tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31351401700588378832024-03-05T06:37:11.386+01:00Nibs, Needles and NappiesViolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242431318537049939noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135140170058837883.post-85998452046057330352014-08-04T01:45:00.001+02:002014-08-04T01:45:13.624+02:00Road Trip knittingI've a big road trip coming up at the end of the month. I'm beyond excited because I'm going to Knit August Nights. Himself bought me the registration and the classes as a birthday present, so we're all heading down to Napier for a few days. He'll wrangle the two little whirlwinds for the day while I go to classes and buy yarn. <br />
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But. There's a lot of driving time. It's about 6 hours each way. I've been working on ways to keep The Whirlwinds busy in the car (more about that later - Pinterest has a lot to answer for!), but now I've realised I need to keep <em>myself</em> occupied too - I'm firmly in passenger mode for road trips, so need to keep my hands busy. <br />
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All of which means.... Road Trip Knitting!! <br />
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I've always been really bad at planning travel knitting. I either bring something too complicated, or nearly finished, or bring the wrong needles or forget the second colour of yarn. Not this time. I have 3 weeks to plan this. <br />
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Any ideas would be gratefully received, but I'm thinking that these are the requirements: <br />
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- relatively easy to put down in the middle of the row to deal with The Whirlwinds, look at scenery, navigate<br />
- uses some of my stash<br />
- complicated enough to keep me interested - there's only so many acres of stocking stitch one person can do <br />
- doesn't need lots of notions or different sized needles etc. <br />
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I suspect there may need to be a few different projects packed in case I get bored of one. <br />
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Off I go to Ravelry to begin my search....Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242431318537049939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135140170058837883.post-50731793132423669812014-07-28T10:42:00.000+02:002014-07-28T10:42:00.260+02:00If the hat doesn't fit....I've been feeling the need to get back blogging again. Possibly due to getting marginally more sleep, and having more free brain power.<br />
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But this blog doesn't fit any more. We are pretty much nappy free, and I don't write much any more. But I bake. A lot. And exclusively without dairy or eggs because of Miss C's allergies.<br />
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So I think a name change is needed. But inspiration is severely lacking (which doesn't bode well for blog topics, does it?)<br />
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I'll do a revamp when inspiration strikes, but in the meantime if anyone feels like throwing a few suggestions my way....Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242431318537049939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135140170058837883.post-79274114610008759162012-04-08T09:59:00.000+02:002012-04-08T09:59:50.585+02:00FO: "You're the Best" Cardigan<br />
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<b>Pattern: Summer Days Cardigan (<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/summer-days">Rav link</a>)</b><br />
<b>Yarn: Fyberspates Sterling Silver Sparkle Sock</b><br />
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This yarn was bought because of my inability to resist anything that sparkles. It called out to me from the stand at Knit Nation in 2010... and then stayed, unknit in my stash. I couldn't bring myself to knit socks from such a fabulously sparkly yarn, and nothing else suggested itself. So, there it sat in my stash until my Little Whirlwind, who has a similar inability to resist sparkles, spotted it.<br />
"Can you make me something from that, Mummy?".<br />
How could I resist?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNQ-TsbjSDNERSyAWpCzS850K9bblt6ZI-grVFwVxzKxHqDXXn3r5hwO9x17mHdU6JniGPaZRUnw0QoXcw23uiluwjqATjWOJ8lKvJj_t4jJjQDIagg5ITMtvZQZ5A-xgYuDuSq25WEBqk/s1600/blogger-image--1375183851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNQ-TsbjSDNERSyAWpCzS850K9bblt6ZI-grVFwVxzKxHqDXXn3r5hwO9x17mHdU6JniGPaZRUnw0QoXcw23uiluwjqATjWOJ8lKvJj_t4jJjQDIagg5ITMtvZQZ5A-xgYuDuSq25WEBqk/s320/blogger-image--1375183851.jpg" /></a>But it still remained unknit. I couldn't find the right pattern, or the patterns I did find required more yarn than I had available. Until I found the Summer Days pattern.<br />
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I think it was a good match, don't you?<br />
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The pattern was tricky to follow in spots, quite a bit of "repeat rows 4, 5 and 3 six times". Easy enough in reality, but when combined with sleep deprivation, I had to resort to a pen and paper every now and then. But it was worth it. It's the perfect cardigan for our weather here at the moment, chilly in the morning and warming up later on.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6YPy_o7-Tv4q181n8pLtX4eJxIf-aedhxN-cGwGH4QKAY7V3UG7JScsayu68pUqHTQ7lxj-UE9OBoPp5k3l6qN7ghUBvAvm6Kmc2YN2D9QK9oOqEaHph_7tSSrIscu4Tb-_7vFf1Av0Ig/s640/blogger-image--1760209800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6YPy_o7-Tv4q181n8pLtX4eJxIf-aedhxN-cGwGH4QKAY7V3UG7JScsayu68pUqHTQ7lxj-UE9OBoPp5k3l6qN7ghUBvAvm6Kmc2YN2D9QK9oOqEaHph_7tSSrIscu4Tb-_7vFf1Av0Ig/s320/blogger-image--1760209800.jpg" width="239" /></a>And the name of my project? Well, when Little Whirlwind saw me knitting with the yarn, she asked if it was for her. When I said yes, her response was: "You're the best, Mum!". Talk about seriously knitworthy...<br />
