The big knit

Innocent is asking once again for gazillion little wooly hats for their bottles...50p per ornate bottle will go to Age Concern.

http://www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/thebigknit/?Page=thebigknit (one day i will remember the cut formula)

Come on, knit a hat with your scraps...you know you want to... (and make sure to send them BEFORE 22nd October!)

Finally some yarn pics

Looks like kidsilk haze to me...so if that's the case I bagged myself in the region of 800m of gorgeous lace weight for...£1.00

K's comment :"you b#tch"...who needs enemies with friends like these!

Pictures from phone, so not brilliant, but the pen shows thread size.

And I still have to unearth my lace knitting book to find a project worthy of such a pretty pretty yarn. Any idea?

Edible robot: make your own

too many cucumbers, too much time on your hands? That's enough to make you give knitting a rest!

A pair of aces...

The idea was that since my friend is going to spend 100% of her time playing poker and getting paid for it I would make her a relevant leaving present, because nothing says 'i will miss you' like a 100g of handknit lambswool in the middle of August!

So I decided on a modified version of Debbie Bliss Flip Top mittens with commuter pocket on top, embroidered so as to look like aces of hearts.

I made the mittens (Penguin light grey, about 75g, 4mm needles) and the pattern is actually worked flat!

The pockets were knitted from Lana Grossa pale pink Numero Uno (16 st, worked for...well long enough for a credit card) and the hearts from the same yarn in Shocking Pink.


The hearts were knitted as follow before securing using blanket stitch (which does hide a multitude of sins):
-the heart is knitted side-ways in garter st-
CO 3
K to end
KFB, K1, KFB (5st)
(K to last st, KFB
KFB, K to end) repeat until you have -about- 11st (adjust to taste)
K2tog, K to last st, KFB
K to end
KFB, K to last 2 st, K2tog
(K2tog, K to end
K to last 2 st, K2tog) until 5 st remain
K2tog, K1, K2tog (3st)
Bind off leaving a VERY long tail for the blanket stitching...

The A's in top left and bottom right of each pocket were embroidered using the same dark pink yarn.

Pockets were sewn on using matress st, for that lovely neat finish.

Voila!














(forgive the fuzzy camera-phone pictures)

The recipient was very pleased with them...I will have to keep that pattern in mind for further leaving presies.

Next on the list: to finish 2 cardigans (and a sweater), and to whip up some baby booties before next week...2 pairs for a mum-of-twins-to-be!

Another wet weekend...

Already my stay in Rotterdam seems a distant dream.

England has been fighting the rising waters and I found no better idea than to go camping for a few days near Worthing, where my parents were experiencing their first tent stay. Fingers crossed along the way, and frantic knitting to try (and fail) to finish the wrap for Mum...I bound off the second sleeve just as we pulled into the camp site, but the wrapping part is yet to complete.

It was muddy, wet, grey and very windy...we could not even push the bikes on the way back from Shoreham as the constant blow along the beach killed our efforts.

The 2 days with my parents did however prove rewarding from the stash point, as I found (well actually spotted by Mum) 12 balls of a cotton mix in a charity shop (£5) and 3 balls of Emu (£1). But the best buy of all was in Shoreham, as I was about to walk out empty-handed from the Rowan-filled yarn shop... from the corner of my eye I spotted a soft turquoise cake in a basket on the floor...lace weight and gorgeous, I looked up, ready to face a pricey tag...50p (for 50g) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Best part was that I did find another one...so I may have enough for a shawl! (yeay for my first *proper* lace project).

BF even gave me the money for it, attempting to reason ("have you got a project for it?" "no, but I will...anyway, you don't un-der-stand...it's SOOOO pretty!")

A day in gay Brighton, which ended under a rainy sky decided us to go home a day early... and good decision that was as Sunday in London was bright and blueberry-filled! Balcony BBQ and home-made crumble...what a way to end the weekend!

Cohabitation is going well..in parts (the ones that are not yarny and fur-ry) and I am hoping we will soon look at new surroundings!

I miss the Tuesday knitting in Rotterdam, and I am trying to revive the knitting spirit here, but it's not the same...and my urge this morning to call for a Stitch and Pitch (of the camping type, not the baseball type) will probably remain unanswered. AND I don't get to see Y. (almost) finished scarf..bah, humbug!

The camera is not yet unpacked, but my head is full of pics to be taken... I will be back...soon!

Chic knits

Yeah for the New York Times talking about designer knitwear and knitwear designers!

Knitting with Style

Ready, steady, pack!

Well, I have not started yet, and somehow I know I am leaving on purpose to the last minute.

Truth is...I don't want to leave Rotterdam. I love the town, the food, the people, the knitters....especially the knitters (and the crocheters and the dyers and the spinners, of course!).

Hopefully it's only Au Revoir and I will come back soon to knit as one of the Rotterdam SnB members on a Tuesday night.

On my glass table in the flat, a pretty printed paperbag full of leaving gifts from Sas and from Ajour ... some pretty handmade stitch markers to adorn my needles and a life-time (that should last until Sunday) supply of Stroopwaffels.

Yes, I will check the spelling, yes there will be pictures... soon...

So I find myself dreaming of a different future where I can stay...

I will miss you girls, I hope we stay in touch and that we see each other soon!