More hats

Another Sunday, another week closer to my friggin submission date. It feels like this damn thesis is never going to be good enough to submit, but luckily I don't care! I will hand it in no matter what. Because that's what I do, I hand things in on time. Chris seems ok with my status, as does my uni supervisor Dave, so if they both feel ok, I guess I can too...

So here is the black hat, made longer. I like it SO much better. But it is massive and I am thinking of felting it. Either that or giving it to someone with a massive head. Any takers?? If you have a large head and are looking for a new hat, let me know.


This next one is called reasonably hip and the pattern is available in the December issue of Magknits online. I love it. It's awesome. There are just so many great patterns available online nowadays. Knitting is seriously way more popular than people realize. It's hot. It's cool. Well, we knitters think so anyway.


All these hat patterns, although awesome, are not quite how I would do it, so of course I made up my own - and funnily enough, I like it the best. See below. This one is for AJ. I am sending it to him for Valentine's Day. I hope he likes it. I think it's rad. I will also be knitting this hat for Pre, in brown. I'm seriously in love with this hat. I think it the coolest hat ever. I love it. I hope AJ and Pre love it as much as I do. If they don't they can just give them back to me so I can wear them!


So I really need to get back to writing. It feels like I have got sweet FA done today. And that is not good. I have to go teach a step class in an hour too. Yikes. Time even flies when you're not having fun.

Oh yeah, and wanna hear something sick? I was reaching for a pile of papers on my desk today when a cockroach ran across the papers and onto the desk. Um yeah I freaked a bit and Alex who happened to be in the office chuckled but then helped me get it out of here and then he killed it. Ew, seriously? A cockroach in my friggin office?? That's a bit much...

Ok so acrylic is gross

I finished the glitzy sweater and hated it so I threw it out. I know people who don't knit think - how on earth could you do that?? But if you make something and you think it's ugly - so ugly that you wouldn't wear it and you wouldn't even want to see it on someone else - it's easy. It felt absolutely disgusting on. The sequins were all itchy and the yarn had a squeaky feel to it. Bottom line - it was heinous. So I tossed it. Lesson learned? Bargain yarn is always good, but if there is a whole bin full of the same specialty yarn, there's probably a reason it didn't sell at full price.

Anyways here's my new project. I finished it. I actually frogged it back and made the body of the hat longer. I blocked it last night and will sew in the brim tonight.


I also finished a hat for AJ that is similar to the one above, but way cooler. I will post a picture once it's sewn up. I am also going to make Pre one because it's such a rad pattern.

Hopefully one day I will pick up that green cardigan I started last August and finish it. I am on the sleeves but have totally lost interest. It's a shame because I really want it to be done - I love what it's going to be, just can't get it there yet.

Back to writing...

Ravelry is worse than crack, worse than Facebook even. Oh yes it is.

Damn you Knit World ladies!!! I was shopping at Knit World maybe 2 weeks ago as they had a major sale, and well, you can't afford not to buy wool when it's on sale. Even if you already have way too much. Anyways, they know me there (3 years living here, a trip to Knit World once a week - not surprising. They even know me by name...) and one of the lovely Knit World ladies (Jeanie, if any of you frequent Hamilton Knit World) asked me if I was on Ravelry. Ravelry? I asked. What's that? It's knitter's crack is what it is. It's a sort of knitting/crocheting forum, I guess. It allows you to post your projects while you're working on them or when they're done. It allows you to see other knitters projects and get the pattern sthey used. It has helpful hints and groups and AAaaaaaaarggggggh!!! You can easily spend 2 hours on there at a time and not even realize it. NOT GOOD WHEN YOU HAVE A THESIS TO WRITE.
So anyways, I am hooked. Literally go on it everyday. I love putting my projects in it. They following picture is of my friend Jonathans arms wearing some armwarmers I made him. I crocheted them. I made up the pattern and it's posted on Crochetme. I have even had some nice comments about them and on Ravelry, my armies (that's what I called them) are listed as someone's favorite!! I know, I know, I am out of control, but it's awesome!! I've even realized that I am not alone with this horrible addiction. There are other obsessed knitters out there besides me!


