Knitting content... and a meme

It ocurrs to me that I haven't posted any knitting content in quite some time, so I thought I'd at least show your a FO - this was finished a while ago, but it was during my period of non-posting, so I guess it could still count as a 'new' FO...

I present - the Classic Cardigan from Debbie Bliss' The Baby Knits Book:


This was knitted with some merino wool/acrylic mix if I remember right, but I can't quite recall what it was called. Maybe one day I'll find the label.

It was a quick knit, although it then predictably took me about 2 months to sew the buttons on.

The bean LOVES it. He saw me knit it and then suddenly it was something he was able to wear! It's like magic! I really hope he is a long way off the stage when hand-knits done by mummy become the most embarassing thing in the world...

I've now started another project from the same book - the Double-Breasted Jacket:


The picture is from the book itself. I don't dare post any pictures of my own knitting yet, because I'm kind of making it all up as I go along. I couldn't face knitting with the thin yarn and the tiny needles that were suggested and I had this really snuggly soft yarn in just the right colour but totally the wrong weight, and I just cast on anyway. I'm doing the smallest size but with the length suggested for the largest size... It can only go terribly wrong!


Also, I was tagged for a meme - well, for two memes, really, but I have to take the pictures for the second meme so that one will be in the next post. This one is the 'Knowing me' meme, and I was tagged by Steph of Six Skeins Under.

1. What was I doing ten years ago?
Well, let's see... I was already in the UKI (gosh, I've been here a long time now). I was a visiting student then, from a German university, but I had just decided to apply to finish my undergrad degree in the UK.

2. What are 5 things on your to-do list today?
1) Laundry - laundry is always on my to-do-list...
2) Finish an article - I have a self-imposed deadline of Friday for this one
3) misc paperwork - there is a nice growing pile next to the computer
4) food shopping - we are running out of just about everything right now
5) sleep - the bean still likes to get up early. Very early this morning - around 4.40am!

3. What are your favorite things to snack on?
Right now anything savoury / spicy. I've just managed to source some Kimchi (Korean fermented spicy cabbage) online, so I'll probably cook some rice later to eat some of that.

4. Where are some places you've lived?
I've lived in Berlin, near Frankfurt, Munich, the Midlands, and now East Yorkshire. Oh yes, and in London for a couple of months.

5. What would you do if you were a billionaire?
You mean if I won the lottery? I probably wouldn't change all that much. I wouldn't chance where I am or the job I do for example. I would, however, get someone to finish the house for us and do up our bramble patch of a garden, and would make sure the people close to me could do the same.

6. What jobs have you done?
supermarket worker/shelf stacker, assistant in a doctor's surgery, market seller at an mediterranean deli stall, carer for a paralised person, personel assistent, general secretary, researcher, seminar tutor, university lecturer, and being a mom! ;-)

7. Which other people would you like to know more about?
I am tagging Karin, Beth, Jennifer, and Jane.

Summer is here...

Just a few pictures from the veg patch...



It's all coming along now - the potatoes have come out, and the onions. The sweetcorn went in a couple of weeks ago and I have planted lots of salad and beans. The only thing failing me this time seems to be the tomatoes. I was lazy and put them straight into the soil rather than planting them into pots first to bring them on. Last year this seemed to work fine (although to be truthful, tomatoes don't do that well in this climate anyway and I usually end up with some ripe ones in October or so...) but this year nothing seems to come up. It's too late now to try with the seeds again so hopefully I'll pick up a few plants somewhere.

~*~

Last weekend we took our trusty little camper Eddie out and went camping - for the first time ever!! We've used Eddie a lot since he joined our family in January, but so far we hadn't ventured into proper camping. This was partly due to the weather, but partly also to our own nervousness. I've never really been much of a camping-kind-of-girl but D loves it, so I was willing to try. It turns out that it can be good fun!

We didn't go far - just ventured into the North Yorkshire Moors and stayed at a campsite close to Helmsley. Initially it wasn't that great - very windy and we only managed to get the very last spot on the campsite, meaning we were right by the entrance and completely in the shade... COLD! Still, it was kind of nice to cook our evening dinner (pasta with tomato sauce) on the tiny stove and the bean absolutely loved the camper and all the tents around us. We even found that the boot of the camper, without folding the bed out, makes a perfect bean cot - it has the matress and the back seat means that he can't roll out during the night. He slept till 6.20am, which sounds pretty early, but is absolutely spectacular when you consider that he usually gets up at 5am. In fact, the night before he'd got up at 3.45am... *yawn*

We spent the bank holiday Monday in Helmsley, where we discovered a lovely walled garden, and took the long scenic route via the moors back to our spot.




Not our last camping trip, that much is certain!

Oh my god, it's May...

That means that I have been MIA for, what, 4 months?!

