I promised you knitting content...

and here it is!
First up, the Clapotis WIP. I'm up to 84 stitches with a total of (i believe) 107 to aim for.
I can't say i am really enjoying it, the yarn is a cotton/silk mix, i'm finding it a little harsh on my hands and a lot slippery on the Addi so i'm going to try and locate a circular bamboo to try. Hopefully the lady at Bodkins will exchange the 3mm one i bought for the MS3 as i never used it, but we shall see. If all else fails i have the cheapy bamboo circulars i bought from the eBay seller in Hong Kong and i'm sure they will be fiiiiiiine :o)
I AM loving the colour and the fabric though, which can only be a good thing. This is my take-along-alternative-to-socks knitting and i've been working on it on hospital visits and camping trips cos i've hated knitting the Sassy socks SO much i could only do a few rounds before i had to put them down!

Which brings us to... A FINISHED OBJECT!! Shock Horror! Yes, the Sassy socks are finished and have been put to special service. I figured that as i wasn't enjoying knitting them they obviously weren't meant for me and so they have been put in a special parcel and will be arriving at a certain young lady's house any day now. I hope the new owner likes them WAY more than i do *lol*
Good points: Loved working them toe-up from the same ball, no row counting or measuring - YIPPEE! Once i got the hang of the cast on the toe went well and the short row heel was a doddle as long as i wasn't distracted :oD
I worked an extra inch of stocking stitch on the heel side of the needle, just to make sure it fits a bit better as i find the short row heel can be a bit too shallow then resumed the rib up the leg but i didn't stagger it, i left it 3x1 to the last 6 rows where i switched to 1x1 just for fun. It should give it a nice grip on the leg but not pull too tight on the edge that way, i hate having sock marks from too tight ribbing. It's strange, once i had decided that they weren't for me and were going away to live with someone else the knitting seemed to go quicker and i found i didn't hate them as much as i thought i did. I hope they don't feel like they've been knitted with hate in my hands *lol*

And finally for today... my progress so far on the MS3.
I am on chart B of Clue 1. Ver slow progress i know, but i am taking my time with it and only doing it when i feel calm and can concentrate and lately that just ain't been happening! I really love the beads, they look perfect and reflect the lilac yarn so well. I am toying with the idea of using a different bead for the centre section but i'll cross that bridge when i come to it. Natalie's merino laceweight has been so lovely to knit with, and even with all the tinking (damn those missed YOs!) it's retaining it's springiness and softness wonderfully :o)

Speaking of Natalie... she's been very naughty and reduced lots of sock yarn and i caved in and bought a skein. It could have been worse though, a whole lot worse! I was dithering over which i wanted more "neuf" or "36" - i had already decided i wanted "trente et un" which is a blend of gorgeous purples fading to lilac but the other two are HOT! Lipstick red to pink and Scarlet to pale orange, i was SO good though, rahter than just saying "ah buggrit, i'll have all three cos i can't decide" which is good for Natalie but not so good for me, i decided to have just ONE skein! Tht's right, i was RESTRAINED! I've renewed my sock club for another 3 months too, that means when this one runs out i will have had 12 blue packages through my letterbox of yarn that i didn't choose and i've LOVED it! Thanks n :oD

Been and back again

I have barely had time to breath lately let alone blog :o(

In knitting news: The Sassy Stripes toe-ups are waiting for a heel and i am waiting for a calm few hours to do the short-row heel in! Not long to go now though until they are finished. I really haven't enjoyed knitting them :o(
I should start thinking about my next pair now really, i am liking the SweetPea pattern from Knitty and have some pretty pastelly sock wool that would look nice with a bit of lace.
I also have some Sirdar Town & Country sock wool that i got in the sale at £1.50 a ball, it's being discontinued which is a shame but i hope they will bring out something to replace it. I picked up two black, two grey, one red mix and one grey mix with the intention of doingheels and toes in a solid and the foot and cuff in the patterned and having the rest of the solids as spares for using up leftovers in future.
The Clapotis is coming along nicely, i am still increasing and have 66 stitches at the moment, only another 51 to go :oD
MS3 is on clue 2 with clue 3 out tomorrow and i have yet to start mine! I want to, i really do but for some reason i am scared to! I also need some quiet time to do it in and that's not happening!

