I tried, I really did.

So, yesterday being the last day of the knitting Olympics, I woke up in the morning, ran to the sofa and knitted like a demon. I phoned my mum and dad about 11am, and the reaction I had was, 'what on earth are you phoning us for? You should be knitting', you haven't got time to chat!'

Crikey, when did it get so serious? Others phoned to check on my progress, Anth brought me tea, and food so I only had to move when I wanted the toilet. By about 11.30 am I still had half the hood to go, no problem I thought. I'll get this done my 1, then I can do a sleeve in 4 hours then start the second at 6. At 3pm the rugby started, now unable to move because I was glued to the sofa, I had to put up with screaming men watching Wales loose spectacularly. Its hard to cable when there are men screaming at the TV.

By 8pm YES! 8 pm! When desperate housewives was starting, I was sewing up the hood. That's how long the damned thing took me ( I forgot how slow my knitting was). By then I still was hoping I could knit the sleeves into the early hours. By 9pm, I was having trouble telling what stitches were meant too be knitted, and what were meant to be purled. I had to admit I had been defeated, but not for want or trying.

But its not bad considering I started my submission 6 days late. I'm going to struggle with the motivation to finish the sleeves though.

I do believe I have experienced what I now officially call 'cabled post-traumatic stress disorder'. The best way to avoid this is to have breaks at least every two hours.

You know you have this if you are experiencing the following symptoms:

1) You can't remember which chart you are meant to be following.

2) You become confused about whether a stitch is meant to be a knit or a purl stitch...what the hell is knit and purl anyway?

3) You are confused about whether you are meant to be knitting from the right or left side of the chart, despite the fact that there are arrows pointing each step of your way.

4) Every time you look at the cabled symbol on your chart and you then go to check it on your instructions, it automatically switches into the opposite in your head, you end up knitting the wrong one and spend 45 minutes trying to work out why the sequence isn't working.

5) You've got to the end of your cabled sequence thing,  and it says there is another cable to work on your chart, you go back, frog the damned thing and then..... then the cables stitches that precede it untwist. Now you have no idea where the hell you are. Not to mention that because you were being the good conscientious knitter you are, you scribbled out each line as you finished it, now not only do you not know what line you are on, you couldn't read it even if you wanted to.

6) The cables on the chart start to dance around the page and won't keep still.

7) The frustration of dropping/loosing your cable needle down the side of the sofa, means you use any needle you can get your hands on, once these are all lost, you start using your pen as a cable needle, you loose that too; you cry.

8) You family start to get worried because you appear stressed. In order to pacify you, they ask you if you would like a cup of tea. You reply completely out of character, by screaming at them: Don't they understand that Ice skaters in the Olympics don't get interrupted in the middle of a routine and get asked if they want a cup of tea? That would be ridiculous. Surely they can read your mind and know when you are in the middle of something difficult, don't ask me, just bring the bloody tea.

Suffice to say that I am now in cable denial.

I never want to see another cable as long as I live.

In favour of cables, I have no aches in my hands, I guess because knitting the cables interrupts the rows of knitting.

I do have to say that the rogue pattern is the best written pattern I have ever knitted. The instructions are superb and perfect, there was no ambiguity and no mistakes what so ever. Even for someone like me who has a tendency to pervert all patterns by accident. Not this one. If you want to knit something cabled, knit this one, its superb.

So here's the picture of it in its unfinished state. I just noticed there is a difference in colour at the bottom, its more red than the rest. Bothered? Does this look like a bothered face?

I hate the variegation of the yarn though, it doesn't allow you too see the cables very well. The yarn wasn't meant to be variegated it was the result of a dyeing accident, and very little time.

It looks good on, I'll post a pic on once the sleeves are done.

They said yes!

They finally accepted our offer!!!! Progress on rogue is slightly interupted because I'm running around the house screaming with excitment. Anth says he will only get excited when we have the keys in our hands, so I am am doubling my excitment efforts for the both of us.

Photo of rogue when there actually looks like there is a difference in the kntting, still not onto the hood yet. AHHHHHHH! Knit woman, knit for your life!

The happiest dyslexic in the world!

I've just had the most wonderful realisation when I read Yarn Harlots blog. The end of the olympics is sunday not tomorrow!!!!! Oh my gosh I've got the whole weekend to finish my rogue. YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was convinced that the 26th was tomorrow and I was a little dissapointed that I wouldn't finish, but now my hope has been renewed!! I really think I can do it. If I finish off the 'v' thing and the hood tonight and tomorow, that means that I can do a sleeve sat and a sleeve sun!!! Wohoo!

How exciting.

Talking of completely getting my dates wrong. I was so proud of myself because whilst purchasing my mothers birthday card on monday I saw the sign that said 'mothers day march the 26th'. I was shocked, the 26th? Thats sunday surely. I must get her the card today and send it off, then I won't forget! So I being very proud of myself that I was so organised I popped it in the post with the birthday card.

*Note to self: how can I think that it was the 26th on sunday and not connect that I thought the Olympics finished on the 26th which I thought was on friday....how can my brain be so fragmented, its bizarre.*

Then on the phone in the evening the next day, I said to mum, 'did you get the other card as well, The mothers day one' I said excitedly. There was a silence, mum said; 'no darling not yet, what was that, another birthday card?', 'no' I said 'the mothers day card for sunday, you musn't open it before then' I said. Then mum said. 'I don't think its mothers day yet jen' Oh! then I twigged I had the wrong month, we laughed alot. I do things like that alot, hehe. Thank goodness I didn't order the big bunch of flowers, I was so close!

