... and such things.

As for the last week's quiz: the ugly bug on the picture is actually a seed of Strelitzia. Nobody guessed that. Well, most of the world didn't bother anyway.
I was however asked whether our huski is a dead wolf. Good guess, a few times I started resuscitating her before she made the 'you're an asshole, now leave me alone' look. She's not a wolf, though.
Nothing exticing hapenned this week. Some visitors, the burn on my arm is healing (mildly gross pic tomorrow, it's dark now), work is being done. I planned a dyeing workshop for the next weekend so I hope my artsy friends will appear.
I however dug out a sweater I made a million years ago for Kristina. I found out that it looks better than I remembered. I just freaking love the colour. Too bad that it's hard to reproduce. but I'll try someday - and don't tell me that black is just black.

Accomplishments

(1) On Tuesday Mom came. She insisted on buying me some clothes in the local Tesco but I don't go for that crap unless it's the final sale. After three laundry cycles, my fave baby blue top changed into baby blue washrag... you get the point. I asked for washing powder and sunscreen. Due to my allergies to everything, my sunscreen is in the very expensive category and the washing stuff without scents and fabric softeners is the same. And when I'll have lost those ten kilos, I'll have lots of cool Italian clothes to wear anyway.
(3) On Wednesday I had the interview for scholarship to Italy. It went well, the people before me apparently had worse Italian or a tendency to answer questions with one syllable which might well make the same impression. Especially to me, sitting behind upholstered door.
(4) Got a grant. Dunno how much, I asked for 10 000 euros but the mail said that the budgets were cut down for everybody. I don't remember my password for the university files, I'll have to go and ask for a new one. Well done.
(5) Got work.
(6) I compensated getting work by spending some 100 euros on yarn.
(7) Lost some weight despite all the chocolate and poppy cake. Well done.
(8) Hannu's socks:












It's my feet, not those of Hannu. I just don't shave my legs too often since I've stopped going to dance classes.
(9) I finally called the photography supplies place and ordered my macro lens.

I noticed I skipped point two.
(2) The Rug. Felted, needs ironing.

Stinking sweater

When I went to Italy for holiday, I wanted to take some knitting with me. Something that would not require too much material but would entertain me for ten days or so. I opted for Unger Something, wool/camel blend, handdyed red and orange and black angora and since these two weren't just that right thing together, I added mustard yellow alpaca from Welcomme which wasn't just that thing either so the evening before going, I handpainted it with some green, blue that turned grayish green and pink that turned purple.
I knit the whole thing on 2.25mm needles. I wouldn't make too much of it since my mom doesn't like knitting but third day of holidays I got an awful intestinal infection and then I was a poor sick child confined to bed or another vicinity of the bathroom so I was allowed this silly thing. I made the front part there and the back part on the drive back (like, 8 hours in the car before it got too dark to knit) and then there were the sleeves. It took me three months to finish, average speed 5 rows an hour (and something like 500 stitches each). Now, the only thing to do is weave in a zillion of ends and do some brutal blocking.
Before brutally blocked, the sweater looks fifteen months pregnant. The sleeves came out shorter than what was carefully calculated and determined but a bit of brutal blocking will fix it a bit.
Voila.
I got some yarn from a Ravelry yarn exchange and it's sooo pretty. I might have to change my plans and knit this first, before the black silk.
I'll write about writing when I recover from the writing.

I finished the Christmas sweater today. It doesn't look bad unless I put it on myself. It will look pretty bad on my mother, she thinks that she's damn lot thinner than I but she is not.
I'm going on a diet. Now. Apart from the undeniable fact that the sweater indeed is bulky and I could look better if I made a nicer face, I'm simply fat.

Rainbow

On Saturday in the evening the kitties arrived. In fact they suck big time, they fight, one of them pees on the carpet (luckily no-one needs the room..I'll have to clean it all when she gives in and starts to use the sandbox regularly, she knows what is it good for but just doesn't use it consistently) , Tähti is pissed off and pretty annoying, now she lies on my hands and effect
ively prevents me from typing. She is responsible for the weird typos.
The silk sweater had a bad fate. It smelled when wet so mom washed it at 90 degrees and the result was something very wide and very short. So I dyed it in rainbow coloured stripes and then I spent the whole evening ripping it and making into two separate skeins (it was knit double), they will go to etsy and since it's recycled yarn, part of the revenue will go to the kitties as charity. And the good thing is that it's already boiled so it won't shrink anymore:-)
The colours are really wonderful but it's quite apparent that the thing had no shape. Well, the skeins are wonderful but I didn't feel like reusing them myself. I believe someone will adore them, this silk isn't the glossy sort but it's still soft and warm and nice to touch.

With my own weapon, on a short distance.

What's the difference between the two pics?





Ripping back some eight rows of messed up lace, ten times just needs a glass of pinot noir and anything by Lindt. Diets can wait.