Fluffle is in his pocket, all's right with the world

So you turn up to a camp site in Wales. And it smells like manure. What do you do? We giggle and drive to the next field, light a fire and have a good time.

The rain kept off on Saturday. The only night I got to knitting around the camp fire. So only an inch in. Got some reading done though.

There are two sorts of book that I love. The first could be finished in an hour if I could read that fast. The second takes time. Time that you need to savour each word and the beauty of the prose. Fudoki was, still is in fact, the latter. I'm enjoying every second of the intricately woven plots, the beauty of the description, the fascinating characters. Johnson doesn't explain her world in that awful, clumsy, chunky way that is the feature of bad fantasy. There's no sense that you have to be filled in just this second. The detail of the world is realised naturally. With the action. Making it so much more natural. And Perfect.

Camouflage is definitely the first type of book. It's compelling, interesting and - in parts - shocking. It also switches through three different stories. With several different times spread evenly between them. I usually hate this. It's too easy to get attached to only one and skim through the others. But it worked.

Shopping trips where both successful and unsuccessful. No stereotypical Wales stuff. I was looking forward to some dragons and a T-shirt or two. No luck. I did pick up some Weaving Sticks from a craft fair (better than the knitted dolls and endless honey) and a black sun hat (see daft pic).

Now I'm back. To central heating and a curry.

Going Away

I'm off. For the weekend. Camping in Wales. My Dad and I are going with my uncle Mick and his friends. I consider it cheating that my Dad wants to take camp beds, they are taking full size blow up beds and a fridge freezer.

The place we are going to is called Bala. It's famous for stocking knitting but as the wool for my Anna Socks hasn't come I'll be working on my patterned vest, shown above in my Tool Tote.

Four days, four books. Two read before but need a second glance. A Handful of Dust and Brideshead Revisited my bestest and worst Waugh respectively. Camouflage and Fudoki are my new books (new to me at least) bought for the occasion. I accidentally read half of Camouflage last night. Oops

The plan is up Snowden and lots of messing around the camp site. I doubt a visit to the place Collinette grows will be an option but there are craft shops in town as well as t-shirts to buy.

To my fellow countrymen have a great bank holiday weekend and to everyone else have a great whatever you call the next four days.

Bye

Black Pants, White Fluff

So my Mum's friend's daughter gets pregnant. She's around nineteen (I mention this because she's around my age I have nothing against teenage mothers) I met her once. I knit the baby a hat and the mother a scarf. Then the question comes.

'If they buy the wool will you make them a baby cardigan?'

Sure, why not. Well I get given three balls of the white stuff no pattern, no buttons. So I use one of my Mum's old baby jumper patterns. But it's summer and they want the baby to wear it home they want a cardigan.

Without buttons I start improvising from one of my Mum's cardigan patterns. Never mind that it's thick as anything and nowhere near summer appropriate. This is what I have so far.

She was induced yesterday. Good Luck. Even if this cardigan wants me to knit condom cosies. Yeah, like I'm getting any.

The Swag Post

This post is dedicated to all the books in the world. I have a Library Thing now. Down a bit, there you go. It should come in more useful once I put my non-fiction in it and term starts. The way it works now My unread/being read fiction is above my bed, the cook books are at my Mum's (the place I cook), knitting patterns and craft books at my Grans, and the majority of my non-fiction and the fiction I have read lives at my Dads with my kids books.

So having some sort of inventory would be useful. Especially when my course books, cookbooks, and unread books move back over the Pennines with me.

This post is also dedicated to me. As much as I have come to the realisation that I shouldn't lie about my size (12/14 on bottom 14/16 on top) because I'm supposed to be skinny, I've also come to the realisation that I'm young. I really don't support anyone dressing 'old'. I'd rather people where what they want and what makes them happy. So in the name of getting me more fun, home made clothing I ordered Yeah I Made It Myself and Generation T. Never being on to shy away from the clichéd and tacky in the first place.

Yeah I Made It Myself was bought to give me a better grounding in the sewing world. I can do it but not very straight and I've never used my sewing machine. Tried it once, thought it was broke and got too sacred to do anything with it. Seeing as I wanted to start with something more than a small backstitch only project but not wrestle with the machine I was hoping there would be more than just how to backstitch. Well there was how to tack. The projects are lovely and the prose sets the right tone. There are also some basic knit projects. Arm warmers, collars, scarves. Fantastic. I have two young cousins that may like this one. I love it.

Generation T is trendy as fuck. I can barely read the little tit-bits and introductions. It's just too much. The projects range from Flashdance flashbacks to a gorgeous wedding dress (yes made out of t-shirts, yes it's really gorgeous, really very). Looking through the projects is like being at a shop. One person will not look good in all the designs but there will be a design that will look good on you. More than one. Clichéd and tacky, yes. Fun, definitely. Some of the projects are no sew which I'm neither for or against. The book does have what I was looking for. The most comprehensive list of practical hand stitches I've seen.

[edit]Measurements are unhelpful in both 'Yeah…' has dreadful pictures. Imagination needed.[/edit]

Also in the pictures is half of my camping reading as well as a beautiful hairgrip Louise sent me. Thank you.

See, I do knit!

New batteries in my camera means it’s… A Gratuitous Picture Post

First of all there’s the new hardware. It’s a BagSmith Tool Tote. And fits a very lot of things in. With the exception of most of my needles. Only ones up to 10” will fit. Most of my inherited and bought needles clock in at 14. Including those lovely copper plated ones popping out of the bag. I think they must have belonged to Great-Grandma.

