Tuesday 27 December 2011

Lesson

I must not go to the op shop during my lunch break.
I must not go to the op shop during my lunch break.
I must not go to the op shop during my lunch break.
I must not go to the op shop during my lunch break.
I must not go to the op shop during my lunch break.

I ended up with 4 new circular needles, a HUGE pile of yarn, 3 photo frames, a half finished blanket and a dress. What do I do with all of this!? I have no space for the yarn I already have...

Sunday 11 December 2011

Hiatus

So, I finished exams and am now enduring the intense wait until 5 o'clock this afternoon, when all will be known (eep!)

I'm now working 6 days a week, as well as trying to fit in all the seeing people thats supposed to occur over the holidays. Trying to fit housework and organising my units for next year around all that is proving difficult. So, knitting has suffered a wee bit. However, I cast on for a simple double rib beanie for mine bestest friend. I'm also plodding away on my socks, and have taught my boyfriend's sister how to knit. Huzzah, another conversion!

The jumper is having a nap, because I just don't have time to do all of the huge drop stitch stuff, especially as my only knitting time is on busses and trains. I've been sorting out christmas presents, and I thoroughly recomend Oxfam for those that are confused. Its a donation to someone in need if you're american, and if you're in Europe, Hong Kong or Australia, you can buy some really georgous handmade gifts, which are often recycled.

In other news, I'm still going on with my super long socks. I started to get excited about my gloves again, and started to cast on, but then promptly realised that I'd lost the pattern. Normally, I would photocopy another one, but unfortunately this had all of my corrections added to it. Good move Mara...

However, there has been a slight issue with my fingers. Alas, I have broken two of them, and so have been struggling with the issue of knitting while half of my hand is splinted.. But, my splint is now gone, and I just have a finger without a fingernail..

Due to the coming christmas time, I'm taking a small hiatus from my regular knitting exploits. I'm dissapointed that the Yarn Harlot hasn't finished her new mitten pattern in time for me to make christmas gifts, but hopefully it will be done in time winter :) A sad point of me having to put non-christmas gifts on hold is that I do not get to continue with my Beekeepers quilt. This is dissapointing, because it is a really fun pattern. I haven't done a huge number of 'hexipuffs' yet, but I'm working on it! And, it is the first onlilne pattern that I've bought, so that quite exciting.

I am however continuing with a crotchet experiment. I'm just doing granny squares, and eventually they will be a very weird, oddly shaped quilt that will perfectly match my bedroom :)

Thursday 27 October 2011

TITLE!

Alas, a terrible fate has befallen my first pair of socks. I didn't mention this plan, but initially started trying to do a pair of Bellatrix socks. They were going to be all ready for uni next year, and when I run away from home to go to the harry potter exhibition in Sydney. However, they have been frogged. I'm thinking my plan of knitting them in 8ply (DK) yarn was not going to end well, but I was in blissful denial. They sort of worked for a bit, but then I got a bit depressed mid train ride, and realised that the lace runs pattern just wasn't going to work out. So, they're not just going to be a pair of standard socks. Admittedly, they will be knee high and in a verigated pink, but still.

Being in a rather warm country, its a little hard to do christmas knitting, because everyone's heads will be too warm for hats. But I will try. My baby blanket is having a bit of a nap, because its not very easy to carry around with me, so is somewhat missing out, due to the severe time restraint of having a life (I lie, its only because of exams. I don't really have a life...) But, I have finished the back and started on the sleave of my jumper, which is a rather fast knit, due to being in drop stitch and a HUGE gauge.

This means, that if I hadn't had a freak out about the fact that she's one of those annoyingly skinny, tall people, it would've been finished considerably earlier, hopefully in time for winter. But, no. Christmas is the new goal, me thinks. The gloves are still waiting for me to get excited about them again, but no doubt it will happen. Eventually.

Saturday 22 October 2011

Project Update

So, there has been a severe lack of blog posts for awhile. I know, you're devestated... *cough* Anyway, we can blame that on the exams. More about that later...

Right now, the issue is that of a slight disapointment. I live in Australia. Which is a hot country. And is not America or Canada. This means, I do not get sock summit. I do not get Rhinebeck. I do not get Stephanie Pearl-Mcphee's book tour. And, I generally feel a bit left out, because teenagers generally don't knit. And if they do, they're not super social or good at it. Unfortunately. So, Once I have a degree, and I know someone somewhere in le americas, I'm moving country!

