Cranford rides again.

Finished these this afternoon, started them Sunday evening. I made this pair for Mum, she has been having some pain in her hands and I thought these would give a little support (or hide a support bandage), keep her hands warm and look pretty too.

I used some pure British alpaca that I bought ages ago from Pavi Yarns and some scraps of sock yarn. Knit on 2.5mm dpns.

The pattern details are on previous posts and is available via Ravelry - all you need is a small donation to
P-hop.

This is my 3rd pair of Cranfords - I've yet to make a pair for me.

Look what I won.

I entered a draw at artdog blog and I won some wonderful Scottie dog Christmas cards. The artist drew them of one of her dogs - Big Tommy - who she has sadly since lost. She decided to offer readers the chance to win them and I was the lucky one.They are bold and vibrant and I love them.
She also sent me a lovely Scottie bookmark too.

You can see her wonderful work at artpaw.com it is well worth a visit.

I am doing my happy dance now.

Last weeks F.O's

 First up my Serpentine Dragonfly socks- clever this. The pattern by Jocelyn Sertich (a free one on Ravelry) is designed to work with self striping yarn without distorting the stripe too much. The yarn, hand dyed (see a previous post) by Wibbo of Wibbo's Works was made to have a delicate stripe - the two together look lovely. The subtle colour changes work so well with the curve the pattern creates.
I used about 65g of yarn to make a UK 5 - pattern is worked over 60 sts - I used two 2.75mm circs. Did modify the heel a little by using a SSK as opposed to K2tog.

This is the Lacey Small Shell Cowl pattern by Teyani (again free on Rav). Knit with about 60g of my merino/silk hand spun. It is non itchy and slightly ploofy and I love it. I have enough (with what I need to finish spinning for either a hat or mittens).

Now this is a pattern I cannot praise highly enough - I am in love with it. These Cratchit Garter Mitts by Susan Newhall are a dream to knit. Knit side on in garter stitch with a short row thumb - all in one piece with a provisional cast on and a 3 needle cast off - wonderful construction and so simple. The pattern gives you a row-row guide which is well written and so easy to follow. The garter stitch allows them to hug your hand and they give a little support as well as warmth.
The yarn Cherry Tree Hill- Green Mountain Madness and I used about 30g if that. Knit on 2.75mm they took two days and they fit the whole family from J to Mike. I shall be making more!

Birthday socks for Emma P

A couple of posts back I posted a close up of these. Now they have gone to their new feet I can post them properly.

Monkey Socks by Cookie.A - free on Rav and Knitty.
Opal Uni in purple.
UK size 6.
2.75mm circular needles.

I am so pleased with these. I know I know this pattern inside out but I really think these are best ones I have ever knit, the yarn really worked for this pattern.

Dizzy with scarlet

 From ploofy fibres....

to spinning myself dizzy......

to yarn.

Have spun 100g this week in total - another 50g to go. The first two skeins are plied, washed, beaten and now are hanging to dry. Will start the final lot later today.

Today has mainly included....

 finishing Mike's sockhead hat.

 The pattern is by Kelly McClure and is a free one on Ravelry sockhead. I missed off the double brim for this one as I think it sits better on his head without it.
It was knit on a 3.25mm circ on Easyknits biffle in colourway Nymphea. John gave me this yarn as sample last year when I subbed for him at Woolfest. I couldn't find socks that it worked for (for me) but it was perfect it for this hat.

Mike hasn't grown a big black bushy beard - that's just Bogey getting a cuddle.

Bogey needed a cuddle because all Lottie wants to cuddle is her new smiley ball.

Squirrels - secret and otherwise

 A little more subversive cross stitch. Perfect for a teenage girl.

 Secret knitting project for aforementioned teenage girl. Once gifted I'll post a proper picture.

Finally, the return of pigbat monkey dog. This is Lottie being picked up to be put out for bedtime wee-wees. It's such a tough life....sleeping in M's arms, carried down to the backdoor and thrown out into the wind and the rain. Needless to say 'Lil-miss-won't-piss-when-raining' didn't!

Fell off the yarn diet wagon.....whoops.

 All the yarn that I've acquired recently has come through swaps. I haven't purchased yarn for personal use for months - but I've had some wonderful swaps. But yesterday I succumbed,

This is unique hand dyed sock yarn from Wibbo's Works in the colourway Serpentine. These are good photos  but they really don't do it true justice.

