Righto then, that was a bit of an unplanned blog holiday.

There's a few FOs I've got lined up for a bit of show and tell, but before I get to any of that you've gotta check this out:

Goodies (Greaties?) from a swap with Leah. I love this bag. Seriously, how clever is she! I think this pattern involves some sort of rediculous number of purl together stitches that makes my fingers hurt just thinking about it.


There were heaps and heaps of goodies in the package too (too many to photograph). The tape measure will be particularly useful, I must have been abusive to tape measures in a former life because despite owning several of them I can never find one. So this is handy Leah, very handy. And the cards and badges are too cute! And funny, cause I DO knit socks. Hahahahaha. Ahem.

And check this out:


Mmmmmmmmalibrigo! This stuff really is gorgeous. I'm not sure this
photo does the colours justice but it's got beautiful depth. And so soft! It's like the fairy floss of yarn. I'm thinking it will become a beanie. When I find the right pattern (any suggestions?)


And this I love. A tape measure brooch - could there be anything more brilliant? I think this classifies as modern art. Some sort of statement about social obsessiveness with women's size and weight. OK so I may be overthinking that one. Brilliant though.

There were all sort of other goodies too, chocolate coffee beans (gone), a CD (now playing) and some very odd little things called Moon Pie (which are not meant to be microwaved JD.)

Righto, better leave it there, my bag and I are off to Monday afternoon cocktails (isn't everyone?) I'll have some FOs real soon :)

PS. One more thing, I celebrated knit in public day at a coffee shop with Nora, Jane and Sharon (who will all give you an account of our meeting on their blogs). It was lovely to meet you all. Except for you Shaz. Not that you're not great too, but I already knew you.

In the name of Glove.

Glove is in the air.

Well at least it has been lately thanks to a couple of swaps.

This pair of fetchings went to the lovely applehead (in exchange for this wonderful package.)

In Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran #611. I love this colour.

Then All my Gloving, I did send to you.

Artyarns Supermerino #130 (less than 2 skeins)
in a combination of this and this pattern with some modifications.

And lastly a birthday present for a wonderful friend.

Noro Silk Garden 228 *I think* (less than 2 skeins)
magic looped on 3mm circulars in pretty much this pattern.

After all, All you need is Glove.

You have no idea how difficult it was to find appropriate links when you google these songs!

PS I'm out of swap buddies now so speak up if your interested :) I'm looking for any chance to use let me put my glove into you (ewww, I know! The real lyrics are actually worse: let me cut your cake with my knife!? Really people!)

And the blog love just keeps rolling in

Craft bloggers are really looking out for me at the moment! If totally surprising yarn generosity wasn't enough, witness the glories that graced my mailbox today from the wonderful applehead:


Check it out dudes! What loot! The first time I saw marianne make one of these scarves I just adored it, and now I have my own! Huzzah! But her cleverness doesn't end anywhere near there, that music sheet is a hand-made notebook - very soon to become my 'knitting notes book' in an attempt to ameliorate my constant forgetfulness about where I was up to. There's also a wonderful postcard and magnet from marianne's 'small people' series. You should all go and check them out, they're so full of character, it's quite amazing. Some gorgeous gift tags round things out. Jealous very much?


I particularly love the colours of the scarf, chocolate browns and bright blues just work so wonderfully together, it's my second favourite colour combination (the first being blood red and lime green). I'm developing a bit of a button fetish at the moment and the one on this scarf is doing funny things to me. It's just gorgeous (don't trust the crappily lit photography). Awesome job Marianne! I love it all!

There's some knitting to report too. More specifically i'm back on the lace bandwagon. This is my first 'lace' lace and I must say I'm loving it. It's coming out pretty quickly and the yarn is D.I.V.I.N.E (seasilk).


Double points if you can guess the pattern.

Top Score if you can find the extra random stitch I picked up on the last row...

Loose ends

I've been flap, flap, flapping around the house this week trying to tick things off the craft to do list. I knew things were a bit out of control when I was sitting at work being stressed about coming home :) But now:

• Loose ends have been woven in:

• Glue has been applied (with a paintbrush of course):

• Things have been hung in their new homes (this is what you see when you walk in the front door. Well, this and cats.)

• And the last of the birthday brooches have been made and sent!

The universe obviously felt I deserved congratulating for all that ticking off (we won't mention the poms) because I got a little surprise in the mail:


Yarn pirate. Oh how I have coveted thee. Well the lovely Melissa must be my fairy-yarn-mother (or something) cause we're having a little sock yarn swap and this is what she sent me. I often drool over the yummy yarn on US knitblogs (koigu, socks that rock, yarntini, sundara yarn and yarn pirate are all on the shortlist) so I'm super psyched to have some of my own. Thanks so much Melissa, excellent choice. And I must have been extra good, because look what else I got - gorgeous little hand made coasters.

• Oh, and your parcel's in the mail Melissa.

Tick.

Ed: I know I said it in the last post, but the cross-stitch pattern is from Subversive cross stitch and there's instructions for the framed fabric at purl bee. Oh, and the brooch pattern is from mollychicken. Didn't want it looking like I was taking credit for other people's ideas!

