Quiet Sunday

Today has been a very quiet Sunday. No visitors and no phone calls. I just did a bit of washing and generally mooched about the house. I have started one of the baby cardigan patterns by Kay Jones that I am making for Sylvia's friend's foster baby girls. I hope to get a bit more of the first one done tonight. I have to make two of everything but in different sizes.

As promised here are photos of the Kittensuit top. I am sure that you are all relieved that I did not make it into the hot pant suit on the pattern. It has turned out a bit on the large side. More so now it has been blocked so I not sure if I will keep it or it will be going on to a new home. I don't like unpicking anything that could be worn by someone else so if I am not happy with something then I usually find it a new home.

I have started making my list of what I hope to make for Christmas this year and as usual have come to the conclusion that I should have started making things at least a month ago. It will be rush, rush as per usual nearer to the time. Christmas seems months away and then suddenly it's just a few weeks away and I haven't bought or made anything yet! I am trying to get a few small things out of the way before I get a pattern and wool for my niece possibly next Saturday. As she wants a knitted jacket then it will take me longer than when I crochet.

I am going to watch Stephen Fry and Mark Carwadine in Last Chance to See. I have been watching this series since it first started and tonight is the last in the series. I always hate that. When you enjoy something it seems to last for a few episodes and leave you wanting more. Tonight it is the grey whales and Humboldt squid.

Thanks to everyone for your lovely comments about the black duster coat.It has now been put away until the next occasion when I can wear it.

Black Duster Coat

The photos of me wearing the Black Duster Coat will be put on my fridge door. How to know that you are in desperate need of a strict diet? Get your niece to take a photograph full length frontal. I look like Tim Healey in last night's ITV series Benidorm when he was dressed in drag as Lesley. Try to focus on the crochet please and ignore the large lumpy body that is wearing it!

I have just come back from having a cuddle with baby Finlay (Fynnlay? still forgot to ask the spelling). He is such a tiny little dot. Really small and dainty. His big brother Charlie was really loud and boisterous but the baby slept all through it all even when Charlie threatened to jump into the moses basket with him. I still haven't made him any more cardigans but I will before the winter comes.

I have finished off the kittensuit top and my niece took photos of that also.I will put them on the blog tomorrow. I think it has turned out a bit on the large side and at the moment the sleeves aren't lying quite right but I am going to wet block it to try to rectify that this afternoon.

It is a nice sunny afternoon. Not overly warm as it is October but not freezing cold either. The kind of day when you debate whether it is worth hanging the washing out or not.

I am not sure what to make next. I still have a couple of baby crochet cardigans to make for Sylvia's friend and some baby knitting on needles so I will decide later if I will make those first or choose something else. My niece is going to the wool shop in Ramsbottom next week and we are choosing a pattern for my other niece's Christmas knitting so I don't want to start anything too large in case I get the wool for that on Saturday. I doubt if I will be buying anything for myself whilst I am up there but I do love to go for a browse around the shop.

Interweave Crochet Fall 09

As I am still working on the kittensuit top I thought that I would post photos from the new Interweave Crochet Fall 09 which arrived this morning.

I started the kittensuit sleeves as the pattern and I can't believe that I ever made them in that manner as they are worked top down and tell me to break off my yarn every row for the increasing to add 3 chain to either side. No way. I have just crocheted them freestyle to fit the armhole. I just could not bring myself to keep cutting my yarn every row. What if they didn't fit in right and I had to unpick them? I shudder at the thought of all that wasted yarn. As per usual I will do it my way.

These are my views on the new crochet magazine. The front cover is Szechuan Sweater by Robin Chachula which I think is cute and practical although I may lengthen the sleeves if I make it for myself.

The Veronica sweater in purple by Sarah Barboun is not for me as I dislike asymetrical collars. The Moss Fern wrap by Kimberley K McAlindin is very pretty but as I think it would only work in a mohair type yarn that rules old itchy me out of that one as well.

The Spice Market Tunic by Sheryl Means is a good everyday sweater but as it is in tunisian crochet I don't think that I will be doing it. The Larkspur Wrap Sweater by Ellen Gormley is one that definitely holds my interest.Close stitches and long sleeves. Very wearable in my book.

The Painted Desert Skirt by Kristin Omdahl is a definite no no for me but the Capuccino sweater by Maureen Basher is a sweet shaped cardigan that I can see myself wearing.

The Taho cap by Marcy Smith looks great on the photo but having seen a few holey looking finished caps on Ravelry I think tight tension is a must for this cap. The Moorish Mosaic Afghan by Lisa Naskrent is very pretty but the colours don't do anything for me. I am not an afghan crocheter in the main although I have said that I will make one for the winter time.

