Nevermore!

Well, I finished the beret and wore it to work, then realised that my body wasn't actually ready for work yet, wore it to the shops and then to my specialist appointment. Here I found out that I am healing well, but that some of the tape didn't like my skin much. Ouch.

However, I forgot to take photos in daytime so you'll have to wait for the pictures. Photographing black at night is a way to frustration.

Also, since I picked up some kind of nasty trojan virus I have spent a rather large chunk of today starting and restarting my machine. And removing things, and installing (more) anti virus stuff and so on. I've got quite a lot of embroidery done as a result.

Some starting photos:

Now, of course this is my first attempt of embroidery on anything other than a toy. I'm armed primarily with the Instructibles Embroidery 101 and a copy of Embroidery from my local library. I'm ahppy with how it is turning out so far though.

This is where I am at now: just the raven left. (Which means his eyes, and filling him in with black thread.)

Things I have learned.

• Satin stitch looks beautiful but.. takes forever to do.
• Yes, you really can tell the difference if your needle goes on one side of a single thread of the fabric or the other.
  
• Embroidery is apparently yet another one of those geeky crafts that I find inexplicably satisfying.

And yes, I still am really itchy. And periodically sore. (sigh)

I look like a zombie..

(Not really.)

Well, I'm at home feeling somewhat sorry for myself following minor surgery. I should be fine in a couple of days.

However, since I am a bit vain, I'm knitting myself a stylish beret to cover the stitches on the crown of my head for when I go back to work.

I've chosen the Sweet Honey Beret (see also the ravelry link) in some nice Sublime Cashmere Merino Silk DK in black, leftover from my daughter's teacher's Vintage Beret.

I'll still hate all the tape-covered stitches etc. but I'm trying to focus on the end outcome and not look at myself in the mirror too much. And I do faintly worry about what people will say at work..

My man commented when he first saw me that I looked like I'd been in a fight! ;)

Anyway, I'll post beret pics when it's done.

The one with a side order of ... meh.

Well, I am having a knitting 'meh' stage. Which is half true. I actually have things I am knitting..

the smoulder cardigan goes along nicely...
and my Clapotis is also progressing along (on thicker yarn which is a nice change).
But their basic problem? They are big. Too-big-to-drag-around-without-making-my-shoulder-sore big. Guess how I know that now?

I tried starting knitting an Icarus, using my Centrovaggia laceweight. But.. Centrovaggia is actually classed as a 1ply yarn. That's thin. Really thin. And even though I went down to a 3mm needle, I still feel that the knitting looks visually too loose for me. See in the stockingette sections? Yeah, I feel like they need more visual weight to highlight the quill lace. Or the yarn needs to be a bit fluffy, to visually fill the gaps.
So, I considered what to knit. I started casting on the new Aeolian with some 1ply silk in an ivory colour, but the yarn always looks a bit yellow to me, and I'm not sure. Plus, it's on 2mm needles, and I am not sure I am ready for another fine needled project right now.

I could knit socks, but.. I'd need to ball up the either of the 2 potential yarns (it's still in hanks). My bestie who owns the ideal yarn swift & winder? In hospital with her newest creation. (Hi Bibnbub & bub! And yes, I will keep making that bad pun over and over..)

I might yet do that. Then I can knit those Beaduelaires. Hmm, better go look for needles, huh? Or maybe knit up that cashmere blend sock yarn that Mum dyed. Or knit the yummy 8ply handdyed I have into a scarf thing.

I need a portable project - my minor surgery (to remove some moles) has been moved to Monday. I don't, as a rule, do surgery/needles well. I'll need something to keep my mind off it all.

In other news, I've started on that Nevermore project. But I think I'll post about that separately - I am doing progress shots as I got through it and so it will be a long post unto itself.

And remind me to tell you about my new computer-based thingie. Evernote.

February is a bad month for me

Not in a scary-evil-things-happen kind of way, just in a really, really busy kind of way.

So I have small person birthday parties, post-christmas catch up, babies arriving and due and school going back and so on.

All a bit crazy, which would be why I am nursing both a cold and a bloody awful cold sore. Hmph.

I have been crafting also, but since it is largely baby presents, and all three expectant mothers read my blog, you'll have to just believe me. Will post after gifting.

Oh, in other wonderful news... The Last Watch is out, translated into English, at Borders, and thus...

bought and read. Wonderful stuff. Though I wonder if the journalist on the cover who is quoted as saying that the author is the "Russian JK Rowling" is on crack, LSD or some other mind altering substance.

They both have "fantasy" elements. Which is a bit like saying Pride and Prejudice is just like Teletubbies, because they are both english.

Anyway, more in a while. Maybe.