Time to catch up

I seem to have had little to blog about of late, and yet now I sit down to post a couple of photos, I've come across some other small finished things which I haven't mentioned. I think this is the best part of blogging - charting small achievements which would otherwise go unmentioned, forgotten within a few days.

Firstly, I don't think I mentioned the "Wine and Roses" mitts (Interweave Knits Winter 2006), which I decided to knit using the February Posh Yarns Sock Club yarn. I finished one of these and felt underwhelmed by the end result, somehow. Maybe they're not quite my colour, perhaps a smaller needle would have given me a more satisfying finish? Anyway, I did one and left it to one side until my Mum arrived and enthused about it enough to encourage me to complete the pair for her.

There was enough yarn left over to knit a quick "Misty Garden" (Scarf Style) to match, though the colours in the two photographs are so different, you'll just have to take my word for the fact that they do!

What to knit next? Though I am still spooked by Ene (another Scarf Style pattern), I'm umming and aaaahing and cast on a pair of socks instead. When in doubt, cast on socks! I had a great skein of FleeceArtist merino in Cosmic Dawn and started a pair of Pomatomus. Great pattern - but better in a plain or self-coloured yarn rather than this flashy multicolour job! So, after a bit of ripping, a second pair of Jaywalkers is on the needles.

Yes, I can hear Sue saying "but I thought you swore never to knit another pair of those?" The difference is, that this time I'm not trying to do them on two circs!

Other stuff around here: it's a glorious Saturday afternoon, the sun is shining and the birds are singing. We have more frogspawn in pond and anyone would think it was March.

Oh, and I have a new favourite flower in my vase.

"In fairy tales frogs are apt to change into princes and it was an Asian prince in just such a story who gave his name to this flower, which grows naturally in swampy ground. The prince was so good-looking that he was loved by everyone. He also had a beautiful voice but this was his undoing. He loved the open country and sang delightful songs in the presence of nymphs. He did not have the courage to declare his love to them and this haunted him so much that he died. After his death he was changed into the flower with delicate tissuey petals which bears his name." From The Flower and Plant Association website

February days

Seems to have been a busy weekend and yet I don't have a great deal to show for it!

On Saturday, we went to Symphony Hall to hear great music, conducted by our current favourite, Gustavo Dudamel. We especially loved the last movement of La Noche de los Mayas, by Revueltas, when a lively bunch of twelve percussionists banged, scraped, tinged and rattled away at the back of the orchestra in a superbly co-ordinated rhythmic climax with shouts, squeals and animal calls to boot. Brilliant stuff - perhaps not quite a CD to play on a relaxing afternoon at home, but for an occasion such as this, absolutely thrilling!

I am still trying to get myself going on a new knitting project. Had a false start with some ArtYarns merino which isn't quite enough for socks, so I thought I'd knit a pair of gloves, fingerless if necessary. However, after a few inches I realised that the yarn was pooling in stripes and did a quick bit of unknitting. I think Ene is calling me.

Oh, and the builders started work on the playroom - now to be named the studio (!) - this morning. The original estimate was two weeks work, which slipped a bit to three....and now possibly a month. I'm not holding my breath!

Done!

The room is empty, save for the sofas and the shelves, both awaiting collection from the recycling people. It was tough going towards the end, for we were both tired of feeling dusty and cobwebby and moving such a quantity of books is quite hard work!

Not only that, but I just finished binding off the edge of the Colinette shawl too. Thanks to Della I was tempted to order Lucy Neatby's Knitting DVDs, which arrived a couple of days ago. I have seen only part of one so far but have learned so much already and used Lucy's modified bind off to great effect - quick, neat and definitely the one to use on such a loosely knitted piece. I'm looking forward to watching some of Lucy's sock tricks now.

(The shawl measures about 50" square, btw, perfect for keeping someone's legs warm in the evening)

Can't decide what to cast on next - I think the Posh Socks yarn from this month is destined to be something other than a pair of socks. Any suggestions?

Still knitting

All of that clearing up leaves me in need of a bit of therapy, so I took out a bag of Colinette yarn I've had in my stash for ages, and began to knit a large shawl on 7mm needles. It grows very fast indeed, but is quite heavy on the hands and I must say, I prefer working with sock yarn!

I don't know which side of the work I prefer

Knitting a poem

My Grumpy chum alerted me to this series which is on Radio 4 several days this week - really great and worth a listen.