27 July: Holiday socks

Socks are a good project to take away on holiday - simple, portable, and small. Here are 2 pairs from our recent trips, finished at home-


For my Dear Husband, absolutely plain and in manly colours from the Yarn Yard, bought at the Woolfest, these socks replace some older ones which are now past it.

24 July: Catching up

Recent projects have mostly been rather uninteresting to photograph - spinning fleece mostly, but there have been a few small items now rounded up into a picture -


There are some inkle bands - two narrow ones done on the old loom, and the green/blue one done on the new moon loom. The ball of off-white yarn is spun from an Estonian batt from Wingham at Woolfest (I spun that one evening when bored with Le Tour), the dull purple sock yarn is from the Yarn Yard - a plain sock in progress for my Dear Husband - and the beaded row counters were made very quickly, after seeing something about them on Ravelry, and finding the instructions on eHow; I tried out various wooden and glass beads, and several different types of yarn.

Then yesterday I was reorganising my archery stuff, and decided to make a cloth bag for my recurve bow, so that I can carry it in one piece, rather than keep on taking it to bits and re-assembling it every time I use it. The piece of fabric in the box that was large enough also happens to be bright red, and made of microfibre. It is, therefore, very tough. It had also been in the fabric box for about 25 years, since I bought it in Peterlee when I was working over there.

Anyway, last time the sewing machine was used, there was a problem with the tension, so I decided to sew this by hand. It was hard work, but at least there's the feeling that it's done satisfactorily.The tie is a narrow inkle band, originally an experiment for shoelaces, but I failed to get the ends narrow enough to thread them through the lace-holes. Still, it's just right for this purpose!


One and a half fleeces have been spun, and some of the resulting yarn has been woven and is now waiting to be made up into the planned bags - more experiments.

14 July: Summer in the city

Our recent short trip Down South included a glorious walk in the Weald (the clegs down there bite just as hard as up here), a visit to Penshurst Place, and on the hottest day of the year, a trip into London to see the Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy.

While many of the exhibits left me thinking of the Emperor's New Clothes, there were a couple of dozen I actually liked, and even one or two I might have been able to stand on the walls at home - if the walls were big enough, that is. Many of the pictures were enormous. So were many prices.

I was intrigued to see that nearly all the artists, who evidently strive to be individual in their work, are completely uniform in the rectangular format; the few non-rectangular pieces were generally much more interesting.

As well as paintings and sculptures/assemblages, there were books (interesting) and architectural models (mostly very boring); and photographs, mostly interesting, though personally I found it slightly irritating that David Hockney didn't stand in exactly the same place every time he photographed The Twenty Five Trees etc.

Of course, with so many items to display, not all of them get a good position - two of my favourites were quite difficult to see properly - one was a huge collage of Babel Towers, which was partly obscured by a gigantic gorilla made of coat hangers, and another was a photo of a Northumberland Beach, which was high up above the end of a wall where a film was being projected.

I was able to knit on the train home yesterday, getting part way up the leg of the second of a pair of socks for my Dear Husband. Now I must get back to the fleece that was being spun before our trip; 6 skeins done already and 2 or 3 more to do.

12 October: Sock extensions

Winter draws on, and legs get chilly sometimes. So long socks appeal.

There are loads of ordinary length socks in the drawer, so all that's needed is the long leg part -


Ta-da! If these work OK in wear, I'll make some more.

(Do excuse the knees - they've suffered a lot.)

24 July: Six single socks

Remember that yarn dyed earlier in the month? It's now socks.


As well as the 4 skeins dyed and featured on 2 July, there's the lime green yarn from the Yarn Yard (at Woolfest), and some red/brown yarn, which was previously yellow and green, but was overdyed with pinky red.


It's wonderful how much knitting can be done while watching Le Tour.

2 July: Embryo socks

Inspired by the skein of lime green sock yarn bought from Natalie (the Yarn Yard) at Woolfest, I had a dyeing session yesterday - just the day for steaming yarn on the stove for an hour or so!

While that was steaming, I sat in the shade, with the scent of the philadelphus filling the garden -


Today the skeins of yarn are dry, and I'm very pleased with the results -


It's the first time the turquoise dye has been really successful, and it's also the first time I've dunked the yarn into the jug of dye, rather than pouring the dye over the yarn.

Now to see how it looks wound into balls, then how it looks knitted up. There may be a delay with this, as there are several projects I want to start on, and the last 2 aren't yet finished, so don't hold your breath!

