Kitty Pi but no cream...
Yes I do have a couple of finished items to show...finally eh?
First up we have the Kitty Pi. Started back in June, on the excitement of getting 2 new kitties, and then left aside for more exciting things as they came up.
The
yarn I used is beautiful, if you have any sense you would get yourself some of it, for your own sanity's sake, but I was knitting it on size 6 mm needles and it needs larger, at least 10mm I would say, so I found it a little difficult to knit it in long stretches.
Hard on the fingers.
In saying that, I finished it off over 2 nights, which was probably about half of the total Kitty Pi. Micheal kept asking me when it would be finished so I kind of was under a bit of pressure, but mainly because the cats are too big now to fit into their bed together and Reggie has claimed it for himself, so I felt that Ronnie needed a bed too.
So here is the first of many pictures of the finished article, pre-felting.
I have felted it last night and its in the drying out phase now. More pics to come of that when its ready to rock and roll.
This is a good one to show you the Kitty Pi hot off the needles, ends not weaved in yet.
Then, ta-da.....ends weaved in and an idea of what it will be like when felted.
But whats this? Reggie has discovered the Kitty Pi.
Yep, it fits, so far.
Lets see what it can do if he stretchs out a bit
Yes, this will do me, tell Ronnie he can have that old shop bought cat bed, this is
MINE.
Ronnie: Does it look like I care, hmm?
Labels: Knitting
Dublin in the rare ole times
Its been a busy week for me.
I've started a new job and I've also been mysteriously struck with
Isobel's cold, even though I haven't seen her for a while. Hmm, do you think these things can be passed on over the internet?? So I haven't really be on form for blogging much.
I have been knitting though, but not a lot, haven't really felt like it much lately can you believe. I think a lot of it is due to starting new projects (despite trying to finish WIP's before doing this) and trying to get gadge several times and then giving up and moving onto something else. Not giving up exactly, just not having the patience to do it there and then.
There are also certain projects that my cats have a field day with, for example if I knit with straights they go mad for the end of the knitting needle, take it as a personal attack.
Looking all innocent cuddled up together
Its easier to knit with dpn's or circulars as a result, although I do confess to preferring knitting with dpns and circ's anyways.
I think the lack of knitting is also down to wanting to knit so many items at the moment, the list I have in my (forgetful) head is just getting longer and longer at the moment. Some of the items I'm wanting to knit are small quick items like Christmas decorations, and some are a little larger and some again are larger still. I recently became the proud owner of the Mason Dixon Knitting book and also Handknit Holidays and I think I want to knit almost every item in both of them (slight exaggeration going on there, can you tell?)
I have been doing a little bit of spinning though
I am very happy to be able to tell you that I have listed and sold a couple of my skeins on ebay recently! That'll go towards starting to pay off the credit card debt.....or maybe just the knitting related credit card debt even......what I'm I saying, its all knitting related practically!!
I have just started spinning a batch of the Blue faced Leicester fibre that I got from Jenny and Warren at
Craftspun, and apart from the fact that I have to lock the cats out when I'm doing it,(they like it too) and the fact that its so fine that it leaves little particles all over my trousers, I'm really liking it. Its so much softer than the fibre I usually use which is lovely to work with, not that the other fibre isn't nice, its just different and a different experience to spin. Its similar in feel to merino but much easier to spin. I'm spinning it up in its raw colour and will then dye it I think. I'm going to ply the first batch together (I like plyed) but may try another batch and not ply it
Oh, what are these photo's all about? This is the River Liffey in all its glory. To the right you can see the Ha'Penny Bridge and the the left is O'Connell Bridge. Just thought they were nice sunny wintery pictures. Jim Bob up above there is one of the seagulls that frequent the boardwalk. His name isn't really Jim Bob, you know, I'm only kidding... ;-)
Labels: General Ramblings, Spinning
The Elegance of Swans
I drafted this post a few days ago, and its perfect for dropping in here now.
I've started a new job this week so have other things on my mind.
Normal blogging will resume shortly!
Driving along the canal on Friday, saw these swans preening themselves. I was trying to get a picture of a couple of swans who were in the water that looked like they were peering over the side of the bank at passers by, all you could see were their heads and necks, but the traffic was moving at that stage and I didnt want to be the cause of an accident!
When the traffic stopped at lights I quickly whipped out the camera and took these shots.
Bit blurry, but you get the picture!
There are always a lot of swans along the Grand Canal in Dublin, they are a nice sight to see. The canal itself is a lovely walk, I used to go walking there when I lived in Rathmines many years ago, a place that is one of the hubs of student-land, great places to go out and eat and drink and make merry.
