I am still around...

More than two months have gone since my last entry, and a lot of things have changed. There's some bad news, but also some good news too.

This new entry is all about books and bunnies, no knitting for once.
Have you ever taken this test? According to it, I am a very special novel....

You're Watership Down!

by Richard Adams

Though many think of you as a bit young, even childish, you're
actually incredibly deep and complex. You show people the need to rethink their
assumptions, and confront them on everything from how they think to where they
build their houses. You might be one of the greatest people of all time. You'd
be recognized as such if you weren't always talking about talking rabbits.


Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

Can you resist a new yarn?

I have been dreaming of the Cashmere Island by Noro since I've discovered it somewhere on the web, and after a bit of procrastination (or shall I call it a yarn diet? what a ridiculous thought!) I went and ordered a skein.

Not long after its arrival, I was already on the sofa casting on for a scarf - and tried it on to the Zigzag Stripes Scarf of Debbie Bliss featured in Scarf Style...

By Sunday evening, despite having been out for most of the day, I had finished knitting the first skein and went off to get two more from Ebay.

I love the way the colour changes, and I think that this yarn would make a great Clapotis.
And by the way, I found out that the Cashmere Island sold here has 10g more than the one sold in the US... how odd is this?

Where's my nostepinne??

Well, it's official now... I am losing track of my accessories in the mountains of yarn that are taking residence in my house. I have been looking now for three days for my nostepinne, and cannot find it anywhere. I am in no great urgence to use it, but there are a few skeins I'd like to test knit and I LOVE using the nostepinne for making balls!!

Lady Eleanor entrelac madness

For a long time I've been admiring the pictures of the Lady Eleanor stole in SCARF STYLE, and then all of a sudden it hit me and ... I started two!!



The one on top is being knitted with Noro Silk Garden in shade 217. After I realised that entrelac was not as complicated, I just had to grab a skein of Rowan Tapestry (Shade 173 here) and give it a go. The thinner needles make for less growth per hour, but the gentle change of colours is a relaxing knit for the eyes, especially at nighttime. I am planning to give the Rowan stole to my other half's mum...her birthday is in January, and depending how soon I finish it will be a Christmas or birthday present :)

I am a bit worried by my obsession for the entrelac technique...yesterday, while stirring Quorn in the wok, my mind was playing with the idea of starting another project with Noro Kureyon... a bag to felt in entrelac!?!...help!

The Vegan Pal 2 Questionnaire

It feels like ages since my last post, but rest assured that I have not been lazy in all these weeks! Firstly, however, I have to catch up with the questionnaire for my first ever craft related swap, the Vegan Pal 2 - I have always been intrigued by the knitting swaps, but somehow never managed entering one, as I always ended up finding out about them when the deadline was long expired :(
So, here it is...

1. What is/are your craft(s), & how long have you been doing it/them?
   
   I have many crafty hobbies, but I can truly say that the only two I have been indulging in the last 3 years are knitting, spinning and a bit of sewing. I used to do patchwork quilts (the type you quilt by hand), but nowadays I just don't have the time for it. Knitting has truly taken over in the last 1 1/2 year, after a break of 7 years. I've been knitting since I was 11 (my mum taught me to knit and sew) and didn't stop until the mid '90, only to re-discover it recently. With my housebunnies, it is my substitute for a psychiatrist and keep me sane :)
   
   
2. Are you a vegan, vegetarian, veg-curious, veg-friendly or other?
   
   I have been vegetarian for almost 6 years now. Although I have a lactose intolerance, however, this is almost confined to cows milk and some cheese sorts, so that I am not considering becoming a vegan in the near future - I blame my being Italian and loving cheese! Still, because of ethical reasons, I prefer to buy cheeses from small farms, where animals are kept with dignity and in a suitable ethical and natural way.
   
   
3. Is this your first swap, or have you done previous swaps before? What makes a swap enjoyable for you?
   
   It is my first knitting/crafty swap ever, and I am very excited! However, it is not the first type of swap I've been involved in... I am an active bookcrosser and book swapping has become a second nature for me. The best thing is the element of surprise, and the anticipation in preparing something that your pal will hopefully enjoy :)
   
   
4. What is/are your favorite color(s)? Do you particularly dislike any color(s)?
   
   I don't like much pastels and prefer mostly strong colours. Right now, my favourites are greens, purples and their shades...
   
   
5. Do you have any allergies (such as pets, foods, fibers or cigarette smoke)?
   
   I suffer of what is called "cross-allergy", birch/hazelnut pollen in the air, and foodwise many tipes of nuts (although not peanuts!), and fresh fruit with a large hard stone in it (cherries, peaches, apricots, etc) plus kiwis. It is a bit of a pain especially in late spring/summer, when all those fruits are at their prime. Eating them cooked it isn't just the same :(
   I am not allergic to smoke, but being a ex-smoker I just cannot stand the smell - plus, I get an awful headache when I am in a room full of smoke for longer than 10 min.
   Luckily, I am not allergic to pets, but if I was I would go any extra length to keep my housebunnies!
   
   
6. Do you have any companion animals? If so, name(s) and type(s)?*
   
   Can you guess?? Two housebunnies :D Nik is a male dutch, now almost 4 yrs old, who likes to explore the house and get cuddles; BillieBun is a cross mini lop, about 7 yrs of age, the sweetest cuddly bunny with a lovely face. Both are rescues - Nik would have ended as snake food :( and Billie would have been probably pts because of health reasons....
   
