Stunning organisation

I read on someone's blog recently (it may have been the Yarn Harlot, I kind of lose track who I'm reading on Google Reader sometimes) that they have decided that they waste far too much time prevaricating over which stashed yarn to match with which pattern and thence end up being late for appointments or nearly having to travel with No Projects! Shock! So what they did was print out their queued patterns, put them in freezerbags with the appropriate yarn and fill a storage bin with them all. Then, when you need a new project, just put your hand in and see what you get, like a lucky dip. What a genius idea, I thought!


So here are my selections which are now parcelled up and some ideas for the next bucketload.




or the very similar






Using Lorna's Laces Shepherd's Sock in Vera (70) - a mix of blocks of magenta, khaki and stone. (Actually have just wound this and it's going to be quite bold colour blocks so glad I'm doing a sock without complicated stitches on it).


Frootloop using Sparkleduck merino/nylon in a hot pink semi-solid.

Nutkin using Colinette Jitterbug in Lichen (75) - sort of dark yellow. Although I am quite tempted also to use that yarn for Goldengrove.

Galder using Nimu Yarns' 'Tussmorker' (with two dots over the o) in a purple / blue colour from a 2009 sock club.

Hedgerow using Posh Yarn Esme in Keep Smiling Through, which is a muted sandy tropical sunset sort of a colour.

Love Bugs in Wollmeise Merino Superwash 'Walk the 'red' line' from same sock club.

I have a big skein of laceweight Touch Yarn which I'll probably use for an Aeolian,

(although it will probably end up this big...)

But the Vernal Equinox Shawl is also rather tempting.

I like the Torreyana too, but I think it looks best in some shiny worsted as below:

Tea Leaves Cardigan in Manos del Uruguay Silk blend in that rosey blend with flecks of green and gold.

Urban necessity gloves in Misti alpaca sock in a russety grey.

Knitty's Annis is on the next list:

And the Pea Vine shawl which is not yet released but on the way from Knitspot.

Other socks (if I can ever face socks again) are Rivendell, Ellington and Kalajoki. And the Vinterblomster mittens. Love.

What do you think? Any patterns you hate? Any suggestions for better ones?

I think I need to give up work and just knit!

Way too much lycra

We got up at 3.45am on Sunday to get The Man to the London Triathlon for a 7am start time. All the comments from recent parents have been a knowing, ‘ah yes, good preparation for having babies’. Holy sweet jesus, enough with the baby comments people! The other day three people in three hours asked me what the baby plans are after the wedding. Well let me say here and now, currently there are no plans. Let’s just get the wedding over with first, I have enough to think about with that and work at the moment without considering pain and nausea and hemorrhoids (which I can't even spell).

The tri was great though, The Man did really well and was in the same group as Jensen Button so we managed to get lots of pics of both of them. Almost made up for getting up so ridiculously early on a Sunday! Anyone who wants to swim 1.5km in the London Docks though has my utmost incredulity respect. Seriously, why would you??

JB out of the water with a bag of soggy wetsuit

2hrs 46mins 14secs - well done my Man!

We went to see the vicar for the final time a few weeks ago for our last ‘pre-wedding counselling’. In this session he discussed managing finances, sharing the housework and (recurring theme) having babies. (And slightly unsettlingly coming from the vicar, not letting your partner pressure you into doing things in the bedroom you’d rather not.) I think these sessions, tangential as they often end up being, are a good thing for a couple getting married. Too often you get caught up in the madness of organising the day, what colour will the bridesmaids be wearing, what to have for the starter, how much the florist is charging you, but very rarely do people actually ask you how you feel about getting married, or do you actually think properly about what you are doing.

My friend Clare lent me a book called The Conscious Bride which has some interesting things to say, and some interesting quotes from other brides. One bride was saying that she organised her wedding in three months, but actually in the end wished she’s taken the usual year or so, just to allow herself time to get her head around the big change happening in her life.

I can’t speak for the chaps but presume this happens to some extent as well, but it’s a weird change of identity getting married. For girls, if they decide to change their surnames, it’s a huge deal. I can see myself in some of the descriptions in the book – initial excitement, then resistance and kick-back against my fiancé for the changes he’s inflicting on me, then a gradual come-around to accepting the different identity I’ll be taking on as a wife. I don’t know if this simile was due to corporate brainwashing, but I felt like a piechart being stabbed by a new piece of pie.

1. Me, whole and happy being me, finally (after 30-ahem years).
2. Man comes along and wants to be permanent part my life. Thin end of the wedge. Pointy and a little ouchy. Requiring rearranging of my nice complete pie.
3. Gradual acceptance of man in my life.
4. Full integration.

