Long time again.

Hello......hope all who pass by here are well and that summer has been sunny for you unlike here in the U.K......a total washout...thank goodness me and DH managed to get a week away in Italy...Lake Garda in a resort called Riva, absolutely wonderful we had such a laid back total relaxing week, we sat walked drank ate and totally chilled. Theres one thing that the continent does well and we don't...beautiful laden with flower boxes...wonderful.

Anyway on the knitting front the first piccy is of a lovely jacket that I am currently knitting called Floral Jacket is it the one from the summer issue of Vogue Knitting, being knitted in Rowan Pure Wool....the stranding is shall we say time consuming but very enjoyable...I always look on this type of work as painting with wool. The second piccy which I have just finished knitting in between doing Floral Jacket is called Valour from The Colour Collection in Kaffe Fassetts new yarn called Colourscape...if you want something that knits up really quickly a no brainer will be lovely and warm to wear...then have a look at this book...there are quite a few wearable items...and the yarn is 100% lambswool....the pattern called for 4 skeins and I did the small size and only used 3...another lady on Ravelry has knitted it using 3 so be aware as the price at £10 is not cheap...also have been waiting for ages and ages for my fall issue of Vogue Knitting to come through...as am wanting to do the Druid Mittens and a couple of other knits in there....must be patient. Anyway thats all for now...be back as and when. x

Raw fleece aaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!!

So thought would dive into the start with the raw fleece side of spinning...OK!! so sent off for a fleece from our wool marketing board, a blue faced leicester, it came opened the box...what a bleeping!!!! mess they'd sent me nothing was useable, so it was binned. Then tried a jacob fleece, unfortunately this fleece was soooo coarse, the only best thing for the fleece was to stuff pillows....and then I found a lovely lady in Wales who keeps her own 200 flock for her and other spinners fibre needs. I received a beautiful cross bred fleece a bit of shetland/icelandic and something else....couldn't wear the yarn next to skin but great for a jacket...anyway am in the middle of spinning this up bulky weight. so piccys of progress so far

Long time no blog.....

I have been a very naughty blogger, in fact haven't blogged in ages, mind you lots and lots has been going on. First off on the knitting front, knitted a lovely shawl in my own hand spun silk/merino mix, very pleased with thius, the pattern is called Lemon Squeezy as in "Easy peasy lemon squeezy".

Top left picture is of a beautiful knit and I mean it is so nice to knit "Opelia", knit in gorgeous soft malabrigo in emerald colour. This was a joy to do, sorestful, knit in one piece all the way up, the only seams to sew were the shoulders.

Also I am waiting for my Forsyth Mini combs and clamp to arrive, can hardly wait for this, It seems to be the next episode in my spinning, doing the raw fleece bit. Have ordered a blue faced leicester fleece, which I shall wash etc and the comb and spin and then dye....such a great exciting process. Nought much else to report, will try not to leave it so long next time, hope alls happy in their knitty spinning worlds..byee for now xx

Hello

Hello fraid I didn't succeed in finishing entirely the Swedish Heartwarmer shawl, the yarn I used drove me to distraction as it kept on plying back on itself, where for some reason industrially it had been overplied..but...anyway I suppose what I have ended up with isn't too bad.

Hello sorry its been so long since I posted but not much to post about really. Went away to Scotland and stunning scenery...up Ben Nevis where we watched the skiers and played snowballs....visited Shilisdair Yarns on the Isle of Skye....found beautiful beach with white sand...it was a lovely break and the weather was very kind to us. How gorgeous is the double rainbow and the bottom right is the bridge used in the "Harry Potter" films.

Progress on shawl...

Just a quick progress report on Swedish Heartwarmer shawl.....slow to put it mildly, can only manage about 1 half/2 rows at a time...so many stitiches, by the end there will be about 800 by my reckoning....not saying it isn't fun to do, it is, but just very mind intensive, no sitting in front of TV...the strands on the 2nd picture is for the roses part...I am doing this intarsia, so was easier to cut 15 one metre lengths of yarn.Not sure of the colourway yet, the yellow is supposed to be gold but will see how it goes.

Lady Eleanor...

Hello...been a while but life has been hectic of late but anyway have managed to finish my lovely stole.....took a while but very pleased with her the Noro Silk Garden is a great yarn to knit with and learning the entrelac and doing backward knitting has been fun too. So she is 70" long x 19" wide...she is wrapped around my shoulders at the moment as weather is still a tad chilly here in UK. We actually had snow on the south coast last weekend, which for this area now is quite rare knowadays, unfortunately/or fortunately didn't stay for long . So now Lady Eleanor is finished...am doing a Kal for Swedish Heartwarmer shawl and also Rowan Iceland is on the back burner to do...have the yarn...woo hoo.

All finished...

Well here she is in her glory and boy am I glad...now not saying that its not a lovely pattern to knit, but it really is mind intensive. Well I found it so but then again that could be because its only my2nd serious fairisle, although I am rathered hooked on colourway/stranded and all that it encompasses. I suppose for me it is a form of painting and also I don't get bored with it. The yarn is pretty nice too not scratchy and enough hold when the steeks are cut. Don't you find it weird when you have finished knitting...that moment before you wash to block and you think Oh...is it going to fit...my gauge was good but I did hold my breathe a tad..but wonderful blocking...so I will be wearing it tomorrow.

Anyway in the meantime (top two pictures) I have cast on Lady Eleanor using the gorgeous Noro Silk Garden, what a beautiful yarn this is, first time at doing entrelac but it is a lot of fun....heres first piccy.