076knits: Kille

If you've been reading the blog, you might have seen the pictures. I can't get enough of Bubs running around and doing anything but standing still to have his picture taken.

It all started when Bubs had only just joined us. I wanted to knit something for me, instead of the pile of baby knits that had gone before. I had a really (really) nice skein of Ripples Crafts Assynt Storms, a circular needle, and a naptime to gather my sanity before the next round of nursing, nappies and cramps. A new mom needs a bit of pampering, and that hank of yarn was just the trick.

One thing led to another (ever so slowly) and with help from two lovely professionals (hello Dutch Wool Diva and Yarn and Pointy Sticks) I can now present you my first ever pattern, Kille

Kille is a cowl with lots of nice and easy stitches, not a lot of counting and lots of pretty colours if you pick your yarn carefully. The sample shown is a new colourway by Dutch Wool Diva, Strolling through the Woods, and it's perfect for matching the Autumn colours out there right now. The sturdy Sock Star is perfect for sharing the cowl with your little one, especially when they like chewing on your knitwear, and soft enough to be worn against the skin. If you don't have a little one or like to live dangerously, go wild with your yarn choices! Be careful though, changing the gauge means changing your yardage! The pattern is carefully tech edited, but if you find a problem, please let me know!

You can wear Kille inside out and upside down, but not twice around your head.*
You can even try it on your other person, but I would keep it. It's a selfish treat, remember?

You have to knit it first, and you can do so after going right here: buy now (you don't have to be a member)


Love,
J



*definitely not twice around a little head so that pulling on it doesn't pull it tight

RSVP: Otherwise Engaged

You might be confused about what I've been doing for the past two years, if all you had to go by were my most recent purchases....

As a matter of fact, I've not touched dear neglected Bea in two years. I've spindled a whopping 50 grams of adorable fluff since the beginning of the year.

There's no rational reason to purchase these, or is there? Well, Juno Fibre Arts appears to end business soon, if not already. Catch it while you can, that's what I say.

This one contains camel. Camel fluff. You heard it. Camel in this fluff. It's for research and learning purposes. 

There'll be no irrational spending here!

PS. Exciting times ahead. Soon, soon!

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 a positive note

Since my last post, nothing much has changed in the Tokyo-having-my-brother-in-it situation. He is now with his boss and some others from work, and even though they briefly toyed with the idea of leaving, they haven't and won't if things stay the same.

I know a lot of people have left, and I am glad for them and their loved ones at home (quick wave to Annie Bee's sister, who is about to touch down). I understand that enough is enough and you just want to get home. However this is not something I want for my brother, who has really come into his own during the last few days. Starting out panicky on the phone during the weekend, he gave a sublimely down to earth interview on the Wereldomroep, a Dutch radio station that broadcasts worldwide. He gets that from me, by the way. Ahem. I think we're all clear on one thing: if he were to flee now, it would be very difficult to return. The risk of an earthquake is always there in Tokyo, nothing has changed that, even with the nasty powerstation-thing. No, he's made a decision which wasn't the easiest one, but the best one for him.

If I were a sentimental person I would start a weepy story about how proud I am of my little brother, but I'm not (a sentimental person, proud I very much am). This is WIP Wednesday after all!

Unfortunately, I have nothing to show you!
Peaks Island only needs a few ends tucked in, and the secret knitting is blocked and ready to be written up. It's still a secret, so no pictures yet!

I've started and am about to frog what I knit of a silky scarf, because I'm still not quite liking the cast on yet. It has Estonian flowers and shiny beads though. I have a few bad pictures on my phone, but for some reason they won't find their way unto this blog. It will have to hold... and either way, it's about to be frogged.

So instead, for your delectation and delight, some happy pictures of a happy place.

SCOTLAND, I WILL BE IN YOU ONE DAY!

So now that you've looked at the pretty pictures, tell me, have you donated yet?

