Three Days In A Row

I've blogged three days in a row. What's wrong with me? You'd think I didn't have anything else to do. I do have tons of pattern work to do and making sure I fit in time to blog is probably a way of putting off the pattern writing. Test knitters are still waiting for their patterns for The Easy Lace E-book. I had planned to have this ready for Woolfest but that won't happen. Partly because I'm quickly running out of time. And also because I'm doing an online course in E-book publishing and want to complete the course before I finish the e-book. As this is my first E-book I want to do it right.

ETA:  BTW, I haven't forgotten about asking for help to name the new designs. I received some great suggestions. I'm going through them and trying to decide. I'll announce the winners very soon.

Last week I ordered some buttons. I needed some small ones to go with my new cowls. I may have gone over the top but the choice at Textile Garden is fantastic.

Some of them didn't show up that well in the photo but I'm really struggling to decide.

And a different angle:

I've been seriously side-tracked this week by my Granny Square blanket. These are my latest 2 squares which I did tonight. I LOVE these colours and could easily do an entire blanket in just these colours:

I've been working on some new crochet design ideas tonight too but I won't share those as they will be submitted to magazines.

I had a hair cut and highlights today. The hairstyle is not much different from before but I do like it. It's slightly more layered. i'm also very pleased with my highlights. Some magazines have photos of their designers on the project pages. Let's Knit  always do and The Knitter have photos of 4 designers in each issue. I'm not very happy with my old headshots. I wish I'd had the photographer do a portrait photo of me when we had our family photos done last autumn but I didn't. So as my hair was looking nice this afternoon and I had done my make up I asked Vanessa to take some photos of me.

 And another one:

I'm not happy with either to be honest. but what I'm not happy with is my double chin and weight. Looking at photos of me make me realise how much weight i've gained. I'm the heaviest I've every been. I'm even heavier than when I was pregnant and I had huge babies (10.5 and 11 pounds). I used to be happy to be photographed but I do avoid it now. I really need to do something about it but it's not easy. It's difficult to be disciplined about food when you're home all day and doing regular exercise when it aggrevates my neck/back pain is not easy and before anyone suggests walking, that actually aggrevates my back pain more than any other exercise. I've bought a new Zumba DVD as it looks like fun but I'm too unfit for a full 1 hr class. I may start the DVD next week.

Here are two silly ones:

 The shrug I'm wearing is one of my recent machine knitted shrugs - more about that in another post.

After Vanessa had finished taken my pics she took some pics of the dog. At least she photographs well:

Tomorrow is yarn dyeing day. Easy Lace Club and Not Just Socks June yarn will be dyed first. Seems like I've just done the May yarns but then I was about 3 weeks late with that one. June's parcels will be a week late and will be posted next week. I'll try and get back on track for July.

By the way, you can sign up for the next round of the Easy Lace Club starting in July now. Perfect if you want to learn how to knit lace. 3 months of luxury sock yarn and easy projects to teach you basic lace knitting skills.

All about crochet.. almost

I've been hooked on crochet (sorry for the pun) for the last couple of days. I started making a granny square blanket out of my stash of Artesano Superwash Merino and when I went to Spin A Yarn yesterday I picked up a few more colours I didn't already have.

The pic is not great, it's taken on my mobile.

This is my progress since last time:

I'm trying not to use the same colours in the same sequence more than once. I wish I had a yellow and red but there isn't a yellow in this yarn and the red is too dark.

I have done a bit of knitting too and cast on for this little shawlette, the last design in the Easy Lace E-book:

This was my swatch from a couple of days ago. I decided on the charcoal beads in the end and I've done a few repeats. I'll get pics for next time.

Excuse the short post. I'll post more knitting progress including my machine knitting progress in a couple of days. I've made a lot in the last month.

New Let's Knit design & crochet mania

 The new Let's Knit arrived yesterday and has lots of colourful summer tops in it. My contribution is this lacy poloshirt knitted in Rowan Fine Milk Cotton. The yarn is fabolous and summery. Thank you to Pixie for doing the knitting for me.

 The lace pattern is easy to knit and not too lacy. Just enough to make it light enough for warm summer days. Wear it to the office or on the weekend.

I've been doing a bit of crochet again. After seeing a few granny square blankets in wild colours recently I decided I wanted one. This is the perfect project to pick up and put down between deadline knitting. I'm using Artesano Superwash Merino which is a gorgeous, squishy yarn and comes in lots of colours. I've got quite a few in my stash but I'm getting some more today at Spin A Yarn. This is my progress so far. I'm joining the squares on the final round as I go. I'm using 'lemon' for the final round. i've seen quiet a few of these blankets with white as the final round on all the squares but I went for lemon instead. I'm not all that keen on white.