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<span id="goog_909798241"></span><span id="goog_909798242"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFswTKN2KNr-dG8wQ08678uPz05EHZRfkp8Ebajy-saGcAO4UsmNDjUXJZiDdbcame69vdiIKiprx93kxNsWe_D_0rGRpRX03Guv1PIzQoVYzu-uXCV3bXzqkguYRnhgxmVFOJwiSQcS4R/s640/blogger-image--1401052925.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFswTKN2KNr-dG8wQ08678uPz05EHZRfkp8Ebajy-saGcAO4UsmNDjUXJZiDdbcame69vdiIKiprx93kxNsWe_D_0rGRpRX03Guv1PIzQoVYzu-uXCV3bXzqkguYRnhgxmVFOJwiSQcS4R/s640/blogger-image--1401052925.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's brilliant. It gives details of craft shops all around New Zealand - knitting, quilting, scrapbooking. It even includes suggestions for sightseeing and places to eat. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We do a lot of driving with G's hobby, so it's a great addition to my usual method of spending a couple of hours on google finding out about where we're going and hoping to stumble on a craft shop. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There's only one problem. It was last updated in 2004. Things have to have changed since then. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Then the very clever D suggested on twitter that I update it myself. So here is the introduction. As I visit all the places, I'll report back on whether they are still there, or if things have changed. Gives me something to focus on when we're travelling around, and lets you all see the wonderful craft shops around here. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">First up, Hamilton & Cambridge (Part 1)... soon.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And then, I'll have to find my own copy of it. There's only so long I can keep this copy out of the library! </div>Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242431318537049939noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135140170058837883.post-84595334960781469142012-03-16T04:06:00.001+01:002012-03-16T04:06:54.237+01:00Blogging on the move...In an attempt to, you know, actually write blog posts rather than just compose them in my head, I've decided to get a blog app for my phone. <br />
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We shall see how it works!<br />
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In the meantime, coming up soon (I promise, I promise!), posts on The Crafty Girls Guide to NZ, some FOs, a few fun discoveries, and the long awaited opening of my spinning wheel.Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242431318537049939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135140170058837883.post-9678786394962262252012-01-28T10:23:00.000+01:002012-01-28T10:23:54.766+01:00AccountabilityThere's a lot that needs to be blogged. And a lot that happened so long ago that blogging about it seems a little silly now... a baby, packing up a house, shipping two lots of furniture in different directions, Christmas at home, and another move. Some of it I may get back to. But first.... accountability.<br />
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Tomorrow we will be hopefully heading to a woollen mills in Rotorua. There will be yarn purchased. So, before I loose the run of myself completely, I'm reminding myself of my stashdown rules and putting them here so that I can be reminded of them if I stray too far from the path. Being finally in the land of merino sheep and what seems like alpacas at every turn, I couldn't commit to a "pure" stashdown of buying no yarn. So... the rules:<br />
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<b>Rule 1</b>: <b><i>One in Two Out</i></b>: For every ball/skein of yarn purchased, two must leave my stash in some form.<br />
<b>Rule 2: <i>Antipodean Yarn Only</i></b>: The only yarn I can buy must come from the southern hemisphere. So, in reality, NZ or Australia. Although, on a technicality, I'm leaving myself a little wiggle room here... in case of urgent need for Malabrigo!<br />
<b>Rule 3: <i>Souvenir Yarn Must Be Local</i>:</b> And by that I mean, very local. Farm shops, local mills etc.<br />
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<b><u>Exception 1</u></b>: Souvenir yarn doesn't have to follow the "One in Two Out" rule, but should at least be bought with a project in mind.<br />
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So, there we are. The Rules of Stashdown 2012. Let's see how far I get!Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242431318537049939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135140170058837883.post-83730134310323376262011-08-13T18:26:00.001+02:002011-08-13T18:27:31.388+02:00A bright spot in the weekIt has been a bit of a hard and frustrating week - false labour, back pain and generally feeling the size of a house, combined with missing the Little Whirlwind, who is currently keeping her poor grandparents busy (and worn out).<br />
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But there's always a bright spot, and this week it arrived via the postman.<br />
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I arrived home one day to find a package sitting on the doorstep, and when I opened it, discovered this package from the lovely <a href="http://knitinc.blogspot.com/">Sinead</a>.<br />
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There was a half second of "goodness, the baby isn't actually here yet, so should I be opening this" which was followed swiftly by "for goodness sake, the crib is made up in my bedroom and I've bought everything, this is no time to be superstitious". And thank goodness for that, because the contents of the little package really brightened up my week.<br />
