One Finished Object

To join my single socks, I give you the single sock arm-warmer. This was going to be the meg swansan VK sock but i got confused, then a bit bored with it so decided to end it off and create the arm-warmer. Its great, now I just have to muster up the energy to start the second one.

I Got Mail

I got mail today

lots and lots of mail- well ok only 3 packages but let me tell you what they were.

Letter 1) my felted toy patterns from fibretrends. (the hedgehogs and felted fido)

Package 2) the stitch-and-bitch 2007 page-a-day calender. Not the best for patterns (had a quick flick) but could be fun



Package 3) my sp7 package from bananas. Still no idea who she is but wow, this girl has done her homework. It all arrived in paper of my favourite flower,



included gorgous blue yarn (i have to get more of this- am going to use it to make sizzle), a frangipani needle case and amongst other goodness- a HAND MADE BAG- it is sooooo cute- with dog fabric lining and a felted dog on the corner. I LOVE IT (also in the big stash were some stamps and stickers of the australian post kid's marketing tool- postie kate (no joke), some point protectors, a jeweled pen, and some non-slip sheep socks (so cool)



THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU
SP you have been the greatest.

now if i can only find out who you are.....................

Mystery Sock done

Well I finished the other mystery sock last night. And here it is.................
(does this count as a feet, fellow blogstalkers?)



And a close up of the mini (fake) cables (no cable needle required).



Here is the LINK for those wanting it. Its from the About list. I also have pictured my progress on the VK meg Swanson socks. I tried them on after doing one and a half pattern repeats and my calves are a lot bigger than 80 stitches, so started the decreases earlier. Also doing them every 4 rows, so will end up with 56 stitches, 2 and a half pattern repeats in. Then comes the heel. Speaking of which, did you notice on the mystery socks the garter stitch heel flap and square heel turn. It was a 'new' heel turn 'way' for me, and not crazy about it, but am glad to have learnt something new.



And I am a joiner- I finally joined the sexy knitters club. And what do you know the next knit-along is for the below mentioned bodice (and sizzle). Its fate.

Only problem is that this is up next.

I even bought all the yarn (just have to nip back to the LYS for needles). So wish me luck. In between unfinished projects galore, sock wars, sexy knitters, and yarn stash busters I will try to find the perfect yarn to make the bodice. Bring on the uni break.............

Can anyone say... I WANT

Oh to be able to knit everything at once.

And I found yet another OH MY GOD I MUST HAVE THIS pattern. Its this one. The Stitch Diva (Glampyre) Simple Knitted Bodice. Oh My.

In other news: I have more yarn for the VK fair isle jumper, have cast on the Meg Swanson VK sock, have cast on a new mystery sock, have done no progress on either the somewhat cowl or the mystery shawl, have arranged a 'swap' with bezzie for the Big Girls Knits book, and hopefully this week my stitch n bitch 2007 calender will arrive.

I must organise my to-do list. Too many 'wants' and not enough time. hmmm

will check back later for feet postings and organisation tactics.

What is Wrong with this Picture?

Well I finished my 1st mystery sock (singular) today and then found this:



Can anyone say OOPS! Yep thats right- no heel turn, I knit the flap then when straight into the gusset decreasing.
If any one has any suggestions of how to add the heel turn without totally killing the sock please let me know.

Also in a perfectly timed sugar-needed rush arrived my project colourswap package from Celia.



Thankyou sooo much. In this was alot (now only one bar left) of chocolate, some handspun alpaca (the brown skein) and 2 balls of soft beige mohair- destined to be soft, beige, beaded scarfs. Thanks again Celia!

Macro Reveal

Well only cpurl17 got one right- And that was (IMHO) the hardest one!

The answers are as follows:

1)

Our old rocking horse. He is an antique I think but is starting to look his age- minus a stirrup from an attempt to ride at about the age of well, lets say too old.

2)

A lamp- yes not the money printer bezzie! (though that would be nice) It is a fornasetti like the plates in my previous arty post.

3)

Its a shoe last. or form. Antique (again), wooden, and apparently for a ladies shoe.

In Knitting news I am about 10 rows and a kitchener stitch away from finishing my LL's socks.

The only problem is check out the amount of leftovers! Any one got any ideas of what to do with it- I can't chuck it, it is a)way too nice and b) was a gift from ali; so please help me find something to do with it.

