So I finally did it. I resigned last Monday. It feels very weird here at work. I'm slowly trying to hand over to someone that isn't actually here in the office at the moment as they are on holiday for Christmas. I am slowly realising how much knowledge is in my head as I try and get it all down on paper for my replacement.

The great news is that the new job is an hour closer to home which means that I can get home an hour before K goes to work and we can even eat together in the evening. It will make a big difference to my quality of life (hopefully providing me with even more knitting time) (10 hours a week is a pair of socks!).

So congratulations to me!!!

Keyhole Top
Originally uploaded by charleyfarleypie

This is how far I have gone with the Keyhole Top. In fact after I took this pic I finished the front completely.

It's really mindless boring knitting though so I picked up the needles for Charleston again last night. I've finished the straps on one side and have the other front side to match and then it's onto the front. Since I started Charleston earlier this year I've knitted more lace things so I am hoping I will be able to read the pattern a bit better for the back. Why don't Rowan ever include charts for lace?

Lisa's embossed leaves
Originally uploaded by charleyfarleypie

Here is detail of the socks I am knitting for pay it forward for Lisa from Native Knits. Yes you guessed it - they are embossed leaves socks in Posh Yarn Emily Ripen. I am a bit jealous to have to give these away actually but I know that's not in the spirit of the thing!

Dee did the Seven Weird Things meme today so I thought I would follow her lead:

1. I can't ride a bike. I've tried countless times to learn but really I have absolutely no balance or co-ordination. Two things I think are very necessary for this.
2. I've had chicken pox twice. Very rare apparently.
3. I eat Marmite from the pot. It's...just...sooo....good. Most people think that is just disgusting rather than weird.
4. Despite having passed my driving test in 1993 I haven't driven a car since. Except the trip back from the test centre (and that was with my instructor).
5. Until I was 18 I bit my nails to the quick. Then suddenly I just stopped. To this day I have no idea why I stopped.
6. I have completely flat feet. No arches at all.
7. I had an imaginary friend called Rebecca until I was 5. We did everything together. My parents even had to lay a place at the table for her and put food on a plate for her at all meals.

So there you go. Definitely weird.

For the last week I've been in and out of work, in and out of a cold I cannot shake. I hate feeling this run down and sick - I'm not normally a sickly person. I could count the days I had sick from work in 2006 on one hand but this year it all seems to be catching up with me. I've had 4 colds and a nasty bout of flu, taken the first course of antibiotics I can remember in a very long time and had 3 days off with stress induced exhaustion!

I put it all down to the amount of travelling I do to get to work. My job is near Heathrow and I live in North East London. To anyone that isn't aware of London geography, that is a REALLY LONG WAY. It takes me 2 tubes, a train and a bus to get to work (approximately 1hr 45 each way each day). K and I worked it out on Friday night: in the 4.5 years I've worked this job I've spent something like 6 complete months travelling. There's the potential to pick up alot of bugs there..... It's definitely time for a change. I have something in the works that hopefully I'll be able to share with you later this week.



I have been putting this sick time to good use of course and have nearly finished Sadie!! Gasps all round I am sure. I have half of one arm to finish and then just the seaming up of the arms and attaching the arms to the body. I can't believe I waited this long to finish this, It's been on the needles for nearly a year - just goes to show what a procrastinator I am!
I also finished a Le Slouch for my mum as she was admiring mine during her visit last weekend. It's a wonderful colour - it really "pops" and I'm sure she'll love it.

I am sick again today so more socks on the needles and blackberry at hand. Luckily it's Thanksgiving in the US today so I don't expect to be too bothered by e-mails and I have tomorrow as holiday as my folks are coming to stay.

I knitted all of the sock you see here this morning. which is really good progress I think. hopefully I can get this done by the end of today. I'm itching to finish up Charleston!

I also had a little helper today although I'm not sure what she was helping with.... Sleeping? Being fluffy?

My migraine from last week seems to have been the precursor to a cold that has me bundled up on the sofa. Watching rubbishy daytime TV and snuggling under the quilt is where it all happens today.

