The Rumpelstilskin Challenge

This year as like many other years I am trying to stash down, go cold sheep basically de-clutter my stash down to a realistic and manageable size.  I joined the Rumpelstiltskin Challenge back in 2011 and I decided as part of the get back into the swing of things to continue with this challenge.   

The aim of the challenge is to make the use of what you have to at hand. Spining gold from the straw at hand.  So far I have worked through the knitting basket in the lounge room.  I have made two pairs of socks and working my way on a third pair of socks.  Don't tell the Yarn Harlot but I am actually ahead and on target for my Christmas knitting.  I am attempting to get a head of the game and not have a horror December like I did about five years ago where I was still knitting on a present in the early dawn hours of Christmas morning.  Never again.  If I can manage to make one or two items per month for the Christmas List I will well ahead of the game. I am planning to have a goody box for each member of the family so there will a range of pressies for them bit like a packet of liquorice all sorts.

Today I cast on the third pair of socks, Kalajoli socks.  The pattern is very nice and since I have managed to do so much of the sock today I am sure that this pattern will be a repeat again this year. When I can almost do one whole sock in about three hours it definitely rates my repeat knitting list.

The biggest problem I have at the moment is that we haven't had a great amount of life so photos  have been impossible to do.  I keep trying but I keep getting foo bared by the weather and lack of light.

Soon as I get enough light I will be staging a photo shoot to update my Ravelry projects pages and to have some new photos for the blog. I also want to play with my camera.  I need to learn all the settings and all that since it is a wiz bang digital SLR.

First Day out of the New Year

Last year you could count on one hand the number times I left the house for a non medical appointment.  This year as part of the resolutions goals is a determined effort to get out of the house.  So Hubby had strict instructions to take me for a drive.  The camera was charged.  We had a lovely time out and came home just as it got wet and windy.  While sitting in Morrisons carpark waiting for him to pick up a few things for dinner I played with my newish camera and got photos of a sock I completed last October.  It was one of the first things I completed since picking up the needles again after the long lay off.

Waiting in Morrisons Carpark

The Sock is Jaywalker by Grumperina. The yarn was part of the stash additions I picked up from Yarndale in September 2013.  That was one of three outings I had last year.

The yarn is Lang Yarns Jawoll Magic Dégradé and of course I would like some more for the stash. 

Revisiting Hiya Hiya sock circular needles

Back in 2010 I brought a couple of different sized Hiya Hiya needles.These needles are well made and I thought I would trial the use of the 9 inch sock circulars to see if the travelling sock knitting was made any easier.

I cast on and it was over six months later in May 2011 before I finished the second sock.  I ended up struggling again to complete the toe of the second sock.

For some strange reason I cast on another pair of socks using the circular needle again just to make sure that it wasn't for me sometime in late November 2011.  I really wasn't for me.  I have rheumatic problems and during the colder months I found that I was dropping more stitches than I was knitting.  I ended up with a project bag with one sock finished in a pair and the other sock just barely cast on the needles.  One sock hiatus had struck as the project had developed second sock syndrome.  It was a top down sock and the ribbing had been completed moving into the pattern on the second sock before the motivation to continue walked off the shop floor.

Come 2013 after my great hiatus in knitting I was sorting round the various project bags that I had in my lounge room work basket only to find the one sock hiatus project bag.  I was rooting round for something that I could just knit while on the go.  I needed a project for Yarndale in Skipton the outing was my belated birthday present from the family.  It would be the first time I have been out of the house in nine months for a non medical trip and I was going to be in the car for more than thirty minutes so something for the drive there and back was most certainly needed to help distract self from back pain.

Knowing me and long drives I need something to keep the hands occupied but simple enough to enable me to gawk out the window at the countryside.  It was a lovely dry crisp Autumnal day.  Everyone seemed to be out and about especially the Vespa club who seemed to have a run to Skipton on as well.  I saw lots of lovely bikes and even a couple of side cars attached to Vespas. There were some lovely paint jobs on some of the vintage models.

