YARNZIE

MY BELLY BUTTON LOOKS LIKE A CARROT!

noreply@blogger.com (Di) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 17:07:00 +0000

MY belly button - looking rather like a carrot
Originally uploaded by yarnzie

I started the Goddessknits Anniversary KAL today and after puzzling about how to cast on decided to try the Belly Button Cast On, as found here. The theory is that the solidity of the heavier yarn supports the first bit of the round where there are just nine stitches and too many needles. It seems to work - I'll let you know!

JUST A BIT OF FUN FOR TODAY

noreply@blogger.com (Di) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 20:19:00 +0000

Blue:

calm and controlled. Also very sweet and get along with others well. Sometimes others do not understand why you are so nice and think you have a hidden agenda. If you do...thats to bad, but if you don't you have nothing to worry about!

Well, the calm and controlled would be nice!

OUT OF CONTROL

noreply@blogger.com (Di) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:38:00 +0000

I am totally out of control! This happens to me occasionally but I can never see rhyme nor reason why. Today I have eaten at least 5 packets of crisps - I don't like crisps, I'm not hungry. I have also eaten the remains of a jar of drinking chocolate. Why? Who the hell knows. It's like I go on self destruct and, even though as I'm shovelling stuff down my throat I'm disgusted with myself, I seem powerless to stop it. At least when I had bulimia I threw it all up again - now it just sits inside and festers.

I've been thinking about writing (as opposed to doing it, which means that we'll be short of cash again this month!). I have the witches book all researched and ready to go, and the memoir, and thoughts about something else.

The memoir will have to be shelved, given the re-estrangement from my daughter. Not the happy ending I had hoped for. The witches don't do it for me at the moment. The other idea - ach, can't be bothered.

Life is shit sometimes.

REVAMP

noreply@blogger.com (Di) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 18:39:00 +0000

As you can see, I've had a little tidy up around here. I spend my working life blogging for others and decided I really should dedicate some time to my own small territory on the world wide web. It's like real estate really, isn't it, and currently the front of my house doesn't say very much about me. You'd think that all I do is knit!

I knit a lot, but not to the exclusion of all else. I have three children - of which more to come - none of whom have been easy for various reasons, although all are much loved. I have a good old man, although he pees me off mightily from time to time, and I have my much loved Floozie - who you will be glad to hear is not a woman of the night (I am not that way inclined) but a cat. A tom cat at that - only I didn't know he was a tom when he rolled on his back for me - hence the name!

Oh, and I suffer from a rather rare condition known as Behcet's Syndrome (I wouldn't have anything common - I have style!).

If you want to find out more about the Behcet's, just click. It's a rather interesting condition that I'm sure is probably underdiagnosed - so if you suffer from joint pain, ulcers and all manner of nasty symptoms, you might like to check it out.

A KIMONO FOR A SCOT

noreply@blogger.com (Di) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 15:58:00 +0000

Kimono from Folk Shawls
Originally uploaded by yarnzie

This is Ali's birthday present, just gone on the needles. Well, when I started I was thinking of her Christmas present but then I remembered, her birthday comes first!

It's the Kimono Wrap from the Folk Shawls book. It doesn't look so promising in the book but a quick look at some of the finished wraps on Ravelry convinced me that its absolutely beautiful. Well, their's are, anyways.

Life is the pits at the moment - youngest son tagged and on curfew, eldest son forgotten his mum exists. Behcet's awful, despite the steroids - actually its probably because of the steroids. On a reducing dose and this week all the old pains have come back with a vengeance. Ah well, just have to knit harder!

IT REALLY IS LACE!

noreply@blogger.com (Di) — Sat, 24 May 2008 18:27:00 +0000

Blocked Swatch
Originally uploaded by yarnzie

Blocked swatch of Large Rectangle with Diamond Patterned Centre from Victorian Lace Today.

FROGGED BEFORE IT WAS EVEN A TADPOLE!

noreply@blogger.com (Di) — Mon, 19 May 2008 20:50:00 +0000

before the frog got to it
Originally uploaded by yarnzie

It will live to see another day though. This is my shawl for Joy, just hours before I tripped over the trailing yarn as I went to make a cuppa. It pulled the whole bloody thing out and I'm not ashamed to say that not only did I turn the air blue, I also cried.

Never mind, the next try will be even better!

SHAWL FOR JOY

noreply@blogger.com (Di) — Thu, 15 May 2008 17:51:00 +0000

Shawl for Joy 1
Originally uploaded by yarnzie

The first two pattern repeats of a shawl I'm knitting for my friend Joy. I think I might be in love - with the pattern and with the yarn.

The yarn came from Gill at the Woolly Workshop

It's Schaeffer Yarn Andrea in the Frida Kahlo colourway. It is 100% silk and was hideously expensive, but it was worth every penny - its just beautiful. I chose the colourway because I love the work of Kahlo. It was a good choice.

