Disco Biva

This Saffy is traveling to Germany tomorrow for a week's worky-seminary-type stuff and fancied a companion. So, as she sorted through her geocaching goodies she put together an unused Travel Bug dog tag, and a disco ball keyring thereby creating...

The Disco Biva!
The Disco Biva can be spied on through his own special page at geocaching.com and perhaps soon may be spotted in a cache near you :)

FO: It Snows Scarf

This thing has been awaiting finishing for the best part of a month. It took all of about two days to knit and then it hung on the door until I could be bothered sticking the fringe on. Now, all done!

This is the first of three white knitted costume items I've agreed to knit for the upcoming Dukes Senior Youth Theatre production of It Snows.

Pattern:: Dropped Yarnover Scarf by Marnie Ann Joyce.
Yarn: Stylecraft Special Chunky in colour 1001 - White
Project: online on Ravelry

It's Not About The Numbers...

...but this is a neat map of the UK showing which counties I've cached in (source: mygeocachingprofile.com). Looks like I mostly hide out in the North West/Midlands with two tiny forays outside... one to the North East (that was a flying visit to Newcastle travelling home from a camp one Sunday night) and one to the South East (that was a short stay in Guildford for Transformers).

[NOTE - This image will update over time so the text I write now may not match what you see]

As of today I have found 201 geocaches in two countries (the US and the UK).

Christmas FOs

Finished Object #1, Tija Mittens for Mum:


These really could have done with a good blocking but I ran out of time. The tops look a bit square for my liking too. I like the welts I added from the Norwegian Snail Mittens although that front one is obviously still a bit curly at the edges.

Finished Object #2, Dishy Fishies (set of 4) for Thom & Lianna:



Spotted the fishy pattern on a quick glance through the home section on Ravelry. Thought they'd be a quick knit in stash yarn and so knocked up a few for Thom & Lianna for Christmas. Wish I'd made the time to do some decent eyes for them.

Knitted Graffiti: IRL

Following my celebration of yarn-bombing/knitted graffiti/urban knitting last year, I've finally actually spotted some in England, in real life!


Spotted in amongst the Manchester University campus whilst tracking down a nearby Earthcache with a friend.

WIP: First Fair Isle

The Fair Isle is now progressing quite nicely, it's recognisable as a mitten (which is what it's supposed to be). Since the following photo was taken, I've finished the thumb off on this first one and knitted the cuff of the second. Just working on the welt at the top of the cuff.


It's not terrible for a first go at colourwork, I'm not totally thrilled by the project but at least I've tried. Next time I see a colourwork project it might not get ruled out straight away... itching to start something new though, something with lace and/or cables. Go go go!!

STOP.

Finish projects first!

:s

I am being quite a good girl really. I've STILL not cast on the Damson for the Damson KAL which started on November 16th, instead I've finished two whole projects! After this one I think I will be allowed to start it (plus the stuff for the Duke's production of It Snows - they want knitted scenery, props and costumes!)

Also, this is a Christmas project for someone so I really ought to get it finished :)

In Which Saffy Combines Two of Her Favourite Things

Thanks to CastOn.com, I have become aware that I have unwittingly earned a number of Cast On Knitting Scout badges! So, here are my achievements so far...

1) The Proselytize Knitting Badge - "A requirement for all Knitting Scouts, the recipient must do his or her bit to present knitting in a positive light, whilst at the same time avoiding all references to “hipness”, grandmothers, and yoga."

Here's hoping I do a good job of this, at various points I think non-knitting people I know have thought the particular project I was playing with was kinda cool. Many of my Guides thought the fingerless mitts I did were really clever (they weren't) and were insisting I should sell them (Um... right).

Incidentally... I didn't know the word proselytize; it means to convert someone's faith. I don't think I've got that far yet.

The “MacGyver” Badge (Level One) - The recipient must demonstrate clever use of a non-knitting tool in a knitting-related scenario. For instance, recipient has used paper clips as stitch markers, or successfully whittled and then utilized bamboo skewers as dpns.

On the canal holiday this year I tried to turn some of my waste yarn into a little scarf for Pengi (a small stuffed penguin, of course). I wanted a looser gauge than I could acquire with the one circular needle I'd brought with me (in the days of project monogamy), so I used a pen lid as a knitting needle. (One assumes I used something else too, not much knitting could have been done with only one pen-lid needle - I can't remember what filled the gap).

The I've Knit Items With No Conceivable Practical Application Badge - Recipients are those “special” campers who have knit items which somehow missed the mark of their intended application. There are probably more who are deserving of this badge than one would expect.

Undoubtedly awarded following completion of this:


This was my 'Big Baby' project. A but-what-is-it pattern that would have been a bib in the right yarn. It was mostly intended as a fixing-my-twisted-purls project but I was originally hoping for something out of it. It's now a small cat mat, it bears closer resemblance to that than it could ever have done to a bib. Molly's rather fond of it.

Also deserving of an honorable mention are these:

The Yancy baby hat with gauge so tight it would reduce a baby's heat to slush and the Exfoliate face cloth that would leave little face behind. Oops.