Here is a little sweater I am making myself. It's white/cream sort of yarn (acrylic, normally yuck, but I love this stuff) with sequins throughout. I bought a whole bunch of it when it was on sale at Spotlight ($2 a ball) and was saving it to make a half sweater. I came across this pattern on ravelry and it was exactly what I wanted. It's about half way done. I will post when it's finished, but I thought I would mention the lesson I learned, yet again, while making this. ALWAYS check the dye lot of yarn you buy in bulk. You see that greyish sort of stripe in the middle? Yeah, I didn't mean to buy different dye lots. Fortunately, I noticed early anough in the piece so I am making it look stripey. I think it will still look good, sort of a tone on tone effect. But let it be a lesson. Hopefully (this being the 3rd time I have made this mistake) I will not make this silly mistake again.


So I should get back to ravelry, I mean, back to writing my thesis...

Sunday at work

It's Sunday and I am working. At least it's kind of cloudy out. I have good days and bad days with writing my thesis. Today is a bad day. I hate it today. It's stupid.
Anyways, here are some new goodies I've knit. First up, some fingerless mitts for Leanne.


The my friend Alaina was going to the UK, so I thought, it's winter up there, I might as well make her some too since she's a smoker. So I made these ones up one night and the next day I quickly crocheted her a matching tuque. I love both of them and will make them again (my own design). They are pictured on little 8 year old hands here. They actually fit small adult hands much better.


Below we have a little baby sweater for Ross and Ang's new baby (now 8 days overdue). My favorite pattern to knit for babies because it is ridiculously easy. I made it a bit bigger than normal, at Ang's request. It feels nice and snuggly and reminds me of a lamb.


Finally we have some slippers I knit for AJ. I knit them absolutely massive and then felted them so they became really thick and wicked. They should be SO warm. I will send them to him soon...


Jenny and Colin and the kids went to Whangamata for 2 weeks and Sidonie wanted to take her bike but felt bad since I have been using it to get to work. I didn't mind at all, I have my old bike, it just sucks. But Jenny felt bad too so she listed me as a driver for her Figaro!! I drove it to work today. I friggin love it. Will post a picture of it soon.

Well, best be getting back to work.

Wallis' ponchos

As I said, since I am flat out with thesis writing, I will be posting old stuff I've knit that hasn't really been seen yet because my knitting isn't progressing as fast as usual. I am at work writing too late and by the time I get home and eat dinner, I only have an hour or two to knit before bed. How I long for the day the bloody thesis is handed in and I can knit freely again, like a machine.

Anyways, about 2 and a half years ago when I was first getting to know the Malcolms (now my family, can't imagine my life without them), Jenny asked me if I could knit her daughters a poncho each. This was back when I had no friends and literally knit from 5 pm until I went to bed. I was pumping out knitted garments like you wouldn't believe. So I knit one for Sidonie first. Jenny and I chose some yarn we liked and I used the poncho pattern from the first Stitch n Bitch. It fits Wallis now so we used her to model.



Wallis was allowed to pick out her own yarn. So she picked what, in my opinion, is the ugliest, most heinous yarn to work with. Not only is it gross to touch (feels dirty all the time, even when it's clean, just that gross synthetic feel), it was a total cow to knit with. You can barely pick out the stitches on the needle, and the colourful stuff? Yuck, as well as pain in the butt. BUT, I adore Wallis and she is so cute only she could pull off something so hideous to look at, so I did it. And it was WELL worth it. She wore it everyday for ages, she loved it so much, and it did look quite cute on her.


The pattern is very easy and that's a bonus when you are using disgustingly awkward yarn.

