To-Do List

Updated to do list: (26/12/2011)

1. **Show notes for the episodes and for the ravelry group**
2. Knitting for stash down and spinning for stash down
--- I will be putting up totals next week to show my progress!!
3. **SAL/KAL for The Knit Girllls** FINISHED!!
4. ***KAL for Knitting blooms -- Frogged***
5. Using up mini skeins -- TC Mitred Square Blanket
6. ***Log-cabin blanket -- Work on that just a bit*** FROGGED!
7. **Simplicity socks - Finished!!**
8. TARDIS kindle case-- FINISHED
9. Scarf for LBF
10. Scarf for LBFs mom -- Owl Scarf
11. X-stitch -- both small, medium, and large -- Magnet finished!
12. Updating the Shop's blog -- More soon
13. Working on more stitch markers
14. Tatting for Charity -- Blocking needed
15. Writing up some patterns -- working on it
16. ***Taygete*** -- Frogged for now
17. ***TUCK Shawl KAL*** FROGGED
18. Dyeing up some new colorways
19. ***Huldran Shawl*** -- Frogged for now

Knitting in the New Year

So I have been planning, and since I am going to Luxembourg today I needed some knitting/crochet projects. Why? Well... I found myself in a unique position. I have nothing left on the needles! Yup. After I slipped that Owl Scarf off my needles and laid it to block out (which btw was a waste of time to get it to stop from curling!!) I had nothing else on my needles. Well I did, but ripped it got (Log cabin Blanket is no more and so is the Mitred Sock Blanket). I found myself without knitting or crochet for my plane rides, car rides and time at LBF's house! So what did I do?? I reorganized my stash, documented ALL of it except most of the mini-skeins and fiberholics/phat fiber. They will be done after I get back but it wasn't needed for this trip so I didn't waste my time (and after not being able to find my passport for an hour I ran out of time).


I have endeavoured to knit from my stash, spin from my fibre, dye the things up for my shop, make jewellery and stitch markers, weave some of my more difficult to knit yarn, and knit from my favorites, queue, and books in Ravelry.


Let's try some statistics shall we? Don't run away I have already done all the numbers:


How many skeins have I put into Ravelry (Mini-skeins sometimes are small skeins of their original so they would be ie. 0.1 of a skein): 220.21 skeins


How many have I used: 92.98 skeins
Really? hmmm if you say I have then I guess I have...


Now for some brass tacks: 
Total Yards/Meters Stashed: 47,822.1 yds/43,728.4 m
Remaining Skeins: 127.23 skeins plus mini skeins
Remaining Yards/Meters: 40,400.8 yds/36,942.1 m
What's that in Miles/Kilometres: 22.96 mi/36.94 km


How much I have actually used in Yards/Meters: 7,421.3 yds/6,786.3 m
In percentages that means I have knit/crocheted: 15.5% of my stashed yarn


Now I ripped out the Diagonal Blanket and Log cabin after these numbers but they are minimal.


Can we stop to appreciate that I will have knit 23 MILES if I knit my entire stash as of right now...
Also, this includes hand-spun that has been listed on the Ravelry page so these numbers will change! However, most of my hand-spun is actually crocheted up!


So what shall I do with this information?
Well since in the last year and a half I have only knit/crocheted 4.2 mi/6.8 km I doubt it would be a reasonable goal to knit my ENTIRE stash I hope to get my percentages up to 50% of stashed yarn. I have no idea what will enter into my stash this next year but trust me it is going to be selective and probably mostly fibre. Since my loom has come about it will be a great way to use up yarn that proves too "unique" to knit/crochet up. I understand now why crocheting lead to knitting lead to spinning lead to dyeing lead to weaving.


