My new lamp!

My new lamp!
Originally uploaded by steel breeze

Better late than never. This is a Daylight Company lamp, and it's fully poseable and works just great over my machine. It was a Christmas present, but I only got it a few weeks ago because of a mix-up.

Well, I'm done with the Ravelympics. Today I tried to make a pleated sample on the Passap. After a few attempts I got it going - but then I engaged the motor and the yarn snapped. In disgust, I made a mitten on the chunky, but it came out rather large so I frogged it. Finally I made the scarf/stole thing and decided enough is enough - I'm out of time and not enjoying trying to make things just for the sake of it - and I've won a few medals, so that is enough for me. I also forgot to work out how many metres I'd knitted, so I can't compete in the 5000m thing someone suggested. But kudos to the other Ravthletes - I'm proud of our team!

FO: Blue hat for the Cog

100_3132
Originally uploaded by steel breeze

Ribbing is a bit loose on this one, but he seemed happy enough with it.

FO: Charity tee with magicolor

Picture 042
Originally uploaded by steel breeze

This is made from some oddments of yarn including DB Magicolor and Kauni EQ.

FO: Scarf/stole

Picture 041
Originally uploaded by steel breeze

It was supposed to be a stole, but it came out quite narrow, so it's a fancy scarf instead. Made on the Brother 260 in Austermann Starlight, which is a ladder yarn.

FO: Easy Passap socks with silver

Easy Passap socks with silver
Originally uploaded by steel breeze

Made with Fyberspates sock yarn which has silver in it - sparkly!

We shall not speak of the troubles with the second sock, and the dropped stitches that were repaired.

Entered in the sock hockey and samalog Ravelympics events.

NOW - I'm off downstairs to make me a Ravelympics t-shirt. Yes, I'm THAT sad!! :)

FO: Half a Muppet scarf

muppet_scarf
Originally uploaded by steel breeze

Knitted on the Brother KH260 in 1x1 rib. Very slippery!

FO: Patons Parade waistcoat

100_3133
Originally uploaded by steel breeze

Hand-knitted fronts, machine-knitted back. Started in 2008, and finished for the WIPSdancing event for Ravelympics 2010.

Hoping to use the rest of the black (a boucle with neon accents) for a sleeveless top at some point.

Botheration (and other less ladylike words that begin with B)

Well, for those knitters/crocheters not members of Ravelry (and why not? You're missing a lot!), it's Ravelympics time again. The idea is that you cast on as the torch is lit (in the real Olympics), and you finish as many projects as you can before the closing ceremony.

The machine knitting team aka "Rise of the Machines" has our first ever specific event - "Machine skate samalog", and I've been desperately trying to make something half-decent as my contribution to the team effort. As there was no way I was staying up 'till 2am to cast on I did mine at about 8am Saturday morning - and discovered some trans-atlantic ravellers had already made some stuff - darned over-achievers! :)

So far? I've managed to make one lousy hat, which is a bit on the big side for the Cog and looks a bit, well, Smurf-like at the back.

I cast on happily enough, the chenille afghan. It became clear quite quickly that there was nowhere near enough yarn, and I only had the one cone of it, so I cast on again the whole width of the bed and just knit until it ran out. I dunno what it is, but it's not what I hoped I'd make. We're supposed to be challenging ourselves. Pity I didn't challenge myself to do some frickin' maths beforehand.

I'm rapidly running out of free time now - I've only really got this weekend and a couple more evenings I can possibly knit in. I "lost" half hour tonight giving blood, and of course work's now sending me to Holland for a day's work next week - no biggy in itself, but it loses me two evenings I could have used (because the flight out is the afternoon before, and the flight home means I don't usually get home until 9pm, by which time all I want to do is go to bed!). Yes, I know I could hand-knit something. That isn't the point. I wanted to support my team! Typical luck that it would fall in this fortnight!

Tonight I'm just about ready to launch the dratted machines out of the window - I've just told them all that there are cheaper, simpler hobbies in the hopes they'll buck their ideas up. Give them a sporting event and they all get performance anxiety! :) Spent the last three hours trying to make "accordian rib" from the Brother Ribber techs handbook. The beautiful blue wool I had hoped to use snaps constantly, regardless of how I might cast it on (including a WY cast on). The acrylic fared slightly better but I discovered some interesting and unexpected ladders when it was removed from the machine. Not the look I was going for.

Guess I'll just have to stick to making stuff I'm good at - charity tees and socks. My dreams of a beautiful pleated skirt (where the pleats are automatically knitted in) are dying a death, and I'm really bloody cross!

The definition of irony

1. Getting two big trash bags of yet more yarn, having just donated two car loads late last year
2. Realising that some of it is yarn you donated to the local machine knitting class about 18 months ago.

Greg thinks it is hilarious!

I swear this stuff just seeks me out!

Unaccountably grumpy at the moment. Nearly finished the (incredibly loud) back of Armelle - the fronts and sleeves will be easier and less prone to tangled yarn. Made a monster sock from the "50 cent sock" instructions - the calculations don't work out correctly for thicker yarn. Either that, or my row gauge is off. Not enough for the second sock anyway. I think it wants to be a hat!

Have worked out dimensions for the chenille throw for Ravelympics - making a single bed size and will see how much yarn is left. Also going to try and unwind the disastrous rowan Kimi, and finish a few WIPs. I have 14 days, but also 10 days at the office. We shall see!

Nottingham MK Show

Date for your diary:

Nottingham Machine Knitting Show
Sunday 11th April 2010
10am-4pm
Harvey Haddon Sports Centre
Wigman Rd, Bilbourough, NG8 4PB

Organised by Hush Knit Yarns

I wandered, mojo-less, as a cloud...

..that floats, and tangles, and comes up with the wrong number of stitches.

Yes, I made it up the the armholes in my Colinette 4 colour intarsia. Done some raglan decreases, and still too many stitches. Think I must have mis-counted about 20 rows back. Thought it looked a bit short for a back.

So, some ripping is required. Maybe tonight - discovered the fault at 20:45 and was in no mood to start ripping then! :)

Must crack on with the second MK white cardi, too, and clear the UFO list. It's getting out of hand, and yet I'm still hankering on starting new projects! Fighting my Aries-ness is hard! :)

Oh, I must remember to take a photo of my belated xmas present from the Cog's family - a long, snakey overhead light, which is perfect for my knitting machine. It was delayed because the Cog's older brother managed to order it online from a company that had folded three years earlier. Luckily he finally got it all sorted out, and I have my wonderful lamp. Thanks, guys!

Busy weekend coming up - trip to Metropolitan on Saturday with a friend, I've a shopping list all ready - and then some family things which will keep me away from the machines most of the weekend.

Oh, I have booked myself on their Dream Week again, too. It was such fun, and I've not been spending my money much lately, so I have savings to dib into (although they don't want the balance until June anyhoo - let's hope I don't spend it beforehand, haha!). Might also do a Passap week, camping, if money allows - will be the summer one if so, but then I'm running quite low on holiday to share with my beloved. B&Bs/hotels really put the cost up.

Hmmm. Knitting holidays, or holidays with the Cog? It's a toughie! :D

FO: Fingerless mittens

Fingerless mittens
Originally uploaded by steel breeze

Finished these for the Cog and he tells me they are "awesome" and make him look like a boxer.

Here he is, with his hard man expression.

DK yarn knitted at T2 on the Brother 260 (knitted circular). Ribbing added by hand.