Of course, now it is also home to
Holly's knitting group, who meet every Tuesday.
Labels: Weird and Wonderful
The forgotten sock
You know, I haven't really forgotten this sock, the companion to Budd.
I've been picking it up and workng on it occasionally, its always a good one to fall back on if I am in a hurry and want to bring something with me to knit.
I brought it on our trip to Birmingham and did a bit at the airport before we checked in our bags
I brought it down to Clare with me and did a little bit of work on it here while chilling out
And last night I turned the heel on it.
My main problem is that I'm going to run out of yarn before the end of the sock and I can't get my hands on another ball of Rowan Calmer in black in Ireland! Can you believe that!
I've checked out all the online stores in Ireland and asked Lisa from
This is Knit at the knitting and stitching show. Mainly, I'm trying my best not to order online at the moment as my knitty conscious will be telling me that I need to order more than one ball of yarn to make the order worthwhile....and my credit card is screaming at the moment. I may make a plea to
SnB to see if anyone has a ball of black calmer in their stash that they'd be willing to swap..if not, then its to the evils of my credit card habit..
Oh and I'm not allowed to cast on for another sock until I finish this. Like
Sharon, I'm in a bit of a fever of trying to finish items that I've cast on for for ages. I've been doing other knitting also but can't blog about it here, like a lot of people!! Oh, and go and check out
Sharon's blog, she's got a bit of news...
Labels: Budd2, Knitting
General ramblings
Check out this
Funny knitting story that I found in a blog I was perusing. I would give that woman a clap on the back, I would!
I received my Winter Interweave Knits during the week, surprised because I thought it wouldn't get to me until late. I have only had a flick through it so far but at the start of the magazine is an article that caught my interest:
The Victoria and Albert Museum in London is a fantastic place to visit if you are ever in the vacinity.
Meanwhile, for those of us who don't have the means to get down there this weekend,
check this out!
Yes, your very own knitting section of the V&A, online. Including some free knitting patterns of old. Its amazing what is
still in fashion these days!
Labels: General Ramblings, Inspiration
THE actual goodies!
Yes, I found my cable. Finally.
Even looked under the bed.
Where was it?
In another room.
I have no recollection of bringing it into this other room.
So here we are.
Guess where the first of the 2 packages came from?
What was in this package?
And what was in this package?
Some tea bag makers (i.e. the means to make your own teabags from loose tea). Very handy indeed especially after my purchases of tea at Whittards in Birmingham!
A lovely little note pad with a note from my SP inside it (which leads me to believe she is living in Singapore)
Some lovely fragrent oil which smells light, floraly and fresh
Some ocean smelling incense sticks and burner, of which I have used already
Chocolate. Couldn't miss out on the chocolate!
The second parcel, yes second parcel boys and girls, contained this lovely soft merino yarn in the most lovely of colours, and when I smelt it, as I have to do, it smells of lavendar, yummy.
Here's a close up, just so you can see it better, not to make you jealous or anything...
It came with some samples of all the yarns that this store deals with, and I was there salivating for a little while. The kitties couldn't understand what was going on with me.
Oh and of course I had to try both of the bars of chocolate, just to work out which one I preferred best! They are both lovely, the milk chocolate is smooth and cocoa tasting (funnily enough) and the dark chocolate is not bitter at all, tastes like a darker version of the milk, if you know what I mean!
So thank you Secret Pal, whoever and wherever you are. You went to a lot of trouble and I love both packages!
Ronnie couldn't get over the excitement of it all.
Look at that lovely brown paw pad he's showing you. He's giving you a high five SP! Kitty style.
Labels: Secret Pal
Secret Pal goodies
Well I arrived home on friday to find a note in the door from my postie saying that I had 2 parcels waiting for me in my post office. Talk about frustrating! This post office that holds onto parcels for people who are not in when they call are manned from something like 10-15.00 hours (well my local one is anyway) which totally rules it out for people that actually work during these hours. I think I posted about this before, its a total pain.
So I gave it to my Mum and pleaded with her to pick them up for me on Monday, as she was flying out to Arizona the next morning to visit my brother and sister-in-law, and you know what its like trying to get last minute things done before holidays. Luckily, she was persuaded, and I called in to see them (not just to collect the parcels!) that evening. Anyway, had a lovely dinner there with them also, and came home that night to open up the parcels.
Unfortunately, I can't blog about them as I can't find my cable to transfer the photos from my digital camera to my laptop so all I can say here at the moment (until I turn the house upside down tonight looking for it) is that they are fantastic goodies and my SP has gone to a lot of trouble to get them to me! Thanks SP and pics hopefully tonight.....