PAGAN SPRING

noreply@blogger.com (Di) — Tue, 13 May 2008 10:00:00 +0000

Pagan Spring
Originally uploaded by yarnzie

I am overwhelmed by this yarn. It was dyed for my by Joy of The Knitting Goddess from my description of an English early spring morning.

I asked for something that would represent one of those mornings when the hollows are filled with mist and frost and the sun is so bright and low in the sky that you can't see to drive.

She has captured my vision perfectly; so perfectly, in fact, that it brought tears to my eyes.

It will be used for the mandala shawl that is celebrating Goddessknits 3rd anniversary.

TIGER'S EYE STOLE

noreply@blogger.com (Di) — Sun, 04 May 2008 21:46:00 +0000

tigers eye stole first repeat
Originally uploaded by yarnzie

Well, after lots of false starts, I have finally begun a 'proper' lace project! The pattern is for a scarf, but I'm doing 5 repeats to make it wide enough for a stole.

The yarn was bought from another Raveler and I haven't a clue what make it is. It's a Shetland lace-weight and, after all the really soft yarns I've been using recently, at first it felt rough on my hands but I've got used to it now and its brilliant.

I bought it for the GoddessKnits Lace Shawl Mystery KAL, which starts in June but, as I've got 300gms of it, I think I have more than enough!

TINY WEE SOCK SWAP

noreply@blogger.com (Di) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 11:15:00 +0000

cathy's sock
Originally uploaded by yarnzie

Remember that Tiny Wee Sock swap from a couple of months back? Well, I never did get my sock from my lovely swap pal! I did get an 'unofficial' sock from somebody I met along the way but I was waiting for Kathy's sock to arrive so that I could put them both on the blog together.

Well, Kathy has sent me a second sock, this one knitted by her daughter, who is a very talented knitter! There were extras in the package too - a lovely surprise on a day when my Behcet's Syndrome is playing up.

Of course, in the wait for Tiny Wee Sock Part 2, the 'unofficial sock' has been nabbed by the small girl who lives across the road from me. She was quite taken with it! (Or she quietly took it!!). So I can't put its picture on the blog. It was, however, a beautiful sock and I thank Barbara Solbrig of Rochester, Minnesota for sending it to me. To visit Barbara's Coffee Yarn blog, just click.

And finally, after all these weeks - here is Kathy's Tiny Wee Sock! Why not visit her blog too?

NANNY MARIGOLD IS ALIVE AND WELL AND LIVING ON ETSY

noreply@blogger.com (Di) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 20:31:00 +0000

Well, I've just uploaded my first item on Etsy. Lots more to go but taking all those pix takes time!

The Stitch Marker Gift Tags are brilliant for popping into swap packages and the like. Good value, very attractive, and useful!

SOCK KNITTING TUTORIAL - UPDATE

noreply@blogger.com (Di) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 22:37:00 +0000

I've decided to make the tutorial a pdf file - when I've worked out how to upload it here, it will be freely available.

SOCK KNITTING 1: Those Pesky Needles

noreply@blogger.com (Di) — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 21:29:00 +0000

sock knitting 1
Originally uploaded by yarnzie

Okay, so those cocktail sticks look a little scary at first, I mean, how on earth can anybody knit with those!

The first thing to remember is that, just like with normal knitting, you are only ever knitting with two needles.

I've cast on these sample stitches on big needles to make them as clear as possible. I want you to look at the orientation of the needles, rather than the ugly cup ring on my old school bible (which was the first thing that came to hand when I was doing this!)

To start, we'll just use my good old standby sock pattern. It fits a standard woman's foot, and you can always add length if you need. I'll tell you how. A 2.5mm set of dpns should see you right.

So:

1. Cast on 60 stitches. If it helps, cast them on using normal needles.

2. When you have your 60 stitches, cast on one more (all will become clear) and then divide the stitches between three of your dpns. The extra stitch should be left on the last needle (the right vertical needle in the picture).

3. Lay the three needles on the table, just like in the photograph and make sure that the cast on edge is towards the inside of the needles, like in the picture.

Important things to note:

* The short end (tail end) of yarn is Needle One
* Which means that the needle with the working yarn is Needle 3
* The horizontal is needle is Needle 2
* The cast on edge should be laying inside the three-sided box made by the needles.

SOCK KNITTING TUTORIAL

noreply@blogger.com (Di) — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 13:10:00 +0000

Well, yesterday evening I started a sock, taking pictures along the way - good pics they were too - only to find that I had forgotten to put the card in the camera. I could cry, but I'm a big girl (in more ways than one LOL) so I won't. You might just have to wait an extra day before we start though. Deep sigh...

NANNY MARIGOLD AND USEFUL THINGS

noreply@blogger.com (Di) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 19:11:00 +0000

Watch this space because, coming very soon, will be Nanny Marigold's Emporium of Usefulness, a handcrafted selection of those tiny bits and pieces that make crafting pleasurable.

FOR MY FRIEND KRISTINA (AND ANYBODY ELSE WHO IS FOXED BY DPNS)

noreply@blogger.com (Di) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:44:00 +0000

Okay, Kristina, this is where your lessons will appear - all in bite sized pieces. We'll have you knitting socks for England before you know it!! We'll start on Saturday...

