Fingernail Friday

Sorry for the delay posting this. I had to oust the troop of gnomes practicing riverdance on the inside of my skull. I had to bring in the local sheriff, but they have been evicted. So, on to the fingernails!

Whiskey Shots

Most of my Whiskey sweater is knit up:

Now to weave in the ends, sew in the sleeves, pick up the stitches for the neckband...wow, that sounds like a fair bit of work left for an almost completed sweater!

I'd better hold off on the celebratory drink.

Bob's new boots

For those of you wondering, Yes, this is Bob of Ravelry fame!

Wonky, Like Me

Dishtowel #2 has been christened 'Wonky'. Somehow I made it a little off-center. Which is prettty much how I feel after the spring forward daylight savings time thing. Please forgive the uncropped photo. I feel like a truck ran me over. Too. Tired. To. Go. On.


4 more to go!

Fingernail Friday

I Need a Drink

I cast on for a sweater. Tess by Kim Hargreaves. I love me some Kim Hargreaves.
I did not have enough bulky yarn in my stash, so I am using some other yarn doubled up. I think it might still be a tad less thick than the pattern expects, but it is turning out nicely, so I'm not worried.
Getting this knit started was a bit of a process though. I had to cast on 3 times. The first time I started knitting the medium size. It was HUGE. Probably due to the yarn sub I did. So I cast on again for the smaller size. And then screwed up a stitch. And dropped a couple of stitches trying to fix the screw up. Swore and threw yarn across room. Ripped. Cast on AGAIN. Third time is the charm, I suppose, as it is going much better now.
The knitting has progressed to the splitting for the sleeve-holes. so the knit looks a bit funny as it is curled up on the cables, but here is a progress picture:


Here is a better angle for the eyelets along the lower edge:


Obviously, this is unblocked, raw knitting...and just in case you were wondering at the project box:


Seems appropriate considering the trouble I had getting this to start off properly. Verily, I name this knit.....Whiskey!
( this project 'bag' has the added bonus of being cat-proof)

Breaking the Silence

Oops! I had no idea it's been so long since I posted!
So, I have finished some Giftmas knitting,


A dishtowel. I got a bunch of Bernat's Handicrafter cotton at a really good deal, so I figure I'll make up some dishtowels as little gifties for people at Christmas. This is, technically, the placemat pattern on the ballband. I knit it on slightly bigger needles (5.5mm) to make the fabric less dense and more suited to a towel. It turned out nicely. I have enough of this cotton to make another 5 or so towels. But I think I want to change up the pattern to avoid boredom. What patterns do you like for dishtowels?

Fingernail Friday

Infinitude

A friend's birthday is fast approaching, so I needed a fast, fun knit for her. I also really liked this pattern, so the combination is a WIN! in my books. The pattern is Infinitude, an 'infinity scarf'. In other words, a big knit circle. The pattern comes in 2 sizes, I knit the larger one because I like drama.
Laid out to dry after it's bath:

Wrapped 3 times around the neck:

Wrapped twice around:

And a last, out of focus shot (sorry!) of how long it is:



The yarn is Lorna's Laces Lion and Lamb, it took a whole hank and about half of the next, so 300 yards-ish for the larger size scarf.

This took me about a week to knit up, with interruptions for, oh, work, eating, sleeping, migraines, you know.....life.

I am now tempted to make another for me. Although I have 2 new cowls I just knit!

ciao

Fix

My clog/slippers developed a hole or 4. Not feeling like knitting a whole new pair right now as I am working on a couple of other projects I thought I would fix em.

The before pic (well, the 'I got started and then realized I should take a 'before' pic' ) :


Then I needle felted some fibre I had lying around onto the holes:


Tada! Like almost-new! I was a bit concerned the bottom of the slipper would feel lumpy, but it doesn't. I can't tell there is a patch at all. Or 4 patches, as the case may be.

Fingernail Friday-Valentine's Day Edition

Hubby Hat or Melonhead II

Hubby really needed a new hat. His old one is pilling and not very nice anymore.


His request was that it 'cover his ears'. So I cast on 96 stitches, k2p2 for 8 inches, decrease and done! Decreases were done as this pattern in the round has written up.

What to knit next? I am ogling 2 'infinity' scarves. What to knit? The Infinitude scarf or the Gap-tastic one...?
I know, I'll go raid the stash and whatever one I find yarn for first wins! Sounds fair ,right?

Ciao

New Knit!

I finished anothe rknit. I am on a roll, I tell you. This time it's Spirogyra fingerless gloves. Made with Oceamwind Knits Merino II. A lovely yarn. I made the shorter version of the mitts and they are plenty long, 21cm from one end to the other.





This picture is closest to the actual colour:


All in all, a very successful knit. I cast on and it took 8 days to complete and that is with several days of not knitting at all due to work and the like. 2/3 of that was over 2 days. I could have knit the whole shebang in a weekend if I was dedicated.

