All Fingers and Thumbs

It's here, it's here, it's really, really here! Until I clasped this in my clammy paws on Friday afternoon I did not dare to believe the emailed dispatch note could be telling the truth - the long awaited, much anticipated, envy maxing Sock Innovation mine - all mine - in time for the weekend? Indeed: So I loves it like I knew I would, I'm a big fan of the cuff down approach and so this book suits me very well. The design/construction information is brilliant, I'm not too sure I will ever feel the need to design a sock from scratch given the never ending list of patterns I want to knit but it's so helpful for understanding and customising what already exists. In my first buzz through I've already learnt that I could swap in an afterthought heel very easily for the short row heels I'm not so keen on. However in a very non-innovative way I've dug straight into a pattern I'm unlikely to change at all - Angee for me first up and I'm loving the

There's the hip-hip-hooray of a great FO and then there's the blah-blah-blahness of a FO that just does not live up to that initial idea of what you were going to create. The success of Francis meant I felt fortified with hip-hip-hoorayness to face the serious blahs that had overtaken the slippers started last month. I had high hopes for these: they look beautiful in the picture, I did my research on the few projects made on Ravelry, the pattern has been in the 'thinking about knitting list' forever, the yarn was some of the first yarn stashed back when I barely knew what a stash was and was misadventuring in yarn substitutions , I even had some cute fabric scraps for the insoles. I wore through my favourite slippers not long ago so it seemed like a project that was destined to be. The first slipper zipped off the needles but I couldn't believe it would fit me and I seamed it up as soon as I was done knitting to check it would fit, it did but it was blatantly appar

There is something about blog titles that brings out the worst puns in me. Anyway this really is a post about a door. See it's a beautiful door. It's not just that though. This is a beautiful door that used to be covered in approximately 216 coats of gloss paint from dark green though chocolate brown to yellowing white. This is a beautiful door that thanks to a big vat of chemicals was set free. This is a beautiful door that was set free from the old gloss paint to have a lot of tinted beeswax rubbed lovingly, painstakingly, arm-achingly into it. This is a beautiful door, free of old gloss, carefully hand waxed by my (now less) fair hands and hung in place by the 1TB. This is a door made beautiful by our hard work and now it hangs at the entrance to our bathroom. A bathroom that has been without a door, be it ugly or beautiful, since last August. Last August. Oh how I adoor it.

Thank you all for your lovely comments on Francis R and I'm glad my photo plight amused. We've had some glorious weather this weekend and I had my second garden knitting session of the season this afternoon. Lil would like to demonstrate that when she wants to she can sit beautifully for the camera. Or perhaps she was just queuing to be next for the deckchair!

Pattern: Francis Revisited Yarn: Rowan Summer Tweed, Puff, 9.5 balls Needles: 6mm Harmony Circulars, a couple of lengths Started: 27 March 2009 Finished: 20 May 2009 Modifications: Row gauge was off so I moved the shaping rows around. I added three extra increase rounds to make the cowl neck bigger to match the larger size and try and ensure that I got the same look as the original, if I did this again I'd make it bigger still. I think its common in patterns that the collar or neck is not any larger on larger sizes and can look a bit small when it's balanced against a larger size than the sample. Very definitely my best jumper yet. It's true that there aren't many competitors in the race as I've only finished five fitted garments each of which has its issues: there's the vest that doesn't have the most flattering neckline Flair with her insufficiently double-breasted front and irritating length sleeves, Mum's cabled cardigan that was a pain in the creat

...I am too busy Mhing -ing! We found this beautiful card game - a simplified version of Mahjong with playing cards rather than tiles - at a charity shop on Saturday. It's my new favourite thing and knitting is crying in the corner. Well actually knitting will still get the odd look in when I can't persuade anyone to play Mhing which given this 514 point hand and my subsequent gloating may come sooner than I would like.

Look it's my blog in a magazine! Thanks to Knitty in Pink for spotting this and to Knitting magazine for writing very nice things even if it makes me feel like I should take less close up shots and let you all see the dust, debris and tumbleweeds of cat fur!

I think I'm knitting my best ever garment, it's looking better than I hoped, or more accurately as good as I had hoped at this stage (this would typically be the serious misgivings stage when all that exciting potential threatens to come to no good). It is not however the most photogenic of items. Watching this grow is the knitting blog equivalent of watching paint dry: So instead of more shots of Francis this meme I stole from Rachel and photos from my walk in the park this morning. Hurrah for gorgeous May days. Eight Things About Me 1. My middle name is Louise 2. I've lived in Oxford for nearly 7 years now, it started to feel like home about a year ago 3. I think I hate DIY, I certainly employ my best procrastinating skills to avoid it 4. I harbour secret ambitions to run a tea shop - do you think they would like an English tea rooms in Tuscany? I could see myself there 5. I took up knitting because I have ME and needed to do something more in life than work, sit on th

French-style Yogurt Cake . Just one of the three birthday cakes baked with my 1TB today (ginger and carrot make up the trio). A Homemade Life mixed with a bank holiday = the perfect recipe for happy kitchen time.

"A small minority, mainly strangers, would look long at her in casually passing by, and grow momentarily fascinated by her freshness, and wonder if they would ever see her again: but to almost everybody she was a fine and picturesque country girl, and no more." Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy *** Thank you to Clarabelle for the original suggestion and to Bells for bringing Tess back to the forefront of my mind; let's hope that unlike our tragic heroine our May Day happiness lasts long and strong.