Change of Blog

Anybody who still wants to follow my ramblings and knitted projects can find me at:

http://josknitbits.wordpress.com/

The Perfect Model

Today I took the opportunity, with the beautiful weather, to photograph my latest finished item. The Clapotis, it is knitted in SWTC Bamboo in colourway Purplexed. I am really pleased with the results, it is a really easy, mindless knit but really effective. We visited Crosby Beach and took advantage of the Anthony Gormley's Another Place exhibition at Crosby Beach. It was like a summers day but I am sure people must have thought I was a bit loopy, dressing up an iron statue!!!




And just to give a perspective of length:

Fun at Bluefaced.Com Open Day

On Sunday I arranged to go to the Bluefaced.com open day with Chris and Lindsay (ohh and not forgetting Jules, Lyndsey's boyfriend who gave up his Birthday to join us). I really didn't know what to expect, having never been to any type of fiber festival before but it was amazing. We pulled into what can only be described as a stunning location, to find the most beautiful assortment of everything yarnly!







There were stalls run by Natural Dye Studio, Fyberspates, DT Crafts, Laughing Hens, The Mulberry Dyer and obviously Bluefaced.com. So we we're spoiled for choice......

I decided it was about time to embrace some new fiber related arts, I have been wanting to have a go a yarn dying for some time and there was such a fantastic choice of undyed yarn and the choice of dyes was amazing too, I decided to get a procion starter kit and 4 different types of undyed yarn, all sock yarn but various blends. BFL & Nylon, Merino & Bamboo, Merino & Tencel and Cotton & Tencel. I am excited to start giving it a try :)



Chris also kindly volunteered to show me how to use a drop spindle, after we had finished our lovely scones, she gave me a little tutorial and let me have a go, it was amazing. I loved the feeling of turning the lovely fluffy fibre into something you can knit with, so with Chris kindly offering to loan me her spindle off I went and bought some lovely fiber, purple and green extra fine merino YUM.



And a close-up of my first spun yarn:




Overall a fantastic day was had by all, I met some lovely people and it was nice to put names to faces that I have only ever spoken to through Ravelry.

Here is a picture of us and the fantastic haul that we brought home :)

Firstly, again, so sorry for the large gap between posts. My life has been getting in the way a bit, I have had a very busy month. My eldest has just started school so there has been lots of school runs, uniform labeling and stuff going on there. Here she is proudly showing off her new school uniform:



I have also been busy knitting too, I have been doing a fair few baby knits for my gorgeous great niece Chloe who was born on 8th September, what a cutie she is and I just know I will find lots of lovely things to knit for her!

I have also started my winter knitting (Yay). I bought the book Knitting New Scarves which I LOVE!



I generally hate knitting scarves as I get bored half way through but this book has the most amazing techniques, design ideas and patterns to stop boredom in its tracks. There are lots of patterns that I will knit and plenty more techniques that I would love to try. I have started my first pattern from the book, the Aria scarf (Rav link). I am really enjoying knitting this scarf so far, I am using Malabrigo Worsted in Holly Hock and Cherry tree Hill Sockittome in Jewel, held together. It kind of gives a tweedy effect which I really like:


I also have a couple of pairs of socks on the needles but I will post about them when completed, which will hopefully be soon..............................

More Finished socks!

Well I have been knitting like a demon in the last week and I have managed to finish 2 more pairs of socks.

Plain socks using Fabel sock yarn, this yarn is lovely to work with and a real bargain at £2 per 50g ball. I am so happy that I managed to get the stripes to match perfectly (not that I am obsessive about it or anything, honest)



Charade Socks, this is a lovely easy pattern which I think is quite effective. The yarn is Natyral Dye Studio Dazzle, again lovely to work with.



I am also 3/4 of the way through a pair of Waving Lace socks which should be finished very soon. I am really enjoying getting these off the needles!

Long Time no Blog

Firstly, I'd better apologise for the huge time it has taken me to blog, I guess life got in the way for a little while but I assure you I am still here and am back knitting like a demon after my knitting mojo got up and ran away for the most of June! I have had a weeks holiday in Majorca and after culling a few WIP's that where holding me back I am back on top knitting form :D

Well, what have I been doing, I have finished some Twisted Tweed Socks in lovely Lorna's laces Childsplay, the yarn was a bit of a test as it pooled horribly with most patterns but I was happy with the result of these





I have also made some pretty flowers for Emily's school teachers, in a moment of madness on the day before they finished, but I was quite happy with the results, I just hope they liked them, they had little pins on the back so they can be worn as brooches.


I still have lots of projects on the go, I am still plodding on with some Charade socks, my Juliet cardigan (the weather is just too nice to contemplate knitting this as it is chunky yarn!), some more Socks of Doom and my Forest Canopy is still waiting to be finished! I have made a promise to myself not to cast anything new on until I at least finish some WIP's, which so far is going well! I promise, I will not leave the blogging so long next time :D

First attempts at lace

Well with all the beautiful sun recently I started to think that maybe the Juliet cardigan would be too heavy for the wedding so I decided to start a Forest Canopy Shawl. This is my first real attempt at lace and for a while it was a little frustrating, especially when it was 2 rows forward, 6 rows back but I think I have now got over that hurdle and the pattern seems to have clicked. The yarn is Fyberspates sock yarn in Grenada colourway, it also matches my dress, probably even more perfectly than the Malabrigo so I am happy. I just hope I get it finished it time!

The Juliet certainly hasn't been forgotten, I will definately continue with it for winter :)