Take that, DPNS!!!

Of course, last night being the utterly bloggable moment that it was, I forgot my camera. I am teh dumB.

Well, I am blonde!

I am also now the proud owner of not one, but 2 sets of these babies

Addi Turbos! One set of 3.25mms, for that delectable sock yarn from the Natural Dye Studio that I have in my stash, and another set of 2.5mms, cos there's nothing quite like leaping in at the deep end.

We had been instructed to bring "scrap yarn" to get started on, which I did. Unfortunately, I hit a large problem, in the form of Jacqui and Lisa, the owners of This Is Knit. They were just so damn nice, and so enthusiastic about everything knitting related, that it blew me away. It took every ounce of self-restraint not to melt my credit card, and give myself a 2 year long knitting list, based on their recommendations.

I know that we knitters have a special bond. One that breaks down all walls and sense of shyness as soon as that stranger sitting beside you on the bus pulls out some yarn. It's one of the reasons I love my hobby so much.

Within about 2 seconds of arriving in the door last night and introducing myself, I had a cup of blackcurrant tea in my hands, and was wittering on about the new Debbie Bliss yarns that are in. (Which are, by the way, amazing when knitted up.)

As I walked around, squishing and fondling their stock, I resisted the urge to buy the yarn I plan on making a Clapotis from this summer. I stopped myself hovering by their shop mannequin, which was draped with the Noro Butterfly cardigan (another item on my to-knit list now).

With all of this self restraint, I felt I deserved a little reward. So I popped a ball of sock yarn up on the counter. It's teal, which is a good colour for my planned fathers day socks.




I bypassed the Tofutsies, while a waiting classmate was sucked in by their softness and lovely colourways. I grinned as she made jokes about not being able to leave it behind, despite telling herself that she was not going to buy more yarn this week.
She handed over her credit card, while I quietly added a ball of soft apple coloured baby cashmerino to my little pile on the counter. It will make a baby hat, I justified to myself, and a late present for OH's sister.

Yeah, that's it. Presents. Yarn can always be justified if it's being used to make presents for other people. See, I'm not a yarn ho. I'm a kind and giving person....

I went back to the Opal again, but didn't add another ball to the growing pile, as I remembered my small splurge on Tuesday (was that only on Tuesday? I could have sworn..) Suddenly, karma bit me on the ass for laughing at Tofutsies girl.

Two words.

Shepherd sock.



How I didn't strip down and roll around the floor in it, I'll never know.
It is some of the most delicious yarn ever. Ever.

Next minute, I'm sitting on a bean bag, more tea in hand, and there seems to be a shopping bag beside me. Further examination reveals the 2 addi's, the ball of Opal, my nice creen cashmerino and 2 skeins of shepherd sock in Mountain Creek! Another poke and I find some of this


10% discount? I'll take it in yarn, apparently!!!

So on to the knitting.
The casting on took me more time than any cast on in my life, as the funny yarn-related stories had already started, and I kept laughing til I lost count.

Magic loop rocks my socks.
Literally.

It makes perfect sense to my brain and fingers, which dpns never did.
After a few minutes of being all thumbs, I cast on again, for my first sock, with plenty of encouragement from our noble leaders. By the time the class wrapped up, I had finished the ribbing. I broke out the needles again on the bus home, and knitted away as easily as if I had 2 straight needles. At this rate, I'll have something actually resembling a sock and not just a sweat band by the time I break out the camera again!

No more porcupine wrestling for me.

No siree Bob.

Making up for lost yarn...er...I mean time.

I'd like to start by saying thanks so much for all your kind thoughts for my dad. It really does mean a lot to me. He's slowly improving, thankfully, so we're keeping everything crossed that he won't pick up another chest infection. He's gotta walk me up the aisle in a few months!

I forgot entirely that I didn't actually post a follow up to the scarf - his fathers day present - so lets make a start with that.

Two for one deal on that one...the first is a regular FO shot..



..and the second is a close up on the stitch pattern. Incredibly simple, but looks rather well, I think!


So I've been busy since last post.
I have spent my first night as an official resident of Belfast, as opposed to a visitor. It's not bad at all so far. I did mention that Jeans Wool Shop is just a few minutes stroll from my house, didn't I? Well, here it is!

