31 May 2006

Garter and Cable Bag


Note: the main body of the bag is knit in garter stitch. The stitches in the middle of the bag used for the cable pattern are knit in stocking stitch

Gauge:

Not important for this pattern

Cable pattern:

Row 1: T2F, T3B, p1, T3B

Row 2: k1, p2, k2, p3, k1

Row 3: p1, T3B, p1, C3B, p1

Row 4: k1, p3, k2, p2, k1

Row 5: T3B, p1, T3B, TRF

Row 6: p1 (k2, p2) twice

Row 7: (k2, p2) twice, k1

Row 8: p1 (k2, p2) twice

Row 9: T3F, p1, T3F, T2B

Row 10: k1, p3, K2, p2, k1

Row 11: p1, C3F, p1, T3F, p1

Row 12: k1, p2, K2, p3, k1

Row 13: T2B, T3F, p1, T3F,

Row 14: (p2, k2) twice, p1

Row 15: k1, (p2, k2) twice

Row 16: (p2, k2) twice, p1

Abbreviations:

T2F (Twist 2 Front)= Slip next stitch onto cable needle and hold at the front of the work, purl next stitch from the left hand needle, then knit st from cable needle

T3B (Twist 3 back)= Slip next st onto cable needle and hold at back of work, knit next 2 st’s from left hand needle then purl st from cable needle

C3B (Cross 3 Back)= Slip next st onto cable needle and hold at back of work, knit next 2 st’s from left hand needle then knit st from cable needle

T3F (Twist 3 Front)= Slip next 2 st’s onto cable needle and hold at front of work, purl next st from left hand needle then knit st’s from cable needle

T2B (Twist 2 Back)= Slip next st onto cable needle and hold at back of work, knit next st from left hand needle then purl st from cable needle

C3F (Cross 3 Front)= Slip next 2 st’s onto cable needle and hold at front of work, knit next st from left hand needle, then knit st’s from cable needle

(Taken from The Harmony Guide to Knitting- Techniques and Stitches, Debra Mountford, Editor, Harmony Books, New York, 1992))

Mc=main colour

Cc=contrast colour

Pattern:

Cast on 40 stitches

Garter St 2 rows in mc.

Starting using the mc and include the cc yarn like this:

mc K15, mc&cc tog. K9, mc K 16

mc K 16, mc&cc tog. P9, mc K15

X2 rounds

Start using the cable pattern and the above combination of colours as follows:

Garter St to the cable pattern, cable pattern row as appropriate, garter stitch to end.

Increase one stitch at each end of the row, every 6 rows, starting with row 1 of the cable pattern

Repeat the cable pattern once more, continuing with the increase rows until the end of the 2nd round of the cable pattern (52 stitches)

Row 41 Knit to end

Row 42 Purl to end

Row 43 Continue in stocking stitch for another 8 rows.

Row 51 Purl

Row 52 Purl

Row 53 Garter Stitch for another 2 rows

Row 54 Starting with the cable pattern and above combination of colours, continue as follows:

Garter St to the cable pattern, cable pattern row as appropriate, garter stitch to end.

Decrease one stitch at each end of the row, every 6 rows, to mirror the increases on the first side, starting with the first row of the cable pattern (row 54)

Do a second repeat of the cable pattern and decreases. You should now have 40 stitches again.

Garter St 4 rows.

Cast off.

Sides of bag:

Using mc only.

With right side facing you, and starting with the left hand side of the bag body, starting at the base of the bag and working towards the top of the bag, pick up 23 stitches.

Stocking stitch 2 inches.

Cast off

Turn the bag around so that the opposite side of the bag is now on the left hand side (see photo) and pick up 23 stitches as above.

Stocking stitch 2 inches.

Cast off.

These 2 sides will be on opposite ends of the bag and on opposite sides.

Making up:

Join the sides of the bag to the base and to the opposite side.

Weave in ends.

Tabs:


Using mc only.

Pick up 6 stitches approximately 1&1/2 inches in from the side of the bag and stocking stitch for 2&1/2 inches.

I would advise to measure the tab around the dowel before you cast off to ensure that you get the correct fit. You will need to have the dowel in place and bring the tab around the dowel and to the inside of the bag where you plan on joining the other end of the tab.

Cast off.

Repeat on the other end of the same side, and again on the other side of the bag, using the length of the first tab as a guide for the other 3.

