Indian Summer

I've never joined a Yarn Club. Oh I've thought about it. Everytime Blue Moon Fibre Arts announces their sock yarn club I look at the price tag and think no, not this time. Or there's the Year of Lace club. That too looks fabulous. There are so many out there and I always deny myself.

A couple of months ago, I decided enough with the denial! Some of you may know Ailsa from Knitabulous. She's particularly well known here, being active on both the Sydney and Wollongong knit scene. She's a talented lace knitter and yarn dyer. She has an Etsy store. This year, her stuff has really taken off.

There was a tremendous buzz when Ailsa announced she was having a Yarn Club of her own. That phrase, 'in like Flynn'? Most apt here. On the weekend, the first installment arrived. - on a Saturday no less! One of the best things about Christmas is Australia Post gives mail junkies like me something extra to look forward to on Saturdays. I even took the box directly from the nice delivery man's hands.

And here it is, minus the dark chocolate which I ate. The yarn is called Indian Summer.



The merino sock yarn is delicious. Those colours! I have nothing like it in the stash and that to me has made joining up worthwhile already. And lip balm? That's my other addiction, so all is right with the world now. Packages like this are fun.

Thanks Ailsa. Great kick off to your yarn club. Can't wait to try the pattern that comes with the yarn.

Bells

Rosebuds and Tulips

On the weekend when I saw RoseRed at Berry, she gifted me with some secret socks she'd been working on for my birthday. My birthday was some months ago now but all the best things are worth waiting for and this was in fact part two of my birthday present. That's truly a case of extending the joy, don't you think?

So, here is my gift. They are Rosebud socks and you can read about how RoseRed suffered for her art here. And suffer she did. The yarn got twisted up in the winding process and took four hours to detangle! Is that friendship or what?



I thought the socks looked lovely against my little bed of yellow tulips, which, as of this moment may no longer exist as it's blowing a gale outside!



The pattern was designed by Aussie knitter and one half of Knitting Inspirations Ann Lim, and the yarn is Handmaiden Casbah which I have never encountered before and which I can tell you is truly gorgeous on my feet.

It's the famed MCN - Merino, Cashmere, Nylon blend. Swoon. Seriously. Luxury sock yarn in the extreme.

And get this - the colour is called Wine. No wonder she thought of me when choosing to knit it up for me!



And don't they look cute with my new shoes? They're crocs - who knew you could get Crocs that were so cute?

There was another little something in with this gift but it requires a whole other post. I'll save it for next time.

Bells

I'll trip, fall, pick myself up and walk unafraid

Earlier this week I had a conversation by email with RoseRed about some socks I was planning. I had a dilemma and as so often happens, chatting with RoseRed sorted me out.

You see, I wanted to make a pair of plain knee length socks from this gloriously stripey yarn I was given by Kylie.



Kylie gave me two balls of it and Pru generously gave me a matching one she no longer wanted - thereby providing me with enough to make long socks.

Nearly all the patterns I found for plain knee high (or even just long) socks were for toe up and I have, to date, studiously avoided toe up socks. I did try it once. I learned how to cast them on, then promptly lost interest before I got to any of the good stuff like turning a heel in reverse.

I asked RoseRed what she thought of trying them top down and just figuring out the calf increases myself. RoseRed's advice back to me was this:

"If you can steek you can do toe up socks!"

And I figured she was right. Not that steeking, or cutting your knitting for the uninitiated, is really anything like knitting a pair of plain socks starting at the toe, but the message was clear. You've gone into some pretty daring places with your knitting, Bells. Toe up socks really shouldn't be that daunting.

Fair call. So I started, using some clues by Wendy Johnson and the clever increases that RoseRed told me about by Cat Bordhi. (Edited to show link to the increases I'm using). I was off.



And it's fun! It's not scary. So far, thanks to the magic of Kaffe Fassett's colour genius in this yarn I'm enjoying watching the stripes emerge and I'm also enjoying seeing a product I know so well from the other end, as it were.

Of course, I haven't had to deal with the gusset or heel formation yet, but I'm guessing that won't be so scary once I've given it a go either. Honestly, there are times when I wonder what's going on in my head that I have systematically avoided any pattern that called for toe up construction. How silly, really.

