And so the 2nd round of Nerd Wars began this morning. I'm gonna try really hard this round to use projects I need to get done as part of it. Below are the challenges. I have ideas for the Intellectual, Team Spirit and Scientific. I'm just running them past one of the mods before I start to see if they would qualify. Squee, the excitement. I finished the 1st month with a respectable 2.5 points. Considering I've never really done anything to a deadline like this I'm quite proud.
Challenge (Intellectual): WARRIOR'S FRIEND
Craft a shield. Spinners, find a picture of a shield (historical or fictitious) and make something reminiscent of its colours. Or, if you can think of another answer to this riddle, craft that. Make sure to explain what your answer is and why you chose it.
Craft something that will protect you from something unpleasant or undesirable.
Craft something that will protect an object that is important to you from something unpleasant or undesirable.
Challenge (Team Spirit): IN LIKE A LION, OUT LIKE A LAMB
If you haven’t heard, March is the month that comes in like a lion (blustery, cold, and harsh) and goes out like a lamb (mild and temperate). This month’s challenge pays homage to that saying.
The Challenge: Create something inspired by this saying.
* Make something inspired by an animal or animal-like being. Werewolves need love too, you know!
* For those without animals in their nerddom, play off the hard and soft duality of the saying. Perhaps that gruff space pilot has a soft and gentle heart?
Challenge (Nerd Culture): DON’T HIDE YOUR LIGHT UNDER A BUSHEL!
Your challenge this month is to spark wonder in your home towns and cities by performing your art in public. You may choose to submit photographic or video evidence of yourself knitting, crocheting, spinning, or weaving in public (from either a third- or first-person view, if you’re camera-shy), or by summoning a minor Yarnstorm of your own. Knit colorful flowers to stand by the side of the road until their organic counterparts take over. Crochet that One Tree on campus a sweater. Fill those who view your art with wonder, and help spread your nerdery to a new audience!
Challenge (Giving Geeks): WIP HELP
Some projects take what seems like forever, even if they are small. My friend’s mother had a pair of thumbless mittens sitting on top of her knitting basket for years, and now she is so shaky with her ailments she cannot do the simple task of finishing the thumbs. It took a gentle touch to get her to allow my friend to take the mittens and finish them up.
Your challenge is to finish a WIP for someone who can no longer do it themselves, from age, injury, or illness. The person does not need to be elderly - it can be a peer who has broken a hand, but needs to finish the WIP on a deadline. The size of the WIP is unimportant - what is important is helping someone finish a project.
This challenge is not for completing your own WIPs.
Challenge (Scientific): CAPILLARY ACTION
Capillary action is responsible for moving groundwater from wet areas of the soil to dry areas, creating that pesky meniscus when measuring liquids for cooking or science projects, and what Bounty tries to maximize to be the quicker picker upper. It is the ability of liquid to flow against gravity. It is one of the qualities that makes water a unique compound.
In this challenge, you must find inspiration in capillary action. Whether it is from capillary action in nature, kitchen, or otherwise.
Challenge (Technical): POLYTECHS
A polyglot is someone who is able to speak or write in several languages. It comes from Greek, meaning many tongues.
A polytech (made up by me from Greek meaning many techniques or arts) is someone who is able to craft using many techniques (spinning, knitting, crochet, quilting, needle felting, tatting, etc.). Your challenge this month is to demonstrate your proficiency in multiple techniques by combining two or more to produce a single finished object. One of the techniques must be from the Rav-sanctioned four (spinning, knitting, crochet, weaving), but the other technique(s) can be any craft of your choosing.
Showing posts with label knitting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label knitting. Show all posts
Tuesday, 1 March 2011
Monday, 14 February 2011
The evils of strawberry plants
Now don't get me wrong, I loves strawberries. But the plants root like there is no tomorrow. Not long roots either, just tenacious. I spent Saturday clearing the old strawberry patch at the farm this weekend and my arms, stomach and legs are very aware of it.
It was a lovely day to be in the garden on Saturday. The sun was shining, the wind was gentle, the rain held off. Birds of prey were circling above, an owl kept fluttering by, the robins were following us eating worms. I got to hold a 3 day old piglet.
