Adelaide Airport

Oh I wish I got to go to Australia too! Looks like I'd have loved it...even just in the airport! A merino wool store?! I want one of those...and one of those...and one of those...;-D

OK I know this isn't knitting related...

...but I just had to show you the cupcakes I made for my son's birthday! They're Morello Cherry Chocolate Cupcakes from Nigella Lawson's "How to be a Domestic Goddess" *cough* With cute lickle sugar animals from Sainsbury's on top instead of glace cherries. They're like brownies with frosting on top. VERY BAD FOR YOU! (Just don't tell anyone they're for a 13 yo boy.)

OK so I lied. Here's a knitting picture. It's my sister making an obscene gesture while showing off my latest creation. It's "Secret Pocket Hats" by Gayle Roehm from the Winter 2003 issue from the back issues box of some magazine at my local library. Creative Knitting? Knitting? I dunno I forgot...but I did write down that it was page 91 because that's really useful. Yarn is Lion Brand Wool Ease Chunky left over from World Cup Sweater and neat Patons Rumors I recently discovered at Michaels! Is lovely alpaca blend and only $5 !

What time is it?

Hat for my sister!...and mittens!

Here's a hat for my sister. Made with Lion Brand Wool Ease Color 139 Dark Rose Heather, a handspun pumpkin colored wool I got at "The Big-E" and Classic Elite Inca Alpaca Color 1120 Kentucky Teal (which my sister picked out for herself since it matches her eyes and is super soft!) The alpaca is amazing. I love it. I think if the hat were all alpaca it would be too drapey tho. I think I'll make matching mittens now!

Matching mittens now! Made by transferring hat pattern to "Smitten With Mittens" basic mitten pattern by Charlotte Parry, Family Circle Easy Knitting Magazine, Fall 2005.

Blasphemous Hat

This is a prototype hat for one I want to make for my sister. Blasphemous for a yarn snob since is a mixture of a very luxurious alpaca yarn with *cringe* lots of acrylic. Is made from the slightest bit of Classic Elite Inca Marl Color 1195. Is gorgeous yarn. Will have to increase it's ratio on hat for my sister. It is with Lion Brand Wool Ease Color 139 Dark Rose Heather (not so bad...is 20% wool afterall), TLC Heathers Color 2455 Purple Haze (getting worse...but still lovely color) and *gasp* a cream colored nasty acrylic that is so old I can't remember where I got it. Pattern is "Kate's Cap Design No. 27 by Louise."

Matching mittens now! My mother has made a claim on the set.

I Lurv Coldplay Socks

Look at the stars
Look how they shine for you
And all the things you do
Yeah they were all purple

I came along
I wrote a song for you
And everything you do
And it was called purple

So then I took my turn
Oh what a thing to have done
And it was all purple

Your skin
Oh yeah your skin and bones
Turn into something beautiful
D'you know you know I love you so
You know I love you so

I swam across
I jumped across for you
Oh what a thing to do
Cause you were all purple

I drew a line
I drew a line for you
Oh what a thing to do my love
And it was all purple yeah yeah yeah

Your skin
Oh yeah your skin and bones
Turn into something beautiful
D'you know for you I'd bleed myself dry
For you I'd bleed myself dry

It's true! look how they shine for you
look how they shine for you
look how they shine for you
look how they shine for you
look how they shine for you
look how they shine
look at the stars look how they shine for you
and all the things that you do

Socks are made from Froehlich Wolle Blauband Maxi Ringel Farbe 7740 PURPLE!!! Have never used this wool before but I couldn't resist because the colors are so great and the packaging is cute with extra reinforcing wool included (which I did actually use on heel and most of toe). Feels good too...hope it washes well. Pattern is basic 60 stitch sock on size 2 needles with Welsh Heel and Star Toe of Three Points a la Lichen Ribbed Sock from Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks. Yarn is from Village Needleworks in Avon, CT. Claustrophobic store with lovely owner. Went back for 4 more skeins once I started working with this great yarn!

Adelaide and Delia

Meet Adelaide and Delia! Transplanted from Australia via USA ;-D Ready to make their new home in England and cheer on Stoke City Football Club! Pattern is kangaroo and baby roo from Toys to Knit by Tracey Chapman. Made from stash of mostly Sidar wool-rich 4-ply, Jaeger Matchmaker Merino 4-ply and Regia sock yarn. Knit on size 2 needles which is different than pattern. And yes, baby Delia does come out (no.1 question I'm asked...well besides "You knit that?" which is more an expression of shock than a question anyway).

Here they are with the other members of the family. That's Viola on the left and Dewey, known to the locals as Doogie, The Air Canada Bear, not to be confused with Paddington Bear, on the right. Geeze what a sentence!

Clog Wild

Here are the new clogs I got for work. Remember....think "elementary school teacher"!!! They are perfect for my homemade socks and are so comfortable when standing for most of the day! I got them from Clog Wild.

UK Knitting part 2

Lacy Hair Tamer from IK online patterns made with Sidar Wool Rich 4-ply and smaller needles than I should have used. Also pictured are needles purchased at charity shop in Llandudno, Wales. Rich calls them "old dead lady needles" I prefer to call them "vintage" ;-D Had no idea what to buy since the sizes are different than US but I just picked out ones that appeared to be similar to what I normally use! Blue ones are funky tho and make no sense as far as the number printed on them and how they fit in my needle sizer...must be the oldest pair from some other measuring unit in time.

UK Knitting part 1

Here's a pair of socks I knitted for my sister for her birthday while in the UK. They're Opal Elemente in a color she chose for herself at LYS in Woodbridge, CT. Also pictured is "Minty" my lamb purse I got in Betws-y-Coed, Wales (yes I know I'm 12 yo) and the latest edition of Simply Knitting Magazine.