Excitement

Pardon my knitterly excitement, but I am a few hours away from my first finished garment of the year. I cannot believe it has taken me this long, but I am now a frill and a neckband away from a Summer Tweed cardigan. This is exciting because a) I get to wear a new cardigan verrry soon and b) I get to cast on a new project. This reminds me.

I do not consider myself a Hardcore Knitter but when an incredulous Other Half asked me why the beep not, I could not really say why. The evidence is stacked against me:

• When I want a little treat, I buy yarn.
• I have a .. sizeable yarn stash.
• My social circle consists of almost all knitters.
• I attend two knitting groups.
• Yarn fondling forms part of my my working life.
• On-line social networking revolves around knitting activities.
• I knit lace, socks, fair-isle, cables and do this using both Continental and English knitting techniques.
• I can recognise a knitting pattern or yarn from a distance.
• I can talk about rare sheep breeds.

But I still maintain I'm not Hardcore. How would you describe a Hardcore Knitter? Are you one?

But back to the new project I get to start so very soon. I am torn between knitting a hat for myself and casting on for a birthday present. A friend of mine turns forty this summer and has dropped hints about wanting a lace shawl. I have two balls of Kidsilk Haze in Ice Cream and I'm currently trying to find the right pattern. My friend is petite and very feminine, so I want something to match her personality and style. Ishbel is really the perfect pattern, but I have already made three (the same goes for the Swallowtail Shawl) so I'm looking for something .. else. Mooncalf suggested Citron but it is not as girly as I'd like.

Ideas, please.

However, most of all I am excited by the return of Doctor Who, the delirious, mad-cap, fantastic British sci-fi show. The first episode of the Eleventh Doctor's reign aired tonight and it was even better than I had hoped. You can read a quick spoilerish review here, or just trust me when I say it was a very good Steven Moffat episode. Moffat penned some of the best Doctor Who episodes in the recent past and I'm so pleased he is now on board as the show runner. I hope my non-UK Whovian friends get to sample the new Doctor soon. You'll like him.

Going Places

Crocheting Adventures with Hyperbolic Planes, a book on how to make geometric models using needlepoint, has won a prize given to oddly-titled books. Written by Latvian mathematician Daina Taimina, it was adjudged the winner of the annual Diagram Prize after a public vote run by the Bookseller magazine.

- Odd title win for crochet book

I think it says a lot about me that I didn't batter an eyelid at the title. Besides, Crocheting Adventures with Hyperbolic Planes does not hold a candle to books like Highlights in the History of Concrete or Bombproof Your Horse, both previous winners.

I finished my Monkey socks this weekend. They are very pink/lilac, but they do warm my feet (perfect for that impending snow we are supposedly getting). I'm just happy I won't have to use the Yarn Yard Bonny again. Just too synthetic for my taste. I have wound two cakes of delicious sock yarn - The Thylacine's Wellington BFL/nylon and Old Maiden Aunt's merino 4ply - and have scoured Ravelry for sock patterns. Like Ms Mooncalf, I think it is time to admit that sock knitting is no longer abhorrent or strange. It certainly has a place in my life.

Some exciting news: I will be teaching knitting and crochet classes in Glasgow this spring. Topics include the usual beginners' courses in both knitting and crochet, but also some advanced courses such as Continental knitting, Fair-Isle knitting combining English & Continental techniques, beading, finishing techniques and, yes, sock knitting . I'll be posting more info on the Glasgow and Scots Knits Ravelry groups soon or contact me directly if you want to know more. All the courses will last one hour and are free. Woohoo!

Finally, two blog posts about how we relate to our bodies. Kate Davies writes eloquently about how to formulate and describe the relationship (particularly if you have fallen ill) whilst Lilith of Old Maiden Aunt writes about feeling disconnected from her body. Both posts ask pertinent questions to which I can relate. I wish I felt ready to write about my personal struggles in terms of body and mind, but maybe someday I feel comfortable adding my thoughts. I thank both Kate and Lilith for being bolder than me.

Oopsie.

Some days the internet should be taken away from me. I am feeling delicate, emotional and fragile in a chocolate-eating sense and now I have purchased yarn from online vendors. One skein of merino sock from The Thylacine in a dark green colour called "Wellington" (and Wellington, NZ is my favouritest city on earth) and one skein of luscious, sinful Malabrigo in Azul Bolita (which looks remarkably like an Yves Klein Blue on this monitor and, yes, it is my favouritest blue). And I am supposed to be cold sheeping.

Truth be told, I abandoned my no-more-yarn pledge earlier this month as I came across an incredibly good offer on some old yarn and promptly spent £2 on 20 balls (I told you it was a good deal and I have plans for it all. Honestly). Somehow I think I need to revisit my cold sheep pledge..

In case you are wondering, the Good Deal yarn is going to go towards a lot of small projects: scarves, hats, cowls and mitts. Presents as well as stuff for myself. The Azul Bolita will turn into the Snapdragon hat as it will look fabulous with my bright green coat (yes, I frequently dress as though I am either colourblind or deliberately out to scare children). The sock yarn will .. become socks of the sock variety.

Tomorrow I will stay away from yarn outlets. Okay, that won't happen for a number of reasons but I will at least make a concerted effort to forget my Paypal account password. Now where is my chocolate?

