Angus disapproves

Meet Angus the Angry Squid. Angus is 2 months old and lives in the wilds of Hamworthy. He likes curried eggs, America's Next Top Model and singing opera in the shower. He dislikes everything else.

This is Hansi Singh's Squid-a-licious pattern knit in leftover Cascade from my stripy jumper for my darling boyfriend (he was the advance guard, to make sure Martin's bedroom was liveable before I moved in)

The pattern is great - I bought 4 of hers and will at some point get round to making another one for myself - the only change I made was to stitch down a little ridge between the eyes and chain stitch on some eyebrows.

Sir Reginald Barnaby Forthington-Smythe III at your service

Sir Reginald has recently arrived the home of my good friend Miss Darby, to act as chaperone on her 23rd birthday, and to ensure that her good reputation remains intact while she celebrates amongst the bounders and cads of Londontown. I personally feel she has more to fear from Reginald than the young whippersnappers of Soho.

Pattern: Pentapus

Yarn: Sirdar Snowflake and Cascade 220

I love this pentapus. It's been a while since I make Texas the stegosaurus for Chris and I'd forgotten how much fun it is making toys for people who are too old for toys. Laz adores him too, as is only right for someone who comes complete with his own monocle and twirly moustache. I now have a massive bag of stuffing I don't know what to do with as the fabric shop only sold 450g bags. Hmm. I shall have to find some more people who will appreciate something this bizarre and pointless.

Sir Reg's hat was made up as I went along (the original floppy hat obviously not his style), I decreased all the way round as soon as I attached it and increased gradually to flare it out, then purled a round to make a turning ridge before decreasing sharply to the middle.

Neeewwww knitting

I am feeling somewhat windswept today. One of my friends from Kentucky has come to England, so Jade (who I also met in Kentucky, but lives in Bournemouth, obviously) and I are using this as an excuse to do all the touristy things. Today we took an open-top bus (really rather too windy to be entirely a good idea) around Sandbanks, until recently the most expensive land per square foot IN THE WORLD, Studland Bay ferry and Swanage, where we strolled along the beach with our hoods up, ate massive cream teas, and attempted to explain the mysteries of the British Summer Holiday, for instance, why beach huts are great despite the fact that you can't sleep in them and how Punch and Judy does not in fact mentally scar generations of young children.

There has been New Knitting since I last made a non swap-related post. Also New NotKnitting. Oooh.

First off, New NotKnitting! I am giving crochet another chance. I'm actually happy with it this time, it's going slightly better than the Yellow Triangle of Doom from a few years ago. I promise, this one isn't actually triangular, it just looks like that because the trebles are bigger than the doubles. Not sure how far my yarn and my patience are going to go with this, but I can tick off a technique, and hopefully the novelty won't wear of before I can make an armpit bag that I will probably never use (ha)

My rainbow of Cascady goodness is started and going pretty damn fast by my standards (particularly since I haven't bothered to blog about it in 2 weeks). I'm not using a pattern for it, just a swatch and the instructions in Barbara Walker's Knitting From the Top, which looks to be such a brilliant book that I will forgive her for having a whole chapter on knitted trousers. This is going to be my Scotland holiday project, so I will put it away and finish up some other things in the next 3 weeks instead.

Snapping Turtle is still awaiting a zip because I am lazy.

Mia is still awaiting photos because I am Really lazy.

And because I am hopeless I just joined another Monthly Adventures challenge. I have til the 7th to make and embroider a stuffed toy. One evening and two legs down.

P.S. The bouncer in the night club last night recognised me from the knitting club in Poole and came over and started talking to me about socks and baby garments. Heh, love it. Rock'n'roll baby.

Hmm, so I abandoned the blog for another year. Oops. Well, trust me, you havn't missed much - I managed a grand total of 2 FOs in 2006 and I really cannot remember that last time I had a free moment to sit down and knit. *sigh*

Anyhoo, the gloves finally got started in June (I got some very odd looks for knitting gloves in 45C heat)

Ah, the everpresent mirror shot

These are knitted sans pattern (oh yes, I am so proud) from the lovely tropical fish inspired sockyarn Amanda sent me way back when for SP6. Opal I think - lost the ball band along the way. There are two of them, honest, but they got quite a bit of wear this winter and one of the fingers needs repairing.

The other FO was a stuffed stegosaurus for Chris back in April (he was a little amused that I still thought he was of an appropriate age for stuffed toys). That was from a pattern, and it was gorgeously silly, but I can't find it anymore. Hmmph. Turned out way easier than I thought, since it was my first toy, tail spikes and all. He was called Texas, and was incredibly goofy (my embroidery skills displaying themselves to full effect on the face.)

Wish I'd got a picture, but sadly the boyfriend is no more, and I feel it is not generally accepted good etiquette to ring up ex-lovers demanding photos of their dinosaurs.

I'm now finally at university (it's taken me long enough), doing Costume for Screen and Stage at Bournemouth, which is great, when its not driving me nuts and interrupting my sleep patterns. I just started my first making project a week and a half ago, and have been given a design for the widow from the Taming of the Shrew to make for April. Feeling a little daunted by the costs at the moment. We're probably going to need about 20m of various fabrics. Why couldn't I pick a nice cheap course like Maths? Hey ho. Spent this week pattern drafting and we should be ready to cross our fingers and start sewing up our toile tomorrow.

What the finished project will (hopefully) look like

Our bodice pattern - or at least two fifths of it

My lovely partner Hayley and our insane metre long hanging sleeves