A one-word meme.

I love this kind of thing.

You.
Can.
Only.
Type.
One.
Word.

No.
Explanations.

1. Yourself: geek
2. Your boyfriend/girlfriend (spouse): soulful
3. Your hair: spiky
4. Your mother: spiritual
5. Your Father: certain
6. Your Favorite Item: smile
7. Your dream last night: work
8. Your Favorite drink: coffee
9. Your Dream Car: silver
10. The room you are in: study
11. Your Ex: nice
12. Your fear: inadequate
13. What you want to be in 10 years? happy
14. Who you hung out with last night? knitters!
15. What You're Not? bimbo
16. Muffins: benedict
17. One of Your Wish List Items: cure
18. Time: harried
19. The Last Thing You Did: story-reading
20. What You Are Wearing: jeans
21. Your Favorite Weather: cool
22. Your Favorite Book: Thursday
23. The Last Thing You Ate: custard
24. Your Life: busy
25. Your Mood: quiet
26. Your best friend: poet
27. What are you thinking about right now? Christmas
28. Your car: serviceable
29. What are you doing at the moment? waiting
30. Your summer: hot
31. Your relationship status: satisfying
32. What is on your TV? xbox
33. What is the weather like? gusty
34. When is the last time you laughed? tonight


Borrowed from Moth Heaven
who borrowed it from somewhere else...

Shhhhh! Santa's coming to town.

I'm posting this quickly while the recipent eats her morning toast.

Santa is coming along nicely, hopefully done this week!


I'm not sure I mentioned this before but its one of Interweave Press' freebie Christmas patterns, from there Piecework magazine.

Anyway must run! Morning rush!

Consumer Friendly Yarns: A community announcement to spread the word

I'm guessing most of you are aware of this, as the information was pedalled through the knitting world a little while ago as a significant news item through the pod/blog world.

Precis:
Some yarn companies specify how much the suppliers can charge for their yarns. So even if you buy from a discount outlet type operation (online etc) they can't charge less than full price. No discounting here.

This is, in America (I don't know about here) illegal. It also sucks for us - because we can't buy the stuff discounted online :)

A website has been set up to list the companies as either good, bad or unknown. (I'm paraphrashing). You can find it at www.consumerfriendlyyarns.blogspot.com

Knit on. :)

(Oh and the Santa's coming along nicely. Will bring it Monday, Mt Lawley girls.)

Look, isn't it pretty?

Okay after struggling many, many times before...

I now installed have the new look blog template. Hurrah.

What'd ya think?

Yeah, I know I haven't filled it all in yet. I'll get there.

Presents and goodies from afar!!

Yay! A story in pictures, courtsey of the terribly nice Nadine via Germany via the Lime and Violet message boards. Hurrah!

Chapter one. A package arrives.


Chapter two. A mystery?


Chapter Three. It builds...


Chapter four. The final crescendo!


Chapter five. The denoument.

You know a actually feel vaguely guilty. I sent Cherry Ripes and Tim Tams and Jo Sharp Silkroad.

She sent me Lindt, Toblerone, Milka, german gingerbread and such and German Sock yarn!!

I hope she's half as happy with her stash as I am with my goodies...

(I think the coconut and milk filled lindt eggs are my favourite. SO yummy!)

...... runs off to eat another one......

Monkey See - Monkey Do - Monkey Done!

Here he is. Generally, I am very happy with him. The only thing I'd change in hindsight really is to knit at a tighter guage to reduce the amount of visible-stuffiing-through-knitting. I like him anyway, hopefully the new parents and new person :) will like him too.


Also, I did end up casting on the gift lace scarf. I ended up biting the bullet and showing it to the gift reciepent, to check she liked it. It's so her colours.

Maybe she was just being nice, but she said she did, so that's her present to be finished too. Before Christmas, preferably.
Not due to any need to wear it though - this is Perth, 40 degree days for Christmas are common. (That's Celcius for any Americans out there. I'm not sure if anyone else uses their systems or not... ponders....)

It's feather and fan patterning I believe.

In other news.. I have almost finished those baby booties. I'm normally a baby sock person, but they are getting the monkey as well, so this is gratutious gift giving.






