Getting Hands On

I really don’t want this blog to turn into a knitting blog, because I think that will be very boring for everyone who reads it and doesn’t knit (read: just about everyone), but so far, knitting is the only thing I’m doing with my life these days while I wait for the paper work to do through so I can start my Library position.

Today was a knitting adventure quest failure.

I woke up in the morning as I always do, switched on the ol’ lappy, and sat down with a cup of coffee to peruse through the new blogs that had appeared on my Google Reader, and saw that one was from one of my favourite wirter/knitters, Viridian Flare had started on a sweater that I’d had queued for ages. I would like to say that great minds obviously think alike. The only thing holding me back from casting it on was that 1) I didn’t have the yarn for it and 2) it was a pattern that cost money. And I hadn’t quite brung myself to accept that I was at the point of knitting desperation that I needed to start buying patterns. That is until I noticed on Ravelry that the pattern for the sweater is also given for a LACE weight yarn…just like the 16000 yards of forest green lace weight Gloss yarn mi madre had sent over for Easter.

Jesus had spoken and his words were ‘spend money you don’t have on your addiction.’ Yes, Sir!

Now the next problem was finding somewhere with a yarn winder so that the 4 hanks of lace weight yarn could become sexy balls of untangled lace weight yarn. And it was here that Jesus started fecking with my soul.

I figured that boutique knit shop, which SELLS HANKS OF UNWOUND YARN would have one. Negative. And after asking the nice lady behind the counter, I was informed that NO WHERE IN EDINBURGH has a yarn winder I could use. Merde. So instead I gave into my disappointment by spending 10 quid on two pairs of Addi needles. Bad, bad, bad!

So having failed at finding a yarn winder, I guess I’ll have to muck in and do it the hard way- by hand, giving myself self-induced carpal tunnel. Stupid projects, why can’t they just be easy, straight-forward, and force me to SAVE money rather than spend it all?

LIke a bee in spring

Spring is here in the burgh! Spring is one of my favourite seasons because of les fleurs. And Edinburgh is chockablock full of them. On Sunday, Scottie’s parents came over early, and while Scottie was away at the gym pumping iron, the ‘rents and I headed off to the Edinburgh Botanical Gardens for an indulgent walk amongst the blooms. Because it was Spring, the garden was in full colour. The Meadows are also in full bloom, and there is nothing I love more than sitting out in the meadows, knitting under the sun, listening to the random Hippie guitarists, and watching the pink and white blooms float magically down in the breezes.Ahhhhhhhhhh. So that was this weekend- Knitting, reading, and sunning. It was a great way to relax after the hell that was last week. And even though I am not working just now, I am super busy with all the stuff I wanted to get finished but was too exhausted to do.
1) The Knitting- This will never end. But I am thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis close to finishing up the pieces for my hoodie, and I just need to get half a sleeve done and the hood before I can sew the thing up. Then I will have finished my first garment.
2) Birthday Knitting. I realised that I am one month away from a best mate’s birthday, so the hoodie knitting is taking a wee rest while I pump out something. I’m not sure I like it though..more on that in June when ‘ll post the pics on Ravelry.
3) Reading. Normally I have been too tired to even come home, lay in bed, and read, but now that I am taking a working break, I can FINALLY indulge in the books I naughtily bought with my naught money(he he British play on words there) and even more naughitily bought more of today. Shame, shame!.
4) Cooking. I have been meaning to make this saurkarut chocolate cake for ages since I impulsively bought a massive jar of saurkarut for my 4 dinky hot dogs. And as delicious as saurkarut on toast is, the jar is taking up precious space in the mini fridge and needs to be consumed. Cake, you will be made.

Such a little miss home-maker!

Gig to the iggidy

I have been bad. Bad, naughty, and very blog negligent. I would like the reason to be legit, but the fact of the matter is that I’ve come down with a bad case of knitting ADD and have spent every spare second thinking of MORE projects I could do instead of finishing the ones I have started. And of course, having no self control and buying impulse yarn does not help.

First of all, remember that last post, the one about potential jobs? Yeah. So here’s the run down:

-Elizabeth Hunt and the temp job: A no go. After meeting with a very enthusiastic consultant who swore they had loads of jobs for someone of my experience, she then NEVER phoned me back, sent me the standard typing and IT tests or anything. It’s like I’m dead to them. Oh well.

-The International Language School: Again, got the e-mail about how they still had places and wanted my CV back to look at, and then again, no word back. Nothing. So I am apparently dead to them too.