The fact that there is only one cable mistake on my rogue is a small miracle. Honest.

What is going on?

Not much knitting stuff today so don't read if you only want knitting.

Whats odd, is that I used to censor what I wrote in my blog because I worry about being honest, when you have a business  you sort of feel pressured to give a certain impression, I'm bored of doing that, now I'm being me again, as a consequence I get loads more comments. Thanks guys, I love em!

Ok, my life is filled with such polarised things at the moment its all a bit strange.

So. The house people? They said no. THEY SAID NO. Thats the wrong answer. Sorry but it just is. We can't afford any more money. But I want that house. No, thats putting it too mildly, I walked in and I knew it was mine. I just know! So I'm not really sure what will happen next. But it will be mine. no kiddin, but I'm not going to pay any more money than we can afford. But that house will be mine. Watch this space.

Not much progress on rogue, but tonights the night!! I don't think i'll get it all done in time though, still i'll never give up.

I'm so excited about the knitting research, I can hear whispers of Phd in the back somewhere. That will only happen if I can be paid what I get now. But I'm realising that nothing is impossible anymore. Especially things as simple as houses! Cough cough.

experiments and knitting

What a day I'm having.

last night I found the house. The house I absolutely have to have. It's beautiful. I put a lower offer in because we can't afford the higher one. They said no. Family offered to help out a bit because they all love the house and so we've put in a second offer. I hope its accepted, I can't bear the waiting.

As a result of going to see the house at 4pm and not being able to leave because I loved it so much, I missed my bosses who were checking my ethics proposal for the knitting experiment. I managed to get in touch with the woman who deals with it, she said as long as I handed it in at 10.30 this morning it would still be OK. So I came to work especially early, 9.15am to be precise, to be here when my bosses could hand over the goods. No where to be seen, (they are very busy people) and to cut a long story short at 12pm my legs had gone numb and I was trying not to cry. I missed the deadline, no research could be carried out at the show in Olympia. In desperation Anth pushed me in the lift, took me to the floor, and flung me through the door of the woman, and told me to start begging.

I did, and told her it was my life's work. Well it is really, its the most exciting thing I've ever initiated. She looked at me sternly and said: I'm very busy today and lucky for you I haven't had time to send the proposals off'. You have an hour. I muttered something about kissing her and flew down the corridor to my bosses office to bang the door down.

He was there and had the stuff and signed it. Then I said, 'you need to sign that one', (the one that says principle researcher i.e. the person whose research it is), and he replied, no. That's you.

I am the principle researcher, I've never been that ever in my little life. The sun streamed through the window at that moment and the beginning of the Simpson's music started playing. (listen to the bit where they sing 'the Simpson's at the beginning its very up lifting.) Suffice to say I'm happy.

I'm so happy I don't even mind that I partook in an experiment that required dyslexic people and was completely humiliated because I can't do logic puzzles. 'Thats the point' the experimenter said, 'thats a classic dyslexic trait, I don;t care about whether you have the answer right or not, just how you worked it out.'

Note to self, if study requires dyslexic, forget it, even if it is to help out fellow collegues. : heres an example for you:

  All darts players are swimmers.

Some swimmers are whales.

What follows next? Some whales might be darts players???? I don't get it. (thats not a real example by the way).

So I'm going to have a late lunch break in town and get some sushi to celebrate and buy my mom a birthday present.

PS rogue progress going OK. knitting armholes. But need to be on sleeves really.

Olympic knitting experiments.

I just finished writing my ethics proposal for the knitting experiment at Olympia. All rather exciting really. and guess what? There is some serious progress on rogue:

Interestingly the cable on the other side looks slightly different. However seeing as I have got this far and the cable *difference* is at the bottom, there is no way I am frogging this thing. Not only that but I quite like the alternative cable. so its A-symmetry is staying. Lets just say cognitively; I'm flexible. Oooh! There's a knitting experiment hint.

Houses, turn away if houses bore you.

The house I went to see Friday? Well, the estate agent was 45 minutes late, and for once I do believe I was really quite relieved. A group of teenagers cycled up the road and started throwing stones at the cars and windows of the houses. Yes! Really! In front of us. I felt quite scared. Suffice to say, I am deleting that area of our list.

Having now looked for a total of 4 weeks or something like that I am changing tack. I booked in to see a load of gorgeous houses about £10,000 more than  we can afford and you know what? the difference in the houses and the areas are astounding. I've decided that being cheeky is not going to kill me. So I am going to keep looking at these lovely houses and offer them exactly what I can afford.  They can only say no, can't they.

Proud owner of a cable

So heres my olympic progress of rogue today:

'Hmm' you might be saying, she's only knitted about 3 inches. Well...yes....but I'm not giving up. I will knit furiously tonight and tomorrow and sunday. The cables were doing my head in, but its ok. I can do it I'm convinced.

I've got a 2 new yarns for the shop. These ones are only available from my shop.

The first is a super duper soft alpaca and silk blend. This stuff is so soft. I will work on some patterns for this because its super:

The second is a limited edition boucle, again British wool and very soft and snuggly.

I'll add more colours at the weekend, inbetween knitting rogue.

Getting excited about the house viewing tonight. The house is in an area, where in places can be a little rough, and I have been told that one street can be very different to the next. So if we like it and want to put an offer in, sat night we will go and buy chips and sit and eat them in the street in the car and see how rowdy the street is.

PS anyone going to Olympia?

I'm going to be running a huge research project there on the stitchlinks stand! Please come and Join in!