My oh my, doesn't the time fly! Can you believe it's almost Halloween? Only a second ago I looked through my window and saw this...
...and now? See for yourself:
I'm manipulating the evidence here, but only slightly. The pictures were taken no more than a few weeks apart. The ugly one, however, IS from today. What you see is not fog, not exactly - I'm in the centre of a %&*#^% cloud! It happens a lot around here, because of the elevation: the clouds just can't be bothered to lift their lazy backsides over the mountain so they hug the ground instead, enveloping us in the grey wetness. The effect, when you go outside, is curious - like rain, but stationary. The droplets don't fall, they hang in the air, so you crash into them as you walk through, not the other way round.
Usually I hate being all Pollyanna about things but at times like this it's either this or crying the afternoon away. A lightless, dripping day outside? Brilliant! PERFECT knitting conditions. Let's grab some needles and talk yarn stuff.
Last time I was here, I was working on a pair of Owlies for my Sister's birthday. Here they are, all done:
I fell in love with the owl cable and with adding beads to knitwear, so I went on knitting and improvised a matching pair of fingerless mitts.
The package still felt little light, so I added something else to the bunch:
This fella is King Cole's Tinsel Hedgehog, if you were wondering. I'm not a big fan of glitter, so I chose a down-to-earth colour for his fur but otherwise I followed the pattern as written. A very pleasant pattern it is too, quick and simple, perfect for a last minute gift.
Next up - Indian Feathers shawl.
As you can see, I'm still under the beading spell. I *blush* may have bought a *more blushing* rather substantial amount of size 6/0 beads, so this probably isn't the last word on the matter...
I'm uncomfortably between projects right now. There's enough yarn in the stash to last me a decade, but after a few days wasted browsing through patterns, I'm still undecided. Something biggish is on my mind, a jacket perhaps, but whatever design I look at, there's something not quite right. The fit is not 'mine'. The gauge is all wonky. The 'wow factor' is just not there. I rather feel like mindless knitting just now but I fear I'll end up designing something from scratch. I've been lazily swatching today, trying out various pretty stitches, thinking the pattern up. We'll see if the idea ever becomes solid enough to be born as a garment; keep your fingers crossed, will ya?
I can't sign off without introducing you to the newest member of our household. She's nameless as yet and disarmingly cute:
Any ideas for a decent rabbit name?
Showing posts with label autumn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label autumn. Show all posts
Monday, 26 October 2015
Monday, 20 October 2014
A Bagful of Yarn
I don't know about you but around here getting the car through a technical inspection is a cause for celebration. Since my Other Half did all the repairs himself (I'm! So! Proud!), we still had some car money left - rather than giving it all away to assorted mechanics - and I was able to treat myself to a bag full of yarn.
The bag contains enough fibre for two sweaters, which chimes nicely with the changing season. It's bloody cold around here, y'know? The gloriously red aran should be just the thing to remedy this.
Believe me, the image does not do the colour justice.
I'm not a massive fan of aran sweaters but recently I've come across a few nice patterns that I can actually picture myself wearing. Plus, I've had a curious, aran-themed interaction with a local knitwear supplier which may have (and didn't) resulted in a commission, so I thought it best to be prepared.
You see, I live near Galway and a stone's throw away from Aran Islands themselves. THE Aran Islands. There are plenty of tourist-oriented knitwear shops nearby and they inevitably attract my yarnie interest. I'll leave a detailed analysis for another day, suffice to say that I've come across an interview with one of the local entrepreneurs where the lady (which shall not be named) complained bitterly of advanced age of her knitters. Aran knitting, she claimed, is a dying art so hurry up and buy your sweater! Always ready to help out, I emailed the lady and offered my services. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision, partly motivated by genuine interest and partly a test of her sincerity. I even offered to knit her a sample garment - hence the yarn.
The lady never got back to me, so I guess aran knitters are not so scarce after all and the aran yarn I bought will be warming my own back, eventually.
The other yarn is some very soft, very fine acrylic, the same stuff that I used for my opera gloves a while ago.
I got my hands on a copy of Alice Starmore's Tudor Roses book and I fell hopelessly in love with the Elizabeth I pattern. Seriously, I HAVE TO have this pullover. My yarn is rather finer than specified and Ravellers warn that the pattern needs some serious mods so I predict a long tech editing session before any knitting begins. I'll get there eventually. Possibly next summer, or one after that, but I will have this sweater.
In other news, the Puppy is as always extremely interested in all my activities, including the photo session.
She's over a year old now, so technically not a puppy anymore, but tell me one thing - doesn't she model like a pro?
Happy knitting, guys!
The bag contains enough fibre for two sweaters, which chimes nicely with the changing season. It's bloody cold around here, y'know? The gloriously red aran should be just the thing to remedy this.
Believe me, the image does not do the colour justice.
I'm not a massive fan of aran sweaters but recently I've come across a few nice patterns that I can actually picture myself wearing. Plus, I've had a curious, aran-themed interaction with a local knitwear supplier which may have (and didn't) resulted in a commission, so I thought it best to be prepared.
You see, I live near Galway and a stone's throw away from Aran Islands themselves. THE Aran Islands. There are plenty of tourist-oriented knitwear shops nearby and they inevitably attract my yarnie interest. I'll leave a detailed analysis for another day, suffice to say that I've come across an interview with one of the local entrepreneurs where the lady (which shall not be named) complained bitterly of advanced age of her knitters. Aran knitting, she claimed, is a dying art so hurry up and buy your sweater! Always ready to help out, I emailed the lady and offered my services. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision, partly motivated by genuine interest and partly a test of her sincerity. I even offered to knit her a sample garment - hence the yarn.
The lady never got back to me, so I guess aran knitters are not so scarce after all and the aran yarn I bought will be warming my own back, eventually.
The other yarn is some very soft, very fine acrylic, the same stuff that I used for my opera gloves a while ago.
I got my hands on a copy of Alice Starmore's Tudor Roses book and I fell hopelessly in love with the Elizabeth I pattern. Seriously, I HAVE TO have this pullover. My yarn is rather finer than specified and Ravellers warn that the pattern needs some serious mods so I predict a long tech editing session before any knitting begins. I'll get there eventually. Possibly next summer, or one after that, but I will have this sweater.
In other news, the Puppy is as always extremely interested in all my activities, including the photo session.
She's over a year old now, so technically not a puppy anymore, but tell me one thing - doesn't she model like a pro?
Happy knitting, guys!
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