Oh yes, we're in piglet season again. I love piglets, they are just the cutest things. Next will be lambs and chicks and ducklings. Oh how I love spring.
Having taken all my weekly office anger out on the strawberries I was able to make pizza with out getting stressed. Pepper and bacon on a wholewheat crust. Yummy. Then we sat down to play on the Wii we have been loaned by a friend. Not a bad Saturday really.
Sunday was all about the dull ironing. Not my fav chore it has to be said. But it's all done now. I'm up to date with the washing, there is bread in the bread bin. the kitchen floor is reasonably clean. The hoovering needs doing and I really need to tidy my dressing table. But other than that the household things are up to date.
On the knitting front I am halfway through the fibre for my nebula challenge, halfway through one sock for my valentines challenge, ready to knit the front and back on Spadger's cardigan and have at least 2 other projects in mind already. I'm a block behind on the EcoQuilt challenge but I know what I'm doing for blocks 2 and 3 so I just need to get on with them. On the sewing front I have done nothing on my friend's coat (I'm a bad person I know), my Momma has commissioned me to sew a regency dress and jacket in 9 weeks and that is about it. My poor sewing machines are being ignored in favour of wool at the mo.
It was a lovely day to be in the garden on Saturday. The sun was shining, the wind was gentle, the rain held off. Birds of prey were circling above, an owl kept fluttering by, the robins were following us eating worms. I got to hold a 3 day old piglet.
Oh yes, we're in piglet season again. I love piglets, they are just the cutest things. Next will be lambs and chicks and ducklings. Oh how I love spring.
Having taken all my weekly office anger out on the strawberries I was able to make pizza with out getting stressed. Pepper and bacon on a wholewheat crust. Yummy. Then we sat down to play on the Wii we have been loaned by a friend. Not a bad Saturday really.
Sunday was all about the dull ironing. Not my fav chore it has to be said. But it's all done now. I'm up to date with the washing, there is bread in the bread bin. the kitchen floor is reasonably clean. The hoovering needs doing and I really need to tidy my dressing table. But other than that the household things are up to date.
On the knitting front I am halfway through the fibre for my nebula challenge, halfway through one sock for my valentines challenge, ready to knit the front and back on Spadger's cardigan and have at least 2 other projects in mind already. I'm a block behind on the EcoQuilt challenge but I know what I'm doing for blocks 2 and 3 so I just need to get on with them. On the sewing front I have done nothing on my friend's coat (I'm a bad person I know), my Momma has commissioned me to sew a regency dress and jacket in 9 weeks and that is about it. My poor sewing machines are being ignored in favour of wool at the mo.
Monday, 7 February 2011
Prime Scoobies - Complete
Yay I completed my first challenge. I am now on the Ninja board with 1 point. Woop Woop! I my excitement I forgot to tell them which challenge I was entering it for. Fortunately for me the Gamesmaster is very forgiving :o)
Thursday, 3 February 2011
Valentines Socks update
I started the socks last night. My first cables. As with any new project I had to start it over at least once. I should have really frogged and started over twice but I decided the mistakes were minimal and no one would notice but me. Purling round a corner seems to be an issue for me. Heck I still struggle a little with the Purl stitch at the best of times.
So second attempt in and I decided that the "proper" cable needle was not working for me. I don't really hold my needles very flat which meant it kept slipping out of my stitches. So I substituted a 5mm wooden dpn. Large and grabby, the stitches were going nowhere.
I've completed the 9 rounds that make up the ribbing. Next I start on the patterning for the heart cables that run down the leg. I think I'll be adapting the pattern by making it shorter in the leg as I only really want ankle socks. But this should be pretty easy as it is just a pattern repeat. As long as I stop on the same row of the pattern chart as the instructions call for I should be fine. I'm actually feeling fairly confident about this. However it may mean that this is the only NW project I manage. I'd like to do some others (posts coming up on those) but I'm not sure if I'll have the time. I guess I should start them though as the whole point of NW was to make me push myself.
I was mighty pleased to hear from you other Spike aficionados. Glad it's not just me. (Bless Spadger for putting up with my teenage lustings :oD) Just for you guys here is a little pic of happiness
So second attempt in and I decided that the "proper" cable needle was not working for me. I don't really hold my needles very flat which meant it kept slipping out of my stitches. So I substituted a 5mm wooden dpn. Large and grabby, the stitches were going nowhere.
