Knitting on the move and James Bond

Tools of the trade, essential for stress free and productive train travel.

An MP3 player, preferably with a remote volume control. A Useful plastic bag in which to keep my current knitting project, usually socks because I don't want a handbag the size of a suitcase! All this was invaluable on my return journey from York on Saturday, after leaving there on time we were sat in the platform at Doncaster for 40 minutes. Almost finished the sock I had with me, now that would have been disaster as I didn't have a book with me. The DPNS that I now knit socks on are Brittany Birches 5" length. when I first saw these I had my doubts but they are much easier to handle than longer needles. I do get some very funny looks, sometimes worrying ones when a cocktail size needle shoots into the air!

Opal Petticoat in some very vibrant colour, even too much for me but it was chosen by my non knitting sister for a friends birthday. Sunglasses required me thinks.

Sunday was spent depositing a very grubby white van, not made so by us, and walking down to the odeon in brighton on the sea front, via Carluccios. I like to try all these places and this one didn't let us down. The Hot Chocolate looks interesting as the glasses its served in appear to have chocolate painted inside them in a very decorative fashion, what a job that must be. We had breakfast which having walked a reasonable distance I didn't feel too guilty about.

Managed at last to get in to see Casino Royal, can recommend it although as we were leaving one young girl was asked by her mother if she'd enjoyed it the reply was "I thought it was never going to end".

Harrogate Knitting and Stitching show

There I was on the 05:39 train from Brighton, waking up the world with texts to advise of my arrival time. When will people learn not to sleep with their mobile phones! After the usual delays the train I was on reached York 2 minutes in front of the next train from London, which left 30 minutes later. The green project was almost completed en route and final rows done at 07:00 Saturday morning, anyone would think I suffered from insomnia.

Back to Harrogate, which was rather wet when we arrived. The usual crowds of coach trippers blocked the show entrance, do they not realise once off the coach they can disperse? The last time I went to this show was possibly 20 years ago so with this in mind and the rise in knittings popularity I stupidly thought, like alot of others, that the show would now be on a par with the one run by the same company at Alexandra Palace. No, knitting despite being in the shows title, is still badly represented, possibly because some firms don't think it worth the journey North. I would have thought Bettys was enough reason, rumour has it knitting needles were in full swing there. Despite this huge difference to the Alexandra Palace show it is nice to see some yarn retailers think it worth the trip North and South. HipKnits, UK Alpaca and Pavi Yarns to name a few of the ones to get my business. I think yet again it will be another few years before I go back but I am lucky enough to live somewhere where getting to Alexandra Palace is easy.
After that North South divide rant heres what you've been waiting for......Stash Needless to say my rucksack was bulging nicely for the return journey.

Hipknits Cashmere club sock yarn for November and the goodies for joining HipKnits Club, including Camel. At least thats what someones father told me! It is a lovely soft wool so worth watching for it going on sale.










HipKnits Laceweight Cotton/Silk.

UK Alpaca bargain buys 100g for £4.50 and the Black is 100% Alpaca.



Again from HipKnits Schaefer Elaine in 2 colourways.














Finally some Twilleys Freedom Spirit Fire.

Socks, Cinema and Thai!

As is true of many people at this time of year pictures of my current projects will be few and far because they are Christmas presents. Although one of the people who have read this doesn't have a computer she usually reads it via anothers!

Anyway I have finished the first of my Green secret project, will I be able to part with it? Have bought a pair of very expensive Sock Blockers to hopefully show them at their best. Haven't ever bothered about this before but I think some patterns will benefit.

Do you find that you collect patterns for yourself and conscience/deadlines force you to knit it for someone else first. This is the case here but it has encouraged me to be more adventurous with my sock knitting. Which I know a few friends find amusing when you can buy 7 pairs for £7 in Next/M&S etc. Although the one person who has got a pair of my hand knit socks has asked me to knit a pair for someone else.

On normal life front. We tried to get in to see Casino Royale last night. After speeding down from Brighton station we reached the Odeon to find the queue out of the door with 5 minutes to the start. Trying again on Sunday in the hope that everyone else has something better to do. Still went for our usual Thai meal at the highly recommended Thai Spice which is a very unassuming place but the food is excellent. This restaurant is second only, in our minds, to Paulina Thai Cafe in Kings Cross Road, London. Very local for my office and our payday takeaway. It is the Thai equivalent of a greasy spoon to look at but the food is very good and cheap!

A picture just to add to the interest, I aspire to making my sock knitting easier so bought Socks that Soar on Two Circular Needles which will get read after the rush of Christmas knits has passed. On the same day my yarn from the Yarn Yard arrived, Novembers charity yarn Bushcraft and Goth with pink which has since been knit and frogged! So if you wish to see it knit up see previous post.