26 June: Woolfest

Exhausted after a trip to Woolfest today; that's me and my cash reserves.

But I have the fibre I need to spin up and finish DH's jersey, which has been on hold for a few weeks: some superwash BFL for a possible project: 3 hanks of Yarn Yard sock yarn: some Landscape dye samples: a couple of crochet hooks: a bag of pot-luck mixed buttons: a copy of Annemor Sundbo's book Invisible Threads in Knitting: and a Kromski rigid heddle loom.

How long have I been resisting weaving? Must. Not. Start. Weaving. As. Well. And there's enough knitting projects lined up to keep me busy for several more years.

Oh well, perhaps I can give up sleep.

Which reminds me - there will be karmic consequences for the driver of the van that pulled out in front of us as we were coming home, forcing DH to brake hard and swerve. It woke me out of a nice little nap.

11 April: Work in progress, and stitchwort

Somehow I seem to have started 3 projects. Normally there's only one main one, and perhaps a small, simple one like a sock.

After several swatches, and knitting over two-thirds of the back of a waistcoat in one way, I decided I didn't like it, and frogged it. Started again, different design, different yarns, much better, about 3 inches of the body done.

Yesterday I spun 2 skeins of yarn, one of 50 grams and one of 80 grams, using 3 plys of BFL, coming out about 17 or 18 w.p.i. This is the latest attempt to spin yarn suitable for socks. Previous efforts have produced nice yarn and pleasant socks, which have felted and shrunk hideously in washing. It is possible that a 3-ply yarn may stand up to wearing and washing rather better. This yarn has not been dyed, as some plain white (natural wool white, not when-a-mother-cares-it-shows white) socks would be handy for the summer. Half a sock foot has been knitted already.

And the third project is a bit of a gamble, using some sock yarn that I don't want to make socks out of. If it works out, there may be more about this. It's only just started, about a dozen rounds worked.

And then, out for a walk this afternoon, there were a few stitchwort plants in flower!


The flowers may not be in very good focus, but the grass is OK.

26 November: ABC Wednesday - S

So, it seems suitable to join ABC Wednesday on the letter S. Specially since there's been snow and, as I'm scared of slipping, there's been singularly little walking.

There are several subjects for S - some socks are currently on the needles -


And I've just finished a Danish-style shawl -


In this cold weather, I've been doing quite a lot of spinning - Here are some of the many recent skeins -


The tweedy grey (right front) is a wool/silk mix, the blue-purple is a merino/silk mix, and the grey and black at the back are Shetland. I have 500 gms each of the purple and the grey Shetland, and 810 gms of the tweedy stuff; so far, I've only spun about 300 gms of the kilo of black Shetland.

Some of the Shetland, along with some skeins soon to be dyed in subtle or sensational colours, is destined for a stranded sweater presently in the design stage (i.e. scribbled notes in my sketch-book). It will be steeked and Scandinavian-influenced; it may also be snazzy, splendid, stunning, or even sensational. We shall have to wait and see.

29 September: Shawl and socks

The knitting has progressed; the two major projects near completion. Here's a photo of the shawl, knitting finished, tidying up to do, then blocking -

Shawl blocking or dressing seems to be quite complicated, from my reading on Ravelry - involving wires, lots and lots of pins, and a large area to spread it out. My effort will certainly need to be stretched out, as it is too small at the moment. I used a pattern (shock! horror!) for this, as I wanted to understand the shape, and I am not experienced at lace knitting. I am now planning a smaller project to my own design.

The waistcoat has been considered, and a decision made about the edge treatment; a start has been made on the front band, with about 350 stitches on the needle (small beer when compared with the 890 or so rows in the shawl border).

Having done these 2 larger projects, both of which needed full attention all the time to avoid mistakes (and I didn't!), I wanted to have something no-brain on the needles. So, yet another pair of socks, this time very plain, for DH, so a matching pair, using some Trekking sock yarn I dyed recently -

The green touches looked a bit odd in the skein, but they make the dull brown a little more interesting in the fabric. And the pale grey should match his new beard nicely....

18 August: Weather necessitates knitting

There's been so much rain in the past week or so that it's been uninviting to go out. Apart from a sortie into Durham to knit with some on-line friends at the Botanic Garden*, when it was dry for long enough to have a bit of a walk too, I haven't felt like going out.

