Victoria Moss Update

It's Saturday evening. I've just finished feeding all the goldfish and koi, and am sitting down for a bit before I start dinner. And you just know I'm not alone - keeping me company is my delicious KitKat - right from the fridge....the break you have when you're not having a break!

Having charged up my camera batteries for the umpty gazillionth time [note to self: next time, don't listen to the sales rep and just get a digital camera with a lithion battery...] I snapped away at my gardens, my ponds, my koi, my cats and Vicky M [affectionately known as Victoria Moss Tempest].

I don't like this Kodak Z712IS camera model as much as the other two Kodak digitals I've owned. The photos just aren't as crisp even though it's a 7mp vs my 3.1mp and 5mp models. This camera was supposed to be the STEP UP camera from my last one [that met with an untimely death when faced with a small part of the Pacific Ocean and my 2yr old niece]....The price was less than half the previous one, and so is the quality.

But enough of my whining....let's look at some pics:

My beautiful koi at feeding time

One of my many ponds

The muggleworts - Sandi Pandi Smooch Pooch &

Shelby Belby Double Trouble

Vicky M

Oh bugger....my KitKat package is empty....oh God please let there be more chocolate in the fridge!

Bonus from WWKIP Day

From all accounts across the globe's mighty oceans, World Wide Knit in Public Day was an outstanding success. Unfortunately, I had to work that Saturday ...[how irritating is it when your career interferes with your social knitting life!]

Although I couldn't attend the gathering at Victoria Park here in London, Ontario, I was delighted to take part in a 20% off sale at Pick Up Sticks in Bradford, Ontario.

Armed with only my internet connection and my well-worn credit card I went shopping ... but I didn't go overboard! I'm saving that for a roadtrip with the girls on 8th July to Needle Emplorium's Tent Sale in Ancaster, Ontario. I've heard that the tent sale is definitely a bargain hunter's paradise.

So, my PUS [gotta luv those acronyms...] order was conservative to say the least. Today the unmistakable yarn package arrived in the post! Woo hoo! Inside, one skein of absolutely huggably soft Mini Maiden 50% wool; 50% silk in the Paris colorway, and two skeins of gorgeous Apple Laine sock yarn 50% wool; 20% mohair; 20% silk; 10% nylon in the Aqua and Army Surplus colorways.

Mini Maiden (Paris)

Apple Pie (Aqua & Army Surplus)

I haven't decided what to knit with the Mini Maiden yet....possibly a lacy little number. I have decided what to knit with the Apple Laine - the Handsome Devil Socks (slip stitch pattern) from Six_Sox_Knitalong.

Oh too many projects and not enough hours in the day to play!

Seduced by Yarn

Once upon a time in a beautiful upside-down land there lived a fair maiden sheila named.... well, it doesn't matter what her name was. She lived in a land where the sun always shone; where the birds twittered joyfully in the trees; where the warm ocean breezes whispered sweet nothings; where the scent of bbqs filled the air while the booze wine chilled in the esky cooler. Everything was perfect…..too perfect!

One day this handsome prince arrogant dark lord bloke appeared with the most awesome spinning fiber the shiela had EVER seen. Blue Face Leicester Top in a 2lb bag! It was intoxicating; it was breathtaking; …it was…..orgasmic!

The sheila knew she had to have this golden fleece at any cost. And cost her it did! The evil lord bloke lured her away from her beautiful land, dumped her in the land of the freezer, enslaved her into the house and garden, and demanded she cook, clean and wash til death do they part.

THE END.

Moral: watch out for wolves in sheep’s clothing!

Oh, and I should mention that at long, long last, I am about to cast on a pair of Jaywalkers!! I’m using Hand-Dyed Fleece Artist Merino Sock Yarn that I got from Knit Café at the Knitter’s Frolic earlier this year. The socks will be for my sister's birthday. She will LOVE this purple colorway!

The Tempest Saga Continues

Oh wretched life and bothersome knitting. Why do you mock me so??

Chapter 3: Bill Gates Gets Sued

He has umpty gazillion dollars, and yet, he can't make Microsoft Word compatible with Internet Explorer! OK, I'll back track a bit....

Remember yesterday how I pinned the six inch frogging of my Victoria Moss Tempest on myself for not reading the instructions properly?

WELL, it seems I did read the instructions properly....or should I say WHAT THERE WAS OF THE INSTRUCTIONS [grrr.....].

As I always do with knitting patterns, I copied and pasted "Tempest" from Knitty into MSWord and then printed it out. What I didn't realise was that not ALL of the instructions pasted properly!

Do ya see where I'm going with this?

Two paragraphs of the Tempest instructions are MIA; gone; absent; lacking; forever lost in the vastness that is cyber space - somewhere out THERE!

So, guess who's frogging another inch of her Tempest sweater tonight because the pattern was missing the decreases in the small stripes!!

On a positive note, thank you so much to Jenny [who's already finished knitting her Tempest] for telling me that part of my pattern was missing! I thought I was cuckoo - and maybe I am just a little.....but would a cuckoo sue Bill Gates for his crappy software?? I don't think so. LAUGHING....

My Tempest

Tempest (1982 - comedy/drama directed by Paul Mazursky)

A sobering mid-life crisis fuels dissatisfaction in a successful architect, to the extent where he trades his marriage and career in for spiritual exile on a remote Greek island. His hope is to conjure meaning into his life - trying the patience of his new girlfriend and angst-ridden teenage daughter.

