Knitting day

Skeins ready for dyeing!

Dye solution ripples

This week has been all about getting yarn ready for dyeing (and then for you lovely people to buy*!). I’ve finished knitting a jumper for myself (first one in over 12 months). The yarn I dyed today was for a commission. Now I’m going to finish making up my new jumper.

*If you’re interested in the current yarn 60% Merino/40% Poly-acrylic 4-ply(suitable for socks/shawls etc.) 100g/450m in your choice of colour way, with uk p&p included for £10/skein. Message me if you want to claim your’s!

Spinning a yarn

Still got snow everywhere!

Another week another commission. This one I’m making with my own hand dyed yarn (cotton). Both the girls (Walnut and Cinder) have been very sleepy today, thank goodness. We’ve had a lovely gentleman from Ringtons come around and we have some new tea to try on Monday. Tomorrow I have a shift at The Lowry – I’ll be seeing The Tempest (being performed by Shakespeare 4 kids). So I’d better get off to bed now!

MoSI (Manchester) Power Hall.

Finished knitting project (started on Thursday) a Reddit Secret Santa rematch gift.

This weekend saw me make slow cooked french toast, go to MoSI for a stargazing day (including a pop-up planetarium), shopping and even picked up some bargains! I got 2 photo albums that should have been £140 for just £20. Need to look at sorting out our wedding photos soon.

I finished a Möbius strip scarf – only started it on Thursday. It’s for someone through Reddit Gifts Secret Santa (rematch). Send it off tomorrow with the other parts to send. Still waiting on my gift this year.

Wires everywhere

Today I have finished a cardigan for a 3 month old (commission work). It is pretty and I may even share some photos tomorrow. Tomorrow I’ll be making a hat and then I’m free for more commissions!

Day 2 of A Year in Pictures

This is my Holden Shawlette. I knitted this on honeymoon in Florida last year(!).

Today has been a bit of a busy day – lots of housework done. The bathroom is now sparkling again. Now to get off to bed.

(Drop me a line if you want to model for me this year!)

As promised (for Mum and a few other folks..) I have some pretty photos of my Elegance Scarf, designed by Anniken Allis. I picked up the wool and pattern at WoolFest2011

I took them last weekend at BarCamp Nottingham with Lally modelling. I hope you all agree she does a wonderful job!

Just a few photos from yesterday at WoolFest 2011.

Yesterday I went to WoolFest 2011, up in Cockermouth.

It involved 5hours of driving, parking in a field and coming home to hungry cats, but it was fantastic!

From Krafty Koala I bought a new roll for my Double Point needles (owl themed), owl stitch markers, “Ash Cloud” Sparkle sock yarn, “Lilac Dreams” 4ply, “Gail” shawl pattern and “Scroll lace scarf” pattern.

From Yarn Addict Anni (the designer of the Trinity shawl) I got Twinkletoes sock yarn, “Elegance scarf” pattern and “Fame handwarmers” pattern.

From Laughing Hens I got some baby alpaca 4ply.

From Toft I got a wrist warmers kit (awaiting the pattern – she’d sold out of it by late lunch on day one!).

From Wingham Wool Works I picked up 3 500g hanks of Guernsey 5-ply.

From DT Craft and Design I got a Kool Aid dyeing kit.

I also got a Woolfest 2011 Project bag. Surprisingly this holds all of the above!

In recent weeks I’ve been mostly knitting shawls. One for my wedding outfit (white and fluffy) and two for general use (red/blue and sturdy). I have learnt many things from doing them – how to read lace patterns, blocking shawls (different to blocking toy/clothes parts), the effects of yarn forwards and back (and not to do the wrong one!)…

The Trinity Shawls by Anniken Allis.

Sirdar Balmoral in Banquet Red and Buckingham Blue.

This is a very simple pattern that makes such a beautiful shawl when complete! These took about 3-4 days of on and off knitting to make, then 2 days to dry with blocking. I was seen to be knitting these while I was stewarding for DigitFest a couple of weekends ago. I wore the red one to the Big Chip Awards 2011 last week – it went wonderfully with my corset and skirt combo!

Near White Sweetwater Wrap

This will be worn with my wedding dress on the “big day”. It has taken me since the beginning of April to knit this. I’ve never knitted such fine yarn and I also managed to knit one half of it completely wrong(yarn backwards, rather than forwards – it’s very time consuming trying to keep that extra twist in there)! It is currently blocking (drying under tension) on the living room floor. I’ve had to use thread woven through the edge stitches and those are then used to pin out to get the tension even throughout.

I have found that, yes, blocking is vitally important to the finished shawl. You need to pull those yarn overs and decreases out so that you can see the full pattern and make it wearable. As you can see with the photo of the red shawl, when first knitted in DK they seem rather small (only measuring 22-24″ on the longest edge compared to 55″ when blocked). In the blue shawl you can also see that the pattern is prone to being bumpy when left to its own devices, these are all resolved with blocking.

All in all these have been wonderful exercises in patience, especially the Sweetwater Wrap. All are worth the time and effort I have put in. Great lessons learnt.

A very big thank you to Anni and Ruth at The Little Knitting Company for the help and wonderful patterns.

(I’m going to try to get some better modelled photographs of these over the next week or 2.)

Over last few months I’ve made a few custom items for people that I thought I would share.

Custom Made Owl, Bread Hat and Gir.

I’ve also a few things listed on Folksy. You know you want to buy something to brighten my day!