A ton of bricks

Oh. My. God. The last few days have been rough. I feel like I've been hit with a ton of bricks, or been on the receiving end of an falling anvil, Looney Toons style.

As a result, I've sort of stalled. For those of you currently swamped with snow, you know what I mean. I feel like a car trying to get out of a parking space, and I am just sitting there rocking to and fro, but getting nowhere.

Eric's car was totaled yesterday. Well, to be more specific, Eric's mother's car was totaled yesterday. He's fine (thank goodness!) but they're not sure about the car. To make matters worse, the same thing happened last year. Someone slammed into Eric last December, completely totaling his car, and the fact that it happened again almost makes me want to laugh. He was rear-ended on the highway by a pickup going 45 MPH.

Thank goodness they weren't going faster. Thank goodness he's alright. That's really all that matters right now, but it's sort of a slap in the face on top of everything else. His mom is having major surgery in about a month, and so dealing with insurance, cars, (and the lacktherof) and everything else seems like a cruel cosmic joke!

I can't wait to get back. It's heartbreaking hearing all this when all I can do is send emails, and occasionally call.

My contribution to all of this is to adopt Eric's two cats while his mom is recovering. He'll be living with both of us, with me when he can, but mostly with his mother in Lansing. She can't have any pets until she recovers, and since I'll be living alone, I decided I wanted a cat. As of yesterday, I will be living with Thumbelina and Lucy, two of my favorite kitties ever! I can't wait to introduce them on the blog.

I've been trying to knit, but even that seems stalled. I've got a pile of WIP's taking over my desk, and it's stressing me out. My time in London is quickly getting shorter, and I don't want to be taking back bags of yarn! I need to finish them, and I need to finish them soon.

• -I have about an inch left on a baby hat I'm knitting (my own made up design)
• -I cast on a hat for a swap partner over on Ravelry. (The College Knitters Group is doing a swap.)
• -I need 3 more squares for my super secret project! Just 3 more! Two more really, and one needs to be embroidered. It's almost painful, I'm so close.
• -I've started a present for my cousin, and stalled halfway through.
• -I've been asked to knit another amigurumi penguin for a friend, and I'd like to get it done before I leave.

I did finish a little something...

...a chemo cap for Eric's mom. (Uplifting, no?) I'm kind of in love with it, even if it looks beyond terrible on me. (Hence the cropped pictures. All you get to see is my unplucked eyebrows!)

The pattern is from Elann.com, found here. (Or on Ravelry.) It was a quick knit, and the way you assemble it is pretty awesome. I'll explain it terribly, I suggest looking at the pattern. It took two balls of Esprit cotton, which is kind of a pain to work with, but the finished pattern stretches beautifully, and seems like it will be very comfortable. Not incredibly soft, but I think it will breathe a lot, so no sweaty heads under this turban.

Now, I'm going to listen to some music and try to plan the rest of my life. No really. Any ideas where a girl should go to grad school? Any one have any connections in the publishing world?

Amiguwhatnow?

May I introduce the latest members of the Skeins and Steins family...
...these two little cuties from the Lion Brand website (!).

Ravelry continues to prove dangerous. A few nights ago, I was bored of working on my Super Secret project, didn't want to work on my dad's Sweater O' Doom, and didn't have any other projects available.

And then I searched for "toys". And then "amigurumi". Next thing I know, I'm crocheting and sewing together a little penguin. And then another one.

I don't even crochet.

I learned to crochet back in grade school, around the time I learned to knit, but it never really clicked. I could single crochet until the cows came home, but ask for another stitch, or mention a pattern and all you would have is a big old tangle, artistically arranged around a metal hook.

But when I saw the Amigurumi Penguin on Ravelry, I was enthralled. I was enamored of their cute little beaks, and beady little eyes, and I wanted one. Or two. I was able to brush up on crochet terms online, and by the end of the night, I had one little critter tucked into bed with me.

It's really nice to have rediscovered an old skill, one that I never really appreciated. I don't know how many more toys I'll crochet, or how much use my crochet hooks will get, but I am so pleased with these little guys (and with myself!)

I made them even more special by filling the bottom half of their bodies with rice, and added a few drops of lavender essential oils. So, not only are they cute, they smell good too!

A purse full of beer, a bag full of yarn....and some penguins

"Finally, the blog name makes some sense." Too bad I do not have a picture of the copious amounts of beer I lugged around on Tuesday to prove it. Imagination time!

There are some really great yarn stores in London, and lately I have had some (hopefully) really great pattern ideas, so Tuesday afternoon Justine and I set out on an Official Yarn Crawl of London, sponsored by a day pass on the Tube, and my wailing wallet.

