I Am Albert Einstein

No Knitting today as I am still recovering from my sister's wedding on the weekend and am currently working full time on prac.

however I found this:

What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

lol :)

I am knitting: the huggable hedgehog is on the needles.

Im not very good at guessing sizes

especially when it comes to making pompoms.

The F*#$ Cancer Hat for my friend.
The true colour is more like the first shot (with XXL pompom)



and then we have the normal size one. The hat is about 8" across lying flat. The first pompom was 4". Oops. The second- a more respectable 2". Phew. I think i will chuck the first one in the wash and see what happens.

Goody Bag

My final sockret pal, sorry mom package arrived today and as usual mom outdid herself.

The goodies (plus chocolate coated cookies which umm are all gone!



The socks- which are Lisa Souza (OH MY!!)


The really bad modelling



thanks mom


AND I now know who she is: Kathy from Nuttinbutknittin WHoo hoo lets go blog stalking!

I Blame You- Sock P*rn

Yes Lime and Violet I blame you!

why

cause I listened to your podcast, went to the yarn store to get some yarn for my sockret pal and some new 2.5mm dpns and came home with this: yes another 4 balls of sock yarn.



So why blame L&V- well they have great yarn porn. So much so that I get all depressed cause I can't buy any of the great etsy sock yarns they talk about (shipping costs to australia makes it really not worth the great value that it is) so when I got to the store and saw the bright regular sock yarn that wasn't tooo fair-ilsey or boring, I bought it. Ahhhh anyway, I would love to be able to buy your yarn yarnpirate, lisa souza, scout, etc etc (and all really good sellers here) but until shipping costs reduce from the price of 3 skeins for sending one skein, I have to stick to the brand names.



The porn is the very bright zarina.

I am currently making a F*#@ Cancer hat for a friend in Olympia who has been diagnosed with cervical cancer at 27. Please send good thoughts.

FBS

All blocked and draping...



And Close-up...



Stats: Interweave Knits Flower Basket Shawl (not sure what edition mine is pdf (not on net anymore)

Yarn: Fibreworks 100% wool, 4-ply Hand-dyed colour no 2 : sea green

Finished Size: 130cm x 70cm (51" x 27.5")

Its been above 40 all week

I have been experimenting with the macro setting on my mothers and my cameras - so just for fun some yarn porn.



Its also been 40.4, 42 and 42 again tomorrow (in celcius) here in perth - very very hot so the knitting has been non - existant, though I did pin out my FBS. Not very well but for a first lace pinning try in a sock yarn im not too worried about it. Or should I be???? opinions are more than welcome.



I have also been thinking about biting the bullet and getting some books from amazon though it is rather expensive to send them here. To make it worth my while I was thinking of getting an Elizabeth Zimmerman book as well as the domiknitrix one. Which EZ book should I get- I was thinking the one with the garter stitch baby cardigan in it though i dont know the title- thats the only pattern I want!!!!!

The purple yarn is a debbie bliss silk or alpaca silk- I am not sure, it was a sp gift from a previous round.

Knitting Update

This weeks post is a bit late as I have just spent a beautiful 6 days at rottnest and as university went back on monday- well lets just say hetic is my watchword.

But I have been knitting:
2 calometries (one given to sister- same as pic) with a third one in brushed mohair/alpaca on the needles.



2 pair baby socks (one given away)



2 baby sweaters- both from Baby Knits for Beginners by Debbie Bliss. (sweater in rowan calmer given away with above socks) and the moss stitch cardigan seen above with button closeup.



Also on the needles- about 4 socks, and 2 sweaters.

Phew, that will keep me going for a while.

Just Because I Can

I can prove that dogs dont need pillows when they have hands!!

Limited Posting

Today's public service announcement:

Blogging this week will be limited due to the following:
-Baby gift deadline (4 pieces)
-Dinner party for 10 to cook for (indian feast- yumm)
-Recovery from breakup with bf

Thanks for understanding

Baby Knitting

This past few weeks has all been about baby- not mine!! no no no, but others. I have 8 just become and soon to be mums to knit for in the next few months- its viral round here- babies just spurting out everywhere.