-The NHS: I had mentioned that I kick ass at the NHS, and apparently they thought so too because today at 9:00 I got a call saying they want me back. Unfortunately, it’s at the Western, which I LOATHE (bad food, no Honey working next door, and boring banter) but it’s a job. And it’s a job I know and can do well. So it looks like I’ll be back to work at the hospital for the next couple of week…I say next couple of weeks because…

-The NLS: remember how I tried to sneak in that I had an interview last Monday, but didn’t really tell anyone about it because it epically failed? Yeah. Well apparently everyone else who interviewed failed more because I got a call on Wednesday saying ‘We’re offering you the job’. BOOFUCKINGYAH! I am SO stoked. This is the FIRST job I’ve gotten through an interview- normally I just fail the interview and get a letter saying ‘thanks but no thanks’ a few weeks later. So that is awesome. Also, it’s a job I can go to IN JEANS! I have been DYING for the opportunity to NOT wear dressy work-attire, and as a reference assistant, all I have to do is show up and not look too scruffy. Also, the job is only a 10 minute walk from my flat, and is part time, so I will be able to help Scottie get organised for our move down South. Also, this job is an 8 month contract ending in November. This means that there will be some months were Scottie is down in London and I am up here, but his parents have already promised me that I can use the flat for as long as I like rent free. Again, BOOYAH! I have always secretly fantasied about what it would be like to have a place all to my own. Obviously I love my partner and don’t want to be apart, but at the same time, we have very different tastes. And in my head, I would love to come home to a clean flat, get my jazz playing (or my alternative radio station from SacTown), light some candles, pour some wine, and knit/read. So now I will be able to.

So basically I am just waiting on the Disclosure form from the Scottish Government so I can work, and that has been rumoured to take 2-3 weeks. But luckily I have employment now for those week, so happy dances all around.

I only have to finish 1 and 1/2 sleeves and the hood of my jumper before I sew it all together and can say I have knit my first hoodie. I am halfway done with a cardigan I impulsively started with some super cheap acryllic yarn I got at a bargin store, but that felt like bamboo/cotton mix, and I ❤ it. AND I am about 1/6th done with another lacy cardigan that I hope to finish sometime. Goal for all my projects: FINISH SOON because I have a birthday knit I have to get started on and finish by JUNE.

*crack that whip*

*Faint*

Another example of why the internet during unemployed times is dangerous: Purlescence.

Can I just say, I think I pee’d myself a bit scrolling though this site. And the bastards have a ‘Wish List’. I wish I had it allllllllll. *Sigh*

2 much yarn+ 2 much time= recipe 4 disaster

Everything was going fine- I was still soldiering through all the yarn I had bought in the US, happily making hats, scarves, and fingerless gloves for myself and my friends.

Then I get an e-mail from my mom saying that our cousin had been up to the house, they got to talking, she found out my cousin is one bad ass knitter, and told her of a website that sells yarn. And my mom awesomely decided that she would let me pick out whatever yarn I wanted and she would send it to me. Talk about kid in a candy and crack store.

Well, I have been meaning to attempt larger projects, and there’s a hoodie in the Stitch n’Bitch book that I’ve been eyeing for some time. The only problem is that it called for beacoup de yarn, and it would actually cost more to buy the yarn than to buy a hoodie. Mix that with my incessant fear that I will totally f* up the hoodie so far beyond aid that I wasted all that money on yarn for noting more than a giant yarn ball of pain and destruction, and there you have it, the reason I’ve been cowering behind 2 day hats. But if someone else bought me yarn (and hey, it’s from knitpicks so we’re not talking about crazy $8 skeins of alpaca) then I wouldn’t feel so bad about attempting a larger and potentially disastrous project.

Flip forward a few more days and I stumble upon this site that had Sublime Angora Merino for £1.99. No freaking way. So I caved in and bought 11 skeins- enough for a jumper and cheaper than actually buying a jumper. Sweet.

But then naturally I had to think about what kind of sweater to make….which inevitably led to me buying a £7.50 book on hoodies, cardigans, jumpers, and vests. I swear, I totally must now make EVERYTHING in there at least twice to justify buying that…

…which led me to thinking I need more yarn and how awesome a bargin the Angora Merino was….

I now have yarn coming out of my ears, and I am desperately trying NOT to buy Kim Hargreaves new book Breeze . Just to subject you to what I too could knit if I were anywhere marginally talented enough:First thing first- attempt hoodie #1. Step two-knit more

Gettin’ knitty wid it

SUPER stoked about this hat I knit. I think I have to make one for everyone now. Took me two days, and I must say, it’s the ONLY hat ever that I’ve found actually looks decent on my not-made-for-a-hat face.

Ah yeah.

Gettin’ knitty wid it

SUPER stoked about this hat I knit. I think I have to make one for everyone now. Took me two days, and I must say, it’s the ONLY hat ever that I’ve found actually looks decent on my not-made-for-a-hat face.

Ah yeah.

Homemaking day 8,384,754

Okay, it getting bad now. As if caving in to the evils of High School Musical wasn’t bad enough. I have now taken on the ultimate in homemaking- knitting.

Now, back when I was 6, I prided myself on my champion finger knitting skills- to make one long ass knitted chain that could only function as maybe an escape rope for a 60 lbs Rapunzel. But that was as far as I went with yarn.

