on reknitting later in the year too). I already frogged Rapunzel earlier in the month, with the intention of starting again from scratch (sob), and last week I demolished Chloe and the Snapping Turtle skirt.

These sad and weary projects are no more.


This was something I was designing myself, but I didn't touch it for ages, kinda lost track of what I was doing, and the yoke's looking somewhat funky. It'll probably be re knit into something vaguely similar, but starting from the top.

This was all but finished, but YACK, so unflattering. FAIL. This will be something completely different, possibly a stripy hoodie.

Better luck next time

Christmas hats

First majorly delayed post of Christmas presents! As well as the Christmas jumpers (which I'm sure I'll blog about at some point), I decided all the family and boyfriendly extensions deserved new hats!


My Dad's, finished way way in advance, whenI was being cocky and thinking I was going to be ahead on everything (ha), is the Swirly Hat (which seems to only be available through Ravelry now), knit in Rowan Felted Tweed Aran.
All the other hats were knit without patterns and with crossed fingers.
Mum's, knit mostly in Cashsoft Aran, was I believe the first stranded knitting I'd ever done (the little barely visible white zigzag in that photo), and my first chance to use my new Clover pompom makers - yaaaaay, so much easier than using rings of cardboard.
My brother Jack and his boyfriend Jay's hats are knit in Sirdar Balmoral and both have plastic mesh brims in as they are both highly trendy young men who don't wear hats without brims. Jack's is the grey one with more stranded/fair isle knitting, and Jay's is knit in moss stitch to match the scarf I also made him. That's made with Rowan Colourscape Chunky, which is a lovely yarn, and just enough for a one skein scarf.

(The dog did not get a hat. But he did get a squeaky purple monkey that he managed to destroy within five minutes)

My pride and joy of the hat parade was Martin's. Since he was actually around to ask, and to drive me to Hobbycraft to buy yarn, he got to choose what he wanted and asked for 'a blue and green ski hat with earflaps and bobbles and patterns and motorbikes on it please'.

Hang on, motorbikes?


Yes, motorbikes. Though they also look a bit like camels if you squint.

This is knit in Wendy Mode DK, plus bits and pieces of Other Stuff, and half lined in fleece, and has been greatly appreciated. He's worn it almost every day since Christmas, despite his workmates all taking the piss. A knitworthy young man indeed.

I have a new hat for myself too! This was finished way back in September, but got forgotten about with all the Christmas knitting. This is the Lavish Flap Hat (without flaps, obviously), knit in yummy Mirasol Miski (mmmmllama). I love the mini cable panels, but I think it looks pretty good inside out too.




P.S. Saw the Princess and the Frog today. It's pretty scary in parts, like the creepy parts of ye olde Pinocchio-era Disney. 'Bout time too. Loved it.

Olympic fever

Happy Valentine's Day/Chinese New Year/Day 2 of the Winter Olympics*, world! I am, perhaps insanely, participating in the Ravelympics this year. For those not on Ravelry (why?), the idea is to cast on a project - or several, for the overachievers - at the opening ceremony, and finish by the closing ceremony. Kind of like the Yarn Harlot's Knitting Olympics, but taken a step further/more competitive since we now have The Best Knitting Community Since The Dawn Of Time. I am now attempting to finish a small gauge, all over cabled garment in less than two weeks. Hmmmmmm. We'll see how this goes. At least it doesn't have sleeves.

Speaking of things with no sleeves, I have a newwww finished top, finished a couple of weeks ago, just in time for my birthday, but only just photographed (quickly, because it was extremely cold).

This is the Big Montana Tunic from Interweave Knits Fall 09, knit in Sirdar Big Softie. I think I pretty much knit the whole thing twice. The first one I did, with 2" negative ease was ginormous and hugely unflattering, and then once I'd knit the smaller size I had to unpick the cowl again and make that smaller too. I made it about 3" shorter as well, didn't like the tunic length version, despite having a nice cosy bum first time round. I love this jumper now its finished, and helpfully my long-sleeved tshirts seem to be breeding to accomodate it (Thankyou Primani)

Ah, I am enjoying knitting for myself again. Pah to Christmas.