You should now have 4 tabs, 2 on each side.

Handles:

Using a dowel cut it to appropriate length and sand and varnish.

I got my dowel from Woodies but you could probably get them in any DIY store.

I also bought 4 wooden knobs and varnished these also, and glued them to the end of the dowel once it was cut to appropriate size.

Place the first dowel in place on one side, and join the tab over the dowel onto the inside of the bag. Repeat for the second tab on that side and for the second dowel and tabs on the 2nd side. I found this to be the best way to have a tight fit on the tabs around the dowel, as I didn’t want the dowel to slip out of the tabs.

Throw your purse, mobile and lippy into bag and off you go...

Line the bag if you feel it’s necessary, I didn’t (I’m bad at sewing though)

You can also put a bottom into the bag if you want; one suggestion is to use a piece of stiff tapestry board




25 May 2006

Scary!!




Was I scared??


No.....there were only cows in the field....

This was beside the Cliffs of Mohair and I think more a deterrent to people trespassing in the field in order to walk further up over the cliffs.

24 May 2006

Goings On's in Clare

Well where will I start?

I have been away for the last few blissful days, in Clare, in the cottage, chilling out.

The idea was that we spent a few days doing a bit of work on the cottage, painting and such-like. It was also Micheáls birthday so we wanted to be away for that.

We arrived at the cottage very late on Tuesday night (there were train strikes going on and the traffic was horrendous even going from work to Micheáls place so we decided to wait and let the worst of it die off) so we were pretty wrecked and pretty much fell into bed. We did of course have a chance to check out the place before we did so, and came across these in the conservatory:




The conservatory gets the full whack of sunshine whenever it cares to grace us with its presence and we never thought that leaving candles there would be a problem.

Pretty funny eh?

We made sure that the fresh ones we put there were removed when we left this time!

So the weather was windy and wet for the majority of time we were there, apart from the odd few hours, and Saturday.

We did some cutting back of hedges, putting up the post-box and painting of the hallway and bathroom (although I did some preparation for the painting, I wasn’t actually involved in it, preferring to watch the Munster match in the pub with friends!).

We took a trip here

Cliffs of Mohair
And took photos here
Lahinch beach
The Burren
And here

We stopped for a spot of retail therapy

Saturday, Micheáls Dad came down to help, and we met him in Corofin where I was meeting my friend and went to her Mums place for cups of tea (and drooling over her gorgeous Siamese and Burmese cats) before we went to Ballyvaughan (through the Burren) for lunch. The lads then headed off to paint while I stayed on to watch the match.

Fantastic game, and of course Munster swept the board with Biarritz (sorry Isabelle in France (or should I say Switzerland at the moment!!) but they were the better team!)

You can check it out here

I took my time coming back through part of the Burren, nothing to do with prolonging the inevitable painting, honest! It was a lovely bright day and I was enjoying the drive.

Part of the drive brought me up a windy road, and at the top of the road there was a point to stop and get out to admire the view. It was impossible to capture the view, to tell you the truth, it was fantastic.

Windy road below, Burren to the left and the right, and the sea right at the bottom.

Sheep in the fields to the left, making their presence known by all the baa-ing they were doing.



Plenty of places to explore at our leisure the next few times we are down in Clare. Spread it out!

There were plenty of crafty shops along this route, mainly aimed at tourists, but I came across a couple of interesting things, which have given me more food for thought

Despite the fact we were away for 5 days, I actually don’t have many knitted items to show. I bought some yarn at the shop in Ennis that I found, in order to make a bag from it, then looked at the yarn and decided to play around with it a bit first. I started making a mitred square (along the lines of what Sharon and Isobel are doing), and although I have no photos to show you at the moment, this is the yarn I’m using:

The one on the left is Sirdar, the same yarn I used to make Sherri's Bag, (must put up pattern for it sometime this year!) and the one on the right is the yarn I bought in Ennis (details of the shop will be found in the olannban site shortly)

I think if this works out well, it may be a secret project for someone that I know reads this blog (but never comments!!) so it may be a while before there are pictures. I successfully finished 2 mitred squares anyway during the time.

I also worked on this:

For a friend of M’s, whose birthday is this week.