In other WIP news: The mystery shawl is on side 2 of clue 2. Slowly getting there.
I have started the alpaca illusion socks but have found a shawl in the new winter rebecca, that i think would do the alpaca proud so may frog the sock.
The somewhat cowl has not moved from the WIP basket (or bag to be precise), and all others mentioned are still in the have yarn but not cast on yet status.

After these socks get finished (and i get some study done) I will cast on the Mystery Sock KAL pair in some gifted koigu i have. It is an orangy colour way just right for an autumny slant on the leaves of grass anklet pattern. I only have one skein (50g) so hopefully it will do the anklets. Otherwise it will be a mystery sock- singular. Anyway back to finishing the latest pair.

Macro Tempations

OK well this weeks blogstalking assignment is macro-photography.

Well the first step was looking up the camera manual to find out how to do a macro shot!

Then wander round the house looking for tempting items to post. Some of the other participants have been amazing.

So the three shots I have for you are:

1)


2)


3)


Good Luck!

Perdita with Love

There is a few reasons I haven't blogged much this week.

One) My sister got engaged! So much celebration and champagne drinking has taken over from knitting.

Two) Karen (cook-n-knit) sent me a copy of VK so have been salivating over that instead.

Three) Thanks to my SP7 I received some great beads and thread to do Perdita. So I decided to do my first ever pattern deviation and made a variation of Perdita- I call it Perdita with Love. Inspired by the colour and the events of the week.



And close up



If you want the pattern let me know and if enough people do I shall write and post it up- will full credit to Elizabeth for the original of course!!

Well I got home from uni tonight to see this: oops on the camera skills but if u put your head on the side it looks right!!



A great package from my great SP.

I'm not sure if you can see all the goodies but there are:
A book of excuses (will come in handy for uni) LOL

I like this one: I would love to help with the housework but you're so good at it, it's like watching the creation of art. Another beer would be good. LOL

AND THIS ONE:
I can't possibly have made these purchases. I don't like clothes, music or food. HEHEHE

A red ball of the yummy alpaca for the love-heart shadow socks (i hope it will be enough- but u will have to let me know the distributer after the reveal)
A ball of Noro Kureyon in a great green colourway
My favourite new drink (what a great guess) hot chocolate powder with mint flavour (just add water) *its sooo yumm***
A really pretty writing set (and pencil)
some hello kitty candy with dispenser (so kitch its cool)
A bright red frog change purse
A cow whose tail is a tape measure (i love it)
Some yarn bobbins for my new adventures with fair ilse

AND
to top it all off 3 count them 3 skeins of red dmc perle 5 cotton and some gold pearl beads for some perditas. I can make one of each kind!!

So it may have been sitting in the Australia Post offices for longer than expected but a greatly appreciated and thoughtfully put together package
I LOVE IT

SP you are the best (oh and im keeping the wrapping paper)

No Knitting But Beading

Well today I have no knitting to show you. That is because the knits are for secret recipients.... The knits shall be shown after I have sent them off.

But I do have a picture. I finally got the beads mum bought back from India and put some of them into making earrings.!!! Yeh.

Also I made a few stitch-markers as I am running out- I keep losing them!!!



So enjoy.

Today's Want

Hi All

Today's Want is simple. IK Fall 2006 and/or VK Fall 2006.

Interweave is not available from either my YLS or newsagency in Western Australia AT ALL and the Vogue magazine will arrive in approx november.

So

will swap/trade/sell-my-mother
anything....

Project Colourswap

I hate it when u type and type and then blogger looses everything.

So this is a small mini-version of what i just wrote.

I am in project colourswap!! Yeh- they needed one more international swapper and I got it. Whoo hoo.

I am also doing an aussie based lace swap- here if you want in but hurry its about to close....

Back off to uni today- wow i can be a starving student again.

stalking along

In the blog-stalking-thread I belong to (we really need a button with the slogan "I Stalk, therefore I Am!"...) the category this weekend is art.

So in the strangest category we have this. A colour correct shot and a better angle shot. If you can tell me what it is great- I haven't a clue. It currently resides in the guest bathroom.




And now for interval with a semi-arty photo of a flower mum was given that had just bloomed.




In the favourite category we have the collection of Fornasetti plates that form the wall art in our kitchen. Mum is about to add two more to the collection. They are not cheap so only get added to every few years. One day she would like about as many as she can get, but will settle for 3 rows of 9 as the kitchen couldn't handle any more.



And the obligatory dog photo...



In knitting news I have been not doing much but have managed to almost finish clue 1 of the mystery stole (both sides) and whilst it looks funny in grey sock yarn it is good practice for me.

