MIA and news from the other side!

Instead of coming back every week, like I had hoped to I seem to have been Missing In Action for longer than normal.

I did have a bit of a break from knitting....I wasn't really happy with the sock I was knitting and the neck of the self designed sweater wasn't going as planned.

I did get some spinning done for the Tour De Fleece, this is from Scraps Swap 2 and 3, I have divided the 400g of scraps into 4 bags. This is the first skein and the second skein in progress on the bobbin. I am plying with grey merino and should have about 800g for a cardigan or sweater by the time it is all spun, I'm almost half way!

Last weekend we dressed up to take part in Pirate Day, and attempt to get the World Record for the most pirates gathered in one place, Hastings now holds the record with 6,166 Pirates!

I have also been spinning and dyeing in public at the Kent County Show, and last weekend I was spinning at the Winchelsea Féte with the 1066 Spinners.

For anyone else who happens to stop by who isn't a friend on Ravelry and Facebook and hasn't seen my other news, there is going to be a new arrival next February:

I was waiting for the 12 week scan before I went public, and now I am 15 weeks this weekend I can feel the baby moving around more.

Hopefully now my knitting mojo has returned as I need to get on and design the jacket or cardigan for my City and Guilds Handknitting. Ideally i would like to crack on and get it finished before the baby arrives, although I am having trouble getting a yarn and the early samples to work together!

Bigsock/Little Sock

As it was Worldwide Knit In Public Today we arranged a little meet up in Princes Park, Eastbourne. I thought we should mark the occasion by casting on the heel of Bigsock.  That is Becks on the folding chair casting on! Also in the photo is Lesley (in the hat) and Lou. Obviously the empty space is where I was sitting, I think Lesley will have a similar photo with me in it!

We decided the simplest way to work the afterthought heel for Bigsock was from the inside out like a toe, although rather than a closed cast on we have 500 sts cast on into a crochet chain which we will graft later on. The plan is for this part of the sock to travel the UK.  Germany are going to be casting on the toe and we can then be working the foot between us!

I finally got past the short row heel on my little Leyburn sock, after 6 failed attempts for one reason or another. I think the first time I wasn't paying attention with my wraps....a couple of times I got a stretched stitch I couldn't fix, then I got further up and realised that the leg was going to be too big, once when I frogged back I didn't check the position of the heel and foot stitches and was a stitch out, another time the foot was too long, then I knit it too short,   but on the bright side I am very pleased with how my handspun has held out after all that frogging and re-knitting.

I'm not that far off finishing the first sock now, maybe a few more inches and just weighed the ball of wool to see how it is going....I have 110g on the scales which means so far I have only used 20g! I think I will check again when it is cast off!

It's about time!

Oh me oh my, I can hardly believe I seem to have lost the whole month of May! There was I on the 22nd April counting down the days (quietly) to my 'big' birthday, and before I knew it we had hit 22nd May...and now look we're into June.
So my birthday was a quiet affair and there have been a few photos set aside for blog posting, although I've just looked for a picture of the long legged sheep that the boys got me, and I can't find it, I know I took one, but it's not in my photos folder or on the laptop, so we'll just continue with some photos from this week!

First up is my Leyburn sock, I had knit up to the ankle and frogged back once, simply because I made a few adjustments as I went and decided to take it out and redo it. This is part of the spin/knitalong we are doing in the limegreenjelly group at the moment. Some people are doing Scrunchie Handwarmers and some are doing the Leyburns and a few are doing both!

I have also been experimenting with a little yarn dyeing this week, these are superwash nylon sock:

The handknit sweater design is coming together, I am just hemming the sleeves and sewing the sleeves in, although you may not get a peek just yet!

I will try not to leave it another month!

Oke!

I finished the 3ply this week. It didn't actually turn out quite how I  imagined. When I split the fiber up I had 7 pieces following the same colour sequence so I figured if I made each piece into 3 then I would have 7 repeats of the colours. I know some of my pieces were thicker than others but didn't think it would split the colours up quite as much as it did, still I'm pleased with the result!