This time, it was just a knitting fear. A minor, inconsequential little fear. Maybe I can think this through next time there's a big, real life fear to deal with.

Have you got any knitting or craft related fears to overcome? I bet you have. Maybe we should all have a go at addressing something we're afraid to try? Go on, get it on the table, let's declare our knitting (or other) fears!

Bells

Cauchy Socks - What Took You So Long?

Being ill this week has been good for my desire to get things off the needles. I was struck down, mid-flu bout, with a bacterial infection and now have tonsillitis. This has been a real doozy of a week.

But there has been much knitting (including the black Myrtle leaf shawl, but that's just growing and not very newsworthy) which is excellent for productivity.

So I bring you Exhibit A. Sean's new socks which, I'm ashamed to admit, were begun way back in April at Knitting Camp. They were begun as a little Knit Along with RoseRed and Kylie, both of whom beat me some time ago. You can see RoseRed's version (she came second) here, and Kylie's version here. All three of us knitted these for the significant men in our lives.

So what took me so long?



Were they difficult? No. Boring? Yes. But the result is good so I'm willing to forgive them. I would say, that out of all the socks in Cookie A's book, Sock Innovation, these are the least innovative socks.

The pattern is boring because it's not difficult enough to keep your interest, not even a little bit, but not simple enough that you can just whizz through it. You have to keep at least one eye on the purl stitches to form the pattern. But it's not bad. Honestly. And it's easily modified to make it a little bigger - you just an extra knit stitch at the end of each pattern repeat, taking the pattern to 66 stitches, which is more like it.

More to the point though, I chose a really boring colour. It's not a bad colour in and of itself, but I kept being distracted by prettier colours in my stash and working on those instead. I don't mean to do Patonyle a disservice. It's really, really wonderful sock yarn. But oh their colours are so very limited.

That said, Sean chose this for himself and I am a most obliging wife (a wife of five years today, as it happens!) so when the moment came to put these on his feet, and we saw how very well they fit, we both knew the wait had been worth it.



Anyone care to guess what was on the tv when I took this shot? I bet Kylie can guess since I think she was watching the very same thing at the very same time. Yep, a lunch time screening of the 2006 adaptation of Jane Eyre. Sigh.

Wonder what socks I'll knit next? Time for something fun, to shake things up a bit I think.

Bells

Cookie A and BKFFs

Many, many sock knitters love Cookie A. Who amongst us hasn't knit at least a pair of Monkey socks? Or Pomatomus?  Ok, not everyone has, but there are almost 9000 pairs of monkey socks on Ravelry. She's popular. Very popular and not without good reason.

It was probably only a matter of time before she put out a book. I thought her website was pretty cool and so wondered if a book was really necessary. Exciting, certainly. But necessary? When she's already such a great presence on the net? Nonetheless, when RoseRed offered to get a copy for me from Amazon when she ordered hers, who was I to say no?


As it turns out, a Cookie A book actually is necessary. Buy the book for the instructional chapter alone. Not just a how to knit socks, but a how to design socks. If you've ever had the slightest notion of having a go at designing socks (I have, but I'm scared of numbers!) then this is a great book for you. A chance to dig around inside the mind of a very clever sock designer is absolutely worth it. 

And if it's not designing you're after, at the very least it's a chance to really have a good think about how socks are constructed and why. 

The socks are amazing. A little too amazing in some instances. With daunting looking charts and rather busy looking cables, I think some of them are socks I may not ever attempt. I won't say never, but honestly, they're a bit full on some of them. Others are just perfectly gorgeous and impressive and I plan to knit quite a few.

Also, there is the rather sweet reference in the book, several times, to her blogging and sock knitting friend, Kristi, as her BKFF (Best Knitting Friend Forever). It made me smile. So cheesy it's cute.

So it was quite fitting then that, at knitting camp, me and two of my very best BKFFs cast on socks from Sock Innovation together. Not just three socks, but three of the same socks, in different yarn. 



L-R: RoseRed's in Mountain Colours Barefoot; mine in Patonyle; Kylie's in Socks that Rock. The pattern is Cauchy (Ko-Shee) which is a rather nice, simple geometric pattern, and arguably the most straightforward and simple sock in the book.

You can't really see it yet but I guess you can see the beginning of the geometric stitch pattern.