Here is some eye candy:




These are the no tears socks for pay it forward. The yarn is such a beautiful colour - I can't believe I waited so long to use it!

Sadie and Charleston

I have two projects that have been on the needles for a while, languishing in my half finished objects box waiting for me to get on with them.

Sadie - from Rowan 39 - knit in Rowan Wool Cotton (colourway Misty)
I have one sleeve left of this to knit. It's actually quite a quick pattern - the sleeve is only one ball of wool.

Charleston - lacy camisole with beads also from one of the Rowan magazines. I ran out of beads on this months ago and have been rather slack at picking some up. Finally I have some.

I'd like to finish these two by Christmas. There is really no reason why they aren't already finished except my general procrastination!

Spectacular failure!

I've failed miserably at NaBloPoMo by not posting since Wednesday! I have been busy though:

Finished the Embossed Leaves socks and made some progress on the No Tears socks for "Pay it Forward". Pics to follow later this week!

I still don't have details for Jeanette and Helen who posted on the Pay it Forward post. Can you comment again and let me know your e-mail addresses so that I can contact you to arrange sending you your gifts.

Migraine

Sorry no real post today except this. The migraine is descending and I need to get to bed as quickly as I can....

Delurk!

According to my hits counter (not sure how accurate this is) I've had over 500 hits to this blog since it started. It's heartening to know that there is someone out there reading my random thoughts!

It would be good to know who you are though so today is declared "Delurk Day"! If you are reading the blog today please drop me a comment and say hi. I've found some of the regular blogs I read through comments on other peoples blogs. It's always great to see what other people are working on or writing about. It definitely gives me inspiration for furture projects and blog posts.

No Tears Socks for Pay it Forward

I've chosen the yarn and the pattern for my first pair of Pay it Forward socks. It is No Tears Socks by Dee Bamford. Pattern can be found on the Posh Yarn website .

Sunday

There is nothing better than spending a Sunday curled up on the sofa with an old film on the TV, something good on the needles and the cat snuggled in your lap. Actually there is. All of the above but replace sofa with bed and then you will be close to what I did today.

There is nothing like it....

Living For The Weekend

Today I will mostly be playing Call of Duty and finishing the Embossed Leaves socks.

Weekends rock!

Ripen

This is the yarn I have picked for my first Pay/Knit it Forward socks. It's a lovely soft yarn and Lisa expressed a liking for warm colours so it ticks that box too.

Now to find the perfect pattern...

Finish what I started

I knitted this sock in Greece on holiday this year and thought I didn't have enough wool left to finish the second one. I actually weighed the ball that was left today and guess what? I have over 60g left. Plenty to finish the second sock. So I cast on for it.

I've also picked out the yarn for my first pay it forward item but not the pattern yet.....

All full!

I have the final two people to participate in pay it forward:

Helen and Jeanette

Thank you ladies!

Jeanette - I don't have any details for you. Can you comment again with your details or e-mail me at harris_charlotte@hotmail.com with your address so I can send you out your item?

Spread the Love

I have one willing sign up for the Pay it Forward challenge and that is Lisa (Hi Lisa!) at Native Knits. She will be getting her knitted item (probably socks) in the next 6 months (before April 5th 2008). More details soon about what I am making her. She's expressed a fondness for warm colours and I have just the right colour skein of Posh Yarn for her I think.....

There are still two spaces left if anyone is interested. Sign up to any of the posts and I'll contact you for shipping details. Remember if you sign up you have to add the pay it forward to your own blog. It's all about spreading the knitting love.....

No interest

There has been no interest at all in my Pay it Forward idea which is quite disappointing....


I finished one of the Kaffe Fassett socks. The heel is very very odd on them. Pics to come....

Pay It Forward

I am having one of THOSE days today. You know the ones where everything seems like no fun at all and you just want it to end because you KNOW tomorrow will be better.

One good thing I did today is sign up on this. The first three people to comment on this post will receive a knitted item from me within 6 months.

