| Thursday, January 27, 2005 |
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Finished off my Funky Chunky jumper this morning that's been sitting "nearly done" for about 3 weeks. All it needed was a cord with tassels to go through the eyelets and to rip back the collar so that it could actually fit over my head. It only took a wee while to get it done and it means I can wear it this weekend to keep me cosy. Quite chuffed with all the stuff I've done over the last 12 months knitwise. Now I've just got to learn a few new techniques to push myself a bit more. That - and to make sure that I only refresh my stash when I've exhausted all the possibilities of what I've already got. I need to be good until I get some more work in and I actually have a bit more cash coming in although that's going to be knocked on the head when we've been into the kitchen place this weekend. I can sense fun and games about to happen...
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posted by Maureen @ 8:36 pm   |
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| Wednesday, January 26, 2005 |
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Finished my fingerless gloves - woo hoo! Dead chuffed with them. They look really pretty. I've got more than enough wool left out of the Opal ball to make a beanie hat to go with it so I'm cracking on with that at the same time as my hooded jumper. I'm being good though and not buying anymore wool until I use up a lot more of the stash I already have. Time to be restrained until the finances/job situation for this year settles down a bit. I'm thinking about cutting up some of my fabric stash to make yarn for knitting with as well though because I think you could come up with some really interesting stuff that way. There are a few books I fancy that are on my Amazon wish list but I'll just pass on all that info to all the family in time for my birthday.
Had an interesting day yesterday when I got my Mirena fitted. There's obviously something with me and my cervix as whenever anybody tries to do something with it or near it it goes into total spasm. It wasn't the most comfortable thing anyway since it means lying there with a speculum inside you for about 15 minutes but all the poking with various bits of metal to measure how far they have to shove the IUS up you really started things going. They eventually got it in but then I almost threw up and passed out when they were trying to get me back on my feet so I ended up having to lie down for about 30 minutes until I was fit to leave the place. I felt awful for the whole day so I thought bugger it - I'm going to bed and doing nothing. Now that it's in I don't feel so bad - it was just the getting there that was awful.
Away through to Inverness on Friday so getting ready for our visit to the kitchen showroom to get a plan and a budget worked out for what we're going to do. I would feel happier about going ahead with it if I had some definite work on but I just have to keep my fingers crossed that it'll all come together at the end. Have faith in my own self-importance!!!
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| posted by Maureen @ 7:21 pm |
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| Friday, January 21, 2005 |
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My copy of Knit.1 came through the post yesterday. There's about 3 things in it I want to make - first choice is definitely the jumper with the slits in the sleeves. Myself and Carol decided it was a good Scottish summer sweater! I also managed to complete my first glove. The fingers werer pretty fiddly but it does look very cute. Because it's used so little wool I reckon I'm going to get a wee beanie hat out of it as well. I did have a session last night tidying up my knitting pattern folder and downloading new patterns from knitty.com. It is a fantastic website with a great choice. It's almost enough to make me stop buying other pattern books - almost but not quite!
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| posted by Maureen @ 1:29 pm |
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| Thursday, January 20, 2005 |
| Multi-coloured gloves - the easy way! |
Decided to put the hoodie aside for a moment and instead I've kicked off on a pair of fingerless gloves with a ball of the Opal sock yarn in a lovely lilac background. It's a really cool way to make the gloves look much more complicated than they are with the self-patterning fair isle effect. I found the pattern on MLM Inspirations - she does some really lovely stuff. I've never actually been brave enough to work with dpns before so it's a bit of a learning curve but then I've been trying to push my knitting skills since I got back into with a vengence this last year. No point in standing still. Robert has commented "just how many gadgets does it take to make something!?" but considering he's a bit of a techno freak for all sorts of toys, at least my toys are much cheaper and make lots of new interesting things. I decided it really was time to make the gloves or else I'd miss winter altogether and wouldn't have a chance to wear them and show them off! It's getting pretty bitter outside as we speak and there's already been a snow shower this morning. Might get enough snow to ski on out at Glenshee or the Lecht if we're lucky soon. Here's hoping...
