Unventing (or did I invent this?)

Life has been rolling on, but the blahs returned because of yet another period of sustained rainfall. I have a feeling you can probably chart Tasmania's weather by the state of my blogging.

It has been nearly 2 weeks since my last post. I have finished socks.

Here are the Blackrose socks I made for Beth, currently winging their way across the Pacific.


Bendigo Luxury 8ply in Purple Storm, made on 3.25mm sticks. These were really big socks and took a lot of knitting. These took up most of my knitting time for a couple of weeks.


Here are the Fawkes socks I started when we were on holiday. These are my first magic loop socks - for some reason, although I have been using magic loop for all sorts of things (sleeves, hats, mitts) I had never gotten around to making socks with it. I am now a complete convert, because during the time I knitted these, I never once lost a DPN under the car seat! Not once.

Fawkes socks, 2.5mm harmony circular, Fleece Artist Somoko in Sun - yum!

Ms Madmad and I were having a conversation about how much nicer knitted garments are now than they were in days of yore. Beautiful yarn and fibres, lovely patterns, nice buttons. Having finished the Vine Yoke Cardigan and Tempest recently, both buttons heavy projects, I mentioned to Ms Madmad that since I had converted to the using of safety pins, I had no problems with button placement.

I am not sure if I invented this. After all, for years I thought I had invented the cable cast on, because everyone I knew taught me that you cast on by sticking the needle through the stitch, and when I stumbled on the idea of sticking it between the stitches and discovered it made a much cleaner, firmer edge I had no idea that it had a name. From the moment I discovered it, I never went back, and it was only much, much later when I got my hands on a stitch dictionary that I found out that not only had I not invented it, that it actually had a name.

So, the safety pin method for dealing with buttons.

First, block your item. Depending on construction, sometimes I just steam press the finished item. Sometimes I give it a soak with a tiny bit of woolwash. I spin it in the washing machine and then lay it out on the wonderful rubber alphabet tiles I bought for less than 10 dollars. I pin shawls etc, but generally not cardigans. Them I smooth out by hand and match up bands.

Matching up the bands is utterly crucial.

Given that usually you have already knitted in the buttonholes, making sure that the bands are perfectly matched is the heart of this method.

Wander off and leave the item to dry.

Occasionally, I will give it a steam press when it is dry too. Depends. Lay it on a nice flat surface, and you are good to go.

Now, grab a pile of safety pins and pin them where the buttons would go, on the underneath band. Start with the top and bottom button positions.

I generally have them horizontal, and as I go I push the closed safety pins through the buttonholes as if they were buttons. This is the crucial bit.

When they are all in position I check that the bands are still perfectly matched, and adjust the position of any safety pins.

Once you are completely happy, sew on the buttons, matching the button to the safety pin. Voila! You are done.

This all arose because of a series of button disasters, exacerbated by the problem that when I sew a button on, it stays sewn. My buttons, when I have sewn them on, never fall off, so changing the postion of a button is a nightmare. I used to use glass headed pins, but still had button disasters, and then I thought of using safety pins. They come in different sizes, so you can cover most sizes of buttonholes, they are easy to move around, but stay still when closed and they can pretend to be buttons for the purpose of this exercise.

Since I started doing this (and as far as I know I invented it, but you are all probably doing this anyway and I just didn't know), I have not had a button diaster. Not one.

So I am pretty pleased with myself (but having said that, I will now no doubt have 16 disasters in a row. Hubris works like that. I'll have to be extra careful!).

Have a good weekend, and I'll try to do exciting stuff to report back. Pray for sunshine!

Do you remember?

Do you remember how I said I would blog more regularly and I promised there'd be photos and deathless prose?

Do you remember me saying that?

Damn. I was hoping you'd forgotten that incident.

Okay.

I have been a bad blogger, and haven't blogged as much as I should, and I'm not really sure why, except that life got slightly more complicated and I got distracted and, well, whoops, here it is, however long since I blogged.

And there's Bells, looking forward to blogging every day for a month. And me. Lucky to blog once a week - but truly - I am trying for more. I don't think I'm really a candidate for Blogtoberfest though - although you might be.

In truth, the return to yucky weather brought on a severe case of the blahs, so much so that I have hardly looked at Ravelry, and I've been reading and not always commenting on your blogs. I am sorry. I can't help bad weather blahs. To put it in context, since July 1 there have been 5 days without rain in Tasmania. Five.

No wonder I've been damp. Heavens - I can tell where North is because that is the side of me without moss on it.

But it all stops here. I solemnly promise that I..

look!

What's that?

Oh - it's some pretty knitting.


The Vine Yoke Cardigan, (anyone mention bandwagons?). As yet buttonless, but blocked. In the Naturally Sensation (10ply merino/angora 70/30, soft as a baby bunny) that I bought while in South Australia in a heat wave last summer. For some reason there were 12 skeins, at $2.50 a skein. This cardigan used - wait for it - 6 and a half skeins. Can you believe it? So, including the cost of the pattern and buttons it cost about $25 dollars! An angora cardi for 25 bucks? Happy dance for sure!

