From Blog photos

Okay, so this came last week. Monday I think? Anyway, yesterday it was finally sunny enough to take a photo of the package. It was really hard to resist waiting until today to open up the coffee. I don’t know what it is about the coffee that the Unique Sheep send, but it always seems to be amazing and have tons of caffeine in it. The coffee beans I buy here (either from the supermarket or from a coffee stall at the farmers market) just don’t have that same kick. The mug is super cute and has been officially designated being MY mug. O and N know that it’s mine alone to use. Just like the other Unique Sheep mug I received in a previous round of Sip N Stitch from a few years ago. MY mugs. Mine.

Now that that’s been cleared up, onto other things! First up, spinning! I am so close to being done that I’m almost giddy. Turns out I got three small hanks from the fibre. It looks to be fingering weight, 2-ply. Well, I know it is 2-ply since I just plied it, but I haven’t measured my wpi yet. The first hank is fully plied, twist set, dried, wound onto niddy noddy and calculated yardage, and twisted up into a hank, but I still need to weigh it. The next step for the second batch is to go on the niddy noddy. Third batch needs to be dunk & thwacked. I only just finished plying it. I was determined to get it done before writing up this week’s post. And yay, I did!

As for my knitting, I’ve still got the Ruba’iyat mittens going. Had a few false starts: the green wasn’t contrasting enough so I frogged it all and restarted with an orange-y red and the same yellow, then I cast on the wrong number to stitches so I had to restart again. It’s gotten to the point where this has become a process knit for me. I like knitting it, but I’m just not thrilled with the end result like I usually am. So that’s going a bit slow. I’m going to cast on a very quick project later on tonight. We’re doing Secret Santa at work again this year (limit is £5.00), and the person that I got I know pretty much nothing about. But I do see them reading during their lunch breaks so I’m going to get a £5.00 gift card to Waterstones and knit a bookmark. I’ve also got most of my family’s presents sorted out. Obviously, I can’t list them here, but there are a few quick projects that I’m planning on churning out during my week off.

Oh look at that, it’s my week off! Glorious sleeping in? You’d think I’d try to sleep in as much as I can. But no, my body won’t let me. Woke me up at 7:30 today (it’s a Sunday for crying out loud) and I just felt silly trying to fall back asleep at that time, so I got up and watched an episode of Mad Men while I waited for O & N to get up. I like not having to worry about being quiet while cleaning.

I’ve also finally caught up with my RSS feed (had almost 200 entries to read/watch last week!). So now I’m looking for new stuff to watch/read. Any recommendations? To give you an idea, I currently watch Yarnivore and Round the Twist with Carin. I also listen to Cast On, ChopBard and CraftLit. I have a few episodes of 2 Knit Lit Chicks downloaded, but I haven’t listened to them yet. Can you tell I was an English Lit major? Speaking of English Lit, on a whim I checked out what classes my old university is offering for the degree I did. They all sound so cool. They’re offering lit classes like “Demons, Degenerates And New Women: Fin De Siecle Fictions” and “Renaissance Magic” and “Other Worlds: Utopia To Lilliput” and “Haunting Texts: Victorian And Modern Ghost Stories” and “Romantic Eroticism” and… I wanna take all of these classes! Why can’t I be a student for the rest of my life? Or why doesn’t either of the Sheffield universities offer cool classes like these as night classes? I seem to really want to be a student again. I’ve even started dreaming about it. Last night I dreamt that my dad sent me back to Montana since I was so happy there. I even had my old roommate Michelle rooming with me! Apparently she needed three more credits (ie one class) to graduate. But O really wasn’t happy with this and he was all grumpy because he thought I’d be there for a whole year and it turns out that it was only for six weeks but he still didn’t like it and… really, the dream didn’t make a lot of sense after that. So instead of getting to be a student again, I’m going to make up my own reading list from the ones listed for the modules I’m interested in and see how that goes.

No photo this time. Mainly because there isn’t anything to show. Spinning is still going along as planned. All of the fibre has now been spun up and I’ve even started the plying process. Still madly in love with it. The fibre and colours are wonderful to work with. Can’t wait to knit with the finished yarn.

In knitting news, Secret II (using Handmaiden SeaSilk which was *really* nice to work with) has been bound off. And to celebrate, I’ve cast on a pair of colourwork mittens in the Ruba’iyat pattern by Heather Desserud. I’ve already completed the cuff patterning. I do have one quibble about the pattern so far: there are no finished measurements listed. Which means that even if I get the gauge listed, I’ll have no idea what size my mittens will actually be. So, based on my experience knitting the Andalus mittens by HD, I’m went up to 2,75mm dpns instead of 2,5mm as written. My Andalus mittens are perfect except that they are a tad too short. I’m hoping that my current mittens will be longer, but they’ll also probably be looser since I went up a needle size. If they turn out really massive, I can just wear a pair of gloves underneath like I do with the mittens that my grandma knit for me years ago.

