Get Knitted, Yarn Fatigue & Nasty Noro

Last Saturday, I picked up Robynn, Yogic Knitter and Erqsome and we set off for Get Knitted in Bristol where we spent the day browsing yarn, occasionally chatting to other Ravellers and members of GK's local knitting group. You may have seen scenes similiar to this on other blogs already over the past week:

















GK's shop is very roomy and their staff were very friendly and welcoming. It has an area for people to knit, a small play area for children and a table close to the coffee area for non-knitters to relax. It was fun - I was delighted to meet Tussah Silk, Nonnahs and Tutley Mutley (who made the most delicious Apple and Ginger cake plus facilitated a Ravelry Quiz).

I almost met Woolly Wormhead (again). It's an odd thing when someone is a fairly well known blogger and handspinner, whose blog you read from time to time. Then, you spot them at a knitting event (Ally Palace; Stitch & Bitch Day and Get Knitted, in this case) but for some reason, a natural opportunity to say hello and introduce yourself does not arise - I am not the sort of person to push myself under someone's chin. I'd feel awkward about it.

Yarn Fatigue?!
Despite spending most of the day at Get Knitted, I came away with very little. They had plenty of lovely things to browse so when I first got home, I was worried that I might be suffering from yarn fatigue!

On reflection, I think that it was because I only had one project in mind that definitely needed a yarn purchase. So although GK had some very good yarns, including imports, I was not in the mood to buy things on spec?


It also helped that I didn't see any colours I fell in love with. In this picture, Erqsome is chatting to Nonnahs, clutching a skein of yarn that she kept trying to put back. Yet every time we saw her, she had picked it up again.

In my view, that skein of yarn was destined to go home with her - there's just no point fighting against something that appeals to you so strongly. Purchase and enjoy it - end of story!

I didn't have any of those moments. Nope, instead I found myself in the Noro section, thinking about my fella. Awwww...

Nasty Noro
Roobeedoo: surely it's a bit early to be measuring the fella up for a jumper? However, I must confess that the handknitted gifts are already a fact of life - he and his son got matching hats, in different colours last October!

Over Christmas and New Year, the fella mentioned that he needed a scarf. Now I know exactly what scarf I would like to knit for him but it requires me to learn a new technique, so that has to be put on the back burner until later in the year. We discussed an interim scarf.

We found ourselves in a little LYS in Wales at the New Year, where they had some Noro. There was a Noro Silk Garden colourway that he liked but the shop only had 1 ball in stock (#86).
So last Saturday, I searched GK's Noro section. Not there. I consulted their Noro brochure. Not there. So I think that it might be a discontinued colour?


So, after much dithering and worrying about whether the yarn was soft enough and whether this colour would suit the fella (or be better for his son), I picked out colour #47 instead.

Ok - Noro Silk Garden - it looks okay in ball form? Pleasant even? Hmm. The best that I can say is that it photographs quite well (all images in this post should enlarge, when clicked) but I have no plans to buy another ball of this yarn ever again.

Personally, I found it grim and scratchy to work with. It left prickly fibres between my fingers as I worked. To the point where I am now worried that the scarf will be too itchy to wear.

So can anyone explain, why do people rave about this yarn so much? I understand the colour and striping thing but surely that doesn't compensate completely for how unpleasant this yarn is to the touch? Why is it so expensive? More importantly, does it soften with wear?!













So, after the above photoshoot (for the fella to see how the colours turned out), I have soaked it in Eucalan (to try to reanimate the lambswool, despite the yarn saying dry clean only) and it is now blocking on my spare bed, giving off an almighty stench of ancient sheep. If that doesn't work, then my only hope is to line it with fleece, so it can be worn without exfoliating its wearer's neck.

I am still not sure whether the colours will work for the fella or whether they would be appreciated more by his son (they would certainly go better with his hat). Ho hum, perhaps they can fight over it, in the event that it dries soft enough to wear?

Okay, I must get back to my sport admin and Puss in Boots wrap template work...I am so behind on everything...I am trying to catch up, I am, I am.

Acknowledging Christmas Generosity

I appreciate that it is mid January (I am so behind) but I would just like to acknowledge some of the gifts that I received for Christmas in order to thank the people who gave them to me.*

You already know that I received a pair of Lantern Moon glass needles from Robynn before Christmas. (They are winking at my from my needle jar and I am itching to use them!

