If you can figure out which day of the week it is then you are a better blog reader than I… I think it is Tuesday, so if this is Tuesday it must be be that I am the King of the Belgians… no, wait, this must be Belgium… or no, I know… it’s Show and Tell Tuesday!
Hang on a minute and I’ll have a rummage…
Here we are – 2 balls of Yo-Yo!I bought this for the weaving project that I planned to do over Christmas. Ah well.
(I still need to repair the cat-damaged scarf and complete it before I warp up with this.)
Today has been busy: the Sanday Spinners site is now updated. Sadly we had to increase prices – the VAT rate went up today. We don’t charge it, but we have to pay it and therefore pass on that cost to us. Also, Ashford price increases have filtered through. I added the new niddy noddies, nostepinnes, and buttons and also the long-promised Pamuya pattern recommendation. All this and a blog post.
I watched half of Dances With Wolves. Still need to watch the second half before I can reveal how many repeats I have done on the edging of the Bridgewater. In the meantime, I have completed the first of the new pair of “ferry socks” (looking great) and have now picked up my Mingus socks, which have been hibernating since 2008 (!) I had a small problem when I unearthed them – only 4 of the set of 5 needles were present. This is a sock pattern that benefits from a set of five rather than four, so I have stolen the circular needle from the finished ferry sock. The second sock will have to wait. I am quite aggrieved about the missing needle as it is one of my treasured short Brittany Birch sock needles. Happily, at some point during the Mingus’s hibernation period, I have happily fully converted into a Magic Loop sock knitter, so all is not lost.
Anybody want a short set of short sock needles?
It seems to me that, had I been so rash as to make a NY Resolution to clear my UFOs, I’d be able to report pretty good progress towards my goals. Here we are – four whole days into January and I still have not cast on a new project.
Go on. Act impressed.
PS – should you be too young to get the Belgium reference: IMDB
Hi, loving your blog!
What’s the difference between normal needles and sock needles?
Hi, Amanda. I recognise you from Twitter? Welcome to WOOL|gathered
There is no difference between normal needles and sock needles 🙂
To me (and I speak very personally) any set of 2.5mm needles are “sock” needles. I have lots – from 7″ aluminium DPN ones, through 6″ bamboo DPN ones to short circulars for knitting socks with two needles, and long circulars for magic looping. My sock adventures over the last few years have seen my trying different methods and adopting differing tools for them.
The needles in question are very short ones, 5″ in Birch wood. Very nice for sock knitting as there are no waggling ends to contend with. I find them very stable and like it that they do not get caught up in my sleeve cuffs. Overall, though, I do believe that I am now a confirmed Magic Looper. That said, there are several pairs of socks on DPNs lying around the house in varying stage of composition (perhaps decomposition) – mostly started before I began magic looping.
I just started knitting about 2 weeks ago and totally addicted! I’ve done a bag and half way through a long scarf for a friend. Still getting the hand of wearing a jumper and long needles, many times I’ve got caught now though not as annoying as the cat. Wool, needles anything that moves he has to play with. Tried putting the wool in a bag but he just dives right in haha
Looking forward to dipping my toes in patterns but a bit scared at the same time, it looks very complicated
I just started knitting about 2 weeks ago and totally addicted!
Oh, well done!
Still getting the hand of wearing a jumper and long needles, many times I’ve got caught now though not as annoying as the cat.
Neither of my cats are knit-compatible (nor weaving-compatible, see passim) I have developed A Stare, which one of them at least backs down from.
Tried putting the wool in a bag
You need a closed container, maybe a tupperware tib or somesich, with a hole in the lid to pass the yarn through. I use cut down whisky tubes, CD spindle cases, litre yoghourt buckets from Lidl… anything that will carry out the function.
Looking forward to dipping my toes in patterns but a bit scared at the same time, it looks very complicated
I’d like to be reassuring but patterns can be a minefield! Start with with one of the reliable new wave designers like Ysolda Teague or Jared Flood (Brooklyn Tweed) or Romi (Rosemary Hill) – all do really clear, well-tested patterns. Some of the new designers are very supportive and give lots of help with their patterns, The Shetland Trader (Gudrun Johnson) springs to mind here, though her patterns could be better laid out.
Be sure to be on Ravelry, if you are not already – people there are very supportive and helpful in the groups and forms – there is one for Orkney knitters…
Somebody started a knitting group in Kirkwall, not sure if it is still alive though. I could meet you in town some time for some knitting/pattern reading help if you like?
Hiya
I’ve managed to find a really simple pattern for handwarmers that I’m trying. First dip into knit and purl properly and not just knitting away.
I’ve joined Ravelry and do glad that I did! Had a quick look and already finding it very useful.
I would like to meet up sometime, though I don’t know when I could as I have a social phobia and find it difficult to leave the flat without my husband. Hoping to make it out on my own soon 🙂
Oh, dear – I am sorry to hear that. I do sympathise. I know it is not necessarily helpful to offer to come to you instead.
Anyway – I am often in K’wall with time to kill until the ferry leaves again. Feel free to get in touch any time.
I had a similar problem after the birth of my first child and found I could neither go out nor welcome people in to my home. My heart would thunder in my chest if anybody knocked at the door. I still find it difficult to have people in my home. It feels very threatening. I suppose it’s an adjunct to agoraphobia – if home is “safe” and outside is “not safe” then anything that impinges on the place of safety threatens it. Then again, I just don’t deal with groups of people at all well anyway and suffer great stress and anxiety on social settings. Have learned to hide it as well as I can, though – but still hate going out!
Good luck with the handwarmers!
What is your Ravelry username? I’m plumbum