Progress and New Projects

I'm trying to get back on track with posting a bit better. I started out well(ish) and then went a bit slow. I thinks sometimes it is like knitting, you get black holes, where life seems to disappear and you can't seem to beat your way out of a wet paper bag.

So I do have knitting progress, as the title suggests (I really wish I could think up more imaginative titles, mine seem to be so boring). My FLS has suddenly taken on her proper personality. I have finished the body and started the first sleeve. I took some photos to mark the ocassion so without further ado - The FLS

Front

Back

Yeh looks huge doesn't it - but then it has to fit me. I've tried it on and it fits like a dream. It comes to just under my butt, nice length. It is so light and soft and fluffy. Admitedly you can't really see the stitch definition because of the yarn, but it is there.

I had a bit of a lapse last week - it was sort of odd, like I couldn't keep hold of my money, it was running out of my pockets like it was water. Spend, spend, spend, maybe it was something to do with spending a fair bit of money on my new Netbook and I had to spend more. OK I've calmed down now, but here are a couple of things that made it in under the wire, 2 new projects

The Chinese Lace Pullover by Angela Hahn of Knititude. I got some Artesano Alpaca DK in colour Equador, a lovely sunny yellow, my fave colour. Got the yarn from Woollyworkshop



Blue Sky Alpacas Sunday Cardigan and I got the yarn Alpaca Silk, the colour is garnet. I do so love rich jewel tones. Got this from GetKnitted

Tine to go, try and put a few inches on my sleeve. Won't have time for any tomorrow, got to put in some overtime on the housework.

At last some photos

OK I tried this on Friday but blogger wouldn't load any photos so I'm giving this another go. It was very frustrating continually selecting photos loading them and then blogger coming up blank. But Hey TaDa! the first photo from my new Netbook and what better than the little beauty herself. I've placed it next to an A4 folder for scale, see how small it is and it is only 1.5kg - a little under 31/2 lb


Still with the plastic sheet on in an attempt to keep the fingerprints off for a while, it is what they call piano black, that glossy black that is beautifully and absolutely fantastic for gathering fingerprints - wouldn't those CSIs have a field day with it.













Well, what do you think, isn't it lovely? I'll leave you to drool over my baby.

OK now for the knitting update. I finished my latest washcloth using The Unique Sheep Pima Petite in colour Rubber Ducky, this was the April delivery from The Rubber Ducky Club.



I used a pattern which I had previously purchased from The Unique Sheep called "Woven". I love it, this is a softer, silkier cotton than Peaches & Creme. The skeins are only 2 oz but as you can see from the photo I have quite a bit over, in fact 7/8 oz. The washcloth is 8" square and I'm hoping to get a soapsack out of the remainder, it certainly goes a long way. The woven pattern is yarn hungry too as it uses cables to achieve that basket weave effect. I'll have to try a lacey pattern with my June yarn. Not that far away now.


I mentioned previously that I was working on a February Lady Sweater (FLS). It is quite difficult to take photos of to get the shape so I tried putting it on a hanger. This worked better, I hung it from a door, but all our doors are darkish so the colours haven't come up as well as they might. Anyway here's the latest, I may have put another inch or 2 on since then but it's basically the same.


I want this to be nice and long to cover most of the tops I would wear it with so I think I will make the body about 19" from underarm. The sleeves will also be full length, not 3/4, I'm not a big fan of 3/4 sleeves, especially in a country with our climate, we certainly don't get temps anywhere near even what London gets in the summer.

Right on the last lap for this post, no more about knitting or my new Netbook. We went to the movies last night to see the new Star Trek, I've always been a big fan, now not a full blown Trekkie, but I've certainly watched every incarnation of it and all the films so far. I have to say it was superb, a really big action movie and they managed to get the casting right, you could see the original characters there still. I'm hoping there will be more. I highly recommend it, even if you've never watched any Star Trek before, if you like action movies you'll love this

So enough for now. Off to put in some knitting time on my FLS.

Whooppeeeeeeeeeeeee

So here it is, the first post from my new Netbook. It arrived today, in fact it arrived while I was out for lunch. I came home to find it waiting on my back doorstep. It has taken hours to get this far so no photos yet. It has been charged, configured and a few things installed but I haven't as yet restored my last backup. However, just to test things out I thought I'd better check there were no problems posting - haha.

