| Sock Wars Contest |
[April 11, 2009 @ 11:22pm] |
Hello all again,
One of my fellow knitters on the HPKCHC, Starknits, is very generously giving away two project bags for Sock Wars. You don't have to participate in Sock Wars to enter (I'm not because it takes me about 2 months to knit even straight stst socks) but they are absolutely gorgeous and have a fantastic slogan on the front. Brilliant.
Run, don't walk, here.
She also has stitch markers, more bags, and some lovely patterns on sale at her etsy shop if you want to go and have a peek.
Alright, announcement over. Back to your knitting, folks, and don't forget to sign up for the HPKCHC on ravelry if you're so inclined. You have until the end of the month (for the sign-ups, not the contest).
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| Everything at once |
[April 08, 2009 @ 6:48pm] |
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Well, I have 3 weeks off for easter, in which I have 3 assignments, an exam to prepare for, and various WIPs to finish up. My pattern (very excited to finally have written one) is with my wonderful test knitters: GazeboGal, Ielith, Cattiekins, Sparksearcher and Isisonearth, and seem to be making great progress. They are only slightly confused by my chart of doom.
I'm knitting the last front piece for the Sunrise Circle (just in time for spring) and then I'm casting on the Whisper cardigan, with no regard at all for the multiple socks, sweaters and hats that are occupying needles across my bedroom. One comes off, one goes on, that's my current philosophy.
I've submitted my curriculum for the HP knit/crochet house cup (search for it on ravelry) and am gearing up for next term. Signups are open so, as always, get yourself over there, sign up, and say I sent you.
Now back to the jacket. I want it done before the weather gets warmer. It would be a shame to finish and have to put it away.
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| Seasons of Lace |
[January 17, 2009 @ 7:21pm] |
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I joined up for Seasons of Lace yesterday, and since I had the Swallowtail shawl in progress for the HPKCHC I thought I might as well enter it. I've reached repeat 13 of the budding lace 2 chart - I'm aiming for 19 repeats - and have run out of needle :D I can't stretch it out enough to take a proper picture. You get the idea, though:
( Just the one picture this time )
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| Such Stuff As Dreams Are Made On, chapter 2 |
[January 01, 2009 @ 3:38pm] |
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For those of you who were around when I made my posting promise, regarding Nanonovel 08. Here is chapter 2.
( Such Stuff as Dreams are Made On )
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| 50bookchallenge 2008 |
[December 31, 2008 @ 12:00am] |
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I would like to take a moment to say it is amazing how much reading one can get through when confronted with an essay/reading deadline or an imminent book release.
83 / 100 (83%)
I'm trying for 100 books this year rather than 50. I think I can do it, too.
![[info]](http://www.insanejournal.com/img/community.gif) 50bookchallenge for 2008.
( The List )
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| New year's resolution |
[December 23, 2008 @ 11:36pm] |
I have four projects on the needles.
1) Sunrise Circle jacket
2) Bacchus socks
3) Saggitaria shawl
4) A'tuin shawl
I expect to cast on the Christmas mystery shawl and the Riding to Avalon hoodie over christmas. However, as soon as we hit New Year, I will not cast on anything new until these are finished. Except A'tuin as the pattern is still in progress.
Small objects (eg. a few hours) are allowed for the HPKCHC.
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| Such Stuff As Dreams Are Made On |
[November 30, 2008 @ 2:10pm] |
| [ |
mood |
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busy |
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| [ |
music |
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Orinoco Flow - City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra |
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( Nano08 chapter one )
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| Riding to Avalon |
[November 09, 2008 @ 6:03pm] |
Now sometimes I will love the idea of a sweater, then see some other versions and not like it so much. I thought, since I have tried and failed to buy a copy of Knitscene Fall 08 in the UK, I would do this and get over my obsession with the Riding to Avalon hoodie.
No such luck. I have looked through 50 hoodies and just love it more. It looks gorgeous on every shape, in every colour, in every fibre. Every set of buttons fits perfectly. It looks great with or without a hood, knitted complete, sleeveless, without the buttons...
Damn.
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| Nano, day 4 |
[November 04, 2008 @ 1:24pm] |
Well, we are now into day 4 of National Novel Writing Month. The fact that 5000 words in I still have no plot should be more frightening than it is, I think. Still, things could be worse. Homework and reading are more or less up to date, though I need to write at least one more paragraph for my Textual Studies assessment before I can hit the keyboard for nano. We'll see where it goes, now that my MC has been kidnapped by Christmas lights.