So after gifting 2 pairs of bootees the other week, here is the IK kimono for a just born little girl, and the little badly-knit bear to go with it.




















































Also on my needles are some of Ann Budds Better than booties socks from the same IK (Summer 05). However, I am not good/a fan of short row heels and toes and am having some trouble working out how long the heel flap should be, how to properly turn the heel and how many gusset stitches I should be picking up. So it is not looking so good. Any help is greatly appreciated. Also how long before the end should I start decreasing for the toe?

So not much besides baby knitting going on here at the moment. Its not too boring but I can't wait to get back to selfish knitting.

I'm Melting.................

It has been too hot to do anything besides sit under the fan and melt. This weekend saw Australia Day (like the 4th of July for us aussies) (also friday) being 42 degrees c, sat being 41 and today right now is 39. Way to hot to knit, blog, move. But here is a pic taken by someone that was on the paper's website- the humidity caused a double fireworks display in the city on Australia Day.

WIPs, Pressies, Porn and Dog

Maybe I shouldn't say porn in the heading but if you got here thinking to get hot and heavy- Nah hah!!! Its Yarn Porn goodness from my CASP!!

ohhh and If she is reading this- I forgot to ask you the purple wool in the last package, what is it- it is soo soft I am using it as my pet yarn- it sits by the computer getting petted daily!!

ok, porn- well my amazing and yet unrevealed CASP sent me this great package:
















which included Mountain Colours Sock yarn in Larnspun colourway- seen here.
















As for the blogstalking- it was photo your wip's - well I am a wimp- I do not want to look at them in fear of never getting up the nerve to start the new projects that the yarn is bought, wound and ready to rock for.

So you get a list:

First up: SSS
1) Anastacia toe ups- only one done as my bind off is too tight and I don't know how to do it any looser- so will be frogged and become a different pair of socks.

2) Secret Sockret-Pal socks- one down, one to go, one month to do it in- must find and finish it!!

3) Baby sock- one knitted, mother didn't like them, will finish anyway as I disagree on the 'too loud for baby' comment.

4) Baby bootee- am finishing no 1 again as I miscalculated and K3tog instead of k2tog somewhere and ended up somewhere where I shouldn't of.

By the way if anyone knows of another bootee or basic baby sock pattern where seaming is little or none please let me know


5) Baby cardigan- on hold because of number 6

6) Baby kimono (from Summer IK 2005) being knit at rapid rate due to baby shower being on monday so EVERYTHING else is on hold.

7) Somewhat cowl- still on hold - knitted on every now and then

8) Fairisle jumper (Vogue Fall or Holiday 06) - see above

9) Flower Basket Shawl- Still needs blocking.

10) Fake Fur Sirdar Bear- Is painful to knit and seam so looks like getting dumped in favour of knitty norbert pattern.

And I really don't want to add more to this list. So please help me not start anything new for now- but if you know where I can get some olive lace yarn so I can make a shawl to match my olive silk dress for my sister's wedding that is the only purchase I will make. (for now)

And cause she is soooo cute- gratuitous skeeta shot!

Love and Mistakes

I love my sockret pal (or as I call her my sockret mum)

when the box was opened screams of oh my god were heard around the house, causing both the dog and sis to come running to see what was wrong- or in this case right!!

my sis - being a non-knitting muggle didn't understand why a skein of CTH is cause for jumping around the house nor why I immediately sat down (still petting the CTH) to read the Knit Fix book, claiming it my new Bible.

do you want to see:



and a porny pic of the CTH (Life's a Beach) colourway- very appropriate!



Sockret Mum you are the best, absolutely amazing- I had to wrestle my sis not to take the body lotion ( pink grapefruit) and am about to take a crochet class so wow for the entire package. Did I mention I want to be adopted!! :) LOL

I could fill up the page with thankyou's and it would still not be enough. But thank you again.


BTW: I have a problem. (Yes, yes besides the obvious :) LOL )
I am making the Debbie Bliss garter stitch bootees from Quick Baby Knits and for the life of me cannot figure out how to do the back seam properly - as there are 6 stitches on the sole to incorporate into the seam. The shoe on the left is ready for seaming, the one on the right- finished. But see how it puckers- I am not very fond of that but have no idea how to fix it. Any ideas?




