F i E L D y

Diversion Tactics.

You know how when it is really important that you buckle down and address important issues to do with your life, you manage to find other stuff to do that prevents you from dealing with those issues? Yes, we've all been there!
We all find ways of avoiding 'dealing' with stuff and diverting our attention from the really important matters. In case someone out there is running short of ideas on how to do this, why not try some of the following ideas - I have found them to be very useful over the past week or so..............

make some cards and tags from last years calendars/diaries.............

make some nosebands for working horses and donkeys abroad.....

crochet yet more mitts..........

or alternatively knit some mitts (I saw some on Gigibird's blog and thought how nice they looked!)

Or you could sit and admire the print you have finally managed to frame and hang in the kitchen whilst drinking far too much coffee....

After all that perhaps you might be in the right place to deal with tax, bills, health issues, cash flow etc etc etc. 

I am delighted to announce that the first name out of the hat for the draw for the wool was Claire so she gets to choose which colour she would like and Frogdancer will receive the other ball - Congrats ladies!

I meant to mention that Isobel has posted a few pictures of our trip to Harris over on her blog if you would like to visit - more coming soon I hope!

Tenth Time Lucky.

If at first you don't succeed.......... keep casting on until you get it right! Yes, this is the tenth time I have cast on for the Noro Striped Scarf and finally I think I have cracked it. I have been doing so much crochet lately that I thought it would be a good idea to get back to some knitting but it has been so long since I tried that it was like starting all over again. All this scarf calls for is a K1,P1 rib over 39 stitches. Well, that threw me for a start. I tried a few times (once I had managed to work out how to hold the needles again) and just couldn't get it to work. Then I realised that the pattern I was following had an extra stitch (this rib only works over an even number of stitches) as the person had added an extra stitch for doing a special edge (which of course I haven't worked out how to do) After several more attempts which saw dropped stitches, broken yarn and tears of frustration,  I went back to basics and got my favourite starter knitting book out and started with the instructions for casting on (I hadn't even been doing that correctly!) and once I had got the basics right it started to work. My problem was that I thought I knew what I was doing rather than actually knowing.

Anyway here is my scarf as it stands so far............

The original pattern uses Noro Silk Garden but I am using Noro Kureyon in 3 colours - 2 balls of colour 52, 1 of 138 and one of 206. Look at all those ends to weave in - you change the colour every 2 rows _ I wonder what a fringe down one side would look like?

The finished scarf is supposed to be 6ft long (72 inches) This piece you see in the picture is 7 inches long and represents the following time spent:

1 omnibus edition of The Archers - approx 1 hour

1 film - The Sons of Katie Elder - approx 2 hours

2 episodes of Anna Karenina - approx 2 hours

1 episode Frasier - 30 mins

1 episode of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - 1 hour

so in total about 6 1/2 hours or roughly 55 mins an inch! I see I have an awful lot of TV watching ahead of me - I say watching but what I mean is listening as I daren't take my eyes off the knitting!

Starting this project has allowed me not only to reduce my stash but to use the lovely needles I bought some time ago at a local charity shop - so many great knitting bargains to be had. I bought  4 pairs of metal needles for about 75p a pair - they look like they are from the 50's....

I love the funky colours and as much as I like wooden needles I find the metal ones easier to work with as my tension is quite tight when I knit.......

I tried googling Atan but all I came up with is that it is an inverse tangent!

I have been so enjoying all the mitt crocheting I have been doing recently and have quite a few comments about the colour of the New Lanark Wool, that I have decided to do a little Giveaway which will help reduce my stash further. I am giving away 2 balls of New Lanark Wool ( one ball is plenty to make a pair of mitts) so you have 2 chances to win one. The first name out of the hat will get to choose which of the two lovely colours they would like and second out of hat will get the other colour. Here they are.....

They are both 100% scottish wool and they are both Aran weight in colourways Clematis and Blueberry. Just leave a wee comment on this post and you will get entered into the draw. Closing date at 12 noon GMT on Sunday 31st Jan.

New Stuff.

As I mentioned in a previous post I have been trying out a few new things involving the lovely Colinette yarn - I really can't stress how much I love this yarn - the colours, the texture even the names are just so gorgeous!
I recently learnt to do some basic crochet and have made lots of these corsages.........