Hence, I've spent a large portion of today looking up ravelry groups in Perth. Its not going too well. But, with the change of my work hours, I should be able to start attending the bi-weekly snb sessions at uni :) So, that brings us to exams. Not very fun, I must say. Trying to revise the entire Human Structure and Function course is a little boring, after 3 weeks. There has been a lot of palmcard writing, a lot of note reading, a lot of running away to have dinners with friends. And a lot of hiding from it all behind a nice knitting project. I still have about 7 on the go simultaneously.

So, we will move on to photo time.

Adam :)

The adorable recipient of my layette, in lemon yellow. A sweet little boy, only a few days old here. Because everyone loves photos of babies!





Jumper for Clare Bear

Adventure in glove making


 So, the progress on my second jumper. I have a very close friend, who I've know my whole life. She requested a jumper (admittedly, I think she was hoping it would be done at least during winter..) But, its pottering along. I find it hard, because its a little too large to carry with me as I travel the city going to work etc. However, I will get there in the end!



Now, a considerably more depressing project. I am, sadly, suffering from second glove syndrome. But, its not for lack of trying. that charming pile of orange yarn was once a quarter of an arm warmer, but due to calculus being unable to help me count, I ended up being about 10 sts short, making it much more toddler sized, rather than Mara sized. I also gave myself a strain injury to my thumb, because, unfortunately, DPNs do not seem to like me :( But, we'll get it to work eventually.


Now, a fun post :) My first attempt at entrelac, which will hopefully join some other components to make a nice blanket for an anticipated baby. So far, I don't actually have any indications that there will be a baby, but I'll pressure my cousins into it somehow...




So, on that fun note, I shall bid you farewell, as I have a super fun and exciting diagram of a nerve synapse to draw :)

Sunday 25 September 2011

Layette

So, the charming lemon yellow layette I've been working on is a-ok :) I sent it off to karratha this morning :) Because, every summer baby in the desert needs a hat, booties and matching mittens :) For patterns, I used the patons pixie hat, with adjusted cable, the booties can be found here, though some of it is a little hard to understand if your first language isn't English, and the mittens are here. Though, I did adjust both patterns so that they weren't solid garter stitch, but could concievably be a set. Yes, my spelling leaves much to be desired. And, I know I'm silly, and didn't take a photo before sending it :/ Sorry! Also, I'm super happy now, because I have a whole 2 followers!! HOORAY!

Monday 19 September 2011

Monotony

I've always loved that word. Mo-no-ton-y. Its fun to say.. Anyway, on to the knitting stuff. I've finished my booties, and they turned out quite well :) The blanket has stopped being a one piece be all or end all, and now its going to be done in squares, so that when I get bored with something, I can just start a new pattern! Hooray! I'm back on track with the jumper, because I finially reached the armholes, so it wasn't just the same thing constantly. I get annoyed when knitting patterns are very repeditive.

So, my photography skills are lacking.




Anyway, booties. Yes, my room in the background is very messy. Its how I like it.. *cough*












So, the baby stuff is all working out fairly well, and I'm currently looking for a nice cardigan pattern for my first cousin once removed (Flynn, as featured here) There's also a pair of wristlets in the making, because my arms get cold while I'm at work, and I need to be able to type.

They're a pattern I'm making up as I go along, and will just be done in stocking stitch me thinks. I'm using a synthetic moda vera yarn, in orange, which has some interesting black bits intersperced. should be fun :)

Sunday 4 September 2011

BAM!

So, I've finished 4 projects in 3 days \m/ SO PROUD! That means, a teacher will no longer have cold hands while he works, a baby in the tropics will have a warm head, an iPod will be snuggly warm in an Australian summer, and I won't have to knit myself a beanie while wearing a shop bought one :) hooray!
Beatles in the background, and my little teddy modelling a yellow pixie hat :)
The gloves are harder to model, as they're wayyy too big for me :s But, I will get him to be photographed :)

My beanie, in verigated 100% acrylic, which I am very happy with,
As modeled by John, my oldest teddy

With a ribbon for overdose awareness, and a doll made by HIV +ve women in South Africa
Also the iPod case, in orange (ooh, orange!) Which will be modeled by the iPod it was made for, which I haven't actually met yet...

So, photo time is over, and back to making a jumper to procrastinate from writing about the state of coffee farmers lives in Nicaragua. hooray!

Sunday 21 August 2011

I think I'm in love!

