I admit defeat...

Until I submit my thesis, not much is going to happen, not knitting-wise, not spinning-wise, and definitely not regarding blog entries. I will finish my Sockapaloooza assignment, obviously, but other than that, I doubt there will be time.

I miss it all, being crafty, writing, and reading about what you have all been up to, but something has got to give and right now it just can't be my work. I've got something like 4-6 weeks to edit everything I have written so far and to come up with a conclusion that will make sense to me and to others, and just now, looking at the picture above of our Victorian ruin in Yorkshire, it occurred to me that really, my thesis is in a similar state. The walls are there, and the roof, but to be habitable it needs a heck of a lot of work.

There have also been other things, recently, which have taken up a lot of our time, but all that will have to wait until I submit.

I hope you'll still remember me when I eventually get back - I certainly will remember you, and I can't wait to catch up!! For now, take care of yourselves, and until hopefully very soon. Hugs to you all! :-)

Mission Control - We Have Lift-Off!

OK, maybe not lift-off, but there is finally, FINALLY, a finished object! Yes, Norah Gaughan's Side-way Ribs Cardigan from Knitscene is finished and guess what, I've even taken a few pictures. I've tried to cut most of the clutter in the background off, so do me a favour and just ignore the rest, OK? My room looks TERRIBLE. There is a little path to my desk and another one to the light switch, and that's it. The rest is a wild mix of books, and photocopies, and knitting and spinning utensils, and cats, sleeping amongst it all. But enough of my awful office, this is the cardigan - first from the front:

As you can see, the two sides don't meet - and nor are they supposed to. I could draw them together with a big button, but I think it really looks better when it's open like this.















And another shot from the side so you can see the ribs a bit better:

I am pleased with it, although it's substantially warmer than I thought it would be. Maybe my yarn was a little thicker than the yarn that the pattern asks for, or maybe it just is one of those patterns that are vaguely unsuitable for the season they are meant for, but the knitted fabric isn't as airy as I thought it would be. I am planning on washing and blocking it into shape, though, which will probably help. The sleeves are a bit long and narrow for my taste, so I will pull them a bit to make them wider, and I am thinking that this will make them a bit more airy at the same time.









Other than that, it's good. It's comfy and cosy, and, as I said, warm, so I have been wearing it all day today. And I am so pleased with the mottled colour - it's exactly what I wanted it to look like. My first big project from handspun yarn!

Ginger is good for you!

I've been obsessed with ginger recently. I drink ginger cordial, ginger beer, ginger tea... D told me yesterday that he thinks I've gone ginger mad. This was after he'd found the second bottle of ginger cordial. ;-) This new craving for ginger is so odd, in particular because until a few weeks ago I was less than enamoured with it. Not that I hated ginger, but, well, other than the occasional ginger snap I was not particularly partial to it either. Isn't taste a funny thing?

In knitting-related news: Work on the Jaywalkers is slow. What is it about knitting socks that makes my knitting speed slow down to a snail-like pace? I could probably knit an entire sweater in the time it takes me to finish 1 sock, never mind a pair. In fact, I HAVE almost finished the Side-ways Ribs Cardi that I started not so long ago. As promised, here are a few pictures:


And, for no particular reason, a close-up of the sleeve:


I have finished one side and am about half way through the second side of the cardigan. So far I am so pleased with how it's turning out. The handspun is soft and the resulting knit seems light and airy, yet warm. Just the right thing for spring or autumn or maybe a cool summer evening. I can't remember who said it, but I have to agree - knitting with your own handspun is magical. There is something really special in seeing fibre transform into a garment.

It also seems like I have calculated the yardage right - look at what I have left of the 10 skeins:


3 small skeins left! This should be just about enough to finish the rest of the cardigan and to assemble it all together. Can't wait. :-)

Just checking in...

Ack! Where does time go?!

One minute it's the beginning of January and the next thing I am forced to realise that it's almost mid-February. Scary, I tell you, scary!

Anyway, since I haven't been around in the last 2 weeks or so I thought I'd better check in quickly. Life is crazy at the moment and between writing up, house restauration, looking for jobs, and trying to keep things in general ticking over there is just no time for anything right now. Last night I woke up at 2.30 am with a panic attack about the vast amount of work I have to do until March. I feel faint just thinking about it.

It doesn't help matters that D seems to now have some kind of vile stomach flu and lies groaning in the bedroom. Poor guy, he feels terrible. :-( And what are my chances of NOT catching this bug when most people near me seem to have had it in the last week or so? Just what is needed when you feel you have too much to do as it is - to be knocked out by nausea.

With all that happening, there has been precious little time for knitting or spinning. Work on the Side-ways Ribs cardigan continues slowly and so far I am pleased with how the handspun knits up. I will have a picture of it in the next post, promise! :-)

For now, all you you, take care, and I hope all is well.