Woolgathering

The Chantilly Lace roving is almost half done now, and it looks very pretty on the bobbin indeed. I am going for long-and-even (relative term)this time around. Still don’t know whether to ply two bobbins together or whether to chain ply it. Still don’t know what to knit it into.

The Merope second sock has its leg complete and the heel flap is progressing.

Overall, good progress - though sadly still no more work done on Sky and Water II. I might perhaps have made even more progress were it not for the fact that I appear to have been watching too much Masterchef of late. After cycling to the shops and back I got a little creative in the kitchen and decided to make a properly good fish crumble for lunch. It only took two hours :-} Yes - I made a white wine stock to poach the fish in. From scratch. And I cooked the crumble up separately, to ensure perfect crispness. I reduced the stock to make the cream sauce for the fish… I culled fresh chives and parsley from the garden, and I cooked up a medley  of fresh vegetables for an accompaniment, and some local new potatoes.

Was it worth it? I doubt it, although it was delicious. It was a nice reminder though, that I can actually cook a decent meal if I want to. Just possibly a tad OTT for a Monday lunch

I have been thinking about the yarn that I am spinning and, although pink was on the colours for Fire, this yarn speaks more to me of Air. It’s light and fresh and delicate - has a lot of white and grey in it. The pink is far too cool for Fire, it’s not a warm pink at all. So I am promoting this spin to the Air theme - which is, happily, current. It just feels more right to me this way around.

Monday is for:

• cycling to the shops to post ATCs and buy soap powder
• making fish crumble
• spinning
• more spinning
• filling in the mortgage application form
• sock?
• spin a bit more

The car is still only part way to fixing, so we are car-less for at least a week to come. I couldn’t do laundry at the weekend as my remembered two boxes of detergent do not actually exist. I’ve run out of underwear, so needs must - out with the bike! That will at least get me to the post office before the deadline on these “Air” ATCs runs out.

Pollock fillets are thawing for lunch. I’ll put them in a nice sauce, probably with fresh chives, and make a crumble topping with cheese. I’ll add new potatoes and some beans or broccoli and it should be quite tasty and nourishing. The fattening part doesn’t matter, because I am cycling today and that’s a zero calorie balance for the day. No, it is. Really. Isn’t it? *sigh*

Later on I hope to spin up all the remaining Chantilly Lace roving, because I am eager to start on my stash of blues. I’d also like to turn the heel on my sock, but that’s probably a bit too ambitious - there are only so many hours in a day and completing the mortgage application looks like it might take more than a few of those. Wherever did I put my driving licence?

Sky and Water II is on the way and I have cast on and knit the first pattern repeat. I chose a blue/grey shade this time.

I shall need to complete at least one pattern repeat a day. Judging by today’s performance, that’s aiming high. It’s funny - the first scarf caused me very few problems, but I spent the entire afternoon knitting and tinking, knitting and tinking, over and over again - and managed just the 18 rows overall.

No more for now. I have no sock knitted yet today and have remembered that I should be spinning to free up some bobbins for Wednesday.

Feel like I am wading through mud today. I had a terrible night last night and everything seems to be slightly out of phase and uncoordinated today.

On another note entirely, Copperpot has asked if she may use some of my FO photos to showcase her fibre batts. How flattering!

Nobody guessed why “Sky and Water” before the scarf was finished (Yay - I get to keep all of my cashmere!), and now that I have set up a new Ravelry project for the second version and have Sky and Water I and Sky and Water II in place, it should be pretty obvious.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_and_Water_II

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_and_Water_II

“This sheer rectangle scarf features a pinwheeling arabesque motif of the kind found in Islamic art and architecture throughout Andalusia and southern Spain”

Knitspot

MC Escher was heavily influenced by Moorish art and was

“impressed by the Italian countryside and by the Alhambra, a fourteenth-century Moorish castle in Granada, Spain.”

Wikipedia

and

“After his journey to the Alhambra, Escher tried to improve upon the art works of the Moors using geometric grids as the basis for his sketches, which he then overlaid with additional designs, mainly animals such as birds and lions.”