The good news is, though, that I am now officially free of teaching for the summer, and while that sadly does not mean that I am also free of work (2-3 papers ready for publication is my aim) it does mean that work will progress at a much more flexible and leisurely pace (no more last-minute dashes to the library to finish a lecture for tomorrow morning), which in turn usually translates into some extra time to do silly things like.... knit, spin, and post in my blog!

I've been missing this blog so much, so I am looking forward to getting back into a regular routine of posting. And since I've already made significant inroads into the all the tasks that have been left until such a time when I am not bogged down by teaching prep: I have done laundry, which was very very necessary - I had to dig a path to the washing machine because the stacks of laundry were that high; I went food shopping - yay, we have fresh food in the house; I planted my veg patch - the shoots have already started appearing; and I have started cleaning the house - this one is going to take me a while longer I fear... . Anyway, since I have made inroads into all these 'chores' I felt that I was justified spending a pleasurable half hour posting on my neglected blog.

The other reason why I think I might get back to posting a bit more is this:


Yes, that's right, bean #2, aka 'tick' is on the way. He/she is due in mid-November, which makes me about 13 weeks pregnant now. I'm (hopefully) over the really miserable first trimester of extreme tiredness and 24/7 nausea (so much worse than with bean #1, or have I just forgotten this?!), and my belly has just started popping out a bit. It's so exciting!

Anyway, because of all this there should be more movement on the blog from now on - more knitting (got to knit for my second winter baby, right?), more gardening, and of course there are all the new developments on the ongoing project that is our home...

It's good to be back. :-)

Well...

I seem to have disappeared off the face of the earth!

How are you all (provided anybody is in fact still checking back here)? Happy New Year to all of you!

These days, full-time working life plus full-time mothering have me firmly in their grip, and time at the computer is very limited - at least when it comes to focussed blogging time. Sure, I get the odd minute here and there to answer an email, but its rarely enough to do much more, and since it's also usually at work rather than at home I don't get to upload photographs all that often. I miss it, I really do, and I am hoping to make some more time this year.

I miss being creative and I have plans for the coming year. I do still knit, and recently I have taught myself crochet. I'm working on my first granny-square blanket, which is to grace our newest crazy purchase - an old VW Campervan called Eddie. Spinning and sewing have suffered in the last few months, because they are just not portable enough, but I'm thinking about giving crewel a try... And I want to start drawing again - just for myselfa - and teach myself some new techniques (oil in particular).

The next academic year will be very very busy, in partiular as we are also covering for absent colleagues), but as I start developing new routines I hope I'll find more time again to reconnect with the blog. Here's hoping...

Cowl - FO

I have a FO to report!

The Cowl, blogged about in my last post, is finally finished.



I like the sweater. It was fun to knit, didn't take long, and is very wearable. I'm also in love with Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran - so soft!!

The only negative thing worth mentioning is that the garter stitch body of the cowl makes you look a bit podgy round the middle... It's not too bad, but I think it has something to do with the way the fabric drapes, the garter stitch, and the extra-large needles it's knitted with.

Project specs:

Started: September 2007
Completed: October 2007
Yarn: 9 (8 1/2) balls of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in red (300611)
Needle Size: 8mm and 10mm

Done! It feels good to get a project off the needles for once...

Still here...

Yes, I am, in fact, still here! Who would have thought! :-)

Life is, as usual, but more than usually, busy these days, and blogging from work is something I am trying to avoid, so the poor old blog has suffered a little. Add to that that the home computer is still in bean's bedroom, which means that after 7 pm I can't switch it on to upload any pictures or write any blog entries and you have a situation that is not conductive to regular blogging activity. I do miss it... Today I am working from home, so I thought I'd at least get a teeeny tiny post in this morning!

i have been knitting - yes, despite everything, I have. There is no proper FO yet, but I'll show you the WIP, OK?


This is Diana Rupp's Cowl from the Stitch'n Bitch Handbook - I think I hadn't looked in there for at least 2 years and recently Bean pulled it off the shelf and I flicked through it again. I had completely forgotten how many good and simple patterns there are in this book! I found a pattern to use for my huge lot of green mohair (Martha Lazar's To Dye For pattern) and I found this Cowl pattern in garter stitch for a recent ebay purchase, some Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran, which is just perfect for this pattern. It's lovely and simple, so I can knit while I watch TV, and it's quick and, due to increases and decreases, interesting enough not to get too bored with it. I've all but finished it - only the assembling and the cowl to go, and then I will finally have a warm and cozy, yet fitted, jumper to wear to work. I can't wait!

I'll leave you with this - the Humber foreshore near Hull, in the late afternoon light on Sunday.

FOs!!

I'm getting ready for the start of term.

Obviously, this entails teaching preparation, tidying of bits and pieces of research, furnishing my new office (so exciting!!), but it also means that I am trying to get the house into a semi-habitable state, catching up on the laundry, ordering in food for the storage cupboard, and... I am continuing on my journey of finishing knitting projects that have been lying around far far too long.

