This is what I did on Isabella this lunchtime.
It looks nothing like the garment I last showed you. I've got to the start of the lace panel, and I realised I've never used a chart for lace before. I've used a chart for intersia, and of course the stitches in those line up. With the lace the stitches don't, so I made this to check that what I thought I ought to do was right.
On and off, I've been looking for a pattern which uses British terminology for crocheted granny squares. Last week I found two: the Peachy Ethknits website, and Jan Eaton's "The Enclyclopedia of Crochet Techniques" borrowed from the library.
Inspired by Mandy and Caroline, I was spurred on to actually make my first ever Granny square on Saturday. 
By Sunday afternoon, I had four.
The plain ones used the directions from the website, the multicoloured ones were from Jan Eaton's book. The two patterns are constructed slightly differently, the main one being that the book starts each round with a new colour. The website shows you how to get your yarn in place for the next row, but it doesn't have a chart - I ended up drawing my own (this was before I'd checked Jan Eaton's book) and the first two squares are slightly different from each other.
The colours are reversed, but in the same order, in the multicoloured squares. The dark border frames and restricts the right hand one: the pale colours bleeding out of the other give a sense of diffusion and escape. 
I'm not going to join the granny along, or the ripple along, tempting through they both are. However, I did finish off most of the ends, so it would look better in the photographs I'd want to show you.
And the background? It's my Isabella top from Knitty, now reached the armpits on the back. A large quantity of stocking stitch is rather dull, isn't it?
A number of these have just fallen from the sky:
They are quite large, about 7-8mm across (3/8 inch). They feel soft and slightly squishy, and only a bit cold. They aren't hard, like the hail which is now failing. The shapes aren't quite right, some of them are definately drop shaped.
I think they are semi-thawed frozen raindrops.
Last weekend, I started knitting Isabella from Knitty. This was taken on Tuesday. 
I've made a huge load of progress since then, and am nearly up to the armholes. It helped that I took it with me to S'n'B on wednesday.
I started it three times: I'm using Rowan Cotton Glace, which has quite a different guage to the stated yarn. I knew I'd done a tension swatch beforehand, and I thought I could remember what it was. However, the first time I cast on, I went in the wrong direction, knitting a size larger when I should have gone down. Second time, I was still casting on from memory of what the gauge was, and the resulting product was still too large. Third time round, I'd found the notes I'd made and started with my third and final cast on.
I'm not doing the eyelets: I did, but with the thicker cotton it just looked clumpy. So rather then frog and redo, I dropped stitches down to the eyelets, and picked them up again. You can see where the knitting is less even, but it is good enough for me.
On my camera there are some pictures I'd love to share with you: unfortuantely they won't upload right now. There were even some sheep for the Inner Sheep challange.
Instead, we have socks:
Pattern: freebie from Web of Wool
Yarn: Annell Color, bought in Belgium
Started: A long long time ago
Finished: 6th Feb
Stash Reduction: 1 ball
The main reason they took so long was every time I got to an unfamiliar bit (eg turning the heel) I stopped and did something else. In addition, the first sock was too long when I got to the toe, and I accidently knitted the second sock even longer. They were put aside for a while, before frogging and refinishing.
I knitted the second sock much faster then the first: I had the feeling it was all nearly finished. In addition, I didn't find the kitchener stitch for the toe difficult.
I can see why people like them: a small portable project, just right for knitting on the bus. You can make perfect-fit socks far faster then you can make a perfect-fit sweater. However, I don't use public transport often enought to need something to slip into a small bag, and shop-bought socks fit my feet. Most of my knitting is at home, often in front of the television, so a sweater is a better bet for me.
I'll be making more: the orange clashes with the red shoes I am most often wear socks with.
On Monday, I picked up a little light reading from the reserve stacks of the county library. 
These are the books that are stored in the basement of County Hall most of the time, and get taken out about once a decade.
I have also finished my first pair of socks and made a birthday present tote-bag. Pictures to follow.
This is a test post to make sure I got to the new blogger successfully.
To recap what I've been doing:
Wednesday - got to S'n'B. We had some insider news about Yarn forward magazine, but it is probably too commercally sensitive to post. The really interesting bit is that Tracey knows why Issue 3 is going to be extra good, but that is also probably commercially sensitve. In addition Tracey had a box of HipYarns yarn to share out. I came home with a skein of bright pink banana yarn. The current plan is to knit it up with some sari silk I already have, for a scarf or a bag.
I also finished one Knuck, and am working on the next.
Future plans are to make a tote bag for a birthday present for Kiddo's friend; there now I have to do it.