And this took a long time to get where it is now. I cast on 180 stitches, worked one row, increased into every stitch, worked one row, increased into every stitch…. can you work out how many stitches that makes? 720, that’s how many! And then if that wasn’t enough stitches to be working on, I decided that as the yarn I was using was so thin (3 ply), I would do a yarn over after every stitch in order to lengthen the work slightly (in fact I started off with doing a 2 yarn over, but after about 10 stitches it was already becoming obvious that something had to go- my hands or the double yarn over…). So, about 3 hours later, and not all in the one go either, I had a row with yarn overs after every stitch, and ready to knit the next row, dropping the yarn overs as I went. It became easier after that row was finished, I can tell you!!

So, I’m now ready to work one last row and then cast off. I am wondering however, should I cast off using this:

It’s a mohair yarn, nice pink colours with bits of yellow and green in it. What do you think? Would it compliment it?

Any suggestions would be appreciated!!

16 May 2006

Knitting in Croke Park

Well, I was brought along to the Meath v Louth game in Croke Park, and I shamed all who were with me by taking out my knitting.
Well, I don't think I really shamed them, but it got a few laughs!
The fact they moved 5 seats away was being unable to see the field, honest!!
They didn't actually move away, but my BF's sister did say that I would be on the news that evening as the person knitting in the crowd.
There were lots of people at the game, all apart from the Hill, which was pretty empty.
Needless to say, we were supporting Meath, as my BF is from there. They played pretty poor in the first half, but then came back and hammered Louth!
I got some knitting done, its slow progress, but I am just about ready to do the heel part.
I haven't had much to post about with knitting lately, because I'm trying not to start new things, but haven't got much time to be doing what I currently have on the needles, if you know what I mean! I have been doing a bit of recycling of wool from charity shop buys, and some winding into cakes of yarn I currently have, and some that I have recycled and washed.
I am also going to be away from a PC (and TV!!) from this evening as we are going to Clare for a few days!! I really need a break, and its my BF's birthday tomorrow so we thought we would take some time out.
I have however, packed quite a few new cakes of yarn that I want to start items with.So, have plans and hopefully will follow up on them!!
So I may have pictures next time I post.
I have finished the Noro Blossom bag, but just waiting to sew it together and put a lining into it that I bought. This may be a long time coming as Im not great at sewing!
(Meath are the ones in green....)
(Meath are also in the lead......)

15 May 2006

That bl**dy ad again.

I posted about this ad before.
I was catching up on some blog reading at lunchtime, and came across the same reaction on Purlpower's blog.
So I decided to do something about it, as it brought back the feelings of disgust that I got when I first realised what the ad campaign was getting at.

So I wrote them an email:
(*I have *'d out my age- pure vanity!)

My name is Sara Cullen, I am 3* years of age, I have been knitting since I was about 7, am part of a Stitch and Bitch knitting group who meet up regularly to knit together and chat.

You obviously decided not to research your subject when you put this ad campaign together. Are you not aware of the huge knitting phenomenon that’s going on across the world at the moment? As you are obviously oblivious to this, please have a look at this website: http://www.stitchnbitch.org/snb_groups.htm

I noticed this ad in a Sunday paper a few weeks ago, and was disgusted when I realised what the ad meant. I have since posted about this ad on my blog a couple of weeks ago, and have posted on the UK StitchnBitch forum also about it, and have since seen it on other people's blogs.

As the majority of people who meet in our Irish SnB group are in fact, in their 30's, I think that you are actually hitting out against the very people who may be looking at buying your products in the future. Yes, we are the age group that are having babies, and buying the products you sell. We are also the age-group that are taking up our knitting needles in order to knit for ourselves, and our friends, and let me tell you--> these items are very gratefully received as unique items, in this day and age when its hard to buy something unique for babies.

Your “Paediatric research” doesn’t appear to work well with this ad campaign, as you have obviously overlooked this consumer group.

You have also overlooked the fact that knitting is a great tool for both hand-eye coordination for kids when taught in schools, and has also been used as an aid to learning mathematics: Many teachers are beginning to incorporate knitting into their curricula because it encourages analytical thinking. While strengthening hand-eye coordination, knitting teaches patience and reading skills and helps students stay focused on a task. (http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/na_knitting/article/0,2025,DIY_14141_3148167,00.html)

