Tales from Rabbit Bottom

Ravelry

2008-01-05T20:07:00.000Z

Happy New Year!

I only have 3 weeks of maternity leave left. Where did the time go? I will be going back to work 4 days a week and Anna will be going to nursery.

Anyway, back to the title topic: Ravelry. http://www.ravelry.com/

I love Ravelry, although it becomes really addictive and I have lost track of time on a few occasions. I like the way you can look up other people's versions of patterns and see how they turned out.

Go check it out!

December

2007-12-03T15:46:00.000Z

I can't believe its December already - where did the year go? Time is going so quickly. I'm trying to switch into Christmas mode...

You Are a Tree

You love every part of the holidays, down to the candy canes and stockings. And you're goofy enough to put a Christmas tree ornament on your tree!

What Christmas Ornament Are You?

Grand plans...

2007-10-30T13:56:00.000Z

...have fallen by the wayside. I had planned to knit all kinds of baby clothes for Anna, but I just haven't had time. Unfortunately, I had bought lots of yarn in small quantities for small sizes and they will no longer fit if I knit them now! I decided to buy more yarn for the patterns I really want to knit.

I'm currently knitting a pink and purple stripy Debbie Bliss baby cardigan in baby cashmerino (from Book 2 where it is green/ecru stripes). It is meant to be 9-12 months and the clock is ticking as Anna is now 8 months!

I just discovered I'm evil (or rather it has been confirmed). A bit of fun:

How evil are you?

Baby cardigan

2007-07-20T11:36:00.000+01:00

Ribbon-edged cardigan (without the ribbon!) from 'Special Knits' by Debbie Bliss. I used baby cashmerino in pale pink and knitted size 0-3 months (2 balls). It was straightforward to knit and this is the first garment I have ever knitted (e.g. one needing seams etc). I'm pleased with the result for a first attempt.

Unfortunately the knitwear model doesn't look too happy!

Baby

2007-05-11T14:40:00.000+01:00

Baby Anna was born at 1.10am on Wednesday 21 February 2007 weighing 8lb 3oz. She's a cutie!

Cute Bunny Stuff!

2007-02-16T15:37:00.000Z

As a bunny lover it has been very hard to resist buying cute bunny stuff for the baby. I have been amazed by how many items there are with a bunny theme, particularly for baby girls. The knitted bunny was from http://www.mamasandpapas.co.uk/ and the little pink bunny slippers and blanket are from Bump & Baby in Marlow. They are from http://www.bunniesbythebay.com/ and imported from the US. Cute or what? They are so soft and furry.
Just got to hope the baby is actually a girl! Not long to find out now....

Merry Christmas!

2006-12-31T18:56:00.000Z

This is an ornament I made for a Christmas stitching exchange which had a snowman theme. The design is from an old Just Cross Stitch magazine and it was fun to stitch with all the beads and fine details. Maybe I will get round to stitching one for myself someday....

48 Things...

2006-11-14T15:43:00.000Z

1. FIRST NAME? Simone
2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? My middle name is Frances, which was a Great Grandmother’s first name.
3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? Almost every day now that I’m pregnant! Actually, I’ve done pretty well this week and I think it may have been 4 days ago.
4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Yes, although I’m getting out of practice now I use the computer all the time. I’d love to have a beautiful fountain pen to make all those handwriting lessons worthwhile.
5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SANDWICH FILLING? Difficult choice as I do love my sandwiches…a really good coronation chicken is hard to beat, although a mozzarella/tomato/basil panini eaten al fresco in Italy would probably do it.
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Maybe, it depends whether we got to know each other. I don’t ever make ‘instant’ friends with people; it tends to build with time.
7. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? This is it.
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes I do, but they have been through the mill.
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Absolutely not.
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? At the moment it is porridge (thick, well-cooked and not too milky) sprinkled with demerara sugar.
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? If I have to. I don’t have many lace-ups, they’re mostly boot s with zips or slip ons.
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Yes.
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? Pralines and cream or strawberry.
14. SHOE SIZE? UK size 5½.
15. RED OR PINK? Pink. No contest really.
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? Lack of discipline. I could go on, but don’t want to get too depressed today.
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My Grandpa who died of cancer a couple of years ago.
18. WHAT FOOD WILL GET YOU OUT OF BED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT? None. I like my sleep far too much.
19. WHAT COLOUR TROUSERS, SHIRT AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Black maternity trousers, green camisole, black top and black shoes.
20. LAST THING YOU ATE? A ham sandwich and packet of Wotsits for lunch.
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Snippets of a colleague’s phone conversation.
22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Purple.
23. FAVORITE SMELL? Cakes baking.
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My Mum.
25. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Their eyes.
26. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON YOU STOLE THIS FROM? I do.
27. FAVOURITE DRINK? A nice cup of tea or plain still water.
28. FAVOURITE SPORT? Tennis and swimming.
29. EYE COLOUR? Blue.
30. HAT SIZE? No idea.
31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Almost every day.
32. FAVORITE FOOD? Roast dinner with all the trimmings.
33. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings.
35. SUMMER OR WINTER? Winter. A lovely crisp wintery day with blue skies.
36. HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs.
37. FAVOURITE DESSERT? Something with lemon, eg cake, mousse, cheesecake.
38. WHAT SIDE OF THE BED DO YOU SLEEP ON AND WHY? I sleep on the right side. Don’t know why.
39. IF YOU DIDN'T MAKE THE DECISION TO GET MARRIED AND HAVE A FAMILY, WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING TODAY? Probably something similar.
40. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? Duncton Wood by William Horton.
41. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? I don’t use one.
42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? Spooks.
43. FAVOURITE SOUNDS? Silence or gentle countryside sounds.
44. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Rolling Stones.
45. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Bali.
46. WHAT'S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT? Doing the right thing.
47. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Nottingham.
48. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Nobody. I stole it.

