I wish my feet were this small...

If only I was 2 years old tomorrow, then I could be wearing these new socks. Or at least if my feet were that small it wouldn't take me so long to myself a pair (there and back to Wolverhampton in fact - plus a little bit more). However I would look very silly and probably fall over. Happy Birthday Carys! Very proud that from my basic sock pattern that I got with my sock knitting kit I managed to work out how to make them to fit a 2 year old. Maybe I have learnt something this year after all.

Or if my name was Tony Tiger, I could have a jumper like this one. The things you find on ebay! I have had this set up as a search forever... and what came up this week, not one, but two patterns (exactly the same). So my Tony Tiger can finally have something with Tony Tiger knitted on it. I just have to decide what.
I was doing some blogsurfing at lunch today and I somehow came across these little guys... how good are they? Felted hedgehogs from Fiber Trends. Now all I have to do is work out if anyone over here stocks the pattern or if I can get it mail order from somewhere. How cute? I reckon they would be great filled with bean bag beans.

Dolly

A very quick post as I was meant to be out the door on my way to Olympia by now! Here is Dolly, a birthday present for C who is 2 on Wednesday. She is from Jess Hutch's pattern book.
And here are the socks that I have started for her. It was fun measuring her feet on Wednesday, she was very perplexed!. They are with my Curious Yarns sock wool, that are destined to become jaywalkers one day but I figured there would be enough left to make two tiny socks for C. New bamboo needles too, which are just a joy.
Back with my Olympia purchases (as there are sure to be some) on Sunday night!

Tagged!

A lovely relaxing weekend has been had with my friends in Nottingham. I am had my first visit to a "Mothercard World" an experience in itself. C has finally overcome her fears and purchased some items for the impending little one... not long to go now, I'd better get on with the blanket!
The Dolly is nearly finished, but I feel a bit strange photographing her when her arms and legs aren't attached! Hopefully photos tomorrow. In the mean time, I got tagged by Bryony... (how exciting)

4 jobs I’ve had:
Sales assistant in a fancy dress shop
Packing surgical dressings in a factory in Wolverhampton. Was the cleanest holiday job I've had
Packing frozen chips overnight in another factory in Wolverhampton (that was horrid, but paid, oh at least £4 per hour which was loads.
Library Assistant for the Department for Education and Employment (my biggest fear was treading on David Blunkett's dog in the lift!)

4 films I can watch over and over:
Top Gun (oh dear... but I feel the need, the need for speed)
Moulin Rouge
Me Without You
Pulp Fiction

4 tv shows I love to watch:
E.R. religiously, since the first series
Grand Deisgns - dreaming of the house TT is going to build one day
Friends - religiously at University. Now it is always a safe bet
Vic Reeves Big Night Out. In fact anything with Vic and Bob in has me in hysterics

4 places I’ve lived:
Wolverhampton, for 18 years
Sheffield, at Uni (twice)
Fulham in a house that cost peanuts to rent but with some nasty housemates who never emptied the bin, ate my lasagne and talked about me on the bus (whilst I was sitting 3 seats behind)
Colliers Wood (at the bottom of the Northern Line with L and S)

4 places I’ve been on holiday:
So many to choose from. Here is a good selection
The Lake District (as this is the place I've visited most often)
St Petersburg, visiting a friend who was studying there. It was Easter and it was the coldest I have ever been
Ireland - 3 times now
Mexico - my dad won a trip to Acapulco on the local radio when I was 13. It was the first time on an Aeroplane for me, and still is the furthest I've been. A complete culture shock but I loved it.

4 websites I visit daily:
BBC News and Weather ( I am addicted to the weather)
Webmail
Most of the Blogs on my sidebar
The Wolverhampton Wanderers website (because I am a sucker for punishment)

4 fave yarns:
Noro Kureyon - It is stripy and multicoloured and felts (what more do you need?)
Rowan Big Wool - Ace scarves in no time at all
Opal sock yarn, because it is stripy and also because it washes so well
Rowan Ribbon Twist, it's like a novelty yarn, but not quite (and all my accessories are made in it)

4 websites I’m tagging:
Um... now I am stuck, anyone that reads this that wants to...

C'est Fini!

Yes, finally, the Clapotis is finished......



Sorry for the blurriness of the last photo, I was having trouble keeping still enough. It is fab. I'm going to take it for it's first outing this weekend when I go visiting pregnant friends (actually just one) in Nottingham. I believe shopping for wedding outfits (she has 5 to go to in April when she will be 8 months preggers by the end) and swimming are on the agenda. Can't wait!

Oh and just because Acechick and Flossie seem to blogging about baking, here are TT's apple pies he made at the weekend. Just imagine, a bf who bakes and does DIY! Don't ask why the ones at the bottom have pigs on....
The commuter crochet blanket is coming along nicely too. I'm upto 14 hexagons (nearly 15). I think I'm going to have to block them as I go though, as it will be a very tedious task to do them all together. I'm not even thinking about sewing it up!

