New project and lots of yarn

I've finally got some knitting that I can share. This is a design I've been thinking about for a while and dyed the yarn ages ago. I guessed at quantities when I dyed the yarn. On Saturday I needed an easy project to take to the cinema with me so I cast on for this. It's going to be a waistcoat for myself knitted in two colours of Bambino, which is gorgeous to knit with. It's knitted sideways and I'm halfway across the back.I've focused a little bit too much on this project for the last few days. Which has made a little bit behind on a secret project. So today i put it away for a few days and concentrated on the current secret project. I made good progress at knitting club today and I'm nearly at the armholes now.

I've done quite a lot of dyeing this week. The No Wool Club yarn is dyed and drying. Still a couple of places left if you want to sign up. I'll post the parcels on Tuesday as Monday is a bank holiday here. I dyed up the last pack of Merino Tencel Sock Yarn I had. The colours are gorgeous and I just love this base yarn. It's so soft and squishy and shiny. I'm keeping a purple skein (which had a slight fault in the dyeing) for myself to knit possibly a pair of Celtic Cable heel socks. I've also got plans for a shrug and i'm thinking about keeping this colourwayfor that. But I've only got two skeins and I'm not sure it'll be enough and I'm also thinking I might use my new Glorious sock yarn for it. Anyway, I'm in the middle of listing some of the Merino Tencel colourways now and here's a taster of the other colourways on offer.
I got a lovely picture of our dog, Sam, sitting out in the garden yesterday. She loves being in the garden when it's sunny and our garden is fairly big and wild for a small dog like her. She's a Jack Russell cross. Doesn't she look cute?
Here's a pic of the finished skein of handspun.
I've placed two orders over the last coupel of days from new suppliers. So lots of new yarns coming soon and some old favorites which I've not had for a while. Very exciting. Some of the yarn is from British animals and is spun here in Britain, in Devon in fact, which is very exciting and that yarn will be earmarked for the UK Ravelry Day in Coventry.

No Wool Sock Club

It's time for the No Wool Sock Club again. I'm planning a very exciting colourway this month and I'll be dyeing it today and tomorrow. I always do a few extras so there is still time to sign up if you want to join this exclusive club. The base yarn for this club is the Organic cotton/tencel colourway which is supersoft and silky feeling. It's gorgeous to knit with. Perfect if you're allergic to wool, don't like animal yarns or fancy some lighter socks for the summer.

There wasn't a club delivery for April. Unfortunately I couldn't get hold of the yarn in time. But I've ordered plenty for a couple of months now. I tend to order my yarn frequently as I don't have a lot of storage space and sometimes that causes problems. Although this is the firs time I've not been able to deliver a club shipment. my members were all very understanding though. So this was March's colourway:I'm planning something complete different this time. And I've been and bought some new colours this morning for the occasion. So far the pattern has been the same as for the Sock VAriety Club but it won't be this month and I'm thinking of making it a different pattern every month so if you fancy joining both sock clubs you can. In fact there is a Two club option which might save you some money. Check out the club page of the shop.

I've got a rainbow of Merino/Tencel sock yarns drying on the line and I'm hoping to get them listed tomorrow. In fact I've just noticed it's started to rain so I'd better run out and rescue them. Then I'd better get started on the No Wool yarns. Go and join the club in the meantime.

Spinning action

I've found some time to do some spinning this weekend. This is the first skein of handspun I've produced since before Christmas. Not very impressive but I'm very pleased with myself. It's not finished yet so this pic is straight off the wheel. I'm not 100% happy with my plying. I'd hope to spin close to laceweight but I reckon it's got about 360m/100gr so that would make it more of a 4ply. Will check wpi tomorrow when it's dry.

I'm trying to do a shop update but I may not have time to do too many tonight so will carry on tomorrow. We've got the moody 'mystic' 'Bery Blush' to the pale 'lavender frost'. Did some gorgeous pastels last week in Supreme Lace which is back in stock.

got a new sock yarn too. Only dyed a couple of skeins so far. I can't remember the blend now but it's got merino/bamboo/silk/nylon and is gorgeous. I've done these two skeins and I'm thinking I may keep them and knit a shawl. Not done a shawl in sock yarn for a long, long time.

Swatching frustrations!!

Last week I started a new design for a new magazine. I swatched ofcourse, worked out my tension, thought I used 4.5mm needles. Worked out my pattern and started knitting when I met up with a friend last Friday. After our afternoon together I'd knitted a few inches. I held it up and looked at it. I'm knitting a size 10 and it looked huge. So I measured and even unblocked it was too big. So ripped it and re-swatched on 4.5mm needles. Started again and knitted a few inches then decided I didn't like the look of it on 4.5mm needles. So I swatched on 4mm needles and wondered if I did the original swatch on 4mm needles after all. I worked out my tension again, changed the pattern and started. Yesterday, I'd done a few inches again, and it still looked too big. So I steamed it on the needles, measured it and it was more like a size 14 than a size 10. So I worked out my tension on the piece I'd knitted, rather than on a much smaller tension square. Re-jigged the pattern and I've not cast on again. The problem is I'm getting bored with it now. I get easily bored and all the knitting I've done I could easily ahve been at the armhole shaping by now but I've only done about 2 inches and I'm bored. Not good as I've got the rest of the garment to knit and by middle of May too.

But I've decided ot have a break and do some swatching for new designs, got some gorgeous yarns last time I went to Spin A Yarn to swatch with. Sorry, pics are rubished. They were taken rather quickly on my desk in bright sunlight. First some alpaca from a local alpaca farm:Artesano alpaca

and some RAre Yarns MerinoAnd tonight I may take a night off and do some more on my sister's Strawberry Patch Stole.Looks like a pile of candyfloss.