I thought it would be nice to combine the yarn with Harris Tweed leaves. The plain yarns would have patterned tweed leaves and the patterned yarns would have plain tweed leaves. I have already changed my mind about that as the patterned tweed looks good with the patterned yarn too. In the picture there are two Colinette corsages in colourways 'Salty Dog' and 'Ginger Cinnabar' - both have proved to be popular (I personally love the Salty Dog colourway) the pink is a Fybrespates handdyed yarn bought from K1 Yarns in colourway 'Cutie Pink' (limited edition - apparently chunky yarns are not popular! I must be in the minority!) Bottom left is a corsage in Folktale Fibre handspun OOAK in colourway 'Heirloom' and on the right the corsage in made from Nessie Knits handspun OOAK in colourway 'Springling'The two Colinette corsages have made their way into my shop and the others will follow shortly - it's a major feat to get any type of half-decent photo these days as we get about 2 hours of daylight in Glasgow per day.
I have also been working on these felted hearts....

made from pieces of a handknit jumper that were given to me by a friend. Her Mum had started knitting it 15 years ago and never finished it! It has made great felt....

I love the fact that is is made from Shetland Wool. I have added tartan ribbon and some crochet
flowers which I think look really sweet (they are also stuffed with kapok and organic lavender) These too will eventually make it to the shop although I have sold 4 of the 10 I made and still have a couple of Xmas fairs to go. There is already one in the shop - if anyone is interested in them.
Of course I have been making lots of the wee scotties, hotties and tea cosies too but have posted pics of those so many times before that I am not going to inflict yet more onto you!
Maybe one more heart though............

Just because.
I have recently done a mega shop update - God it's laborious and time consuming!- maybe I should try to do little and often. Back soon with more new stuff hopefully and a peek at The Writers Bag.

The Big Trip - Day 1 - Glasgow to Coventry via....Wales!

Well, I have finally steeled myself to sit down and write about my road trip to Cornwall - it seems like ages ago! I am going to do a series of posts outlining the journey, places of interest that I visited and a bit about the people that I visited - well, rather alot about the people I visited!
Here goes...............I had decided that as I was going to be driving such a great distance that it would be a good idea to make the actual driving/journey as much a part of my holiday as actually being where I was intending to go, so after much plotting and planning I left Glasgow that Monday morning at 8am and by 11am I was sipping coffee and admiring the ducks at my favourite service station (I know - it's very sad to have a favourite service station) which has the most amazing farm shop. I had decided that I was going to take a wee detour through Wales as I was not on any deadline to get to Coventry. It was horrible weather and driving on the motorway was hellish so when I got to the Chester turnoff I was really happy. I was even happier when I crossed the border into Wales and the sun started shining! I drove through the most beautiful countryside and within an hour or two I had reached my destination. I approached the door, my heart pounding with anticipation and what lay beyond did not dissappoint! The HQ of Colinette yarns in Welshpool - Textile Alchemy!

 

It is such a beautiful shop - I was overwhelmed by the choice of texture and colour on offer and the staff were so friendly and welcoming. I have been making corsages out of Colinettes Grafitti yarn in a couple of colours and I wanted to buy a selection of different colours to try. It is so hard to choose between all the colours as they are all magnificent, so I ended up buying one of each colour. Luckily there is a large sale section in the shop so many of them were reduced because of some perceived flaw - not that I could see any!

There are an abundance of knitted samples showing off the different yarns - I spent a very happy hour there just admiring it all! It is a great place to visit - I would recommend it to anyone. What is also good is that it is situated next to the Steam Railway which has a lovely cafe on the platform selling Fairtrade coffee so there are plenty of distractions for companions not interested in yarny goodness. Welshpool itself is also very pretty and not too far away with plenty of shops and cafes to enjoy.

( You can see the full set of photos I took in the shop on Flickr)

I left with a smile on my face and a bag full of the most wonderful yarn with great names like Lobster Pinch, Vatican Pie and Morello Mash!