In fact, let me help you with your research, so that you can have a little think about the next ad campaign you want to run. Maybe you can turn around and say, oh we were wrong, knitting is the new yoga, and base your next ad campaign on that.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/26/nyregion/26KNIT.html?ex=1147838400&en=d313c29efe719a10&ei=5070

http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20010310/fob1.asp

http://www.ucls.uchicago.edu/publications/directions/Jan2002/knitting.html

http://anacleta.homestead.com/knittingwithchildren.html

http://www.waldorfatlanta.org/curriculum_specialty_handwork.htm

Yours, in disgust

Sara

http://tangelled_angel.blogspot.com

12 May 2006

Travellings of a lone sock

Hey folks, Budd here again. Just thought I'd show you my first ever trip on a Luas. (For those who don't know about this amazing mode of transport, you can read about it here ) Anyway, I was coming back from town with Sara and she decided that now was an ideal time to show me a bit of Dublin. Sara got a great seat facing backwards on the Luas and there were no other people standing in front, so she thought it was an ideal opportunity to take me out, do a bit of work on me, and take a photo for posterity.
She even managed to take a photo of
Heuston Station as we were going by. It looks surprisingly quiet at this time (around 9pm) which is strange as its usually so busy. I suppose Sara is used to seeing it thronged with people at peak travelling times!
Other than the Luas, I have been brought out to play on the train a couple of times in the evening (we leave from
Heuston Station), and in the morning on the bus. But sadly, Sara is not progressing with me as much as I'd hoped, but she is getting there slowly!
I don't think she will get very far with me over the weekend either as she is having too much fun socialising away from me. She brings me along with her everywhere in her bag but she seems to forget about me! Boo hoo. Still, I suppose its hard to be a lone sock in a place full of people......pubs...restarants....visiting people....
Maybe someday I'll have a companion to keep me company!!

11 May 2006

Yay Secret Pals everywhere!

I recieved an email from my secret pal first thing this morning, thank you secret pal! Good to hear from you.
I also recieved the name of the person I'm spoiling, and have since been reading her blog and getting an idea of what she likes. I have also sent her an email to say hello.
I'm sure that all over the world this is happening, people waking up to emails from their secret pal's and sending emails to the person they are spoiling (is there a word for this? maybe I should abbreviate it to PIAS-person I am spoiling). Its so exciting.
No knitting pic's today, just this:
Can you see what they are?
Baby soothers, or dody's as they are called here. There is a building in town that has this very strange pattern painted all over it, and this metal tree of dody's is outside the front door.
How cool is that!

10 May 2006

Felted Bowl

Remember the hand-dyed and hand spun yarn I got from Holly from StitchNBitchIE ?
(Holly, you just have to get a blog for yourself-pressure, pressure!!)
Well I thought and thought about what I would do with it and couldn't come up with anything that was immediately required.
Then I thought of
One Skein and decided to do up one of their fulled bowls, just to try out the yarn, see how it knit and see how it felted.
Do you like the way I have positioned the cakes over the census form? It was collected last night. For those of you outside of Ireland, we had a census of the population here recently.

So anyway, the shetland wool seemed to be the one that was asking to be used (mainly because I had 2 skeins of it compared to one skein of the merino) so I threw myself into the pattern and came up with a nice hat.
No, just trying it on for fun, but it could actually be used as a basic hat pattern .


So here is the finished item before felting.
I left the small amount of shetland wool beside the FO to show you that there was actually some left over.
I used 6 1/2 mm circular needles/dpn's and on 4 inches, the gadge was approximately 14 stitches across and 22 inches down.




I put it through 4 washes in the washing machine, the first 3 were on 30degrees, and the final one was at 50degrees.
The first 3 felted it very slightly, but the stitches were still very defined, so in a fit of desperation, I threw it into a 50degree wash and voila!
Felted nicely.
The jeans got a great washing also!
The pyrex jug is to keep the shape while it dries.
This is the bottom of the bowl. Don't the colours look nice? It almost looks like a flower shape, the way that it has been dyed.

And the fait accompli.
One fulled bowl ala
One Skein and Holly.
Merci beaucoup!!






I'm not sure what I'll do with it now I've made it, maybe I can bring it into work and use it for my fruit, although its probably too small for too many pieces! Suggestions would be welcome...
Meanwhile, I will leave it to dry in the sunshine, on my dresser,
in peace.

8 May 2006

The travelling diary of a sock, part 1

Hello, my name is Budd, I’m a sock in progress and I thought I would show you some of my travelling photos.

