But no.

not only is there the adorable baby dress that needs to get sent to the BRAND NEW NOVEMBER ANNABETH!!! (oh yes, she is an adorable squishy baby of EPIC PROPORTIONS) but there is also adult present knitting…

This…

Alpaca Cotton from Rowan

will become a winter set for the darling John who moved to London at around the same time as me and has been brilliant at taking me to the theatre, spending time with me, eating delicious food with me, talking about boys with me and generally being and epically awesome friend.

the irony is his birthday (for which this is his present) is in July. so it will be the first time in his life that this would be a seasonally inappropriate gift! but it’s ok, cos he’s coming to Scotland with me, so there will be a need for them then!

My lettuce pullover is coming along nicely, though sadly it’s my out-and-about project and i’ve actually been REALLY busy when i’m out, so not so much knitting! Over the next few days i’ll do the neck and start on the sleeves and then it should get going again.

At home i’ve been working on more complicated things… namely my first Aeolian. It was my first large scale laceweight shawl. I bough the yarn in Downer’s Grove, Illinois – handmaiden lace silk. SO divine. I had been told when i bought it that the meterage was a lie, and that what was stated as 600m was at LEAST 900. The full Aeolian calls for around 1200 so i played it safe.

Now as it turns out i could probably have done the full shawl or at the very least done 9 stitch nupps instead of 7, but my finished object is still large and stunning!

good thing i’d just put all my clean clothes away!

mirror mirror

“beads and nupps, why not?”

Once the shawl was finished i felt i needed a bit more of a quick’n'dirty knit, so i pulled out the skein of handdyed BFL i had earmarked for a present for Nett and Greg’s soon-to-be daughter ‘Muffin’

My friends have had a lot of boys of late, so i’ve been getting my full girliness out with this little bub. I really wanted a bit of lace, something floaty and fun, so i took a cute little lace vest pattern and modified it into a dress…

blocking…

It just needs some buttons – i bought some at Liberty (oh yes, how i love liberty) but sadly they are really just too big, so will be looking for some teeny tiny ones soon. There is no way this is going to get to Adelaide before Muffin arrives (unless she’s stupidly late) so Nett and Greg have seen it on Skype and Muffin will get to witness the opening of the package!

The pattern is Louise and i simple added some more rounds of the centre panel while working moss stitch instead of stocking stitch. then i increased by a third (ie, after every second stitch) went up 2 needle sizes to create a nice drape on the skirt and did a Dory (just kept knitting). I finished off with 6 rounds of moss.

I have a decent amount left… hat? booties? sockies? or save it for another little bub?

A few weeks ago before i started my job I headed down to Stonehenge and Bath. It was totally brilliant and beautiful and I’ve just realised i’ve TOTALLY FORGOTTEN TO BLOG IT! so will do that over on Before i’m too old in a tick. BUT I mention it here because despite only having 3 hours in the city of bath, I managed to find a yarn store and purchase a BEEEAUUUTIFUL souvenir skein of yarn…

Dragon’s Blood
(actually it’s called Arequipa, but who’s checking)

Isn’t it stunning? It’s Rooster Angel Lace, handdyed in Cheshire. Laceweigh Silk and Alpaca in a beautiful red (the kind i can wear happily)

It’s around 800m, so i see another shawl on the horizon soon.

In other news, my mum has sent me a few bits and bobs from my existing stash so i don’t go crazy over here

And I’ve been going to the Loop knitting group on a thurs night – luckily my schedule at work means i should be able to go most weeks if only for an hour and a bit. It’s a lovely shop with lovely people  (but not as lovely as my Richmond girls of course. I miss you)

I had a lovely afternoon at Loop on Thursday where i met some lovely knitters. There was lovely conversation and biscuits and interesting projects, all surrounded by gorgeous yarn in Angel. Truly Heavenly. I resisted the NEW SHIPMENT OF WOLLMEISE. yep. SO MUCH WM! *sigh* I am eyeing off a few things though…

I am also looking forward to checking out Nest – probably next monday for their afternoon tea day – as it’s walking distance from my new abode!