Ok, back to my story of going to Luxembourg. I now am the proud queuer upper of 7 new patterns:
(All of these are in the side bar on the raillery app)

1. Hitchhiker using Wollmeise -- Petit Poison Nr. 5
2. Citron using Malabrigo -- Cadmium 7
3. Citron using Malabrigo -- Loro Barranquero 176
4. Critron using Wollmeise Lace Garn -- Feldmaus
5. Tunisian Sampler Afghan out of left overs from some special projects (and some of that ghastly "unique" yarn you get in Let's Knit Magazine)
6. Tunisian Mitered Throw (Yeah, I know I know) using the mini-skeins
7. Ostrich Feather Fandango using Schoppel-Wolle Lace -- Fuchsienbeet 1536

All but #5 is going with me to be casted on in Luxembourg! There are crochet and knitting patterns mixed in and I will be excited to get these started and start building up what's on my needles!!

Hope you all have wonderful holidays and a Happy New Year!

I think I may have an issue...

I thought I would share my semi-stash, it has been added to since this photograph and this DOES NOT include my fibre stash which I wouldn't even dare take a picture of and show to anyone...

It is not as bad as some I know, at least it still fits on the bed easily... The BOX of mini-skeins is to the left unseen which is about 50ish mini-skeins...

I have decided to photograph and document my entire stash. Not out of guilt but I need to use it! 2012 will be a year of stash down. If I run out of yarn (unlikely) then I can buy more! You see that Green blob and a shiny pile behind?? That my Wollmeise! lol. Enjoy the enabling erm... I mean picture of my stash ;)

OMG...

Updated to do list for this week:

1. Show notes for the episodes and for the ravelry group
2. Knitting for stash down and spinning for stash down
1. I will be putting up totals next week to show my progress!!
3. SAL/KAL for The Knit Girllls
1. Spinning is done and I will start the Yvain on Sunday the 20th (today).
4. KAL for Knitting blooms -- Frogged
5. Using up mini skeins -- Diamond Blanket
6. Log-cabin blanket -- Work on that just a bit
7. Simplicity socks - Finished!!
8. TARDIS kindle case -- Lining needed
9. Scarf for LBF -- Erm... well....
10. Scarf for LBFs mom -- Owl Scarf
11. X-stitch -- both small, medium, and large -- Erm... well...
12. Updating the Shop's blog -- soon
13. Working on more stitch markers
14. Tatting for Charity -- Blocking needed
15. Writing up some patterns -- working on it
16. Taygete
17. TUCK Shawl KAL
18. Dyeing up some new colorways
19. Few other small things!

So much to do

I have been busy working on finishing my LBFs socks, the diamond triangle blanket, the TUCK shawl and the taygete shawl. However, I ripped out my entire day's work and it wasn't much at that to start with today. I did block all my finished objects I had languishing. So I should have some updated photos for my revelry here soon! Hope everyone has a great week. I will be working on the show notes tomorrow.

Some housekeeping coming up

I have been up to my eyeballs in things that need to be done, knit, crocheted, spun and stuff to make sure my blog and ravelry pages run smoothly. I am epically failing at all of the above. Not anymore! I am now free to do some housekeeping so here is my list:

1. Show notes for the episodes and for the ravelry group
2. Knitting for stash down and spinning for stash down
3. SAL/KAL for The Knit Girllls
4. KAL for Knitting blooms
5. Using up mini skeins
6. Log-cabin blanket
7. Simplicity socks
8. TARDIS kindle case
9. Scarf for LBF
10. Mittens for LBFs mom
11. X-stitch -- both small, medium, and large
12. Updating my website
13. Updating the Shop's blog
14. Working on more stitch markers
15. Tatting for Charity
16. Writing up some patterns
17. A few shawls I am working on...

Yeah, I am going to stop now, there is more on this list. I have things to do for my PhD and some issues with housing but for now here are some pictures:

Sherbey!!

Firestar yarn: 100.3 yards 4 color gradient

Manos Diamond Hat

Sometimes you just need a smile

I am working hard behind the scenes but I thought I would show something bright in this wintery weather we are having!

Coming up in the next 2 weeks!

I will be working on my blog and ravelry pages in the next few days!

Here is what I have to do:

1. Show notes and blog post for Episode 8, 8.5 and 9
2. Put up new yarn on Ravelry
3. Put up new pictures on blog

For crafting? Sigh...

