The tunic is zooming along - so much fun to knit as it changes all the time. I have finished the front and back:
Loving the way the waist nips in (well, that's the idea anyway, for those of you lucky people who have a waist...) I made it a 4x4 rib instead of the K3, P6 suggested (as a girl who loves symmetry) and did the same on the sleeve, which incorporates a block of cheeky turquoise...
I really hope this looks as good on me as it does on the needles.
In other news, it's countdown to Berty's arrival. For anyone reading this who doesn't speak to me on a regular basis, you must be the only people unaware that we are retiring our greyhound next week, at the ripe old age of 6, to come and live with us. His retirement race is on Wednesday 19th at Romford and I am collecting him from the trainer on Friday 21st. I am SOOOOOO excited and just a little bit nervous, having only ever had self-sufficient cats for pets.
So of course, my main pre-occupation is what Bert will wear in this chilly weather. I am quite taken with these:
A few weeks ago I was invited to join Ravelry (very exciting!) and it has rekindled my enthusiasm for showing off my projects. I am not promising super regular updates here, but I think I will start posting again sporadically when I have something interesting to say or show.
Following a visit to the Knitting and Stitching Show with (still) blogless Suzy, I now have a fair few projects in the pipeline and some lovely bags of yarn waiting eagerly to be used. I have started this one...
...after ordering the yarn from the lovely people at Scandinavian Knitting Design. The patterns are available free to download, the link to this one is: http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/en/visoppskrift.php?d_nr=102&d_id=1&lang=en, and although the instructions aren't quite laid out or written in a familiar way, I haven't had any problems with them. I changed the colours a bit to make it less blue, and have so far managed this much:
I also bought some more Noro to eventually make this:
I've been assembling a ball here and there of all sorts of Noro over the past few years when I see one I like, and now almost have enough for a jumper! This is alarmingly wide and short though, which won't do many people any favours so I think I'll do the smallest size width (for the first time ever!) and the largest size length. That should just about work, and will be good for winter with jeans and a vest.
Anyway, I seem to be back with a vengeance! Off to the Pigalle Supper Club tonight to have dinner and listen to the lovely Kathryn Williams.
Before I started this blog, with the encouragement of my Maddox knit-a-long partner and super blogger Carolyn, I wondered how it was possible to be organised enough not only to have a life, but to have the time to write about it as well. I have come to the conclusion that, for me at least, it isn't. I have started feeling guilty that I am denying my few readers any interesting updates and pictures. The guilt is diluted by the fact that I see and speak to those few readers at pretty regular intervals (Carolyn I promise to email more!). So for now, it is bye bye blog. If I find more time in future months I may start again. I leave you with my current favourite things:
My new job The Rotherhithe Tunnel Marks and Spencer Moroccan-topped hummous Wimbledon 20/20 cricket Liberty's revamped yarn department Camper 'twins' sandals Bye for now.
For a blog supposedly about knitting, I have been sadly lacking in progress and news. If this were a travel blog, I could regale you with tales of the marvellous time I had in Turkey a couple of weeks ago with Suzy. The wonderful food, warm sunshine, cold beer, victories at Scrabble and cribbage, extravagant handbag purchases.... We thought long and hard about slipping our knitting into our luggage in case of inclement weather, and the one cloudy day we had would have been much improved with Sarita at our side. We have since been making up for a knit-free week though, and I am pleased to announce the completion of Maddox (more later) and the start of something new...
My husband (who is known as Roger, and has been a bit miffed at the lack of a formal introduction) has decided after decades of playing cricket, that he really would like a proper traditional cricket sweater. Our friend Philippa dug this cheesy 'catalogue man' pattern out, which fits the bill perfectly:
I decided upon Rowan RY Cashsoft DK, which has a beautiful feel and is perfect for a husband who is a bit sensitive to scratchy wool. So far a sleeve has been started, and we are very pleased with it indeed.
Maddox was sewn up, washed and left to dry flat in yesterday's sunshine. Buttons need to be added and then it will be modelled and photographed. I think I am going to like it a great deal, but won't really be able to wear it until after summer. Carolyn's might be finished by then though - mwhahaha. What progress, oh transatlantic one?
I have to get the boasting in where I can, as I am losing the Sarita race by a sleeve (a technical term, a little like 'a short head' in racing). As Suzy doesn't know how to finish hers though, she will have to wait for me (while I finish the whole of the cricket sweater - or is that a bit mean?)
