the thermos

knitting karma

2012-01-28T18:20:00.000Z

Turns out that if you knit for others one or two of then take up needles and knit for you. The scarf was a lovely unexpected gift from Kathleen after I bequeathed her the leftovers from Burt's Jersey. And the gloves were a timely swap with A.

productivity assessment

2012-01-23T17:42:00.001Z

I've just been over at Ravelry trying to assess the success of last years resolution. Comparatively it wasn't great, ten completed projects in 2010, and only six in 2011. Focusing on one project at a time certainly meant that progress was made across the board, but this didn't result in the completion of any of the long term unfinished things.

This year I'm going to try a mile stone approach with the long term unfinished things, and intersperse some instant gratification projects along the way. I've also decided what success will include the following completed projects:

All this resolving has already been thwarted by the plethora of babies arriving this year. I thinks there's something on the toilet seats.

dawn

2012-01-08T17:23:00.001Z

My first few months in Yorkshire seem to have been spent driving through darkness. I'm commuting three hours a day, so not surprising really. You can't say it's like tunnel, the landscape changes, flat, hills, lights in the distance, the shadowy outlines of villages, and life behind curtains. I drive along as if somebody is laying down track just outside the range of my headlights. Accelerating, breaking, turning. The road dictates.

The rest of life feels like this too. Travelling along not really knowing what will come next, and not arriving just yet. Having most of my things in storage adds to this continuing feeling of shifting. I've stopped missing most of the accoutrements of my life, although being remote from ones personal records can be challenging. All those objects just seem like an encumbrance. That said, I've had to replace a few things out of necessity, and check other such purchases on a few occasions, reminding myself I can manage without. Perhaps I shouldn't be so blasé about all those objects, there must are quite a few functional items in those boxes that I still want in my life.

Now that solstice has passed the days are getting a bit brighter. Gradually we are inching the light back. This is how this particular new year seems to me, a dawning on a new life, a new phase, a new unknown spring.

on the cusp

2011-12-28T21:27:00.001Z

Well so much for blogging every day last week. Perhaps the run up to Christmas is not the time to make that sort of resolution.

I'm working through the Chrimbo Limbo this year, and that really is how things feel at the moment. There is so much stuff that is just on the edge.

Woolly's annual KAL finished a month ago. There are just a few ends to weave in, and Finishing Glory shall be mine. Mwah ha haaa!

I'm frustratingly close to being able to paint the vestibule, but am finding it impossible to get a nice finish on the bit that Bob replastered before he left. I might have to get some advice in. I'm in the process of roughing up all the gloss ready to paint, and have ordered a wee sander to help things along. I can't wait to get the paint on, but keep finding new holes to fill. Where do you stop?

Walness just needs one more sleeve, a neck band, and a bit more on the bottom. When you say it like that it sounds quite a lot, but when I put it on last night it felt nearly finished. I have a que of films to watch in preparation for the marathon knitting session required to have this finished by the new year.

I'm going to duck back below the parapet now, so you can swing buy next week for something interesting to see.

tuesday running

2011-12-20T20:58:00.002Z

Hoorah! This evening I actually made it to running club. I haven't been able to get there for weeks. Running had gone off the boil, and I've been feeling that not going is actually hindering me getting to know folk here. It was lovely to get out in the fresh air, even though I only did the shortest run then dashed home to get ready for London tomorrow.

That is all for today. If I stop now, there will be time for another job that will result in interest blogging latter in the week!

Location:Tuesday Running

monday admin

2011-12-19T20:04:00.002Z

Well here's excitement for you, it's life administration Monday! I've been putting off a whole list of jobs for ages, and have finally walloped a few of them on the head. Do you put off admin type tasks thinking they'll take for ever, and then when you finally come to it you rip through them. For some reason if a job involves calling somebody I can put it off forever.

The next job is to wrap Christmas presents. I'm in my grinchy pre Christmas phase. I love the giving gift part, but at some point it all spirals away from my careful plan, and I end up feeling that it's all just a big commercial farce. Perhaps next year I'll give everybody a voucher for a random act of giving throughout the year...

Hmmm.

Location:Administration Monday

Mini NaBloPoMo

2011-12-18T09:59:00.001Z

We've been hurtling towards Christmas at a great rate of knots, and I suspect we will slam into this festive day in seven days time with a flurry of panic shopping and wrapping.

Over a month on, the decision to move north is proving to be the right one. The only painful part at the moment is the weekly trek to London. I'm trying to curtail these trips a bit, as they make it difficult to participate in life here (eg running club), and my body is all at sixes and sevens over what it's supposed to be doing at what hour. And I spend all weekend doing chores!

I'm having a mini NaBloPoMo in the run up to Christmas, as there are things to tell about but that might never happen if it's not broken down into sensibly sized chunks.

please excuse the silence

2011-11-30T19:26:00.001Z

Bob is home. He arrived three weeks earlier than expected. I'm so grateful.

This does mean that he may not be here for Christmas, but that's okay. I needed a moral boost now, and will spend Christmas with the God Boy.

Other things that have arrived here this month are Wussy Dog, Bruce and Dave the Budgerigars, over ten meters of polar fleece fabric, half a tonne of hard wood flooring, thirty litres of paint, and Woolly Wormheads Mystery Knit Along.

Things are getting back into perspective, and settling. And I ought to get home to help with the painting.

plodding on

2011-11-11T21:19:00.001Z

Thank God we’ve reached the weekend.

Wow, that said I feel like I could just walk away from my computer and that would be enough words.

This week has been so tough. I’m struggling with Bob being incommunicado. I’m struggling with a three hour round trip to to work, and the weekly trip back to London. I’m even struggling with Woolly KAL, which is the November Project.

And I’m not telling anybody I’m struggling. Because some twit will take it upon themselves to give me a pep talk, and tell me how all this is normal, and if I truck on it will all be okay. And the thing that will annoy me most about being on the receiving end of that lecture, is that I know all that already. The thing that will make me want to scream at that person to fuck off, is that I am already plodding through this with my usual boar minded determination. If that beacon at the end of the tunnel wasn’t already there for me, I wouldn’t bloody well be here.

I just want to say out loud “This has been hard.”

anxiety attack!

2011-11-01T21:42:00.001Z

On Monday Bob left port and went incommunicado.

On Monday while sitting having a cup of tea I started poking round the net for local running groups, and started feeling extremely anxious about having to throw myself in amongst groups of strangers.

On Monday I became completely overwhelmed by the sensation of being surrounded by strangers for miles and miles and miles, and that I had no plans for over a month of weekends. So I sent off an email to some local running club folk to tell them I'd be joining their club run on Thursday, and now they're expecting me.

It's Tuesday, and I am back to being anxious about the crowd of new people. But that is still the lesser of the two fears. And what can happen at worse, they run me out of town with pitch forks...

new beginnings

2011-10-30T17:02:00.001Z

Yesterday at 7pm I hoped off a wee Yorkshire local train with one suitcase and a handbag ready to start life in East Riding. Bob is away at work, so there was no welcoming wagon, and it felt very much like my arrival in London almost ten years ago.

Except that this is ten years later, and the fifth time in my life that I've started life afresh in a brand new place. While today seemed a little reflective and lonely, the next twelve months will be one of beginnings. I will be sitting here a year from now at home with a special person to share my life.

cold feet

2011-10-09T20:46:00.001+01:00

I'm having a big freak out. About having to apply for a new job that looks remarkably like the job I do now, but not much like the job I was hired to do. The application has to be in this week, and the other option is redundancy. And about having given up my flat, putting all my stuff in storage, dossing with a friend for the month, and starting off in the Wolds in November.

Standing at the bus stop this evening, I was thinking I'd much rather go home to New Zealand.

The October Project - Walnuss

2011-10-04T18:52:00.001+01:00

Apparently moving house is the third most stress life event. The first two being the death of a loved one and divorce. I've spent the last two weeks feeling stressed and disorganised. One of my friends commented this week that I seemed super organised, and that her move last year had been completely disorganised. Ironic because I've spent the last two weeks wondering why I can't be as organised as her.

There wasn't a lot of knitting time, so I didn't manage of finish a second pair of socks, but you can see that some progress was made.

October is going to be a Walnuss month. "Hold on," I hear you say, "when did you start Walnuss?". This was a pregnancy indulgence. All those hormones seemed like a good excuse for all sorts of starting discrepancies. And since the Yorkshire move was finalised I've been obsessed with cardigans. Having a new cardi for my first Yorkshire Christmas seems like a worth aim.

September Project - Month of Socks

2011-09-11T13:28:00.001+01:00

It might not be traditional, but I am deeming September a month of socks. The Secret Swap Socks were gifted on Friday. As it turns out they were the perfect antidote for uncomfortable but patriotic shoes! These socks took my make-it-up-as-you-go-along approach to knitting socks to a new level in terms of thinking about patterns to suit the yarn, gauge, and fit. After a false start in May, I also learned that I am definitely not comfortable knitting top down socks. You don't get the same freedom to adjust the them to fit, and use up every last metre of yarn. Although I think my kitchen scales may need a new battery. Despite weighting the remaining yarn as I went along, there was a load left at the end of the second sock.

The Trekking that A gave me was one of the hand dyed varieties, and I can't find the label to say what the colour was. It's a lovely robust yarn that would keep your feet toasty through years of wear. It reminds me a little of Regia. One half of the hank was quite different from the other. You can see above that the near sock is very red, while the further one is a bit greener. Other knitters might not like this, but I think it is part of the charm of a hand dyed yarn.

Yesterday while packing my stash I stumbled upon the two pairs of socks I have in progress, and decided that the rest of the month should really be about socks. Packing abruptly came to a halt while I got on with the toe shaping of the second cinema sock, then met some friends to see The Skin I Live In and some further sock knitting. I'm starting to suspect that not having this sock ready for in the dark knitting may have been slowing down my movie going.

