Scarf pattern

I've been wearing scarves recently...

As requested - the pattern:

4mm needles (or maybe 5mm - or 6mm - whatever you have and are comfortable with)...

Random balls of yarn - or remnants.

Cast on as many stitches as you like - say 20 or 25... with some yarn or other

Garter stitch (ie, every row knit) with colour A until you get bored. Join on another yarn,and chop off colour A and garter stitch that until you're bored. Repeat until it's long enough.

To stop the yarn possibly coming apart, tie a knot in the ends of the 2 yarns, and leave dangling.

If you want to get fancy, you can do other stitches - but the size of the scarf and the different colours makes it a bit moot.

There you go! Easy! Perfect project for the beginner knitter.

Monkey meets the Moll-ster

Monkey hasn't met a cat before - dogs yes, cats no. [That could possibly explain the 'woo-woo' coming out of her mouth... yep, possibly talking! Heard a 'daddy' as well]...

And that's when we stopped the chase so Monkey didn't head off down the stairs in pursuit of the Moll-ster. The Moll-ster managed to stick to the edges of the room, and had escape routes, so she was cool with the whole thing.

Updates & rambling

Went into Masco yesterday and the lovely lady said 'ah, you're addicted' as I headed off to the sock yarn area.

Realised it is a 3-pay month, so was planning what sensible (or otherwise) thing I could do. Now I know - I have to buy a free-standing clothes hanger-thingy. I had one for my jewellery, but I really needed it for clothes. If I leave my clothes in the wardrobe, I forget they're there. So, last night, put my clothes onto the hanger I had, went to move it - and the bar sheared off and the whole thing collapsed. Luckily, I only got a small scratch out of the whole business.

But I like the idea so much will be off to buy a replacement - stronger! - hanger tomorrow.

Christmas sock update: 3½ out of 30 done.

Book review time!

At promised last week, my other fav adult read for the year.

Abraham Lincoln: vampire hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith.

I like the fact it reads like a biography. There's the intellectual conundrum of figuring out fact from fiction [it's just that most of the fiction is pretty damn obvious, which isn't always the case in biographies]. Unless, of course, it's really all fact and the fiction is that there aren't any vampires. That makes sense, doesn't it?

Anyhoo... moving right along... well-written, well-paced and FAB cover [the back is great, too!].

Such a 'nice' departure from all the other paranormal / vampire-type books I've been reading lately.

Two-fer Tuesday

Thanks to my friends... two mash-ups of two (hence four) of my favourite things...

Doctor Who (David Tennant, even!) AND Top Gear (Jeremy!!!)





And... knitting with beads... just to add to the joy - earrings!

Sock-session

I've finally decided what to do for the kids' Christmas presents [there's a few of them - so planning has to start early].

I'm going to knit each and every one of the little sweethearts a sock. Ok, to be nice - I'll even knit them TWO socks. See - I'm so generous!

So... that's:

• 4 pairs for cousin's kids
• 1 pair for Monkey
• 9 for the greats
• 1 for the future great baby

Making a total of 15 pairs for Christmas. [and this is WHY planning starts early].

I've made a start! Have knitted one sock.

Book review time!

Something a little bit different this time... At home by Bill Bryson.

I quite like non-fiction and, having read - and enjoyed - his A short history of nearly everything (and his writing style, and sense of humour), thought this new title could be a goer. I also like the stories behind everyday things. With all those factors this moved well up my to-be-read pile (well, all of those things, and the massive reserve queue for it).

Thank goodness I wasn't wrong! There's nothing like reading a nearly 500-page non-fiction book quickly, with enjoyment and laughs, and quiet contemplative moments, to make you feel like a real reader for once. [I've been struggling to read lately].

The bits of it I've read out to family have been appreciated. Their laughter wasn't forced. Although, in the big sister's case, probably a bit pained - particularly the bit about stairs. But, hey, I thought she'd understand it more and deeply - and yes, she did... She's nearly down to a cane now! One crutch at the mo - not bad after 5 weeks.

So - highly recommended reading! One of my reads of the year. [Which reminds me... should review my other adult one...]

Mouse-capades

So, anyway, a few months ago I got the roasting pan out of the oven warming drawer only to see itty-bitty mouse droppings. Having seen no other evidence of rodent invasion, I did what (most) single females would do - washed the pan, and stored it elsewhere. Hey, the mouse/mice weren't actually doing any harm. Trust me, there is ample opportunity - cat bikkies left out for easy consumption, etc.

And that, I thought, was the end of it.

The Mollster obviously thought differently as, last night, I was met by an itty-bitty dead mouse on my hall floor. Again, my single girlness took over and I left it alone overnight. Just to be sure it really was dead.

This morning - better prepared for dealing with my present - I scooped it up with the cat litter spade-y thing, onto junk mail - and threw it out the front door, into the longer grass (cut so that the neighbour's bunny has outside food). That way some other poor person has to deal with the dead mouse their cat will present to them. There are a LOT of cats in my area.

So, the Mollster got to demonstrate her innate catness, even while under permanent house arrest. Yay for the Mollster!

Some educated and biblical LOL-ing

moar funny pictures

Things I'd like to see...

see more Lol Celebs

Knitting & new family

Here you go... a photo of the outfit I knitted for then future-baby, now new-baby, from the Vintage Knits book.

And - photos of the recipient...

Book review time!

Finally - book reviews... Two must-read picture books. Seriously. Must-reads. Especially for boys, or girls whose inner-child is a boy...

I'm sure you've all figured out that I'm a great fan of indolence. Hey - I've hired a cleaner in order to stop the guilt-trip of non-housework, because I'm knitting (ok, that's not quite nothing...).
Anyway, in Let's do nothing Frankie & Sam try to do nothing - just 10 seconds worth.
They pretend to be trees (but the dog pees), State of Liberty (hello King Kong)...
Fabulously fun!
Works great as a read aloud.


Next up ... Shark vs Train.

Another exploration into boy imaginations.
What would happen if a shark and a train competed in some really odd things?
Yep, it does go on a bit... but isn't that what your imagination is like when you really get into whatever you're playing?

PS - you can find out more about them by using the funky Auckland City Libraries search box thingy on the right...

There's truth in LOL-land

see more Lolcats and funny pictures



Yes, and when they're old, too. I'd hate to think I was the only cat 'owner' to do things like leave the ranchslider ajar (to aid coming and going of the Moll-ster), and have the heater on full-blast to counteract the cold air.
I am also known to sit uncomfortably so that the Moll-ster can sit on her site (my footstool). That said, if she's stupid enough to sit on my knee when I'm reading - she will be used as a book/page leaning tool.
By the way... ever noticed how they manage to sit on your knee, just as you're thinking in the next ad break I'll get up and...?

Happy birthday Dan!

In honour of Dan Ackroyd's birthday...

Knitting in the wild

Thanks for the comments - here and on facebook - about the knitting.

Yes, more baby clothes to come! And, I'm currently working on another sock - a pair is planned.

What I didn't say in my sock posting was the other challenge I succeeded in... which was seeing if I could knit my sock while shopping. And I did! I figured if my dad could steer a car with his elbows, while rolling a cigarette, I could steer a supermarket trolley while knitting. And it worked. Wool in my pocket... Socks are actually quite portable for knitting in the wild - and while reading.
I got a few looks at the supermarket. And a comment from the guy in front of us in the queue. He even knew it was a sock. Which was impressive, I thought.

I can also knit a couple of rounds while waiting for my computer to load up.