Rhubarb and Custard

(Rox, you might want to avert your eyes, this is your Christmas present.) I'm not the Yarn Harlot, I can't knit a sock a day.  But for starting late Saturday night and having a day job to do, this one's going pretty well.  It&

Uncertain faith

BBC News: God. Who knows? With religion increasingly polarised, is there any benefit in not knowing if there is a higher power? Mark Vernon - an ex-vicar - explains why agnosticism is his creed. "We are in a period of intense debate about religion. It seems there are believers, secularists

Eternal Sweater progress report VI

Having an evening alone to spin and knit greatly helped progress.  As did finishing the novel! * 29th Nov: 10 rows * 30th Nov: 7 rows * 1st Dec: 4 rows Unfortunately I need to take a break and make a pair of socks, and a small piece of Christmas knitting.  I made

Spinning FO: Moonflower BFL

The great thing about learning to spin is that each new skein is a personal best.  Spun 4oz of Blue Faced Leicester this week, my eleventh skein.  It was Moon Flower almost-solid roving from Spunky Eclectic.  This is great stuff, you could still see the crimp in the fibres

Cold snap

There was a "winter storm" on Thursday night, sleet and frozen rain and snow.  We're OK, both cars have new tires, and the house is fine.  It wasn't fun hacking off 2 inch thick chunks of snow and ice from the windscreen at 6am

NaNoWriMo 2006 Winner!

Validated my novel on Sunday at the last St Louis write-in, 50007 words!  Story needs a few hundred more to finish, but I'm about there.  Managed to drop in lyrics for Weird Al's "White and Nerdy" and the Wordworth daffodils poem, plus some

Biroid lifestyle

Did Biros really revolutionise writing? Fifty-seven Bic Biros are sold every second (and then "borrowed" by passing colleagues) - not bad for a 60-year-old product. But did the pens really make that much of a difference?  It was a familiar frustration that led to the invention

Eternal Sweater progress report V

Back in the saddle, thanks to my cheerleaders.  Started the sleeve on Monday at lunch, it's all downhill from here!  I think I've figured out how all the pieces fit together.  Sewing up is going to be quite the task. * 20th Nov: most of the cuff

Recipe: Citrus Scones

My guinea pigs survived the first test batch of citrus scones after Thanksgiving dinner.  The recipe is a variation on my English Scones. Citrus Scones * 2 tablespoons of Penzeys orange peel * 1 1/2 teaspoons of orange essence * 1 pound of whole wheat flour * 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar

Oh, THAT sweater!

OK cheerleaders, I'm back on the case.  Did the cuff of the sleeve yesterday at lunch, today I'm measuring against the other sleeve and starting the pattern part.  This is the last part I have to knit. And I made 40004 words on the novel last