On leave from work now, preparing for my big trek North.
Luckily I can stay at my Mum's overnight otherwise it would be a 400 mile drive from A to B. Something I just don't relish the thought of.
Looking forward to increasing my fleece stash, picking up some wool combs and generally checking out what's on offer. There's a large list of exhibitors, so there should be plenty to see.
......................................................
The weather has been a tad cooler lately and we had rain yesterday, but it looks like a dry one on the Island this morning. I have a Guild meeting tonight, so I need to get something up together for 'show and tell' and also take a project to work on. I'm still spinning away on my second spindle so I have enough yarn to attempt my first spindle-plying which should be interesting to say the least.
My wheel is still in the box wrapped up in its parts. I really must get the pieces waxed and find it a permanent home for when I eventually build it. So much to do, so little time!
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
The Knitting & Stitching Show - Ally Pally
This is almost like a post about Christmas...... I received my advanced literature from Twisted Thread through my letterbox yesterday with a few details about the show.
It lists all of the workshops being held at all 3 venues, but no details, so I don't think I'll be booking up in advance of it all hitting the website nearer to October. Some of the titles are a little too vague to guess what they'll actually be about.
STOP PRESS!!! Crikey, all the workshops are listed on the website already, talk about forward planning.
I'll take a look into hotel bookings in London earlier though, as I might do a stop-over seeing as the ferry timetable will be off season.
It lists all of the workshops being held at all 3 venues, but no details, so I don't think I'll be booking up in advance of it all hitting the website nearer to October. Some of the titles are a little too vague to guess what they'll actually be about.
STOP PRESS!!! Crikey, all the workshops are listed on the website already, talk about forward planning.
I'll take a look into hotel bookings in London earlier though, as I might do a stop-over seeing as the ferry timetable will be off season.
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Debbie Bliss - Pure Silk
I spotted this shimmering in John Lewis several weeks back and had to grab a few skeins. It really is as soft as butter and luxurious.
The lady at the till asked me what I was going to make with so few skeins, so she obviously hadn't seen the Pure Silk pattern book which has a skinny scarf for those of us who daren't buy enough for a garment.
I've finished the Aqua (Shade 07) which needs blocking. The Coral (Shade 12) needs winding from the skein, and I'll find a different lace repeat to do for that one. They should be nice with summer shades. Here's one ball on my nostepinne.
You can wind a centre-pull ball using one of these, so your yarn doesn't hurtle around the room when you're knitting. I bought mine from Laura and Peter at Twist Fibre Craft it's listed under Spinning Accessories.
................................................................
Yesterday the postman brought me my latest spinning related book, it's Spinning Designer Yarns by Diane Varney. There are a few colour plates, but it's mostly reading, so I'll have to concentrate on that when I feel a little more compos mentis. Plenty of info about plying and dyeing yarn at first glance.
The lady at the till asked me what I was going to make with so few skeins, so she obviously hadn't seen the Pure Silk pattern book which has a skinny scarf for those of us who daren't buy enough for a garment.
I've finished the Aqua (Shade 07) which needs blocking. The Coral (Shade 12) needs winding from the skein, and I'll find a different lace repeat to do for that one. They should be nice with summer shades. Here's one ball on my nostepinne.
You can wind a centre-pull ball using one of these, so your yarn doesn't hurtle around the room when you're knitting. I bought mine from Laura and Peter at Twist Fibre Craft it's listed under Spinning Accessories.
................................................................
Yesterday the postman brought me my latest spinning related book, it's Spinning Designer Yarns by Diane Varney. There are a few colour plates, but it's mostly reading, so I'll have to concentrate on that when I feel a little more compos mentis. Plenty of info about plying and dyeing yarn at first glance.
Monday, June 19, 2006
30 things about me - (Hipknits Competition)
Kerrie of Hipknits is turning 30 this month and has a list of 30 things about her on her blog. She's offering the chance to win some yarn if we reciprocate, so here are mine:
1. I adore cats.
2. I was born in the same Maternity hospital as Sir Paul McCartney (the nearest claim to fame I'll probably ever have!!)
3. I've been knitting and sewing since I was 5 - my dolls were very well dressed.
4. I'm potentially a fully trained über-housewife, but I'm still single and have no children.
5. As a child, my career ambition was to work on the till in Marks & Spencer - it looked so interesting, and you got to see all the lovely food.
