It's tag .... ooo

Well, I was trawling other people's blogs and found Quelle Erqsome (droll). She was talking about a litterary tag game
" ...... and today I found myself engaged in something that seemed worthy.
The rules:
1. Pick up the nearest book ( of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people & post a comment here once you post it to your blog, so I can come see."

So, never having grown out of being the kid in the playground who never gets picked to play, I shouted "pick me pick me" (well, in an email kind of way). So thank you she did .....

Book - the Gathering (Anne Enright)

"So it was an air hostess's suitcase I carried down the stairs filled, just like an air hostess's, with dirty clothes and squeezed-out tubes of spermicidal jelly; in the middle of it all, the tiny, smothered sloshing of a mostly empty bottle of gin.
Bump bump bumpetty bump.
Liam was in some other house, like this one or worse, and he wasn't having a lot of sex, or drugs, or deep and spacey conversations. "

Fun, sad and odd book (won the Man Booker prize 2007 - I know that because there is a label that says so on the front - why is it the Man Booker prize was won by a woman?)

Now I should be tagging 5, but (still like the sad girl from the playground) I'm scared to ask people to play, because I know they will say no :(

So I'll just link this to Erqsome's blog and hide behind the bigger girls.

Star Signs, knitting styles and random nonsense

So, in passing within another comment, my mind wandered to astrological styles ... I'm Aries and a fire sign, full of energy at the start, impatient, energetic, vibrant, but hate the long slow finish ... which pretty much describes my passion for the start, and away gallop of a new project - I have a love of the innovative and exciting yarns. I guess perhaps earth signs (Taurus, etc) take things more steadily but have a love of the luxury yarns, but will ensure that if they buy them then they use them.

The air signs (gemini, etc) are perfect sock folk, love the sociability of knitting and a love of smaller, transient, beautiful, but perhaps less enduring projects, and have an affinity for the light fluffy mohair yarns. Meanwhile the water signs are more varied, from Cancerians who love their homes and families, so are the perfect knitters and will knit to prove their love for home and family, to Aquarians, who are creative, but don't necessarily need to finish something - the attraction is in the creativity. They have a raport with aran, the original fishermans wool, and anything with a soft silky fluid feel - I'm sure bamboo and silk will respond to their soft harmonious flow.

Fire signs should use the primary and cardinal colours - red is so good for them. The earth signs will have a raport with natural earthy colours, greens, browns, and wheat. Air can cope with the colour of clouds, whites, greys, and sunrise golds; whilst Aquarians love water linked colours - blues, turquoise, and aqua (of course!!)

Tell me who you are, what your star sign is, and what you love to knit or knit with ... we'll see if all this adds up!

Happy knitting

Favourite swearword now worn out ...

It was all downhill, I had finished the RHfront, LHfront, back, sleeves, knitted up the button bands .... next step the 3 needle bind off. Now if you're from the UK there are some new terms to learn when you knit a US pattern.

1. Bind off = Cast off (not so difficult). The 3 needle version does a lovely little trick whereby you knit 2 separate needles of stitches as one, with the 3rd needle. Absolutely beautiful finish! Amazing.
2. Frog - this means undo what you have done; basically "ripit ripit" ... ho ho. When you have finished admiring the 3 needle cast (whoops) bind off, you notice you have affixed the wrong side to the back - hence the button band now hangs rather nattily under the armpit. Useful!
3. Tink - this is undoing your knitting stitch by stitch (indeed, it is knit backwards, double ho ho ho)

So, am now in joyous position of Frogging and Tinking, so I can get back to where I was at 3pm this afternoon. I know what it was ... excitement .... Was hoping to post an FO, was desperate to start queued sideways jacket - worse was hoping to flounce around in it tomorrow, taking photos and feeling fulfilled. So last use of favourite swearword before I go have a glass of red to drown my sorrows - Bullocks!

Happy knitting xx

So close ... yet so far (unfinished ..)

Well, have now completed back, rhs front, lhs front, two sleeves ... just have button\button hole bands and finishing to go.
The pattern gradually drove me mad ...it seems simple enough, but at the end was getting left twist and right twists muddled!
Anyway, am within sight of touchdown, so am thinking of casting on for next project ... except, I know I am a serial starter and an intermittent finisher, so am delaying the start in the hope of a finish worthy of champions.
Why is it that ALL the best things in life are more exciting at the start?
I'm also toying, for yet another project, with blending some Noro silk garden with some Debbie Bliss pure silk ... the colours are a match made in a rainbow; the gauge is a wee bit off, so think I am going to have to think about needle swapping (in a non junkie sort of way). Ho hum .... thinking also at this point a glass of wine will oil the cogs in the brain!
cheers and happy knitting
xx

Might as well face it I'm addicted to stash

So ... now it has got to the point where I'm not even confessing here to the whole of my addiction ... does life get any better than knitting, shopping, shopping, buying, ebaying and blogging?
Have bought more wool and will have to confess to it soon ... however, all you secret hoarders will join with me when I say it whispered in my ear, called to me from afar, sent signals from across the ether and seduced me with a soft, silken smile.
So, I need to add photos to the stash and, worse, knit faster and better so I can reduce the stash to FO deficit ...
still working hard at silk cardigan
still have cotton jacket at no 1 in next project stakes
still need to acquire 6 more sets of hands to catch up with project desires
Sending love and hugs
xxx

Rabbits Raveling and Ragout

Hello and Hi

It's not everyday I get accosted by a rabbit but today, having finally received my invitation to Ravelry, I got invited to join the Oddballs. Having been invited to join a group hosted by a raving rabbit made me feel quite alice like so perhaps my next project should be a blue silk dress, white apron and a velvet headband. So "thank you" Jan for the invitation and hi all you maniacs.

Strangely am now on a project involving blue silk (I adore debbie bliss) though no headbands .... will work on that next along with aprons! It's a gorgeous cardigan from the latest Interweave knits mag ... but I'm knitting it with the blue pure silk from DB. Not sure who does a pattern for velvet headbands, then again I'm not sure I'd knit one anyway!

So I'm glad to be here and I'm appreciative of my invitatons to join both Ravelry and Odd Squad - I never knew there was a niche somewhere just designed for me, but hey it found me anyway!

Hope to chat to you all soon, meanwhile Happy Friday!

Love and hugs

Chris

ps Tonight cooked loin of lamb fillets on bed of leeks, glazed with a madeira sauce and topped with heart, star and flower shaped pastry hats, with orange caramalised carrots, and lyonnaise potatoes .... so no ragout at all! Yum