I will take some photos of this little beauty too and include them in a future post.

I had a fabulous lunch with my young friend today, she is looking great for someone entering their 3rd trimester. She loved the BSJ too, unfortunately the buttons had not arrived on time so we have arranged to meet up again next month before she goes on maternity leave.

So....enough for now, more will follow in a few days when I get all my files and documents restored and get the new photos out of my camera.

Problem solved

Yes well sort of solved. Ahem, well yes, a new Netbook is on its way to me. We have not yet managed to have a look into the problem with my laptop, so it is still in its bag in the dunces corner. We do intend to try and fix it, provided it is not going to be expensive.

I spotted an extremely attractive offer for the new Samsung NC12 - a 12" Netbook and I couldn't resist. It is so lovely looking and so up to date. All I have to do now is wait, impatiently, for it to arrive, then get it set up the way I want it again. I have a backup that was taken not very long ago and I'm probably only missing some photos which are still on my card. In the meantime I'm still using DHs laptop so no photos.

The weather here has finally decided to pick itself up off the floor and we have had a few sunny days, so I ran around like a mad thing on Sunday and took lots of photos in the garden as this just happens to be the time when most of my shrubs and trees are in flower. I really will have to consider planting some summer flowering plants, but I'm a very poor gardener I don't really get the whole messing about in soil stuff.

I also took some knitting progress shots but you won't be seeing any of those until my new netbook is in action, so that was just to tease you.

I'm out all day tomorrow catching up with people and getting the weekly shop done. I'm meeting up with an ex work colleague for lunch and giving her the Baby Surprise jacket, I hope she likes it. I've ordered buttons for it but if they don't arrive in todays post I'll have to get them to her another time. Then meeting my BF for the afternoon, shopping and coffee and talking and .....

So - without the photos a quick post. Now I'm off to get the "tarting up" process started, after all if I'm meeting old friends I need to look like I'm a lady of leisure. Nails, face, hair,.........

Happy knitting all

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire

I lied, no photos. My laptop has let me down, I tried all day yesterday to get it to start and it won't even hiccup. I'm using DHs laptop to write this and we are going to have to look into my laptops problems. I feel lost without it, and while I can use DHs while he is at work it limits me a bit. At this stage I don't know how serious it is as it will need a bit of looking at, but whatever it's going to cost money.

My knitting has been dead slow and stop, I haven't achieved more than a couple of rows a day at most this past while and there have been a few days where no knitting has been done at all. Having said that I did start another washcloth as part of my Rubber Ducky club. As I hadn't used this particular cotton before I decided to use the only pattern I had specifically for it, which is called "Woven". It uses a cable to produce a basket weave effect and while the pattern is slowish I am loving the yarn. It is soft and lush for a cotton, I think it would make lovely, wearble garments as well. It is smoother and finer than Peaches and Creme, not quite like a mercerised cotton, but silky. My FLS is coming along slllllllllllllllowly oh so slowly, I am down past the armholes and working down the body, but this will take a while as I want a good length. The yarn is so soft and light that the extra length won't drag the body down, so best to put a good length to it. I want to make the sleeves full length too, not 3/4, I am not a fan of 3/4 sleeves, especially in cardigans.

Yesterday was May Day bank holiday and DH had the day off but the weather was miserable here, wet, windy, cold.... So come afternoon we tackled a row of kitchen cupboards which I had started and we finished them off. I needed his help as I can't get down on my knees and part of the cupboard disappeared into a corner behind another. A lot of "stuff" made it into the bin, thanks heavens this week it is the proper bin not the recycling bin. Mind you we put our recycling bin out for collection last thursday and it wasn't collected, another 2 weeks before it is due again. Anyway the result is that that particular bank of cupboards has been cleared and cleaned. Some items have been ordered to help orgainise cupboard space and this will help in the kitchen re-roganisation which is underway. It's amazing how many open packets of lasagne sheets had accumulated in the back of the cupboard.

Updates will happen but I don't know when. And photos? I may have to wait on getting my own laptop back in business. First off to see if it is fixable ... if not it may have to be replaced. "Money, money, money......it's a rich mans world"