And just because- the front, complete with the background CTH- I can't stop looking at it.

WIP On Hold

Dear Fellow Knittyhead Blogstalkers

Photos of WIPs have been put on hold to next week as another weekend vacation to Rottnest is planned (3rd in a row- I love summer) and a pair of baby bootees must be made before leaving on friday morning- as I am a slow knitter this is a challenge.

Wish me luck...

luv kate

ps... in case you can't remember the drool-worthy photo of rottnest from last summer here it is again.

In 2007

In 2007 I promise to....

1) Not go 2 months without blogging- Going to try for once a week

2) Get over SSS (especially for my sockret pal!!)

3) Finish what I start

4) Knit from the stash

5) Lose 12 kilos (26.5 pounds) preferably at least half of that before my sisters wedding at the end of March

6) Get over the fact that I am not a bridesmaid at said wedding and enjoy it

7) Not push boyfriend away by doing usual tricks of being selfish, breaking dates, never ringing, and not paying for anything

8) Get a part time job

9) Ask for help!!! (knitting and otherwise!)

10) Finally post picture of sockret pals amazing birthday present
















11) Untangle a skein of the above laceweight yarn (knitpicks shimmer in deep woods for the here be dragonne shawl) that ended up like this:















That will do I think.
Tomorrow the UFO and have-yarn-must-knit list

The Postie Came

Well yesterday the postie came
and he had goodies...

My death in the sock wars was in one



With added yarn porn: STR in Scottish Highlands (I am soo lucky- thanks Laurie)


and the second was some great stitch markers and row counters from Cristi- I am a lucky girl!!


Also if anyone has a spare Winter Ik (yep its that (begging) time of year again) I would love to take it off your hands.

Knitting wise- I frogged the anastacia socks and have reknitted the toe, and as the storyteller socks are for my sockret pal they will not be photographed, but i am onto the foot of the first one. Also it is exam time of year so knitting updates and blogging will be put on the backburner till after my birthday (which is also the day of my last exam)

Another Pair of Socks

Whoo hoo

Another pair of socks finished for socktober! only one more unfinished pair to well, finish and then I can start the toe-ups!



yeh for socktober!!

Finally Something to Blog about!

A long time between drinks, it has been. But due to a finished object, and an extension on my university assignment I can blog. I finally finished my Mystery Socks for the KAL (see button on sidebar). Now I must admit they were not a favourite to knit, but I like them now they are finished.!!



So that concludes item no 2 on my socktober list.
socks no 1 has one finished, and one up to the heel flap.

absolutely no other knitting to report. Its been a no-knitting-must-study week here at home and unfortunately is going to be that way for about another month. Then uni is over for the year and I can knit all I want!

BTW: Apparently I am still alive in Sock Wars- Wow who would of guessed!

teddy

This is why i haven't been knitting socks after finishing the socks of doom. which are below as well.

its ted the Harry bear from berroco. soo cute- he will be off to a child in need as soon as i can figure out what charity to donate him to.

As for socktoberfest- i haven't forgotton: my to-do list consists of the following:

1) plain stockingette sock in opal yarn (on foot on sock one)
2) sock two of mystery socks in koigu
3) finish (finally) the UFO sock below
4) try for the first time ever a toe up sock- (again prob just st. stitch)
and 5) try a pattern!!! am thinking jaywalker or pontomous on the leg of a sock.

so thats the to-do sock list. Also on that list is the other sock turned arm-warmer from vogue, but as its technically not a sock not on this months list.

UFO Sighting

Hmm how many hits will that get me

too bad its a knitting UnFinished Object. Not my oldest- i couldn't find that one. This sock pair was started before I left for London and Europe last year- I think about April 2005.

So here it is in its UFO SSS (with its finished partner) glory:



Also in the pressie (we aussies like to shorten things- its presents) department:

From Dee: Stitchmarkers!!! so pretty and autumnish



And from my colourswap pal Ulla: A great pink and red package.