A little bit older, but not much wiser…

Remember how I cast on that lovely Icarus in the 2ply Touch yarn on the 1st? Well… I’ve had this niggling feeling about it, and seeing the photo of Bells’ beauty last night turned that niggle into a klaxon of warning alarms. I was (and please note the use of the word was) just about to start the 4th chart repeat, and it was looking a little small. Thankfully, Addi turbos have the needle size printed on the cable. I’d taken it out the packet that had said 3.25mm, and a quick glance at the cable had confirmed the sizing. Or so I thought. I was wrong. My 3.25mm addi lace needles (with the sharp tip that I am missing) are sitting in Melbourne with one of the Magpie’s long forgotten projects on it. I was using the 2.25mm needles I’d bought for sock knitting. Be proud of me. There was no screaming, no crying, no turning the air blue. Just a calm, clinical frogging of my lovely shawl at 11.30 last night. It’s going to need to be re-caked because the kinks have already set in, and I’m not even going to try re-knit it on 3.5mm needles. So, Icarus and I have some bad mojo going on there. We’re just going to look at each other from across the room for now. Until I get the right needles. Because it is a lovely pattern and that yarn will look gorgeous in it.

Right now, I’ve just set up the budding lace pattern on another Swallowtail. This time in Kid Seta (like Bells’). Missyfee’s ether-like version with the nupps has inspired me to try it with nupps this time. First time using a fluffy laceweight like the Seta, and using nupps… nothing like a challenge! Here’s hoping I don’t need to perform my customary frog-the-first-three-repeats-three-times on this shawl. Not with yarn that fluffy anyway.

On a Summer of Socks side of things though, I’m going fabulously well. One of the socks I’m knitting in sweet chilli Needle Food was finished and looks great. The first of another pair of socks in Filtura’s Maxime has been cast-on. It’s the first time I’m using a self-patterning sock yarn, and it is quite fun to knit with. A hat was finished quite quickly and has been adopted by another owner for Christmas, and a new version (knitted to precise specifications) one will be started on the weekend. I have 2 and a half socks, and one hat between me and the indulgence that is knitting guilt-free for myself. I can’t wait.

On another note, I turned another year older on Sunday. It’s the first time in many moons that I have been home with my family for my birthday. It was great. There was a gypsy fair in town, we went out to one of the berry farms and had frozen yoghurt. My brother stole away from his busy day at work for the afternoon, and mom and I went down to a wharf in the next little town for rum and raisin ice cream. Then my magpie cooked us a lovely Mushroom risotto and we finished it with strawberries and cream from the farm. Perfect. No yarn (yet, I’m assured). But a flying lesson (this Sunday), some beautiful earrings, a lovely ring and a gift voucher to get some nice threads. Poifect.

Anyway. I’d best get some more writing done. And get past the dreaded first few budding lace repeats. Here’s hoping the Seta will treat me kindly…

Filed under: Life, lace, writing up , lace, Life, LLS, photos, shawls, socks, spare me

Yesterday, Today, and a Long, Lacy Summer Ahead.

I’ve finally got the camera out, and the sun’s made blocking and photographing some FO’s possible. So enjoy!

I’m also proud to present my Valerie’s Miracle Scarf (in Knittery Cashmere Sock, customed dyed in Bruised Bloodwood), and my Tinúviel (in Malabrigo lace, Alpine Pearl) – a recent FO from last year’s Lazy Lacy Summer.

I cast on Icarus this morning. The colours look great – I’m really excited to see how it all comes together as the shawl gets larger, and the yarn itself just shine. I’m going to limit myself to just this piece of lace until the Christmas presents are all done (3 more to go) and then I may indulge myself some more.

But for now, I’ll enjoy the sock and the shawl, and get a little more writing done this evening before I do some more!

Until later!