Winter warmth from across the seas

In my pre-blogging-lurking stage I used to think it rocked that relative strangers would exchange home-crafted goodies, especially when it was across generations, countries or languages. Perhaps i'm horribly judgemental, but I find the list of words ending the sentence 'I have little time for someone that's .....' is not as short as I would like. I realise that no one characteristic can or should define your interaction with a person, but I have very chippy shoulders. This is why the idea that you could invest so much care, attention, time, money and creativity into something for someone that you don't know seemed so remarkable to me. It really emphasises the lovely, generous, friendly nature of crafters and a solidarity that too often gets lost in (the endless list of) social, cultural, economic, generational and national divisions. It's a focus on what we have in common over the things that divide.


The whole swap thing is new to me (Bells was my first never-sighted swapee), but I had a fantastic time doing a scarf swap with Melissa. I'd been looking for an excuse to make the mistake rib scarf in last minute knitted gifts. I thought one ball of Noro was impressive, but two is even better (or three, this is kureyon colours #88, #128 and two of #147).


This pattern is easy, quick and brings out the colours in kureyon brilliantly. But most importantly, Melissa liked it and (I think) it looks fantastic on her! Swap success, no?


But I was only half way there. When I got back from Christmas holidays I had such a wonderful package waiting for me. I don't know how she knows (some sort of sophisticated cookie-stalking when I browse online yarn stores perhaps?) but she somehow managed to pick not only a yarn I was bitching that we couldn't get here, but the exact colourway I would have picked. She also included some soap...we ran out the day we left for holidays and the shops were closed when we got back. Freaky hey.


There were lots of other goodies in the package, knitpicks yarn (we can't get this either), chocolate (nasty woman), and a very hilarious 1964 edition of Needle and Yarn (which I will share later). But she also included some of her wonderful home-made gocco cards. I saw these on her blog and thought they were brilliant. I like them so much I don't want to use them. Ever. Get away from them!


Thank you so much Melissa. I'm glad we lost our (International) swap virginity together :).

Edited to add: the yarn is Manos del Uruguay, (of course!)

Bells' hand towel

Now that she's received it safe and sound, I can share the hand towel I made for Bells.

It's based on this pattern, but I made a few alterations to both simplify it and to suit the yarn I was using.

If you're interested in making it, the pattern goes something like this:

Using 8ply cotton on 4mm needles Cast on 64 stitches using colour 1.

Knit 3 Rows

Using colour 2
K7 *P2,K4* repeat to last 3 stitches, K3.
K3, P4 *K2, P4* to last 3 stitches, K3.
Repeat these two rows 3 more times. This should give you 8 rows total in colour 2.

Change to colour 1, repeat above 8 rows.

Change to colour 2, repeat above 8 rows.

Continue in this fashion until you have 8 stripes (excluding the knit stripe along the bottom in Colour 1)

Change to colour 2.
1: K2Tog across the row (32 sts)
2: K across row
3: K2Tog across the row (16 sts)
4: K across row
5: K2Tog, k across row to last 2 sts, K2Tog (14 sts)
6 - 24: Knit across row (so knit 19 rows)
25: K2Tog, k across row to last 2 sts, K2Tog (12 sts)
26: K6, yo (for buttonhole), K6 (13 sts)
27: K across row
28-30: K2Tog, k across row to last 2 sts, K2Tog (7 sts)
Bind off.

Place and sew button in appropriate place.

If you like you can give it a light steam block. You also don't need to cut the cotton at the end of each section, you can carry or twist it up the side. It may mean that there's a litle but of alternate cotton running up one side, but I don't think this looks too messy. And it's easier than sewing in ends!

This comes out as a bit of a loose weave, depending on your tension, so you could knit two strands together if you want to make it a dense fabric.

This one was made using 8ply Heirloom cotton in purple (675) and lime green (678), purchased from here for the aussies.

Enjoy :)

Waiting by the mail box

There's been lots of swap business happening lately and I've had a great time putting together parcels for some new blog-friends. I've also given strict instructions that if a Parcel arrives at home I am to be called at work and informed. Interestingly enough I have been having 'early' days when there's a package waiting at home :). I got this in the mail from Bells today:

Aren't the colours fabulous! We had a little dishcloth swap, but this is too good for my dishes, so it's now my new favourite facewasher. I broke the rules a little for my parcel to her, but I'll have to wait until she receives it to explain. Thanks Bells, you're a great swap buddy.

I've also been doing a little Christmas Decoration Swap with some SnB mates. This is great fun, but unfortunately I was organising it so it was kind of left to the last minute (no surprises there.) We ended up having a little secret santa decoration swap and I scored big time! Check these out:


Pretty, aren't they! I got a whole bunch of them. My Christmas tree is in the front room though and I like them so much I wanted to look at them all the time. I ended up stringing them up and putting them in the lounge room.


I can't share any secret santa Christmas Decoration Swap info yet either. Soon though!

On a completely different note, I *accidentally* purchased Regina Spektor's new album the other day and I'm loving it. It made me think about what kind of music other people craft to. Sadienadlance and I do some 'mixed tape' swaps every so often (and pursuant to me investigating copyright infringement) I'd be keen to do a craft music swap if anyone is interested. I should possibly check out the copyright situation before suggesting a swap, but if you're interested, or if you can inform me of said copyright scenario, let me know :).