And talking of felt, I knitted a hat recently that was too big when it was finished. As I was felting another project (not yet finished, so there's no picture of that one yet), I threw the large hat into the washing machine too. It is now a nice felt bowl. Here it is on the window-sill -

And on the kitchen table -

The bag of leftover sock yarn is a little emptier now too; here are the latest 2 to be finished -


And with a view of the heels as well - you will notice that they match! -

Yesterday was supposed to be dry, and we'd hoped to go for a walk, but the gloom was interspersed with savage showers, so I cast on a scarf. I must have soggy brain cells, because I mis-read the stitch pattern and cast on the wrong number of stitches, then I mis-read it a different way, and got the spacing all wrong. Then I discovered that I was actually knitting something not quite the same as what I thought I was reading, and that explained why it was all skewiff. So, after pulling it out at least 5 times, I finally got it started properly.

I don't think I like it in that yarn.

*Edit: in the Botanic Garden's cafe.

10 August: Yet more socks - and a rug

After knitting socks for some time, I had a bag full of small balls of left-over sock yarn, in many different colourways. Never one to let anything useful go to waste, I have used some of these to make some odd socks -


As they will never match anything, this is their main feature. They will go into the sock drawer, and a random 2 will be taken out to wear. If I like them enough, I may never knit a matching pair of socks again.

And on the theme of never letting anything useful go to waste, there has been a box of rug yarn in my possession for the last ooh, 30 to 35 years. There was also a certain amount of the same yarn in my mother's belongings when she died in August 1983.

Last week I wove most of it into a small rug on my peg loom, a very low-tech affair consisting of nylon pegs and a length of 3" by 2" wood. I used 5 strands of the yarn together, to mix up the colours and to produce a squishily thick and soft rug.

It's about 29 inches long and 25 inches wide, and the cat has already selected it for a favourite place to lie.

4 August: Now on the needles

While waiting for the radiator in my workroom to stop dripping, I knitted nearly a whole sock. I also contemplated the fact that the kitchen ceiling is a funny colour where the drips have ended up, and felt pleased that I didn't paint the ceiling when I painted the kitchen walls. Because it would have been wasted.

Then I cast on the project I've been planning for a while - a stranded waistcoat.

This key pattern was used for the felted bag I made in March, and I wanted to use it again. It's not often that I repeat myself in knitting, but it's a very satisfying pattern to knit, and I like the effect of the varied green shades with the black.

Here it is at the point where the ribbing is done, and half the first pattern repeat. I did a few more rows while sitting in the garden this afternoon. Then the British Gas man came to repair the radiator, so I couldn't carry on with it.

It needs looking at (and some counting) while knitting, so it may not be possible to knit this and watch TV (New Tricks tonight); another sock may be on the agenda.

Yes, that pencil sketch in the bottom right hand corner is my pattern for the garment shape. Very hi-tec, this knitting stuff.

23 July: Le Tour

Le Tour is the most interesting it's been for years. It was a great idea to do away with time bonuses, as it leaves everyone on the same footing - and there are so many riders who could win this time.

I shall probably be glued to the entire afternoon's broadcast from l'Alpe-d'Huez stage later today. Nobody else needs to go over the edge today, though - 2 crashes off those mountain roads is quite enough.

My Tour de France knitting is already finished, ahead of the final stages. Socks, for me. The colours represent the maillot jaune and a couple of team jerseys, and the stitch pattern is Triangle Rib (from one of the Harmony books); this represents the mountains and the zigzagging of the sprinters up to the finish line.


And, filled with the usual July enthusiasm, I cycled to the supermarket this morning for some milk. Went the pretty way, and came back an even prettier one. Need a lie down now.

Here's a picture of my bike when I got back.


As well as the milk in the basket, my (wool) jersey's in there, along with my helmet, mitts, and cycle clips. Yes, long trousers - don't want to frighten anyone with shorts.

10 July: Knitting Photos

Some FOs.

These two have been made as samples for a spinning demonstration tomorrow, to show what can be made from handspun yarn -


They are made to the pattern for Estonian Hand Puppets by Anu Kotli and Carol H. Rhoades, with stitch patterns from Scandinavia. The eyes are buttons.

The latest socks for DH - the cat normally only investigates shoes, but this time he got up close to the socks.


They are made from Yarn Yard sock yarn, in the colours Housebrick and Agatha.

And lastly the Hallowig (in acrylic yarn from the local market) I made a few months ago, and have only just got round to photographing -

I knitted it for fun, but it looks really awful on me, and it's hellish hot....

6 July: Tottering on

So we are locked into Le Tour yet again.