I don't mean it Christmas. I still love you. Really.

To everyone participating in the Ravelympics, enjoy crazy deadline knitting with no consequences if you don't finish in time!



*No, I'm not celebrating any of these. Martin and I aren't having flowers and chocolate, or dim sum and noodles, or, um, maple syrup and moose meat. We are having pizza, on the sofa, watching a marathon of Chuck.

Aaaaaah, Mr. Lappytop, how I have missed you!

Ahoyhoy. Happy 2010! Happy happy internet access! My harddrive died a tragic death a few weeks ago so I have been experiencing extreme withdrawal symptoms while a lovely young man from PCWorld fixed it for me (at half price, for I have Contacts. Heh.) I have over 1000 blog posts to catch up on (I shouldn't read so many) and probably 10 times that amount of forum posts over on Ravelry.

In the meantime, I have had Christmas! Twice! Wooooo! I am clearly in a scary, serious, grownup relationship now that I am sharing Christmas between the parents. Also, I got twice as much Christmas pudding. Score.
All my Christmas presents got finished on time, miraculously, not only that, they were all greatly appreciated, and they all fit! MY GENIUS KNOWS NO BOUNDS! Photos later, still gathering them all up from the near computer-death experience (and the-forgetting-to-take-photos-of-half-of-them-on-Christmas-Day. Duh.)

Martin and I also semi officially moved in to the new apartment this Saturday. His mum is still in the old house til it's sold (she has an offer though, touch wood), and his stepdad works in Brazil so he's out of the country most of the year, so we're having fun pretending we actually own the place. All of my stuff is tucked away in cupboards, most of Martin's is, but we still have to hop back and forth between the houses sorting out the junk/nostalgic and meaningful childhood treasures from the attic. Mother, if you thought I hoarded stuff...

*Collective groan as I inflict new house photos on the world*

The Lounge!

The thing about this apartment is that while all the individual rooms are much bigger, we're losing shed, garage and attic space. And two storage lockers. Martin's mum has started moving some of her things over, so the view below is now full of boxes waiting to be tetrissed into cupboards somewhere.

Those massive black things that look like barn doors? They are stepdad's speakers. Together they are worth approximately £20,000. I am scared to go near them.

The Kitchen SLASH Dining Room!


LOTS of cupboard rearranging to do in here. I should make a start on that tomorrow. Ugh. Also of note, boyfriend brownie points in the form of unexpected flowers. He also cooked dinner tonight, though that is because I am very slowly teaching/forcing him to. It was good though. Good Martin. Have cookie.

The Bedroom!

I went to Coinstar when we moved in to get rid of Martin's very old change collection. I mean very old. There was an old 5p in there, which I don't quite understand, as he still lived in Birmingham in The Big Five Pee days. He's not quite aware of how quickly change adds up so he was a little shocked when I came back from Sainsbury's with £100. He promptly went and burnt half of it on a fish tank. Fishies are all well and good, but I told him he was silly with money and he should give it all to me to look after for him. He came pretty close to agreeing.

Lookit the size of those windows! No excuse for rubbish photos now.

Please note, all decorative items in this room, for example, artwork, bedding and lamps were chosen by the boy. We're going to buy fish at the weekend and he's also decided that he only wants black and silver fish to match the furniture.

I'm fairly sure I picked a heterosexual boyfriend, but occasionally I wonder.

That's all for now folks.

P.S. I've just started knitting my Map of the World again after the Christmas giftathon. Thankyou to everyone who's downloading it, it's getting way more attention than I thought it would! Hope you all enjoy.

P.P.S. It is actually the 27th of January today. For some reason my last post seemed to think it was still November, but I promise I waited till December 1st to open my advent calendar.

P.P.P.S. It's 3 days to my birthday! I keep forgetting this. Having a second Christmas 2 weeks late has kinda sent my brain skewiff. Yay, yarn shopping on the horizon!