blessed be

Nothing says Christmas like hand-spun tinsel.

Peace out,
Ms Spider

PS. Thanks so much to all the well-wishers after the last post. I am extremely happy and intend to reply to everyone individually.. when I relocate my ability to organise myself.

box-erific

Isn't boxing day the best? no obligations left, holidays... and thinking about it, it's my first day off proper since school ended.
so in true spidey style i did a good deal of dyeing and knitting.
This is the EGMTK optim knit up
Looking like a weird sea creature
And hey presto! folded up to be an EZ baby surprise jacket.
I love it! the yarn is so soft, perfect for a little one with brand new skin and the pattern is genius. It started making sense a bit before half way and then i was able to relax and enjoy it a little more. I've since seamed the shoulders and am hunting down some perfect pretty buttons.

I can also now reveal my secret knitting for my Monkey:
Yes, i only have one finished but i was only knitting when he wasn't around... and i'm only human. plus it's too hot to wear them so i'm letting myself take my time.
I just finished dyeing yarn for my December Lights Tam by MaryJane Mucklestone from the recent Interweave Knits Holidays. I'm using 2 yarns instead of 8 but am using my own hand-painted yarns with long, toning colour repeats so i'm expecting it to look pretty fab.

I'm sure now i have time to myself i'll be be blogging again soon, but until then...
Happy holidays from all of us here!

Peace out,
Ms Spider

christmas came early

As my in-laws-ish are going to hawaii for christmas, we had christmas day with them.. yesterday.
Meet the newest member of my little family (who is currently thumping around behind the couch): Montgomery Megatron III.
the theory behind naming him is this: anyone this cute must be an evil mastermind. So. Montgomery for the very evil and calculation Montgomery burns and Megatron from Transformers: possibly the two most evil people (?) in history.
Monty is rather enjoying himself. He is a mini Rex (not angora: we're going to get him a friend after christmas who shall be more fibre-y) and he is veeeeery soft. Despite not really being a fibre bearing animal... he investigated my stash rather quickly, so clearly he is the right bunny for me.He took a little while to get used to me (partly because yesterday meant three changes in venue over 6 hours) but now we are firm friends. We still need to talk about his toilet habits: christmas lunch is not always improved by smelling vaguely of urine, i've found.
He's going to be a lap-bunny but his hutch is outside (because i have a very good sense of smell and the aforementioned toilet business).
I also finished spinning and plying and this is the EGMTK optim fibre as a fingering weight 2 ply. i've started a baby surprise jacket... which is bending my mind somewhat but i trust her.

Now today we are driving to Sydney to take the out-laws to the airport and are also seeing Billy Elliot (takes the sting out of it somewhat). so Monty will have the day to get used to his hutch and poop everywhere.

Peace out
Ms Spider xo

PS if i dont post again before chrissy: have a great one and thanks to everyone who has been such great support this year. it's been a bugger and having friends is such a blessing :)

PPS if you know any angora breeders could you let me know? we're happy to go on a road trip to find a good bunny.

remembering to breathe

Hello ladies, hope everyone is recovering rapidly from Post Christmas Trauma (PCT). Thankyou for all the lovely comments - the christmas do was ok.

My mother set me up to not be friends with the Aunt this year - I introduced Sherpa to my cousin when they arrived and my Mum hissed (Too loudly, in the way that everyone in the room can hear) "AND your aunt, dont be rude!". My aunt was of course out of my line of vision when i started introducing but once she heard my mother hiss she assumed i was trying to ignore her and that was it for this year. sigh.
She also scored a hand-knit washcloth (Taph's lovely pattern here) in the secret santa swap game and got rid of it so quickly it almost unravelled. My brothers girlfriend finally ended up with it and she actually wanted it so thats ok. Told you my rellies didnt respect the handmade. My grandma LOVED the one i made for her, and that was before she twigged that i'd knit it.

Christmas day was lovely, if a little hectic. My parents gave me some desperately needed mixing bowls and a pie dish and the Erika Knight Classic book (GORGEOUS!).. and my brother gave me a sifter which i also really needed.
Sherpa gave me a lovely artists journal (a proper one), some water dispersable charcoal pencils, some cuticle cream, bath mitts and THIS:
His father and he have been working on it for weeks... its a warp board which will make dyeing self-striping yarn a little less painful... AND ITS A SHEEP! I'm still blown away! isnt he beautiful? the sheep is from a kids picture book, a counting one, and his name is Woolly. But Sherpa's Dad thinks his name should be Hank :) any suggestions?

Since the christmas knitting is over, i cast on a Komi Mitten. Jo gave me the book for christmas last year and i finally had the perfect yarn (gorgeous italian variegated wool from Othlon). I'm really enjoying it :) makes me feel very clever :p
And... i dyed a whole lot of laceweight to put on eBay tonight... and i'm bad. because i cant bear to part with this skein... maybe the yarn harlot snowdrop shawl? its called Blue Lagoon, and i will dye some more.. eventually. Here it is wound... ah, hoardiness thy name is Spider.

Anyway, I'm off to see a movie, will be listing more yarn on eBay tonight (If the connection holds. for some reason we cant stay online for decent lengths of time at the moment)

Happy christmas and new year to all :)

The Joyful
Ms Spider xo

there's a reason there's a CHRIST! in christmas

Thank Guinness it comes but once a year, I say. I mean, seriously. What do we have to look forward to?