6. Aaaah, food. I love food.
7. I am not thin. No shock there then.....
8. I'm very good with my hands, and pick up new crafts quite easily.
9. When I was 7 I was in love with Sacha Distel I thought he was sooo handsome, and his lovely French accent, ooh la la!
10. At my infant school we had a cat called Beauty, she used to casually parade through the dinner hall every lunchtime and bask in the mass adoration of 150 small children. My first experience of Feline Superior Power.
11. I mourn the loss of 'proper' penny sweets. Since they took the horrible colouring out of candy shrimps - they just don't taste the same any more.
12. My mum was a very sophisticated cook ( for the 1970's) and loved to dish up european cuisine. I used to beg to go to my friend's house where her mum made some weird dish from Bachelor's Golden Savoury Rice, eggs and cheese. Kids!
13. I'm an avid reader, and have inherited the book-hoarding-gene from my dad. It's chick-lit at bedtime, and more challenging fiction during the day. I also have a big collection of needlecraft books.
14. I was born on the feastday of St Joan of Arc. The original exponent of Girl Power!
15. I'm a qualified Manicure and Pedicurist.
16. My favourite actor is Alan Bates - a lovely bit of Northern rough in his youth. Sadly, now in heaven with Sacha.
17. I met my last boyfriend via an online dating site. It hasn't put me off online dating, but I'm fine by myself for now.
18. I'm half way through an Open University degree in Psychology that I started in 1993.
19. I moved to the Isle of Wight from Liverpool (no Scouse jokes please) in 1980, and now sound like a very posh Northerner.
20. I always use a cable cast-on in my knitting.
21. I love the internet. I get to interact with people who are into the same stuff as me, which I never get to do irl.
22. I always thought that Virgil was the most handsome on Thunderbirds. Scott was such a poser.
23. My first full time job was as a bus conductress. It was a really good experience. I miss working with the public as I'm now in an office.
24. One of my treasures is a limited edition print of Noggin the Nog. signed by those great animators, Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin. Creators of Pogles Wood, Ivor the Engine, Bagpuss and The Clangers. What a class act.
25. My yarn stash is considerable. My fleece stash is currently tiny in comparison.
26. I love people with strange/funny names - probably because I have one. I scour the credits of films for good examples. I now find it handy to have an odd name, but at school it was hell.
27. I went to Art college, and still dabble with watercolours and acrylics.
28. I would love to walk the Pennine Way and visit Florence.
29. I have double-jointed thumbs.
30. I could not live without; books, yarn, bird-song, the change in seasons, cheese, my freedom.
1. I adore cats.
2. I was born in the same Maternity hospital as Sir Paul McCartney (the nearest claim to fame I'll probably ever have!!)
3. I've been knitting and sewing since I was 5 - my dolls were very well dressed.
4. I'm potentially a fully trained über-housewife, but I'm still single and have no children.
5. As a child, my career ambition was to work on the till in Marks & Spencer - it looked so interesting, and you got to see all the lovely food.
6. Aaaah, food. I love food.
7. I am not thin. No shock there then.....
8. I'm very good with my hands, and pick up new crafts quite easily.
9. When I was 7 I was in love with Sacha Distel I thought he was sooo handsome, and his lovely French accent, ooh la la!
10. At my infant school we had a cat called Beauty, she used to casually parade through the dinner hall every lunchtime and bask in the mass adoration of 150 small children. My first experience of Feline Superior Power.
11. I mourn the loss of 'proper' penny sweets. Since they took the horrible colouring out of candy shrimps - they just don't taste the same any more.
12. My mum was a very sophisticated cook ( for the 1970's) and loved to dish up european cuisine. I used to beg to go to my friend's house where her mum made some weird dish from Bachelor's Golden Savoury Rice, eggs and cheese. Kids!
13. I'm an avid reader, and have inherited the book-hoarding-gene from my dad. It's chick-lit at bedtime, and more challenging fiction during the day. I also have a big collection of needlecraft books.
14. I was born on the feastday of St Joan of Arc. The original exponent of Girl Power!
15. I'm a qualified Manicure and Pedicurist.
16. My favourite actor is Alan Bates - a lovely bit of Northern rough in his youth. Sadly, now in heaven with Sacha.
17. I met my last boyfriend via an online dating site. It hasn't put me off online dating, but I'm fine by myself for now.
