Don’t Do It Yourself

Can I put up a shelf? Yes.

Can I clean a clogged drain? Yes.

Can I take my MacBook apart to clean the fan without frying one of my memory cards? No.

Do I feel like an idiot for not earthing myself first? Yes.

Moving on …

These are Welsh poppies growing down the side of the house.  I’m not sure if they were planted on purpose or if they just arrived, but I love how un-British they look.  You don’t expect to see flowers this vivid here, but here they are!

After being positively tropical over the past few days, the weather’s turned and is now very much knitting-friendly again.

I’ve started the gusset increases on the second Gusset Heel Basic Socks (from Socks from the Toe Up by WendyKnits)

Both socks together to prove I’m not recycling photographs!

and Springwatch is still providing an hour of excellent knitting-time.

I’m slowing down on the row-progress on the Goddessknits Anniversary Mystery Shawl ’09, but I think I’m maintaining the same stitch-rate

Beige cotton yarn is the “lifeline”

I’d like to claim the mobile phone is for scale, but I think we all know it’s to hold the cable flat while I photograph it!  Check-out the cameo by my knee!

You increase two stitches per panel (of which there are six) every other right side row to create the “bat effect” (according to Mrs Dr Who!) so, of course, there are 12 more stitches every four rows.  I think I’m knitting the same numer of stitches in each session as before, but the progress appears much slower due to the increased number of stitches per panel.

P.S. This post is brought to you from my Mac.  I had two memory cards and it works with one, so I’m alright with that!

Bad habits, new leaves

Well, it’s certainly spring here, no doubt about it

Rhododendron – For Project Spectrum Cardinal Directions: East

It’s now light-ish at eight in the evening and the sound of chirruping birds is beginning to grate slightly!
With the extra daylight, I’m trying to get out of my old, bad habits of going to bed late and getting up later! If this summer is going to be the scorcher they promise (ha! Believe it when I see it) I’ll want to be up and about when it’s still cool.

And from breaking bad habits, come sprouting of new leaves (oh, I know it’s tenuous, but give me a break!)

I’ve decided that the Lorna’s Laces yarn really, really just wants to be a plain, stocking stitch sock and so I have conceded!

Will be “Gusset Heel Basic Socks” from “Socks from the Toe Up” by Wendy D. Johnson

Another knitted item that is not happy with it’s current form is my Mystery Stole from last year:

Before ripping

It’s decided it wants to be the 2009 Goddess Knits Anniversary Shawl instead.  It’s a-ripping we will go!

I’m this close to finishing the Ample Knitter’s cardigan so that may be the next thing that appears here (I know, can you stand the excitement?) but even if it’s not, I’ll blog again soon.

Green side up, brown side down

That’s my personal mantra if I’m ever allowed to inflict myself on plants.

Hey – it works for me!

Having (unwittingly) sat out the “Earth” part of the Project Spectrum cycle (shame, ’cause I had a couple of good photos – I’ll post them later) I’ve embraced “air” with something approaching enthusiasm.

I know. Don’t worry. It’ll wear off.

1. welsh poppy, 2. dandilion clock, 3. bee on chive flower 2, 4. bee on chive flower, 5. poached egg plant flowers 1, 6. poached egg plant flowers 2, 7. t shaped cloud, 8. late spring sky 1

Created with fd’s Flickr Toys.

The colours for “Air” are yellow, white and grey (gray, if you must), but I’ve also interpreted it less literally.

I photographed a bee on a chive flower because although, aerodynamically, the bee shouldn’t be able to fly in the air, it does!

I may not like weeding the resulting plants, but I love how dandelion clocks look in the sunlight (a rare commodity in Britain!)

You can see larger views of these photos (if you are signed up with Flickr) by visiting this link.

Given that I spend most of the winter looking at the ground (or stuck inside) I love spending time out of doors whenever I can. Hayfever, not-with-standing!

Tags: Project Spectrum 3, PS3, Air, bee, flower, flowers, clouds

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PS: Fire/Warmth/Heat

Taking the advice of a few people, I’ve taken a slightly oblique look at the “Fire” element of Project Spectrum – warmth and heat.

I learnt the importance of cafes and tea shops in the Lake District in February. The chance to rest weary joints and to thaw out the limbs is vital!

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Top is a cup of coffee and two slices of Plum Cake (which doesn’t actually contain plums!) and bottom is the classic toasted tea cake, again with a cup of coffee.

There’s nothing quite like dried fruit in bread, toasted and spread with butter!

Although cold in temperature, ginger is warm when it interacts with the mouth.

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This is Grasmere Gingerbread, bought when I was in the Lake District. This isn’t gingerbread as I know it (more like a cake than anything else) is resembles a soft, shortbread-like, biscuit.

For a more “traditional” interpretation, here are some red acer stems reflected in a steel sculpture.

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Project Spectrum 3: Fire!

I was unsure how to begin this third round of Project Spectrum (an exploration of colour, photography and craft) but the comments to my previous post sparked(!) my imagination.

A literal interpretation: a candle.

A Tilly or paraffin lamp found in the garden.