On Sunday we went down to Brighton to watcht he "Paddle round the Pier" event and to have chips on the seafront. It was a lovely day, the weather stayed dry and it was hothothot! Luckily there was a man giving out free bottles of sun block but even after two applications of factor 15 (i probably should have used more and applied it more often *oops*) i still have a little bit of sunburn on my arms and one side of my neck.
On Monday i went back to Southend. Mum's friend is getting married in August and Mum is making the wedding dress and two bridesmaid dresses, she also said she would do the flowers and make the cakes! After some delegation, i was put in charge of the flowers and Bloke's Mum was offered the chance to make the cakes which she reluctantly agreed to do. You know what it's like, everyone else likes your offerings but you don't and Ivy is just like that. She will make a cake three times over if she doesn't think it's good enough and was unsure that she would be able to pull it off but i think it'll be fine! *crosses fingers and toes*
So, Monday i was going to do the flowers but we couldn't find the tape so it meant a trip to the shops. This had to include a trip to the LYS as they have a half price sale on Rowan yarns and patterns. I picked up some Felted Tweed, one ball each in rust, purple and teal (i think, it might be green) as i wanted to make some Knucks at some point and £2.38 a ball is great value :oD
Then it was a mad dash round several florists trying to find tape. Nobody had any! Bizarre! Just as bizarre is the fact that there are three shops selling Crocs and yet none of them have any plans to stock Georgies! Madness!! *lol* We managed to get some tape after a flash of inspiration from me, and also some nice wide leaves to edge the Bride's bouquet so that was gooooooooooood :o) Mum went off to WW and i went home to play with the flowers. You know that thing i mentioned, where you don't like you own work? I hate the flowers, i think they look tatty and amateurish but Mum and Jackie both liked what i had done so far when Jackie came round for her dress fitting so i guess that it'll be fine *crosses fingers and knocks on wood* ;o)
I'll try and remember to take pictures when i am down there next week.
News on Mum... she definitely has a tumour on her left kidney, she goes in next week for a retrograde pyleography and then we think it'll be the 6th August for the op to remove the kidney. We are hoping it hasn't had time to spread to the bladder or anywhere else. We are also hoping that this is an isolated cancer and not a secondary tumour.

I am trying to remain optimistic, i am also trying to deal with it.

I'm failing on both counts.

Open for business

Well, i'm back home after a hectic few days!

On Wednesday i drove down to Southend to visit Mum. I can't say too much until i know more for myself but we've just found out she has a tumour on her kidney and will be going in for tests and surgery in a couple of weeks time :o(

I got back home Friday lunchtime after a tiny bit of stress on the way home when i saw a sign saying the M25 was CLOSED from j30 clockwise... ie. over the Dartford crossing!! Luckily i am a little bit familiar with the roads around Thurrock and was able to nip off down the A1012 and go through Thurrock and Lakeside and join the M25 furthere round. I thought it would just save me sitting in traffic, at least i'd be driving for a bit longer and joining further on to sit in the traffic til it was re-opened but when i got to the M25 it was totally clear! The traffic was flowing smoothly and it was FAB! I later heard on the traffic report that it was actually right on the junction to the M25 from the A13 that a lorry had jack-knifed and that was why it was shut and the traffic was backed up and i was SO glad that i made my detour as i wanted so badly to get home. I managed to get most of the camping stuff packed up before Bloke got home and he helped load the last few heavy things in and then we were off! For a while.

I shan't bore you with the details, i'll save them for a Big Dollop ;o)

So, now we're back home after a fun-filled weekend. I am completely shattered as usual and it'll take me a couple of nights to catch up on sleep but at least it means i won't wake up as much as i usually do :o)

I've been busy swatching for the MS3 and have bought myself a bamboo Addi to try with n's laceweight and i'm just waiting on my beads to arrive and then i can swatch again with beads and choose which ones i want to use and then i can finally get started! I've seen other people's "first clue" and it looks gorgeous, i can't wait to get started! I think the theme is something sea-sidey, the border looks like waves to me but we'll see what emerges from the centre panel.

The Sassy socks remain unfinished. I don't think i like Lorna's Laces. I can't think of another reason why i don't like knitting them, unless it's the 2on2 but i thought i was enjoying that! *lol*

Oh well, must go to the car spares shop, Andy's coming back tomorrow to try and get the van fixed and parts are needed! I hope everyone had a good weekend, i must catch up on the news and see how the flooding has been. Were the forecasts right? I do hope not, there's enough flooding already without more!!

Take care people,
*hugs*

Stitchmarkers part deux!

These are from Elspeth and they are such a pretty colour, the camera does them no justice! They are just the right size i think for shawl knitting, they aren't too heavy and they are nicely and round so they won't get tangled up in all that lovely lace :o)

Thankyou Elspeth xXx

I shall go and find a nice spot in the garden to take a piccie when the sun makes one of it's rare appearances today. It can't make it's mind up out there, it's really warm but cloudy, then it's cool and cloudy and then all of a sudden the sun will burst out and it's so bright you go blind! I popped out to the doctor's and thought it was quite cool so i flung on a shruggy-cardy thing which is really thin and i was sweltering! Still i got 4 rounds done on the Sassy socks while i was waiting so that's good, and there's a fair chance that i'll actually finish them before the end of the month too *lol*

In Can 'o Peas news: The 15th repeat is DONEDONEDOOOONE! *YAY* \o/ \o/ <~~~ me dancing *lol* I have 20g of variegated yarn left and my mini-skein of nearly-solid green, the edge pattern is another 8 rows so theoretically i have enough of the variegated as the last repeat took 10g and was also 8 rows. I'm putting in a lifeline anyway, just in case anything goes wrong with the edging but to be perfectly honest the rest of the shawl has gone so well that i doubt there will be. I've got the hang of reading a chart too which is good and is something i wanted to do and i picked up a magnetic board from my LYS the other day too. It's only a smallish one, not A4 like i wanted but it was only £3 so i shan't complain :o)

Right then, onwards and upwards!