bekswhoknits

13 in 2013 update

Posted on September 9, 2013 by bekswhoknits

At the beginning of the year I set myself a list of 13 things that I wanted to do this year. Now that August is finished and there’s only 4 months left in the year I thought that I would do a quick recap and reassess where I’m at.

1. Open my little etsy shop. – Tick!
Sometimes you think you know what you want but then actually when you do it you realise it’s not what you want at all.
I thought I wanted an etsy shop, but almost as soon as I opened it I realised that I didn’t.
I prefer to make things with a specific recipient in mind, rather than for a mass market. So I’ve closed my shop and chalked it up to experience.
Instead I will continue to make things and send them to friends. Even if they’re friends I have never met.

2. Host a giveaway on my blog – Tick!
This was so much fun! And this is where I figured out the I like giving things away more than selling them.
The lesson to be learned is that postage is a killer. In the future small and light will be the way to go.

3. Finish Start the knitting crafting for my Pay It Forward post. – Tick!
Again this was rediculously fun! And it was the beginning of embroidering fabric to go on a frame.

4. Knit 12 pairs of socks. – 6/12
I’m halfway through this one. I have two pairs of socks on the needles at the moment. One which I like and one which I don’t.
After seeing Jesse’s finished socks from this week I have the sock knitting bug again.

5. Sew 6 cushions.- 6/6 – Tick!
Woo all 6 cushions are completed! And I have one side of another one. This cushion making lark is fun. (Jazzical if you’re reading this I haven’t forgotten you, this whole buying a house lark is time consuming.)

6. Write a knitting pattern and post it on Ravelry.
I have started this one yet. I don’t know if I still want to.
Maybe if inspiration strikes I may be able to check this off my list.

7. Post a tutorial or a how-to guide. – Tick!
Seriously making a video was not what I had planned for this. But it turned out to be a really good experience. And now I have youtube subscribers. That’s a weird feeling for someone who only has two knitting videos.

8. Try a new craft, or 2, or 3.
So I tried arm knitting which was interesting.
The jewellery making was something that I had wanted to do for ages. I can definitely see more of that in my future.
Spinning definitely counts as my third new craft. I’m still not too good at it, but I can only improve right?
I recently bought a weaving kit so that’s going to be my fourth new craft so I’ll be interested to see how that goes.

9. Create an artwork for my apartment – Coming Soon!
This has been done but I haven’t blogged about it yet. I’m now waiting until we get in our new house. Or maybe I’ll show you it and then show you it again in our new house. I haven’t decided yet.

10. Embroider a whole song (lyrics) onto something.
I’m changing the parameters on this one. The intent was to stretch my embroidery skills and do a long project. Well instead of a song I chose a story from Black Books. Embroidery skill level ‘ 3 stitches learnt’ achieved!

11. Sew a garment from a pattern, and wear it.
I’m going to wait until we’re in a house before I attempt this. If I’ve learnt anything from making 6 cushions this year it’s that I don’t have enough room to cut out cushions let alone a pattern. Since the fish came along this year I have lost my kitchen table.

12. Read a new book every month. (something I haven’t read before) 11/12
This has been fun. I’ve learnt to knit and read at the same time which has helped.
I’m currently half way through a new book so I should well and truly achieve this.

13. Crochet a granny square. – Tick!
I thought that a granny square would be a great way to ease into crochet and it was. I’ve now completed two rugs, many granny squares and a cushion. I’m about to attempt a chevron rug. Wish me luck!

The Elephant and his balloon.

Posted on September 2, 2013September 2, 2013 by bekswhoknits

Oksoamy drew an awesome illustration for the children’s book that Manny and Bernard write one episode.

This is the finished embroidery.

Because I love my little brother

Posted on August 30, 2013August 30, 2013 by bekswhoknits

I made him a cushion.

Because my family don’t understand presents without a reason it’s a “housewarming” present.

Even though he moved into his new place about a year ago.

I love my little brother.
Every so often I will get a text message just with a quote from a TV show we both like.

His text tone is from futurama. “The alien mother ship is in orbit here. If we can hit that bullseye the rest of the dominoes will fall like a house of cards. Check mate.”