I've completed the 9 rounds that make up the ribbing. Next I start on the patterning for the heart cables that run down the leg. I think I'll be adapting the pattern by making it shorter in the leg as I only really want ankle socks. But this should be pretty easy as it is just a pattern repeat. As long as I stop on the same row of the pattern chart as the instructions call for I should be fine. I'm actually feeling fairly confident about this. However it may mean that this is the only NW project I manage. I'd like to do some others (posts coming up on those) but I'm not sure if I'll have the time. I guess I should start them though as the whole point of NW was to make me push myself.
I was mighty pleased to hear from you other Spike aficionados. Glad it's not just me. (Bless Spadger for putting up with my teenage lustings :oD) Just for you guys here is a little pic of happiness
Tuesday, 1 February 2011
Valentines socks
Tonight is sock club. I'm teaching a couple of my friends to knit socks. Now lets ignore the fact that I have never actually knitted a pair of socks. I do know the theory and basic socks are no harder than anything else. I plan on offering people basis socks or a pattern out of my stash. I'm going ot be doing something al ittle more interesting than basic sock as I plan on combining them with my first Nerd Wars project.
Challenge (Team Spirit): VALENTINE'S DAY
I must knit something for my favourite BtVS character. Clearly this is Spike. I think a nice pair of socks would be much appreciated. The pattern I wanted to use is a toe up sock so that is no good. I want to work cuff down like everyone else so I can show them the basics. I think I'm going to make the Vampire Boyfriend socks. They will definitely be stretching my skills (cables eep!) and as I'm not in a team at the mo if I don't get them done it's no biggie. The vampire connection and the hearts make them a perfect pattern for the challenge. Plus they are socks I will wear. What? We all know Spike isn't really going to come round for them as much as I wish so I'd best make something I'll wear.
Challenge (Team Spirit): VALENTINE'S DAY
I must knit something for my favourite BtVS character. Clearly this is Spike. I think a nice pair of socks would be much appreciated. The pattern I wanted to use is a toe up sock so that is no good. I want to work cuff down like everyone else so I can show them the basics. I think I'm going to make the Vampire Boyfriend socks. They will definitely be stretching my skills (cables eep!) and as I'm not in a team at the mo if I don't get them done it's no biggie. The vampire connection and the hearts make them a perfect pattern for the challenge. Plus they are socks I will wear. What? We all know Spike isn't really going to come round for them as much as I wish so I'd best make something I'll wear.
Prime Scoobies
Challenge (Intellectual): PRIME NUMBERS
Your challenge is to demonstrate prime numbers in a project. For example, it could be a prime number of yards (be prepared to show your work on how this was determined), a prime number of colors, or shapes that have a prime number of corners (triangles, pentagons, etc.). These are examples only - think creatively!
Ok so I started my Prime Numbers Challenge yesterday. I needed something easy to knit during the play I am in (yes my character is knitting. It's not like I just want to squeeze in some extra knitting time). So I pondered how I could fit this into the Nerd Wars challenges. Ah ha! I will knit a little phone cozy. How does this fit in with the above challenge? I've cast on a prime number of stitches (31). I'm going to knit a prime number of rows. I'm doing it in moss stitch which is a new one for me. Looks quite nice so far. To tie it into my (future) team I've chose a wool that makes me think of tweed in honour of Giles. I think he would like something tweedy to hide the modern technology that is the phone.
Your challenge is to demonstrate prime numbers in a project. For example, it could be a prime number of yards (be prepared to show your work on how this was determined), a prime number of colors, or shapes that have a prime number of corners (triangles, pentagons, etc.). These are examples only - think creatively!
Ok so I started my Prime Numbers Challenge yesterday. I needed something easy to knit during the play I am in (yes my character is knitting. It's not like I just want to squeeze in some extra knitting time). So I pondered how I could fit this into the Nerd Wars challenges. Ah ha! I will knit a little phone cozy. How does this fit in with the above challenge? I've cast on a prime number of stitches (31). I'm going to knit a prime number of rows. I'm doing it in moss stitch which is a new one for me. Looks quite nice so far. To tie it into my (future) team I've chose a wool that makes me think of tweed in honour of Giles. I think he would like something tweedy to hide the modern technology that is the phone.