The Quick gifts page in crochet will come in handy as gifts this winter. There is also a crochet bag but as I cannot stand to see wool felted I will not be making that. I have zoomed in on the Adirondack Socks by Patsy Harbor as I really like them but not sure if it is the pattern or the colour of the wool that attracts me. I think the right mullti wool that stripes is essential for this pair.

The October Vest by Tracy St John is OK I guess but I cannot see any of the guys I know wearing it.The Blue Ridge Cardigan by Edie Eckman is OK but I just hate the way that the buttons gape. Button loops just don't cut it for me.

I would consider the Curried Cabled Jacket by Pricila Gomes but would use buttons instead of a zip behind a flap as I don't think the band would lie flat without curling outwards in wear. The Campus Field Cap by Jennifer J Cirka is a quirky kind of cap that I can see being popular with the young. I don't think that I will personally be going to Tesco wearing it though.

Tomorrow I hope to be going to see baby Fynnlay or Finlay ( the spelling seems to vary from e mail to e mail) and then on to Tesco so I don't think much crochet will be done over the weekend.

A bit of excitement in the street this morning. My next door neighbour was asked to keep a car on her drive by an aqaintance for a couple of weeks but it has gone on now for several months. The house owner wanted it moved off the drive and has given him fair warning to remove it. Today the hire purchase people came to reclaim the car as when my neighbour's landlord got the police involved it turns out that the guy hasn't paid any of the HP on the car. We are expecting a bit of a argument when he comes home from work and drives by and notices that the car has gone.

Photos From The Naked Knitting Calendar Launch Party

As most of my online friends couldn't come to the Knitting Noras Naked Calendar Launch Party then I thought that I would bring it to you via a few photos. I could not see a thing through the viewfinder when I was taking the photos so it was very much a case of point it at people and hope for the best type of photography. The photo of the cake that Deb trailed all over Bolton to get made, actually has a photo on it of the front cover of the calendar but due to my rubbish photography has come out rather blurry. You can barely see the cake in the photo where Deb is cutting it either.

Most of the people on the photos are members of the Knitting Noras but there are a few supporters and partners in there as well including Laurie the calendar photographer. Paul and his wife from Evolution Printing, the printers of the calendar, also came to show support as did Debbie Tomkies who dyed the wool that I used to crochet the mermaid's tail with. She is the lady with the fetching bright pink flash in her hair. The guy wearing the white T shirt is Tony who has done such sterling work with our web site and was responsible for making up our calendar pre order page which has been such a help with the calendar sales. He came all the way from London via 3 trains to meet the rest of the Knitting Noras as previously he had only met three Noras in London at the I Knit exhibition.

The party was held at the Blundell Arms,Chorley Old Road,Bolton and the landlord did us proud with plates of sandwiches. As I said yesterday it was such a shame that the press didn't turn up to record the launch party properly. We have had some good publicity pre calendar printing but a blast of publicity in the local papers would have been so good for sales now that the calendar is available for sale.

Once again many thanks to Deb and Jen for organising the party. I had a good time and I am sure everyone else did as well. I think that I was the only Nora who wasn't actually knitting during the party.

So sorry that Ambermoggie and Mr Mog didn't make it to the party. You were missed. I hope that you feel better soon Amber.

I did finish off the black duster coat and wore it to the party but I will get my niece to take photos in the daylight at the weekend to show the bottom half of the coat and it's pattern changes.

I must add congratulations to Julie and Jim who celebrated their silver wedding yesterday. Julie was the Nora who knitted the long red stockings and the hiking socks that Francesca and Adam wore on the December page of the calendar.

Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?

Remember the film Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? I was getting ready to go to the Naked Knitting Calendar Launch and had just taken the curlers out of my hair and with my sense of humour I started to giggle when I saw my hair in ringlets reminiscent of Bette Davies in the film. Mutton dressed as lamb or what? Don't panic folks as I didn't leave the house looking like that as you can see. I brushed out the ringlets and then put my hair up as usual. I just needed the added boost that the curlers give to my very fine hair.

I managed to get to the launch last night via a metro tram and two buses. The bus guard of the last one took pity on me and set me down a few hundred yards before the Blundell Arms as the bus stops outside the pub had been suspended due to road works and so it would have been a good walk for me if he had put me down at the next bus stop. Thankfully Caroline and Michael gave me a lift home as I don't think I could have faced another 2 hr journey back home again.