Speaking of yarn-eyeballing though, i also want an opinion…
Now that i am living in the land where i can go and VIEW the colours of Jamieson’s Shetland (Spindthrift) at Loop I am thinking of finally knitting Little Birds, by Ysolda. I bought the pattern ages ago when she was donating a percentage of sales to Haiti, since i knew i wanted to tackle it one day. After all, I am yet to try steeking and I so long to be a truly fearless knitter.

So! the question is, what colours do I choose! do i stick with three colours? Do I do two alternating colours for the stripes? Or use 2 alternating for the birds, or use four contrasts in total? I’m thinking a very very soft grey or the actual off-white Ysolda used for the base colour, but there are SO MANY pretty colours! it’s so hard to choose!

So have a look and give me an opinion!

And i promise the next post will have photos! I am about 2 thirds of the way through my Aeolian Shawl (and by that i really mean probably just over half way since i’ve reached the edging which usually takes about 50% of the yarn, but it FEELS like more!) and my Lettuce is going well, though I’m going to finish the body, do the neck and then halve the yarn for the sleeves as i think i may be a bit short for full sleeves.

yep, that's ALL WOLLMEISE!

that’s taken at Loop in Islington. I knew you’d all want to see it. And there’s a batch due this month. I’m pretty happy with my wollmeise stash, but i had to share. have NEVER SEEN SO MUCH in one place. (not even at Sonia’s)

Oh and I totally bought some of this in a colour called Flight.

stupidly i did not take a photo of my FIRST SKEIN OF LONDON YARN*

but i am knitting a hat and will take photos of that. it’s so totally lush.

discovered there is a yarn store on the road i have been walking most days (it’s sort of incognito so didn’t notice! worst knitter ever!) went to go there today but closed due to unforseen circumstances until thurs. REALLY could have used a yarny pick me up today.

*from this trip anyway…

I blocked it – it dried in about 5 seconds- and even braved the heat to get this shot…

Hydrangea Cowl in Sitka Rose

The fact that it matched my dress was purely coincedental!

and now the moment you have all been waiting for. I present Sylvi

thanks so much to vintagenettles for the photos!

*rav link

Yes, the hand crafted baby things just keep coming. My dearest E and S finally welcomed their little boy into the world. At the Baby Shower, we were asked to take onesies and return them decorated in some way. Weeeelll, I’ve had a bit on my plate what with moving to the UK, and i knew that A was going to be a massive little bub and I had a 000, so to make up for my slackness, I purchased a 00 to embroider and whipped this up on the last weekend i was in melbourne. I am such a terrible free stitcher, but it’s cute and homey and the Doctor would approve!

(also, what a BRILLIANT colour! Thanks E for the photo)

meanwhile, N + G are expecting a Muffin!girl and in the COLD months too, so i finally got to knit a pink (and green!) cardigan!

I had some lovely colours in a simple 8ply wool that i knew nett would love so i chose the offset wraplan* pattern and striped away.

(apologies in advance for the indoor flash photo!)

The buttons are probably  not the most practical, but they are SUPER CUTE and finish it so nicely!

Meanwhile, I have managed to move out of Melbourne – most of my yarn is in storage *sniff* but a sufficient amount is in adelaide either to be packed with me, or sent at a later date. My spinning wheel, loom and sewing machine are being looked after and loved by the lovely Ursula, though i believe Mel will eventually take over loom mindership. I’m glad  my crafty things are being put to good use!

I have also finished my Sylvi at last and i LOVE HER. I will endevour to get some better photos, but here’s a sneak preview..

*rav link

The awesome Yarn Harlot recently blogged about her annual case of startitis

Which got me thinking… I have a very strong desire to knit ALL THE THINGS, but especially all the WARM things, what with going to London! I’ve got a few projects i desperately want to do before i go, but i also want to finish all my WIPs!

so things i want to knit

Poppy*

I cast these on week before last and should have them done on Thursday. I don’t particularly like the thumb in this pattern, and if i knit them again i would work my regular thumb gusset and work another round or two after the little finger.