Nerd Wars
Hello my name is Affi'enia and I am a nerd. Wow that was kinda liberating. I've never really thought of myself as a nerd but my obsessive nature does lend itself to nerddom. I have decided to harness that power and use it to further my projects this year. I can be awfully lazy and need a lot of motivation. So with this in mind I have signed myself up to Nerd Ward on Ravelry.
This is the basic premise. Everyone is in a team based on their shared nerdy favourite. There is a lord of the rings one, a vampire one, a Pratchett one etc. The tournament lasts 3 months and each month there are 6 challenges, one in each category. You must try and complete one item for as many of the challenges as you can in the month. Points are awarded for completed items and less points for half completed. If you manage to embody the spirit of your team in each project you will get more points. The team with the most points at the end of the tournament wins.
Now I actually missed the sign up date for this tournament but there is a Ninja category where you can play along for the glory. Points will be awarded but there is obviously no team glory. I intend to play along this time and am in the process of gathering a team for the next round. Our chosen Nerd topic? Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Oh yes my friends I am a closet BtVS fan. I loved the series when it was first on and watched all of them bar the last series. It just sort of fell off my radar. I had a hankering a few months back to catch the last series as I really wanted to see the ones with Nathan Fillion. So I bought the whole 7 series with some of my birthday money. So far we are up to Season 3. Loving it!
Ok so February's challenges are as follows:
Challenge (Intellectual): PRIME NUMBERS
Your challenge is to demonstrate prime numbers in a project. For example, it could be a prime number of yards (be prepared to show your work on how this was determined), a prime number of colors, or shapes that have a prime number of corners (triangles, pentagons, etc.). These are examples only - think creatively!
Challenge (Team Spirit): VALENTINE'S DAY
Your challenge this round is to craft an item for that very special character in your nerddom. Maybe your beloved Night Elf gets cold on those cold nights battling the Horde. Make them a shawl! Perhaps that adorable pair of practical jokesters would love a skein of handspun yarn in their house colors? Even the coldest of the undead would appreciate a good pair of socks, right?
Challenge (Technical): A BONDING EXPERIENCE
Your challenge is to demonstrate the fiber equivalent of ionic bonding, using different types of fiber. Working with different fibers generally requires different techniques or tools to produce a finished object with the hoped-for properties. Therefore, in addition to presenting your finished object, you should discuss the technical aspect (fiber preparation, needle choice, etc.) of working with different fibers. Pre-blended fibers/yarns count as polyatomic ions and therefore can be one half of the ionic bond.
Challenge (Scientific): NEBULAS
Your challenge is to demonstrate a nebula in a project. For example, you could spin yarn reminiscent of a nebula or create a project that depicts a famous nebula.
Challenge (Giving Geeks): COLD HANDS, WARM HEARTS
Your challenge is to donate mittens to a program local to you, or giving them directly to someone in need.
Challenge (Nerd Culture): NERDWARSCON
Your challenge is to craft something that can be found at a convention (could be a specific one, or conventions in general) or craft something that would useful at a convention (like a bag to put all your free stuff in).
Now the hard part begins. Thinking of projects for each that I stand a chance of finishing before the end of Feb without ignoring everything else I am doing. Hmm....
Tuesday, 11 January 2011
The moose and my first handspun
Finally I have pictures of the Moose for you. This is Bob.
He's not quite as good as Geldoff as far as I'm concerned but considering how rushed I ended up being I'm quite pleased with him. Spadgersdottier squealed when she opened him so that made me happy :o)
The next fibre based offering for you is my first handspun yarn. I got my wheel in October and I have been practicing by plying lots of scraps of wool together. I finally broke out the raw fibre and spun one bobbin of Jacob and one of English. I then plied those together. It's uneven and fairly ugly but I love it. I've learnt so much already and can't wait to get more fibre.
Tuesday, 29 June 2010
Introducing probably George
Pretty much everything Spadgersdottier has is named George. Now recently she made a teddy at the bear factory and named it Boris which was a surprise but I am holding out hope that this gentleman will be named George.