18. I'm half way through an Open University degree in Psychology that I started in 1993.
19. I moved to the Isle of Wight from Liverpool (no Scouse jokes please) in 1980, and now sound like a very posh Northerner.
20. I always use a cable cast-on in my knitting.
21. I love the internet. I get to interact with people who are into the same stuff as me, which I never get to do irl.
22. I always thought that Virgil was the most handsome on Thunderbirds. Scott was such a poser.
23. My first full time job was as a bus conductress. It was a really good experience. I miss working with the public as I'm now in an office.
24. One of my treasures is a limited edition print of Noggin the Nog. signed by those great animators, Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin. Creators of Pogles Wood, Ivor the Engine, Bagpuss and The Clangers. What a class act.
25. My yarn stash is considerable. My fleece stash is currently tiny in comparison.
26. I love people with strange/funny names - probably because I have one. I scour the credits of films for good examples. I now find it handy to have an odd name, but at school it was hell.
27. I went to Art college, and still dabble with watercolours and acrylics.
28. I would love to walk the Pennine Way and visit Florence.
29. I have double-jointed thumbs.
30. I could not live without; books, yarn, bird-song, the change in seasons, cheese, my freedom.
Friday, June 16, 2006
Handspun on a wheel.
Here are my first tiny skeins of handspun done during a couple of lessons from the very generous Sue, a lady I met at the IOW Guild Open Day in April.
I have no idea what sort of fleece this is - both were about 4" length. The cream was scoured before spinning, the grey was spun in the grease. I much preferred spinning the washed fleece.
I bought some organic Cotswold fleece from ebay last month and have been working with my carders to turn it into rolags for spinning - hard work as the fleece is about 7-8" long. I can see why people send their fleece away to be machine carded or buy ready prepared tops.
There's a lot to learn. I'll be poring over my spinning books at the weekend.
I have no idea what sort of fleece this is - both were about 4" length. The cream was scoured before spinning, the grey was spun in the grease. I much preferred spinning the washed fleece.
I bought some organic Cotswold fleece from ebay last month and have been working with my carders to turn it into rolags for spinning - hard work as the fleece is about 7-8" long. I can see why people send their fleece away to be machine carded or buy ready prepared tops.
There's a lot to learn. I'll be poring over my spinning books at the weekend.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Simply Socks.
Last night I visited the local library in my quest for interesting knitting books. I picked up this book - Simply Socks by Anna Zilboorg.
It has 45 highly decorative patterns to knit traditional Turkish socks which appear to be knitted toe-up with a triangular heel. I wouldn't recommend this book for a beginner, as it requires charting the sock patterns depending on whether you're knitting socks for children or adults. There is also a (new to me) figure of eight cast on using 3 needles which looks very interesting!!
Each pattern is fully charted with a full colour photo of the knitted sock on the opposite page.
I have some 4-ply rowanspun in my stash, so intend to give these a go soon.
................................................
This quirky little origami page keeper was attached to the sock book. I've worked out how to make one for use on my own books.
It has 45 highly decorative patterns to knit traditional Turkish socks which appear to be knitted toe-up with a triangular heel. I wouldn't recommend this book for a beginner, as it requires charting the sock patterns depending on whether you're knitting socks for children or adults. There is also a (new to me) figure of eight cast on using 3 needles which looks very interesting!!
Each pattern is fully charted with a full colour photo of the knitted sock on the opposite page.
I have some 4-ply rowanspun in my stash, so intend to give these a go soon.
................................................
This quirky little origami page keeper was attached to the sock book. I've worked out how to make one for use on my own books.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Spindle spinning.
Here's my first go on a spindle. I seem to have spun massess and masses of my natural merino tops, not sure how much this weighs. I will need to start another one soon so I can attempt to ply it.
It's quite fine, so I reckon I'll end up with a 3 to 4-ply (fingering) weight at the end of it.
It's quite fine, so I reckon I'll end up with a 3 to 4-ply (fingering) weight at the end of it.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Thoughts on very fine yarn.
I've been doing some blog reading on the net and you tend to pick up such good ideas, hints and tips from fellow yarn enthusiasts.
I've often seen cones of really fine machine knitting yarn around and about and have dismissed buying them as it would be too impractical to do anything with.
Now I'm learning to spin, I could easily use these yarns to ply with my own handspun. (A bit of a lightbulb moment there.) It's such a bind having to work full time to pay pesky bills. I'd have so much fun staying home and creating. Roll on that big lottery win!