In non-knitting news, gig tickets have been secured for three exciting events. Firstly, Brett Dennen at the Water Rats this coming Friday. He is a current favourite on the Shell iPod - really looking forward to seeing the ginger one. Secondly, the Electric Gardens festival in August which, at the tender age of 39, will be my first camping experience. Finally, Suzy got on the ticket buying bandwagon today - Regina Spektor at the revamped Royal Festival Hall. She appears to be completely bonkers so an interesting evening is in store.
Knit club and Champions League final on Wednesday. Can life get any better?
Monday, 23 April 2007
Spent the weekend in creative pursuits - knitting, cooking and nurturing plants. I am once again attempting to grow sweet peas (pot with wigwam cane next to crazy lily plant):
I never give them enough water - apparently it is impossible to over-water sweet peas! - so they always look a bit bleached out and ragged by mid-Summer, with a meagre flower crop, and I am left feeling guilty at my flower murdering efforts. So, buckets of water this year I promise. The lilies on the other hand, just hang around as dormant bulbs all through the winter with no love at all, and then come bursting into life.
I was invited to Helen's for supper on Sunday, as both our husbands are away in snowy regions, and I offered to provide wine and dessert. Luckily the wine I plucked from the bottle rack in the fridge was one of Helen's most favourites. And as it was a weekend night, I thought that arriving with a Marks and Spencers tart was a bit lazy (but, Cheryl aka Queen of Puddings, a perfectly acceptable mid-week offering). So some Jamie Oliver chocolate pots were made, accompanied by his orange and polenta biscuits. They looked a bit mis-shapen and messy on the greaseproof paper :
But once assembled with a chocolate pot.....
Yummy yum-mah!
I would hate you to think that all this activity got in the way of some serious knitting. The Tommy vest is finished, and just needs some buttons. I am amazed that I don't have two buttons the same in the right size, given the collection that I seem to be building up, so a trip to Liberty is in store.
I also decided not to deviate from my non-blocking technique, so started to pick up the button bands and collar for Maddox. Here she is in pieces, not looking particularly attractive:
Hopefully by the end of tonight she will be her gorgeous finished self. Carolyn - with all the gigs has been attending lately, I doubt that you have caught up! Very pleased that you liked the Decemberists gig though - aren't they just the nicest bunch? And definitely the most attractive 'Colin' I have ever witnessed.
That brings me to the end of my bumper post, except to say that I am hopelessly addicted to a new Aussie drama series called Love My Way on a channel I had never even heard of before - Five Life. I was similarly smitten by The Secret Life of Us, which had the same star Claudia Karvan. Because, of course, they only have about a dozen working actors in Australia.
I reckon every weekend needs to consist of four days - enough time to do all the chores and still have hours for knitting. A much better work/life balance. So apart from gardening, football and rugby watching, and eating lots (curries, chocolate and hot cross buns - great combo), much progress was made on the creative front.
Here is the first sleeve of Sarita:
I wasn't certain about the distribution of colours at first, and thought I wanted the orange to be more prominent, but looking at it as a whole I am now very happy. I think any more would have been too much, and I love the green. Both our Saritas will look very different from the pattern!
I also made a start on this cute baby vest from the Rowan RY Classic Bambino book:
Here is the back, and a close up of the chunky cable and moss stitch. I am making it in the colour shown in the book (for once). The recipient will be baby George - a work colleague's 4-month old.
All pieces of Maddox are finished, ready for button bands and collar. It is quite curly at the edges so I might block it first (major confession - I never block anything I just wash 'em after sewing up...). Does that make any difference? I haven't ever really known, and I don't know what I would block on to anyway. Does one buy a special board for that sort of thing? So, I am giving Carolyn a chance to catch up whilst I agonise over finishing techniques!
Off to Suzy's for knit club tonight, so more progress photos tomorrow. Oh, and I leave you with another installment of the Shell and Roge fruit selection...
So we all convened at Suzy's house for Wednesday night knit club - delicious meatballs, raspberry and mascapone tart, wine, exciting cricket commentary of England's last ball defeat to Sri Lanka on the radio. There is a vicious rumour that 'knit club' is just a front for an evening of indulgence and gossip - ha! To set that straight, here is Suzy's blue/pink Sarita:
A very different proposition indeed. And I've just realised how much these clash with my blog colour scheme!
Taking photos of yourself in jumpers is harder than it looks....
So now you know what I look like, and my choice of necklace, and even how Katy complements my skin tone ;)
Then, from one extreme to the other, now you can see how Katy's colouring blends beautifully with our living room...
But now you can see her a bit better, although I had to crop off the 'eyes shut mouth open' face from Jack's photo. That really didn't do Katy any favours.