These are for Sean. I think he'll like them. He certainly made the right noises, nodding approval etc. 

+  +  +

So today marks the end of my month of daily blogging. Thanks for participating! If you won a prize, I'm sending them all out next week.

I have really, really enjoyed daily blogging. I'm not sure how I found the time some days. But I got there. I have to say I'm looking forward though to being able to go out tomorrow night and not think of a post to write in advance! I can wait until Saturday if I want! 

By then I'll be able to show you the Ishbel shawl I am going to cast on tonight. I am weak. So very weak. I can't resist. You all had very good arguments for why I should do it, and so I will.

Bells

Polly Goes Everywhere

Some months ago I started some socks. Some plain socks. Socks that were not plain in colour, but were plain in style. I'm sure nearly everyone agrees that highly variegated yarn simply must be knit into plain socks.

I began them and called them my Go Everywhere Socks, because they'd go everywhere with me as I knit them. I can report that they did. Like all the best plain knit socks, they covered a lot of ground before they ever get moving on a pair of feet.

Recently I finished them, having decided some time ago that they were not destined for my feet, but for those of a friend. Today, they were gifted. To Polly. She who lives in the country house I have mentioned previously as a place we LOVE to visit.

So here are Polly's Go Everywhere Socks. A birthday gift, quite aptly given on the first of our really cold weekends.



She absolutely loved them, having only seen my socks before. Soon, they were on her feet. The observant among you might notice the slightly pointy heel in the shot above. I'm at a loss to explain the excessive pointiness of the German heel, but I am fairly certain it will flatten down nicely with wear.

I had some sew on labels made up earlier this year and sewed one inside Polly's sock, in case she got it confused with any of her other knitted socks. ;-)



The yarn is Fleece Artist in the Autumn colourway, I think. This was the yarn that a long time ago turned into a pile of tangled mess and reader Catherine offered to help me out by winding it up. I will be eternally grateful to Catherine for this!

The socks were worn throughout an afternoon of playing with our little friend, Mollie, who was also visiting, and Zebedee the dog.



I took along a hulking great slab of Nigella Lawson's Gingerbread and we dined on a feast of afternoon treats while outside the sky grew ever more ominous and the wind never quite let up.



Inside in hand knitted socks is more or less how I plan to pass the coming winter and now Polly can do the same.

Bells

My friends give me purple flowers and orange tea

On the weekend, I was the fortunate recipient of a couple of knitted gifts. One of them, I knew was coming. The other, I had no idea.

First, to the known gift. At Christmas, Kylie gave me one half of a pair of Monkey Socks made from Cherry Tree Hill. The lone sock came with an IOU attached and on the weekend, the pair were united.



Love love love. The Cherry Tree Hill just works so well, I think, for a pattern such as this. And Monkey does lend itself rather nicely to be made from variegated colours. What knitter doesn't love being given something a fellow knitter has worked so hard on? Kylie, you're a gem. Thank you. Next time I'm running late with a pair of gift socks, I'll take inspiration from you and go with the IOU. Brilliant.

The second gift was passed quietly across the table at dinner by Shelley, aka Caffeine Fairy. I took the modest little pink box and lifted the lid, utterly curious to know what was inside.

It was, I soon saw, a lace shawl. Swallowtail Shawl. Here she is.



Can anyone guess what the yarn is? At dinner, all knitters present were stunned to learn what it was, and we consider ourselves pretty well versed in what's out there. It was even a yarn we all knew.

Here's a close up.



It's Zitron Trekking XXL. We were all surprised to see that it worked so beautifully. Not that we don't love Trekking. Not that we don't love shawls made out of sock yarn, but that it looked like this, just perfectly balanced, no striping or pooling, was a joy to behold.

And what was the reason for this gift? Is it my birthday? No. Just because. A knitted hug, Shelley called it. And like all the best hugs, it was given generously and kindly. I was speechless. Someone made made a shawl for me? Goodness. Really. I feel hugged. Well and truly.

Socks and a shawl. I'm not sure a knitter could really fare better. Thanks guys. Love you lots.

Bells

Beautiful socks & Emergency Knitting

I didn't make these socks. But the yarn is mine.



Once again, RoseRed and I participated in a sock swap that means you contribute yarn of your own and two of your friends knit a sock each out of it. The result is new socks on which you didn't knit a single stitch.