1. Insane, repetitive and squeaky versions of christmas carols over and over and OVER in every single excuse for a shop since September until we want to eat our own ears if only so we may buy a litre of milk without hearing about frosty the snowman's escapades (this is even more irritating here in Australia. IT. IS. FREAKING. HOT. Thinking about white christmas, being cosy by the fire, sleigh riding and all, quaint as it is, tends to get me just a leeetle bit pissy when its 36 degrees Celsius in the shade).
2. The crowds. And the first thing that comes to mind is not the malls, frantic as they are. Has anyone tried to brave a supermarket in the last week? Did i miss the announcement about there being no more food EVER after the 24th? It's like watching a very large and stupid herd of sheep trying to work out where to go.. and to the lady who rammed me the other day - I don't think the risk of you missing out on Tim Tams is high enough for you to push people out of the way in the biscuit aisle.
3. the decorations everywhere. Normally this wouldnt bother me. Really, i like the shiny as much as the next person and seeing the tinsel go up in the department stores lets off a little bit of excitement from my inner child that i just can't squelch. But has anyone else come near to an epileptic fit after being flashed in the eye by the giant gold discs hanging around Civic? Pretty, yes. But OMDG they are REFLECTIVE and it is WINDY and its like being trapped in a giant flashy disco of pain!
4. the annual christmas eve thing is coming up. You know, me, my family and the other million cousins being paraded in front of us to show us black sheep how poor and cheap and uncool and unworthy we are. I mean, really. My aunt's ability to make me feel like crap is pretty depleted - I'm not an idiot. I don't go out of my way to care about someone who persecutes and ridicules me and my family as frequently as possible. But it does make the whole party thing a teensy bit awkward. and i kind of dont look forward to it. My cousins cant help but think im weird. Firstly, I am weird. Secondly, they've been told I'm weird since before they could talk so its a little hard for them to be at all subjective. I understand this. I love my cousins dearly, but being on the other side of the charade means i am constantly having my nose rubbed in how well-off, well-dressed (as in brand names, GASP! not cheap and nasty HOMEMADE!!) cool and beautiful thet are has left ME with the impression that they are all pretty much shallow, petty and boring as bark. I'm sure they are not. And really, they're all about 16 (i think... there seems to be about a million 16 year old girls everytime we have a reunion) and i can't expect too much perspective at that age, can i?
   

On the other hand. My christmas shopping is done. My christmas knitting is done. My wrapping is done. I have cleaned the house from top to bottom in case we have random visitors. I have even dyed some more yarn, but wont list it til after christmas i think.
I started a sock in my new colourway 'Fetching'. I'm loving it, and it has barely pooled. I'm a big fan.

And I need to admit I am tickled pink that my sherpa is coming along to christmas eve. Apart from the fact that he is the love of my life and i am super happy to have him around and proud to bits of him... he's not what my extended family would consider appropriate. My last boyfriend was a little on the conservative side (for me anyway. he is a truly lovely guy and i dont regret my time with him etc etc.) and when he came to christmas... i just sort of felt like i was more on the outside than ever. So i feel like for the first time i can really come out as myself. sherpa is... well, he's me. He gets me, he understands my jokes, my drives, everything. nothing i do is silly or pointless or a waste to him.. i am truly appreciated. for the first time in my life, in a way i never thought possible. and if they give me shit this year i have someone who wont stand to have me humiliated, who will mock my ridiculously snooty aunt if she is catty and corner her to tell her how wonderful he thinks i am if she is sarcastic. And at the very least i finally have someone who will just find the whole beauty pageant type scenario as amusing as i do :)
Dont get me wrong, i dont WANT to have a massive blow-out with my rellies. It's just been something i've dreaded since i was 10 and i'm looking forward to going as myself for once. And not caring a flying potatoe if someone doesnt like me because i know the only people who matter to me already do.

the apparently gut-spilling and possibly PMS-ing
Ms Spider xo

i suck at this

hello ladies.
remember when i used to post weekly. at the very least frequently? I recall a time when i had to be physically restrained from posting more than once a day. ah yes, its true.
in some ways it means that there's more to see in each post.. but it also means you dont get the progression. once apon a time if i knit a sweater you'd get to see me through the back, the front, the back again when i noticed my errors, the sleeves, the collars, the first wearing... etc
now you just get starts and stops
for instance, i started this shawl on the 4th. then i got bored with it and knit the same pattern in 8ply cotton held double on 9mm needles (quicky christmas present). took me about 8 hours.
then this afternoon i finished the lace-one, cast off and blocked it. like so.
it's hand-painted belissa cashmere 2-ply. i used a 50g skein with about 5 grams left over. I also bought some beads at bead street in philip and knit them into the last pattern repeat and the edging pattern.

i really like it. it's very delicate, ridiculously soft and breath-takingly warm. basically when i drape it over my bare arm i cant feel anything except warm. i will wear it to SnB on sunday for proper viewing.

and now to bed, perchance to sleep.

Ms Spider xo

PS i was working today and took my camera along to capture the post-fire trauma. might post a few pics tomorrow.

PPS. few yarns up on eBay at the moment, if anyone knitterly wants a christmas gift. if you ask me nicely i will send overseas :)