With a little jiggery pokery I managed to deconstruct the pattern instructions from the completed sock as the original pattern had been long lost thanks to either the dog or the cat.  I did a lot of knitting and then some tinkling on the second sock.  Given how much worse my rheumatic issues have become over the last couple of years I would love another one or two inches on the cable.  It is just that little bit two short for my required knitting action.  The tight action makes it painful to knit and I can see why I didn't finish this sock that quickly.  

If you don't have fat fingers and can cope with a tight knitting action I think the needles are well made.  There is no catching on the needle to cable join area.  They seemed to wear well with no sign of any metal degradation after almost two years rolled up in a project.  I just could do with an inch if not two to have enough give for my preferred knitting action.  As an idea I think a short pair of sock circular needles are still a very good idea for the commuting sock knitter.  But for me I need about 11 inches so I don't drop stitches and to relieve the tension in my hands.

Thinking of Autumn

Today's socks are definitely at touch of autumn in their colouring. They are the well loved pattern called Nutkin. Originally they were going to be for me but then halfway though the middle of the first sock I acknowledged that they were going to be a little tight on me. As the next person in the house who they could fit had gone to bed I could not finish the first sock off that evening as I needed to check the length of the foot.

I should learn to read the pattern introduction properly as it did warn me that the foot was 8 inch diameter. She jumped at the thought of this pair of socks being for her incredibly long foot. I am a 8.5 to 9 (27cm to 27.5 cm) shoe depending on the style while daughter come in starting at 9.5 (28 cm). She has skinny ankles and long thin feet where I have a very very good grip on the ground. I am 9.5 inches round the ball.

That is a long foot as the legs are 4inches.

Daughter has been wearing the round the house unblocked and I have finally managed to get a photo on them. There are little flicks of colour in the brown but she loves brown so it is a win win. There was just a little bit of crispness in the morning that indicates that autumn is on its way. While I have to get some more sock knitting done I also have to do some lace knitting cause I am getting WAY bored can you tell I am channelling some teenager lingo. Off to go an rattle round in the stash and look at patterns on ravelry.

Zig Zag socks

So that is another pair of socks down.  I really did not like the colour changes in the Zig Zag. Now have half a ball of it but I will be good and use it. I have a test knit and it is the right weight. I don't think the colour change will be supportive for the cables in the pattern but why not have a test knit to prove that variegated yarns are not suitable for the pattern. I could be completely wrong but it somehow I don't think I will be.

The stash down is continuing as I am now looking at what yarn we have left and what I can use it for. I also need to get some items done for the autumn. My God woman England is the middle of the warmest three days of the year and you are already thinking about autumn.... I  know I know but you have to be prepared. I am also planning to catch up with my A-Z knitting but I need another knitting project which is not 2.50 mm needles.

Galloping Grasshoppers

My A-Z KAL knitting has been slightly stalled for a while. I was good at casting on but actual knitting on and finishing was a bit stalled. Life and all that jazz got in the way. I had managed to finish of the D socks - Dublin bay a couple of weeks ago. These socks were supposed to be finished in February that is only two months late. I had cast on E a little late so according to the official list these were taking a bye but I had cast them on. I just did not do the official KAL group thread post in time.  The E socks are one sock done.  

The colour work pair Fishy Fishy aka F pair are stalled in the first sock I have not even made it to the first heel of the sock.  The H and I socks have been cast on but there has not been much progress. But But But my G socks are done. These were a pair of galloping grasshoppers. I had cast them on and only just got to the pattern section of the gusset. After being in hiatus land for quiet a while, a couple of weeks is a while for me, I sat down on the Friday afternoon of the Royal Wedding (after sleeping in) to look at where I was at knitting wise on these socks and went foo bar as I dropped a needle out and managed to pull the work at the same time. So it was a quick rip back a couple of rows to about the second row of the toe.  Yes these were toe up socks.  Managed to get Sock 1 redone on Friday evening and then got Sock 2 done on Saturday evening.  That was not bad for me.  Photo on Sunday 1st May. It has just taken me almost a month to finish this blog post and actually up load the photos to the blog and Ravelry.