Sale update

All the yarns that are going to be in the sale are now reduced. The no shipping will carry on until Thursday. Then I'm adding postage again. So snap up a bargain now. I may be listing some new yarns tomorrow or Thursday but they won't be at sale prices.

Happy shopping!

UK Ravelry Day

I've mentioned the UK Ravelry Day i Coventry (on 6th June). there's going to be several big names attending, like Brandon Mably, Debbie Bliss and Meg Swansen. and little ol' me. I'm teaching two workshops, continental knitting which I think is sold out and socks two at atime on circs. Check out the website to book. I'm also having a stall to sell my yarns and patterns.

I've put off planning for the event until after Easter and our Spring Harvest holiday was out of the way and now I'm panicking. The day focuses on British yarn so I'm just in the middle of working out what to order. I've also got anotehr very exciting, potential supplier who supplies gorgeous, luxury yarns, so i'm going ot be placing an order with them too.

To help me afford all this new yarn I need to clear some stock. So the May Madness SAle has started early. Some yarns are already reduced and more will be. The free p&p will last until probably Friday so if you order quickly you'll get a real bargain.

I'm also working ona new website and shop. I'm planning to come off Etsy hopefully ina month or two. My first priority is to get the clubs loaded into the new shop and the rest of the new website built. It'll take me a while and I'm not expecting to have it up and running for at least a month. My plan is to get it ready for June so it's up and running after the Coventry event.

Anyway, get shopping. Knittingwise I've finished off and sent of a garment for Yarn Forward. STarted a new design for Let's Knit. Yes I've got two patterns (so far) coming out in Let's Knit in the autumn. Very exciting! I'm also working hard on finishing the Sock VAriety Club pattern for May. It's nearly done. I've dyed the trial yarn today and the club yarn will be dyed tomorrow. One space left so be quick if you want to join.

Next post I'll get some knitting pics or at least yarn pics to show, I promise.

Back from holiday

Hi, we're back from holiday. Actually we came back on Tuesday afternoon, but with washing, unpacking and lots of other stuff to do I've not had time to post.

So where did we go? We went to Spring Harvest at Butlins, Minehead. Spring Harvest is a Christian holiday held every year at Butlins in Minehead and Skegness. Thousands of christians take over teh two Butlins sites. Each 'week' lasts for 6 days. The kids had their clubs in the morning and evenings and all the Butlins activities (swimming, fun fair etc) in teh afternoon. We had an hour long Bible TEaching led by Danielle Strickland from the Salvation Army in Australia every morning plus various 'learning zones' to choose from and a big evening Celebration service with lots of modern worship music led by Al Gordon and Tim Hughes (both very well known worship leaders and they've written lots of popular worship songs too) and a different speaker every night. I can't remember all their names now but they were all very good. Danielle Strickland (who did the Bible teaching) was fantastic. An amazing woman. The worship in the evenings was just fantastic and the best we've had in the three years we've been to Spring Harvest. Thousands of Christians singing to modern worship songs in a big top is just fantastic. The most amazing time was one evening when we finished with Amazing Grace, it was just the audience singing without the band.

You come back from these sort of events feeling exhausted as you try to pack in so much but also renewed and inspired. One of the things I'm not very good at but have resolved to do after this year's Spring Harvest is to start reading the Bible more often. I should do it daily but I don't but that's my aim. And to help me I bought a new Bible. Vanessa and one of her friends bought another friend a Bible for her birthday (how many 14 year olds want a Bible for her birthday?!!) and Emily wanted a youth Bible for her birthday next week so got her that one too. It made me realise how lucky we are that both our girls have given their lives to Jesus. That's a huge blessing. And Vanessa has several friends who are Christians too.

This year i even managed to leave the Butlins site for a little while. Didn't go far though. Just across the road to hte beach. The weather was glorious. On Easter Sunday they organised a Sunrise (7.30am) service on teh beach and about 1500 people attended. I couldn't get out of bed in time and I wish now I'd gone as it would have been amazing to be on the beach with so many Christians. Simon and Em went.

Here are some pics of the beach:Emily and Simon:
Butlins Skyline:
And yes I did someknitting too. Most of it was for a garment for Yarn Forward so I can't show you that but I took one day off and started a short row scarf with Noro Silk Garden sock yarn. This was just an experiment but I think it turned out well. It's much longer now and the colours are amazing. I'll try to get a pic done to show next time I post.

Since we came back I've done some more work on my 'Strawberry Patch' Shawl and I'm close to finishing the main body of it now.

This week is Sock VAriety Club week. I start dyeing the yarn on Monday. If you want to join please hurry up as there are only a couple of spaces left. I've got a very special pair of socks planned this month and you will get between 150 and 200gr of yarn. you can join for one or three months. Check out the shop.

Here's a reminder of last month's yarn:

Free Shipping

Just finished packing for Spring Harvest which starts tomorrow. Taking a sweater I'm designing for a magazine, May's Sockamania socks, another sock project (plain trainer socks) and the lace stole for my sister. Is that too much or too little for 6 days??

Got lots to blog about but not enough time. So in the meantime there is free shipping in the shop on all yarn. No parcels will be shipped until Wednesday next week though.

Got to finish seaming my new cardigan. Pics when I get back. I'm really pleased with it. Just side seams left to do.

Happy Easter!

Stunning!!

Always wanted to own a stunning lace shawl like this? Well now you can. This 'Two of a kind' shawl is for sale in my shop. It's knitted by Pixie who is a fantastic knitter. The yarn is my Exotic Cobweb Lace which is a blend of alpaca, silk and cashmere. This is true heirloom quality. Perfect to wear for those summer parties and weddings or just to cover up on a chilly spring or summer evening. The colour is the Lace Variety Club colourway from a few months ago.

Enjoy the pictures!