Early train to get to Harrogate tomorrow, have a huge list of purchase possibilities especially for the Shoalwater Shawl pattern bought from Angel Yarns.

Cake Day - Yes I was there

Although only briefly. SIL had a child to retrieve.
The Angel building is very unassuming but like an alladins cave once you enter. Thankfully the yarns are stored in Cardboard boxes, most of which are above my head height! However my usefully tall SIL reached the Jojoland Cashmere sock wool for me and then reminded me of her January birthday and the fact that she liked the same colour as the one I was buyuing. This is a most unusual happening as she likes Blue and I go for Green and she most definitely does not like pink. See the very nice pinky/lilac mix I bought in the picture! Having a fellow knitter in the family is dangerous because you use their presents as an excuse to increase your own stash....oops secrets out. I also bought 2 skeins of Angel Silk again in lilacy/blue shades to be knitted into a scarf for a present, if time permits. Had a huge list which I didn't manage to dig out of my bag, leaves some possibilities for Harrogate.


The Eyelash scarf brigade have resurfaced and require yet another Black scarf, so I had to make a detour via C and H fabrics for that "yarn".

Piccies

Following on from yesterdays post. Here are the pictures to back up my claims.
Multi Directional scarf in Noro Silk Garden. Thanks to my Mum and Sheepish for finding the extra ball.
Feather and Fan scarf in Rowan Kidsilk Haze. Who would believe 1 ball would do so much!

And finally my secret project which I would love to keep but have decided to give to a very deserving person for Christmas.

Finished and WIP's

Completed:
Feather and Fan scarf in Rowan Kidsilk Haze
Noro Silk Garden Multidirectional Scarf (apart from Fringe-tonights job)

Beaded Wrap in Rowan Cashcotton finished a while back but I think it is worth a mention.

WIP's:
Fleece Artist Moss Feather and Fan Socks - looking good.
Moss stitch cushion cover, will it ever get finished?
Twilleys Freedom Spirit Earth wrap cardigan (Sirdar Pattern)
Louisa Harding Impression Glove (one complete)

Stash - Ever expanding and Angel Yarns Cake Day this Saturday aswell as Harrogate Knitting and Stitching Show next Friday.

Postal situation - Unchanged. 1 item outstanding from 25/09. Two from October.

Going Postal......Curious rants

The title may have given you a clue, or maybe not.

I am still awaiting my order from Curious Yarns which was made 25th September, I think I'm being very patient but as no phone number is advertised i am restricted in communication options. Have sent numerous E-Mails to various addresses and also written but so far I have received 1 E-Mail which was early October, saying my order may have been lost, to which I responded. I am looking at the fact that I may have lost £50, despite reading so many peoples good reports about this yarn.

They may well be innocent in all this as I had part of an order from Laughing Hens outstanding so long I'd forgotten about it and was only reminded by them when it was returned to them 2 months after the order date as undeliverable. It appears now that the Royal Mail don't always feel the need to tell you a parcel is sitting in the sorting office. This appears not to be the case of the Curious Yarns order as my husband has investigated.

Any clues would be much appreciated. Hard to knit up £50 worth of thin air.

Cakes!

Just a quick up date of my so far eventful weekend.

Friday boarded 12:00 at Kings Cross bound for York and was lucky enough to have 2 seats to myself all journey, possibly the knitting put them off. This was after starting work at 07:30 so left Brighton on the 05:49. Fairly relaxing day.

Saturday 07:40 bus to go to hairdressers, I look much younger thanks to Baco Foil and lots of gunk. (Lowlights I believe the technical term is).

11:30 back on bus to centre of York where someone proceeded to throw up whilst sitting next to me.......pure alcohol....Nice....NOT. Cafe didn't serve lunch til 12 and 11:54 was not near enough. Delays on trains so sped to station, retrieved bags and chased train down platform, managed to get 2 seats to myself yet again. Almost managed to complete sleeve of my cardigan.

Heres a close up of Twilleys Freedom Spirit Earth that I'm knitting it in. Having almost commuted to and from York I have seen many problems mainly with Toilet doors not being locked so I shall say no more but at least I had moved after pressing the open button so the display was not for me but the whole of coach G.
I boarded train at 12:33 which was already running an hour late and arrived back in brighton 16:15 so I think that is almost top of the leader board for journey times on this route.

Iced yet more cakes last night for affore mentioned exhibition and am now preparing to leave and serve the general public. Something for your delectation.

Tiffin always good for 50p a slice!

I've been found out

Took my usual look at the Angel Yarns Forum this morning only to find that my blog has been read by other than my sister. I am not one for blowing my own trumpet so was quite shocked but I quite enjoy reading other peoples knitting blogs aswell as keeping a record of my own efforts. Very nice comments so I must be doing something right. NB: Will introduce myself shortly as I have a hectic few days coming up.

