The new iPhone Cosy

The newest addition to my personal knitting effects has been completed. This is an iPhone cosy.

The inspiration for this self made pattern came from the warm and cosy socks. The pattern has a nice cast on, magic circular needle method, fair isle method and a super stretchy bind off.

This cosy fits over my iPhone and the morphie battery case.

I happy with the top two thirds of the pattern. The bottom was meant to be an exciting two coloured ribbed pattern. Unfortunately, the result was akin to a dog's dinner.




I think that this might a good pattern to release on ravelry. So what do you think?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Boxing Day

This is a post the day after Christmas. The main day itself was busy and very festive. I am nursing a sore tunny from eating too much food. The most wonderful thing is that I am not travelling on a train. I am enjoying the holiday.

The knitting has been on hiatus for the past few days. Before Christmas I have been car sharing to work and it is very difficult to knit in a car. However, the conversation about knitting did come up. It was not much  surprise that I knitted and talked about scarfs and the importance of hand making gifts.

At work I did manage to work out that a colleague bought Addi circular needles from the description of the colour of the connecting cable, shiny needles and the price.

So this week is very little knitting and no travelling on trains. I should have a nice post in a few days, because I will describe my journey and knitting on the way to Cornwall.

A Book Challenge for Mel

This is a little post for a friend of mine. She has a fantastic blog called Mel’s Random Reviews. She is a fantastic blogger and her writing style is great and easy to read (unlike my stream of conscious and ranting). I made a comment about reading a classic every few months. I was kindly asked to make a few rules. I said I would do this quickly, but things have got in the way (moving office, house, scaring people with my knitting on public transport and laziness). Therefore below are my terms for reading a classic every three months:

1. Firstly the classic must be a classic or at least 20 years old;
2. it has to set a definition for the genre or change it in a way which ‘inspire’ later writers;
3. available for free or a reduced price and
4. semi easy to read.

So my task for Mel is to read:

1. Homer’s Odyssey (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odyssey) – this is the cornerstone of Western Cannon and seems to have the basis for most fantasy. Easements: You can read a modern version (i.e. made into something that is easier to read).
2. Isaac Asimov’s Foundation, Foundation and Empire and Second Foundation. Yes I know it is three books, but they are short ones. They are very good and they are the foundation (not a pun) for modern space epic’s such as Iain M Banks Culture and Star Trek. The Foundation series was published in 1942 and then collected in proper book in the 50s.
3. Ring World by Larry Niven. I thought it looked quite good. It is a interesting story about a space structure.
4. Conan the Barbarian by Robert E. Howard (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conan_the_Barbarian). I have not read these book, but I think they may underpin some hero fantasy or it might be tripe.

Good luck :-)

Taking the Plant for a walk.

Well today is an interesting day.

My job is moving from Reading to a town closer to wear I live. I will be driving to the new office. This means that I cannot take public transport (well I could but it takes three to four times as long and is about £4 more expensive). This means my knitting time is severally limited. I think that knitting in a car, whilst driving is frowned upon. However, I does mean I have an extra couple of hours a day at home or at the gym (I have to join one first).

Owing to the office move, I have to move some of my personal affects from the office. This consists of a mug and a plant, which is a dragon tree. I cannot keep it at the existing office, since it would not be watered or looked after. Therefore, I have to move the plant.  This would seem to be a simple affair:

1. put plant in bag,
2. carry plant onto train,
3. find place for plant,
4. take plant off train and
5. take plant out of bag.

However, in a busy train (HST from Reading) there was very little room to place a plant. I ended up placing it between my feet underneath the airline seat in front. Then I had to get the plant off the train and onto the tube. Amazingly enough the minor god of empty seats on tube trains smiled on me. I managed to get a seat on an H&C train to Euston Square. I had a plant in my face, but at least it would not get stepped on!