So the Galloping Spring Hoppers were made out of Regina which I seem to have a lot of in my stash.  Stash down 2011 is still in progress.  The pattern is called Grasshopper Twists and the cuff length is 4" for this boof foot at 8.5 UK Ladies.

Plodding along

Sodds

Like many I find the balancing of life sometimes a little difficult to do.  Yesterday I got knitting time the hard way, definitely not the recommended way. I was doing the routine things that everyone does when getting ready for work or start of day such as having a Shower and I managed to fall out of it. Not just a mini trip or knocking my toes on the bathtub rim but a lets plant the face first onto the bathroom floor as I attempted to step out of the bathtub. Our shower is over one end of the bathtub. 

After rearranging self for decency and attempting to get a look at the damage I found that I would not be getting up off the floor without assistance.  A pitiful cry of help went out and the youngest came to rescue me.  I got given my glasses so I could look in focus at the damage not just blurr. A winnie the pooh band aid was applied to my broken skin on the foot to stop bleeding and a small dose of sympathy in "That was a silly thing to do" handed back to his mother. It was a funny to hear my own and my mother's commentary and phraseology coming out of the mouth of babes.   He got me off the floor and downstairs, a bag of frozen peas and looked again at the bruise when he commented "Can I stay home and look after you cause you wont be able to go to work". Thank you that is a lovely offer but now tell me why you dont want to go to school. It turns out he had to do a class presentation and the thought of standing up to speak was giving him the hebie jebies.  He went to school and presentation went well.

Last pair of socks which were worn to keep tooties from freezing.

He was right I was not able to go to work.  I could not even put the foot on the floor to do any weight baring. Dad (J) had done the train run and gone into work early as Thursday is his early start.  I managed to call him before he started teaching at 9am and we decided that he would drop by in a couple of hours to review if I needed to do a hospital trip after his morning class. We have a local hospital but it does not do Adult A&E or minor injuries.  So I was thinking it would be lunch time and was getting settled to do some knitting after contacting all the students whom I was standing up or sitting up when Hubby came home early due to a flat tyre in the wheel chair.

People are fascinated with 4 dpn hedgehog

So I ended sitting a round a lot today and waiting. Thus I was sock knitting in public a lot of hours today. Drive to bike shop 10 mins. The two attempts to get wheelchair wheel sorted equalled 50 minutes sitting in car park. Getting to adult minor injuries 30 min drive. 1 hour after checking in with reception I got seen by triage nurse,  sent round to minor injuries section to spend 2 hours before doctor confirmed in 3 minutes it needed xraying. 2.5 hours in xray waiting room. Xrays done in 10 minutes. Sent back round to minors waiting room another hour to be seen in 10 minutes flat to confirm diagnosis and be given treatment (RICE & current orthotic shoes).  Drive home 30mins. Both J and I at this stage were going urrrgh about feeding the household so we picked the kids up and went out to a pub tea. Daughter of course managed to have her favourite dessert.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

All in all today can be summarised as

Bad points

• metatarsal damage ie Footballer break to 2nd and 3rd tarsal.
• missing students sessions and therefore the pay from seeing students = less yarn
• waiting around a lot

Good points

• I got to knit a LOT
• I got some lovely comments for the possum socks, Wangi's, from the various nurses, doctor and radiographer.
• I got some serious advancement on my Dublin bay socks
• Taught a couple of other patients in radiography to knit and convinced  some others to join Ravelry
• Got a pub tea

Getting little things done

The last couple of weeks have been a series of little steps followed by more little steps. I have finished of my third shawl for the year but still not blocked any of them. The weather here has been that dank and damp I am sure they would never dry and unfortunately my laundry monsters keep growing so I have no space in my tiny galley kitchen cum laundry to have a couple shawls blocking.  Let alone one on blocking pads. I have also had issues which the camera ie a number of individuals have borrowed it an not returned it to the kitchen cupboard. I only got it back today when I threatened to cut off the food supply chain. Remember teenagers like to almost inhale food.

