MERG II

Man, I'm knackered! The second week of rehearsals for MERG are in full swing and going well - I say well, but really I mean surprisingly well. We (the three singers) have managed to remember not only the arias but also the blocking, staging and dances. Not bad for over a year away from it, believe me!
 Holland is dull, dingy, dreich and damp, as per usual, but it's jolly nice to see my friends up here. I discovered that three of the dancers have taken up knitting in the last year, so we've been comparing cables! (Or 'How Not To Cable' as it turns out...) The Swan, one of the dancers, has offered to introduce me to his favourite LYS (expensive) and another dancer, The Lovely Canadian, has offered to show me hers (euro-tastic). You can guess which one my wallet will let me visit... Oo - I have found a rather excellent craft shop in The Hague, though - I had to be torn away from the wire and beads and knitting needles and sparkly things and hooks and jewellery findings and embroidery threads and fimo blocks and hand-made paper and... Actually it was just as well there was a shop next door selling Cadbury's chocolate, or I would still be in the craft shop lusting over everything...
 But I have been knitting... mostly Q's draught excluder (still don't ask...) but I finished one of the Brigid socks - hoorah. I'll try and upload a photo, but as I'm not at my own computer I'm not sure if it will work...

Whee - upload successful! Ach well, the photo is not the best quality, but you get the gist... The sock fits, though - a grand accomplishment for me! I'm now on Brigid Two, but I'm also around row 40 of the Wavy Socks - 'tis a pretty pattern! Mum's Coco bag is also slowly being added to, but I'm hoping I'll have a plethora of FO's to post when I get back down to France at the end of the month...
 Q's Birthday Bear was a great success, btw, although after being named 'Stanley', he has now been re-christened 'Bear of Chucky' as his blue eyes seem to be unnerving the best friend somewhat... 'Tis easily remedied, but it did make me giggle!

MERG

'Tis that travelling time again - I'm off up to Holland tomorrow for a reprise of the dance production 'MERG' (which is Dutch for 'marrow' or 'an inmost or essential part') with the Leine&Roebana Dance Company, and - oh woe is me - I'm leaving my little hermitage! (I chose a career that is not completely conducive to my homebody sensibilities... what's a girl to do?!) But I thought I'd throw on a couple of FO's before I left to go and sing some Luzzaschi, Monteverdi and Rossi... I've been a mad-woman with the sticks recently! Nothing amazing, but I'm pleased that they look okay! I'm staying with Q when I'm up there and I wanted all his birthday pressies finished before I arrived. Nothing like a dead-line to concentrate the mind...

I decided to make a little pouch from the ever-open 'Last-Minute Knitted Gifts' to house the bear I made for Q. Actually, it started off as just something else for his birthday (Q, not the bear!) but he looks cute in it, (the bear, not Q!) so I've decided to combine the two, as it were...


The pouch does look better on it's own, however well-meant my ambition for a bear-bag was, but it does has a high cuteness factor just the same!! I couldn't bear (pun not *really* intended) to cover the wee man's head, so he looks more like he's in a fancy-schmancy sleeping bag!

I'm also making bits and pieces for my Mum's birthday coming up in May - she'll be reaching another mile-stone age and I know she loves hand-made things, being the arty type herself. (You should have seen the great vase my sister decorated her for Mother's Day last weekend.) So far the Wire Rose is for her, as is the Coco bag currently in progress, but I've just finished my first crocheted thing... Okay, it was just a couple of chains and some jewellery findings, but...













Green 28-gauge wire (Hoh yes - I've learned the Lesson Of The Wrong Gauge) and a 2.5mm crochet hook! Oh, and a lots of green glass beads!

I'm now trying to decide what to take up with me to knit... Brigid socks, of course (I'm determined not to suffer from SSS); the Coco bag to finish cabling; I found a lovely pattern for socks called 'Giles Wavy Socks' that is a definite starter; a pile of yarn to make a draught-excluder for Q (don't ask...) and as long as I find a LYS up there, all other demands should be met...

I just have to remember how the music goes now...

E is for...

Embroidery.

Apples, Autumn crocuses, pumpkin, rose-hips, sycamore leaves, ivy and hay bales.

I started this when I was at art school sixteen years ago. I was way too literal when given the brief 'Autumn' and was duly redirected to a project much more abstract and this free embroidery was packed away barely begun. It was picked up, stitched a bit and put away until I had a part-time job in a card shop, when I was studying a post-graduate music degree, and I had some time to sit and sew properly - it wasn't a very busy shop, needless to say! It was then put away in a box again, stumbled upon anew a month or so ago, and I decided it needed framing and shown-off! Poor neglected thing!

 It's basically just a mix of french knot stitch and satin stitch, and you can imagine the sky and clover field took rather an age to finish! I do rather like the basket of apples, though. If anyone can guess what type the apples are supposed to be, you'll get cake. Cyber-cake, but cake, never-the-less!

Thousands upon thousands of french knots!

Well, since Percy has officially been put into service, I've been toying with the idea of making some socks. Yes, socks. I think it's high time I finally put my dpns to good use. I've decided not to be put off by thoughts of impending turning-heeldom and have chosen a pretty cable pattern called 'Brigid'. There's only 11 rows done so far, and although this fact alone is usually enough to get my camera out, I've decided not to take any photos until said heel is turned... I can't risk the wrath of the fabled Heel Faeries by exposing too soon...
Oh, and as an addendum to my *slightly* obscure tale about the facebook game called 'Knighthood' a couple of posts ago, I can give you the end of the story. (For me, anyway.) I deleted the game. Yes, I know, after all my "studies of human nature" etc etc... But really, the truth is I was shamefully dire at it, and could only go on for so long without being beaten to an e-pulp. I have my pride! (Which wasn't enough to stop me running when I could!!)
But now I can concentrate on the fair Lady Brigid! Hand me my trusty cable needle, good sir...
Update: I forgot to actually post this after writing it, so keen was I to fiddle with Brigid, as it were, so I thought seeing as I hadn't offended the Heel Faeries too much after all (give or take an extra 'ventilation' hole), I'd pop a wee photo on here.

Row 40!

I think I'm turning into a Sock Whore. And I'm sure there's a better name for it than that!

St Percy's Day

The 1st of March has been renamed in honour of my finishing PERCY BAG!!! (Sorry St David!) I am so chuffed that I'll have to add some photos...

Look, LOOK!! It's Percy! He's alive and thriving!! Ok, so I'm getting maybe a tad over-excited, but I'm very happy with how the bag has turned out, seeing as it's my first real attempt at following a pattern that's not teddy bear sized. The strap took an AGE, but I love the i-cord edging as it makes the sides of the strap and front flap look very neat.

Yes indeedy - I do like the i-cord
Lined with forest green satin and the inner pocket/divider is finished with a zip closure. I added a couple of pockets to the sides of the lining too, for my mobile phone and mp3 player.

I may change the button, but at the moment I'm content with looking and playing with it!

Huzzah for Percy!