Other than this though i love them! I added an extra ruffle and put them a bit closer together because who doesn’t like an extra ruffle.

Handspun Possum and Merino from NZ with Kidsilk Night trim

I feel like these will be awesome for when i need to keep my hands warm but have my fingers available for oyster cards etc.

From the same book i want to knit Chevalier* for when it’s F***ing cold. these are knit in a bulky yarn so should only take me one or two days. I’ve actually had the yarn combo picked out for a while, so will be nice to finally do these!

And i want to knit a cowl or possibly two. I have a few patterns queued for stash yarn so will do one of those. I’ve been told that having a cowl close to the neck and then a scarf is a must for a UK winter.

On counterpoint I have the WIPS…

Sylvi is going great guns and will be finished before i go. I really want to line it, but i think there’s probably a level of CBFedness i can’t quite get past with everything else going on

Gossamer is a project i started in 2010 and i JUST NEED TO FINISH! especially now it’s on the interesting bit. the good news is it’s really light so i could pack it to knit in the UK, but i won’t wear it til summer over there, so would rather finish it and put it in storage til i get back. but i don’t want to put it in storage on the needles (or cable as the case is atm)

This is a bit of an ongoing project that i pick up every now and again. It has the same problems as Gossamer  in that i probably won’t wear it in london much but i hate the idea of putting it in storage unfinished. (even though it’s been about 2 years between working on it at some points!)

The sock yarn leftover blanket is very happy to be popped away and added to when i have sock yarn left overs from the UK!

so that’s kinda the plan, but there’s one other thing to consider… baby knits! Oh yeah… i would really like to try and get one thing done for my bestie before i head off.

but i have finished a present for my darling canadian friend

Petit Facile Pullover from Interweave Knits in Malabrigo worsted in Verdes

*ravelry link

according to rav i completed 11 pairs of socks (2 gifted), 3 adult jumpers/cardigans (all for me), 2 hats (both gifts), 3 scarves/shawls (two for me, one not shown), 13 various things for babies and children (all gifts) and a pair of mitts (not shown and gifted).

It always surprises me at the end of the year when i look at how much i’ve actually knit for other people.

1. wallflower, 2. elijah’s cardi, 3. fruiby’s vest, 4. blanket, 5. IMG_0081, 6. mini cons, 7. synesthesia, 8. thea, 9. fishies, 10. theo’s jumper, 11. stockport, 12. kalajoki, 13. kitty hat, 14. pixie hat, 15. skew, 16. noro scarf, 17. soaker, 18. livia, 19. fay, 20. shur’tugal, 21. baby ribs, 22. DSC_0315, 23. DSC_0326, 24. baby vest, 25. mochi socks, 26. brown bear, 27. swallowtail, 28. moonflower socks, 29. port adelaide socks, 30. jade’s tunic

I currently have 6 wips. (hey, not bad at all for me!) The most exciting of these is Sylvi which i hope to have finished and lined before i go to the UK

I got six lovely insallments of socks that rock

1. comfort and joy, 2. Drop Dead Sexy , 3. schwartzwald, 4. maia, 5. electric kool aid acid test, 6. pinky swear and augerbenius

In the spinning world i only finished 8 yarns, though i have a few on bobbins.

you can't tell what colours i like at all, can you?

1. nett’s bunny hop angorino, 2. katie’s merino/carbonized bamboo, 3. mel’s wensleydale, 4. berry superwash merino 3ply, 5. nett’s camel bunny silk , 6. wensleydale singles, 7. lush bunny, 8. merino rose fibre

my spinning is still not as even as i would like and i’m really really bad at getting my singles the same length for plying, but i still enjoy it and i am improving.

Not a bad effort for a year plagued with illness, restlessness and then extreme busy-ness!

but honestly? I’m glad to be done with it!

so…

here are my suggestions, and i’m willing to take suggestions from the crowd.