What sort of yarn would work best with glass needles, I wonder? Something not too slippery?

In addition, I received:

- a fridge notepad and stitch markers from a certain Yarn Floozy. The notepad has pride of place on my fridge and I am waiting for a good opportunity to use my stitch markers!

- a moebius scarf and a personalised sock kit from Yogic Knitter who koolaid dyed the yarn specially for me in colours that she knows that I like!

I have hardly taken off the moebius scarf since I received it but I do not wear it when I see Mel so she probably thinks that I do not like it. That is not the case at all! It is just that Mel has knitted the other half of the skein into an identical scarf for herself. Now as she knitted both scarves, I feel that she should have garment wearing precedence when we are out in public!

(Okay. Quick question - now why is it that everyone seems to want me to learn how to knit socks when I cannot even hold dpns without an apparent attack of Tourette's Syndrome?!)


Also in the picture are a few gifts from my fella:

- a 2 metre ruler. You need to understand that this is not just a ruler - it is, in fact, an important, international communication device (I tend to work in metric, while he works in inches)!

- a camera monopod for taking pictures of knitting in low light (out of frame for obvious reasons!); and oh, um

- not really presents but I do claim the two skeins of Indigo Moon Yarn in the picture as a present, even though they are simply a by-product of a gift purchase for Robynn! I did a 'recon' to 3 Bags Full back in October but I didn't have time to think about everything I wanted. So I asked the fella to go back on my behalf in December to pick up some things that I had seen for Robynn and Mel - a pink medium sized KnitKnow Pouch and 2 skeins of sock yarn for Robynn (in purples), so that she could make another pair of boot socks.**

Just to be on the safe side, he bought me over a selection of three colours (purple, green and blue) but he only picked up two skeins in one of the colourways, which is the one that he happened to like the best (green). Well, as the present was for long boot socks, this nailed down exactly what I wrapped for Robynn! Luckily, she agrees with the fella and the yarn is happily stashed in its new home...

...so, this means that the fella has unintentionally added to my sock yarn stash too. Now if I do a mental count, I think that I am now in posession of between 5-8 skeins of sock yarn when I do not, or should that be cannot, knit socks.

*Sigh*

So perhaps I do need to submit to lessons at some point during 2008?

People...I will try but I cannot promise success.

Or an absence of swearing.

* Christmas Gifts: I did manage to stick to my rule of 'no presents for over 18s' (in the main). A formal exchange of presents was dispensed with the majority of adults and both parties donated money to charity instead. To soften the absence of gifts blow, my fella and I also gave small gifts of gourmet ground coffee from the Monmouth Street Coffee Company or Canadian Sockeye smoked salmon, that the fella had smoked specially in Canada and bought over with him for family and friends to enjoy over the festive period. However, there are some people I knew would give gifts anyway...so I reciprocated!

I hope that you all enjoy your presents as much as I am enjoying mine.

**Opps, note to self: reimburse fella for proxy gift purchases!

Risible Holiday Knitting Efforts

Despite my firm assertion that there would be no ORK handknit presents this Christmas, two items lolled awkwardly off the end of my needles during the course of the holidays.

Item 1: Good Karma Barbie Basic
Why the name? Okay, so tell me. Be honest (if you have ever received any yarn in this way). Exactly what did you do with the yarn that came free with the magazine subscription that you signed up for at your local Knit & Stitch show?

In my case, I walked away from the publisher's stall without noticing that something pretending to be fibre was lurking at the bottom of the 'goodies' bag.

Oh yes, the albatross of all free gifts - perfectly good, functional, eyelash novelty yarn. It has been sitting in my home for 2.5 months batting its petrolum based eyelashes relentlessly at me.

Now, I ain't novelty yarn bashing here - really, I am not. There is nothing wrong with this yarn at all.

If you ignore the niggly knowledge that it was dragged artifically into life, resulting in a Yarn Frankenstein destined to be given away free to knitters, in the full knowledge that it will be either loved or hated (in equal measure). I could not even recycle it, as my council will not take plastic - if I had chosen to consign it to the bin, it would have gone to landfill.

