Need help!

Is there someone out there wanting to forward a KnitPicks order for me? It would be one or 2 books and maybe some dye it yourself sock yarn. I'll pay for the shipping of course, you just need to recieve the order for me and forward it!

Thanks!

"To do"-list finally getting shorter!

Just a quick post here, no pictures, I'll post those tomorrow.

Anyway, my "To do"-list is finally getting shorter and the end is in sight! Well, these are mostly knits I have to do and don't really enjoy doing. Well, not enjoying is much said, but there are so many projects I want to tackle and I'm honestly getting a bit tired to knit for people who don't really appreciate it. I want to try other stuff and I'm honestly a bit egocentrical and want to start knitting for myself! I mean, I love the actualy knitting, but then in the end I have seen so many things I would like to try for myself. The list is growing endless!

Anyway, here is the list :

- felted bag for LYS --> DONE, knitted and felted tonight and it turned out great!
- lace scarf for LYS --> almost done though I stepped away from the lace thing, more tomorrow
- gloves for LYS (not started yet)
- cardigan for mom (started twice, ripped twice, nothing on the needles right now)
- fingerless gloves for friend of mom (recently added, not started yet)
- socks for sisters (none started yet, but not really dreading this one)
- socks for uncle (started)

I hope this is it for a while! Luckily it's almost Spring so I'm quite sure I won't be getting much more requests unless it's for felted bags. We'll see.

I purchased the pattern for the Deep V Argyle Vest from Eunny today. Of course I was stupid and got the yarn first. Then I printed the pattern and started reading. Turns out you can't use superwash for this vest and guess what I bougth? Yeah, right, superwash. So I'm hoping to get my hands on some nice Rowan or something similar tomorrow, 'cause I really want to start this, as a pre-sweater knitting thing. Yep, don't think I'm not knitting through the Summer. First of all I'm always cold and never go without a good sweater (or similar, like a wrap), especially if I have to go somewhere in the evening. The weather here in Belgium is so unpredictable. Anyway, this one keeps on knitting!

Oh, and I seem to be dealing with my first knitting injury, bit like RSI! Well, knitting RSI. It's the second time this week I'm feeling this. Numness in my right hand ring finger. I get it when I'm knitting with my left hand for a long time. I don't know how, but I get it. Luckily it still passes, but should I start worrying?? I'm happy I can knit both continental and english style so at least I have possibilities!

I've been up and down all day, I think both my blood pressure and head, both probably related to stress. So I should be getting to bed NOW!

A few answers

Before I go to bed (it's sooo late!) I wanted to answer a few questions I got recently.

First of all, about the yarn I recently died. As for the red, I used Dylon dyes. They are available over here in every store that has something to do with textiles, and they are basically the only dyes available in regular stores. I got some left-overs from my sister and thus mixed 1/3 purple and 2/3 of deep red. I guess it was about that. My sister had put the 2 open boxes (it's powder) in one bigger box and so they got mixed. Turned out that was a good thing!

The purple I got from combining 2 colours of TinFix, which is basically a dye for silk. I have used it before on all kinds of yarn and so far I had no real problems except with one of the blues I had (I had to cook that yarn with some vinigar again to set the blue better and it still kept bleeding a little). When I buy dyes I always bye a standard purple which I later mix up with red or blue or black to create the shades I really like. I'm a purple freak, that being the reason of the basis purple.

Then the question on the baby stuff. The booties where from IK Summer 2005. You can find a few patterns here , the others are only in the magazine. I knitted the Ruffle Ribs (the variegated ones) and the braided cable (the purple ones).

The hats are from IK Summer 2004. There are 3 hats in there and they are all fun looking. I will knit the other 2 somewhere in the future, for any baby that might be born!

One more thing. I started knitting the Norwegian Stockings from Folk Socks. I read at several blogs that they used 2.5mm needles (with Baby Ull) and the stockings turned out ok. Well, tried that, and my stockings are to tight. I'm not a very tight knitter, but also not a loose one. I also seem to have very big calves (that might be from all the horse riding I'm doing these days). So I had to switch to 2.75mm needles. Has anyone else had this problem?

Oh, and if there is anyone out there willing to send me an Inox circ 2.75mm (as long as possible) I would greatly appreciate it! I usually use magic loop for my socks you see, but now I'm using DPNs as those are the only ones in the 2.75mm I have. The size is simply not available over here. I will send you some yarn in return, maybe some sock yarn? Just let me know what you want! (oh, there are a few other sizes I would appreciate, like 3.25 and 3.75, also not available, same counts here, I'll send you some yarn in return or I'll pay you through Paypal, whatever you like!).