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Firstly, there was a beautiful handmade card.<br />
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And then, the knitting. Oh, the lovely knitting.<br />
Booties<br />
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A little jacket (and it's so soft and cuddly...)<br />
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A bib. When DH saw this he asked me was it not too pretty to actually use. I nearly agree with him - except it's so lovely and soft and cute that it would be a crying shame not to put it to as much use as possible.<br />
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And, the final breathtaking piece.<br />
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How beautiful is that? It is so soft and delicate. Sinead seems to have unconsciously known that I've been having trouble knitting a 'coming home' hat for this baby. Nothing I cast on seemed to be quite right. Well, I don't need to worry now. What little bundle wouldn't be happy to come home from hospital being kept warm by this?<br />
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This is one very lucky baby. And I'm a very lucky and grateful Mum, with a truly lovely knitting friend.<br />
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Thank you Sinead.Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242431318537049939noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135140170058837883.post-5544841565001538282011-07-26T21:06:00.000+02:002011-07-26T21:06:31.810+02:00Is this the cutest thing I have ever knit?It can't be too far off.<br />
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<a href="http://lookingglassknits.blogspot.com/2007/10/sheep-yoke-baby-cardigan-pattern.html">Sheep Yoke Baby Cardigan</a> from Looking Glass Knits (Rav<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sheep-yoke-baby-cardigan"> link</a>)<br />
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There's still some work to do - duplicate stitching on the sheep, blocking and weaving in ends. But it is so adorable already. So adorable in fact that I'm going to do another one - and maybe get my knitting maths out to re-size it to teeny tiny baby size.Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242431318537049939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135140170058837883.post-18306397857000005072011-07-03T21:03:00.000+02:002011-07-03T21:03:54.033+02:00How it all startedI was reading Doogarry's <a href="http://doogarry.wordpress.com/">blog </a>the other day - more specifically <a href="http://doogarry.wordpress.com/2011/06/30/how-it-all-started/">this </a>post, and it got me thinking about how I got started - and re-started - knitting.<br />
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Like Doogarry, and I'd say most our our generation, I learnt to knit at primary school. I wasn't particularly good at it. In fact, my brother was significantly better. That was usually the way - I was the book worm, he was the practical, hands-on person. For a long time my creativity was channeled towards the written word, anything artistic or creative tended to be beyond me, and I felt more in control of pen or the keyboard than needles or paintbrushes (we will gloss over the apron I was forced to make in 1st year of secondary school, and my dreadful attempts in compulsory art classes).<br />
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I picked up the knitting needles only once in my teenage years. There was a rule in our house that TV could only be watched in the daytime if you were doing something constructive at the same time. I was a football fan, so the household ironing usually got done on a Saturday afternoon as a result. At one stage, there must have been either a lot of football or not a lot of ironing, so I picked up the needles again and made a teddy bear. He's still around somewhere. When DH saw him for the first time he nicknamed him "roadkill teddy". I was in my mid 20s before I knit another stitch.<br />
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In 2005 I was living in Vilnius, Lithuania. I was on duty over the Christmas period, so couldn't get home. My parents decided they would visit me instead. I was all set for their arrival - with one difficulty - they were getting in at 3am. Local television (even when I could understand it) wasn't great after 10pm, and after about midnight turned a little "blue". I needed something to occupy me so I wouldn't fall asleep waiting for them. I spotted knitting needles and cheap acrylic in the supermarket and embarked on a scarf. It kept me awake for the evening, and reignited my knitting knowledge. A friend showed me how to cable and knit in the round a few weeks later, and my first 'grown-up' FO was born - a hot water bottle cozy. Alas the scarf never made it... tiny needles and squeaky acrylic, I was never going to finish it.<br />
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When I returned to Ireland I discovered This is Knit - sock knitting classes, lace classes, hauling myself into Blackrock when heavily pregnant, and later using my precious hours of 'me-time' to slip back in and replenish my stash. And now, scheduling trips in there when I'm back home, because it wouldn't be a trip home without a visit.<br />
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Somewhere along the way, I discovered that while I may be more comfortable with the written word, the stitch-by-stitch nature of knitting means I have discovered some practical creativity. I've learnt things about colour and texture and materials I thought I would never grasp. I've made some incredible friends - some of whom I have yet to actually physically meet.<br />
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It has been a very interesting journey.Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242431318537049939noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135140170058837883.post-62952431108945249322011-07-03T20:39:00.000+02:002011-07-03T20:39:31.747+02:00FOs: Eyelet yoke cardigan and Drops baby cardiganIt's been a productive week.<br />
