MonkeyFeet

Wow, where did January go? Why don’t I have much to blog about? Why have I still not worked out how to link all my other stuff to my blog and make it more exciting? Oh well, I know what I need to do in Feb!

Well, here are my Evangelines. Done in Malabrigo merino, in Hollyhock. It’s really divine, BUT the pattern’s a bit dodgy – the cuff is way too short and baggy (these are the short versions). If I’d known I’d have edited the cuff. Anyway, worn under long sleeves they’ll be nice and warm.

 

 

Hey check these out. We’re moving at the weekend I think (Manchester – yey!). My Grandma’s had these curtains over 30 years and has given them to me. Aren’t they…. hideous? But kind of cool in the right setting?

 

Oh stealth knitting. I’ll be able to show off soon. It’s a pair of socks in Tikal, which was a joy to knit with.

Stealth fairisle, I can only say I did it in Jupiter (organic merino aran) in Fresh Berries and black Rowan pure wool aran.

My next WIP is in Zeus, which I’ve not yet stocked. So I got my ass in gear and started testing it, and I love it so much I’ve ordered it for my shop. It’s pure merino, very soft, and although this skein is sport weight I’ll be stocking the sock weight.

It makes a gorgeous Tudor Grace, which is now nearly finished.

 

And… wow, that’s it! Actually, I should have photographed the case of knitpicks I got, and the gorgeous fibre that Gemma carded for me, and the very generous Argos voucher that the girls at knitting got me and hasn’t been spent yet.

I’m sad to have left my knitting group, I love them all to bits, though I’ll come and visit every so often.

I’ll also miss our local little delicatessen (my belly won’t!!), I’ll miss the PO where they know me really well, and I’ll miss my doggies a lot. But I’m loolking forward to having our own space, decorating it how I want, finding a job and earning some cash to pay off my debts, joining the gym (for real this time), and saving up to finally get married. It feels like the beginning of the rest of our lives as a couple and I’m really excited about that.

Oh the other thing is, over new year I lopped off my hair. I’ve had long hair all my life, and it’d been down to my bum in the summer, but I just decided to chop it off, and it’s now shoulder length – I’ve lost well over a foot of hair! And I love it, it’s wonderful and thick and healthy

And finally, the sock club filled up, and the first shipment goes out tomorrow woohoo!

Current WIPs – stashbusting shawl is about 40% along, more stealth fairisle has just been started, and Tudor Grace is nearly finished Oh my spinning mojo is back as well!

Wow, 2009 – how did that happen? Is it really ten years since we were on the brink of a new milennium? I can’t believe the 90’s was *last* decade!

Anyway, hope you all had a lovely time over new year. We went to Scotland in the hopes of skiing, and we didn’t get much snow (relatively), but it was minus 12 degrees C so it was just as good.

I got quite a bit of knitting done, and we went hiking or walking every day, and apart from that we ate well and chiled out. A lot!

 

The first thing I did was this hotbot cover in Wendy Zena, which isn’t on Rav yet. The pattern isn’t either so no linkage! But it’s from the December Simply Knitting, and it fits wonderfully, and is sparkly! I’m really pleased with it.

 

There’s OH holding it – wearing my Fetchings, which I made on Christmas day and are now ruined seeing as he felted them horribly with his hot hands throwing snow around!  :(

I also finally got round to using the beautiful Mirasol Hacho that I’ve had for so long. Ok I know a scarf isn’t exactly living it up but I’ve worn it loads as it’s not quite as warm as my Mirasol Miski scarf or my angora scarf. Sometimes I don’t want an eskimo neck.

Now’s the time to add that if you get bored of scarves easily, as I do, this is a good pattern to do! It’s the only one I’ve not got sick of after about five inches. It’s the Drop stitch scarf by Christine Vogel.

I also finished these socks. They’re the first big pair I’ve done. Well bigger than a 6.5. They’re size 8.5, my Dad wants them for his friend I think. The colours have grown on me, but they aren’t exactly mouth watering or to-die-for are they? Anyway hopefully the recipient will like them, as long as they’re fairly manly and good to wear that’s what matters.