The problem with these little squares is that they're kind of addictive. I didn't get any knitting done yesterday. It was all about crochet.

Madison

My first crochet garment is in the new Let's Knit.  This is my first ever crochet garment. Not just my first crochet garment design but my first EVER crochet garment. I have never, ever, ever crocheted a garment before. And I'm so relieved it looks good on the model. It's an unusual constructions. There are four pieces all worked from the sleeves in to the centre. This gives the simple treble eyelet stitch a vertical look which is very flattering.

 The thing I don't like about sideways designs which are knitted from one sleeve across to the other sleeve is that the cast on never looks the same as the cast off and the shaping for the neck looks different on each side. one side of the neck shaping you're increasing and the other you're decreasing. So I decided to work this in four pieces so that the neck shaping is the same on both fronts and the sleeves are the same. Okay, I'm fussy.

I am shattered today and I'm having a knitting day. I've got to finish a cardigan to go in the post tomorrow and I have cap shaping on one sleeve to go, the whole second sleeve (it's only 24 rows to cap shaping so not much) and I'm up to the armhole on the second front.  I'd like to finish all the knitting today and sew it up tomorrow morning and then take it to the post office when I go to knitting group tomorrow morning. If I fail to finish knitting tonight, I'll be staying home tomorrow to finish it and won't go to knitting group.

The other reason I'm having a knitting day is that I'm shattered. I'm so tired. Yesterday was a fun day but so busy. I taught the first half of a sock knitting shop at Spin A Yarn in the morning. When I finished I met a friend (who was 1.5 hour late!) and we rushed up to Exeter, had lunch, ran into a few shops and headed back to Bovey Tracey for 6pm so I could attend a Rowan Fashion Show organised by Spin A Yarn. We had great food and great company. Martin Storey who is one of Rowan's designers was there and it was great to meet him properly. I was in the lift with him at Iknit Weekender but we weren't introduced.  We were shown a selection of Rowan's designs including some in two new yarns which I can't remember the details of now. But they were called Panama and Savannah and were gorgeous.

I did take my camera and I was rubbish at taking photos. I did take a couple though The models were Spin A Yarn customers and this is the third fashion show they've done now and they're pros now. Although the models are very, very slim, it was great to see the designs on real people. We also get a chance to touch and look at the garments and after the show there was an opportunity to study each garment in detail and to try it on.

Ruth and Belinda from Knit Expo were there. They organise a variety of events and are great promoters of handknitting. I met Ruth for the first time although we've 'spoken' by e-mail. the next Knit Expo event is in November in Exeter and I'm hoping to be part of the event. I missed the last one as it clashed with out London trip and my Mum's visit.

The youngest model in a Rowan design:

Belinda examining a design:

It was a lovely evening and I'm already looking forward to the next event. I'd better get back to my knitting. I have a cardigan to finish, which is knitted in a Rowan yarn and will be in Let's Knit in a few months.

Oops, I did it again!

I had decided there would be no new self-indulgent projects before we go to Spain. I have a several secret projects that need sewing up and finishing off and one secret project i need to cast on for and finish before we go to Spain. But I gave in to temptation yesterday. There was a good reason though. I woke up with an extremely severe pain across my left shoulder blade yesterday. So painful it was actually hurting when I moved and getting in and out of my comfy chair, bending down etc was difficult. I had a massage in the morning and my wonderful therapist, Jan, tried to release whatever it was that was causing it but didn't have much success and I spent the rest of the day in a lot of pain. my bucket full of painkillers didn't really touch it. So I did very little knitting yesterday. During the day I tried to sew up a garmen and got it halfway done. I need to finish it today, preferably so it can go in teh post before lunchtime. I also finished a small crochet project yesterday - more on that later. but i really did not feel like knitting, mainly because all the knitting I had on teh needle was hurting me too much.

So in the evening I decided I had to start somethign easy, something in garter stitch. I wound up a ball of Ocean Silk 4ply. I actually fancied using Pure Silk 4ply but i haven't dyed any yet. I wasn't quite sure what to do but I fancied an easy shawl. I flicked through my note book as I do have some shawl charts ready that I havne't swatched for yet. I decided I ought to do a triangular shawl and perhaps this could be my the next shawl in the 'Easy Lace' series. There was also a stitch pattern in the Vogue Stitchionary 5 - lace stitches, that I fancied trying and I had been thinking about how it might look in a shawl. So I decided to try it and I love it. then I started thinking about whether I wanted to share and self-publish this pattern or whether i ought to keep it for a submission. I missed the latest Knitty submission deadline as I just didn't get anything done on time although I desperately wanted to submit something.  So I thought I'd plan ahead for once and save this one for the next Knitty deadline in October. I think this shawl might just suit Knitty although you never know. It's fun and a little bit quirky, I think. The only thing is that the next deadline is for the Winter issue but this might suit spring or summer better but we'll see. I've got a sneak peak of it. I'm wondering if the colour is right but I can always over-dye it if I need to.

