River Rapid socks - take 2.

r-rapid 026
Originally uploaded by loobles2002

It's been all about getting stuff finished and off the needles. At this moment in time, for the first time in years, I don't have any socks on the needles!.......Wait I feel faint. I am down to 3 knitted WIP's and 1 in crochet, and the crochet one is squares and a very long term doohickey.

I will have socks on the needles by the end of today - I'm sure of it.

Last pair of these I made for Ma. I so liked the pattern I decided to make some for myself.

Pattern - River Rapid Socks by Sockbug - available for free on Ravelry.

Needles - 2.75mm circs.

Yarn - Lorna's Laces Shepherd & Sock in Bittersweet - these took about 1.25 skeins.

Spirogyro Greenies

green babies 004
Originally uploaded by loobles2002

Early Xmas pressie for Ma. She feels the cold and walks a lot so these are perfect and they match her coat.

Pattern - Spirogyro by Lynne Vogel availabe for free at Knitty.com and on Ravelry.

Yarn CTH Super sock in Green Mountain Madness.

Needles - 3.25 and 2.75mm dpns.

Time - in total 2 days but they were on the needles a weeks because I decided after glove one to have a break and finish something else.

My side of the bed.

green babies 003
Originally uploaded by loobles2002

This is what happens to my side of the bed when I get up to go in the shower, every day.

Rhinebeck

rhinebeck 008
Originally uploaded by loobles2002

Started Sept 2008, finished yesterday.....mmmmm took my time. Actually, although I love this and it's a great pattern, clever but easy - no seams to sew, it is very heavy being constructed all in one piece. So the time it took was due partly to it making my hands and wrists ache.

It's a lovely fit and I know I will wear it loads.

Pattern - Rhinebeck by Lisa Lloyd from 'A Fine Fleece'.
Needles 4.5m circs and dpns.
Yarn Cascade 220 - 6 skeins.

googoogahgah.

*head-desk, head-desk, head-desk* repeat as ness until you start to like the pain.

I've been having a 'meat in the sandwich' time lately. Not nice to live with 24/7. I am so very close to just walking away from a lot of stuff right now - that or maybe I'll just see the Doc get some happy pills and let everything else fade away into a cloud of meds.

Some of it funny (when it's not almost reducing you to tears) and some of it drags you down so deep you loose sight of the surface.

The blog (for now) is one of the things I need to walk away from right now, as it is one of the one too many things to remember and deal with.

Please excuse me for a while. I need space to learn to breathe and cope.

Doggy day out.

cousins
Originally uploaded by loobles2002

Lottie (middle), Fergus (botttom) and cousin Ruby (top) had a family play/walk today.

Such a trio of naughtiness.

Socks for Em

Even more knitting.....OMG could this be turning back into a blog about knitting.

Anyhoo, I knit these Plain Ole Vanilla Socks for my niece.

Knit on 2.75mm circs using Hot Socks - Dream, purchased from the lovely little 'WoolBar' in Worthing.

Pattern is my own aiming for a UK size 6, I was slightly corrupted by the wisdom of Wibbo to try an afterthought heel. She (as usual) was so right. I love this method - so easy, neat and cool.

They are all washed, blocked and ready to cosy up Em's toes through the winter.

More knitting

shurtagal 004
Originally uploaded by loobles2002

Shur'tugal Socks.

Serious 2nd sock syndrome with these.

Lorna's Laces - Shepherd & Sock - colourway, Motherlode. Used about 1 and 1/4 skeins.

Knit on 2.5mm KnitPro circs.

Nice pattern but not one I'd knit again. Clever way the heel and toes work out - well thought out.

Milkweed Shawl

milkweed 002
Originally uploaded by loobles2002

Yes, more knitting, at last I finished something.

This is a Milkweek Shawl by Laura Chau (http://www.cosmicpluto.com)

Knit on 3.5mm Addi Turbo circ using Handmaiden Casbah.

I love it. I love the pattern. Thank you Wibbo for inspiring me with yours.

I used 3/4 of one skein in a purple, black and brown-ish colour interspersed 1/2 down with a contrast that has the same colours but also firey ember colurs too. I love these mixes together and it made sure I had enough yarn to cast off with!

(Wibbo's one - which is gorgeous- can be found here - http://wibbo.typepad.com/wibbos_words/ or on her Ravelry page).

Binky, bonky boZzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Mmmm cosy fur throw....just for me.

