iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

My happy knitting place! I’ve got dragons, beads and cables. Plus it looks perfect. 🧶

Knitted cables with dragon heads looking fierce with gunmetal grey beaded eyes. In a black watch green colour way

Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

Nutmeg sends me little hissy snake emojis when she does well in tests. Today I got 3 snakes of varying sizes, and a long drawn out yesssssss that wiggled in the message. I am old enough that I don't know how she did that and don't care. She's amazing and she's rocking this school thing right now.

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 23/09/2025

I have cast my first votes for fat bear week. My absolutely favourite fall tradition. Chonkster bears are best bears. The yearlings were adorable and contestant 901 is fantastically rotund today.

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 15/09/2025

I have lots of work to do. The kitchen needs cleaning. Appointments must be arranged. But I have the siren song of knitting too! A jumper waiting to be sewn together and dragon cables! I will adult and mix and match tasks. But the temptation is strong.

knitted dragon cables with gleaming beady eyes

A jumper in pieces waiting to be sewn together.

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 07/08/2025

New baby gifts just about done. Only the ends to weave in and a final sleeper to make. Bonus hangry cat who can’t believe I’m taking photos when he is starving

Two very cute hand knitted baby clothes. A pink dress with crochet flowers and a green sleeping bag with white crochet trim. Bonus tuxedo cat is photobombing to ensure he is fed and doesnt waste away

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

I would be terribly frightened if I lived somewhere where the police looked like they were ready to go to war. Every image of ICE I see coming out of America is so deeply disturbing. They seem so ridiculously over-militarised.

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 01/07/2025

Canada collection yarn arrived yesterday and I got to open it on a perfect Canada Day on the west coast. Perfect timing!

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

Gloomhaven 2 has arrived. All 12.5kg of it. In the house, quickly unwrapped and checked for issues. All good, looks beautiful. New map is gorgeous. In looking at our timeline of gaming we estimate in approx 3 years we'll get onto it having finished Frosthaven. 😂

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 14/05/2025

My Frosthaven stab crab character is delighted to see killer crabs out and about doing their thing. 🦀

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 09/05/2025

I have my newest socks drying in the sun on the deck. Sophie's Roses is a lace rosebud pattern that I loved creating. The pattern is exclusive to a subscription yarn box from Arkansas Yarn Co (fantastic company to work with!) for June, and will then be available in August more widely.

a pair of pink handknitted lace socks with a sweet rosebud pattern drying in the sun.

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 07/04/2025

We won our Frosthaven scenario. Now playing the crew 2. Well the rest of them are. I made Moroccan spiced lamb pie, salad etc for dinner and have retired with port to my knitting. I have a deep appreciation of regency romance where the men retire with port to another room. It's so civilised.

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 06/04/2025

weekly boardgaming session today. Frosthaven. I have lovely turkish food and we have beer and wine and snacks. I retired my boneshaper last session so now have a stab crab (Deepwraith) and I cannot wait to play him!

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

The doom of being from NZ is hearing US news readers butcher south pacific island names and just shuddering. Tonights mispronunciation was Tokelau. Which isn't tock-e-lau it's tow-kuh-lau My husband is laughing at me because I find it so distracting.

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

All the joy of a nearly finished knitting project, none of the frustration of endless sleeves. Yet. I will do the sleeves later, not today. Today is admire the jumper as is day.

Colourwork jumper in a neutral and green colour way. Body is complete. Sleeves are still needed

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 23/03/2025

FibresWest was tremendous fun. I bought yarn, watched a juvenile bald eagle fight off two very cross ravens and had a wonderful time meeting amazing vendors who were creating beautiful things that will allow me to create beautiful things too!🧵

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 20/03/2025

Just went to check on the price for Kobo and if you have Kobo Plus you can just read it. Right now. So now I have a new book in my TBR pile.

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 20/03/2025

I am in love with this neutral yarn. I get little pops of pink and orange happiness and the transition between the pale and dark tans are perfect.