Thus...
Very cute.
Although, if I had seen these over at Interweave Knits as their free pattern a suitable time frame they totally would have got a pair for bub.
Next (human) breeding pair I know are absolutely getting some :)

Also, in case you think I haven't been progressing that diamond stitch top.. (you know, that one in four ply cotton..)

Proof. It gets worked on. Slowly, on the bus.

And as for my next pattern, I know lots of you voted on that Vogue top. I am considering it. Though possibly not until I ask Lupinbunny very nicely if I can try it on to deconstruct any potential problems or changes. I am also very worried as a somewhat busty-lady that the front scoop thing will just do me no favours whatsoever. Trying it on will hopefully either make me a convert, or discard it doubt free. Can Lupin? Pretty please? I'll be gentle...

Anyway, onto my .. well... point. For my next pattern to start I think I might knit my darling daughter one of these toy Santas as a bedroom decoration. Aren't they SO cute... and absolutely stash friendly for me! (Also from Interweave knits free patterns)

Take care all. And knitters, remember. Christmas is now only weeks away, no longer months..... But only give your time, money and artistic talents to those who deserve and appreciate them. You know who they are.

Pre-project funk

Hello.

No photos today - I'm afraid the camera I use has gone on holiday for a couple of weeks.

I finished the Three Year Old's Dye Job socks. I probably should have washed them before thier owner eagerly wore them to daycare - they turned her feet red :) They've been washed now and should be safe - though the sole colours bleed into each other a little as a result. Still, she loves them.


I am also out of Ribbing Hell ... I'm about 3/4 of the way through the first repeat of the diamond stitch top - but I am worrying a bit that the mercerised cotton lacks enough 'give' and will show every flaw. *sigh* I'm even toying with the idea of giving it a test blocking on the needles (or rather, scrap yarn) to see how it looks. Thoughts?

I also knitted some emergency red garter stitch booties - for a baby shower I didn't end up going to. Ah well, they can go with the monkey (no, I still need to put on his remaining bits).

I would also like to start a new project now, but can get started. I really want to use up some of my stash. Prime candidates looking for a project are: (no this does NOT represent all of my stash...)

• The blue and white hand dyed 3ply from the show. Advantages. Pretty. pure wool. Disadvantages: I have it on good authority it will "felt right up" (in a bad way, unless it was supposed to, of course.) Also, I have about 300g of it, which Helen (thanks Helen) figured about is about 1000m. She bought it in PURPLE and GREEN. (It was kind of bright). I'd like to knit a lace shawl maybe but am deeply worried about running out of yarn.
  
• The red silk from ebay. It's about DK weight. Advantages: Scarlet in colour, amazing sheen, and pure silk. Ahhhhhhhhhh. Disavantages: I have 5 and a bit balls of it. And while it was fairly inexpensive, I doubt I'll be able to afford it's like again and so don't want to do just any old thing - I want it to be something special that I'll love to wear. Thoughts include : A top which actually calls for that yarn (which lupinbunny knit see here.) Other thoughts are a Clapotis-esque scarf for work and generally looking stylish, um... see? I really need more ideas.
  
• One and a bit balls of Jo Sharp Aran Tweed in grey, left over from Fitzwillam's scarf. These might become a hat for the fiance, darling man. Though he does already have a cahsmere blend navy hat in grey... oohhh... actually, I know someone who might want it. I'll check with the fiance.
• A swag (um about 8 balls from very rough memory) of beautiful greyish purple Zara. I love this yarn. I was going knit myself a whole wrap in it. Until I realised, honestly, that colour just doesn't suit me. Gifts only.

And there's more there, of course. Lots more. Maybe I should knit that lacy Kidsilk Haze scarf as gift thing? Nah....

See? I haven't been this stuck for starting in ages. I just really don't think I should be BUYING more yarn right now, and the only things I am really into the idea of require that.

Like this: (photo thanks to the Wool Shack: see side bar)

Lots of colours. Lots of yarn. None of which I own.

I am also thinking I'd like to knit this too:

probably in pale green or lavender. I could do black and white flowers, because I have left-overs..

The pattern uses, of course, Rowan Calmer.

For those not in the know, that little number retails at $23.50 a ball.

Sigh. It's nice, but geez.

Okay. I'm done. Thanks to those of you still reading at this point. (hi mum! ;-) Long rant today.

Have a good week all, and go on - tell me what to knit, you know you want to...