Sneaky sneaky... on how to get to where you want to be taking baby steps in secret

I never imagined that writing would be the most difficult thing to get back to after the fog of sleep deprivation lifted. Mind you, that fog lingered like nobody's business and it doesn't need much encouraging to return.

It's not wonder that the Big Plan was put into hibernation for a while, at least that's how it would seem. In the very early hours of sleep deprivation (otherwise known as the beginning of motherhood) I was in desperate need of some comfort knitting.

Fortunately, I had some one-of-a-kind hand dyed sock yarn on hand and no idea what to do with it.

You can always knit a pair of socks. You can, but no new mom should be forced to make 2 of a thing, not unless she really wants to. It can be a struggle to juggle a tiny little babe, no less than 4 tiny little dpns or a tiny little circular needle for magic looping, a ball of yarn as well as keeping track of where your sanity disappeared to. And then have to repeat the process because not many people only need one sock. Trust me on this.

There isn't a bag hidden away with two different socks and 2 balls of yarn in it. (It's in plain sight, mocking me and my cold feet)

So what to knit?

It had to be a luxury item compatible with grabby hands and unfortunate spillage. Luckily, I had some gorgeous yarn at hand that's also easy to wash.

And that, as they say, was only the beginning. The Big Plan?

Baby, it's on...

WIP Wednesday-on-Friday: Jump!

I hope you didn't all just jump off your seats, but it seemed like a good way to start a slightly late blog post. You see, I was busy, tired and have very little I can show you, so I felt a little uninspired. Fortunately, no one tells me when to write to you but me, and I gave myself two evenings off to deal with being me (and appointments). Since then, Spring has arrived, and since Spring is Dutch for Jump!.... well, you get my drift*

The reason I can't show you much is that much of what I did last weekend is a big secret. Recipient of said secret is currently 13,5cm (plus another week's worth of growing) in size, so he or she can't actually read this. Since at least half of the expecting parental unit reads this I'm only revealing the picture below.

100% 4-ply BFL, soaking

I had a lot of fun playing with colours, but you'll all have to wait about 6 months to see the result of the dyeing session. A little swatching happened, and I'm a little giddy just touching it. Oh! the softness! the springyness!** the colours! I can't wait to learn to dare to do some steeking.***

Below you will find a few pictures of some bootees that I knit. They were ordered by the happy recipient of some gift bootees late last year. I took some inspiration from the original (hello? multi-colour knit-purl ridges? how cute is that?) and re-imagined and modernized them to make the purl rows look a bit like icing, dripping down from in between layers of cake. 

They are knit from the sole up and in the round, leaving you with nothing more to do than weave in a few ends after finishing. There is also some slipped stitching, and a few short rows to cover the top of the foot.   

A yarnover-k2tog combo creates little holes to pull the string through with which you can secure**** the bootees. As you can see, there is a bit of colourwork going on, carrying the cake or icing colour for about 5 stitches behind the work. I choose to secure them, just so little wandering fingers or toes won't get caught in the float.  

I think the pom poms really finish them off, don't you? I really, really like the Clover Pom Pom Makers I got myself last Christmas. One of these, from start to completely finished (including trimming), takes less than 5 minutes! To boot, you don't have to mess around with cardboard when you use these...

Layered Cake

And finally, proof that Spring has really Sprung.*****

Enjoy it, and whatever you do, don't throw your litter in between the daffodils I pass on my way into work. You're spoiling my mornings, whomever you are. 

*I did just spell it out...
**Yes that is, in fact, a word. Casually insert it into dialogue.
***Technical term. Actually.
****Babies and bootees. There is never a guarantee they will stay on, but the string helps.
*****No seriously, it has. Even if I still have cold feet in my wool socks right this very moment.

WIP Wednesday, and we're back

Sooooo...

Thanks to some soul-searching, a good session and some retail therapy (no chocolate or actual spending of money involved!) we're back. 'Twas a bit a of a Big Dip, so much so that I didn't even get chastised this week (minor triumph, in a way). But, as they say, one comes out the other end a bit wiser and a bit older (do they say that?). Either way, ideas aplenty, and never enough time. Yadda yadda, heard it before.

