I admit defeat ....

... the dolls are not going to be finished for this evening. Due to mistakenly thinking I could do two in a week (as well as you know, working and stuff) I ended up getting two half-done and nothing finished. Luckily I had finished one months ago earlier. Meet my aunt's birthday nurse (she is a nurse herself, honest it's not that weird a gift!):



Note the beetroot, sunburnt look as this was done back in the day when I had no skin tone yarn (now I do - third time lucky lol). Also note the bad embroidery which gives her a wonky eye and a pursed mouth. I think toy knitting isn't my thing ... I should stick with bags and scarves!

So at least one thing will be delivered this afternoon when we arrive in their neck of the woods. And to make up for the mad toy knitting I attempted this week, I'm talking only pretty things for myself to knit on the trip down and whenever I get a chance while there. I have brought the swatch for Mystery Stole 3 and two lots of sock knitting (neither of which is the sock I started in Donegal - bad me!). The knitting one thing at a time mantra has been thrown to the wayside a little. But I will try to get back on track after the weekend. Honest.

Black and white

I am about to post without pictures. *shock* *horror* I thought it was worth warning you all beforehand. Have I lost my marbles? Blogging without pictures! Well no, rather I have lost my batteries. I am having camera battery issues, but all will be resolved tonight if I have anything to do with it.

However, I couldn't resist talking about a few things that are going on in my knitting world. Firstly our stitch'n'bitch has had 5 members present two weeks in a row. This is shocking and wonderful all at once. Imagine what will happen when we advertise that bad boy!

And in yarn acquisition news, I have been on the lookout for some yarn to use with the Mystery Stole 3. Not being terribly wonderful at the old alternative yarn decision, I decided to go with the yarn as dictated by the designer herself. So Jaggerspun Zephyr Wool Silk 2/18 it is - in ebony and charcoal (just in case I desire to make two). And Sarah's Yarns was the winning supplier. So far the shopping experience with her has been great - she responds quickly to e-mails and her prices are so good that I'm getting the yarn shipped from the US at a third of the price compared to the only UK online retailer I could find. Price is important when you're a poor debt-ridden student with a need for lovely yarn. I'll let you know more about the shopping experience as it progresses.

Finally I'm visiting some relatives for a pre-wedding dinner next Thursday night and so need to finish all their knitted gift pieces that have been accumulating since I last saw them. This means 5 knitted figurines of which one is finished, one is half-knitted and the other three remain in the pattern book looking at me smugly. Looks like this will be one crazy knitting week! (Hopefully with pictures).

A new knitting mantra ....

I am one of those knitters who have WIPs hanging from light-shades, strewn in every corner and coming out of nearly every bag they own (some are just too small for my knitting). I have a desire to be knitting every pattern I like now, and too little willpower to stave off the call of a new project. And so, when a pattern annoys me, when I make a mistake, when the yarn gets tangled - I move on. There are plenty of projects to choose from, why hang about?

But let me tell you, actions have consequences. Take this for example:



This is Via Diagonale from Knitty, using mercerised cotton cones from Texere (great value), knit for my mother's Christmas present. No, I am not that far ahead of myself - Christmas 2006.

Yes, I am one of those knitters. But in my defence the cotton hurts my hands and there's a lot of stitches going on there.

So I have told myself, I have decided, it is to be .... that I will work on only one project at a time until they are completed and my WIPs are depleted. The only exception to this rule is gift knitting, where I shall allow a new project to be started but all other rules apply. It's scary, it's unusual and it's taking some getting used to, but it is happening.

VD went to the cinema to see Pirates of the Caribbean 3.


And Nikki went for the 90's Madonna look with my cotton cones.


Then she went to our Belfast S'n'B, where it was discovered (with great celebration) that we had passed the 7 inch mark. Oh joy of joys! I swear that thing remained at 4.5 inches for at least 6 months, regardless of the amount of knitting that went on.


Just a couple more inches to bind off time. It will be a day of celebration throughout the land!

And in other S'n'B news: For any and all who would like to come along, a little hint to the location.


Rebecca's pink Denises were broken out for the first time. I'm not sure why the look of pain is necessary. But it seems that when knitting with them, she wasn't so scared after all.


Nikki was continuing on with her tank top, despite the fact that it will fit no-one other than perhaps Shaquille O'Neal. Also she was all with the picture taking as there may be another new blog on the block, watch this space!


And, finally, our resident non-knitter with her cute (but serious with the counting) Care Bears cross-stitch. That's what I call a long-term project.


But wait! I can't finish up without a little close-up from our cutest member - Elvis, the blue sheep shoe (technically a point protector, but that's like a needle shoe, right?).