Dishcloth wise I had my arse kicked by a couple of dish cloths but I am restocking our supplies of these and general tea towels.  I need to get some more linen so I can make some more tea towels for glasses but that will be for another day.  It must be the start of spring cause I have the urge to do some major spring cleaning.

KAL = Knit along. The status update on what is going on this sock project wise.  I had gotten a little behind on the A-Z kal but in the last week I have finished off my B pair of socks. The pattern is Blackrose sock by Suzi Anvin. I called my project on ravelry Róisín Dubh. I thought it was appropriate for this project in oh so many ways.  For those who can not work out Róisín Dubh = Dark or Black Rose in Gaelic and is a famous political song from about the 16th century. The song in lyrical form talks about the trials and tribulations of the English rule.  For the song in English see further below.

Slightly too big.

I had a slight gauge issue because I did not do a gauge calculations so the socks are slightly large but leave it to J. He will shrink them for me the first time he accidentally washes them in the laundry as he has not got the whole idea of colour and temperature sorting after over 20 years of doing laundry. I think he just gets frustrated and tries to shove everything into the one load.  It is at least one thing a week that he manages to shrink.  Son is complaining about a t-shirt that has suddenly gone short on him. 

All those years of ballet are paying off mother
 I can point my toes for photos.

This Schoppel-Wolle Zauberball Stärke 6 that I also did the last shawl in.  The wool is one of those long colour repeats and it moves from white to pink to green as you can see on the right foot heel in the picture above. I have also completed sock one of the C socks in the possum wool that Zoec sent me last year and I am even doing it in the pattern she suggested Cachoeiva.  Daughter is already eyeing them off to the point she tried it the first sock on before I had even knitted the toes. The second sock has been cast on and I hope to get rid of this sock project this week. For my next sock pattern for the D which was supposed to be started last weekend I have chosen a fairly simple one. I need something which will let me catch up.

---

Róisín Dubh

Little Rose, be not sad for all that hath behapped thee:
The friars are coming across the sea, they march on the main.
From the Pope shall come thy pardon, and from Rome, from the East
And stint not Spanish wine to my Little Dark Rose.

Long the journey that I made with her from yesterday till today,
Over mountains did I go with her, under the sails upon the sea,
The Erne I passed by leaping, though wide the flood,
And there was string music on each side of me and my Little Dark Rose!

Thou hast slain me, O my bride, and may it serve thee no whit,
For the soul within me loveth thee, not since yesterday nor today,
Thou has left me weak and broken in mien and in shape,
Betray me not who love thee, my Little Dark Rose!

I would walk the dew with thee and the meadowy wastes,
In hope of getting love from thee, or part of my will,
Frangrant branch, thou didst promise me that thou hadst for me love-
And sure the flower of all Munster is Little Dark Rose!

Had I a yoke of horses I would plough against the hills,
In middle-Mass I'd make a gospel of my Little Dark Rose,
I'd give a kiss to the young girl that would give her mouth to me,
And behind the liss would lie embracing my Little Dark Rose!

The Erne shall rise in rude torrents, hills shall be rent,
The sea shall roll in red waves, and blood be poured out,
Every mountain glen in Ireland, and the bogs shall quake
Some day ere shall perish my Little Dark Rose!

So I am a yarn snob...

I here by admit that I have a favouritism for natural yarns and in particular wool. Mohair I like to look at it but it has a problem with me it makes me sneeze and wheeze.

My snobbish in relation to natural fibres has increased with my collection of spinning wheels. It just makes sense to spin and therefore use a natural product. I also find spinning to be a very very relaxing activity and it can help bring me down from an almost full blown panic attack meltdown. Wool has some exceptional properties and there are hundreds of varieties. Add to that in addition we also have silk, quivit, alpaca, chasmere angora, yak, hemp, flax, banana and cotton to play with among others.  Then add to the various mixes and we can then talk about the properties that they give to possible projects such as stretch or fall of the finished garment or item.  There are other man made fibres which are based on plant sources but it is necessary to consider the processing it takes to get it and the benefits the final product yarn gives to the knitter or crocheter.