Yesterday, I baked a cake. A Chocolate Cola Cake to be exact. I was a bit dubious about using Coke (well, decaf Diet Coke since that’s what we had at the time) in the cake, but it worked. O went out and bought some “full-fat” Coke to use in the frosting since aspartame does weird things. The cake itself is very moist and a bit gooey. But everyone’s liked it so I’d say it was a success.

Charlotte came over earlier. She’s a friend I met through dancing and today while we watched Persuasion (2007 version) I also taught/reminded her how to knit. She knows how to knit, but hadn’t done it for ages so I basically just taught her how to cast on and then let her have at it. She came over to keep me company for a little bit while O went to a dance comp in Scarborough. He & E did very well. Came 3rd in both Novice and Intermediate Ballroom; came 1st in both Beginners and Novice Latin. The one thing that I’ve noticed while I lack a dance partner: I don’t miss competing, but I do miss being able to dance at dance class. Lately a lot of the Novice classes turn into supervised practices. Which isn’t a lot of fun for the ones who don’t have partners (mainly me and Charlotte). I’ve learned to bring a book with me so that if it does turn into a practice, then I just go sit to the side and read while O dances.

Only one week to go! I’ve been counting down for the last two weeks until we have week off work. I plan on whipping the dining room into shape. I want at least a part of my dining table back, so we’re going to move the table a bit and get some of the computers hidden a bit better (and off the table!). Plus, it’ll be easier to vacuum once all of that has been done. Lame vacation plans, I know, but I’m kind of excited. Might even have enough space to start eating at the table again! ^_^

From Blog photos

Quite often, I forget how much I love spinning. I don’t own a wheel, only two drop spindles, so when I do spin it takes me awhile to get a finished yarn. I think that’s what puts me off. It’s a long term project.

But last weekend, I got the urge to spin again. Nina picked out three tops from my stash and I picked from those (I wasn’t able to choose by myself). It’s one of my more recent purchases: UK Merino Top in Tobacco Rose from Wildcraft Fibres. Love it. Absolutely madly in love with it. The photo of the spinning in progress does not do justice to the pretty colours. I’m almost halfway through the 100g. Might even have a finished yarn by the end of November (told you it takes me a long time to spin!).

In knitting news, the Maluka scarf is done. Just needs to be blocked. It was a fun quick knit. No photos yet though. Keep watching my Rav feed though, photos might appear there sooner than they appear here. After I bound that off, I haven’t actually knit anything. I’ve crocheted squares for FrankenBlanket, but it’s just not as satisfying as knitting. And the reason why I haven’t been knitting? I’ve been working out the math for a new design. I don’t want to cast on until I’ve got it all worked out.

That’s it for now. I know, not that exciting, but I can’t really talk about what I’m knitting until I’ve actually knit something. I kinda want to cast on a sweater and a pair of socks and a shawl and mittens and… well, I want to cast on a lot of stuff and it’s gotten to the point where I can’t decide what to cast on first. In the meantime, I’ll go back to spinning.

Yeesh, it’s been three weeks since I last posted. Been a bit busy. Like getting the above pattern tested and ready for download! The Berry Berry mitts are knit with two weights of yarn (aran and worsted) with optional beading (only need 8 4mm beads and a crochet hook). If don’t want to do beads, that’s just fine, there’s still the berry lace pattern to keep it interesting. The pattern also comes with two short photo tutorials on how to place beads with a crochet hook and how to do a backwards loop cast on. I was originally going to call it the Blackberry Pearl (blackberries because of the yarn colour and lace pattern; pearl because of the beads) but then O pointed out that that’s a phone… Then one of my testers used pink and red in her mitts and they reminded me of raspberries, so I changed the name to Berry Berry so it can be whatever berry you pick.

As for my other knitting, I’ve knit a pair of Ken Phelz by Heather Zoppetti from Malabrigo Sock in Velvet Grapes (so so pretty). Just need to weave in ends and take photos. I’ve almost completed a scarf/shawlette called Maluka using LuLu’s TM Sock in Lamponi. When I saw the pattern, which a free Rav download btw, my first reaction was: “Yes! Finally a pattern that’ll work with this yarn!” I’d had the yarn wound for about a month. I was going to use it for socks, but then decided I don’t actually like tencel on my feet, so I set it aside. I only have three and a half rows to go (they’re really really long rows now) before bind off, so I predict getting that finished today.

I also finally have a photo of me wearing my Cadence sweater. I’ve had this done for quite awhile now, but just hadn’t had a chance to take photos of it. It was an easy and fairly quick knit (pattern from Knitty, last fall I think? By Jordana Paige). If I were to knit it again, I’d probably make the body just an inch or two longer. Oh! And I tried out Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off for the first time with this project. LOVE it. I really like the edge that the sleeves now have. It’s not as neat as my usual bind off, but that’s okay since the rest of the sweater is fairly plain.

