Busy bees

A baby photo of me and my flatmate Kirsty. Yes, Kirsty who made the awesome Wonder Woman jumper that got Boing-ed. That Kirsty.

Our parents have known each other since they were teenagers, and I've known Kirsty since before I could speak. We've shared a flat together for six years now. We joke that when we do finally stop living together we'll never manage to disentangle our joint knitting needle collection. In truth, it'll be a lot more than just that.

She is a bit under a year older than me. Which means she's got to do most things first. She learnt to speak, learnt to walk and learnt to knit first. She went to university first, she left university first (something I'm still struggling to do). She was even Alice before me, as it's her middle name. And she turned 30 first too, yesterday to be precise. See her failing to blow out all the candles in one go.

On such a momentous occasion, I could bang on about what an amazing person Kirsty is, how much she has taught me, how much she means to me. But it's not really my style. Or hers. Or our relationship's. Or this blog's. Instead, I'll show you one of the birthday present I knitted for her and take some photos of her feet. 

Legwarmers, covered in bees. One hundred and eighty bees to be precise. Nine sets of bees, each containing ten bees.

They are based on Pinneguri's bumblebee socks, but legwarmer-ised (larger circumference, and no toe or heel). I also striped brown and yellow yarn, rather than use self-striping, and stuck to just the three colours. I think the amazing yellow yarn really makes them, it's Jitterbug in "Vincent's Apron".

The project is ravelled here which includes full details of yarn and needles and link to pattern.

It was part of a bee-themed collection of presents (largely inspired by the legwarmers, Kirsty has no special "thing" about bees, though obviously we all know bees are cool). This included sponsorship of a beehive, honey bath things, an actual pot of honey, and a bee-covered honey and chocolate cake.

to see the wizard?

First up, a link. Oh my goodness, look at this amazing Bromptom, embellished with a gorgeous giant butterfly on the hip. Her project's ravelled here. You have no idea how happy that makes me.

Next, an FO. Mine, this time. A pair of legwarmers, yellow-brick road legwarmers to be precise, using a basket-weave stitch. I didn't intend to replicate the Brompton's sleeves, more inspired by the gentleman's fancy sock pattern, but it seemed to work out that way.

The yellow yarn is collinette's jitterbug, in the 'Vincent's Apron' colourway, inspired completely by Megan. I worked them both at once on a 80cm 2.5mm circular - I'd tried out the two-at-once trick for the red pom's, but found it much easier this time with just the one (rather than two) needles. All ravelled here.

That shot looks like I have rather clumsily upped the brightness on a basic photo editing programme - all that pink in the top left hand corner. But I didn't touch it, there was just weirdo light going on that morning. And on that odd photo colouring, I have a question: to SLR, or not to SLR?

I have a perfectly ok camera. It works. But I do keep getting frustrated by an inability (its and mine) to get the imaginary shots in my head out of the camera. Its five years old this summer, and though I'm normally of the view that (for the good of the planet if nothing else) you should use things till their death, I have to admit, I've been coveting an upgrade for a while. Plus the battery's running out quicker than it used to, so its obviously on its way out. My mother's going to give me money towards one for my birthday next month, and I should have a bit of extra money from various work things. My budget is £250 max, because although I want a good one, I'm not exactly rich. But maybe I should bite the bullet, wait a few months till I have (a) more money saved and (b) time to learn, and go for an entry level SLR.

Flatmate says go for it, mother says not to bother. I've read a few reviews online and tried the trick of clicking the 'what camera' on pictures I like on flickr, and I'm just not sure. Tips, advice?

Monkey See

First, thanks for all the lovely comments and emails about my design in knitty. At least one blogger had started it already.


But on to the current knitting. One monkey-inspired legwarmer down, one to go.

After truncated Pom's and Herrings, these are the third set of Cookie's socks I've legwarmer-ed. In many ways this is plain silly, Cookie always produces such good sock patterns. Designs that work well running from ankle to foot; neatly matched heels and toes. Some socks are just conveniently sized stitch patterns, but nothing so prosaic for Cookie. If anyone is in any doubt about her sock-genius, check out her new store.

But I needed legwarmers, they at least scratch the itch I had to knit these patterns without actually producing socks I don't need. The yarn is Lorna's Laces shepherd sock in the desert flower colourway, which I'd been coveting for over a year and finally caved into buying when my grant finally came through. It's just the stitch pattern from monkey, worked on 2.5mm's and over an extra 16sts.