It's small, and amazingly well stocked, without that small and cramped feeling that I often get in specialist stores of any flavour. I didn't take any indoorsy photos, as I didn't want to come off as a complete fangirl on my first visit. Next time ;)

So, I thought it would be rude not to buy anything having browsed all their stock, with the lovely Jenny enthusing all the while. I thought, seeing as I'm here, lets get some bamboo dpns then, as I'm determined to get back on that wagon.

Hey presto, some needles appear on the counter, and, being the nice lady that she is, she hands me a simple sock pattern as well.


See, that was the beginning of the end, as I was directed to a discount shelf filled with Opal sock yarn. Now, I've never knitted a sock in my life, so I shouldn't actually be suffering from "separated from sock yarn stash" anxiety, should I?

Wrong!!

The sickening part is, that I'm going back to Dublin tomorrow, and have a magic loop class, so I'll have 10% off all class-related materials....and they have Shepherd Sock!!!!

I'm such a total and utter...muppet.

That proverbial silver lining

Before I even get into the madness that is going to be my end of month..

I got a phonecall from my mother a few minutes ago, to say that my father had opened his eyes. Just for a few seconds, but still.

To most people, even those seriously ill in hospital, the act of opening eyes is second nature. For my dad, however, it's the equivilant of climbing Everest. It's the first time in almost 6 weeks that we've seen him open his eyes. He's finally starting to come around. I don't know whether I want to cry and throw up, or run out into the street and hug every-damn-person in the world.

The next few days are gonna be interesting, and exhausting. I'm heading to Cork this evening, and will be back in Dublin on Sunday. Then, dear readers, the move is on!
This girl is heading to Belfast!

Sure, it's only for 3 days this week, and I'll be going up at the crack of dawn with a couple of changes of clothing, my laptop and some yarn, but still.
Oh, and did I mention that my house is a leisurely stroll from Jean's Wool Shop? I managed to connect with the Stitch N Bitchers over the last week as well, so in a couple of weeks, I'll be heading to a meetup.

There shall be many, many, many photos and so much yarn porn that your google will block me! Or that's the plan.

In spite of going to vote last night, and the vast amounts of stress I found myself under in general, I still managed to get the first repeat on my wrap done. It's a very simple design, but I think it will look well.

For once, I exercised some restraint when getting into something new (A lacework shawl? In mohair?!) so didn't go for some of the more challenging patterns. I do have to make 2 of these after all, and quite quickly, so the chances of me being reduced to a sobbing wreck need to be kept to a minimum.

Ok, next post will have lots of photo's, I promise!
Please don't get too bored with me in the meantime!


Have a great weekend everyone, wherever it takes you.

Politics and yarn

Went out for a rather casual dinner last night after work with a friend. Good food, good wine, good company. The kind of thing that life is all about.

It being a schoolnight, though, I was in my pajamas (or Thundercats tshirt, in my case) at 11pm. I flicked off the light, and lay there in the dark. I turned and twisted and tried to get comfy and settle down, but after about 10 minutes of being a complete fidget, I gave up. 11.30pm last night found me propped up in bed...casting on.

Yup, there's no cure for having busy fingers and a busy head like starting a new lace project! I broke out the baggies of Sirdar blur, and cast on. It's a rather nice yarn to knit with. It's a mohair/acrylic blend, so it's soft and silky, but if you need to frog a few lines you don't need a vodka and a vallium to get through it.

Knitting, to me, is incredibly theraputic. Ok, so I only got through the garter stitch lines that comprise the wrap set up, but by the end, I was feeling relaxed and calm enough to settle down for the night. Counting stitches is far superior to counting sheep, in my experience.

Today is voting day in Ireland. It's a general election, as opposed to just local election. I didn't get to vote in the last one, as I wasn't on the register. I was deleted off it. Apparently students don't bother or need to bother with pesky things like politics. I moved to Dublin nearly 3 years ago, and was again deleted at some point during this time. The difference being that I was well aware of their crap admin, and sent in my paperwork in November, so a polling card came for me last week.
(It's not just me. 100,000 people were "accidently" deleted off the register last year. Sounds a bit too like dimpled chads for my liking.)