There is never a time line for cinema socks, so now that this pair are in progress again I'm setting them aside for the Socks That Fit Proper to become every day knitting.

the wind will change

2011-09-04T22:26:00.001+01:00

Sometimes changes are in the pipeline for so long that when they actually happen it doesn't feel like news at all.

I've felt like London wasn't the right place for me in the long term for years now. Knowing that, and knowing where the right place would be are two very different things. It's easy to remain static because your present position is not so uncomfortable you need to move.

Bob changed that. He is a country fellow. In retrospect perhaps that's why I'd never met the right bloke before. If deep down inside your a country kid, it's going to be quite difficult to meet a kindred spirit in the middle of a metropolis.

So I'm moving to Yorkshire. The plan to move in together outside of London, and then tp move in to Bob's place in East Riding has been in the pipeline for quite some time. To begin with all this plotting and scheming was all very hush hush while I sorted out moving my job from one office to another, promptly changed my mind about which office, then told my flatmate. And even though the cat has been out of the bag for a while now, time seems to be galloping on, and there's just been no opportunity to put the words here.

Flatmate Stu moved out this weekend. It's been quite sad. We've lived together for three years; and, as much as we've never done anything socially and he's hardly ever at the flat, I'm going to miss having him around. His leaving has also highlighted that my own departure from the flat is imminent. This is the home I've had for the longest since I left My parents, and after the palaver I had with my old flattie having a secure dwelling has been really important to me. Today I'm feeling a little regretful to be giving all that up.

Not too regretful though. There are a whole load of things I'm looking forward too doing in Yorkshire. Not least being that I'll be waking up next to the great big lump of a man who stole my heart away a bit more often.

too cute

2011-08-14T09:05:00.001+01:00

Unfortunately I forgot to take a decent pic of these before they were gifted. Hunca Munca may just have become my go to baby gift pattern.

crazy days

2011-08-11T22:05:00.001+01:00

Life was starting to feel little crazy here before the events of this week. There are quite a few things going on that I'd intended to blog about, but then this mania sweeps through my neighbourhood, and the rest of the week has rattled by in a state of shock.

Now that I come to write about it I feel so inarticulate. When I came home from work on Monday the high street was in the process of boarding up. Even Oli's, my local twenty four hour doesn't close for Christmas shop, was shut up. At six o'clock I stood in my front room and watched two waves of kids silently run up the street. There weren't even that many. If the street had been clogged up with the 500 people who actually live here, would they have given up and gone home?

We were held to ransom by a minority ferrying stolen goods up the street, or hiding things in the church yard while they waited for friends with cars to transport them away.

I've long known that my flight reflex is infinitely stronger than my inclination to fight. When folk started rowing over their loot directly outside my front door I left. Who wants to be a sitting duck if somebody starts a a fire? As I went I wondered what I really couldn't live without, and the only thing that sprang to mind was that life might be a little tricky without my passport. Maybe I'm not as materialistic as I'd thought. My neighbours said I was mad to go outside. I certainly felt safer once I'd left. Nobody paid me the blindest bit of attention, and London is a great place for running and hiding.

I stayed with friends.

There's been so much commentary on the why's and wherefores of these events. Maybe metropolitan Londoners have something in their psychology that just resets and starts over, and it's just small town Kiwi chicks that find these events so word snatchingly inexplicable.

finishing glory - is it?

2011-07-30T12:00:00.001+01:00

Until now I'd always counted the first sock as finishing glory, but is it finishing glory if you can't show it? Is anything really finishing glory till it goes public? It's a shame there's no showing because I'm reasonably pleased with this 'make it up as you go along sock' for A. Particularly, the Magic Cast-on from Knitty, and Mia's toe up heel flap. Actually my attention was all over the place when the heel was turned (blame Sean Bean and Sharpe), and there may have been a slight deviation from the instructions. It seems to fit well though.

mixed

2011-07-27T23:18:00.001+01:00

Yesterday I got my period. Part of me is ABSOLUTELY ECSTATIC that my body is getting back to normal so quickly. Part of me is totally fed up with the sight of blood.

ginger

2011-07-24T12:09:00.001+01:00

Last month I developed a graving for all ginger related food stuffs, and a taste for salt and vinegar chips (crisps to UK types). The ginger may have had something to do with nausea, but who knows what reversed my life long dislike of salt and vinegar.

Yesterday I tried the Star Ginger Biscuit recipe. These would have been improved if I'd bothered with the egg wash and sugar, or drizzled a bit of melted chocolate over the top. Otherwise the result was very gingernut like - not bad.

starting again

2011-07-23T17:06:00.001+01:00

There's been a complete dearth of exercise in the last month - or physical goals. Pregnancy was accompanied by a state of exhaustion and broken sleep. Assuming that this was probably going to continue for the next twenty years I'd tried to fight if off, but eventually gave in to a cycle of sleep, work and lounging of the couch.

It hadn't occurred to me that I wouldn't just spring back post miscarriage. A jaunt to Suffolk last weekend was an awakening. The walk was curtailed after only ten kilometres, and I slept most of the following day. Even a trip to the cinema during the week knocked me out.

The listlessness and lethargy, understandable as it might be, is now just frustrating. It is time for a new goal, all be it a small one. For the next week I'm going to walk the journey to work (4.5Km). There's a little motivational treat as well. I've been interested in barefoot shoes for a while, so am trying out a pair of Vivo Barefoot shoes. The short walks seemed like a good opportunity to see how my feet would get on walking naturally.

So far they don't want to leave the shoes.

finishing glory - therapy knitting

2011-07-18T19:19:00.001+01:00

The last six weeks have been a roller coaster of emotion leading to all sorts of starting and instant gratification knitting. Well, instant gratification crafting really, but you'll see more of that later.

I stumbled into iKnit last week and picked up the stunning Scrumptious. This is a wonderful yarn that makes beautiful accessories. It would make a super lux cardi, but I don't think it would wear very well over time. This is a 'pattern' written down for me by a lady in a yarn shop in New Zealand. It's so easy with any weight of yarn, and makes a little bit of lux yarn go a long way.

what happened to june

2011-07-06T23:00:00.001+01:00

The beginning of June was exciting. Bob and I had just found out we were pregnant, and were in that phase where everybody tells you not to tell anybody. Not telling anybody was made harder by Bob being in Canada for work. Here I am in London, absolutely knackered, a little seasick, and not being able to tell anybody why I'd suddenly be come disinterested in beer and coffee.

The end of June looked to be improving. Last week we'd told our families, friends, and colleagues about our imminent new arrival. And on Friday by the time everybody was heading off to work we'd lost it.

The current trend seems to be that you shouldn't tell folk that you're pregnant until you're twelve weeks in because of the high occurrence of miscarriage in the first trimester. Right now I don't quite get this at all. How odd would it have been to call work saying "Sorry, can't come in, I miscarried this morning.". And then to have to explain to people that I'm a bit blue and walking like John Wayne because this time last week I was up the duff and now I'm not.

I've been really grateful for all the kind words that Bob and I have received; for the recognition that we're grieving; and for the solace of friends who've been in the same position. Managing the emotional side of miscarriage would have been difficult on our own. At the moment we might be in a sad place, but at least it's not lonely here.

the may project and finishing glory

2011-06-12T10:27:00.001+01:00

May started with the successful completion of Bert's Jersey, which conveniently arrived around his first birthday. I'd made the 18 month size, which apparently only just fits him now - bugger. The pattern is a Debbie Bliss one. Bert's Mum had fancied one with a hood. I wasn't sure if there'd be enough yarn, and thought the collar looked quite smart. Actually, the pattern appealed because it reminded me of the jerseys Bert's Pop wears on the farm.

I'm pleased with my efforts to purposely not have the stripes match up the front and on the sleeve. With the yoke/collar split and worked in two parts, it was going to be a nightmare to get it them symmetrical. The yarn is King Cole Mirage. It'll be interesting to see how the yarn will have held up by the time Bert grows out of the garment, and it's been through the wash a few times. Would this yarn last two children? Hmmm....

The May Project was surprise knitting. Around Easter time I was trying to join a sock swap in the interests of destashing, however the time frames were a bit tight. A was easily coerced into an August Bank holiday deadline, so we swapped yarn.

The Trekking she's given me are lovely, the Brittany 2mm DPN's suitable for plane knitting are not. Any Brittany needle above this I'd recommend, but the 2mm have too much flex for me. I'd hoped to have finished the first sock within the month, however I've cocked up and need to go back to the heel turn. More secret knitting through June - sorry.

Out of exasperation I made a couple of quick fire baby gifts. Be interesting to see if the soakers actually work. (Vanilla, Aviatrix)

technical difficulties

2011-05-19T22:02:00.001+01:00

On the fourth of May I was sitting in a departure lounge at Gatwick trying to post to say I was haring off to Norway for ten days. You can put my silence down to technical difficulties.

This trip was inspired by me cousins confirmation. Going over to celebrate a religious rite probably seems contrary to my views as an atheist; however, I believe very strongly that people should make educated decisions about their morality, and not just follow the crowd. For me getting to the point where I called myself an atheist was the result of a lot of anxious choices. It still troubles me that this doesn't sit well with my family - the anxiety goes both ways. A young person making a considered choice about their own morality is something I can support, even without sharing the same beliefs.

You might assume I'd been to Norway before given I've got family there. Assumption though is the mother of all fuck ups, so this was my first opportunity to be struck by the staggering beauty of the place. My Aunty and Uncle treated me like royalty, and I had a wonderful time with a branch of my family that I've not really had to opportunity before to get to know well. I arrived back in London feeling spiritually recharged, and sorry that time was so short.