1. Ripping the Stephen West KAL
2. Ripping the baby hat and re-knitting it
3. Rustic Autumn Shawl KAL 1.5 more repeats and a garter stitch edge
4. Find a scrap Afghan pattern  Have one?? Please leave a comment!!
5. Entrelac Bag -- may be ripped and redone in tunisian crochet
6. Simplicity Socks
7. Plurk Podcaster Challenge Project
8. More polymer beads
9. Spinning
10. Dyeing
11. Some in the works patterns as well!

Ok I think thats it... It will be over there ---> for the time being.

Blog it.

I have been working hard on moving my crafting supplies to a new location. Unfortunately, this means that I am a bit behind in a few things. I have some things to do for the blog, ravelry, my personal website, and life in general! I will be doing some small changes over this next week, posting some real pictures, and on friday I will have my video cast as usual. I had an unfortunate set back but now I am doing much better and will commence my normal blogging schedule! I have so much to catch you up on and loads to redo BUT I shall press on!! I will be setting a list of my things I am doing over there ----->

in the next few days so you can see my progress and new things that I will be bringing here and everywhere else! Tomorrow I finish the move with my dying stuff and spinning supplies (Including Julie and Aaron). Hope everything is well with you!

Are we ready for some craziness???

Over the next few hours there will be 5 posts of craziness!!! I will space them out but they WILL be picture heavy. They will be full of fun and the WILL show my love of picture taking!! Some of them are form my LB but most of them are mine!!! Enjoy!

Blog it.

I have been working tirelessly to get my life back in order! I came back to about 30 packages needing to be opened. Then with the help of my lovely boyfriend I went to IKEA (twice) and got a storage system! Yup, I broke down and finally got it. It was £60 and I am quite chaffed that it works so well!! I quickly filled it and now I am still finding the little niches to put things into on a temporary basis. I didn't realize I would have 3 of my storage bins full of fibre (and overflowing with it). I have been spinning and trying to get things in a workable state.

I will be uploading a stash video later on today (hopefully if blip behaves) but its a long one (about an hour). Here is the teaser photo I put up on Plurk:

That's only half the packages...

I will be uploading more pics here soon and I will be doing my stash pictures for ravelry so I can keep track of the fibre and the yarn I have accumulated. Lots to do and I am intermingling it with my PhD paper that is due in October. 

Again I am part of the Plurk Podcaster Challenge. This is why I am doing all these major overhauls. There have been cobwebs growing in some places but I will be kicking it up a gear in the next few weeks to get it all revamped. Please be patient if sometimes my blog does weird things. I am trying to get blogger to behave to my will but alas it seems futile! Well, off to catch up on the podcasts I missed while my computer was on hiatus and do some actual work!

Blog it.

Hey! I know I have only been updating with videos lately but seriously, I will be resuming my normal posting once I am back in Edinburgh. I will probably not get a new post out until Wednesday of next week but I am going to try and do some things on this coming saturday so I can put up some pictures!! I have many many pictures of my visit home (of course a lot of my animals). I have new things going on as well!! I will be working hard on my PhD through to my year end review in October. Also, I am doing the Plurk Podcaster Challenge (button on the sidebar)! Want to see me suffer? Join in and have a laugh as I and about 25 others do the bidding of our viewers!

Anyways, I was just popping in to say my Blog is having its anniversary on the 20th of July. It will be 1 year old!! In August my website turns 15! Yup, PurplePhotokitty.com has been out there for that long. If you know how old I am you will note I was a youngin' when I started. Its been really fun and I have exciting things planned for the near future including maybe my etsy shop actually having things in it!

Welp, that's it for now! Happy crafting!!

Coming soon and two WIPs

Since I am about to go off for 2 weeks to study skeletons for my PhD I have been busy getting all the arrangements made to switch from my Mac to my Acer. My calliper only works on a Windows based system so that's why I own two computers. But I have been doing things!