So on the whole I am happy with her. Sleeves are nice and long, body is just long enough. Neckline a little too low without a vest (seems a bit inappropriate to have acres of cleavage in a fluffy weekend jumper!) and the bottom half is a bit baggy - I did the biggest size to accommodate the bosoms but maybe should have cast on the next size down for the bottom section and done some increases towards the armholes. But that is a general problem with all my tops - I can't blame Katy for an out of proportion body.
Tonight I am going to prepare my skeins for Sarita. Suzy has had the benefit of a long train journey and some creative working practices (which basically seem to involve putting off any impending work in order to race ahead on the first sleeve). I need to catch up! Not that knitting is a competitive business of course, sisters. I will remember to take the camera this time before she winds every pesky skein into a less photogenic ball.
And Carolyn has promised me an update on her Maddox - pictures please!
Unlike Amelia who is not sure what to talk about, I feel like there are so many things in my knitting head, I don't know where to start, so I'll just launch into a stream of consciousness and see where it ends up...
1. Katy is finished, and was worn in public on Saturday to see Charlton secure a narrow victory over Wigan and move a step closer to Premiership survival (apologies to any transatlantic readers who don't have a clue what I am going on about). I have taken some pictures and will post tomorrow once I retrieve the camera from husband Roger's desk at work (I don't have more than one husband, I just don't think I have mentioned his name on the blog before).
2. The final sleeve of Maddox is almost done, leaving the rather wide button bands and a sizeable collar. How YOU doin' Carolyn? (That was my great Joey from Friends impersonation - could you tell?)
3. We (Suzy, Dori and myself) had a lovely trip to my favourite shop on Sunday for delicious afternoon tea - oh and some yarn purchasing of course. I bought the remainder of the yarn for Sarita, and Suzy bought all hers, in the winter colours predicted. Photos of that in the next post. I also bought yarn for a cute baby vest, and Dori bought yarn for her first project. Too exciting! She is having her first lesson tonight in Suzy's knitting parlour. I'm sure some red wine will be needed to ease the process.
4. Finally I leave you with an image of my current shoe lust from Camper...
This is the lovely deep rib knitted in rounds for the neck. I am a big fan of the "V' neck style of shaping with the decreasing either side of the two central vertical stitches. It appeals to my sense of neatness! Two rounds to go before sewing up.
What would you think if I showed you this...?
Yay - new project time! I know you will be glad to see I am sticking rigidly to my 'colours' - it makes life so much easier - all clothes match each other, which is a big plus in my book. Changed a bit from the original to include more oranges (and a green!) I am desperately keen to get started but will chivalrously wait for my knit-a-long partner, blogless Suzy, to purchase her yarn. As a 'winter' person she will be picking black, grey, purple and blue, with maybe a cheeky pink thrown in for good measure. I will take a photo of her range so you can see just how colour incompatible we are!
Oh, and as I was arranging the yarn on the kitchen worktop, I couldn't help sharing with you how beautifully neatly my husband arranges the fruit selection...
You can just imagine how neat the inside of our fridge is...
With work seeming like more of a chore than usual at the moment, bring on the weekend please so that I can:
1. Watch my boy Happy Jack playing two gigs. Charly Brown on Friday night and a farewell Little Big Band set at the Hob in Forest Hill on Saturday afternoon. Jack has been playing with them for a few years now, and along with fab drummer Elliott (also of Charly Brown fame), bows out this weekend to allow younger (and smaller) boys and girls to take to the stage. He has learnt a massive amount from band leader and Muso Supremo Suliman, so a big thank you to him for being an inspirational teacher to all the little rascals.
2. Visit one of my favourite local pubs with my favourite local people to watch England put on an inevitably disappointing performance against (European? I think not) Israel. A masochistic activity I know, but somehow we're always there....
3. Console ourselves, after the above performance, with a yumalicious meal at a top local restaurant - but which to choose?
4. Practice my alto sax scales. Two weeks in and I am loving it - lessons with our 'personal music teacher' Suliman - and although not quite up to Lisa Simpson's standards yet, I am hopeful of a rendition of the Pink Panther theme tune some time soon.
5. Finally finish my Katy (half a sleeve to go!) so that I can wear it before the weather realises it needs to fast forward back to spring.
I decided that I needed to get a few thing finished (or at least progressed) before I launched into Maddox, including a 4-ply beaded cardigan as a present for my mum which has been on the needles for far too long. It looks fab and fitted beautifully - the pictures I took of it on a hanger really don't do it justice so I'll try and get a shot of it being modelled... Much progress also made on a Debbie Bliss Katy jumper for me in an obviously delicious smelling shade of orange!
Only a sleeve to go and then I can start something else!
