LOVELY BLUEY GREEN FIBERY DELICIOUSNESS

I can't wait to get my camera back in action - I want show you the yummy, bluey, greeny superwash merino I bought on Etsy shop - The Ranch It's just soooo pretty. I bought 8oz this time as I really would like to make something other than a scarf or little itty bitty projects.

My plan is to make a little tank top - I'm not much into sleeves - except in deep midwinter - I just get too hot. I've been eyeing up several pretty little projects on Ravelry - will start as soon as I have a sensible block of time (or when I can no longer resist the woolly call).

MOBILE PHONE BAGGY THINGY

I'm feeling rather pleased with myself - I've just finished a wee project that I hadn't even planned to start! A little bag thingy for my mobile phone - bright pink.



I started it on holiday - actually I suppose I started it earlier than that, because I spun the yarn - an energetic singles (half of a two ply barley twist) - at a guild meeting in August (for the Ireland scarf fringe).

When we were in Norfolk I took it off the bobbin to create space - whereupon I started to look at the yarn or maybe it looked at me - anyway I ended up picking up a pair of knitting needles to do a little sample - but I didn't stop - it ended up as a strange, long, slightly twisted, knitted strip - I looked at this and thought "mmmm - mobile phone cover..... it needs another colour - shocking pink and..... ah yes lime green speaks to me". Next stop Etsy for a button! oh and of course a necessary trip to handweavers for some lime green merino.



So, there we have it - finished. Very girly it is too - must charge my phone!

FUNNY HAT - GO SEE

At the Fast Falling Feathers Blog there's a fab hat to see in the style of a viking hat with chicken drumsticks for horns

AWAY AGAIN

We're off to Northampton tomorrow to begin the celebrations for my parents 50th wedding anniversary - gosh what a milestone.

LLAMA, SILK & WOOL BLEND & LOGWOOD

Whilst on hols in Norfolk I spun my pre-prepared rolags of llama, silk & wool blend fibre - this was the stuff that went into the accidental dye bath - the one where I brewed up my bag of madder (to over-dye something else in red) only to find that the solution was the wrong colour - logwood not madder - "um" thought I "what now?" - well I dyed some alpaca (from Charlie the alpaca) which came up a pretty lilac (not the purple I was hoping for - disappointing as I don't wear lilac and wanted a tank top). So, in went the llama blend...... hoorah a good purple. Anyway, long story short, I spun this on hols and it came up in a very pleasing way - much like a linen yarn but with extra sheen from the silk.

Next I knitted up a couple of tension squares, inspired by an article I'd read in Smallholder Magazine. I knitted one on size 11 needles (3mm) this I did 30 stitches by 30 rows, then I did another on size 12 needles (2.75mm) 20 by 20 - I'm having difficulty deciding which is better - maybe once I have a pattern in mind it will become clear - the larger swatch is definitely nicer to handle but the other seems to have more boing. Either way it's become clear that there's not enough for a tank top - unless it's a very small one! So yet another rethink is in order. Time to trawl Ravelry (not that I need much excuse here)

RIGID HEDDLE WEAVING WITH THE GUILD

We had a guild meeting Saturday where we used the guild rigid heddle looms. Several of us keep a loom which belongs to the guild and, because we have these looms each year a workshop is done specifically for rigid heddle weaving.

This year the chosen project is a rag rug bag - I believe it's based on a pattern from Handwoven magazine - simplified for us idiot beginner weavers!

The guild member who ran the workshop put in lots of work preparing instructions suitable for non-weaving folk, finding out what colours we'd like and sourcing the yarn. She also warped up looms for people and helped others with their warping up. Besides all that she baked some lovely goodies for morning coffee and afternoon tea - so well done her - we all award her a medal.

It was a good day - everyone was in good spirits. I was the only one who hadn't warped up - so used the time to warp up and get started - I'll add photos & progress reports here as I have them.

HOME SWEET HOME

Well we're back from our hols in Norfolk - and very restful it was too hubby played lots of guitar and I spun and knitted and crocheted. The third member of the family mostly slept!

FEELING FINE AND DANDY

How utterly fabulous - we've discovered that the local library has free internet access so we're not entirely cut off from the world! So here we are side by side at Wroxham Library (a delightfully friendly place) playing on our favourite websites (him on Ebay and me on Blogger/Ravelry and Etsy).

The last few days have been superbly relaxing - I've finished the morning surf scarf apart from washing and blocking and I'm stuck into the Llama, silk & wool blend that I'd dyed with logwood. It's spinning up really nicely and I've done a little tension square that looked good too - I can't post photo's here so those will follow when I get home.