My 1st handspun.

My 1st proper bit of spinning on Lewis - my wheel. It's Merino and it's soft and yummy.
I Navajo/Navaho (?sp) plied it. It was interesting to note that the quality of my spinning changed as I progressed back through the bobbin. The early stuff was much more lumpy or over spun. I don't think it is too bad for a 1st effort and now am hooked. I have Angela's Corriedale Wizz (see a previous post) waiting in the wings and am itchy to try it. Just need to wait for my knee to heal a bit more and there will be no stopping me!

Humbug is 'big-leggie'.

This was Humbug (Bumhug) when we first got him. He is a Giant Brazilian Black and White Tarantula.
This is Humbug today! Fresh from a moult - just about two weeks ago. This is only the 2nd time he has come out since. He fed last night and has stayed out since. What he is sitting on is half a coconut shell,which will give you some perspective of his size.
Sadly, in a way, he is a HE - so this is his bloom. He will not moult again and once he starts making sperm webs he will deteriorate gradually. He had massive clubs on his pedipalps and tibial spurs, so he is definitely all male. But no matter what he is one BIG magnificent spider!

In the 1st photo the pot he was sitting in was about the same size as the coconut shell! So he has grown some.

Diamond Geezers.

I love designing and making socks and these are my latest.
Knitted in Regia Silk on 2.5mm dpns.
I wanted to make a sock that was 'unisex' but not boring. So I fiddled about with this diamond relief pattern.
I wanted an Argyle look sock without the colour changes. I am very pleased with how they've come out. All I need to do now is to transcribe my notes into a pattern so I can make them for M and J too.

The Big Knit In - 2007.

http://www.knitin.co.uk/

The perfect excuse to have a weekend in Brighton ;=) sun (hopefully), sea, knitting and even more knitting!!!!

Why not go along. It is always a really good event.

Might even see you there.........................if you're really lucky (or unlucky - depending on your perspective).

I am a mole.....

and I live in a hole.
Conkers latest game. He hides under the patchwork quilt as you make the bed and then tunnels all around - like a little black mole - until he reaches the edge, then he just peeks out at us for ages. It makes finishing making the bed more interesting, hence the rather rumpled look in the photo. The awful crochet throw of squares is his blankie - 'Mr Heatie' which I put on the bed to tempt him out to no avail.

Other stuff.

I caught M's bug. I was nowhere near as ill as he was, but I was ill enough that most of the weekend I felt like sheeeeet. We did manage to make the most of J having a sleepover though. It wasn't until he'd gone and we felt a bit odd that I worked out that this was the 1st night we'd had without him in 15 months! He had a great time to but I think Auntie Z's ear took a bit of a bashing as J can talk for England............hmmmmmmm........wonder where he inherited that from?

Seasick Steve was ace - nuff said!

Have not done a lot of spinning as my bad knee flared up over the weekend and I spent a good deal of time rubbing ibuprofen gel onto it. But managed a little on Monday and intend to finish the pink merino if possible today or tomorrow.

Knitting - have 3 completed socks - all from different pairs! I just can't settle to my knitting at the moment. Though I did manage to finished the back of Isabella http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring07/PATTisabella.html

One of the socks is a new design of my own which I am very excited about - it's probably the best pattern I've come up with. It's partner, alas, is only 1/8 completed *sigh* maybe today will be the day to finish it.

Due to illness life has been fairly boring and uneventful - sorry!

It's been a bit of a week. Perplexing is the best way to describe how it's felt. So here is a brief (ish) catch up.

Cousins to play - and play they did beautifully, no fights or disagreements.

M ill from Friday evening - still ill now actually off work - which is normally unheard of.

Knitting - spits and spats - same with spinning.

Reading lots.

Triops - down to 2. Fully grown and mature and now laying eggs. They are such weird little dudes - most bizarre.

Shoreham Farmers market - Yummy - venison sausages *slurp*.

Humbug - just finishing a moult. Other spiders just hanging.

Other critters - Loobles has terrible wind - geesh does her arse stink! Conkers escaped last night - goodness knows how - he's now restless and mewy, though right a this moment he's akipping on my bed on a pile of hand knit throws......ah the life!

Swimming pool - emptied and de-bugged - ready to be cleaned and filled.

Veggie patch - dug and planted by M this year as I fancied a break.

J happy and full of beans. Looking forward to a sleepover at cousins this weekend - M and I are looking forward to it too :=)

Blog - up to date!

