and more...

You were all already aware that I get a bit compulsive, right?

Wide scarf using Jet bought at the outlet store in an intriguing beige/lilac colourway. This may be for my grandmother.

Wide scarf using Katia Venus in a lemon/lavender colourway. I wouldnt weave with this again, it's basically a fuzzy single and was sticky and resistant.You can probably tell from the pictures that the tension is a bit off.

Skinny scarf using my own handspun (BFL/Soy from EGMTK, colourway forgotten). This was so much fun!

Skinny scarf using bendigo black 8ply cotton for the warp and the same handspun from the other skinny scarf for the weft.

After a couple of days sans knitting (yes, really) I had a break from the loom and whipped up this little guy. He's one of the lovable toys from last-minute knitted gifts and was quite fun. A nice easy pattern with a cute outcome. The other bunnies in my house approve.

Back to school tomorrow, darn it all to hell. I will never get over how quickly holidays run past, I really feel like it was only last week I was tearing out of there... but i suppose lots has happened.
We got engaged, booked a venue, found a dress, booked a celebrant, chose bridesmaids and some groomsmen, a make-up artist (or genius, if you prefer).... I think my plan to 'deal with the big stuff' before school went back was a roaring success, just quietly.
And a fair bit of knitting went on in that time, and in the last four days a great deal of weaving. I watched Gilmore Girls for the first time, all the way through (still sniffing away). I had three boughts of accidental-gluten-consumption sickness. I had my Coeliac's confirmed, as much as i can without a biopsy. I had an awesome road trip with one of the coolest women I know. I spent too much money on yarn. My attempt to eat healthily and excercise more has resulted in a 2 kilo weight gain (go figure) but I don't feel any fatter so I think I can deal.

And in exactly a week I turn 24. it's so odd. I still have to check myself because I always want to say I'm 22... I need to pause and add a year. Now it will be two! I'm also kind of dreading it, I always get a visitation from my black dog on my birthday - and to make matters worse it's the first full day of teaching for the year! But on the plus side, I'll be glad to see all the kids again. I've missed the little buggers (although I had a dream last night that some of them were shooting at our house.... premonition?).

Ok, off I go. Prepare for a sudden drop off in posts, school is a WIPEOUT! (if you do not have 60's surfing music in your head right now, your are either much cooler or much less pathetic than I).

Peace out,
Ms Spider xo

warp speed

Some more weaving pics.

The loom in action.

my 2nd project: a skinny scarf using white merinospun and some of my hand-dyed 12ply singles.
A drapier, wide scarf using a collection of leftover sock yarn.


another scarf using an entire ball of Lincraft Hot Socks - funky tartan!
And I go back to work in 4 days....
eew.

Peace out,
Ms Spider xo

my Knitter's Loom arrived today!

and i found another use for leftover sock yarn ^_^

Elizabeth Bennet

So, on Thursday I finished my pink cardigan.
The first set of buttons I attached were really cute Beutron Vintage buttons I had in my stash.... but sadly the pearl colour started to flake off and they didn't really keep the cardigan closed with any kind of genuine effort.
So this morning I replaced them with some second-hand pale blue buttons. Much better!

No pics on me until it gets cooler. I obviously only knit short sleeves, I didnt trust 2 balls of Zara to make two nice long cabled sleeves.I also lengthened the peplum cable by an extra cable and also widened it to get a bit more shape (for some reason this pic came out blue. It's actually a very pale pink).
The Zara is so soft I can wear this over a camisole, so short sleeves work well.

The bunnies enjoy sharing corn.
last night we had our Engagement party which was great fun. No pics, nobody needs to see that ;) Thanks everyone who came, and no hard feelings to those who couldnt make it :)

Peace out,
Ms Spider xo

Help!

I don't know what to knit! Everything on the go is boring me and I really need another project after I finished Elizabeth Bennet cardigan on Thursday (I have to change the buttons before I show it) and I'm stumped!
I'm looking at the Somewhat Cowl, Scabbard, Giselle, Flying Cables, Rusted Root, Favourite Cardigan, Tangled Yoke Cardigan, Alatus, Bonsai Tunic, Boatneck Bluebell Sweater, Corsica, and Slinky Ribs, but I am open to suggestions.

