Things I Am In Love With

I am totally sick of 'Glade', more on that topic tomorrow - I can't bring myself to Blog about it today- so I have been surfing the web looking for lovely things to knit. Some day soon I'll finish the dreaded 'Glade' and feel able to move on to one of these lovely things.....

P.S. Note to any of my Knitting Buddies in the US - Shibui patterns are NOT available here in the UK so if anyone is wondering what to put in a Swap Package for me then one of these would make my year - the shipping on them costs more than the patterns!!!

Shibui Knits Icosa Ball - I just know the kids would use it as a football and it doesn't look like a comfortable cushion but you've got to admire the geometry of it.

Shibui Knits Half Circle Cardigan - the colour is vile but gasp at the construction of it - who thought of that???

Noni Bags - Now I'm not a handbag kinda girl - I only have one bag - a large black leather one in which goes everything including spare nappies, milk, dummies, book, sweets, money etc. If I go out with my husband I never carry more than a handkerchief because I don't have an evening bag. These bags are so breathtakingly beautiful that they would be perfect for going out. I also love the Lattice Bag, the Cherry Blossom, the one covered in flowers etc etc.

I like a challenge. I've bought this pattern - Fiesta Feet by Lucy Neatby. It's knitted in two colours so you've got the added complication of coping with two balls of wool as well as the complicated stitch patterns. Have bought the cream yarn but can't decide on what to use for the coloured bit. The pattern says you can use up your stash but since I don't have one I have to buy something....

And finally - I saw this on someone else's Blog and went straight to Woolly Workshop to order it - Skin Sea by Ilga Leja knitted in Worsted weight. I think my Hipknits Aran Silk is going to look great knitted up into this.

Links to any other seriously inspirational patterns are always appreciated!

Handpainted Yarn

Secret Squirrel sent me some undyed Trekking yarn and some food colouring in my April SP10 package and I decided I was sick of ebay and sick of tidying up so I got busy.

I soaked the yarn for about an hour in 8 pints of water and 1 cup of white vinegar. Then I painted on blue and yellow food colouring with a paint brush. Left it to sit for another hour or so and then cooked it for 5 minutes in my microwave. Here is my very first attempt at dyeing in the sink having a wash after it had cooked - look how clear the water is - the dye must have stuck fast!!!

I gave it a gentle wring and hung it up overnight to dry. This morning, since I don't have a swift and it looked pretty gruesome in its stripy hank, I used the kitchen table to rewind the skein into this rather pretty looking hank.

What do you think?

May SP10 Competition

Now my chances of winning this month's SP10 competition, set by our hostess Bobbi, are zero. You see I'm about to give totally the wrong answer. The question is about going on a foreign holiday for 10 days to a place with some great knitting locations - 'What do you pack to knit?'.
ANSWER: Nothing - I NEVER knit on holiday.....
Knitting is something I do to stop me thinking about 'things' too much - on holiday I can read a book or be distracted by shopping, eating, sightseeing etc so I don't need to knit.
Knitting is something I do to stop me eating too much in the evenings whilst watching TV - well a) I don't watch TV on holiday and b) I don't mind how much I eat on holiday, so I don't need to knit.
Knitting is something I do at home that is relatively easy to pick up and put down again in the snatches of free time I have during the day - on holiday I've got acres of free time that I'd rather use to read or sleep, so I don't need to knit.

The second part is easier - 'What do you hope to shop for?' Well, like everyone else I'll bet, I like to shop for locally produced yarns that I've never seen before and can't get at home or yarn bargains if things are cheaper than the UK.

And finally, 'Where would you go on a knitting holiday?' Assuming that I could actually get to go on such a thing (I would have to go without OH and without children of course!) then I would choose to go somewhere with a strong knitting tradition - Iceland or Peru I think. (I've already done Norway which was brilliant.)

Toe-Up Socks from Interweave Knits

LaurieC sent me a ball of Trekking XXL in a beautiful blue that I couldn't wait to try. I saw this month's Interweave Knits had a Toe-Up sock pattern and decided to use the Trekking as the pattern is simple and won't detract from the stripes in the yarn. So here is a very odd looking sock on the table......