No, nothing wrong with it at all. I simply objected to its perky, fluffy, pink, gold and orange existence. By the way, this aversion is very easy to explain: I am thirty seven and not seven.

Now if you happen to be seven, well then something bright, shiny, fluffy pink, gold and orange might be more your kind of thing? In fact, you might even be delighted with it? (At least that is what I hoped when I reached for the yarn and got out my needles.)

With this in mind, I am proud to present the perfect Good Karma, Barbie Basic scarf. Created and delivered as an extra, bonus Christmas present tucked inside another gift for a seven year old girl:

Gift recipient loved it! Now I might be truly ancient as far as this little girl is concerned but hey, I can remember being seven. Can't you?! I remember the deadly tacky gold acrylic and plastic pearl crochet style waistcoat that was my bling pride and joy. I was heartbroken when it was left behind during a house move...

... I am not so sure that my mother was that upset about its loss.

Good Karma: for vanishing novelty yarn from my house without it going directly to landfill
Barbie Basic: for the colours and the garter stitch used to gallop it off the needles.

Item 2: Baby Hat from One Skein (Leigh Radford)
I must confess that I do not want to spend much time on this as it has turned out to be rather ugly - it is the 12-18 month size.

I didn't like the pattern crown decreases, as they bunch rather than swirl neatly. Also, I knitted it from stash, hence the hat's two coloured aspect and extra eyelet mods to look the yarn changeover look more purposeful. I plan to rip out the seed stitch tie and replace it with i-cord ties. Generally, I acknowledge that I am poking about, trying to improve a sow's ear. This hat is not ever going to be a silk purse.

What am I on about? Well, I guess that it might fairly innocuous sitting there on an upside down vase? Hmm.

Ok, ok. So what? I used cotton and not the recommended yarn. (Hey, I was knitting from stash - it is the 'in' thing and the whole point is that you use up what you've got. Surely?)

And guess what?

Yep. It is huge. Absolutely enormous.

Looking on the bright side, I guess that the gift recipient will grow into it?

When she is about 40.

A Rabbiting Good Yarn!

I am a long way behind on blog posts as a result of the problem with my PC and my holiday break with my fella. Yet somehow, it feels wrong to ignore some of the highlights from the past month and zoom straight into 2008. Particularly when one happy winter moment, happens to be all about yarn.

When I was in Vancouver in October, I hoped to catch up with Rabbitch who, apart from being refreshingly blunt, is an independent hand dyer - coffee, dry humour and yarn. Who would miss out on that?!

However, if you stop by Rabbitch's blog, you may spot that she works two jobs, runs a family and dyes yarn while enjoying a glass of Merlot - she is a busy woman. So sadly, it didn't happen.

However, after I spotted some of her fab colourways over at The Sweet Sheep, I kept an eye on her Etsy shop for yarn that might suit one of my projects (as I do not knit socks). With the result that I ended up purchasing some DK alpaca-wool (Red Red Twine, Anthem and Raspberries) and a skein of super bulky (Cranberry).

My yarn arrived on the 22nd December. In my package were three extra skeins (2 x Toe Jam Sock Yarn in 'To Make the Boys Wink' and 1 x Turquiose DK Alpaca-Wool) for me to show people, just in case they want to put in an order of their own...

...yarn enabler? Who me?!

Just on the basis that if someone wanted any of the extra skeins, then we could come to some arrangement where the relevant money was paypal'd over to Rabbitch.

So, what did I get?!

Super Bulky New Zealand Wool

Colour: Cranberry (top image truer to yarn colour)
Quantity: 1 skein, 14o yards

When touched: a little crunchy in hands but not scratchy against face
When smelt: no smell!

Purchased for a scarf project and I think that I can feel another Gaiter project coming on!

DK - 70% Alpaca, 30% Merino

Colour: Anthem (a signature Rabbitworks colour)

Quantity: 2 skeins, 400 yards per skein

When touched: lovely and soft
When smelt: no smell!

I am missing one of these skeins now - there's a story behind this, read on!

Toe Jam Sock Yarn
50% Rideau/Arcott, 30% Lincoln, 20% alpaca
Colour: To Make the Boys Wink
Quanity: 2 skeins, 375 yards per skein (7st/in)
When touched: slightly crunchy in hands but not scratchy on face!
When smelt: proper, real wool smell

This was one of the sample yarns!