Next on the list are the socks that I have spoken of before:

I'm happy with them. Really happy. The yarn was some merino wool from the Natural Dye Studio and they are super soft. Also, I love the blue. I don't often knit blue things, because it's not the best colour for me personally, but knitting things that are a) not for oneself, and b) socks frees you up a bit on that account. :-) I hope that their recipient will like them as much as I do.

I have also knitted a little Raglan Sweater for the Bean. He had one that I knitted for him when he was very very little, but he never wore it because he hadn't even tried it on before it landed in a pile of laundry that MIL took away to wash for us to help out. She tumble-dried the little sweater and it was never quite right after that... ;-)

This was such a quick knit. I started it last week, then took it with me to a conference at the beginning of this week and I nearly finished it on the train. Just this morning I knitted the last few rows and then assembled the whole thing. I like the simplicity of the sweater - no frills at all - and the rolled edging. I have high hopes that it will actually fit the Bean!

And lastly, I have received the last of my current Gimme Your Stuff exchange parcels and I have to say that I am speechless - such generosity! Just have a look at this:

There are 3, yes, 3(!) yards of fabric, and all soooo pretty! Then there is some Knitpicks yarn, both to dye myself and in a gorgeous colourway, some lip balm, a cute keyring, and there were also some delicious and really fun Jelly Bellies, which alas have already been eaten by D and myself. It was almost like Berty Botts Every Flavour Beans in Harry Potter!! Thank you so much Phyllis, I love everything you have sent!

ETA: I forgot one item in the parcel - a copy of Blueprint magazine!!

Quick update...

I am spending far too much time on Ravelry. It's bad, very bad. I've spent hours today, uploading projects, and I'm not nearly done - and I haven't even really started on recording all my stash, and the needles, and whatnot... Oh dear.

I've been working rather hard recently, or rather, I've tried to. Other than academic work there has been a lot of dealing with fruit - yes, it's that time of the year again...

D has been doing much of the de-stoning while I was in charge of jam-making. We now have something like 40 jars of plum jam. Should be enough for a few years!

To treat ourselves, and also because with all the rain this summer it might well be the last nice and warm summer weekend this year, we had a BBQ and bonfire.


We also managed to go to two (!) car-boot sales this weekend - how I love them! I always seem to come away with something, but this time was special. Look what we discovered:


A set of handcarders, a flick-carder, three bobbins and, not pictured, a spinning wheel flyer!! The guy who sold it all to us clearly had no idea what he was selling. He kept looking at us weirdly, for buying the disgusting old hairbrushes! ;-)

There hasn't been a lot of knitting time but I am heading towards the end of a knitting project that I've had lying around for ages - some socks that I was knitting for someone else, that got left at the bottom of the knitting basket, neglected and forgotten, when the bean entered our lives. Recently, swept up in my newfound enthusiasm for finishing long-term WIPs I discovered the lonely half-finished first sock and finished it and a few days ago I cast on for the second one. I'm so proud of myself! ;-)

Ravelry

A few weeks ago I finally got my invite for Ravelry and today I found some time to have a proper look at it.

I'm so doomed.

That is all.

This crazy life...

I feel guilty for not updating the blog more often. Life is always so busy around here. Why is that? Is it the same for other people?

The flooding saga continues, but at least the tiles in the hall have now been removed. That means that hopefully the dehumidifiers don't have to be with us for much longer. The heat and noise are driving me potty!

I've also started work, which is wonderful. I'm feeling very positive about it all, I like the people, and am looking forward to working with them, but it also means a lot of lecture and seminar planning for the start of term and also a lot of frantic last-minute research and writing for yet another conference this summer and a book article due in next month. There are also the remaining 4 weddings to go to this summer, and our holiday, which I am determined to spend with my little family rather than in front of the computer, surrounded by books, frantically writing conference papers. We have trips planned - to the beach, to a few museums around here, and then we will spend a few days at the German sea side when we go over there for a wedding in a few weeks time. It's our first real holiday as a little family, so the last thing I want is to take work with me.

I have been knitting, but only on things started a long time ago. The drive to FINISH things is still strong, so I am going with it for now. Maybe, just maybe, before it runs out, I will get a finished Cozy out of it, and possibly another pair of socks.

The picture above is from another Gimme Your Stuff Swap, this time with the fabulous Malin in Sweden. She is the best kind of swapper - we exchanged a lot of emails beforehand and she is funny and interesting, and kind. And the parcel she has sent me makes me so happy. Can you see the gorgeous handmade bag? I love it so! And the quirky mushroom fabric? And I love the Swedish recipe book. I've long been fond of Saffron and Cinnamon buns... And the copies of IK, and the yarn! There is also quite a bit of stuff that didn't make it onto the picture - there was a yummy bar of chocolate with digestive biscuits in it (eaten instantly), and some rosehip soup with almond biscuits (also already gone). Thank you Malin!!