Within a a couple of hours I had reached my destination - my friends Ness and Marks cottage just outside Coventry. I had just enough time to dump my stuff before being whisked off to a local pub for dinner and a double celebration! Ness had just found out that morning that she had secured funding from Arts Council England for the play she has written and Mark has just recently been promoted to Associate Dean of the School of Art and Design at Coventry University AND his Phd thesis was being published as a book! Ness and Mark are two of the hardest working people I know and they deserve every success! I am very flattered that Ness has asked me to design the costumes for her show and it is great to be able to do something like this again as I have not done any theatre or costume work for several years and really miss it! Ness and I met at Art School where we were both doing Degrees' in Theatre Design. Ness has always wanted to write and now finally, 20 odd years later, she has realised that ambition. It hasn't been easy and I admire her determination - Well Done Ness! If you happen to be in the Coventry area on the 2nd, 3rd or 4th Oct come and see the play - it's worth the effort!

PS I have just updated my etsy shop! Go and take a peekx

One step closer to Monkey heaven.

Look! Look here! Look what I done!

My first thing knit on dpns! I am so excited - can you tell?! I am doing a course through K1 Yarns where I, along with 3 others, am being shown how to knit a small bowl which will eventually be felted. We met at Northstar on Weds eve for a couple of hours, drank max strength coffee and ate cake - I had the most gorgeous chocolate tart EVER! Oh, and we did a little knitting and talked about art and craft and how the two should complement each other etc....I have done one of their courses before and the great thing about them is that not only are you learning something new but you meet some really lovely people. Fired with enthusiasm I raced through my bowl and knit a second.....

...and I have a third on the needles! Not bad - 3 bowls out of one ball of Noro Kureyon! I feel like I have made a breakthrough with the mental barrier I had about knitting in the round - I really didn't think that I would be able to do it! Oh yes, those Monkeys are within my grasp now!
I spent some of the time over the weekend finishing off a few things so that I can start with a clean slate on Thursday which will be my first full day of freedom (job has finished!)
I FINALLY finished this scarf I have been knitting (second time lucky!) out of Noro Blossom Shade 15..

I really love the colours and texture of this and I am looking forward to wearing it this winter. I also finished of a few Scotties and my very own Knitting bag but I haven't had the chance to take any pics so until next time........

Wednesday night is........

Knit Nite!
Last night was the second Knit Nite held at my house. Really it started as an excuse for MJ and I to get together to catch up mid-week, watch a dvd, drink wine and talk about our knitting/crochet projects. Last night we were joined by my pal Elaine, a keen knitter, who is back from working in London. It is so good to get together and talk through ideas for projects you intend to try and to get encouragement and advice on how to do certain things. It is also good to see what other people are doing and to learn new techniques.
MJ has started her crochet squares for the baby blanket she is making out of the Lanark Mill wool.....

..she is using 4 different shades of blue and some cherry red.
Elaine is more interested in texture and learning new stitches rather than producing a finished item........

..she has frogged so many things! It is hard to fathom! She is knitting this bobble pattern scarf but on the wrong size needles with Jamiesons Shetland Wool - I think it looks great. She is also really into old knitting patterns from the 30's and 40's and I can see why!

So beautiful - so many lovely details! I am quite smitten by them myself!
Elaine bought along a ball of yarn with her which she cannot remember then make/name or what it is made out of. It has the appearance of liquid metal and feels really cool and slippery. She started to make a scarf but didn't like the look of the stitch so is stumped as to what to do with it. Any suggestions?

MJ and I both suggested a more 'holey' pattern and MJ had a go at crocheting a little bit - I think it looks quite nice - and very metallic!

If you did a garter stitch it would probably look like chain-mail.
I didn't bother to photograph what I was working on as you have seen it all before - still plugging away at the Noro Blossom garter stitch scarf which I am desperately trying to get finished so that I can start something new. I start the dpn knitting course in a couple of weeks so I want a clean slate - and I want to learn to do crochet and bobble stitch!

Bliss......