The final leg was to catch the train on. The Milton Keynes train was leaving from platform 10 (change from the normal platform) and I decided to get on at the end of the train. I assumed that it would be emptier than the rest of the train. Before I step on the train some <expletive removed> pushed in front of me and sat down at the table, in the seat closest to the aisle. THIS REALLY REALLY PISSES ME OFF!!!!!!! Why the hell does someone decide to sit down with an empty seat closest to the window or wall. You will have to move to let someone sit down, it will not be a shock and why the hell do you have to <expletive removed> sigh and look like you are being nailed to a <strong expletive removed> cross. If you are going to sit on the seat closest to the aisle please have the common decency to get off within the first two stops! This will give you the grace and appearance that you are being considerate and not a <beep beep beep>.

I kindly asked the gentleman to allow me to sit down. I placed my pot plant on the table (so it would not get in anyone's way). I did make sure that some of the leaves would brush against the ignorant man.

The plant is safe at home, in its new position and given a nice little drink of water.

One day left of irritating commute through London.

Hotel Stay: Day Four (Final Day)

Well today is another room service day. I am running out of things on the hotel menu. The beef hotpot is not available. I had to resort to trying something new. It was very nice. I think it was some sort of chicken pie like thing. I cannot remember what it is called. I know that it had chips. I did have some cheese for dessert. I did pay for it a few hours later.

I have started my tribal jumper (click name for link). It is a simple intarsia pattern on the front and part of the arms. I have started with the back :-). I have managed to use up an entire ball of Rowan Pure Wool Aran. Nothing much else. Hotel by a M4 junction has very few amusements.

Hotel Stay: Day Three

Well I have started the iPhone cosy, but I ran out of the Rowan Twirl. I am about one third short. I will have to finish it at home. The cosy is similar to the socks I have made owing to the same cast on method. I have managed to create a k1 p1 ribbing and it seems to produce a nice effect.

This is the first day that I have experienced room service in Hilton. I was annoyed at being seated either close to noisy groups or at the closest point to the exit (so I could leave quickly and minimal effort from staff). I was annoyed that I ordered my starter and my main course. I was asked if I wanted to order dessert. I said no and I would of waited. I felt like I was in the way. There were six other people (all men) in the hotel restaurant. I assume that we are all on business owing to our bored stares. So I decided to par take in room service. I could:

1. eat when I want,
2. I have a table in my room,
3. I can watch television I prefer to watch,
4. not feel bad about eating a pie and
5. feel that I can eat at my own speed.

The boon was the food arrived in half an hour. All hot and tasty. Also the room service guy was very cute. I did get a funny look when he looked at my knitting.

Hotel stay: day two

I am looking forward to knitting after a terrible nights sleep and a very long day.

I managed to finish the socks. I manage to knit 7 inches in the evening. This was owing to the coach outside the hotel revving its engine. Sigh. Another enforced late night.




So not much to post.

I have started a small project. I am making an iPhone cozy for someone leaving work.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Hotel stay: day 1

This week I have been sent on a course in Swindon. It is lasting five days and it will be about wind turbines.

As expected I have taken my knitting on the journey. I hopefully will finish a pair of socks this week and start a jumper.

The first day is going well. I went to the gym and managed to burn off about 400 calories.

I had a meal in the restaurant. The person who showed me to the table took umbrage that I wanted a table that was not in-between or next to the only two
groups in the restaurant.

The meal was pleasant and cooked well.

I managed to turn the heel of the sock.







- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

iPhone app: Buying your Arriva Bus Tickets

Price: Free (for the app)… you are charged for each ticket obviously.

Link to the app: Arriva m-Ticket

Tickets available: One-day, Seven-day and four-weekly (10 per cent off four weekly tickets).

As you may or may not know from my previous posts, I sometimes use the bus to get to another office. This bus takes a while and the fairs are quite expensive. Usually £8 a time. This means I have to have close to the right change. Once I was asked to leave the bus since I had a £10 note and asking for an £8 ticket. The driver did not have any change and told me to leave. I subsequently found out that I could of travelled for “free” and then sent a cheque within 7 days to Arriva. The response from Arriva was sadly lacking apology and full of useless corporate weasel non-words.

