Official announcement

Messers Dylan T. Monkey and Jamie T. Poppet are excited to announce the engagement of David and Deb.

We think they'll scrub up OK for the big day.

We're suggesting a rum and pilchard cake on the big day, with a bouquet of catnip and lots of bananas.

jumper front done

I finished knitting the front of my jumper last night (the bulges by the neck are the little bit of wool for knitting the neck band at the back when it's time). I'm really pleased with how it's coming out - I'm also very impressed that it's appearing to be the right size despite having a completely different wool, guage, needles - in fact everything. So - arms next.

We have friends coming to visit from the UK for the Easter weekend - we're going to stay in a flat at a marina a little north of here. It should be fun - I just hope the weather's as good as it was last weekend (sunny and dry) rather than how it is at the moment (cloudy and damp).

David's started his own blog called The Brown Cheese Adventures - he's going to keep a diary and musings on food.

First pajamas

One pair of pajamas down, two to go. I started these for David on Sunday from the material I bought while I was in the UK. It was a really simple pattern so I managed to finish them without them going on the ikke ferdig list. Hoorah. I think they look pretty funky, and David seems to like them.

I made them while David was bottling the plum wine we made at the end of last year - of course we had a try it too, and found it to be surprisingly palatable. We have no idea how much alcohol is in it though as I didn't realise you're meant to take a specific gravity at either end of the fermentation process and then do a calculation - I know for next time.

Back home to Trondheim

We both had a good week away last week - David skiing and me with my Parents in the UK. As hoped for I've come back inspired to continue adding to my ikke ferdig list, although I have made some progress too....

Here's the jumper I've been working on -

The back;s finished, I don't think it's coming on too badly considering the last jumper I managed to knit and finish was more than ten years ago. I've started the front and am just establishing the rib pattern on the body of the jumper.

I also came back with some more wool and a pattern as I decided I wanted to try to knit some socks, luckily I've got suitable needles in my inherited needle collection:

What else? Oh yes - I bought some material and a pattern as David has said he would like some pajama bottoms - they were more for when it was really cold during the winter, but we couldn't find any suitable fabric in Trondheim. Hopefully he can lounge about in them during the summer. I love lounging around in my pajamas (one of the fabrics I bought is for me), so hopefully he will start to understand why.

David also came back from France with a project for me - the Tiger ears are broken again, and what's a Tiger Tour with broken ears? Previously I have been known as nurse Deborah as I repaired another pair of Tiger ears, but apparently I have been promoted to Surgeon General. They look pretty terminal to me!

It was good to be back in the UK for a bit - nice being able to understand what's being said without having to concentrate really hard and feeling really stupid. It was also good to see my family, the cats and a few other people. I also got to see the plants that my Mum is looking after for us while we're out of the country. This is a black beech.... Mr. Nothofagus solanderi as he's known.

So we're back into being very busy here again - norskkurs has started again, I seem to have loads of work at the moment and David's already away on a work trip on the booze cruise to Denmark of all things. And we need to try to find somewhere to live. Makes me tired just to think about it all.

Endelig holibobs

We're both going away next week - David's going to France skiing with The Tigers. And I'm going to England to visit my parents and hopefully see lots of gardens and plants with my Mum.

Maybe I'll get lots of new ideas for projects and David won't break anything.

Ferdig

Have finished the anenome cushion I've been working on, so will be able to give it to my Mum the week after next when I'm visiting.

Here's how it looks finished

not bad, and the bit of blocking I did seems to have straightened it up enough.

So now I've got to figure out what to concentrate on next - I've been reading quite a few knitting blogs recently, so think I'll concentrate on getting the jumper I sneakily started done, or maybe I should keep going on the rug that's on the ikke ferdig list, but hasn't even made it as far as having a picture, or there's the red jumper - although I "frogged" what I had previously started with it and now don't know what to make - 10 balls of red Rowan cotton glace - what a dilema for an indecisive libran.

Nesten ferdig

I'm getting pretty excited, I'm getting close to being finished with another project - hoorah. This is a cushion front for my Mum. It was actually started by my Nanna when she was ill, and I'm finishing it off.

I'm not sure that you can tell from the photo what's done, and what isn't, but I've got a bit of blue left to do on the flower where the needle is and the red of the three flowers.

I thought this angle might show what's left to do, but I think it just shows that I need to block the front before I make it into the cushion, and that poor Miguel (the aloe vera) has SAD.