WIP Wednesday, feeling blue

Hahaa!

fooled you!

i'm not blue, i'm just detecting a theme in there pictures here. i may be just a little inspired by these blue skies we've had. they're gone now, but there's no harm in recreating blue skies on the wheel or the needles, is there?

leftovers

this is what is left of the yarn that made the secret project. i got a little nervous towards the end as i-cord is a yarn-consuming way to bind off, but it's so worth it in the end. i'm blocking the project this weekend and cleaning up the laptop to make room for some software that will help me do the pattern. much anticipation towards that...

stormy skies*

this is the first yarn i spun from a (3) bat and i'm so sorry it's finished. there's a lot of enjoyment in finding out which colour is next and what the combinations will make of it. again, a fairly thin yarn, so apparently that's my natural size. i'm thinking of investing in a magazine, Spin Off, which i keep hearing about. any thoughts?

leftover storm

as usual, the two kinds of bats didn't give me the same length, so i plied the leftover bits of the storm single on itself, creating a small skein. it makes me happy i plied it with clouds as i like that final yarn a lot better with the white in it.

i've been staring at it every time my eyes catch it sitting around somewhere. it gets moved with the light that plays off the angelina in the clouds part of the ply and i know it made me late(r) for work at least once this week. it's also very nice to come home to as it catches the last of the sun at the end of the afternoon. i think i'm having a little crush on it....

to get myself away i'm playing with the angel yarn i got at the Handwerkbeurs the other week. i've had a ling skinny scarf idea in my head for a while now, and this might be it. not like i don't have other things to do than play with baby alpaca, cashmere and silk...

*bats by Storm op Zolder

WIP Wednesday, dyeing to be me

Oddly, I wasn't as off-track as I thought I was. I just didn't know so I felt *a bit* down about it. Did you notice?

Back to the good stuff: I dyed. As it's mom's birthday soon, I figured I'd use my awesome spinning skills (spin thin, ply, awesome, right?) for a special gift this year. So on Saturday we set up the kitchen and I prepared some food dye while mom played around with colouring pens. Together we dyed half of my stash of white Shetland top in two sittings. The first came out a bit... light

White with a hint of colour

So I put a lot more dye on the second try. It worked!

With all of that coloured goodness drying, it was time to get the brown Icelandic off the bobbins. So I finished it in one sitting that evening. If only you set your mind to it, apparently, you can get things done.

On Sunday, I spun the lightest top and it just screamed out its name. Now since it's still a gift I'm not showing you the bobbin up close, that'll just have to wait. You will have to take my word for it, if ever I've seen spun sugar on a bobbin, this is it, so that's what it will be.

Suikerspin, brown Icelandic and the remains of skein #2 of the Secret Project

In other news, I'm not fixing O.W.L.S.. Apparently, it doesn't want to be fixed or it would've been by now. Instead, I'm frogging back to where it went wrong. It's such a fast knit, I might even get some more use out of it this winter. We had a small (short?) flurry of snow today and I've been freezing my butt off this weekend. Spring isn't here yet...

Tonight I'm spinning some more, knitting a bit and sleeping early, as I'm off to the Handwerkbeurs (craft fair) in Zwolle on Friday! This means a 2 hr drive there and back, in Friday traffic. I better be rested...

WIP Wednesday, unfinished business

Oh dear, oh dear.

As it turns out, I get a lot less done now that I'm more or less back to full time work (surprise!). Choices to be made, which means many things do not get chosen. Think: kid-who-gets-picked-first, instead of last-to-be-picked-for-the-team.

The secret knitting project which was last started received a little pepper to put up the proverbial arse, so it's getting most attention these days. There may or may not be a group willing to test-knit. I better have something to test, won't I?

basket of unfinished goodness

So there are 4 WIP's that got started this year and none have been finished. Peaks Island is probably 75% done, and has been for a while. O.W.L.S. is waiting, but I'm dreading to cut it so I can fix it. The spun yarn for the birds'omasomething has been decorating a pillow for weeks. It sure looks pretty, but it can't stay. I might one day need that pillow for my head.
The first-picked WIP is at least at 50%, because that is how much yarn I have left. More or less. I tried to do the numbers, but maths and excel sheets are not my strong point after 18.00 (after 15.00, but don't tell my boss).

Somewhere, Manu is still waiting, Mythos is in hiding, I have only 1 Manolo sock and the Spot Check Socks have been frogged because I needed the needles for the Favoured Secret Project. I'll try again sometime, on my new short circulars. It might go a lot faster now that I've mastered the art of two-handed stranded knitting. Hurray for the internet! The other Secret Project won't make it to its recipient in time to do any good. Sorry.

I promise not to start anything new, and to finish something soon.

Deep Breaths.