--------------

You probably think that this movie has absolutely NOTHING to do with my Victoria Moss Tempest. On the surface it may appear that there are very few similarities, however, I did have to frog 6 inches out of MY Tempest because the written instructions were a little confusing (=I didn't read the pattern properly).

To some [hiss, hiss, curse, curse], this may not seem like such a big deal. But to me it WAS like a.....a......a mid-life crisis fuelled by the dissatisfaction of being overworked and underpaid, to the extent where I'd like to trade my marriage and career in for spiritual exile on a remote Greek island! [Hmmm....almost sounds like a movie I once read about....]

So, now with Emily's sock finished, I can truly concentrate on my Victoria Moss Tempest, and attempt to frog less and knit more!

Completed Citrus Socks

Well now that didn't take me long! Only 13 days of knitting, and my niece Emily's Citrus Socks are DONE. The orange variegation is really lovely despite my "orange" reservations.

Emily will turn 4 in a month, and these socks are part of her birthday gifts from Aunty Isa. She has a 15cm foot, so I made these socks about 16cm long with the hope that she gets 2 seasons out of them :-)

I really loved knitting with this yarn; it felt nice in my hands and the socks are beautifully soft. I used Supersocke 100 ONline yarn. Fibre content is 45% baumwolle (cotton), 40% Schurwolle (virgin wool) and 15% Polyamid.

Here's the finished product:

Victoria Moss Tempest

With my frog jumper washed, blocked, dried and packed away for some lucky child, the way was paved for my newest delight .... the project I'd been simply dying to cast on .... my VICTORIA MOSS TEMPEST [squeal]!

From the moment I saw the pattern on Knitty I knew I had to knit it. I bought my Fleece Artist Blue Face Leicester 2/8 from Colorsong Yarns in the USA. The two colourways I chose were MC Victoria, and CC Moss.

Just two days ago I cast on, and although I'm not too far along (I'm madly trying to finish my citrus socks for my niece), I have knit 30 odd rows to show off:



The knitting is so awesomely light and soft. I LOVE IT! Althought a little hard to see from this photo, the CC moss green (middle stripe) is the same shade of green in the MC victoria. Me likeeeeeee!

Year of the Frog Jumper

Hum...humm...hmmm.... Hip, hip, hooray! And glory hallelulia! Let there be dancing in the streets! Let there be free yarn for every fibre jumkie! Let there be a 1kg block of Cadbury's Milk Chocolate in my fridge! Woo hoo!

It's finally OVER, and I couldn't be happier. The frog jumper I've been knitting for a couple of months is ...dee-oh-en-ee....DONE! I'm donating this boy's size 4 sweater to The Year of the Frog colouring competition for the under 3's being run at The Bloomin Bog Water Gardens.

It turned out quite nice. The back and arms of the jumper were finished in no time at all. But BUT, then I had to knit intarsia on the front....not one, but TWO green frogs....

Ribbit, bloody ribbit!

Never again...nope, nah, no way, nada, non, ne, nein, nö, nie, naa! Grrrr....

I was getting so tangled with the small cards of colour that I decided it was easier to cut 3ft-4ft lengths of yarn for each colour area. This worked fairly well actually - no more tangles. However, when it came to weaving in all the ends.........#%#$!!#$!!!! [please excuse the only French I know!]

So my intarsia days are done - not for any amount of money. Am I smarter than a fifth grader? Well, that's yet to be determined. But what I do know is that I'm smart enough to never make another intarsia sweater.

Oh, and did I mention that I HATE intarsia? It's right up there with liver and brussel sprouts!

On a positive note - if this sweater saves just one frog, then all my frustration was worth it!

Oh to be a frog, my lads,
and live aloof from care.

Theocritus, from The Reepers, Circa 310-250BC.

Citrus Sox

No, I am not quite finished the frog sweater I've been knittig for like...EVER..., but that didn't stop me from starting a new project for my beautiful little niece Emily.

Emily has a birthday on 16 July, and will be turning 4 years old! When I was in Australia at Christmas, I asked Emily about her favourite colour. Well, it turns out that she loves ORANGE!

I hunted far and wide; over hill and river wide until I finally found a beautiful sock yarn in just the right shades of orange. The yarn is ONline Supersocke 100.

I'm knitting two socks at a time on two circs. Sure beats the Second Sock Syndrome (SSS) I tend to suffer from right along there with everyone else!

Children's socks are fun. Here's where I'm up to:

I'm working on the heel flap and will turn the heel tonight!

Tempest Swatch

Just a super speedy micro mini post to show off my beautiful little swatch for Weaverknits' Tempest cardigan featured in Knitty Spring 2008.

Ann with Tempest

As you've probably read in last week's posts, I am going to knit Tempest in Fleece Artist Blue Face Leicester 2/8, colourways: Moss and Victoria.

Moss (lime green/olive tones) is pictured above in Ann's photo together with Sea Storm (blue/green tones). Victoria is pictured below in my swatch.

I used 4mm needles (as suggested) and my tension is perfect! Woo hoo! You can't believe how soft this swatch is and how light! It is so bewdifool!

Unfortunately my swatch was finished before I hit the olives/green tones, but believe me, there is green in that thar cake I made!

See? I can't wait to actually cast on! As soon as I finish my little poop sweetie of a frog sweater (for Year of the Frog) I'll start Tempest!

I am in love....AGAIN....and this time with yarn!