The was time for a bit of touristing. Stavanger, The Oil Museum, Bergen, Edvard Grieg's House, Flam, Oslo... And to further let down my blogging prowess I've only taken a handful of photos... And yarn to make a Mariusgernser.

I think I'll let Marius defy the year of finishing.

pastry success

2011-04-20T19:48:00.001+01:00

After this attempt I think it's safe to say I can do shortcrust. These are wee apple pies made in silicone muffin cases, practical and cute.

the demise of the welsh skirt

2011-04-17T10:22:00.002+01:00

The wheels have fallen off the April Project. I've learned that sewing in the evening is not usually possible for me. If I do get round to crafting I far and away prefer to lounge and knit. It doesn't help either if I've been away for the weekend, which will happen a lot when Bob is home. He works in the middle of the ocean, and can be away from four to eight weeks at a time. He's due home next weekend, so sewing is out the window.

From now on monthly projects will be portable crafts, and sewing will take place when I have days free.

This month I've been consistently working on this shawl made out of two colours of Rowan Purelife British Breeds DK. At the beginning of the month it was just a garter stitch triangle. Judging from the yarn still left it's going to be massive!

wonderwool

2011-04-16T19:12:00.001+01:00

Last weekend Alice and I ventured up to Builth Wells for Wonderwool. I've been to Ally Pally before, but this was the fibre festival of my dreams. Alice tells me she could locate me by the constant stream of wee squeaky noises as I found new treasures.

We bit went with a budget and rules, which was quite wise considering the litany of goodies on offer. Sometimes stash enhancement is actually just consuming and hoarding. A person reaches a threshold when they have enough yarn to make over twelve pairs of socks, three cardi's, and a couple of shawls. My main rule was that I had to buy 1500 metres (enough to make a cardi) in any yarn purchased.

There were a few things I learnt from my first festival experience.

One - Take your camera to photograph the things that inspire you. (Remember to ask the stall holder first.) Put peoples cards, labels, and brochures in the photo incase you want to get in touch with the both holder later.

Two - Pick up shades cards and brochures. There is so much on offer for knitters these days that your not really going to miss out by not buying on the spot. A shade card means you can purchase just before you actually want to start a project.

Three - Try on samples. It'll help you decide on patterns later if you're sure which styles suit you best.

Personnally I wouldn't feel the need to go to a fiber festival more than once a year. There's a bit of finishing glory required here before the next yarny adventure.

the april project

2011-04-03T09:21:00.002+01:00

St David's, Pembrokeshire.

Last May when Mum was over we went on a wee excursion to Wales, and stopped in a mill where they wove beautiful Welsh rugs. In their shop they had something I'd never seen before, a skirt length. This is usually a piece of good quality woollen fabric cut just long enough to make a knee length pencil skirt. Apparently my Grandmother was notorious for snaffling these up in her travels. Not wanting to let down a family tradition, I bought a lovely piece of black fabric shot with khaki, burgundy, and french navy. Black is not my thing, but all those other colours are.

The fabric has actually been cut out using the a-line skirt pattern from Sew-U. I went for something simple so I could have my first go at lining. This month I'd like to finish it. You never know, there might be a chance to wear it before the weather gets properly warm.

First things first, I need to find it!

the training regime

2011-04-02T22:38:00.002+01:00

For about the last week I been in a complete funk, just completely blue. Picture to yourself a women flopped listlessly on the couch knitting, and that's been me. The training regime has been let down terribly by this lack of enthusiasm.

As of the first of April I'm not clamming any more. Last month I actually only stretched and clammed nineteen days out of thirty-one. I'm deadly sick of the whole routine. Don't worry though, another plan is afoot. No quitting here.

Follow my half marathon glory, March was a rest month. Mind you, I think that 87Km of running, 41Km of walking, and 50Km cycling is still pretty respectable.

From today this blue period has to be over. I'm off to book another race, and there are too many things to be happy about.

the final frontier

2011-04-02T09:36:00.002+01:00

On Thursday night I finished the sleeves for Burt's Jersey. Hooray! They only thing standing between Burt and his new jumper now is a bit of sewing.

burt's jersey

2011-03-24T22:12:00.002Z

The back is done. The front is done. The collar is done, and I'm half way up the first sleeve!

All the details are in the usual place. You'll notice that there is a join up the front. I didn't want to get to the section where the front divides for the collar and muck up the striping on one side, so I decided to made the stripes askew all the way up the front. This means they'll also be out of alignment at the sides too. I like the consistency in this discontinuity, rather than trying to bust a gut matching stripes that just won't.

I do wish that the front stripes were just a little bit more out of sync than they are. Se la vie.

not one I made earlier

2011-03-23T20:57:00.001Z

At about 3 o'clock on Sunday I threw my hands up in despair and went to Tesco with a new found respect for pastry chef's. Then sat on the couch ordering useful kitchen things from Lakeland - like a rolling pin.

Pastry will not be my nemesis!

a weekend of pastry

2011-03-19T20:31:00.001Z

This weekend I've decided to have a crack at making pastry for the first time ever, and thought I'd kick things off with something nice and simple... Croisants.

In the mean time I whipped up these, which came out rather well, so here are the details.

Super Lazy Vegetarian Haggis Rolls

Cook your haggis as per the instructions on the packet. I usually microwave mine.

Unroll of lazy people's pre rolled puff pastry, and spread a column of haggis along the edge. I found that half a haggis made a good sized column, but that will depend if you use a stingy Asda haggis, or generous butchers haggis.

Roll the pastry over as tightly as you can and cut off the excess. Don't forget to glue the overlap with a bit of milk.

Cut each pillar into a satisfying size, place them on a baking try lined with baking parchment or a silicone sheet, and bake according to the instructions on the pastry packet.

Really, these are so easy you'll spend more time washing up than making them.

distraction

2011-03-17T21:13:00.001Z

I've been meaning to post about this for a while, and as there's been no update on the March Project for the last week it seemed sensible to divert your attention elsewhere for a moment. This arrived just before I went on holiday before Christmas, there wasn't even an opportunity for a test ride! It's only just started being light enough in the evening to get a shot of her. She is a Koga Myata Tourer 8.

You might remember Silver (Yes that is Silver as in "Hi-yo, Silver! Away!"), and wonder what happened to such a trusty steed. I still totally dig that bike, and it's solid British engineering. He is still in regular use for the ease with which he slides under my desk, and his dexterity in traffic; although he is in need to an expert who's willing to show him some real TLC.

I've had big wheel envy for a while, and Bob getting his new bike saw the tipping of the scale. Enter Uma - actually that's not quite how it happened. There was a lot of shopping around for "the coolest bike ever" before my bike crazy colleague did a bit of requirements gathering and found this one.

Uma is not Japanese as the company name, or the name I've given her would suggest. She is a proper Dutch bike, built by a proper Dutch bloke who likes to play chess. And she is beautifully speced in a fairly innocuous package. She's built to go a long way at a leisurely pace. I'm completely excited about all the places I intend to take her.

Before I get too carried away (Yes, could go on for hours), probably best to get back to March knitting.

Did I mention she's like riding an armchair?

finishing glory - running

2011-03-07T23:13:00.002Z

Yesterday I ran Bath in 2.07. This is at least seven minutes faster than expected, and an average of 10Kmph. The combination of running schedule, auxiliary exercises, and tapering paid off!

The plan for the next three months is to bump that up towards 11Kmph. This is completely possible. Yesterday, up until about kilometre seventeen, I felt relaxed and comfortable. I was actually enjoying the scenery, and all the things happening along the route. In truth I probably could have been running faster. The race was quite crowded too. It was easy to get stuck behind a gaggle of people running at a slightly slower pace than I might have otherwise.

No rest for the wicked. Pavement pounding resumes tomorrow. I'm not a complete sadist though. There won't be any training runs over 10Km for the rest of the month.

(According to Runners World turban style is the most efficient way to use your foil blanket. Works for me.)

locomotion

2011-03-03T22:43:00.002Z

Benchmark loop (2.2 Km) - 12.14.

I felt rested, my muscles felt loose, my stride was open, and felt like I was steaming along on rails. Check the watch and and I'm slower than last time! BOLLOCKS!

In truth I can't find anything to be disappointed in about this run, it was just so darn comfortable. I could stride out and maintain it over the whole distance. There was probably a bit left over at the end too. Perhaps I'm just not used to making myself run fast at the moment. And as much as the stamina seemed to be there, the strength just wasn't available.

Four weeks in, I'd say the programme is working and I'll be sticking with it.

(Leigh tootles off the look up speed training in her old Runners World magazines.)

march project and not starting

2011-03-02T23:21:00.001Z

I seem to spend much of my time at the moment day dreaming about new projects. Of course it's so easy to have a quick flick round the internet in the day when there are other things to do, and the web is just rammed full of inspiration even when there is a firewall preventing most of it from getting through.

Starting something new would be horrendous. You see I'm knitting this jersey for the bloke that I'm completely smitten with, and can't possibly start anything until it's finished. It was supposed to be a Christmas present, but I've definitely slipped up there.

While I was at home in New Zealand I finally met Burt. He is the happiest, most chilled out, relaxed wee fellow; and there was a constant battle between Granny, and Aunty as to who managed to sweep him up in their arms first for a cuddle and some play. And Pop is just as proud as anything. Lucky me to have the cutest nephew ever!

Since we've arrived home Bob keeps reminding me that, while I might have the cutest nephew ever, I've not yet finished his Christmas Jersey. A serious lapse in my enamoured auntying duties. So here you have it, Burt's Christmas Jersey! (There is more than half a front, the back is round here somewhere too.)

february project update

2011-02-28T23:08:00.001Z

There are three things to report from this months project.