I think I may've fallen in love with Malcolm Turnbull. For those that don't know, he's the only Australian politician with any power who isn't batshit insane at the moment. Sure he's married & old-ish, but I just need to breed him with David Tennant, and I will've created the best person ever! I am very much looking forward to the day I get to vote no to everybody, and a resounding YES! to the sensible person :)

Meanwhile, we've all been off saving a wetland. There's a little place south of where I live called Beelier, and its one of the last wetlands in Perth. People are trying to put a highway through it. They want to destroy a whole swamp, just for 5.5km of useless road. I dislike this immensly. My mother has been incredibly grassroots about it all, and we went and had a rally, then I peer pressured people, and now I'm all hippy!

Then I sort of realised how painful it is the day after you suddenly start exercising again. Oh gods, pakour is PAINFUL. I do think its awesomely fun as well, learning how to move as efficiently as possible through urban landscapes, but for someone who's done nothing more strenuous than walk to the bus stop for the past 2 years, its a bit intense.

In other news, I started a baby blanket, because I REALLY can't do that cable, and just don't have time to see my Nana. However, if worst comes to worst, he will be up north (in the hot bit) in Spring, so I doubt he'll really need the warmth.

I spent all of work today looking up yummy teas online. Zhena's Gypsy Tea is amazing. I've already got a few from work, but I really am in love. They're all so deliciously warm, and coupled with my heated blanket, an episode of Doctor Who and my knitting, I'm pretty much in heaven! It even better when there's my darling teddy called John (who will eventually model baby items) Being an unemployed uni student living at home is a little bit amazing. Just saying :)

Wednesday 17 August 2011

Stupid University

So, most unfortunately, I've been doing assignments all week, and so haven't had the chance to knit (Oh noes!!) But, I finially have a chance to work out how to do this silly cable, which I must admit has completely stumped me. Turns out, repeatedly doing the same thing over and over won't teach you how to do something. However, it will make your essay look bigger :)

Its also rather exciting, because I finally get the chance to start learning how to actually take care of people, not just how to talk to them and not be mean. I've started on a baby jumper (yes, I'm doing about 12 projects at once) For Baby Sinclair, because apparently when I was told it was going to be a girl, they were guessing, and don't want to dress their child in pink if it is a boy. So, yellow it is. I now have a hat that I need to do SOMETHING with, a half finished yellow pixie hat, and a bunch of navy wool. HOORAY!

A rather more fun note is the beret I'm making for mineself. I've got some 100% acrylic cheap verigated yarn in blue, with another ball in pink. Some brightly coloured Mara clothes shall ensue!! Its the fun one, because I knit it during classes, and its all stocking stitch in the round, making my life rather easy. I did say I'd found my camera cord, but then I realised I couldn't be bothered! Eventually I'll put some effort in, but right now you just get to listen to me ramble :)

Monday 8 August 2011

Photo time, I think so

FLYNN!

So, This is the adorable first cousin once removed, at about 6 months old, just after he got my vest :) You can see my wonderfully inexpert knitting, but he still looks lovely :)

Blargle

So, all of Mara's other projects have been put on hold. A baby is in dire need of a hat! I found this adorable pattern for a pixie hat, but it involves a rather complicated cable. So, enlisting the help of my Nanna seems like the appropriate course of action :) Until my darling father can find me some software online, I'm taking a hiatus on the snape cushion. I really wasn't happy with the charts I'd found, so I'm making my own. GASP! So far, its not going well. And, I've lost my carefully adjusted pattern for an ipod case :(

However, there was a 40% off sale at spotlight, and I'm now drowning in yarn! Its amazing! So, I have a request for a jumper from one of my best friends, which I will one day finish. I'm making myself a hat, which is wonderfully synthetic (but verigated!) And I'm bored out of my brain trying to learn a lot of stuff about referencing, which I already know. So, nap time! Also, I totally found my camera cord! Photos of stuff will appear shortly :)

Friday 29 July 2011

Harry Potter Charts

So. after a friend is getting home sick because she moved away for uni, I decided to cross stitch her a Harry Potter pillow. So far, I'm struggling to find a nice chart to work with. If anyone has any ideas, it would be much appreciated. So far, my attempts to work out how to use photoshop are failing. Me thinks I'll blackmail some design students into helping me :) I found quite a nice site, (http://textiletransfigurations.blogspot.com/2009/10/harry-potter-blanket-squares.html) But, I'm not so happy with the Snape one they have there. Although I am a fan of You know who, so may do that one when I get a chance. The iPod case isn't going so well, because Mara didn't do a tension square, and then couldn't be bothered finding needles more likely to be the right size. This is maybe a reason why cleaning my room would be a good plan...

