I finally finished Ice Maiden some time early Saturday afternoon, and after a last bit of blocking on the collar this morning I think it's done. As I started it when I was a size or two bigger than I am now it's a little baggy in places, but nothing that can't be fixed with a strategically placed belt.

I look as if I've had a red cat sat on my knee.

I've now officially stuck more pins into a foam board than I ever will needles into patients.

I'm rather fed up of sewing in ends, mattress stitch and seaming.

If you hadn't guessed I'm sewing up a jumper. My very lovely, very red, extremely long overdue Ice Maiden. This is a pre-blog project that I started almost three years ago, finished the pieces for over a year ago and have been putting off blocking and sewing up ever since. I've managed to force myself to sit down over the last few days and get it finished, I'm nearly done and at the stage of thinking "never again" or at least contemplating shrinking myself down to rather more slender proportions so that seeming won't take quite so long in future. 

Actually that's not something I should joke about, as a future nurse whose dream job is either in eating disorders or child and adolescent psychiatry, and more importantly someone who's happy with her body and weight, I'm finding myself increasingly disgusted at the media's attitude to body image. I realise that were I a celebrity I'd automatically be labelled as lazy or on the verge of letting myself go for saying that I like the way I look. I turned on the TV a day or two ago to find some children's programme or other playing where the presenter was talking about body image with a group of pre-teen girls, some as young as 8 wearing full facial make up and talking about manicures and various other beauty treatments they have on a regular basis. And then some statistics flashed up showing the results of a survey that had been carried out indicating a high percentage of these girls were unhappy with their looks, associated thinner with happier and wanted to emulate glamour models and it girl types. I can't be the only one that finds this so wrong, and as a nurse I can't help think that if we could just stop putting all this pressure on our children we wouldn't be in half the mess that we are. Rates of self harm among under 16's is just going up and up, eating disorders among children and teeangers (particularly among boys) are on the rise and all we as a public can do is say "oh dear". 

Anyway rant over, pictures of my latest finished object to follow once I've got myself, the jumper, lsb and a camera in the same room at the same time.

as promised a few pictures, first is my finished version of kyle from rowan's little book of big accessories, i found it a lovely quick knit - the whole thing took a couple of hours on two evenings to complete, and i'm informed that big knits are in this season.





























and a couple of pictures of what i think is my favourite unfinished object of the moment, the lsb's not quite straight scarf in my favourite colour. it's very easy to knit but the diagonal pattern makes it seem more complicated than it is.







this would be my attempt at banff, it's a somewhat stalled unfinished project at the moment for no real reason, it's an easy but not overly boring pattern, and the yarn's lovely. i think i just don't have the time to sit down and make a really good go of getting stuck into big projects like sweaters.

given that british summer's only just arrived and knowing it's not going to last long i thought it best to start planning my winter wardrobe - starting with banff, last year's effort (ice maiden) is still waiting for a cooler day and more time to block and sew up. the second pair of broad street mittens are on the needles, this time for me and in pink four ply - origin unknown. picture to follow when it's done.