05.17.09
Posted in Uncategorized at 1:58 pm by Bryony Ramsden
Ok knittas, the secret project is finished and Ravelry has full photos (if you haven’t found me, just search for bryonyramsden and you’ll get there)! Judging by the early reactions, it is a saleable pattern, but will need re-writing considerably to make it suitable for a range of feet. And also a scanned chart instead of an A3 marked up one (Tanya’s work), and some tiny graph paper pencil drawings (my work) 
If you are interested go look – you can’t miss it, but it’s the one marked for Sue on the top row… Sue – you aren’t on Ravelry so you can’t see it yet HAHAHAAH! You’ll just have to wait for the post! Anyway, because of the need to post it out to poor Sue who has been waiting forever for parcel 2 of her birthday gifts, and because it needs re-writing and redesigning for a sale pattern, the photos aren’t that great (me bending over with a camera on a rainy day AGAIN), but you’ll get the idea 
I’m happy anyway
Also, because of the secret nature of the project above, there will be photos on here once Sue gets the parcel, but I don’t have much to show I’m afraid again 
Now that that project is done with, and I’ve discovered the joy of 28 st emergency knit socks (28 sts in chunky yarn = socks in a day ), I’m back on to catching up with Socktopus club knits and poor Yvonne’s cabled cardi – you know, the one that’s been on the needles for essentially over a year… The back was definitely the worst bit though – the front piece will zoom in comparison, but I need to adapt the pattern to fit pockets in (not hard, but picking the right spot is the dilemma).
BUT, to make up for the lack of photo action, there is this:
I was in Oxfam with Tanya while she was shopping for goodies, and I was looking for pretty notebooks, and she suddenly called me over to the fabric and linens rack. I couldn’t leave it behind. There are a couple of brown marks that may or may not come out in a wash, but the fabric is beautiful heavy cotton linen blend I think, and has potential for a skirt being cut in it (even with stains on there). I figured, if I can make something to wear out of it, yay! If I can’t, it won’t be too expensive a mistake, and I can still make cushion covers from it anyway, but the ribboning is just to gorgeous to resist… I make no apologies for buying it – Kirstie Alsopp told me to on tv, and she’s now my official queen of lovely things. I couldn’t disappoint Kirstie.
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05.05.09
Posted in Uncategorized at 7:26 am by Bryony Ramsden
Work and private life have been manic, but I just wanted to point out that my Cookie A book arrived and I am VERY pleased about that 
Wee!
Nothing to show you as yet – I’ve knitted a pair of 28st socks in chunky yarn for someone at work, and they aren’t very interesting so I’m skipping photographing them in the nasty rainy weather. I’ve moved further with my secret project, and I’m hoping that will be done with this week. It probably won’t, but I know I’ll manage to the 75% mark on it at least. Once that’s done, I’m not going to knit anything bigger than baby things for anyone for a looooooooong time… The hayfever has kicked in this week too thanks to the rain, which will slow knitting down. But I’m still managing
How are you?
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03.29.09
Posted in Uncategorized at 3:59 pm by Bryony Ramsden
Ooooooh, have I got some photos for you today…
How d’ya like that?! The first 2 are Socktopus club kits – I’ve been trying to tidy up my knitting a bit and one is from the new club, one from the old. The ones after that are what the amazing Gina sent me in return for that silk shawl I made her I’m so spoilt!. I have 5 skeins of Fibranatura Mermaid (a blend of cotton, merino, silk and seacell), my first 2 skeins EVER of Koigu, and some perfectly fitting socks made in a yummy alpaca blend. There may also have been some chocolate. It has gone now, but is not forgotten.
Also, in a little side news, the sock pattern I was looking for has been resolved. In ways I didn’t expect. It will need to remain a secret on here for now as everything might go to pot still, but I’m quite excited…
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02.22.09
Posted in Uncategorized at 9:28 am by Bryony Ramsden
2 posts in one day?! :O
But this isn’t really a proper post. I need help finding a nice colourwork sock that will either be in one of my many Nancy Bush/Interweave/Cat Bhordi books or available to buy online. I have bird foot by Red Bird Knits too, but the sock won’t involve black, and will involve solid colours, so I’m not sure whether it will work. Suggestions are VERY welcome. At the mo it is between bird foot and that one from Folk Knitting in Estonia, but the latter I’ve made before and while gorgeous isn’t very high impact, and the former I’ve already expressed fears of my colour choices not working as well with it. And I dare not reveal my colour choices right now.
Sorry – I’m not really being very helpful! But please send links to pretty 2 colour patterns.
End of whine.
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Posted in Uncategorized at 9:09 am by Bryony Ramsden
Roo [LINK] was doing some very interesting things in her blog a while ago. You may have seen it already, but she asked for, and was given a letter (i.e. alphabet letter), and then picked out a few things to talk about beginning with that letter. I asked for one from her (well, she was offering!), and have been granted one So here I go…
Books: a bit obvious this one, but I love reading and learning, and by default I love books. A recent meme a friend sent me asked whether I’d rather be blind or deaf, and I chose deaf – I’d miss music, but I could still read, and watch films with subtitles on. Audio books just don’t compare to the feeling of a good book in your hands and texture of paper.