I worked on this while we watched a film last night and apart from one pattern row in twelve where I need to watch what I'm doing it's pretty straight forward knitting. which means it'll be perfect for the next week too. And i may even finish it before we go to Spain.

Emily left for her scout trip yesterday. They are going on a canal boat on the Llangollen canal. She was very excited and a little bit nervous about it. This is the longest she's been a way on her own - 8 days. Previous longest trip was 5 days. We had a text last night saying she was enjoying it although the drive up to Middlewich took ages. It's very quiet without her.

Luckily we'll have a busy week ahead as it's start of our church's annual Grace Family Bible Week. We go down to church today to set up Simon's parents caravan which Simon and Vanessa are camping in for the week. A caravan might sound post an it is a nice caravan but tiny. In fact, Simon thinks the caravan and awning is smaller than our tent but hopefully it'll be drier if it rains which it usually does during Bible Week. Simon sprained his ankle halfway through last year's Bible Week so we're hoping nothing like that hapens this year.  I'm not camping - I don't do camping and the sake of my back it's better for me to sleep in my own bed. I go down for the day and teh evening every day.

I've finished a crochet project too. A few months ago I decided i fancied a litle bag to put my Bible and note book in. I had some Rowan Amy Butler organic merino/cotton that I didn't know what to do with and I loved the colours so I did a very simple double crochet stripey bag. I finished it off with double crochet around the edings and attached some magnetic poppers. I need to add some buttons to cover the magnetic backings. I wanted to finish it in time for Bible Week and I did. The Amy Butler yarn was gorgeous to work with and i enjoyed the double crochet although I was worried it might get a bit boring but because I only did it every now and then and changed colour frequently it was okay.

talking about crochet. My first crochet design for Inside Crochet is due out very, very soon - early August I think. I was hoping it might come before we go to Spain but I'm not sure it will. My second design for Inside Crochet is due back from my crocheter any day now. Really looking forward to seeing how it turns out.

I'd better bite the bullet and get this sewing up finished before Simon wakes up and we need to get on with finishing the preparations for Bible Week. We leave about lunch time. I'll be around this week and will post out parcels as usual. I'll also try to do a few posts during the week.

Crochet & knitting groups

I've had a week of knitting groups. Tuesday I went to the knitting group at Spin A Yarn. It was great to catch up with everyone there. On Wednesday evening I went to the Christmas meal at the Modbury knitting group. They were a great group of ladies and I had a lovely evening. It was my first time there and they all made me feel very welcome. Everyone was wearing an item they'd knitted so we were all admiring each other's knitting. I wore my Midnight Stole which was admired by everyone. The perfect shawl for an evening event. Good value too as it only takes one skein of Silky Merino Lace or Exotic Cobweb Lace. I've just put in an order so there will be lots more laceweight in stock by the end of next week hopefully.

One lady (sorry cant remember who now) wore a gorgeous, frilly crocheted scarf in Kidsilk Haze. I've go some gorgeous Kidsilk Haze colours and I'm really keen to try out one of those scarves.

On Thursday, it was time for our weekly LIkseard Knit n Knatter. There weren't very many of us this week but we had an enjoyable time anyway. The room was a little cold which made knitting difficult.

I've been doing ltos of knitting but it's all secret knitting so can't share any pics. I'm working ona new secret sweater now and it's going well. I did a couple of repeats on my silve Organic Merino shawl earlier when a friend came over but not enough for another progress pic.

Occasionally I tkae a break from knitting to crochet a square or two. This pile is getting bigger. They'r all the same motif and I'll be sewing them into a scarf when I've got enough.
I'm using two different colours. The variegated one is Posh Yarns Eva 4ply from my stash. And the solid is Lotus yarns cashmere/silk 4ply. I've done some squares in separate colours and some mixed. i like hte look of the mixed ones:

Here's a selection of the squares I've got so far. Think I've got about 14 of the variegated ones, 3 or 4 of the solid ones and 2 mixed ones.

I'd hoped ot do an update today but it'll be Monday before the yarn is dry enough. So Monday's update will be a brand new Exotic Sock and some Bambino Lace. I've got some stunning colours.

Have a great weekend.

More Crochet

Yes this is still a knitting blog but my current knitting is secret. You'll see it in Yarn Forward in the new year sometime (issue 22 I think). So in the meantime let's take a look at some crocheting I've been doing. When I desperately needed a break from secret knitting in the last couple of weeks I've been doing this:

The purple squares are Bambino Sock yarn and I think they are the leftover bit from the Let's Knit mystery blanket. The orange squares are Posh Yarn cashmere 4ply which I've had for a long, long time and it's gorgeous to crochet with. I don't have quite enough for a scarf so I'll have to find another colour and do some more.

