Writer's Block and bobbles

I just listened to the whole interview again (the one I went to NYC for) and took notes, and I am having such trouble making it gel! Come on, brain, what's wrong with you?

So here's some photos of the Luna Dress. Still not totally sure about the flouncy 3/4 sleeves, but I like the cowl neck. Also, I think it's already stretching. This is good in terms of the skirt, which was way too fitted, pre-blocking. But not so good on the top, where I want it to be quite fitted. Sigh.







In other knitting news, here are my Harvest mittens, I think they look better in real life than in the photos, but you get the idea. I really like the i-chord cast-on, and I have to admit I really like the bobbles. I never thought I'd like bobbles, but I've changed. I like bobbles.




Bobbles also figure on the bacchus socks I'm making. This is the eastern cast-on, which means that the toe is seamless.



Please, brain, come back to me.

Open House London

This past weekend was Open House London, a showcase for architecture and design throughout the city, and as my friend B, an architect, was here for the weekend visiting from Berlin, we went to see a lot of things. I wouldn't have known about it if she hadn't been here!

First, in my neighborhood, we went to this building which I had always assumed was offices; but no, it's a gallery space:



We also went to a design-y furniture on Curtain Road, the name of which I can't remember.

The next day, we met up in Notting Hill, on Portobello Road, and then walked and walked, til we came to a somewhat desolate looking street, where there were lots of little Portuguese cafés, and we had a lovely breakfast.



Behind us, we could see this 31-storey building, which I don't mind as part of the landscape, but I'm not sure I find it as amazing as the German architects did; they love it.



It's the Trellick Tower, by Hungarian emigré Ernö Goldfinger. It's a council estate, but apparently the uber-cool are buying up flats there. Inside, it looks very 1970s modernist, very much parts of East Berlin. Maybe this is why my German architect friends were so impressed by it? Here's the view from the 18th floor.



From here, in West London, we got onto the canal - a different part of the same canal that's in my neighborhood in East London. And we walked and walked. This part of the canal is called Little Venice:




Wrong turn:



Back on track, the canal meanders through Regents Park, and through the zoo that's in Regents Park. On one side, there were hyenas and warthogs (not together!), but I couldn't get a picture, they were running around, and refused to stand still long enough and / or in a spot where I could take a picture. On the other side, there was a gigantic cage with ibis:



Now I would like to go to the zoo for real.

And finally, my new project, the Harvest Mittens from vogue knitting. I really love them, the picture doesn't do them justice.



I finished the Luna Dress, it's drying in the kitchen, I'll post photos of it as soon as it's dry! I'm not entirely sure how I feel about the flouncy sleeves. I might have to rip them back and give them straight sleeves... We'll see.

One arm down...

Back from NYC and meme

Amanda tagged me for the "six random things about me" meme. I'm always very interested to read other peoples' lists, but I struggle a lot with mine.

Anyway, here are the rules:

• Link to the person who tagged you.
  
• Post the rules on your blog.
  
• Write six random things about yourself.
  
• Tag six people at the end of your post.
  
• Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
  
• Let the tagger know your entry is up.
  

Six random things about me:

1. Right now I'm hooked on Life on Mars.
2. I still can't do a headstand in yoga in the middle of the room (only against the wall).
3. I'm very shy
4. I can make a mean curry
5. I love kiwis even though I'm mildly allergic to them
6. My favourite compliment, from one of my students, was that I was "simultaneously the most laidback and the most strict" professor

I'm tagging:
Hormiga
Hoxton Handmade
Juicy Knits
Travel Knitter
Purl Pirate

I went to NYC for the weekend, to interview some artists for an article I'm writing. They're interested in how biology affects art; specifically, in how the biology of the eye shapes aesthetics. I love these interviews where they leave me with a lot of new things to think about.

Aside from that, I saw friends and family, and went to a gig on Saturday night. The band was supposed to go on at 11pm, but they didn't go on until 1:30am. I was so exhausted at that point that I was just leaning against Rog, and I fell asleep. Apparently I kept waking up and saying, "I think she's forgotten the lyrics." Needless to say, she hadn't forgotten the lyrics, it just seemed like it in my dreaming state.

Oh, and I finally gave the Secret Project - the Drops A Line Sweater - to my mother. She said she liked it, and I think it looked nice on her!

I didn't put her face in the pic, because I know she wouldn't like it.

I just have the sleeves left on my Luna Dress. I'm going to try to do them from the top down (rather than the cuffs), so as to avoid sewing. I got the go ahead from my pals at the hoxton knitting group yesterday, so I feel a bit more confident about straying from the pattern.

Thank you, procrastination

I have to say, the Luna Dress is knitting up very quickly, in great part due to the fact that I have a lot to do - like, for example, pack for my trip to New York. I have to write interview questions. The Secret Project has been blocked and is drying in the kitchen, hopefully it'll be dry in time for me to bring it with me.



Well, before I get to all I have to do, I figure I can at least knit up the cowl neck. Don't you agree?

Time flies...

My sister reminded me today that I hadn't posted in almost a month.

We went to Devon for a weekend, and when I came back, I didn't feel like posting about the trip, even though there were lots of great things to write about: it was absolutely beautiful and I had a great time with my niece, Lily.




We built sandcastles and went on long walks, and went beachcombing. We found lots of cool stuff.










One day, I went in to the sea with Lily, just the two of us. Rog and Cardie watched from the beach, wrapped up in their warm clothes. Lily's 6, and she is very brave and swims like a little fish. She didn't want to get out! But that's when my hands started turning blue, and I couldn't feel my skin anymore, so we had to. Swimming in such cold water is addictive, it feels so good. I don't think it's colder than swimming in Maine was last summer, but in Maine, the sun was shining and it was quite warm weather.

Lily loves her uncle Rog (and he loves her too!):


Some other pictures:






I finally finished the Secret Project, but I can't unveil it here til it reaches its recipient - a few more weeks! And I've started my Luna Dress. I'm happy with it so far, but I haven't gotten that far, so we'll see what happens.


We're totally addicted to watching Spooks. We downloaded the last two series from itunes. We realized we can't watch it too late at night because then I'm too scared to sleep and/or I have spy dreams, where I'm getting chased. So stressful!