Don't all rush at once ;)

A weekend's work

Here are my plain socks knitted in one of the Kaffe Fassett colourways for Regia. The yarn is actually really nice to knit with, quite smooth on the needles and I love the colour combinations and different sizes of stripe. I also bought this wool in a blue colourway and think this plain non-fussy pattern is perfect (it's Gentleman's Plain Winter Socks from Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks).

Today was a fairly productive Sunday - we got up early and came back from Surbiton before lunch. As the sun was out I went out and did the final preparations in the garden for the winter - mowing the lawn one last time, pruning the plum tree and moving my herb pots closer to the back door so I don't have to venture out to far when cooking!

Stripy socks

Plain stripy socks are always welcome so I've cast on for the Gentleman's Plain Winter Sock from Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks.

Still haven't written anything in the book.... I'm such a procrastinator....

Finished Friday Harbor

One finished Friday Harbor sock in Posh Yarn Emily (Sobriety colourway). The other to be finished this weekend....

I still haven't written any thing in The Book.

My new life

is this notebook. This was my first goal I set myself this week on the path to enlightenment about what I want for my future. I am supposed to fill it with ideas, notes, pictures which will set me on the right road.

At the moment it's scary. It's so EMPTY......

NaBloPoMo

I've signed up to NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) which is an alternative to NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month mostly because I love stupid acronyms but also because I wanted to make myself write here everyday and keep this blog up to date.

I will be posting everyday for November. The hardest thing is to have any photos to post so today I will be leaving you with a picture of a sleepy cat. Just because.

Happiness is...

I normally write on this blog about knitting, yarn, my projects and any finished items that I have made but recently I have done more thinking about knitting than actually doing it.
Not planning projects, yarn or designs but really thinking about what this "hobby" means to me and if I want to take it further and make it more of my life than it really is.

I recently went to a talk by Karren Brady, Managing Director of Birmingham Football Club which was called "Playing To Win", the name also of her current book. She said - "Work is only work if you would rather be doing something else"; she takes no sick time and hardly any holiday and is by all accounts a business superwoman. Well, quite frankly, I would rather be doing something else when I am at work the only problem is I am not sure what yet.

What I do know is that for me knitting is pure happiness. The big question is, however, is that because I do it in my spare time and it's something that I choose to do? Would it be pure happiness if knitting, yarn, needles, patterns etc. were my life's work?

I've never thought I was a creative person. I failed miserably at art at school, can't draw for toffee. The job I do is in a creative industry but it's a logical methodical job. Funnily enough, I only got back into knitting in the last 2 years after a 15 year hiatus because it helped me give up smoking! Having said all of that I do think that what I do is creative in it's own way and I want to do more of it.

Now I am more confused than ever..... I need someone to point me in the right direction... Is anyone out there??

One down, one to go

Also finished sock 1 of the Gentleman's Evening Sock and started on the second one. This patttern is pretty slow going as it's such a HUGE sock. I also swapped halfway through to new DPNs but they are faux ivory and are so wobbly and bendy that I might have to swap back to the metal ones. They're making my hands ache!

Pomatomus Blue Finished

Finally finished Pomatomus Blue! I have to say I didn't really pay much attention to the pattern on this. I got a bit know-it-all and in some places they are a bit wonky but I love them anyway.
I forgot how great Lucia is to knit with - so smooth and silky on the needles and the colour is fantastic.

Norf London

Tickets arrived today for the Kntting and Stitching Show in a couple of weekends time at Alexandra Palace. Normally the only time I go there in the year is for the huge fireworks display they hold there every year. It's always chaos on that evening - with everyone jostling for the best view around the trees that have inconviently grown up in the way - but despite the chaos, it's the best fireworks display in North London. Not only that you can also see all the other displays South of the Palace streatching all the way to Croydon.

I have finished the first Pomatomus sock and started on the second before I get second sock syndrome. I find that if I can get to the heel turn before I get bored then it's all good and the sock will be finished. If not then there is no hope for it! This pattern is quick to knit up so I hope to be able to finish these this week and then move back onto the Gentleman's socks (still have the second one to do).



