Distracting

I watched The Amazing Spiderman at the movies. It was forgettable, and not as good as the Sam Raimi versions.  But anyway, during the movie, one part was particularly memorable.  Gwen Stacey/Emma Stone rocks up at Peter's place for some reason... wearing this friggin amazing beanie!  I could not focus on the movie because of this magnificent pice of knitwear.  Just look at it! 

Don't cry Emma, you are wearing an amazeballs hat!

Of course, some clever Raveler wrote this up as a pattern!

Here's my version.  Can you believe I hadn't made a hat for myself?  This hat has EVERYTHING a girl needs.  BOBBLES.  CABLES.  A BIT OF LACEWORK.  EVERYTHING.

Once again, photography stylings of the wonderful Clara.

Pattern: Gwen Stacy.  I've noted on my project page the mods I've made - essentially lengthening it for maximum slouchiness.  Srsly, I thought it was too slouchy for a while, but it seems to have relaxed a bit and is just slouchie enough.  I used this blocking method and am now addicted to blocking hats!
Yarn:  Bendigo Woollen Mills Classic 8ply
Ravelled here.

~Tan

-Linking with-
Tami's Amis FO Fridays | Fiber Arts Fridays at Wisdom Begins in Wonder | Natural Suburbia for Creative Fridays | I've Made Friday at SusanD1408 Crochet Addict | I ♥ Fridays at Petals to Picots

Bloglovin'

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Sorry to hassle you, but apparently I need to post this to claim my blog?  This is my blog dammit!  You probably already know about this Bloglovin' razzle dazzel and are shaking your head.  Sorry.

Anyways, I'm not technical and have no idea what I'm doing.  Just ignore me.

~Tan

Keep Calm and Cast On

Well of course I am not original at all.

Seriously, is there anything better for quieting the mind than starting a new project?  It's funny that this is true for me, given that the cast on is my ultimate least favourite part of knitting.  I mean, ugh - all that counting.  And the fiddlyness.  And then knitting the first row, it being all tight and hurty for the fingers (yes, I may be doing something wrong).  And don't get me started on working in the round and the stress involved in making sure the cast on isn't twisted and that it joins properly and doesn't ladder. 

It must be something about requiring 100% of my concentration, everything else fades into the background.  And then, the amazeballs feeling of seeing those first few inches.  Bliss.  I'm loving this new project.  I mentioned it as one of my 'hopefully one day I'll make this' projects a while back and have since had the sudden urge to cast on.

This urge was borne of the slight panic in knowing I have a HUGE project coming up, and the yarn is right now on its way.  I've also recently finished a bunch of things so felt justified in starting something new.  So I'm in the eye of the storm.  Stress + excitement.  Knitters will get it.

Lookit my progress anyways, only started this mid last week.  I have less than 10 inches left to knit.  It's been super fast and satisfying to knit.  One of those projects I step back just to admire every few rows.  I've got a bunch of kitchener stitch

A bunch of people on ravelry are all 'boohoo so much stockinette'.  This isn't even stockinette dudes - I consider real stockinette is alternating your purling and knitting rows, where as this is a big knit tube (btw, I am still amazed at how knitting in the round = stockinette).  No freaking purling, no sir no way no how.  Suck it purl, nobody likes you anyway.  I'm loving this.  The enormous needles, the fluffy yarn, the speedy progress.  This is zen knitting. 

Oh yeah, I've gone backwards on Venus, which is super annoying but I had to rip out row 8 because I stupidly read my dcs as US rather than UK dcs, and then I tangled all the yarn.  Back on track now, but progress is slow.  I can do one and a half shells per train ride.

~Tan

Linking to- WIP Wednesday (Tami's Amis) | WIP Wednesday (Ambassador Crochet) | Yarn Along (Small Things) | Keep Calm and Craft On {Crafting on} (Frontier Dreams) | What you doing Wednesday (SusanD1408 Crochet Addict) | Hookin on Hump Day (My Merry Messy Life) | Muster Party (Fluster Buster)

Breakfasting: Sally's Kitchen

My sincere apolgies to my sister Jacks, I just had to have eggs benny without you!  It just wasn't the same, I assure you!