"Is this my good side?"
He is my first knitted toy. He's made from Cygnet wool rich 4 ply (yellow) and a huge cone of wool I got at a charity shop (green). He is also my first ever stripes and loop stitch. Maybe this makes him George the first.
"This is me looking pensive"
He's a bit of a camera tart so I leave you with some of his favourite shots. He wouldn't let me post the bad ones hehehe
"Yeah I'm stripy"
"Man I'm pretty"
Monday, 28 June 2010
Woolfest
This weekend was Woolfest. This is my first trip to the fibre festival and it was a wonderful experience. The trip was organised by my local wool shop as a celebration of their 1st birthday. Happy birthday Baaramewe. They run a knit night every Thursday which I used to go to with S~ every week. However since she stopped being able to go I've not been either. I really should start going again and think I will do as part of my to do list. It will give me dedicated time to get through the knitted portion of the list :o) The last time I went I was knitting a top for myself but that is not a suitable project for public knitting. There is so much counting involved that I really can't socialise at the same time. It would be the perfect time to do Spadger's cardigan as it's just garter stitch.
Pretty baby cardigan
Anyhoo, back to Woolfest. There was a lot of fibre in a more raw state than I can use. Everything from fleeces to roving. Now I don't really have time for any more crafts so spinning and felting are out. However my Momma bought me a peg loom so weaving is now on the cards. I made a picture frame loom ages ago but found that really cumbersome. The peg loom looks much easier to use. My first project on it is going to be weaving a strap for Spadgersdottier's birthday present from her dad. I should really do a plain one but I'm never happy with that so I've found some patterns already :o)
Needles in every size and length
The first stall we stopped at was one offering patterns for a donation. The cause was medicins sans frontieres. Organisations like this and doctors without borders have my utmost respect. I picked up 3 patterns, made a donation and took a pic of this very cheerful lady working the stall. She seemed very pleased to be asked for a pic
I splashed out for myself on a skein of hand spun wool. It's merino, yak, soy and sparkle. These are the kind of things I look at but don;t buy as I can't justify them. But Woolfest was all about frippery for me. I also bought 2 really large skeins of undyed Blue Faced Leicester which I want to have a go at hand dying. With that in mind I bought 2 mordants. And, since I have a mad love affaire with buttons I bought some lovely floral ones. My Momma also splashed out on some buttons for me. We were at a vintage stall and I was having a good rummage around. I adore buttons and some old ones are truly lovely. Now as a general rule vintage buttons are well out of my price range but I do like to have a look just to see the pretties. My Momma tried to be sneaky and buy me one set that I fell in love with but it's hard to sneak up to the sales people when you're wearing a bright pink dress. They are circa 1890-1910 and were £18. Aren't they stunning? I think I'm going to save these to go on a really nice coat once I'm skilled enough to make one. They look like nice coat buttons.
This is an Angora goat. Yeah I thought sheep too.
There were lots of animals there. Sheep in every flavour, angora goats, angora rabbits and alpacas. I love alpacas!!! However despite my love of all things goaty I do not like angora goats. I mistook it for a sheep. It was only when Momma pointed out the ears I realised it really was a goat. Goats should look like goats!
Isn't this a face you can love? Alpacas are just the most adorable things, even without their fur.
Angora bunny
Smile for the camera
Basket weaving
Fluffy roving
And some more
Roving balls!
One more alpaca, just because :o)
Wednesday, 26 May 2010
The long awaited (ahem) picture post
So I started this post yesterday and am finishing it now. Hope it all makes sense still.
IT'S RAINING!! (or at least it was when I started writing this post)
Ok now I've got that out of my system let's continue with the normal post :o)
It seems like quite a while since I have posted any pictures so I'm going to go a little overboard on you now. A combination of Spadger nabbing the Internet connection for work, baking and general apathy have stopped be from editing any pics. So be prepared for a picture book story. Well, sort of.
