Trekking socks - a world of colour!

Man, this is why I knit! The joy of so much colour put together in a way I would never think of (not to mention that I don't have the skill to) and that suits my senses completely. I absolutely love this wool. It is bright and subtle at the same time. It is soft and strong. It is beautiful and gracious. I watched my needles the whole way through these socks because of the colours.

I knit the socks that I want - I made them short and with cables.

And the bonus is that there is enough left over to make another pair - as long as I am happy to mix it with another yarn. (or maybe some fingerless mitts?) And even better - I have another ball of Treking in another colourway. I'm figuring out another pattern for my second favourite pair of socks that are going to be knit very soon!

Just in time for Summer?

My vest is finished all except for the perfect buttons. I have some metal buttons that have sailing ships on them that I may use but I want to have a look at Addicted 2 Fabric before I decide to use the ones I have.

I especially like the neck even with the big brown blob which I have come to appreciate if not love. This was fun to knit. The pattern is Chinese Red Vest from Folk Vests by Cheryl Oberle. The yarn is Bendigo Alpaca which I know a few of you have used. It was easy to knit and I really loved every minute of it.

Now I will wrap it in tissue paper and put it away for six months! That just seems wrong - but I can't even hang it in the closet for that long. Oh, well, hopefully I will love it this much next June.

I am typing this blog entry on my new notebook - and I love it. I feel so modern after the crappy computer I have been using for the past two years.

It's just a little thing with not much grunt but I still think it is cool - almost as cool as my new vest. Or should I say as 'hot' as my new vest. Well, I'll tell you how hot it is next June!

There has been knitting...

I have been so busy with other stuff over the past month - I haven't had much ME knitting time but there has been a little.

I am utterly in love with Trekking. It is absolute delight to look at while I'm knitting and it is smooth on my rosewood needles. I know this sock looks a little strange but I like ankle socks and I have a long foot. This one fits really nicely. I have only started the second one but since I haven't posted for donkey's years I couldn't resist the one sock shot. I have another ball of another colorway of Trekking too - I need to come up with the perfect pattern for that ball - because they are both going to be for ME!

My vest body is done and this weekend (depending on time constraints) I will pick up for the bands and hopefully the armhole bindings. Despite the occassional brown blog (!) I like this very much - and the alpaca is so soft. I want to get it done before the hot weather sets in - I won't pick it up if it's hot.

I'm loving Spring! I'm loving the warm weather, the longer days, the lilac in bloom and the open windows and doors. And it is still a joy to ride my bike to work - I no longer need to use "Granny Gear" so I know my fitness level has increased. I hope you are all loving Spring too - or Autumn as the hemisphere might be!!

Ciao

AHH factor - high!

Lucky girl me went to see Steely Dan last night. Donald Fagen is still brilliant. The band was hot with lots of brass and the 'Love Choir" was amazing. It took me back to Sun Valley in 77, sitting on the balcony, wrapped in furs, sipping champagne, watching the moon light glitter off the snow on the mountain and Deacon Blues playing on the stereo - Ah, great days! Great memories.

Anyway - thought I would throw in one more feel good photo - I know, everyone sees ducks - but these are the ducks that I see every morning and I love them. They are just so, well, fluffy and cute, and small and sweet. Daddy Duck is very protective and that makes me like this family even more. Aren't we all suckers for little live things. Show me a puppy without a home and I'll show you a new prospective new member of my family!

Have a ducky day! Ciao

Cheer up

Today is a bit of a sad day for a lot of people - me included. It is sad for so many different reasons - but a memory like 9/11 brings up everyone's own sad memories. I've spent a good part of the day trying not to cry at work while people tell me their stories, and ones I have read on my blog friend's blogs. My heart is feeling all of your pains. And I wish there was more I could do than just say that.

But I wanted to show you something that might cheer you up. This was my first knitting venture when I was in my 20's. When I first came to Australia I wanted to send home all kinds of Australiana. My parents and friends seemed to like it all so I found this pattern for a tea cozy (something I had never heard of before!) in a Womens Day type magazine. So I knit it for my mother.

Well, it would fit Hagrid's tea pot but not much else. But my mom, who loves me, keeps everything I send her. So here, have a little laugh and have a little cry - whatever your heart feels like. Ciao

Habu Cork Chenille

I am a lucky girl - and so is my son's girlfriend. I get one long skinny Habu Cork Chenille scarf and so does she. I got two skeins from Tricote in Seattle (I still lay in bed at night with visions of Tricoter in my head - like Christmas!) I started my scarf with 11 cast on stitches, thinking that I might need all of the two skeins for a scarf. After about 30 cm I realized that I would have plenty for a scarf so I thought I would rip and start again - HA! this stuff is sticky, clinging, huggy, grabby, hooky, graspy, grippy and clutchy. So both of us get a long skinny scarf that is all of the above, and cool!

It was a sheer decadence to buy this yarn and I had no idea what it would look like knit up. From a distance it is a bit like those feathery yarns but close up it is very earthy and spectacular! I wish Habu for you all.

Oh, I have two more skeins of a different Habu that I will be knitting up soon - I am going to think a little bit longer about the next project because I am sure that it is just as trickey and sticky!

Ciao

Big brown blobs

Ha! Two sorts of big brown blobs - one I love the other I don't love so much. When in the US, my girlfriends, who are also chocolate lovers, pointed me in the direction of these little treasures. Little tins of truffles. Delicious little truffles. And they are not expensive at all. Unfortunately I don't think we will get them in Australia but they will be on my Christmas and birthday lists from now on.


And when they are finished I can fit in about 4 of the yummy chocolates from KokoBlack - especially the cinnamon chocolates. OK - enough of the first very tempting brown blobs.

Now for the ones I don't like so much.

I am knitting a vest for myself from Bendigo alpaca. It is really nice to knit with - lovely color - tweedy blue grey.

And I have been knitting while watching some DVD's over that last few nights - not really watching while I'm knitting. And when I went back to count stitches I found these brown blobs. I don't really know whether to do anything or not. They don't look so bad on this close up photo - but these are the only ones on the whole back. They look like dirty marks or something - though they are part of the wool.

Has anyone else had this problem with Bendigo wool? In every other way it is a gracious yarn for the price.

Well, I think I need to have some of my first brown blobs while I figure out what do to do with the second brown blobs!!