Please! I'm dying here!

Road trip: day 3

Morning at the Wang consisted of music videos and then a very large breakfast at our new favourite cafe. Mmmm, breakfast chips!

The first thing that drew us to Scribblers were the black and white tables, so TSS was a little disappointed by their only decent pepper-grinder...

We went by a yarn store and I saw a felted pear that was far inferior to the beautiful ones a certain lovely lady makes, so i took a snap for proof.

We then went to Wangaratta Woolen Mills, where there are a lot of signs to build the anticipation. the yarn fumes overcame me and I didnt think to take a photo of the inside of the shop... but be to fair, this is what we bought and it's a fairly decent reflection of what was once in the shops :p
bag in middle and left are mine... wasn't TSS a good girl? Her pruchases weren't even for her!

We then tore back towards Canberra, swinging by everything remotely resembling an op-shop on the way. The most memorable thing we saw would have to be this amazing sweater kit in Wodonga - with a pre-knit yoke! We didnt buy it, it smelled a little like moths and by that stage our purses were all a little light.

We made in to Canbbera by about 6.30 and collapsed in a heap.

BEST. TRIP. EVER.

Road trip: day 2

The morning in Bendigo began with the dawn chorus. That is, workmen drilling and reversing trucks for long periods of time. Sock knitting, however, took the edge off it all.

After a hastily consumed breakfast, and a few wrong turns, we ended up at the mill. We savoured the moment by exploring outside for a little while...

And then we hit the bargain room.
YUM.
Some damage was done, at least to our reputations as sane and rational modern women.

We hit some op-shops.
We dragged ourselves off to a strange mohair farm in the hope of a tour of cute animals but sadly no tour was available. The man who was manning the store was obviously VERY confused by our arrival and had some trouble dealing with idea that I am under 25, knit, spin and may not totally suck at either of the latter (I do totally suck at being under 25, i tend to swing rapidly between mental ages of 4 and 50).
Some nice spinning fibre was located but no photos were taken.

We then raced towards Mooroopna and made it there just the very minute that the SPC Factory Outlet Store closed. Luckily, TSS is far more persuasive than I am and talked our way inside to buy large quantities of tinned tomatoes.

We then proceeded to Wangaratta (or 'The Wang' as every local calls it, much to my amusement). We had a swim in the motel pool, ordered thai food and enjoyed some bevvies at the local pub while we waited.

We watched The Wedding Planner and I knitted my pink cardigan and we periodically shared idiotic grins of pure joy.

Road trip: day 1

So, bright and early at sparrow's fart on Sunday, TSS and I started on our mission to deprive Victoria of all bargain-priced yarn.

We saw a submarine, and pondered the logistics of having a submarine so far inland.
We saw a monkey. Nearby there were discarded socks, so I maintain it was a sock monkey taking a little breather.

We went through Albury, and viewed our accommodation for Monday night... and were less than thrilled. Any place with a drive-thru bottle shop, in my book anyway, is not high living.

We stopped off at Wangaratta for lunch and kind-of-accidentally-on-purpose changed our booking for the second night's accommodation. Oops! We ate a fabulous lunch at the worlds best cafe (Scribbler's, but they might change their name) which is friendly to both Coeliac's and Vegetarians.
We saw a beautiful dress in a window that could've been a great wedding dress (but when i tried it on the colour and cut was all wrong for me).

We pushed on to Bendigo and arrived about 5pm. We walked around the pretty gardens and lovely conservatory. Eventually we located our accommodation at The Fleece Inn. So pretty!

Dinner was on Coles and after-dinner entertainment was down to Roxy.

We admired the staircase and my amazing scarf cast on and off in one day.Then we went to bed and tried to sleep through the excitement about visiting Bendigo Mills in the morning.

TO BE CONTINUED