The dress in question is still a work in progress. It’s based upon Simplicity 2925, view A but I cannot be trusted to do anything by the book – not even sewing. I did away with some ruffles, altered the yoke/neckline and I’m adding buttons where there are no buttons. Rebel.

The fabric is a very light polycotton from Mandors. I fell in love with the subtle geometric print and the black/dark green/cream colours. It won’t keep me warm, but it will be a great layering piece (once I finish it – the basic construction is done, but the small bits are not).

I have become aware that I’m increasingly dressing like an art teacher. A very Danish art teacher with restrained colour schemes and attention to details – but an art teacher nonetheless. Making more of my own clothes will not – will not – curb that tendency.

Meanwhile, as some of you may know, The Huffington Post published a blog post about knitting and baking betraying the feminist movement. The post itself read like someone had taken a Feminism 101 class and just scraping home a pass (because the teacher was in a good mood having devoured a home-baked cup cake). The responses to the post were far more interesting. This one is one of my favourites so far: succinct, humorous, and blunt. Any recommendations for more smart, funny, self-aware responses?

On the agenda: getting better, saving Other Half from the plague, choosing non-functioning buttons for the dress, cooking dinner (soup?) and reading my book. It’s a hard life.

One Karise shawl. This one was knitted in Old Maiden Aunt alpaca/merino laceweight. I used around 325 yards – an amount I find freakishly low. Okay, this is not a huge shawl, but it is decently sized. Weird.

One shawl pattern put up for sale. It has been really exciting and heartening to see the response. Thank you everyone whether you have commented on the shawl, added it as a favourite, queued it, or even bought it. Heck, I’m thrilled by it all.

One book launch. Tracey S. Rosenberg came to Waterstones to promote her first novel, The Girl in the Bunker. I was thrilled to get a signed copy at the meet & greet. I primarily know Tracey as a poet, so it has been really interesting to see her move into prose.

One Danish friend has been visiting. She graciously agreed to go along to the book launch, but we’ve also explored The West End and visited the new Riverside museum. Her visit has made me think long and hard about linguistic identity. Hopefully I’ll remember to blog about this later.

One dinner with friends. A lovely Turkish-Mediterranean dinner which has left me reeling for the rest of the week. Something was clearly not okay with the food because I have been groggy, sluggish, and nauseated ever since Monday. I’ll spare you the nasty details, but I’m still not feeling good.

One adventurous sweater surgery session. I took scissors to my red alpaca cardigan yesterday. I hope it works or I will have wasted a lot of expensive yarn. I also feel slightly sick thinking of this. I’m now re-knitting one sleeve. Onwards and upwards, eh?

One major news scandal just continuing to unfold. The News International/News of the world scandal has been the gift that keeps giving for this news junkie household. Whilst I have been feeling out of sorts and reclining decoratively on the sofa, this news story has kept me completely enthralled. And appalled.

Who knows what next week will bring..

The yarn is absolutely gorgeous to work with. It is a new Old Maiden Aunt base which – again – will be unveiled at Knit Nation. I am sworn to secrecy, but I can say this much that this is a sockweight with some silk in the mix and that the silk soaks up the dye like you wouldn’t believe. The colourway is Ghillie Dhu from Lilith’s Lang-legged Beasties collection. It’s one of my favourite OMA colourways and I was so, so delighted when Lilith asked me if I would design something in that colourway. Mossy green gets me every.single.time.

To the right you can see the small sample shawl I knitted yesterday to see if the charts were okay. Funnily enough I kept deviating from the charts until I told myself: “Dude! You can’t just go ahead and fudge it because you think you’re smarter than whoever wrote those charts..! Those are your own charts.”

Yeah, I never claimed to be bright.

Quite apart from doing knitting maths until my brain hurt (thus spake the liberal arts grad), choosing a name for the pattern proved remarkably difficult. I take my hat off to people who do it for a living and I will no longer snicker at wacky names although I still think the Rowan Renew names are really funny. Naming is hard work, particularly as I know I have a slew of patterns to name and I want my naming to be somewhat coherent.

(I did eventually come up with some naming strategies, but word of advice: never ever ask Vonnie of the Life Craft for ideas. Trust me on this one.)

However, if you happen to have a great idea for a pattern name – preferably one which works in both English and other languages – or an idea for a name theme, please do leave a comment. If I end up using your idea, I’ll give you a copy of the pattern as a thank you.

Foot update: I have been resting my foot a great deal these past few days and it is improving to the point that I managed an almost-pain-free Tesco run yesterday. I’m back on the sofa today with my frozen peas, crap audiobooks, and knitting. It’s a hard life..

She should have added “and plenty of knitting, missus” because that is clearly what I am going to do over the next few days.

