21 Sep 2010
by Tamsinin Slightly Insane Tags: Husband, Idiot, Mommy, School, Star Trek
I think I may be genetically predisposed to doing hideously embarrassing things. Perhaps it’s a default setting and, after nearly 40 years, I still have no idea how to switch it off. Yesterday I managed to utterly top myself and wear an outfit that was beyond unsuitable for collecting my child from school.
Let me explain. It wasn’t on PURPOSE! It was one of those last minute, “Oh blast, I am still in my trackies and must get changed and it is OH BUGGER ten to three and I have to RUN!” moments. So I grabbed whatever I could find from the pile of fresh laundry on the bed and raced out the door.
What did I grab? Well, not only did I put on a dress/top that was far shorter than I remembered it to be, but I matched it with bright redcurrant stockings (tights for ye British folk) and chocolate boots. When The Husband saw me a few hours later he said I looked like an extra from Star Trek.
Which is GREAT but not when you want to make friends with the other mothers on the school run. I fear that this outfit may have landed me into the “ignore” category. You see, I was galloping up the hill when it dawned on me that the dress was actually a LOT shorter than I remembered (having always paired it with jeans in the past) and that all my boots needed was a bit of a heel to turn me from Star Trek into, “Want to have some fun, big boy?”
I am genuinely terrified of doing the school run today. Genuinely.
(In my defense I have a horrible cold that seems to have removed most higher brain functions)
17 Sep 2010
by Tamsinin Knitting Mama Tags: Free, Geek Knit, Knitting, Pattern, Star Trek
Isn’t it just fabulous that I can combine my utter geeky nerdiness with my new passion for knitting? Isnt it? Huh?
Today I discovered this awesome Star Trek knitting pattern from a site with an equally fabulous name, Off the Hook Astronomy. Not only did this talented lady figure out her very own double-sided Star Trek pattern for pot holders, but she’s got a smorgasbord of other goodies too. Her links to geeky craft sites are ace.
So here you go. Beam yourself up. Set your phasers to stun. And seduce a hot blue alien. It’s knitting, Jim, but not as you know it…
13 Sep 2010
by Tamsinin Guest Post, Knitting Mama Tags: Child, Geek Knit, Guest Post, Knitting, Mommy, Star Trek
This fabulous guest post comes from the lovely Rhian over at The Crafty Geek. She’s one talented lady and can knit socks like nothing else.
I’ve just started knitting my Tardis socks so I can testify that socks take quite a bit of getting used to, and Rhian has designed some for Simply Knitting! She’s awesome, funny, and brilliant. Enjoy…
I’ve always been ‘crafty’, whether that was cross stitch, knitting, card making or beading. Unsurprisingly many of my friends are the same. When my son Harry was born we received a gorgeous selection of hand-made clothes you couldn’t have bought in any shop.
From a crocheted Star Trek uniform and tie-dyed babygro to a huge selection of black knitted clothes from a goth friend (seriously, have you tried buying anything for young children in black? [It's almost IMPOSSIBLE ~Tam]), we were thrilled to be able to dress him in our friends’ talent. And his handmade clothes were always the ones singled out by other parents, who wanted to know where they could buy their own.
My own attempts at knitting for Harry were less successful. I completed what should have been a lovely cream jumper in 0-3 months size when pregnant; Harry is now nearly two and the jumper still lies in pieces in his cupboard – I never sewed it together. He’ll never wear it but I can’t quite bear to throw it away.
A blue Debbie Bliss cardigan and a cute knitted monkey still lie half done on the needles, stuffed on my craft shelf.
So knitting for Harry never really worked out. Truth be told, knitting had never been my favourite craft; cross stitch was my true love. But though I did continue with some commissioned pieces, stitching isn’t really the most practical craft round young babies. There are sharp needles and pointy scissors, and the fabric must be kept scrupulously clean at all times, as must your hands when working.
This picture is genius.
Then, when Harry was about two months old, I was finally convinced to give sock knitting a try. I’d heard it was addictive, but oh, I’d had no idea. Basic stocking stitch socks are fiddly in three places – the cast on, the heel, and the toe.
In between, it was just straight knitting, round and round and round. How many rounds could I get done in a nap? How many while Harry toppled piles of blocks over? I was hooked.
(Knitting does come with pointy sticks, yes, but they’re still not quite as lethal as scissors, nor as edible as a tapestry needle. Much more baby-friendly)
It’s now coming up for two years later, and it’s difficult to estimate how much time I’ve spent knitting socks since then – but it’s a lot. Sock knitting is the perfect mummy hobby. It’s fast, portable, and mistakes are generally easy to fix. Designs are as easy or as complicated as you choose.
If I can get my husband to push the buggy, I can knit while walking. I can pick them up and put them down as Harry is playing. When I’m in the mood, I can even knit socks for him (this still doesn’t happen very often; I am rubbish at knitting for my child). Compared to knitting jumpers, it’s also relatively cheap.
Rhian's own design...
And in the last year I’ve also been designing my own socks for a magazine; the perfect work at home mum solution.
I found maternity leave long and lonely; knitting brought me structure, achievements and new friendships. I thoroughly recommend it!
03 Sep 2010
by Tamsinin Knitting Mama Tags: Free, Geek Knit, Knitting, Star Trek
I continue on my mission to source strange new patterns from far off lands and discovered this beauty this very morning. A wash cloth for a baby with the Star Trek insignia on it. How utterly gorgeous is that?
Not only is this little gem of geeky goodness free, it’s also really easy to knit so newbies won’t collapse in sadness because they can’t even begin to figure it out. Like I did with the R2D2 beanie (that intarsia is way beyond my current skills).
So there you go. If you have a geeky mate who happens to be having a baby then this will rock their world.
I think I may be genetically predisposed to doing hideously embarrassing things. Perhaps it’s a default setting and, after nearly 40 years, I still have no idea how to switch it off. Yesterday I managed to utterly top myself and wear an outfit that was beyond unsuitable for collecting my child from school.
What you said