I do like some non natural products but the acrylic content has to be low. Yes I suffered through having to use poor quaility 100% acrylics in the 1970s and 1980s which were incredibly hash on your hands while leaving you with a garment that was uncomfortable to wear. It makes sense to have some nylon in sock wool especially when you are actually knitting socks.

Sock wise I have to start pair number 2 out of 26 for 2011 as it is now the second half of the month. I was going to knit a pair of Bee socks for Ry but she was a super stroppy teenager in the middle of the week and I decided I was going to be a selfish knitter for the next pair of socks.  I have finished the stump sock but we have had a very overcast and dark day and therefore no photos. I got up late at 10am cause it was that dark I still did not feel like the sun was up. I  have my new pattern for me as supposed to cast on a new pair being the 15th but I can not find the yarn I want to knit it in. Must do some stash diving.

A Cat observing the Zauberball in 2010.

Currently I am working on a shawl called the Garden of Alla Shawl by Suzy Crancer, my version of this pattern I am calling Masha'allah. I am using Zauberball Starke 6 that I got last year.  I had been saving it for another shawl project but I am also  a member the Village of the hopeless over committed group on Ravelry. The January event for the group is to do the long colour repeat project or using handspun. Well I have already used some handspun in my first shawl for 2011 and now I just wanted to use some of the Zauberball and this pattern looks good in a long colour repeat. Hopefully we will get some sunlight soon as I want to get a stack of photos done.

OOOOh where did you get those?

This morning I was wearing the new socks and I visited someone who has new cream carpet down. Being a typical Territorian I took my shoes off at the door - habit you just dont wear shoes indoors. And all of a sudden there was a Ooh where did you get those? from one of the others who was visiting our friend. After asking for clarification that she was referring to my socks I explained to Visitor H that I knitted them. She just could not believe that someone could knit socks.


I could of have been a bit sarkie but I realised that she was secretly lusting after a pair for herself. So I suggested that she knit herself a pair. But I don’t know how to knit socks was her reply. After going through her recent projects, such as the MIL Christmas cardigan. I pointed out to Visitor H she could do this pattern no problems at all once she got the handle of using DPNs or a Circular Needle. Both tools she has not before as she has always knitted on long straights like her Nan. So I think I will be setting her up with the pattern and providing the coaching on this we next meet up to talk about the CSR organisation we are all involved with.

I also introduced a couple of the others to Ravelry and I think I may have caused a conversion or two to the dark side of lots of knitting thanks to the various ohhs and arhhhs about Ravelry. So if I get knitters knitting more this month and possibly another sock knitter or two I will be well happy......

PS the stump sock is going well but I just have to stay awake enough to finish it. I better get a wiggle on cause it will be late if I don’t.

Pair A of the A to Z sock Kal done!

Well I managed to do the first pair of this challenge in about five days (four and a bit). The bit was finishing the toe this morning before work. I had to Kitchener the toe on the last sock before I could promptly put them on my feet. Hubby, J, was laughing his arse off at me because it was "Yes I know you want to leave for work but I can’t until I finish this sock as I have to wear this sock today". J does not have the sock issue that I have such as the requirement of clean fresh socks on a regular basis.  I am lucky if he changes his sock on his short false leg once in a month.  So here are the new pair of Artichokes in Lavender Cairn from the Yarn Yard that are currently blocking on my feet. Ta Da!

Of course the Dawg had to get in the picture

Excuse the teal pants I know I have a greater number of colours on today (over 5) which the fashionistas would be horrified about but sod it. It is snowing again and I am going to be warm. Yes, I have red shoes in winter and I wear these shoes to death. I may have to get a new pair of shoes from Kumfs (aka Ziera shoes) soon as these poor buggers have been worn now for almost three winters, so they are starting to get a little old. The teal pants are my fleece lined pants so on snow days I find them to be obligatory.  Photo wise we have been struggling to get light to support the taking of photos.