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Three and a half hours spent sitting at the local hospital having blood tests to rule out gestational diabetes meant lots of extra time for knitting. Add that to an enforced deadline of Wednesday night for one of the baby cardigans and you get two FOs within the space of just over a week.<br />
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<b>FO 1: Eyelet yoke cardigan</b> (<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/eyelet-yoke-baby-cardigan">Rav link</a>) (<a href="http://carole.barenys.com/EyeletYokeCardigan.html">pattern link</a>)<br />
This was a gift for A's teacher. She's due her second around the same time I am, and as school finished on Thursday, and Belgians aren't quite as superstitious as the Irish about giving baby gifts so early, I decided I'd do a little baby cardigan for her. Of course, I only decided this on Saturday evening.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdZVITx_le4jkel9cplo3RuuRquXNIagMrnTA1_0p4Cpf81Wj2YAFZvIlr6kWwk20fzmZ0p1lxJTC_d6qIPOKWpn6olnDMHSHzcjNXWcLahQ2MrcNJLGvxyTN3VxFBcCZv_9vtG__qGO3n/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdZVITx_le4jkel9cplo3RuuRquXNIagMrnTA1_0p4Cpf81Wj2YAFZvIlr6kWwk20fzmZ0p1lxJTC_d6qIPOKWpn6olnDMHSHzcjNXWcLahQ2MrcNJLGvxyTN3VxFBcCZv_9vtG__qGO3n/s320/photo.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>I found the buttons in the depths of my knitting basket. I'm sure I got them for some specific purpose ages ago, but they seemed made for this little cardigan.<br />
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<b>FO 2: Drops baby cardigan</b> (<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/0-684-baby-cardigan-with-short-long-raglan-sleeves">Rav link</a>) (<a href="http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/en/visoppskrift.php?d_nr=0&d_id=684&lang=us">pattern link</a>)<br />
My first attempt at a drops pattern. It felt a bit like the knitting equivalent of riding a bike without stabilisers for the first time! As @bioniclaura told me on twitter... more like guidelines than a pattern. Well, the guidelines worked wonders. I did have to resort to pen and paper to map out the yoke, just to be sure I had it right. I'd grabbed some lovely cotton/milk fibre yarn (Linea Pura Latte from Lana Grossa) as I was running out the door to the hospital on Wednesday, so had to cast on with what I had. The stitch gauge was right, but I'm not sure the row gauge was. Something went wrong with the neckline in any case. But I love it. If the yarn blocks as nicely as I expect it to, I'll be doing a few more of these - I bought quite a bit of the yarn a while ago, but never quite figured out what to do with it.<br />
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Next up? A hat to match the drops cardigan (already cast off). And then, when I get a quiet evening, finally plucking up the courage to do that steeking I've been putting off...Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242431318537049939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135140170058837883.post-67742860421239297482011-06-24T20:39:00.000+02:002011-06-24T20:39:17.221+02:00Clearing the decksI think this must be some sort of knitter's version of nesting (in which case, baby: it's a little early just yet, how about you stay put another few weeks), but recently I've felt the need to work my way through various WIPs that were in various stages of completeness.<br />
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With the result that...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUMAvSUkuehLO2Zbx9rHMUxTQWBMMlk8Ga_Q4XCNACxe-PYauNVSlez7lDK5_Py7dD1lWuZ1fshCskkzQyYWOcqteE02Vpp4OXnQ5hyphenhyphenqCzlVYQPx6SmHIRW080KWERI9cd5ErBCNBPjOJD/s1600/066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUMAvSUkuehLO2Zbx9rHMUxTQWBMMlk8Ga_Q4XCNACxe-PYauNVSlez7lDK5_Py7dD1lWuZ1fshCskkzQyYWOcqteE02Vpp4OXnQ5hyphenhyphenqCzlVYQPx6SmHIRW080KWERI9cd5ErBCNBPjOJD/s320/066.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> I finished off my Centrique in Scrumptious DK from Fyberspates. After getting inexplicably stuck halfway through it was amazing how quickly I finished it once I sorted out the problems<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqPuPJKdzOR83DBEJL8Cb7XKL-VYJKNBMxdFyefC9FtVvi1kOpFivPZERpbCvqEQtALBDguCt7sEWUd7AKQsNN8FHaNkv4ZeJORPCX6TKSfyAa9p_8LVSSytQ51Qjs0E6LNQng6bvoR8Ot/s1600/069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqPuPJKdzOR83DBEJL8Cb7XKL-VYJKNBMxdFyefC9FtVvi1kOpFivPZERpbCvqEQtALBDguCt7sEWUd7AKQsNN8FHaNkv4ZeJORPCX6TKSfyAa9p_8LVSSytQ51Qjs0E6LNQng6bvoR8Ot/s320/069.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> I did the seams on my February baby sweater. It still needs to be blocked and have some buttons sewn on. I love this pattern and will have to find a lighter weight yarn to do a smaller version<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMxzyO8biZOBVsHNIdXyrRm5XDxW0DpL_-_1rssKbFZN5_-vRQgFO3vXqNd3Y8UvxEXBIFft6eVVq-N4Ev415ZYXIjdvA1RP4GM4tzC4EC84bOzsEimp-4rO_cL5P5IOlG3ZFiJJN_6oUE/s1600/072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMxzyO8biZOBVsHNIdXyrRm5XDxW0DpL_-_1rssKbFZN5_-vRQgFO3vXqNd3Y8UvxEXBIFft6eVVq-N4Ev415ZYXIjdvA1RP4GM4tzC4EC84bOzsEimp-4rO_cL5P5IOlG3ZFiJJN_6oUE/s320/072.JPG" width="320" /></a> I grafted the underarms on this little Owlet that has been sitting in my WIP pile for months. I'm not 100% happy with it, but I'm sure when it's actually on a baby it will look cute.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtQKoOHsT4BgseMOXvv0xs9LoBRbsOpWCef9DdFQNQtuCtpEMZiwkClLh-JCtBu9W7DThpud0EeSZJC2SIxdASIACAxGtgCzcGvAVbKYSx-FjjoiugfPBaMsCXaPyWMXALiklaPikWBmQf/s1600/073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtQKoOHsT4BgseMOXvv0xs9LoBRbsOpWCef9DdFQNQtuCtpEMZiwkClLh-JCtBu9W7DThpud0EeSZJC2SIxdASIACAxGtgCzcGvAVbKYSx-FjjoiugfPBaMsCXaPyWMXALiklaPikWBmQf/s200/073.JPG" width="149" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>And I weaved in ends on two baby blankets.<br />
