anyone feeling ambitious?

how excellent.
http://vintagestitchorama.blogspot.com/2006/07/skull-stockings.html

Michelle
contemplating taking a 'sickie' tomorrow, sleep and knitting. hmm

Project for the Tweedy Yarn at LAST!

I originally bought this yarn for the buttony sweater from OhMyStars (see post down the page) but decided against it (I wanted something around my neck) so I'm crocheting this shawl style cardy from Happy Hooker and because of the chunkiness of the wool, it'll be a fairly quick project (here's hoping!!)

Again, I'm a total slacker for not showing up last nite, there's really no excuse other than I'm a lazy ass!

Why do I knit for birthdays?!

I so often decide to knit something for someone's birthday etc, then find I'm up against a deadline, miss the deadline, and have to show people their half finished birthday pressie.

I've got two on the go at the moment - lace socks for Lady (my grandmother, I've always called her Lady for some reason). They're nearly nearly finished, but her 78th birthday was on Saturday, so I had to show here the finished one sock and take it back.

The other thing is muuuch bigger, it's a Colinette bed sized throw for my Mum who will be 50 on Wednesday. I did most of it when I was living in Wales, but still need to finish the lace edging. Even though it's only eight stitches on 8 mm needles and I only need to do about 3 metres (it's a really open lace pattern) it's taking me forever! Part of the reason is that we've been living with Mum so I've had to keep it hidden, and now we've moved I keep trying to organise our flat rather than work on this. I really wanted to have a big tada moment with this but I think I'll be presenting something half finished again.Another one is a jumper for Andy, and because it has no deadline (except maybe winter?) it'll probably stay in it's half sewn up stage for awhile.

Next big project will be for me and me alone!

rotary fair

the claremont rotary fair is on again this sunday. actually, i think rotary don't organise it anymore, and it's actually the claremont lifestyle fair, but that sounds like an exhibition for reiki healers, so i'm gonna stick with tradition.

it's at the park near the corner of stirling hwy and bayview tce, claremont.

now, i cannot be the only person who enjoys rifling through rich people's offcasts, so i encourage you all to attend. i haven't had much luck with yarn, admittedly, though i have scored some excellent pattern books. the book stall is popular, what with all the Beige Mothers ditching all their bookclub books that they never read anyway. and getting rid of their deceased mother's craft books. also the general junk has provided a useful source of vintage linens and typewriters in the past (this area is not usually so dirt cheap as the books or as, say, a suburban op-shop, but it really can be worth it).

clothes tend to be snapped up by tweens by about 9.15am. i usually privelege books over clothes, so i miss out on the latter. if going i recommend you turn up for 9am.

Fishy fishy!

Thanks everyone for the fish parts and fin knitting (Helen). Fishy was much appreciated by the Birthday girl and now lives happily near the more slippery variety above the office tank. I have pictures but my work computer keeps thinking it's disconnected from the net if I try to upload them.

This week I've been using my downtime at work to search for the perfect cardi pattern. I used to have a plain black cardi that I wore all the time, but lost it on the way to Australia. So I'm looking for one that isn't too boring to knit, but is simple enough for the office. No luck so far, maybe I should think up a different knitting project and just buy a cardi from Target. Or design one. Hmmmmm.

Mixed emotions

As the S'n'Bers know (cos I haven't stopped whinging about it), I'm in the middle of moving house. I've packed nearly all my clothes, shoes, bed linen etc., which I thought which I thought would be the hard bit. Nooo. The hard bit has been the stash.

I have three 120 x 60 x 80cm trunks, one for sewing goods, and one which was already full of yarny goodness. I worked out that I had about enough yarn and knitting accessories to fill the other trunk, so I pulled it out to start packing away the yarn from my lounge and bedrooms.

So I gathered all my bits and pieces, and opened the trunk lid to put it away. And the trunk was already full. Of yarn. Somehow, I had another secret stash that even I had forgotten about.

I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry.

um, i have New Knitting Project, but i think i'm going to be a wee bit short on some noro (hear you all mentally groan). but seriously, i need scrappy little bits. that's all. like, enough to do 40 - 50 stitches. and it must be in the scummy greyish/ brownish colours you didn't want to knit anyway so cut out of the ball (or am i the only one that does that?).

i have a small ball of scummy noro scraps, but am worried i'll come up short.

even similar colours/ flecky looks in other yarns would be fine.

can anyone help me out here?

I Love Dyeing

This is so addictive! The white bits are the ties holding it together. ..I used the same NZ wool from crossways. I'll be making Danica with this.

Hey, I apologise for not showing up on saturday, was a tad hungover, which I've not been in aaaaaages.. not recommended to mix 2 pints and 2 wines ... and then drive home... stoopid. I had a great time though, I went to the tav at curtin, they had a beach party theme... was lots of fun..

This week I have tues, wed & thurs off, YAY.. lotsa knitting time, I hope to finish Cleaves by the weekend!! (yeah right)

Fong

Not Neale, but something more useful

http://oldladypenpal.wordpress.com/2007/03/14/let-me-see-your-fong/

michelle

cross-stitching bird

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0%2C%2C2-2006000705%2C00.html

cool.
michelle

plastic bag yarn

this tutorial tells you how to make it

http://hellejorgensen.typepad.com/gooseflesh/2007/02/plastic_bag_yar.html

I think it would be fun to crochet a market bag out of it. And I have soooo many bags. except they are all grey.
michelle

A mistake?