On the needles is the bloody ugly baby cardi. That poor thing is going to look like a chicken when it’s born. I do love novelty yarns (especially railroad) but not for a cardi.

Onward to the FOs…

Pattern: Charlotte (Rowan Knitting & Crochet Magazine 38) Yarn: Ribbon Twist in Rumba Ya What: 8sts*11rows, 60m, 100g, 70% wool 25% acrylic 5% polyamide, Lot 11B5 For: Me Why: Because I’m young, some people find me vaguely attractive sometimes, and I can ware what the feck I want. Even if it is a bulky poncho. Alterations: Gauge slightly tight. Opinion: Generally fun and fast. Already spilt curry on it.

Pattern: Marloes Sand Hat (Rowan Knitting & Crochet Magazine 40) Yarn: Ribbon Twist in Rumba Ya What: 8sts*11rows, 60m, 100g, 70% wool 25% acrylic 5% polyamide, Lot 11B5 For: Me Why: Leftovers + new magazine + cables = new hat Alterations: No earflaps, still not decided on bobbles. I’m not doing two but what do you think about one? Opinion: Can be worn hair up or down, very warm, absolutely lovely. Cables are great but you can’t really see them in the mag so I have extra shot of them just for you.

I Knit in a Thousand Colours

Or why my projects aren’t usually black Or I think to much about what I wear

I’m sat here knitting a green vest, looking forward to knitting a dark red wrap yet my blog is written on the basis that I’m a Goth who knits. It may seem like a contradiction (at least a contradiction of the cliché) and it probably is. But because I think too much I’m going to tell you why it is.

When I get dressed (for an event this is not just waking up) I start with a single item or idea. The last time I put too much thought into what I was wearing was meeting my boyfriends parents. I wanted a wrap top. That was it. My grand design. A wrap top. As it was my birthday a week before my Mummy bought me a nice silk one. I bought a necklace that fit the collar shape. I met them in London, which meant travelling, so any more jewellery would have got tangled. I wore flat shoes that I could stuff on top of my bag and my everyday corduroy pants.

My silk wrap top (which I’m wearing in the entry before last) was the main bit. At least in my view. And that is what my knitting is supposed to be; the focal point of the entire outfit. This brings me to my essential rule of dressing. I only allow myself one piece of colour. Alright, that is over dramatic. It’s not a rule, I don’t freak out, but it is what I do. The colour piece is also often the focal point.

So my knitting takes colour. Generally dark. My favourite colours (the vest, Charlotte ) or colours on sale (the wrap). Anyway that’s why

Toys

I ordered more stuff from Loop. Needing needles for Charlotte I ordered me some Swallow ones. They’re purple. My preferred needle materials are metal, plastic and casein. I like the smoothness, the cost, the weight of metal, and how light the other two are. Not all at the same time. Also got some cable needles and stitch markers. The stitch markers aren’t for Charlotte though. I broke all my others. I know, silly thing to do.

No that isn’t the summer IK which I didn’t buy for the lace. And I don’t like the Brioche Bodice which I do not want to order this for after I come back from seeing Tom.

Blue Cabled Hamsterjam

Done

My life has become overrun by blue mohair. It skitters across the living room like dust balls. There’s a collection of mohair ‘beads’ by my mothers bed. I’ve ingested it more times than I care to think about. Both my Denise’s and my hands have been dyed blue.

But it’s done. And in a couple of days I’ll have fabric and a finished wrap. Although it was finished by my ten day limit there was no reason too. I’m not going to be able to meet up with Tom this week. Next weekend though. With a new blue wrap. And a slightly sore shoulder.

Carry on

I went to watch the Heywood third team trounce Royton. The third team is where they put those too young or old to play in the first or second team. My fourteen year old cousin is on it.

Rather than be stuck at a cricket match with no knitting I took my patterned vest. But I picked up the wrong make up bag. I brought lipsticks rather than knitting tools. Gah. I ended up using my Mum’s window key as a cable needle. Hay, it worked.

Just getting started

While Tom is away I have the perfect opportunity to make him something small and cute. I want to knit a hamster. I’m basing the body vaguely on the mice in Stitch and Bitch Nation and I have it all worked out. Expect a post where everything goes wrong.

Still must do the ugly baby jacket for the baby (which is also going to be ugly because those things are)

Jesus!

It all started last Sunday. After dropping Tom at the train station I saw Greeting from the Knit Café in Waterstones. I was quite impressed but couldn't justify it. It remains on the shelf. (cost

On Tuesday I saw that Shannon over at Knit it in Black, Please (who has my eternal admiration for liking both bunnies and black) had linked to Knitscene. I ordered it from Loop. It came yesterday. (cost £9.50)

And then. And then. I accidentally looked on the previews for the new IK. Silken Spencer, Gatsby Girl Pullover, Wanderlust Hoodie, Swallowtail Shawl: I hate you, I hate you all. I managed to talk myself out of the international subscription. At least until September. (cost £14)

So I went to look at how much it was on Stash and saw the two new Rowan books and the magazine. One section of the magazine is described as 'dramatic and theatrical' another called Fade To Grey my little gothy dreams have come true. The patters look wonderful. It's love! Unfortunately Little Big Wool and Country do not come in black. But I suppose it will save me some cash. (magazine cost £11+ bus fare to the shop) £15)

I wonder if anyone owes me some money.