Feeling chuffed with myself!

What can I say? I finally managed to figure out how to add buttons to my sidebar. Well pleased with myself. It took a bit of trawling round the internet to find out how to do it as it isn't intuitive in Blogger but now that I've managed to get them on there it means I'm closer to figuring out how to do lots of other slightly more difficult things too to make it all look very pretty and a damn site more interesting to those who have started to pop in to see me. And very pleased I am too that some other knitters are heading my way. I love going and looking at what other folk are doing - it satisfies my eternal noseyness which is kept in check somewhat due to the fact that I mainly work from home nowadays. It gives me an opportunity to see what things others are getting up to and gives me ideas for other things I could achieve - whether it's fancy little things to do with my blog or ideas to put into practice in my knitting or just general creativeness. I love it!

I did think it was about time I added on my pictures of my version of Clapotis. I must admit having done it I really want to make a few different versions in other colour combinations. It really is so fantastically easy once you get going with it and yet looks so effective when it's done. A fantastically clever and inspirational pattern design. My version was created using some Jaeger yarn picked up in a sale years ago (like about 10 years ago) that I was using to create a bra-top in the days when I would have worn such a thing. I'm more of a coward now! So I never actually finished the thing so when I found it I had great fun (!) ripping it back and I just carried on knitting Clapotis with it until there was sod all of it left. Now I just want to find a really soft pink yarn to knit it up in. I think a few balls of Kidsilk Haze would probably make a good job of it too. I shall wait to see what the birthday pennies bring...


Clapotis


Clapotis (close-up)

So what else have we got today? I've added a couple of galleries of my other creations from 2004. I was quite stunned when I got Robert to photograph all of my makes a few weeks ago to see just how many things I had made. You can tell the colours I prefer (and managed to get bargains on as well!) - you won't find too much blue in my repertoire, mainly because it doesn't go with my Scottish peely wally skin tone. This is a skin tone that has to to turn from blue to white before it even tans. Something I used to think was a pain but now it's something I try to make the most of instead as avoiding the sun (no other option in Orkney really) has meant that my skin looks much younger than most of my mates of the same age - bonus! Grey hairs can be dyed over but there's no way I want to have to fill in wrinkles with Botox - icky!

So what are my faves out of "last season's catwalk collection"? I love my long cardigan made with Jaeger Celeste. It was so simple to knit and whizzed up in not time. It's also one of the things that I get the most compliments for - folk actually ask where I bought it from, not if I made it. So cool! As far as my pink/red palette goes I would have to say that Peppermint Twist from the first Stitch'n'Bitch is my fave. I did some "interesting" raglan decreases the first time I did it which meant things had to be frogged and done again but overall it was a fantastic way of using up loads of pink leftovers sitting in my cupboard. I also really love my little capelet made from Colinette Isis. I just made it up as I went along but it's so annoying as I've had sod all chance to wear it. One of the downsides of staying at an old farmhouse rather than in town but it's a downside I can definitely live with.


Going green - completed 2004


Pinky palette - completed 2004

And what else can I add to a lovely day? Well when I downloaded my emails this morning I had a fantastic surprise from my Dad as he had ordered my a gift certificate from Amazon for £100 - ya beauty! I've gone and done some damage to it, and decreased the size of my wish list a peedie grain, and have ordered 5 books, 2 DVDs and 1 CD. How ace is that! I've still got about £30 left and it's not even my birthday yet. That's not until Thursday - St Patrick's Day. I'm leaving the celebrations until Sat 19th when I've invited a few folk round to go for a walk down the beach first - my 'private' beach, well nobody else is hardly ever there as it's too difficult to get to - then it's back to the house for afternoon tea with loads of homebakes. Suits me to a tee and since it's my birthday I can do it the way I want to. Happy, happy, happy! Long may it continue...