I have half a lornas lace sock, and have chosen my sock for the Mystery Sock KAL. The somewhat cowl has been put on hold... for now

Net Dating 201

More from the frenchasshole:
sent this evening-

Him: Subject: talk abt u to my australian friends, they said : she is a joke! aiya...is it right ? (No body in msg)

Me:
Hi vince, in reply to your email i am not a joke. In fairness she was proberly trying to make you feel better. Though I must add the following.

I was going to send you an email, but was trying to think and compose something thoughtful. Which is why I hadn't replied in two days. I even stated on my profile that it takes me a while to reply to emails.

However due to your lack of consideration for me and the lack of thought you have shown me I think that it would be better if you didn't contact me again. Good Luck in your search on RSVP.

Kate



Ahhh where would we be without people like this in the world LOL!
hopefully this will be the end of this saga!


and just in from after posting this:

Subject: from the genuine man

my friends, my australian friends,she , he and they ...not only one person...not only "she"....nobody tried or try to make me feel better.u just showed me no interests, no polite, no courtesy...no time to respond to emails..then dont try to date then...if u have no time to give to someone in yr life.as my friends girlfriends said : " us , aussie women/girls we r very independant and selfish and materialistic." so they said u r a joke...i dont know u . i dont want know u , u shown too lack interests...

bye

me

NOW
IF ONLY HE WOULD FOLLOW HIS OWN ADVICE...lol

Today's Want

Today's Want is two-fold

I want to find some regia mini-regals in Australia.

I also want some coilless safety pins. I have one. Which is great but not when I have 3 socks as WIP's.

Thankyou for listening to this community service announcement.

Sunday Funny Photo Again

Well today is 'Shoot the Freezer Day'

So in the grand tradition of knittyheads before me......

I present- My freezer! (Do remember I live with my parents) (yes I know I should be out by now- i'm working on it except yarn shopping keeps eating away into my savings!)



And behind Door No 1: The meat and alcohol shelf (Door 2 is just more meat- Mum bought a whole side of lamb recently and it is overflowing in the freezer!) The alcohol is from left to right: Citronella, Bombay Saphire Gin, Vodka (behind meat) and 2 more Citronella's, homemade, and bought in Italy!



Hmmm- Green Tea Icecream- not sure about my mothers taste...


And just cause I can... a pic of Skeeta- my baby (who is 8!)


In knitting news I had to frog the entire mystery stole, so it is back to the drawing board for that one. Also haven't been doing much as had date number 2 (thurs) and 3 (sat) with the new guy! Very interested and hopefully it will last more than the last one (which isnt hard being 3 weeks!)

Overblocking 101

Hi all - todays lesson is in the powers of blocking- or why not to overblock. See the pretty perdita's below- all are size small- yes even the black one. I think i overblocked :)!!



I really like the black one though so I am making another one with 2 less repeats, so hopefully when it blocks- it will be the same size as the others!

Now in honour of Turtlegirl's really bad online-dating story I am going to post my own here. (No its not about the guy I had a date with on Sat- that went REALLY well)

This is about Mr FrenchAsshole.
For ages we had been sending 'kisses' (non-paying contacts) back and forth so I presumed he had no 'stamps' to send emails. So feeling curious I sent him an email and the following exchange ensured. (Note the dates of the emails)

16/7 me: hi vince- finally got some stamps and thought i would say hello. if you want to know more about me ask away, feel free to email me @- shortyblonde@gmail.com
ciao
Kate

one arrived on the gmail account that night but i have since deleted it and cannot find it. rsvp keeps a copy of emails for 6 months hence i can get these.

18/7 him: How r u ?
dont know u receive my email on yr courant email address.maybe u r not really interested to know me better in fact.well hope u r well and safe.
take care
Vincent

19/7 him: next time find someone else to play with. u have not courtesy and its impolite to even not respond by one word ! who do u think u r ?

19/7 me: hello vince
I have no doubt in my mind now about not engaging in further conversation from you. It has only been two days since your first reply. A true gentleman would allow at least a week before stating the accusations you have stated. As a matter of fact I am interstate at the moment and this is the first chance I have had to check my email, but am grateful you reveiled your characteristics.
I would prefer not to hear back from you.
Kate

and what i recieved this morning obviously sent last night:

19/7 him: blablablablbalbalbalbla oh u replied...its a miracle...wait a week for get a reply ??? what do u think i am ? u r a player....i understand why u r single now.
good nite

AND

19/7 him: Please leave me alone. please.u r not interested in meeting ppl or making any interests in them . please give up.