PS: the underpaid nifty job-people sent a reply to this extent: "this job would be great for you, but we're not actually hiring due to re-organisations, so send us your cv next year please." Which seems awfully useful, trying to find a job soon. Big strike through this one then...

WIP Wednesday, in which the main road is once again left in favour of a dusty ol' sidetrack

Oh, hai!

It feels as if I've been super productive, but in the end, I don't have a lot to show for it. Does that have anything to do with not going by the earlier designed Grand Design? The answer, my friend, is a solid yes. After frogging for 3", which is to go back on your knitting for 7,5cm, earlier this week, I'm now slightly ahead of where I was.

(Dear DH, please send me my software so I'll be able to carve this in CS4 so I won't forget Things I've thought up...)

Anyway, quite a bit of knitting went into it, and this is what's left of a 300mtr cake. Only 2 more to go after this one.

I can't believe I haven't touched Bea the orphaned wheel this week. I've been such a bad mother. As punishment for my lack of attention, I haven't been able to keep my legs still for over a week. I have great plans for this weekend. Can't wait to stop twitching my feet.

Instead, I've been playing around with some felt and hot glue. A few more a ready for glue and then they only need some finishing. I see a few more things in my future, and they will involve glue! I can't believe I haven't hot glued before. It's so much fun, if you can stand the constant glue burn. (or if your fingers come with Teflon built in)

I think I might cover myself in them on V-day

On Saturday, I finally put to paper what's been floating around my head for a while. It might appear somewhere soon...

Have you been crafty this week?

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, a week of finishing and starting all over again

This week, the golden oldies are still where they are...

My scarf got a little work done on the way back from the airport, but I slept most of the time, so I'm still not half-way done with the supposedly superfast scarf. The last secret Christmas knitting didn't gain a stitch, but that's ok. (I'm being nice to me!)

I did manage to finish the pink monstrosity I posted about last week and even made its blue sister in time for the plane they needed to catch, neatly stuffed into the Texan's hand luggage.

The dreaded kilt hose were done on the second day of Christmas, so technically, that was on time as well. I'm just a little proud of the way they turned out!

After the Airport Trip, I finished the last bits of the therapeutic spinning, and plied all together into 500 mtr of coloured goodness. It'll probably become a Peak Island Hood (announcement for future WIP)

Since I didn't want this winter to pass by on unfinished projects, I started another one in a bulky yarn. O.W.L.S. Oh yes. Just this evening I finished the 2x2 ribbing (2") on 128 stitches in the round. So far, I'm loving the speed of it, but not the fact that the picture I just took refuses to sync from web albums to Picasa proper so it's not blogged this week.

In spinning news: I'm already trying to work out how to combine natural colours of wool into a Fair Isle project I haven't started yet... Oh dear

WIP Wednesday, back again

Last Wednesday, a week ago, I didn't do a WIP Wednesday. There were 2 reasons for it, the main one being that not one project got itself finished or even close to finishing. To be honest, none of them are very inspiring at the moment. This is bad, because it often leads to startitis. Instead of casting on more unwanted projects, I chose to buy more yarn. Yeah. Whaddayagonnado? It'll become an O.W.L.S. which I hope to finish before Spring.
The other, non-secret Christmas knitting thing that was going on last week was a full agenda. Yeah. again more of the same. Increasing work hours, therapy, teaching (being taken out to dinner to practise "ordering in a restaurant") and tidying meant there was little time left on the computer. The next day I got to get up at 5am to drive to the airport, drive back home after standing at the gate for over an hour with a Texan in the passenger seat. The day after that looked a little (completely exactly) like this from our hotel window.

On Monday it was back to work (such fun), and back to work on projects that will not be finished in time. Hurrah!
So now, another Wednesday, I've stolen the laptop back from the Texan for 30 min so I can post this, the newest secret WIP.
Don't smirk, it's a present and needs to fly on Tuesday. So there.

So now I just need the Texan to put last weekend's actual pictures on here and make this laptop speak with the printer. There might be a chance I won't go ballistic before the weekend, but I'm not making promises. I just wish I could spin all day.

WIP Wednesday, or can I have mulligan please?

