Voila!

Here 'tis! It's not this badly blocked really - I just flopped it out on the floor and couldn't be bothered straightening it!



And a close-up that gives a good idea of the yarn variegation. I love this chocolate colourway - it truly is delicious enough to eat!



Tomorrow I am tripping off to work in brown tweedy trousers, a black v-neck knit and my clap - can't wait!

Mes clapotis est finis!!

Yes! I am a proven knitting sprinter! My new Addi turbos were my best friends, slipping each stitch so beautifully smoothly and easily. Without them, I'd still be clicking away no doubt.

I happily finished off the last rows while watching episodes of "The Brief" on DVD. Maybe it's an occupational hazard, but I adore Henry Farmer! Of course, I sit there muttering "that would NEVER happen; as if you'd EVER ask that question!; object, object!; that's not admissible!" but that's all part of the fun, isn't it? My version of yelling armchair advice to referees.

My clappy was blocked this morning and is now lying saucily spreadeagled on towels on the dining room floor, beckoning me to wear her soon. I had an outdoor brunch to go to today and it would have been perfect!

Photos to come, been somewhat busy with work, baby and, of course, knitting. Will someone come and do my housework so I can knit socks?

My ankles aren't THAT fat!

I have thick ankles. They are the bane of my life. Frivolous little shoes make them look like they belong to a rugby player in drag. They are the one reason I envy my mother-in-law. She has natty ankles. And so does my husband, who doesn't need them or care about them. Sometimes, life is very unfair, isn't it?

In my stash was some gorgeous burgundy Regia Silk, which I thought would make a splendid pair of diamond rib socks for .. moi! (that's about the full extent of my French). So I read all the instructions in my Sensational Knitted Socks book about unfortunate souls with fat ankles, I swatched, I washed and I measured. Bah! My sock is enormous. I got through enough to stick it up over my foot and, well, it's okay, but very loose. I think it would slip down as I walked around.

The only woman I know with thicker ankles than me is my mother. So I thought I'd be generous and finish off the socks as they were and give them to her. She lives in Central Queensland and they have very cold winters, so I'm sure she'll enjoy them.

I do like the diamond rib pattern though. Terrible photo - still working out our new camera, but you get the picture (yes that awful pun was intended).



Oh, and here are my dad's socks-in-progress. I love this yarn. It's very dad-like, isn't it?



I was worried they would be a bit boring, but I think they're quite elegant really. Simplicity is a wonderful thing.

And a pic of my baby girl, just because she looks so wonderfully earnest! Obviously having some kind of serious political debate with her dad.



I'm cruising along with my chocolate clapotis for the Tour de France KAL. I've decided to do 17 straight row repeats, rather than the pattern's 13, just so I can wrap it right around myself and be deliciously warm and cosy. I've got a few more straight repeats to do, then the decreases and I'm done! No lagging behind the peleton for this Liquigas girl.

Oh and I've even managed to get some work done. Sleep? What's that?

I'm Baa-aaack

Yes, I am still alive. And still knitting :) After a long absence from the blogosphere, I've returned. Of course, it is very likely that no-one will notice!

I also had a long absence from knitting. Just before my last post I discovered that we had a little one on the way. Unfortunately that little one decided to make it impossible to knit! Motion sickness or something - it was dreadful! If only I was at the stage of not having to look at my needles I might have managed lol.

She arrived safe and sound at the end of April and has been frequently dressed in handknits that I managed to make near the end of my pregnancy and soon afterwards.

So, a bit of show & tell!

Our little girl. Clearly I will never be a hairdresser!


Love this jacket! It was made from red merino bambino and some cream 4 ply I had in my very meagre stash.


She wears this a lot - it's nice and soft. I used Cocoon for this.


And matching hat


Something pretty




Have joined the ranks of the Tour de France knit along too - cycling on TV has never been so much fun! Go Cadel go!! Since I'm probably the only knitter in the world without a clapotis, I decided, with the help of the lovely Bells, that it was a good project that I'd be able to get through in between working and mothering.

Am using merino chubby sock yarn from the Knittery in the chocolate colourway. Just gorgeous. And thanks to Daphne for the special dye job! The yarn has a lovely sheen to it and will be light enough to wear in Brisbane, as I'm doing it on a 4mm Addi Turbo so it's nice and open. But undoing the ladders - ugh!

Am halfway through now, so I'm confident I will get it done before the deadline. I quite like the pressure lol! Plus the added pressure of having only just enough yarn - eeep!! My daughter has her last feed at 10pm, just when the telecast starts and I have recently perfected the art of knitting whilst breastfeeding. Handy.



Also on the needles are a pair of garter rib socks for my dad in Regia. Good TV knitting and a bit of a break from the clap. Nice subtle browns and creams with a bit of blue-grey for pizzazz. Very dad-like. Especially for an oh-so-conservative one!

Plus a pair of socks as in passionfruit cashmerino, also from the Knittery. I had the most wonderful friend as my doula for the birth and I thought "what's more perfect to say thanks than a pair of handknitted socks?" She's been coveting my passionfruit lacy mock cables for some time. I couldn't face yet another pair of lacy mock cables, having made two, so chose the oblique openwork pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks. Very easy - just a 6 row repeat.

So that's me!! I look forward to catching up with old and new blogs in between everything else I'm doing! Why, oh why, are there only 24 hours in a day?