Shawls and misfires

I realised that I should be a bit more interesting on my blog.
What am I knitting, a shawl, one not happy (decidedly teenage acting actually, I've apparently got it all wrong), one fluctuating, a hat that only sees light on sundays as well as the Harris socks.

Socks, yes, that all pervading force in my life at the minute. The socks.
I've just finished the ribbing a few days ago on the second and already made my, "bugger it its not noticeable" mistake. I did 3 of 1 set patten lines instead of 2. But since this yarn unplies itself rapidly when you try to unpick it I declined to unpick it and pull it back a stitch at a time. This stuff cannot be ripped back by the row (circle maybe? they aren't rows because its knit on the round. Maybe its I can't pull them back by the round instead. Makes more sense). These need to be picked back stitch by stitch. 60x5= lots. So no, I'm not doing that for ummm.... calculator says 300. No. Not doing that. I have as much chance of getting those stitches back on easily as pizza has surviving 10 minutes in our house. Or our ripe blueberries around that thrush that only seems to eat them when I'm looking out the window. How does it know? I look out, it flies down and starts pieing out (to pie, you pie, she/she/it/they are pies. Think being an utter gutbag). Its a right chubby bird dicing with death I tell you. How they haven't stuck in its throat I can't predict (stretchy oesophagus muscles must have all the flexibility of new knicker elastic that is about to be twanged by someone annoying who has no sense of self preservation. Just like that thrush). I hope this increases the chance of it surviving to breed next year. More thrushes are a good thing.

Anyway, I digress (The Prologue) the sock, its coming along fast (oh how I am delighted), I have some pictures of it with Marvin on my work computer. I can't put it on but I'm going to (updated) I've ordered the computer at home another bluetooth dongle so I am a bit better at adding pictures. I also need to put on the hat and shawls.

Ohhh Shawls. The nightsongs (or Lindawings as its becoming considered) had a mistake so I needed to rip it back a bit. So it was set aside. Not only because I was a bit downhearted, but because I am a bit of a pattern anti fidelity pattern hussy. Yes I was enamoured with the Lesley fuzz (that almost sounds wrong. No actually it sounds wrong, completely wrong.) But its had a bit of a misfortune. I have no idea what I've done, but I've done something and I have toooo many stitches. 10 stitches do NOT appear out of nowhere and considering I consider myself able to count, I must consider that the numbers of stitches are correct. Therefore I must consider a mistake. Thats a lot of considerings. But this requires consideration is required. So every day I rip back another few rows and when the sob starts. I stop. And work on the Lindawings shawl.
Just so I can go form one thing that is heart wounding, to something that can turn me into a bloodshot eyed screaming raving loony. Well more screamy anyway, I'm already a vocal and screamy person to tell the truth. Maybe I should have more practice knitting from patterns before starting something as large as a shawl. But no matter. Why?

I love this pattern. Jam ahem wedge the worksheet in a book and let it unfold as you knit. And you do see the pattern unfold (maybe this is normal with all lace, I've never done any before so I can't tell). I love the pattern now I am ish becoming ish able to read the pattern. Enough to know when I have muncked up or if a yo is in the wrong place. I am back into the habit of doing a few rows every night. Even if it is the equivalent of a few rows. That is to say I've ripped the same part of a row out several times because the upside down Y thing with the vertical line going down to the same level as the forks of the Y is not looking right. Its poaching on a stitch from the next leaf and that's not right. That happened last night and despite knitting over over an hour, I only had 2 lines to show for it. And I feel pleased, because it doesn't matter that its only the second repeat and it was hardly any stitches. I got it right and added to it with added yea, I was right, that wasn't right. What did I do wrong? I have no idea. but its fixed now and I'm happy.

Other News, I have persuaded a friend to allow me to make her the Aeolian shawl (http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEspring09/KSPATTaeolian.php). But the shoulderette form, and I've picked the yarn. Its here http://www.shetlandwoolbrokers.co.uk/epages/BT2741.sf/secDuF_fBWppSg/?ObjectPath=/Shops/BT2741/Products/%22Lace%20Yarn%22/SubProducts/L20B . The colour L1A is the pick for the wedding shawl.