Where to start, where to start. How about a tour of the garden, sound good? Ok then. There are many more pictures to come on this theme but this is catch up time. Firstly lets look at the flowers. I love flowers. However my garden is not so keen. The front flower beds have suffered the whole time we have lived here from being in the shade of two massive sycamore trees. As you may remember they were both cut down before Christmas due to them interfering with the structural stability of the house. I love trees but not enough to want to come home one day to find the front of the house has fallen off!! Now the front garden gets sooooo much more sunlight. This is good news for the flowers and the possible veg that might get planted out there. Not so good for the wild garlic that we have just discovered is edible. That baby likes the shade. Fortunately I know it is a very hardy bulb because in our first couple of years here I tried to dig it all up and it was having none of it let me tell you. So the plan is to pull some of the bulbs and re-plant them somewhere a bit more shady. The far corner of the garden was lovingly referred to as the mossy corner of doom. Even in the middle of summer the ground squelched. It is now dry and the moss is receding. So things might grow in that corner soon. Right, on to the pics I've been babbling about. First up is the peony. I thought I had killed this one but no, tis alive and blooming. I adore the bright but dark red and how floofy it it. This is a petticoat in flower form my friends.
Next up is the tulips. Now I planted many tulips last year and they were all very nice. This year I totally forgot about anything in the ground and planted some interesting tulips in tubs. Spadgersdottier had planted mystery bulbs in the ground so I got plenty of "normal" tulips but this here is my fav one from the tubs. So pretty.
Now these ones are not from my garden but I thought I would continue the flower theme. All of these were taken at the farm. This is the apple tree that is at the side of the car park. When we first came to look round the farm back in Feb the tree had apples on it. Now look at the gorgeous blossom. I am a big lover of blossom. Daffodils may be the first herald of Spring but blossom means it is in full swing. My primary school had a little hill in the grassy area surrounding the playground and at the bottom was a blossom tree (it never fruited as far as I know). So blossom will always remind me of sitting under it at dinnertime.
These 2 are random flowers in amongst the veg. Anyone know what they are?
Lastly we have one that no gardener/farmer I know likes. However I like to eat the blossoms when they are yellow (dandelion fritters rock) and think that the seed heads are one of the prettiest things there is. They're like stars or sunlight on water. Pretty!
Right then back to my garden. These ones weren't with the others are they are functional not just pretty. Here we have strawberry futures and blueberries. Look at the difference between the 2 blueberry ones. One is just flowers the other is burgeoning fruit!
Also we have gooseberries and black currants but I didn't manage to get any pics of their flowers.
Our little piggy Gyoza is growing up well. As you would expect from a pig she gets bigger ever time we go see her. She is definitely a girl. The last time we went down the boys from her litter had discernible boy bits which she is lacking. So Miss Gyoza it is. I like this pic, she looks like she is laughing. Maybe the pig in front farted?
There seem to be more piglets born every time we go to the farm. Can you spot the 2 adventuresome ones in this pic? I like the bemused looks on the faces of the sheep at the left hand side. I can almost hear them bleating "wtf!"
The last picture form the garden is quite old as these are no longer in the ground and we have eaten them all. That's right folks they are radishes. They were a breakfast variety so were much milder than I am used to but it meant Spadgersdottier would eat them. So far we have harvested 9 ounces of them. It doesn't sound like much but only the very bottom and the stems went to waste. We even eat the leaves which are nice in salad.
One thing with having veg straight from the garden or farm is remembering to wash it well. I have no real aversion to dirt but certain things like to hide in the leaves. This one was very adventuresome and stayed in the veg box for a few days before I found him.
Last farm based picture then. As you may recall I am quite fond of goats. I think the darn things are just so cute. Also I love goats milk, goat curry is quite nice and you get fibre of certain varieties. Yup they are cute, tasty and useful, my main requirements in an animal :o) The lasy at the farm who owns the goats is selling them. She stood their with my favourite kid in her arms and told me he could be mine for £20. I had that money in my wallet people!!! However I know that where we are now is not the place for goats even if our very understanding landlord and neighbors agreed. We just don't have the room. But man it was hard admitting that then. So here is a gratuitous goaty shot just because I can.
Gardening/farming has not taken over my life completely though. There has still been crafting. Not as much as I might like mainly due to apathy. I have lots I want to do but not much motivation. Here are a couple of my forays in knitting. First up is a cardigan for Spadger. He has requested a long, plain garter stitch cardigan with thumbholes and 4 pockets. So it's massive and a little dull to knit at the moment. I got almost a ball of wool into it and then discovered that even with counting it several times and separating it with paperclips to make the counting easier I still cast on the wrong amount.
