adventures in knitting

Late to the podcast party

Posted on May 28, 2013May 28, 2013 by bekswhoknits

I’ve just discovered that I can listen to podcasts at work! Well rather, I’ve discovered Stitcher which means I don’t have to plug my phone into my computer.
This technology has apparently been around for a while because I’ve lost a bit of geek cred thinking this was a new concept.

Pod With No Name is the reason I discovered this ‘new’ technology. The fabulous @sebsharp has been plugging this podcast for ages and for good reason. It was an entertaining half hour of Australian accents and hilarity.

After that I thought about what to listen to next. So I typed in Doctor Who.
I checked out a few different podcasts, giving them a 2 minute chance to impress, but only listened to Doctor Who: Radio Free Skaro all the way through.
I liked the way it felt like I was hanging out with people who talked the way I did and loved doctor who the same way I do.
In real life I only have one person who I can chat with about all things who and that’s my little brother. Who is very awesome but it’s nice to have more than one opinion on things.

(On a side note I am superduper excited to be seeing Doctor Who at the cinema on Saturday night!!!!)

So then I thought I’d see what popped up when I typed in knitting.
There is a heap of knitting podcasts which again I gave the 2 minute test to.
I listened to Jane and Jen knit funny, which was quite entertaining.

And then I found Electric Sheep.
If you haven’t listened to her podcast before I cannot recommend it highly enough.

I have listened to all the back catalogue that stitcher will allow. She has a wicked sense of humour and I have snorted my tea once or twice whilst listening.

I have messaged my boyfriend about a pub next to a yarn store that we need to go when we’re in Europe next year from her recommendation.
I’ve been inspired to make infused gin again. (I have made lavender infused gin before but I don’t think I posted about it, nevertheless it was delicious.)
I have now made a cardigan which she spoke about which was going to be today’s blog post, but I’ve blabbed on about podcasts for long enough already.

My partner got home from work while I was sitting on the couch listening to her Christmas Panto and I was laughing so hard he thought I was broken or drunk or both.

So if you have never listened to a podcast before, or have never listened to Electric Sheep, both have the Beks Stamp of Approval.

Everything is almost right with the world

Posted on May 24, 2013May 24, 2013 by bekswhoknits

I have now completely my first ever provisional cast on.

I’m not sure it should have taken me 45 minutes and involved scissors, swearing, and cider.

So I have the toe of the sock completed and I’ve learnt something.
If you’re going to try a new technique don’t start with fingering weight.

So I’ve now starting on the foot part of the sock and immediately I feel calmer.
Like there was a something missing before.
This sock was chosen as my Team Bee mascot project. I am loving the pattern. It has one tricky row, and the rest is straight forward, I’ve finished one repeat and have got it down pat.

I am loving this yarn. It’s from yarn vs zombies and it is a dream to work with. It’s flying quickly through my fingers and I have to stop myself from pressing it against my face.

I’m no sure I’m loving the two together though.
I think the pattern is getting lost in the colours.
So I’m not sure what to do.
Do I start again with another yarn?
Do I give the provisional cast on another try?
Do I keep going and wait and see if I fall in love with the complete sock?

So everything is right with the world because I have socks on my needle, but I can’t shake this feeling that it’s not quite the right socks.

A tale of 4 cowls

Posted on May 21, 2013May 21, 2013 by bekswhoknits

My best friend has the misfortune of supporting a football team with terrible colours.

Its also difficult to find nice options in the predominantly male clothing options (or icky t-shirts) available.
So I was thinking about this and made a drunken yarn purchase.
I found this yarn on etsy and just had to!

So now I’m trying to find the perfect pattern.

I’ve narrowed it down to the following. Clicking the photo will take you to it’s ravelry page.

Weeble-wobble cowl.
This has interesting construction and I’m interested to see how it’s made.

Stratosphere Cowl
This one has an interesting zig zag part but would show off the different colours really well.

Chevron Sunshine
I’ve not done chevrons before and think that this pattern would also show off the brown & gold nicely.

Woodstack
I really like the lace on this. It would be a bit of a challenge but I still think its elegant without being too much.

Ultimately the decision will be made by the recipient, but tell me what your favourite is.
Is there a pattern you’d recommend? Is the perfect pattern not in my shortlist?

FO #12 – I found myself a hitchhiker

Posted on May 20, 2013May 20, 2013 by bekswhoknits

What is the answer to life, the universe, and everything?
The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy says that the answer to the Question, is 42.

The number 42 has since become its own popculture reference with 42 towels, this 42 shirt that my little bit geeky boyfriend wears, an entire episode of Doctor Who, and the hitchhiker shawl which has 42 little notches.

This is the only true hitchhiker I’ve made. The other two I stopped before I got to 42. Mostly because of time constraints, but also because I’m pretty selfish and wanted mine to be the only true 42 hitchhikers.
Plus neither of the recipients of the other hitchikers would care about the reference.

So here it is. You have photos of work-Bek today because I finished it only minutes before I was due at my friends place to watch Eurovision.
Time restraints = terrible selfies.