Beer: I’m a real ale drinker. I love a good pint, but still feel drawn to European beers more than the local ones (although a pint of Speckled Hen or Black Sheep for commercial beer always does the trick). Yum. I was quite disappointed when Oz Clark and James May went to what many of us thought was the wrong pub in the town train station on their beer tour – they so should have been to the Head of Steam – much better guest beers and a nicer place to drink Plus, it’s the one listed on the Pennistone trainline run. But at least they visited us anyway!
Beards: one of my favourite online comics (and comics overall) is Wondermark. Where does the beard come in? Well, one of the compilations is Beards of Our Forefathers, and it is very very funny. Also there is a beard spotting guide in the front of it. What more could you want?
Body Building: I confess I’m feeling a bit stumped with all these Bs – being a B myself, I find that most things that interest me do not begin with B But, I’m sat here on a Sunday morning, with Transworld Sport on tv, and I have just concluded that body building freaks me out. Doesn’t matter if it is a man or a woman, to take it to competitive extremes just looks wrong to me :S Especially when a human loses all signs of human shaping from it. Ok so most humans are obese and come with a six pack of muffintops rather than the old school six pack, but really is it that attractive to look like a human sized carrot? With veins sticking out everywhere? I’m the first to admit I try very hard not to judge by appearances (the uni environment brings such a cool variety of people into it, which makes it so much more fun to work in), and I’m sure they are all lovely lovely people, but seeing that orange lumpy veiny stuff disturbs me, especially at 7.50 am on a Sunday.
So there we go – I think we all learned something from that. If you’d like a letter, leave a comment, and I’ll send you one
Also, I now have 3 half pairs of socks :S I should really finish some off…
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02.01.09
Posted in Uncategorized at 8:37 pm by Bryony Ramsden
Well, I feel I ought to inform you why I’ve not been blogging as much still. You already know about how busy I’ve been. Well here is what has been making me so busy. Still clearly a loooong time from being finished, but you might be able to appreciate the complexities of my current work…
Also, here is a pic of a purse I got yesterday from Afflecks Palace in Manchester (made by Disaster Design). I love Afflecks, but everytime I go, I feel just that little bit too old to be there – mainly if I’m still in my ‘I’m with normal friends’ clothes. Still wish I could dress a bit more outrageously but I so can’t carry it off anymore, but my hair makes up for it a bit Also, I clearly still have the mind of a child stuck up there in the 31 year old body, but I doubt that will ever go away, and I hope it never does Where would the joy be if everything was all grown up and about bills and work? And also, much of what Afflecks sells is still much older than me, which is very helpful indeed.
Lastly, the new series of Lost has started on Sky, and I’m so frigging excited I have ants in my pants and can’t quite keep still And on top of that the fantastic tennis between Nadal and Fed… Weee!
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01.18.09
Posted in Uncategorized at 9:50 am by Bryony Ramsden
I’ve been a bad blogger. I haven’t blogged in over a month, but I don’t think I’m alone – lots of stuff to do for Christmas, a dodgy battery in the laptop (which means if I don’t plug it in I have about an hour of power), and then free time became a blur. My post title says it all – I only have one knit for someone else on the needles, which is liberating in itself, but I’ve also really enjoyed a blog break. Don’t hate me for it, but I needed a holiday, and I’m still lacking blogging mojo too a little. Maybe blogging will help that, plus Abigail is nagging me ;D My knitting is slowing down a bit again too now – I got a bit over excited at having time and energy, knitted too much, and have made my trapped nerve flair up a bit, but at least now I know how to curb it, and aid it, and pilates class starts up again this week after a 2 week break (where I didn’t go to class for 3 weeks before Christmas with all the stuff I had to do!)
So what have I been up to? I’m afraid there aren’t really any photos of stuff I’ve made, and I’ve been shopping lots and not photographing that either. Having said that, have a gander at all this lot…
Listy stuff
I have made:
1 plush rat
1 plush cat
2 baby cardis
baby booties
baby sandals
and messed up 2 skirts
All in the past month! See?! I have been very busy
Photo things
Here are some pics of things I have purchased, because the world needs eye candy
Also, I have more to show you, but I’m keeping it back for now until there is more of it. And I’ve had a haircut, and have gone a bit Louise Brooks (but a bit more modern). Maybe if you are lucky you’ll get a peek at them both soon.