DK - 70% Alpaca, 30% Merino
Colour: Raspberries
Details: as before
Project: baby knit (once baby has landed safe and sound)

I am really looking forwards to seeing how the Alpaca-Wool DK knits up.

I didn't manage to photograph the Red Red Twine and Turquiose skeins before they were snaffled up by Anne of The Small Gallery (1 Capuchin Yard, Church Street, Hereford). Anne is looking to gauge interest in them, in order to decide whether to submit an order.

So, if you would like to get your hands on some of the Rabbitworks yarn mentioned in this post, then you need to get in touch with The Small Gallery in Hereford. In addition to the DK Alpaca-Wool in Red Red Twine and Turquiose, Anne has one of the pink Toe Jam Sock Yarn skeins and...sob...one of my two Anthem DK skeins too.

So...if:

• you happen to be in Hereford
• you decide to pop into the gallery
• the Rabbitch yarns are still there
• you like the Toe Jam sock yarn or Anthem DK but need two skeins for your project...

...then let me know. I am sure that we can work something out?! Even if I feel that I would rather poke myself in the eye with a dpn than relinquish my single, orphan skein of Anthem!

And, as this appears to have become a promotional post for Rabbitch and The Small Gallery, I may as well include some pictures of my trip to the gallery between Christmas and the New Year, so that you can see some of the other items and artisan yarns that were in stock, e.g. Knitwitches, Fyberspates and Artesano!

Christmas Ghosts in the Machine

Okay, I admit it. I have started to date someone.

He's lovely and very happy I am too!

Now the reason for this post is that my brother took some photographs us together on Christmas Day using 35mm film. Unfortunately, bad light and our mutual inability to keep very still conspired against us (unless my brother has started to suffer from a shaking disorder) and this has left us both resembling Christmas ghosts in the machine.

E.g. photo of me, mucking about in front of my brother.

As the photos are so blurred, I am not sure whether they are a write-off altogether or whether it might be possible to salvage them. Either using the original negatives or copying the photos to CD and playing with them digitally.

I got Boots to cut the negatives to CD for me so that I can have a play with them at home but does anyone have any thoughts on what I might do or try?

After all, it was our first Christmas together and it would be good to have a photo with us both in focus. All together now....ahhhh.

I am here...honest!

I am just snowed under with Other Things.

An update on my winter break (and its risible knitting efforts) will be with you very soon.

However, tomorrow morning I am picking up three other knitters and we are heading West to Get Knitted in Bristol for the day.

I hope that GK know what they are letting themselves in for? As, from the Ravelry discussion threads I have read, it seems that a lot of people plan to pitch up on their doorstep tomorrow morning from as far afield (in relation to Bristol) as Coventry, Cornwall and London?

Why? An opportunity to fondle yarn, do a bit of knitting/shopping and meet other Ravellers.

Oh and lest I forget...it is rumoured that there might be cake.

Knitters, it seems, will travel miles for yarn, cake, a bit of knitting and a lot of chatting?

In our case, over 110 miles. I will take my camera as I get the impression that it could be a bit of a bun fight for standing space, let alone sitting space?!

Happy Christmas? Happy New Year?!

I am back! Now, I do wish that I could say that this is courtesy of a thorough heart-to-heart with my wireless router.

However, the rather sad, more honest, truth is that I am only back online due to the discovery of a text file on my old laptop (hidden in plain sight) which contained details of my current router WEP key. Yup - I think that the less said about this entire affair, the better?

So very belatedly, I would like to wish you all a very heartfelt Happy New Year! Interestingly, I have been offline since the 19th December. So I have spent the last 24 hours catching up on email and blogs.

In fairness to all, there have been many worthy things posted over the festive season (2007 accomplishments and 2008 objectives etc.). However, there are two individual items that really stand out for me and should be celebrated properly:

1. Roobeedoo wed her First Love on the Isle of Skye on the 28th December 2007.
   
   R, 2007 was a very difficult year for you and FL. I am delighted that you have both rounded off the year on such a wonderful high - I truly wish you and FL the very best of everything for your future together.
   
   (Just in case you are a dedicated follower of bridal fashion, please click here too.)
   
   
2. Anna celebrated the first month of her little boy on the 24th December 2007.
   
   A, I am glad that the littlest Raitte arrived safe and sound in November and that one month in, he is adding such a large tablespoon of joy to your life.