The sock is knitted in 2 x 2 rib which is why it pulls in so tight and then frills out at the top. There was some yarn left over but I had knitted the sock to just the right length for me so I'm happy to leave an oddment - maybe there'll be enough for Toddler socks.

Here's a photo of the sock actually on my foot.....

Looks good apart from that wee hole at the top of the heel shaping, the pattern does say to tighten it up after you've cast off so I'll have to remember to do that. I'm now on the second sock and I'm knitting the next pattern size up as I think the first one might be a bit tight, especially if it shrinks in the wash.

The Eastern Cast on was fiddly but produces a nice neat seamless toe and I really like the shaped heel so I would definitely knit socks this way again but using a stitch or cable pattern to liven things up. Thanks again Laurie - good choice of yarn, look out for pictures of my second sock soon!!

My first Meme

This one seemed to be going round like wildfire yesterday when I read all by Blog feeds. Thought my answers might be interesting for any Secret Pals or Swap Partners out there.
Feel free to copy it to your blog but please leave a comment!!

Edit the list, bold for stuff you've done,
italics for stuff you plan to do one day
normal for stuff you're not planning on doing.

Afghan/Blanket
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting (modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting - What's this????
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)
Continental knitting - Not sure what this is - yarn held in the left hand???
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book - I wish.....
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit
American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Knitting to make money
Button holes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dying with plant colors
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cozies…)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars
Olympic knitting - ??????
Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
Knitting with DPNs
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living - I wish......
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking - never thought about this, must investigate
Dying yarn
Steeks
Knitting art - all my knitting is art.....
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener BO
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self-patterning/self-striping/variegating yarn
Stuffed toys
Baby items
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mitts/arm warmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting - don't know what this is....
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho - I don't think these are flattering for those of us with a 'larger' chest!!
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

I have no idea what some of these things are so I will have to try and find out and maybe change some of the highlights to match.

Has it really been so long.....

....since I blogged? 11 days, I wonder if anyone noticed that I had been 'missing' for a while. I've been tagged by Laurie C to give 7 random facts about myself and then tag 7 other people to do the same. Well, Laurie I just don't have that many blogging contacts that haven't already been tagged so I promise to tag as many as I can think of but can't promise that it'll be 7, OK?

So 7 random (interesting) facts about myself.....

1. When I read a newspaper with several sections I always have to read them in number order and I always put the paper back how I found it i.e. page 1 at the front. I NEVER fold a newspaper in half to make reading easier.

2. I have more fillings in my mouth than teeth. Yes, I can hear all you Americans screaming in horror but I just have really soft teeth and so do both my parents, so there.

3. I have two First Class Honours degrees - one BA in Architecture and one BSc in Mathematics.

4. I am neither an Architect nor a Mathematician - I stay at home all day doing chores whilst my brain turns to jelly.

5. If I ever let myself eat a Mars Bar I always nibble the chocolate off the outside edges first, then I tear the chocolate and caramel strip off the top and eat that. Last to get eaten is the fluffy bit on the bottom. Don't ask me why I do this, I've done it since I was a child and I eat Bounty bars the same way - taking all the chocolate off before allowing myself to eat the coconut.

6. Life is too short to read a book twice no matter how good it is. So why do I collect them then?

7. I put the milk in my tea LAST and yes I can taste the difference if someone puts the milk in first.

Now I'm off the find some people to tag.....

Far too busy to Blog

I've been far too busy to Blog this week.....here's a catch up.

1. Have put another 200 books on ebay - it was half price listing day on Thursday making it just 2p per book - an opportunity too good to miss. Fingers crossed that I actually get rid of some of them this time.



2. Took No. 1 Son to see Consultant - he has now had his meds changed to Strattera. All sorts of paperwork and leaflets came with the prescription and this morning the actual medication arrived at the Pharmacy. Plan to give his first dose tonight and then it's fingers crossed that we don't get any major side effects. He has to take this for 6-8 weeks before it will be at an effective level so we can see if it's working. IF it works then it will be the first time in 9 years that we haven't had to deal with full on ADHD for at least 16 hours per day.



3. Got my Knitters Treat package posted off to the US. All colour themed and wrapped - it looked lovely and I really hope Jeanne likes the things I made for her.