In other news, I won the januray Storyteller's design competition! The question was 'what would Alice knit?' so naturally I had to enter. I concluded that the storyworld's Alice would, of course, knit socks. None of this messing about with legwarmers for her. She'd knit stripy socks. Stripy, illusion-knit socks. With cats on. Part of the prize is yarn to make the design up with, and I'll be writing up the pattern up for Robynn, blogging as I go, so all will be revealed soon.

5 things (2 FOs, 2 WIPs, one other)

I've been tagged by Louise. It's the meme where you publish five things you've never mentioned on your blog before. Trying to keep with the knitting, this'll include two "FOs", two "WIPs" and only one piece of extra-knitular information.

1) I finished some "red herring legwarmers". It's just Cookie's pattern for herringbone socks, but worked over an extra 12 sts and minus the foot. I used knitpicks essential, from my now not-so-secret pal (roughly a ball of each).


2) I caved and decided to knit some Anemoi Mittens. I fell in love with the pattern as soon as she put it up. I thought about dark brown and bright pink yarn I have in my stash, but wasn't sure the design would work so well with strong colours. But I've since spotted a few others using the same combination, so cast on last week.



3) I finished some chunky legwarmers. I used some black chunky merino I bought at the same time as the green stuff I used on my recycled jumper. Four balls, plus about two thirds of a ball of gold fingering weight I picked up a few months back when I was feeling festive.



4) My current bus-knit are a load of bits of scarves for these lovely ladies. Due to a major admin mess-up, my grant's over a month late and there is no way I have money to buy yarn with. Finding this project was a great blessing - I can just use up a few half balls in my stash. You don't get a picture because at least one of the stitch patterns might get re-done into a proper design sometime.

5) My eyes are two different colours. Or rather, one of them changes colour independently from the other. Sometimes they are both a sort of green-ish brown, sometimes I look all lopsided because one of them has gone all blue.

yarn dominance

The first of the legwarmers I'm making based on Cookie's Red Herring pattern. Who can spot the point where I read Veronique's post on yarn dominance?


It's only one cm at the start, you can't see it unless the light is very good. And I now know, so won't do it for the second one. Do you think it'll even out more in blocking?

For info, they look and feel great worn, but I'm waiting till I've done both before I do the happy FO dance of joy and share it with you all.

xmas FOs (forecast, legwarmers, armwarmers)

I finished three things over Christmas. Count 'em. They were all done and dusted for the start of 2007, but it took me a while to sort photos.


First up, Forecast, which I started during the october knitflicks. I used barginous Rowanspun Aran. Like most tweeds, it magically softened up after washing. The colour looks nicest in sunlight, and nothing like the "caviar" the yarn's named after. But I like it, it reminds me of a nice warming wholemeal bread. It's a bit baggy under the arms, but not terribly so - I could probably have made the size down, but it looks ok and is comfortable. I did the same mods as Guavaseeds, except I kept the 5st bobbles and decreased a few extra sts at the start of the arms. I only used 6 buttons, but they are HUGE ones, which I like the look and feel of.


Illusion legwarmers. Essentially the lovemeknot socks, sans feet. In brown wool leftover from the hotwater-bottle cover striped with cashsoft 4ply to save my feet from itches. Check out the hidden purple hearts! I need more legwarmers, expect at least two more pairs before the cold season is out.


Lastly, some armwarmers. A sort of upside down version of the lace up gloves in Alterknits, similar to Ysolda's laceup opera gloves, but in the round from the cuff down. Two balls dk cashmerino to match my shedir. The best thing about them is that you can stick your thumb in any of the spaces between the ribbon lace-up, they can be armwarmers stuck under the wrist, or super-warm top-less mittens worn high up the hand. I need that flexibility in glove-type things. I may make more.

FO - "mermaid" legwarmers

One fish.



Two fish.



More green than blue fish.

The yarn is from curiousyarns, back when they sold sockyarn in 70g skiens (with a 30g contrast colour for toes and heels).

It's been sitting in my stash for about six months, teasing me with how perfect it'd be as a pair of pomatomi. Three problems with this: it's 100% wool; I don't really need another pair of socks; I didn't think the yardage was quite enough.

I can't believe it took me this long to work out the solution - legwarmers. Well more anklets than full legwarmers, but I wanted something neater than my big baggy sparkly pair. I just worked the cuff chart for the pomatomus pattern an extra repeat and finished with a sewn bind off. They fit neatly over a pair of standard socks, or even bare feet on days when I'm wearing grown up shoes. Perfect.