I decided to take on two new shawls. However, I have run out of yarn for both of them when they are only part of the way through! Being that I have no local yarn shop and my stash is 4000 miles away I have to put them aside to hibernate! I am a one-skein kind of gal, well actually I can normally only afford one skein of anything, so shawls will be collaborations of multiple skeins. Since I know what is lurking under my bed  in a duffle bag (yep it all fits in one spot) and I know what fibre I have left to spin up I am not too worried about never finishing these two shawls, they will just have to wait a bit to be completed. My LB *lovely boyfriend* told me he would bring me anything I needed when he comes to visit later on this month, but knowing I would just have to transport it back overseas I had to decline.

Shawl 1: Summer Flies by Donna Griffin
Named: Blue Butterfly Shawl
Date Started: May 27, 2011 (put into Hibernation May 27, 2011)
Yarn Used: Manos Del Uruguay Serena -- 7173 Seahorse and 7378 Tezpi
Needle Size: US 6 -- 4.0mm
Condition: Hibernating at Section 5 since I ran out of yarn

Will be in hibernation until I get back in mid-July

 Frogged: Rainbow TC
Reason: To make Shawl 2

Shawl 2: Fisherman's Net Wrap by Sammie Jo Thomas

Named: Rainbow Net

Date Started: May 30, 2011 (put into Hibernation May 31, 2011)

Yarn Used: Rogue Adventures BFL September Fibre Club (hand-spun -- see picture below)

Needle Size: US 10 -- 6.0mm

Condition: Hibernating since I ran out of yarn

Rogue Adventures BFL September Fibre Club Hand-Spun
4oz about 113g/200yds

Need to spin up more yarn for this one... On the lookout for rainbow roving.

Coming soon:

1. Pictures of yarn my mom bought me!
2. Projects I will be doing with said yarn
3. Cross-stitch updates!

idan x's photostream

idan x's photostream on Flickr.

Amazing what they do with ordinary objects!

Coming up in the week!

Figured I would write this note to show that I have been doing things just not posting them quite yet. I will be posting the pictures to these tomorrow!

1. Boyfriend's tunisian crochet/knitted lace scarf
2. Mini-scarf for raccoon
3. Needle Felted Bunny
4. Needle felted Owl
5. Cross-stitched Hairy Coo Keychain
6. Some other projects going through my head.

Hope you all have a great rest of the week!

Very Beautiful Pendant

thread_pend_23 a photo by maria wigley on Flickr.

This artist is intriguing and the work in jewellery is beautiful!

Alabaster Egyptian Kitty!

From my brother!!

Happy Birthday to Me!

I had my lovely Birthday surprises today! I got my favorite cake from Peter's Yard, called a Kladdkaka cake!! Then I went to the KWOK on Ratcliffe Terrace which is my favorite restaurant. This all happened with my lovely flatmates! Good 24th birthday indeed!

Moving Out for Everyone Else

Last Friday (3rd of September), was the official moving out of my whole building unit (4 buildings in Mylne's Court). While there are about 8 of us left out of 300 people there was a LOT of trash. I got a multitude of stuff from my ex-flatmates. Today I finally got everything sorted again and am working on hand washing my laundry.

The loot I got from my ex-flatmates. However, this drove me insane until I got it organized today.

This is the 3rd trash load on Friday. So this doesn't include
the ones on Thursday nor on Saturday nor the 2 loads before
it. AND yes someone is throwing away a chair.

Blog it.

In real life, I have deadlines to meet and things to do. But right now I am staring down a heap of discarded kitchen stuffs from my flatmates and wondering how I am going to organize this mess into something useable. Then I look over and staring me in the face is my unfinished project box and spinning box. A project I am working on is a HUGE holder for all of my crafts that hangs on the wall. "Working on" will be its status for quite some time I think. For now I will just be trying to keep my head above the water. My PhD starts on 13th of September. It really is without ceremony that you start and end your days here in Edinburgh, you are only left with the self satisfaction that you made it. My PhD will have me traveling around Britain and the USA for the next 2 years. In that time I hope to start to enjoy life for its real value and learn what needs to be done to have a job.

So on that note. My mother sent me a picture through email of this darling kitty:

Hope it makes you smile.