Thing Number One:
I lapsed. On Friday, when I was supposed to run 10 Km, stretch and Clam, I went to the pub and had a couple of pints. Stupidity is planning to run on Friday. Stupidity is leaving stretching and clamming till the end of the day. Now that I'm in the habit of doing the auxiliary exercises, I need to get in the habit of doing them first thing in the morning.

Thing Number Two:
This weekend I walked from Battle to Pevensey on the 1066 path, about 32 Km, and my legs felt weaker than ever. I keep saying that my muscles feel ripped to pieces. What I mean is that they feel weak and fatigued. This is not discouraging. I've been ripping my legs up all month madly clamming and running. Hopefully the fatigue I'm feeling now is a stepping stone. Clamming and stretching will continue in it's current format until the end of March.

THING NUMBER THREE (The big thing):
Recording is paramount. This month I'd intended to do more, when I hadn't realized how much I was doing in the first place. When I started recording Brownie Points I finally saw what I was doing aside from running. Check out the stats! Walking - 98Km, cycling - 76 Km, running - 109 Km. This has been incredibly positive. I've stopped beating myself up over what I'm not doing, and started to appreciate that I'm already doing quite a lot, or at least what I consider enough.

On Thursday I'm going to run the benchmark loop. I'm not actually expecting an improvement yet, but will repeat it at the end of March. Hopefully all the work will start to pay off then.

auxing continues

2011-02-27T22:59:00.001Z

Never fear! The lack of auxiliary updates is not an indication that the whole February Project has gone down the gurgler. Brownie Points have definitely dropped off this week, but stretching and Clams are still going strong.

This week I've been trying a new stretching routine. Stretching is proving to be quite addictive, as is scouring the net for new routines. A few were discounted due to equipment requirements, as even a stability ball would prove too bulky for the micro flat. Some were discounted because they were too specific to one part of the body. Keeping all my muscles relaxed and free has made a big difference to my running. The tension that accumulates on my back while I'm at my desk has a knock on effect. The were a few routines that looked a bit, erm... advanced; and one had a neck rolling exercise in it that every fitness professional I've ever met has said you should never do.

So this week I've been trying the Stretches For Runners from the Cool Running site. It is focused on running muscles but is more holistic than some of the routines suggested on other running websites. It took me a couple of goes to get the hang of the first three leg stretches, but I quite like them now. I find this routine doesn't have enough back exercises, but neither did the one from Crunch Time, so I've been throwing in a few extras anyway.

No running this week, I'm in to something called tapering. Perhaps YouTube can provide some more inspiration on the stretching front.

finishing glory - fifteen minute gadget cover

2011-02-21T22:10:00.001Z

When it comes to protecting cameras I'm crap. This is because the padding in most covers makes them quite bulky, so I invariably end up chucking gadgets in my bag coverless, to be knocked about like a herd of commuters on the Central Line. Last week I decided to invent something a little more slim line. Easy to make and easy to use.

Here's the quick and dirty on how it's done.

A quick word about fabric:
I choose to make this out of oil cloth. This was the first thing I'd ever made from oilcloth, and I had no idea about the trials of trying to get your sewing machine to suck it through. If you're in the same boat then head straight over to Sew Mama Sew and read their guide to sewing oilcloth now. NOW! I used the tissue paper trick, which was a nice simple solution to the consternation I'd experienced about ten minutes earlier.

Take one gadget. This cover works best for small slim gizmos.

Wrap your tape measure around your gadget width ways. Take the total measurement, divide this measurement by two, then add three centimetres. Like this: (14.5 / 2) + 3 = 10.25 cm

MEASUREMENT A = 10.3 cm

Wrap the tape measure long ways round the gadget, and add five centimetres. 22 + 5 = 27 cm.

MEASUREMENT B = 27 cm

Then divide your long ways measurement by two, thus: 22 / 2 = 11 cm.

MEASUREMENT C = 11 cm

Cut a rectangle who's short sides are the same as MEASUREMENT A, and who's long sides are the same as MEASUREMENT B. So my rectangle is 10.3 cm by 27 cm.

Hem both the short ends by folding over 1 cm of fabric, wrong sides together, and running a seam along about .8 cm from the folded edge. (This is the bit where I folded a piece of tissue over the edge I was about to seam to make it run smoothly under the presser foot.)

Fold one of your hemmed edges over, right sides together, by 2.5 cm. Pin in place. Fold the other edge over, right sides tother, by measurement C (11 cm for me). Pin in place. The two hemmed edges will be over lapping like a little pillowcase.

Run a seam along both of the long unfinished edges of your wee pillowcase. The seam allowance here is 1 cm.

Then trim the corners as close to the seam as you can, and trim away about half the seam allowance.

Finally, turn your gadget cover right sides out. Getting the corners out is easier said than done, but with a bit of perseverance you can get them square.

Slip your gadget in it's fancy new case and you're good to go. Fantastic!

(You could easily line a case like this with sticky back felt, polar fleece, or some other soft remnant. I would add about .5 cm to measurements A and B so you can still get the gadget in and out easily. It'd also be super easy to add a wrist strap. Both of these would would be reasons for me not to bother with the case, hence their exclusion here.)

aux 17

2011-02-17T23:33:00.001Z

All the standard stuff. A short 6.5 Km run.

WHAT, NO BROWNIE POINTS!

aux something and something

2011-02-16T20:53:00.001Z

That's right, it all lines up with the date. Clams and stretching you know about, and has dutifully been completed. The medium run was yesterday, 9Km, with Brownie Points awarded for 4.5Km walking; and today for 9Km cycling.

Bet you can't wait for next month!

aux 14

2011-02-14T21:47:00.001Z

Stretch and clams complete. 9 Km cycling for Brownie Points.

And seven more days till all this is officially a habit!

aux 13

2011-02-13T21:53:00.001Z

Clams and stretching are done.

Does walking 2.5Km count as Brownie Points?

aux 12

2011-02-12T15:34:00.001Z

Stretch - complete
Clams - complete
Long run - 18Km in 2.04

aux 11 - the day off

2011-02-11T23:05:00.001Z

Stretched - done
Clams - done
No Brownie Points today.

finishing glory - the Christmas dress

2011-02-11T21:30:00.002Z

Simplicity 2922
Bob tells me that I never smile in my finishing glory shots, so this one is for him!

One of the things I wanted to do with my time in New Zealand was to sew. I picked up the fabric in Tokyo. It is so soft, and seemed like just the right thing to make a comfy smock from. I was stunned to find that patterns in New Zealand were cheaper than they are here, then tripped over a shop where they were half price as well! Sweet! I came home with a whole swag.

I'm not particularly pleased with the finished product on two fronts. Something went wrong in the measuring process, so this is a size too big. If the person measuring you for sizes asks you to make sure the tape is straight, it's safe to assume they might not know what they're doing.

The finishing on this is not hot either. One of the reasons I picked this pattern was to get over my fear of gathering - face the fear and beat it... Didn't work. I still hate gathering just as much as ever, and wouldn't want to apply my skills in this department to any expensive or spacial fabrics.

There was also a moment this afternoon where the zip was ripped out in a fit of frustration. Good thing it is a size too big, and I didn't need to open the zip to get it on eh.

All said and done though, this is something I can and will wear, so can't be all bad. Might try it with a belt.

stretching

2011-02-10T20:19:00.001Z

Can you tell, as we arrive at the end of week two, that I'm feeling quite up beat about this project? It's not so much about achieving improvement, but the fact that there is time in the day for the auxiliary exercises. Eleven mo days till I reach the habit forming zone. By the end of the month I'll be doing it in my sleep.

Part of my recipe for success is finding little routines that I can memorize, and do in restricted spaces with little equipment.

The bit of kit that I've gotten the most value out of is my yoga mat. For years I'd done my stretching directly on the floor, but three days after vacuuming that's not the most inviting place to be. After years of resistance I finally forked out for a mat, and it's been really well used (which I find quite shocking). If you're stretching at home get one, they cost nought.

I've been doing the stretching routine from Crunch Time, which was given to me about a year ago. I quite like this book for good advice, but some of the exercises need a bit of equipment. Have a surf on the Internet if your looking for a stretching routine, before you decide to for

k out on a book.

aux 10

2011-02-10T19:53:00.001Z

Stretch - yeah!
Clams - yeah!
Mid run - 9Km yeah!
Brownie points: 4.5Km

YEAH!

aux 9

2011-02-10T19:50:00.001Z

Stretch - done!
Clams - done!
Brownie points! Walking 9Km

aux 8

2011-02-08T23:16:00.001Z

Clams - complete (Hooray!)
Stretch - complete (Yeehaa!)
Brownie points: 9Km walking (rampant applause, cheering, and wolf whistling!)

Today is the closest I've come for foregoing a days exercises. The trauma of all that physical exertion in the space of three days is still too fresh. Still, today felt like a day off with no running or cycling. (Yeah!)

aux 7 - reporting a day late

2011-02-08T23:10:00.001Z

Stretch - complete
Clams - complete
Short - 7.5Km
Brownie points: Walking 4.5Km

Was probably sensible not to time this run. Following all that unintentional cycling on Sunday it was hardly a PB. Such a relief to think there is no running till Thursday.

what in %#€$¥%# is a clam?

2011-02-06T22:27:00.001Z

You can see a clam demonstrated here. They look easy, and I suppose they should be. At the beginning of the week I was finding doing twenty of these in a row a real struggle. I'd started out doing four sets of twenty-five (per leg) each day. For the last few days I've been doing two sets of fifty. As it becomes easier I'm wondering if I should do more, or introduce my dynaband as demoed here.

aux 6 - waitangi day

2011-02-06T20:14:00.001Z

Stretching - complete
Clams - complete
Brownie points - cycling, 25Km intentionally, 15Km unintentionally. (Alway, ALWAYS check the trains are running.)

