stash rationale

Finished two things this weekend, but they are both presents, so stay un-photographed for now.

I have decided to take the It is Rocket Science appraoch; its not stash, its "unassembled socks". So have been happily lurking on sockwool sites today. I think here could provide me with the stuff for a pair of two-colour ones I want to make.

Still, I've said poo to the socks for now; I'll leave them all till the olympics (where I'll challenge myself to do three pairs in the sixteen days). So I got my merino chunky out to have a very-unportable (but very seasonal) cardigan. At least a chunky-weight could well be done by the time the olympic torch is lit. Plus I'm happy for it to be a home knitting project and try to read on the bus for a week or so. And its FREEZING out there. I need a warm layer!

Post

Oh, such very, very exciting post.

The Rowan Soft for the sock's I'm knitting my Grandad during the Olympics (from the always reliable Get Knitted) and some georgeous Curious Yarns sockwool I used some money I got for xmas to buy. And new Rowan 39! You know your craft is too much of your life when you get three bits of post in one day and they are all knitting related.

Anyway, Rowan... I do think they've gone a bit Boho. Letting Fassett on the Sienna Miller look. It had to happen sometime. Seriously, there is got some nice stuff if you think through the photography which is just a little too "June 2005" for me. You'd have thought Rowan had enough nouce to realise that look would appear more than dated by now.

GetKnitted and Curious Yarns feel the need to include sweeties (always a good sign in a yarn company) so I have a sugar boost to curl up with the Rowan book. That and a cup of tea I think. The picture may paint a very spring-like image, but its snowing out there. I was thinking of going to the V&A late show tonight, but forgot to ask anyone to join me and didn't feel like going on my ownsome. So I'm gong to finish my mother's socks and cast on for another (self designed) pair. There's no sign of wool for the secret project and I can't start Graddad's socks till the flame is lit, so I might as well use the Angel sockyarn I've had since December and try a different heel technique.

Reading

I've nearly finished the socks for my mother. Well, I have enough to either keep me going on my trip to and from Wye tomorrow OR to last till the weekend. I'm waiting for some yarn before I can start my next project and don't feel like starting another which I'll have to leave once said yarn does turn up.

Solution? I'm reading. Yes, reading. Proper reading, not reading while knitting or reading about knitting or endlessly browsing knitting blogs. I'm lying on my bed with knitting in its bag, I have a book in my hands and I'm reading it. I opened the cover and looked at that print on the slightly off-white paper, and breathed in that smell. I swear sniffing books is nearly as fun as sniffing yarn. And as I felt my posture move to teenager-absorbed-in-text, I realised I haven't done this for ages.

I've read things since I started knitting, obviously, even books, but they've tended to be the sort of non-fiction secondary sources you engage with on a desk. They are horizontal, you are vertical. You read them in a piecemeal way, scanning and jumping to find information and ideas you want (or you think you want) rather than absorbing yourself in the narrative.

So, I’ve got excited by a big pile of kids science fiction books, and I’m going to put the knitting away till the weekend. Not even on the bus, I’m going to try and read. I find reading on transport hard, that’s why I started knitting. But for the next few days I’m going to try. It may well help me appreciate knitting all the more.

Anyway, I did take a break from it to look over at my stash and saw this lovely purple, greens, pinks and blues arrangement nestling in the corner. So I took a photo. Just because its yummy. The cones are cobweb stuff I got at a machine-knitters sale (I don't machine knit, but this stuff is great for playing with lace). Mmmm, lace knitting. I got my 2mm Addi's in the post today.

Ahem, this knitting pause might be hard.

wrong-ness

Above is some lovely hipknits cashmere I bought to make socks with. Unfortunately someone had tangled it up in the shop before I got there. I thought it'd be ok. But that's it still with much to untangle FOUR hours in. Really. Those socks better be worth it.

When not balling yarn, I've been spending the evening sorting a parcel for my secret pal. Its a collection of things (suppose it should be kept secret) along with a card I've made using a picture printed from the Victoria and Albert Museum's knitting database.

In other news, someone has invented glow in the dark knitting needles. There is something very wrong about this.

And on a very different note, I appear to have found another wooly-crayon-maker (you'll need to scroll down).

Marvin

It's my version of Marvin the Paranoid Andriod (from the Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy). Not spherical and white I hear you scream. Ah, well its based on the old BBC TV version you see...

I made this AGES ago (i.e. June) but only just took a photo. I probably could have taken a better one actually, it looks more Marvin-like standing up. It was a birthday present for my boyfriend. Its all very sad, we bonded over Hitchiker's on a very early date and he gave me an aniversary gift of a giant cardboard cut out of Movie-Marvin which is still living (or rather decomposing) in my garden.

For those who have not idea what I'm talking about this BBC news feature compares the TV series to the movie (picture five for the Marvins).