Category Archives: Knitting

Post related to my knitting activities

Book Junkie

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I love reading, love it. I used to read one book per week, now with university and work, I’m down to about a book every two weeks, more or less. So, I was running out of reading material, and after I asked Jan for a few books to read, I decided to order some other books. What did I buy?

  • The Secrets of Jin Shei, by Alma Alexander.
  • In the Company of the Courtesan, by Sarah Dunant
  • Empress Orchid, by Anchee Min
  • Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World, by Isa Chandra & Terry Hope
  • Cocina Oriental (Asian Cooking), from IKEA cooking book series
  • Cocina Vegetariana (Vegetarian Cooking), from IKEA cooking book series
  • Cocina Festiva (Party Cooking), from IKEA cooking book series
Pile Of Books
(click the pic for a bigger view)

On top of that pile of books, my first Moleskine notebook. I fell in love with these expensive notebooks a while back, and finally I caved in and bought me a large blank one. It’s being used for random writing and doodling, for collage, for memories, that sort of thing. Where did I buy it? Altaïr bookstore stocks all the notebooks in Madrid! I’m pondering getting a City Notebook for Madrid as well, so I can note down all our finds.

On a side note, I have a five day weekend! The first of may is Workers’ Day, the second is City Holiday, and I’m taking the 30th of April off school (classes have been changed, anyway – so I’m not missing anything). Plans for this loooong weekend include: knitting, sewing (I have some pretty Ikea fabric to make a yoga mat bag and a weekender bag), studying (gotta boost up the study time, exams are coming up, dammit!), taking care of sweet bunny and pet sparrow, cooking, reading, sleeping, working on freelance project, and doing pilates (Yay I’m being a good girl and doing pilates and it shows!)

Prototype!

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I’m designing this little something for a present. I finished the prototype, and took notes. And the result is this:

Skull Baby Booties Skull detail

Once I have the final pair knitted up (wrists allowing), I’ll make a nice pdf pattern for anyone who wants to knit these too. Comments? Wishes? Anything?

Filler And Actual Knitting!

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Two exams done, four to go. Stress? Nooo not at all.

Anyway, these days I need the hair out of my way, and plain old ponytail does not do the trick. Hair falling over the shoulder? No thanks. So I’ve taken to this:

Crown Like Hairdo Hairdo part two

Yes, comfy, completely done up and hair out of the way. Less touching it while studying too. So it doesn’t get icky in a day.

And actually knitting content. Remember that kilt hose? The one I was knitting for Jan? I had to rip it, yes. And I reknitted it all, from the beginning. And then I made the foot part a bit too long, and had to rip some more… But now, it’s in good track. See:

Kilt hose!

Yay!

Now, more exams…

Got Plans?

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I got floor plans!

I’ve been putting some time into designing the renovation of this tiny appartment that, for now, is empty. It’s not a big place, only 36sqmt (or 387.5 sq ft, for you imperial users). It’s around 5.50 m (18 ft) by 6.70 m (22 ft) with a corner cut off. Right now there are: entry hall, tiny bathroom, tiny kitchen, small living room, small dining room and two small bedrooms. My plans are tearing all the walls down, and the fake ceilings and the flooring, and then build a nice appartment with a big bathroom, a kitchen with dining area, a livingroom and a bedroom. Enough for the two of us if we want to live here.

Floorplans

These are the floor plans I drew. If you click on the pic, you’ll be taken to the gallery, and the pic will be bigger and can read all the notes over the picture (hoover your mouse around).

The downside, like in any renovation, is the money. Without asking for any budget, I’d say all this would cost, at least, 30,000 euros. And me, poor student, can only dream of it for now. And make lists of what is needed (with cost estimates), and file it away for when I can afford it. Anyone want to donate? I’m going to set up a sofa-bed, for guests ;-)

On other news, exams’ period starts tomorrow, at 9 am. My schedule for the next three weeks has a lot of studying time, some sleeping, and then the following exams:

  • 9:00, 30th January, Vibrations
  • 8:30, 2nd February, Mathematical Methods II
  • 17:00, 6th February, Electronics I
  • 16:00, 9th February, Solid Mechanics
  • 16:30, 14th February (Oh love day!), Fluid Mecanics
  • 9:00, 17th February (yes, a Saturday), Solid State Physics

If you don’t see me around, now you know why. Also, as any other student, I get grumpy during this period. I will be grumpy. I will react grumpy, and I will ignore some people that otherwise would get a not-too-nice reply. You’re all warned.

On the knitting front (yes, I still do knit), I have to tell that the previously ripped kilt hose is coming along again, and I hope this time fits :p

Been Out

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And now I am back, but I won’t be very prolific with posts either this next month and a half, since it’s the last leg of the semester: lots of studying and exams galore.