This time, participants were me, RoseRed, Donni, Nora and Kristie. Months ago now, I handed over a skein of Knittery yarn and a week or two ago, got these socks in the mail, knit by Nora and RoseRed. 

I'm thrilled to bits with them. They fit beautifully, are a very fine gauge and they have shown me that a pattern I've overlooked continually is actually stunning.

The pattern is from Interweave's Favourite Socks. Merino Lace Socks. To me, the photo of the socks in the book is fairly nondescript.  I've never considered the pattern.



Clearly they are well worth making. Thanks Nora and RoseRed. Your work is stunning and my feet are happy.

***

As an amusing aside, I have a story to tell.

This morning as we were getting ready to leave for work, I said to Sean that I would do something I've not done for a long time. I said I planned to not take any knitting out with me today. This was because I was driving and so wouldn't have time to do any.

Sean's response was, 'But what about if you need some emergency knitting?'

He paused and said, 'I can't believe I now use phrases like 'emergency knitting' in every day speech.'

Neither can I. 

And yes, I took the knitting. You just never know when you'll need it.

Bells

An awfully complicated swap

First up, thanks everyone for your very, very kind comments and emails. Someone said to me that I must think hard about whether or not to post that sort of thing, given I don't often get deeply personal here, and  yeah, I did think long and hard. 

Last time it happened, I wrote about it weeks afterwards, not immediately. It was all a bit removed by then. 

This time, writing about it more immediately seemed to help. I've read the words over and over again and in some ways, it's soothing. I've captured something about the way I feel that sort of puts it outside myself - making it somehow less sharp in the way it hurts. That's how it feels today, at least. Tomorrow, who knows?

At any rate, putting the words out there connects to me other women who've gone through this in a way that joining an online support group doesn't. I can't explain it and probably should stop trying. It helped in a small way to write a tribute to our lost little one, and that's what's important.

Onto other, nicer things. 

A while ago, RoseRed, BrownPants (who doesn't blog so much anymore, but I'll link anyway) and I participated in a swap that was a little bit different. A sock swap. It's kinda hard to explain and given I got confused about who I was knitting for a number of times, I'm not sure I can even explain it properly now. But I'll try. 

You give yarn of your own choosing to the other two participants, and they each knit a sock for you so that you get a pair of socks back for which you didn't knit a stitch.

The same is done for the others. 

The girls had to explain this to me numerous times. Even now, trying to remember the steps, I need to make hand gestures in the air and talk to myself to try and figure out how it happened. I'm so dense.

Maybe pictures will help.

Here are the socks made from my yarn, Cherry Tree Hill, with one each knit by the other two girls. That's clear, isn't it? Pattern is Nutkin. 

They are fabulous. They fit like a dream, despite being knit by two different knitters and I have worn them heaps since I got them. How good is it to have socks made out of my yarn, with not a stitch made by me?

And here is the first sock I made for BrownPants. Lorna's Laces yarn and the pattern is the Show-off Stranded Sock pattern.

To see the ones BrownPants and I made for RoseRed, check out the post she just put up!

It's a fun idea. I really recommend it as a way to try some yarn you don't own and avoid Second Sock Syndrome into the bargain!

Bells

Reasons to keep knitting for winter

Because it's actually not over. The lovely springiness of the weekend fooled me for oh, about a day or so.

This morning after breakfast, I told Sean I was going out to play in the snow.

"Frost, dear," he said. "Frost."

I said, "Dammit. I'll say snow if I want to." I mean, look at this. Sugar coated daffodils. So pretty. 

It reminds me of a story. When Adele and I were kids, we saw sugar coated violets on a chocolate cake in a book. We were fascinated.

The next time I saw a small purple flower, being the deviant big sister I was (and arguably, still am), I made her eat it. God only knows what it was. Perhaps she's lucky to be alive. Maybe there's a deadly purple flower out there masquerading as a violet.

It's a good thing English spinach is frost tolerant, that's for sure.

It's incredibly difficult to photograph you're own two besocked feet while standing out in the snow frost trying not to fall over and wondering if your not-yet-blow-dryed hair is going to freeze solid to your head. But these are my new Purple Trainwreck socks. If you're late to the party, this is a colour created by Julie, aka The Samurai Knitter. It was, if my memory serves me correctly, a happy accident.