Finally up and running on Carolynand Shell's Maddox knit-a-long. I am finding the Jaeger Extra Fine Merino Chunky very lovely to knit with but Carolyn you are right - it doesn't go very far! I'm glad I was persuaded to buy all 20 balls in the Liberty sale pack, and not the 18 suggested in the pattern.
A sleeve completed and almost up to the armhole shaping on the back. Think I am going to have to work on my camera technique though...
In honour of Carolyn, a list-making Piscean after my own heart.
Shell and Suzy - aka clever but clueless (thanks to Jack Johnson for that great summing up lyric) - once had the idea of a "spot on.com" website where we would basically give our opinions on what we had done, seen, eaten, listened to etc in the course of our days. Thinking that we could impart our wisdom and excellent taste on the world at large... ;) Sadly the name had already been registered and the idea sort of died. So, apart from the knitting stuff, this blog could sort of become the "spot on.com" that we never had. Anyway, I digress - here are the highs and lows of February.
Gigs Went to three, and by far the best was The Decemberists at Shepherd's Bush Empire. A sitting down, singing and smiling so hard your face starts to hurt type of gig. Beautiful songs beautifully played and sung, and they enjoyed themselves so much. In fact I think Level 1 of the Shepherd's Bush Empire might be one of my favourite places to be, as we saw The Cat Empire there soon after, although it was impossible to sit down with the beats those cats were throwing out. Plus the whole of Aussie West London in one venue - we were seriously outnumbered! On the subject of Shepherd's Bush, which can feel like a bit of a gastronomic desert for those not well acquainted with the area, we have found this little gem called Albertine's, a pretty accurate review of which can be found here. Because when one gets to a certain age, the idea of a meal and a decent bottle of wine become a little more important than catching the support band. The disppointment of the month was John Martyn at the Roundhouse, although the refurb job is fantastic, the company was lovely and the ice ceams after at Marine Ices were as good as ever. I should know better than see old blokes churning out their back catalogue to make a few quid - are you listening Bob Dylan? - but as Solid Air is such a wonderful piece of work, and he was supposed to be playing the whole thing from start to finish, we were really looking forward to the gig. Sadly he growled and slurred his way through a load of pretty unrecognisable tracks, and apart from the odd glimmer of his old self, it seemed like he was just there to pick up the cheque.
CDs As a self-confessed girly swot I naturally had to learn off by heart the newest Decemberists (The Crane Wife) and Cat Empire (Two Shoes) releases before the gigs and can happily confirm they are both FANTASTIC! Also getting a lot of listening was Liam Frost and the Slowdown Family and Regina Spektor's Begin to Hope which is a bit too quirky for me in some places but has some wonderful tracks. Jamie T's Panic Prevention and Just Jack's Overtones were in the mix as well - so many new CDs, so little time!
In other news, film attendance was a bit disappointing - only managed to seeNotes on a Scandal and found it uncomfortably skin-crawlingly excellent if a little far fetched. Judi Dench was superb and I reckon would have won a load of awards if that pesky Helen Mirren hadn't have been around.
Otherwise, ate interesting food at Magdalen(sliced pig's head, anyone?) and tried to finish up a cardigan for my mum that seems to have taken about 3 years to complete. Pictures soon!
Well hello there. Gosh, here I am with my very own blog. Another thing achieved before I reach 40, as well as trying to learn to play the saxophone, but more about that another time. Yes I know, it has taken me quite a while to get with this concept - hell I only got broadband at home two months ago. I got my arse kicked by Carolyn though for being one of her only blogless friends. So, as we were supposed to be doing a Maddox knit-a-long together I thought it was only polite to be able to show her how much I was beating her - mwahahaha!
Anyway, you are probably wondering - what a strange title for a post about knitting. Well, I also wanted to kick off my blog with some unbridled consumer lust (start as you mean to go on I reckon) and introduce you to Elvira sitting patiently in my wardrobe for spring to arrive. How gorgeous are they?
So, what to expect from Shell's Pearls? Well, lots of knitting progress (hopefully!) and musings on whatever takes my fancy - music, books, food and a healthy dose of shoe purchasing. You have been warned...
Eating, knitting, drinking wine and listening to music - preferably all at the same time. Spending time with friends, especially if I can persuade them to learn to knit too. Going to gigs with my boys. Walking my gorgeous greyhound, Berty. I dream about the time when I don't have to work and can travel around the world watching sport. I have to be colour co-ordinated at all times.
Loving the way the waist nips in (well, that's the idea anyway, for those of you lucky people who have a waist...) I made it a 4x4 rib instead of the K3, P6 suggested (as a girl who loves symmetry) and did the same on the sleeve, which incorporates a block of cheeky turquoise...
I really hope this looks as good on me as it does on the needles.