Every year it begins with wondering if I can cope with all the press hysteria, scandals and speculation; then a breakaway looks like it might just keep ahead, a catch, a sprint for the line - and I'm hooked again.

Takes about 3 days to get the hang of the new colours of the jerseys, then we're back in the swing of it.

Having 2 TV programmes yesterday and today has meant that I have progressed phenomenally well with my current sock knitting, nearly a whole sock done in the past 24 hours. Just as well there's a ball of Euskatel-and-Saunier-coloured sock yarn waiting in my work-room.

There's another plot afoot this week - to finish one or two samples in time for another spinning demonstration next weekend.

As the weather forecast was poor for the weekend, I began on a gardening project on Friday afternoon. Dead raspberry canes were dug up, posts and wires re-positioned, and an area of border dug over. It was very difficult, as the soggy clay stuck fast to the fork, and had to be poked off. Just as well it was done then, as the subsequent rain has formed a small pond there. Perhaps it needs a bit more sand...

16 June: Socks and patterns

The latest socks to be finished -


Trekking sock yarn, home-dyed with food dyes. They are toe-up, short row toe and heel socks, with vanilla feet, and the stitch pattern on the legs is Lacy Diagonals, from the Harmony Guide Vol 3. And no, I didn't want the spirals going in opposite directions.

A bit surprising to be still needing wool socks in June, but there you are.

On my shelves are a lot of not-very-recent knitting patterns and booklets. These Woolcraft booklets were issued for many years; the one top left is the 25th edition. The oldest one, bottom right, is not dated, but is priced at 9d (yes, old money!), while the top right edition is 2/6 (old money), and the bottom left is 30p (6/- in old money). Many of the items appeared in most of them - the spencer and the knee-warmers. I must be getting old, as both of these patterns are starting to look interesting!


Here are two illustrations from the oldest copy. There are jerseys and men's underwear in this picture.

And in this one, socks, gloves, and the knee-warmers.


My mother had a selection of pattern booklets with items for bazaars (many of them bizarre items). Here's a page with patterns for novelty tea-cosies -


And another page of cosies and a crochet cushion -

There are also some old leaflets very nearly held together with extremely old Sellotape.

The pullover and socks were to be knitted for the troops, and the hat and scarf pattern is probably pre-war.

1 May: May Day

I was not up before dawn to welcome in the May.

But it's been a busy morning.

First there was voting - many people put a great deal of effort into making sure we could vote, so the least we can do is stroll up to the polling station and draw a couple of X's. It's no good complaining about MPs and councillors if you haven't bothered to vote for the ones you prefer.

After that I dyed some sock yarn, and while that was steaming gently on the stove I cabled together some rather dull thin handspun bamboo yarn with some cotton yarn from Texere (can't remember what it was bought for, but it was the same thickness as the bamboo.) Here's a rather dim picture of the skein -


Then out into the garden between showers, to sow some seeds. 2 packets of seed - cornfield mixture and butterfly mixture - have been scattered on the bed under the apple trees. The neighbour's cat will probably be delighted, thinking that I've raked the bed over specially for him.

And none of the gardening experts mention that when the lawn squelches underfoot is the ideal time to pull out dandelion roots - they are particularly easy to spot at present, as they are just opening flowers.

And talking of flowers, here are a couple of pictures of the lilies on the kitchen window-sill -


They smell good, too, though perhaps they are the reason we were both sneezing this morning .

And just in case you thought I've been slacking -

13 April: Squid and socks*

Recently knitted this little creature -


I also have patterns for 2 octopuses/octopi, and a cuttlefish.

And socks continue to emerge from the TV knitting basket, even though not much TV is being watched -


These are slightly subversive ones for DH. When worn with shoes and long trousers, only the grey bits will show. He wouldn't think of wearing them any other way, of course.

* Not a recipe currently popular?

29 February: Leap/spring

It's blowing a gale again today, but the last couple of days have had a hint of spring about them. Visiting a friend, I walked past the pond at the dli museum. (Durham Light Infantry, no longer in existence)


The tiny daffodils are out in the garden, and leaves starting to open on the philadelphus, and the day lilies are shooting out of the ground. Primulas are out, and the birds in the garden are now sometimes in pairs.

And there's another freshly-dyed skein of sock yarn , intended for DH, but it's come out a really good blue, and I quite fancy it myself. But of course, blue is not a colour I wear , and there are skeins of Violet, Blackcurrant, and Roaring Tiger still waiting in the stash.....