KNACKERED!

aux 5

2011-02-05T23:49:00.001Z

Clams - complete
Stretching - complete
Long run - 15Km in 1:40

aux 4

2011-02-05T00:27:00.001Z

Clams - complete
Stretching - complete
Brownie points: 9Km cycling

aux 3

2011-02-04T00:20:00.001Z

Clams - complete
Stretching - complete
Brownie points - 9 Km cycling

aux 2

2011-02-02T21:38:00.002Z

Clams - complete
Stretching - complete
Medium Run - complete
Brownie points - 4.5Km walking

Bench mark loop (2.2Km) - 12.09

It was so difficult to leave the house this evening, but actually very mild and nice to be out once I got passed the front door.

aux 1

2011-02-01T23:28:00.001Z

Clams - complete
Stretching - complete
Brownie points - 4.5Km walking

the february project

2011-02-01T23:09:00.001Z

In 2009 I ran two half marathons in the space of three months. My training programme was not appropriate, and I managed to wreck my plantar fascia (ligaments in the soles of the feet). This time last year a good friend of mine explained that the cramping in the bottom of my feet could be relieved by stretching my calves regularly. This worked and I started running again. He also explained that the injury had occurred in the first place because my hips were too weak for long distance runs. This time he prescribed a simple exercise called a Clam. Having gotten into the habit of stretching my calves every day, and stretching properly after a run, I'd thought that working a few Clams into my day would be a doodle. Apparently not.

In September I met a lady who'd had a serious climbing accident, and in order to rehabilitate was having to fit six half hour exercise sessions into her work day. I felt inspired. If she could manage that, then surely I could manage a few Clams every day. That splurge of inspiration lasted a week.

The Bath Half Marathon is now five weeks away, and the lack of strength in my hips and legs is still holding me back. I'm still just managing the discomfort in my feet by stretching.

February's project is to kick start an auxiliary exercise routine to compliment my running activities, with a key focus for the month on leg strength. As a minimum I'm going to continue my training programme of three runs a week, and add 100 Clams and full stretching routine every day. I'm also going to include a Brownie Points section for anything extra I manage to fit in. Progress will be measured by timing a short loop at the beginning of the month, and again at the end to see if my speed has picked up.

I know it's going to bore you all to death, but I'm going to log my daily efforts here in the hope that I will be shamed out of any inactivity by lots of booing and hissing from regular readers.

... whooping and cheering on good days would also be appreciated.

january project - the christmas dress

2011-01-31T21:00:00.002Z

This morning I've woken up feeling quite knackered. No sore muscles but my body is definitely fatigued. It's a nice feeling, and would be nicer if I could roll over and go back to sleep. Instead I'm sitting at me desk dozing into my coffee. I like feeling physically tired provided there's an opportunity to catch up afterwards.

This weekend Bob and I helped move his sister, and I threw in a long run for good measure. Now we reach the crux of the matter. No sewing took place this weekend. Nor was the sewing table cleared so that sewing could take place anytime in the near future. Progress was actually made on the Christmas dress though. The hem is finished, so cuff installation is all that remains to be done. Not the usual order of things, but best use of time. The whole thing is frustratingly close to completion. Despite the denim look, the fabric is delightfully soft. Just the sort of comfort clothing I'm wanting to be wrapping up in when it's cold outside.

In line with my resolution, I'll be setting aside the Christmas Dress to focus on something new in February. That's not to say I wouldn't mind having a few hours one weekend to finish it off, the dress is just not going to be the main focus.

The positive side of having sent six hours on a crowded train this weekend is that the torso piece of the Reykjavik Sweater is a few centimetres longer. This makes me feel a bit more up beat about actually finishing it on day.

january project

2011-01-23T21:18:00.002Z

Getting a pattern cut out and completed is one of those things that you really need to set side a day to kick off. Some folk seem to roar through their sewing projects at a great rate, but you won't see any speed sewing happening here. Due to the lack of sewing time I've been experiencing recently I'd decided to have a crack at a draft run of a new dress pattern over the Christmas period. Mum and Dad have plenty of space to spread out, and I knew I'd get a few days to concentrate on one thing.

The result is one nearly finished dress. The pattern is simplicity 2922. Finishing only involves fitting cuffs to the sleeves, and hemming. Quite possible to achieve in the remaining nine days of January.

...surely.

resolutions without lists

2011-01-20T21:39:00.000Z

I've just arrived home having spent the last four weeks swanning about New Zealand formulating a resolution. And, Yes thank you, it was a lovely holiday in which I spent some really valuable time with friends and family, and came to realise that Bob is the right bloke to have in my life. I'm going to miss seeing him every day.

So back to the resolving. At the end of last year stash enhancement (more on holiday stashing later) and gratuitous starting was in full flow. Added to that, I'd resolved to spend a few days over Christmas trying out a new dress pattern, and now have a very nearly completed dress. And of course I'm constantly setting goals related to running, and other activities.

This year I am going to focus on one project or objective every month. This should be a significant enough period to render reasonably significant progress against that project or objective even if it doesn't reach completion. I'm purposely not counting, but am pretty sure there are at least twelve partially completed 'things' that could do with some attention.

Stand by for the January objective.

no grinch here

2010-12-14T23:46:00.001Z

This year I'd sworn off Christmas knitting, that was until the lovely person who gifted Kale to me asked how my Christmas knitting was going. Why deny myself, I love giving gifts, and love making things for the folk I care about. It just wouldn't be Christmas without.

Phase one Christmas knitting (the stuff that needs to be finished before the New Zealand trip) is now complete. I'm quite chuffed with the results too. Above is the Maximus pattern from Chic Knits. Below is a cosy that I made up as I went along. After shopping for teapots, and surfing Ravelry for cosy patterns I arrived at the conclusion that the only way to get a well fitting cosy was to custom fit it. And 2x2 rib will keep a close hug on those curves.

Now on to phase two!

respite

2010-12-14T00:01:00.001Z

These days I just feel like I'm rushing. Rushing to work, rushing home, rushing through life administration type stuff, rushing through house work, rushing to fit in a run, and rushing to fit in Christmas knitting.

On Friday I'll be rushing off to New Zealand (via Tokyo). So I've been rushing Bruce and Dave the budgies off to their holiday home, rushing to organise flights and cars, rushing after Christmas presents, and then rushing to unorganised flights and cars when plans change.

The minute I get on that plane there will be no further rushing. The minute I leave the UK I'm going to start tootling. Anybody trying to inflict hustle or deadlines on my leisurely tootle... Well just be warned, it ain't happening.

woolly wormhead KAL 2010 - luv it

2010-12-01T19:40:00.005Z

This is my first every KAL, and I'm so excited about it. Firstly, I loved Woolly's pattern. She's included techniques I'd never seen before that just gave the finished hat that extra bit of polish. Gone are the days when a pattern just said 'cast on X' or 'M1'. This is the second pattern I've used in the last few months where the designer has taken the time to describe how they intend the instructions to be carried out. My boss picked up Gretel the other week, saying it looked good quality. I couldn't help but think that this was partly due to the tubular cast on, and some of the other details Ysolda had included in the pattern.

I never thought the day would come that the words would flow from my mouth, but I think that Rowan Purelife British Breeds DK might just be my desert island yarn. It is a little splitty, but there are so many things I can imagine wanting to make with this wool. The DK is substantial enough to make a garment from, yet fine enough that you could use it for a lace shawl, and cables just pop right out at you. The natural colour palette is just enough that you could probably use it for colour work if you were that way inclined. To top it all off IT STILL SMELLS LIKE SHEEP!

Got to love those beautiful lanolin smells.

woolly worm head KAL 2010 - instalment one with spoiler

2010-11-09T21:37:00.001Z

I've finally arrived at the end of phase one of the Woolly a Wormhead KAL. Maybe I should be calling this the end of phase two, of course there was all that swatching before the first instalment arrived. If you swatch
a lot, or are in this KAL you might well be wondering what I mean by "all that swatching".

It all started last week when I actually joined. There wasn't really anything I wanted to use from my stash for either hat option, and I fancied something in blue that would pack down in my pocket easily. So off I tootle to iKnit having only read the bit about needing 4 ply, not the rest of the useful yarn choosing advice that Woolly provided. At home with my lovely new balls of machine washable blue sock yarn, an hour of swatching proved that I was not going to get gauge with this yarn. And woollies super helpful conversion chart was not going to help me translate this tiny gauge to fit my mammoth 23" scon.

In the interests of gratuitous stashing, I headed to Loop, leaving with two skeins of luxury hand wash only blue yarn. It's gorgeous. A hat in this yarn would be stunning. This time my gauge was actually on Woolly's super helpful conversion chart, but there was not a hope in hell of the end product fitting my swede. And this is completely selfish knitting.

The first installment arrived. In a state of panic I flew into John Lewis, poking and prodding every ball of DK weight wool they had in stock, settling on a yarn that was neither blue nor machine washable. At home the swatch worked, so I cast on. Bugger. I'd not counted on the difference between knitting in the round and knitting flat. Brim attempt number one was trashed, and I just charged into the second attempt on smaller needles.

So here we are at the end of the first clue. Who knows if the hat will fit, as I've used sock needles making it tricky to measure. I'm not being bothered any more. This is partly because I'm really enjoying the yarn, and the pattern. It's tempting to start another in the second blue yarn to give away.