Whakatane River Mouth

Home

Valerie’s Miracle Scarf

Tinuviel

Icarus – Casting on for a lazy lacy summer

The glorious garden

Filed under: FO's, Life, lace , FO's, KALs, lace, LLS, photos, shawls, weather

Kia Ora i Aotearoa!

Well, we’re in the Bay where it’s freezing cold, but settling in nicely. The snow on the mountains, you see, is dipping the temperature with a biting wind, but the sun is quite lovely.

Mom’s garden is looking lovely – the Jacaranda tree hasn’t even thought about flowering yet (odd), and a number of roses are slowly starting to open. We’ve also been enjoying things fresh out of her veggie patch, and I’m waiting for the peas and the plums to grow so I can enjoy them.

Not much has happened in the knitting front. I cast off Valerie’s Scarf on Monday night, and now that all my recent FO’s have arrived, and I can wash and block them tomorrow. The only thing on the needles is a lowly Christmas sock, soon to be joined by my Lazy Lacy Summer project #1: Icarus.

I skeined up my Icarus yarn this afternoon (the yarn caker arrived in the post in the morning). I’ve decided to use my Touch yarns 2ply kid mohair-merino (colour #293). I’ve my chart enlarged to A3, found my addi’s and markers… All set to go. Can’t wait!

My books also arrived from Amazon: The joy of sox, the enchanted sole, socks from the toe-up, and VLT. Yay! I’m very happy. There are some lovely patterns out there, and I’m looking forward to knitting many of them over the next few years. Early happy birthday to me!

On the thesis front, there’s been some preambled sketching going on. Work should ensue with abandon tomorrow.

I’ll go for a walk with the camera tomorrow. Let’s see what I can find!

Filed under: Knitting, Life, writing up , FO's, KALs, lace, patterns, travel, weather, yarn

The last 24 hours are always the longest.

Well, dear readers, the magpie and I will find ourselves in the Land of the Long White Cloud tomorrow with the sole purpose of Finishing Theses (very important WIPs). escaping the Australian Summer, and, in my case, getting some serious lace knitting done.

We’re all packed (mostly – have to see how many times we re-pack today – it was 3 yesterday), and I’m up early to wait for the courier company to come pick up some boxes (I have a window of between 8am – 5pm, and I’m still waiting for some important documentation from them for customs… it’ll be closer to 5 IMMHO).

But being up early with the sun streaming into the room gives me a little time to breathe. It’s been a very long week. This time last week I was travelling to Canberra for a panel  meeting (it went well), and on Thursday, I’ll be starting Chapter 3 (I’ve 5 weeks for that baby too). Between the travelling and the packing, I really just can’t wait to be home.

There used to be a drill when  came home from Otago: Dump the suitcase in the hallway and head straight for the pantry. Nowadays, it’s closer to dumping the bag outside the bedroom, greet over-excited dog, play with said dog until it calms down, open pantry – but you get the idea.

They’re saying it’s going ti hit 29 degrees here in Melbs by Friday. Home is sitting at a gorgeous 18-19 degrees for the foreseeable future (to say nothing of the humidity of course), but the bottom line is, it’s comfortable knitting and studying weather.

Some of you may look at me in shock when I say that, but honestly, I abhor hot, dry (and hot, humid/hot, dusty/hot, wet/hot, anything) weather. I prefer a climate where you can take steps to warm up – wrap up, drink hot tea, etc; any climate where you struggle to cool down (having no aircon may also have jaded me slightly), is not what I would call idyllic. Anything over 38 degrees celsius in summer is especially unfunny. Bring on Aotearoa.

Since the madness is nearly over – the superficial edits for Chapter 1 and 2 are due today and nearly finished – I’m hoping to cast off Valerie’s Scarf tonight. I need the needles and the cable. I’ve only 2 proper squares and the chocolate coating to go. It’s looking good and may just bring my current WIP count down to 1. Pity I can’t knit on a plane (yet).

Anyway. Here’s me signing off from this side of the ditch – I’ll see you on the other side!

