sarahdotcom:
Crumpet just reminded me that I haven't been very good at advertising my new blog address!

You can now find me at fingers and toes

sarahdotcom:
Here's the Headline News cap from Stitch n Bitch Nation. I finished it ages ago - oops for not posting a pic! I just didn't really feel like taking a photo of myself!



In other news, my cabled hoodie is almost finished:



I have nearly finished sleeve number 2, then I just have the hood to go, and the finishing - I have to put the zip in and weave in a LOT of ends. Does anyone have any tips for sewing zips in?

I thought I might re-start my failed ballet cardigan project. You might remember I ran out of yarn and thought the collar was turning out way too long. Actually, now I think it WAS ok - but there's been another disaster! The colour I was knitting it in has now been discontinued! The yarn's only been around for a year, so it's weird they've discontinued it already. I guess I'll have to think of an alternative to the collar - maybe I'll sew some ribbon onto it or something. I don't know...

Anyway, when I was in Ballentynes trying to find the yarn for the ballet cardy, I found a new yarn.... this is the second nicest yarn I have ever found (the first being Kashmir Trendsetter, a cashmere/silk blend that my aunt bought my Nana to make a scarf with. Unfortunately Nana's almost blind - my aunt doesn't really seem to realise this - so the scarf will never be knit). I digress - introducing Naturally Me:



What better name for a luxury yarn? It's 80% merino, 20% cashmere, buttery soft and comes in gorgeous colours. I bought 6 skeins in black because I want to make a vest - will that be enough? I think I will modify the leftovers vest from knitty to have cables and to (obviously) be all one colour.

This yarn makes me feel so special. I love having nice things. I'm so glad I'm not a communist!

sarahdotcom:
I've been around, but internet access has been limited lately. I finished Kerry's scarf but didn't take a photo before I sent it off. The yarn was horrible - it was broken and knotted in so many places. Luckily it's so furry it hid all of the joins, and Kerry loves it.

I also finished the cabled newsboy cap - I'll post a pic sometime, promise!

My yarn arrived from Ebay so I got to start the cabled hoodie. Here's a progress pic:



One pattern repeat down. I'm really enjoying it so hopefully it won't take all winter to knit! I have vest plans too, and hat plans.

sarahdotcom:
Sorry, I dropped off the face of the earth for a while there.

I didn't come close to finishing my Olympic Project, Orangina, so I'm putting it away until spring. It's autumn now, the weather has turned nippy, so it's time to turn my mind to winter projects.

I think I'll occupy myself with a few small projects for now but maybe start a big project just to get the ball rolling. I'm going to make a Basic Cable hat with the green yarn my Fiber Godmother sent me, and also another green hat, this time the Newsboy Cap (both patterns are from SnBN) in my new favourite yarn, the Jo Sharp Aran Tweed. It's scrumptious!

I'm also almost half way through a very pink, very girly, very fluffy candyflossy scarf for our old receptionist, Kerry. Kerry was our "Launchpad" girl for 2005. Launchpad is a scheme that was started by my firm but has spread to offices everywhere. It takes school leavers (usually people who want to leave after year 12 - school here goes up to year 13) and places them in offices for a year. One morning a week they go to Polytech to learn various skills, mainly to do with business. After the year is up a lot of them are ready to go on and do further study, and a lot also stay in office work as well. We have three ex-Launchpad girls on staff. One of them has just finished her legal exec qualification, and another is nearly there. Anyway, I digress. Kerry has just gone down to Dunedin to do Occupational Therapy and is really sad, cold and homesick. Hence the scarf.

As for big projects, as I think I've mentioned before I really want to make the cabled hoodie from here:

http://www.patonsyarns.com/patternbook.php?PBS=500989%20

I have the pattern but as yet have no yarn. Should I use the recommended yarn (which would mean buying it on the internet)? Does anyone else have any recommendations? I want it to be cozy, but I don't want it to pill easily. I also want to make it in natural cream, for classic cabled goodness.

I also still have the yarn for the Hourglass Sweater. I don't think Mum's going to knit it after all.

And there is the 10 balls of gorgeous green Cashmerino that I have no idea what to do with. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know! Otherwise I think I may have to try my hand at designing something myself.

I haven't received my FG parcel yet, but by the same token I have not actually checked the mail. Hopefully my mail redirection is working, I will go and check the PO box today.