On this uplifting note of goodwill to all, I would just like to share images of the three trees that dominated my Christmas and New Year:




Okay, it is a modest but this tree was the unexpected dense, bushy jewelled result of a frantic tree search late afternoon, the Saturday before Christmas Day (when every Garden Centre had sold out of anything that did not resemble a lonely desert cactus).










The owner of this tree commented that this was the best that anyone could expect if she was left to acquire a tree unsupervised, after it generated a certain amount of unkind hilarity.

(Please note that you cannot see from this angle that it is bald at the back).










This tree happened to be a lovely touch in a fantastic cottage that I stayed in over the New Year.

As you can see from the lit wood stove, the glass of bubbly and bowl of grapes...


...I did not suffer greatly in the beautiful, rural wilds of the Black Mountains.


Oh? What do you mean that this blog is supposed to be about knitting?

What? Does noone, except me, have time away from needles when family, friends and bloke descend?!

Nope - me either. I'll be back with relevant knitting info very soon!

S.O.S. IT Afloat at Sea!

In the interests of taking the Pain out of PC and joining everyone else in the 21st Century, I have acquired a new computer.

However, in my brave and valiant attempt to get this wonderful, slick, efficient, bright, shiny piece of machinery onto my wireless network and the internet, I seem to have managed to sever all home contact with the outside world.

Yes, I am afraid that the net result of two evenings of ORK IT ineptitude is that the grubby, black old dinosaur and the sparkly new silver toy, sit - side by side - in a gentle fan whirring of self absorbed yet companionable, almost-silence. They are like old friends, sitting in a lounge area, reading newspapers - quite happy to sit there, ignoring both each other and the outside world. Oblivious to what is going on around them.

Marvelous. For them. I am going up the wall. [said through gritted teeth]

I have even offered to cook for a colleague (and his two children), in a clear and blatent attempt to lure an IT expert around to my home to sort out my self inflicted, IT mess. Funnily enough, it's Christmas and he's busy.

So things are not looking good on the IT front.

Mind you, after the item that I knitted earlier this week, you might be grateful that I do not really have any sensible way to blog. It's a scarf for a 7 year old. I'm thinking of calling it 'Good Karma, Barbie Basic'. It's bright and it is made with plastic yarn. It's no eco-friendly number - so why the good karma?

Chunky Ribs and Ruffles Scarf (# 4)

Yarn: Misti Alpaca Chunky, 2 skeins
Pattern: Chunky Ribs and Ruffles, free from Misti International website
Modifications: Made scarf wider and longer than the pattern
Reason for knit: a belated birthday present for my friend, Alex

Enough said!

Wrapped!

I am wrapped - just about!

Usually, I can be found in the Please Pay Here queue at about 16:45 on Christmas Eve, looking wild eyed because I know that I am almost out of time. This is after I have fought to get my hands on the best of the Christmas leftovers, just about prepared to pay anything for something that does not have ripped, tatty packaging that will make it look like I picked up at a Car Boot sale.

The reasons for this small moment of triumph?


To date, the closest that these gifts get to knitting is the scarf image on the wrapping paper. There are no knitted gifts in amongst that little packaged lot. Not one and I am unrepentant.

I have come to grips with the fact that I do not knit fast enough or have enough knitting time to make Christmas gifts for all of my family and friends (approx 30 presents) - I decided that it would be daft of me to put myself under unneccessary pressure by attempting the impossible.

Last year, I did knit some gifts. However, I failed to make everything I planned - hence the Christmas Eve, wild eyed and panicking experience.

Not to mention the fact that I cast on for Mel's scarf on Christmas Day as I knew that I was not seeing her until Boxing Day. (There's nothing like a deadline to quicken the speed of your needles, is there?!)

In addition, this year I have implemented an agreement to limit physical Christmas gifts to those under 18 within my immediate / close friend family circles (and give some money to charity instead of present swapping with adults).

This seems to have made the whole Christmas present buying and wrapping procedure a bit more manageable. In addition, it has allowed me to focus my knitting efforts on those people I know with birthdays in December and January (6, I mean 7, of those to make for).

It is not the perfect solution but it is always difficult to strike the correct balance at Christmas?