Location:  Sally's Kitchen, 295 Exhibition Street Melbourne
Dining companion: Lermm
Dining date:  17 May 2013
Ordered:  Grilled asparagus with poached egg, hollandais & prociutto; skinny latte

A very cute and cozy location.  Lermm arrived first and I could literally not see her from the entrance way.  Service was pleasant, but frightfully slow.  The table we habitated was teeny tiny and the plates were huge.  Maybe that's supposed to be charming but somebody needs to do their math.

My eggs benny (for that is what they were, regardless of the fancified language) was ok.  Sauce was tasty but lacking that special something.  One of the eggs was slightly overcooked.  Ciabatta is not my favourite base for eggs benny, and I don't enjoy sharp edges on my toast in any case.  I have now decided that panchetta is not for me - it's all stringy, how is that enjoyable?  So overall an average dish. 

Sally's Kitchen's eggs benny gets a score of 5 out of 10 Benedicts!!

Don't get me wrong, the dining experience was very pleasant and I will definitely put Sally's Kitchen into my regular roster of breakfast locations!

~Tan

the greatest of them all

This cowl was by special request.  Partner's mother saw my camera strap cover and immediately requested a scarf adorned with kitties.  In suitable football team colours.  I tried to tell her the pattern wouldn't work as a scarf, and that I could do a cowl isntead, but even then it might be stiff.  She wouldn't heed my warnings and continued to insist. 

I was initially worried, but am pleasantly surprised by the result.

Many thanks to Clara for taking these magnificent photos!

Pattern:  A perrrrfectly wonderful tapestry crochet kitty bag.  Obviously this is not a bag.  If I make another cowl I'll tapestry-crochet the whole thing.  I did a few rows of stripes either side of the tapestry in hdc and they tend to curl over a bit as they lack the strucutral integrity of the tapestry section.  You live and learn, I think it looks rad anyway.
Yarn:  Some odds and ends I scored from the bargain room at Bendigo Woollen Mills, both of which are 8ply, the white being Celeste (I think) and the blue Persian.
Ravelled here.

~Tan

-Linking with-
Tami's Amis FO Fridays | Fiber Arts Fridays at Wisdom Begins in Wonder | Natural Suburbia for Creative Fridays | I've Made Friday at SusanD1408 Crochet Addict | I ♥ Fridays at Petals to Picots

Breakfasting: Manchester Press

Breakfast is my fave.  It's about time I started documenting my food exploits beyond my search for the ultimate Melbourne CBD eggs benny.

Location:  Manchester Press, 8 Rankins Lane, Melbourne
Dining companion:  Lermm
Dining Date: 10 May 2013
Ordered:  2 x skinny lattes, fruit bagel with wildberry marscapone, strawberries and 'pistashio dust'

My bagel was super delicious, if a bit excessive.  Not sure if you can tell from the photo, but there really was copious amounts of marscapone.  Oh, don't get me wrong it was delectable - but I couldn't eat the whole thing, and that's saying something! 

The coffee was great and the service was friendly.  It has a great atmosphere, and I love how hidden away it feels. Will definitely go again!

Can't say much more than that - it's a bagel - deal with it.

~Tan

she runs the night

Yes, she does.

She Runs the Night, 4 May 2013, 10km

Time:  1.26.22
Place:  4768
Freebies:  Race tee was included in the registration price.  Rhonda got a cool drink bottle, but I was just too slow to get in on that action. 

This was by far the funnest fun run I have done thus far.  The atmosphere was amazing - over 6000 ladies there to run.  There was something about it, the fact that such a large group of women were there for the same purpose, it made me a bit emotional.  It was extremely cool to see everyone dressed the same, and people of all fitness levels joining in.

This was a Nike branded run - no charity involved at all.  I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but it's funny, whenever I tell people I'm doing a fun run they immediataly ask what charity it's for.  This run was all about Nike showcasing their shit, and I tell you, they know their shit. The whole run had a very festival vibe about it, celebratory and empowering.  Their merchandise was obviously for sale, but it wasn't the focus of the evening, which was fantastic.

Everyone had these nifty bracelets that would all flash in unison, with each wave of runners getting a different colour bracelet.  Rhonda was in the second wave with a pink bracelet (Lionesses) and I had green (Tigresses).  There were some cool things around the course - a big screen which flashed your facebook picture up as you approached - it must have been linked to the timing chips and a huge projection screen with cheetahs, tigers and lions running beside you.  You can see some of these on Facebook.

Will definitly do this one again next year!

~Tan