I finished these last night. They are knit on 2.5mm using Opal Uni - my camera is playing up so the pictures don't really do justice the colour or texture of the socks.
The two smallest tarantulas have both moulted recently, so with their growth rate, they both needed new homes. Above is Tiny who will eventually be our largest spider approx 10" (if we're lucky). He is a not for certain a 'he' as it's too soon to tell but he sure did grow some with this moult. He's quite quick and still quite shy and this picture shows his pink hairs a treat. He is a Salmon Pink Birdeater.
This is Colemans - who after 3 moults is finally big enough to take a picture of. He now has about a 2" leg span, but is still quite wheeny (he should reach about an 8" span eventually). He's a Chaco Mustard Brown tarantuala - hence the name 'Colemans' - we just lurve their mustard! He's not too happy at the moment - this is the 1st time we've re-housed him in a proper a tank. I think he feels a little lost. He moulted this week. It was the first time that we've had a spider moult in the open - he made a web carpet - nice and thick- then flipped onto his back and lay, like he was a sunbathing (lol) - he lay like that for a while then it all started to happen. He writhed slightly for a while, then the bottom of his cepholathorax split and a new spider started to emerge. We crept around the house because vibrations can upset the process - and I always worry - I know they are only spiders - but I'm good a worrying! Anyway, as you can see he's hunky dory.
an ittby-bitty little black kitty......
a lazing in the sun all day.
Oooooooo more sockies!
Here is my sock collection (minus two pairs which were on the airer, drying). I had feet on my mind yesterday....I know sounds a bit 'ewwww' but when something hurts like fuck, that's where the mind tends to focus. And as the night before at about a quarter to midnight I attempted to demolish the corner of the bedroom wall with the last two toes of my left foot twice (don't ask), I was foot obsessed as I hobbled about yesterday - no walkies for me and Loobles, no treadmill - just an awful lot of pain. Anyhoo, I digress. To cheer myself up I decided to photograph all my socks and socks in progress for me, and here they all are all (closer piccies in post below). I then worked out that I have now knitted 42 pairs in total (included those that I made for others - but not including Fuzzy Feet). Nothing really compared to the amazing sock-knitter extra-ordinary Stariel http://stariel.blogspot.com who has knitted 50....yes 50 pairs in a year. But I'm quite proud of my 42 in about 2 years - not bad hey.
Yesterday me darlin man came home with lovely, wonderful blood red roses. Six open and six buds. They are so gorgeous. Ain't it sweet that after dating for 24 years he still does stuff like this.
I had a mile wide smile. He quite made my day, plus he'd already driven to my LYS to buy some yarn - so he has 100+ extra brownie points this weekend.
We bought J a digital camera for Xmas. He has spent much of his holiday time taking photographs of all and sundry. Yesterday we walked to Rottingdean windmill and he took some really good shots. Then remembering we needed brambles for the stickies we headed off to Falmer pond. J again took some really good pictures and this is my favourite because I adore geese. I love the feather detail (when you enlarge the picture) and the way the winter afternoon light is caught on the water. As he's only had the camera just about 10 days, I'm impressed with his picture composition. Also it was so good to get out in the fresh air on such a crisp and windy day. I have had really bad agoraphobia the last couple of months. To go out like this is nothing to most people but to me it's a biggie. I have been trying to leave the house more but it's never easy. 2007 has no resolutions other than the intention to try and be happy with who/what/where I am and to take little steps to overcome my fear. J's enthusiasm for taking pictures may help as he is itching to get out and take more.
M and I don't buy for each other at Xmas and we told J that there would be present cut back this year, as last year was ridiculous. The 1st piccie shows him mid unwrap - happy child.
This one shows his haul before carnage ensued!! I don't think he did too bad for a 'cut back' do you?
I love making mittens. This is my own pattern (the one I always use) but this time I jazzed it up with some Fair Isle stylie patterning - very simple but what I wanted was the warmth and fuzziness of the angora yarn to fluff up the other yarn and add warmth to the insides - it worked.
These are my Eyelet Twig socks - again my own design. The lace runs in 3 panels down the cuff and one down the foot. The top is moss st and this is used again just prior to the toe shaping. The heel flap is knitted in a twisted rib with gs border. I used Opal dye your own and coloured it with Kool Aid.
A little while ago I sent the effervescent and delicious Bean http://ladybean73.wordpress.com/ some Opal dye-your-own sock yarn. This week she sent me some wonderful Knitpicks sock yarn in return. She also sent a groovy card, a cute book mark and a heavenly smelling apple and cinnamon candle. One thing I love about being sent sock yarn is the colours that people choose for me, Beanie chose a colourway that I might have overlooked but you know it is absolutely gorgeous (picture does not do it justice at all). I can't wait to knit it and am exercising huge self control not to ball it up and cast on TODAY!! So a humungus Big Up to LaBean - thank you - you rock!