Most of my current knitting projects are things I cannot show you nor tell you much about as they are either earmarked for future publication (not mine) or future publication (mine).. which reminds me: are you a photogenic 20-something living in Glasgow who has always wanted to be a knitwear model and who is happy to get paid in tea/cake – then get in touch! I’m also looking for a test-knitter or two, but I will get back to this post-holiday.

My hands are playing up again, sadly, so I cannot knit for long stretches of time. I’m back to icing my thumbs(!) and wearing wrist supports. Knitting is not fully to blame for my problems but it is certainly not helping my hands recover.

I’m still going to pack a couple of projects for my holiday but I’m hoping that a little break from obsessive knitting will work wonders.

Cross fingers.

In case you cannot read what it says on the cover: A New Zealand sheep farm .. espionage .. and death.

It does not get better than that – except it does: one of the main (human) protagonists is called .. wait for it .. Flossie.

I know I said I was going to read David Mitchell’s latest next, but that was before I came across this gem. I actually do not think it will as bad as it looks. Ngaio Marsh was an acclaimed female crime writer of the same ilk as Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers. Just don’t ask me how to pronounce her first name as I had been reliably informed by a New Zealand friend it was “Nyree” but the internet claims it is “Nie-oh”. Huh.

The Nobel Prize in Literature is due to be announced today. Nobody really knows what to expect and I am so far out of the literary buzz loop these days that I won’t even offer an opinion. I’m just mildly amused by the number of journalist clinging to whichever name they actually recognise out of the many names bandied about.

In other news, this week I made it to the top of the Glasgow Necropolis for the first time in three years. This is a personal triumph for a number of reasons – but realistically I think I could have done it ages ago. The climb through Mugdock Park was steeper and longer and I managed that without problems. I do not know what held me back from ‘scaling’ the Necropolis because the ascent is really just a gentle slope. Some things just linger in my head as “insurmountable challenges”. Silly, silly Karie.

Finally, if you want to feel stupid, have a go at BBC’s Only Connect quiz. It is a Monday night staple here at Casa Bookish and thankfully(?) there is an online version so you can try the ‘connecting wall’ yourself.

The idea is simple: you get a wall of sixteen clues which you need to sort into four distinct groups. The execution is far less simple because you need to think in all sorts of directions at the same time; clues which may look as though they belong together are simply red herrings. The actual TV quiz is entertaining too and often attracts people quite well-known in their fields. This week saw Geoff Ryman appear (to my Other Half’s geeky delight) with Doctor Who writer Paul Cornell (to Stuart‘s geeky delight).

Enjoy the quiz and do not blame me if you suddenly feel significantly less smart.

I had completely forgotten how wrecked my hands become when crocheting with cotton. I grew up using cheap cotton and I had assumed that the cheap cotton was to blame for my aching hands. For this bag I am using Roman Pima Cotton, a very luxurious cotton that I’m loving to bits, but my hands are still utterly wrecked – particularly my thumbs. I’m used to being able to knit for hours on end, but I cannot work on this project for more than ninety minutes before I’m in pain.

Worrying.

I had planned a few more crocheted bags, but I think I shall be postponing these projects until my hands are much better. I wonder what I’m doing wrong? Hmm.

But back to this particular crochet bag. I was beyond thrilled when I found the perfect lining material in the Amy Butler fabric range. Just look at it – isn’t it just perfect?! Of course I cannot work the lining until I have finished the bag properly, woven in ends, steam-blocked it, cleared the dining table, and unpacked my old sewing machine that I’m not entirely sure actually works and .. did I mention that I have fever, a sore throat and earache? Yeah, I should possibly focus on getting over this mini-flu (or whatever infection it is I’m fighting), but I’m just so darn excited about getting this project finished*. Uhmm..

(* somewhere my 15-year-old self is looking aghast and cringing at my enthusiasm).

So, well, I’m trying to nap as much as I possibly can (and I’m revisiting an old favourite read which I actually haven’t read in about twenty years – more on this in a later entry) and I’m also having slightly feverish dreams about my next few projects.

But isn’t that fabric just fabulous?! Sigh.

The postman brought me the Spring/Summer edition of the Rowan International newsletter and I read it whilst surrounded by buttercups, daisies and playful squirrels. Later, when the sun disappeared, I went to the local Polish deli for rye-bread, tuna pate and buttermilk. It made for a delicious late lunch. I also found two beautiful tweed skirts in a charity shop along with an old, old knitting magazine. Total cost: £3. Yes, it has been one of those days today. One to savour.