Wikipedia

So, add the two together with the colours of the cashmere and what do you get? Sky and Water - and the fact that there will now be two versions is merely a happy accident.

Clearly, I must choose a sky colour for this version, and have one of each colour group. The temptation to completely reproduce the first one is great, the colour really is fantastic when seen with the naked eye. The other shades might not have the same impact on the show bench.

Yes, we are aiming to have it done in time. As well as the Merope socks. And possibly a Morning Surf wrap-sized project as well.

And, no, there isn’t enough time, and me with a baby to knit for too…

Baby ETA: 16th December 2008. I already sent away for the BSJ pattern. I just need yarn now. Send me your sock leftovers please, and I’ll scoot into a production of my own.

Oh - socks, ripped back and re-established and part way down the gusset now, thank you for asking. It would be good to get down to the toe today, but I can’t see that happening.

The scarf is completed and ready for blocking. Perhaps not today, it’s so humid that I’d never get my washing dry. That same grey weather contributes to the lack of decent photographs.

So, here’s a photo of the scarf draped over the window, and another close-up of the grafted section. It’s by no means perfect - but not bad considering that it’s my first attempt at grafting a flat piece. Getting the tension on the stitches was difficult as the yarn clings to itself, it’s so hairy*. I tried for a while, but gave up at the “good enough” stage.

It has been a good “fun” knit and I think I would knit this stitch pattern again. A good bazaar make. I’ll reserve judgement until it is blocked, but I think doing the two ends and grafting it was worth the while.

One thing I would say is that those Pony “Wool Needles” that Shash sent me are worth their weight in gold. They are brilliant for grafting and darning in ends. I can’t find a link for them “out there” - but they are product #60643, with three assorted sized nylon-loop-eyed needles to a card. (I must never lose them - they are going to be precious to me.)

I have some yarn left, so may make some matching mitts or gauntlets. There is insufficient for a hat, I think.

* I discovered yesterday that the reason this stuff is nowhere near as nice as my handspun BFL is that it isn’t. BFL, that is. It’s Leicester Longwool! I am certain that I purchased BFL, though! Maybe not such an eBay bargain after all. But it suits the scarf and I hope that it softens when washed in Eucalan.

I am absolutely shattered and Nell is going back to sleep on her own tonight!

Nell is obviously feeling A1 and she wants to go out to lay. But she isn’t allowed to for another week yet. She’s whining and whimpering and being a right royal pain. Added to which is the fact that she has discovered that although she cannot scratch her own ears, we can do it for her. The demands are becoming excessive. Then there’s the factor of not being able to run off all that youthful energy. This means that she has little need for sleep - a fact that resulted in my having to take her outside for a walk at twenty past four this morning.

Pass the matchsticks.

I went spinning yesterday, for what felt like the first time in weeks. I split my time between spinning and knitting, and did more of the same when I got home.

Spinning is Chez Woolgatherer next week (I’m thinking maybe chocolate brownies) and the week after that we are doing a morning’s activity session with a bunch of nine year olds. Help! That’s not far away. We shall need to do loads of prep. Playing with youngsters is not the same as teaching adults… all useful ideas gratefully received! I imagine we’ll need to alternate short hands-on segments with lots of show-and-tell and looky/feely items? What about games? How do we keep them engaged for two hours? What? Panic? Me? Oh, yes!

The grey scarf is finished and just needs grafting, the DFV is 3/4 spun, the sock has made no progress since Monday.

Alternating activities seems to be working and my hands feel OK - so I hope to finish the spinning some time today. Certainly the weather is not conducive to being out and about picnicking on beaches.

We are having a lobster salad supper, and I may make another pav for pud (we bought fresh peaches on Monday and they are just about ripe now.)

Right - I’m off to graft my scarf.

Cash and Burn is under way again, and the second sock is cast on, joined, and the rib begun. That should keep me quiet on the boat.

And I am almost ready to graft my scarf - but that will be later in the week, I think.