Knitting is going fairly well. I've had my first crack at an afterthought heel and it works really well. I love it! It does take longer than I thought to figure out the correct number of stitches though. I guess that is what happens when you're making it up as you go along. I love the yarn though. I'll get pictures up when I can.
This is my knitting list for the next month:
- Orchid socks - yes, I'm casting them back on.
- Potions master socks - I'm into the leaves right now.
- A'tuin. I want to make some progress.
- Sunrise Circle Jacket. It needs finishing.
So we'll see how I do. Anyone have any ideas what I can do with 440 yards of Knit Picks Shimmer?
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| Why is nylon tempting? |
[September 24, 2008 @ 8:05pm] |
I have been trying to convince my poor abused credit card that it can stand up to one more little yarn purchase. Basically, I needed white laceweight for test knitting Alberich and white sock yarn for a pair of tigery socks I've been wanting to knit (okay, so I don't have tiger yarn yet, but that doesn't mean I can't start the toes). I ended up at World of Wool
Very reasonable, excellent postage costs. I was pleased :D
Then I found other stuff. First and foremost, the Super Bright Trilobal Nylon Top Dyed Rainbow (100g). That is the actual title. And you'll need to scroll down to see it. Doesn't it scream Weasley Twins? I want it, but I am still having little success even spinning your everyday corriedale. Darn. Need more practice, I think. I was also tempted by a pictureless wool/silk blend called Oceana. Don't know what that is (I'm guessing variagated blue) but it sounds lovely. Again though, I can't spin that well or that fast, and I still have a braid of white corriedale and a braid of octarine mystery fibre waiting to be spun up.
So this is the plan:
1) I wait until closer to Christmas to buy, when my credit card has recovered and I am no longer feeling guilt at the bill.
2) I buy both the nylon and, hopefully, the wool/silk as well as what I was originally going to buy.
3) I rejoice in the fibrey goodness.
4) In the meantime, I test knit using that horrible cotton I bought on a dare.
All sorted. I can go to sleep now :D
Driving test in two days. Meh.
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| What's new? |
[September 23, 2008 @ 7:20pm] |
Where has she been, you might ask? Ravelry, in short. I'm obsessed. The House Cup has been eating up my free time, even when nothing is happening. Scary.
So what's new? I'm working my way through the Sunrise Circle jacket/cardigan. It looks beautiful. I'm using Rowan Soft Lux in purple. I should have gone with the white, but the purple looks good too.
I have completed all the assignments for the aforementioned House Cup. Potions was tricky, but I got through it. And of course I can't enter charms, being the Professor *puts of professor hat* I like being the professor :D
The big news is that I am taking my first tentative steps into lace design. I am working on a shawl called Alberich (look up Exile's Honour by Mercedes Lackey if this name is new to you). Sun-in-glory in the middle, Kantor running around the next row, then a row of swords facing outward (think bodyguards protecting Selenay). I like the idea and I have finished the chart for Kantor, but I need to test knit the charts individually before I start messing around with numbers. Detail is tricky in lace, I think. At least, it is when the pattern isn't there in front of you.
For the chart, version 1 is in colour. I thought it would be easier than trying to get to grips with chart symbols before I was even sure if it would work. Tricky to see properly in a photo, but I don't really want you to see detail yet anyway. I'll computerise it when I'm done.
( A picture of the Kantor chart, version 1, in case you're interested )
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| Themed List: Harry Potter |
[August 11, 2008 @ 4:39pm] |
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This one is kinda soul-destroying to write. There's so much! It's like trying to catalogue a basket full of marbles. Only some of the marbles have escaped and some of them randomly change colour and size. Anyway, this is slightly incomplete, but I need a really long rest from it, I think, so we'll leave it there.
( Accio Patterns )
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| Challenge for you all |
[July 23, 2008 @ 8:00pm] |
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The Harry Potter knitting and crochet house cup is starting up soon. Enrolling has begun and there's still stuff going on about house allocation and the exact start date for the first challenge, but it looks to be a lot of fun.
There will be trivia challenges, knit/crochet challenges, and other as-yet-undefined challenges happening, with house points allocated by the Headmistress, Filch and Hagrid. They aren't participating to keep things fair.
The houses are hopefully going to be divided up fairly equally, and will be led by the heads of houses (who do participate, yay!). I am Professor Flitwick :D
Anyway, if you want to take part, the group is here on ravelry, and here on blogspot. Have a look.
