Bath and Oxford

I already feel like I've seen a lot of the English countryside even though we've only been here for a few days. Graeme and Edele have been ideal hosts, taking us around everywhere with delicious food around every corner.

Our first day here Jesse and I managed to walk around a bit even though we didn't really feel right yet, too much jet lag. I made it to a stiching expo that did have some yarn though. Once I got there the crowds and the walking caught up with me and I didn't stay as long as I wanted to. No pictures of it because the only one worth taking, a few women knitting with enormous 3 feet long needles!, I missed due to battery issues. The Colinette yarn is really cheap here though and I'll have to get some before we leave.

Then we left for Bath, which is a beautiful old town that is quite the tourist trap now I suppose but still very charming. Here's us at the Abbey, there just happened to be a concert going on while we were there and the church had wonderful acoustics as well as stained glass.



We stayed that night with a friend of our hosts, Justin, who is a wonderful cook. Does food taste better when you're on vacation? It seems to here.

Then we went on to Oxford which is full of specific colleges in seemingly every subject.





This building is actually a library, unfortunately it's not open to the public.



Then we went on to the Pitt-Rivers Museum, part Natural History, some photography and a lot of neat artifacts.


The artifacts were all sort of jumbled up, which made them seem a little Indiana Jones/Ye Olde Curiosity Shop but I really liked that about them. Not austere and souless. They would have a display of "death rites" and it would include those of ancient England as well as New Guinea, India, etc. The Natural History part was full of extinct animals, the birds seemed especially large. The hedghogs were my favorite, apparently they are still plentiful around here and I'm really hoping to see one in the wild before we leave.



Tomorrow we're going into Central London and all the free museums!

breaking news

Debbie Stoller, she of Stich N' Bitch fame will be visiting my yarn store soon! "My" store being:

Hilltop Yarn and Needlepoint
2224 Queen Anne Ave. N.
Seattle

On May 6th from 12-1pm. I am pretty excited! Even if she is out supporting crochet and not knitting persay. I have been practicing my crochet with her new book but it's going slowly.

And just so this post isn't pictureless:



Here's Laura loving up our bot.

As Promised

What does happen with all that i-cord anyway? Well Daphne knew, but for the rest of you:



This is my best friend Stephanie or Opie (as I have nicknamed her) modeling the Alchemy Bamboo I-cord necklace. See what you do is you knit a ton of i-cord, then you knot it up real pretty, add a bow and voila! She's practicing her crochet in a pajama party at my apartment. On Saturday nights around here we practice our happy hookin'. Pretty much any night really.

Just so you don't think that's all we do, here's the cutest couple I know with their tandem bike after we had brunch together.



They rode this thing from Seattle to San Francisco and learned that tandem bikes aren't actually meant to carry a lot of weight... like a tent or camp stove but they made the trip anyway.

London Calling

I'll be spending my spring break in a soggy land. A land of crumpets and tea, and dare I say... knitting? Yes, no tropical islands for me, I'm going to Merry Old England. Where I will hunt down the elusive yarn stores and take comfort in their heathered, tweedy goodness.

I was already looking forward to this trip abroad when I found out that Kay Gardiner of http://www.masondixonknitting.com fame is going to be speaking at a London yarn store. She'll be at Loop on March 26th to promote her and Ann's new book. Their website is so much fun, I'm sure seeing her in person will be a treat. Loop's site (http://www.loop.gb.com/) is also quite sweet. As we all know, souvenir yarn is the best!

Then I found out about the Stitch & Craft show going on March 23-26. I can't tell how cutesy it is, but I don't think I can resist. http://www.twistedthread.com/ It covers knitting, crochet, papercrafts, embroidery, etc. It looks huge, so there has to be something there I will be into.

Jesse looks a little worried about all this knitting activity... but I've promised him there are lots of museums and outdoor markets I want to go to as well. Not to mention pub grub I want to eat, I've heard rumors of a french fry sandwich... How do we not have these in the U.S.?