This evening, I shall be exercising my constitutional right, and doing some ticking of boxes. Me, I'll be voting for who I consider to be the lesser of several dozen charlatans. I'm hoping for balance, in the end. I'd like to see people in charge who have the best interests of their constituents in mind, and not just their golf/rugby/chess buddies. Someone who can balance environmental and social causes, and not run the country into the ground financially at the same time. Someone who realises that total seperation of church and state is the way forward, and is not just "anti-Christian".

A very tall order, I realise, but I live in hope.

Some days, hope is all we have.

Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

I received a box in the post at work today.
In it are 2 green MY LITTLE CTHULHU'S!!!!!!!

*jumps around like a mad thing*

One is for me, the other is a gift.
Roll on payday. I'm gonna gets me a red one too....hur hur.

I also received something else yarn-related and most squee worthy, but I want to save that news til later.

Bad knitter, no cookie...

So this is my excuse for an update today.
Mostly work has gotten insanely busy, which doesn't give me time for doing anything other than loading up a podcast or 7 to type by.

Before I start, I just want to thank everyone who has left comments. I really, really appreciate them all. It's so nice to know that I'm not just talking to myself!

For anyone who has missed it, Saturday June 9th is World Wide Knit In Public Day. Sign ups to host events have past, but there seem to be events happening all over the place. If you surf on over to http://www.wwkipday.com/ there is a list of locations that have WWKIP things going on. I won't be near any of them, unfortunately, but I shall knit in various locations around the hospital, and think of you all.
Next up, is something I discovered entirely by accident. It's Fibrefest!
Sure, it's not on til September, and it's in England, but it does excite me. There are classes, demos, stalls....it's all so fabulous!

I've never been to a fibre fest, or a celebration of all things sheepy.
The idea of a festival to natural fibres, and the myriad of things that can be done with said fibres, is fantastic. If it wasn't on so close to my wedding, I'd be booking my flight now. So, if you're in the area at the time, be sure to support it. You might even get some bargains!

Moving swiftly along... I've been knitting a while. Off and on since the age of 7. (That story is a post in itself, so I'll save it til later!) I'm a vaguely decent knitter, having taken up my pointy sticks again a year ago, following a 10 year break from them. My stash is growing steadily, including some gorgeous sock yarn.

What's so unusual about the sock yarn?
Possibly the fact that I ...


.....can't knit in the round!!!
*dies of shame*

I realise that as with anything, getting started is the hardest bit. I've had multiple arguements with my dpns, each battle ending with me sucking my thumb and scowling.

No more, I tells ya!

Next Wednesday, I'm heading to my LYS after work, and I shall fear the sock no more. I'm going to learn the magic loop method.

Of course this means that as soon as I master it, all other projects will be abandoned in favour of knitting socks. I've only had 2 pairs of handknit socks in my life. One I outgrew, and one wore out to a level that no darning could fix. Both times I was devistated.

Soon, there shall be socks. Many, many socks.
Wish me luck!

Wahoo!

It's a two-post Monday, and a photo to boot!

I love how stuff comes in the post just when I'm feeling completely poo.
Here we are:
I'm now the proud owner of a Brother yarn/ball/wool winder.
Faaaaabulous.

Ok, so I still have daydreams verging on erotic about Nancy's KnitPicks yarn/ball/wool winder, but at $199, it's a little beyond my budget right now. (A little? Who am I trying to kid??!!)

But wait! There's a plan!

After several months of buying stuff on eBay, I've got good feedback, and decided to milk this by selling a few bits. Nothing terribly interesting - a few books that I have 2 of, some bits and pieces that I was given that will never do anything other than gather dust. I have, today, made my first sale. w00t!
The next plan is to find even more sellable stuff, and sell it, and thereby save enough cash in my paypal account to pay for a knitpicks winder.

But haven't I just received a winder in the post? Surely that will last longer than 10 minutes? Has it even been set up yet?

This is where I get cryptic, and say that it "pertains to future plans and endevours".

Ain't I just a tease?!