Here I am, just starting off my life and deciding to take the train as my first way of getting from a to b. I brought along my friends Bob and Ben, they protect Sara from getting stabbed from the dpn’s when I’m in her bag. Sara was hungry on her way home from work so I let her try this very tasty Bubbles chocolate bar from Lidl.
My life came about when Sara saw this design in Interweave on-line and thought the pair of Manly Ribbed Socks was ideal for her boyfriend. She also decided to use this ball of Rowan Calmer in black as its nice and soft and not too warm for the summer months and her boyfriend may just wear them, as he doesn’t wear any other colour than black in his socks. Lucky for me eh? Oh and I don't take too good a photo with camera phones, doesn't quite get my good side you see.


So here I am now in Clare, I did a bit of driving in the car to get here, and saw a bit of the countryside on the way. I’m just taking a rest here, as Sara has to go and help Micheál in cleaning the cottage. I’m out in the conservatory at the moment, but sure you don’t want to see that, just me.

Obviously Bob and Ben are here also, they come everywhere with me, my faithful friends.

I’m out in the car again, and Sara has decided that she has worked out the magic loop method. So I have been shifted from dpn’s to a size 3 circular needle and have these odd bits sticking out each side. I’m not sure that this works as well as dpn’s as I don’t seem to be growing as fast, and I want to grow up!!
So I have been brought back to the haven of the cottage’s conservatory and Sara is sitting on the swinging couch (although God knows why she is sitting on a swinging couch indoors, strange girl!) and doing a bit of work on me.

I think she has decided to take pictures of my progress as she goes or something. Yes, here she is knitting away, and has just finished a side before she transfers it onto the loop of the circular needle.


Between you and me and the swinging couch, I think that Sara should switch back to the dpn’s as the magic loop method is taking a lot longer, oh….Sara must have heard me, there she is getting them out again. She has switched me back to the dpn’s and put away the circular needle. She is looking frustrated, and what’s that, the wine is being poured and I’m being put away….. nooooooooo

I'll have to sit in her bag and peek out at the scenery instead... :-)
I like Bluebells....

More updates of where I’ve been and where I’m going next time..check back in now!

4 May 2006

Baby knitting ad

This ad was in my Sunday paper's magazine.
A baby knitting.
I couldn't understand what the ad was about so I have just looked up the web address and as far as I can make out, it is for baby car seats!!
I think it's a bit of a slight against us young and trendy knitters!!
What do you think??

Secret Pal 8 Questionnaire

I have signed up for the Secret pal 8, which I’m very excited about.

Over the time I have been reading blogs, there has been many mentionings of the secret pal and other such type set-ups. Basically, you put forward your name, blog, secret email address and you are given the name/blog/secret email address of someone else, and someone else gets your details. Then there is a period of 3 months, over which you should contact your Pal 3 times per month (via secret email, snail mail or gift packages). There is a limit on how much you should spend on your pal also.

It’s basically a nice way to get to know other bloggers out there, and to give and receive emails mail and gifts.

So we should be hearing about who our secret pal to spoil is in the next couple of weeks and in order to give the person who gets my details a bit more information, I have been sent a questionnaire to fill in. Everyone who is in the programme is doing this so when I check out my Pals blog, they will also have this filled out. We also have to update out blog regularly, so that our Pal has loads of information about us!

Also unless something is let slip on a blog, we don’t know who has us until the very end. Hence the name “Secret Pal”, in case you hadn’t guessed!!

1. What is/are your favourite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

☻ Love love love Noro, Rowan, Debbie Bliss and Lorna’s Laces.

Like linen/cotton blends and by themselves. Unfortunately I’m a bit of a yarn snob and love the best of them and don’t like acrylics, fun yarn and yarn that feels scratchy ☺

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?

My boyfriends sister gave me some lovely body shop smellies for Christmas in a beautiful box, and its just the right size for all my dpn’s, circulars and miscellaneous like pins, measuring tape, needle sizer etc. This box is then housed inside another box, which is a white wooden box that I picked up in a charity shop many years ago in the UK when I was living there. It has black metal handles on the sides and black clasp to the front. My straight needles lie inside the box to the front of the Body Shop box. When the Body Shop box is in that box, I take the circular needles out and put them beside it, but if I am away for a few days and feeling like I may need more than one change of needles (dpn’s or circ’s) I use the smaller box.



3. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?

☺ I have been knitting for as long as I can remember, and since I was about 19 I have gone through many stages of knitting and not knitting. I have gotten back into it again since last October (2005) and this time I think it has stuck!

