Monday 24 December 2012

Bah Humbug

4 am Dudes

Thank the Lord for the joy of Whiskey.

I hate Christmas

Sunday 23 December 2012

Ode to Christmas

Or - Why Do I Do This To Myself Each Year.



Its Christmas Eve eve. 23:13, 23/12/12. I feel ill. Really quite ill. Why am I still up then, you ask? Why? Could it be the festive season getting me so happy and excited that I just can't settle to sleep? Could it be the enticement of imminent inebriation satiable by my parents dosh?
Nope.
Its knitting.

More accurately it's a lack of knitting.

One Panda hat - knit but not sewn.
One fluffy weird scarf - partially knit
One jumper - 1 x sleeve and the collar to go (before sewing)
One dragon - so many pieces to go I don't know where to start.

Stupid season.
Stupid festival.
Stupid Christmas.

I hate Christmas.

(don't get me wrong, I really enjoy mini-Uni/House-Christmas, and I mucho like the sentiment of the Christian festival. It's just the actual day itself that I can't be bothered with. That, and presents. And shopping. And the effort that has to go into all the food. And......... )

Monday 17 December 2012

The army is rising

So I was going to wait for the full army to be complete, armed and operable. However, the last date to post parcels is on Thursday. So - the army is being broken up somewhat prematurely.

Thus, some pictures of this part of my pteeny ptiny pterodactyl army is having its group photo now, before it is sent out across this currently green and pleasant land.

They do have names you'll be glad to here. Dark green is called Needle, aka Strike-a-Pose. Neon green is called Vegas. Blue stripes is called Niagra, and red is called Cranberry.


Each of them has a nice introductory note, that somehow or other completely failed to mention their special orders regarding rising up to take over the country on specific orders, which may or may not have been a major part of the intention of building this army in the first place. Instead they state their wish for platonic love in the form of friendship and Christmas spirit.


Their poor owners. Enjoying this seemingly wonderful new friend, never suspecting the sinister happenings that may or may not come to pass. 
I mean, they are lovely and wonderful presents which will bring their owners nothing but joy. That is definitely all I mean, and all that will happen. 

Sunday 2 December 2012

Pteeny Ptiny Pteddy Pterodactyls


Christimas ptime approacheth in its ptraditional looming, undeniable, inevitable and downright scary manner. Ptis pthe season pto make and pto share. Specifically pto knit so many freaking pthings pthat you are pretty convinced you will still be knitting pthe last sleeve on Christmas eve, and are likely to go ptotally Librarian-poo and Bursar pto quote pthe guards of pthe Ankh-Morpork city watch.

Pthis year, I'm doing one jumper, one dragon, and one army of pteeny ptiny pteddy pterodactyls.

Pthey are cute. Very cute. 


Only the first Strike-a-Pose pteddy pterodactyl has as yet consented to have his picture captured. Pthe others wish to wait for pthe full assemblage of pthe army and a group shot. Pthey have a point. Or I've gone crazy. Not sure which is pthe more likely. 

If you were wondering by pthe way - pthey are pteddy pterodactyls because my wonderfully pedantic not-quite-housemate Steve wanted pto check if pthey were ptrue pterodactyls or just pterodons. Since I was not, and remain not, willing pto do pthe necessary research, pthey are pteddys. Pthat also solve pthe minor authenticity problem pthat would otherwise have been faced with having one bright green pterodon, or pterosaur or whatever pthey would actually pturn out pto be, who had a stripy blue brother and a red sister. I realise we have no great quantities of proof on pthe colours of pterosaurs, but I am also fairly certain pthat pthe shear variety of colours I am creating would cause historians interested in pthis particular random minutiae severe alarm. I know pthe name caused Steve sufficient alarm for a minutiae to be changed. Simplicity is said pto be a wonderful pthing. I wouldn't know however, having yet pto experience it.

I got pthe pattern from ravelry (of course) and while I did have pto pay, I don't begrudge pthe money one bit. Partly because it was under £2 but mostly because pthe pattern is brilliant. I can pturn one of these guys out in an evening. Which is handy given how close pthe beast pthat is pthe date looms.

Only one sad pthing. Pthey will shortly be split up all across pthe country. 

Tuesday 30 October 2012

Stripes and Randomness

It occurred to me late one night that there was some kind of poetry in making irregular stripes. There is a hated joy in attempting to create randomness. Unfortunately - words are not something I am especially skilled at. Communication is not really a strong point of mine, and eloquence is a spectacular weakness. For one thing I can't even spell it. I used spell check. 

Tory however. Tory does do words. Tory does eloquence. So I asked her to do the poetry thing. 

