My fave tea cup

For part of the Knitters Tea Swap 2 we have been asked by our hostess to post a picture of our fave tea cup on our blogs. Well here is mine!


It is a one-cup teacup/pot. It is from Whittards and they do them in various colours/designs. I has a lid and a cup shaped filter then goes inside. This means I can make one cup of whatever tea I choose with less washing up. The filter is removed when brewing is completed so there is no need for tea strainers etc. I used to have a matching tile coaster but it seems to have disappeared.

Sock Wars

I have finished my pair of socks, so I believe I have officially taken out my target. I am now awaiting a reply from her with her mailing address so I can send them to her. I hope she likes bright colours coz boy are these bright! I used Regia 6ply in Crazy Colours, I used just over 50g on 3.25mm dpns.
I wasn't planning on staying up to finish them but it is soo hot that I couldn't sleep and then I got so close to finishing I decided to keep at it and of course once they were finished I had to run downstairs and tell the entire blogsphere.
I really should be asleep as I have to be up for Uni in 4 hours - oh well not to worry.
Good Luck to all the other sockwars warriors out there!

Bubble (01/04-09/06)

Unfortunately we have lost another hamster. Please don't think we are bad hamster keepers, it is just we have/had some old ones. It appears she passed peacefully in her sleep as we found her in her house.
Bubble was a Winter White hamster, a breed of dwarf hamsters. Her colouring is known as pearl. Bubble was bought for Karl as a birthday present along with her sister Squeak. They are social animals and can normally live together, however after around 6 weeks they began to fight and we had to seperate them.
Bubble was a feisty little girl and very determined. She was not loved by everyone as she was prone to bite. However, she had a special relationship with Karl as she would not bite him and she seemed to like being handled only by him.
We had noticed over the past couple of weeks that she was getting skinny and last week we noticed that it looked as if she had gone blind in one eye. Despite this she was still active and used her wheel regularly, but with the intenstity as before. When she was young she was very very fast.
She was very very houseproud and the neatest hamster I've ever known. She kept all her bedding in her house, and if it is was disturbed by one of us she quickly went to work rearranging it. Because of her girly housekeeping personality when she was split from Squeak we housed her in the girliest cage we could find. Its called the Pink Palace and she soon become known as Karls Princess.

I really love keeping hamsters but their short life expectancy can be hard espcecially when you loose them very close together. I lost Jenson just before starting my blog, and since then Pepper has gone and now Bubble. We still have the Robovoski's (they are only a year old) and Squeak, but she is slowly down and I don't think she will be with us alot longer.

On a positive note they have all given so much fun and happiness and I like to think that we have given them the same that in the end it is worth it.

Holiday

We had a great time staying the lighthouse and enjoyed various outings. We weren't able to goto see the seals unfortunately as the weather was too windy and the trip was cancelled. We did however go to the Sea Life Sanctuary and saw some seals there along with lots of other sealife.

My other faves were the Rays and the Terripins.

There was not alot of knitting carried out during the holiday so I have to get crackinh now I am back. I have Sock Wars going on aswell as needing to concentrate on my ISE3 scarf and ontop of all that Uni start tomorrow. ARRGGGHHHH!!!!

I have received my swap pal for Knitters Tea Swap 2 and my pal for the Mystery Ball Swap. I can a see a very busy time ahead.

My new fave yarn..

... Freedom Spirit by Twilleys of Stamford. It is just adorable. The colours are beautiful and the yarn is so so soft. I purchased six balls in total the other day, 3 of Earth (a khaki green, with brown and orange) and Air (blues and greys). I am going to be using the Air as my Sock Wars arsenal, and the Earth is going to turn into multi-directional scarf, (i will then get another 4 balls to make matching hat and gloves). I received the pattern support book today and have fallen in love with all 14 patterns. The upside is that the yarn is a basic DK weight so will be easy to sub for some of the patterns - if desired. This yarn is reasonably new but I am truely in love. It is reasonably prices to - around £3 per 50g.

I have finally finished Flood, but it is just too hot to wear to take pics at the mo. I promise pics after the holiday. It fits great and so warm and snug. I had 3 balls left over (I purchased more than needed as the yarn is now discontinued) and knit a matching cable hat last night.

My yarn has arrived for my ISE3 scarf and I hope to start and complete it whilst on holiday. We are leaving for Hunstanton on Saturday and will be gone for a week. I am quite excited about it only I have developed a sore throat over the past two days and am praying that is doesn't get worse - esp as my (8 months) pregnant stepsister is coming with us and I don't want to pass anything on to her. We are staying in an old converted lighthouse in Hunstanton.
I think I am most looking forward to going on a seal trip. It should be fantastic and I am hoping to get some great photos. The other day out I am looking forward to is visiting Norfolk Lavender.
This is prob be last post until I get back as I have be pack my bags and get organised tomorrow.
See you all soon.

is it too early to think of xmas?