This shows the sock in it's true colours.

Pomatomus

Using the yarn I frogged from Clessidra I started and finished the first sock of Gentlemen's socks for evening wear from Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks. The sock looks huge but fits like a dream and is nearly knee high!

For a bit of light relief and because I have new DPNs I also cast on for Pomatomus in PY Lucia "Beachcomber". The "scales" look like sea waves in this soft blue colour. (Apologies for the poor quality of this picture)

I've also booked tickets for the Knitting and Stitching show at Ally Pally in a couple of weeks time. Due to work commitments I can only make the Saturday but I am really looking forward to it. Bringing along a non-knitting friend who is big into her textiles - she's an art teacher that makes brilliant ceramics using Aran/cable jumpers to create the patterns on her pieces. I am going to be knitting some samples of different patterns for her to use - a great combination of needlework and pottery!

Not Enough

There wasn't enough yarn for the Clessidra stockings so I frogged them last night.... So disappointing as I had come so far in the first sock but I don't think I would have had enough to complete even one sock :(

The upshot is that I have no inspiration for this yarn now - it's a lovely rich colour and I want to make something to wear for the autumn but I am stuck in a rut!!

Clessidra Stockings

Cast on for the Clessidra stockings and ended up knitting all the way to the first decrease round. It's wonderful to see the cables appearing before your eyes. As always I am worried that I won't have enough wool to complete the project but I am ploughing on regardless and using slightly smaller needles than the pattern calls for hoping this will compensate... Why don't I just swatch before I begin??? I am also really loving the colour of this Emily yarn - its a rich purple and pink - a perfect choice for this pattern I think.

Molly was (as always) enjoying sitting RIGHT on top of my pattern - why does she always have to sit on whatever I am trying to read?

Bayerische and Lime Finished!

Bayerische 1
Originally uploaded by charleyfarleypie

Finally finished the Bayerische socks. I really enjoyed working on this pattern. The tiny cables were really satisfying and the way the rib cuff flows into the pattern and then into the heel looks fabulous.
Another great thing was that they only took one skein of Lucia so I have another skein of this Zingy colourway to make another pair of socks!

Cast on for the Clessidra Stockings in Emily Soprano and all is going well - just set up the pattern. Pics to come!

Strike!

Because of the tube strike in London I am working from home today. What a joy this is - I wish I could do this every day. There's nothing like working in your pyjamas!

Bayerische socks are comimg along a treat - I really like this pattern - it makes you think but is very soothing at the same time. Working the tiny cables are very satisfying in their own way and the yarn is (yet again) lovely.

I've also started thinking about the Clessidra socks. Have the yarn (more Lucia) earmarked and have the pattern in front of me. Question is: Will I acutally get any work done today :)

Molly and the Frog

What a beautiful bank holiday weekend! It's so lovely to have some time off and I am determined to finish the first Bayerische sock. Trying to stay away from the Posh Yarn sale today but the lovely colours up there keep calling me back.
And on a non-knitting note - Molly found a frog in the garden yesterday and bothered it until it croaked off into the pond - at least it's safe there!

Bayerische and Lime

Bayerische WIP #1
Originally uploaded by charleyfarleypie

Here is a pic of the current project. Bayerische socks by Euny Jang. They are really fiddly but good because you have to concentrate on them and that takes my mind off all the other crap going on at the moment.

Popped into a new (ish) yarn shop in Kingly Court on the weekend called "all the fun of the fair". Really small but lovely with the cutest knitted cupcakes! Bought two skeins of Opal sock yarn - I like to support!

Everyday a new mag seems to pop through the door so I am busy planning my winter projects :) Loving the "Tilted Duster" and "Luna" dress from Interweave Knits.

Also taking delivery tomorrow of my new Apple Macbook tomorrow - too excited! I actually had a dream about it last night :)

Moonbeam

So here is the finished Moonbeam for baby Eloise. It's so tiny - I hope it will fit her - she's probably grown so much since I last saw her.