Why computers sometimes frustrate me!

Ok, after 10 minutes of waiting I'm finally able to start writing this post. It hasn't been the only problem I've been having the last 2 days. I love listening to quite a few podcasts, and I subscribe to all of them through iTunes. That makes it so much easier. Now yesterday iTunes simply refused to download a few of my podcasts and it's still refusing today, without giving me an accurate reason. Damn!!!

Now at least I have a picture of an FO to show! Last week a friend from the riding school gave birth to her first kid, a lovely little girl. Of course I knew quite up front she was pregnant (I knew from quite at the beginning), but didn't start knitting her a gift till the day after she was born! Now luckily things went quite ok and I finished up the following stuff this weekend :




2 pairs of socks and a hat, both from IK (different issues though). I loved knitting the socks!



I made this card today to go with it all. I packed it and handed it over today. Of course I had to mess up again. I always do, I make such a fool of myself and I'm always so embarrassed. I hardly feel like facing her again. She had just fed her little girl and was holding her while she was falling asleep, and me of course started speaking way to hard - my voice can be quite load - and I got an immidiate "shhh!!!!!". I felt so upset! I just wanted to turn around and run out. Ok, I know, I shouldn't be so upset but I usually am and I'm just so insecure that I can hardly handle it. It'll haunt me for days now.

Anyway, I finally got started on my Sockapaloooza socks :




I'm sorry, I wasn't able to get a better picture. I kinda made up the design, tell me what you think of it, ok?

Off now, to work on some other socks, and to try to get my mind of my not so pleasant day.

Contest Winner & FO & Handdyed yarn!!

Ok, I've taken long enough to finally get this one done! Sorry to keep you all waiting, I hope you are all around to read this, but the winner of the nice skein of Opal Sock yarn is ......



Trek!!


Are you the lucky one! She just cruised by my blog that day, so I guess she's one of those people with lots of luck! By the way, my boyfriend pulled the name.

I'm so happy with all the lovely comments I got, huge big thank you to all those who took the time to comment and let me know they are reading my blog! You can't imagine how much it means to me and you can be sure I'll be checking out your blogs too! Big thanks to Blueadt, Nicola, Becky, Karen, Lesha, Beth, Cathy, Emmy, Kelly, PieKnits, Juut, Lisa, Efa, Lynne, Rox. Sorry if I used your Blogname but it might mean I don't know your real name!

Also a big thank you to all those others who are reading regularly but didn't comment, or don't comment much in general!


Moving on, I just finished another pair of socks for me! Yeah, though I'm knitting a lot for others I really can't go without a pair of socks for myself on the needles. Here they are :





Stats :
Yarn : Fyberspates 4-ply sock yarn - Valentine
Needles : 2.5mm addi turbo
Pattern : more then famous Jaywalkers
Started Febr. 10 2006, finished March 21 2006

I did modify the toes, as I always do. I couldn't get behind on knitting this pattern, right? Well, I do like the socks a lot, but I won't be knitting this pattern like crazy. There are way to many other patterns I like out there!

After consulting a few crazy good dyers out there, I took the jump and dyed some mohair yarn. For the wedding of my BIL I want to knit Butterfly from Rowan (my sister is going to make the dress) and I couldn't find the colour I really wanted. My fave LYS had some great pure mohair available but only in a few colours, and I decided to take the risk and dye it. Look :



The before and after! Don't look wrong, it's only the purple yarn in the background (other 2 skeins are already wound into balls). I couldn't capture the colour that well, but it's the perfect eggplant I was looking for! :D

The red yarn is sock yarn I decided to dye. It's deep burgundy red, I love it! I can't wait to start knitting with it. The yarn didn't take all the dye and with the leftover I dyed some pure wool to felt which is nice pink. Didn't take a picture of that just yet.

And then I'm leaving you with my first try-out into blending yarns :





Some merino I died blue with some mohair I died purple. I started spinning it and it's quite nice! Though there is some VM in the mohair (I got it unwashed and undyed). But it'll be really nice for some wristwarmers or so!

That's it for today, more in the near future!

Contest ending!