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The striped one still needs a backing sewn on, but the cabled blanket (based on This is Knit's Cuddles and Cables Blanket) just needs to be blocked. <br />
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All of which means, I've only got WIPs left that are either completely ancient, or just started. And it also means I may not be able to put off steeking the baby cardigan for much longer.Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242431318537049939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135140170058837883.post-17325480142140854602011-06-11T20:58:00.000+02:002011-06-11T20:58:27.574+02:00Taking a leap...<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">I have just cast off my 'self-designed' (based mainly on Elizabeth Zimmerman's percentage system) baby cardigan. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">I can spot a few issues straight off... I think the ribbing is too deep, and the arms are a little long (although the cuffs can be folded up), and the body a little short. It's not completely awful though, which leads to the big issue. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">You'll note that there's no divide in the front, no button bands or place to put them. This is all because I had the crazy idea that I would steek this cardigan. Yes, take a scissors to my knitting and merrily cut up through it. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">And now, it's almost time. I can put it off just a little longer - weave a few ends in, graft the underarms, give it a good soak and block it. But very soon I'm going to have to bite the bullet and just do it. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Or perhaps I could wait until after this baby comes so at least I could have a stiff gin to help me on my way.... </div>Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242431318537049939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135140170058837883.post-81240755923304959992011-03-28T20:45:00.000+02:002011-03-28T20:45:41.903+02:00A belated Valentine's presentAround Valentine's Day I was lusting over something on ebay that looked like it was going to go well over the budget I'd set myself. So I resigned myself to letting it pass by. Until I got an email to say I had bought it - my lovely DH had bid on it, 'adding' his Valentine's budget to what I had intended to spend.<br />
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And then I had to wait. It was big and heavy and in the UK. So I had to wait until I was in the UK before I could get it. And that happened this weekend. I finally got to open it this evening.<br />
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First there was the package:<br />
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Which I opened to reveal this:<br />
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I'm told it's Shetland top (plus some lovely mohair boucle and bluefaced Leicester DK). But, believe it or not, that's just the padding. What sort of lovely package gets the honour of such lovely padding? And does all this lovely fibre mean I have to learn to spin now?<br />
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Under all the lovely padding lay this:<br />
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A wonderfully beautiful antique Cymbal sock knitter. <br />
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I was truly spoilt.<br />
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However, I now need to learn how to use it!<br />
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Some of the highlights of the year:<br />
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* Knit Nation: There are not enough words to describe what a wonderful weekend I had. Firstly, there was the joy of the solo trip. I used to travel a lot by myself before the Little Whirlwind came along, but trips these days are usually a family affair. Equally entertaining, but very different.<br />
Then there was the yarn. Oh, so much beautiful yarn. My half-empty suitcase did not stay that way for long. I was lucky I'd set myself a budget or we'd still be eating beans on toast to compensate. I went to two great classes, but the real highlight was the people I met. Sinead and Laura - Irish knitters I'd 'known' through Ravelry for a while, and new friends Gail (Flibbertygibbet) and Chalyn . Living here, isolated through language and other factors, it was so lovely to sit and knit and get to know people.<br />
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* Discovering a local craft fair. There may not have been much yarn, or many people crafting. But it was a craft fair where you could get beer and schnitzel. I shall be returning.<br />
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* Twitter. Sinead convinced me that I had to give in and try it when we met at Knit Nation. I've been hooked ever since. I've had virtual knit nights (#twitknit), met some new friends. And finally, during the chaos that was the European snow storm and my epic fight (and failure) to get home for Christmas, I'd have been lost without it, both for the support and the information.<br />
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* And finally, a highlight that snuck in right at the end of the year. With my Christmas holiday shortened, I didn't think I'd managed to fit in any knitting time, when someone suggested an impromtu Twitter/ knitty meet up in Dublin. I packed DH and Little Whirlwind off to the zoo and got myself into town. What a wonderful afternoon, seeing old friends, meeting new ones and finally being able to put faces to names, especially @alifeofherown (who has a standing invitation to really come and have those mince pies) and @undermeoxter (who it was a real joy to finally meet, and who seems to have forgiven me/the Belgian Postal Service for her Secret Santa gift last year arriving so late).<br />