This is my second pair, although the first were Monkey Socks. The first, tragically, were felted. I've never recovered from the loss and so Julie made some more for me. 

I made these mostly in Alice Springs, which is kinda funny when you think about it. They've been in the red centre, and now they're standing in the frosty wonder of a Canberra morning. Love it.

I like the detail shots best (there's a surprise) but here's how the back yard looks this morning, in a blanket of white. It's not really snow, but isn't that what imaginations are for?

Bells

ps RoseRed, bring your winter woolies.

FO: Waving Lace Socks

I've got projects flying off the needles at the moment, mainly in an attempt to get through stuff to give me the space work on the Tour De France cardigan. I raced against the clock to finish these at the end of June.

Here are my latest socks!

They are the Waving Lace socks from Interweave Knits Favourite Socks.

The yarn is Lorna's Laces in Pewter. It's one of those yarns that sat in the stash for ages, never quite sure what it wanted to be. It used to bug me a bit, actually. I used to see it and think, damn I have to find something to do with that yarn!

And so I did!

And they fit beautifully. I made them for me and I got the length right. I have finally figured out that with socks, I get lazy or impatient and end them well before I should. Lots of my socks slide down or shift around uncomfortably. Not these ones!

Dead easy pattern, too. I had it memorised by about half way through the first sock - or mostly memorised, anyway.

Bells (who is in Alice Springs but wrote this post before leaving home!)

New Socks and a Button

April really was Sean's month. First of all he got the pi shawl blanky (which I have wrapped around my shoulders right now and is also pictured). Not long after, he got some new socks.

These were so good I think they will become my go-to pattern for Sean. They fit him like a dream.

Pattern: Gentleman's Plain Winter Socks from Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks
Sticks: 2.75mm/US2
Yarn: Zitron Trekking (XXL) in black (with slight flecks)
Started: 7 April 2008
Finished: 1 May 2008
Thoughts: Great yarn - part of the German haul that some of us got from Georgie's German connections last year. Fabulous in every way - just a bit sticky if it gets in any knots inside the ball.

Great pattern. The longer than usual cuff in 2x2 rib really works. I will use it more. Sean has solid calves and slender ankles and so the tapering is just perfect for him. Also, the Dutch Heel construction (which an older Dutch woman told me at SnB was nothing like she or any of the women in her family had EVER knit) was perfect for him. A nice new trick for me and a great fit for him. I'll use it again.


Just an aside, Sean attended a work planning day on Friday with his branch and, as you do at these things, you play one of those Getting to Know You games where you tell some thing about yourself that no one is likely to know. Sean announced he was wearing hand-knit socks. He was asked, 'Did you make them yourself?' and he talked about being a knitting widower.

Albeit, one with warm feet.

Also, here's a button from All Fingers and Thumbs. Sarah is behind this blog, and therefore this button. If you don't know her, check her out. She has a lovely, lovely blog. Great photos and lots to keep you entertained.



Recently when I asked if knitting could be a metaphor for life (as many have asked before me) Sarah wrote in the comments that she is always muttering 'as in knitting, as in life' under her breath which tickled me no end. This is how the button was born. Sarah designed it.

And it's just so true. I'm not sure I can see a difference anymore between my knitting and my life. One is intrinsically a part of the other. If you agree, and you like buttons, feel free to add it to your sidebar and link back to Sarah's post on the subject.

Off to the Celebration of Wool at the Old Bus Depot Markets today. Over 40 wool and fibre producers. Oh my....it probably explains why I'm up and awake before 7am on a Sunday!

Bells

Warning: Cuteness alert

Is there anything nicer in the world than a little person who truly appreciates your knitted gifts? There have been two instances recently where I've had the chance to learn that my beloved nephew, Will, who is just four years old, loves what 'Aunty Bells' makes for him.

For his birthday, I made him his first pair of knitted socks. Note the hardwood floors in his house. They soon became known as the 'slippery socks' and then later, after a collision with the corner of a cabinet, the 'naughty socks'.

However, despite the collision, he apparently still loves them enough that on a recent trip to Brisbane, he was telling people about the socks that Aunty Bells knitted for him. Awww.