One thing I do know now for sure. I personally would prefer to knit the first five rows of a hat two or three times rather than swatch in the round. But there's no accounting for taste or levels of tolerance.

kale but not vegetables

2010-11-08T20:19:00.001Z

Last week saw the nicest surprise arrive in the post. My gifting away the remaining Utiku Possum yarn, used in The Garter Yoke Cardi, turned into a swap. So in the end L had something that was difficult to find in her neck of the woods, and I had something difficult to find in mine.

The temptation is to ball it up and start knitting now, but I think I'll leave it on my desk to coo over until some other things are finished.

gratuitous stashing

2010-11-01T15:26:00.000Z

What's come over me! After two years of whittling down my stash to yarns that I really like and will use, or only buying new things if they're going to be used right away, then suddenly I've had an uncontrollable urge to stash. This has coincided with a lapse in my usual yarn snobbery. That's right, I've bought acrylic! Man made fibers still feel like fiberglass to me, but I've conceded to try them out for folk who can't do wool or need machine washable. Who knows when the last time was that I paid less then £3 a ball for yarn, but I'm really looking forward to trying this lot out.

introducing bob

2010-10-31T21:13:00.000Z

Bob is not the dog. The dog is Bob's. And Bob is my new partner in crime.

If you remember my post on the last date you might very well be sitting there wondering what the hell is going on. Well it was all a bit of a red herring. You see, every time I'd be chatting to folk about my dating adventures, they'd get all excited. Especially the ones that are in long term relationships. For some reason they had it in their heads that I was having a fine old time meeting all these interesting, charming, and exciting men over cocktails or something. They really couldn't imagine that spending the evening with somebody you'd only ever emailed or spoken to on the phone might be deadly boring. They'd hoot with laughter as I told them about my brain freezing over and how I'd wished I'd brought my knitting so that the time wasn't a complete waist, not realising that that I was finding the whole experience quite difficult.

In the end I decided to stop talking about it. I also decided to make a project of meeting somebody special. And that I would give that project a year, then give the whole thing up as a waist of time.

To be honest I really thought that's what was going to happen, I was going to spend the year sitting in pubs staring into my beer whilst participating in conversations that were of no interest to me. So Bob came as quite a surprise. He was interesting, and wrote brilliantly funny emails, and he had big hands so that when I put mine hand in his it just disappeared into the middle of his fist.

It's been about three months since I started holding hands with Bob, and he's looked me straight in the face and told me he intends to be round for a good while yet. And I'm excited about that.

join me!

2010-10-28T20:55:00.000+01:00

The joining bug has hit! Yesterday I spotted Woolly Wormhead's Mystery KAL 2010. Mystery KAL's always sound really exciting, but part of me just wants to know what I'm going to end up with. This year the usual caution is going out the window. I've liked all of the patterns from previous years, and am a fan for Woolly's hats despite having never knitted one. The fact that Pattern A sounds like a great light hat to have in your pocket when walking just clinched the deal.

This morning a friend Facebooked me to say she'd signed up for the Bath Half Marathon. I've been struggling to return to form after straining my plantar fascia last year. This was a direct result of not having enough strength through my hips and legs to keep my legs stable over a long distance run. My kindly osteopathic friend gave me a couple of treatments, and recommended some exercises, which I've been doing sporadically. Having an event less than four months away should be the motivation required to stick with the exercises.

fred flintstone

2010-10-27T20:27:00.003+01:00

These two beauties may look like something Wilma Flintstone might have had in her kitchen, but they are in fact my first foray into green wood carving.

It all started back in March actually. I was sitting up in bed reading the Craft Council's magazine, in which they had an article on Robin Wood. His YouTube videos on carving spoons looked quite interesting ... Huh... I bet I could do that. Where would a person get wood in London? You'd need tools... LEIGH! YOU HAVE ENOUGH HOBBIES! Ooh look he has courses... Ooh look there's one in October... Ooh look there's one place left!

And before the cup of coffee is finished, I'm booked on a spoon carving course.

A few things to say about the whole experience:

Edale is beautiful. I didn't get much walking in, but it would be a lovely area for a walking holiday.
Robin's tutelage is great. He focus's on the safe use of knives and axes. Once you've done that the spoons are fairly straight forward. He also puts on a great lunch.
Ollerbrook Barn turns on comfortable accommodation and a sound breakfast.

There were a couple of unexpected side effects from taking this course. Firstly, Robin gave us a tutorial in what I would call "cutting kindling for ladies". Cutting kindling for the classroom fire coursed me no end of strife at primary school. If only somebody had demonstrated the easy way! Secondly, Robin showed us how to sharpen our knives properly. If I never carve another spoon in my knife, the course will have been worth it just for those two gems of information.

finishing glory - NEW SHOES

2010-10-19T19:48:00.003+01:00

Having a few long hall projects on the go can become a little disheartening as all those marathon knitting sessions don't seem to draw the glory of the finished object any closer. I'm excited about the things that I'm knitting, but need an antidote to the "Groundhog Day" complex that knitting a jumper as fine as the Reykjavik Sweater brings.

I like Sylver Designs because the finished shoes have a nice structure to them, and the patterns are just challenging enough for my rudimentary crochet skills. I'm preferring the structure that the Baby Bamboo yarn gave the first pair, but these are just soo alpaca soft. (Ravelry)

Still hand wash only. Maybe I'm still in the Indulgent Aunty Knitting phase...

the bag that does everything

2010-10-13T21:58:00.002+01:00

I've been meaning to say something about this bag for about three months now, but have been busy gadding about town with it rather than blogging. This time last year I started scouting round for a handbag come backpack that would fit all my running gear and still look nice for work. Something that would keep my back straight, and work for a cycle journey. None of the bags in the usual retail outlets really fit the bill, or they just looked a bit fuddy duddy.

It didn't take much poking around Etsy to find Mims, but at that time Natasha's beautiful fabrics just didn't look like they might recover from the odd cycle ride in the rain. (Go look now, she's posted new fabric!) It was quite by accident that I checked back in May to find that she'd started making them in full leather.

Ordering was a bit of an anxious moment. It's not everyday that you spend that much on a custom made product that you've never seen in the flesh, but oh my God was it worth it! It's delivered everything I wanted it to. I'm just kicking myself that I didn't get the adjustable straps, especially when you start putting on and taking off layers. At some point I'll tear myself away from it long enough to have the shoe man shorten them. In the meantime, we're inseparable.

directed learning

2010-09-21T21:39:00.004+01:00

Those of you who have been reading here for a while might have picked up that, although I like my job, staring into the hypnotic gaze of a VDU all day is not a calling - not for me. So far the various adventures I've undertaken to find a new clear path have been fairly fruitless. You may remember sewing school, more recently science school, and (not blogged about here) even a brief flirtation with massage school. In the last couple of months I've even considered doing a foundation course at art school.

This is the point where we hit the wall and the excuses come out. Art College is not an option because:

I am so not in the same league as those people.
What's the point in making things just for the sake of it. Things should be crafted for usefulness, not some academic, high brow bollocks.
Developing ones creative side would be frivolous and self indulgent.

I'm so fucking bourgeois I make myself sick!

Yesterday The Artists Way arrived. I've made my way through the introductory bit and did the first batch of morning pages at 6.30am. It's true! I had my eyes open before seven! Suddenly I find myself in week one of a twelve week course, and have decided to document this adventure here for no other reason than that it might be interesting to look back and read later.

So, at the beginning of week one I am feeling silly and self indulgent. (These are feelings, not facts.)

guilty

2010-09-20T22:46:00.001+01:00

Recently, when I've paid in cash, I've left the receipt on the counter so I don't have to dispose of it thoughtfully.

finishing glory - simplicity 8523

2010-09-19T19:10:00.009+01:00

It was a complete struggle to get decent shots of this today. We've reached that time of year when all the light starts to go. You'll just have to make so with wobbly picks, and be glad there are no blurry budgies flying through them.

I made this as a prototype, or test run of the pattern. Okay, so who has the where with all to use liberty print for a prototype? Not me usually, but this was simple enough that it wasn't going to be a major disaster, and there was only a meter of the fabric - you can't do much more than a shell with that anyway. The only alteration I'd make for next time is to put some extra girth round the hips. You can see from the back view that it's bunches due to sitting on top of my bum. I plan to make the next version without vents, so there'll be no forgiveness there at all.

This was also an experiment in using non-fusible interfacing. If only I could remember what the name of it was! It came from the back of the stash, and was purchased after a long conversation with a lady in MacCulloch and Wallis to determine the most appropriate machine washable thing to use with cottons. At some point I'll go in and wave the swatch in my notebook for identification.

The previous attempt with using sewn in facings has been a success, so it will be interesting to see how this survives a few trips through the wash.

What's the point? I like the finish, and if I'm going to splash out on fabric, then why not do a nice job on the facings. Practicing on simple things like this also means that when I come to use the silk I stashed from Thailand, these techniques will already be familiar.

In other news, it's my birthday today. Celebrations took place on Friday, and I had a brilliant day. This is the wee gift to me that couldn't be resisted in iKnit yesterday. The Fabrics were just ace. (Yes, that is laundry in the background.)

endorsing seasonal produce

2010-09-15T12:11:00.001+01:00

This has appeared in the chiller at my local shop recently. By recently, I mean within the last three months - my powers of observation are not great. Of course the reusable/recyclable bottle drew attention, but what really tickled my fancy were the SIX different varieties of apple juice available. If you spot them, try one. Hey, try 'em all!

endorsements

2010-09-07T22:35:00.001+01:00

If few years ago I did a course with the London College of Fashion called Basic Pattern Adaptation And Sewing Skills.It was brilliant. A complete eye opener in making simple adjustments to the style of a pattern, along with a refresher on basic sewing techniques.