I had been warned that the fibre would bleed a little so I did fix it with a couple of big spoons of citric and bring it up to cook slowly. There wasn't alot of bleed in the water at the end, but the brighter yellow and lime are a little more muted in places, but it hasn't spoiled it!

I have 130g and 450metres, ideal for socks which is handy because we are having a spin/knitalong in the limegreenjelly group over on Ravelry at the moment, I'm hoping it will be suitable for the pattern which is the Leyburn Socks!

Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad!

The knitting is still plodding steadily, and I have managed to get a little more spinning done. Good job really as Scraps Swap 2 and Scraps Swap 3 (400g of scraps) have arrived and I can't really start spinning them until I finish this 3ply!

I'm Still Standing!

Yeah, yeah yeah! In the great words of Sir Elton John!

Yes I have been neglecting the blog a little! In knitting news I'm still busy knitting the sweater. It is going well, I am up to the armholes, and have just started working on the back piece. The small gauge makes it slow going, although it is starting to take shape.

I did start a little spinning for the Pararavelympics, although haven't got past the 1st bobbin of the 3ply I started., mainly due to sweater knitting, and when I'm not knitting on this sweater or working I am also thinking about the cardigan/jacket design I need to start when the sweater is finished. Maybe I should start practicing the 5 minutes a day....I would like to finish this yarn at some point!

It is almost a month since we held our 1066 Spinners Dye workshop, this was the 3rd Workshop I have done and the best one so far, mainly because I've learnt as I go what works and what can go wrong. We had a great day in a lovely hall and I think we'll probably hold a simlar Dyeing Day next year.

I put Gemma, one of the knitters I invited, in charge of taking photos and we have some great shots.

These are the before and after shots!

There are quite a few inbetween shots of me demonstrating, and of the group dyeing too, I will try and get them edited and up on flickr....but for now I've got to get back to that sweater!

This Time Last Week......

I was at Brixton Academy, one of my favourite venues for seeing a band.



Waiting (not quite) patiently for one of my favourite bands...




Hot Chip...this was the third time I've seen Hot Chip and the best gig so far.

I could see them 'over and over and over and over' again. I'm a little frustrated that I can't see how to share the YouTube video here any more...but nevermind.

Knitting news, I am quietly beavering away on my sweater project. No sneaky peeking yet!

I still need to block my Swallowtail and I've had a scarf on my loom since Christmas, ok so the scarf is still on my loom because the sweater design is my top priority at the moment, closely followed by spinning, but I would just like to free the loom up ready for something else, maybe knowing that I haven't really got time for something else right now is the problem!

Scraps!

I finished plying my scraps yarn late on Thursday night....it's been very wet and grey since so I haven't had much light for decent photos. Managed to grab these between showers this morning!

Scraps!

This week it's all been about scrapping fibre for the 1st UK Scraps Swap!

Inspired by the Scraps Swap Group on Ravelry I decided to see if there were enough people in the UK interested in a scraps swap. We had 28 people in this first swap and over 5kg of fibre.

I gradually worked my way through scrapping all the fibre by doing 8 braids a day, and just had a few left Monday lunchtime.

I then started making up scrap bags, and once I started I got through all 28 quite quickly. I then got them all packed up and labelled and off to all the participants of the swap!

Here are my scraps, I have split every scrap into 2 pieces and have 2 bags ready to make a 2ply yarn. It has been such a successful swap we have decided to do it all over again, although I'm not hosting it this time!

Blah!

So we've done with January and here is February already! I had hoped to have been back sooner with yarn photos, but keeping all the balls in the air at this time of year always seems harder.

Hopefully by Spring my multi-tasking skills may get back to normal!

This first skein is camel/silk. It was an attempt at the 800yard race, but fell quite short at 576 yards, although probably my best effort yet from 100g!

The second one is about 200g of merino. I spindle spun half, back in October when I was at the Textiles in Sussex Exhibition. I found a very similar braid so wheel spun that up to ply together.

There is alot of sample knitting going on for the sweater I am designing, and finally the Swallowtail has been cast off and is waiting for some blocking.

Scrunchie Rides Again!