Wauw, I am totally amazed with the amount of very, very lovely comments I got! It's so nice to see how many people are actually interested in my knitting, and my life!!

I'm closing down the competition today, but I won't be announcing the winner. I'm just to tired to write down all the names and ask my boyfriend to pick one. I can hardly keep my eyes open, so I guess I'll be asleep soon! But I'll be announcing the winner tomorrow! Check back then, 'cause you'll probably need to email me your address!

I also have some yarn/knitting content to show, probably on Sunday. Hopefully I'll also get some more knitting time then, 'cause tomorrow is going to be very busy and stressing, as I'm having another jumping competition with Mister Blue! Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Happy and ... sad? ... depressed? ... not sure ...

First of all, a big thank you to all of you who replied to the previous post. Honestly, I knew there were a few reading my blog, but to see that so many of you have actually bookmarked my blog or read it regularly gives me the chills. I've never been a popular girl and as a result I'm still really insecure. I guess every human being wants to be loved and well, at least a bit "popular" (not the Harlot kind of popular, but the regular kind, ya know? :D). Ok, me babbling here. You get me, THANK YOU for reading here!

Curious what this is about? Scroll down to the previous entry! Make a post, you still have till Friday to get a chance for the socks!

Oh and Becky honey, I did not mind your "different" comment at all, but thanks for commenting twice! But I'm really sorry, I'm not going to put you down twice for the sock yarn, even though you might really want it, it just wouldn't be fair, right? *grin*

Anyway, the following has nothing to do with all of you. I was actually feeling really great when I went to the riding school to work this morning as I had read all the comments I had gotten over the night. But then things started going wrong, especially in the afternoon. I kept hurting me and people were far from nice, more like annoying. Then my horse decided to be cranky too and that gets me really upset. Things just weren't going my way at all. (I keep wondering why the guy at the store kept staring at me while taking my order, I was looking strange in my riding clothes, dirty and with bruised hands, but apart from that I must have looked no different from some of the other customers, right?).

Anyway, I've been trying to knit but I don't seem to get anywhere. I have a less then exciting day tomorrow, really not looking forward to it (if I feel like whining I might share why tomorrow). I might try to go to bed "early" (last night it was 1.30am, that's quite early, but I think I'm going to try to get to bed before 12.30 this night. ok, that's about an hour from now. let's just hope so).

Anyway, I'm expecting yarn and books in the mail this week, and I just caved in and ordered from HelloYarn, so that should arrive next week, so at least I have something to look forward too.

Oh, and I could use some help on the decission of the sock yarn (see yesterdays entry before the contest) for my Sockapaloooza pal!!

I'll be back in a better mood!!

Contest!!

As promissed, a little contest! Well, actually, it's a bit of a self centered contest, as I just want to see how many people actually do read my blog! Not that I think there are much out there, but well, more chance for you to win this!

Here it goes, what you need to do. Just post a comment to this entry! Yep, that's it (ok, I stole the idea from someone sorry for that). Just comment. Please let me know if you are a regular reader or just popping in. No matter, all comments have a chance to win the price.


And now of course, what's the price? Well, being an avid sock knitter, here's what I'm offering :

One skein of Opal Silk! 70% wool, 30% silk. 100g (about 425m), mlenty for a pair of socks. The colour number is 1123 and it's actually the first dyelot! The colours are quite accurate in the picture!

I'll be closing this on Friday (March 17) when I return from my riding lesson in the evening! I'm really hoping to get some reactions here! Have fun!

FO and Yarn dilemma

I'm quite pleased with myself as I just finished the socks for Mog (SET exchange organized by Rox - who can use some support right now for her sister!), or better, for Donni in Australia!

Stats :

Yarn : Regia 4 ply in dark blue, grey and white

Needles : Addi turbos 2mm

Pattern : my own, based on a pattern from the Latvian Mittens book

Time : Well, quite some months! I don't even remember when the exchange started! *bad me*

I am hoping so much Donni will like them and I'm hoping they'll fit! It would be so sad if these were only for display. But of course the problem with Fair Isle is that it's not streching at all, so well, I'm just hoping. Also, the foot might be to long, but that's easily fixed! To bad I have so little of the blue yarn left to send her along with the socks to mend if there are problems, but it took me almost a full 50grams skein for each sock!!