Wibbo was at a community craft show locally as part of the Brighton Craft Guerrilla and she had some of her lovely yarn for sale....the rest is history. I am lucky enough to have a few of her skeins in my stash and they are all lovely and they are dyed so evenly with rich complementing colours.

If you haven't visited the Brighton Craft Guerrilla blog - do it now. They have awesome inspiring ideas and are a bunch of very talented crafty ladies ....and who knows if they do another show you may be lucky enough to get your paws on some of Wibbo's lovely yarn.

Just for a change....

 I knit some socks. "Wow" I hear you say "now that is unusual."

They are 'Spring Forward Socks' - pattern written by Linda Welch which is available on Knitty.com and Ravelry.

Knit on 2 circs @ 2.75mm - size uk 5/6 - it's quite a stretchy pattern. The yarn is Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock Mulit in the colourway Pilsen.

Time

Time as we count it is a man made construct yet it exsists without watches and counters. As each day passes into night and the year turns and our hair goes grey - we are using and understanding time as it is built into the earths cycle.

I mark time by what is around me - J is growing tall, M's beard has more white, my memory stretches back further than it did and the older stuff is harder to recall.

Every year as we approach November - time heads towards a day with a sad significance -the days shorten and grow colder and then the fireworks start sporadically, slowly building up to November 5th. I can't help the way my thoughts go -with such measures on time as J growing up and us aging - and then crash bang of explosions in the air bringing it all to the focus. That we have grown and aged another year and it's another year gone since I lost my Dad. He never met either of his Grandsons and they are both closer to manhood than boyhood now.

Part of me likes the fact I can never let the anniversary of his passing slide by because of the crash, flash,bang wallop, part of me wishes that just for once, after 19 years, I could let it just be another day.....that maybe I wouldn't realise the date etc.

Don't get me wrong - I am not sad just wistful.

The Hag

THe Hag is astride,
              This night for to ride;
    The Devill and shee together:
              Through thick, and through thin,
              Now out, and then in,
    Though ne'r so foule be the weather.

          A Thorn or a Burr
              She takes for a Spurre:
    With a lash of a Bramble she rides now,
              Through Brakes and through Bryars,
              O're Ditches, and Mires,
    She followes the Spirit that guides now.
 
           No Beast, for his food,
              Dares now range the wood;
    But husht in his laire he lies lurking:
              While mischeifs, by these,
              On Land and on Seas,
    At noone of Night are working,
 
     The storme will arise,
              And trouble the skies;
    This night, and more for the wonder,
              The ghost from the Tomb
              Affrighted shall come,
    Cal'd out by the clap of the Thunder.

Robert Herrick (1591-1674).

Under construction

I love this hand spun merino from Jo at limegreenjelly such great colours and it spun up a dream. It's been in the stash for a while awaiting inspiration. Yesterday it became a Last Minute 'purled' Beret (pattern by Wendy Bernard available on Ravelry) - that used up just under 50g for the smaller size on 5mm. The balance is being used for 'under construction' matching mittens - pattern for them is one of my own.

I think this may become a little giftie for someone - not saying who though.

Bears get everywhere!

 No-name found some friends.

And some more friends....

even a couple more....(the little orange coloured bear I made years ago when J was a baby)......

and even more friends.

Who knows one day I might outgrow my bear fetish.

Animal is an honorary bear!

Mr No-name Tedbear

 Needed a knitting break and I found the stuff I bought in 1997 to make a little bear (perhaps being pregnant in 1997 made me loose this stuff in a wardrobe black hole.) I decided I'd better finish him.

He's fully jointed, made from a dense felt that can be easily distressed.

I think he looks pre-battered or well loved and is kind of cute.

Berry red brambles

I am in love with a hat. This hat. Knit in 24 hours (made my hand ache but I was determined to get it finished) the pattern is well written and gives you a well constructed hat - needs careful blocking though.
I love it so much number 2 is already under construction - but smaller size this time.

Details;
Pattern -Brambles by Amanda Muscha - free pattern available on Knitty or via Ravelry.
Size - medium head and medium length.
Needles - 3.75mm/4mm.
Yarn - Cascade 220 from here they have such good colours - I love their reds. This size took 69 grams.

Continuation of clownbarf and other tales

Yesterday I finished my 3rd pair of 'clownbarf' colouway plain socks- this pair are going to be a little different at they are destined to become Canadian Clownbarf socks.