Finding Serenity

Lest you think I am a complete slacker, here is photographic proof of my knitting efforts. My Frankie Says .. jumper is no more and instead I have opted for a long-loved pattern from Rowan Studio 15, Serenity. My knitting mojo has been AWOL recently, so I was thrilled when I found myself yearning to work on this cardigan. It is a little cropped cardigan and I am really enjoying knitting it. One of the best things about knitting something in pieces is how often you finish a section and feel really smug about your progress. I am one back and one sleeve done, and hope to have this cardigan done by the end of the month. Unfortunately I have too many things happening this week for me to aim for completion by the weekend.

However, with Serenity well under way and my second pair of socks almost done (I need turn the heel on the second Monkey and then finish the foot), it is time to look ahead. I have been going through my stash and looked through patterns. This is what I am contemplating:

1. Corsica from Rowan Summer Crochet. I liked the pattern photo, but this version on Ravelry blew me away. I am trying to steer away from making everything red, so I am currently torn between Siena in 665 Lustre (somewhere between lime green and peridot green)  or Organic 4ply in either Oak Bark (a strange, but beautiful grey-brown) or natural undyed. Still undecided.
2. A pair of socks knitted in Old Maiden Aunt Strange Rock'n'Rollers (merino). When Lilith mentioned the colourway, I knew I had to work with it as it takes its name from one of my favourite songs (youtube link)  in one of my favourite films. Patternwise, I'm leaning towards Twisted from the brand-new Knitty or possibly a self-designed pattern if I can muster the mental energy.
3. A shawl of some description. The usual suspects apply, plus a new contender. I have several, several yarns in mind: Kauni in purple/fuchsia, my precious 1-ply kidmohair/merino, the yak laceweight C. gave me for Christmas, Malabrigo lace, Old Maiden Aunt alpaca/merino laceweight, Kidsilk Haze, my Shetland laceweight, cashmere .. you get why I've joined a 10 shawls in 2010 group, right?
4. The Snapdragon hat because although spring has arrived, spring in Scotland equals cold winds. I have a couple of contenders here too. Either 100 purewool worsted merino in Forest, the leftovers from my Forecast cardigan or some delicious Norfolk Pure-Coloured Texel yarn I received in a swap. I'm pondering matching fingerless mitts.

And I have a birthday shawl to start/finish before mid-June too. I better get a move on.

PS. Title? Yes, I'm a Browncoat.

Careful with Words

I'm not a huge gadget fan, but I love my green iPod, Darth Kermit. It's an old model, but it does the job every morning as I'm going to and fro work. However, I am yet to figure a way to make suitable playlists for Darth Kermit. I tend to make my playlists in the evenings when I'm a bit tired, a bit dozy and generally comfortable and content. This results in chilled-out playlists. Unfortunately I am in need of wake-me-up music in the mornings - preferably of the sparkly pop variety. I have tried to steer my playlist making in that general direction, but to no avail. Anyway, I have been listening to knitting podcasts instead. I listen to a lot of different ones - both current ones as well as a lot of old ones. I was listening to a relatively current one when I was jolted out of my morning sleepiness by the podcaster describing someone as being a bit "spazzy". Now, I realise that British English and American English are two very different things. I also realise that whilst I find expressions such as "that's spazzy" or "that's gay" very offensive, these types of expressions are accepted among certain young people who do not mean to be derogatory or offensive. The question is: do I contact the podcaster and point out that I find her language offensive .. or should I just let it slide and get less serious about words and meanings? I'm reminded of Josh Rouse's The White Trash Period of My Life in which he sings careful with words .. they are so meaningful. It is one of those songs I should never put on my iPod morning mix and yet I do.

My inbox delivered some delightful surprises this morning - lovely previews of the new Kim Hargreaves book, Misty, and the forthcoming Amy Butler yarn range - so even though I was stuck with melancholy songs and surprisingly derogatory knitting podcasts, I could enjoy my morning coffee and scone feeling a bit cheerful.

The Little Things In Life

First, the obligatory "It is Spring!" photo. Of course I am convinced we will soon see a return to snowy gloom and doom, but I do enjoy being able to walk outside wearing less than five layers.

Secondly, a sock. My first pair were a bonafide success and so I think I need another pair to keep my toes warm at night (it's more hygienic for one thing). I'm using The Yarn Yard Bonny which I bought almost two years ago. Yes, the colourway looked very, very different on the website, but at least there is very little pooling. It is not nowhere as nice to knit with as the Araucania Ranco I used for my Ravelympics project either. I actually tried to swap the Bonny yarn about three weeks ago but nobody cared.. and so it is now becoming a pair of Monkey socks.

And Larry is done! I was putting the final few touches to him on Knit Night Tuesday when we realised that Larry really likes dancing about to silly pop songs. You should see those thin legs swagger. More seriously, I can see a few things wrong with Larry but they are my mistakes (damn time constraints) and not pattern mistakes. It was a fun little project, but I'm not rushing to knit another sheep (besides, Larry would get jealous). Larry will leave Casa Bookish for good tomorrow and I wish him a pleasant new life.

Finally, take a look at Hermes' collection at the Paris Fashion week. It's enough to make my knees wobble with love. Cor.