Resistance is futile

It sits in my stash. Taunting.

Butter-%^&**-fly is still languishing in the craft room. I have made an executive decision.
No More Butterfly.

This week has been one of gathering. And (almost) finishing.

Gathering in the form of this (and trying to be stolen by the stealth hand of Little Man):-



The infamous Harlot found at Borders! So happy about that, I snatched it up and practically ran to the counter. Even better I had a 15% off discount voucher. Also in the same trip, next years calendar. I haven't been able to get these in previous years so I was a happy bunny about that purchase too.

Does it strike you as odd that I should sit around reading 'Speedcleaning' while my newly hired house cleaner cleans my house? I had a moment of it all being too much last week when I had a 2 billion things to do and not enough time to do them. I like to have a clean house, in fact before I had Little Man I secretly liked the fact that DH would call me 'Monica' (from Friends fame, not from presidential fame... ew) because I was a teeny bit anal about cleaning. I like a neat and tidy house. Post kiddlet I'm a bit more blase about it as I realise I cannot be superwoman and do my freelance job, my part-time job (which is more like full-time some weeks), my yarn job, look after Little Man and have a clean house. So I bit the bullet and got the cleaner. First week this week, house is looking sparkly. But as I read Speedcleaning every night before bed (SHUDUP I know I am sad) I think to myself 'I could do that. I could find 15 mins in my day to do that.' It really does sound doable, it just takes time to get everything you need together.

So, knitting (cause I know you're all here to read about my neurosies). The baby knit is all but done, needs the pockets sewn up, button put on and a trip through the wash. I had to do the neck twice, the picking up around the neck caused some nasty holes and I couldn't be doing with that. It looks better now, not completely happy with it, but I don't think it's going to get any better. Next up I might do a bunny that is also in the Baby Cashmerino book.

Today I picked up this from my favourite local newsagent.



Can I just say... this issue is up there with Rowan. I know a big call, but lately Rowan has been going a bit to arty farty for my taste and the garments are just not cutting it. This, however, is a stellar issue. Lots of nice things to make, and I may have found a new project for Crack Silk Haze...


Or even this one (but the shorter version, not with that nasty seam on the right hand side).


And I can see these on my new couch (when it FINALLY gets here)



I have been hunting for a plain cardy for ever, this one is just right.


I likey a lot.

Lotsa ends to weave in

Doesn't a big pile of unblocked pieces look so beautiful?



Yep, all done on the pieces. But let me tell you, I think I lost my brain somewhere in between this knit and the last one because on the back and both fronts I managed to knit too much. As in, I had to knit for 14 cm on the back. I read forward to far where it said something about armhole shaping to be finished by 23cm, well ya know did I read that as START arm hole shaping at 23cm? Rippity rip rip. And the fronts? Same deal, but this time I wasn't paying attention and next thing I know I look down and have gone too far again. But hey, baby knits. So cute and quickity quick and so easy to fix.

I had a moment of sighing where I realised that I was about half a ball short. Popped up to the LYS to remedy that today and so now we are back on track. In the meantime while waiting to get back to the LYS (a whole 3 days as I ran out on Friday night, yup we are all action here on Friday nights - Alias season 1 DVD's and knitting. Oh and chocolate of course. Livin' on the edge!) Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, I was knit-less so had to remedy that - got out some funky sample yarn (can't say who yet, super top secret) and decided to knit a pair of socks for a certain Little Man. Got out the trusty stitch dictionary of came up with this beauty, not too girly, not too boring, kinda fun. I like.



This afternoon (because I DON'T HAVE TO DO ANY WORK TODAY. Can you hear me shouting that from here? NO. WORK. TODAY.) off to do some blocking. Oh and contemplating what I will wear at the Cup this year because I have been informed that I will have to leave the safety of my demountable and make my way through The Drunken Masses (TM) to film stuff. Which means no slothing around in crew t-shirts and jeans - gotta do the big frock up. Which has sent me screaming from my wardrobe 'I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR!'

And you know that big ball of mess in the last post? Still going...

De ja vu

Ever get the feeling that you've been here before?



This is what happens when you have a swift, you start to wind... and your skein falls off the swift. The yarn is a sample of something I'm getting for the store, it's very sexy. Or it will be when it's not in a mess like that.

So I've finished the French Market Bag. I was planning to do something on it to spice it up (as it's such an inspiring shade of beige), maybe needle felt or embroider. But I dunno, it's kinda feh. I don't know if it is the odd shape or lack of structure, it's just... feh.

Here's a before



And being modeled by half naked child.





And after (complete with clothed child).



Looks fine hanging, but put it down...



FEH.



Onwards and upwards, going to do a little baby knit for friends that are expecting (no, not me before you ask) picked this up and some Zara (love the Zara) to knit it with. Thought I was all set to go until I got home and checked for some 3.25mm needles... and found one of a pair. Not much use really... lucky I have a wonderful DH who I can command to do my knitting chores will do nice things for me, he went out and bought me a pair this morning while I slogged away working at home.


Have a good weekend (and to all the Bathurst widows this weekend, try and use the time that your husband will be glued to the couch to get out and go knitting - that's what I'll be doing!).

What kind of knitter are you?

As I was lying in the bath yesterday trying to ease my flu aches, I read something in "At Knits End" (from the lovely Donni) that made me think. It mentioned something about process knitters and product knitters - that is, people who knit for the process and those who knit for the finished product. Immediately I knew which category I fell in - I'm a product knitter. When I knit, I want to get to the end. Don't get me wrong, I love the process, but somewhere between the 200th and 250th row of stocking stitch my mind starts to go a bit bonkers and I just want out of there. I become a bit possessed and I have to finish. In fact, I would have been happier if I was finished yesterday. I think this is why I have troubles with lace. You can't just speed up and get it over with when doing lace, you have to concentrate to the very last stitch.

I have 2 UFOs at current - French Market Bag and Butterfly (well, actually there are three, but I'm a bit meh about Tomten at the moment). Two completely different projects, and both my own version of hell. One, endless rows of stocking stitch I have been knitting FOREVER that, even though is perfect TV knitting, I cannot bring myself to knit for any length of time. The other is some kind of lace nightmare knitted on yarn that is sent to torture me. Since I am project-less at the moment I decided the other night I should try and get those monkeys off my back.

I pulled out Butterfly. Looked at it. Looked at the pattern. Looked for my notes (couldn't find them). Counted the stitches.
Where on earth in the pattern was I? After about 10 mins of trying to figure it out, I decided that row 10 looked about right and started to knit. Actually, I should say ATTEMPTED to knit. Can I just point out here that the cart on this thing would be a suitable size if you were, say, an ANT? After about stitch 10 (which took me another 10 mins of cursing all and sundry) I gave up in disgust. Threw it back in the bag, chucked it in my craft room, gave it the finger and huffed off. Clearly, when you give inanimate objects the finger you have serious issues. As I was huffing off I saw French Market Bag sitting all innocent like in a basket. So I picked it up and though 'eh, why not'.
Then I noticed that I had stoppers on the end of my Denise cord and no needles...
Do I remember the needle size I was using...?
That would be no.
DH says 'you're felting it, does it matter what the needle size is?' (see, he knows more about knitting that he lets on). He's right, does it matter that much? I pick a needle that looks about right and soldier on. And what do you know, I'm almost done! I look at it now and can see a definite shift in needle size (as in, I went larger) which is probably why it has suddenly gotten faster to knit. But who cares? Tomorrow I might have a competed French Market Bag!
And back to square one with nothing to knit.