Then, a few nights ago, the phone rang in the evening and it was Will - well, it was my sister calling me for him. He was in the bath and apparently had something to tell me. He'd been washing his face with a facewasher I made from Peaches n Cream. The conversation went like this:

Will: Did Aunty Bells knit this?
Adele: Yes she did.
Will: For me?
Adele: Well, for all of us.
Will: We should say thank you.
Adele: Would you like me to get her on the phone?
Will: Yes.

And so they called and, on speaker phone (because he's shy of actually speaking on the phone) he told me all about how he loves the face cloth and said a big thank you.

That's pretty special, huh? What a dude. And here's a photo of him, just because I love him.

I think I need to knit a jumper for him now. He's old enough to appreciate it.

****

Thanks for all the tips and suggestions on dealing with migraines. Sadly, while on IVF meds, there really is very little that can be done, including caffeine (well, minimal caffeine) and the gamut of migraine medications which I'd normally be able to take. One thing I found really helped on Wednesday morning was spending longer than is really allowed on water restrictions standing under warm water in the shower. So very soothing.

Bells

Playing Pimp

Some of you will know the blog, Pierre the Yarn Snob, by Gingernut. Well, Ginger has gone and opened a store. It's called GingerKnits (see button in the sidebar) and it has lots and lots of goodies. There's some really lovely stuff there and I'm sure with time Ginger will grow it beautifully.

For this month, or what's left of it (because I'm a bit slow on the uptake sometimes) Ginger is offering introductory discounts on all items including silk project bags, handspun yarn, books and loads more.

To recieve a discount, use the code BELS5% when you make a purchase. By doing this, I go in the draw to receive a $50 voucher for myself!

***

I'd say by now no one remembers my Dublin Bay socks made out of Vesper sock yarn. Here's a picture of the first one, which was long ago finished and sat waiting for its mate.


I originally finished this one in October, after Mad, Mad Rachel sent me the yarn as a gift. I really love the yarn - the colours make me think of lemonade icey poles - you know those blue ones? I think they'll be a great antidote in winter when I need some bright colour on a grey day. But second sock syndrome hit hard, mixed with Christmas knitting and the jacket.

Two days ago, I started the second one and am flying through it. I was on the bus this morning, so engrossed in the lace panel and the joy of waiting for the next splash of blue to make its way to my fingers that it took me until reaching the city to notice that the bus was in fact crammed full to bursting with passengers. I was caught up in the newest episode of Stash and Burn and just didn't notice a thing going on around me.

Knitting with yarn that was a gift from a friend is especially nice because I find I spend time thinking about that friend while working with it. I thought of you a lot this morning, Rachel, wondering what wine you were drinking since it was evening for you by then.

Half a day to go and the Easter break begins. Bring it on. Be happy and safe everyone.

Bells

Fun things

Thanks everyone for joining me in the sheer joy of having finished the jacket. It's really lovely to feel that sense of wonder and relief. My first few days in a post-steek world have been blissfully filled with very plain knitting. Sean thinks it won't be long before I launch into another major project that will consume my life. I daresay he is wrong.

No photos of the jacket being modelled yet. It was finally dry by Monday, at which point I did try it on and thankfully, it fits. I was a little worried, I have to say, given the crumpled state it was in pre-washing. But it's all good and modelled shots are forthcoming. Possibly tonight.

In the next couple of weeks, I've got to pump out my first pair of itty bitty socks. My lovely nephew, Will, turns 4 at the end of the month and he's after some socks by Aunty Bells. Well, Willem, socks you shall have. After a bit of fiddling and playing around, I came up with what I hope is the right number of stitches for tiny little boy legs. It's more Sullivans Sock Yarn. Adele tells me blue will be a winner.

Also in the fun photos category are these.

Mad, Mad Rachel sent a few of her blogger friends some Valentines Day gifts. Mine arrived rather late, taped up with customs stickers. Presumably they saw 'candy' written on the package and thought they'd explore. Thankfully they thought candy corn wasn't to their liking.

Rachel sent me this because I'd pestered her last Halloween about what on earth candy corn is. Now I know. It's solid sugar, made to look like corn kernels. I kept having to grab them away from Sean saying, 'not until I take a photo!' What you see here is what remained of them. They were yummy, Rach. Thank you!