Not yet washed and blocked but very much off the needles....I've been dreaming in these colours. No more clownbarf for a while!

 I did get distracted from clownbarf last week and knitted up a mitten. I used the basic chart and recipe from Elizabeth Zimmerman's 'Knitter's Almanac' but without the top as I hate my fingers enclosed. I also didn't decrease for the hand as my hands though little in length are fairly broad. I now need to cast on for its mate and as I currently have NO socks on the needles it is possible that I'll start number 2 soon (unless.....). I used Jamieson's Spindrift two ply colours and details here. Shetland yarn still makes me itch as I knit it, I hope it softens after a wash.

 Above and below are to illustrate how the babies are coping with the less than clement weather!

It's brightening up now so maybe they will wake up soon for their morning walkies - but right at this minute they are just like their pictures.

A winter project - massive amount of hand quilting!

I decided today that it is about time to finish (or start to finish) this quilt. I completed the top about 5 years ago and it has sat there waiting for me to quilt it. It's a long job. The top is all hand turned and stitched applique so IMO machine quilting won't look right, so it's a hand quilt job. This is the reason it has been 'put off' for a while.

Now where is my quilters hoops?..................

Fergus is keeping it warm for me.

A colourful slice of.......lemon?

Finally finished my Citron - phew.

Pattern is a free one on Ravelry via Knitty and is written by Hilary Smith Callis.
Knit in the suggested yarn - Malabrigo lace weight in the colourway, gold on a 4mm circ,

I got gauge but the final frill is much shorter as I wouldn't have had enough yarn to cast off otherwise.

I am not a fan of never ending stocking stitch but the increasing and decreasing to make the ruching gave this a little more interest, though towards the end I just wanted it to end and I started to loose the will to live.

I am pleased with the result the yarn is absolutely gorgeous - so very soft and smooshy. I will wear it as I think it is a pretty little knit.

Travelling Woman Take Two

The Travelling Woman by Liz Abinante this time the smaller version. Knitted in about 14 days - I was distracted by sockhead hat - in Malabrigo sock yarn in colourway Abril.

This was originally for me but I have a sinking feeling that it may become a 50th birthday pressie for my SIL and yet I'm not sure she'll appreciate it. It needs further thought.

Scrappy-dappy-doo socks.

All done and dusted.

Scraps of Opal Harry Potter in Lupin with an oddment of Regia sock yarn. Knit on 2.75mm with an afterthought heel. Perfect for walking boots - comfy and hard wearing.

A little bit of snitting

A 'Sockhead-jump-on-the-bandwagon-Hat'  pattern free on Ravelry  by Kelly McClure. Knitted in Fleece Artist Somoko in colourway.....? Berries? Took about 70g in total. It still needs washing and blocking. I love it and I have two boys who both want one. Lots of stocking stitch in my future then.

Two pairs of sock on the go. Another set of clown barf that I'm knitting for a friend and a pair of Mock Wave Cable Socks by Ann Budd. The latter are in knit in Reggia yarn by Erika Knight.

Secret knitting revealed at last.....

At the end of July I posted a picture of a close up of some knitting that was secret. Finally, all can be revealed as Emma finally got her birthday present from us. Fates conspired against her getting them on time.

They are Cranford Mitts - pattern by Jane Lithgow. Knitted up in some scarp Reggia  and Opal Uni in turquoise. It's a great pattern, helps P-hop too. I made a pair for secret santa partner last year and enjoyed knitting them that I was just looking for an excuse to make a 2nd pair. Another pair is on the cards as I want some now.

No waste here

Scrap sock. Thought I'd start to use up my leftovers. So this is a mix of Opal Harry Potter - in Lupin and some Reggia. Knit over 64sts on 2.75mm circs using an after thought heel.

Now I just need to choose whether number 2 is the same or a reversal of the colourways? These are destined to be used for dog walking boots so they aren't going to be visible so maybe I'll go quirky with the colours.

Travelling Women Shawl

I knit this for a friend who has travelling in her future.

It's on the blocking mat right now.

I started Saturday 14th August and cast it off today.

Now I have to make one for me!

Techie bits.

Pattern - Travelling Women by Liz Abinante - free pattern on Ravelry.

I extra repeat of chart A because I used finer yarn and two size smaller needle.

Yarn - Handmaiden Seasilk - 100g skein in a mix of rich orangey tones- deep umbers, through marmalades to rich deep gold - I used 69g in total.

Needle- 3.5mm straights and circs.