It is 9am on a Friday morning and here I am sitting in my Pj's blogging - usually I would have already been at work for the past one and a half hours! I have 3 days off and I am in a state of total bliss even though it is raining - well it is a Bank Holiday this weekend so it is only to be expected. I had 3 days off last week too and today I was planning to post about what I got up to and also show a selection of lovely Tweed that arrived during the week from Harris but, I have left my camera at work so I will have to post about a couple of projects that are FINALLY finished and a couple of new makes that I have been playing around with. I can also give you a tantalising peek at what is in store once I get my camera back.
I made a knitting bag for my friend Anna (yes that again!) and when her partner Piero saw it, he asked me to make him a cover for his new iPod so here it is.........

in the colours he likes. It only seems fair as he donated about 3 metres of the mustard coloured tweed to my stockpile. It is a wee bit lumpy but it will fulfil its function.
Next up I have finally finished a scarf that I started months ago - I have frogged it twice and reknitted it so at last I am happy with the proportions - knit from Noro Iro, it is destined to be a xmas present for someone............

I finally got around to making myself a cupcake pin cushion from Betz Whites' Warm Fuzzies book.....

It has taken me ages to find enough bright coloured jumpers to recycle and felt, I only ever seem to find earthy coloured things in the charity shops. I was so pleased with this that I made a few more and I think that this will be this years handmade xmas gift (thinking ahead) - lucky for me that most of my friends are keen crafters!
I also got some more Scotties and Hearts cut and sewn.......

so my stock is slowly but surely being replenished.
This crafting frenzy took place last week on one of my days off. Another day was spent on a day out with my friend MJ. We thought that it was time to refurbish our pots and window boxes and where better to buy plants but in the Clyde Valley - known as the 'Garden Valley' as it has more independent garden centres than you can shake a stick at. I would love to show you my before and after pics of the garden but, as I said, the camera is still at work. We also decided that a healthy walk would do us good, so to incorporate a trip to New Lanark would be the answer.

There is a lovely walk up to the Falls of Clyde which takes you past a site where Ospreys nest - you can watch them from a purpose built hide. BUT that was not really my motivation to go there. My motivation was this!.....

Yes, there is a great Yarn shop! And it is so cheap! And they do mail order!

Needless to say I bought quite alot! MJ got a selection to crochet a baby blanket for a friend. We spent so long ooohing and aahing over the yarn that there was barely enough time to eat our Organic locally produced ice cream before heading home laden with bags! I think walking is overrated anyway!

Providence............

... serendipity, fate or just plain good luck. Whatever it is I am grateful! We have been pondering just this at work recently as we all feel that someone up there/the universe is looking out for our Art Department. We have collectively been experiencing the greatest luck ever - everything we need, no matter how tricky or seemingly impossible it may be to find, has somehow found its way to us with the greatest of ease.
On a smaller scale I feel that I have been attracting everything to me that I need to get back on track with my crafting ambitions. This arrived on my desk at work the other day - they will be used as set dressing....

but somehow these lovelies managed to find their way back to my house.........

..and amongst them are a set of 2.25mm metal dpns and a set of 2.50mm metal dpns! I have been looking for something this small in metal for ages as I am not keen on wooden needles and now here they are - my sock knittting can commence as I have no excuses now! I love the old needles especially the ones with the really round ends - they look like the sort of needles that Mary Poppins might knit with.
I have also signed up for another knitting course with K1 Yarns..........

I popped into the shop the other day as we were filming right next to it. I enquired about classes but the felted bowl class was unfortunately full. I received a call the next day to say that there was a place for me after all! The great thing about this class is that we will be knitting on dpns! This is exactly the sort of encouragement I need at this stage! I have also started to go to a knitting group where 2 or 3 people are virtuoso sock knitters.
I was out and about looking for props the other day and I got this lovely wool jumper (the scarf was given to me by my friend Caroline - everyone gives me their old woollens now!) They are ideal for felting...

I also bought a rather garish glass vase on a whim - it reminded me of a stick of rock. When I got it home I was wondering what an earth had possessed me and what was I going to do with it - then it struck me that it was perfect for.......

...storing knitting needles!
I have also just found a secret tweed supplier who has stacks of lovely colours that are no longer being produced - I have just put in a large order and cannot wait to get my hands on it! I am not sure whether all this is a result of my thinking more about getting back into crafting and therefore creating more opportunities or whether the universe is giving me a subtle prod in the right direction - Come on Suzanne, back to what you really should be/want to be doing. Who knows? Best not to question too deeply.