That big green mass you can see in the background is a whole ball of unravelled knitting. Yes I was not happy at all. However unravelled wool is really pretty and curly. Silver lining and all.
The other project on the needles at the mo is a Zebra for Spadgersdottier's birthday. I have over a month to complete it and I've done the 2 biggest pieces so I am feeling quite hopeful. This first pic is of what I had to unravel (are we spotting a theme here!)
Everything is perfect except I had misread the pattern as was knitting far 2 many rows for each instruction. I find knitting patterns really hard. There is a lot of abbreviating, which makes sense for them to do, but my brain just doesn't understand. So when it says to do 4 rows of each colour increasing as below I did an increase and then 2 more rows in that colour. That wasn't what it meant. I wrote out the pattern the long way, split it into sections of 4 and continued knitting. This worked much better.
These 2 bits make up the body. I still have 10 more pieces to knit but they are much smaller.
And so I bring you to the last 2 pics. These are of my latest piercings. They were taken not long after so I'm not as swollen now. In fact all the swelling has gone and they are both healing well. I was finally able to sleep on that side again last night and I had the best nights sleep since having them done. I really do sleep much better on my right side.
You see that mole just below the piercings? I didn't even know I had that until getting this piercing. Guess I don't look at my ears much hehehe
So, there is my very pic heavy post. Hopefully I will stay a bit more caught up and wont have to subject you all to this again. Right now I am off to try and grade a pattern that fits my short and curvy size 16 down to fit my tall and gracefully thin ballet dancer friend. I understand the theory but there are fractions involved. Me and fractions don't get on so well.
IT'S RAINING!! (or at least it was when I started writing this post)
Ok now I've got that out of my system let's continue with the normal post :o)
It seems like quite a while since I have posted any pictures so I'm going to go a little overboard on you now. A combination of Spadger nabbing the Internet connection for work, baking and general apathy have stopped be from editing any pics. So be prepared for a picture book story. Well, sort of.
Where to start, where to start. How about a tour of the garden, sound good? Ok then. There are many more pictures to come on this theme but this is catch up time. Firstly lets look at the flowers. I love flowers. However my garden is not so keen. The front flower beds have suffered the whole time we have lived here from being in the shade of two massive sycamore trees. As you may remember they were both cut down before Christmas due to them interfering with the structural stability of the house. I love trees but not enough to want to come home one day to find the front of the house has fallen off!! Now the front garden gets sooooo much more sunlight. This is good news for the flowers and the possible veg that might get planted out there. Not so good for the wild garlic that we have just discovered is edible. That baby likes the shade. Fortunately I know it is a very hardy bulb because in our first couple of years here I tried to dig it all up and it was having none of it let me tell you. So the plan is to pull some of the bulbs and re-plant them somewhere a bit more shady. The far corner of the garden was lovingly referred to as the mossy corner of doom. Even in the middle of summer the ground squelched. It is now dry and the moss is receding. So things might grow in that corner soon. Right, on to the pics I've been babbling about. First up is the peony. I thought I had killed this one but no, tis alive and blooming. I adore the bright but dark red and how floofy it it. This is a petticoat in flower form my friends.
Next up is the tulips. Now I planted many tulips last year and they were all very nice. This year I totally forgot about anything in the ground and planted some interesting tulips in tubs. Spadgersdottier had planted mystery bulbs in the ground so I got plenty of "normal" tulips but this here is my fav one from the tubs. So pretty.
Now these ones are not from my garden but I thought I would continue the flower theme. All of these were taken at the farm. This is the apple tree that is at the side of the car park. When we first came to look round the farm back in Feb the tree had apples on it. Now look at the gorgeous blossom. I am a big lover of blossom. Daffodils may be the first herald of Spring but blossom means it is in full swing. My primary school had a little hill in the grassy area surrounding the playground and at the bottom was a blossom tree (it never fruited as far as I know). So blossom will always remind me of sitting under it at dinnertime.
These 2 are random flowers in amongst the veg. Anyone know what they are?