I could probably knit this pattern in my sleep. Wouldn't that be great sleep knitting, just think how much you would get done! The yarn is trekking xxl, knit on 2mm. I may still knit another pair....my pair are missing presumed lost....I can't actually think of where I had them last, they may still turn up, but it's looking unlikely. I do need some knitting on the needles for Wednesday (knitjam) although it would be nice to get my Swallowtail finished before I cast on something else.

I think this pair will be for my neice as her mum had a pair while I was visiting at Christmas and I said I would knit her a pair too.

Not alot else to show at the moment, there has been a little bit of spinning, and I washed some skeins today so maybe some yarn photos later in the week!

Take The Weather With You!

There has been a bit of snow causing havoc in the UK this week. More snow than I have seen since the 1970s!

I did manage to finish my camel/silk. It's not really a contender for the 800yard race, I had 576 yards, which was a little disappointing, although I think I could achieve 700 with a different fibre. No photos yet, I've not got around to washing it!

Apart from that I've been doing some garment sketches for my City and Guilds Handknitting, and working on some tv handwarmer knitting.

I also want to say a big Happy Birthday to Marianne, for Tuesday! Happy Birthday Big Sis, hope you have a lovely birthday! xoxox

Happy New Year!

So here we are in 2010! Some people have been busy writing resolutions and goals for the New Year, I'm not really someone who bothers with all that much and I don't feel that you have to set yourself goals to feel you have achieved something, it's really down to the individual.

I didn't consciously set any goals for 2009, and if you look at my knitting projects there are probably less projects finished last year to the 3 years recorded previously, but if you look at my Handpainted Fibre Set you can see just how productive I really was. Then add to that a few scarves and a several skeins of yarn and I actually achieved quite a bit. I've put together a little photo mosaic of some of the projects, I think my Clapotis is missing at the moment. It must be in flickr as its in my Ravelry projects but sometimes it's like looking for a needle in a haystack when I haven't added it to the right set. I think I may just put knitting, weaving and handspun for 2010 in a Set of their own together rather than have a set for each!

I am happy that everything I did in 2009 enriched my well being. My spinning has really improved and I've made a start with weaving....but 2010 needs to have some new challenges ...I may not achieve all of them, but I am trying to set myself achievable goals as oppose to setting my sights on something just a little out of reach like a Number 1 single in the charts.

Spinning....I would like to learn some different drafting techniques, and to conquer my fear of Long Draw.

I'm also going to try spinning and sampling more yarns, and will be setting up some more spinning challenges in the limegreenjelly group on Ravelry.

Knitting....I need to design and knit 2 garments for my City & Guilds Handknitting.

Weaving....I'm going to spin up my pick and mix faux cashmere/silk yarns and weave a scarf (once the current scarf project os off the loom)

Talking of challenges we are still having an 800yard Race in the limegreenjelly group on Ravelry, anyone is welcome to join. I have some camel/silk on the wheel at the moment which I am hoping will be a contender!

Boxing Day!

Belated greetings to all my friends near and far, here we are on Boxing Day, most of December passed in a blur and although I did knit a couple of gifts these are secret knitting and not for sharing.

I have been detangling my skein of lace yarn with a vengeance whilst watching tv this week and it's getting there, maybe a few more days of obsessive fiddling. It's funny how the detangling has almost become like stocking stitch, apart from the travelling backwards into a ball thing. It's just good to see I'm actually getting somewhere with it, but I also need to get to work on designing my garments for my City & Guilds Handknitting. I let the course lapse this year, but want to get back into the swing of it.

The Joker

Last weekend I started spinning this:

It was uploaded to flickr at the end of August last year, and it was right down at the bottom of one of my 'stash sacks'


The colours reminded me of Heath Ledgers outfits as The Joker in The Dark Night so that's what I called it.

It's merino, I have 350m, just over 100g, and I have another one to spin!

Eyelet Cap!

And here we are finally, the hat was finished in the middle of last week just in time for the Guild Fashion Show, but the weather has been mostly wet and grey. Managed to get a couple of photos done just before another downpour today!