Surrounded by UFOs

Posted on May 17, 2013 by bekswhoknits

All around me is unfinished objects.
Currently on the needles I have
– hitchhiker shawl #3 for me
– 10 stitch blanket
– mini mania scarf
– parcel jumper
– ripple crocheted afghan
– blue cabled hat (in no mans land)

So what did I do this week? Cast on 3 more projects.

I’d like to introduce my team bee socks

A zigzag hat

And a cabled scarf

I think I need to buckle down and maybe finish what I start.
Or I could search ravelry for more pretty patterns!!!!

If you don’t take pictures did it really happen? (FO 12 & 13)

Posted on May 13, 2013May 13, 2013 by bekswhoknits

I’ve failed as a blogger this week.
Only after I had three packages of knitted goods complete with care instructions all wrapped up in tissue paper did I think about photographing them.

The mittens I already had photos of because I’d blogged about them before, but I’ve just sent two hitchhikers into the wilderness without any proof they were here.

Well that’s not entirely true, but it does leave me at a bit of a blogging loose end.

I do think the hitchhikers were a success. The colours I chose matched what they were wearing when I saw them (always a good sign).

The hand knitting process gives you plenty of time to um and ah over colour choices so I was a little frazzled by the time I had finished.

So in absence of good pictures, I have the ones for my care instructions.
I use the Phonto iPhone/iPad app which makes putting text over photos very easy.
I use that app to make personalized cards too. My mum is always requesting photos of me and my partner so I find a decent photo, add our names to it and put a fridge magnet on the back.
Next time I think I’ll crochet a border for something different.

FO #11 – British Morning Socks the sequel

Posted on May 10, 2013May 10, 2013 by bekswhoknits

A while ago now I made some bed socks for my most favourite girl in the world.

Since then they have been well loved. As they were so well loved I had no issues with making another pair.

Only problem was I don’t quite know where that pattern book is. Maybe under the couch somewhere, but it’s lost at the moment.
So I did a bit of research and found nothing I really liked.

I did find a really cute mitten pattern which is only in Swedish but I thought I could figure it out and make it into some socks.

Using size 7 needles and Moda Vera Jet bulky yarn I cast on 8 stitches using Judy’s magic cast on
Then increased every second row until it fit my foot.
Then I switched colours and did a few rows of purling, switched colours and did a few rows of knitting.
There was no heel so I just kept trying it on until they were long enough.

Alternating the colours whilst doing two at a time is something I like doing a) because it creates odd socks that match and b) because it means you don’t have to wind the yarn into two balls. You just start with each colour and then swap. You do end up with a lot of ends though.

I’m hoping that with use the heel will magically appear and they’ll look less like woolen condoms.

FO#10 – Summer sky half socks

Posted on May 3, 2013May 3, 2013 by bekswhoknits

It was pointed out to me once that calling these ‘socks’ was a bit misleading.

Calling them yoga socks is also misleading because I’ve never done yoga.

So I’m calling them half socks.

These half socks come in really handy with my tiled floor.
I am a clumsy girl. I usually have unexplained bruises. My bed frame in particular attacks me.
I have sustained injuries from hair ties, cereal boxes, and Nutella jars. (The Nutella jar incident required 8 staples. I still eat Nutella though. I’m such a trooper.)
So walking around my house in slippery socks is a recipe for disaster.
I also have cold feet all the time so I need socks.

These are an OK answer. They still don’t stop my toes getting cold, but it’s better than no socks at all.

I’m counting these as sock 4 in my 13 in 2013 project.

Stuck in my head – The National (now with cushions)

Posted on May 1, 2013May 8, 2013 by bekswhoknits

If you watched my video from last week you may have noticed I showed you a finished object that I hadn’t blogged about yet.
So this is a little cushion with two different lyrics from The National on either side.
It’s not a standard shape, mostly because I didn’t realise I was going to make it into a cushion when I was embroidering those song lyrics onto scrap fabric.
Fortunately the scraps were big enough and I could turn them into a cushion.

This is cushion #3 in my 13 in 2013 project.

#4KCBWDAY7 – Looking Forward

Posted on April 28, 2013 by bekswhoknits

So where do I want to be in a year?

I want to have completed my 13 in 2013 project.
I want to learn more crochet and how crochet instructions work.
I want to have finished a jumper or cardigan.
I want to get better at cables.
I want to finally figure out what this pattern is!

I find about things I don’t know how to do mostly when I browse new patterns and it uses a new technique.

So I’ll be interested to see what I’ve learnt in a year and what I’ve made. I’ve already learnt so much about knitting, enough to know I’ve only scraped the surface.

I would like to say that this week has been really awesome.
Thank you Eskimimi Makes for organising it!

It you haven’t already I highly recommend looking up any of the tags for the blog week #4KCBWDAY7 or DayX
I’ve really enjoyed reading and discovering new blogs and meeting all the new visitors to my little corner of the Internet.

I’ve had a blast!!