AND

19/7 him: All this cinema in sending kisses to me every fucking days/weeks. harrass me with that and yr games. and now , i can see u r silent and playing games,as u cant communicated and leave "one word" as u logged on often....this is not fair...
Good bye

lol
so there u have it, apparantly one email equals harrassment. and 3 kisses sent over 6 months also equals harrassment. lol what an idiot. All i can say is glad i found out now before i actually met the guy.

So turtlegirl- don't feel alone, we all get idiots through these dating sites- hopefully u will find someone worthy of a second date- i have!

Kate Kan Knit

Today's want-

I want to try blue moon's socks that rock. (n/a in aus.)

thankyou.

My Obituary

'What will your obituary say?' at QuizGalaxy.com

hmmmmm....................


ps: the date went really really well!!!!!!!!
pps: banana- thread/bead combos for perdita more than welcome!

Photo Heavy

This wierd and wonderful post is bought to you by the letter- "Blog-Stalking Knittyheads".

I finally opened my closet and took a pic of some shoes. Keep in mind these are my every-day shoes. I have another 100 odd pair in boxes up the top of cupboards that i cannot throw out- just call me Imelda!




After that it was time to spin around and shoot the main feature of the room- an un-made bed. Now I did warn my fellow stalkers that I have no 'under' to shoot. Want proof- here it is.



See no room (oh yes and those are hand made socks lying messily next to the bed.

In Knitting news- I have made 2 perdita's- no photos sorry they were gifts and have gone to their new homes.

I have 2 pairs of socks on hold.

The Somewhat Cowl has been abandoned this week due to fasination with Perdita, but will be picked back up after another 3 or so Perdita's have been knitted.

The Flower Basket Shawl yarn has been wound into the World's Biggest Ball of 4-ply, and once the mystery stole is over will be cast-on.

The rockstar cardigan is awaiting another swatching.

The mystery stole is 22 rows in and looking rather heavy. I am not sure I should not reknit this with the coffee merino I had planned for icarus (see further down the page somewhere)? any comments/suggestions (the wool btw is patons patonyle - a 4-ply sock yarn on 3.75mm needles).

Well thats all for today - no knitting tonite I have a blind date. Have a good weekend.

Sunday Funny Photo

Well in honour of finishing one project and only having 3 on the needles at the moment I today did some swatches for some shawls. Am going to finally use the fibretrends 4ply not for 700m worth of socks but for knitty's ella by Wendy Wonnacott! Only it will be knit in 5.5mm needles in order to get the gauge.

Also I swatched and blocked Icarus (Summer 06 IK). Hence the funny photo. Whilst not exactly getting gauge (got rows- not sts) am not really worried cause a) its a shawl and b) there is 1500 m in a skein.

Blocking in the bathroom.
















Swatch close-up

Well with 29 hours to go..........................

I finished!!!!!!!!!

Thats right, I won the world cup. I didn't think I would make it, but I did. Thanks to yarn-monkey and the lure of entry into the stash draw I did. I am soo proud of myself! I knit a jumper in a month. It is a bit big, and I overcompensated with my bind-off but hopefully a wash will fix all that. (I BO with a needle 3 sizes bigger and using a k2tog back loop method) as i am a tight knitter and always bind off too loosely. But anyway back to patting myself on the back :)


Oh yeh- heres the pic!

Sports Knitting

Well on day 2 of the Tour de France, Robbie McEwen (Aussie) came second in the sprint and I finished turning the heel of my first footlet. I am making a few changes to the pattern, am using only one strand for the heel instead of two, and cast on using a tubular cast on with 10 rounds of 1x1 rib. I like the pattern on the heel and it makes it a bit more exciting to knit than the usual plain sock knitting.

In soccer news, with 7 days left in the competition, I have finally finished the first sleeve. I hope to have the 2nd sleeve finished by wednesday, seemed by friday and finished by end of play sunday!

well thats the playbook anyway- wish me luck.

Sucker For Punishment

Someone tell me to stop! Please. I am a sucker for punishment. As well as lagging in my world cup bid (still on sleeve no.1), I have cast on the somewhat cowl and am casting on the IK padded footlets tonight for the Tour De France knitalong on the knittyboard. Am I crazy or what?

The rockstar is still in swatching stage, am not crazy about the cleckheaton yarn, so will keep searching for the perfect yarn.

Must.Knit.Fast.