4. Cast on Glade, not in the recommended Rowan Bamboo (way too expensive for me at the moment) but in Patons Soft Cotton at about 1/3 of the price and knits up to the same gauge.

Have completed the back, both fronts and part of one sleeve in the very boring stocking stitch. Then it's on to the edging - knitted sideways and causing no end of problems for others. Seems that Rowan might have quoted the wrong needle size for the edging so I'll need to be careful to swatch and measure carefully. What did we all do before the Internet? Presumably everyone else thought the same thing as me i.e. it must be my fault it's not working out. Nowadays of course we Google the pattern name and find at least a dozen other people struggling!!

5. As my April Sp10, Magic Yarn Ball and KTE parcels have all gone, I am now left with my Dye-No-Mite challenge. I ordered some goodies from Wingham Wool Work and they arrived 2 days after ordering - FABULOUS! Have already decided on the colours to use BUT my utility room still looks like a bomb-site so this week I must get it tidied or I will have no room to work.

My First Sock

What were you expecting? Miracles?

This was knitted on cocktail sticks to start with and GarnStudio Fabel Sock Yarn which I absolutely love. I got annoyed with the cocktail sticks after the 3 rows of ribbing (they were cheap ones and even though I'd sanded them down with an emery board they were still too rough - Note to Self: buy good quality cocktail sticks next time.) so I switched to 3 x 2mm and 1 x unknown size of DPN. According to the video I watched online EZ says that you can use 1 dpn that's a different size to the others and that the difference in gauge with even out as you knit the sock - happy to report she's absolutely right!!

Isn't this lovely? I'm going to turn it into a Key Ring for one of my Swap Buddies although my sons both wanted to have it and were absolutely fascinated.

Losing Heart

Part 1 - De Cluttering Failure
We had a really good weekend in terms of getting jobs done and things tidied away. My MIL looked after the children and we managed to send 6 large boxes to the Charity Shop and organise 485 books into boxes for selling/swapping/giving away.

But now I'm losing heart with the whole exercise - I put 90 books onto eBay at 99p each and only 11 of them sold, we just about broke even if you don't count the cost of my time listing, wrapping and posting them. At that rate it will take a YEAR to get rid of all these books and that's if they sell at all.


OH went to a Car Boot on Sunday and reported back that hardly anyone was managing to sell their books, even though there were plenty of people with lots to sell.

We had to finally agree that they may just have to go to the Lions' Charity Book Sale and we will have to admit defeat on this one. It will break my heart to see them all go - I love my books!



Part 2 - Knitting Failure


I've been admiring this wool in my box for several weeks now - bought on a whim from the Natural Dye Studio - it's Alpaca/Merino and the colours are just beautiful. I spent an hour browsing sock patterns on the web, looking for something that would show off the colours and settled on Razor Shell Socks. Went to the needle case - NO small DPNs - only had 3 x 2mm and the next biggest were 4mm and 30cm long!! Decided to try Magic Loop as there was a 3mm circular. Watched the video online of Magic Loop a couple of times and cast on to give it a try. Yuck!! Magic Loop just doesn't suit me, I really like knitting with circulars but all the pulling and sliding as the stiches go on and off the needles - well I found it really slow and I couldn't get gauge either so I ripped it out in frustration. That's a whole evening of surfing/knitting and CSI time wasted. BAH HUMBUG.

Part 3 - Secret Pal Failure
I've been knitting something for my Secret Pal (can't tell you what as I WILL do it eventually) and I've been trying different things for over a week now - different yarns, needle sizes, stitch patterns - I've tried all sorts of different things to make this project work and it just doesn't want to co-operate with me. In the end I had to admit to myself that 'The Project' wasn't going to make it into April's package and instead I wrapped up lots of other things and posted them off with a heavy heart and a feeling that I'm not being a good enough Pal - some of the packages people have received are stunning!! Now the pressure is on to try and make it for my Knitter's Treat Pal instead.

Off now to find that bottle of Prozac and, as my MIL would say, 'Count My Blessings'.

My FIRST Swap Parcel has arrived!!

It arrived at last - my first SP10 package from Secret Squirrel and in fact, my first ever Swap package.

OK so Secret Squirrel must be British or at least living/working here as this is a Royal Mail jiffy bag with British postage label. The return address has been covered up with a Post-It note and I'm not going to spoil the surprise by removing it - it's fun to keep guessing.

