Dear boyfriend,

I forgot to tell the World how very sweet you are when you travel...


Thank you for the Hell Bunny top from Stockholm (black with red rabbit skulls), the dried figs from Turkey and the Benefit goodies from Boston.

I am spoilt!

Recycling!

Something to do with yarn, crochet hook and pull tabs from drink cans !

Tempting patterns...

A lot of filtering in the lab means a lot of time to google inspiration...

Mermaid gloves for the lovely bluey-grey sock yarn I bought from Stormopzolder and a Baby Shedir for one of the many Sprouts due in late Summer...

The fingerless glove I started last night at SnB turned out to be really far too wide, so I have given up: it will be another Dashing , but for me this time.

Also on the agenda, I have to find a suitable pattern to make Loodle a leaving present...and maybe Aloha too... Maybe an Odessa , with shiny glass beads... I suppose if nothing that will justify a last visit to the yarnshop for some lovely soft merino yarn...

And not enough time to check out all the freebies on Flickr group Free Knits and Crochet Patterns , where moshimoshiland exhibit the latest freebies from her blog (knit, grass is page 9), where we learn to make killer tomatoes (crochet), and where you can learn to make a crochet turkey, radish or a box of eggs (thank you bitter-sweet!)

The pictures of Odessa are in my phone, but the blue-tooth connector is nowhere to be found.

1-day to the long knitting train trip...I can't wait!

Tychus

As mentionned earlier, a very lovely FO: Tychus from Knitty

The pattern: http://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer05/PATTtychus.html

The yarn: Lana Grossa something merino something, 100% superwash merino (1 ball in each medium and dark grey)

The needles: straight 5mm

The boyfriend: knitter's own

Verdict? A nice relaxing no brain knit, knitted flat and with 1 easy seam along the back.

Would most definitely do it again, maybe incorporating short rows to mask the small holes from row/colour change

What are YOU watching tonight???

Mutant sheep are about to hit the screens!

''Black Sheep'' is billed to be the Shaun of the Dead.

I *was* going to post the video, but it might be disturbing to Sprout, so if you really want to see it, it's there: http://www.blacksheep-themovie.com/

So instead you get to see the trailer for the new Disney, about a French rat who wants to be a chef (and I hear it's already available on the web) Review to follow...

Next on my wish list? Evan Almighty (Phil...hint hint)

Too much travelling is bad for the brain

I was ticking boxes in an online survey today and it hit me. I was asked 'how many times have you travelled for leisure or work in the past 12 months?'...and i realised i did not know the answer to that.

I will miss the Netherlands, but I won't miss the constant going back and forth between countries.

This morning was my last 'getting-up-at-4AM-to-catch-6AM-EZ-to-Schiphol' in a long while...and I bet Phil is relieved to hear that, having dropped me one last time, sleepy-eyed, at Luton at 5AM.

A lot of knitting, a lot of frogging: I can't read a pattern (Dashing, but solved now) and Fetching just did not dazzle me...i am not buying into the picot edging...so another style of fingerless gloves it will become. I am looking forward to 2x3hrs of train knitting as I make my way to Paris on Thursday night and come back Monday night... Hoping to get back with completed hand wear. Next on the list: a tea cosy! (yes, really!) Now to hunt for a pattern...

Last weekend in the UK was as rainy as Rotterdam, and the activity filled planned weekend quickly transformed into tv-watching/knitting/baking. Fresh pizza was made by Phil (very yum) and I attempted the cinnamon swirl recipe by (great British baker) Paul Hollywood. Let's put it that way: there are no photos because the camera just could not be found quickly enough...so much goo-ey sticky yumminess should be illegal.

Don't believe me? Have a go yourself: http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/513957
Modifications: I used of cinnamon sugar instead of plain cinnamon, and replaced the raisins with dried apricots.
It's a gold-mine for recipes BTW...(James Martin chocolate chip cookies are ALSO worth checking out)

Movies watched:
Spiderman 3 (yawn)
Shrek 3 (yeay baby dragon/donkey)
1/2 Pirates 3 (so far...better than 2)
all supplied by unscrupulous tinternet people (on utorrent) ;-)

That's a lot of movie watching and a lot of knitting (Spiderman was not worth stopping the row counting for!!)...but then again, it was raining!
And I also finished another 5 pages of translation in the meantime...and awaiting the next lot!

I am sooo looking forward to Knitting Tuesday this week! Miss you lots and lots girls!

FO's as soon as I get home to take some pics (tonight) AND Phil emails me the pic of his hat ;-)

The one where they went to the park...

to knit together in the open and I forgot my camera! Photos hopefully to be found on the blogs of people who are FAR more organised than me!!

The day was grey, but the spirits were high as blankets were spread out to welcome stashes and books, baby knitters and food. The token boys survived an afternoon of stitch talk by sleeping some of it out, and delicious BBQ food (Thanks again all for your excellent efforts...) finally distracted us from all that yarny goodness.