Of course my memory is a bit rubbish, as are the notes carefully filed on the bookshelf. And, with the best intentions, there hasn't been a whole heap of sewing here since. So I'd been scouting around for a book that covered the same sort of subject matter.

Well, this is it. If you're after a book that goes all the way from "Oh my God, I've never seen a pattern before, what does it mean!" to making dresses from your own block, then How To Use, Adapt and Design Sewing Patterns (Lee Hollahan) is a good jumping off point. It's not a sewing techniques type book, but will demystify commercial patterns beginners, and provides loads of tips for intermediate sewing to get a good fit. The pictures and explanations are simple and clear.

I don't have many sewing books, but this is definitely one to be referred back to.

free food

2010-08-31T21:47:00.003+01:00

Maybe the ladies at the WI should start to get just a little bit nervous. We tried my breadmaker jam yesterday, and it wasn't bad. The chunky lumps of apple were a little off putting, but it tasted fine.

On Sunday C and I found a fine crop of blackberries near Haslemere, and came home with about a kilo between us. C also introduced me to the pure delight of the Bilberry. We don't get these in New Zealand, which is a crying shame - they're delicious! Although it would take an age to forage enough for preserving. The next expedition will have to be for rosehips and Hazelnuts.

My Blackberry swag was turned into chutney yesterday. The recipe was on the back of the label of a Kilner preserving jar, and included red onion, ginger, and chilli. The chilli's came from the plants on my kitchen bench, which was quite exciting. I've put these are the back of the cupboard for now to see how the seals go, so will do a review of the recipe when we crack these bad boys open in the winter.

Now, what to do with a swag of apples.

south downs way - days seven and eight FINISHING GLORY!

2010-08-28T19:28:00.004+01:00

This afternoon I made my first foray into the world of jam making. The ladies at the Womens' Institute have nothing to fear, as this batch of blackberry and apple jam was whipped up in the bread gadget. Those of you coming here for walking will wonder what jam has to do with anything. Well this is not just any old jam, this is South Downs Way jam!

It was a couple of weeks ago now that C and I strolled into Winchester on a wave of finishing glory, and made ourselves at home in the nearest cake shop. On the Saturday we'd taken the train to Petersfield, and seemed to spend the day walking just behind the rain. We never actually got wet, but we kept coming to places there were it had very definitely rained recently. Saturday night was spent at The Bucks Head in Meonstoke, and we enjoyed a delicious steak and ale pie at the Shoe Inn at Exton. If you're wanting to eat there on a Saturday night make a booking, it's worth it.

On Sunday the sun came out properly, and the blackberry bushes were just covered in fruit, hence the jam. We wandered into Winchester in time for a late lunch, and stumbled across the Winchester City Mill, which the National Trust ladies let us wander round for free having just completed the SDW. Being a big fan of my bread maker, I had to come home with as much flour is I could carry without squashing the blackberries. There needs to be a South Down's loaf with some South Down's jam on it - mmmmmm...

(The bread maker instructions say that you should use frozen berries - goodness knows why, but my foraging swag was slung in the freezer as soon as I got in the front door. Be interesting taste testing.)

Of course I came straight home and ordered my completion certificate, which duly arrived in the post. C and I have already started plotting the next adventure.

runs with long strides

2010-08-25T13:58:00.000+01:00

The running schedule says I'm supposed to be doing about twenty kilometres over three runs each week. I've been beating myself up for only doing about ten km over two runs. How does a person get fitter with this sort of regime?

It turns out that twenty ks of walking, and another twenty cycling count towards running training. In the last three months I've knocked five minutes off my standard six kilometer route. Here's me been keeping my log, berating myself for not going out as often as I should, and not paying much attention to my times.

I'm so tickle pink with this improvement, and chomping at the bit to move onto a proper 10Km training program.

south downs way - foraging

2010-08-16T20:44:00.001+01:00

In my world this is a reason to do the Winchester end of the South Downs Way all by itself. Blackberry season has started. Hmmmm... Crumble.

finishing glory - toasty

2010-08-13T19:00:00.002+01:00

Isn't it funny how sometimes that last little thing can just take aaaaaages. It's taken me over a month to sew on those two buttons. Maybe that's just because it's summer, and who needs a neck warmer in summer. I like the versatility of this pattern a lot. Being able to flip this upside down, open the buttons, and make sure there isn't a space between neck warmer and coat for air to escape will make all the difference come winter. Details here.

the lazy girl's guide to food

2010-07-17T20:23:00.001+01:00

This is a resolving post.

Have I complained here about the extra weight I've acquired. Two unshiftable kilos, and you know where they came from. Convenience food. 'Gasp' you say, 'how, when?'

In the last two months food preparation has gone right out the window. Do you want to be regaled with the plethora of excuses I've prepared especially? Probably not. It reached a peak last night when I actually bought fried chicken on the way home from the pub. I'm not in the habit of eating anything post pub let alone FRIED BLOODY CHICKEN! And this evening my ever expanding butt is parked on a stool at the local burrito joint!

Enough! This week I have an appointment with the supermarket for the first time in over a fortnight. Unlike last week food preparation will occur at home.

Who would have guessed I'd be uttering the word diet in these pages...

finishing glory - marge

2010-07-05T20:44:00.007+01:00

This bag has been dubbed 'Marge', because it's been made for Mr Simpson to pass on the Mrs Simpson. Mr Simpson was actually responsible for rescuing the outer fabric, which was protecting some paintings in transit. I occasioned upon it when he was shifting desks last month. He'd held on to it for over a year because 'I just liked the pattern, and it seemed a shame to throw it away.' It only seemed right that some of it was re-purposed and sent back in his direction. This is the same Mr Simpson who told me once that he was having a good day because he'd put on his shirt and found a fiver in the pocket.

The pattern is Buttercup, and just seemed right for the fabric. It's so easy to make, no fiddly bits at all. And really cute as well. The lining is another place where you can recycle cotton work shirts pockets and all.

ideal homes - hardly

2010-07-03T22:20:00.005+01:00

This sight started to bother me about nine months ago when the door on the cabinet broke. One can't really complain, as I'd rescued it from somebodies front garden in the first place. The situation was resolved this morning when this turned up:-

Despite the fact that this shelf has a bigger physical footprint, it's taking up the same amount of floor space as the old cabinet. You'll need to note that the old cabinet was trying to fit into an oddly proportioned corner, so that there was wasted space behind it, to see how this works out.

Since installing the new shelf, I've been trying to work out why I think this looks better. I can still see all of the same gumph I could before - why is this nicer?

I am going to buy a packet of rubber bands and take control of all those cords. And Flatemate is going to install his records in the remaining three cubes.

One thing I am quite chuffed about is they way I've managed to reuse about fifty percent of the packaging that this came in. The box has been refashioned into a couple of DVD storage containers, and the polystyrene wodging was easily made into a shelf divider for the DVD player and router.

touristing tuesday

2010-06-29T22:07:00.000+01:00

south downs way - day five and six

2010-06-26T21:37:00.001+01:00

I really don't know how you'd do this end of the path traveling from London day at a time. The train access is a bit limited, so we've been making this end of the path in two day jaunts. And what a mightily fine jaunt we had last weekend!

Amberley Station is pretty much on the South Downs Way, not the usual three to five kilometer walk before you even get on the Way. I think we did about 20Km from Amberley to Cocking, then 24Km the following day from Cocking to Petersfield, leaving the path at Buriton.

The Moonlight Cottage in Cocking turned out to be an excellent choice to overnight. They also have a tea room, and furnished us with a superb cream tea on arrival. You can request dinner at the cottage, however we gave The Bluebell a go. Given the price, none of us were especially impressed with our meals, and the service was civil and not much more. Bit of a shame really, as it looked really promising.

This end of the path seems to be a little quieter, maybe because it's not so accessible from London. And for some reason cyclists in Hampshire seem to think it's their God given right to clutter up the country side with discarded gel packets. Why can't they put the bloody things back in the pocket it came from?

For such a fine, fun weekend this is turning into a completely grumpy post. I'll leave you in Petersfield, where you can get a excellent ice cream before catching the train.

finishing glorious sunday

2010-06-13T19:10:00.008+01:00

I'm actually quite chuffed about today because it arrived without a whole heap of chores needing to be done, so I was able to get on with the stuff I'd actually like to be doing in my weekends - like blogging about stuff I've made.

Today was helped by two factors. Flatmates Student Girlfriend has come down to London to stay for the summer. She came to stay last summer too, and paid a nominal amount towards bills. This year we have agreed that she will clean the flat once a week and not pay anything. Some of my friends think I'm absolutely nuts for not charging anything, and that the cleaning is just part of living in the place. I don't care - I'm not going to have to spend my free time cleaning the bath until the end of September, and I like sharing my home with Flatmate and his Student Girlfriend - they make my life nicer.

Factor two relates to the ironing and Cheap Ironing Services. Yip, I've found myself an ironing lady, and so far she's been good. This is the one chore that I'm completely lazy about, and having somebody else do it for me has a weird way of enabling my bicycle commute to work. Everything in my wardrobe is ready to go in my pannier the evening before, and if I change my mind in the morning - well, like I said, EVERYTHING is ready to go. I'm rationalizing the expense this way - Travel was costing over £60 a month. Now I spend £40 a month on the ironing lady, and £20 on travel costs.

The result - today I finished Gretel. I've made this pattern before, in a chunkier yarn (which I don't recommend doing), that was steam ironed instead of blocked (which I wouldn't recommend either as it completely annihilates the cables). This version is heaps better (sorry Mel), and the tubular cast on made total sense this time. It just makes a lovely edge - definitely a technique to use again.

