A bit of this, a bit of that

Finished objects keep flying out of my needles these days, it seems!


Meet "Foxgloves" by Clara Parkes (from "Brave New Knits"). These fingerless gloves are made from 100% wool ("nagano"/Gjestal) and knit in no time. Simple and pretty. And useful.

Here's "Northumbria cowl", by Elinor Brown (KnitSimple, fall 2010). I had a skein of moss-green alpaca yarn, and what better use for such a treat: again, a simple lace pattern, a lovely end result. And useful.

I embellished the cowl with a piece of satin ribbon as a seam.

Olive Oyl

How much olive oil would come out of one (1) olive?





It seems that we've managed to grow an actual olive in one of our decorative small olive trees.

I love it!

"Oscilloscope" by Kate Gagnon Osborn, once again and now in it's full bloom.

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Friday's finest

As promised, here are the first pictures of the latest Finished Object, the "Oscilloscope Shawl" by Kate Gagnon Osborn (excellent new knitscene, fall 2010).

Knit from a refreshing apple green merino yarn, bought eons ago from Colormart. The pattern was simple and yet flashy when finished. This cone of yarn has been haunting me for a long time, and now finally it has received the treatment it deserved: to be the latest update to my collection of scarves.

This scarf is now drying up and getting its final shape, so more pictures to come soon to a blog near you!

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As as extra bonus, here is actually another FO, finished about a month ago.

"Anney", made from Rowan Purelife Revive (recycled cotton, linen and viscose), is designed by Emily Johnson in Twist Collective / Summer 2010.

The texture of the yarn is really nice, a bit rough and spiky, yet the color brings out the summery idea.

home of the brave

Brave New Knits, that is! Despite me convincing myself not to buy yet another knitting book (at least not during this week/month/year), I just couldn't resist this, and I'm sure there are many out there who cannot either.
Waiting for the postman, now just waiting......

Something apple green is flowing from my needles, illustrations following soon.

Should have, could have, would have

On renovating, and how to keep sane.

Dear renovating men, renovating our house inside and out.
Would it be too much to ask if you could follow instructions, be hard-working and finish on time?

Our balconies should have been finished in August. They will be finished in October. Hopefully. Where did the 2 months go?
And now that you are also exploding up our front steps and the steps leading from front yard to the parking lot, do you think that you could have told us, the tenants, about it sooner than 2 days after you had already started the work?
Yes, we will be happy to have nice and even stairs for winter, I grant you that.

Oh, I know that your work requires great manual skills, and I appreciate you for it, believe me I do. I'm a bit of a renovator myself, and some of my best friends are renovators. But hey, does that really mean the total exclusion of brain function?
Like, when you were drilling those holes on our bathroom wall tiling to attach the new lamps, did it ever occur to you either a) to call us once again about the correct measurements, or b) to actually look at how the lamps and the new mirror would look together.
The mirror was supposed to be in the middle, between the two lamps. Not so that the other lamp was further away from the edge of the mirror. Small things, but for finicky, small-minded people like us, symmetry is important. Especially if you are looking at the mirror and the lamps many times a day. Every day.
Anyway, thanks for fixing this by attaching a bigger mirror over those first holes, and attaching the lamps again. To their correct places. Thanks.

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Hey, don't get me wrong - I love our new bathroom and toilet. I love the new washing machine (which, by the way, was not installed correctly the first time - during its first ever spin, the machine actually started to rumble towards the bathroom door. Thanks again, dear renovating men, for not removing the transportation supports from the back of the machine, and causing us a few scary moments and aching arms for trying to keep the machine in its place). I will like the new balcony, too.

***

Neglecting ones blog isn't the biggest crime in the world, but somehow it manages to raise some quilty feelings. So, a collective apology to any and all who may have visited here during last months.

After reading some French literature and visiting my dear blogger favorites after a long dry spell, I decided to let myself be creative again. No, I decided I want to be creative again. Because it's good for me. As is French literature.

So here I am - hopeful that somebody will read this someday, somewhere.
And hey, everybody deserves a second chance - even renovation men.

Gee, what just happened?!

It seems like eons have passed since I've last written anything on this paper. You will forgive me, when I say that during this absence I have both started at a new job and moved house (and suffered from non-knitting symptoms, so there's been nothing to show).

Well, I have now worked in the new place for a little over one month, and I like it there. I guess I should like it, since I sent about 80 applications within 12 months, before this one came along.... Although it means travelling by train daily to another town and therefore having rather long working days, but I have grown accustomed to that aspect already. There's time to read and / or sleep and / or think things through (or even knit, for sure) on the train, and, at least currently, the trains have been running on time, which is a sort of a miracle around here, I guess. The people are nice in the office, working pace is quite relaxed (compared with the previous job), I got my own room, and I get to apply my language skills and other previously learned things to various tasks.

I also like.... oh, what the heck... LOVE! our new home. It's in an old shoe factory, converted into apartments ~20 years ago. Roofs are high, walls are thick and surroundings are quite peaceful and green (except for that darn dog who is barking his/her small head off somewhere in the neighbouring yards, and is doing that every time and all the time he/she is alone). It's a bit long ways from the city centre, but buses and biking are good ways to get there. I've rediscovered my bicycle, and him and I are now great friends again.

***

Despite my non-knitting-feelings, amidst all these Big Changes in my life, I did pack my yarns'n'stuff when we moved, to come along - but the thing is, I haven't unpacked them yet. They are there, on top of the cupboards, in two white boxes with the tape still wrapped tightly around them. Waiting. For autumn, perhaps.... ? For those woollen wearables, perchance...?