She consented. 


Just like before,
one stripe repeats another--
a way of ordering the world
to keep close.

One stripe repeats another
an echo, a pattern, reminding its fellows
to keep close,
though one tries to place them at random.

An echo, a pattern, fellows reminding
each to each, "Yes--still here."
Though one tries to place them at random,
they will return.

Stripes are a friendly proposition,
a way of ordering the world.
Though placed at random, they still will return
just like before.

The irregular stripes, btw, are for a jumper I'm making my Dad. One week in I have the back, and have cast on for the front. And remembered why I only make one jumper per year for Christmas.

Tuesday 17 July 2012

This is why I shouldn't be allowed on eBay


You see all that awesome mohair-ish purple? That, and about another kilogram of wool came through today. I also got given my Grandma's old stash of genuine mohair yarn and other awesome wools, as well as some various bits and pieces of wool that just sort of end up all over my house. This caused a major (and long overdue) overhaul of my stash.

I have a lot of wool.
Probably not when you compare it to other serious knitters, but still. It doesn't all fit under my bed anymore. This is sort of a problem.





.... I may also have just bought another complete set of interchangeable needles. Possibly.
I really have no need of ever buying any knitting materials ever again.





Place your bets, place your bets: how long till I go buy more wool on eBay?

Friday 8 June 2012

The wonders of loop stitch and tea

The wonders of loop stitch may be a bit of an overstatement - I kinda hate doing loop stitch. Its slow, and makes my fingers cramp up so much more than any other type of knitting. Also - it uses up very much of your wool.

But on the other hand, it is totally awesome. 

Perfect for a sheep me thinks.

  (yes he is a teapot cosy. yes that is where the tea part of the title comes in)





In fact. We have a space hopper in our house called Fred. He is our sixth housemate (cause Tory went to Americaland and got herself relegated to seventh despite, you know, being human and all) and he is useful in the seating department. 


He also is ..... probably ..... a sheep. We're not totally sure. But it seems moderately plausible that that was what whoever designed the face on him was going for.

Seems a shame for a sheep not to have a nice fleece really doesn't it?

Back to the loop stitch. (For approximately the next *year*)

Monday 28 May 2012

Kweh. Kupo can't find any treasure here.... Try somewhere else.

Ugh.

Its 20 days since I set out on my mission to make a knitting pattern for a chocobo. Guess what! (the title of this post is a hint by the way)
Still got nothing.

To be fair, between school work, house-hunting (STRESS), interviews (STRESSSSSSSS STRESS), and making my costume for the chaplaincy ball (Rinoa's cape  . well - obvs I'm going as Rinoa, but the bit I'm making is her cape) - oh and the unhelpful to knitting heat - I haven't exactly had much time.

I will however restart.

Soon.

Honest.

Right after I clean my car. Not even wash it clean it, clean out the junk food wrappers in it clean it.

Organisation. Really what is the point?

I don't know the point of this post either though. All its saying is that I haven't done anything. Which you could have worked out rather easily from a lack of information as well. Oh well. Whatever.

Monday 21 May 2012

Further forrays into crochet -- or why can't I keep my mind on one project at a time?

You know the dog in Up?
Doug?

The one who is totally into whatever it is he's doing and then suddenly points the opposite way and 'says' SQUIRREL!

He has better concentration and dedication to a project than me.

For one thing - I started this post about 2 weeks ago, and have only just got this far. I wrote the title before.


I kinda started crocheting again. I made a (hideous and far too small) shawl, and have started a cardigan (which I will never ever ever wear in public cause that is just not me). I know. I know. I was gonna make the chocobo. I will! Eventually.
Just, I got distracted.

SQUIRREL!

Anyway - when I find my/someone else's camera I will show you my squ  crochet projects.
Could take a while. Don't hold your breath.


Tuesday 8 May 2012

Kweh?!

Update on the chocobo.... Well. The knitted one. This is what it looks like so far. 
You may notice it looks like a yellow potato with some white tube on it. Looks pretty awful right? Right. Definitely.

So I went back to trying to remember how to crochet before I try another knitted one.
On the plus side I remembered how to crochet. I am still pretty slow, but at least it looks more or less like it should do.



See, looks more or less like a chocobo.

I don't really know what happened this bank holiday weekend. I just seem to have been knitting/crocheting. Like more so than in the last  n  months where n is a reasonably small rational number. 

btw - for the uninitiated, Kweh?! Is the sound a chocobo makes when treasure is near ish. Not near exactly, but somewhere. As opposed to nowhere. You got the idea a while ago. Whatever. Play FFIX. Its awesome.