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So, farewell 2010, you were pretty good to me really. I wonder what 2011 will bring...Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242431318537049939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135140170058837883.post-90715061433370343492010-10-10T19:23:00.000+02:002010-10-10T19:23:36.439+02:00Outgrowing a nameWhen I started this blog, the title was apt - I was trying to get back into writing, I was knitting regularly, and I was wrestling with the joys of having a new baby.<br />
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Now, the only part of nibs, needles and nappies that features regularly in my life are the knitting needles. Little Whirlwind has been out of nappies for months, and I've nearly given up on finding my writing groove again (it seems that, when I'm happy, the need for writing fades. I suppose not writing is a good sign in some ways...).<br />
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So, even though I'd love to get back writing again, and (all going to plan) there may be nappies in my future again at some stage... the blog name just feels wrong.<br />
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I wonder, do I change, or wait until it hopefully reflects my life again...Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242431318537049939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135140170058837883.post-13258710770358603292010-09-26T18:52:00.000+02:002010-09-26T18:52:04.276+02:00A Sunday outing<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Today I had a 'day pass'... husband took Little Whirlwind out for the day, and to avoid sitting at home all day and being tempted to do housework, I decided to see where I could go. And I struck gold. The <a href="http://www.hobbysalon.be/011/HobbyCreatiefSalon/Mechelen.htm">Hobby Salon</a> was on in Mechelen. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">So, I packed my knitting in my bag (EZ February Baby sweater), grabbed my dictionary and headed for the train. And it turned into one of those days where life in Belgium is pretty great. First of all, there was a deal - train ticket, plus shuttle bus to the venue, plus entry, a grand total of 14.50 euro. Considering entry alone was 10 euro, and parking would have been 4 euro - taking the train was an incredible bargain. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">And then, the fair itself. It's the sort of place that the Knitting and Stitching show in Dublin could take lessons from. Every stand seemed to be craft related. None of the usual stain remover/kitchen knives/magic something-or-other, no-one shouting from the stands - all good quality craft materials or craft-related things. There wasn't much yarn, it seemed to be focused more on quilting and scrapbooking, but there was enough to keep me occupied, and I spend quite a long time staring at the beautiful quilts on display wondering if I could take up yet another craft. I never got elbowed out of the way, never had to fight to get to a stand even though the place was very busy. Most importantly, I was actually able to walk around the hall without getting overheated and claustrophobic.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The layout of the hall was great - all around the sides were different food options - coffee and cakes in one part, sandwich bar in another, full meals in another. And then, on one side of the hall a "beer hall". Schnitzel and beer. Bliss. Not cheap, but not too expensive, and the portion could have fed four people.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">What, did you think I was going to finish without showing you my haul...?</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK9SyXcOKPIFr_8QzSgcwCQiHVV7USF-9P4VB9YfVEVLYNcWuydUz-mY7S6qtufh6BZz_JTWliscR0XHcbisoDDHr52f9WZhEICt99GKQzSka2y45316WYVBR4M-orpDT1k8ockw8mEvUv/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK9SyXcOKPIFr_8QzSgcwCQiHVV7USF-9P4VB9YfVEVLYNcWuydUz-mY7S6qtufh6BZz_JTWliscR0XHcbisoDDHr52f9WZhEICt99GKQzSka2y45316WYVBR4M-orpDT1k8ockw8mEvUv/s200/005.JPG" width="200" /></a>First up, beautiful shetland yarn in lovely heathery purples from <a href="http://www.klazienskreatie.nl/">Klazien's Kreatie</a>.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And then I came across the <a href="http://www.tucanasdream.be/index.php?page=main">Tucana's Dream</a> stand. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigg4U0H8dSfxKDsWNuoQSTWeMvLF_Z3mo8BO5Gw3uZkG4jsALgWX-WMKXQ8u03b9SwiMzyMr0pqexh6y8IXfOuWpgzNtIV0OFwi3sWexnj928opf9pl87vV5UMAKxisDGw3dDtI0MpHzbY/s1600/011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigg4U0H8dSfxKDsWNuoQSTWeMvLF_Z3mo8BO5Gw3uZkG4jsALgWX-WMKXQ8u03b9SwiMzyMr0pqexh6y8IXfOuWpgzNtIV0OFwi3sWexnj928opf9pl87vV5UMAKxisDGw3dDtI0MpHzbY/s200/011.JPG" width="200" /></a> The colours are beautiful, and the skeins of sock yarn look generous too, so I got another one, in my favourite colour - teal. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9XKtfXXQQO_MlVxr80-fG_2GA55YnKPU55vXt_TeYTB_mdSjZUTbzo5C-FUD8og3OlcTWm8TIf6z7gVcNxaK_MvW3XFoIO4Cc9JjF-ZFlBEWt6VxbHFYMlPAuCLnWiXcIGlGLiKX5zLGd/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9XKtfXXQQO_MlVxr80-fG_2GA55YnKPU55vXt_TeYTB_mdSjZUTbzo5C-FUD8og3OlcTWm8TIf6z7gVcNxaK_MvW3XFoIO4Cc9JjF-ZFlBEWt6VxbHFYMlPAuCLnWiXcIGlGLiKX5zLGd/s200/006.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Finally, a lovely red yarn caught my eye. So a skein of merino-cashmere made it into the bag too. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">And, to finish the lovely day, Little Whirlwind is sitting at the table happily getting herself covered in (washable!) ink using a set of farmyard stamps that I just couldn't resist from one of the scrapbooking stands, and Himself is happily tapping away on his computer. </div><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Sundays rarely get much better than this.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242431318537049939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135140170058837883.post-2933229041332051182010-02-23T21:32:00.000+01:002010-02-23T21:32:47.257+01:00Sitting on my handsI'm avoiding emailing, calling or otherwise contacting my family right now. I think someone has been spectacularly selfish, and I'm afraid I'll just explode if I talk to anyone about it. <br />
