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.