Where's Your Brain At?

In the most recent episode of Tea and Possibilities recent Tea and Possibilities podcast, Nikki talks about not completing a project, because that's not really where her brain's at.   At the moment, my brain's at my blanket.  I thought there was going to be a fight between me and the hot weather as to who lasted out the longest - but actually the weather only popped its head in for a couple of days. 

Last Saturday, I went on a group cycle ride of 11.5 miles, and really felt it when I came back!  I spent the afternoon crashed out on the sofa, with the blanket (as it currently stands), keeping my legs warm.  There was another one today, but it's a longer ride for the last weekend of the month.  I've decided against, as I need my energy for this evening. 

I've had to get over my aversion to the colour pink.  In fairness, it's not the colour that's the problem - it's the way it's always used to girl-ify everything.  You like fishing?  Have a grey fishing rod.  You're a woman who likes fishing?  Have a pink fishing rod.  You need a pen; here's a blue one.  You're a woman who needs a pen - here, have a special pink one.  The list is endless, but the worst I saw was the pink 'Big Red Bus Shape Sorter' from Early Learning Centre.  Because, of course we female Londoners have a completely different colour transport system to our male counterparts.

Anyway, I digress.....

The blanket as it stands has quite a lot of green and purple, and a pretty decent amount of blues.  To try and break it up a bit, I bought a whole load of My First Regia sock yarns in shades and patterns of pink.

The thing I love doing, is mixing and matching scraps of yarn - so a light pink ball and a dark pink ball will give me three squares; one plain in each shade of pink, and one square of pink stripes.  Factor in the patterned yarns and other scraps I had, and I had around balls for around seventeen squares, all stored in bags for each quarter, to try and make sure there's an even spread of colours.

Yarn received as a swap 

Then I received the swap to the yarns I sent off last weekend - and hey presto, another twenty or so balls are now ready to be knitted up. 

..... So, guess what I've been doing this last week? 

The blanket, as of 27th April 2018

Dealing

Not long ago, Mr Knitty bought me a small pair of electronic scales for weighing yarn.  In its helpful way, Amazon also let us know what other people had bought alongside the scales, which raises questions what they were weighing with their scales....

Last weekend he saw me weighing up yarn to send off as part of a minis swap, to which his comment was: 

I knew it.  I knew it would just be a matter of time before you started dealing. 

TBT: Snow

Now we've got a bit of spring in the air (at least in theory) it's easy to forget the Beast from the East which hit us in February. 

At the end of February, we went to the theatre to see This is Going to Hurt - from the book of the same name, by Adam Kay.  It's a (mostly) hysterical memoir about the life of a junior doctor.  It was pretty cold and windy, and the trains were not running as they should have been.  Nevertheless, we persisted and it was well worth it.  Despite having read the book, I was still laughing until I couldn't breathe!

On the way there, I wore my Hitchhiker scarf, finally with all the ends woven in.  I started it in 2016 and may, or may not have completed it in the same year.  I wanted something bright to contrast with the cold and snow.

Waiting for the train

It was at that point, that I realised that I hadn't taken blog photos of the Hitchhiker.  So, the following day, I dragged Mr Knitty out into the snow for a photo shoot: 

Pattern - Hitchhiker by Martina Behm

Yarn- Zauberball by Schoppel, colourway Tropical Fish

It's only on writing this, that I realise I've managed to pair up a German yarn, with a German designed pattern.  

Once Upon a Sock - April

These are my March socks.  I know I should have caught up with the seasons and cast on the April socks, but I don't currently have any spare needles.  (Unless you count the wooden ones, which I don't - because I can't take them in my work bag, for fear of breakage).  My plan of knitting lots whilst not working in January, may have worked for a bit - but I am now officially behind on my box o' socks for 2018. 

Yarn - Opal, My Sock Design

To keep with the rainbow stripes pattern, I'm going to do a short row heel (not sure if I want to do another Fishlips Kiss Heel, try a Yo Yo heel or something else.  I'll let you know after the weekend.  From the previous short row heel I've done, I found it quite tight to put on.  I've put the ribs in to try and make it easier to put on.

I've also got at least one pair of socks from last year which need finishing, and three pairs which need the ends weaving in.  

So, if I state it loud and clear here - then it has to happen, right?  Between now and the end of the weekend, I'm going to turn the heel on these, turn the heel on my outstanding Hermione's and weave in the ends of my socks from last year.  I should probably weave in the ends from my January socks too, or else I'm going to be in this same pickle in twelve months' time. 

I've also got a couple of ideas for sock designs; I'm just not sure if I'm brave enough to start swatching... 

Joining in with: 

• Kat from Felinity Knits
• Katherine from Fiber and Sustenance
• Stephanie from Stephanie Crafts with Wool Paper Fabric
• Steph from My Making Do Adventure
• Meg from Intergalactic Knits
• Lynn from Minding My Own Stitches
• Reanna from Knit Reanna Knit
• Kathy B from Compassionknit
• Tammy from Life and Yarn or Yarn and Life
• Paula from Spin a Yarn

The most exciting thing about this post is the massive numbers of people who have joined in the Once Upon a Sock crew.  Having previously been called 'a bit weird' for noticing the socks that people were wearing (I don't know why I talked to him again, either) - it's so nice to have found my tribe.  Happy Sock-ing, ladies!