Sari Ribbon Lace Scarf

2006-10-03T12:58:00.000+01:00

I have finished my first ribbon knitting and I suspect it will be my last! I used Sari Ribbon to knit the Lace Scarf from Louisa Harding's Accessories book. I think that the combination of ribbon yarn, lace pattern and slippy wooden needles make for very hard work! I had to restart at least 5 times and ended up using lifelines to be able to complete it. I was happy with the end result though, which is the main thing. The picot edging is pretty and I like the lace pattern. I gave the scarf to my Nanna for her 75th birthday.

My First Socks!

2006-09-28T12:48:00.000+01:00

I'm very proud to have completed my first pair of socks! I used Opal Ladybird sock wool and a beginners sock kit from Get Knitted for them. I blindly followed the instructions and hey presto they turned out really well. They fit me just right without having to adjust the pattern (I take a 5 1/2 shoe). I wish I had noted where exactly I started the first one, because it was hard to make the second one identical. Nevermind! I'm happy with them as a first attempt. Next I'm going to make DH a pair of bedsocks ready for winter.

Fickle fingers scarf finished

2006-04-16T14:32:00.000+01:00

Just in time for the spring weather I finished a cosy woollen scarf! It is the Fickle Fingers scarf from Interweave Knits magazine Winter 2005 with a couple of modifications.

I used the recommended Zitron Ethno in #10 multicoloured, but used 3 balls instead of 2 to get a longer scarf. After restarting a few times because I didn't like the tension or the width of the scarf, I switched down to 5mm needles and used 17 stitches in the set up row instead of 19. The fingers are created by casting on and casting off 5 stitched at the beginning of each row. The main body of the scarf is in moss stitch. The Ethno was interesting to stitch with and the resulting scarf is very cuddly and warm (especially now the weather has warmed up!).

Introducing Jasper

2006-04-14T17:54:00.000+01:00

Last weekend we went to visit my parents and met Jasper their new dog. He's gorgeous! They rescued him from the RSPCA a couple of weeks ago. Jasper is a springer spaniel and he's about 5 years old. He was up for adoption because his previous owner died. He was wary of us when we first arrived, but we soon made friends with him.

One of my next projects will be this lace scarf from Gathering Roses by Louisa Harding. I'm using Sari Ribbon in a light blue/green/beige colourway shot with a silver sparkle. It will be a present for my Nanna.

An update on the Daisy scarf: it's a disaster! I started knitting it and my cluster 5s did not look right at all. When I emailed Rowan they even sent me a swatch to show what the daisy stitch should look like and it wasn't anything like mine! I might take it along to my knitting group to see if anyone there can point me in the right direction.

Getting to know me...