We all have them. Weeks that start out badly, and never recover from it. It's only Wednesday, and I would really like to go back, throw my dice again and start over. (minus the one day, obviously)*

The past 8 days haven't tried their best at making themselves memorable in a good way. Memorable, certainly, in a screwed-up admin-y insurance-doctorish way, and it's best to just ignore everything that went wrong and pretend all is well with the world. Like the fact that just about every female I know, who is in a relationship and in my age-bracket, seems to be pregnant. Including Annie (follow her here) and myself, I can still count the number of non-preggers on one hand!

Annie has just pointed out that this means Options! Buy stocks in baby related items, start a daycare, or become the world's best loved aunt!**

There is a bit of a downside to this situation. There will be many more secret projects that can't be shown here. In fact, all of my own half-done projects have been patiently waiting in their respective plastic bags*** for weeks while I work on secret things for other people.

Tired and grumpy, I finally gave in to one of the few basic rules I've learned these last few months, and did something for me. Initially, it involved a lot of swearing. I attached some of the fiber I got from "the Belgians" to my leader and all was well until I stopped to guide onto another hook. Breakage, and more breakage until there was hardly anything left on the spool. After a bit, I gave up and spun some rough merino I had sitting around, in shocking pink.

If I run into you this week and accidentally bite your head off: I'm sorry and I'm working on it. Now if only I managed to get some sleep....

* If you don't need explaining, you must be a... person who hangs out with the kind of people I hang out with.
** Yes, I'm claiming all your unborn children
*** I am fixing this. I'll have actual project bags soon!****
**** Hurray!

WIP Wednesday, the secret edition

In which not everything is as secret as the title suggests. About 25% of it is "out there" in the public domain.

Like this, my superfast Snelle Jelle, after a design by Jen Reilly, who blogs here

Snelle Jelle is to replace an old scarf I made almost a decade ago, and which should be retired. That said, I might just wash it and see what happens...

In a while, a few people might get to recognize these pictures as their newly unwrapped presents. I'm not telling you who you are.

(muahahahahaha)

(that is my super secret evil laugh)

(I'm also stroking a cat)

I'll see you around next week, when it will be only 1 week until the even eviller DH arrives. There will be more secrets....

WIP Wednesday, or not?

My unstable arm is acting up again, which means it clicks and clunks and misbehaves in general, since I sort-of-slipped on wet leaves while trying to mount my borrowed tiny bicycle. Apparently I still can't make a sudden move without being punished for it.

All of the above a clear message: grab that long piece of pink elastic band and use it for good, not evil. (I'd have to find it first...)

It doesn't make for perfect crafting conditions in any case.

I'll tell you what I've worked on (some) this week: nothing but secret projects. I knit and I dyed, but just in case someone's watching, I'm still not showing. Maybe next week...

Meanwhile, enjoy some blogs I like...

Visit the home of Saz, who makes pretty things, lives in Bonny Scotland and keeps hens. She keeps finding interesting things around her new house.

Reading about mariajhmom's life I'm reminded I'm not the only one... (who goes a bit loopy over all things fiber-y)

Annie Bee knits, and does a lot more than just that!

If you don't mind I'll sit on some of my other favorite blogs. I might some more filler next week!!!

WIP Wednesday, projects that just go on and on and on...

You get it, right?

I have a few works in progress that just never seem to end. Working is all dandy and such when it comes to the expansion of the Mighty Stash, but it sure doesn't help with tackling it to the ground. As any good fiber hoarder will agree, things do tend to build up if you can't spend every waking hour trying to turn the mountain of yarn and unspun fiber into pretty things to wear and give away. However, you're not going to learn about them today. Nuh uh. You see, I forgot to take pictures when there was light and I was too busy about cake and flowers anyway. Some pictureless projects instead then...

In the Springtime, I brought some lace home which was in desperate need of dyeing. Since then, I've spun lace, and more lace, and all of it was turned into lovely shawlettes for me to wear (see here) and the bland blank skein of lace just sat and waited....

I can safely say it is now a lovely colour, which I can't show you because it's the trial of something secret!!! The trial is coincidentally also my first ever attempt at designing something myself, if you don't count Alexia's mittens, also here.

A while back we got some baby merino in white to try out our first dyeing experiment. I went all out and got 10 balls when that turned out to be fun! Some of those ended up in the mittens, others are now slowly turning into another secret project, of which I can tell you nothing!!!

I can't leave you without a picture, so as it's our 4th anniversary, I'll leave you to enjoy this lovely couple...



I can't believe it's 4 years already. It feels like yesterday and a lifetime away...