On a totally unrelated subject - if you get a chance, tune in to Francesco da Mostos' latest series about Venice on BBC4 - he is so engaging and as a native Venetian has a real feel for this amazing City. His other 2 series about Italy are equally good - he talks principally about art and architecture. I so enjoyed the first programme last night and cannot wait for the next. Venice is such an amazing place and the location for 2 of my favourite films - Death in Venice starring Dirk Bogarde and Summertime(or Summer Madness) starring Katherine Hepburn.
Here's hoping that you are all experiencing some Good Luck of your own! :)

The Knitting Bag!

Finally I have finished Annas' knitting bag - better late than never! I am on the whole pretty pleased with the way it turned out and, more importantly, Anna loves it. So I am afraid that todays offering is all about The Bag. Anna and I discussed what we would like from our ideal knitting bag and the finished result is this.....

It is pretty big but Anna knits big jumpers so needs a roomy bag and I seem to have 2 or 3 things on the go at once (scarves mainly!) so big is good. Inside there are different pockets for different things. A wee pocket for small items....

a large pocket for patterns (or a copy of your favourite magazine)....

and a pocket for needles......

slightly longer handles mean that you can wear it over your shoulder. I used nylon webbing for the handles as I thought that it would wear better than tweed handles and I put corduroy on the bottom of the bag to make it a bit more hardwearing. Inside is a thick piece of card covered in the fabric as the lining which helps the bag hold its shape. There is plenty of room inside!

Great for large projects but not for the sock knitters amongst you I'm afraid! Time for one more gratuitous shot of The Bag.................

Tidying up a few loose ends.

I did it! I finished the wee purse last night and here it is in all its' gloriously squashy wooliness...

...I am so pleased with it! Guess what everyone is getting for Christmas this year!?
I have been looking for purse tops locally but can't find any anywhere but luckily I managed to buy a couple from Hiddeko (knitting course instructor) last night....

.... and she has invited me around to her house to look at others she has that I can buy! She makes purses out of Japanese fabric and bought a load of clasps when she was back in Japan over New Year. I am looking forward to seeing the purses and her artwork - she is actually a fine art painter and studied for her masters at Glasgow School of Art - knitting is a hobby!
I have also managed to finish my cork board thanks to a donation of corks from my friends Anna and Piero. They enjoy a bottle of wine or ten!

Another thing I managed to get off my 'To Do' list is recycling this years Xmas cards into next years Xmas gift tags....

...some have worked better than others but who cares - it is off the list and I am feeling extremely virtuous! The thread is actually off an old tweed-loom bobbin - I bought several when I was up in the Hebrides from a charity shop for 10p each! Bargain!
It is Burns Night tonight and my friend Bevis is having his annual Burns Supper - I always do the table decorations as my contribution to the proceedings......so it's off to the veg shop for some neeps!

Wednesday.

This is the view from my beautiful new studio window - I had to be quick taking this as we get about one minute of daylight at the moment - plus the dustmen kept walking back and forth in the background, getting in the way!

Really this is just an excuse to show off the lovely card and flowers MJ bought around last night to celebrate the newly decorated room. We also had some Cava to toast all who sail in her! Although I am on a detox I felt it would be rude not to take a glass!
This is how the wee purse project stood as of this morning.......

..I have cunningly cropped the pic to avoid all the mistakes made in the bottom two inches! They will dissappear into the seam anyway! Thurs night we will be putting the wee purses together - exciting stuff.
I was pleased how the knitting turned out in the end and I feel I have kind of got the hang of the continental style of knitting and I actually like working with the teeny needles - which is just as well as I am determined to become a virtuoso sock knitter! Seriously, sock knitting is the new rock and roll - you read it here first.
I also want to take this opportunity show off this reclaimed yarn - I love it!

It is a gorgeous turquoise with flecks of orange, green, pink and blue - totally the sort of thing I would have chosen myself. I got a bin bag full of old sweaters from a friend the other day and in amongst them was a massive hand-knitted gents V- neck sweater. I washed it and then frogged it for the yarn but saved the sleeves to see how it would felt. I got 3 balls the size of grapefruits from it - more yarn to add to the blanket stash! I persuaded MJ to take one of the balls away with her to make some crochet corsages with - oh yes, I am determined to contaminate everyone I know with the Yarn Bug!