No More Aussie World Cup Domination

Well Australia's run in the world cup has come to a sad end, with a loss to Italy in the dying minutes of the game. And echoing that, my run on my jumper has hit pause as i am getting bored of plain stocking stitch and start looking for more exiciting things to knit.

On that note, and proberably helping it along, my Alchemy Rockstar Cardigan pattern from Get Knitted arrived yesterday, sending me through my stash to work out possible yarn substitutions.





















After hunting I found some leftover zara which was the correct 5sts per inch so off I went following the chart and swatching the diamond pattern. Whilst I got the correct gauge (i think- its a little hard to tell) I didn't like the way the zara seemed to spring and stretch so the decision was made to take a little trip to the LYS.

There I found Cleckheaton Country Silk.

It is a 85% wool, 15% silk mix and is nice and cheap so needing about 15 balls of it won't kill the bank. The wool looks like (to the left) and hopefully I will get gauge with it. Its not too stiff feeling and I think it will soften up with a wash and block.





Whilst instore as I can never just by one ball of yarn, I also picked up some yarn for my Knittyboard SP, some OnLine Borneo (100% Cotton) in a deep red for a swatch for my Somewhat Cowl


Yumm...........

and a huge hank of 100% merino brown/tan twist from Filatua. Its called Centolavaggi and is 1400m worth (enough for 2 Icarus's!) I couldn't resist. Especially since the colour is called coffee twist. Perfect for my Java Junkie Self!

So hopefully after a few nights relaxation and different knitting I can go back to my sleeve on my jumper and knit away. Just have to swatch first..................

I love my SP

Dear SP
You have made my day

thankyou soooooo much for this amazing package! Love the banana bath cream (so cute!) And the alpaca- can you say instant yarn lust, oh my god! what to do with it is the next question. It is too good to waste on socks or a scarf (i may have to get you to reveal your source so i can get enough to make the jo sharp cardigan with it.) (in fact - can u?)
did you make the handspun yourself? it is great.





For everyone else- look and weep (and yes that is the new IK i have been lusting after!)









In other World Cup news, Australia is through to the next round (YEH!) after drawing with Croatia 2-2 last night. As for me, the front is pressed, and the back is at about the half-way point. Not to shabby I think.





















As it is another beautiful sunny day here in Perth (winter- hah!) i am off to knit in the sun. (and pet my baby alpaca yarn)

The Scarf is Fixed

Thank god for the help sessions at the LYS! Thanks to Ruth, my scarf is now fixed (cast off twice! apparently i knit too tight). So now (well on Monday) the scarf can get its first outing.

In World Cup news, Australia beat Japan 3-1 on Monday and face Brazil on Sunday- and my sweater is coming along nicely. I am 4/5 through the front and have cast on the back - splitting a needle in two in the process :( ! My only excuse is it was an old plastic one of my mothers which has been sitting there for 20 years. Anyway back to the knitting....

Pattern Decided

Against overwhelming support for the cardigan, I have decided to go with the jumper for the world cup- mainly because of the denim colour of the yarn. However, after this is over I am going to go and buy the luxurious Jo sharp yarn in the cream and make the cardigan. I keep liking it more each day- so it WILL get made.

5 hours till cast-on! (can I stay awake that long that is the question) see over here in Perth I am 7 hours AHEAD of Europe which makes kick-off at midnite!!!!!

may have to cast-on first thing tomorrow to make up for it.

Well oops

I know I have been a bad blogger this year but when you knit mainly socks for a whole winter it can be very boring to post and read. However I finally did something new. I have been wanting to make this beaded scarf for about a year now, but had to do the class to learn how to do it properly.

Well it all finished well.















Then............



I decided to give the cast off a little stretch to sort of even it out with the cast on (which I did in larger needles as I am a tight knitter) and oops- look what happened. So now I am stuck with a BIG mistake and am scared about fixing it. Luckily my LYS has fix-it Saturdays with an expert knitter so guess where I am off to this weekend..






In other news I am about to start the world cup knit-a-long (since I missed out on the Olympics. I can't decide on a pattern though- am tossing up between 2- have got gauge in the cardigan and swatching for the jumper now. Both will be made with a phildar yarn I have had sitting in my stash for about a year (do I get bonus points for stash busting)

or

any comments or opinions on which one you think I should do would be greatly appreciated.

extra pic of wool that I am using- proof I do occasionally swatch!!!! In reality its a darker denim/navy colour

ps: for those interested the dog had to stay in London as I ran out of room in the suitcase and my &^%&^ flatmates never posted him back to me. He was a popcorn pack.
I miss him (even though he was still in two pieces!)