I started this behemoth of a shawl. It’s a stash busting quest, and has a different yarn almost every row (some get two rows). I’ve got a few big skeins that are the main staples, and the rest are bits and bobs. This has been put on the back burner since I got back, as two design projects have come up which require attention *now*. In a couple of days I will return to it though. I’m doing a fringe at each end, that way I get to avoid the ends and doing anything with them

I love the varied texture and colours in it so far, I can’t wait to carry on, it’ll be a real work of art once it’s done, and it’ll also be very warm and hopefully, very, very big!

I made a couple of mug jackets too. This one’s close to the Flirtation Cosy pattern, done in Fyberspates Scrumptious which is a merino/silk DK blend and is wonderful!

 

This one is done in that little skein of handspun leftovers. I love the simplicity of it, it’s a simple rib, and shows off the yarn really well, in my opinion. Not that the photo does! Sorry!

Erm, what else. Well I stashed three balls of Sirdar Peru in the white(ish) colourway.

I got this, Sirdar Snuggly DK. No, you are not seeing things, I really did buy a full ball of totally man made fibres, I’m not *that* much of a snob! Actually it’s to make two Sackboys with! I don’t want big ones so thought I’d use thinner yarn. OH and I have been playing Little Big Planet – have you? If not, you are missing out! It’s wonderful! My little boy is currently in the man eating plant head gear, with polkadot pants

Anyway I found some brown RYC Soft Lux at £1.31 so *obviously* had to get it.

And in Amethyst which I’ve been coveting for ages. I’m gradually colleting enough in this colourway to make a cardigan. By the time I have enough balls of yarn, I will also hopefully have lost a stone and will actually look ok in my garment! I love Soft Lux so much. It knits up amazingly soft and sparkly (you know with some sparkly yarns the sparkle doesn’t show up much).

I also stashed my own Jupiter yarn which is the organic merino, and ahh it’s so soft! Anyway I stashed it because I’ve cast on a stealth fair isle project…… *looks mysterious*

And my inspiration? This book! It’s brilliant! I found it in an old bookshop, all hidden away waiting for me to find it! It’s first edition, though I don’t know if that’s significant. It has a lot of information, a lot of inspirational photos and zillions of charts so you can combine whatever you want, so expect a flux of fairisle from me in the near future!

And finally, the inevitable holiday snaps. I have to admit I’m a little jaded with my little camera at the mo. It’s been superb and is now two years old, and I’ve been hugely inpressed with it, but recently I’m finding it hard to pick up colours accurately. This could be to do with the poor winter light and my lack of technique – I’m not sure. I’d like to borrow my Dad’s digital SLR and get re-inspired, because I miss doing the more professional style of photography.

Anyway enough lamenting!

HEre’s a beautiful frozen rose.

The hills.

The duck pond. This remained frozen completely – all three or so feet of it – and me and OH were both able to run about on it, and as a fatso that’s quite something for me!

Pond again.

Some ice.

This sign caught my attention because I saw “BFL-LEVUE”.

My bonsai enjoying (or not!) the cold. It’s survived all the travelling, much to my delight. OH would get me one rated as ‘challenging’. The other bonsai is much more hardy, but I had to take them both with me.

Awwww look  at the cute little prints! Bunny prints, birdie prints, and two lots of human prints.

Look at the colours!

Extremely close close-up of a frozen dew drop.

Half frozen river (it warmed up to about minus 8 at that point)

Debris from the river. It had brought tonnes of shards of ice down from the mountains, and they had all piled up like dominoes all over the river, it was quite fascinating but pretty hard to get a good photo of.

 

And er, that’s all the piccies for now. A couple of other exciting things are happening though – firstly I was in Simply Knitting this month (well the Feb issue). It was very small but it’s there! Also, I’ve opened up a sock club. There are only four places left, six have gone. The themes are things like the British Landscape, British Woodlands, the ocean etc. and yarns will vary. Anyway it’s on the shop if anyone would be interested, and I’m really excited about it!

Uni work is going well, and I’m heading to Manchester at the end of the month (we don’t have the date yet but the furniture comes then so we better get the keys or we’ll be a bit screwed!). I can’t wait but will miss my knitting group a LOT, and my LYS, and my Post Office actually, they’re lovely in there.

Anyway, I need to get to bed, and would like to spend half an hour doing some Japanese Feather Scarf which I’ve picked up again. I just can’t get inspired by it, though I know it’s gorgeous. Anyone want a half done project with the yarn to finish it??? No? Oh well I’ll finish it, slowly.

Ciao for now!