I need a tiny pick-me-up, actually, because I have been struggling with wrist-pain following yesterday’s knitting group. The old ice pack came out again as did the pain killers. I have been able to crochet without too much bother, so I am wondering if the small knitting needles are exacerbating whatever is wrong with my wrist – I am using 2.5mm and 3mm. Presumably it would do my wrist good if I swapped my usual Continental style for the English style, but as I am working with cotton, I am worried about any change in tension.

ANYWAY. Today has been a lovely day.

And that is even before I mention that a girl in winter has given me a pat on the blogging shoulder. Basically, it is one of those spread-the-love things where someone says “I love reading your blog, have this virtual plaque, think of ten random facts about yourself, and then mention ten blogs you love reading.”

I’ll give you six factoids, though, because I’m really dull.

1. I have two of my own designs on the needles at the moment. One is a sock pattern and the other one is a beaded scarf. I plan on releasing the patterns.
2. I think in colour and suspect a mild form of synaesthesia.
3. I cannot wear high heels thanks to hypermobile feet. Well, okay, I can, but I’ll be limping the next day. I have inlays for my (flat) shoes which ensure my feet are kept steady throughout the day. Thankfully I don’t need to wear the inlays constantly. My podiatrist once told me that had I been born in Russia, I would have been part of the State Circus. Thanks.
4. I identify as a Secular Humanist which sometimes makes people think I’m a big fan of Richard Dawkins. I am not. He veers far too close to fundamentalism for my taste and I find him decidedly off-putting.
5. When I say that my style is “vintage-inspired casual”, I really mean “perpetually student-ish”. I still get asked for student ID in shops despite being in my mid-30s.
6. I once appeared on a Danish quiz show and then travelled around New Zealand on my winnings.

Now imagine the next sentence in big pink sans-serif letters across the bust of a Photoshopped Hollywood Starlet:
Ten Fabulous Bloggers You Need to Add To Your Feed Reader Right Now:

• Drop Stitches, Not Bombs – clever and stylish Italian woman knitting her way across Europe (although mainly UK-based)
• Bellsknit – Bells in Australia has a way with words, yarn and food. Gorgeous photography and great sense of humour too.
• Thrums – a recent find. New York-based woman who reads, knits and observes people.
• A Friend to Knit With – the photography is just stunning
• Feather & Fan – the brilliant Orata’s blog filled with her own designs and travels.
• Ms KnitWit – I really like how she captures the extraordinary in ordinary life in her photos. Also: smart, funny and crafty.
• Roobeedoo – Someone else who has been transplanted to a life in Scotland. She’s a reader, a crafter and very human.
• Academia Nuts- I’m privileged to call her a friend. You should see her knitting projects too.
• Anarkistens (ægte) Kogebog – Danish food blog. The funniest blog I’ve read in a long time. And she’s all about using 12thC recipe books in her kitchen. Respekt dér.
• Petra O – a Swedish craft blog which is hugely inspirational with its beautiful photography and distinct style.

Instead I’m reading and I’m very glad that I got the new Scarlett Thomas book out of the library instead of paying real money. I will tell you why when I can touch-type again.

Update: “bruised tendon” and I “need to watch the activity level”. My doctor muttered something about I should have gone to A&E back when my injury first happened. Cough.

One thing is certain: Rowan Fine Milk Cotton is a quality yarn. Remember, I used the same length of yarn to cast-on (and rip-out). While the actual yarn looks a bit crinkly, the knitted fabric looks as fresh as a daisy. Just look at the photograph and think of the abuse .. I knew that FMC would be a good yarn to work with – after all, it is a staple Rowan yarn – but I’m still impressed. I am now pondering other potential FMC summer knits (Geno from Rowan 43 and Arielle from Kim Hargreaves’ Misty spring to mind), but let us see how the 4-ply on 3mm needles work out for me and my sanity..

Yes, my hand is better while I still cannot knit as much as I usually do. Actually, my hand is just peachy, but the arm gets pretty painful when I’ve worked/knitted/typed for a few hours. I try to rest it as much as possible, but I’m also notoriously bad at “just sitting around”. I need to do something!

A few links for you:

• Your Life is An Open Book. If you have a Facebook profile, you might want to reconsider how you are using Facebook. You will definitely want to check your privacy settings, and I also recommend using the ReclaimYourPrivacy widget. As an expat I find Facebook incredibly useful for keeping in touch with overseas friends and family members, so I cannot bring myself to quit Facebook, but I have locked down my profile as much as I possibly can.
• This Cate Blanchett/Alexander McQueen outfit is the most stunning thing I have seen in a very, very long time.
• This DNA/RNA necklace is pretty nice too. And more attainable.

And the rest of the day will be spent on paperwork before I suddenly become eighteen years old once more and will be screaming/singing at the top of my lungs (YT link). You never really get over your first love, do you?