Monday 7 May 2012

Piglet

Distraction, thy name is knitting. Actually, thy name is distraction. And if it wasn't then it would be Making-Knitting-Patterns. Which is way too long.

Anyway.
Point is that (despite not having knit him up yet) Tigger is looking lonely. He needs a friend. My next favourite Hundred Acres Wood resident is Piglet. So here is Piglet, all illusionated so he can hide in the background when he wants, and say hello when he wants. (Piglet .... is a boy right? Somehow this detail is not something I had considered before. Oh well)

Pattern on scribd : Piglet Illusion

Now back to the chocobo.

Sunday 6 May 2012

The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers!

As usual, I got distracted.

Honestly, I am knitting the chocobo. But, well. We are redoing our internet, so I'm being sociable in the living room, and the chocobo is upstairs. So I got tea. That's always a good plan. Now for a song I think:


The wonderful thing about Tiggers
Is Tiggers are wonderful things
Their tops are made out of rubber
Their bottoms are made out of springs
They're bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, pouncy
Fun, fun, fun, fun, FUN!
But the most wonderful thing about Tiggers
Is I'm the only one
The wonderful thing about Tiggers
Is Tiggers are wonderful chaps
They're loaded with vim and with vigor
They love to leap in your laps
They're bouncy, trouncy, flouncy pouncy
Fun, fun, fun, fun, FUN
But the most wonderful thing about Tiggers
Is I'm the only one.
Tiggers are wonderful fellahs.
Tiggers are awfully sweet.
Everyone elses is jealous,
And thats why I repeat...
The wonderful thing about Tiggers
Are Tiggers are wonderful things
Their tops are made out of rubber
Their bottoms are made out of springs
They're bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, pouncy
Fun, fun, fun, fun, FUN!
But the most wonderful thing about Tiggers
............................................................................... is they hold your tea.


You now understand the link between all these things and how my train of non-thought ended up here, with a Tigger illusion to add to my collection of other illusions.

I have the attention span of a gnat.

For a selection of reasons (most of which I don't understand and the ones I do are basically that I fail at internet) I am now using a totally different scribd account. Which totally doesn't matter to you lovely readers. Here's the link: Tigger Illusion

If you knit it - send me a pic of the completed thing please! I can put it on ravelry then :)


Kweh!


So chocobos. They are awesome.
I've been playing through VIII again recently, and while chocobos don't figure anywhere near as highly there as they do in the other games in the series, they are still totally cool.

So clearly, I must knit one.

Darn internet. We just worked out how to get it in the kitchen (10 months later) but that meant I just lost it for an important minute. I already finished this post. Oh well.

Anyways.

Infact I clearly must knit all the chocobos. The ones that run on land alone, the ones that run in shallow water, the ones that can climb mountains, the ones that run in oceans deap, the ones that have mastered the skys themselves.
Ie - all the ones in IX. They were the best chocobos. They found hidden treasure and everything.

There is a small problem - there is no pattern. There's some crochet ones, but I am truly awful at crochet. Truly. Awful. I spent the afternoon trying. And failing. Really, really failing. As a result I am now making up a knitting pattern as I go along, and have just noticed (halfway through the body) that I should really have been writing it down...... It would have made the repeat chocobos much easier.

Oh for an easy life.

Or a sense of what 'organisation' means. 



Monday 2 April 2012

Done

Pictures to follow.

Pictures!

They had to follow cause I wanted Sam to get the first looksee since it was her birthday way back in October. But then, Sam got the dragon, and I forgot to take pictures. So, Sam took pictures. Me and my general fail with photos.....


Saturday 31 March 2012

Thursday 15 March 2012

OMG a SALE!!!!!

I made a sale!!!!!!!!!!!
Someone thinks the patterns I make are worth MONEY!!!!
Honest to goodness MONEY!!!!





Ok. So if you look closely you'll note that the honest to goodness money is 50p. But really. Thats just quibbling with semantics. Its still money.


That was it really. I haven't been doing anything remotely like interesting knitting recently. But. Whatever. Its nearly Easter hols. (2 weeks in fact). 
Keep happy everyone.

Saturday 18 February 2012

Opportunity missed.

Half term
The time of the joyous non-work
Non-teaching, non-planning (mostly), non-children, non-morning.

Non-knitting.

Darn.
That was an error. I mean, toothless is still short some limbs and some wings, I was trying to make a lace pattern thingy which I never got very far through and just generally. I wanted to knit.
Oops.

I miss knitting. Why on earth did I not knit then?

I know.
I don't understand me either.
I'll shut up now.


Time to carry on watching Angel. We just finished up tonights Buffy binge anyhow.