I'm rather excited, because I get to hug rape the dickhead I'm going out with tomorrow (he's been in Fiji all month) However, I'm also freaking out slightly about the fact that I'm going to have to start writing an essay soon, which is very un-me. Numbers make so much more sense!!!!!

Sunday 24 July 2011

iPodly

So, I found this amazing pattern for a knitted iPod cover. I think I'm in love! I have a second generation Nano, so I'll have to adjust it somewhat (the original pattern is for a fourth generation classic). But, hopefully it will be amazing! I've had a few issues with dropping my baby, and I had a really nice plastic cover from Japan. It had an elephant on it. But, most unfortunately, it broke :( So, something else shall have to provide a safe little haven for the home of my Harry Potter audiobooks. Read by Stephen Fry, no less! I'm thinking if I get the chance (and time, after finishing all the other projects I've been commisioned to do!) I'll make an attemp at adjusting it for my phone as well. He's suffered more, due to a distinct like of leaping out of my pocket. So, if any of my huge number of readers know where to get a good, usable case for a nokia E71, I am all ears!! And I have realised that Its a little sad, writing a blog that nobody reads. It will happen someday, dear reader. Someone in the interwebs will discover me!!!

Thursday 21 July 2011

DONE!!

Completed baby vest? check.
Started Uni? check.
Found all my classes & wasn't a dick? check.
Paying job? ... We'll get there!

So, yes, the vest is done!!! The neckband is more than a little retarded, but you know. I'll get better with practise :) And, whence I have them, I shall post photos of my adorable first cousin once removed Flynn modelling it. I didn't do a great job with the elephant embroidery though, its not very neat and is just generally  a tad dodgy. But, its recognisable, and its a very cute pattern, so I'm not really complaining...

In other news in Mara's life, uni is so far going well. I'm rather annoyed at the fact that the online units don't have all the assessments up yet, meaning I can't start them. This is usually not something that would annoy people, but I find it a problem because I now have nothing to do on busses, while between projects. However, a friend of my sister's (who recieved my first ever knitted item, a scarf when I was about 16) has requested a pair of grey mittens to match the scarf that he can wear while teaching. I've got a pretty easy pattern to work from, so it should be fine. I chose not to try knitting in the round just yet, that can be for later... much later...

I also went on a yarn overload at spotlight recently, so now have a box full of 100% acrylic stuff to do god knows what with :) Should be fun!

Saturday 16 July 2011

Baby stuff

So, after surviving a robbery at work, having a freak out after watching CSI, and then sleeping very badly, I'm a bit out of it.. But, I've been doing ok on the baby vest. We have a front and a back. So far, its all going pretty well. However, I've got no idea how to do the neckband... So, we'll just struggle there me thinks. I may try some booties to go with it, if I get a chance/have left over wool :)

On another note, I'm starting uni on Monday, which is a little bit terrifying. All my textbooks weigh more than I do, which is saying something. However, I don't have many classes on Monday, so should survive the carting so much stuff around. I've also been approved for extra time, which is fun. And I've started doing a bunch of my nursing modules. Some of them look pretty easy & a bit boring, others are a bit more complex. Interestingly, I'm much more worried about the units that involve talking to people, and the patient care stuff to make sure I don't insult people horribly.

I'm also rather worried, because I need to buy a uniform before I can do labs, but I can't get one for another few weeks :/ Hopefully, I won't be told that I'm not allowed to do stuff. I also need to do wayy too many forms for my clinical placement.

Wednesday 13 July 2011

knit knit knit knit knit

Well, this is all a bit new. Mostly an attempt to keep track of my work, because I keep doing silly things and forgetting what I'm working on at any one time (I end up with about 12 orders from friends at a time, especially during winter)

At present I'm doing a cute little vest for my first cousin once removed :) Six months old and a very smiley baby, he's HUGE! So, my original plan was unsuccesful. However, I shall persevere, because it means I get to try doing a neckband & embroidering an elephant :) And, elephants are cool! Its a good little pattern, and doesn't involve too much shaping, which is very handy for someone who's only really managed a few squares so far. However, I will eventually finish my blanket, which I started a few years ago. However, Its highly likely that it will be crotcheted, rather than knitted.

This month is also rather exciting, because it happens to be the start of uni! Very exciting, I know. So, as of Monday, I highly doubt that I'll get much knitting done, as I'll be too busy memorising the names of long bones in the leg, and learning how to take care of very sick people :)

I also had a hugely wonderful time last night at Harry Potter, but I shan't post any spoilers (but I think the internet is full of them anyway) YAY HARRY POTTER!!!!!