   
7. Do you collect anything?
   
   Not anymore. However, if you consider "collecting" the compulsive purchasing of knitting books, yarn, knitting accessories and the odd Renaissance music CD, well... then probably I still do!
   
   
8. Do you have a favorite vegan food, snack or dish? If no fav that's vegan (for those who aren't vegan), what's your favorite food? (Hopefully your pal can find a vegan version!)
   
   I just love dark chocolate - never been a milk choc person, and prefer fair trade chocs.
   
   
9. What are some of your favorite/least favorite tastes/flavors? (e.g. sweet, salty, chocolate, crunchy, smooth, tart, sour, spicy, thai, whatever - Help your pal get a feel for what kind of recipes you might like and/or never ever make.)
   
   I love Italian cooking (as long as vegetarian!), of course, and since in the UK I have a particular love for the afghan/indian/pakistani cooking. The mix of spices is just fantastic, and I love both the spicy and the mild dishes!
   I like almost anything... as long as vegetarian and I am not allergic to it!
   
   
10. What tools/supplies/accessories for your craft(s) are you wishing you had but don't? Also, what do you have TOO many of? (basically a wish and anti-wish list)
    
    Uh... well, I wish I had an extra room for storing my yarn, but I guess it is not easy to mail :D
    I think what I cannot get enough are stitch markers.... whenever I am looking for them, they're either in a project on the go, or I haven't enough of them for what I need them for! I also am starting to get dpns in wood/bamboo for socks, as I have only one set, and what I would like to get one day is a wood/plastic foot shape to block socks.
    I would be tempted to say that I have too many knitting needles, but... there isn't such a thing as too many knitting needles!
    
    
11. Are you on Ravelry? What's your handle?
    
    I have applied, but not yet in the circle of lucky ones!
    
    
12. Is there anything else you would like your pal to know about you?
    
    I try to live an ethical lifestyle as much as I can, and I have a very eclectic taste... I will listen to some straight edge hardcore and five minutes later to Tallis' "Spem In Alium", dress with cargo trousers and DocMartens but also capable of dressing very ladylike, and love paintings by the old masters as well as Art Nouveau, Expressionism, Wunderlich, Hausner, Fini and Brauer.
    
    
13. What scents do you like/dislike?
    
    I like the smell of freshly cut lawn, and the smell of water melon - both are related to childrens' memories. So when it comes to scents I prefer the fresh ones to the herb, spicy ones.
    
    
14. Do you prefer fall or Halloween or some other Autumn theme?
    
    Autumn is just fine... I love the season, as I was born in autumn myself ;-)
    
    
15. Just for fun - tell your favorite Halloween or Autumn related memory.
    
    Halloween memory: evening of 31 Oct 1996, walking in the streets of Munich with my boyfriend at that time, and enjoying a hot pumpkin soup in a bistro in Schwabing... Halloween is still a bit of an exotic thing to me, as in Italy we did not have Halloween until in the late 90s...
    Autumn memory: every time that I went to a park to walk amongh the red/yellow/orange leaves! I could indulge in this every year since 1986, the year I moved away from Italy. There is something magic about wrapping up and having a walk on a sunny/cloudy/foggy day with all the autumn leaves crunching under your feet :)

So, this is it.... it took me longer than I thought because with my verbosity I wrote a lot, so I had to cut down some of my answers... I hope you haven't fallen asleep reading all this, and thanks for reading :)

Finished!

Back to the knitting, I finally finished my bolero jacket knitted with Rowan Damask a couple of weeks ago:





I am glad that my skills in modifying the pattern didn't leave me, and although I had to change quite a bit on the sleeves, the result is satisfying.
I loved working with this yarn and I am planning to do a cache-coeur, although in the green version of the yarn. Somewhere I've seen the Damask on sale, so I am hoping that John Lewis will be including it in their sale too ;-)

...and here's a funny commercial:

create your own visited countries map or vertaling Duits Nederlands

Long time no see... but not dead yet!

Time to use this new toy! I have been busy with plenty of things, work for once, but we don't want to talk about it, do we?

I have been frantically knitting and going through my stash- not to mention getting some new yarns - and have started this over the Easter Weekend.
Damask is lovely to work with, although I have to watch what I am doing, as sometimes it splits, due to the viscose and linen, but I am enjoying the result. It is going to be a bolero jacket with 3/4 sleeves... I saw one in a very similar colour at John Lewis but the price was prohibitive (£46.00!) and thought it would be so much cheaper to knit one, so...
Right now I am finished with the back and the left front, can't wait to block it and sew it together :)
And since I expect to have one or two balls left after finishing the bolero, I am going to swap those with some in green to do a shrug for my sister.

Uh, look what I found...

Your Birth Month is December

You love life and exude an outgoing, cheerful vibe. Blessed with a great sense of humor, you can laugh at adversity. Your soul reflects: Celebration, success, and wealth Your gemstone: Blue Topaz Your flower: Narcissus Your colors: Indigo, green, and blue-green

What Does Your Birth Month Mean?

A new venture...

Just started this blog...however I am not sure I will be able to cope with regular posts! I thought I would give it a try, though, and see how it goes...