leadimage Flat calm

    It has been preying on my mind for a while that this blog needs a new “front cover” article. I had hoped to get out and about at the weekend and maybe document the island under it’s light coat of snow. That was not to be.

    What’s a girl to do? It is all very well, this striving for an entertaining and illuminating blog, but when one’s life is temporarily rather more than a little flat and boring – what’s to do? Write about cleaning cat trays and editing text for publishing? I think not!

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    leadimage Fo: Not so Flashy

    Named “Not so Flashy” for the flashes of colour in the yarn – the violet and cobalt on black reminded me very much of a portion of the Eighties which I would far rather forget

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    Weekend Shopping

    I am completely zonked. No report today – just a hint that there was today an ugly realisation… More some time over the weekend. I’m going in search of gin, ice, and limes.

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    leadimage The Yarn Yard: Toddy

    Toddy, from The Yarn Yard. A sock yarn review.

    Toddy – the perfect pick-me-up! Toddy is 75% merino for softness and cossetting and a cuddle when you need it, and 25% nylon for strength.

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    leadimage Sox Stix

    A tale of customer satisfaction – of broken needles and of free replacment.

    “I wrote recently of my dismay when one of my rosewood Sox Stix broke.

    I thought it would be worth writing to the manufacturers, Lantern Moon to enquire whether I might purchase a single replacement needle. It took a couple of days but I did receive a reply on 29th January…”

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Most Wanted

A couple of books that I am hoping to add to my library this year. Both are sock books. One from Cookie A and the other from Interweave Press.

“…these two books are currently at the top of my “most wanted” list…”

Click through to read more

Wightwood Sock Blockers

I recently wrote about my new sock blockers and today received a comment on that post from Nick Carter, maker of said blockers.
Nick has made a very generous offer: order a pair of blockers from him, mentioning this Blog, and he’ll give you free postage!
Wightwood sock blockers can be found on eBay: seller mrb02 (Wightwood [...]

    MUMS the word

    Just registering our team for our third attempt at the annual MUMS Puzzle Hunt. We came 31st on our first attempt, in 2007, with a team of two. Last year we came in at a healthy 20th, still just the two of us despite looking hard for some partners.
    This year we want to finish in [...]

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Finished Objects

featuredimage Fo: Smooshypu socks

Francie socks in Dream in Color's Smooshy yarn. I didn't have a name for this project until I spotted the ...

featuredimage FO: Girasole Shawl

My first circular shawl. This was intended to be a practice run, in preparation for a blanket-sized version later. This pattern ...

featuredimage FO: Echoes of Eden

Pair of 4ply fingerless mittens for PIF recipient. Knitted in a lambswool and silk blend in a fabulous turquoise shade incorporating ...

featuredimage FO:Alpine Butternut

This project was deftly enabled by Woolbird, a most generous and thoughtful Ravelry user. She was bang on the money ...

featuredimage FO: Cascading Leaves Shawl

Small triangular shawl from handspun yarn. I made this from the BFL tops that I was given when I was learning ...

featuredimage FO: Pink Swallowtail Shawl

Evelyn A Clark's Swallowtail Shawl, from the Fall 2006 edition of Interweave Knits. Now available free, from Evelyn's web site. ...

featuredimage FO: Man Sweater

This project took a long time to come to fruition, though the actual knitting was very fast. Enjoyable knit, I ...

featuredimage PS4 North FO: Joy without Joy

Laeticia - a sock pattern from the Twist Collective, by Stephanie van der Linden. I knitted these for myself from ...

featuredimage Northern Neighbour

The Crofter's Cowl is washed and photographed (as best I could, in current light conditions). It is soft and snuggly ...

featuredimage Invincible Summer

My first PS4 FO, and my second Amanda Hat. It isn't very green I know, but please bear with me for ...

Knit

Cutting things fine

I took the Reclamation scarf to spinning today as last week’s disastrous efforts have quite put me off spinning for a while. After that it was a quick romp to the end this afternoon. It is done!

Work in Progress

There is a new project on the needles.

Reclamation: triangular scarf in 3ply handspun Merino/Tencel

Improv

This entry is part 4 of 3 in the series girasoleOne of the many things that I have done today: blocking the Girasole.
I had just half an hour to pin the shawl out, so the job was a bit rough and ready. I used all my nice large beaded pins. Then I used my small [...]

Spin

First Impressions

The Jumbo Flyer is assembled and mounted on my wheel and I have plied my first bobbin using it. First impressions are:

The quality leaves much to be desired and it is not such a fine object as the standard flyer – it is made of ply, not timber, and lacks the running groove – the [...]

Drift On By

At long last, the Ocean Drift roving is all spun up and skeined.

A pretty yarn, very silky and with much drape.

Project details and photographs.

Spinning Wednesday

Spinning was with S this week. Added delights included a very nice tea bread, and Earl Grey tea, plus two carrier bags of angora fibre goodies sent to us from Orkney Angora (details of which I need to catalogue and circulate to the spinning ladies for the purposes of informing the divvying up of the [...]

Yarn Stash

Drift On By

At long last, the Ocean Drift roving is all spun up and skeined.

A pretty yarn, very silky and with much drape.

Project details and photographs.

100 Pure Wool Laceweight

The yarn which was ordered from Uruguay via Etsy on 3rd May, with a 30 day delivery estimate, arrived this morning. The quality looks good – think Malabrigo, but fine and even. It’s not all that fine, considering the length 950 yards to 50 gms – it’s a lofty single, soft spun.

The disappointing part was the colour

Greens of the Day 05/03/09

Photo post – green things – green yarny things.

Fibre Stash

Mango Berry

Newly arrived from Copperpot on Etsy – 8ozs of Merino Fibre in “Mango Berry” blend.

This is very much for me. I previously spun a Copeprpot Merino top in Torch Island and knitted my mate a “Noro Hat”. In the recent gales I discovered what a very cosy hat that is …

…I thought I’d make myself one…

A gift

I received a mystery parcel on Christmas Eve. A blue bag, from The Yarn Yard. Nothing I had purchased… it was marked not to be opened until Christmas and I was a good girl and I waited…

Fibre Adventures

(Old) Green of the Day 07/03/09

Way, way behind. No time to take the camera out and shoot lichens today – lost much time yesterday in cleaning drains. So, here’s an old photo again, to keep up the Green of the Day thread.

I’m proud of that one.

It has been quite energising, looking through old photos, and I really want to get to know my camera again soon.

That’s lucky

I have a new book to teach me to crochet.

“A few days ago, my pal Fenny announced that she had begun decluttering for 2009. One of the items that she was getting rid of was a book on crochet. I know that I have to get to grips with crochet some time…”

Frabjous

O, frabjous day!
Yes. I have completed my homework. I have partaken of both caffeine and chocolate. And now I am going to get out my sock kit… and soothe my shattered nerves.
(I know I have gone wrong with my piecing because the seams have fallen all wrong and I have too many thicknesses in one [...]