Filed under: Knitting, Life, Pensky File , KALs, Knitting, magpie, misc facts, phd, travel, weather

Cloudy. The sky is gray and white and cloudy…

I went into the CBD today, to say adios to an old school friend and stock up on Aeropress filters for the Magpie’s trip to NZ. I even walked past M&S without going in. I didn’t need to. I have cashmere from Knitter’s Addiction and Malabrigo Lace (finally!) from Yarn and Kisses winging its way to me. I’ll finish the ’shallow’ edits of chapter one tonight (that’s the only way I can really describe them – not cosmetic, well, kind of, but not the substantial edits – yet), and send it back for further comments on the style and layout.

Then I can start packing what I’m not taking into boxes, and finish packing the box to take. We’re escaping to the country for a few days next week – finishing some paper work in Canberra, doing some last minute photocopying and tying up loose ends. I’m really looking forward to it. The days have been getting more and more trying, especially for the Magpie — poor boy — he really needs an escape, so I’m looking forward to taking him home with me, properly this time. I know the environment will be more positive, and very conducive to Getting Things Done.

Chapter 3 will probably start either on the 29th or 30th, and should take about 4-5 weeks again. It’s going to be another interesting chapter – background this time – looking at Tolkien’s understanding and use of “subcreation”, a little bit more on the fall, and sin, and good and evil, on Nordic and Germanic epics and mythology, and how Christianity really stole bits for itself. Reading some of my panel’s comments makes me realise just how much they don’t really know about pre-1500 literature. I’m almost looking forward to writing this – anticipating what they need to know is almost half the fun… knitting and thinking makes up the other half. Having a lovely open lounge and sunny deck just finishes off the process beautifully.

We’ve got the Southern Summer of Socks beginning – I’ve got a pair on the needles that qualify, and at least two more before the end of the year, as well as my personal sock club to draw from for next year.

And then there’s the Lazy, Lacy Summer – I must check with Bells as to when we’re casting on for that, but I’ve got my eye on an Icarus Shawl to start the proceedings. I’ve been in envy of the blogless WithaQ’s fiery Icarus for many moons now, and really would like a nice, long triangular shawl. The question really is, which yarn to use (because I’ve also got Adamas on my list, having seen how wonderfully Bell’s turned out. I have Knitpicks Shadow for that one – it’s going to be fun knitting a shawl in the recommended yarn – and knitpicks too, I really was spoilt to get that little bit of something. )

Anyway, I’ve some finish touches to get done, and ingredient 8 of Valerie’s Scarf to finish. And packing to do.

Until tomorrow!

Filed under: Knitting, Life, Pensky File , magpie, phd, shawls, socks, travel, yarn

Tag Team back again check and direct and let’s begin…

Been very busy, and the countdown is now less than two weeks until I’m back in Aotearoa!

As I said, chapter was off on Friday, abbreviations page was sent on Sunday, and I’ve now been working on the more cosmetic changes needing to be made to chapter one… Also raided the Matheson today for extra secondary material, and I’m just writing out quotes and supplementary info like mad.

Magpie’s family had an old friend over for the weekend too, he lives what I would call an idyllic life – a home base in Catalonia, and a job that takes him all over the world, teaching at various universities and conducting a lot of research. Lucky man. It was lovely to meet him, even if I was in a brain-fried zombie like state that I’ve only just managed to really get out of.

The knitting has gone well too. 90% on the one row scarf, one of the socks done, the hemlock blanket is finished and blocked (my blocking wires turned up as I got the pins out… weee! They’re a lifesaver, aren’t they?) – the photos will go up when I can find my USB connector again, and another Christmas present has been cast on. I, however, think I’m going to catch up on Valerie’s scarf tonight though – I’ve lightening beetles, crazy moss and snowflakes to keep me entertained.

