Unflattering

G'day all!

Recently one of the lists that I am on has been discussing the latest issue of a knitty mag. They decided that it was a stealth big girl knits issue - stealth because it doesn't say big girl anywhere but well it seems to be a big girl issue.

I had a look at it in the newsagent today. I have to say that whilst I applaud any magazine that does not use stick thin models, I would like the lady they chose to look pleased to be wearing the garment rather than looking as if she is about to be shot (she is standing against a brick wall and looks like she would prefer pictures were being taken of someone else). She doesn't have to be particularly pretty or anything, she just has to make me think "Oooh, that looks nice, I want to make it." Now you might say that the garment should speak for itself, but the way it is presented can make all the difference. How many times have you looked at a dress on the rack and thought "It looks like a sack" and when you try it on, you find it flatters each and every one of your curves? That is the sort of presentation I mean. Something that brings out the best in the garment rather than making you wonder why they chose someone who is incredibly uncomfortable having pictures taken of them.

So I bought Vogue Knitting instead. Yes, we finally have the fall issue with those incredibly nifty socks (I would link to it but I think that the link will change with the winter issue). Drool (Homer Simpson style drooling. Full on drooling).

Whilst I am on the subject of unflattering, I have several glorious pictures of our cats for you to suffer through, and one cutesy shot. Once you've scrolled past them, I'll tell you about my first pair of socks.

Cheshire likes to sleep upside down. She saw me take the first photo and started kneading the air and squinting at me. Cat or mutant? Your call.








Nutmeg loves smooching hands. She hops up on her back legs to smooch. She is about to smooch here. Cat or mutant? Your call.



Two cats waiting at the door to be let out. Ohhhh.

OK, my first socks.

I made my first socks about two years ago. I wanted to find out why people like to make socks. I didn't really find out about the sock bug with these first socks. They are knit top down with turned heels in different colours and all. But they didn't make me feel the love.


Aren't they pretty? I dyed the yarn whilst figuring out this dyeing stuff. 80% wool, 20% nylon mix. I thought it was 8 ply (DK) but it was really a 5 ply (sportweight) and the needles were too large. They pill like the dickens and after their first or second wash became bedsocks - they are large and floppy.

Of course they are the sort of bedsock that disappears off your foot in the dead of night and lurks somewhere in the bed until choosing the most inopportune or surprising moment to reappear and terrorise the rest of the bed's inhabitants.

It took over another year for me to really start feeling the sock love. In that time I made probably four pairs of socks - some Lorna's Laces (I have a very thin batch of yarn that felt stringy - other LL has felt much nicer), some Opal (ick - another unsoft batch - it was scratchy!), some other German yarn (scratchy scratchy scratchy!) and some pastel Trekking (you guessed it, scratchy!). Then Kellie gave me some lovely rainbow dyed yarn and suddenly socks were IT! Must knit socks! This yarn was merino. Soft and yummy, not scratchy. I can't wear scratchy wool. Since I've got yarn from a few places but I tend to enjoy knitting with either our own Patonyle or the American sock yarns.

Finally, I leave you with more pics of icelandic poppies. I love these.


The brighter pink one was just unfolding when I rode halfway to uni with Nathan this morning. By the tiem I got back, she was fully open.


The bashful orange poppy was no more than a bud when I rode off with Nathan. 40 minutes later she was wide open, if a little shy. How on earth can such a bright orange poppy be so bashful as to hide behind her sister?

anon!