Purple paper and a Greetings card.....

Wow - 200g of Undyed Trekking, Food Colouring, CHOCOLATE, Wool Fat soap and some really cute Wishing Sheep from the Lake District. Now I can experiment to my heart's content with the yarn and the only person who has to suffer the results is me!!! A huge thank you to Secret Squirrel, whoever she may be. I've ordered Dyeing to Knit from Amazon and as soon as it arrives I'll be busy wrapping the kitchen table in cling film ready for my handpainting experiments.

Ella Shawl

I've finally finished the Ella Shawl from Knitty.com. It was meant to be a birthday present for my Mother but I'm not sure she'll like it so I might have to keep it! It was knitted on 4mm needles using Natural Dye Studio Cobweb weight Mohair, Colourway - Plum Mist. Here it is before it was blocked:-

And here it is pinned out on the stripy sheet.

It's already starting to dry along the bottom edge which is pulling the pins out of line....

Here's a close-up of the stitch pattern after blocking. I really enjoyed knitting this one - there was a rhythm and order to it and it was tricky enough to be interesting to knit. I still think that the finished shawl is too stripy though and if/when i knit another shawl, it will definitely be in a plain yarn.

SP10 Contest Questions

I'm sorry to have to admit that I have no idea what 'Socks That Rock Yarn' might look like but I do know that other Bloggers and sock knitters rave about the stuff so it must be good!!

The answers to my SP10 Contest questions are.....

How Old Were You When You Learnt to Knit?

When I was first given a pair of thick wooden needles and a ball of dishcloth cotton, I was about 8 years old. My Mother's bright idea was that I should knit dishcloths as Christmas presents for elderly relatives. She cast on enough stitches and then showed me how to do Garter Stitch. I have to say that I was useless at it and completely bored. I kept dropping stitches and asking her for help, then when she'd picked the stitches up I'd drop some more and keep looking at the TV instead of the knitting. Before long she'd lost her temper with me and I was banished to the freezing cold dining room and told not to come out until I had knitted 3 rows without dropping a stitch.

I can't remember whether I ever finished the dishcloths but I do know that I didn't do any knitting after that for at least a year!!

Who Taught You to Knit?

Well, my Mother taught me to cast on and off and to knit and purl but I didn't knit anything from a pattern until I was in my teens. My Mother had a serious yarn buying habit and was always knitting complicated sweaters - Scandanavian Skiing Sweaters for my Dad, Picture Sweaters with about 20 colours for me (remember those? all the rage in the 80s!) Xmas pressies for older relatives. I got all the leftovers and used to use them to knit clothes for my teddy bears. I made them up as I went along and worked out how to increase and decrease through trial and error (some day I must read and book and find out how to do it properly).

My School teacher Miss Rutherford taught me to crochet. Boy, did that woman hate me with a passion - I had her for two years in Junior School and I don't think she had a kind word to say to me - I was always being sent outside or kept in at playtime and I could just tell she didn't like me. Handwork was compulsory twice a week and when I was 10 we had to learn to crochet - first a potholder and then a bag made of triangles. I was always being shouted at for doing it wrong or doing it too slowly but at least she taught me what to do and I've never forgotten.

For years and years I had no-one to teach me anything. I bought a pattern I liked and the yarn it recommended and followed the instructions. I learnt to do fair isle, cables, lace, swiss darning and loads of other things just by reading.

In the early 90s my husband and I went to visit his cousins in Norway and they are all knitters. Anna-Liese took me to a Norwegian Yarn Store and helped me pick a traditional pattern and the right yarns. We also bought needles and each day whilst we were there she would show me how to knit the complicated pattern in the round. I wasn't there long enough to finish the sweater so she had to translate the pattern from Norwegian into English and write down for me how to cut the holes for the arms. I've never been so frightened in my life as when I took a pair of scissors to a piece of knitting that had taken me months! Her instructions were good ones though and the sweater has never unravelled.

Its a piece of art isn't it!

Now in the age of the Internet I learn more from forums, blogs and websites than anything else. This week I learnt to block properly from Eunny Jang's blog (having never blocked anything in my entire life) and soon I'll be learning to dye using the Internet. I love computers!!!