ghoti_mhic_uait

Angel bears is a charity which provides knitted bears to children in hospitals, homes and through front line services (police, paramedics, coastguards etc). They have patterns on their website for anyone who wishes to donate.

Until Christmas, magazine Take a Break is offering a freepost address to send bears to.

Angelbears, Take a Break, FREEPOST LON12043, H Bauer Publishing, London, NE1 1YU

I mention this just in case anyone is interested.

Oh, and if, like me, you always miss the Innocent Smoothies hat drive, it's time. http://www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/bigknit/

Sadly, Coca Cola have reduced the amount of money per hat that Age Concern get *again*. They cut it from 50p per hat to 30p, and now it's only 25p per hat. I think I still will make a few, but it's very annoying nevertheless.

Have been knitting up a storm, and exploring crochet too. Lots of hats and mittens, and lots of corresponding LJ entries/pictures. If you're interested, but can't see them, comment and I'll add you to the relevant filter - it's only filtered because some people get bored by that kind of thing.

Also,some of you don't appear to be on Ravelry who'd probably enjoy it (looking at you, alison_lees. If I'm wrong, feel free to seek me out (username ghoti as always).

Sorry for the short notice, but Sock Wars 3 is about to begin (I only just noticed myself).

More info here

Haven't really been paying attention to either resolution this month. Oh well. Still posting to LJ and using different icons - still not bought yarn. Started on ceb's Christmas present (last year). Got the first bit done, then stopped because that had been confusing. I suspect it gets easier :)

Bobbi asked:

With the weather turning warmer, many of you are thinking of traveling (though some of you have just returned, you can play along).
1) What do you pack to knit? and 2) What do you hope to shop for?

Assume that you will be gone for ten days to someplace "foreign" that is known for having great knitting locations. (Bonus: Where would you go on a "knitting holiday"?)

Well, it depends on my mood. When I went to Ireland last summer, I took scarves, because I was planning on giving everyone scarves for Christmas. When I went to Norway, I took an overcomplivcated hat, which I just failed to work on (crochet, rather than knit). Mostly, something easily portable with short rows (that's rows that aren't long, rather than short row shaping), so that I can put it down easily to get on a bus/off a train/whatever. Not too complicated, but depending on the journey it doesn't have to be too uncomplicated either.

Or I just grab whatever I've got on the needles anyway.

I ver rarely hope to buy knitting things when I'm away. I did buy knitting stuff in Whitby, when I found a shop selling yarn cheaper than I'd get at home, but I didn't plan. At the moment I'm on a yarn diet, so I would actively plan to not buy stuff.

So, I guess if I were going on a knitting related holiday, it would be to Japan, to see the samurai sock museum :) I love socks.

How old were you when you learnt to knit? Who taught you?

I learnt to knit when I was seven. I started with a scarf for my teddy
bear, garter stitch, and changin colour every 10 or so rows. There were
ten stitches - most of the time - and I would sit down every so often,
knit another few rows, and despair at how uneven my tension was/how many
or few stitches I had, get my mother to fix it, an dput it away for a
while. It took me years to finish the scarf, and even when it was done,
it was only with help from an ufo of my Granny's (I've no idea what
she'd planned to do with it).

Funnily enough, my second project was a perfect doll's skirt, and from
there I went straight into lace and cable. The disparity between my
first several years' struggle and the ease with which I moved on never
ceases to amaze me.

My mother taught me to knit. She told me I could do it, that I could do
lace and cables and whatever I wanted. As a result, I did - she never
told me it was meant to be difficult, so I didn't find it difficult. I
really value that :)

Crochet is different. Apart from some giant granny squares, one for Jon's bed and one for ours which I am half way through, made from knitting scraps, I am teaching myself now. I bought the book 'The Happy Hooker' and that's great. I recently, as previously mentioned, made my first crocheted item from a pattern; pictures of that when I get the model :) Also, I shall make other things with other stitches, and so my crocheting skills will grow.

My favourite two-player card game, that is.

Today, I had maillove in the shape of an extremely beautiful piece of art, flight patterns by firinel There will be photos when it is on the wall - currently, it is sitting on the dining table where I can gaze at it whilst eating breakfast.

We went to Rainbows cafe for our dinner; food as lovely as previously experienced, but Benedict had trouble with his lasagne - apparently it tasted nice, but was 'too gooey'. Maybe lasagne should be printed with usage instructions.

In other news, I've discovered what's going wrong (and right) with my second sock - measurigng the second sock against the first, rather than a ruler, results in a smaller sock., This is good on the foot part - my left foot is smaller than my right - but not on the leg bit. I know what to do though. My next socks for me will be the Purl when ready socks, but I'm having trouble with my swift, and managed to make a complete mess of balling up my yarn. cjwatson needs socks first though. It;s about time to be his turn :)

Also, I finished listening to 'The Moon of Gomrath'; the story was a bit non-existent, but I did like the flow of the language. A good thing to listen to on audio book, and I do like audio books when knitting.

(ps. did you know there's an American girl called Kirsten? I want one now!)

I am currently half way through two pairs of socks. (One pair was waiting because I made a mistake and so needed elastic to see what the best fix was for, and wanted the second sock to match).

I dreamt a sock pattern the other day, which I shall knit up and see how it goes. That's for Colin (and I guess it could go to Knitty, but it might well just go on my chiark space, once written down.

Also, I have at least two patterns in my mental list (and am trying not to let my sock obsession take too much energy away from my non-sock knitting; I still hope to finish my dress today); I want to do the butterfly rib ones, and the ones in Magknits and I want socks with MOOSES on. Let's face it, we all want socks with MOOSES on.

Who knew that knitting socks would be so much fun?

ALso, I might buy some striping yarn to make the 'purl when ready' socks, but only one ball, and only when I've knitted the ones in my head already, because if I am good, then I am going to allow myself to buy lots of lovely 'Socks that Rock' yarn; merino sock wool in fabulous colours.

Ps why don't I have a socks icon? This seems wrong.

I really want to make (and wear) these socks in this yarn, and according to the letter of my diet, I'm allowed to buy it, it's sock yarn; according to the spirit, too, because I'm attempting to use up all my 'I'll use it some day, it's pretty' purchases, and this would be on the needles straight away :)

Yet somehow I still feel guilty about the idea of buying it...

Update: Colin says I'm allowed to fill the house with socks so long as some of them fit him. So I've made a vaguely realistic bid on the yarn, but don't expect to actually get it.