She also sent me a great book, 2 At a Time Socks. It's got lots of yummy patterns and an intriguing style of knitting two socks at once. I'm going to try. Again, thank you Rachel. You rock!

One last thing, lists. RoseRed has started compiling a list of goals at the start of the month and because I like to do what she does, I'm going to do the same. Just a little one.

1. Knit Will's birthday socks

2. Finish Fetchings

3. Finish Dublin Bay and Donyale socks which were started before the mad rush towards finishing the jacket.

4. Get most of the cotton cardigan I'm working on done (post on that later).

That's all quite manageable I think. Now that aumtum is upon us, I feel it's the right time to tidy up loose ends and get set up for all that cold weather knitting. Hooray!

Bells

Too much!!

I have too much on the go and too much temptation, I just decided.

Check this out. Where I sit, right now I have this beside me - the basket of sock yarn which is supposed to be a sort of 'yarn art' display but lately is just becoming a reminder of all the sock yarn I'm not working through fast enough:


To my left is the selection of books from which I could choose patterns for this yummy stuff:


Nearby, is a pile of socks in progress

Second sock syndrome plagues me still, which is dumb, because I love these socks. I think I am VERY good at finishing socks on demand (gift socks, commissions etc) but not so good at finishing socks for myself. How silly is that? Who loves my socks better than I do?

Also close by is the jacket.


My evenings, as I said on Monday, are screwed for concentrated knitting while I'm getting used to a new job, which is probably why all but plain socks have come to a screaming halt. I'm claiming a few hours on the weekend all for myself.

On top of all this I want to knit socks for my nephew's birthday in March - that should be fine. How fast will a pair of toddler socks go? Pretty bloody fast, I imagine.

And another thing, there are way too many people around me having babies and while i want to knit for them, and think I might, I think I could be forgiven, considering my own baby making issues, for being a bit so-so on the idea.

I think I'll be able to overcome it though by making a Baby Surprise Jacket. Making one of those is about figuring out how the hell those things are made and joining the thronging masses who proclaim the greatness of the pattern. That'll probably be a way through it for me.

Finally, I got a package in the mail. I left a comment on a blog I didn't know well recently. I followed the link from a ravelry group and lo and behold I won a prize! It came all the way from Michigan, from Melissa of MLO Knitting.

It was a basket!


And inside were goodies!

A novel, some really lovely notepaper, Hershey's playing cards and some home made spicy ketchup. Given our chilli fixation around here, that was an excellent inclusion. So thanks Melissa - your generosity was greatly appreciated!

One last thing, if you've made it this far, head over to Southern Summer of Socks and vote on some great Socks on Holiday photos. RoseRed and I are holding a contest and the winning photographer will get some great prizes!

Bells

Monday. Sigh.

Thanks for all the fabulous zucchini suggestions in the last post. I'm very keen to try them and with the bounty showing no signs of stopping any time soon, I most likely will get to try many of them!

I started out with a Chocolate and Zucchini cake recommended by Tinkingbell. I made it in my lovely bundt tin which I just adore.


Doesn't it look impressive? Sadly, I think I overcooked it as it turned quite dry. I possibly think that when I was sticking the cake tester in, I should have taken into account that it's most likely meant to be quite moist and shouldn't have kept putting it back in. I ended up overcooking it by about 15 minutes. Too long. The flavour is heavenly. The texture is less so. I shall try again. With all that chocolate, a hefty dose of cinnamon and heaps of zucchini and walnuts, it's a winner.

I started some new socks on the weekend when I was feeling most frustrated with the Steeked Jacket (see below). These are Pomatomus and I've been wanting to do them for ever so long. God Bless Cookie. She's a genius. I chose to use some of Donyale's Burnt Butter, which I think was just made for a pattern like this! Donni is a genius, too.


I had to do something positive, knitting wise. The Steeked Jacket was seriously pissing me off on the weekend. I really don't have far to go at all, but what's left is Not Fun. I'm only working on about 40 stitches, across the back of the neck, but I have to purl and when I purl, I have to do the pattern backwards. Needless to say I get confuzzled sometimes and that doesn't make for great knitting. So I'm taking it slowly. No rush, right? No point in screwing it up at this late stage.