I did take photos of the party but I have still got to condense them down to fit them on the blog. I will put them on tomorrow. There was a really good turn out of Noras and supporters. Deb and Jen had worked really hard to organise the whole event and the pub did us proud providing sandwiches and letting us put up posters, calendars and garments all around the pub. The only flaw in it all was the absence of the press. It would have been great to have had some local press support but as they had given us a lot of pre calendar press perhaps they felt that we had enough coverage. We could have done with the extra boost for sales as the next 6 weeks will be crucial to the calendar sales leading up to Christmas. The landlord of the Blundell was a bit disappointed also as it would have been good publicity for him also. Incidentally I had a meal whilst I was there. Fish and chips. Sounds mundane but the fish was lovely and fresh and along with the chips was piping hot and delicious. I would definitely recommend the pub for a meal if my meal was their normal standard. The Blundell Arms, Chorley Old Road, Bolton where we hold our knit outs every second Tuesday in the month.

I did take some crochet with me to the Blundell but when I did the chain and the first row it was obvious that I needed a smaller hook to get the tension right for this first size baby jacket. I had, of course, only brought one hook with me and one project. I abandoned it and felt really out of place amongst all of the knitters sitting there with idle fingers whilst they beavered away industriously..

Kittensuit

I am using an old pattern as the basis of my next project for myself. It is beautifully described in the pattern as a kittensuit but you will be relieved to know that I shall not be wearing in the manner of the pattern. I did once make it and wear it in my 20's but back then I had the figure for it. I soon discovered the limitations of wearing such a garment when I needed a natural break and had to unlace myself in the ladies! I was a lover of those catsuits in that era and have spent many minutes trying to get myself out of a catsuit and hold it up out of the wet that is inevitably on the toilet floor. Oh to be able to fit once again into my size 10 bottle green shimmery catsuit with it's 3" wide gold belt. Those were the days. I used to attract a lot of attention in it. Now if I wore anything similar I would attract attention still but not in a positive way unless I were amongst a crowd of fat admirers!

I am only making a top this time but as I am in a shaped garment mode I remembered that this kittensuit shaped in for the waist and then out again at the hips which was perfect for the type of top I want to make. I am amending it by making it a V neck and not adding a collar. The back is looking a bit huge to me so I am not sure if the fit will be right once it gets to the making up stage. There may be some more revamping to be done. Having said that I am rather huge at the moment so maybe this huge looking back will actually fit me!

Today I had to take the heart/oxygen level monitor back to the hospital. My knee is now really protesting as the walk to the hospital from the tram stop is quite long for me in my present knackered state. I was walking really slowly on the return journey. Fortunately Slattery's sandwich shop was closed today so I wasn't lured in by the gorgeous freshly made sandwiches and their superb cream cakes. Friday's sandwich and cake cost me twice as much as a normal buttie shop but they were worth every penny as every bite was pure heaven.

The cardio vascular department amuses me. It is at the end of an extremely long straight corridor that seems to stretch for miles. By the time anyone who comes in via the main entrance gets there they will need oxygen or a heart transplant. You would think that they would site it somewhere more accessible especially since they have closed the small disabled car park that used to be outside a pair of doors leading to that department. A huge portacabin now stands on that car park so God help the disabled as the car park is now down a steepish hill. I think that I will write and ask if they can install a moving pavement like they have in airports leading from the main entrance to the departments at the far end of the corridor.

I am not going to the Kings Arms Knitters tonight. Pam, who normally offers me a lift, isn't well and has been in bed all day so I will be crocheting at home tonight.

The black Duster Coat is now dry and the sleeves unravelled by a row. I didn't see any neighbours to waylay for a photograph as by the time they came home from work it was going dark. Maybe tomorrow.

Black Duster Coat Finished

My black version of the Pink Duster Coat by Doris Chan is now finished but as you can see is still wet and hanging in the washing line. The pegs around the bottom edge are my version of blocking to get the bottom edge to stop curling upwards. I cannot block anything large on blocking boards as I have to use up all of the bed and I still need to sleep in that as I can't crawl around the floor these days due to my knee problems. I just hope that the weight of the pegs will do the trick for me. If not I will just have to try to block just the bottom edge. The yarn still hanging from the edge of the sleeves is just in case I have to undo a row when the coat has dried. The sleeves seem a wee bit long so I haven't darned the end in yet.

I have made this version in a double knitting and I think it has taken 600 grams but I will have to count the labels to be sure about that. I have used an acrylic yarn as a) I can't wear wool and b) it is not the kind of garment I can envisage getting a lot of wear out of so am not prepared to spend ££'s on something that will get worn now and again. I have altered this coat from the one I made previously. I used a smaller sized hook for the waist area to give the coat some shape and have used 6 small buttons to close it from bust to waist should I desire. I also started the bottom pattern slightly lower down so that the bulk did not land on my hip area. Although I am a big girl I find that shapeless garments add to my bulk rather than detract so am endeavouring to give things I make a bit of a shape. (Have I been watching too much How to Look Good Naked?).

I will try to get some better photos taken of the Duster Coat to put on Ravelry and Flickr but it is so hard to take photos of oneself wearing things like this. I shall have to grab a passing neighbour when the coat is dry.