I have been trying to finish WIPs and wearing blinkers so I don't get distracted. Having finished the Vine Yoke I finally cast on some gifty socks (Blackrose, but in 8ply) and will be trying to almost monogamously work on them.

With maybe a teeny tiny side order of finishing the half a sock I have to go on a pair, a bit of garter stitch jacket and perhaps a little Radiate - just to take the edge off.

In honour of Rosered then, here are the incomings and outgoings for September.

800gr from Bendigo Woollen Mills (gifty socks and enough luxury 4 ply for a thermal)
1 skein of sock yarn

That's it.

and I have finished 2 garments but they used very little yarn
Tempest - 250gr
Vine Yoke - 325gr
Cottys - 100gr
and Fawkes may get finished tonight, so I'll throw them in too - 100gr

775gr out and 900 in

Doesn't seem fair really.

Next month may be a little worse (unless I knit MUCH faster) - I know there may be something coming in and there are some sock club parcels arriving. I am still striving for stash diminuition. Maybe I should just knit socks and stuff with sock yarn for all of 2010.

What do you think?

Two Sleeps To Go!

It's Wednesday. It's winter. We had floods at the weekend. This meant I was the meanest mother on record, because I had promised to take my children to a lantern festival and fireworks disply.

The past weekend was our town's annual Chocolate Winterfest. We have a Belgian chocolate maker and his factory and restaurant nearby, and their chocolate festival merged to become our Chocolate Winterfest. One of the highlights is a lantern walk and fireworks display. But it rained, and rained, and rained.

And the river rose and rose.

The river burst its banks on Saturday afternoon and kept rising. This is a fairly regular event; local paddocks flood, creeks run through every slight gully and everything gets a tiny bit worse when there's a high tide (we live near an estuary).

The fireworks were postponed till Sunday night, but by then, the entire park and surrounding area where all this was going to happen was under about a metre of water. Fireworks and associated fun stuff all cancelled.

Luckily, I had left myself a caveat. "We can go to the lanterns and fireworks if it's not raining," I had said. Smart mother. Didn't stop the kids saying I was mean.

It's only 2 sleeps until I fly over to the Bendigo Wool and Sheep show, sans husband and children. This will be the first night I have ever spent apart from both my children - and I am really excited. I am even more excited to be meeting up with some internet friends, blog buddies and fellow Ravellers! It will be the first time I've met most of them in real life.

Next time I blog I will be tired, broke and home again.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone. I am certainly going to!

New Look (What do you think?)

You may have noticed that the blog has had a bit of a makeover.

I decided that I needed a new look - well, yes, I need a new look, take that as read - maybe six feet tall, slim, pale and masses of flaming red curls - no, sorry, that's Nicole Kidman. Sigh.

No, I decided the blog needed a new look. So when I tidied it up, I did a bit of a paint job.

I may play with it some more. We'll see. I like the colours though.

Breaking news.

Our wild social life has included a birthday party for a one year old, and having the in-laws and the lovely but blogless Jill over for lunch. Other than that, life has proceeded as usual, with the added excitement of winter and the on-going lure of hibernation.

The most exciting thing which has happened is my discovery of The Dresden Dolls - check out this film clip of one of their performances. They describe themselves as Brechtian Punk Cabaret and I have been loving their stuff. I am further investigating Amanda Palmer's solo catalogue. I love finding new and interesting music. This dark burlesque genre has passed me by until now.

Finished the Kim jumper last night, still needs to block, and the day is grey and rainy, so photos later. Today is the end of the financial year, so it seems I will need to update stash honesty. As months go, it hasn't been too bad.

In:
Four sock club packages (Four! Count 'em! What was I thinking?) All came in June. That's 5 skeins of sock yarn, or 600gr.
A slight lapse at a wool shop sale - 10 x 50gr Grinasco Tango, 2 x 50gr Kaffe Fassett Regia. I blame Rose Red for these. If she hadn't put me on to the Grinasco, and made the Kaffe socks....
Total from there 600 gr

Total in: 1.2kg

Knitted:
As I don't count things unless they are actually finished I can't include half a clappy or half a pair of socks. Drat.
Kim - 5 x 125 gr - 625 gr.

Destashed:
1.6kg re-homed to Ravellers

One large bag of not-terribly-good yarns sent off to school for finger/French knitting - say 750gr

AT LAST!

In - 1.2kg
Out: 2.975kg

I'm afraid next month may not look quite so good, but I hope to have more finished objects, so I can count more....or some tidying up may lead to further re-homing. We'll see.

Happy New Financial Year to you all - may your assets ever exceed your liabilities!

Help Me Knit While I'm Asleep!

How hard can this blogging be? I ask myself. It can’t be so hard – I’ll fit it in around life and children and knitting and Ravelry and reading other blogs and thinking about knitting and domestic life and very occasional desultory housecleaning. Not a problem.