Behold - A Scarf!

I finally took the plunge and felted the Enormous Blue Scarf yesterday. When it was knitted up it was much too wide and, although long, in proportion to the width it was too short!
I put it through the machine on a 60 degree wash and it came out shorter and slightly narrower so I put it through a second time hoping it would shrink in width again. It didn't. I tried stretching it out over the edge of the table and it seemed to work - but then it kept shrinking back. The proportions were getting better though so I persevered and then it struck me that this was when I needed to block it. When visiting many of the knitting blogs there was much talk of blocking and so I decided to see if I could stretch and pin the scarf so it would dry in the shape I wanted. It worked! I cannot believe that it has come out so well! I was resigned to it being a disaster and by some miracle it stretched to exactly the right proportions!

It is still pinned to the mat on the kitchen floor - the paint tin is holding the mat down! I can't wait to get it up and start wearing it! It is a lot stiffer than when it was pre-felting but that is to be expected. It still has a lovely fluffy angora finish though. As it is all garter stitch it has felted into neat ridges which I am delighted with - a very happy accident!

k1,p1 - Continental style!

Had the first part of my Learn to Knit course last night and here are the fruits of 2 hours, yes 2 hours!, labour....

Not much to show for 2 hours is it!
We are being taught by a lovely Japanese woman called Hidekko (she must be very patient as we were all pretty hopeless and needing attention all the time) who persuaded me to try to knit Continental style (holding the wool with the left hand rather than right) rather than English style (these 2 styles are described differently depending on what country you are from) as it is, to quote "much easier". I'm sure it is for some, that is if your hand doesn't suddenly develope a will of its' own and turn into some sort of mutant claw incapable of performing the most basic functions you would expect from a hand! I'm sure this will be a lesson in patience and very character building but at the moment I would be happy to gouge my own eyes out with the unfeasibly small needles we have been given. The wool we are using is lovely - Spirit by Twilleys (I use this for my stocking pompoms) but it is really fine and has loads of loose strands - infuriating!! On the up side I did learn how to do double needle cast ons.
What will we be doing next time I wonder - knitting fine spun fairy gossamer with toothpicks!? Spaghetti with Twiglets? Dental floss with pipecleaners? Please feel free to add to the list!
My other knitting projects have been suffering from neglect as I was determined to finish the Enormous Blue Scarf so concentrated all my efforts on that. This is how they stand at the moment...

The one on the left is Noro Blossom yarn and is coming on steadily - with no holes!! The one on the right is Noro Iro and is a totally different story. It was the second scarf I attempted and I cast on too wide. It also developed a few holes. I carried on regardless until I had knitted up 1 full skein.

After alot of angst (and a few glasses of wine) I bit the bullet and frogged it...

As you can see it is back on the needles and I am confident that I might get something wearable at the end! I was feeling pretty chuffed with my newly acquired knitting skills (basic though they be) until I showed my scarves to my friend Bevis.
"Thats amazing yarn..." he said "it does all the hard work for you"
Try telling that to my left hand - when I woke up this morning it felt like someone had been hitting it repeatedly with a hammer all night long!!

New projects/Loose ends.

After what seems like an eternity this finally arrived yesterday....

... it was definately worth the wait! Loads of great projects - I love Betz Whites' stuff - so original and inventive. Cannot wait to make myself a cupcake pincushion!!
I also collected this yesterday...

These are all the materials I will need for the Learn to Knit course I am doing through K1 Yarns. There will be 6 of us meeting at Theos Cafe on Thurs eve to start off making this cute wee purse and to master basic stocking stitch ( I am still on garter stitch) and then again in 2 weeks time to finish it off. All the materials are included in the cost of the course and you get free coffee too! I was a bit surprised how teeny the needles are (3.75mm) as the smallest I have tried are 5mm but I am up for the challenge. That is if my left thumb holds out! Every morning I wake up with a really painful thumb due to the fact that I have been gripping onto my knitting for grim death (in case it leaps out of my hands and unravels before my very eyes) I suppose I will learn to relax in time - at least I have stopped snapping the yarn!
This Artisano 50% Alpaca/50% Wool is a new arrival at the shop....