And, I’ve a confession… I’ve never made a pair of monkeys, I don’t even think they’re in my Ravelry queue. But I’ve just had a look at Rose Red’s recent wip, and wow. I really, really, think that I may need to make a pair of these socks for me. They are a little lacy, so I can count it towards my lacy summer… I think they’ll be my post-Christmas project. The question is what to use? I’m thinking some of the Needlefood eat your greens, which is far too pretty to give up easily. Although, the spring, and the Plumberry Ambrosia would also look good. Of course, I don’t have either in my stash, but I do have greens that need to be eaten (and a stash that needs to be busted).

I’ve got another two, maybe three days of thesis time left here, so I’d best get to it. Then I’ve boxes that need to be packed and sent. I wonder what customs will think if I try send my blocking wires home in their tube?

Filed under: Knitting, Life, Pensky File, Training, lace , christmas, FO's, Knitting, phd, socks, travel

Nearly time to knit guilt free… for a while

I started chapter 2 on the 5th of September, and despite a few `life-intervenes’ days, I finished it yesterday, and edited and send it off an hour ago. 14000 words in 4 weeks. Hot dang. It’s not as extensively revised (read: it’s not) as chapter 1 was, but as a draft it is done and now I have to wait for my supervisors. I can’t say I’m that enthused with it, but it is a draft and there is time to edit, refine and polish later. I need feedback first.

But for tonight, there is Stargate:Universe, a hemlock blanket that has 1 round of increases before the edging, a sock, and the final few rows of the frog dust section of Valerie’s scarf. Getting there… slowly.

I think it’s time I have a weekend.

Filed under: Knitting, writing up , breathe, challenge, Knitting, phd

baby did a bad, bad thing… and i feel like crying.

I did, actually, do a bad, bad, thing. I had a look at the academic (and library and museum) jobs available out there at the moment. Yeah, it looks like I’m going to be all qualified up and have nowhere to go. (Hell, I am already all qualified up, and even if I walked away from the PhD tomorrow, I would still have nowhere to go). Depressing, isn’t it?

This makes me feel very inadequate. (Ah, beginning to notice the up-and-down-cycle of the PhD mind now). It also make me feel quite worthless and not a little obsolete. If only I had done Bioinformatics! (Actually, no). I’m doing this for love, not money and that’s got to count for something, right?

I’ll think about paying the future bills tomorrow.

I say Bells today, and took her for through whirlwind of Morris & Sons, Clegs, Brother Baba Budan, and Lindt. There wasn’t much time other than to catch up on some gossip, and speed her on to her meeting. It was great to see the lovely Bells again.  Another much needed escape.

The chapter has one more section to go, then to add extra references (because references are good), and a quick proofing. This may be ready by Thursday after all. Probably not. I think this will be a Friday submission.

Also discovered that the IMAX at the museum is still playing Star Trek on the weekends. I’ve missed my Chris Pine- Zachary Quinto- Simon  Pegg fix. And it’s still 22 days  till the DVD release (not that I’m counting). I may have to drag the Magpie off to a mandatory escape movie escape. No is not an option.

The Valerie’s Mystery Scarf KAL has been caught up and I’m awaiting the next ingredient in the Magic Pill (It’s a sampler scarf based on the 11 ingredients in the Magic Pill used to revive Westley in The Princess Bride).

The one sock is halfway down the instep. Hopefully will have its mate on the needles by Saturday.  Will also try get another quick Christmas present done over the weekend too. The brain needs some resetting time before I hit the edits from chapter 1…

Okay, this has turned into a stream of consciousness post. I’ll leave it there. Still have 7 pages of typing to transcribe before bed. (Don’t even look at the time – it’s probably wrong).

Hopefully I’ll have something more enlightening to say next time.

Filed under: Knitting, Life, writing up , friends, future, KALs, phd, pondering, socks, spare me

unnnng….

Is the sound one’s head makes having spent the day transcribing from longhand and now reviewing what needs to be written next. So very close, yet so far.

