Sunday 25 May 2008

Nothing to see here...

Hey guys, I have no photos to show you. Boo. My nokia N95's camera isn't working. This phone has been a major stress, and I don't think I'll ever go back to Nokia again. UGH.

My other camera - the sony one- needs to be charged. When that's done, I'll get some pictures on, pronto.

I've been working on the Debbie Bliss yoke sweater (ravelry link, soz) in the Prima yarn. I must admit, I do like DB's prima yarn. It's 80 percent wool/20 percent bamboo and its dk (or sport weight, for you Americans out there). It's a lovely yarn that seems to marry both characteristics of the materials gone into them. The bamboo gives the yarn a lovely drape and lustre, and the wool gives it elasticity and makes it easier to work on the hands.

Due to a quirk of my gauge with my knit picks metal needles, I've had to abandon them, and use colonial rosewood needles instead. The needles are nice, but not as smooth as I hoped - but you have to 'season' bamboo and wooden needles, by running them through your hair and allowing the oils to build a patina of sheen on them. So because of this, I'm not zipping through the miles of stocking stitch like I thought I would.

If I knit too long, my fingers hurt, due to the 'grabby' nature of the wool against the wooden needles. Also, I'm afraid of knitting too long because I've been seeing a fair few of my knitterly friends having to wear wrist splints because of the repetitive action. So, to quote a well known Jamaican proverb: take sleep, mark death - which just means that you note the little patterns and use that to see the big picture.

So, yesterday I watched the Eurovision song contest. For the Americans on my flist, Eurovision is a deliciously campy song competition that happens around this time every year. It's over the top, with original lyrics and zany costumes. On average, forty different European countries enter, and only twenty five countries make it to the final. You have songs lasting for two - three minutes each, and people are encouraged to be as original and outrageous as they can.

The way how the Eurovision song competition is going now its very political. People in the respective countries are not allowed vote for their own talent, so you have to vote for another country. I voted for France's divine.



But the thing is, if you're not from the Balkans or the Baltics, your song doesn't get a look in. Pants. I thought Latvia's pirate's song was brilliant as well.

So, I hope to have some pictures up here. So far, the knit is all stocking stitch - rather boring, but soothing inthe sense that you can watch TV.

While I'm doing that, I'm thinking about doing my thermal in pieces, then seaming. I probably might do that, but then, I think about the dark yarn and change my mind again.

We will see.

3 comments:

juicyknits said...

I'm from the Baltics. And I don't agree. Don't want to get too political, but it's wrong to go with generalisations. What you perceive as a "Balcan" or "Baltic" is not quite thought of so from those people. Or do you feel quite "West European"? The stress is on European, 'coz you Britons tend to enjoy your splendid isolation.
Other than that, I envy that you're from Notts, I quite enjoyed spending my exchange year there and fell in love with the city.

Pepp said...

Hey it's your girl Pepp from ravelry.

JayJay said...

Sorry about the phone. I hate when crap like that causes stress. I can't wait to see the sweater progress! I had no idea that bamboo needles should be seasoned. I will have to work on that. I checked the videos out and the songs were quite entertaining.