First? Liberty's of London, AKA Consumerist Heaven. For those of you who have never heard of Liberty's (I hadn't until I went there!), they stock about 99% Rowan. All Rowan. Back issues of magazines, piles of Kidsilk Haze, and other stock that reduces any knitter to a pile of lustful mush. The rest of the store is the same, just not with yarn.

I proudly report I bought nothing. This time anyways. I've really been trying to cut back on what I buy. I have too many things, too much yarn (even since I moved to London), and the feeling of guilt at having to lug all this stuff around. Since I've been moving pretty much every 3 months, I'd like to have less stuff, not more.

It's hard to stick to that resolution when yarn shopping, though. Stopping a few blocks away at All The Fun of the Fair, I saw they had some yarn on sale. 3 quid for 4 oz. of beautiful, variegated laceweight wool. I bought both balls. And you know what? No guilt here. I can't wait to knit this up, although I still have no idea what to make. I'm thinking a shawl of some sort, maybe something with trinity stitch? If you have any ideas, by all means, help a girl out!

Justine bought some lovely Noro, also on sale. It's hard to resist a sale wall of beautiful yarn. The store itself is adorable, although I rarely buy things from them. A lot of what they sell are little knit toys, arigurumi cacti and cupcakes, and little doodads. I don't buy, but I do drool quite a bit. It's a lovely little place, and if you happen to be around Oxford Circus, I definitely suggest stopping by.

Third stop, also right by Oxford Circus was John Lewis. I'd never been there, but I loved it. They have a huge craft section. (why don't we sell yarn at department stores in the US? I'd like to write letters to Macy's, demanding they follow the example of John Lewis and Liberty's.) We picked up some yarn for a project in the works. I was really pleased to find some mid-range yarn; I was able to pick up about 5 balls of a wool/acrylic blend for about 12 quid. Before John Lewis, I'd only seen Rowan Vs. Acrylic, something that gets quite old.

By the end of the day, Justine and I both had bags full of yarn. And, after another quick stop (at Lidl) I had a purse full of beer. Lidl is a discount supermarket, so I was able to get 8 pints for much cheaper than I've ever seen. They also charge you for bags though, and I didn't want to spend 3 p on a carrier bag that would just end up in the recycling. And that is how, at the end of a long day, I ended up with a purse full of Carlsberg beer, and a bag full of yarn.

Oh, and a penguin, who rode the tube with us. (more on him later!)

Of Stones and Sheep

On Sunday, I took my second trip out to the western part of England to visit the city of Salisbury, and to see Stonehenge. We hopped on a train from Waterloo, and a little over 2 hours later pulled into Salisbury station. What occupied our time during that two hours varied from me knitting baby booties, playing Trivial Pursuit, and general chitchat, but ended with raucous laughing as we tried to design a certain toy. I diligently sketched and took notes. Justine and John contributed by creating a "Prawn Maid", their version of a mermaid. Don't worry, I will not be knitting a prawn maid.

How surreal to see Stonehenge, one of the most iconic images in England, possibly the world. A long and bumpy bus ride ended spectacularly as we spotted the stones out the window, and spent the next hour walking around, in awe. Our cameras were never shut off, and I believe our mouths were never closed. We were too busy gaping.

Me and some stones

More stones!

To get to Stonehenge, you have to walk under the highway, and past the gift shop. On the way there, I noticed some adorable stuffed sheep perched in the window. There was some general squealing at their cuteness (to say I was overly caffeinated would be an understatement. Did I mention we had left early?), and I didn't even stop to wonder why they were selling sheep at the Stonehenge gift shop.

It became quite clear as we emerged from the tunnel, and walked towards the stones. Next to Stonehenge is another iconic English image.

A whole flock of fluffy, woolly, and entirely disinterested sheep. We ate lunch among them (Or really, admiring them from across an electric fence), but they still remained quite bored with the whole scene. I must say, these sheep are jaded. I'd move to the English countryside in a heartbeat, and who wouldn't like Stonehenge in their back yard?

I believe these sheep were planted for tourist purposes. There is a highway that separates their little pasture from the rest of the farmland around Stonehenge, and it seems quite impractical to herd sheep across a major street and back, when you could just put them on the other side and be done with it. I believe these sheep are meant to lure tourists, like myself, into becoming infatuated with their fluffy little selves, and enamored of the general picture. Stonehenge looms behind, casting huge shadows, while in the sunlight, sheep graze. How picturesque. How English.


Well, if the sheep were a trap, it certainly worked. Justine bought 7. (I should add they are gifts for nieces and nephews, and thus not completely insane.) They rode the bus with us, and accompanied us on the rest of our trip. 7 fluffy little sheep. Oh my. Never have I been more tempted in a gift shop, but I remained strong, and sadly went home sheepless. Now, if they'd had a live sheep, it might have been a different story...or some wool...or some yarn. I guess I should be glad they didn't!