Dusk hits us at about 3:15 pm

I did have one clean pair of socks in the sock draw for me this morning but between getting the daughter, Ry, to the train station so she could get to college and getting home to see my son, Rh, leave for school they magically appeared on his feet rather than mine..... Hello!! I ridiculously thought that my colourful socks which in no shape or form meet the uniform code of either black or grey socks would be safe from the nortious sock thief. Rh has gone to school wearing a pair of teal and yellow variegated handknit socks in the standard vanilla sock pattern. I had been certain that his burgeoning teenage masculine identity as a 14yr old would ensure that I did not have the sock thief problem anymore with this type of handknit sock. Plainly I was wrong but heyho that is part of motherhood according to my teenagers - "You are always wrong".

More details of the Artichoke socks

I am concerned about the state that this pair of vanilla socks will be in when I get them back because he most definitely has the male issue of smelly feet.  What is it about adult and or almost adult male feet that makes them smell so much?  It has been a bit of shock that he has developed this trait and it is just another reminder that he is no longer the cherubic baby I used to carry in my arms. That smell, the antisocial behaviour and the communicating with grunts.  Smelly feet is just something I have not had to live with over the last twenty odd years with his father since he has not had his own feet since he was slightly younger than the boyo. 

J with his short leg on.

There are some advantages being married to a bilateral leg amputee as rubber feet don’t tend to sweat and smell horribly along with the need for only about five pairs of socks for the whole year. The only reason for the five pairs is so that he can have two socks in five different colours as he only wears the one leg now. He used to be a two leg man when he was young and vain but he finds it easier to swing walk (short leg and under arm crutches). Since he is only ever wearing one sock at any one time he always has a spare in the draw when it wears out.  His socks are more likely to wear out and be composted before they ever get into the washing pile. It is the stump socks which you have to look after carefully just like hand knitted socks. 

Thank God/ Goddess or Sacred Spirits it is Friday

What ever divine being/s there is in this world I am thanking her/him/it/whatever cause it is Friday. It has been another one of those weeks  for so many with the inclement weather and the dramas of our individual lives.

Life has been a bit of a sinking ship.

But the thought of the weekend and getting some space has made me think about the bright side of life and the fact it wont be that long to spring and summer. Yes I am starting to count the days to the warmer weather.

Summer Calm

I am using positive thinking here we only have to get through the next 6 weeks and then the day light will start to be longer. The elbow protector from the Quacks is almost up to the toe section but I just need some concentration enough for straight stockinette.

A day at the Quacks and is that an elbow protector?

Doing this NaBloPoMo blog post thing every day for a month is very hard as I look at our life and think it is very very mundane.  We get up, we go to work and we come home. So I am going to do a boring post today about the trip to the Quacks also known in non Australian English as the Doctors Surgery.

Every so often, about every six months, I get to spend the day at the Quacks.  There are some days that you want to stay at home in the warm and dry, and today is one of those days it has certainly been a lovely day for the ducks puddle wise but even they are hiding away due to the cold blustery wind that cuts through you.  I thought since I have had real problems with the knitting for the last couple of months that I would take my boring don't need to think sock knitting with me.

Didn't I manage to create a stir while waiting between the various appointments with the vampire (phlebotomy nurse), asthma nurse and GP.  Even the student docs were surprised about someone knitting a sock.  Dont you just love being the entertainment in the doctors' surgery  Ok I admit that I am using a small circular (9" long Hiya Hiya which I scored at fibre flurry) and knitting is not the norm for someone of my age according to the general population but when I can quote the age of the magazines in the waiting room and the potential number of germs that they may have collected you can understand why I needed something as I waited the 30+ minutes between each appointment.  The youngest magazine was 2004 and I won't gross you out with the potential number of germ infections.  Is knitting really that odd an activity when you are waiting around?  

I was asked was I knitting for a new arrival and when was I due.  Sorry I know I am plus sized but I did not know knitting was a special social marker that indicated I was expecting.  Plus my fat does not even make me look like I am preggers.  It got me thinking as I was listening to the same CD of music for the fourth time (they had some delays) that thank god I do knit or I could have been going nuts in the waiting room to the point that they ship me down the road to the local high secure unit.