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 19/03/2025

Finished the yoke and did a fitting and it was perfect. Now onto the main body of sonrae and I’ve dropped a needle size to maintain gauge. It is coming together beautifully

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

Chilly start today so I’m wearing my sleeved wrap I finished in early march. Next time I’d make slightly longer sleeves, but I’m wrapped in a soft warm blanket of coziness that I made and that’s a good way to go through the day

Woman sitting on a sofa wearing a knitted sleeve wrap. No makeup and nothing hair but the wrap is beautiful and warm

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 15/03/2025

It is grey and raining but I have my weekend plans all sorted. 20 rows to go on the colourwork yoke part of sonrae

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

Farm bot is what I (Black thumb, murderer of all plants) need. It waters and weeds? This is the tech revolution that I signed up for. I want a garden on loveliness, I'm just gardening skills deficient.

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 11/03/2025

I am at my favourite part of knitting a jumper. It is a lovely perfectly round thing and I get to see the pattern grow in a very therapeutic way

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

First cast on for march. Beautifully dyed Canadian yarn and I love the way the colours work together. Colourwork is such a delight!

The beginning 10 rounds of a hand knit colourwork jumper

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

Completed my knitting goals for February, in early March. But I achieved a lovely modified drop shoulder, oversized sweater with a cabled front in February and finished the wine coloured sleeved wrap last week. Bonus, I had enough yarn to do a quick hat too!

Bonus merlot coloured knitted beret with a simpled knit purl stitch on a white wooden background

close up of the cable on a purple tweed knitted jumper

completed merlot coloured knitted sleeved wrap on a white wooden background

Folded handknitted jumper in purple tweed with a cable pattern on a white wooden background.

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 04/03/2025

Doug Ford is on MSNBC. I prefer US news ignoring us. In UK, once came home toChristiane Amampour filming in my High St. Thought then that, it is not good for your neighbourhood when CNN turns up (it was a bomb plot thing). This feels true today as well.

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 04/03/2025

I just want stories about woolly mice as the PG prelude to jurassic park horror show, not rolling coverage of a trade war. I really didn't want the trade war. It's such an incredibly dumb timeline to be living through.

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 26/02/2025

Today in wearing things I made, it was a simple knitted kerchief to add a spot of colour to an otherwise grey outfit

Woman wearing a striped knitted kerchief

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

Today in wearing what I made. A summer slipover, which is working as a little bit of extra warmth layer for the winter. Zuzu is the first garment pattern I designed and I really do love it. Despite still being unable to take good selfie pictures. At least I turned the light on this time!

Slightly cross-eyed woman taking a selfie of her wearing a cute multicoloured slipover.

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 24/02/2025

My purple tweed and cabled jumper is complete. My yarn calculations were brilliant. The fit is great. Modified drop sleeve with a hemmed 2x2 rib collar. Everything about it is wonderful. Except my photo taking skills, which are terrible today.

A terrible blurry photo of a happy woman wearing a handmade purple tweed sweater.

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 23/02/2025

1) Finished a book 2) finished knitting a sweater 3) made sure everyone in my house got fed 4) watched David Suchet Poirot 5) Didn't buy any yarn Brilliantly productive week from my perspective. I did lots of other things too. And I would despise having to report any of it to a cartoon villain.

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

arms are much bigger than you think when they are laid flat rather than cylinders. I am knitting sleeves flat and think they are huge and then when I wrap them around my arm to check, they are normal arm sized sleeves.

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 14/02/2025

It's a good day to let people know that I actually have a free sock pattern! Super cute, nearly vanilla top down knitted socks that form a cute heart when you wear them. They are always free and a great pattern for getting into sock knitting. Download links for Ravelry and my site below.

Cute handknit socks that when you hold your feet together make a heart

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 12/02/2025

I am hoping that next week one or both of these knitting wips will be complete. The red wine sleeve still has a long way to go, even though it looks really long already. Purple tweed cables has been divided and I’m doing the cabled front first. Definitely think I’ll get to the sleeves by the weekend

A purple tweed hand knit jumper in progress

Close up of a hand knit cable in purple tweed

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 10/02/2025

Cat unlocked new, unlooked for, skill. Projectile vomit over clothing left beside bed. Thank god he missed leather boots. Cat projectile vomit travels further than normal cat vomit and is just worse in everyway. Cat has been threatened with imminent muffdom should he ever do it again.