Even that just makes me laugh.
He calls me little sis because I’m only 5’10” and he’s over 6″.
I call him my little brother because he’s 5 years younger.

So I figured the best way to celebrate this relationship is with quotes on a cushion.
One side is from black books “feng shui is nine tenths of the law”.
The other is from doctor who (in case the tardis didn’t give it away).

My middle brother may not be the TV geek that my little brother and I am, but his two little ones had birthdays last week and I couldn’t let that pass without sending off some knitted gifts.

You can’t really go wrong with a hat and a scarf.

Now I just need to figure out what to do for Father’s Day!
I’m trying to track down some handkerchiefs to embroider with little success. If all else fails chocolate coated sultanas always go down a treat.

This is another cushion for my 13 in 2013 project.

Home

Posted on August 29, 2013August 29, 2013 by bekswhoknits

We are now one step closer to a new home, which means leaving the apartment I’ve lived in for 4 years (1.5 of them all by myself) to an actual house.
I have been dreaming about living in my own house for so long I almost can’t believe it.

Of course the first thing I’ve done is make lots of lists. The majority are pretty boring like ‘people we need tell our new address to’ or ‘new house budget’ or ‘services we need to reconnect’.
But there’s also…

Things I won’t miss about living in an apartment.
– Hearing other people’s toilets during the night
– Hearing other people’s TVs / arguments / pigs making noise
– Being so close to other people
– Climbing over hewhofishes to get out of bed every morning
– The spare room being a combination laundry/shed/sewing room/office
– Tripping over the tools in the hall way
– People looking into our living room
– The cold, cold tiles
– Stepping over things to get in the front door
– Moving the bins when we have to answer the back door
– Every single photo having shadows in them and the terrible lighting

Things I will miss about living in an apartment.
– Being able to (accurately) throw rubbish into the bins in the kitchen from the living room
– The rail over the bath that I use as a spare laundry
– Being 400 meters away from a train station
– Being so close to MidniteMoose. We’ll have to have a MooseRoom again. Or maybe a tram service between our two places.
– My silver CD wall
– Knowing that if we lose something it has to be in one of three rooms.
– Scribbling on the walls whenever I feel like it

Things I will be able to do now that we’re buying a house.
– Have enough space to trace and cut a pattern
– Recycle
– Play ‘Test Match Cricket – The Board Game’
– Send hewhofishes outside to potter in the garden
– Decorate!
– Walk to a decent local pub (not the best local pub, but still better than our current local pub which has naked ladies on the walls and its food menu is toasted sandwiches)
– Have a chaise lounge
– Have more than 3 people over at any one time.
– Sit on the balcony in a deck chair
– See the Australia day fireworks without leaving the house
– Have kitchen appliances specifically a mix master
– Take nice photos of my knitting

Things that probably won’t change
– Me being able to find scissors
– The frequency that I wash the floors
– Being sober enough to see the Australia day fireworks
– Not having enough space for all my doctor who merch
– All the clutter

There’s still plenty of time for the deal to fall apart, but a girl can dream.

cough cough

Posted on August 27, 2013 by bekswhoknits

Guys I’m dying.
I have a trifling cold and it’s sucking all of my energy.
Between work, sleep, and catching up on breaking bad (I’m just about to start series 5 so no spoilers please!) I have no energy left to knit, none to blog, and only a couple of scheduled posts left.

So everyone go and look at Marielle’s Edible Nacho Party Hat!

*Obviously this photo is from Marielle’s blog and not my own but doesn’t it make you want to make this straight away!

A loss, a cold, and some more embroidery

Posted on August 26, 2013August 26, 2013 by bekswhoknits

Saturday was both good and bad. I got to see my team live, and hold out the banner for them to run through. But we got absolutely thrashed.
Then with five minutes to go a cheer rang out when another games result went in our favour so we are playing finals for the first time in 5 years!!!
HeWhoFishes has never seen finals-Bek so this could be interesting. It’s like football-Bek but a bit more extreme and with more yelling / crying / drinking.

Sunday I didn’t go more than 2 meters away from a box of tissues.
With no voice (half football yelling / half cold) I invented a code so the other half knew when I wanted another cup of tea.
It involved throwing things and miming a cup of tea. And was surprisingly effective. I think he still felt bad for bursting out into raucous laughter every time he heard me speak.