So that being said I'm ready to move to the next pair of socks on the list, the Sockapaloooza socks. I've pretty much decided on doing a mosaic sock. Here is what I'm thinking of the colours :

I was cleaning out my yarn room today (again!) and found a few skeins of hand-dyed sock yarn I has stuffed away. I think I was planning on using them for anklets. Anyway, the first option is dark purples (more towards the fushia kind of purple, I'm sorry, I'm not so good in names for colours) with black, the second ooption is light purples (leaning towards blue) with dark blue yarn. I'm thinking more of the second option right now, but I'm open to your opinions!

Another FO

I was in quite a good mood last night, surely after finishing the scarf for my sister. She asked me this way before Christmas but there was no pressure. I started it quite soon, but then put it down and didn't pick it back up. Now my goal is to finish up all those projects for others and then say no for a while, at least against pressure stuff.

Here's the scarf :

There is nothing special about it. It's a regular black yarn (as she requested), 100% wool but no label (got it at my fave LYS, where most stuff is without a label), knitted on 6mm needles (I think), in an easy dropped stitch pattern. I used 3 balls for the scarf and part of a 4th for the fringe. It looks nice though I would have preferred making it smaller and longer. But I'm sure she'll like it.

That being out of the way I got a big deal knitted on the socks for Mog! Yes dear, I haven't forgotten about you! I'm sure these'll be finished soon as I told myself I wasn't allowed to start the Norwegian stockings before your socks are done! I'll post a picture as soon as they are done. At least you'll have them before Winter arrives over there!

Anyway, here are the projects I still need to finish for people around me :

* cardigan (for my mother, hat the yarn, hate the pattern but will finish it soon!)
* socks (for my uncle, late New Years present, he knows they are late)
* lace shawl (for my LYS, for her/to show off yarn)
* felted bag (same as above)
* wristwarmers (same as above)

* Hot Lava Cardigan (for sister in Rowan Polar)
* socks for boyfriend
* socks for both sisters

The last group are things I am requested to finish but there is no rush. The socks are no problem really, I'll get to them. As for the cardigan, it's kinda a try out before I knit one for myself so that's the reason I don't mind knitting this! The one for me - along with the Butterfly dress from Rowan - needs to be done by July for a wedding, so I'll get started on them soon.

Now I have to admit that I am getting tired of the knitting for others, especially because of the pressure and the lack of respect (and that doesn't include those I'm knitting for as for swaps as I know they respect the time and efford I put in my stuff). I want to knit so many things for myself but I don't get around. Luckily it's slowly getting Summer over here and I'm sure the request for knitted items will be down big time, so then I can knit for myself! I can never go without knitted items as I'm always cold, also during Winter.

Next up of course are also the Sockapaloooza socks! I've been thinking about them. I've debated between some nice self colouring (not really self striping) sock yarn with an easy pattern, like the Dublin Lace, or some mosaic pattern with handpainted and a solid yarn. I like the idea of the last one as I LOVE knitting mosaic and I can't wait to knit another pair for myself (it's a good way to use up left overs of handpainted sock yarn if you ask me!). So I think I'm going to go with the last idea. I need to dye up the yarn then, so I'm thinking of doing all of this coming Monday. Still have to think about the colours though!

I have another dilemma though. I am going to order some Debbie Bliss Cashmerino. Now I am doubting what to order as I'm doubting what to knit with it. It's either Tubey from Knitty but then probably in a solid colour. Or the sweater from the Cashmere duo from Knitscene (#13). I just don't know, so please, give me your opinion! I do need to order quickly, as I also want to order some Rowan Polar before they run out!

Going now, more knitting to do!

Finished Kiri!

It's dark and grey outside and I haven't done much knitting yet, though I did all my laundry and cleaned up the yarn room, so that counts for extra, right?

I finished up the Kiri shawl last night as intended while watching "The Cider House Rules" which was in premiere just before the broadcasting of the Oscars, but I didn't watch the last. Did like the movie though! My first real blocking experience followed this morning (I would have done it last night if I didn't need the bed in which both me and the boyfriend were laying! :D). So here are the pictures:
















It's smaller then I had anticipated, or thought. I don't know why I was thinking this shawl was going to be bigger. But hey it's more then ok and I'm really happy with my first real lace project!!

Stats
Yarn : 100% mohair on cone
Needles : 4.0mm addi turbos
Start date : Febr. 10 2006
End date : March 5 2006
Pattern : Kiri

I'm really pleased with myself, though I'm a week late for the knitting olympics. Still, I finished this shawl and I'm so happy!