I think that I would be intermediate level really, although I tend to go for short projects, mainly because almost as soon as I cast on for something, I’m thinking about starting something else (and I admit it, I tend to just go ahead and cast on for that too! Hence I usually have a lot on the go at the one time)

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

I have an Amazon wish list, my secret pal can contact me for it if they wish?

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)

I like fresh smells, nothing overpowering. My favourite oil to burn is Clary Sage. I also got my hands on a fresh linen candle recently, one of those ones that you put into the oil burner instead of water, and put a candle underneath and it melts as it heats and gives off a lovely fresh smell. I also like lemongrass oil; vanilla and other fresh type smells! It’s hard to describe a smell, isn’t it? Basically nothing overpowering, I’m not one of those people that rushes out to buy the latest smelly cleaning product to hide odours, I prefer to open the windows and doors.

Bath products, again nothing overpowering, natural smells like strawberry, mango, vanilla, and coconut….



6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?

Why yes I do thanks very much! For anyone who knows me, I was off chocolate for lent and it almost KILLED me! My favourite chocolate is Green and Blacks, virtually any type, milk or dark. I like milk chocolate like aero bars, dairy milk, crunchies, fudge, I love white chocolate also. Milky Bar yumm.



7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?

I have a spinning wheel (recently acquired) but I haven’t learned how to use it yet, but am dying to try! I’m going to get a few lessons first, get started properly.

At the moment all my craft time is taken up with knitting but I also do some beading, I make beaded angels and made beaded hair clips for my sisters wedding, and have made lots since. I also do mosaics, and although lapsed recently (due to the evil knitting), have made mosaics for about 5 years

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I’m very open to all kinds of music, except for country music and techno music (although I do confess to buying the Walk the Line CD and enjoying most of it).

I like Franz Ferdinand, The Beatles, The Jam, The Killers, Norah Jones, Abba, David Bowie, Depeche Mode (early stuff) Kylie Minogue, Katie Melua, The Kinks, Gorillaz, 80’s music

I have a mini-disc player and my PC/stereo/DVD plays MP3’s


9. What's your favorite colour? Or--do you have a colour family/season/palette you prefer? Any colours you just can't stand?

I like greens, pinks, red’s, blue’s, oranges. Not very fond of yellow for some strange reason!

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

Boyfriend of 2 years (this month!). Live apart (for perhaps one night a week), I own my own place outside of the city (my country pad) and he rents an apartment in the city (my city pad as I like to call it). I don’t have any pets at the moment but am hoping to become the Mammy of a kitty in the near future.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Yes to all except ponchos


12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

☻ Hats, bags, items with a quick result! I like knitting in the round mainly.

Recently did my first socks and excited about so many sock patterns now


13. What are you knitting right now?
☺ Oh my oh my. Where will I start?

Blossom bag from Simply Noro

Pair of socks for my bf, interweave pattern

Fulled Lopi Tote from Hello Yarn

Yoga socks from Just Jussi

Fulled Bowl from One Skein

Future plans: Jaywalker socks

Future plans: Pomatomus socks


14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

☻ Yes please! Unhandmade are also nice.
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminium, plastic?
bamboo circulars or addi turbo’s


16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
☺ I own a yarn winder and it comes out to play often!


17. How did you learn to knit?
☻ I think a mixture of in school and my Mum and Gran


18. How old is your oldest UFO?
☻ Only about 3 months old


19. What is your favorite holiday?
Christmas


20. Is there anything that you collect?
what, you mean apart from yarn/knitting books/patterns?

Hmm, more yarn, boxes, boxes to put yarn into, bags, and things with flowers on them.


21. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
I have a new subscription to Interweave, but haven’t received my first copy yet. New subscription also to Simply Knitting as I keep missing the release date to the shops.

☻I ‘d love to get my hands on some of the sock yarns that I keep reading about in blogs, like Socks that Rock, Koigu etc.

Lantern Moon needles, yum


22. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
knitting socks with 2 circulars or the magic loop method

I’d like to learn some crochet also, there are some really nice patterns out there that I drool over, then realise that they are crocheted.


23. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Yes. Size (UK)4 shoes,

8.5in/21cm around ball of foot

9in/23cm long


24. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)

09/29

3 May 2006

A Non-knitting posting...