2006-03-29T18:18:00.000+01:00

1. What time did you get up this morning? 6.45am
2. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Either Narnia or Wallace and Gromit – can’t remember which!
4. What is your favourite TV show? Mmmmn, too difficult to pick one – Eastenders, CSI (Vegas), ER, Invasion and Lost
5. What did you have for breakfast? Crunchy Nut Clusters with Summer Berries
6. What is your middle name? Frances
7. What is your favourite cuisine? Chinese
8. What foods do you dislike? Mint and bananas – YUK!!!
9. Your favourite Potato chip? Pringles cream cheese and chive
10. What is your favourite CD at the moment? Keane – Hopes and Fears
11. What kind of car do you drive? Vauxhall Corsa
12. Favourite sandwich? Coronation Chicken
13. Birthday month? December
14. Favourite item of clothing? Jeans
15. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would You go? Indian Ocean
16. What colour is your bathroom? White and green (strictly not my bathroom, but the landlord’s)
17. Favourite season? Autumn
18. Where would you want to retire to? English countryside – to a perfect village
19. Favourite time of day? Early evening
21. Favourite sport to watch? Tennis at Wimbledon or England playing football
22. Coffee or tea? Most definitely tea
23. Favourite movie? Dirty Dancing closely followed by Pretty Woman (sad I know…)
24. Milk or dark chocolate? Milk
25. Coke or Pepsi? Coke
26. Are you a morning person or night owl? Night owl
27. What size shoe do you wear? UK 5 1/2
28. Do you have pets? Sadly not
29. Do you like it to be hot or cold? Cold
30. When you were young, what did you want be when you were grown up? Doctor in a hospital
31. Favourite Candy Bar? Cadbury’s Twirl
32. What is your best childhood memory? Too many to think of one right now
33. What are the different jobs you have had in your life? Medical writer, Assistant Editor, Data Manager, Laboratory Demonstrator, Silver Service waitress, Checkout Assistant
34. What colour is your kitchen? Cream
35. Nicknames Mone (probably meant as Moan)
36. Piercings? Ears x2 in each
37. Eye colour? Blue with central yellow ring
38. Ever been to Africa? Yes – Israel
39. Ever been toilet papering? I guess not if I don’t know what it means
40. Stick shift or automatic? Manual
41. Been in a car accident? Yes – on a family holiday to Scotland years ago
42. Croutons or bacon bits? Neither
43. Favourite day of the week? Saturday
44. Favourite restaurant? Les Deux Garcons in Horsham
45. Favourite flower? Aquilegia (Columbine)
46. Favourite ice cream flavour? Pralines and cream or strawberry
47. Glasses, contacts or none? Contacts
48. Favourite fast food restaurant? Yo Sushi!
49. What colour is your bedroom carpet? Purple unfortunately (we’re renting)
50. How many times did you fail your driver's test? Two!!
51. What colour is your hair? Dark brown with copper tones
52. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? Monsoon
53. What do you do most often when you are bored? Surf or knit/sew
54. What time is your Bedtime? 11pm
55. How many tattoos do you have? None
56. Last person you went to dinner with? My lovely husband
58. What are you listening to right now? A very quiet off ice at the end of the day
59. What is your favourite colour? Bluebell blue
60. Lake, Ocean or river? River

Sock planning

2006-03-24T22:51:00.000Z

Even though I'm still knitting my first sock, I've decided there will be more and I have the sock wool ready and waiting. Taking advantage of a free shipping offer from the US, I bought Fleece Artist, Cherry Tree Hill, Opal Handpainted, Cascade Fixation and Sisu glittery sock wool:

Of course I need sock patterns to make socks and I bought Sensational Knitted Socks, Vintage Socks and Folk Solks to get some inspiration. Just need lots more time now to knit them!

I also decided to knit a Fickle Fingers scarf from Interweave Knits Winter 2005 magazine. The only place I found to buy the Zitron Ethno wool was in Germany and a couple of balls of Trekking sock wool also found their way into my basket. I like the subtle tweedy effect and should be able to use these for a lace type sock without detracting from the pattern too much.

Curly Wurly Scarf

2006-03-21T23:12:00.000Z

Hot off the press - I just finished this Curly Wurly scarf in time for Mother's Day. I used Lorna's Laces Lion & Lamb in Watercolour and a free scarf pattern from Get Knitted. I started out using 60cm circular needles and had to switch to 80cm because the 700 stitches on the needles didn't fit! I also changed to a cable cast on because the colour changes looked much better along the edge with this method compared with the thumb cast on.

Organised chaos

2006-03-15T11:10:00.000Z

This week's SBQ:
Do you have an organisational system for your patterns? If so, how do you organise them? If not, have you considered organising them?