Arriva some months ago released their m-tickets, which enables wap (seriously who uses wap anymore) and internet enabled phones to buy tickets. However, anyone with an iPhone could not use it.

On the 11th October 2010 Arriva released the Arriva m-Ticket app. This means you can register your debit or credit card, given a pin number (for your m-ticket account) and buy a ticket. You then ‘use’ the ticket and show it to the bus driver. Simple!

Advantages:

1. You can buy your ticket before you board
2. Do not have to speak to the grumpy bus driver
3. Less chance of losing the paper version (since you will not have the paper version)
4. You know how much to pay.

Disadvantages:

1. American Express is not supported, even though it is given as a payment option.
2. The app asks for your pin number every time you open it (very very annoying)
3. When it asks for you pin number, it does not display the touch keyboard to type it in (annoying)
4. You cannot save a favourite ticket type. You have to select your region, sub region and then ticket type. You need psychic powers to work out your region! I am S&E (Shires and Essex) and All zones. Solution go to Arriva’s multi-ticket page before hand to work out which region you are in.
5. No information on your past ticket purchases tickets.
6. You do not have a ticket if your phone runs out of power!
7. You cannot use another bus service. The ticket I buy is the same price as the explorer ticket (which can be used on most buses in Hertfordshire).

So this app might be handy if you travel on Arriva bus services in the UK. However, for the rest of your it will not be.

Travelling in snow

As I type this I am sitting on a severely delayed bakerloo train on Thursday 2nd of December.

I jumped on the bakerloo at Harrow owing to severe delays on the hammersmith and city, circle and metropolitan lines. The bakerloo was fine when I jumped on it.

The train has stopped at Stonebridge Park owing to signal problems at Queens Park. The staff are keeping us informed and the driver is doing a good job.

Now the doors will not shut! The driver now has to investigate. I am meant to be at Paddington by now. I going to be late for my meeting, but there is nothing I can do.

The driver thanked the member of the public who was closing the door.


With all the delays I will most likely miss the connecting bus in Glorious Swindon. It will be a taxi.

I received a text from
First Great Western stating that trains are delayed at Reading. It is going to be a slow day.

When I arrived at paddington they closed the tube station part.

Public transport is like the nursery rhyme about the little girl with the golden curl. When she was good, she was very good and when she was bad, she was very bad. This little journey has been bad. Also it does not help that it is snowing and I am feeling very cold.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

What's that app: Testing a new little app

I thought that I would provide a feature about iPhone apps. They will range from astronomy, knitting, blogging etc. They might include a review. The mood of the review will either be helpful or sarcastic, which will be a result of my commute.

The first is a blogging app called blog press. It has a curios pen logo, which seems very familiar to EasiWriter (Acorn computers 90s).






Good points:
It is cheap £1.79 reduced from the $4.99 equivalent.

It seems pretty easy to use.

The first screen politely informs you that the app will only work if you have a blog.

Inputting details is easy and it grabs all blog posts.

It links to your Facebook, twitter and YouTube accounts. This
Might be useful for publicising your blog.

It can be used with several blogging services. I guess if you have several blogs (I find make a post every three days difficult).

Seems to be user friendly.

The ability to insert HTML tags with a couple of touches.

Bad points:
The interface is a little bit clunky

The landscape mode does not work fully.

---

On a side note the tree is up and the knitted hat has been placed on the top.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Steve jobs distortion field

A new Cacti

I have made a new cacti! This is been made by Funky Knits pattern. This is such an easy pattern and I would recommend it as first pattern. However, I have added a little twist a nice set of battery powered LEDs. They seem to add an extra touch of tacky class to a simple room adornment.

I am surprised how lovely it looks in the picture (lovely use of soft focus and lack of light). It looks like this:

I used some waste wool combined with some reduced green mohair. It took about four days to make (about one hour a day). The lights were bought from Clas Ohlson and are powered by four AA batteries. The bowl was bought from Robert Dias. The Cacti was stuffed with Teddy bear stuffing. Do not worry they were killed humanely. I am joking.

My Ravelry pattern is located here