I was so smitten by these two colours I just had to buy it - it is soooooo soft. I have to admit I have a serious problem - well several actually - all involving wool based products! I need help before I bankrupt myself!
I have also been tying up some loose ends before launching into painting. When I was emptying the studio I found 3 unfinished cafetiere cosies left over from the mammoth effort for the craft fair so I have finished them off.

I also had an order for a lady whos' husband regularly travels to the States and likes to take Scottish gifts for his American colleagues so I finished them off too (still to finish 2 washbags!)

This will pay for all the paint for the new studio!
I have also finished knitting the Enormous Blue Scarf so it is ready to felt! This took 3 (yes 3!) skeins of Noro Korchoran. I really hope it felts well as it will be a pretty expensive mistake to make! I suppose if it is no use for a scarf I could make purses/wee hottie covers from it to recoup the money although at the end of the day it is not about the money but more to do with the learning process.

This is how it looks before felting - fingers crossed!
Well, I can no longer avoid the inevitable. I'm off to get the old painting jeans on!

*****STASH FLASH***STASH FLASH*****

I have to come clean. It seems wrong to keep so much loveliness hidden away like some shameful secret!
I have been accumulating rather alot of yarn in recent weeks - Damn You K1 Yarns! Why do you have to be on my route to work? Why can't I resist your siren call? Of course I have to shoulder some of the blame but what's a girl to do? I'm only human after all!
It occurred to me one chilly evening whilst sitting knitting the enormous (soon to be felted) scarf, that it was actually very toasty and what a great idea it would be to knit a blanket or rather a patchwork blanket. It is a big project but I could knit squares as and when able to and eventually I would have enough to make a blanket to keep away the winter chill next year. Also what a great way to get as many of your favourite yarns in one place! I found some lovely knitted patchworks on these sites....monkeyknits(that monkeyknits is an inspiration - look at her finished objects gallery), bestitched and cosmicpluto knits - how can one person create so many beautiful knits?!!
As much as I love Noro I don't think a whole blanket would be 'me' as it is rather colourful, so I have decided to make one out of a mixture of Shetland Wool and Shetland Marl in a variety colours based on the colours I use in my patchwork cushions. I also bought one skein of Debbie Bliss Donegal Tweed as I liked the idea of a bit of variety in texture although it should knit up the same.
I bought 3 skeins of this the other week....

which is the same yarn as the enormous scarf but in a different colourway (I am planning to knit it thinner and with a smaller gauge needle). I realised that 3 skeins was 1 skein too many and so braved the sale shoppers to see if I could get a refund or exchange one skein and get a couple more colours to add to the quilt stash - I decided a mustard yellow and lilac would be good. The goddess of knitting must have been smiling on me because, when I got to John Lewis, there was a Sale on yarns and I found the perfect additions to my colourways at half their normal price! Debbie Bliss Donegal Chunky Tweed....

Gorgeous! In addition to this I received some beautiful Shilasdair Wool (from the Skye Yarn Company) from Caireen as a Xmas gift and it is the perfect final colour for my quilt! Thanks Caireen - you always find the perfect thing at the right time!(That label is lovely too - I love a good graphic!)

Here are all the lovely colours together....

So, all the yarn is assembled. Now all that remains is for me to get my knit on! Big style!

Nutty about knitting!

For some time now I have been frequenting quite a few of the many wonderful knitting blogs out there. I find the whole process of knitting and the detail some knitters go into about what they are knitting, what type of yarn, what gauge they are knitting at etc etc, totally fascinating. There is so much more to the knitting process than just yarn and needles! I think it is so inspirational to read about the process, their triumphs and occasional failures - their enthusiasm is infectious. The other aspect I like is that many knitters have several projects on the go at one time - WIP's. So, as a novice knitter, I was overjoyed to find out that this is a completely acceptable way to carry on. It also means that I don't have to make the difficult decision about which yarn I like best - I can buy them all and knit with abandon. When I get bored with one project I can take up another for a while with no sense of guilt.
I currently have three projects on the go - all garter stitch, as it is the only stitch I know, and all scarves as there is no shaping involved! I am having great fun getting to know the different yarns I am using - each have their own unique qualities!
The first project I started was this with this Noro Korchoran yarn.....