Once that is done, and this sock is completed, I intend to spin, spin, spin! I need to finish the DFV and then I am going to tackle 8 ounces of Torch Island Inferno, which will be spun quickly and possibly unevenly but perhaps not very thickly. Can’t decide yet whether to spin a single or a 2 ply - but I do know what I am going to knit with it.

No.

Wait and see.

It’s not really castonitis. It’s more knitting-as-therapy. Yes, I have a new project on the needles. It will soon be off again. I am rattling up a 4 ply Shetland Lace scarf.

After spending so much time on the web mastering recently, I was feeling very much in need of some mindless knitting. I dug out some big needles (5.5mm) and the 4 ply natural BFL that I scored on eBay last year - and off I went.

It’s just a simple 45 stitch scarf, in a Horseshoe pattern (10 stitches over 8 rows) with a narrow stocking stitch border and garter stitch ends. I completed the first half and cast on the second half last night. Halves? Yep - I thought I would try mirroring the pattern, though mainly it’s because I always prefer the cast-on end to the cast-off end (- this way I get two cast-on ends) and will graft the centre. That’s a first for me. Mindless knitting need not fail to offer challenges…

It’s grey, and it’s lacy and airy - so this is a PS3 “Air” project.

It’s a good job that it is progressing so swiftly (it’s high on the “just one more repeat” scale) because my Spin Off arrived yesterday and I am re-energised on the spinning front and eager to get stuck in to a quick spin-and-knit project. Watch this space.

Official Blog Puppy

Guess who is 1 year old today?

We are celebrating with a steak dinner (chocolate cherry Pavlova for pud) - Nell may get a little taste if she’s good, but only of the steak and potatoes.

Nell is going to the vet next week. She’ll be coming home with stitches in her side. We shall have to keep her quiet. Oh, my…

I shall be needing a simple sock project for on the ferry, so I think I’ll cast that on later today. I don’t fancy joining the round on the boat. I’ll take the second of the rings of Fire sock with me, I think.

Feeling better

This week has lurched from bad to worse but overall, things are much improved. I feel less angry than I did last week and the knitting therapy worked well for me. Mr L is now on holiday for a week so his stress levels are down also.

I have a gap in my day now - the freezer is defrosted and tidied ready to receive the shopping next week, the steak is thawing, the pudding is made, the potatoes are washed and ready to cook, and the wine is warming up. Mr L is in the garage with BridGeT. Nell is worn out after playing with her football. And I intend to do nothing more with my computer this weekend.

More scarf, I think!

It is spinning day today - we are at M’s. The weather has broken somewhat and is grey and overcast with a little dampness, but scarcely any wind. I am trying to decide whether to take the car and the spinning wheel, or to cycle with my knitting. It’s a difficult decision.

I do need the exercise, badly. I can get exercise and work on the Teosinte sock, probably completing it by the end of spinning (the heel is finished and I just have to rattle up the leg now). But… I also am rather keen to complete the current spin, which is not getting much of my time at present.

It’s just a 20 minute cycle ride to M’s. I shall feel dreadfully lazy if I fold and use the car.

On the subject of the sock: I am still of the opinion that I shall never take to toe-up socks. They seem frightfully ugly after the graceful engineering of a cuff-down. Also… I seem pathologically incapable of achieving the entire section of wrap and turn with the correct number of wraps and stitches. I have no idea where they go to (or come from, in some cases.)

I have just realised that there are 3 more days left un May… and the PS3 Earth element. Three more days, plus some of today, in which to complete the Teosintes, knit the Rivendells, finish my DFV spin, and do something with the Tundra Handart.

Whatever was I thinking?!

I think I’ll just overrun on the Earth things - I don’t seem to have much fancy for Air (grey/white/yellow). I shall declare June to be Earth month also - at least, in this household. Yellow just isn’t “me”. In July I may try some lace with the cone of grey Alpaca that I have stashed. I also have 150 gms of natural grey BFL 4ply to do something with. Perhaps a Shetland Lace scarf that will grace the Sanday Spinners’ stall at the Christmas Fair. I must remember to make some stock as the year passes.