I worked a little more on my black books embroidery. And I spent quite a bit of time surfing through Wild Olive.
If you’ve never visited her blog before, she does all sorts of really cool embroidery and makes the most adorable printables. (How cute are these pencils!)
She has taught me how to do french knots, and I now know how to do laisy daisies and chains.

I made an embroidery needle book which now lives next to my scissors and my brand new stitch marker holder (thanks again Keri!).
I also went through and put all of my embroidery floss onto cardboard.
This is about as organised as I am ever going to be!

make your own report card

Posted on August 24, 2013August 24, 2013 by bekswhoknits

Watching Television – A+
Falling asleep watching television and not knowing where I got up to the next day – A
Getting my Bloglovin unread items to zero every day – C
Dyeing my regrowth in a timely manner – D
Brushing my teeth every day – C
Taking my contacts out at night (when I wear them) – F
Thinking before I speak – C+
Being able to find a pen when I need one – F
Being able to find scissors when I need them – C
Checking my phone the second it does something – A
Unsubscribing from email lists I don’t care about – C-
Waking up on time on a work day – C
Waking up ridiculously early on the weekend – B+
Leaving half drunk cups of tea all over the house – A++
Complaining about half drunk cups of tea all over the house – A
Counting to 5 – A
Counting 5 repeats of a pattern – C
Counting in 5s when casting on 100 stitched – C-
Counting to 5 laps of a swimming pool – D-
Painting my nails and not touching them til they’re dry – B-
Complaining my feet are cold – A
Putting socks on to walk around on tiles – D
Snuggling up in a blanket – A++

If any one needed more proof that knitters are the most awesome people

Posted on August 23, 2013August 23, 2013 by bekswhoknits

I present exhibit A

I received this little guy in the mail this week from the oh-so-wonderful Keri (who writes whendidibecomeaknitter)

As well as sending her something I was the third to comment on her post.

So I am now the proud owner of a knitted dalek, some Keri handspun!!!!, a Canada mug and Canada coin purse.

I have been dreaming about what to make from the handspun (which I confess I have fondled inappropriately).
Or I could just leave it on display to be fondled and admired.

Thank you Keri!!!!
xx

Whatever Wednesday – write your own obituary

Posted on August 22, 2013August 22, 2013 by bekswhoknits

Every Wednesday/Thursday I’ll be blogging about the topic that comes through my email courtesy of Shay & Alissa. If you want to join in the fun, email Whateverwednesdays@yahoo.com to get a heads up on the topic for the week.

write your own obituary

This very nearly read “incarcerated at 28 after her upstairs neighbours woke her up at 4:30 and she violently intervened”.

But instead –

She passed away in her sleep at 86. She was well loved and was a regular at the local bowls club where she was known for being crap at bowls, but made damn good sausage rolls.
Her favourite place in the world, was the front porch where all the people most important to her would gather, giggle at knitted penises, drink too much gin, and play card games each with their own rules that the others didn’t know.

A crazy cat lady who knitted cats, but is most quoted as saying “get off my lawn!”

She is survived by a crochety old man who is going a bit deaf, is actually good at bowls but will soon die of a broken heart (too harsh?), and her best friend who has the biggest collection of knitted mustaches known to man. And they’re still cool.

Of chvrches and wolf & cub

Posted on August 21, 2013August 21, 2013 by bekswhoknits

I recall seeing wolf & cub with about 15 other people at v fest 08 (or 09 my memory is hazy).
They were playing at the same time as Madness and The Kills.
I was running around like a mad thing between three stages.

And so I listened to their album a bit that year and had since forgotten about them.

Until I was skimming through the triple j playlist and saw that they had a new song out. So I added it to a playlist and it hasn’t left my head since.

I did almost the same thing with chvrches. As they’re highly tipped for laneway and there’s been a bit of buzz about them I thought I’d give them a listen. I wasn’t all that interested.
But again skimming through the triple j playlist I listened to Guns and have been hooked.

Serious ear worms both of them.
And the best part of looking at the triple j playlist is you still stay in touch with what other people are listening to, without hearing the songs you don’t want to listen to. Or the songs that they play 5 times a day.