...which is a mix of 50% Wool,30% Angora and 20% Silk. I am using 6.5mm metal needles. I started with wooden needles but the yarn kept sticking to them as the tension was too tight - also I kept snapping the yarn as documented in this previous post. After a shaky start things seem to be going well and I should have a scarf long enough to felt in a couple of weeks. This yarn is very soft and fluffy because of the angora content and lovely to knit with. Great for a novice knitter as mistakes seem to blend in fairly easily!
The next project I started was with another Noro yarn called Iro which is 75% Wool and 25% Silk. For this project I have used the 6.5mm wooden needles as it seems to suit this yarn better...

..it is less fluffy and is a bit like knitting with spaghetti! The yarn seems to be thin in some bits and thick in others. It has a very defined pattern when knitted up as it is quite compact. It is also very 'springy'! I love the autumnal colours of this one.
The third project is with yet another Noro yarn (can't get enough of that Noro!) which is called Blossom.

This yarn is 40%Wool,30% Kid Mohair, 20% Silk and 10% Nylon. I am using 5mm metal needles for this one as it is quite 'stringy' and more difficult to knit with as it is comprised of several different strands. I love the rich colours and the wee nubs of colour that appear every now and then. I cannot wait to finish it so I can wear it!
I particularly like this recent post from Poppalina - it is a perfect example of a true knitting enthusiast writing about the thing they love most. I also love reading Brooklyntweed - his photographs are gorgeous and all his projects are beautifully executed! Also if you get a chance checkout The Knitting Philistine. These are just 3 of many great knitting blogs which I will be adding to my sidebar when I get a chance!
On the crafting front I haven't done much at all as I have been working long hours (another good thing about knitting is that you can do it in front of the TV) and haven't had the time or energy to anything other than knit for an hour or two when I get home! This is all about to change - have a craft fair next weekend so it is all systems go to get some stuff together for that - and make stuff for Xmas gifts!
I did manage to make these wee hotties to fill an order I took at a Xmas Fair a couple of weeks ago.

Craft on!

Rippin' ma knittin'!!!!

As luck would have it, the office I am now based at is just up the road from the wonderful K1 Yarn Boutique! Obviously I had to stop and look.... which led to a spontanious purchase of this lovely yarn and some wooden needles......

....OK! So it wasn't spontanious! As soon as I realised I would be working over that side of town I was plotting to purchase!
I have been lurking (such a sinister term!) around the many wonderful kitting blogs looking wistfully at beautiful knitted garments, felted garments....I have developed total knitting envy!!! So I have decided to take the plunge and to try and knit myself a scarf. I used to knit very short, skinny scarves for my teddies when I was wee but have not touched needles since. How I wish my Granny was still around - she was an expert knitter and made hundreds of things for me, my sister and my Mum - and all her great-grandchildren too!
Of course before I could start I had to download basic How to Knit info off the web - so much info out there thanks to so many generous knitters. I then realised that the skeins would need to be rolled into balls - not an easy task for the beginner - many tangles, many expletives uttered etc and I was wearing all black and the wool is very fluffy.....you can imagine the scenario! Finally I ended up with this....

...lovely round ball of wool. I challenge any kitten out there not to want to chase it!
I cast on with very few setbacks but knitting the first row was a challenge... aaargh! Why wasn't it working??? I wrestled with it for some time before realising that I had skipped the bit about knitting the first row and was now trying to cast off! How stupid am I? This truely was 'rippin ma knittin'! (This is a popular phrase in Glasgow to describe something that is driving you mad/doing your head in etc I love it!)
First row almost knitted I was about to do the final few stitches when... you guessed it - the yarn snapped! Maybe a little too much tension! You can see the stubby bit of wool on the needles - not sure what to do now - instructions don't seem to cover this eventuality. All advice gratefully received.....
I also bought some pom pom makers -

why use a bit of card when an expensive gadget will do the trick! Have not attempted pompoms yet but the packet assures me that it is very easy to use....we'll see...