I'm now trawling the books and mags I have trying to find a simple tank/camisole to knit up the coral coloured Lucia I have here in the stash.

Any ideas welcome!

Charleston

Just to prove that I am actually working on Charleston here she is in all her glory! I have to wind the remaining skeins now - boring job!

Back to reality

So I am back! What a fabulous holiday we had. The weather was as wonderful as you would expect from Greece in July. Really hot but with that sea breeze that stops it becoming too humid.

Here's the view from our balcony







And the beach:






I also managed to get some projects finished while I was there (well one actually finished).



Forest Canopy Shawl in Posh Yarn Emily

Quick to knit and in the Stormy Sea colour way will be great for the winter as a scarf. I did cause a bit of a kerfuffle around the pool though when I got my needles out. It seems people are intrigued by someone under the age of sixty knitting! I got to educate a few people on the "hipness" of knitting!

Also started and finished one of these Embossed Leaves socks in Vixen Lucia.

Problem was that the first sock took alot more yarn than 50g. Maybe my gauge was completly off. I finished the first sock in any case just to see the pattern emerge.

Next up I am finally going to finish Sadie and the Charleston. But not until after I've been to the shops. Procrastinate? Moi?!

Somewhere in a field in Somerset

So we are back from Glastonbury. It was wet, it was muddy, it smelt bad but it was brilliant!! I had such a fantastic time - watched and listened to lots of great music - much more so than if it had been sunny all weekend.
It is good though to be home in the dry and to be clean.
4 more working days until Greece! Bring it on...

"Working from home"

I am working from home today as I had to take my fluffy puss Molly to the vets to be shaved! All I can think about though is how much knitting I could have got done today if pesky work didn't get in the way! Pics of the new improved shaved Molly to come!

Stash

I catalogued my stash yesterday. What an epic task! I didn't realise quite how much yarn I actually had. Nothing really that I can make much but socks out of though which is a shame as I think I am coming out the other side of my sock obsession.

I have plans to make this with some purple Debbie Bliss Cathay in Purple. Will it work out??

Blue Jay-walkers in progress

Blue Jay-walkers in progress
Originally uploaded by charleyfarleypie

Finally finished the Oak Ribbed socks - see Ravelry for the FO picture- and started some blue Jaywalkers in Socka Fortissima Cotton. Not sure I like this wool but it is washable at 40 degrees and I am certain they will be very nice when finished. The colour in this pic hasn't come out completely right - they are "whiter" than this (if that makes sense).

Manna from Heaven

Look what just landed on my desk.....Posh Yarn Lucia in Coral colourway..... Yum yum.

The oak ribbed socks are still not finished .....

Nearly done

The oak ribbed socks are nearly done - really they are... just one more nights worth of knitting and I will be there!

Stairs of justice

So back from France but without much of the sock completed due to a tumble down this flight of stairs. A death trap! I have taken the skin off the palm of my left hand so holding needles is a bit awkward and painful if they slip. Will I ever finish these very simple socks?

Allons enfants.....

Ah la belle France!
We are off tomorrow to Burgandy for the wedding of a good friend. Well technically they are already married as marriage in France is a complicated business - you have to live there for weeks and have a blood test etc etc so the happy couple already married in Dublin last week.

We are staying here and they are marrying here. Simply beautiful. I've never really been to France for any real amount of time. A brief weekend staying with friends in Paris years ago when we were all at university and a couple of French exchanges at school so I'm looking forward to dusting off my francais.

We're travelling by Eurostar to Paris and then another train down which is all very knitting friendly - hours to knit and no issue with needles. YAY!

Oak Ribbed Sock #1

Oak Ribbed Sock #1
Originally uploaded by charleyfarleypie

One down one to go! Here is the first Oak Ribbed sock. It looks quite garish just staring up at you from the page but when you put it on the colours really work. I was struck by SSS (second sock syndrome) and was comtemplating not finishing the second but it was such an easy knit it seemed churlish not to finish the pair.