So yesterday, when O had a private dance lesson, I sat in Starbucks doing some research (tried their Creme Brulee Macchiato; not bad but probably won’t buy it again). I just re-read that sentence and realized it could come off wrong; no, I wasn’t researching their coffees, but that’s the coffee I had. XD O had this brilliant idea for knitting patterns, so I was researching that while he danced. I just hope these will turn out as awesome as I’ve got them imagined in my head. And that’s all I’ll say about that for now. But as usual, I will be needing testers. If anyone wants to volunteer, just let me know and I’ll put you on a spreadsheet where I’ve got everyone’s info of what kinds of patterns they want to test.

Speaking of dancing, my dance partner Ian and I have decided to part ways. He couldn’t commit to the same amount of time I want to set aside for dancing, so we figured it would be best to split now instead of in a few months when both of us would get frustrated with the other. I had a trial with a guy who went to Oxford, but as he’d rather concentrate on Latin and I’m definitely a Ballroom girl, it didn’t work out. So I’m still on the lookout for a new partner. Still going to dance classes, but it’s not as fun to go now that I don’t have anyone to dance with.

But! There is the Scarborough dance festival next month. The competition that O & E are hoping/planning to go to is on Sunday, but the festival starts on Tuesday. O suggested that the two of us go over already on Saturday and join in on the tea dances and workshops they’ve got and spend the night there. It sounds like fun, so I hope we do decide to do it.

So, since I’ve been busy, I’ve decided to just show off some pictures of my last two weeks instead of telling you all about it.

There’s been dancing.

Yorkshire Dance Festival - September 17th 2011 4th place Under 35 Beginner’s Ballroom

From Blog photos

Then there’s been knitting.

I.B. Footsie by Heather Zoppetti - finished the pair this morning

From Blog photos

Then there’s been baking.

Lemon cake topped with fresh whipped cream and strawberries

From Blog photos

Then there’s been shopping.

Sheffield Wool and Textile Craft Fair - Project bag from Sally Made-it and yarn from Fondant Fibres

From Blog photos

And finally there’s been nail polish. What would my life be without nail polish?

The label says Strawberry Fizz - I call it Barbie PINK.

From Blog photos

From Blog photos

I finished my Dawn Gnot socks last night (actually wearing them right now, a sure sign summer is on its way out when I need to put on wool socks). They’re from the Criminal Sock Investigations e-book by Heather Zoppetti. Each pattern has a little blurb about what that particular sock has done. I think it’s a nice touch. There’s a KAL for it over on the Ravelry group for it. These are my first pair and I’ve already cast on for my second pair (Desi Myna). I used Woolhunter’s Ewereka Sock in Foxy Lady (a birthday gift from Lucy) on 2.5mm dpns. I also twisted the cables the other way on the second sock like it suggests in the pattern. Used Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off for the first time ever. It is super stretchy. As for mods, the back of the leg is supposed to be stockinette stitch, but I changed that to 1x1 ribbing (and added one st) because I wanted to make sure the leg would have enough stretch and snugness at the same time. The pattern itself is fairly easy to memorise after a few repeats, but doing socks toe up on dpns kinda feels like I’m wrestling with a hedgehog in the beginning. While I don’t mind doing socks toe up that much, I definitely prefer knitting them cuff down. That’s the way I’m used to doing them (just like I will only use dpns for socks, magic looping bugs me as does 2 circs).

My Cadence sweater is going along fine. It’s really great TV knitting since most of it is stockinette stitch. I’m almost done with the body decreases, then it’s just straight knitting until I get to the hem ribbing. Then, of course, come the two sleeves. But I’m in no rush with this. I like having it as mindless knitting.

In other news, I got my hair cut today! While for most this isn’t really news, I only get mine cut about once a year. Last time I got it cut was in December 2010. The time before that, January 2010. I like low maintenance, so I chop off a chunk (still have it fairly long, past my shoulders) and then I just let it grow until it bugs me again. And it only really starts to bug me when I have my hair down and it keeps getting trapped in my elbows. My hair smells really yummy right now. I don’t know what the stuff is that they put in it when they blow dry and straighten my hair, but it sure smells nice. It is kinda silly trying to straighten my hair when it’s wet and/or humid. It just sproings back into its weird curls.

I really like this whole having time off work but not going anywhere thing we’re doing. O & I are taking long walks and just talk until the weather or our legs tell us it’s time to go home. And I’m making a lot of progress on my knitting and actually writing up/typing up patterns that I’ve had semi-ready for awhile. I’ve still got 5 days worth of holiday time to use up for this year so I’m planning on having another week off like this sometime in November (probably, will have to check what works for both me & O).