We were able to recreate our time at Stonehenge. If you've never been there, or have forgotten what it looks like, the sheep are more than willing to help. This adventure sheep seems to be grazing in front of Stonehenge at sunset. He does look quite content!

Market Days

Yikes, I'm about 3 days behind in blogging. (I took pictures on Saturday with the intention of showing you, and now it's already Monday evening!) It was an eventful, and wonderful weekend here in London.

This week is our "Reading Week", where students either study and write essays, or go home. If you are an international student (like moi), it means you travel. Or, like me, spend your days wandering around London, enjoying the freakishly warm weather and blue sky.

Exhibit A:
(Okay, so that picture wasn't actually taken in London. It's a cathedral somewhere in Western England...consider it a hint. It's from where I went on Sunday! But the point is...that sky...oh that sky.)

What with the weather around 60 degrees (Fahrenheit) and the sky devoid of all clouds, I headed to Greenwich, to walk in the park and browse the market, my normal weekend morning activities. I try to go to Greenwich market often; my flatmate thinks it's "touristy" but hey, I'm a tourist, and I couldn't love it more. I rarely buy things, but spend a lot of time wandering around the booths.


Saturday however, I was pleasantly surprised to round a corner and find yarn. A lot of yarn, and very nice yarn. Apparently, Knitshop has had a booth in Greenwich since June, and I've just missed it! It was definitely a nice find, and to make up for having missed the vendor before, I bought two small balls of yarn, for some charity projects I've been working on.


I couldn't pass up the adorable ball of handspun wool. It's about 2.2 ounces of soft, grey wool, and I was so tickled by the label, as well as how cute the ball was itself! The other purchase was some light blue, fingering weight Caline yarn from Bergere de France. I have never heard of the yarn, but I found it on Ravelry and I am really enjoying working with it! It's quite soft, and I've already gotten two pairs of baby booties out of it, with a ton left.

The next stop of my Market visit was to a vendor who sells handmade glass jewelry.

I got this beautiful pendant for my Grandmother's birthday. I swear, I probably stood around staring at all the glass pieces for 15 minutes before I could finally make a decision! This piece was only about $25, which, considering the quality, is great! I am really excited to give it to her.

There was one more non-crafty treat before I left the market, in the shape of a bag of coffee. Specifically, 114 grams (1/4 lb) of Butterscotch Toffee Coffee,which smells divine. I pass the coffee vendor every time I leave the market, and after 4 months I cracked and bought some. It's such a nice treat!

Market days are always my favorite, especially with a long walk in Greenwich park afterwards. I can't really put into words how excited I was to find a yarn vendor at the market! Their prices were reasonable, they had a great selection, and beautiful yarn. I can't wait to get back there. In the meantime, I'm going to keep knitting baby booties and drinking my coffee.

Oh my!

I thought this was too cute not to share.


moar funny pictures


Not much knitting content today. I'm trying to finish up my sooper-sekrit project (I'm over 50% of the way there!) so I am watching Heroes and knitting many, many 12" squares. I think I need 5 or 6 more, and then I it's just the (massive) assembly. Only 6 weeks until the secret project boards a plane with me, moves into an apartment, and can be unveiled to the world.

Woo!

All finished - Japanese Feather and Fan Shawl

It's amazing what three or four days of crazed knitting will get you. I knit in front of the TV, knit while I read Macbeth, knit while I sat with friends,and knit while I listened to podcasts. The shawl flew off the needles, the stitches multiplied like rabbits in springtime. I went from a cast on of 13 stitches to a cast off of around 440. And yet, I enjoyed ever stitch and every second. No wonder it went so fast.

Japanese Feather and Fan shawl, a free pattern found via Ravelry.


This shawl is my fourth FO of the new year, and destined for my Grandmother as a Christmas present. Now, before you all think I've totally lost it when it comes to Christmas knitting in February, let me explain.

I had two balls of Knitpicks palette in my stash (I was a little overzealous when ordering for my Q socks) and a hankering for lace. But, I don't need another lace shawl. I don't wear the ones I have, and I didn't really want another one especially out of fingering weight wool.
And that is why this shawl has taken it's place in the Christmas '08 pile. No foresight or brilliance on my part. Just a whim, really. I do feel great to have gotten such a nice gift out of the way. I normally don't have the time or money to give my grandmother much around Christmas, and I am already looking forward to her reaction on Christmas day.

My grandmother is a textile artist, and it due in part to her influence that my passion for the fiber arts has blossomed into what it is today. She lives under my parents, and has a textile studio in the front apartment, where she teaches young kids (girls mostly) how to paint and sew.