I will  make a decision tomorrow night after SnB

Crafty like a Fox

Knitickyboo (it’s already the blog address)

binkabooknitty (a play on my extended online alias, binkabookitty)

Knitty Kitty (i do love cats so)

A Yarn or Two

Crafting my life

these are all pretty lame, so give me ideas people!

Happy New Year my lovely crafterly friends, from near and far – WordPress tells me that i have readers all over the world, but particularly from the UK (see you there soon!) and US! so Hi! I also had 47 SF cable car’s worth of people traipse across my site. which is lovely! i also just realised that may well be the first time i have ever written or perhaps even read the word traipse. I had absolutely no idea how to spell it, but i guessed and I think i’m right, so yay!

My year of being a Notorious sock knitter with the Rockin’ Sock club has come to a close. My last installment for the year has been my favourite – which is good. It’s a bit of a pity, because i found the experience to be a little underwhelming. I didn’t LOVE any of the colourways this year, though i had a lot of respect for the dyeing, especially with aubergenius and pinky swear (Jan) which were such a perfect match. The patterns were a bit hit and miss for me. The ones i liked i felt I had seen similar things before and the ones i felt were really original didn’t grab me at all. And while the community were lovely and welcoming, i wasn’t as involved as i could have been. But still, I have done it and i can cross it off my knitting bucket list!

Comfort and Joy - the November (and final) instalment of RSC 2011

I finally finished my wallflower socks`, and before the end of the year too! They took up the last 3 months of my ‘sock a month’ year, so i ended up 1 pair behind (i finished an extra pair in january, though i started them in december ’10). I have the remaining two ‘parcels’ of yarn+pattern there, and one i will definitely take with me to the land of the engers when i head to the UK in late Feb.

I should also add that these were only my second stranded sock and my first time using wollmeise!

FINALLY! Wallflower, but Stephanie van der Linden, in Wollmeise (Stella Polaris) and an undyed merino cashmere from Wired for Fibre

Yes, I have my UK Visa and i’m heading off and it is STUPID the amount of time i spend planning what yarn is coming with me, what will go happily to storage and what will go to mum so she can post it to me along with mail, summer clothes and other goodies. With all the other planning i should be doing, this is taking up a disproportionate amount of my brain time^. I am going to be taking a lot/getting a lot sent because with my VAST stash (256 yarns stashed on rav and that’s not all, though take into account there are double ups due to multiple colours being grouped together for the one project) it seems stupid that precious money that will absolutely be needed for expensive London rent and food and WARM CLOTHES should get spend on yarn to replace what i already have. SO! my plan is to arrange for yarn that has maximum time to weight ratio attached to find its way to me in London. this means a lot of my sock yarn and laceweight. I have been using my rav queue to whittle down pattern to  yarn matches and have about 94756924569276924753* shawls and socks ready to be knitted. This is good too because it means some of my handspun and souvenir yarn will finally see the light of day as a FO.

amongst all this crafting and planning christmas and a bunch of birthdays happened. I didn’t really do the crafting presents for everyone that i’ve done the last few years. a couple of reasons for this but the big one was ALL THE BABIES! i spent the time i would normally be making xmas presents doing things for small people instead. (there are more baby knits on the way too!)

I did however get some gift spinning done and had a few presents already made for people – mum got some of my handdyed yarn and helen got a hat` i made for her back in march.

Here are the spins, in order, for nett, katie and mel:

Super Angorino from Ixchel (50% angora, 50% superfine merino), spun 2 ply, 130m, 50g, around a fingering weight.

Merino and Carbonized bamboo from Ewe Give Me the Knits, n-plied, 135m, 100g, around a DK weight.

Wensleydale from Ixchel, 2ply, 85m and 100g around a DK weight.

The wensleydale i’m particlarly proud of – i think it’s one of my most even and beautiful spins yet!

^TBH I think a lot of my brain power has gone on this plan because in the looming face of moving to a whole new country, this is a manageable problem

*figure may be an exaggeration.

` ravelry link