I had some pretty, colourful mohair that I wanted to use to knit this U vest from the first issue of Knit1 and I was going to keep it for myself, but I hated it on me, so I gave it to Wallis too. She is just THE BEST person to knit for (or give knitted stuff to) besides my mum and sister, because she LOVES anything you give her and wears it all the time.


Yes it did fit me, don't raise your eyebrows at me. I just think it suits Wallis more than it suits me anyway. Honestly, this little girl is the sweetest thing. She even kits with me sometimes. She has a sweater on the go. Most times she gets bored mid-row and gets me to finish the row so she can watch tv. I will make sure she is a fully competent knitter before I leave NZ.

Well, I must get back to my thesis. That's the first of many long finished projects I'll post. I am knitting AJ some slippers and I think they are going to be awesome. I am going to felt them so they are thicker and warmer and will post them when I finish.

New Year, new colours, new projects... oh wait - maybe I should finish my thesis...

Hello yous. Happy New Year!! So I had a fantastic time in the Peg for Christmas. Best ever. It was amazing to see my parents, sister and grandparents, as well as my friends and of course my incredibly awesome boyfriend AJ. All my knitted gifts have been given, but silly me, I forgot to take pictures of them before giving them away, so all of you better send me some pics of you in my knitted things so I can post them. Or else no more knitted anything for you! Seriously please take a picture and email it to me so I can post it. Please? Thank you. Wallis took this picture of me knitting my friend Pre's tuque the week before I went home. She is so adorable. She has this uncanny way of stating the obvious in a really cute voice. "Tarra (pronounced - to my disgust - Tah-rra instead of Tear-ra) you love knitting, aye (pronounced I)?"


Just knitting some slippers for my friend Ben who is living in London and finding it a wee bit cold. What a wuss. Haha, London is like Mexico compared to Winnipeg. Harden up boy. Says me who found the "beautiful" (according to my Mum) -10C FREEZING while I was home. I actually should be writing my thesis. Right now, and everyday for the next 2 months. But come on. Like I am not going to try to squeeze in as much knitting/crocheting as possible. Even if I have to stay up a half an hour later at night to fit some in. I can't give up my craft. I just can't. It makes me happy.

Fortunately Sidonie took some photos of a few things I knitted for her, Jenny and Wallis ages ago, that I haven't posted yet, so I can use those for awhile and not worry about having to finish things to post here. Cheating, I know, but better than nothing, aye?

6 more sleeps!!!

Well, needless to say I am beyond excited to go home for Christmas. I cannot wait to give my parents and sister a hug. I miss them so much it hurts. It is brutal that I can only go back for a week - but at the same time, I get to go back for a week!! I am just ridiculously excited to see my family and friends.

So we had a work Christmas party just over a week ago and the theme was Woodstock. We all dressed up and it was a blast. But we started drinking at noon and thank god Colin rescued me at 5:30pm - it could have got a bit messy (ok fine, messier...). AgResearch nerds sure know how to party!!


I have been having knit nights at my house with some girls from work for about 2 months now. Every Thursday they come over and we sit and knit and chat (gossip). I have always wanted a knitting group and never been able to get one up and running. This one is so much fun! The first one I just taught them how to knit, and now they're all working on stuff, some crochet, I do whatever I feel like doing. I am racing through Christmas presents. I have a pile of them on my desk. I must say it's my most creative year. I have made up all my own patterns. Hopefully the recipients will be happy.


Colin and Jenny are amazing. They have let us take over their living room on Thursday nights. We had our first one in my little room, but it was quite crowded, and a bit of a pain trucking all the chairs from inside out to my room. So now we just stay in the house. The kids all know that Thursday is knit night and Jenny is a very good hostess. We always invite her to come knit with us, but she hasn't yet. I think she just can't be bothered. This Thursday will be our last one of 2007, and our last one with Leanne as she is moving up to Whangerei. I hope that we pick it back up in the new year because it is a lot of fun.

I better get to work. Lots of things to do before I leave for Canada!!