if you blinked you'd miss it

Ok, so I just happened to glance at the calender today... and it's over a month since i posted. I suppose the upshot of being completely hopeless is that nobody relies on you too much. But that is a pretty sad upshot really.

Anyway, I turned 24 without incident. i can't see any proper wrinkles yet, but it could be denial on my part.

I was fitted for and ordered my wedding dress, and we found the bridesmaid's frocks.

I had a bad bout of laryngitis which knocked me out for over a week. Much better now though.

I've also been on a healthy-eating and exercise bent and have managed to lose about 3 kg. I know it's cliched, but I'm trying to trim down for the wedding. I feel like I've been trying to lose weight for ages, but now that i actually am trying I realise that before I was only whining about my weight gain but not making any real effort. My health has only really improved enough for a concerted effort recently. I know I'm not huge, but my body doesnt feel like my body anymore and i figure the longer I leave this spare tire the harder it will be to budge.
I feel better for it. I don't know if it's obvious to anyone else, but to me i appear more toned. and my clothes are just that teensiest bit looser. not baggy, but more comfortable. So i intend to keep it up; at least with the Celiac's I can't eat much in the way of cakes, doughnuts, biscuits etc. it's easier to be good when the consequences of eating naughty food is three days on the loo!

I have been knitting.
Chunky Cabled Tam from Knit.1 Fall 2009
Bella's Mittens by Marielle Henault
Front pieces of Soap Bubble Wrap from Connie Chang Chinchio Silly Apple Cozy by Casey Newman (my fruit always gets squished when i run for the bus in the morning - this is remarkably effective!)

And yet another BSJ, for a friend of a friend who just had a little red-headed boy.

I have been weaving.
Using Bendigo Rustic 12ply in Pacifica, a birthday gift for my future Mother-in-Law.
And I have been teaching. this is the 6th week of term and all is well. I have some lovely classes and delightful kids.

And as a result of all of the above I am completely exhausted. And it's nearly 10pm which is well and truly my bedtime!

I'll try to be better from now on!

Peace out,
Ms Spider xo

happy gnu year

Ladies! Welcome to 2007! It is strange, no? I still catch myself writing 2002 on things...

Firstly, for my own records, some resolutions:

• Get fitter (suddenly some of my clothes are very tight... this is disconcerting.)
• Do my uni work when i get it.
• try to take it easy with the random startitis fits - or at least learn some finishing stamina. (and for those loyal readers who just gasped and said i finish everything very quickly... the blog is the tip of the iceberg. you dont need to know everything i cast on....)
• have a berloody housewarming party already! (may coincide with my birthday)
• Be more social. I have gotten rusty. apart from sherpa and anyone who knits i really struggle to make an effort socially. i would like to excersize this muscle until i am comfortable chatting to strangers again (i always say the stupidest things!!!)

I think that covers it for now.

Now, to the interesting stuff.
I finished one mitten. It is beautiful. i love it. the floats are beautiful. the texture is beautiful. unfortunately there is a small problem...
my hand.
apparently my hands are in no way 'adult medium'. Sherpa who is in no way resistant to colour thinks it is pretty swish... but i dont want him to get killed in the street.

this raises a slight ethical problem for me. if you comment, please vote on this. If you are gifted yarn, are you only allowed to use said yarn on projects for yourself? or is it ok to knit a gift for someone else out of gifted yarn? Guidance will be appreciated.

Here is my 'Blue Lagoon' shawl. I decided against the yarn harlot shawl (i prefer top down shawls) and have instead cast on the Icarus shawl from Interweave Knits Summer 2006 (this is Jejune's mag, I'm sorry I've had it so long!). It's simple but it does chug along quite nicely. I cant wait til i get to the feather tip bits... drool. and the blocking. just magic.

That probably covers it for now.
Hope everyone had a lovely new years and all. hope to see everyone at SnB on thursday (i need my fix of sanity)

the knitty
Ms Spider

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