black friday

no pix today...no snazzy new socks...no finished jumper...and i wasnt going to use this blog as a diary kind of thing but sometimes things just get in the way!

i went to uni yesterday for supervision and had sent both of my supervisors what i had been working on, which was a new chapter one which now combined parts of chapter two as a result of feedback they gave me last time. i worked really hard on it and tried to be very clear about why every idea was there and how it related to the argument of the thesis.

i did not get a good reception. firstly one was disappointed because he said it was not what 'they had told me to do' last time (ie, go away and finish writing chapter one as planned even tho it had become clear that that wasnt working and i had had an idea for how to fix it and emailed them to that effect) and so he thought that i had not made any progress and had in fact gone backwards. i had given the section i had written to someone who knows about the theories i am using and he thought it was an 'impressive' exposition. now i had my two immediate supervisors telling me it was bad and worse, they didnt understand it, and that this was somehow my fault. i grant that some of it is my fault, obviously, but its hard to hear they dont get something that seems so obvious to you, that you worked really hard on. i cried. i can take constructive criticism but i just wonder what they want from me sometimes...

meanwhile, i finished the second sleeve on trents jumper only to find there is about three inches too much pattern on the second one compared to the first (did i think to check as i went...noooo) and so i have frogged it back so the amount of pattern matches, but the width doesnt because somehow i have not increased at the same rate on the second sleeve as i did on the first, so i have to add ten stitches in about four rows to get it at the same width so i can at least do the raglan and the decrease correctly and hope and pray that when i sew it up it a. fits and b. looks ok!!!

so not a good day all round really, except for wearing the spider socks which everyone loved and which made me smile everytime i looked down and were the only bright and colourful points in an otherwise bleak day!

on that cheery note...till next time.

k

spider socks part two

i think they speak for themselves...



im so proud! the colours are brilliant and they are so comfie...three cheers for the spider and her magical pink grapefruit handpainted sock wool!!!

now i can finish off the jumper, i promise!

k :)

working sheep

spent last weekend practicing herding sheep again, possum has had a major breakthrough and understands she should at least attempt to work them quietly and under my direction rather than running herself and the sheep ragged:



it felt very nice, and we even worked on a recall, where i get her to change direction behind me. i still had to remind her i was there with her a couple of times but i can get her to stop on command almost all the time now:



in this photo you can see that she is actually looking at me rather than at the sheep behind me. from little things big things grow as they say.

i didnt get as much knitting done as i would like, i have nearly finished the increasing on trents jumper sleeve and i promised him he could wear it this weekend coming, but i am also trying to finish my second spider sock to wear to wollongong on friday so.....

and then there is a chapter deadline. i swear yesterday i nearly put an axe through the computer, i was having so much trouble putting words into sentences. today i read what i laboured over and decided its all irrelevant and can cut it anyway. this is a very soul-destroying process. someone remind me why i am doing it again? especially when there is knitting waiting to be done.

*sigh*

k

spider sock part one

i have finished my first ever adult sock:



made with Spider Sock Self Striping Hand Painted Sock Yarn in Pink Grapefruit, i think its awesome! heres what it looks like on:



i am only doing ankle socks cos i want two (funnily enough) and the wool is rare and precious, and i am pretty happy with how its turned out - i added a few stitches at the beginning to get it around my ankle but i probably didnt need so many, the rest fits but i think i need a slightly larger heel, having broad flat feet. like a hobbit.

and it feels luxurious on and i never want to take it off which means i now need to make the second one quickly. although there is a half done sleeve of a jumper yelling at me, so i might go finish that now.

and i have the first signs of flu. thanks for that honey.

k

great ideas

dr fern loooooved her present, said it was the best present she ever got. deb's great idea, my brilliant execution! of course there was much oohing and aahing over the idea that wool could be created which would stripe itself into socks and then of course i had to show off the baby sock (which i just happened to be carrying around) to show how it was done. everyone now thinks im a genius. teehee. i also demonstrated the whole knitting on three needles thing with the pink grapefruit spider sock, again making me look very clever. funny really considering its only the second time ive ever done it! there was also much admiration at the idea of hand painting wool and its results. here is where the spider sock is at to date:




meanwhile fern looked awesome in her floppy hat and gave a great closing speech at the graduation ceremony. supervision went relatively well for a change, a light bulb went on over the head of one supervisor when he realised what i was trying to do and suddenly got excited while the other just continued to look confused because hes a historian and what the hell has psych theory got to do with history? (this is actually quite a good question). but i came away with some good ideas to implement this week.