See if you agree with me about this top
http://www.stitchdiva.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=SDS-035

I think it may be in the category of 'you knit what?' Knit material just doesn't hang correctly, it is too heavy.

do you agree?
michelle

First Dye Job, So So

Here it is, my first dyed yarn! The original plain yarn is next to it (duh) I'm sure that didn't need explaining.



Because I was trying it out for the first time, I didn't want to mess around mixing colours, I just wanted to dye some yarn! So I chose pink & blue and I hated it!!! (see below) So I chucked it all in again with just the rose pink dye and the blue turned into yummy purple and the pink more hotter baby! Now what to do with one skein of dyed yarn? I was thinking a mini entrelec neck warmer type scarf perhaps? I'm dyeing (haha) to try that technique out.

Look! Helen's being eaten by a swamp-monster!

And she looks so happy about it!

Knitting camp!

5 yarn-obsessed knitters bemoaned the lack of Knitting Camps, like they have on the US.

"How unfair!" They cried.

"We want yarn camp!" They cried.

So, one of them - a smart cookie - booked somewhere.

And they went.

There was yarn, piled high.There were sheep.

Socks were finished!

And, of course, knitters!






Thanks girls, it was a blast! (And I won't even mention the secret Knitting Camp nicknames...)

More Woolly Goodness

I've been bad again!!!! Yesterday I purchased 10 balls of wonderful tweedy aran-weight rowan yarn from Jannettes Rare Yarns (UK) for only $90AUD, that's $9ea and there's about 170m per ball.. woo hoo!! She has so much great quality yarns, at fantastic prices, I'll be going back for more no doubt.. I'm going to use it for either the cable sack sweater in SNB or the sweater of many buttons from ohmystars Which do ya think?

I meant to say thank you to Kita for sending through the info on dyeing yarn from Knitty which I used on the weekend for my dyeing saga.. although I omitted the oven and just used the good ol' microwave thanks to the info in my SNB book.. I'll post pics of the yarn tomorrow that I dyed.. I'll get better with practice I'm sure (well, I hope!)

I also found this info on dyeing from Eunny Jang very helpful (and comprehensive!) too. That girl's a smart cookie!

Whilst I'm in love with the knitwear designs in Twinkle, and can't wait to make most of them, the sizing is OH SO TEENY TINY.. I gather you need to be a model size or 13yrs old to fit into any of them?? Or is it, because the designs are chunky, they stretch heaps?? dunno.. but here's an example.. Halter top to fit bust size 25" (26.5", 28", 29.5") that's it!!!! My bust is around 36" so I'll be making adjustments, no?

Crawling Back

oh yeah, my blog. was dumb. can't write. well can write, but only crap .. nothing that's like profound or intelligent or anything...plus I was lonely... hehe.. I'd rather write on the craftyaction blog if I'm allowed to come crawling back???? hehe

OH!! ... I had my first dyeing experience on Sunday using food colouring.. I used that all natural NZ wool, that comes in those big hanks at crossways, bargain $13 for 435 metres! I used half of it and it turned out shite of course (pink & lite blue.. ugh) well I was only experimenting and was the first time, tis to be expected... but I managed to salvage it by dyeing the whole thing again in rose pink yesterday, so now the blue is a lovely purple and the pink is heaps darker. Man, microwaves are the BEST invention ever! I'll take pics and post on blog tomorrow! Now my head is spinning (like a colour wheel :) all the time thinking of what colours I can do next and like how the heck do I make a burnt orange, or a forest green using food colouring, is it possible?

Oh and BIG NEWS!! well not really.. but I'm EXCITED coz Twinkles BIG City Knits is finally here, at long last... so sweet.

Spotlight Sale tomorrow!

If anyone has the time,
Spotlight sale 20% off everything at all stores (even sale items)
12March
8am-6pm

all because Spotlight Midland is renovated.

i'll have to check it out. But I won't be able to go tomorrow, since some of us have to work!
michelle

a trip to Handcrafters House and socks beyond my ability

Hi all,
Visited Handcrafters House in Midland. Got some soft fine Merino at 30% off to make these socks for Brian
http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring07/PATTbmp.html

Completely beyond my ability right now, but he said he would most definitely wear those socks if I made them for him and so....

michelle

great top

I love this,
http://www.flickr.com/photos/95956593@N00/382992850/in/photostream/
however I'm sure it would make me look fat and pregnant, especially since I have boobs! Hope the Dunsborough knitters are enjoying themselves, I'm envious.
michelle

March Madness Sale at Handcrafters House, Midland

Hi All,
Just got the notice in the local paper. Handcrafters House, Shop 8, 53 The Crescent Midland is having a sale until March 17th.
30% off all quality imported knitting yarns, 20-50% off all printed quilting fabrics, 25-50% craft magazines.
Last time I stopped in, they had alot of fluffy yarns, but they did have some lovely fine merino in beautiful colors...hmm.
Maybe get off my unofficial yarn diet this one time? Gotta support our local businesses, right?
Michelle
started some Duck Feet booties for my friend due to have a boy in June.