But ever since my obsession with Alpaca (and I just found a new favourite- GUANACO!!!) knitwear, I’ve been on a mission to acquire as much as possible…except that I am dirt dirty poor. So what better way to save money and keep myself occupied while waiting and waiting and waiting for someone to call and offer me employment? The answer seemed obvious. Plus, I have always been insanely jealous of everyone who is talented enough to whip out these amazing knitted creations of mittens, hats, and jumpers.

So I popped around to the nearest awesome store (our local one is called Ali’s Cave- it has EVERYTHING you need, from light shades, to thread, to birthday cards, to fireworks, to dish soap, to makeup, to party favours…EVERYTHING!) to see what they had in the knitting department. They had your wide variety of cheap yarns and needles, and not knowing what I was doing, I bought the cheapest of both. Then back home to let the interweb show me the way to knitting heaven!

I found a LOT of how-to sites, many of which included loads of videos, which were a great help. My problem was I went and got the cheap yarn- the kind that is really thin and separates into 3 strings really easily, so that I kept splitting the thread while stitching. I spent ALL NIGHT trying to just get past 3 rows without a mistake. I was failing!

But something strange was also happening- my WHOLE arms, especially around my armpits were SUPER sore. WTF? I mean, my fingers and hands are sore, but that’s expeceted since I am using my fingers in ways I’ve never used them before (insert perverted snigger here). But my armpits? Okay…

Today I was determined to get some bigger needles. I went to two different shop, but this being Scotland, they were closed on Sunday. So I went all the way here to get my goods and almost fainted. I needed larger needles, so I was resolute to get them, but they were £6.10!!!! AND, were MADE IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA…and not only are they expensive knitting needles from NorCal, their phone number is a 707 area code…THAT’S MY OLD AREA CODE!!!! I came all the blinking way to Scotland to end up buying knitting needles that are made back at home.

Screw you universe.

BUT, the sliver lining in all of this is that the knitting shop also sold…BABY ALPACA YARN!!!! So now I feel obligated to get this knitting thing going…I need me my alpaca!!! So I caved in and bought some yarn (which was cheaper than the needles….bloody wooden imported NorCal needles), so even if I fail at the knitting, I can just wrap the yarn around myself.

Homemaking day 8,384,754

Okay, it getting bad now. As if caving in to the evils of High School Musical wasn’t bad enough. I have now taken on the ultimate in homemaking- knitting.

Now, back when I was 6, I prided myself on my champion finger knitting skills- to make one long ass knitted chain that could only function as maybe an escape rope for a 60 lbs Rapunzel. But that was as far as I went with yarn.

But ever since my obsession with Alpaca (and I just found a new favourite- GUANACO!!!) knitwear, I’ve been on a mission to acquire as much as possible…except that I am dirt dirty poor. So what better way to save money and keep myself occupied while waiting and waiting and waiting for someone to call and offer me employment? The answer seemed obvious. Plus, I have always been insanely jealous of everyone who is talented enough to whip out these amazing knitted creations of mittens, hats, and jumpers.

So I popped around to the nearest awesome store (our local one is called Ali’s Cave- it has EVERYTHING you need, from light shades, to thread, to birthday cards, to fireworks, to dish soap, to makeup, to party favours…EVERYTHING!) to see what they had in the knitting department. They had your wide variety of cheap yarns and needles, and not knowing what I was doing, I bought the cheapest of both. Then back home to let the interweb show me the way to knitting heaven!

I found a LOT of how-to sites, many of which included loads of videos, which were a great help. My problem was I went and got the cheap yarn- the kind that is really thin and separates into 3 strings really easily, so that I kept splitting the thread while stitching. I spent ALL NIGHT trying to just get past 3 rows without a mistake. I was failing!

But something strange was also happening- my WHOLE arms, especially around my armpits were SUPER sore. WTF? I mean, my fingers and hands are sore, but that’s expeceted since I am using my fingers in ways I’ve never used them before (insert perverted snigger here). But my armpits? Okay…

Today I was determined to get some bigger needles. I went to two different shop, but this being Scotland, they were closed on Sunday. So I went all the way here to get my goods and almost fainted. I needed larger needles, so I was resolute to get them, but they were £6.10!!!! AND, were MADE IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA…and not only are they expensive knitting needles from NorCal, their phone number is a 707 area code…THAT’S MY OLD AREA CODE!!!! I came all the blinking way to Scotland to end up buying knitting needles that are made back at home.

Screw you universe.

BUT, the sliver lining in all of this is that the knitting shop also sold…BABY ALPACA YARN!!!! So now I feel obligated to get this knitting thing going…I need me my alpaca!!! So I caved in and bought some yarn (which was cheaper than the needles….bloody wooden imported NorCal needles), so even if I fail at the knitting, I can just wrap the yarn around myself.