May Day here in Ireland was a fairly good day, although we didnt get the lovely weather we were promised on Saturday of the weekend, in fact it was positively cold where I was.
Still, we decided to go out for a walk to Dun Laoighre - and didn't go anywhere near the yarn store :( .
I managed to get in a few photos (of course!). This view, for anyone who doesn't know the area, is of Howth head, which is an almost island off the north coast of Dublin. An affluant area, it has many very rich people living there. Phil Lynott is also buried in a cemetry at the entrance to Howth, and there are some lovely walks and climbs and views from the place, as well as some lovely restuarants etc. The view from Dun Laoighre is technically from right across from it, if you imagine a semi-circle, then Howth head is at the top and Dun Laoighre is about 7/8's along the bottom. I think that you can just about see a ferry coming in on the right of Howth, this comes around Howth head and into Dun Laoighre itself. The ferry goes to Wales and I think France also.
Meanwhile, we have the Mothership!
If you click on the picture, you can see from the plaque to the bottom that its actually called the Mothership.
I think this person was obviously influenced by a bit of Sci-fi.
And I like Sci-fi.
At the top of the pier there is a very interesting dial, which has all the interesting area's within view-point of the dial and gives an approximate yardage to that point. In the picture below, it is showing the public baths (unfortunately now dis-used) and if you look above the dial, the white structure is the public baths.
The images themselves are intricate and resemble the item they are supposed to resemble!!
And if you look to the top of this picture, you can see the actual pier along which we then went to walk. (and a very annoying little boy who kept walking across the dial despite pleas from his Mum to get down)
And then we have a view of the pier itself, going around to the left. Aren't the boats just lovely?!
Finally, I'm going to leave you with a couple of pictures from the peoples park in Dun Laoighre, which we passed through on the way back to the car. The place was just jam packed with flowers, must have a dedicated gardener to keep it so well!


And thats all folks!
Until the next time....

Handspun and dyed yarn

I wanted to post about this separately as I want to do it justice.

This is the hand-dyed and hand-spun yarn from Holly, from StitchNBitchIE.

There are 3 different types:
The green mix and the pink at the back are a wool mix,
The grey/pink skein on the front right is shetland
The purple skein is merino and I think the orange and the green skeins in the middle are also merino, although I could be wrong and one of them could be shetland.( The brown cakes are not Holly's, just happen to be in the picture)
Here is a closer view:
Are these not just absolutely gorgeous??????!!!!
The purple and the grey/pink mix are no longer in Holly's possession, they are in MINE (Haw haw haw, evil laugh) and I have 2 skeins of the grey/pink mix and I have just used one of them to make a bowl from One Skein and have some fluff left over from it. Still need to felt it so will post a before and after photo (if it felts well!!)
However, if any of you are interested in trying out her other handspun, drop me an email and I'll pass it on to her. These were only samples of what she is currently doing.

2 May 2006

AAh yes, we have some more pictures

A second set of bootees and hat for my friend, she wants to give them as a special gift to a friend who had a baby boy at the same time. My friend thinks that these types of gifts are hard to find and for the person who has everything, it’s an extra special gift. Just the kind of thing for the hard-to-buy-for person.

My friend has had many compliments on her own hat and bootee set on her babe!

(She prefers the colours I did for her)

I did 2 sizes on the bootees, as I was half way through the first size (0-3months), before I realised that was the size I was doing. So I finished the pair in that size and did another pair in a larger size.

And what do we have here?

My very own nametag.

I decided to look into nametags a good while ago and never went anywhere with it until we had a discussion at the March SnBIE meeting with Sharon. Next thing I knew, I had 2 different types of tags, one with handwash only on it by tangelled angel and one with the inscription you see there. It looks almost professional LOL ;-)

So I will now attempt to post another photo or 5 from the SnBIE meeting on Saturday, here we go!!

Below we have from left: Sharon, Isobel, and Holly, then Cheryl from olannban fame and Bríd.
We then have a lovely picture of mitred squares done by
Sharon and Isobel, perched delicately over the One Skein book that we were oohing and aahing over.


Unfortunately, again I will have to post more pictures in the next few days, as I have been having trouble with positioning (as you can see!) and also with the repositioning of photos that need adjusting anyway, and Im late leaving to collect bf from the train!!!
(He has a very nice reward system for me for when I'm on time, more on that for another post, lots to post about this week, hopefully I'll get the time to do it all!!)