Now this makes it seem that having The Man in my life was a bit unwelcome, which is not at all the case, it’s always been fantastic being with him. The final pie is much shinier and bouncier. In fact, I’m sure if he thought about it he went through pretty much the same thing. The first part of the transition stage was a bit odd though; even though you're having lots of fun together it takes time to let that new piece of pie settle in. Now he’s a fantastic part of my pie. Life. You know what I mean. It just takes a little while for change to happen. I find the idea of spending the rest of my life with him hugely exciting. Do-a-little-dance-and-say-yay! exciting in fact. We shall see what the future brings but I know whatever happens we’ll both be there supporting each other and being proud of each other. You can put the bucket down now I've finished.

In other news, one of the dogs at home had a litter of five puppies. Here’s some when they’re just waking up and looking a bit grumpy. They are complete timewasters and brilliant fun and they grow so fast!

And a cardigan was knitted all the way up to the neck but then was frogged completely because it was too small. Amazing how many hours’ work can be destroyed with the aid of a wool-winder in five minutes flat. Sigh.

Full of yarny goodness

But first, a view of our kitchen table. Lovely spring flowers against a rare stroke of genius paint colour selection by the old house owners. The hyacinths smell lovely when I get home from work.

Some promised yarn! This is what I got from La Droguerie. Cassis and I forget what. Maybe some socks with contrast toes? Scarf with fancy ends? Fingerless mittens? What do you think? It's 100g and 20g. Answers on a postcard!

Some super dinky ribbon with radishes! This is made to trim some kids clothes I think. Little fingers would like to play with the fluffy radish tops.

And lots of Liberty bias binding! In fact the colours are a bit more peppy. It's almost proper daylight when I get home but not quite yet....



Some pics from the garden! Hurrah for the garden! There are some narcissi coming up in a mystery pot left to me by Grandma.

Some daffs already in the garden.

Large clumps of primroses discovered under the reeds.

And some wild strawberries!

Lots of grape hyacinths.

Some FOs, finally. Firstly the Bitterroot shawl in Fyberspates' Unicorn yarn. More notes on my Rav page. It was a quick and easy knit but the beads are spawn of the devil, seriously. The yarn is sooo soft and silky. I just love blocking out lace shawls, when you pull the points out to be all scallopedy. Pretty!

And the Whisper cardigan.

Supersoft Malabrigo yarn, surprisingly warm for laceweight, and quite boob-enhancing.

The colour is actually grey with undertones of purple. Love it.

You do have to get quite zen when knitting it because it takes foreeeeeveeerrr with teeny tiny yarn.

Flattering from the back view.

I have to say these photo shoots really help the diet. I can chart the gut over the months as I finish projects! The beady eyed among you may notice there are no pics from the front here. There are reasons. A month in Paris with no gym visits did indeed show...

One more pic of those lovely flowers.

In which the Fridge happened...

This is going to be a post of pictures, and it's late, so sorry for the brief captions. Perhaps I'll have time for a wordy post soon, who knows?

Firstly, just to be normal, some yarn.



This is some Touchyarn laceweight which I've had for a couple of years, just waiting for the right project. It's gorgeous - lovely jewel colours in the skein, glossy when wound.

Yum! Perfect for a Bitterroot scarf, I thought.

Hmm. Perhaps not.

It just looks like a tangled mess and you can't see any of the pattern in there. I is having a rethink.

In other news, the fridge arrived.

That was as far as it got. Interesting trying to get in the front door when I got home.

So that's where it stayed for a couple of days, until people came visiting. Looking all mean and brooding, and then slightly self-conscious, and then rather put-out.

Brother and Brother-in-Law and The Man managed to unpack it and manhandle it into the kitchen.

BIL and The Man judging the space. (You can just see The Man's fingers, he's the one behind the fridge.)

Result!! It fits! Shock and amazement!!

Good job.


It's a monster.

The most entertaining thing is this:

..turns to this:

Due to this:

Are they kidding? A monster fridge powersaving by turning off six tiny LED lights on the front panel?? Seriously, that's the least of its worries.

Following a trip to Ikea on Sunday, the craft room had turned into this:

A desktop, a box with a flatpack chair in it, assorted other bits and storage and table and bags of stuff. A Mess, oh yes.

Several hours later it looked more like this:

Reusing some shelves left by vendors but these will be upgraded:

Some fabric from the stash, now amalgamated and easy to view.

Tidy cupboard with see through storage boxes (need more of them I think).

And finally, I am apparently starting to turn into a granny. Not only knitting but also this:

The Rolls Royce of shopping trolleys, oh yes. Raised eyebrows all round, as well as a vow never to be seen with me if I'm using it, let along take it for a spin himself. Hee hee, can you see The Man wheeling that back from Sainsbury's?