I've got those happy feet.

*Does a little dance* - "I've got new shoes-ees, I've got new new shoes-ees!"

Those who know me well, know that before I developed a yarn habit, I had a serious shoe habit, which is now (normally) under control. But I couldn't resist these and neither could the 'ole hippy' part of my personality. Twenty years ago I wouldn't have been caught dead in something like these, but now I think they're 'perfeck Ma, perfeck.'

I do so love new shoes. Hate buying clothes, clothes shopping pee's me off. But shoes....shoes sing to the core of my being.

I am having a good day - it's sunny and warm but not too hot, the birdies are singing, the girls next door are out = quiet = no screaming and I've got NEW SHOES! Just in case you hadn't noticed.

Wizz-O

This is some fleece that I bought from Fair Isle Fibres http://www.fairislefibers.co.uk/ the colourway is called Wizz - and it's even more delicious in real life.
Angela, who owns Fair Isle Fibres, is a total wizz herself with colours. These are bright and vibrant and the Corriedale fleece is soft and airy. This will be such a treat to spin and knit.
'Oh me Darlin. Oh me Darlin. Oh me Darlin Clementine.' All finished and beautifully modelled by a bush in the garden. I love this pattern. I would happily knit it again tomorrow, it has a rhythm to it that is blissful plus it's lovely to wear.
After the family decision for a quiet Easter - which was quiet in all but noise (5 girls aged 9-11, one large trampoline, 9 hours of screaming - you get my drift?) J spent many happy hours in the garden, grubbin about, getting soaked with his super soaker and learning to Pogo. This Pogo stick was my older sisters and was purchased in the 1960's and it still works (only for kiddie weights - M tried it and it became a non-pogo - so he had to go back to his super-whizzy grown up pogo stick.) My holiday was spent - sitting on my arse, knitting, spinning and reading - wonderful. We did visit M's older sister for dinner but apart from that we avoided the traffic and crowds and just enjoyed family time at home - lovely!
Conkers decided to help M change the sheets - isn't he a good kitty?

TRIOPS ** 4 still living! 1 very large named Biggie-smalls, 1 slightly smaller named Smallie-big - the other two are a bit smaller and their names change though J insists one is called Tiny-small. Two fairy shrimp - David (don't ask) and Fish - are thriving also. The 5th Triop has mysteriously disappeared without a trace - hmmmmm me thinks Biggie-smalls turned cannonball ;=)

Now my attention is required for a vicious game of swingball with the aforementioned pogo whizz kid, let us hope that my sore inflamed knee can cope with it!

Just a crazy mixed up post.

Finally finished my 2nd pair of Monkey Socks (from Knitty designed by Cookie). I love this pattern. Firstly it looks complicated but it isn't and secondly they stay up. I can't abide socks that go to sleep down your leg and Nora Batty around your ankles...ewwww! These are made in Regia Silk on 2.5mm ebony dpns. Please note - I was home alone (again - twice in as many days!!) and this photo is a solo effort invert on sofa!

I've started the 2nd half of Clementine - another lovely pattern, very satisfying. I have one other pair of socks on the go - an adaptation of Grumperinas IKSpring pattern Roza.

Finally on the knitting front, I brought some Rowan 4ply cotton to make 'Isabella' from Spring Knitty by Jordana Paige http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring07/PATTisabella.html I know that I shall be casting on for this later today. Knitting ADHD strikes again!

Away from knitting now. I forget to mention in my last post that the boys - big and little - have, as it is warm and spring-like, hatched out some Triops/Aquasaurs...again. Last time we got one, named Triopy, this time we have 4/5, two of which are quite large already, the others look strong too which as good because apparently they can go cannibal! *mind boggles* We also have Daphynia nymphs and Fairy Shrimp. So my bedroom desk is now an aquarium and my sewing project (cool dress - groovy fabric from Sue http://knittiotherapy.typepad.com/ ) is on hold. *sigh* I can use my machine in the kitchen as it doesn't need a foot pedal but it's just too chaotic and I can't settle for any period of time. The only other option is to use Ma's in the sewing room but as she is in card making mood - chaos reigns there too. Oh well, Triops only live 8/12 weeks, not too long to wait.

Ok if anyone has survived this post with the will to live still intact. Please take the time to peruse the wonderful montage/horror show below.
Just felt like a blast from the past....groovy baby!