and there is, of course, flu in the house, so no SnB for me this arvo - i will need to borrow a ball winder thingy soon to unwind my skeins with, but one thing at a time!

k

not for me

the lovely fern is graduating tomorrow and will become dr fern. i am headed to wollongong for a meeting with my own supervisors and to partake in the celebrations. i was entrusted with buying her graduation present. what else do you buy someone who knits and just got a postdoc in norway? it gets cold up there you know.



not one skerric (sp?) of this is for me. i didnt even buy myself anything in the shop, not one single thing. buying someone else sock stuff to spread the sock-love is satisfaction enough.

ch-ch-changes

yes you are still in my room...blogger went mental this morning when i tried to edit my template so i opted for a new one instead. stay tuned for grapefruit spider socks.
k

my first sock

ta da....



i stuffed it with tissues to see what it would look like on (it being toddler size and a little small for me). i think my toe decreasing went a bit awry and my grafting leaves something to be desired (it may also be a little long in the foot)...



but generally im pretty happy, for a first attempt. also first attempt at more than two needle knitting and knitting in the round so its been a steep learning curve.

acknowledgements: i'd like to thank the yarn harlot whos explanation of kitchener stitch was the most simple (do stuff to two stitches on the front needle then two on the back). i'd like to thank everyone in snb blog world for their support and making me believe that socks really were possible. and most of all i'd like to thank a very happyspider for the evangelism, the donation of practise yarn and needles, and help at all stages. go the spider!

now for the pink grapefruit....

k

showing some restraint

ok so i am back from the bus depot market, i went by myself, leaving poor trent to entertain his dad and two teenage half-brothers (there's only so much testosterone a girl can handle, especially when there is wool to be had). i was determined not to miss today, having been off herding last time. i think i showed remarkable restraint:



5 ply 100% wool, 100g, $10 each. not bad. the plan is socks. the greeny one is for 'someone' who likes to head out to the desert every so often (yes that would be you miss d), the one in the middle looks like it might be a graduation present for a recalcitrant renee (if i do ankle socks i can probably get two pairs and then i can give a pair to erin just because this is soooooo her colourways!) and the red one is for meeeeee. after i make the pink grapefruit socks, of course. yes i have gone sock mad.

i bought all of these from the one place, i stood for ages at the glenora weaving stand talking to christine (who used to run the wool place at gerringong i spoke of earlier before she sold it to someone else who decided everyone on the south coast needed to learn felting *sigh*). i had bags of gorgeous coloured tops and that lush silk merino, thinking perhaps i could persuade, bribe, cajole someone with a wheel to spin them for me (i am trying very hard to stick to one obsession at a time), and then i thought about the lovely soft alpaca or the merino/possum blend, but something started getting up my nose ( i am slightly sensitive to yarns that arent 100% wool) and i thought id better just stick to adding to the sock stash. like i said, restrained.

i did also buy some lovely lavender hand cream and some mandarins. see honey, i do spend money on things other than knitting!



look forward to seeing if 'someone' can outdo her legendary haul from last time. i went early so there'd be something left (was it like crazy busy there today or what?!).

k :)

...after

i do believe this is a heel



maybe not the best one ever turned but a heel nonetheless. thanks to ms spider on thurs night it looks like me and the sock thing might work out. i am already planning my next pair. after i get to 9cms, graft the toe and do the other one of this pair, of course!

i also wrote most of a chapter this week but the sock is much more satisfying.

more to come...

k

before...

this is the baby sock to date, with heel flap ready for turning tomorrow night.



issues with socks so far:

1. stitches slipping off other end of DPN
2. pulling DPN out of stitches (thinking its the spare)
3. trouble getting the corners tight to avoid ladders
4. knitting in between the plys (well there are only four of them)
5. sudden increases in stitch numbers (see above) leading to slight 'ballooning' of sock (good for baby with gout i guess)
6. negotiating four needles, esp where it says "just leave the other two for now"...how do you leave something that keeps poking you in the forearm?
7. trying to understand the concept of "dividing stitches evenly" (that would be that maths thing again)
8. loosing count of rows for heel (i think i did fifteen....)
9. looming sense of dread at becoming addicted to sock knitting
10. nausea caused by repressed desire to run to LYS to add to sock stash (see above)

otherwise, a great feeling of satisfaction at having got this far. cant wait to learn more!

k