I really adore what these people do. Putting things into context two of my uncles have sheep. And when I was speaking to one he said it was hardly worth the effort selling them. They get a pittance. If it wasn't for the fact it was wet and he hadn't been able to shear them I'd have bought one of his. As it is I don't want to post raw wool so he may keep me something in the winter clip. These people buy the wool from 80% of the crofters (I think) for a decent price, sort the fleece and sell it. In the natural colours and dyed. I love that idea. Which is why my cousin (the aforementioned uncle, who is as awesome as his daughter) is getting her wedding shawl spun from it.

What else. We made plum jam, of which there are two things to note.
The first of which is very sweet (i'd worry about my pancreas, but these things seem to be purely decorative, I don't eat them, neither does he from what I can tell).
The second point is also distinctly part of, or a member of a closely related part of a section of society which has a fearable faction within it, it truly is, a widely feared faction in society. Because you can't tell which is which and are you going to be safe. Widely feared for many reasons. Terrors of society, yes, (some, the feared section) with their strange hair colours, piercing stares, cutting looks and comments and tuts as well as the most scary fact. The fact that they look at you and they know, irrespective of whether or not you've been good, they know you haven't. And they know.Your.Mum.
Yes. Its da da daaaaa its the.... blue rinse brigade. Complete with handbags and glasses. You don't see them much up here.

I've forgotten where I was going with that train of thought. Ummmmmmmmmm.......ummmmm.....ummmm....still no idea.....ummmm....that hasn't helped. crap.

Oh yea, the last jar (which has a half jar) has a purple perm rinse. The ring was hot and caused it to bubble and we didn't do anything about it in our vain attempt to quick-get-it-out-before-it-all-sticks-to-the-insides-of-the-maslin-pan and it set with the bubbles. Which are a paler purple than the rest of the jam. Before anyone thinks about suggesting scum, there wsan't any on it at that stage.
Its a purple rice jam. Ahem, purple rinse jam. get it right. It amused me.

There has been no movement on the pineapple jam and I'm so not doing it on my own. I'm not a fan of pineapple (too sweet) and It'd be much more fun score out soothing to let/get CGBF do the chopping of it into the necessary bits instead. For me anyway.

Anyway, culinary delights. Mine has been the new sauce kits that the spice shop in Aberdeen has got in. I love that shop, there are so many fascinating things you can look at. As if you were a 5 year old instead of a mature (ah ha hahahaha I don't feel it) adult. I love going in there, just so many new things to work up your bravery towards trying to see what you can make. We got Biryani which was amazingly good. Cooked it with carrots a leek, courgette and mushrooms (what needed eating). And what was nice (in a not nice way) There was actual small chunks of the spices that went into it which shows its not flavourings that goes into it. Its natural and every bite is different and its smells lovely. But that's the bad thing, you get little hard chunks (I got 2 bits of cinnamon). Potential Mouth food shrapnel but nothing serious. We also got Laksa (I think its spelt that way) that needs coconut milk added to make a rich creamy sauce. It has tamarind paste and you need to cook it for a bit before the horrible unholy wretched stinking smell departs leaving your house reeking. Once your past that stage though, it sweetens and it smells much nicer and you get a lovely dish with a nice bit of heat behind it. But I do add a whole tin instead of a half to make it more manageable. I love that it hasn't been so processed that its been already cooked through to make its fragrant. Mee Goreng is also really nice.

I'm obviously experimenting in the far east food and loving it. Sadly ahem tragically it doesn't always agree with CGBF's inner workings. But my Thai green curry can be very hit or miss. But it'd help if I measured stuff out rather than firing in anything that needed to be eaten as well as stuff I fancied. Then pe lting in a random splodge quantity of the paste in with a tin of coconut milk. I'd say pouring but its a thick paste. So in order to get it off the spoon that you almost have to swing around your head like that highland throw the hammer thing. But with a with a sudden downwards swoop instead of upwards ending with wacking the spoon on the edge of the pot for that sudden stop movement required before it will come off. Last night's was very thick and when you eat it the burn hits you "bloody hell this is HOOOOTTTTT burny burny burny Hotttttt". Then when it fades away there is taste. Then you repeat. Sometimes you let it get almost cool then you try it. but nope. That BURNNNNNNNNNN is still there.



One last thing... Its my little brother's birthday in the coming weeks (almost 3). So therefore its time to start panicing about what present to get him. The one without a neck. They don't sell necks.
I have no idea what to get him. Crap.


The actual final point... I have not wove anything. Or warped it. I live in fear of it. I cried then I yelled at CGBF. :(