What next?

So..

I finished the cardigan, and all the sewing and weaving in of ends. It sits blocking ever so slow (cos its winter).

And I sit browsing my stash and pattern queue trying to decide what to cast on next. I mean.. I know I could just keep knitting away at the Clapotis, but that's pretty mindless knitting and likely to take a while, so I am heading onward and upward to decide the next project.

I thinking to keep it small in order to get it done quick and move on. I like small projects between big ones, it lets you feel like your making progress.

So .. choices choices... Ravelry with its photos of everything I have queue, and all my stash does significantly help this process I must say. But still. Now I am spoiled for choice.

Do I want to knit Saartjie's booties? Like these from Brooklyntweed. They have no recipient at this time, but would be quick, cute and fun to knit. And I have plenty of left over sock yarn around to knit them with..











Or Gretel? This is destined to be a cabled beanie for my daughter's teacher come the end of the year and so will be needed to be completed at some point before then..



Or that square denim bag I've been planning for myself to use up the leftover Rowan Denim yarn I had from my Raspy and the Action jumpers I did..






Or the felted slippers for me that I decided to knit, using either this Knit 1 free pattern...











Or these Keep Away Felted Slippers from the Knit Front and Back blog. Both of which suffer since they don't meet me "I want to do it now" criteria, since they need to go to someone else's house for felting..


But really, that's barely scratching the surface. There's the Aura lacework beanie that I think I have enough Calmer to knit.. that's interesting and pretty and from stash.

There's baby socks and Beaudelaire socks... and that Koolhaas beanie for guys that actually looks nice yet interesting.

Anyway. That's what my brain does when picking a project. Not really surprising that hours later I still haven't made a decision, hey?

Adventures of Spider_knit

In this weeks episode, we have a new project, the end of an old one and the wonderfulness that is trading yarn...

..

(sips coffee) God damn I love coffee. Have I mentioned that yet? Apologies to anyone offended by the blasphemy, but somehow "gosh" or "goodness" just doesn't express it. I tired editing it to those, but it just didn't work.
I couldn't give up coffee entirely when pregnant. I gave up sushi and pate and soft cheeses and eating anything pre prepared and alcohol with ne'er back glance, but coffee got me. I got down to one savoured cup a day, but just missed it too much to dump it entirely. And I wasd well under the 3 cups you're currently recommend.. but I digress.

Okay. Good news front. I have a new job (hooray!) I also now have a cold (sulk)

But the knitting has continued, albeit a little slowed by work being really busy and me being sick and sleeping a lot.

I am down the to collar of my daughter's cardigan, button bands are done. For some reason the mid to dark red and the white totally blow out my camera's colours, and it photographs oddly. But, since blogs are a nuisance to read without the pretty pictures, here's a photo anyway. I'll get a natural light photograph when it's done.
In other news, the very polite and nice MadamSewingStick on Ravelry messaged me to trade some of my unwanted Katia Mississippi. In return I have some lovely Paton SWS (soy wool blend) that a destined to become felted slippers for me :)
Finally, since the cardigan is nearly done and not really portable, I permitted myself to cast on my next project - the Raven Clapotis in Korrpi colourway. The only bad thing I can say is that I didn't read the description of thr yarn properyl when ordering and it has alpaca in it, so it a teensy bit fluffy. This isn't a bad thing, just not what I originally had in mind. On the amazingly good side.. the colourway is DROP DEAD GORGEOUS. I could live in these black-meets-colours forever. My inner goth sqees every time I pick it up. It makes me want to be 19 with chunky black patent leather boots and a black ankle length coat again.

Of course, I could be oversharing at this point. ahem.

Let's see a photo.

Okay, I am now going to take my virus-ridden self to sit in front of the TV and watch Willow go bad in Buffy while I knit this cardigan collar. Take care all.

Mini Sophie!

I had reached that point. The point that Stash-Knit-Down-2008ers over on Ravelry refer to as "finishitis" .

The point when all of the projects on your needles are tedious, or deeply lost midway through knitting or just plain uninspiring.

I just wanted to finish something. It didn't need to be big, it just needed to be done. By me. Now-like.

So I made a mini-Sophie bag. My little one often takes her dollies for bike-rides and pram-strolls around the backyard. Only she didn't have a handbag for all the essentials a mum needs. You know, like bubble mixture, dolly bottles and her mobile phone.

So I made her one, out of stash no less. I had garishly KoolAid dyed Patons Jet yarn, four sekins of it. Now I have less, and a less-garishly felted bag. I made it 1/4 sized, and really like the shape. Quick, and easy construction.

Here it is prefelting...and afterwards. Very dense nice fabric, knitted with yarn held double and 6.5mm needles, in case anyone wants their own one.

All your yarnz belongz to us!

It's offical. Ravelry is leet.

Look at the proof.

Why yes, I am that big a geek. How kind of you to point it out ;)

Excuse me while our normal programming is interupted by my new toy.. WiiFit!

Love it, love it. I don't care if I look ridiculous and my man laughs at me, I loves it anyway :)

No idea what I am talking about? Check this out...

And I have exercised more in the last three days than in the last three months. As in actual doing of something for exercise potential.

Sad, isn't it? It just shows you how little exercise I've been doing.

Oh and good lord my balance is terrible!!

oh, and also light on knitting 'cos I am (still) doing job applications. And I can say there are few things I want to be doing less on a Saturday night than job applications. (Silly mother's day - means I'm out most of tomorrow, so can't do them then...) And one is such an odd one that a) it has 13, count 'em 13 criteria to write to. Many of which could have easily been combined.. and one of which requires a Year 10 certificate (or equivalent). And I went to uni for this rubbish.

But needs must, and unless I want to go back to my substantive Job of Doom (tm) I'd better get an alternative - I'm on a deadline now people. Wish me luck. Interview Monday.

Cardigan in progress and losing my vibe...

This is the darling girl's cardigan-to-order. I've started the sleeves, it will also have a collar with the same flower motif. Her orders, I'm just the knit-slave. This would be the child watching TV in her pouffy fairy-dress. I didn't have the heart of energy to argue, plus - she's happy.

And this leads me to the purple silk scarf I was knitting that just leaves me cold. I think I'll put it into hibernation and allow myself to cast on another project (from stash, naturally). I'm hoping if I pick something small and easily finished, I'll feel better about persevering with the above cardigan and the ever continuing Anastasia socks.

Why one of the projects I have in my queue is another pair of socks, I don't quite know. I had such a stretch of finishing there for a bit, I think I've lost some of my patience :(

Oh, and in better news.. I can pick up my WiiFit on Thursday!

More reasons why my man rocks my world..

That would be my Black Apple print, framed and beautiful.

His comment? " 'Cos I know your inner goth doesn't get to come out much anymore.." {grin}

Now we just need to paint the walls so we can hang pictures!