Now I need to apologize to Jenn because I forgot to mention the following item which was also in the drillbox :


A set of Brittany needles, DPN's 5" in 2.75mm! I'm so excited about these as this size is not available over here, so it'll be put to good use! I'm also excited about my first set of wooden needles! Well, I did have a addi turbo natura, but it's not the same I think!

Thank you so much dear!!






So that's it for today, off to do some more knitting!

The excuse

Ok, I kind of have a valid excuse for not being around the last week or so, but well, it's a poor excuse!

First of all, some dissapointing news : I didn't make it in time to earn my gold medal in the knitting olympics. Sad, but it was a good decission. the last 3 days of the Olympics I was quite sick and I didn't really feel like knitting. Then I wasn't at home at Sunday. I had planned to get up early to do some more knitting, but I overslept and hardly made it in time to the riding school to leave with the cavalry band. Anyway, instead of rushing this and having a shawl I didn't really like, I decided to just take it a bit longer. I had thought a few days, but I'm finishing it tonight (after writing this I have about 4 more rows to knit). I'll show pictures tomorrow.

I have been ill most of the week, not being able to recover. There are 2 good excuses for that :

The first :

Scared yet? *grin* Yes, thsi is me! With my make up on and my hair done, just before the premiere of the theater play I was in! We had rehearsals the whole week long and had our last performance today. I'm happy it's over. It was a nice experience, but I'm happy to have my time back! By the way, I played a witch. :D

Second excuse :

The painting of my living room + kitchen. I've been wanting to do this since I moved here but never came around it. We were waiting till the new kitchen was installed, this happened about a year ago. Look why I didn't like the walls :

It's a corner of the kitchen, just before painting. My sister actually has already painting the moldings (sp?) which were yellow as well.

Just as an explanation : I don't like yellow at all. My SIL, who lived here before me, apparently liked yellow 'cause almost every room in this house is painting in on shade or another of yellow!

This is after the painting :

This the living room, after the painting, before putting all the furnishings and my curtains back (the stuff on the table actually are my curtains). It's dusty pink and deep purple (a lot darker then in the picture). The kitchen actually is painted olive, but I have no pictures of that! My sisters helped me painting and I'm so happy it's finally done, though I could have done with some rest!!

Anyway, these are the reasons for not being around to much and not getting as much knitting done as I had planned on.

Now I did finish 2 things :

Stats :

Yarn : Regia Crazy Colour Passion (#5402), 4 ply

Needles : 1,5mm for ribbing, 2mm for sock, addi turbo

These are actually my "movie" socks. I took them with me to the movies and knitted some every time. They were started somewhere in November or December. the legs are quite to wide, I used way to many stitches, but I lessened a whole bit for the foot and they are fitting quite nice! I like these socks a lot!

100% wool, from my yarn store (on a cone), Based on FuzzyFeet from Knitty, but adapted them myself. Of course I forgot to take a picture after felting them and I took them to my LYS for the owner, so sorry, no after felting pics in the future either. They looked quite nice!

As said before I'll probably have pictures of a finished Kiri shawl tomorrow, and blocked if possible! Next on the lace knitting list is the Sampler Stole KAL (with KnitPics).

Lets see, I also got the Drillbox for the Yarn Aboard swap! It was such a nice surprise!

Inside the box was some candy, a lovely card, some cute stitch markers and some gorgious Mountain Bearfoot sock yarn! I'm in love with the colours! Thank you so much, Jenn!

The box will be back to the US, filled with goodies, tomorrow!

Then, last but not least, I decided to take part in the Knitbloggers Fieldtrip organized by Becky. So here's my "backyard" :

This is what is supposed to one day become my back yard! Not much, huh? Well, it's a storage room for some left overs of the business, and well, lots of dirt. There is one reason I do like my back yard and that's the hansom guy in the last picture (it's still freezing over here so he's wearing his clothing! :D).

The first picture shows my balcony. The second one shows the view from my balcony! Ok, yeah, I live in the middle of the business. One of the reasons I'm not that fond of the balcony, but I might make it a bit more enjoyable for the Summer. At least on Sundays I can spend my time there (other days are out of the question for many, many reasons!).

So that's it for today, off to do some knitting and watch some good movies, and maybe the Oscars if I'm not asleep by then!

Ps.: Becky, I'll be posting about the box you sent me tomorrow if I find the time!