Weekend happenings

The party went and the cake was admired. The place we stayed was very much like faulty towers! I arrived to no hot water and one of those grey/blue/white 80's stripey duvets on the bed. It is a good job we can find things like that amusing. I still don't know how it is possible to make a full English breakfast quite so disgusting! Anyway, the birthday boy and the rest of the party had fun and that is what counts.
Saturday I went to Wolves vs Cardiff and was shocked by two things, (a) that we actually played well and (b) the policing of the match. I know this has nothing to do with knitting but I am outraged (still and it is Wednesday). I have never in my 15 years of watching football seen riot police inside a football ground and I hope that I never have to again. In my opinion they completely over-reacted to a minor situation. There was no need for riot police and certainly no need for them to go in smashing all and sundry with their truncheons. They were obviously up for a fight and they ended up frightening the vast majority and inciting the few mindless hooligans. Disgraceful.
On the knitting front, the other SP sock is finished. Thanks SP they look fab. I'll post pictures later. The Clapotis is so nearly finished as well. I have about 3 decrease sections to go. I was manically trying to finish it last night, I even stayed up and watched the E4 No Angels.
I have decided on knitting the baby blanket. So Wild Stripes it is. Before then I am going to make the Dolly from Jess Hutch for a little person who has a birthday coming up. I might also try and make some little person socks too. Also in the pipeline (in a stash reducing exercise) will be this Hoodie from Ysolda. Using up the Rowan Polar I bought in the sale in John Lewis last summer. I love the sleeves the best.
More later, with photos of the apple pies TT and I made at the weekend, just because they are a bit fun.

Party Time

It is TT's Dad's 60th Birthday tomorrow (well in fact today as it is very late for me to be up)
Here is the cake I made, and also the card. I hope he has a fun day.

Blanket Decisions

I am now having a dilemma. I orginally bought this stash of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino to make this Wild Stripes blanket from Knitty.










However, seeing as my crochet skills are coming along I thought I would test making a hexagon in the

DBBC. Here it is, and here is a photo of the finished blanket from Simply Knitting (April 06)

I have decided to list out the pros and cons of both:

Wild Stripes Baby Blanket
Pros - can be used as a blanket or a rug. Is quite contemporary. I have enough time if I start soon to do a bit every couple of days without getting too bored hopefully. It will be fun to choose material to back it with
Cons - can I really cope with that much stst without going crazy? It won't be very portable. Definately an in front of the TV knit. I will have to sew the backing/piping on.

Crochet Baby Blanket
Pros - At the moment crochet is a novelty and I am having to think about these hexagons. Excellent commuter project. He/She will be a summer baby and it will be more of a summer blanket (maybe this should be a con also)
Cons - I am worried it will look a bit dated, or like I am trying to be cool but not quite managing it. Not sure whether the hexagons need to be all one colour (as I have done already) or whether they would be better in two colours (like the pattern states) - this makes it instantly more annoying to carry around. Will I want to make a Noro blanket out of this once I have done the 50-60 hexagons for this one?

I am still non the wiser. Agh. I must be miss indecision today.

Can you really drink this stuff?

My question to all of you Americans out there is; Do you really let your children drink this stuff?
It is luminous! Reminded me a bit of Slush Puppy (I am so out of touch with the youth of today I have no idea if that still exists). The thought of drinking something so blue just seems wrong.

And look what happens when you mix them together?

This is what happens when you let Roo loose with a squirty bottle filled with dye. I just cannot resist stripes.
This is the result when removed from the microwave.
The finished object.
The colours are no where near as strong as I thought they would be. But looking at this Kool-Aid chart I think they came out about right. I had Ice Blue Raspberry Lemonade, Lemonade and Watermelon Cherry which are all fairly pale. I like it, but I don't absolutely love it. I'm trying to decide whether to leave it alone or do it again. What do you reckon?

HipKnits Trip

A little stash enhancement (again) this weekend when I visited the opening of Kerrie's Hipknits shop in Hertfordshire. I wanted to go and show support as she is such a fantastic person. I can't believe she fits everything in, a day job, 2 children, Magknits, HipKnits and how a shop too. Does she have one of those things (can't remember what it was called) that Hermione had in HP enabling her to make more hours in the day?
Had a lovely evening with K & M in Hertford on Friday. Sausages for tea, yum. K and I did some working out of the Drop Stitch Vest pattern in S&B Nation which she is going to make for a present and generally had a lovely chat about crafty stuff. It was good because I usually see her in a big group of people and we never get chance for the knitting chat.
Kerrie seems to be having a successful day when we popped in at about 12.30pm. She'd had people knocking on the door at 10am!
Here is what I bought:
A self-dye kit made up of Knit Picks "dye-your-own" and some Kool-Aid. I think this will be the Sunday afternoon project. Destined to be another pair of socks I think. Can't wait to start! (Have to clean the kitchen AND the bathroom first though).









Some more HipKnits silk. I simply adore the feeling of knitting with it and I couldn't resist these colours. I have a real purple and green thing going on in my head at the moment. Not sure what this is destined to be yet. We shall have to wait and see.









Some more sock yarn (because obviously I don't have enough). Again, the colours sucked me in, blues and browns and greens.












And finally a few little freebies thrown in. Fab!

My hexagon has 6 sides

Really, it does. Look.

The pattern is from this months Simply Knitting (April, issue 13) and is only the 3rd thing I have crocheted. K helped me figure out the pattern whilst Knit Club took up residence in the corner of The Fine Line in Clapham on Wednesday. The first attempt wasn't too successful, more of a circle, but I was determined not to be beaten so went home and created this. I am proud. Made from the Noro Kureyon left over from my Booga Bag. I thought it would be fun to make lots and lots of these into a blanket for the sofa. A good commuter project after the sock is finished me thinks. Esp as crochet hooks are far less dangerous than 4 big dpns!
Off to the Hipknits shop this weekend. Must remember to pack my cheque book. Excited!
Have also found the Alexander Henry perfect Alexander Henry fabric to back my baby blanket with, but do you think I can find anywhere that sells it.... noooo. Not the white anyway. Boo.