Laid Low by Lurgy

I've given up on my new look blog style as visitors to my blog have declined to a big fat zero since I swapped to the new style and lost most of my sidebar info. It's supposed to be easier in the new format? My brain must be wired up the wrong way in that case. I'll try and master some more html and stick with this look for now.

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Back in the land of the living having been confined to bed for the past 72 hours with a terrible head-cold. Daytime re-runs of Lovejoy, Midsomer Murders and Poirot. Plenty of something-on-toast until the bread ran out. Necessity forced me out of the house into the gloriously hot temperature where I was completely overdressed in jumper and winter coat. So, now back at work and it's as if I've never been away.

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Work on my projects has not progressed at all due to illness and not being able to concentrate on keeping knitting patterns on the straight and narrow.

This Saturday is the monthly Guild meeting. We have a speaker this month talking to us about Flax Preparation and Traditional Rope Making. This will be very interesting as I'm quite into the history of the whole business of yarn and fabric production.

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A quick mention for my friend Gill who has just found out she's to become a grandmother for the first time. Congrats to her and John! I'd better find my baby patterns........





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Alum Conundrum

Well, I bought some Alum on special order from a local chemists as nowhere seems to stock it locally. When it arrived it looked unlike the Alum I'd seen on the web - not white powder at all - but like tiny clear granules. I was worried then... what if it wasn't the right thing? Did I really want to go boiling this stuff up when it might have disasterous consequences?

A quick question posed on a science forum thankfully allayed my fears - the stuff I have is the same, but it's been purified to reach European standards, hence the clarity. I can mordant at the weekend with confidence! (I hope)

I won't go recommending it to anyone until I can show my results though.

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The weather remains cold and drizzly on the Island, and I feel like I'm definitely coming down with a cold. Curses....... Just when I thought I'd avoided all the plagues of lurgy that had been going around at work. That's air conditioning for you. THERE IS NO ESCAPE. The most unhealthy environment for human beings - ever. Pah!

In my old office, with old-fashioned radiators and windows that you could open for fresh air, I survived month after month without falling prey to any germs.




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A Vintage Wool Shop and very Vintage Felting

At the weekend, I happened to be on the mainland, so I took advantage of the opportunity to check out a so far unvisited town on the South Coast.

I headed off to Christchurch in Dorset, as I had a sneaking suspicion that there was a wool shop in town.

Behold! Honora Wool Specialists in the High Street.

What an Aladin's Cave for the knitter - a survivor since the 1940's. Chocked floor to ceiling with knitting yarns of every description, notions, buttons.... just like the wool shops of my childhood - and they put wool by for you, so you can spread the cost. Purchases were rung up on an old style cash register which rang as you pushed down the keys - like an old typewriter action. (Showing my age now!) I told the lady behind the counter that I must be in heaven.

After a few restrained purchases (cerise shell buttons, a bodkin, and a shawl pin) I explored the rest of the town and was lucky enough to find a wooden maiden (aka a clothes horse) in a charity shop - just the thing for drying yarn. Then I made my way back to the car park adjacent to the Priory and happened across Place Mill on the Quay.

The Mill is now a Craft Centre, but my time was short, so further investigations will have to wait until another time.

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I'm now onto the cast off of My So Called Scarf - so one of my creative objectives is complete from last weeks list.

I'm ready to take delivery of some alum, so will have my first go at mordanting some wool at the weekend, when I plan to do some actual dyeing and not just talk about it!

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Trying to get to grips with the new blogger format, but am having to get my head around coding the new template. Every time I change it I lose loads of my side bar and can't work out how to replace the info yet.... bah........ need a more techy-head on my shoulders.




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Knitting Progress

Here's some of my knitting progress. First up - latest version of My So-Called Scarf knitted in Debbie Bliss Maya:



Next, the back and sleeve of the Malabrigo Jacket knitting up to a Colinette Point Five pattern. Not sure on the shade, but it might be Damask. I'm using this doubled, so I'm crossing my fingers that I'll have enough to complete it!



Then a cardigan in Colinette Tagliatelle (Venezia), this is almost complete:



Lastly, the Barra jacket in Rowan Soft Tweed (005 Twig) from the Classic Winter booklet that I started back last Summer... hardly any progress (and not a good picture either).



My obsession with Moss Stitch (Seed Stitch) continues apace.

I have all of the buttons sorted for these knits too - so there is no excuse to finish other than long dark evenings which sap enthusiasm and motivation.

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Recently I took delivery of some Easy Dye yarns from Ros at 'Forest Fibres' on eBay. Some lovely muted shades which should suit the scarf project I have planned for the Guild Challenge.

When I looked out my KoolAid - the colours would have been far too strong.

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Lambs and the Lunar Eclipse

I'm lucky enough to see a lot of wildlife on my lunchtime walk.

Currently we have lambs in the fields adjacent to my work place. Here are a few shots I took of them last week sheltering from the wind.

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Last weekend there was a lunar eclipse, and I captured a couple of amateurish shots with my little cybershot.





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This weekend I'm planning to do some dyeing of my laceweight Shetland. I'm planning to knit a lace scarf as an entry into one of the challenge cups at the Guild AGM in April.

I've actually been progressing on some of my knitting, so must take some photos during daylight hours.

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