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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.

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 :)

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!

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 :)

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!

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 :)

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 :)