ME AND MY BOY

noreply@blogger.com (Di) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 12:41:00 +0000

I've had quite a few requests for updates about how my errant son is getting along (see my English Mistress blog). To be honest, I haven't been updating it because I felt a bit like I was being emotionally incontinent in public. However, a few folk have said that it helped them to know they were not alone in this choppy pool of parenting, so I will be updating that blog later on today. It's not the sort of blog where you can just quickly type a few words, so I'll need to think and write carefully. Nevertheless, write I will. But, while you're waiting, here's an image of the boy when he was small - what an angelically beautiful face he had, and who would have guessed the heartache he would put me and his dad through!

MY GRANDSON'S FIRST BATH

noreply@blogger.com (Di) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 12:28:00 +0000

My Grandson's First Bath
Originally uploaded by yarnzie

How could I have been so worried about loving him? Really, I was so worried, you see I love my own children so much it hurts and I honestly couldn't imagine loving anybody else with that passion.

Alfie brought his love along with him - he's a real dear!

SO UGLY IT'S BEAUTIFUL!

noreply@blogger.com (Di) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 12:13:00 +0000

yarn end socks
Originally uploaded by yarnzie

Remember those yarn-end socks I was going to make? Well, here's the first one, made with an assortment of skein ends. I have saved enough so that I can make its pair.

I really do think it's very attractive (and it will be even more attractive once it's been blocked!).

LIFE IS SO BUSY AS A GRANDMA!

noreply@blogger.com (Di) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 20:02:00 +0000

Plus there are so many ideas buzzing around in my head. I plan to:

Try and get back to my knitting
Make stitch markers, row counters, and dinky little dpn bags to sell on Etsy
Complete a long ago promised pair of socks for a friend
Send a long ago promised selection of books to another friend
Update my blog more frequently

Phew, makes me breathless just thinking about it all!

Oh - and my latest wheeze? Using all my ends of sock yarn to make a pair of socks so hideous that they are gorgeous. Watch this space!

AT LAST, I'M A GRANDMA!

noreply@blogger.com (Di) — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 16:33:00 +0000

On Thursday night, April 10th, at four minutes past eleven, I helped in the delivery of my first grandchild - Alfie. Alfie weighed 7lbs 8oz and was born after a very difficult and very long labour, which I attended both as a mother and a midwife. It was the most emotionally exhausting 48 hours of my life but, like childbirth itself, was worth every minute.

My rough, tough son-in-law cried like the softie he really is and my daughter worked like a trojan to push the baby into the world with the help of a ventouse. Without her strength, stamina, and perseverance it is highly likely that we would be in far from celebratory mood right now - it was touch and go.

I am proud to call Jo Tait my daughter - and boy, do we have some stories to tell Alfie when he's grown.

Pictures to follow - nice pix, not gory ones!

Socks for my FCS3 Swap Pal

noreply@blogger.com (Di) — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 20:50:00 +0000

centolavaggi0001
Originally uploaded by yarnzie

I wasn't too impressed with the colours my swap pal gave me to choose from - blue, brown, and burgundy. Then I noticed that this yarn from Violet Green that has been in my stash for ages contains all of those shades!

Just knitted a simple pair of stocking stitch socks - my much modified generic pattern that never fails - and I'm quite pleased with how they've turned out.

Let's hope that my swap pal is too!

ONLINE SUPPLIERS

noreply@blogger.com (Di) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 15:26:00 +0000

As with any other field, there are good and bad internet yarn suppliers out there. I'm not going to name and shame the bad ones - I just won't use them again. This is not cowardice on my part but, just because I've had a bad experience, doesn't mean to say that you will.

Nevertheless, I've found some suppliers who go beyond the call of duty in their customer service - so (fanfare) here they are:

Socktopus: Alice at Socktopus is a real sweetie, as are her staff. Nothing is too much trouble and deliveries are speedy and beautifully packaged (usually with a sweetie!). The range of sock yarns available from Socktopus is large and luxurious - simply the best when it comes to socks, that's Alice.

The Woolly Workshop: Another wonderful yarn and knitting accessories supplier. I purchased some lovely Jaggerspun Zephyr here and it was with me within 18 hours! Even better, Gill who runs The Woolly Workshop is an ex midwife like me. Midwives are all wonderful!

Janette's Rare Yarns: This is an Ebay store, par excellence. Wonderful service, stupendous yarns - what more could a knitter ask?

MALABRIGO

noreply@blogger.com (Di) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 15:13:00 +0000

malabrigo
Originally uploaded by yarnzie

Well, I finally decided on the yarn for my Lace KAL (the Juno Vagina wrap). This is Malabrigo Lace that I got from Janette's Rare Yarns on Ebay. It was well priced and delivered within 24 hours! I intend to cast on tonight - Jo's labour socks are almost finished, but not quite. This yarn though is screaming out to be used!