Yesterday was day 2 of my crochet course and we started by learning filet crochet. We did the basic blocks (top one) and then had a go at doing bars and lacets (bottom sample):

I liked it but I don't think I'll be doing a whole lot of filet crochet in the future.

After lunch we did Tunisian crochet which I found a bit boring first. It also makes a very dense fabric which I didn't like at first but once I got into it and practiced some other stitches and did a colourchange I quite liked it. I also had a couple of ideas for some simple crochet designs. Watch this space!

I've nearly finished updating the website as I write this. I've got sock yarns this time and my favorites are:

Organic Merino Waltz:

Merino Plus Silver (I just love the silver colourway):

Merino Plus Periwinkle and Navy Blue (perfect duo for the Niamh socks in Let's Knit):

and my favorite, Merino Plus Fab, if this is still around when I've finished my current secret knit this yarn will become socks for me, I just love it:

Merino Plus Lettuce:

Merino Plus Autumn Leaves:

Bambino Sock Purple Dream:

Bambino Sock Mint Cream:

You can see all the new listings here.

Tomorrow, Vanessa and I are off to Bristol tomorrow for a day of shopping with my friend and her daughter. Should be a great girls' day out. I've been planning what knitting to take. There will be a 2 hour bus drive each way so plenty of knitting time. I'm taking the sleeve of my secret project. Finished the front this morning so I thought the sleeve would be nice and light and easy to take. I'm hoping i might finish the first sleeve tomorrow.

Now I'm going to do some crochet before I go to bed. Nite x

A grey obsession

I think i'm developing an obsession with grey.

Exhibit 1 - the grey merino I'm spinning. I did a little bit more last yet. Had planned to continue spinning while we watched Question Time but my wheel is making a clunking noise so I stopped.

Exhibit 2 - The grey alpaca I bought on Sunday which is gorgeous and will be on the wheel next. Must get a better pic of it. Still not decided whether to try and get another 100gr bag of the grey merino or ply it with some of the grey alpaca. I weighed what I had left last night, thinking if I'd spun less than half I might do the other half on another bobbin but I'd spun over half so I carried on spinning onto the same boobin.

Exhibit 3 - This gorgeous Organic Merino in 3 different colourways. A customer asked for a custom dyed Organic Merino so I did 3 shades. After months of trying to get a good grey I managed to get 3 good ones in one session. I'll be dyeing more greys I think. I'm really keen to knit something in one of these but must finish other stuff first.Exhibit 4 - The silver Snow Queen. This shawl is hanging on my dress form in the lounge and I love it. The colour is perfect. It kind of shimmers and I keep wanting to put it on. So summing up, I think I can safely say I've got a grey obsession. But then who wouldn't being surrounded by these gorgeous greys.

My secret knitting is going well. I'm catching up on one project. Had to unpick a section this morning but all caught up now.

Last night I grabbed an old ball of sock yarn (no idea which brand it is) and decided to play with tuck stitch on my knitting machine. I chose card no 3. I kind of hoped it would be long enough for a scarf but I made it far too wide - about 80 sts - and it's much, much to short for a scarf. It only took 10 mins though, to knit up nearly 100gr of sock yarn. Amazing, isn't it?! I love the fabric. It looks good on both sides.

So I looked through my stash to see if I had two balls of the same colourway and found 3 balls of Noro Silk Garden sock yarn. I did a quick swatch this morning using tuckstitch and the same card. I'm not sure if it looks quite as good in the Noro.

Here's the other side:

I thought instead of knitting a scarf, perhaps I'd do a very basic shrug. But I'm a little undecided. I think this machine might be magic for using up some stash though. I'm hopefully getting a lace carridge for it soon. Would love to be able to do some quick lace scarves on it.

I did play with some other cards and tuck stitch this morning and this one was interesting, although the yarn is so busy you can hardly see it. The other cards I tried didn't quite work. Any machine knitting experts? Any idea which cards work with tuck stitch? My manual should tell me but I can't work it out.

I coudn't resist the temptation to do a little bit of crochet this morning either and made this quick circle. I'm thinking I may be able to get enough circles out of the two balls of Posh sock yarn I've got to make a scarf. not quite sure about how to connect them yet.

Emily wanted me to teach her how to crochet last night so we had a go at a foundation chain and double crochet. She got it I think but I struggled a bit with my patience. Don't think I'm any good at teaching kids. Adults I love teaching but not sure about kids. This weekend she wants me to teach her how to use the knitting machine.