Completely unrelated

This is completely unrelated to knitting but still very dear to my heart. Glastonbury festival line up has been announced here:
http://www.xfm.co.uk/article.asp?id=365561

More Sensational Socks.....

..arrived yesterday on my desk. It looks complicated and needs further investigation but I am revelling in having a new book to work from.

The Oak Ribbed socks are coming along very slowly. I've been somewhat distracted by this book. It's fabulous but it's really eating into my knitting time....

Monkey socks finished

Monkey socks finished
Originally uploaded by charleyfarleypie

Here are finished Monkey socks from Cookie A. They worked up really quickly and the yarn was perfect...

Conwy finished

Conwy finished 1
Originally uploaded by charleyfarleypie

Conwy socks are finished for Kev. They fit him perfectly and I am a little jealous. It's only the delivery of More Sensational Socks by Charlene Schurch which is keeping me going!

Anna socks finished

Anna socks finished
Originally uploaded by charleyfarleypie

Finally Anna socks are finished and the pics are taken.
These were really nice to knit and I really like the way the yarn has pooled into stripes. Bring on Glastonbury to wear them!

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

In the zone

Really in the zone at the moment sock knitting-wise. Almost finished my knee highs for under wellies at Glastonbury and then moving onto a pair for Kev in Posh Yarn Emily "Metier". The pattern's "Conwy" from Nancy Bush's book "Knitting on the Road".
Beautiful weather at the moment also means the garden is the place to be! Roll on Bank Holiday weekend...

Summer comes...

It's been a while since I wrote anything on here but reading Dee's blog today about how uplifting it can be I thought I'd sneak in and actually write something.

It's been so warm over the weekend I could barely lift needles and my heart sinks that I will have to soon relegate all my lovely knits to the back of the wardrobe until Autumn comes around and I get to snuggle up in them again.

Knitting some more socks (am I obsessed? I think so) to wear under the wellies at Glastonbury. They are a pattern from a fairly recent Rowan magazine - the number escapes me. Knitting them again in Dee's wonderful Lucia yarn from Posh Yarns. It knits up so nicely and I love seeing the colour combination unfold in front of my eyes. A joy to knit with.

I also have Charleston - a camisole in Dee's 2ply cashmere with beautiful glass beads on the needles but it will be too warm to wear this soon. Maybe I will finish it before September when it will be surely cool enough to wear again.

Finished projects!

I've actually been very busy over my birthday weekend! Three finished projects to report...

1. Le Slouch by Wendy at Knit & Tonic in Dee's lovely Eva in "Stop!" colourway.... So French that someone actually spoke to me in French on the weekend. Sacrebleu!

2. Glampyre's One Skein Wonder in some discounted Rowan 4ply Cotton from the John Lewis sale. A bit tight but there wasn't much give in the yarn. Might also knit this up in the remaining yarn from Le Slouch.

3. Forest Canopy Shawl in more of Dee's yarn (can you see a theme here?). This one is Sophia 2ply cashmere and is for Mummy Farley's birthday in March. Hope it's still cold enough to wear it then...

Enjoy!

I just can't resist...

...discounted yarn. I bought this yarn today in the John Lewis sale. I only went in to get a friend's 2-year old a birthday present. What am I going to make with this?? 150 g of Rowan 4 ply cotton in a leaf green colour for £1.75 a ball.

In the beginning there was blog...

and the blog was good...or not. I've decided, as a New Year's resolution, more than anything to start a blog. i've enjoyed reading so many really good blogs over the last year that I thought maybe it was time to give something back to the blog world and write my own. No longer will I lurk!

This blog will mainly be about knitting and such (as that is my passion) but I'll probably add some more interesting (to me!) stuff in as time goes on.

My first New Year's resolution was to take a picture a day but I only really started yesterday and my camera wasn't charged so here is my first piccie. Grumperina's Jaywalker in Dee's lovely yarn from Posh Yarn.

Just realised that I really need to sort out the shelf below my coffee table!