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And the stress is playing havoc with my knitting tension...Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242431318537049939noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135140170058837883.post-2853897778245196842010-02-09T23:42:00.000+01:002010-02-09T23:42:40.518+01:00A pause to prepareThis week has been strange. I'm waiting for the Ravelympics to start, and my knitting fingers are going nuts... I've found so many lovely patterns that I want to cast on. <br />
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But I can't. Because I know anything I cast on now will either be abandoned for the duration of the Ravelympics and possibly completely forgotten (my short term memory is bad like that), or will take over so completely that the projects I've been studiously avoiding casting on for, saving them for the Ravelympics, will never get started. <br />
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So I've been swatching, endlessly swatching. The past two evenings it has been Wendy Happy. On DPNs (that's a whole other blog post). Tomorrow will probably be the decider for what pattern I do - I'm thinking Jaywalkers right now. <br />
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Then it will be the Manos for the Lava Flow Cowl. And possibly a little bit of pre-swatching for the Fiddlehead mittens (if my paypal ever gets sorted out). <br />
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I'm not sure I've ever done so much swatching. I can barely see the couch for all the yarn and needles that have been dug out this week for various swatching attempts. <br />
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Roll on Friday when I can finally get my teeth into a real project!Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242431318537049939noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135140170058837883.post-7091975932293765262010-02-04T23:37:00.001+01:002010-02-04T23:41:01.629+01:00I need a swift...<div>... or a lot more patience. </div><br />
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<div>Little Whirlwind was being put to bed, so I had a child-free and husband-free half hour. And decided it was time to get ready to knit the lovely<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lava-flow-cowl"> Lava Flow</a> (it's meant to be a Ravelympics project, but I'm not sure I'll hold out that long). I'd decided on a lovely skein of Manos silk blend which has been languishing in my stash for about two years now. </div><br />
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<div>All of which meant I had the time and need to finally use my ball winder.</div><br />
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<div>It was working so well for a while. And then, suddenly, it all just started to go wrong. </div><br />
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<div>And I was left with this: <br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">and this:</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtyxhFnb4nsWJEQDY3C8uzDW-zu6Bb8DlQAzPq2jBHwJSLOlrknbAdOpsnGeYCb_MbPr-Kl8di0bJ9GUEe4W3EGyt29DiRpe0o5Huk_yIUwWC6300eUgjZeNgRdBA_3nYBqhfIogZmxBJ-/s1600-h/058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtyxhFnb4nsWJEQDY3C8uzDW-zu6Bb8DlQAzPq2jBHwJSLOlrknbAdOpsnGeYCb_MbPr-Kl8di0bJ9GUEe4W3EGyt29DiRpe0o5Huk_yIUwWC6300eUgjZeNgRdBA_3nYBqhfIogZmxBJ-/s200/058.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">2 hours later, having cut the yarn twice (thank goodness for spit splicing), I finally got to this:</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMX7Pz3dh_BpCcsjmz0ixPWII1oPAVavIb8_Skn3pi4z4I_TYOuoWPfzW0Ipra8wI9KKCOG7yuLP6q5ekzQIiuD73kZ1hyA-HdMPgDlWD-cEqgU7uePPe_6-DrY2q4ZXq-YDMH73L-9aq_/s1600-h/060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMX7Pz3dh_BpCcsjmz0ixPWII1oPAVavIb8_Skn3pi4z4I_TYOuoWPfzW0Ipra8wI9KKCOG7yuLP6q5ekzQIiuD73kZ1hyA-HdMPgDlWD-cEqgU7uePPe_6-DrY2q4ZXq-YDMH73L-9aq_/s200/060.JPG" width="200" /></a>I would have been quicker winding it into a ball by hand. Oh well.</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<div></div>Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242431318537049939noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135140170058837883.post-80871623330665320652010-02-01T23:33:00.003+01:002010-02-01T23:43:34.300+01:00I don't do New Year's ResolutionsThe 1st of January always seems to early to begin New Year's Resolutions. I'm usually still in the grip of Christmas, not yet back at work after the festivities, and feeling like lounging about on the couch for a while. Certainly not prime resolution time.<br /><br />February, now, February is a totally different matter. The depression of January is over, the lull that inevitably follows Christmas. And all the tediously earnest resolutions that enter my head in January have begun to quietly pick up their coats and go. So I'm left with the good ones - the ones I really want to do, the ones that I have more chance of sticking with.<br /><br />And so, more for my own accountability, here they are, my February Resolutions:<br /><br /><p>- Blogging. I want to do more. I have ideas, I have things to write. I just need to get over the feeling that I'm talking to a vacuum... or embrace it. Will I say one post a fortnight, just to get started?