I have decided to to be totally organised this year with xmas presents. Myself and Karl have pretty big familes so it can get very expensive (and with only one income, we often opt out of present giving) but last night I had a (minor) brainwave. Use my stash to knit the females presents and then buy the males presents. The problem I have with Xmas is that I never think about it until the middle of November. There is a really good reason for this - my birthday is at the beginning of November, so as a child Xmas was never thought of until the 'fuss' of my birthday died down. As you can imagine this can cause issues if I'm going to can knit presents. So I made a concious decision last night to organise the presents to be knit. On reflection I could just be trying to avoid the fact that my birthday is soon and trying to pretend that it has been and gone with out trauma. There will be trauma this year - i'm 30.
After contemplating my patterns and stash I decided on socks for everyone (portable, quick and reasonably priced). I am hoping to make small tubular bags with a picot cast off in the left over yarn to put the socks in to give them a professional look. The bag can them be filled with lavender etc and placed in an underwear draw. I also want to design some tags to attach to the bag with washing instruction etc.
I even plan to use a fair amount of my stash up.
Before Xmas I have to knit:

1. Jaywalkers (x2)
2. Baby Jaywalkers
3. Butterfly Bow Anklets
4. Slouch Socks
5. Love Me Knot socks
6. Reverse Psockology
7. Tropicana
8. Petticoat socks

and I have yarn in my stash to make 4 of these with yarn that is prefect for the recipients.

I cast on the Butterfly Bow Anklets last night using Cherry Tree Hill Supersock in Spring Frost and have knit one 24row pattern repeat and am really pleased with them. I will post photos in a couple of days when there is more to see.

My Mum is taking me to The Knitting and Stiching Show at Ally Pally for my birthday. I am really excited about it already esp as we are going to book in to a colourwork workshop. So hopefully I can learn the basics of colourwork. It should be a good day.

I am still plodding on with the Plaid sweater. I still that last sleeve to finish - its really dragging on, esp as the weather has taken an up turn so knitting in a chunky wool blend is not ideal. i WILL get it finsihed by the end of the week.

Saturday Sky

If you think that this photo is of higher quality than normal then that is because I got boyf to take it as I wasn't feeling up to going outside (read: I was still in my PJs in the afternoon and didn't want to stand in the front garden in them as there was people put there) but as he did such a good job I may have to employ him in future weeks. He doesn't really get why he took the photo he just decided it was easier not to ask.

I will cast on for my last sleeve tonight - had a rest from it yesterday as my wrists were beginning to hurt from knitting with such chunky yarn.

I have almost decided on my yarn and pattern for the ISE 3. I will be using either Artesano Alpaca Inca Cloud-Damson or Artesano Alpaca Opulencia Amethyst - this is there handpainted yarn and very nice. I will be using either the Ripple scarf pattern or the Bertie scarf pattern. When the yarn arrives I will swatch and see what works best. Both pattern were designed with this yarn in mind.

WIP progress

I only have a few wips at the moment but I have been working on Flood pretty exclusively. In the past 10 days I have managed to complete the front, back and one sleeve. All going well it looks like it will be finished in time for my holiday. I'm loving the way it is looking and it feels so cuddly.
There is one thing that is bothering me, what is the best way to block it. It isn't ribbed at the cuffs and bottom, but the first few rows are knit in a size smaller, is supposed to naturally curl up a little so do i just leave it? I'm not really that informed on blocking so any comments greatly received.

I have also been working on Rosalind. I am about half way through. I guessed at doing three chart repeats and I have done about one and half and I think I my guess was right. I have two balls of each colour so I should even have enough yarn left over to put tassels on it. I love the colour combination - perfect for autumn. I am aiming to get this done in time for the start of uni (two weeks away). Maybe I'll get into my genetics lecturer's good books if turn up to the first lecture wearing it ;)

I have been given my pal for ISE3 and will be hoping to knit the majority of her scarf whilst on holiday in a couple of weeks. If possible it would be great to have it finished before the start of Sock Wars. Sock Wars starts whilst I am away, but I have located an internet cafe nearby so will be popping in there to get the pattern - even being a day behind could be fatal.

Although the date says Saturday it is only 2am and as i haven't slept yet still feels like friday. Saturday sky will come later - unless you want a picture of black?

How lucky am I?

I received my parcel from my fave colour swap pal this morning. This was a pleasant surprise as I wasn't expecting it until the end of the week. My pal was none other than the hostess of the swap Nicole who revealed herself on a gorgeous postcard.
My parcel was full to bursting with a myriad of purple and even though I was still half asleep when it arrived I managed to grab the camara before ripping it open.

Before...

and after...

In my parcel was:

• chocolates (mmm)
• Purple & pink notepads
• Purple pen
• Pink buttons (from Nicole's vintage collection)
• Pink & purple pot (which will be used as a make-up brush holder)
• Purple sitich markers
• Wool wash - which smells divine and will be perfect to wash my Rowan Plaid sweater in (when it gets finished)
• 3, yes 3 balls of Sugar n Cream cotton
• Knitpicks Memories 100% merino yarn - in a colourway that is just so me, which I am probably going to make into a felted pencil case for uni, decorated with the pink vintage buttons.

The pink and purple notepads, pen and stitch markers

and a close up of those stitch markers...

Sugar n Cream in Jewel, Grape & Patio Pink

and finally the Knitpicks Memories in Rocky Mountain Dusk

This was the first swap that I have participated in and I have really really enjoyed it. It has however made me realise how nice the Sugar n Cream cotton is and I just the love the Knitpicks yarn that I am beginning to wish we could get both in the UK. It is possible to ship SnC over from various websites but Knitpicks don't ship internationally which I think is just so unfair. I think all us UK (and Europe) knitters should petition Knitpicks to get shipping over here.

A big THANK YOU goes to Nicole for being such a great swap pal!

I'm now waiting my pal receiving here parcel...I only hope she is a happy as I am with mine.