Oh and I have a new avatar. Sean showed me how to take a photo of myself with his new computer and then jazz it up with effects so I look like somebody else. I think I might have found a new way to lose an hour of my life whenever the mood strikes.

Bells

Lost sock yarn and some basic knitting

Quite some time ago, Georgie took it upon herself to arrange a bunch of us to purchase, through her and her German contacts, as much sock yarn as our hearts desired (or our credit cards allowed).

Several of us jumped for joy and George set to pulling it all off, including organising a spreadsheet and recruiting her German sister-in-law to act as a middlewoman.

We waited.

No sock yarn.

We waited some more.

Long story short and we began to talk about calling in the insurance claim.

Miraculously, three, maybe four months later, the box of sock yarn arrived (does anyone think even talking about putting in an insurance claim is a way of ensuring the lost item will be found?)

George may well tell this story herself and do it greater justice. She, after all, was the one sweating on it the most.

Here is my haul.

Now I just have to knit the bloody stuff. I just did a reorg of my sock yarn stash last weekend and I think have a problem. Oops.

The steeked jacket is well and truly in the final stages but what with ending a job and starting a new one this week and feeling a tad under the weather, the evenings haven't been optimum concentration time. So I shall finish it on the weekend. Or I hope to.

The new job is good so far, by the way. I'm working in Indigenous policy so starting the job on the day of the Apology to Indigenous Australians seemed quite special.

So really, it's just dishcloths and basic socks around here at the moment.

Another ballband dishcloth, from Mason Dixon Knitting or here.



A couple of Grandmother's Favourite dishcloths. Don't you just love the rainbow coloured one? Both came from yarn sent to me by Samurai Knitter, Julie in the form of Peaches and Cream. Loved it, Julie. Thanks!


And some socks. I'm making up the pattern after a suggestion by the ever inventive RoseRed. The panel of rib will run down the back of the leg. These are a gift. The yarn is Sullivans Sock Yarn. It's ok. Just ok.


Happy Valentine's Day, if you celebrate it. We don't. It was put to me today that we are too cynical in our avoidance of days like today. Not cynical. Just not interested. I get spoiled and loved, and will return the sentiment, any time the mood strikes, not just on a day when the price of roses goes through the roof!

Bells

A few days in photos

A strange new condition seems to be plaguing me. It's one I've never suffered from before and I'm alarmed.

Second Sock Syndrome.


I've finished one of each pair in the last week or two and really need to get on with their mates. I've never really had this problem before. It's not that I didn't enjoy them. I loved them all. But I keep this basket of sock yarn by me on the couch, and the lovely sock books I've now got and it's like a kid in a toy shop. So much delight and temptation and frankly, I'm not someone who deals with temptation very well.

Do you notice something about the cream coloured sock? Here's a closer shot.


Remember you all voted on how I should do the contrast and the winning combination was cuff, heel AND toe? Look at the toe. D'oh! I got all the way to the weaving in of ends before I realised. And I'm sure as hell not undoing the toe now. I swear it wasn't deliberate. But you know, the toe will be in my shoes. I'll cope with it being different. Or maybe I'll do the second sock the way I was supposed to, just for fun.

My attention has also been slightly diverted in recent days. The Forest Canopy shawl has been my constant companion and nemesis.



I got well over half way a few days ago and yesterday, frogged it, again. You know, I really should learn to read instructions. the pattern comes with fabulously helpful instructions about how to keep track with counting, how to use a lifeline etc. Did I read the instructions? Don't be silly. Of course I didn't.

But see here?


I put the lifeline in at the start of every repeat now. I'm a lot less frustrated. How can a beginner pattern cause me so much consternation?

Finally, here are a couple of extra photos.

My sister Adele, on christmas day, with the lace leaf scarf I made for her. Couldn't blog it before. She loved it. Her mother in law apparently said, 'Tell Bells my birthday is in November!'

I loved making that for Adele. Soft baby alpaca, lovely lace pattern, a colour that I knew she would love. Perfect.

Also, the meal Sean and I ate on NYE. The Squid and Lychee Salad (a variation of a Jamie Oliver recipe). Fabulous!



My leave is slowly slipping away. I'm trying very hard not to mourn it before it's over. Anyone else feel like that?

Bells