So what have I been up to? Uni vacations were spent mostly with Jan, in Belgium. You can read a recolection of the events in our shared blog and you can see pictures in our gallery.

I finally took a pic of my first skein of yarn spun on the wheel. Or the first skein of yarn spun by me evah, as you prefer:

Sirri Hand Spun

That you see under the yarn is a stuffed hippo from Ikea:

Happy Hippo!

I did some sewing as well, “pimped” my wheel, so to say, but of course I forgot to take pics of it. The pimping consists of a cotton cover (for all those days when it’s unused) and adding a cute carpet under it, so my feet won’t freeze while I’m spinning.

Stay tunned, I might pop in between studying sessions and exams!

Sometimes I’m A Slacker

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And when I finish a project I completely fail to take a picture of it, and put it here. And then I forget all the details of the project. Like with this one. You see, I finished Branching Out about a year ago. And I’ve been wearing it for a long time. But never took a pic of it, and I forgot which needles I used. Go me!

Branching Out

Branching Out

  • Pattern: Branching Out from Knitty, by Susan Lawrence.
  • Yarn: Katia Caricia, 100% superwash merino, 175m per 50gr ball, the biggest part of one ball in green (colour #14). The leftover of this yarn you have seen in the Icecream Phone Cozy.
  • Gauge: does it actually matter? I didn’t check, of course!
  • Needles: I think it was 3.5mm straights. But it could have been 5 mm straights as the pattern called for. Or maybe it was 4.5mm? I really don’t remember :(
  • Measures: 12 cm wide (a bit less than 5 inches) and 140 cm long (56 inches), lightly blocked.

And it’s warm!

PS: Fuzzy close-up pic with a nearly accurate colour. And less fuzzy close-up pic.

Life Update

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As I said a few posts back, life is so busy, I barely have time for anything else than University, Labs and studying. I’m also working at uni, free hours, so it’s not that stressing, but still takes time. Whoever said university time was fun, should come spend a couple semesters at mine ;)

Now, November is over, and I have to say I blatantly failed on NaNoWriMo. I wrote around 17,000 words, and then I came across two problems: the big lack of time, thanks to see above, and then my muse disappeared to take the vacation I can’t take, and left me with a huge block. I might try again next year, it all depends on how busy I am.

On the knitting front, I can report that the ripped kilt hose is back in track. Already did the heel and I’m on the gusset decreases. I don’t have pics yet, bad light, no time, you know the works. I’ll try to take one some time.

I’m also traveling this week, going to Belgium to spend a few days with Jan. We’ll be resting mostly, since we do need it. I probably won’t be online much, so if you want to catch me, you’re better off e-mailing than trying to catching me on IMs or IRC.

I’m Not Dead…

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I’m just dead busy!

Here is the deal: this semester I have six courses and three labs, and that means at least all morning at university (plus mondays evenings) and the rest of the time trying to study all the notes and making exercises and doing lab reports and sleeping. Ok, and eating, I would skip that part, but seems my body isn’t happy with it ;)

Also, starting the 1st of November, I’ll be trying to write around 1,700 words per day, because I’m doing NaNoWriMo. It’s set! I have a plot, I have to develop the characters now, and write a decent outline so I can reach the 50k goal. And I’m also working on that at the moment.

On other news, Jan was over here this past week. He put up with my stress and my classes and my studying, and took me out for dinner at Vegaviana, a very nice vegetarian restaurant. When I wasn’t in class, I just tried to do nothing and enjoy him. So it was a bit quieter.

And on the knitting front, after finishing the Turkish Stitch String Bag, I put knitting off for a couple of weeks. And then I ripped off the too narrow kilt hose, and started it again. This time I learned proper crochet cast on.

More updates as time allows. And probably a few teasers from my NaNovel too.

F.O.: Turkish Stitch String Bag

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Finally finished the eternal Turkish Stitch String Bag. And I call it eternal because it’s taken me months to finish such a simple patter. I first started and followed the pattern with sizes and stitches and everything, and when I got to the strap I run out of yarn. So rippit! And then I casted on less stitches and knitted away and got distracted by the spinning but it’s done! Yay!

Turkish Stitch String Bag

string bag

  • Pattern: Turkish Stitch String Bag, by Judy Gibson.
  • Yarn: Katia Mississipi (60% cotton, 40% acrylic), green 85776 (found the labels *yay*), 2 skeins, 50 grams and 95 metres each.
  • Gauge: no idea, I didn’t bother checking!
  • Needles: Pony circulars, size 7mm, 100 cm long (had to use some sort of magic loop).

Notes: In the end I used smaller needles than called for (10mm), and casted on 11 stitches instead of 15 and adjusted the pattern accordingly. It’s a very easy pattern, even I could memorize it.

More pics:

close up

crochet detail