Lastly we have one that no gardener/farmer I know likes. However I like to eat the blossoms when they are yellow (dandelion fritters rock) and think that the seed heads are one of the prettiest things there is. They're like stars or sunlight on water. Pretty!
Right then back to my garden. These ones weren't with the others are they are functional not just pretty. Here we have strawberry futures and blueberries. Look at the difference between the 2 blueberry ones. One is just flowers the other is burgeoning fruit!
Also we have gooseberries and black currants but I didn't manage to get any pics of their flowers.
Our little piggy Gyoza is growing up well. As you would expect from a pig she gets bigger ever time we go see her. She is definitely a girl. The last time we went down the boys from her litter had discernible boy bits which she is lacking. So Miss Gyoza it is. I like this pic, she looks like she is laughing. Maybe the pig in front farted?
There seem to be more piglets born every time we go to the farm. Can you spot the 2 adventuresome ones in this pic? I like the bemused looks on the faces of the sheep at the left hand side. I can almost hear them bleating "wtf!"
Click to see their faces
The last picture form the garden is quite old as these are no longer in the ground and we have eaten them all. That's right folks they are radishes. They were a breakfast variety so were much milder than I am used to but it meant Spadgersdottier would eat them. So far we have harvested 9 ounces of them. It doesn't sound like much but only the very bottom and the stems went to waste. We even eat the leaves which are nice in salad.
One thing with having veg straight from the garden or farm is remembering to wash it well. I have no real aversion to dirt but certain things like to hide in the leaves. This one was very adventuresome and stayed in the veg box for a few days before I found him.
Last farm based picture then. As you may recall I am quite fond of goats. I think the darn things are just so cute. Also I love goats milk, goat curry is quite nice and you get fibre of certain varieties. Yup they are cute, tasty and useful, my main requirements in an animal :o) The lasy at the farm who owns the goats is selling them. She stood their with my favourite kid in her arms and told me he could be mine for £20. I had that money in my wallet people!!! However I know that where we are now is not the place for goats even if our very understanding landlord and neighbors agreed. We just don't have the room. But man it was hard admitting that then. So here is a gratuitous goaty shot just because I can.
Gardening/farming has not taken over my life completely though. There has still been crafting. Not as much as I might like mainly due to apathy. I have lots I want to do but not much motivation. Here are a couple of my forays in knitting. First up is a cardigan for Spadger. He has requested a long, plain garter stitch cardigan with thumbholes and 4 pockets. So it's massive and a little dull to knit at the moment. I got almost a ball of wool into it and then discovered that even with counting it several times and separating it with paperclips to make the counting easier I still cast on the wrong amount.
That big green mass you can see in the background is a whole ball of unravelled knitting. Yes I was not happy at all. However unravelled wool is really pretty and curly. Silver lining and all.
The other project on the needles at the mo is a Zebra for Spadgersdottier's birthday. I have over a month to complete it and I've done the 2 biggest pieces so I am feeling quite hopeful. This first pic is of what I had to unravel (are we spotting a theme here!)
Everything is perfect except I had misread the pattern as was knitting far 2 many rows for each instruction. I find knitting patterns really hard. There is a lot of abbreviating, which makes sense for them to do, but my brain just doesn't understand. So when it says to do 4 rows of each colour increasing as below I did an increase and then 2 more rows in that colour. That wasn't what it meant. I wrote out the pattern the long way, split it into sections of 4 and continued knitting. This worked much better.
These 2 bits make up the body. I still have 10 more pieces to knit but they are much smaller.
And so I bring you to the last 2 pics. These are of my latest piercings. They were taken not long after so I'm not as swollen now. In fact all the swelling has gone and they are both healing well. I was finally able to sleep on that side again last night and I had the best nights sleep since having them done. I really do sleep much better on my right side.
You see that mole just below the piercings? I didn't even know I had that until getting this piercing. Guess I don't look at my ears much hehehe
So, there is my very pic heavy post. Hopefully I will stay a bit more caught up and wont have to subject you all to this again. Right now I am off to try and grade a pattern that fits my short and curvy size 16 down to fit my tall and gracefully thin ballet dancer friend. I understand the theory but there are fractions involved. Me and fractions don't get on so well.
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