I have already worn them and loved em!

Sewing

I have managed to iron all the squares and sewed in the ends on all of them but one. I found a lonely one I missed in the bottom of the bag. I'll deal with it, eventually. Today I sewed up one 'cube' of mitred squares. It's about all I can manage at one go. Getting the stripes to line up is,um, fiddly.

This is the 3rd square out of quite a few that I have sewn up. Onwards!

Ciao

Fingernail Friday

Nail art for the week:

Another One!

I have another FO! Really. I'm shocked, actually.

I turned this:


Into this:

Which looks like this:



The yarn is soo soft and squishy it's sinful. It was very similar to Malabrigo in that it was a thick single. Maybe that's why it was squishy?

Details:

Pattern: Climb and Swirl Cowl
Yarn: Madelinetosh Tosh Merino in Baltic
Needles:Size 9 (one size up from the suggested needle size)

It's Done!

I finished my shawlette! May I present, the Berry Citron:



This picture shows the colours most truely, and I just like the pic...


Pattern: Citron
Yarn: Handmaiden Kidsilk
Yardage: Slightly less than 410 yards

Thoughts: This turned out exactly as I had hoped. It's the perfect office weight shawl for me. Instead of pinning the ruffle when I blocked it, I should have pinned the section just above the ruffle. As it is, the ruffle was 'pointy' from the pins, so I steam ironed it to make it smoother.

Modern Technology Teaching...Sort of

People tend to come into the pharmacy with all sorts of odd ideas picked up from the internet or tv shows. The example below I filched from Not Always Right/Funny and Stupid Customer Quotes, but is a pretty fair example:



A Bit Grey With Anatomy, Part 2from Not Always Right Funny & Stupid Customer Quotes by
(Bakery Concord, MA, USA)

(A girl begins to choke on some bread. The mother then proceeds to try and give the daughter some bizarre imitation of the Heimlich Manoeuvre.)

Me: “Ma’am, wait for her to stop coughing before you help her.”

Customer: “What? She’ll die by then!”

Me: “I’m certified in CPR, I know what I’m talking about. It’s not an emergency until she can’t cough. When she can’t cough anymore, I can help her.”

(The customer is now basically punching her daughter in the stomach, and I’m becoming increasingly worried that she is going to injure her. Suddenly, the girl stops coughing.)

Customer: “See, I didn’t need your help. And you know what? I’m certified too; I watch Grey’s Anatomy every time it’s on!”

Fingernail Friday

The first Fingernail Friday of 2011!

Kitties Share?

My Citron shawl is in the final stretch. In the meantime, look! Kitties!



I can too share the Mamma's lap!



Although I am perfectly happy to have the lap all to myself, you know.



Alright already!Mamma! You can stop with the blinky light flashy thingie!

Fingernail Friday!

Happy Holidays, All!!!

Fingernail Friday

In honour of all the snow that's been arriving in various parts of the continent:

Better

I am feeling better, if still a bit drippy. Thus the knitting has continued! My Not Citrus shawl. It is the Citron pattern. Done in Fleece Artist kid-silk 2 ply. Not sure how big it is going to get. I figure on knitting till there ain't no more yarn...

Up close picture:


...and full view so far:


ciao for nao!

Gratuitous Kitty Pic

A nasty cold is circulating Chez Knot,so there is
nothing much to say here. Here, have a gratuitous kitty pic:


Or 2....

Fingernail friday!

Not My Customer-Thank Goodness

Found on Not Always Right/Funny & Stupid Customer Quotes:




(A patient walks up to the pick up window looking like he just came from the emergency room.)
Me: “Hello, sir, how can I help you?”
Customer: “I wanna drop this off…” *hands me an ER prescription*
Me: “Sir, this is the pick up window. You need to drop off the prescription at the drop off window.”
Customer: “Where’s that?”
Me: “The counter at the entrance to the room with the big sign that says “Drop Off Window’.”
Customer: “Where?”
Me: “You know, you already waited in line so I’ll just take the prescription here. Have you ever had any medication here before?”
Customer: “I don’t know, have I?”
Me: “I’ll take that as a no. Do you have any allergies to medication?”
Customer: “Well, when I mix heroin and battery acid, I get a rash.”
Me: “… I’ll make a note on that.”



That wasn't me in the vignette, but some days I wonder.....

Frilly!

At work we do a Christmas gift exchange. This year I thought I would knit something up. I didn't want to wait till I knew who I drew out of the hat, cause I don't always knit so fast, so I decided a nice scarf out of Frill Seeker yarn would be good. I totally blame Curlerchik for showing me this yarn, by the way.....




While this was a fast, fun knit, I must say I was NOT amused at the 5, count em 5 knots I found. Fortunately this yarn hides the ends nicely, but still, this yarn ain't cheap and 5 freaking knots!!!

ciao for now

Actual Knitting

I finished the cowl! Woo and Hoo!