Plus, if you decide to enrol and tell them I sent you, my house get 5 points!
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| Exile's Valor |
[July 17, 2008 @ 8:28pm] |
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I've been reading some reviews of this book. And I am surprised.
This is probably my second-favourite of the Velgarth books, following Exile's Honour. I think Alberich is a fantastic character, and I welcome any scrap of information we recieve about him. I like Myste too. Alright, so she does seem to solve a huge amount of problems considering her lack of appearances in any other book, but the same can be said of any character - series' such as these need to allow characters to drop in and out of the spotlight. No one stays famous forever.
And the Mary-sue thing... well, perhaps it's true. Perhaps Myste really is Ms. Lackey down in print, but there is nothing wrong with that really. It was not obvious to me that she was meant to be the author, and this was one of the last ML books I read. I think only someone who followed Lackey's life quite closely would be able to tell while reading, and I don't think it's fair to hold that against the book.
The last argument - that the timeline, spelling etc. was a bit messed up - well, that's true enough. Although I didn't notice the switch between bard and herald, or the change between the exile series and the mage winds regarding the death of the Prince Consort, I noticed stuff like Talamir/Talamit. Typos, we all get them. To me, it is not a big deal. Lynn Flewelling does it too (as I mentioned earlier, Thasali/Thalassi). The sudden absence of editors in the publishing community seems to be making itself felt.
Regardless of all these problems, then, I still think everyone should read this series, and the Exile ones in particular. Who can resist Alberich? :D
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| WIP: Cobblestone, Shaped Lace and A'tuin |
[July 09, 2008 @ 12:08pm] |
I finished the Cobblestone Pullover for Dad last Friday. I'm really pleased! He loves it, he wears it (amazing in itself) and I loved knitting it. The yarn is James C. Brett Kool Kotton (an acrylic/cotton blend) because Dad prefers cotton to anything else, and wouldn't handwash anyway. He has other things to do with his time. Anyway, the point is that it was a huge success. Kudos to the designer :)
( 2 pics )
A'tuin has come to a bit of a halt. Not because I'm bored with it or anything, but Mmario is rewriting part of the pattern and I don't want to accidently go past what he's done. Plus, I realised that I was going to need another two balls of yarn. I asked PersianPenName if I could buy hers (even though it was stash yarn rather than selling/trading yarn, and not only did she agree, she is sending it free! The kindness of knitters always amazes me :) I've made a new friend!
Anyway, progress. This is up to about row 40:
( 1 pic )
And finally, yesterday I discovered the sale at John Lewis. I have come away with 5 balls of Rowan Damask in green (half-price!) and have cast on the Shaped Lace Tee by Joan McGowen-Michael. It looks lovely. I think the colourway actually works with this one. Normally variagated yarn tends to cancel out the lace, but I can still see it fine.
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| Oracle's Queen, Lynn Flewelling |
[July 01, 2008 @ 10:58am] |
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( Spoilers )
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| Shadows Return |
[June 22, 2008 @ 2:14pm] |
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Apparently loads of people have gotten advance copies of Shadows Return :( I'm dying to read it, but Amazon UK haven't even posted it yet. I bet it comes a week after the release date, just to spite me.
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| WIP: Andoa, Cobblestone Pullover, A'tuin, Olive Branch |
[June 15, 2008 @ 8:35pm] |
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Having frogged Andoa for good (it really was soul destroying work) and recast on for the Cobblestone pullover, it is going really well and really fast. In two days I have knit 8", which for me is pretty darn good.
A-tuin is on hold until I finish something for Dad, but I have started trying to decide what yarn to use for Olive Branch. I'd like to use the superwash merino they have for sale at Boyes, but I don't think I can afford it. I may fall back on the wool/acrylic blend I used and then ripped for the second CPH. I gave Mum the purple because the fit wasn't great on me. A pity, considering how long I've been wanting to make it.
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| Meh |
[June 03, 2008 @ 10:34am] |
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Failed my driving test again. 4 minors, 2 serious faults. The serious ones were a misjudged gap (of course it's not too small!) and a missed speed change sign that had me going 60 in a 30 zone.
Meh.
In happier news, the post just arrived, and I am now the proud owner of a harmony circular (so pretty!) and needle size ID tags, which I desperately need to cope with the increasing number of projects on my Denise interchangables.
So overall, disappointed, but still pretty happy. Getknitted.com gets my thumbs up too. They even gave me sweets and a pen :D
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