And she is nothing if not creative. Bright red hair, a flair for the dramatic, and an eye for color have made for an interesting maternal grandmother, but through it all I have always been in awe of her wonderful artwork. She taught me to embroider and sew, and I am thrilled to be able to return to her the fruit of 21 years of artistic growth in the form of a shawl. I've come a long way since she sat me in front of the sewing machine at age 3.

And, it's a pretty fantastic pattern. I love this shawl.

Madeleine

I'm still churning out hats like nobody's business, but this time I did it with a goal in mind. The Madeleine Tam was knit for my sister, Madeleine. (Creative naming, huh?) I figure I'll give it to her for her birthday, or some other holiday which occasions gifts. And to make sure I keep knitting for those around me, and not just for my closet (which is where most of my hand knits end up), I joined the Year Long Gift-A-Thon.

You're looking at my first present of 2008, completed with 9 months and 1 week to spare. I am clearly kicking ass.You just have to imagine it on someone blonder, skinnier, younger, and much more fashionable than myself. I am the fashionable black sheep in my family. Both of my younger sisters (age 15 and 18) are tres chic, whereas I have been known to wear Birkenstocks, sweatpants, and a hippie t-shirt out in public. At times like those, they were sure to walk two blocks ahead of me, which is quite a feat if you consider the three inch heels they always wear.

But I'll never say goodbye to my Birks, no matter how much they laugh and prod. I am, after all, the token Hippie Daughter, and I have a reputation to live up to!

the Madeleine Tam was quite a fun little project. The brim is stockinette, with a picot edge, and a dashing flower. The body of the hat is knit in three stitches, a zigzag stitch, brioche or prime rib , and stockinette. I wasn't sure how it was all going to fit together, but as soon as I put it on, it was love.

Stats for this lovely hat:

• I used an acrylic/wool blend I had picked up in Bath. I ended up using a little more than half of the 100 gram ball.
• I used size 5 circulars for the whole thing (my Denise Interchangeables as always)
  
• Took about two days of knitting, but only because I got off to several rocky starts. I think I ended up ripping back three or four times until I was satisfied. It easily could have been more. Thank goodness for whiskey.
  

I like to imagine that Madeline, from Ludwig Bemelman's children's books would have worn a hat like this when she grew up. She wears that adorable yellow one in the books, but as soon as the uniform was off, and she was free to roam Paris and Europe, I bet she would have donned something jaunty and fun, not unlike the Madeleine Beret. Who knows!




I still can't stop knitting on the Japanese Fan and Feather shawl. In fact, I am nearly ashamed to say I'm nearly done. I'm on the 4th chart, about row 92 of 133. That's a lot of knitting in two days! The rows are now epically long, so each one is clocking in at around 10 minutes, but yet I just cannot put it down. I think I was starved for lace!

The shawl will also be going on the Gift-A-Long as a present for my Grandmother. I feel so damn productive, starting my knitting now!

Can't Stop

Holy mother of yarn, is it really February already? February 2nd, to boot, which means we're already about 1/14 the way through this thankfully short month?

Time is flying here in London.

I have about 7 weeks left before I head back to Michigan, and then I'll have just a short 9 days to spend with some friends and family, move in to a new apartment, and get ready to return to Kalamazoo College. That means I have about 8 weeks before Spring Quarter starts, and I am far from ready.

7 weeks is just enough time for the anxiety of returning to become a reality. I have lots to do! Paperwork to send, people to contact, plans to be made, and still while I'm here, books to be read, papers to be written, and most importantly, a list of things to see and do in this amazing city before I leave.

The last year has had a lot of ups and downs, and London has been a respite from them, but at the same time, being thousands of miles away from those you love during rough times is one of the hardest things I've dealt with while I was here. Financial problems, cancer diagnoses, depression, and my ever constant migraines have been a few of the things overshadowing my time here, and returning to it, while a relief in many ways, is also a scary thing.

And I just can't stop knitting. I've finished three different items since January began, cast on for two more, and find myself making substantial progress in this Japanese Feather and Fan shawl. (Since yesterday...it's a little scary how much I got done.) I'm halfway through the 2nd chart, and still going strong.

It's just been me, my music, and my knitting for the last few days, at least when I'm not wandering around London. I've downloaded Wuthering Heights from Librovix, and seem to have seem some sort of zen knitting state. All I want to do is knit and relax. Knitting seems to be the only way I can relax.


My third FO of January? This little hat, hopefully destined for my sister. I'm calling it
Madeleine Tam. I'll have more about it later, but for now it is just resting on my desk while I continue to work away at my zen shawl.