I am quite pleased with how this turned out. To recap:

Yarn: Berrocco ultra Alpaca
Pattern: Ciara's Cowl
Needles: 3.5mm

The knit inspector in the top photo was satisfied with the quality of this knit too.

Ciao

Fingernail Friday

Apple Can Suck It

As regular readers here (if any) know, I wear hearing aids. This poses a problem when it comes to things like cell phones. Cell phones that are not shielded properly create a buzzing that is very unpleasant and makes talking, or rather hearing the other person very difficult. On an old fashioned landline analog phone, there is a setting on the hearing aid called a t-coil (telecoil) that interacts directly with the phone. Some cellphones have t-coil compatibility. These are rated with T4 being good and T1 not so good. In the US FCC mandates that cellphone manufacturers of a certian size must have a minimum percentage of their phones that are hearing aid compatible. (I have no inclination to look up the actual numbers, if ya feel like it, knock yourself out).



I, like many other people, like gadgets. Apple's iPhone is an ultimate gadget. However if I can't use a phone like,well, a phone, there's no point in spending mucho money on it. I went hunting for info. Found this website on which Apple goes on and on and on and ON about accessibility of their gadgets for disabled people. Yeah, the section on hearing disabled blathers on about things like the video option is great for sign language. Not a fucking peep about hearing aids. I know we are not the largst percentage of the population, but dammit, we are not miniscule either.



Apple is ignoring us. Assholes.



Fuck it. Blackberry anyone?

Happy. Not.

An hysterical open letter that totally sums up what I and many other women, I am sure, feel.



GO HERE

Christmas Cat Wrap

In honour of Christmas and all that that entails, I give you:


How to wrap a cat

Keeping Warm

As the weather turns cooler, kitties like to find all the warm spots in the house. elvis has dscovered, as did her brother before her, that the newly opened dishwasher is quite toasty.




silly kitty!

Cowl

I am currently working on a cowl. It is taking much longer than I had thought, as the tooth that needs to have a root canal (this tuesday!) is complaining bitterly. Which means the heavy duty painkillers. Which are NOT conducive to knittng, as I discovered after I had to rip out an entire evening's work. So, here is the cowl thus far:



It's not too feminine is it? It's a gift. For a male. I think it's got some texture without being 'lace-like', but now I am second guessing myself....

Trimming Kitty Claws

How to trim kitty claws



1. Search for supplies. Clippers, kitty treats. bandaids, gauze,wine (open the bottle first. trust me)

2. Search for cat.

3. Sit on floor with cat.

4. coax cat out from under coffee table

5. sit on floor with cat and pick up clippers.

6. wrap bloody scratches up with gauze, pry cat out from under sofa.

7. Sit on floor with cat held firmly.

8. pick up paw.

9. put bandaids on wrist.

10. pry cat out from under bed, grab paws and clip very quickly.

11. take kitty treats, throw box under desk, pour wine and drink.




Who us? No, we're GOOD kitties!

Money Grab

The utility company has installed something called a 'smart meter' on my house. It measures WHEN I use electricity and then charges me depending on the time of day. There are 3 rates: Stupid Expensive(9.9cents per kWh), Sooper Expensive(8.00 cents) and Expensive(5.3cents). The highest rate applies during peak hours. During the summer, peak hours are 11am to 5pm off-peak is 9pm to 7am and the rest is intermediate. During the winter off-peak remains the same, but peak changes to 7am-11am and 5pm-9pm.

Now, I can change some things like when I run the dishwasher or do the laundry. I have , in fact, done these things. Yet my bill is half again as high as it was pre-smart meter. It's going to get worse, as I cook with electricity and peak time will be changing November 1st. I cannot change my stove to a gas one, as I rent. I have no fireplace to cook over the flames, so I am basically screwed.

I fail to see what else I can change. At night we only keep the one lamp on in the living room. We have lowered the wattage bulb we use dramamtically. The only things that run during the day are the furnace ,which IS gas thank goodness, and the computer and tv. The hubby rarely cooks during the day. Lunch is usually something he can heat up in the microwave or a sandwich.

However, once peak time changes to 5pm-9pm, I will be forced to pay the higher rate in order to eat dinner. I can't eat sandwiches all the time.

Quite frankly I think this is a money grab by the utlity company. They could do other things to promote energy savings. For example, in Italy, houses do NOT have 200 amp service as a matter of course, I think 'normal service' is 50amps. So if you try to run too many appliances at once, the breaker trips. This forces people to spread out what they are doing and reduces the drain on the grid.

I am really hating this as it is forcing me to spend all weekend doing laundry. (weekends and statutory holidays are just Expensive) I can't throw a load in the washer until after 9pm during the week, which means I'd be up till after 11pm to get one lousy load washed, dried and folded. Can't do it when I have to get up early to get to my job. Which I need to pay the enormous electrical bill.