Ok do you ever have those knitting moments when you just need to knit something instant and maybe just a bit different? I jokingly offered to knit J an nose warmer and he said "Yes!" So yesterday after lunch I spent 30 mins on this, never dreaming he's actually wear it. During the evening I glanced across the lounge to the computer, where J was surfing for yet more info on anything James Bond, and almost spat my coffee across the room. He was wearing his nose warmer - it looks even funnier/cuter from the side. The nose warmer also got used as a kitty hat by Conkers who sadly decided against posing for a photo as it might ruin his street cred. J has no such pretensions - lol.
Shades of 'The Wire' from Dr Who - now own up - who's got it? I know it's not all that but I'd like it back.......pleeeeaaaasssse!
So the slog is (almost) over. Here are the last two to be completed. Ma's Mono scarf - knitted in Rowan Tapestry.
A snakey mate for J - as requested by himself way back in the Summer. I thought he'd forgotten but no - subtle hints etc have been dropped for the last few weeks. It's made from scraps - acrylic no less ;0)
A distance shot of Ma's scarf. You can see the colour repeats much better.
This is my first go at designing a patterned sock. I've already got a plain sock recipe that I wrote for my own use, but have always balked at translating this to pattern. But this idea came to me one Sunday morning, I played around with a swatch or two, took a deep breath and cast on.
The rib travels in a wave down the leg and along the top of the foot. The heel has a garter stitch edge and a moss stitch centre. The sole is plain st-st.
I know I need clearer photos of the ripple-rib (tomorrow - light permitting).
They are knitted on 1 skein (my tension and foot size) of LL in Irving Park on 2.5mm dpns and are quite a quick knit - though some concentration is needed to keep the ripple rippling.
M's fuzzy feet pre-felt.
My scrap fuzzy feet pre-felt.
Mine after felt.
Poor little Phido (Fifi - that was) has shuffled off this mortal coil. Here is a photo of him in his prime, it bears no resemblance to what he became. He lost most of the hair on his abdomen, a complete leg, his abdomen shrunk and became withered and his wonderful colours faded away. This is, sadly, the fate of male spiders. In his prime he was magnificent, he was quick and to crickets - deadly. I know lots of people don't/won't understand attachment to something that doesn't even know you exist or much less care, but I loved his wildness and detachment. I am honored to have shared my time with such an awesome wild creature and that I've been able to see how they live - fascinating.
Here is the newly moulted Humbug - in all his stripy legged glory - Pippi Longstocking eat your heart out! M had great fun moving him to his new tank - he's an aggressive little fucker.
This is our 1st picture of Tiny - the spider with the potential to grow to 10 inches. At the moment he's about 2 inches across and very hairy. He has a voracious appetite and looks for a 2nd helping almost straight away. I shall be watching this ones growth rate with great interest.
I kind of broke my yarn diet (oops) but my Darlin man said "You've not bought much yarn lately. Why don't you treat yourself?" And I wasn't about to decline that kind offer now, was I? So here we have some Handmaiden lace weight silk in Rose Garden. I bought to make a shawl - the pattern for which I also purchased but it's a secret at the moment ;0) I still have a passion for pink and green colour mixes - the pinks are really dusky edging more toward a minky beige than pinky pink - very subtle.
Here in some yummalicious LL sock yarn in one of my fav colourways Irving Park. I made a curly-whirly scarf in this colour last year and the mix of the purple, red and orange has just grown on me. I love this sock yarn - it keeps it colour and is so very soft and I've found durable.
Two skeins if LL DK weight merino wool (superwash) in my all time fav colourways Sherbet. I made a wrap using this in Worsted (Aran?) earlier this year. It is soft and snuggly and always makes me feel warm and cheerful. So this is destined to become a scarf (for me) a thick snuggly scarf to warm and cheer me through out the winter. My passion for these colours all stem from having Gundel - http://suse.dentatec.com as my SP - she mentioned she loved hot pink and orange mixes - I initially thought yuck - but when I started shopping for her - well the rest is history - I was completely hooked. I have dyed and bought so much yarn using this mix of colours - I loves it I do!
Jasmine or Miss Fluffy Pants aka a Tribble on legs or possibly a Wig-wig. She came to live with us on Saturday and she is a lovely, gentle, friendly, fluffy (did I mention she was fluffy?) girlie of 10 years.
She is settling in well. She has met Ma's dachshunds and tolerates them but has yet to meet Loobles (she has seen her through the patio doors) or Conkers properly (Conkers did get into to Ma's lounge the other day - his tail fluffed and he peered over the sofa at her and they have conversed briefly through a glass door - he mews, she hisses!) We are doing the introducing slowly as I don't want a repeat of the Kodo/Poppy warfare and the Buster/Pixie swear-scratchathons this time.
I love my Debbie Bliss beret and wear it loads - so I decided to make another one in a different colour. Sweetie boy - unhappily agreed to model this so I could get a shot of the stitch definition. He'd just woken up and agreed to this picture before he realised it would go on my blog...haha!
Loobles wasn't much happier about her modeling assignment either but ever hopeful of some of Conkers dried cat foot as a reward, she posed - briefly - she didn't get any fud either!