I adjusted the pattern for fit a little, by doing one less of the eyelet repeats, as it would have been too big for me.

I'm pleased with the way the hat co-ordinates with the scarf, and have enough yarn left to make some gloves, if I could decide on a pattern. I did look at doing some eyelets but they didn't work too well on my wrists, so I'm thinking of doing something simple with some cabling maybe!

Not alot going on at the moment, I pulled the Swallowtail out and knitted a couple of rows yesterday. I have 6 more rows till the cast-off so I will try and get that done and dusted before Christmas now!

I'm still detangling the lace....there's a scarf on the loom and I'm rifling through the spinning stash but still undecided about what to spin next!

Hat Yarn!

I managed to finish the second bobbin of singles and get my hat yarn plied last night!

It's Bluefaced Leicester, mainly from a semi solid braid I had called 'Blue Suede Shoes' with a little grey and turquoise added for interest. I'm hoping it's going to co-ordinate with the first woven scarf off my loom. There is 145g/486metres (the hat should only take 80g). I am hoping I have enough left for some gloves or handwarmers.

Inspired by the silk scarves here which were raffled off at the Textiles in Sussex Exhibition, I have been dyeing some of the faux cashmere/silk that I have with a view to spinning and weaving my own silk scarf.

I have also been attempting to dye some silk too, it's funny how the addition of faux cashmere makes the silk easier to dye!

Another Fine Mess.....

There are lots of bitty things happening at freestylefibre HQ at the moment.

I've been knitting on a secret knitting project, for the limegreenjelly secret santa swap, so since it is a completely secret swap, unless my swapee guesses it's from me, you won't get to see the knitting anyway!

I'm also trying to spin some yarn to knit a hat, before the weather gets too cold. I can't find my old faithful stripy hat anywhere, and yes, it is about time I knitted one. Especially since I've found an ideal pattern in the Fall Vogue (edited to add ravelry link just for big sis Marianne!)

My Swallowtail did have a few more rows knit, until the secret knitting jumped up the queue. I've also got a scarf on the loom.

So why oh why did I decide I needed some more lace in my life? I have had the yarn for quite a while, a few months ago I found the perfect colour mother of pearl discs, and so I thought it was time I purchased the pattern (Hanging Garden Stole) and wound the skein into a ball in preparation to cast on. Unfortunately the skein had other ideas, it wound fine for a little bit and then it just got caught and wouldn't turn on the rice any more.....I could be untangling for a little while!

Just to make life a little more interesting I have decided to open a second etsy shop for handspun yarns and other creations, it's called freestylefibre. Actually I have been planning to open freestylefibre since June, I just had to put aside a little time to get a few items in there!

Heartland Lace

It's done, actually it's been done for a couple of weeks but we had alot of rain and I couldn't get any decent photos, I did 5 repeats of the main pattern...and size wise I thought it was huge, but actually it's only 2 inches wider across the top than the one in the pattern (66 inches)

It's a really nice pattern to knit, especially if you like following written instructions....I worked without lifelines, but it was just one of those designs I could actually read!

It also goes to show it doesn't matter how thick and thin your handspun is when it comes to some lace patterns, as the yarn was far from perfect, as thin as lace in some places and like dk in others, but I did spin quite alot of this yarn while demonstrating at the Alpaca Festival back in April.

Spinning & Weaving:

Last week I decided to get spinning something from my stash. This fibre started life on my spindle at Woolfest, but I had only spun 10g! I decided to speed things up a bit and transferred everything to the Little Gem.

I was spinning this all week so I was a little disappointed with the 220m I got in the end, still I'm hoping it will make a nice 'Howl' a cowl I can turn into a hat!

I've also been weaving Noro Silk Garden and Silk Garden Lite Warped Scarves! Mostly these are to sell, but wonders will never cease....my other half wants to keep one of the Autumnal one's. So far I have woven 2 of each, although there is quite a bit of the shade 203 left over frogged from a sweater and last seen in my Clapotis.

I think I only have 2 rows left on the Heartland Lace Shawl so maybe a photo of some actual knitting soon!