New year, new project.

I told my older sister Ann that I'd knit her a cardigan and I intended to knit it for Christmas but never got round to it. Her birthday is at the beginning of February and I have started it but I'm not sure it will be ready by then, we'll see!

Here it is anyway, as far as I've got. It's called Cinzia by Mary Burr. I showed Ann the cardigans in the Knitty archive and this was the one that she chose.

It's an interesting knit, quite textural. You can see the detail in this picture of the slip stitch pattern on the band round the bottom. This stitch is repeated on the collar and cuffs. The main body of the cardigan is knitted in twisted stocking stitch. The full effect of this is probably not very clear given the yarn (Rowanspun Aran from my stash) that I'm knitting it in is pretty textured too. I only have four skeins of the gray (one from a different dye lot which I'm saving for the arms) so I'm doing the band, cuffs and collar in the blue which I think goes quite nicely with it.

It's quite hard work to knit as the size of the needles is smaller than that recommended on the ball band giving a close textured fabric, more like a jacket than a cardigan. Hope she appreciates the effort!!!

I was VERY GOOD last weekend as on the way back up from Ro's I went to Wingham Woolworks and looked at a drum carder but didn't buy it! I'm thinking about it, but I'm not sure that I can justify the expense. I have therefore decided that if the Tigers win their game this weekend against Munster in Limerick (which is so unlikely that we are more likely to be spinning unicorn hair next year) I will splash out and get it but if they don't I won't. This is reverse psychology as although I DO want the drum carder I really DON'T want to spend £225 on it (and I would like the Tigers to win although I know that they won't). Does any of that make sense?


update: 19.24pm saturday
anyone know where I can get me some unicorn hair then?

Meme

Oh lord, I've been tagged for my first meme by Annie of "Up Knit Creek". I've been kinda looking forward to this since I started blogging as it means that someone out there interacting with you on a different level. I'm finding it a bit tricky though as I don't think there are six weird things about me. I'm just too normal!

Here goes though:

1. I have a double lobe on my left ear.


2. I'm a stationary fetishist. That doesn't mean I like sitting still (though I do like sitting still). It means that I love buying notepads and pencils and stuff but seldom use them.


3. The same seems to apply with yarn in that I seem to prefer yarn to what I make with it. This has become particularly apparent since I began spinning. I suspect that it's not at all unusual but I seem to view my handspun as an end product in itself and whatever I make with it is a step down rather than an improvement. I'm looking for a craft that enhances it instead (toying with the idea of weaving!?!)


4. I don't do "abroad" and use love of the ozone layer as an excuse for staying at home. I think the old chestnut that travel broadens the mind is rubbish (having known a number of people who don't think they've had a break unless they've sat in an airport lounge on the way to it three times a year who have minds so narrow you couldn't get a cigarette paper through the gap). I travel via literature instead.


5. I tell lies. I don't do it for personal gain but just for the pleasure of talking b*****cks and seeing how long I can go on for before someone twigs. I always own up to it though, and I haven't done it on my blog. I did consider making up my six weird things though as I couldn't think of any at all at first. They would have been doozeys too!


6. I like the taste of raw meat, particularly raw liver, though I haven't eaten any for a long time now as you know less about where it comes from now. (We used to rear our own when I was a child).

There you go, I'm not going to tag anyone else 'cos I think that everyone else has been done. I may post some more stuff (including pictures) later today but I really should go and get washed and dressed now!! (the shame!)

Saturday update:

thought I'd liven things up with some pictures of more of my spinning. This is the white cheviot I got on ebay carded together with some commercially dyed merino. I'm still playing so have only done sample amounts of each one.

And this is part of a christmas present from one of my customers. It's a solid block of chocolate (300 grams, note the cassette for scale). It's made by Montezuma and is coffee flavoured (my favorite) though they do other flavours too, and it's scrummy. It's a testament to it's hugeness that although it was given to me on Tuesday morning there's still more than half of it left!

I want to know why although SUMA stocks Montezuma chocolate we don't stock these!!!

Bye the way, whilst I can't believe that there's still a knitter out there who doesn't know about this I'm posting a link just in case. I'm just speechless!

Thank you

For all your kind comments about me yarn. Not sure what I'm going to make yet but I have a few ideas which I'm keeping to myself for the time being. No time for more blogging today, busy tidying the house; I'm getting a cleaner and to be honest I'm embarrassed to let her past the front door it's such a tip. This despite the fact that she knows me and is familiar with the state the place is in. I'm hoping that having someone coming in every week to clean will give me the incentive to keep it tidyer than I do. Dunno if it will work or not!!

I know that it's a bit disgraceful paying someone to clean when I'm perfectly capable of doing it myself but the fact is that I'll do amost anything to avoid cleaning and if I don't feel bad about paying someone to do DIY type stuff round the house I don't see why I Should feel bad about paying someone to clean. I'd rather spend my free time doing more fun things and get paid to do things I'd prefer not to.

Glow of pride

from this
to this.
I'm very proud of it.
















I forgot to mention. I took my lap blanket with me to the match on Monday and it kept my poor old knees toasty and warm throughout (and I arrived an hour before kick off too). That was a project that was well worth knitting!