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| posted by Maureen @ 10:55 am |
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| Tuesday, January 18, 2005 |
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A good night on Thursday with 10 of us at the Stitch N Bitch. I hadn't felt like going beforehand as it's been a bit dodgy headwise these last few weeks but I was really glad I went. My latest creation was admired which was lovely and then it was down to the business of gassing and making mistakes in the knitting. It was decided that it's never a good idea to take anything with you that involves any degree of complication as you only make mistakes due to the amount of chatting that goes on. The next SnB should be around the 3 of Feb.
All excited because I ordered my copy of Knit.1 today. I really want to knit the jumper in it with the holey sleeves. Paula's off to the States in Feb so hopefully she can get me the Spring/Summer copy. Might ask her to pick up Vogue Knitting International for me as well. I received my latest copy of Knitting magazine. I like the articles but they really don't get it with the patterns. They're still too Woman's Weekly for my liking and their fashion stylist is a bit dodgy with some of the things they pick for the model's to wear with the patterns. I'm preserving with it in the hope that it'll get there eventually.
I've managed to finish the back of my hoodie from the first SnB book. It doesn't look like it's going to take too long which considering how cold it is at the moment is probably a blessing. I'm trying to be good and not start anything else until I've finished it but I do have a big ball of Opal yarn which is just waiting to be picked up and made into a pair of fingerless gloves. Can I ca' canny and be good? We shall see...
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| posted by Maureen @ 1:24 pm |
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| Sunday, January 09, 2005 |
| Stitchin' n bitchin' |
It's a new year and time for a whole new batch of projects to get underway. I finally managed to finish off my lilac confection which has meant that I'm really not in the mood to get back into quite so many cables and lacey bits for a few weeks anyway.
Christmas was a busy knitting time as I made a gorgeous little scarf and hat set for a friend's Christmas present. That was followed by a Colinette One Zero feast of a jumper, hat, scarf and bag for another friend - the promise of a big box of Thornton's kept me going. Then there was a skein of Colinette Isis that just had to be made into a scarf for a friend who's ill at the moment - thought it would cheer her up and it seems to have done the trick. Then there was the chunky sweater using some Funky Chunky and a pattern out of one of the Rowan Big Wool books - that took 3 evenings! Finally I'm onto some pink Lopi wool I got from Ebay that is going to look well smart as the hooded top from the original Stitch n Bitch book. That's my third garment out of the book and one out of the new one. I can't believe how much knitting I've done since last May - I've just gone mental with my pins and can't stop creating things. I'm turning into such a traditional homebody with my knitting, cooking, photography and gardening but it's so nice to be able to create and have my efforts appreciated. Now that I'm getting the hang of altering my knitting properly (thanks SnB Nation for the calculations) I feel that I might be able to progress onto designing and creating my own pieces properly. The process is getting there and I'm really getting the hang of a wider range of techniques. I think joining the local Stitch n Bitch group has been a huge boost - not only to my creative splurge but also in helping me gain in self-confidence. They're a really cool bunch of women and very appreciative and open to everybody's range of talent. I've always felt a bit out on an edge because of loving such an old-fashioned craft like knitting so it was lovely to find a group that were so into their pins and wool. To be able to lust over each other's wool, pattern books, or what somebody else is making without folk thinking you can't be right in the head is absolutley brilliant. And to do it in public is even better! It's very liberating to feel like a pioneer in the new wave of knitting and creative impulse but to feel at home with a bunch of like-minded individuals. |
| posted by Maureen @ 6:12 pm |
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Name: Maureen
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- 1940's lacey jumper: 50%
- Flicca: 60%
- Ogee Lace Skirt: 10%
- Wavy Scarf: 20%
- Blackthorn: 55%
- French Wraparound Gilet: 10%
- Paton's Aran Cardi: 25%
- Strawberry Hill: 15%
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