Oh yes, which brings me to news I think I may have already alluded to: I have moved out of my shiny inner-city pad and am currently crashing with my parents in the country. It now takes me 1 hour to drive to work (SHUT UP anyone who lives in LA or Auckland) as opposed to 12 minutes to walk. The whole situation was really stressful, getting OUT was even more stressful (like, Police were called stressful) so frankly I'm glad that particular (short) chapter of my life is over! Thank god I never told Flatmate From Hell that I have a blog.

Right, back to normal, boring knitting coverage! That's enough interesting to last me a while!

sarahdotcom:
Hi FG! *waves*

More coherent post later, I promise. Too tired to string words together right now!

sarahdotcom:
Did I post this already? Team Kiwi now has a blog over at http://teamkiwi2006.blogspot.com. Many many thanks to octopusgrrl who has been picking up some of the slack due to my complete unavailability lately. If you'd like to join the blog, just comment or email either of us with your email address, and we'll send you an invite. We're already up to seven members with possibly more on the way, hurrah!

sarahdotcom:
Yesterday there was a card to call left in my mailbox (unfortunately my mailbox is just a slit in the wall, so parcels won't fit through it. They'll buzz if it's a courier, but regular parcels they just take back to the post office - mind you, I'm never home for the couriers anyway). I didn't know what it was - either my Ezibuy order or my FG package. It was the second!

Yay! FG went with a green theme - hmm, I think she's realised I quite like green. Here's what I got:



I feel SO spoiled. I love it all! The knitting notecards are awesome. And the yarn feels lovely. I think I will make the basic cable hat from SNB. I need to get some 5mm dpns, and then I can start!

I'm really looking forward to package number 2 for my Fiber Goddaughter. I keep thinking of cool stuff I can put in. I haven't got any yarn yet but I'm sure I'll find something she'll like!

sarahdotcom:
Here's one from the lovely jennnk:



And I had a go at making one of my own. Aren't you proud?



Thanks for all of the supporters who are helping out Team Kiwi! I can't wait til the Olympics actually start, I know there will be heaps of support and encouragement coming our way.

We also have a new addition to Team Kiwi, welcome to octopusgrrl who will be knitting her first socks (you may want to head over to Jenn's lj for a first sock button!)

Last night I cracked and unpacked my Orangina yarn for some training. Now, I'm keeping my yarn in reserve until the big day, it's an Olympic secret! (or it could be that I've packed my camera) The good news at any rate is that I got stitch gauge and am only slightly off on row gauge, but that's easy, I'll just do more rows! However, since Denise needles don't come in size 3 I'm going to get RSI working with horrible cold metal needles. Nasty. I wish there was more available in the way of needles here in Christchurch. Maybe I'll check Spotlight. On the other hand, it is meant to be a challenge, and on these needles it will be...

sarahdotcom:
Just so's I don't forget it:

Materials:
1 50g ball DK/light worsted weight yarn. I used Jo Sharp Silk Road DK
Set of 4 4mm DPNS
Yarn needle

Gauge: sorry haven't a clue as I gave the hat away in a bit of a hurry!

CO 100 stitches using the cable cast-on method. Divide over 3 needles (make sure there is a multiple of 4 on each needle, it's useful!).

Knit in K3, P1 rib until hat reaches desired length. I tried mine on by bunching it up on the needles and putting it on my head.

Start decreases:
Row 1: *K2tog, K1, P1, rep from * to end
Row 2: *K2, P1, rep from * to end
Row 3: *K2tog, P1, rep from * to end
Row 4, 5, 6: *K2tog, rep from * to end
Break off yarn and thread through a yarn needle, run needle through remaining stitches and pull to tighten. Weave in ends.

sarahdotcom:

Sign up for Team Kiwi here, if you haven't done so already!

The rules can be found at Yarn Harlot.

Team Kiwi buttons supplied by the wonderful crazycatladymel:





Also, shout outs to Jussi who made this button:



Thanks Jussi!

Edit: Just looked up the time difference between Torino and here. The opening ceremony kicks off at 8pm February 11. That will be 8am Saturday 11 February for us. We actually have a bit of an edge over everyone else, as we will have more daylight hours to complete our knitting in!

I've postdated this so it stays up the top.