The best comment of the day came from an about four year old who asked if I was knitting an elbow protector.  Considering how active this little one was and the number of tumbles he had while mum and new sibling were waiting for the district nurse appointment I could see how he could need one or two elbow protectors, shin guards and a crash helmet for his noggin.  So my sock could be an elbow protector which makes it slightly more interesting than a standard stockingette stitch sock in size 9 for the boof (buffalo sized) foot.

A Wet Saturday

Normally I have to do the dreaded four letter thing - work - on a Saturday. After which I then normally come home to do the dreaded never ending house chores.

If we had hills the
weather would look like this.

Today I had a rare Saturday off, it was not planned but my appointments were cancelled by student illness and it was too late to reschedule new appointments in those blocks. So this morning we did chores round the house -  my washing machine habit has to be met it is a strange day when I don't get at least two loads of washing done. We all then tootled up to the market to do various errands. It has been a particularly wet day so we were not mooching but rather doing a quick dash for specific items. The boys went one way and us girls went the other.

Brown for weaving.

I took the girl and we to the LYS. I had a mission to find the warp yarn for my next weaving project. I wanted something to suit my project so it was a case of take the hand spun up the street to see what was available. The problem with taking the daughter with me is I should realise this by now she is going to cost me money. Since I was getting some yarn she had to have some yarn.

Ry's yarn selection

It was then we had a quick dash through the market to get additions we need to finish off the leftovers crock pot. Ended up picking some mushrooms, stewing beef and a some pears. We are going to have Beef Burgandy as it uses up the leftover bacon, onions and that 1/2 bottle of red in that I had in the fridge.

Beef Burgundy

So while the kids and James are off at the Vigil mass the kids are serving tonight I am going to sit and knit.  Bella, the toy dog, is wearing my first go on the cricket loom a little piece using one skein of Honey Gorse from the Scottish Tour de Fleece spinning.

Bella modelling weaving 

The first piece of weaving is not enough for a scarf.  A Toy can wear it as a scarf but as Ry models it just enough as neck tie.

Mother take the photo.

I may end up using the weaving as part of a sewing project. It turns out now that the rest of the family are scheming to use my new loom. The yarn selection by Ry is so she can weave a scarf. She has already started to warp up so I will continue to knit on my latest pair of silly socks that I am doing as a two at a time thing using the magic loop technique.

Rubberduckies

The latest batch of silly socks are triggering ideas in certain members of the family so I might have solved some of Christmas present issues.

Silly Socks

During my stay in Scotland I made a pair of silly socks and then I had a thought  hang on I would like to make another super silly pair of socks. I know the concept of me having a thought can be a dangerous situation and can have earth shattering dangerous consequences.

Chart 1 of the Rav Tav Socks

So feeling emboldened by managing to get one pair of colour work socks done. I felt that I would design another pair of silly socks based on the gang in the Rav Tav. So for the last couple of weeks when ever I have had an opportunity to play in meetings where knitting is frowned upon I have been doodling with a purpose. Normally I doodle in meetings without a purpose and manage to total zone out thanks to not having the knitting to help with my concentration. Some people actually complain about by constant movement and my high distractibility.  Hello sunshine I knit for a reason..... something about being in perpetual motion...  

Chart 2 of the Rav Tav Socks

So now that I have done the charts I am gearing up to do the test knitting of the pattern and to make sure my first draft of the pattern is up to scratch enough to get a couple of sock test knitters to give it a go.

Buggy's Bee Socks

Well after a little pottering round yesterday I finally got to caste on for the second time (first time had to be frogged) the Daughter's next pair of socks. Was at Preston SNB session and MrsTessyman had skein of Buzz by Wyndwitch which was so appropriate for the daughter who has the multiple nick names around Buggy or Bugsy. So yours truly ordered some up pronto. The dilemma was how long would she want the socks - daughter has two sock lengths - short ankle highs and long knee highs (especially when you see how long those legs are). So being prepared I think make that two skeins cause knowing her she will want them long again.

What do you know she wants them short! So this means I am going to have some left overs which I think I will try and do her a pair of fingerless mittens to match her socks.