(Perhaps I ought to actually start doing the lottery)
I've often seen cones of really fine machine knitting yarn around and about and have dismissed buying them as it would be too impractical to do anything with.
Now I'm learning to spin, I could easily use these yarns to ply with my own handspun. (A bit of a lightbulb moment there.) It's such a bind having to work full time to pay pesky bills. I'd have so much fun staying home and creating. Roll on that big lottery win!
(Perhaps I ought to actually start doing the lottery)
Monday, June 12, 2006
Isle of Wight Festival - what a scorcher.
This weekend I was at the Isle of Wight Festival. It was so hot it took all effort just to sit still, and even that was exhausting. A hat, neckerchief scarf and factor 40 suncream saved me from the inevitable sunburn.
I was most interested in the Foo Fighters who were headlining on the Saturday night, and they didn't disappoint. The gorgeous Dave Grohl really played to the audience. It was 90 minutes of jumping around and yelling the lyrics along with everyone else. Combined with a stunning lazer show it was great end to the Saturday.
I was going to take some knitting with me for the quiet times between acts, but thought I might get turned back at the gate for possessing sharp pointy sticks.
.......................................
At the moment I'm knitting a skinny scarf in a new Sirdar yarn called Medici. It's a nylon/polyester/cotton blend and I'm using the Laguna colourway. It's quite grippy-onto-itself due to nylon puffs plied with a 2-ply cotton thread and twisted sparkle. The nylon puffs seem to be tied onto each other - lord knows how they manufacture these fancy yarns - it seems so complex.
I frogged this back several times trying to find a pattern to suit the yarn. Alternate eyelet holes; small fountain; simple stocking stitch. In the end nothing was enhancing the yarn, so I've plumped for a k1, p1 rib so it stays flat.
I was most interested in the Foo Fighters who were headlining on the Saturday night, and they didn't disappoint. The gorgeous Dave Grohl really played to the audience. It was 90 minutes of jumping around and yelling the lyrics along with everyone else. Combined with a stunning lazer show it was great end to the Saturday.
I was going to take some knitting with me for the quiet times between acts, but thought I might get turned back at the gate for possessing sharp pointy sticks.
.......................................
At the moment I'm knitting a skinny scarf in a new Sirdar yarn called Medici. It's a nylon/polyester/cotton blend and I'm using the Laguna colourway. It's quite grippy-onto-itself due to nylon puffs plied with a 2-ply cotton thread and twisted sparkle. The nylon puffs seem to be tied onto each other - lord knows how they manufacture these fancy yarns - it seems so complex.
I frogged this back several times trying to find a pattern to suit the yarn. Alternate eyelet holes; small fountain; simple stocking stitch. In the end nothing was enhancing the yarn, so I've plumped for a k1, p1 rib so it stays flat.
Friday, June 09, 2006
Slow to get started and some sad news.
Not as easy as I thought getting into this blogging lark - you definitely need commitment.
Stuff has been happening since my last post, I was ill with one of those cold/lurgy things. Then my cat was ill, and sadly he had to be put to sleep earlier this week. He'd just had his 15th birthday, so we'd had a good long time together.
I was very sad indeed, and blubbed a LOT. The house seems so empty now. I'm going to have to see how I cope with a cat-free home - not really wise to rush into getting another kitty until I'm sure I could go through the heartache of losing them all over again.
.................................................
Am currently making plans to go to Woolfest in Cumbria at the end of June. I have just started spinning, and recently joined the Isle of Wight Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers. There is so much to learn! I have been spinning on a spindle in my lunch break and have not done too badly so far - my yarn is looking quite even. Will post some pics soon.
Stuff has been happening since my last post, I was ill with one of those cold/lurgy things. Then my cat was ill, and sadly he had to be put to sleep earlier this week. He'd just had his 15th birthday, so we'd had a good long time together.
I was very sad indeed, and blubbed a LOT. The house seems so empty now. I'm going to have to see how I cope with a cat-free home - not really wise to rush into getting another kitty until I'm sure I could go through the heartache of losing them all over again.
.................................................
Am currently making plans to go to Woolfest in Cumbria at the end of June. I have just started spinning, and recently joined the Isle of Wight Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers. There is so much to learn! I have been spinning on a spindle in my lunch break and have not done too badly so far - my yarn is looking quite even. Will post some pics soon.
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