But that's not all! You may remember that I'd cut out seven kimono's, and finally the four made from new fabric have been completed - finally. These have been much more arduous than I'd anticipated. This has absolutely nothing to do with Amy's pattern. I'd just say that if you've never made and applied bias binding, you might want to start with just one or two. I'd also say that this is a great way of re-purposing old cotton men's work shirts.

Just to finish up - a pic of my new specs, which I'm loving. For some reason they make me think of jelly. No idea why. Oh, and Bruce and Dave seem to really dig The Stone Roses.

ideal homes

2010-06-03T12:13:00.000+01:00

Over the last few months flat tidiness has really started to get on my nerves. There just seems to be stuff everywhere, and I've started feeling like my life is just full of clutter. Is this what happens when you've been living in one place for more than two years? This is the longest I've lived in the same building since I started boarding school at the age of thirteen.

Over the last few months I've been going through all those little out of the way storage spaces purging. This month I want to spend some time just making the flat look pretti(er). As usual this meant spending hours browsing the Ikea website. I'd like for the flat not to look like it was completely furnished from Ikea, but it's just so easy. It's all that nicely designed stuff at rock bottom prices...

The temptation was to just buy a truck load of book cases. The more pragmatic approach would be to try and resolve specific storage issues one at a time with an appropriate piece of furniture.

(This is the bit where I resist the urge to make a list that is never completely fulfilled. And the urge to say, "watch this space." Lets face it, you may see some activity on this over the next month.)

finishing glory - aunty's indulgence

2010-05-29T17:29:00.005+01:00

Bert the baby is officially here. He has not been named yet, which worries me. What if Bert sticks?

His arrival made me officially late with my Aunty style knitting duties. Fortunately I wasn"t too far behind, and I sat in bed this morning sewing the last of the buttons on the February Baby Cardi.

Making this has been more of an indulgence for me rather than a practical garment for Bert to wear every day. I know it's old fashioned, but I still think wee babies should be dressed like doilies regardless of sex. They're just built to be wrapped up on woolly lacy things, not dressed like miniature adults. The yarn was the other indulgence - Wensleydale Longwool, so not machine washable. I really don't care if Bert wears this once, is sick all down himself, and it ends up a felted mess at the bottom of the washing machine. I'm just looking forward to the two seconds of Bert's life when he is dressed like a proper baby, in something lovingly made for him by is ridiculous Aunty.

Now back to the practical Aunty making...

gob smacked

2010-05-26T19:03:00.001+01:00

I nearly died when I picked up the ironing today. You should have seen the price! YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THE PACKAGING! I couldn't reuse most of this, let alone recycle it.

Know any nice local ironing folk?

the price of leisure

2010-05-25T20:25:00.002+01:00

Back in my Mum's day when she was wrangling three children out the door and going to work herself, it was unheard off to hire a "cleaning lady". Well maybe not unheard off, but how the other half lived. The folk in my village managed without household services, and talked about those who didn't as if they were slightly incompetent, or greater than thou.

When I'd started thinking about increasing my leisure time the obvious solution seemed to be to spend less time doing paid work. That's the pipe dream anyway. More recently it occurred to me that I would have more leisure time if I paid somebody to do the unpaid jobs around the house. Oh, but that would be expensive and frivolous, and I'm supposed to be saving! The fact is that there are other areas where I could create economies in order to pay for this extravagance.

The obvious thing would be to get a cleaner, however I'm not comfortable with having a stranger in the house while I'm out, the flatmates not comfortable with have a stranger in the house while he's out, and the landlords not keen on me giving keys to strangers.

Are there other home services available that will actually save time?

Whether or not doing your grocery shopping on line actually saves time is up for debate, and I find it inefficient for other reasons. As I'm only shopping for one, it doesn't really make good sense to do an online shop more than once a month. This results in a stock pile of things that don't always get used up, and a number of interim trips to the shops in the meantime.

Buying ready meals does save time. I can count the number of times I buy take away food in a year on my fingers, so don't start lecturing if you're getting a take away more than once a month. And yes, I am checking the crap content of these meals. I've also rejected some because my own version just tastes better, which is saying something. If you've been reading here for a while, you'll also know that I make things in bulk to put in the freezer. All I'm saying is that I'm not going to feel any ready meal guilt any more.

Flatties girlfriend is also proving to be a good source of cleaning relief. She's a student, so only really around during the holidays. When she is here she's happy to tackle the cleaning jobs that flattie and I have let slide for a bit of extra pocket money. Over Easter she did a brilliant job of spring cleaning the flat. Hopefully she'll be happy to continue the arrangement.

This week I thought I'd try an ironing service. This was inspired by my mother who has been visiting for the last couple of weeks. She made her way through a large pile of ironing one morning. It was so nice to have every neatly in the draw and ready to wear. The mornings are so much nicer without a mad “what shall I wear, what shall I wear?” rummage though the wardrobe. It makes me feel like I already own nice things. So, I’m off to the laundrette tomorrow for some anti ironing.

finishing glory - shrunk in the wash

2010-05-09T21:21:00.002+01:00

I am a big fan of BG's Ballerina Slipper pattern, because the finished slipper has a really nice shoe shape that fits well.

I'm not so keen on my rendition of the pattern here. I chose to use a smaller size of needle because I was a few metres short on the yarn front. As a result there doesn't seem to have been enough air between the stitches for them to felt into a nice fabric. The yarn is lovely and felts easily, but into a soft felt - not great for slippers. Finally, I don't like this colour combo. If I were holding two colours together again they would be co-ordinating colours rather than contrasting.

the last date

2010-05-05T15:10:00.001+01:00

Earlier in the year I thought I'd try internet dating again. I've done this before, but thought I'd give a different website a go. It's difficult to feel positive about any of these forays into meeting blokes anymore. The whole process just leaves me feeling a bit depressed. It's like having somebody hop into a revolving door with you. They get in your personal space, and then leave it again before you've even decided if you minded or not.

It's difficult to tell if these encounters don't just exacerbate my naturally reserved nature anyway. And if this is the case there's really no point.

It would be nice to stop feeling like there's some sort of void in my life, because that feeling is just a happiness blocker. I want to feel grateful for the many things I have, rather than discontented about the one thing I don't. But the world seems to be conspiring to subvert any feelings of content by constantly reminding me that I've failed at the one thing humans were built for - mating.

Hmmm, it's difficult to articulate that, and not feel like I'm fighting in loosing battle in trying to subordinate my own humanity and be content with life as it is.

Basically I'd like to forget about the whole mating thing, and enjoy my life without the tinge of failure on the periphery. Society is not helping. I don't want to see ads on TV telling me that they have an algorithm that will match me to my perfect partner based on the number of hairs on my head. I don't want to hear politicians spout on about all the help they're going to give to couples and families when single people are twice as likely to end up living in poverty when they are no longer able to work. And I definitely don't want to be asked if I've met somebody by well meaning friends and relatives; because I haven't, and if I had I would have updated my status on Facebook.

finishing glory - pre shrinking

2010-05-01T20:36:00.003+01:00

south downs way - days three and four

2010-04-23T09:38:00.000+01:00

Over Easter we managed to get two days in on the South Downs Way. The
train down to Plumpton was fairly full due to the race meeting held that
same day. It was quite interesting to see everybody turn up in their
finery as we headed for the hills.

The first day was a short one to Folking, so we stopped off at Devil's Dyke to
watch to last hang glider swooping over the hills, and for a beer. Then
tootled down the hill to our accommodation. Four Acres made a fine
resting place, and we enjoyed a slap bang roast dinner at the Shepherd and Dog,
although you wouldn't want to arrive too late or you'd miss out
altogether.

Having become accustomed to getting up at ungodly hours of the morning,
rushing for trains, and not being on the downs till about 11am; getting
up for a leisurely breakfast at 8.30am and being out by ten was a real
treat.

The day was really gusty, but we got on to Amberley.

making inventory

2010-04-13T20:48:00.002+01:00

At the moment I seem to spend all of my time planning my free time. Free time used to be a spontaneous thing. Now it just feels boring, and like I'm constantly driving it. It would be nice if something unexpected happened in my free time, because at the moment everything is scheduled and known.

Anyway, here is a project update:

Knitting and Crochet

Bert's cardi: This is the February Baby Cardi. All of the knitting is done, just sewing and blocking to go.
Travel Slippers: One sole to complete. Then sewing and felting.
Socks that fit proper: I'm feeling reignited about these at the moment. Probably because I'm avoiding the two aforementioned projects.
PCC Sock: I've not been to the flicks for soooo long.
Cliete: Nothing about this stitch pattern sticks in my head. All of the repeats are soo big, and I just don't seem to be able to 'read' what I've done. This might come undone.
Reykjavik Sweater: On holiday for a month.
The Coveted Afghan: This doesn't feel like a UFO, although it probably counts as one. It's a comfortable fall back. I like deciding which colour to use next.

Sewing

Woolen dress for winter: Clearly this is late. I'm suffering from fear of zips and linings. It would be nice to get this done, and do a summer version.
Kimonos x 7: This is the instant gratification project that I'm using to reignite some enthusiasm for the woollen dress; however, it's difficult to feel that making 12 metres of bias binding is really instant gratification.

Trying to be realistic about what can be achieved this month

Bert's cardi: (One evening) As much as I dislike seaming and blocking, I really enjoy giving...
Travel Slippers: (Two evenings) Making these is not inspiring. Having warm feet when I'm not at home is.
Cleite: (One evening) I hereby declare that I am giving up on this. Love the yarn, but the pattern is not for me.
Kimonos x 7: (One dayish) This is a production line job. They are so cute, and I can't wait to give them.

I'd wanted to start a new knitting project in the break from theReykjavik Sweater. Probably better to whittle down the list above, and then start something exciting and new in June.