</p><p>- Knitting: </p><ul><li>Ravelymics. Fiddlehead mittens. I shall say little more, except that I will be very very pleased with myself if I complete them in the allotted time. </li><li>A garment, for me. Possibly finish Rogue, or move on to something else.</li></ul><p>- Other stuff</p><ul><li>Exercise. One class a week and possibly one visit to the pool. And walking Little Whirlwind to creche. </li><li>Writing. Start again. The ideas have started poking at my brain and my fingers are getting itchy to start again. So I shall. I think.</li><li>French. The less said about my current ability the better. When your two and a half year old corrects your pronunciation, you know something is up...</li></ul><p>So that's it. Not New Year's Resolutions, but some nice February goals... </p>Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242431318537049939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135140170058837883.post-22275858904516194372009-08-14T14:11:00.002+02:002009-08-14T14:13:45.161+02:00Hmmm... well, it's been a while.<br /><br />Oops.<br /><br />Will do better.<br /><br />And to make it worse, the blog title is only barely accurate now. I've hardly written a word in months, and Little Miss Whirlwind is in the process of being potty-trained.<br /><br />Plenty of knitting though. Lots and lots of it. And more blogging soon.Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242431318537049939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135140170058837883.post-50972005908843102842008-12-02T13:16:00.001+01:002008-12-02T13:17:49.506+01:00A Question or twoWhy do they call them 'terrible twos' when they can start at 16 months?<br /><br />And what is it about toddler tantrums that makes old ladies congregate and tut?Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242431318537049939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135140170058837883.post-65305515940876209932008-11-27T10:04:00.002+01:002008-11-27T10:07:19.262+01:00Mismatched socksI swear, I've knit the same pair of socks about 3 times...<br /><br />Basic stocking stitch cuff-down in self patterning yarn. A Christmas present for my Mum. Nothing difficult, just a nice easy sock for knitting on the train. Or so I thought...<br /><br />- Start sock 1. Get to heel. Heel flap. Don't like it. Frog it. Redo it. Finish sock 1. Still not entirely happy with heel.<br /><br />- Start sock 2. Get to heel. Heel flap. Make a mess. Frog it. Attempt short row heel. It miraculously works. Finish sock.<br /><br />- Return to sock 1. Frog it. Restart using short row heel.<br /><br />- And we won't discuss the kitchener issues.<br /><br />... and that's where I am at the moment. And I'm sure when I finish the heel, I'll decide that, now that I have practice, the heel on sock 2 looks better than the heel on sock 1 so I'll have to go back and re-do sock 1 again.<br /><br />*sigh*<br /><br />And I thought I'd get these finished quickly so that I could start on knitting something for my Dad.Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242431318537049939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135140170058837883.post-19463048479601900932008-11-19T18:50:00.004+01:002008-11-19T19:00:12.391+01:00Belgium bound...We're moving to Brussels.<br /><br />It's a terrifying thought, but also very exciting. I move in December (and then, all going to plan, promptly come home for Christmas) and the rest of the clan will come out in January.<br /><br />It's a great job, and a lovely new city.<br /><br />Only two things remain to be done (well, not really, but you get the idea...)<br /><br />- Convince my parents that they will get to see plenty of their granddaughter (I'm not sure they're hugely bothered about me going, it's Little Whirlwind they're worried about)<br />- Find out where to buy yarn in Brussels...<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">and apparently reduce my excesive use of brackets... </span>Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242431318537049939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135140170058837883.post-42752918956828245252008-10-21T10:48:00.005+02:002008-10-21T10:59:32.990+02:00The 20 hour dayI swear, someone has to have taken at least 3 or 4 hours off the standard day recently. Otherwise, I just can't explain how I'm getting so little done.<br /><br />The Little Whirlwind is now 15 months old, and walking. So she's clearly taking up lots and lots of time. But then the little cuddles and kisses make up for that. As does her hugely expanding vocabulary - interestingly, every animal appears to say 'quack'. Her little friend apparently thinks every animal says 'moo'.<br /><br />But I still can't figure out where the time is going. I haven't written anything in months. The house is a disaster and I'm lucky if I manage to cook one proper meal a week.<br /><br />But somehow, in all the chaos, I'm managing to make great progress on Rogue. I put most of the progress down to Aileen and the <a href="http://www.thisisknit.ie/">This is Knit</a> Sweater Help class. I mean, she even managed to convince me to try steeking...<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">New skills learnt just by doing Rogue:</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">- spit splicing</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">- new cables</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">- double increases</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">- and, hopefully, by the time I'm finished - steeking</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">And that's before I even finish the body.</span><br /><br />Hmm... perhaps I've figured out where those extra 4 hours a day have been going....Violahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02242431318537049939noreply@blogger.com0