I promise there will be pictures of the i-cord project next time.

Valentine

This is part of the Valentine Jesse drew for me in response to the sliver that stabbed it's way in to my toe. I love it when he draws comics, especially about me.


Also, if you haven't heard it already you should listen to "mushaboom" by feist, it gets stuck in my brain. I'd feel better if everyone else was walking around with the same lyrics I hear in my head. Thank you.

Are you an idiot?

Well I feel like a bit of one, knitting 72 inches of idiot cord. But it does have a larger purpose, which I will reveal after I purchase an appropriate ribbon... Any guesses?

Field Trip

So I needed to get out of town. Seattle is great, but as I am carless sometimes I feel trapped in this I-5 corridor of a city. Unfortunately I am often broke as well. Even Portland is out of reach.

My friend Quinn wanted to ride a ferry. I hadn't realized she'd never been on one in Washington State. Seeing as how she'd been on the B.C. ferries in Canada she was already spoiled. But I didn't want to be shown up by Canada and their beautiful ferries, cruise ships more like.

I thought ferry, out of town, ferry... hmmm. And we ended up on Bainbridge Island where there just happened to be a yarn shop I hadn't visited yet. That would be Churchmouse Yarn and Tea, at 118 Madrone Lane North. Very sweet, bright little shop. Where you can get some Manos and some rooibos all at the same time.



This is Quinn with the Olympic Mountains framing her in the background and, I kid you not, a picklefork to the left of her. Yes that is what they are really called.

I felt too self conscious to take pics inside the yarn store, next time.

Ouch

Who knew a splinter could be so painful?

Well when it's the size of a matchstick...



I managed to wound myself with this two by four by dancing on a friends wooden floor. The damn thing flew right into my big toe and I couldn't get it out without the help of a very nice doctor. I am so happy I have health insurance...

I could almost knit with it.

Attack of the 13 inch Robot!

Seems appropriate for Friday the 13th doesn't it?

Even though he's big and wooly this fearsome robot really just wants to be hugged.

I swear he's saying hug me, not mug me. I swear.



He came from Jess Hutch's "Unusual Toys For You to Knit and Enjoy" which can be found at: http://www.jesshutch.com

In other news: I picked up a bunch of discontinued Debbie Bliss Aran Tweed. What to do, what to do? I'll keep you posted.

Update on skirt and sock!

I know, it's been awhile, but I was gifted a new digital camera for Xmas so I will be posting more often again. Happy Yule!

So it appears that my boss at the yarn store likes my aqua skirt enough to feature it in our store's new series of patterns. Very exciting for me to be "published." Updating bulletins as news occurs.

And to prove I have been knitting:



Please note this koigu sock is only one, I have yet to complete the pair for my mother. Bad daughter.

I also went hiking before winter set in. This is me by an alpine lake in September.



Soon there will be snowshoeing... yes winter is here.

aqua kat

I haven't been out of the knitting loop, in fact I've been too busy knitting to post what I've been knitting!

So here's a picture of my skirt in progress, looking more green than it does in person:



and now finished, with mohair ruffle, although still green:



finally on me, with THE whitest skin, mohair ruffle, sparkles and it's aqua self:



I started knitting it from the skirt pattern in Stitch N'Bitch Nation, but I completely went my own way with the help of Manos Del Uruguay and Karabella yarns. Now I'm in love with ruffles and want to add them to everything. Yes, this could be a scary period.

I've been plugging away on a Debbie Bliss baby sweater. It was meant for a softer DB yarn. My boss wanted it knit up in this heavy organic wool from Full Belly Farms. Nothing wrong with the wool, it's just a bit coarse and dense for a baby sweater. Well the wee thing will be warm anyway.

Still in progress as it needs darning and a button band. But not so bad for my first true sweater. A bit wide, but people with fleshmonkeys tell me that's fine.