Bad Girl

I saw two pairs of Addi Turbos on eBay. They looked so unloved and lonely that I had to press the 'buy it now' button. It's only because the Denise set doesn't have 2.5mm and 3.25mm needle sizes.

Knitting Blogs member!

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Originally uploaded by sisterknitter.

Actually...

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the more I look at this combination of colours, the more I like it for my poncho.

Verde close-up

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I've used Swarovski sequins to help catch the light. Kureyon for the strap and a combination of Rowan Cotton Tape, an acrylic boucle and a cotton eBay special for the panels.

my lovely Verde

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This is great for using up odds of yarn.
It's from the Rowan summer 2003 magazine that has a woman with a white sweater on the cover.
I lined with blue taffeta to stop it losing its shape. In hindsight I would have made the strap four times as long and then folded it to make a super-thick one because it's already beginning to stretch a bit.
This really is a credit card, keys and lippy bag. Anything else makes it lose its shape like a cheap handbag.

Cavendish close-up

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I could knit with Noro Kureyon all the time. I am entranced by the stripy effect and the width of the Cavendish meant that you more or less got one colour per stripe.
I used up my spare and precious stash of black Cash Iroha, which I found in the John Lewis clearance basket in January. I used Berocco Lazer FX (from eBay) on the odd row and black eyelash to add some interest and break up the Kureyon.
The Kureyon came from all over the place - eBay; John Lewis and Creations in Turnham Green, west London which had the widest selection of Kureyon that I've ever seen in England.

I never realised what a raw deal British knitters got until I went to New England, where it seemed as if every town had a yarn shop with an unimaginable selection of colours and materials.

In England, you have to make a special trip to a big department store to see the same old, same old selection of Rowan and Jaeger. Adventurous knitters have to take their chances on eBay.

It's a wrap!

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What do you think?

This is the fabulous Cavendish wrap from the Simply Noro book. This beauty got me through endless hospital appointments and hunger cravings.
I meant to wear it on the plane to the States, but chose a more lightweight pashmina instead.

Ta daaa!!

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I have also tried using my legs but you have to be prepared to spend as long as it takes with your legs in the air and a skein wound around them.
Not very dignified!

Getting there...

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My Eureka moment

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What's a girl to do when faced with lots of pesky skeins and no way of turning them into balls?
Yours truly used a towel rail to wind the skeins round. The scissors are to cut the skein cords.

Clever, huh?

A KB just isn't a KB without a kitty pic

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The evil-looking creature on my husband's shoulders is Herman, our Himalayan Persian cat.
He loves chasing after balls of yarn, sleeping on my yarn basket and did I mention his shoe fetish?*

*the cat

two happy owners

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As my pitiful attempt to upload pictures in my earlier entries failed so spectacularly, I am putting them all up again!

Here are my mum and sister with their Christmas scarves. And neither scarf has been dumped in the bin!

Just wasn't meant to be....

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Que sera sera...

RIP (or It's fine to frog)

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The first of many frogged efforts - I'm sure.

I have made a psychological discovery a few months ago.
It's OK to frog a garment for no other reason except that you just feel like it.
I always used to resist frogging anything because I felt it was a huge waste of time.
In my day job as a national newspaper sub-editor (or copy editor in the US) my job is completely governed by the clock. Everything you produce has to be perfect - there's nothing like the thought of two millions readers pouncing on a mistake to concentrate the mind!
So the idea of investing so much time on something that will never see the light of day seems ridiculous.
But that's the beauty of knitting. There is no deadline. The only constrait is my boredom threshold which is pretty low so I like to work quickly.
I am knitting for my own pleasure. I never take commissions (except for my darling husband) so I only have to please myself.
It is a wonderful way to relax when I come home from work. I get home at about 11pm and if I dont try to unwind my hubby and I become like passing ships in the night (and that's a whole new weblog).
There was also the cost of the yarn, but as a pack of yarn (especially in the sales) costs less than a couple of rounds of drinks, I've decided that it's my money, I pay my taxes and I'll spend the rest however I please.
So the pack of Jaeger Trinity may be destined for my eBay selling list.

ready for a close-up?

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could I *be* any prouder?

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I love this bag, which is from the Rowan It's a Tape Thing book. I amended the yarns to include a mix of Rowan Cotton Tape, as well as Summer Tweed.

Its perfect for shopping or carting around jazz and ballet shoes.

I am going to make another one for Madam with the Rowan Ribbon Tape from my stash.

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My US stash part deux!
The big red balls will become a cardigan at some point, and the green will go towards my Rockstar scarf.
Note the natty cable needle which looks like a shepherd's hook.

Apologies for the lack of posting, but I have been waylaid by my iPod!
It has changed my music habits. Now I find myself taking the bus more because I want to listen to whatever I've uploaded to my iPod the night before.
Which brings me to another point - I don't think I am even halfway through loading the tunes that I want on my iPod. Oh well, Rome wasn't built in a day, as they say!
Still ploughing through the navy sweater. Nearly finished sleeve 2, but I have to re-do sleeve 1 because I mis-read the pattern instructions. I have to re-cast on and decrease for 10 rows.
I've also switched back to my trusty Addi Turbos because I honestly believe that they are faster and when you are halfway through a sleeve of stocking stitch (with an increase on every sixth row) you need all the speed tools you can get your hands on.
As the Denise kit doesn't have small needles, I've splashed out on a couple of small Addi Turbos on eBay. Just so that I can finish the front as quickly as possible - promise!
I am desperately trying to hold off buying new yarn until the Knitting and Stitching Show hits Ally Pally in October. The main purpose of my visit will be to buy chunky cream yarn for my poncho. My resolve weakened at John Lewis this week and I bought a couple of balls of black Jaeger fur for my Rockstar scarf. That combined with the green/blue Koigu is gonna be a beauty.

Body of evidence

Please note the Denise needles from Newbury Yarns.

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Blimey - with these new features, Blogger is truly spoiling us!*
(*it's a British thing)

Had a fantastic holiday in Boston and Cape Cod. Naturally, yours truly had to stop into whatever yarn shops were on the way. I'd like to recommend A Good Yarn, in Brookline MA. This was where I got my hands on the mighty Koigu KPPM for the first time.

The Rockstar scarf on Knitty awaits, well as soon as I finish him indoors's sweater. Why did I decide to use 3.25 needles? Must be true love.

I want to do another version of the Sitcom Chic cardigan (and I will remember to follow my tension square) with some gorgeous red and green yarn that I pounced on at Newbury Yarns in Boston.

There are a couple more yarn stores that deserve a mention, but I will have to find their cards. All details will be posted in good time.