From Blog photos

We find Stalagmite once again in the naughty corner. I swear there is just something wrong with me when knitting this pattern. First sock went in the naughty corner after I messed up the cabling in the leg of the sock (I later ripped back three rounds and fixed it). Now it’s sock #2 that’s causing me grief. Just compare the top bit of the photo with the lower half. You’ll see. I was watching the latest ep of True Blood and apparently not paying enough attention to the sock. I haven’t ripped back yet, but I will tomorrow. When I’m done being mad at it.

In the meantime, I’ve cast on Dawn Gnot by Heather Zoppetti with some Woolhunter that Lucy gave me as a birthday present. So far I’ve done the toe and one pattern repeat. I only work on it while at work (as in waiting for work to start or during my lunch break) so it’s not seeing as much action as Stalagmite (a lot of good that’s done!).

I’ve also caved into a very strong urge and cast on Cadence by Jordana Paige (a Knitty pattern). I’m using the green yarn I bought this summer while in Finland (at 3 100g skeins for 5€, there was no way I’d say no to that deal). I’m using 5mm circs and so far I’ve done about 10 rounds. I really like the pattern so far. Turns out, I like quite a few of Jordana’s patterns. I’ve already knit Isabella (summer top), an apron and I’ve got Amused (a sweater) queued up. And I’m considering Starsky, but I don’t really knit jackets so who knows if I’ll ever get around to that one.

From Blog photos

Meet Chicken #1 and Chicken #2. They don’t have names yet. Probably never will. Why do I have chickens? Well, some of you may know about Beyonce the metal chicken. I told this story to O’s mother and ended it with: “You know, I kinda want one now.” Two weeks later, I’ve got chickens guarding my plant pot (which is full of weeds). She’s awesome that way. Doesn’t think I’m silly for wanting chickens, just goes out and finds me some. So today, while it was very sunny and warm out, I sat next to the chickens knitting and listening to Chop Bard (currently working my way through The Tempest).

Anyhoo, knitting news. Twisted Flowers are done. I love the colour. It’s so happy. There’s a picture of them on my Ravelry project page if anyone’s interested. I’ve started a pair of Stalagmites (again, by Cookie A). They look great, but omg the knitting is going by so slowly! I think it’s partly because I have to keep checking which chart I’m on and that slows me down (for some reason I just can’t seem to memorise this pattern). But I’ve made it past the heel and am about halfway through the gusset on the left sock. Definitely not portable knitting. But I’ve got my yarn wound for some (hopefully!) portable socks: Dawn Gnot by Heather Zoppetti. I’ll probably cast those on tomorrow during my lunch. Which reminds me, I should probably print out the pattern…

And there are more additions to my stash! Since I loved the base on my Twisted Flower socks so much, I bought more from Stitches ‘N Rows! I got the colourways Bombay Sapphire and Moody. The package originally arrived on Wednesday (so it took about a week to get here from the US), but since no one was in to accept it, I had it redelivered on Saturday. The yarn looks so much better in person. It’s so intense. Better than Wollmeise, imo. And a lot softer! I’ve also heard that they’re getting a new base, merino/cashmere/nylon if I remember correctly. I can’t wait until they’ve got that so I can send them a custom dye request. :D

Oh and I’ve finally got some Signature needles! O and R bought me a circ each, so now I’ve got 3.75mm and 4mm circs waiting to be used. I just need to pick a pattern for my green yarn (making a sweater) and off I go. So excited.

From Blog photos

It’s done and blocked! Took me almost a month to knit this (Omelet from Knitty.com), mainly because I could only work on it while at home. And you know what else I discovered today? Photographing green projects in our garden is really tricky. The two others that I deemed worthy enough to be shared with others are posted to the project page on Ravelry. But I love it and can’t wait to wear it. Still a tad too warm to be needing shawls, so for now it’ll just hang out in the living room with my Laminaria.

My Twisted Flowers are coming along nicely. I’m ready for the heel flap on sock #2. I’d be further along if I hadn’t gotten distracted by a new design idea. The pattern’s almost ready to be sent to testers. I’m hoping for it be ready for public consumption by the end of September, but as always, I’ll announce it here on my blog when the pattern’s available for download. I’m also winding yarn for a pair of Dawn Gnots (by Heather Zoppetti). I’ll be using some Woolhunter Ewereka! (100% BFL) that I received as a birthday gift from Lucy last year. I’m tired of not having a portable project so Dawn Gnot it is.

In other news, the attic and the office rooms are finally as organized as they’ll get. Still need to buy a bookshelf and containers from IKEA so I can sort my stash better, but other than that, they’re done! I might even get some sewing done now that there’s space in the attic. We’ll see. Knitting will always be my first addiction, but the pull of sewing a dress for myself is fairly strong right now…