Back to more mundane things, I am finally catching up with finishing projects, except the tweed cushion cover which has lain at the bottom of my knitting bag for at least 5 years!!! I know, but it isn't very inspiring AND it is moss stitch which I hate after doing a lovely long jacket in it. So, finished are my lovely Picot socks, not perfect but as they are for me I won't be looking at the slight fault in the picot join. Would fall over if I had to. The yarn is from Piece of beauty and features in a previous post with better colour representation.
Also finished is the Barton Bag, won't be using Noro Silk Garden for felting again. Took ages and results weren't as good as the Kureyon I used for a Booga Bag.





Also finished is the Feather and Fan Kidsilk Haze scarf, this yarn takes alot of concentration for me but I have 6 other balls to knit up into Winter Companions, which may become Spring Companions...or even Autumn Companions. Have also started a narrow scarf in some Yarn Yard Goth, pink colourway which is again Feather and Fan. I'm not sure it is too narrow for me but it does show off the colours well. How indecisive do I sound.

The Black Eyelash scarf girlies have now changed to Burnt Orange so we have had 3 orders for them so far.

Tonight we will mostly be making and icing cakes for my husbands little event, Brighton Model Railway Club Exhibition. Keeps him off the streets and he IS NOT to be found standing on the end of station platforms with his Twix, addidas bag and Thermos! Part of our train interest relates to the fact that we both work for companies that used to be part of British Rail, so its an occupational hazard.

Tomorrow I am venturing North to York, for a haircut I know it sounds a bit far but they understand me......and that takes some doing. Will be speeding, hopefully, back home again in time for Strictly Come Dancing, Pizza and gallons of Red Wine. Now you understand why I need a hairdresser who understands. Sunday will be spent icing more cakes and helping serve the general public with refreshments at the above event.

Sussex Sunset from 5th November before war broke out. Where do people get the money from to pay for such loud bangs!

Noro Scarf and Bag

Have been busy with various knits for Christmas most of which I can't show because some are for one of the 3 people who read this. But in its pre felted state is a Noro Silk Garden Barton Bag. The pattern was free on the 2007 Simply Knitting Calendar aswell as being in Noro Unlimited shade I used is 84, very vibrant but I'll see what felting does.

This is just a section, so you can see colours, of the multi directional scarf I have started. May run out of wool as I thought, possibly naively, that 2 balls would be enough. So will be dispatching the York connection to Sheepish tomorrow to see if they have any left, as I bought the original in their Knaresborough shop. I think Noro must have discontinued this shade because of the yellowy Green, which is the reason I bought it. No accounting for tatse! I love Noro wools although I do think the price is a little prohibitive to make all the large Jackets and Cardigans I would like.

My stash currently resides in a Sainsburys reuseable shopping bag, very orange, although I see they have designer ones now so will have to upgrade to make the bedroom ornament fit in! Been selling some on yarn on EBay because my tastes have changed as have the availability of decent yarns and colours. During stash clearance I came across carrier bags from Kangaroo, when they had a shop in Lewes and also Bobbins, when they had a shop in York. Bobbins closed their shop before I moved South so thats over 11 years ago....obviously thats a project that was doomed from day 1.

Am looking forward to visiting Angel Yarns Open Day, I have ordered from them and regularly and read their forum I am not brave enough to announce myself.
Have managed to persuade my Mum that she would like a trip to the Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate so that will mean a 05:49 train from Brighton, my regular work one. I had arranged to meet a friend from Mallorca while in York so it seemed a good excuse to combine the two. I will of course not be buying, well maybe some more Twilleys Freedom Spirit, for a much longer multi directional scarf or three.

This post does read a bit like a grand tour but my life now is in Brighton, I work in London and my previous existence was in York, so you can see the connection.

Finally for all those campaigners concerned about cruelty to Jelly Babies, they have all gone. Haribo Star Mix, leftover from Halloween, are going to be the next to get it!

Sussex by the Sea.

Meryl Streep and Jelly Babies!

Last night I went to see The Devil Wears Prada, film with lots of glam for those who wish it. I would think it was the easiest buck (or Million) Meryl Streep has made but I like her all the same. I like either in depth dramas or easy viewing movies like this.
How do cinemas get the temperatures so low, I had vest, t-shirt and my Noro Silk Garden Lizzy cardigan on aswell as an anorak (and jeans!) and was still cold. This cardigan is the first piece of knitting I have sewn up for myself, having a seamstress Mother comes in handy despite living in York! The picture makes it look much larger than it is but you get the drift.

Scarf sale apparantly went well and I am awaiting yet another scarf order, hope not Black but you know what these women are like.

How do you manage to eat Jelly Babies whilst knitting? Answer with a cocktail stick, how cruel but necessary.