Myla's Happy Head Scarf
I made this headscarf for Myla, daughter of a friend of mine Angela, back in June/ July.
Do you
remember it??
Looks like she likes it anyways! Its a perfect fit.
Glad I put on 3 buttons so that Angela can vary the positioning on her, especially as she grows bigger. Isn't she cute?
Myla isn't too bad either har har!
You know, I may even make one of these for myself....hmmmmm
Labels: Friends, Inspiration, Knitting
Stolen moments
This is what happens when you are out with 4 other knitting bloggers for a meal and you go to the ladies and leave your camera behind you on the table.
Mysterious artistic pictures appear in your camera.....
Wonder who was the instigator this time.......
Labels: Weird and Wonderful
Bridie
This is the most lovely
Bridie pattern , which is currently unavailable from Amelia but luckily I got in there when it was. It will be available again next year, I think there were a couple of adjustements that she wanted to make.
I swatched for this using Jaegar Luxery Tweed that I got at the Knitting and Stitching show in Birmingham, wasn't too sure about it before I swatched, but love it now. It will be both light and warm. I haven't started knitting this yet, despite the swatch, but will do in the run up to Christmas.
Labels: Knitting
Yoga Socks, finished eventually!
Yarn:
Yarn swap with
Cheryl, unsure exactly what it is but a superwash Donegal Tweed blend.
Pins: Size 5 circ's/dpn's
Time: Not very long, can't remember exactly. Frogged the first pair I attempted to make in Noro and retried with this yarn.
How Overdue: Got the first done on time for my sisters birthday, the second shortly after but didnt give the second one to her for almost a month after! OOps. This was back in August....
Post posting comment: Forgot to say well done to my model, the lovely Ruth, who posed magnificently in some typical yoga poses for me. Just as well they fit her then....
Labels: Inspiration, Knitting
Sheep Challange in months
Here we have the Sheep that I call Bob. He is advertising his own calendar, from
Borders in Birmingham.
This was taken when we visited Birmingham for the knitting and stitching show, obviously, you can see the corner of a Birmingham calendar behind Bob below.
Labels: Sheep
A Strange knitting experience whilst out walking by the canal
Out walking by the canal on a lovely crisp Saturday morning, what did we come across?
A strange blue shrub?
On closer inspection, its a knitted item torn apart!
How strange.
Lovely walk though.
Labels: Stash Enhancement??
Knitting and Stitching in Dublin city
I was stuck in work until 4.30 on Thursdayy and the other girls were living it up in the Knitting and Stitching Show in the RDS.
4.30 came and out the door I flew, battled the traffic across the city, got a very handy parking space around the corner from the RDS and then I was in.
Met up with the knitty girls upstairs outside the Weavers Spinners and Dyers Guild (of which I am a member!) where Juliet my spinning teacher, was also giving a spinning wheel a test run.
First off was
Cheryl's hair, which is lovely, second of all came the news that
Sharon is moving to the other side of the world for a year! To New Zealand, land of the finest wool!
We caught up for a while, then came the slow process of trying to move towards the door, as
Isobel had to get to dinner with friends, and Cheryl and
Holly were on the way home, after being all day at the show with the guilds.
Holly's drool worthy yarnMyself and Sharon stayed for a while, perusing the fine yarn at the show.
Then Sharon left me to the evils of my demon mind, telling me that I just HAD to buy this and HAD to buy that....and that all of it would be put to good use.
Okay, I did buy yarn, I admit it.
BUT all of it was towards an intended (
victim) person.
Some of the yarn I bought, of which only the Rowan tapestry is actually for me,and no SP stuff here neither!Okay, the blue faced leicester roving I got isn't actually classed as yarn...yet, but I had to have it. Demon mind.
I got yarn for my secret pal
I got yarn to make wristwarmers for my Dad, as he thought mine were a great invention and actually requested a pair!
I got yarn to make some items for some members of my family and of course I can't really say at the moment...
I got a couple of other items that are destined as presents also.
So there you go, more stash enhancement, but NO, they will all be used by chrimbo!!
Jenny and Warren from
Craftspun didn't mind me stopping by for a chat and then coming back to have another drool over their yarn
Lisa from This is Knit was having a great time meeting up with all us bloggers also. Can you see the fantastic Clapotis hanging up? Lovely and soft, this was done by
knit-wit herself who was too shy to get into the photo.
Labels: Inspiration, Knitting, Spinning, Stash Enhancement
Then, ta-da.....ends weaved in and an idea of what it will be like when felted.
But whats this? Reggie has discovered the Kitty Pi.