In other news, I had a very contented Saturday afternoon at Gidget’s, meeting the chickens, eating yummy chilli, drowning myself in her glorious stash, and watching various incarnations of David Tennant on the telly. ‘Twas a much needed break. Of course, I never made it to the Dali exhibition, I waived the ticket and went to bed. c’est la vie. I saw some of the Dali in London, and I’m sure I’ll see more Dali at some point in my life.

Sunday was spent writing some, knitting some, and watching the last 50 on the MAX Top 500 from the 80’s. RoseRed has already blogged about the Top 20. I’m just going to say that I found the #1 downright anticlimactic. If you’re not going to put MJ at #1, then for heavens sake make it Bonnie Tyler or Blondie or Queen or The Pretenders, but not Madge. Anybody but Madge. (No Queen in the Top 20 – found that quite odd).

Anyway, I digress. This weekend I turned a heel, have knitted half a blanket, and nearly a whole scarf (the progress has been cumulative, btw). I also discovered that it would be cheaper to send things via DHL than AusPost. Excellent. Makes my life easier. Now I just have to time my packing and sending. Very exciting.

And then tomorrow I get to see Bells very quickly (Coffee, Cleg’s and Morris & Sons), and its back to the grindstone for the chapter deadline (which has been delayed to somewhere between Wednesday and Friday). Then its editing chapter 1, layouts for chapter 3, and shifting countries. I don’t do things by half.

Well, it’s time for my rooibos and notes. I’m waiting to watch a bit of the ICC final – Aus vs NZ. I know who is going to win – we all do – but that’s not going to stop me from saying “Go Black Caps, give ‘em hell!” And let the rest be a well played, enjoyable game of cricket.

Until later!

Filed under: Knitting, writing up , breathe, friends, Knitting, Life, phd, pondering, projects, sport, travel, yay

At last!

I cast off Tinúviel last night. Just over 9 months later. Whew. I will never knit a border-to-neck pattern again. It was horrible. (On that note, the average finishing time for this shawl is between 6-18 months due to hibernation and sheer boredom. I seem to be on schedule then). She is pretty though. I’ve woven in the ends and she is sitting patiently on top of a pile of books, etc that I’m going to sending home in a few weeks. I’m still not sure about the colour (Alpine Pearl – the colour I saw in the shops and the colour I got when I ordered were not quite the same). Nonetheless, she will look gorgeous when blocked out, and I’m looking forward to wearing malabrigo lace. As a finishing present (she took a long time to finish – my second Lazy Lacy Summer 08-09 project, in fact) I’ve just put in the order for the blocking wires so that I can block her, and my future lace projects, properly.

I also bought some more laceweight yesterday (naughty me). The blogless WithaQ was in town for her birthday, and we had some fun enabling each other for the morning. I took her to the new Morris and Sons on Collins street, and she took me out to the Wondoflex in Malvern, where the lovely ladies let us into the bargin basement. Oh wow. I was very restrained. I left the shop with 2 balls of the Kid Seta and a skein of touch yarns 2ply merino (I think I love laceweight), and she did much better. 10 balls of Grignasco Tango (read: Rowan Felted Tweed for those who don’t know) for less than $50 is a giveaway (I’d put it in the $2/ball of Zara sale basket as an equivalent). I’m sure there was a little guilt on both our parts, but nothing the new acquisitions didn’t dampen.

Today has been spent feeling tired and checking theological articles and writing some more thesis. I’m about 2 days behind where I want to be, so it will be a long night tonight.

Tomorrow will be fun with David Tennant, drop spindles, knitting and geekdom, followed by a family BBQ and the last evening of the Dali exhibition with the rest of Victoria. Maybe with the League final somewhere for good measure – oh and the ICC champions semi-finals.

Gotta keep on moving. Right. Back to the moleskine.

Filed under: FO's, lace, writing up , FO's, projects, shawls, sport, yay