My extra Rowan magazines found homes (good ones i hope, although I am not actually sure where they went, except for one) but my resolution to come back with less than I arrived with crumbled when my hand met the softness of chocolate brown Phildar yarn. 10% alpaca got the better of me and I eagerly bought all the skeins from KnittingAjour (about 16 I think). That's enough for a deliciously snugly long sleeved top....now to find a pattern that will do it justice!

Lots of WIP and even some FO's as my body decided to give up when faced with strange bugs and I got to spend 2 separate days curled up on my big armchair, taking in a ridiculous number of episodes of Medium (thank you, tv-links.co.uk for keeping me entertained for free) with nothing to do other than crochet 1 pacman, 1 miss pacman, and 4 ghosts (actually 5 but one was vertically challenged). Eyes and bow need to be attached to the ones that require some (ie Pacman is already finished) but BF will soon be the proud owner of crocheted 80's memorabilia!

After so much crochet, I was itching to knit some, so my Mum will be getting a very airy wrap from Fitted Knits (knitted on 8mm needles), hopefully ready for my weekend in Paris.

Interview day has come and gone, and was not successful (not experienced enough for development) so I will have to make do with going back to my old job...for now!

And this morning, I realised that my week is missing a whole day: I thought I was leaving for my course on Wednesday, but the course IS on Wednesday...so I am leaving (again) for the UK (again) tomorrow night, which means that I will AGAIN not be Stitch n' Bitching with the girls. And I won't get to know all about the bargains I missed at the thrift store last week.

I more cheery news, the translation job is starting to pay and I will (soon) be able to buy a laptop from the profits, therefore making it easier for me to do it on the move, so I can do it more efficiently and more quickly....so it makes more $$! That was definitely a good move!

Just off the needles, a double grey Tychus and at half-point (finally) an aniseed-green cashmere-blend Odessa with green glass beads (my little ears will be soooo snug next fall/winter). Next on the needles: probably the 'proper' Shedir I have promised myself for so long, in a light grey or a petroleum blue merino to match the Fetching in multicoloured Lana Grossa that will be coming soon. One has to make the most of 2 x 3hrs of train journey to and from Paris!

So next post will be FO galore...and who knows, it may even come soon!

Knickerless month (PG rated...really...see below!)

Today is the name day for my friend Kelly, and in order to explain to the non South-of-Europe people at work, I invoked the mighty Google.

This is what I found:

http://www.calendar.sk/nameday-enfrhor.php

Now you too can have a celebration on your name day!

Dearest BF, I shall try and remember to give you a big hug on 3rd May...and my name day is still to come: October 20th.

From that site I also found that in the French Revolutionnary calendar one of the months is Sansculotteides (ie the month of the ones without knickers...or TROUSERS (ah, that makes more sense, but still...LOL)) later this year.

So there you have it...

Weekend...yeay!

Knit in Public day is tomorrow, and guess what: the forecast is actually NOT rainy!!!!!!

Now to buy some food for the bbq....

Knit in Public Day 2007

And as you know we want to get together for a 'Stitch n Grill'(that's knitting/crochet/anything else AND a bbq!)

So the details are as follow:
We will be at Vroesen Park, near Rotterdam Zoo
(Bus 33, 44 or 49 toBlijdorpplein)
between 1pm and 5pm on Saturday 9th June.
Bring your craft supplies and some drinks + food to throw on the bbqif you wish...A blanket to sit on?
Any items you would like to swap (yarn/tools/books/patterns/FOs...)
Partners/children welcome (of course!!)

There ARE toilets in the park...so no panic there!

If anybody has a little bbq we can use please let me know, otherwiseI will get a few disposable ones.

I am keeping my fingers crossed for the weather, but in case of badrain there is a cafe nearby:
Café "Blijdorp"Stadhoudersplein 1313038 EA ROTTERDAM NEDERLAND

A little techno geekness...too good not to share!

Or why I will invest in a decent computer before considering going under the knife!! (cheaper too)

http://geeksugar.com/260590?sidcheck=1&idcheck=1

No you too can look gaunt and frail !!!!!!!

I will continue fixing my pathetic lighting skills and cropping picies, but that about for me...


Now back to important work...also called: my translations are due in today and look...the bottom drawer of my desk is *just* the right height to paint my toenails :-)

Yep, I am all alone at work....can't you tell ??

Why I love my camera phone...

Because it enables you to capture bizarre events like this:

A backlit toilet flush (6th floor at work....seriously is THIS where my bonus goes?)

and a gi-normous dragonfly near my house yesterday afternoon (gum behind for scale)

and much knitting was done this weekend, some outdoors...yeay for sunny weekends!

Also today: top 10 geeky yarn creations

http://www.threadbanger.com/post/433/the-top-10-geekiest-yarn-creations-on-t