I keep my charts in plastic box files and sort them by designer. For the miscellaneous ones I tend to organise them by theme, eg bunnies, seasons. I have small box files for smaller charts, eg Lizzie*Kate flip its. Magazines are stacked up in chronological order by title. I have a small bookcase with knitting and sewing books on the bottom shelf, magazines on the middle shelf and box files containing patterns on the top shelf.

Rhapsody in pink

2006-03-07T17:53:00.000Z

I'm now the proud owner of a hat and scarf set:

I used Rowan Chunky Print in shade Rhapsody to knit a moss stitch hat and a chunky rib scarf. Both patterns were from 'hats gloves scarves' by Louisa Harding. The hat was a little taller than I expected and I adjusted the seam position to take out some of its coneheadedness. I have to wear the brim turned over to be able to see though! The scarf is seriously long at 2m - it could double as a draft excluder if necessary. It was a relief to knit something fast and simple as a change from the lace pattern scarf and I really like the colours together.

My next project is going to be the Daisy scarf from Rowan magazine 38. My brother bought me the wool for Christmas and I'm using the same Kid Classic in Battle as the scarf shown in the magazine. The 'cluster 5' pattern seems to be quite challenging, so I have done my homework and found some additional intructions before starting. Just need to finish off my Leisel scarf - only a couple of pattern repeats to go now!

Stitching magazines

2006-03-03T12:22:00.000Z

This week's Stitching Blogger's Question:

What cross-stitch magazines or other publications (as opposed to blogs) do you read on a regular basis? What do you like about them? What do you not like? What would your perfect publication include?

I've had a subscription to New Stitches for about 3 years. I like this one because it has in-depth articles and a techniques masterclass. Plus it covers a mixture of stitching types, such as blackwork and speciality stitches. I haven't stitched many designs from it, but the designs are classic and won't date too much. My main dislike is that the designs use Anchor rather than DMC. As a consequence I've ordered the kits to save me having to buy Anchor threads I won't use for anything else.

I recently started reading Sampler & Antique Needlework Quarterly. I enjoy reading the articles in this magazine and find it interesting to see the photographs of the antique embroidery. Until December 2005 I had a subscription to World of Cross Stitching. I cancelled this because many of the designs seemed repetitive and not to my taste. I didn't like the style of the main designers they were using.

My perfect publication would include a mix of stitching types eg, cross-stitch, blackwork, speciality stitches, with interesting and informative features. It would also contain designs from designers I like eg, Just Nan, Mirabilia, Little House Needleworks etc.

Just what I've been waiting for...

2006-03-02T08:44:00.000Z

A new knitting group has just started up near where I live and I went to their second meeting last night. I had a great time and met some lovely people. We're going to meet every month and I'm looking forward to the next meeting. There were 7 of us and we met at a country house hotel where we had a room to ourselves with comfy chairs and sofas. It was great to chat with other knitters about knitty stuff!

Valentine's Day

2006-02-14T20:23:00.000Z

I made my husband a coffee, chocolate and walnut cake for Valentine's Day. We were so keen to sample it the photo had to wait! Advice of the day: never underestimate the power of home baking.

My order from Jimmy Beans Wool arrived yesterday. The Aurora 8 (11 light olive) is for a Backyard Leaves scarf and the Touch Me (3623 light mauve) is for a Vintage Velvet scarf, both from Scarf Style. Both are the recommended yarns for the designs, although I chose a different colour for the Vintage Velvet scarf. Somehow I made a mistake with the number of balls of Touch Me and I had to order two more. Luckily they had some left from the same lot number. The instructions say to felt the Touch Me by hot washing and then tumble drying. I'll have to do this at my parent's because I don't have a tumble dryer, although I wonder if this step is really necessary?

I had a look through some of the designs in Wrap Style today and I can't decide whether to buy it or not. I know the poncho has had it's day, but there were some cute wraps and capelets too...

First post!

2006-02-10T12:44:00.000Z

Hello and welcome to my blog! I hope to share my stitching and knitting stories with you.

Currently knitting: Liesel scarf using Debbie Bliss alpaca silk DK in a teal shade. I've managed 3 pattern repeats so far and had to start using lifelines because I kept making mistakes and got sick of starting it again (and again...). I think I've got the hang of it now! I was beginning to wonder how I would ever get to scarf length.

Currently stitching: First Step by Genny Morrow. I'm using a different colourway of dusky pink, lilac and teal with gold tones. It looks very different from the model. This is the first time I've stitched on canvas and it is easier than I thought it would be.