Well, I’ve finally subscribed to a blog reader to tell me when new posts are on all your blogs (why didn’t I know about this and do it oooooohhh six or so months ago?). That helps, but my Rav usage has rather expanded, especially because I’m now a group moderator – remember the SPECIAL POWERS? I figure that with great power comes great responsibility – so I check pretty regularly on the groups I’m in (which have also expanded – somehow I’m in 14 groups now).

I’ve been fighting for computer time with the children and the Accountant. I’ve also been using the computer for legitimate (work type) purposes. And trying to do other things, such as cook meals, pick off all apples infected with codling moth (4 apple trees – 2 big and old), pick plums from this years bumper crop and turn them into plum sauce and try to beat the garden into submission.

I’ve also discovered the magic of dyeing and the kids and I spent a morning painting skeins of 14 ply from the stash, mordanted with vinegar overnight, with food colouring. We had a great time and the wool looked fabulous. This was Monday. By Thursday morning I had finished Destructoboy’s beanie (Taph’s bulky beanie pattern). I haven’t done Princess’s hat yet, but I will. Soon. It’s been a bit hot for knitting 14 ply.

I’ve had a couple of little stash enhancements – these are 2 little Noropups (Kureyon sock yarn) who were looking for a home.

This was from a swap – the lovely Spiraling wanted an Interweave and I love sock yarn – it’s a gorgeous almost solid turquoise-y blue and I see some embossed leaves socks in its future.

Just to prove there has been knitting happening – here are one and a half Kaibashira socks:


And here is the cotton, stocking stitch section of the Bella Blouse (at last!)

Other than that, life rolls on. I want to learn to knit in my sleep. If you’re very good, one day I’ll show you the numerous sock project bags (yarn and appropriate pattern in a ziplock bag, ready to pick up and knit.

Oh – I almost forgot the most exciting news! I’m in the Blue Moon Fiber Arts Rockin’ Sock Club 2008. I’ve paid. They post out on the 21st of January. Wouldn’t it be nice if the first package happened to arrive on my birthday?

Short and to the Point

It’s OK everyone – I haven’t been hit by a bus – merely lots of visitations and social events!

Also had Princess return after a mere 7 hours sleep (instead of the usual 12-13) a little on the feral side – she slept well last night and should be OK by tomorrow. It’s been very social, with the lovely and blogless Jill visiting to carry out her threat of teaching me to cable without a cable needle. I have done one row of Juno using this technique and think that if I practice I will improve. She is quite right – once I have it organised I think it will be faster, and has the advantage of not needing a third hand!

Tomorrow the lovely Knitting Knight is visiting – so I’m looking forward to meeting her and her brood – should be great fun, and her children and mine will probably form a pack and run free!

It was going to be a very deep and meaningful posting today, but it may have to wait until Sunday!

Enjoy the fun of Friday and the 2 days of potential knitting stretching out before you!

Deep thoughts on magic

Blogging has been a bit of a revelation – I am impressed with the 6 degrees of separation thing (In Tasmania, of course, being an island with a population of 450,000, many of whom have been here for generations and are related, there are only 3 degrees of separation – if you don’t know them, you know someone who does!). The very first day I put up my blog, I had a comment from Catherine – who lives on the other side of the world.

This is the thing I love most about the internet and cybersphere – that it makes distance immaterial – How did you find me, by the way, Catherine? Fascinated to know!

In addition, having 2 kids and living in the countryish (just outside a town of 1500 people) meant my shopping options were limited. We aren’t far from the nearest city (25,000 people) and an hour from the Northern Capital (65,000) but the range of goods available (read books and yarn) is limited. As, I might add is my ability to browse when accompanies by children who have no interest!

Here comes the internet! My favourite enablers all have stores on the internet – or offer their goods for sale that way. The artisans who dye and/or paint wool, those who spin, those who talk about spinning and knitting, who let me peek into their lives, who share their concerns not just about spinning and knitting, but their studies, and families, and health, and recipes.

I know it’s been said before. I know that you are all aware of it. I know the technology is commonplace. I know all these things

But deep inside me, I know it’s really ………MAGIC!

It’s as magic as taking 2 (or sometimes 4or 5 –yes, yes or even 2 connected by a piece of cord) sticks and a piece of string (or wool or cashmere or silk or linen or cotton or quiviut or a mix or even acrylic) and turning them into something beautiful and usually functional that has filled your heart and made you into an artist and creator.

It is as magic as making friends that you’ve never met, or seen or heard their voices – but you have laughed with them, advised them, chatted to them and commiserated with them and cried with them and felt a deep sense of satisfaction when they solve their problems and finish their projects.

It’s as magic as worrying about these people and their families and pets if you don’t hear from them.

And it’s as magic as looking at a photo, and feeling you're looking through a window into their lives (but in a nice non-stalkerish or peeping tom way!).

The magic is not the technology – though it’s pretty impressive!

The magic is the people!