So how are you all? More prolific than I have been most likely. And many of you won’t have to try and blog with a cat flopping down on you/the keyboard…
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11.20.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 8:33 pm by Bryony Ramsden
Thanks to you all for your feedback on the site view, and also for your lovely comments in general! I’m afraid I’ve been really strapped for time recently so haven’t been able to respond to everyone. I’m starting to lose the habit, so I’m really sorry BUT…
DB and I made it to and from Poland for a wedding the other weekend, and given that Poland is a bit chilly sometimes I figured I would need mittens and a hat. And here they are! The mitts were finished a few days before the trip, the hat the day before so I just scraped in
The mittens are knitted from the Hello Yarn generic pattern, based on patterns from The Complete Book of Traditional Scandinavian Knitting by Sheila McGregor (I love working in a library ). It was strange – the mitts seemed to zoom along, so I wondered whether it was because I’d put together the design myself rather than using one someone else did. Ok so I didn’t design it myself from scratch, but I made the decisions, I made the chart and marked it all up, so I was pretty aware of what I was doing before I cast on. Either way I’m happy – they were quick and fun and blocked out pretty well, and as they are alpaca (UK Alpaca Baby Alpaca), they are warm and toasty
The hat is the same yarn and is the hat pattern from Wendy Bernard’s Custom Knits. It is supposed to be a beret, which it is clearly not, so kudos for me on not swatching! The pattern said it was very slouchy so to make it less slouchy, miss a repeat out, which I did, but in spite of messing up it is still very wearable. I was a bit worried that even with the repeat being cut, I’d run out of yarn (I had 2 50g skeins of the cream, one of the blue), but I still have enough left over to make another hat, albeit probably child sized. Yum
Next up? Baby cardis a go go (not for me or progeny of me I should add!) and also a kusha kusha scarf to go with the mitts and hat What else kept me busy? Going to see Ladytron at the Cockpit and getting nearly deafened and vibrated to death by the craptastic sound system (but a fun gig nonetheless ). Woot!
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10.19.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 9:39 am by Bryony Ramsden
Thanks for all your lovely comments on my last post! I’m finding it quite liberating not blogging all the time about nothing in particular I’ve been rather busy in my absence. I got a last minute ticket to see the Mighty Boosh at Lawrence Batley Theatre Naturally since then I’ve been obsessing over Howard and his proud legs.
But more to the point, I’ve been knitting…
Gina received her gift knit (remember our planned exchange? I get her leftover yarn from the butterfly jacket and a pair of socks, she gets something knitted by me). I can post a VERY bad photo of it now!
The colour isn’t accurate, despite all the tweaking in Photoshop I did :S Also I took a full length shot outside, and it looked like it was glowing! It’s the Seascape Stole by Kieran Foley (from Knitty summer 08). It was pretty easy, although I couldn’t have knit it without the chart in front of me. The yarn is Piece of Beauty Laceweight Silk in Ocean Minerals, so go look at the site and see the real colours with the blues and greys and greens and silvers.
Also, I made some socks
These are the mystery socks for Sept 08 at Sock Knitters Anonymous. I [heart] them. Jeannie is a very talented designer The yarn is Posh Yarn Marguerite in Squeal (a silk/merino blend, but sturdier than most of this kind of blend, and well plied – shame they’ve stopped doing this one I’d use it again in a flash, but more as a summer yarn).
Lastly, I’ve been sewing, but I have nothing to show yet as the thread was against me finishing anything First it wouldn’t thread in the machine properly. Not just once, but 4 times. 4 times! Then the bobbin kept getting caught up. Then the thread ran out halfway through finishing the edges off, so after half an hour, I still have a load of fabric to finish, and no sewing done :/
One last word – I think I need to fix my layouts/photo sizes. I can see my sidebar exactly there – on the side, but at work I discovered it at the bottom of the posts. How many of you can see it where it should be? And are you bothered if it’s wrong?!
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09.21.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 7:24 pm by Bryony Ramsden
Sorry, but I’ve been quite busy doing secret things I know it’s boring to read about, but you’ll find out about them soon enough…
In the meantime, here is some eyecandy. Last weekend I went to the local art gallery to see an exhibition. A knitting exhibition to be precise I got to see 30 Years of Rowan Woot! It was small but perfectly formed – two rooms of stunning quilts and knitwear from the entire back-catalogue of Rowan’s magazines and books. It was predominantly mad 80s looking colourwork rather than what you would call wearable, but from technical point, it was amazing. Here are some highlights:
Yummy, eh? I had a whale of a time, and also could have spent a small fortune on many many packs of special edition 30yr postcards and pattern books, but they only took cash and (probably luckily) my cheque book was at home.
I’ve been knitting a little, but I’ve been pretty busy with life stuff (all good I should point out ), so the most I’ve been doing is knitting for the new year of the Sockdown on Ravelry. This month’s theme is orange, or Cookie A, or a mystery sock in orange. I love that the Sockdown gives me a chance to use up stash that I may not have picked out for ages because of my hoarding tendancies, so I’ve been knitting with some Posh Yarn Margueritte I bought ages ago and working on the mystery sock Here is more eye candy.
I’ve also been planning some future knitting – the weather is turning colder in the morning when I’m waiting for the bus, so once these socks are done, I’ll be knitting up some colourwork mittens from the stash. I have plenty of yarn I bought for that kind of thing, so I’m debating between 2 colour and 3 colour patterns. 3 colour ones will be in a silk/merino blend in pink, purple and lavendar, 2 colour in baby alpaca in cream and eggshell blue. You’ll see more of that when I’ve swatched, but pattern suggestions are always welcome I’m currently leaning towards some edelweiss mittens, but that may change.
So how you doing? Hope your knitting time is greater than mine…
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