I poked myself in the chest carrying this secret knitting around to take a picture of it so I could show you. The things I do to put up a half-decent picture for you, eh? It's all out of love! (told you it's better now)

I did spin a bit throughout the Big Dip, and this is some black Icelandic. It's nice enough when plied, but it wasn't a joy to work with. Seems to be a recurring thing with the darker versions of a sheep breed. I've started the brown, and it's much nicer and less hairy. Updates next week!

I did learn something non-Dip-related during the Big Dip. When in a Big Dip, it's not a great idea to start designing. The birds thingymawattums was knit to 3" about 7 times and frogged as many. After 3 I remembered to put in a lifeline. As it is, it's not reconstructed, but there are Ideas! Something will come out of it, I'm sure. Above, design #6, discarded.

Some books I'm enjoying, some newer than others, collected gifts. I like how, leafing through, I recognize patterns and stitches used by some pretty famous designers. It's like having a peek in their kitchen. It also helps with the idea that it only takes a good idea and perseverance to make something pretty. Stay tuned. (scary!!!)

Ehm, no, he's never been tumble dried. He allows us to use it, sometimes. Since his stroke he's not been able, and now not allowed back to his old sleeping place on top of the washer. It seems he just really likes being off the floor, so one night he crawled into the drier. Another night, it was emptied so he could go to bed, but one of the ridges was in the bottom so he tried the washing machine that night. It wasn't a success (Cat later told me it was like sleeping on an old mattress with the springs sticking out).

We now take care to have His Majesty's bed turned up by nightfall. As one does.

PS. Peaks Island Hood is coming along. Yippie!

WIP Wednesday, and a diary clearing itself

I had a lovely clean diary for a little while, but mostly around Christmas. The Texan was here for such a short time, it just didn't seem right to fill that time up with driving around the country to meet up with people.
Anyway, there I was, getting used to the 'no practice, no teaching' regime when all of a sudden the year changed, fireworks went off, and my diary was full.

During the first 3 weeks of 2011, I was to be out of the house 4 out of 5 weeknights, while also trying very hard to get used to increasing working hours.

Big Meltdown.

That's what happened...

And then I spun, because that helps. Yep, that's definitely something I've learned over the past months. Spinning makes the short circuiting in my head stop. It has something to do with the repetitive movement, the soft buzzing of the wheel as I make it turn (now that orphaned wheel Bea is sitting on a towel) and the drafting I now seem to be able to do by touch. The last few yarns I've made are to be together in a project, so I'm trying to get them as similar as I possibly can so my rhythm is more or less *Tread Draft Tread Slip (repeat from *) and then ply *Tread Tread Tread and Feed Tread Tread Tread Slip (repeat from *). So far I've only fallen asleep at the wheel 5 times this week. No major accidents reported so far. I've been told I'm Not The Only One who does that.

Unfortunately, my diary started clearing itself. A number of the good and fun things seem to have canceled themselves, some for very sad reasons. All of the annoying things remained, like going to work every day. Such fun ;)

Luckily, I've managed to knit some and spin some. This week's goal is to finish the O.W.L.S. sleeves, and one is already part of the big Unit. The other, well, see below.

This picture is (was) on its side.

27 rounds to go before I can add this one too, and then on to the actual owls. This means I need to start collecting buttons. So far, I've decided on 2. These are very much on the psychedelic part of the colour spectrum, and now I'm undecided if I want to keep the others quiet or go all out.
Either way, when this is done, I'll return to some secret knitting, and then some more secret knitting, and some designing and Manu. I feel like I've neglected my sweet soft Manu for too long now. Soon...

Black Shetland, 199 mtr

I spun this over the weekend, when I should've been doing something else. The something else was started, so at least that's something. I've found that the black shetland was far coarser than the moorit I spun before, and the grey I am working with now. Odd, or maybe not.

Here they are together, sitting on a vague colour swatch sort of thingy.

They, and below and some white shetland that I haven't touched yet are going to be one of the designing thingies that I'm planning. No pressure.

Grey Shetland 2-ply light fingering

So I've been busy, sort of. Some things are crossed off the list. One day soon the rest of it will be as well. So far, I've even stuck with my one and only resolution for this year...

What have you been up to this week?