Rolly rubby lubby fur throw.

Is mine!

Right now - it is very quiet.

No kids, no builders, no lawnmowers (which for around here is bloody amazing) just bird song. So nice.

J is busy. We've been looking at WW1 - he's off researching something. M is at work. The cat(s) are out (Ma's kitty may just be asleep somewhere) the pups are zonked out after their early morning route march. Ma has gone to the IOW for the day with one of her groups. So right now, it is just me and the quiet. Bliss.

Our egg.

Lick the egg.

Mmmm yes lick the egg.

Our yummy egg.

Mah bed

So piss off!

Mah chair

Not Daddys chair.

Nope - it is MAH chair!

Blimey.....knitting!

A plethora of baby socks.

2 pairs of larger size (probably 3-6 mth) the narrow stripe ones were knit on 2.25mm the others which is a thicker yarn, on 3mm.

2 pair of first size (0-3 mth) both knit on 3mm.

The pattern originates from one of Ma's old booklets - which is so fragile, half the pages fall out. The book is 'Beehive Baby Book - knitting for the first 6 months' it cost 1' and is numbered sc34 - I tried to find it online but couldn't. The original was knit on 3 ply on number 13 needles. I adjusted the pattern to knit a smaller sock on bigger needles with thicker yarn. It worked out really well.

Climb on board, climb on board...

for the Double Deckers.

Gosh that's really showing my age, but I loved that programme when I was a kidlet.

They didn't stay like this for long but it was so funny the way Fergus clambered to the high ground. At the moment most times Lottie settles he does this in some way, though right now he's a kip at my feet. I get wafts of earthworm as the little beast is a prodigious digger and is excavating the side path flower bed - I should have named him Dickie.

Everything is still ticking over, very quiet. Lots of reading, me and J. Knitting is all secret stuff so no pictures. No spinning as I have a painful toe (don't ask, it's just too daft for words). Looking forward to a long weekend - just maybe this weeks will be better than lasts - which was pretty abysmal to be honest. *sigh*

My chair and other stories

Not wanting to alarm anyone - spider content ahead but no pictures - if you don't like spider tales.....scroll down,

The picture above is of Tiny's (Salmon Pink Birdeater) tank. That is metal, quite thick metal, mesh. The hole is Tinys way of showing us he/she is bored. That hole took less than 2 hours and was almost big enough for an escape. Tiny is our largest spider *gulp*. He/she is now in a new tank with even thicker metal mesh - he/she has attempted to chew it and has so far failed *phew*. Why don't iPod or Nintendo make entertainment systems for bored tarantulas?

Lottie was actually asleep - eyes open, blue fing ensconced in her maw - when M took this. We removed it, with some difficulty, as she wasn't letting go and she must have had a dry tongue. She looked so funny as she tried to moisten it - lip smacking and chattering her jaw. Bizarre.

My chair. My lovely leather, comfy, perfect for knitting, reading, snoozing reclining chair. Stolen by a Bogeyman! He's still in it NOW. My chair. I love my chair and now it's lost to me....boohoo.

I think it's camo as you can hardly see him in it and he knows it's time to be groomed. Oh well I'll have to sit in M's one - they are identical but I swear mine is more comfy.

It's not all dogs

Honest. I am doing other stuff but it's all so boring. Knitting is very slow. Spinning is at a stop.

Life is a plod, plod, plodding along fairly normally. I have nothing to tell.

Am reading so that all the books J and I decided on for him to tackle this year I've read or re-read (cos at my age I can't clearly recall books I read at 12 etc). I have 'Catcher in the Rye', 'Animal Farm' and 'Lord of the Flies' left to do. I have read the latter two and remember enjoying them but have never read 'Catcher in the Rye' before so am looking forward to it. We also got a 'Dummies' guide to 20th Century history yesterday as that's the period J wants to look at. It looks really good so I think we may be reading it together.

The house is quiet - the dogs have PNB and kibble filled Kongs to entertain them. The laundry is under control and no dinner to plan as we are off to a BBQ tonight. I think I might have a little time to knit and read today - hurrah. Just need to finish the dusting...where does it all come from? I only did it yesterday and it looks like it hasn't been touched for days *sigh*.

Yes I am lovely - aren't I?

Beddie-buddies

Morning. I was snoozing next to my bird you know.

Not more pictures. Enough already with the flash-flash. I am a trying to have a kip.

If we lay doggo together, you never know, they might finally get the message.