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 09/02/2025

Attempting to read Brideshead Revisited. Waugh did not respect women, this just suffuses every page a woman is mentioned on. It's so grim. Think I will take that I enjoyed the BBC series when I saw it recently and DNF the book.

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 06/02/2025

My cable section is beginning to look the way cable sections should. About 1/3 of the way through the body

A close up of a cabled section of a jumper in purple tweed yarn

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

Good about trade war. But are we really going to go through this all again in 30 days? or does it just fizzle out now? Take the pretend win(s) and move on like it never happened?

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

I have wanted to buy Sonrae by Jennifer Steingass for ages. And browsing Ravelry just now, discovered the pattern was 50% off. OMG! I bought immediately. If this has been on your wishlist then now would be a great time to get it. #Knitting

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

It is all jewel colours for #wipwednesday rich wine sleeve to wrap in worsted and lace and purple tweed dk cables on 4mm. Both projects and colours are really satisfying.

Two hand knits in progress: a burgundy sleeve to wrap in chunky worsted and lace yarn and a tweed dk purple yarn for a cabled sweater

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

Human brains are dumb. I'm behind in my work. I feel bad about it. The feeling bad about is now interfering with my ability to catch up. So I had a cheese scone, scrolled through the interwebs and now hopefully can get on with what actually needs to be done.

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 24/01/2025

Mid morning book club followed by glazed donut, London Fog tea and knitting and reading is a pretty great way to Friday. I'm 15cm/6in into 34cm/13in 1x1 ribbing. Comfortably mindless on 5mm, US8 needles with 2 yarns, lace alpaca and worsted 65/35 wool/alpaca blend. A chunky knit in red wine hues.

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 23/01/2025

Comet is going to be very sad when I finish weaving in the ends and take away afternoon snooze on comfy crochet blanket time

Tuxedo cat dreams of mouse murder while sleeping on a crochet afghan that the crafter swears she was weaving in ends as she went but there are still many many ends to go

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

My #WIPWednesday is the final crochet round of the afghan that both purring cat and I are snuggling with. Expect this final round to take at least an hour!

Snuggled up black cat on top of in progress crochet afghan

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

Best part of my not very regular hairdresser visits is hanging with the enormous and currently very sleepy Viggolini

Enormous shaggy dog collapsed in snooze on floor

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

On the bird site I used to get men who had clearly lost all their shirts following me. Because they needed knitting to cover up? Now these top deprived people on the butterfly site, but have mutated to women who have lovely bras but seem to have lost all their sweaters or shirts. Very sad.

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

I'm researching yarn for a special project. Wonderful escapism for unsettling times. So far I've been immersed in norwegian lambswool, masham, BFL, merino/silk blends and some exotics with yak and camel. But the yarn that has stolen my heart is a manx laoghtan blend. Demon sheep! Here for it.

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

Crushed Frosthaven tonight. Mission 1 = 1.5 turns. Mission 2 - less good. Murder hobos need to refight that one. Redemption with The Crew 2 was sought and a few hours of table talk, winning and losing fun was had. We drank tea and wine, ate all the nachos, belly-laughed and ended on a high note.

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

#WIPWednesday and I have 2. Royal purple cable sweater just out of rib stage and yarn has arrived to finish giant bedspread! All very exciting

The very beginning of a hand knit sweater is royal tweedy purple

The final 2 balls of yarn needed to finish an enormous crochet bedspread

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

Pearlfishers shawl is complete and as enchanting as I could wish for. 70% merino, 30% silk and a whole bunch of pearl seed beads, it's just delicate romantic lace. Pattern is Forever Yours by BooKnits.

Handknit luxury beaded shawl in shades of seafoam with pearl beads.

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Alexandra Gilligan Cook @alexandragc.bsky.social · 11/01/2025

9 days from cast on to bind off and my pearlfisher shawl is now blocked and drying. From the booknits pattern forever yours. This version used merino and silk yarn and Czech seed pearls

A hand knit lace shawl pinned out and drying

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